#The flower in their hand is a rue BTW :)

[midnite-enjoyer]

bird's foot trefoil

[rose-pearls]

Hi there!! If your requests are still open i’d like to make one, btw Im not very good at requesting, so im sorry if this doesn’t make any sense.

Could your possibly write a Clairrise x Hephaestus’s Nb kid reader. Like we’ll make/repair weapons for her, and we weld her flowers with nuts and bolts and cute stuff like that!!

Feel free to skip this request!! Have a good day/night!!!! :D

Hi!! Thank you so much for your request, it was so cute and I loved the fact that it was a reader from another cabin then the Aphrodite cabin! I hope you like it and that it is what you wanted! My requests are open for every fandom I write for!

Main Taglist: @avada-kedavra-bitch-187, @nyx2021, @thestarspangledcaptain, @kmc1989

Percy Jackson Taglist: @niktwazny303

Clarisse La Rue Taglist: @peanutbelley, @abbersreads

Non-binary reader, if there is a mistake somewhere please tell me and I'll fix it! I am always open for feedback :))

When you started dating Clarisse a lot of people were surprised, it wasn’t often that a child of Hephaestus and a child of Ares got along, let alone date each other. But it had just made sense when you had met her during your first day of camp. You had tried to find what you were good at, with the help of Luke, and as you were trying to figure out how to use the spear he had given you a beautiful girl had arrived.

“Why don’t you let the expert teach them, Castellan?”, the brown-haired girl says with a confident smirk, making you blush. Luke had just rolled his eyes at the words before telling you that he would get you at the end of the hour to try something new.

“Now, you should watch your grip when you wield it,” she says before starting to show you how to adjust your hands, making your skin tingle at the touch.

It wasn’t until later that you realized why so many people had been watching the two of you, Clarisse wasn’t really the type to help someone out or to be patient with anyone. When your father claimed you after two days of being at camp the whole camp had been waiting with anticipation how Clarisse would be reacting to the news, after all she was a proud daughter of Ares.

“I don’t care about who your father is and what beef he has with mine, Ares always has beef with everyone. So, what do you say of ignoring who our parents are and just moving along?”, Clarisse had seemed unaffected, but she had been preparing the speech in her head since last night, when one of her siblings had told her who your parent was. She was hoping that Ares wouldn’t ruin this for her either, she only knew you for three days, but you were someone she cared about, whether she liked it or not.

“I would love that,” you had told her and after that the two of you had stayed close friends, much to everyone’s shock and your sibling’s dismay. 

Getting together with Clarisse had been the most difficult part, she didn’t see love as something good or worthwhile. She had seen her mother getting into depressive episodes after Ares left her to raise Clarisse alone and she didn’t want to ever experience that, let alone be that cause of someone’s pain. It had taken you a while to try and convince her that you could be something more than just friends and that love was something incredible to experience. 

“I just don’t want to hurt you or lose you, it would hurt far too much,” she had told you once, when the laughter of the campers could be heard from far away.

“Wouldn’t it hurt more to know that we could have been something but that we just didn’t try? I know that we are demi-gods and that we could die any day but I don’t want to die and regret not having had a chance to spent every single day with you and showing you how much I love you,” there were tears in her eyes at your words, and you could see the conflict in her eyes before she brought you into a soft kiss, as if she was scared she could break you.

“You’re right,” she had whispered before bringing you back into a kiss, this time more fervent as she showed you just how much she loved you.

It had been two years since then and you couldn’t be happier, watching Clarisse spar with her siblings and preparing for Capture the flag while you made some flowers out of a few things you had found around your working area. 

“That for me?”, you hear behind you before your feel a soft kiss on your cheek.

“It is,” you tell Clarisse as she sits next to you, watching the intricately woven nuts and bolts you had found around.

“I love it, thank you,” she tells you before bringing you into a kiss.

“I’ll add it to my collection,” she says with a bright smile, already trying to figure out where she was going to put it.

“I’ll see you after capture the flag?”, you ask her, and she nods in agreement as a pout forms on her lips.

“I can’t believe you aren’t going to be playing capture the flag today,” you smile softly at her words before taking her hand in yours.

“Well, I need to teach every single thing I know to my new sibling but next time I’ll be there,” you promise her and enjoy the satisfied smile on Clarisse lips.

“Fine, but I need a good luck kiss first,” she whispers, and you quickly do as she requests, smiling as she deepens the kiss.

“See you later sunshine!”, she tells you before joining her siblings, making you smile as you watch her putting on her armour. 

It was just an hour later when you heard the door of your cabin slam open, your new sibling looking scared at the sound, as if he was expecting a monster to come in. But it was Clarisse, tears in her eyes and a broken spear in her hands. 

“Why don’t you go to your station and work a little bit on the things I taught you?”, you quickly ask your sibling, who quickly scurries out of the room. 

“Clarisse?”, you whisper as you look at her trembling form, she looks like she is desperately holding back her tears but as you carefully put your hand on hers, she breaks down.

The tears are falling down her cheeks as you bring her into a comforting hug, holding her close as she holds on to you for dear life.

“What happened?”, you ask her softly, hoping not to make her cry even more at your words.

“That new kid, he broke my spear,” she whispers, and a sob leaves her lips at the words, making you hold her tightly. 

“Gods, I’m so sorry Clarise, I know how much it meant to you,” you whisper in her hair, wishing you could go back in time and save it.

“It was the only thing he ever gave me, to show me he cared and now it is gone,” she says, tears falling into your t-shirt, but you don’t care as you try to calm her down.

It takes a moment to calm her down, stroking her hair and letting her talk it all out. You know better than to say it was going to be okay, she had just lost something incredibly valuable to her and you didn’t know what to do. 

“I can try to fix it,” you whisper softly, and it takes a few seconds before she moves her head to look at you, teary eyes looking into yours.

“You can?”, she whispers, hope appearing into her eyes, and you smile lovingly at her.

“I can try, I can’t promise anything about it still being able to burn someone, but it can be repaired. Nothing is too broken to be fixed,” you tell her, and she takes a deep breath, like she is trying to get herself back together.

“If you can do that, I think that I will marry you,” she says with an emotional smile, and you laugh softly at her words.

“Common let’s see what we can do,” you whisper before taking her hand and bringing her to your station. 

It takes time to put it back together, as the metal had been broken by Percy’s sword but after finding the right metal to fix it you manage to bring the two pieces back together.

“And there we go, nearly as good as before,” you tell her as she looks over the spear, watching how it was once again a whole spear and not two broken parts.

“Thank you,” she whispers with concealed tears in her eyes, but you just shrug your shoulders.

“It was my pleasure, now I can watch you train with it again,” you tell her, and she looks excited at the words, she kisses you lovingly on the lips before dragging you to the training ground, an excited smile on her lips. 

[edennill]

1st age Beleriand dashboard Simulator

🌫️ mithrim-noldo following

Yeah, Thingol kind of flew off the handle with banning Quenya and all that, but why on Arda are people now justifying the Kinslaying in response?? have some nuance and also, that's just plain horrible.

✨ btw-this-is-hopeless following

hope it's fine to copy your tags, mithrim, because they're great:

#I mean I know this is probably because they've taken part in the kinslaying themselves #but #can't you just admit you did wrong and move on? #in so far as it is possible because of course forgetting would be disrespectful and unwise #because the consequences are with us still #but it should be way more comfortable than being on your defences all the time #always ready to rationalize or deny #with a conscience you cannot silence

✴️ eightpointedstar83

I am tired of typing this out again and again but Alqualondë could have been averted had the teleri been less self-centred and readier to cooperate. Thingol is just another example of this attitude. But of course, please deny that the third clan is what it is and pin the blame on the people who saved everyone's skins.

We have done nothing wrong and yet our own people are turning on us. One day you will rue this.

Long live the house of Fëanor!

💝 heart-in-a-box

This is just the sort of behaviour OP was talking about.🤦‍♀️

🌫️ mithrim-noldo following

Admittedly, this seems to be a fanatical Fëanorian and more committed than the average apologist of his/her own actions - but yes.

#current events #thingol's quenya ban #my post

11,062 notes

🧝🏼‍♂️maglorfeanorion following

finished another canto of the noldolante today

🌖 hunters-moon

you have a tumblr account??!

🧝🏼‍♂️ maglorfeanorion following

do I know you?

🌖 hunters-moon

yes :)

🧝🏼‍♂️ maglorfeanorion following

wait - yeah, I do...

which of the twins are you?

🌖 hunters-moon

how did you know😮???

👨🏻‍🦰red-haired-twin

he looked through your blog, nitwit :)

🧝🏼‍♂️maglorfeanorion following

I guess I shouldn't be surprised to find you two out of all possible people on here...

so - which is which?

36 notes

🌸 a-flower-in-the-snow following

himring winters are horrible and I hate my parents for bringing me to middle-earth

#rant #children of exilse #i meant #children of exiles #coe

4 notes

🏞️ the-wide-earth-unexplored following

Y'all weren't joking when y'all said the Sirion is impressive...

(more photos under cut)

read more

#photography #nature photography #nature #sirion #falls of sirion

213 notes

🖼️ wonder-the-earth

is it still a secret city when everyone is talking about it?

👰🏼‍♀️ celebrin following

that's a good question

21 notes

👤 incessant-leaves following

It makes me sick to see all those positive nostalgic posts about the Mereth Aderthad. How pretty the pools of Ivrin were or weren't doesn't change the fact that THE NOLDOR WERE HIDING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE KINSLAYING THE WHOLE TIME. Yeah "everyone was kind" back then. You were feasting together with people whose cousins you had killed and have the audacity to complain they don't like you as much anymore. I don't care if you're a Sinda or a Noldo who "didn't take part in it" - if you say anything positive about it I'm blocking you.

#mereth aderthad #the truth about ivrin

159, 307 notes

💎 lord-maedhros-is-the-true-king

Things they don't want you to know about Fëanaro:

read more

157 notes

🏹 huntingprincess following

with all due respect, gondolin is the most boring place in the world.

🌼 golden-flower

it's not. but you're entitled to your opinion.

🌌 daughterofdoriath following

if only all debates on here were as civil...

👤 incessant-leaves

OP is a kinslayer apologist. Didn't you check that out before you started praising them?

🌌 daughterofdoriath following

*throws hands up*

I was admiring that one exchange.

(and this was actually more about @golden-flower's response than about OP)

*sighs*

#this site...

2009 notes

image used for Sirion: link

[srvbryn]

PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS MASTERLIST

Newly added in Luke Castellan!

♡ stolen kisses (27.2.24)

summary: for someone who's widely admired — Luke castellan has never had a first kiss, well you're here to kiss him isn't it?

♡ a shot of espresso

Summary: he wants to be immortal with her, she wants to relinquish her immortal to be normal with him

Most popular in Luke Castellan!

˖⁠♡ Wounds

˖⁠♡ Hands

˖⁠♡ Bath

LUKE CASTELLAN

˖⁠♡ wounds

Summary: In which Luke got small wounds and he's being stubborn as hell

˖⁠♡ moonlight

Summary: In which Luke fucking Castellan somehow managed to make you fall in love even more with him (ts doesn't make sense btw 😭)

˖⁠♡ dancing

Summary: In which Luke took the chance to dance with you

˖⁠♡ 2 ways to confess but I keep getting interrupted

Summary: birthday kiss

˖⁠♡ night

summary: Luke's first time kissing someone

˖⁠♡ hands

Summary: you've always like Luke Castellan, but his hands - gods. You love his hands the most

˖⁠♡ Jealous

Summary: in which he gets jealous because a guy keeps flirting with you in a mission

˖⁠♡ sick

Summary: Dumbass Castellan is sick <3

˖⁠♡ you and I are meant to be

Summary: sweet moment with Luke Castellan during a quest

˖⁠♡ je t'aime

summary: your hobby is playing guitar, and Luke Castellan accidentally stumbles upon you playing it

˖⁠♡ secret notes

Summary: "I've always admired you" He used to be the sweetest boy in camp, but now he's known as a traitor.

˖⁠♡ me and the devil blues

Summary: light banter turns into kissing

˖⁠♡ bath

Summary: taking a break from everything = a bath with Luke

˖⁠♡ sweater

Summary: — Luke lending his sweater to you + finding his secret “playlist”

˖⁠♡ Flowers? what flowers?

summary: candlelit dinner with Luke Castellan

˖⁠♡ So if you need to be mean (be mean to me)

Summary: wherein it is impossible to simply forget the past as if it never happened

CLARISSE LA RUE

˖⁠♡ Flower field

Summary: going to a field of flowers to take photos but end up laying in the field with Clarisse<33

SMAU

tweets with pjo characters

tweets with pjo characters (2)

tweets with pjo characters (3)

tweets with pjo characters (4)

Luke Castellan (smau)

tweets with pjo characters (5)

STOLL BROTHERS

Soon!

PERCY JACKSON

Soon!

GROVER UNDERWOOD

Soon!

ANNABETH CHASE

Soon!

➸ request are open & I write 4 other characters too

[sovksluv]

LOVE IN CHAOS - chapter 1 all by yourself, sitting alone

☠︎︎ . pairing - Clarisse La Rue x fem!Nemesis!oc! Alora Blanie

☠︎︎ . summary - twelve years had been wasted -- and Alora knew that her opportunity window of freedom was closing quickly, so she mustered up all her courage, and finally escaped.

☠︎︎ . includes - sobbing/intense crying, nightmares, trouble breathing/unknown asthma attack, running away from home, oc is specified as a mixed black and hispanic girl with a name !!

☠︎︎ . word count - 3147

☠︎︎ . series taglist - @curlymeme

☠︎︎ . pjo taglist - @perseus-jackass @niktwazny303 @st4rzl7

☠︎︎ . now playing - Not Allowed by Tv Girl

☠︎︎ . a/n - thank you to @curlymeme for the oc creation ! she gets just as much credit for this as me 💋 ALSO, SO EXCITED FOR THIS BTW, I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE IT !!!!!

☠︎︎ . series masterlist

on the outside, her house was bright, standing tall, polished clean with rushed ferocity. perfectly placed bundles of flowers littering the yard, redolent with a fragrance typically only found in expensive perfumes. sat by the front door was a generic mat which mockingly read the word ‘Welcome!’ on it, with decorative cursive letters and a big red heart as the dot of the exclamation mark. the inside was supposed to match the outside. identically polished walls and fake plants that mirrored what passersby could notice from a mile away. 

that, however, was not true. things didn't always look the same on the inside as they did on the outside. the almost-too-perfectly held-up front served one purpose and served it well. to deceive. it’s not wrong to assume that a home so perfect was inhabited by a family just as perfect as its residence. so, people find it hard to believe her when the pristine little “rich” girl has something else to say about it. 

she didn’t want to speak against the judgment, having the basic knowledge that living in a comfortable house with two working parents was supposedly considered lucky. it would seem ungrateful to complain. how could she complain when she knew others weren’t as fortunate as her? kids even younger than her constantly wondered when and where their next meal would be, but not her.

her house sat tall, all the way at the top of the hill, towering over the rest of the neighborhood. there was an eerie stillness that was always washed upon the house. it was inescapable, a labyrinth of ear-ringing silence, with the not-so-occasional muffled arguments from behind her parent’s bedroom door. she didn't want to live her life surrounded by the quiet, but the yelling from the two people who were supposed to love each other were sounds she wanted to dispute.

Alora sat idly in her room, not making any noise so she could hear her arguing parents who had moved from their room, travelling through the hallway and quieting as they moved down the stairs. she never understood why they continued to stay together, especially since they argued more than they spoke. most of the time they argued about her. about how she continuously acted out, with no “real” reasons for her rebellions. her stepmother wanted to send her away to some boarding school, attempting to convince Alora’s father that it would fix her.

to be honest, the constant complaining from her stepmother had begun to grow on her father, he was considering sending Alora away to whatever school was the cheapest and the furthest. that’s why Alora had shot up the second she heard their footsteps echo downstairs. she hastily packed one small backpack full of her necessities. it was only a few hours before dark and she had to wait until her parents were far enough that they wouldn’t hear her quick movements. 

Alora knew that eventually her father would give into her stepmother’s endless whining and send her away so she had to take matters into her own hands. she was going to run away tonight. no ideas or plans, just anywhere from her evil stepmother and that unknown school she wanted to send her to. Alora would rather be anywhere than there. she wanted to leave on her terms, not because she was sent away. 

she packed lightly, having no clue where she was going or how long she’d be out. she took a few hair things, basic toiletries, and two outfits, deciding to have a three-switch-outfit routine. her bag also held the money she’d saved over the years, a Polaroid camera, a notebook with pens, and snacks and water that she snuck from the kitchen hours prior when her parents were too busy arguing to hear her. on the outside, it seemed like she was ready, but deep down, she was terrified. she had no idea what she was going to do, or how she was going to do it, but she knew there was nothing else she could’ve done. tonight was her only chance to escape.

uncomfortable silence rang through the house, and Alora paid no mind to it, then paused. it was too quiet. she didn’t hear any yelling, stomping, or door slamming. pausing her packing, she tiptoed to her door, putting her ear up to it, attempting to hear anything at all. it was still quiet for a few moments before she heard angry footsteps up the stairs. panic exploded through her entire body as she rushed to her bag, flinging it under her bed and straightening herself just as her bedroom door fell open. 

it was her father, who had collected himself almost as soon as her door was opened. he calmly walked into her room and closed the door behind him, he sat on the end of her neatly made bed, signaling her next to him. Alora didn’t listen, crossing her arms with a knowing look on her face. “don’t let her send me away, Dad. i’m your daughter!” her father sighed, fingers pinching at the bridge of his nose. she knew her words wouldn’t change anything. he already made up his mind. he’d always pick his beloved wife over his only daughter, the daughter who didn’t need to be sent away, but rather needed help.

“Lora-” 

Alora scoffed, “no, Dad! you always listen to her, and never listen to me! she hates me! all she wants to do is get rid of me, and she can only do that if she convinces you to do it too.” her father stood up angrily from his spot on her bed, taking a stomped-step towards her, prompting her to take an equal step back. you could see her stepmother standing behind him, leaning on your doorframe with a cocky smirk on her face. she was finally going to get what she wanted. “don’t talk about your mother like that, Alora!” he yelled at her, pointing his finger up at her face.

“she’s. not. my. mother.”

her father’s face went red with anger as he stomped out of her bedroom, her stepmother having already left, assuming Alora’s defeat. the door slammed behind him, leaving the walls around it shaking. fury bubbled deep in her stomach, leaving a dark pit inside both her heart and her soul. she was angry and her face showed it, but her actions didn’t. assuming she’d be on her way to the boarding school by morning, Alora moved quickly, perfecting every single plan she had for escaping.

sat uncomfortably on her bed, door locked, window open, and leg shaking, Alora waited. she’d be leaving any time now, just waiting for when she knew both her parents would be sleeping, unaware of the plans she was about to pursue. nerves had crept up into her stomach, having no idea what she was getting herself into. it was too late to change her mind since it was either that God forsaken boarding school or life on her own. 

she tried to convince herself that her dad could change. maybe if she begged hard enough he’d give in. maybe she’d have him remembering that that was his daughter he was throwing out, his only daughter, the daughter he was supposed to protect, through and through. nothing could change his mind. he hadn’t bothered to pay attention to her, her effervescent personality withering away over the years as she grew older. she assumed his deep but hushed hatred for her came from the abandonment of her real mother. her birth mother.

the whole reason for Alora running away was because of her father's relentlessness, his refusal to change his mind. though he was silent, he never failed to show in his face and actions the gaping hole of resentment he felt. even if he disliked her mother, he still told Alora about her. she was no stranger to the fact that her mother was a Goddess. the Goddess of justice and revenge; Nemesis. so she was aware of her lineage, which led her to believe that’s where some of her father's disapproval of her came from.

time was nearing midnight. Alora knew she should’ve felt tired, on the brink of sleep, but she was far from it. anticipation of her next moves kept her wide awake and alert. the silence of her house and her unknowing parents let her know it was time to go. she wondered if they’d go looking for her when they found she was gone. probably not, since they were going to send her away anyway. her father would probably want to look, or at least file a missing person’s report, but with her stepmother here, Alora was sure she’d find some way to convince her father otherwise.

it was a few minutes after the stroke of midnight, and Alora was hastily tying up her shoes and slipping on her warmest sweatshirt. it wasn’t winter yet, but the autumn nights tended to be cold either way, which sucked since that’s when she planned on leaving. with her bag slung over both shoulders and her bedroom lights shut off, she climbed out of her window and onto the roof

kept right in front of it, shutting the window behind her. one of her father’s ladders was previously set up right under her window, which she used to get down from the roof. she felt the chilly autumn wind run through her hair, sending chills and nerves down her spine. her hands felt sweaty and clammy as she climbed down, despite the almost-freezing air surrounding her. as soon as her Converse-clad feet touched the ground, Alora was gone, immediately running into the dark, creepy woods that sat behind her house, not once looking back. failing to notice the flick of a bedroom light going on, right where her parents slept.

it was so cold out, and Alora had no idea how long she had been running. she never stopped running. literally. not stopping to walk or jog, just constant running, without any breaks, wanting to get as far from her home as possible, filled to the brim with the fear of getting caught. one thing she knew, though, was that she was out of her home state of New Jersey and past the state line into New York. it wasn’t far, considering she lived right on the edge of New Jersey, but at least it ensured she wouldn’t be found easily. her parents would probably assume she was somewhere in their local town.

light hadn’t begun to shine yet, but she assumed it would soon, so she slowed down, deeming it safe enough to finally take a break. she was panting, desperate to catch her breath. there was a sign she noticed a few miles back, listing the upcoming gas stations and motels, which she planned on finding and staying in. money wasn’t a problem for her, as she had spent the last six years of her life saving all her birthday, Christmas, couch, and even street money. 

up ahead were the bright shining lights of a somewhat nicely-looking motel. staying there all alone made her nervous, but she had to. she had to get away from the prison that was called her home. she entered the motel check-in building with caution, purchasing a room for one night. as soon as she was in her temporary room, the door locked and lights off, with her head comfortably laying on the pillow, the way she quickly fell into a deep sleep was like she blacked out the second she was in bed.

the bright, screeching laughs of a young girl echoed around, bouncing off the dark walls of her mind. flashes of light blinked around her as she stood, slumped in the middle of a strange room. the little girl’s giggles danced delicately with those of another girl as they skipped around her, hand in hand. it was foggy and blurry around the gloomy teenager. the warm haze of the area around her was unfamiliar, it stirred the war deep within your consciousness. 

things seemed off, however, but whatever it was, was so subtle that she had trouble figuring out what it was, figuring out what was right from wrong. her laughs reflecting over the rounded walls of her mind were ethereal, spewing with remnants of the sun’s humid summer heat. Apollo was being generous – the girl thought, casting the warmth of the bright star across the backs of the three girls, despite the shadows lurking deep in the corners of the endless room. the blinding should’ve been enough for her to turn away, shield her untouched eyes from the hurtful rays.

in her isolated state, she felt nothing, hardly able to feel even herself. but, jealousy, surprisingly a common emotion within the girl, bubbled in the deep depths of her soul, and she had her mother to blame for it. i’m sorry! – she called, to no one in particular, no one who cared to listen, not as if there was anyone there anyway. she pleaded to be heard, begging for forgiveness, but it wasn’t truly her. well, it was her. but it wasn’t?

it was the little girl. an almost identical, but younger, shorter copy of the towering girl before her. and suddenly, she was aware – heavily aware, even if it was dangerous. is this a dream? – she asked, it was impossible to tell if her lips had moved, allowing the words to leave her mouth. or if it was a thought that had somehow managed to leave the confines of her mind that was in her mind. It was like a labyrinth. it scared her. no – there was no way this could be a dream, instead, a nightmare. one that she felt she was trapped in, with no doors, no windows, and no way out. 

was it possible to feel trapped in your mind? be trapped in your mind? i mean, that’s what she assumed, that it was her mind she was stuck in, feet firmly stuck to the bottomless pit-like ground. maybe her subconscious had led her into the dreams and nightmares of someone else, probably someone she knew, right? maybe it was the other little girl? that little girl who had been skipping around with – what she assumed – was a younger version of herself. 

the young girls flashed by quickly, almost like a glitch on a computer screen. having already seen her close enough, she was able to both memorize and recognize the smaller version of herself, but she was also able to get a glimpse at her nightmare version’s companion. with her fingers tightly grasping onto her friend’s, the small girl skipped around, beaming with smiles and laughter, living a carefree life. despite her young age, tight, defined curls framed her tan face, cascading down her back, and bouncing with each step of her feet on the hazy unlit ground.

she wondered who the girl was, and how she knew the miniature girl meant to represent herself. in her dream state, nothing, none of anything she’s witnessing, – herself, the other girl, the running around, the laughing. – none of it was familiar. not one noise, color, or movement sparked any form of recognition in her intellect. how could a past version of herself have such a vivid, gut-wrenching sense of familiarity, yet feel so unimaginably unfamiliar deep, deep inside her?

the confusion bouncing between the walls of her mind like a ping pong ball, making her head twist and turn with every new direction, always stranger than the one before it. it felt like long, excruciating hours had gone by, where she was just stuck in the middle of the pitch-black darkness, physically – and mentally – unable to pick up her feet and move, even just the smallest inch. She felt held back, physically tied down to the room surrounding her, hands bound, feet changed, ensuring she had no way of escaping. 

all she could do was watch the two young girls as their laughter faded to sobs, their skipping in joy to running away in fear. how quickly Apollo’s rays of sun turned into Selene’s ethereal glow of the moon. a full moon. she had pulled away from her nightmare confinement, slipping back into the real world with the echo of her past self’s ear-piercing scream, rupturing and spilling deep down to the crack already formed in her soul. oh, and the loose thump of a small child’s body dropping on the ground.

Alora flung herself up, blankets pooled around her feet, which then touched the cold floor as her body stood up, wobbling, warm tears sobbing down her face. her side of her cheap motel bed almost completely drenched in sweat, her body shivering in sync with her sobs. she searched desperately for any ounce of oxygen, though it seemed every atom had been sucked away, her lungs deflated, struggling to bounce back. 

it felt like she was dying. her heart refused to slow, even going as far as to pump more blood, increasing the deafening pounding that she heard in her head, her ears, and all around her. weak, shaky legs giving out, her body made a thud on the ground, leaving her a heaving mess on the hardwood floor. mouth wide open, head going numb from the lack of air altogether. her throat burned dry, tears cascading down her cheeks, her clammy hands clawing at her throat as if claws would appear and slice them open, any way to let air in.

she had no idea what was happening to her, or why it was happening. maybe it was connected to her dream? she didn’t know, only wanting to gain back control of her own body. scrambling to collect herself, the shadow looming outside of her room window went unnoticed as it flowed away, eyes casting a strong gaze upon the poor girl. when her body allowed the stuffy air in, she began to calm down, legs curling up to her chest, arms wrapped around them. she had stopped crying, but was sniffing like crazy, shaking, her mind so unbelievably overwhelmed that she struggled to even think about anything that just happened. she couldn’t fathom the idea of sleeping again, mind traumatized from what she had just been through.

Alora rested her chin between her knees, sat and wrapped in a tight ball. it was only the first night of running away and this is how it turns out? how is she going to survive the rest of her time alone? she was clueless, any plans or ideas she once had were long gone, floating around the dark and cold motel room. her body still shook and shivered, numbness filling herself. she had no clue what was in store for her, but only hoped it wouldn’t be as bad as the first night. oh boy was she as wrong as she was naive. 

© sovksluv 2024, please do not repost or translate my work !

[dykesbat]

bestie my bestie i have a chem lab due in an hour that i don't want to do. i would like to humbly ask for your miscellaneous thoughts on the hunger games pls rant to me i would love to see it <33

FRAMING THIS ON MY WALL FOREVER DEAR GODDDDDDDDD. EVEREST…. YAYYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!! SKIPPING IN A CIRCLE W YOU!!! ok :3 hehe

they make me sick in the head dear god. miscellaneous things abt hunger games that make me sick in the head this is not going to be organized btw.

thresh and katniss being parallels. both being older and non-careers that matched the careers' scores. katniss wishing she could play that stoicism like thresh because then she wouldn't have to act as much. katniss noting that she doesn't think that thresh likes owing people when he spares her for saving rue...... THEY MAKE ME SO SO SICK.

also rue and katniss and prim venn diagram.. katniss seeing herself AND prim in rue (mockingjay symbolism, eldest child, only 12 years old, named after plants, is the primary reason why katniss sticks so so true to her morals within the arena..)

gale. so many complex feelings abt him. like on one hand the way he took out his anger on katniss sucks!!! a lot!!!!! i dont think the way people discuss him is very fair either. he is still a child.. AND if we're working under the assumption that the people of the seam are intentionally indigenous-coded it feels a bit insidious the way people liken him to war and anger and shit like..... yeah gale operates from anger but it is ultimately an anger born from love and generational loss. like. gale deals with a lot of the same traumas that katniss deals with pre-74th games (losing a father, being parentified, being the primary provider for a family, watching children you grew up with die on screen every year, watching people die from disease and hunger, etc etc.) then during/post the hunger games he watched his best friend enter the games and enter an act he knows she has no agency in (and yeah theres jealousy there which. booooo but whatever he has flaws) while keeping his promise to care for her sibling and mother. THEN he is publicly tortured and watches as his home burns to the ground as the capitol attempts to commit a genocide against them, knowing full well that he wasn't able to warn the merchants town in time. i think people talk abt gale as if he's some big villain capable of holding a candle to snow when he's literally a kid whos been manipulated over and over again and led to believe that anger is the only fuel he needs. also. if im honest. im very hesitant with gale's character bc a lot of peoples criticisms of him as a person read a lot like people who believe revolutions should only ever be peaceful and that. is bullshit.

anyways. MADGE. :( I LOVE MADGE SO SO MUCH. she makes me sick she and katniss are a story of generational love. the fact that madge brings katniss the morphling because she cares for her.. the fact that madge brings katniss the pin in the first place!!! the fact that madge's aunt and katniss's mother were best friends!!! its a story of generational love!! IM SO SICK. DEAR GOD.

aro katniss hc :33 its real 2 me..

little rebellions found in small acts of love.. the three-finger salute first appearing when katniss volunteers in prim's place.. the fact that katniss volunteering at all was an unspoken rebellion bc it reinforced this idea of familial love and loyalty that the volunteer system was meant to break.. the salute being a sign of mourning as if to say district twelve will remember katniss's love..... the fact that the salute becomes this symbol of revolution.. katniss and rue bonding and exchanging tales from their districts breaking the separation each district has from the other, katniss laying rue to rest with a lullaby and a bed of flowers the capitol can't not show, district 11 in turn breaking those rules again by sending katniss bread as a token of thanks and solidarity.......... THE MOCKINGJAY PIN BEING KATNISS'S TOKEN THAT WAS GIVEN TO HER BY ONE OF HER ONLY FRIENDS. A PHYSICAL REMINDER THAT SHE WAS LOVED AT HOME. KILL ME. I NEED TO BE SHOT.

the way characters are explored through katniss and vice versa is so so interesting. i already mentioned thresh and gale but also notable are ofc haymitch, johanna, and peeta. all of which are intentionally similar to katniss in a way. (whether it be the all-consuming love and selflessness, the anger, the rebellion, holding on to stoicism as some form of protection, etc.) AND. the fact that so many characters butt heads with katniss because of this (AGAIN. HAYMITCH AND JOHANNA.)

katniss and buttercup. katniss's save the cat moment being her trying to drown the cat is so so telling both about katniss and about the world she lives in (this idea that death is some sort of salvation). buttercup being symbolic of katniss' relationship w herself (like cmon.. catnip. ok.) starting off with hating each other but only being amiable because they both love and want to protect prim, katniss saving buttercup literally only for prim (katniss intentionally wanting to come home for both prim and rue's sake), katniss lashing out at buttercup after prim has died, katniss and buttercup finding comfort in each other because prim is no longer there. their relationship shows katniss's evolution from living for prim to actually living for herself.

WHICH IS SO SO SICK. BECAUSE SHE ONLY LIVES FOR HERSELF WHEN SHE REACHES THE AGE OF ADULTHOOD. SHE HAS ONLY EVER LIVED FOR PRIM. AND EVERYONE KNOWS. JOHANNA MAKES KATNISS SWEAR ON HER MOTHER AND PRIM'S LIFE BECAUSE KATNISS DIDN'T VALUE HER OWN ENOUGH. THEY HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT KATNISS DIDN'T COMMIT SUICIDE SO SO SO MANY TIMES AFTER PRIM DIED. DEAR GODDDDD. SHES ONLY LIVED FOR PRIM.

katniss' relationship w her mother also makes me sick in the head. like mrs everdeen is not the best mom ever but the fact that she and katniss foil and parallel each other makes me so so so sick.. (katniss falling into that same depressive state her mother was in. the mockingjay pin. the seam vs merchants.. etc etc.) katniss and her motehr clearly care for each other too! her mother tries! she tries to make it up to katniss! she tries to care for her! and katniss lets her even if she doesnt like it because she knows its her mother's attempts and that means something! her mother holds her and comforts her and lets out a scream when she realizes that katniss has to be reaped again. katniss yells at her but she also grips her hand and tells her she loves her and lets the braid she wove into her hair be the signature she keeps.

ALSO SOBBING i wish we knew more about each districts individual cultures because we were given snippets of them (annie and finnick's wedding having particular district 4 customs, district 12 and their dances/music, district 11 with their music, etc etc).

also like while i stand by aro katniss 4eversies i do think that narratively peeta wouldve been the best romantic end game for her. basically what im saying is. katpee qpr. also her having children makes so much sense.

[enitsirk]

Hello it’s my cry about my dnds wednesday a la d20s court of fey and flowers i’m just so !!!!!!!!

So many good and funny moments 🥹🥹

Though my favs got to be hobb and rues moment. Loved it sooo much /puts face into hands/ this is me talking out of my ass btw bc it’s only the vibe I’m picking up and could be wrong as the season progresses but just something abt highly accomplished ppl craving a specific type of affection and acceptance devoid in their lives and having a moment where they almost give eo just that, albeit strained and awkwardly is so CLENCHES FIST

THATS SO ROMANTIC O<-< Brennan can’t keep ruining my life like this. But also Oscar!!!!! Such a heartfelt delivery! It felt like such a peak regency moment 🥹 Both def my current favs rn

Though in a comedic sense, Emily and Lou are straight up so ridiculous I’m never not laughing when they’re together. Their chemistry and chaos is truly unmatched

The rest of the cast is just as funny too and I’m so glad I got to know the characters better this ep. Aabrias doing such a good job of painting the world too and it’s so fun and exciting when she throws gifts to the players and the audience

TLDR safe to say I am Incredibly Into this season it’s hitting all the rp notes I’m a sucker for 🥹

[terramythos]

My reread commentary on October Daye #8, "The Winter Long" or "more shit goes down in this book than the first 7 combined, holy shit".

I apologize to anyone who reads these cause I literally hit the length limit on this post and had to pare it down lmao 

-Good start: Under the Acknowledgements section: "Everything I have done with October's world to this point has been for the sake of getting here". Sooo basically the first 7 books? Setup for this one. We're in for a Ride.

I want to emphasize some of the best meta foreshadowing I've seen:

FOR REFERENCE, Rosemary and Rue is the title of book 1. It's also the only book whose opening Shakespeare quote (from Hamlet) doesn't really match the title. If you know your Shakespeare, you probably would have caught that and figured out that it was from The Winter's Tale instead. Plenty of conclusions you can draw just from that. Since then the series has been chock full of hidden identities, and this book has two BIG ones coming into play. Foreshadowing was here from the very fucking beginning, and it is some next level shit. Very well done.

-If you skipped book 1 you are SO fucked, btw.

- we're going to great lengths to describe Sylvester's physical appearance. Gee I wonder why. I'm sure it's not relevant

- yes Sylvester has FOX COLORED HAIR and YELLOW EYES and his magic smells like DAFFODILS and DOGWOOD FLOWERS. He is Toby's LEIGE and FATHER FIGURE.

Me on a first read: oh it's just beginning book exposition, they all do this

Me on a second read: god fucking damn it

- toby: I should have known Sylvester would never disappoint me.

Me: oh sweetie. Oh honey.

- "He smelled like smoke and rotten oranges.

This man wasn't Sylvester Torquill."

Anyone who read book 1: OHSHIT.AVI

Welcome back, Simon! You know, Sylvester's evil twin? You know, the big bad (so far) of the series? The the one responsible for turning Toby into a fish for 14 years?

-Yet he seems kinda... off, huh? Comments about how he didnt know the spell would last 14 years, how he hates to upset October's mom, of all people? Whatever could he mean? :)))

-New toby power: spell reflection? Hell yeah? Also spell BREAKING, but to be fair she did do that one other time. In, you guessed it, book 1.

- "When I tried to picture Sylvester's face, I kept seeing Simon's instead" ow oof

- Simon calling Amandine "Amy", which we've established is an affectionate nickname (it being what, you know, THE LUIDAEG calls her). Why would Simon, of all people, call her that?

... oh.

-That sure explains a LOT, huh? That sure was set up... this whole time, huh?

-Little "fuck you" lines like "I didn't know Sylvester had a niece" in book 2. Talking about January. Well, uh, he has several actually! You're one of them!

-Explanation for why Sylvester had any inclination to be October's mentor... eventually becoming her liege and father figure... even giving her the Changeling's Choice (something family is supposed to do). It seems mighty convenient that a random noble was involved in the life of a changeling to such an extent. BUT, if he was her uncle, and knew his brother wouldn't step up? Well...

-This isn't even the biggest reveal of the book. Like, we're only a handful of chapters in and this bomb gets dropped.

-Sylvester, every 10 minutes: oh boy I cant wait to see my brother so I can like, completely eviscerate him!

Everyone else: uh,

- Tybalt: and here I thought I was going to have to ask Sylvester for his blessing. Now I technically have to ask SIMON?

Toby: uwotm8

Tybalt: oh god uhh I'm joking yeah uhh I'm just trying to distract you from all this stress :)) yeah (nailed it!)!

-And now we begin the "wow Sylvester is actually not a great person" slide. It's been hinted at that he's pretty unstable and has shitty priorities regarding people he cares about. But Toby glossed over a lot of it because she adored him. Welp.

- It's also an interesting aside that Etienne was kind of a dick to Toby for a reason in the earlier books. He legit thought she had been knighted because she was family, not that she had earned the post. And after the last few books he clearly knows now that that's not the case and they've actually become friends. That's interesting hidden character development.

- ok so The Gang finds out that Simon was telling the truth when he said turning Toby into a fish for 14 years was to save her. Because he had actually been hired to KILL her and didn't want to do it. So it was a loophole-- everyone thought she was dead, and then (as established in book 1) pretty much everyone forgot she existed until the spell broke.

-BUT Simon is bound by a geas (where have we seen that before) and cannot divulge his employer's name. But who had such a grudge against Toby and/or her mom to order a hit on her AND forcibly bind everyone to secrecy?

-who knows? Not toby. So they go to The Luidaeg to maybe get a lead, and she establishes right away that she is ALSO bound under a geas and can't say who did it. So we play some 20 questions, and then...

ULTRA DISTRESSING LUIDAEG LORE :((((

-additional: another month name just came into play. August. Toby's half sister, missing for a century. WHAT IS WITH THE MONTH NAMES

- "please don't mistake villainy for evil." That's an.. interesting quote re:Simon.

- Simon's way of protecting toby from the impending threat is "well maybe you turn into a tree for a few centuries but like. You're safe, right? Why are you mad?"

- The Luidaeg: *is straight up dead*

Toby: hey tybalt remember that time in book 2 when I Resurrected the Dead

Tybalt: yeah, it was fucking terrifying and I didnt speak to you for 6 months

Toby: *finger guns* guess whaaaaaat

-The Luidaeg: *says just. A bunch of Lore*

Toby: Luidaeg dont you dare drop that cryptic shit on me then pass out

Luidaeg: nap time

-"If you so much as whisper the first word of a transformation spell, I'll have your larynx in my hand before the second word can form." DAMN, Tybalt.

-Simon: I am VERY sorry for my bullshit earlier. I can't tell you who my employer is, but I CAN give you this BOUQUET of ICE COLD ROSES. Ice cold, like winter. Winter Roses, if you will. Yeah. Uh have a nice life, bye!

Everyone: well this sure is a mystery

-Simon is definitely a morally grey character. Has done really awful shit, is built up as a major villain... but turns out he had relatively little control over his actions. He does the wrong thing a lot but it's usually not for a truly evil end? If the context is to be believed he got stuck in the geas contract with Unnamed Employer to save his daughter, which explains the bad shit he did that we know of. Which then inadvertently kicked off like the whole series. He seems to genuinely care about Toby in a warped way? It would be so easy to write him off as an evil stepdad or whatever and there's plenty of canon to support that stance (she's an illegitimate CHANGELING child) but he seems like he wants to just be her dad. I hope we explore his character more, is what I'm saying.

-And not to keep rambling about it but Toby is an established unreliable narrator and a horrible (initial) judge of character. So it's not like this is an asspull or off base at all.

Twist of the fucking century here.

-You know... the character who set off the events of the series? The character who was murdered in book 1 and bound October to a geas forcing her to find the culprit or die? Evening fucking Winterrose?

-There were hints, most very subtle unlike the other big twists, but probably the biggest one is SHE NEVER SHOWS UP AS A NIGHT HAUNT. And they're in the story quite a bit, and they ALWAYS feature killed off characters. Except Evening.

-My favorite hints were the ones just piled in book 1. Comments like "no one knows who Evening really is" said with zero self awareness. Because we are actually about to find out who she is... 7 goddamn books later.

-dead meme but "surprise, bitch. Bet you thought you saw the last of me."

-God she's so awful lol

-Toby thinking Quentin died then calling him THE SON SHE NEVER HAD is a BIG OOF right to the HEART. ;-;

-The book also points out that The Luidaeg through the series has ALWAYS referred to Evening in present tense. Even though she "died" in book 1.

-The Luidaeg ALSO never refers to her as Evening. It's always "The Winterrose". You know, a title. Which we have heavily emphasized is something the Firstborn use in place of their true names.

*jazz hands* Surprise!

-We also (finally) have a canon explanation for the... rather remarkable coincidence that Quentin, the fucking Crown Prince (from TORONTO), is in San Francisco at all. It was always weird he got sent to Shadowed Hills, and it's been commented on multiple times... Evening arranged it, of course! For reasons we don't quite know. But as the Daoine Sidhe Firstborn, her descendants couldn't exactly say no. Even though they didn't know who she really was.

-We really are falling all over Firstborn in this series? It sure is.. an odd coincidence, huh?

We got:

The Luidaeg: Roane/Selkie

Amandine: Dochas Sidhe

Acacia: Blodynbryd

Evening: Daoine Sidhe

Blind Michael: ... uh actually I don't think we ever learn what race he's Firstborn of. All his "children" are kidnapping victims forcibly twisted into monsters. Well, except for Luna, but we only know the Blodynbryd side.

But it's weird that for being so rare that we've run into 5 of them in 8 books. There's gotta be a reason for it.. but what?

-Luna starts the series as Toby's Surrogate Mom and is now just straight up an enemy huh

-I made this observation in my book 1 notes, but I find it very interesting that all of Toby's initial friends and allies... aren't by this point. Whereas her current allies are either former enemies or people she initially disliked or distrusted.

Starter allies: Sylvester? Was lying to her the whole time. Luna? Pretty much tried to sacrifice her (+above). Evening? Uhh this whole damn book. Devin? Tried to kill her for personal gain. Lily/Connor? Both killed off for real.

Current allies: Tybalt? Literal former enemy turned lover. Quentin? Kind of a snotty, vaguely racist kid she whips into shape. The Luidaeg? Extremely powerful witch who Toby assumes is True Neutral and wouldn't hesitate to kill her. May? Literal personal walking death omen.

It's just a cool reversal. There's so much really excellent character development in this series and I love it.

-Simon still is a pretty major bastard but.. less outright mustache twirling evil than we were led to believe up to this book. You learn his Backstory and while it really doesn't justify his actions it does...explain them.

-Blink and you miss it Lore: August is missing because she entered a contract with the Luidaeg. She's holding the candle from book 3 :)))

I'm starting to realize I stan The Luidaeg so hard I just have to take a picture every time she shows up and does stuff lmfao. (Best character).

-But... nothing like your inconceivably ancient and powerful aunt suddenly owing you a life debt, I guess???

-Toby. You know, just an ordinary weak changeling who has somehow managed to KILL A FIRSTBORN and RAISE THE DEAD. yikes.

I'm just putting this here cause it's funny as shit. Tybalt really is just... a cat

This book: I heard you like distressing Luidaeg lore??

Me: oh thanks I don't need to feel things

-God Evening is awful. Like, if you didn't know that already, see above.

-It says something about The Luidaeg that despite all that shit their Firstborn did to her she ends up becoming such good friends with Quentin, a Daoine Sidhe?

-BIG LORE with The Luidaeg talking to Maeve??? And Maeve "responding" kind of? This series damn well better explore what the fuck happened to those three it's been built up all series

-Omg the showdown with Evening and The Luidaeg. And Toby managing to break free and realize she deserves so much more than Evening-- all without magic. And Simon showing up for a last minute redemption trying to hit Evening with elf shot? I mean he gets shot in the process, but...

-We now have like, 3 or 4 characters just... asleep indefinitely thanks to elf shot. that's gonna be a Thing isnt it. Rayseline, Evening, Simon, Arden's brother...

WE DID IT BOYS

-This is the last full one I've already read. Most of my reactions in 9-12 are gonna be new. So.

[paladinsheadcanons]

what kind of funerals would each champion have if they were to die in battle? assuming it's some great battle or something like some fantasy war?

Writing from the context that only one champion died and everyone else is still alive and attending the funerals. By the way, some are more of burial ceremonies than funerals exactly…? But you get the point. Btw I couldn’t come up with a few of these, so I ended up filling those in with extra HCs. 

-Mod Inara

We’re just gonna leave it under a cut since it got super long and also some of you might not want to read it because death mention and discussion. 

- Mod Mal’Damba

Makoa: A simple one, in which the champions silently pay their respects as they sail out to Makoa’s favourite islands, and give the Ancient One a proper burial at sea by lowering his body in a special wooden casket into the depths. 

Fernando: Fernando would’ve wanted to be celebrated, and so his funeral would be more on remembering his glory and fighting spirit on the battlefield as the champions give him one last toast in his name. 

Ruckus: Ruckus was buried along with the ashes of a destroyed Bolt, not far from Splitstone Quarry. They had both wanted this, despite saying they hated each other to the bitter end. At their funeral, the other Paladins made a special toast in the name of their dysfunctional but powerful friendship.  

Barik: Barik’s body was placed upon a stone pedestal in a small cave underground, surrounded by his inventions, both complete and incomplete. The Paladins paid their respects, and sealed the cave away by blocking the entrance with a massive boulder. 

Ash: As a general serving the Magistrate, Ash was given a grand and honourable funeral by the state, a public cremation for her and the soldiers in her vanguard. All the Paladins attended to pay their respects, all except Terminus, who only watched from a distance in silence. 

Torvald: Before his death, Torvald had only wished to be buried near the libraries of Stone Keep alongside his precious scrolls and scripts. The Paladins abided by these wishes, though they were unable to completely fulfil it, as anything Torvald owned relating to runic magic was nowhere to be found. 

Inara: After her death, the champions raised Inara’s body as a now lifeless stone statue within her beloved sacred lands as her soul returned to Mother Nature, living on as the guardian spirit of those lands. 

Drogoz: Dragons don’t have funeral rites because in the past, it was a matter of survival of the fittest and those who couldn’t survive didn’t deserve to survive. Having friends that actually cared for him more than wild dragons would have, Drogoz’s funeral is simple. His body is buried in the Enchanted Forest under an open gap in the canopy, so that he can fly off freely.

Bomb King: Bomb King had always wanted to “go out with a bang” even after death, which was why the others respected his unusual wishes for his funeral, setting his body up with bombs and fireworks on a small, uninhabited island, so he could have one last grand explosion in his name. He always was quite the drama queen. 

Cassie: Her father Arturos flew back to Crosswind Hold for his daughter’s funeral, as does Cassie’s mother she hasn’t seen or been close to in years. While her parents do the most during her funeral, wake and burial, her friends in the Paladins are there the whole time and celebrate her life as it was. 

Lian: Her body would be dressed in gold silk and crystals, and she will be cremated upon a golden pyre as per the traditions of House Aico, to symbolise her rise from the ashes in the next life, like that of their golden phoenix.

Kinessa: As a bounty hunter, Kinessa knew death was always near for her. She didn’t mind, and asked for a quick and easy burial should it ever claim her. That was exactly what the Paladins did, giving her a simple funeral and burial near the base.

Sha Lin: Having been a traveller in life, the champions believed his spirit should be free to continue his journey in death. And so, they left his body atop a mountain in a traditional sky burial for his soul to ascend to the skies as they body is left in nature’s hands. 

Viktor: Like any soldier’s funeral, Viktor is given a proper military send off, including a flag draped over his coffin, and the three-volley salute for his military honour in death. His coffin is buried in the military graveyard, amongst many others that he knew, or did not.

Tyra: A Viking’s send off, her body set off on a boat dressed in her battle armour, with her weapons and prized possessions all with her to bring to Valhalla as Sha Lin fires the flaming arrow and sets her boat ablaze. 

Willo: Mourned both by the Paladins and the Summer Court, her funeral takes place within the latter’s grounds. Her grave is stuffed with her favourite flowers, and was later buried in a flower field without a coffin, so that one day her body may become nourishment for the flora. 

Evie: As an immortal, she knows she will never have a funeral. However, if she were to die somehow, the only thing she wants for her funeral would be for it to be held during a gently snowing evening.

Skye: “Make sure I look pretty for my last party okay?” were Skye’s dying words as she passed with a smile on her face. Heeding her last request, the others dressed her up in fancy purple clothes as they held an open-casket funeral service for her. 

Androxus: Finally freed from the curse in death, Androxus’s funeral was more of a ceremony of his release rather than a mourning of his passing. After a simple burial near the Paladins base, Seris personally escorted his soul into the afterlife.

Buck: Having strong roots to the earth, upon his death Buck was cremated and his spirit released into the afterlife, where he took the form of an ox spirit to watch over his friends.

Maeve: Her only wish had been to be cremated with her precious enchanted coat and knives that had helped her through her hardest times on the streets. A simple funeral is held for the rest to pay their respects, and later, they scattered her ashes into the nighttime winds.

Zhin: Held by the Thousand Hands, with the Paladins in attendance, Ying as their sole representative during the process. He is cremated and his ashes left in an urn kept by the Thousand Hands on a shrine to their past great leaders, where the followers of the Thousand Hands will pay their respects to on his death anniversary.

Lex: A public funeral is held for him by his fellow lawmen, with salutes in his honour as his coffin is transported to a military graveyard where he is to be buried among others who have been killed in action. A much smaller, private funeral is held at the Paladins base, in which the others quietly paid their respects, as he would’ve liked it.  

Mal’Damba: The night before his funeral, a vigil is held by the other Supports in his honour, and his bed removed from his room to signify his passing. His body is cremated and scattered, his spirit released back to Wekono. Pancake is released into the wild with Grover’s help, and Waffles returns as a spirit to join Wekono and her master once more in the next life. 

Pip: Pip was buried in a special graveyard sacred to the Vulpin north of Brightmarsh, at the base of a massive waterfall. During the funeral service, the others burned all of his personal belongings before his grave, so that he may take them with him to the afterlife, as per Vulpin beliefs. 

Grover: His funeral was a planting of his body into the ground of his favourite forest, where the last of his magic transformed him into a normal, non-sentient tree, so he can live on one last time. 

Grohk: At Grohk’s burial, which took place under a lightning storm as per his culture, the Paladins gathered around and danced around a totem raised in his honour, each dropping a flower, provided by Willo, who had been given responsibility over Grohk’s garden, into his grave atop his coffin as they danced close. 

Seris: Though Seris cannot actually die, the damage done to her physical form had been too intense, banishing her to the depths of the Abyss, never to return to the mortal realm again. Knowing that they would never see her again until their own time came, the other Paladins held a quiet memorial for her. 

Ying: Upon her death, Ying’s form faded, leaving behind only her shattered mirror. The other Paladins placed the broken mirror in a beautiful shrine decorated with many flowers dedicated to her, and many tears were shed during the memorial service. 

Jenos: Upon his death, Jenos’s body had dissolved into starlight, and floated up to the heavens, where the stars took his form in a new constellation. The other champions then held a memorial for him under those new stars to pay their respects. 

Strix: Strix’s body is dressed in his combat attire and lavender, and the mark of a warrior was painted onto his face. He is cremated within a simple coffin, and after a seven day mourning period, the other champions spread his ashes on the ground within the forests, returning his body to the earth. 

Talus: As per Ska’Drin traditions, Talus is given a warrior’s funeral, his body is left beneath a great tree, one final rune of honour to be tattooed on his chest, done by Mal’Damba, as the champions surround him with flowers. (Yes it’s Rue’s death from the Hunger Games don’t kill me.)

Terminus: Terminus himself never cared for a funeral, but upon his final death, accepted Inara’s offer of a traditional Stagallan warrior’s send off. The Paladins took his body was taken high up a mountain near the Paladins base, where Inara embedded his form into the cliffside. 

Vivian: It wasn’t a simple funeral, but it wasn’t particularly grand either. After her burial in a coffin engraved with her sentinels, a feast was held in her name, honouring her. 

[feverflowers]

is rue a spinoff of rue from hungergames? love her btw!

OH! I love her toooo!  First of all, Rue was my hands down absolute favorite character from the Hunger Games, but I’m sorry to say that, no, any resemblance is just coincidental.  Rue is a yellow flower, and Rue is my yellow notsoberry heir. :)

[jewelsofwisdom]

Third Conditionals or The Power of Sunflowers

They call it the Third Conditional.

In an effort to simply all the permutations of calendar times and verbal tenses that buzz around in the head of poor, confused speakers of English as a second language whenever the word “if” inserts any uncertainty into discourse, some unknown grammar whiz invented a model. And they numbered these things they call “If Clauses” or “Conditionals”.

Conditional 1 deals with real, future conditions. Example:  If the King is murdered, the monarchy will fall. If the monarchy falls, we will want to rename the streets that are named after minor aristocratic figures. If we run out of republican heroes (I mean, after all you can’t name parks after the two crazy men who not only killed the King and his 20 year old son but just barely missed killed the 19 year old as well), we might have to raise up some rags to riches success story and slap his name onto something. So was born the Parque Silva Porto. But I get ahead of myself.

Image: Amadeu Escórcio

The Second Conditional is the easiest to understand the need for. It’s the Big Lottery Win Conditional. Present situations that are impossible:  I were a boy, I would(n’t)… or highly unexpected future ones: If I became a boy, I would(n’t)… Oh wow.  The Transgendered Age has served me up fitting examples.  

This is all just to say, though, that there is then a Conditional III. It takes an erstwhile event, imagines changing the past and then thinks of all the possible (or just one if you’re not greedy) alternate consequences. If Donald Trump had not won, I would(n’t)…Oh...More correct and still grammatically, I might have moved back to the U.S. . I mean, I really, really liked Big Stone Gap when I was there last year.

But I’m here, and here is Lisbon, Portugal, BTW. And for some reason I wanted to tell you about my day.  (We’ll get back to the grammatical part later.)

I woke up under a black cloud today. Literally (unusual July weather) and, most importantly, emotionally. Children happily ensconced with their dad for the week-end. Love interests tottering towards disinterest. Friends too busy, or too busy.

My plan for the day, a run followed by finishing off that short story seemed unfeasible. Stupidly I went to check the weather on the iMac and Facebook popped up. Bad words! Last thing I wanted to see was the smiling faces of friends from long ago and far away!

I banged the machine shut and took my loneliness for a walk. Not a bike ride, nor a run. The millstone was much too heavy for that kind of energy. My loneliness preferred to walk. I thought to seek out streets around my apartment that hadn’t met my feet yet. But I also wanted to do a few hills, so I pointed us to the highest ones around, those at the Parque Silva Porto, otherwise known as the Benfica Wood.

My sadness, or an excess of familiarity with the spot, took me straight past the gorgeous wrought iron gates and the 1915 tile work.

Instead, I climbed as quickly as I managed the steep, wooded hill that was donated to the city in 1911, on the condition it would be made into a park. My only stop was to gather eucalyptus leaves, stunned as I was by the beauty of their decay.

My thoughts, though, were on those conditionals. I won’t bore you with the details, but I will tell you they were Thirds:  If I hadn’t fallen in love with Brazil…If things had worked out there… If I hadn’t returned home…If I hadn’t met a Portuguese man back home…If I had finished my PhD…If I had worked at a different school…If I hadn’t gone freelance…

In short, today I gave in to the rare opportunity to rue – not so much the choices I’ve made, but the empty spaces they’ve carved into myself, my heart, my wallet.  

António Carvalho da Silva had been born in a poor section of the city of Porto. Then he, like me, left his home city at an early age. Two years in Paris studying painting, another one in Italy, a few traveling and it was 1879 when he was invited to teach in Lisbon. It was in the capital that he had one of his first paintings bought by the King, made a name for himself, and brought naturalism to Portugal. Then, despite his shy ways, he became a permanent member of the salon the Grupo do Leão named for the beer hall where they met. Silva is the morose figure at the center, surrounded by some of the most famous intellectuals of the day, including painters and poets, cartoonists and ceramicists.

Image: Colombano Bordalo Pinheiro

It was in Lisbon that the painter was tenured to teach landscape painting, that he married, fathered 7 children and then died in 1893 at the age of 43.  We have a clue to at least one of his Third Conditionals. He never went back home to live, yet he incorporated the city’s name into his own and signed his paintings António Silva Porto.

So, how did a painter’s name come to grace a park? I’ve found no connection between him and Benfica. An accident of history, perhaps?

Cue entrance of another Third Conditional.

Changes in regime in Portugal have often led to changes in the names of streets and monuments. That includes parks. Following the Portuguese regicide (1908), when the Republican Revolution (1910) did away with the Monarchy, the place naming authorities had to come up with new, republican heroes. All those friends at the Grupo de Leão had been rabid Republicans. And Mr. Silva was as far from aristocracy as you could get. His mother had been a lace maker, his father a tinker.  So, in 1918, the Park was named for Silva Porto.

Today, my search for novelty led me to exit the top gate of the park, into the Bairro de Cima of Santa Cruz. The Estado Novo, as Salazar’s fascist dictatorship was known, left 1950’s townhouses originally built as social housing. They are now gentrifying into posh dwellings.

Image: Manuel Correia

I wandered into the next town, Amadora and only stopped when I arrived at the train line. Next I circled around the Fófó (Clube Futebol de Benfica, not to be confused with world famous SLB).

Then I turned my meander towards home. Before I even saw it, the hawking of the bookseller announced I was approaching the Benfica Market. The exercise and the exercise of my tears having lightened my spirits, I stopped to check the price of the sunflowers. Too expensive. If I’d bought them, my wallet would have been left empty.

Image: Camara Municipal de Lisboa

Instead I headed directly across the massive circle of reinforced concrete, one of the last local buildings of the Estado Novo.  A slight veer to the right and I left the cacophony of fishmongers, fruit and vegetable sellers, and butchers behind. Outside I found another, more affordable florist. Instead of 5€ for one blossom I got a bunch for 2.50€.  Five magnificent bursts of yellow filled my heart and my arms for the climb back home.

In case the picture doesn’t do justice to the flowers, let me tell you I was stopped twice on my way back uphill, by perfect strangers, to admire the exuberance of the blooms. I laughed at myself and wondered if those ladies assumed I was perfectly happy, as I had done that morning about my Facebook friends of long ago and far away.

I got home, put my flowers in water and mused:  If I had remembered to give some given one of those blossoms away, I might’ve made a new friend. I might have forged some powerful alternative consequences.

On the other hand, here’s what I could have done, if I hadn’t chosen to idle around so close to home:

Image: António Silva Porto