#The real treasure was the imagination we used along the way.

[babbling-starling]

[monsoonceroom]

New Spy x Family chapter! Let's Gooooo!

So Damian & co (but mostly Damian) are studying when the above drops. I did google this & apparently 'Mitera' means 'Mother' in Greek, so this is likely their version of Ancient Greece. Pretty neat imo.

With Ostania's economy probably in shambles after the war, I wonder if this boom was partially because of the country's citizens hoping for a way to get back on their feet financially by selling some sweet ancient relics.

It's nice to know that they had twitter in 1960/1970's Ostania. Weak joke, I know.

Anyways, treasure hunting happens & while the boys are in proper attire, the 3 butlers are in suits in the middle of a freakin' forest. This would be absolutely miserable in real life. However, with this being Spy x Family, I automatically assume they're much too professional to allow even a single speck of dirt to sully their clothes & will be vaporized immediately.

Also, it looks like their hair colors are inversions of the kids? Instead of 1 brunette & 2 blonds, it's 2 brunettes & 1 blond. Also that Egeberg butler does look pretty fine.

Shush you! Damian already knows his family life is shit; let him be happy!

It's cute to see them explore the wonder's nature has to offer. Also did they not bring enough water, so they had to resort to drinking from waterfalls? Props for getting it from fast running water rather than a stagnant pool though.

STRRRIKE! Maybe I'm just exaggerating, but I lowkey wonder if Jeeves can give Martha a run for her money when it comes to physical prowess. While not much in terms of what we've already seen throughout the series (especially compared to Yor) I imagine not many people would have been able to use an acorn like a bullet.

:(

Have some food to cheer up, Damian!

Hold up; wild-caught venison? Did the butlers hunt deer while treasure hunting? They probably brought the food with them but the image of guys in suits stalking a deer is hilarious.

Lol, Ewen & Emile are like 'Did he just call us peasants?'.

Damian is calling upon the spirits to guide him.

Oh crap, it backfired & now he's possessed!

Not to worry! A kind spider has come to help!

Maybe the real treasure was the big ass flower we found along the way.

A quick google search says that 'Geschocran' when translated into English means 'Projectile Crane', so nothing too crazy there considering the pistil on that thing. I checked to see if maybe the name 'Witch's Crib' had any real-world equivalent although nothing came up aside from baby cribs & witch hazel. I wonder what the in-universe lore is on the 'Witch's Crib' name?

Goddamn kids these days & their helicopters. Back in MY day we had to wait hours in the car to get somewhere, uphill, both ways in the snow in 180 degree weather.

More sad Damian & Jeeves trying to talk to him about it. Also no one else is home? Where the frick did everyone go? Let's see; Melinda has her own place so she's probably chillin' there, Demetrius is likely studying at a library, & Donovan is, I don't know, concocting evil schemes in his lair or something.

Yooo! Damian's accusing Jeeves of being a snitch! At least Damian forgot he was sad.

KSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK Looks like Damian tried to impress Anya & then complained to Jeeves about it later. I wouldn't doubt it if Jeeves is feeding Melinda info, but alas, we have no proof.

[the-ninjago-girl]

Ya wanna know what I just realized? The overall theme of scarlet and violet isn't actually about our treasure hunt, or making friends along the way,

It's obsession.(and how it hurts those around us.)

In the base game of pokemon scarlet and violet, we learn that the professor,(sada or turo depending on which version you play.) was absolutely obsessed with the paradox pokemon within the scarlet/violet book. They were so obsessed with these pokemon that they wanted, NEEDED to make them a reality by bringing them into our own. Their obsession was so bad, that they not only lost their significant other, but neglected their son to the point of completely abandoning him, all for the purpose of "paradise". Not realizing they already had one with their son.

The obsession has been with the professor since their childhood. As seen in the secret cutscene at kitakami's crystal pool with terapagos in your party, it brings the professor from iirc 10 years before the events of the game start. When they ask to trade for the book ms. Brair wrote they offer their copy of the s/v book and tell you "this book captured my imagination as a child and never let go." They were obsessed. It costed them their life, completely ruined arvens childhood, and almost caused the destruction of the Paldea region because they were too obsessed with having pokemon of the past/future along side them.

Then we go to kitakami, and meet Kieran. A boy who is obsessed with the ogre, a.k.a ogerpon. Kieran believes the two as kindred spirits, outcasts in kitakami because they were different. Though rightly upset at you and his sister for not telling him about meeting ogerpon, takes it too far when he steals the mask from his grandfather. As a result of winning the battle to get the mask back from him his obsession shifts, not really about befriending ogerpon anymore, but about beating you/being as good as you are. He becomes mean and ruthless to those around him in blueberry academy, becoming champion in order to try to be strong enough to beat you.

In the underdepths of area zero his obsession with beating you causes him to seek out terapagos, and catch it so that he can finally beat you.

And finally ms. Briar, obsessed with terapagos and proving it was real. Her ancestor, the original author of the s/v book, heath, was claimed and told to be nothing more than a liar after writing what he had found in area zero. Briar was obsessed, determined to prove terapagos' existence to clear her ancestors name, and that everything in the s/v book was in fact real. In kitakami she was more concerned with figuring out the terastal phenomenon than helping to guide the students from the 2 schools on their field trip.

And once in blueberry, she asks you, carmine and Kieran to join her in area zero to find terapagos. Once in the underdepths she puts herself in danger because of a strangely terastalized glimmora, of which you battle to protect her and the siblings. In the final chamber of the underdepths, she eggs on Kieran to take terapagos(in crystal form) out of the tera crystals around it to finally see the pokemon she's been trying to get to for so long, and then tells him to terastalize the pokemon, putting everyone in danger. As the amount of Tera energy is too much for the little pokemon to control, and thus it goes out of control, destroying the environment around it, nearly causing a cave in.

Ms. Briars obsession with finding terapagos nearly caused the group to get killed because she was so obsessed with finding terapagos. Obsessed with proving that heath was telling the truth all this time.

Pokemon scarlet and violet showed that obsession can hurt and harm those around you. That an obsession like sada/turo, Kieran and ms Briars', will cause the pain of others and themselves in order to reach their goal.

[fulgurbugs]

What would the travelers Pokémon teams be?

I can totally see Alfyn having a Blissey. Therion seems like he’d have a Gengar, potentially.

ok. upon literally hours of deliberation and team building (i actually already had ones for the OT1 travelers but decided to revisit them and change a few picks) me and my bestie @snailcruncher have settled on some teams. i will be going in depth on reasonings for these so prepare for a long post lol. im gonna put it under a readmore because really im not joking about how long it is

we also came up with some ideas/lore for why some of these would be picked in a pokemon AU setting, so i’ll be explaining any of those thoughts if they’re relevant too.

Ophilia:

one of the only teams left untouched, I think this is a good batch for her. i’m imagining a scenario where the sacred flame takes the form of a pokemon, and it’s a lampent. frosmoth and togetic felt just like… the right vibe. Lapras and Ampharos both have associations with guiding, so they’re in. Audino is a notable healing pokemon, and it feels in line with her personality as well.

Cyrus:

Alakazam for mr high iq smart guy. duh. oranguru for his role as a teacher, and Runerigus would be a late acquisition to his team in his ch4. Flareon, Glaceon, and Jolteon for the 3 scholar spell types. i also think him having 3 eeveelutions could also be kind of like, they’re really good for demonstrations for single-type stuff, as well as being popular with others. people might come up to him and be like omg you have a flareon i love flareon pleaseeee tell me more (flirtily) which of course would go over his head and he would start telling you flareon facts. I feel like Cyrus would excel in double battles.

Tressa:

Meowth: the pay day signature pokemon. this is as close as i can replicate to tressa randomly finding money. Skwovet (she can now take her pet squirrel with her in a pokeball)

Gyrados for sure. one, she lives along an ocean, so she should definitely have a water type, two, i’m imagining a scenario where she buys a magikarp cheap, seeing the potential in it, then raises it into a real powerhouse. just like her!

carbink: really funny scenario me and the bestie came up with that instead of eldrite the treasure was diancieite. the carbink is from the same cave. tressa did try to evolve it with the diancieite. it didn’t work.

pidgeot… felt like she needed a flying type (wind magic rep) and i feel like she’d gravitate to the humbler normal types… doesn’t get much more straightforward than pidgeot. Dhelmise… maybe it used to be captain leons, maybe she fished it out of the harbor in rippletide herself. either way, she thinks it’s cool

Olberic:

Aegislash: sword form, shield form…. this pokemon itself is the unbending blade. obviously i have given him several other sword based pokemon, too.

gallade, escavalier, and sirfetch’d badically all fit this. they’re knight-like, so they feel fitting i think to him.

as for conkeldurr and garganacl, they feel kind of… solidly built. like him. ( ⬇️ garganacl pick lore)

Primrose:

almost all of her pokemon can learn some kind of dance though their level up. Oricorio is the obvious choice, dragonair reps dragon dance, beautifly reps quiver dance, and lilligant… well they can learn so fucking many. we couldn’t decide on which one to give her, so we ended up giving her both. they’re her backup dancers or whatever.

mawile just feels very primrose to me. its cute or pretty or whatever, and you might underestimate it… but watch out. it bites.

Alfyn:

he feels like a guy who loves a big fluffy dog. and stoutland has also been used in games for its ability to sniff out items, so it feels like it’d be a good pick for an apothecary looking to sniff out herbs and such. Comfey is an obvious pick, i mean its signature move is. floral healing. meganium also has mentioned in its dex entries its healing and calming properties. it’s also a cool as fuck dinosaur so i think alfyn would like it.

chatot. does this even need explanation

we also wanted to give him an ice type, and settled on cubchoo. it has a perpetually runny nose… even Alfyn can’t fix it, try as he might.

as for leavanny, we had some trouble picking the last slot on this team. we were looking through friendship evos, and leavanny caught my eye. it’s dex entries mention that it’s very gentle, it also shows no mercy to foes who target young pokemon. seems fitting… we decided alfyn got it as a swadloon (maybe it could be taught to use its sewing abilities to dress wounds?) and it evolved during his ch3.

Therion:

I think Krookodile, mimikyu, and klefki are quite obvious picks, so i won’t go too in on them. Ninjask and Shedinja…. Ninjask is super speedy, so it felt right to give one to therion, but also i feel like.. he’d keep the shedinja around. even with 1 hp and one billion weaknesses… it’s still a part of his team. it and ninjask were born from the same nincada. he couldn’t abandon it like that.

and applin lol. something about therion gives me “guy who’s going for a cool as fuck hydrapple and ends up with an appletun actually”

H’aanit:

If anyone’s allowed to have legendaries, it’s the hunters. Chien-pao is as close as we can get to a snow leopard. and yeah maybe it’s a little evil but H’aanit is built different. Decidueye feels like an obvious pick, and spirit shackle is a great signature move for the h’aanit vibe. trapinch for. leghold trap. kilowattrel is literally a thunderbird. and ariados… well, it has the ability sniper, to reference hunter’s crit boosting abilities, as well as having some trapping moves like webs. for the Hunters, I’ve left their last spot blank, but this just means like, a “flex” spot that would be different each time you battled them. H’aanits got boxes of options to choose from.

now, onto the OT2 ones!

Ochette:

I’m sure you can see what i’m going for here. it’s just the closest i could get to Akala/mahina and her 3 story beasts. and again, like H’aanit, the last spot is “flex” not empty, so imagine her bringing some different new bullshit to every battle.

Cassti:

i wanted to do a few things with Castti: obviously, give her some healing-y mons, but also a few oddball picks that might have you looking twice. picked Shiinotic because of its ominous dex entries, and then. toedscruel because i realize shiinotic actuallt doesn’t get spore i think? and i think castti “put em to sleep right in the street” florenz should have a mon with spore. (edit. i actually just cant read the bulbapedia tables and shiinotic does get spore. anyways she gets two spore mons i guess cuz what if she’s gotta knock out two people at the same time. or whatever. dustox emits toxic powder from its wings, which seems like it could be something castti would want to keep on hand for poison axe. these three might seem a little weird tho, and reinforce her bad first impression in canalbrine, even though i’m sure they’d all be very well behaved and nice. Blissey and Arboliva are straightforward healing picks. I feel like these would be common for apothecaries to have in general.

and then galar-slowking. poison-activated brain nonsense. i feel like she acquires this one post-amnesia. they feel a kinship with each other.

Throné

Throné’s team is half-blacksnakes dedicated, half catered to herself. Every blacksnake has a seviper or an ekans, as well as probably most of them also having other grunt-esque pokemon, like zubats and such. throné’s taken care of hers, though, and friendship evolved it into a crobat.

chose furfrou because i think throné would like a prissy little dog she can dress up cutely. milcery, which she’s waiting on evolving until she can figure out what alcremie form she wants, and a shade-cherrim.

oh, and zangoose, of course. the natural enemy of sevipers. one appeared to her right after she left new delsta. what a sign, right?

Osvald:

Osvald we had some interesting stuff to work with, I think. we decided that most of his pokemon were newly acquired after his prison escape- not on purpose. they seem to just take a liking to him and start following him around.

the avalugg helped get him out of the frozen water at cape cold, and then stuck with him.

the teddiursa.. also just stuck with him. we wanted to give him something that felt a little oddball for him… so this doesn’t evolve. it stays cute and unevolved forever.

the shuppet was found hovering around the ruins of Osvald’s house. he was reluctant to take it, but if it was formed out of some semblance of his desire for vengeance… he has to be responsible for it.

the Indeedee is the only one of osvalds old pokemon, out of this lineup. since indeedee are so helpful to people, it was kind of a family pokemon acquired after elena’s birth (dex mentions they’re good at babysitting.) Osvald could probably also trust it with simple lab assistant tasks like moving stuff around. was a very beloved pokemon within their family. anyways, following his sentencing, clarissa managed to get ahold of the indeedee and took care of it all this time. when osvald returns, it’s clear it wants him to take her with him.

the drampa was acquired after the events of montwise, having shown up and basically just forced itself to go with osvald. somehow it seems to know what’s going on and who it can trust…

and slowking.. well, smart guy needs a smart pokemon. it’s another one that took a shine to him, though at that point he was getting used to this happening.

Partitio:

Talonflame: partitio’s aptitude for fire magic and the “chickadee” nickname made this an obvious choice for an ace. I can imagine a young partitio’s first pokemon being a fletchling, for sure.

bramblegast. the funny tumbleweed. put it on the team immediately.

Milotic: Paritio picked up a feebas. having a knack for seeing the potential in pokemon, he wasn’t wrong, and now hes got this thing. it’s very popular with other people, though it seems an odd pick for partito at first glance to strangers.

armarouge: ok this one’s a little convoluted so i will explain it later. kind of vibes based pick tho lol. revavroom kind of. uhh. steam engine. (we can pretend)

there ain’t a more partitio pokemon out there than gholdengo. everyone say thank you scarvi for giving partitio most of his team.

Agnea:

hey, it’s another oricorio! i think you can guess why.

volcarona: learns fiery dance, but we thought up even more lore on this one. the larvesta was a family pokemon. mostly belonging to Garud (we ended up deciding that the Bristarnis had a lot of bug types, who help out with the sewing stuff and larvesta does give a little bit silkworm, lol..)

anyways, part of his blessing for sending agnea off was telling her to take the larvesta, who also turned out to be a dazzling star in the end too… after a lot of hard work.

altaria and leafeon rep dragon and swords dance. i just feel like they’re good picks for her energy, too. lunatone reps the moonstep. I’ve also opted to give her a sunny cherrim, which i think would be cute contrasted with Throné’s gloomy one.

Temenos:

temenos has quite the oddball lineup for a cleric. but hes kind of an oddball cleric so i think it works.

Absol. man. a lot of shit happens to temenos. this absol is stressed tf out 24 fucking 7. sorry man.

Clefable: felt like we had to give him a healer-adjacent pokemon and this one evolves with a moonstone. feels fitting for mr night-ability mistral tbh.

Lokix. alright. another scenario based pick. Temenos caught this thing on the pilgrims way as a nymble at like level 2. probably rustling in the metaphorical tall grass, crick is all “get behind me, it could be dangerous” and then. lvl 2. nymble. doesn’t even need to be fought to be caught. and then temenos is all hey crick, it’s a “crick”et pokemon! (we’ll ignore that the dex says grasshopper) he’d keep it just to mess with crick, but it ends up sticking around.

Houndoom. well, temenos is the pontiff’s hound, so we did need to pick a dog for him. it’s a houndour in the beginning, houndoom by the end. probably evolved in a moment of crisis (in ch4?) the yamask is from crackridge.

wooloo. this is actually Crick’s. it wasn’t helping with the little lamb allegations… after the events of stormhail, Temenos takes it in.

Hikari:

Kingambit: i mean. come on. gotta get a kingambit for the future king.

Gardevoirs dex entire mention that it is dedicated to its trainer/cause to the bitter end, and would do anything to protect it. perfect for Hikari.

Morpeko and Zweilous. some literally two-faced pokemon. (maybe he feels a little bit of a kinship with them in that way) i also really wanted to give Hikari a pseudo-legendary, and i think that his zweilous would probably evolve just in the nick of time to kick some ass against mugen. Hydreigons might be notoriously destructive, but something about the personalities merging into one brain in evolution seems to have mellowed Hikari’s out. it’s remarkably personable, for a hydreigon.

lucario: i really wanted to give him a pokemon that learns copycat, and lucario fits that bill. plus, he definitely needed a fighting type.

Cerudelge: formed from bitterness of old cursed armor, but also an extremely skilled sword fighter… one of hikari’s aces.

I also like to imagine that a lot of hikari’s pokemon are quite difficult to deal with (his ceruledge in particular is quite belligerent and mean) but they all have utmost respect for him as a trainer, once they’re on the battlefield. but onlookers sometimes worry… how the hell does he deal with it all?

other notes about some of the picks :

Partitio’s amarouge. Paritio picked up a. charcadet later on, and hikari personally warned him that it might be difficult to deal with. (his charcadet and later ceruledge were super hard to train for him) of course, partitio did end up in possession of the cool nice armor that evolved it into the better mannered and nobler armarouge… but honestly, even his charcadet was far better behaved.

paritio and tressa both get those shitty fish that get cool. must be because they both have an eye for a diamond in the rough.

agnea and throné’s cherrims are best friends. throné rarely got to see her cherrim sunny-form until she left new delsta… she wonders if maybe it was upset about being so nocturnal before, with the blacksnakes.

castti and osvald, team mom and team dad somehow both ended up with slowkings. everyone’s a little concerned about castti’s, though…

after the events of his story, Osvald leaves indeedee and teddiursa with clarissa and elena. the teddiursa and elena in particular take to each other very well… when osvald finally is able to return to elena’s life, the teddiursa is really much more her pokemon.

also. H’aanit and Ochette and far and away the best battlers of both groups. i know i only have them with one flex spot, but you can imagine that they’d swap out a lot more for whatever they need to do to build a good team. they’ve got loads more options than everyone else.

you know that thing about giving someone an applin in galar? therion did trade it over to alfyn at one point. but really they have joint custody of that thing. which definitely ended up as an appletun.

we also had some npc aces sprinkled in there, so here’s some other thoughts, just as bonus!

Malaya: Pawmot (revival blessing), rapidash.

Elena: Abra

Harvey: Hypno, Bacephalon

Pala: Kricketot (formerly belonged to her and agnea’s mom)

Roque: Metagross

Kazan: Husuian Braviary

Ori: Chatot

Trousseau: Glimmora

Cordelia: ….ferrothorn

Erhardt: Aegislash, Hisuian Samurott

Z’aanta: Zamazenta

Juvah: is literally a solgaleo

Darius: Scrafy/Pangoro

Simeon: Malamar

Esmeralda: Mismagius (wanted to give her something with perish song)

Mattias: drifblim? darkrai?

Lucia: Hatterene

Miguel: Grimmsnarl

Werner: spectrier

Mugen: Kingambit. mirror match with Hikari, but mugen’s has supreme overlord while Hikari’s has defiant.

Kaldena: we couldn’t pick but maybe she goes like lusamine mode and fuses with something.

Claude: Cradily. (uh. literally fossil pokemon)

Dolcinea: belive it or not, also an oricorio. also, solrock. but her oricorio is the prettiest.

veronica: she has somehow acquired the worlds first and only female gallade through the power of lesbianism.

Crick: … wooloo….

I do wanna make some drawings for these ideas, but this post was literally already one billion miles long and has way too many images, so it’ll probably be a separate post. thanks for the ask! and sorry for talking so much, but i fucking love making pokemon teams so much it’s insane.

and a big thank you again to my bestie @snailcruncher who helped me with a lot of these picks (and did basically all of the npc picks thank you so much i love you). tysm for pokemon octopath brainrotting with me for like 4 hours.

[inuhalfdemon]

Alastor asks Rosie to be his fake girlfriend to convince Lucifer that he is a good boyfriend but it backfires when Rosie critiques his courting abilities. (didn't open the car door, no flowers, etc.)

-CrackRodent

Ok, I feel like I gotta go OOC for this one because my personal headcannon is Alastor would treat Rosie as a fucking QUEEN when or where ever they went out - platonic relationship or otherwise. BUT, for the sake of this prompt:

Alastor had it all figured out.

He had been pining for Lucifer for weeks now...and was ready to make his move.

Not in revealing his "true feelings" or in swallowing his Pride and actually approaching The King with his proposal of "something more".

No, no, no.

That just wasn't his way. He needed The King to come to him.

His way, was studying Lucifer from afar, doing a bit of light stalking and narrowing down the places that The King frequented and when. He did it so dedicatedly that he knew exactly when Lucifer would be passing by the food court, just on the edge of Cannibal Town, on his way to a donut shop named *Duck Donuts...

[Owned and franchised through LuLu World, it became so popular that there are shops found throughout all The Rings]

Alastor knew he had to win not only The King's attention but, his favor. Alastor needed Lucifer to see that he was a desirable partner and to do that he enlisted Rosie's help. Alastor asked her to pretend with him that she was his fake girlfriend, they would go out on a "date" about the food court and Lucifer would see what Alastor had to offer.

It went perfectly. The timing couldn't have been better and Lucifer kept throwing looks their way...sneaking passing glances, double taking over the shoulder once or twice, even openly staring at one point. Alastor watched him walk away, heading into the donut shop and wondered at just how long it would take before The King was throwing himself at The Radio Demon's feet.

"Alastor...THAT WAS THE WORST DATE I COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED!" Rosie was stewing.

"Huh, what? What do you mean? He couldn't take his eyes off of us the entire time!"

"Because you never once had your eyes on me for a single moment! My God...Where to begin!? No flowers, no hand or arm-holding, not even a peck on the cheek!? You didn't open the car door, you nearly slammed a store door in my face and have you even noticed that I've broken a heel and have been gimping along here beside you now for 20 MINUTES!?" Rosie was telling him loudly, exasperated.

"Come now, it surely wasn't all that ba-"

Alastor stopped what he was saying, seeing that Lucifer was heading straight for him now, carrying a large box of donuts.

This was it.

He hurriedly straightened his suit jacket and smiled widely.

"Why, good afternoon, your majesty. To what do I owe the pleasure of-?"

"Oh, shut it you absolute arse." Lucifer snapped and Alastor's smile tightened.

Lucifer turned to Rosie.

"I know it's none of my business, but you look like you've had a terrible time. I got fresh donuts...and it's been an eon since I've had a Butterfinger McFleshy... would you care to join me?" Lucifer smiled at Rosie, offering her his arm.

Rosie sniffed, walking past Alastor without sparing him a glance and taking Lucifer's. "That sounds just lovely, your grace. Thank you!"

"Step aside, cretin." Lucifer narrowed his gaze on Alastor and the deer quickly side-stepped himself out of the way.

He watched Lucifer and Rosie leave, listening to Lucifer telling her: "You know, Rosie, you are a treasure. You deserve to be treasured. Don't let guys like that waste your time, you know, I've always had the hots for cannibalistic women..."

Alastor watched them another moment before thinking...that may have backfired.

*Duck Donuts is based off of a real donut shop in Idaho Falls, Idaho!!! My wife @whatswrongwithblue asked me to take her there one day when we were passing it "because Lucifer would LOVE it!". 😆

[asksythe]

Hi! I was looking into some stuff and came across a post talking about WWX’s arrogance. It was about WWX’s character and how the fandom insists that his arrogance was one of his main flaws when that’s not true and so on. Then I saw some people saying that arrogance is not inherently bad in Chinese novels and that I might have to do with the way the novel was translated.

I was just wondering if you had some insight on this. Thanks!

On some level, it can be considered a translation issue. But the real reason why WWX's characters, as well as countless other details in MDZS specifically (and Chinese novels broadly speaking), tend to be misunderstood on such a massive scale is... cross-cultural value mismatch.

Consider this:

1/ There is a tendency in the international fanbase to judge WWX (and other characters) on a modern Western moral standard. I don't have to tell you how illogical this is. Imagine if you come into the world of Game of Thrones and start spouting 21st-century judgment. You are likely to become human shishkebabs in less than five minutes. Most people who watch Game of Thrones or read the book understand that's not something you do unless you are a moron or looking to start shit. But for some reason, this is not the case for the MDZS fandom (and many other Chinese media fandoms out there). I'm not sure why this is the case. It might be because of the cultural distance making people not really realize they are coming into an entirely different world, and then they forget to check their modern expectations at the door. Like how tourists become obnoxious when they come to a foreign country, expecting the foreign country to cater to their whims.

I've once seen someone made an addition on TV Tropes saying WWX is a mass murderer that never got punished for his crime. I... I don't know what to say to that really. My expectation is that the person who wrote that is someone under 30, never left America, and never served in the military. For somebody who has never had this kind of experience, no amount of words will explain to them that for major parts of the world and for the vast majority of mankind's history, you have to be able to kill to survive. In fact, for most of our history, killers are our heroes. War is a reality that we live in. The ones who survive are the ones who win wars, the really accomplished killers.

2/ MDZS was not written for an international audience. That is to say, it's written with the expectation that it doesn't have to explain its intricacies and tropes to its intended readers. Because its readers already know. MDZS is xianxia danmei. Danmei has only had about 2 decades of modern history. But xianxia as a genre has stretched back millennia. Its tropes are very set. Chinese (and Sinosphere) readers don't need an explanation because we grow up consuming this kind of stories.

We don't need to be told in plain words to know WWX's only crime is to be possession of the Yin Tiger Tally, and the Jin's scheme is the real reason behind his tragedy. Because it's such a standard trope in our culture that there are millennia-old proverbs about it.

匹夫无罪，怀璧其罪 - pǐ fū wú zuì，huái bì qí zuì. Lit. The commoner is innocent, but his possession of treasure is a sin.

We don't need to be told that it doesn't matter if WWX goes along with the cultivation world's ceaseless demands (keep Suibian with him, consult more with Jiang Cheng before he does things) to know that none of that matters. Because none of those are actual rules, just trivial bullshit made up and used to socially isolate WWX and manipulate the public opinion against him. WWX's true crime is that he is alone. He is an orphan. No one will stand up for him. And unlike his big mouth, he's a real softie. Because if he wasn't then all of them would be dead ten times over with the kind of martial power WWX possess. Only WWX's good heart holds him back from really using his ability. Therefore, you can spit on him, you can cut him, you can trample on him without fearing retaliations.

Nie Mingjue has no sword. Ain't nobody try to lip him about it. Yu Furen has no sword. She uses a whip. Ain't nobody lip her about it.

WWX's undead cultivation is also not really the problem. That kind of cultivation is vanilla as girl scout's cookies. It's only made out that way because it's a method of cultivation that is very easy to learn and does not require enormous resources (i.e. caste issue, not class, caste) to cultivate. Which means it's a method that can be practiced far and wide by poor commoners. Which means it's an infringement on the cultivator House's power and financial base. That's its real crime. Not all that justice bullshit.

For many international fans out there, MDZS is their introduction to danmei (and xianxia). So they come in not knowing these things. They don't see the caste issues, the tragedy, the difference of philosophies and choices between WWX and JC. Their conclusion is built on ignorance and misunderstanding.

It doesn't help that most know little to nothing about Chinese culture which is a high-context culture, the polar opposite of most Western cultures (low-context culture). Something that may seem small and insignificant for a Western reader base can be a really big deal for the Chinese reader base, because it's inbuilt in five thousand years of history and culture. Like why Jin Guangyao buried his mother's corpse in the Guanyin temple and why he needed to reclaim it and take it with him when he tried to flee to Japan.

So it's no surprise there is such a massive divide in fandom opinion.

[yunxi-11085]

Little intricates to treasure

Yanqing & Reader w/ Jing Yuan (platonic)

this is my headcanon but I want yanqing n reader being childhood friends and they are inseparable yk?? super adorable and maybe a vv mischievous pair

this is all platonic/young love as yanqing is not of age n please do not be+think sexual stuff when reading this. this is part of my incorrect prompts post!( you can find it on my pinned post++) I just had a rlly cute idea so Im continuing it yee!!

soooo let's start shall we~~

yanqing and you are an inseperable pair, the locals of the Xianzhou alliance are so used to both of your little tricks and mischievous acts that they just sigh and awe at the cute sight.

I mean who can dare yell at the general's most treasured liutenant? but no one can admit aloud that they think you two are really cute. the way both of you are whispering (but they can still hear you) about your little plan and the way you execute it is super obvious but they still play along with your little acts

yanqing would bring you to places while holding hands, he'd be super excited and run around when he buys new swords! you both would sit down and he would ramble til sunset about how the sword is designed and the handiwork he likes. and his eyes lit up whenever you agree with him too

it's funny n weird to imagine that yanqing will be as tall and bulky when he grows up, just like the general. if young boys could preserve their youth and cuteness longer...

speaking of the general, when you first met Jing yuan you were super scared, especially because this lion of a man was standing so tall in front of you—but you're now getting used to him being crazy over cats to worry about him killing you or crushing you in one step.. why were you scared abt that btw??

so one day yanqing wakes up with an idea.. he runss to you and starts talking about his plan. the general would be out today to sort some things and yanqing wanted to mess with his chess pieces!

he so wanted to get revenge to the general every time they play chess, because the general keeps eating his chess pieces without him noticing!

so his plan was to paint some of the generals chess pieces to black, because the general uses the white chess and yanqing just thought to paint them. as if the general won't notice how hes missing one chess piece when they start playing

you were skeptical because of the aforementioned possibilities... plus a normal chess would have 32 pieces with 16 per side, an advanced player like Jing yuan could tell from the start.

but the lil puppy eyes yanqing gives you— and then somehow you are seated in the private garden of the general (how is this sneaky?!) with a chess set and black ink in front of you.

I'm pretty sure the punishment this time won't just be the allowance cut in half...

anyhow you both start, but the ink had to be wet— yanqing just bought dry ink somewhere. so, with the strength of two teens you brought a bucket or two to start.

at this point you both are not painting chess pieces, you're writing a whole letter of apology and discipline

you just hope yanqing knows how to hold a brush.

turns out, he does not. it becomes a dark mess within minutes, and your hands and clothes are all dark with ink, and yanqing isn't all better as well

now its a real mess.

sucks for you but, Jing yuan arrives

I need to sleep now aaaaa

[rockmiyabideusexmachina]

2024 Megaman Summer Fanart Contest *CLOSED*

Happy Rockman Day! Time for this year's Megaman Summer Fanart Contest rules thread! Two categories, in which you are allowed to submit one entry for each category, if you would like. If you place in one category, you will be automatically disqualified from the other, for reasons of fairness, and to give other people a chance to win a prize. CATEGORY 1 (Talent): Pallette Pastiche

Ms. Museum Curator is back, looking for new pieces of art to display in the Kattleox Art Museum! A couple years ago for Valentine's Day, she needed your creations to display for an exhibit that featured a little bit of red and showed a little bit of love. This summer, her new exhibit is all about pastiche on your palette. What is pastiche? It's an artsy term that essentially means to imitate another work/artist/period. Or to just simplify it, we're talking a parody. So, for this theme, I would like you to parody any work of art, be it a famous painting, sculpture, etc.,…or maybe a piece that isn't as popular…only with Megaman characters involved in it.

As a visual example, way back in the CapcomUnity days, for Mega Man 10's release, there were fanart contests for each new Robot Master. When Solar Man came up, I decided to do an homage of this cognac poster art by Leonetto Cappiello:

Your possibilities are endless, depending on how ambitious you want to be! Alien Dr. Wily in Munch's 'The Scream,' Botticelli's 'Birth of Shield Sheldon,' Higsby carving the 'Venus de Mariko,' Da Vinci's 'Mona Laika,' or even 'The Last Cross Fusion Supper,' featuring the immortal Barrel and his 12 CF disciples. Just to throw out a few ideas. Content Requirements: * Megaman character(s) of your choice in a parody of a real art piece * please also send me a pic of the actual art piece with your entry, just so we can all see what you were referencing CATEGORY 2 (Humor): Pirates of the Alohahabean

Y'arr, ahoy me hearties! As voted by you on Twitter, the humor theme this year will be pirate-themed. Pirates have plenty of rep in the franchise, from Classic's Pirate Man, Marty and her band of pirates in Iwamoto's X manga, the Bonne family sky pirates, unused Tribe forms in Star Force, or, well…Ashe huntin' for booty.

For this theme, you can take any of those aforementioned pirate-y characters, or use any others of your choosing dressed up or acting like pirates, in the hunt for treasure. It could be a chest full of zenny, jewels, The Mother Lode, or whatever other booty you can imagine. The only problem is, this pirate treasure hunt is disturbing other characters who are just trying to enjoy a summer day on the beachy sands or the high seas. Your job is to draw the most hilarious scene in which this quest for a glorious bounty goes awry. Savvy?

Content Requirements: * Mega Man character(s) of your choice who are pirates or dressed/act as pirates hunting for treasure * A comical scene where these pirates interrupt a nice day on the beach/in the water for other characters PRIZES: The winners for each category will receive the following: 1st Place: $175 USD 2nd Place: $100 USD 3rd Place: $75 USD SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: When you submit, I would prefer you to include the following information in this format, along with your entry: • (Your name/preferred alias) – As much as I usually know who you are, there’s always someone new or somebody who has a different preference from what their email name says. • (Category this entry is for) – You can either say 1/2, or talent/humor Only submit your own work, as usual. Any character, major or minor, from any series is allowed. OCs are allowed, as long as your art contains at least one canon Megaman character. As always, participants are allowed to submit from all over the world. Paypal is still the preferred method for cash prize payouts. Please have a valid account to receive your winnings. Kids, get your parents permission before entering. Entries do not need to be colored, but it is preferred. The more effort put into things as always, the better chance you have! Entries can either be e-mailed to me at rock2125[at]hotmail[dot]com, or you can just PM/note me a link to your pic. DO NOT post your pics in this journal, your dA galleries, Twitter, tumblr blogs, other sites, etc. until the contest is over. This is the fairest way for competitive reasons. I prefer to keep them all secret until the deadline has passed. I'll edit a confirmed entry list in this thread when I receive them. So you won't be in the dark about whether or not I've received your entry. DEADLINE: The deadline for this contest will be Sunday, August 25th, 2024 by 11:59PM, global end of day. This gives you over 2 months to finish your entry! MISCELLANEOUS INFO: As usual, If you don't plan to enter, but would like to help me judge, please let me know through DM or mention so here. Never hurts to have extra opinions on all the entries. Bug me with questions if you have any. Please join in, and good luck to everyone who enters! Confirmed Entries: Cat 1. - @aw-colorcat, @digitallyfanged, JazzmanZ, Ryan Vogler, @dwn-059, @puyonlilah, Ivo, @purplerubyred, @nightopianfoxgirl, Tori Campan, ArtisIan, @sylviidaee, Cat. 2 - @pstart, @dwn-059, Kamicciolo, @duskblogsthings, AbilityField, ArtisIan, @megagundamman, V-Campan,

[retronator]

I never played Karateka in the 80s, but as a big fan of Prince of Persia and Jordan Mechner's journals, I was stoked to hear that an interactive documentary about Jordan's prototypical cinematic platformer was in the works by Digital Eclipse.

Released this week, The Making of Karateka on the surface looks like any other game you buy through Steam ($20, Windows-only), GOG, or whichever favorite store or console you prefer (available also for Xbox, PS4/5, Switch). Once the thing loads though, you really get 3 things: a documentary, the original Karateka, and a new remaster.

The documentary part is an audio-visual slideshow retelling Jordan's development story starting with his teenage years pitching his earlier title Deathbounce to the publishing house Brøderbund. It's an interesting look into the iterative process, seen through correspondence letters, journal entries, and many playable builds at various stages of completion. After we reach the eventual rejection of that title, Jordan comes back with a prototype of a visual-narrative experience unseen on home computers. We get to follow Karateka's full life cycle from pre- to post-production, ending with the conception of its sequel (which eventually turned into Prince of Persia). It's a real treasure trove! Fellow pixel artists will appreciate the many graph-paper sketches and interactive overlays of final game sprites compared to rotoscoped outlines and filmed footage. There are also video segments, from a comprehensive breakdown of the music to interviews with other developers reflecting on the impact Jordan's games had on their careers. You'll even encounter a fan letter signed by the one and only "John Romero, Disciple of the Great Jordan and worshipper of the Magnificent Mechner!" (I kid you not, you can't make this stuff up).

Perhaps just as crucial for an interactive documentary like this, you can launch any of the floppy disks in the emulator, trying out various iterations and ports of Karateka.

The emulation is fantastic and lets you fiddle with display settings (monochrome or color display, scanlines, pixel perfect or zoomed) as well as enhance the frame rate. You can even rewind the many deaths you will face if you've never played the game before (like me). If you spend some more time obsessing over the weird artifacts of the Apple II hi-res graphics, you might even go down the rabbit hole of realizing that on the Apple II you didn't really paint colors as much as you used different monochrome dithering patterns that the graphics display would then turn into 4 different hues. A fascinating learning experience if you include some of your own research online!

Add to this the Commodore 64 and the Atari 8-bit versions to compare how the graphics got adapted across the earlier ports and you have a nice way to relieve the mid-80s with a bit of help from modern emulation (I did beat the C64 version without rewinding though!). I'd love to see more art from the other remakes, especially the 16-bit Atari ST port, but I understand their decision to omit playable versions of those due to the lower quality on the gameplay side of the translations.

This brings us to the final part of the package, the modern remaster. Unlike the 2012 complete reimagining of the game (with 3D graphics and all), Digital Eclipse approached the remake as the ultimate port of the original to an imaginary system along the lines of a 90s VGA PC.

It's well done. Some of the fully-redrawn scenes are a bit overpainted for my taste (I'd prefer a pixel art rendition of the castle than a blurry photographic collage, although there were many games in the 90s that did take this approach), but the in-game graphics are really in style, including the smooth animations that are like one would imagine granted a beefier CPU. It's also a sort of director's cut with previously unseen scenes added, in particular, the battle with the leopard as a clever action-puzzle in the middle. The AI is unfortunately even less challenging than Jordan's implementation. As great as the 6-move fighting system could have been, you yet again resort to simply kicking away opponents as they tirelessly crawl into your range. There isn't even the nuance from the original where you were the one who had to approach some enemies with skilled timing. On the other hand, you now have optional goals and achievements that make the repetitive/easy combat work in your favor (stringing various combos, beating opponents or the level under a time limit …). As the Digital Eclipse president Mike Mika admits at the end of the welcome commentary mode, they didn't manage to achieve their perfect port, but they did come close.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed playing both the original as well as the remake and while the combat system lacks any sort of depth beneath its stunning animations, Karateka is instead a monumental experience for its presentation. Big characters with personality and realistic motion are displayed through cinematic camera cuts and story vignettes (3 years before Ron Gilbert came up with the word "cutscene"). There are details like animating the unfortunate falling off the cliff at the start of the game, or respectfully bowing to the first guard as they bow in return. Jordan's creative work is precious and worth the attention this release gifts it.

I highly recommend The Making of Karateka to all retro gamers and/or game developers for its immersive documentation which provides an experience that goes beyond the usual video documentaries. It's interactive—just like the subject it's talking about—something I want to see more in the future. And if the $20 by any chance seems high to you, consider that the original retailed at $35 (and that was in 1984 dollars).

[damianbugs]

steph and bruce fic recs :0?

oh anon u have made my week with this request. my month. my year in fact. bruce and stephanie is a duo that is so special to me and i am not normal about them at all, and so of course i have only the best recs to give you. they are soooo complicated, but that's what makes them so interesting and so personal. i hope you enjoy these!

STEPH AND BRUCE FIC RECS ON AO3

Permutations and Hinterlands by cabezas_de_vaca

She and Bruce are complicated (not bad complicated, not wrong complicated, just complicated, because he isn’t her father and will never be her father and yet he sort of also is) but he cares. It gets lost sometimes, under the demands of Gotham, but it’s there. And so, she just asks him. “Do you want to go to Colorado with me?” Or: Bruce, Steph, and a road trip

MY NOTES: some very heavy but very good stephanie introspection, along with a great take on her relationship with bruce. also, who doesn't love a good road trip fic?

Have I Told You About Minnie by Hinn_Raven

After you’ve known Matches Malone long enough, you get used to him telling you about his kids. Not that his kids know about it.

MY NOTES: i am physically incapable of not recommending this fic regardless of the ask. it must be shared and it must be read. a real feel good and fun fic, bruce is so silly, and steph is so fun. lovely inclusion (without actually including) the other kids too!

I Used to Be an Adventurer Like You, Then I Took an Arrow to the Knee by audreycritter

Stephanie was just on patrol and now she’s stuck somewhere, sometime, with Bruce. They bleed and bond and mostly try to keep each other alive— you know, just a Tuesday.

MY NOTES: im fairly certain i have recommended this before on here, but i have also reread it at least ten times, so who's to judge. one of my favourite time travel fics, also one of my all time favourite bruce and stephanie fics. the end is especially my favourite since it develops a specific part of their dynamic that i really treasure. must read!

we’ll have a feast of all the things we love to eat by smallzita

The story has always gone like this: Batman exists because of guilt and purpose, but mostly guilt. The story is going like this: it's four-thirty in the afternoon and Bruce Wayne is wearing a dress.

MY NOTES: girl dad bruce. baby steph. as the author notes say 'Bruce Wayne being a foster parent can be something very personal actually.' what more do you want? what more is needed??!?!

it's just a question by Magpietrove4 🔒

this one doesn't have a summary, or any tags, but it might just be one of the best stephanie introspections i've read. the conversation with bruce really ties it all together. must read!

Under Armor Over Armor by LeantheBean

"Fridays don’t always go my way but someday I hope they’ll all be fine." In which, Stephanie Brown gets ready for patrol.

MY NOTES: ohhhh this one is so special to me. imagine me sobbing crying screaming as i say this. it's so melancholic and. yearnful. a wonderful thing that connects steph and bruce is also the thing they will never talk about with each other. so good.

to brighten up even your darkest knight by Nokomis

While filing Batman’s paperwork as punishment for an unfortunate incident with the Batmobile, Steph discovers a momento from an early Cluemaster takedown.

MY NOTES: this one is sooo cute and so sweet. i love when batman is batman.

boston market by almondrose

batman & robin enjoy a mid-patrol snack.

MY NOTES: this one is also so incredibly cute. until it isn't. tears in my eyes forever. have read it so many times because it is just so real. must read!

[9w1ft]

Even though people expext pap walks & the kind of exposure we got in 2015 (for my gratification I understand & I'd be overjoyed to have that too) I understand what they'd be reluctant (even without the current events). That exposure fucked with them a lot & if they're in a safe, secure place bts right now, I wouldn't wanna mess with that either. I think it's different & a LOT harder to be this exposed & have everyone chime in when the relationship is actually real. With Travis is theater so it might not matter. But when you care about the person, depending on the exposure, it can be very stressful. Like from a Karlie perspective, maybe she doesn't want to feel responsible for Taylor getting hate from something she does. She's an individual & not just a play thing in Taylor's world for people to live in their perfect Kaylor fantasy world. Thinking all the time "damn how would the brand TS would be affected if I do that" would stress tf outta me & tbh I'd prefer staying in the shadows for that reason alone, I like my individuality.

For Taylor it might be hurtful for certain articles to be written and have them disect Karlie's world the way they disected Travis's. They're people with real feelings at the end of the day and I can't imagine how stressful it'd be to have my ACTUAL relationship be place under such a magnifying glass. Maybe when the Tour madness is over would be a more appropriate time. I don't expect anything this year at least.

(Tbh with you, a person like me would either prefer to stay hidden or to break up than be put on blast & have everyone analyze every detail of my life for having a relationship with Taylor Swift of all people right now 😂😂😂. Yes Karlie is used to fame, but not this type of fame. Last time they tried it, it got fucked & now Taylor's bigger than she ever was)

yeah i agree like, there was a time where i thought that them coming out together was the be all and end all and like a puzzle or a well laid out treasure hunt we were being brought in and there were points where i felt that getting as many people as possible on board with kaylor, for example, was one of a few things of value that i could help provide or contribute to.. and while i still think that it’s something that’s aspirational to them in theory i also believe and now know that as you grow older priorities can change and the importance you feel about certain things can change too. and so i just want to try my best to think about where they are, as you described in part above, and to progress my thinking along with them and where they might be.

and i understand that this way of thinking isn’t going to win any internet arguments, or that it might make a theory feel weaker or less objective to someone looking for an objective take on things but i really feel in my heart if hearts that the time for proactive explanation of things has very much passed and i’m at very much peace with that 😌

[blood-orange-juice]

Okay, what the hell. *Puts on a tinfoil hat*

HSR wiki about the faction to which Black Swan belongs to:

To think is to exist, and memories are proofs of that. All things that make up the material world will eventually perish, but they can live on in another way — through Remembrance. Contrary to popular belief that memory is mixed with the imaginary, Memokeepers from the Garden of Recollection believe reality and imagination to be a myth. What is absolutely real and immortal in the universe that is constantly reincarnating? Even stars die and black holes evaporate. On a cosmic scale, they vanish in a breath. In this flood of time and life, the only treasure is the memory that proves the existence of people. Memokeepers from the Garden of Recollection are dedicated to preserving and sharing memories. Enlightened by their master Fuli, Memokeepers shed their mortal flesh and live on as memetic entities. With this unique gift, they can freely traverse between worlds, unconstrained by physical limits. Memokeepers often disguise themselves as natives of the worlds they visit. They trade, copy, steal, deceive... using every means necessary to collect precious memories.

Tears Among the Stars description:

A philosopher in the faraway ancient world once posited that where there is life, there is death; naturally where there is death, there is life. If not, then the fleeting light cannot resist the eternal darkness, and all withers into nothingness at the end of time. The rules among the stars dictate that nature must be conserved, but the laws of the universe have never been conserved. In a sealed box, destruction always overpowers new life. Millennia upon millennia of prosperity are but an instant in a span of billions of years. The greatest of achievements, the proudest accomplishments, in time all will tarnish, decay, dissipate, and ultimately fade into oblivion. Thus there are things floating in among the stars, once adorned with countless prestigious titles from innumerable civilizations, shedding tears for their ordained demise. Their tears stream down, out of desperation, out of hope, because all desperation and hope alike will be utterly extinguished along with the innumerable stars. Their tears stream down out of sorrow, out of joy, because both will eventually scatter into the cold, dark endless void. Every tiny yet beautiful silhouette and every moment worth remembering will fade with time, even stars. And then there are these so-called "gods" that are determined to save everything worth saving, and devour everything that should be devoured. Until the end of time, until the sea of stars recess into nothing but dying embers, until a newborn "world" moves for the first time in the stomach of the whale. "There will be no more sins, no more sadness, and no more tears, because everything died with the ancient stars."

Also a Memokeeper can be zipped into a memory bubble. Does it remind you of something?

And let's not forget March (she follows path of Remembrance too) who is a human-shaped primogem.

And then we have a description of primogems:

A primordial crystalline gem that's beyond the mundane world. Shines with the condensed hopes and dreams of universes that once were.

I REST MY CASE

Teyvat is a bubble universe made from someone's memories. The primordial sea is important because it's the stuff that dreams (and memories) are made of.

[schizoid-culture-is]

For me, my BPD bestie has been in DBT for so long that they have a very strong handle on their feelings, so they can explain them to me in detail. Which is nice because I wouldn't understand them otherwise. They're so open that I don't have trust issues with them (in the sense that they don't secretly not like me, even if I don't see them as a part of a "support system" or whatever) because if they don't like something, or they want something, they will just say that. So I know they're not faking being accepting of me because they have consistently shown that they do not do that for anyone, and they certainly don't need me. I hate being needed so that's pretty neat. They also do not have opinions on how I should feel or behave, I can talk about faking most of my emotions and they are intrigued and not upset. Though I do believe I have high "cognitive empathy" so I can be supportive in my own way.

They are interesting, we can talk all day and not get bored. Communication with them flows naturally and barely takes up energy most days. In fact our conversations are rarely boring, but they can also pick up my cues when I don't want to talk without me having to say it. Also I met them because we lived together for years, and we just instantly clicked. If I was not in forced proximity it would not have happened, as it was it took years for me to realize we had a real connection (I felt it once, while we were talking. I treasure that moment because it made me realize I do have feelings, just hidden. If I could feel that about them all the time? It would be transcendental). They have healed a bit of my pain-- I don't feel so unworthy and unlovable anymore. But it's kind of like that got replaced with apathy. I don't care about being loved or making friends anymore because I know it wouldn't be fulfilling, not because I believe that it's cruel to subject someone to my presence. And I feel comfortable in my relationship with them because I don't expect them to do anything for me, but I try to be the person I would want someone to be for me. It's like living through them, I might not be able to feel this but I can imagine that having someone who is in their corner no matter what probably feels nice. Also it's nice to have someone to devote myself to in absence of any real interests.

ooo thank you for your input!! It seems like for a lot of pwSzPD, pwBPD tend to get along really well with us.

[ellekhen]

When Your Mind's Made Up

Chapter 11 - The Cage

Chapter Summary: Astarion joins Church, Wyll, and Karlach in rescuing the prisoners from the collapsing Iron Throne. Wyll confronts him along the way, and Church and Astarion find themselves backed into a corner.

Pairing: Ascended Astarion x Original Male Character/Illithid Tav Rating: Explicit Progress: 35K+ words; Chapters 11/18

Excerpt below:

“Don’t tell me you’re jealous, little warlock,” Astarion titters derisively. “Whatever will we tell Mizora about her naughty pup?”

“Not jealousy, no. I only feel pity,” Wyll says quietly. “Yours is the unholiest union I have ever seen.”

“I don’t recall asking for your opinion in the matter,” Astarion replies icily. 

“You had the most precious thing,” Wyll presses on. “A pure love—”

“Well, if you thought anything about us was pure then you clearly need your ears checked, little warlock…”

“—he loved you. Trusted you. He was ready to do anything for you and he did out of hope it would save you from being a slave to your nature,” Wyll continues. “And then in turn, you made him your slave. You took his life for your own selfish desires. You’ve intended to take his power. You’ve despoiled his freedom—!”

“You act as though Church was some naive child I bewitched,” Astarion cuts in coldly. “Give our sweet friend some credit. He made his choice, and he chose right. He chose me.”

He flashes Wyll a sharp, cheerless grin. 

“What is freedom in the face of love, little warlock?” he asks pointedly. “You should know — after all, you willingly damned yourself to eternal servitude for an old man who reviled you and cast you out of your home.” He hums thoughtfully. “Even if we do liberate him from this Iron Throne, who’s to say he won’t just keel over from a heart attack on the morrow?”

Wyll blanches. 

“You have no right—!”

“And neither do you, pup,” Astarion says icily. “Do not worry. I am no Mizora, and when it comes to Church, he is no tool of mine. He is my treasure, and I will only want what’s best for him for the rest of time.”

“Is that what Cazador said to you, when you awoke as a spawn?”

Astarion closes his eyes — imagining Wyll’s horned head on a spit. He will not lose his temper in earshot of Church. He will not show his weakness again…

“I am not… him,” he says coldly. “And I am not you. Unlike you, I saw my chance at freedom and took it. 

“But I promise you this… as soon as I see Church’s chance at freedom, I will take it as well. I will give him the life he has always wanted,” Astarion smiles dreamily at the back of the tiefling’s head far ahead of them. “A home to build. A family to protect. An unwavering love and hand to hold. An eternity of bliss. I will do anything to see him happy.”

He casts his eyes disdainfully upon the warlock’s troubled face. “And you dare call that selfish?”

Wyll sighs deeply. 

“I do believe you care for him,” he admits. “I believe you think you have his best interests at heart. 

“But I don’t believe you truly care about what he wants. I don’t believe you think of him like a real person — just a doll for you to manipulate and cast aside. I don’t believe you even have the capacity to imagine the worlds within him, like you did before.”

Astarion laughs loudly enough for Karlach to shoot a heated glower over her shoulder. 

“And that is where you are wrong, little warlock,” Astarion says easily. “He is my world. Even with all the infinite possibilities of my power, he shall remain the one true constant that I have carried forth from my past life. And all you mortals and your petty troubles and fleeting lives are just so small in the face of his shadow.

“No, my friend,” he continues in a sneer. “He is far more real to me than anything else can be, or will be, for the rest of time.”

Read from the beginning!

[just-plenty-of-prompts]

Hello idk if you do asks but could you do some dialouge prompts for childhood friend to enemies to lovers that are also pirates? Sorry this is so specific I need inspiration for the story I am writing

"I can't believe we used to be friends, and now we're competing against each other as pirate captains. How did things get so complicated?"

"I never thought I'd see you again after you stole my treasure map, but here we are, working together on the same crew."

"You were always the mischievous one, but I never thought you'd turn into such a ruthless pirate. What happened to you?"

"I still remember the days when we used to play pirates in your backyard. Who would've thought we'd end up doing it for real?"

"I always knew you were trouble, but I never thought you'd betray me and steal my ship. How could you do that to someone you used to call a friend?"

"I never thought I'd have to fight you in a sword duel, but here we are. Are you ready to face me, old friend?"

"We used to dream about finding buried treasure together. Now we're both pirates, but we're searching for different things."

"I thought I knew you inside and out, but I never would have guessed that you were a pirate. How did you get involved in this life?"

"We were such good friends when we were kids, but now we're enemies on opposite sides of a naval battle. It breaks my heart."

"I always admired your courage and spirit, but I never thought it would lead you down a path of piracy. Are you proud of what you've become?"

"I never thought I'd have to worry about you stealing my gold, but now I can't even trust my own crew. How did we end up like this?"

"I remember when we used to pretend we were pirates, but now we're the real deal. Who would've thought we'd be so good at it?"

"We used to be the best of friends, but now we're sworn enemies. It's like we're living in a different world."

"I can't believe you're the one who betrayed me and turned me over to the authorities. How could you do that to someone you used to call a friend?"

"We used to be partners in crime, but now we're on opposite sides of the law. I miss the good old days."

"I never thought I'd see the day when we'd be fighting each other for control of the seas. It's like a nightmare come true."

"We used to talk about sailing the seven seas together, but now we're competing for the same treasure. It's like a cruel joke."

"I can't believe I used to trust you with my life, but now I can't even trust you with a simple task. What happened to our friendship?"

"We used to share everything, but now we're enemies fighting for survival. It's like we're living in a different world."

"I always knew you had a bit of a wild streak, but I never imagined you'd become a pirate. What made you choose this life over our old friendship?"

and a bit of banter.

"You know, they say pirates have no sense of loyalty, but I never thought you'd betray me like this." -- "Ah, but my dear, it's not betrayal if we were never really friends to begin with."

"I never thought I'd fall for someone who's tried to kill me more times than I can count." -- "Well, I guess I've always been a bit of a challenge for you."

"You can steal my treasure, you can sink my ship, but you can never take away the way I feel about you." -- "Are you sure? Because I could certainly try."

"I can't believe I'm falling for a pirate. What would my mother say?" -- "Probably something along the lines of 'I told you so.'"

"You know, for someone who's always causing trouble, you sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet." -- "Well, I figure it's the least I can do after all the trouble I've caused you."

"I don't know what it is about you, but even when you're pointing a sword at my throat, I can't help but find you attractive." -- "That's just the pirate charm, my dear. We're irresistible."

"I always thought love was for landlubbers, but you've proven me wrong." -- "I'm glad to hear it. Maybe there's hope for us pirates yet."

"I never thought I'd be attracted to someone who's made it their life's work to steal from others." -- "Well, we pirates have to make a living somehow. At least I'm honest about it."

"You know, for someone who's always trying to kill me, you're not so bad." -- "I'll take that as a compliment. You're not so bad yourself, considering you're a bounty hunter."

"I never thought I'd find myself falling for someone who's as stubborn and pig-headed as you." -- "Hey now, I prefer to think of myself as strong-willed and determined. But if that's what it takes to win your heart, I'll take it."

sorry I've been missing for forever. I'm going to answer all theasks then get back to a nice schedule for posting.

[bearbluebooks]

Chapter 7 - Je Te Lasserai Des Mots

Gwyn goes on a mission for her Helmerra familiar, the sarcan, and finds a different companion along the way. Or does he find her? Stubborness, paradise, vulnerability and ... a bird?

Read on AO3 or under the cut :)

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6

This chapter is partly based on the most famous Gwynriel commission of all time by smahesh.bookish @freyjas-musings! Check her page out, it's a treasure trove of beautiful art.

You can find the piece I am talking about on her page: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm4Jcwuqy9O/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

A link exists between magic and the world we inhabit. This channel is provided by sarcans. Without them there is no focus, no tie connecting us with the magical forces that surround us.

Sarcans can be found at the beginning of each students’ career. Sarcans are enigmatic creatures and no guidelines could possibly prepare you for this crucial part of your studies.

Most important to note: whatever you do, sarcans find you, you do not find them.

Students who don’t connect with their sarcan by the end of the second school year, are strongly advised to leave Helmerra.

Helmerra Handbook, section 224, paragraph 13

Gwyn POV

Lightning split the air in two, as white flashes shortly illuminated her surroundings. The forest surrounding Helmerra was beautiful this time of year. The changing leaves fell in the moonlight air, covering the ground she walked on. The vibrant green that signaled the vibrancy of spring, slowly made way for fall, as the leaves transformed to a dark auburn. The crackling noise of the dry leaves eased Gwyn’s mind, until remembered its opposite effect on predators. She slowed her steps to a whisper in the wind, as she clutched the dagger in her hand a little bit tighter.

As soon as evening prayer ended, Gwyn moved to her dorm where she had prepared a survival bag. She gathered everything she could possibly need to endure a week in the woods. Enough food to nourish even Cassian, a bottle of water to gather water from the rivers she marked on a map, notes on a survival book she had read in preparation, a blanket, and… a book -Smut Sisters stopped for no one. Not even a crisis.

Self-defense was an important part of her survival bag. She read about all the dangerous animals lurking behind the shadows of safety. Luckily Gwyn was nothing if not prepared. The dagger she temporarily borrowed from the secret rooftop training would provide safety. Even if only imagined. She had never participated in a fight before- not a real one anyway. It didn’t count if the other person cared if you survived or not. Gwyn had a feeling the beasts in the woods would see food rather than friendship in her teal eyes. She had trained meticulously, and the dagger was her talent- as Cassian affirmed- she just preferred it not be a vote of confidence and rather an unmistakable fact.

She really wished she packed a friend, too. She underestimated the heaviness of her mind, which seemed to weigh more than her overpacked bag.

Even though the solitude of the woods was tough, there was a peace she couldn’t find inside the school walls. She preferred the scrutiny of savage survival over the malicious pleasure she often felt at Helmerra. It was as if students and teachers constantly looked at her like a mystery whose solution lingered one rumor away.

In the woods, she felt like she could finally inhale. It was empty of prejudice and dust, and full of possibility, freedom, and chilliness. Gwyn loved it. Her problems felt miniscule compared to the grandness of the trees. As if the forest obscured her individuality. Like she could blend into the collectiveness of the world if she just looked up.

Problems of the natural world still affected her, as heat remained absent in the coldness of the night. The outer walls of Helmerra left her sight four hours ago when she entered the outer tree line into a world unknown.

Gwyn had never left Sangravah before arriving at Helmerra. That first step away was filled with lead. As if her body recoiled out of habit. Then she remembered overhearing the other students:

“Did you hear about that village that was attacked?”

“Again? Why wasn’t it in the papers?”

“My dad said prime-minister Oak wants to keep it a secret to not worry people.”

“Fuck that, people are already worried.”

“Did you hear they slaughtered ten children this time, what’s to stop them from coming here.”

“Shhh. Isn’t that the girl from that village that was attacked?”

She shivered at the memory. Or was it the cold that was finally affecting her?

Gwyn tried to summon fire, in hopes of providing some guidance in the darkness, or, even better, heat. She severely underestimated the drastic change in temperature with fall approaching.

Due to the nearness of the sea, Sangravah remained at a constant temperature all year-round. Clothes knew as many seasons as she did: one.

There were benefits to Helmerra’s climate. Leaves started changing color. The air turned crisp. Helmerra in fall was truly a sight to see. Gwyn had to admit that what was magnificent inside, could be disastrous outside. She felt the coldness on every inch not shielded by clothes. Luckily, most of her body was covered by her training leathers, consisting of black leather pants and a jacket, paired with black sturdy boots. She wore her pale blue priestess robes for extra insulation.

Fire was necessary to survive the coldness of the night. Not to mention to keep the predators at bay. What made matters even worse, she had nowhere to sleep tonight, she thought she could perhaps sleep in a tree, or in an abandoned cave.

Some crackling embers escaped her hands, catching on the leaves giving Gwyn hope, only to quickly extinguish, and smothering her hope with it.

One-two-three-four BOOM. That was very close. Gwyn thought. She should hurry up and find some shelter. 

“Going for a nice late night stroll? A deep voice said behind her shoulder. “The wolves prefer this time too.”

Gwyn turned around, she knew who the captivating voice belonged to, but her eyes needed confirmation for what her heart already knew.

The shadowsinger found her. He was wearing his Illyrian fighting leathers and all of his kobalt blue siphons.

“What are you doing here alone Gwyneth?” Azriel said with his hands crossed over his chest. Moving in front of her, with strong disapproving eyes.

“What are you doing here, Azriel? Last time I checked it was a school not a prison. I can leave whenever I please.” Gwyn said, mirroring Azriel’s stance.

“You’re strongly advised not to. So I’ll ask again, what are you doing here, Gwyn?”

There was a silence. Gwyn contemplated telling the possibly distressing truth and risking him to stay, or telling a reassuring lie and continuing her solitary mission. Nobody else needed to get into trouble.

“I heard some other students talking about another village that was attacked.” She decided to tell the truth. Was it so bad if Azriel stayed?

“I thought if I had my sarcan I would have my powers and then I could actually help.” She silently added “then no more children need to die.”

“Okay. But why is no teacher accompanying you?”

“You know sarcans are supposed to find you.” He replied. Looking slightly less accusatory

“They were grading exams and… I can’t let another village get attacked, Azriel, I can’t let more people die.” She said with what looked like a mixture of defeat and defiance.

Azriel moved closer when he said, “I can accompany you.”

Gwyn stayed put, hands slowly returning by her side, “I don’t want to be the reason you miss your lessons.”  Azriel laughed as he said, “I could teach those lessons.”

Gwyn didn’t think he was lying, she still scoffed, especially when he said- “and I have a suspicion you will teach me a lot.” he said with a wink.

Gwyn blushed, but she still wondered: how did he find her? She had been walking for over five hours. She was so careful and she told nobody, not even Nesta or Emerie. She made sure to participate in her daily routine, to not arouse suspicion by missing class or prayer. She even did all her tasks for Merill, when she would have paid to miss those. It was as if she became more demanding and less kind as the days went on.

She was happy Azriel wanted to accompany her. It couldn’t hurt to have an extra set of eyes. And muscles. And beautiful eyes. And big hands- okay Gwyneth.

Still, curiosity won over distraction.

“What are you doing here, really? Were you following me?” she finally asked.

“I told you that you have fans.” He said with a glimmer in his eyes.

“Is that al it is?” she dared to ask. Azriel always relied on the cover of his shadows in more ways than one.

“They told me you were here, and I wanted to keep you safe.” He said with his eyes slightly downturned.

“I can keep myself safe.”

“I have a knife, look”- she said, as she waved the knife in front of him,

“I can see that, Gwyneth.” There was that glimmer in his eyes again.

“And how did you acquire that knife?” “I’m temporarily borrowing it.” She said turning around, away from the judgment.

“Borrowing, you say? I’ll tell Cassian that when he wonders where is favorite dagger is.”

Oh Mother, did she really steal- temporarily borrow-  Cassian’s dagger? He would punish her in the ring, or betray her to Nesta, even though she was fairly sure Nesta would side with her on this.

Did she want to know the answer?

It’s always better to know: “really?”

He remained silent.

Then he smiled, and it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. As if light shone through a sea of darkness.

He was kidding. The shadowsinger had jokes.

“Okay shadowsinger. I hope you brought your own dagger and snacks!” She said whilst turning around with a smile.

----------------------------

Azriel POV

He didn’t lie about his shadows telling him about her sneaking off. What he did omit was that he had been following her around since she left Helmerra. He knew how important independence was to her, and he didn’t want to impose. But it had been five hours of mindlessly walking around. His shadows informed him of five beasts in the vicinity, it was getting dark, and she still had not figured out shelter. Azriel couldn’t take it anymore. So he decided to step out of the shadows.

If she didn’t say yes, he would have kept following her.

What was she doing out here in the woods in the middle of the night anyway? He knew why she was doing it, but why was she doing it alone? Surely she knew which dangerous creatures lurked in these woods.

When she told him about the students, he wanted to cut out their tongues. Gwyn didn’t need to be reminded of the continued violence by those Sun bastards. There were people working on it. She did not need to worry about it.

At least he was here now. She allowed him to stay.

And he knew just where to go.

“I know a place not too far from here.”

“Are you up for flying?” He asked, already knowing the answer. Gwyn loved flying, she said as much last time he held her in his arms.

With pure joy in her beautiful teal eyes, she said “Always!”

He had to calm his heart, which was beating so fast it seemed as if it wanted to leap out of his chest straight to Gwyneth’s.

“Gwyneth?”

“Yes, shadowsinger?”

Would it ever get old? His title out of her mouth. Never, he knew the answer in his heart.

“Why do you like flying?”

It was silent for a little bit. As if she wanted to be sure the next words out of her mouth were right.

“When I was a child, there was this flock of birds that would visit this specific part of the mountains in my home village.”

“Every summer they would stay for a month, before they went to the next village.”

“Kynthia’s, that’s what their species is called. You can recognize them by their grey wings and black beaks. Their wings seemed so little in comparison to their big bodies.”

“Even though their mouths were different, I knew how they could eat, but, I would never be able to know what it would feel to carry yourself on the wind. To have that freedom, of not being bound to the earth with every step you take. To leap off the earth, into a different world. To trust the wind to carry you.

“To feel heavy and light all at once.”

“I knew magic was real before Helmerra, because I saw those birds fly Azriel.” She smiled at the memory. Then a tear rolled down her face, as if she remembered everything else too.

All Azriel could think to say was a heartfelt “Thank you” and a vow to make this night as magical as the existence of that bird.

----------------------------

Azriel found the secluded spot two winters ago. He needed some space from Elain after a particular pointless fight and Helmerra always seemed too small on such days. As he flew over the forest surrounding the school, he noticed a sudden change in temperature. The air in the forest maintained a steady chilliness throughout winter yet this spot radiated a warmth distinctly different.

Fuck it, he thought as he descended into the densely packed forest with lightning speed.

As he cascaded through the canopy of trees, he stumbled into a different world entirely. The clearing was small of space, yet significant in atmosphere.

If spring had a smell, this place was it. Every empty space was decorated with pink flowers. Giving off a distinct soft floral aroma.

The pool of water in the center of the clearing seemed to absorb the midnight sky. The pond was filled with illuminated water lilies, finalizing the nights sky. As if enchanted by a gravitational pull from the water, a thick branch grew directly over the small lake.

The branch offered the perfect place to absorb the magic of the clearing. It was the perfect spot to spend the night.

“I call this the Wandering Forest.” Azriel said slightly worried she wouldn’t like it, as he softly landed next to the tree.

“I love it.” Gwyn said softly.

He delayed putting Gwyn down for as long as possible. She didn’t seem to mind.

A rustling sound released them from their spell, and Azriel put both her and her bag down.

“We should get changed and get some sleep. I will prepare some food” he quickly offered. “Okay” Gwyn answered with a smile as she moved towards the cover of a tree.

Azriel was no stranger to packing in a hurry. He would go as far as to call himself quite the expert after countless missions assembled at barely a moment’s notice. He knew what to pack, and more importantly what to absolutely not pack. Rhys still struggled with it sometimes, by claiming that extra pair of pants was absolutely necessary.

“You packed that to sleep outside in?” it sounded as if he was complaining. But he thanked the Cauldron for the nightgown Gwyn packed. It was a delicate long white gown, that reached down to her feet. She wore slippers with thin black straps that tied around her toes. Bands of fabric clung around her upper arm, with fabric streaming down like a river. Her were shoulders remained uncovered and teased pale skin with hundreds of tiny freckles.

She looked ethereal. Like she was exactly where she belonged. In paradise.

“Don’t judge me, Shadowsinger. Some people wear other things than black and leather. You should try it sometime.”

He smirked. “I’ll help you pack next time. Maybe I’ll throw in some of that black leather you like so much.”

She rolled her eyes and smiled, as she walked towards the tree branch to sit at the far end of the branch.

The illuminated water lilies reflected in her eyes and made for the most extraordinary sight.

He was entranced. And almost forgot to give her the dinner he prepared: Blueberry and Mushroom Surprise. His specialty.

He walked after her, taking the space on her opposite side, as he leaned his wings back against the tree. They ate in companiable silence.

She admired the scenery, and so did he. His appreciation included less nature and more of a copper haired female.

As they finished eating, something rustled in the trees again. He took up his fighting stance, leaving the comfort of the tree to guard Gwyn from the impending danger.

He never encountered a beast in his paradise, but composure not bewilderment helped him survive this long.

Suddenly he heard a laugh.

“It was just a bird Azriel. Look!”

As he turned back towards Gwyn, he saw a bird with dark grey wings and a black beak. Was that a…

“A Kynthia” she whispered, finishing his thought.

A white light emanated from her body, in perfect harmony with the luminescent white lilies. As if her happiness could no longer be contained in her body, and escaped into the world through pure light.

As he quietly returned to his spot on the tree, he never broke eye contact with Gwyn. He didn’t think she could get any more exquisite, until he reveled in the quiet peace they created in their togetherness. It was unlike anything he ever felt before. Like his soul could finally breathe. As if a golden thread bonded them together, calling them both home.

----------------------------

Gwyn POV

She didn’t know anything about him. If she was going to spend so much time with him, she should know more about him.

It was also bothering her that she felt instantly safe in his presence and she had nothing to base it on. After what happened in Sangravrah she didn’t know what to do anymore, what to expect. Was she safer with him, or without him?

What if her body was betraying her? Then she would still have her mind, she concluded.

“Tell me something I don’t know, Shadowsinger.”

Silence answered her first. Then he continued, as if he made his choice which information to divulge.

“That flower is called a Grim Poppy. It looks alluring, but it will kill you if you come too close. Like me.”

That annoyed her. Because it was funny, and not what she asked.

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Okay Gwyneth. What would you like to know?” He said as if very pleased with himself.

Why did she have to like that smug face so much?

“Why do you always wear gloves?”

She really wanted to see his hands.

His grin turned sorrowful.

Oh no, what did she do? “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to!”

“I used to look at birds the same way you did.” Gwyn wondered how that was possible, weren’t Illyrians born with their wings?

“I am the bastard son of an Illyrian lord. He kept in a cell until I was eleven.

“Illyrians instincts force you to fly, but I couldn’t. On bad days the only thing that helped me was singing. It would get me out of my head. Then the urge to fly came back. But so did my shadows. They were the only ones who answered in the dark.

I have two half-brothers. One day they wondered how much damage they could do despite my healing abilities.”

“They set my hands on fire.”

“I hate the constant reminder of that part of my life Gwyn.”

“I hate how people look at me with pity.” He said without making eye contact. To not see which emotion his story evoked in her “with disgust” he added. His eyes sank to the lake. Perhaps, hoping it would hold the reassurance he wasn’t sure she would give him.

Her heart broke in two. For the child who was so lonely shadows became his companion. For the adult who still bore the scars. For the male who sat in front of her, head bowed in silent sadness, bearing his soul, and awaiting new hurt.

She slowly made her way towards the other end of the tree. She paused in front of him. Situating herself in between his legs, which were now on either side of the branch. She pulled his hands in hers.

“Is this okay?” she asked, as she slowly pulled one glove off his hand. He slowly nodded.

She took both hands in hers, making sure to keep constant eye contact- examining every emotion written in them. She saw fear and hesitation overpowering his hazel eyes. As if at any moment, he would retrieve his hands to break the sudden vulnerability.

His hands weren’t used to the observance, and neither was his heart. She vowed to never make him feel unwanted again. Not his hands, nor his heart.

So she kissed his scars. One by one. He startled at the sudden contact. As if he expected her to recoil at the sight, never mind touching them with her mouth. As if disdain was less strange than affection.

But every scar she could put her mouth on, she kissed. Her eyes never leaving his.

Something seemed to change in him. As if every kiss of affection gave him more trust. More acceptance. Of her. Of himself. Cauldron she really hoped so.

“I’m so sorry Azriel” -she said as she placed another kiss on his scars. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

A tear ran down his cheek. As if something in him unloosened. Exiting his body with the single tear. He took a deep breath, and asked: “tell me something I don’t know, Gwyneth.”

----------------------------

The next morning, Gwyn awoke strangely refreshed. The night was magical and definitely not what she expected. She was fully prepared for a humid cave, even though her clothes weren’t.

Azriel brought her to the most magnificent place she had only read about in fairytales, where he finally showed her his hands. The ones he kept hidden from judgement, vulnerability and pain underneath those black gloves. She vowed from that moment on to make it undeniable how much she cherished those hands. To her they were a sign of survival. Of strength.

She understood what it meant to have scars. He may wear his past on his body, but not every scar was visible to the naked eye. Cauldron did she know. She also knew what it meant to want to escape your past because the hurt and shame was still connected to the present. Through reflectionism she learned that shame belonged to the person who inflicted the damage, not the one who endured it, she would make Azriel see that too. With time. And lots of small kisses.

They talked until she became so tired her eyes had trouble staying open. Let’s get you to bed, Azriel kindly urged

Azriel gathered leaves into a bed-shaped pile, he put his cloak over it to act as a shield against the cold earth. Gwyn used her blanket for added warmth, Azriel claimed he didn’t need it because of the fire he successfully created, but Gwyn suspected he wanted to make sure she felt a respectful distance.

When she woke up, Azriel was already gone. “Azriel? Shadowsinger?

Did he leave her already?

Maybe he was gathering some water?

She could use some. Her throat was always so dry when she woke up.

As she made her way towards the pond, she quickly halted.

There he was… in the water… completely naked, safe for that little scrap of clothes barely covering his manhood.

Mother, were all of them that big?

Was Nesta right about the wingspan? She didn’t really have anything to compare it to. But she was sure that was not normal. Just like his body was obscene, his muscles were as big as the tightness of his shirts hinted at. No male had the right to look that good.

He suddenly turned towards her.

And the world stopped as they stared at each other.

Neither of them made the first move. Both enduring the powerful culmination of electricity in the air. Until suddenly the Kynthia, patron bird of breaking tension, showed up. Both eyes turned towards the white bird, until they quickly found each other again. Gwyn swiftly turned away, rushing back towards camp, leaving the magnetism behind.

Her dry throat could wait.

Azriel returned moments later, washed and dressed. “Let’s go to Southtide, it’s were a lot of students find their sarcan. All first-years have a school trip there at the end of the year.”

“Better late than never I guess” she said whilst still not daring eye contact.

Would courage ever find her again? Or did she leave it behind in the pond of delusion and devotion?

The next days would hold the answer, she thought, as they packed up camp to leave their paradise, into the land of mystery.