#WOO CROWN KEEPERS!!!!!!

[drawsmaddy]

[ID: A digital page of doodles of Orym, Dorian Storm, and Opal from Critical Role. In the top left corner Orym is crying while speaking into his sending stone, saying "I'm - struggling. Sorry. Can you get here? Fuck, I miss you." To the right is Orym facing to the left with his eyes closed, looking distressed. In the top right corner is Opal with Lolth's circlet on her head and her eyes completely black, facing three quarters to the left. Below that drawing of Opal is a similar one but she is facing fully forward. In the bottom left corner are three drawings of Dorian. The largest is the only coloured drawing on the page, Dorian is smiling and an arrow is pointing to him is labelled "on his way to be gay with Orym if Opal doesn't kill him first". The two smaller drawings of Dorian show him facing with to the left with a neutral expression and him playing a note "doot" on his flute as he faces three quarters to the right but looks to the left. End description.]

Episode 92 doodles of Orym, Dorian, and Opal: Sad Times, Doot, Oh No!

[theluckywizard]

WIP Whenever!

Thank you for the tag @greypetrel! Here's another bit of my matchmaking Satinalia distraction fic which I have now named (woo!) Kiss me Moonstruck. Rose Trevelyan has sneaked out of her guest quarters at the Hawke estate and is heading with Hawke to the Hanged Man in Lowtown and this relatively sheltered noblewoman is just 👀👀👀 over everything. ****

Rose isn’t exactly sure what she should have expected. A bid for freedom is about as far as she got with her calculus. It was senseless, she had to admit, having been admonished by Garrett Hawke’s pitying snicker when she announced she was going to wander around Kirkwall at night.

But following alongside him, she feels safe enough to gawk at everything with wild curiosity. Unlike the stillness of Hightown, Lowtown teems with activity after dark. She tries to tease the early Satinalia skullduggery from the usual bustle, but it’s impossible. Aromas of roasted nuts and sizzling sausages drift through the falling snow from purveyors jammed up along row homes carved from tuff.  Obvious prostitutes with theatrically painted faces have staked out spots along the small market square with closed up stalls, flaunting their wares with bumps of their hips and perfectly timed lifts of their skirts. They holler their come ons at Rose, offering to make her sing louder than Serah Hawke ever could. Their familiarity with him is both jarring and somehow completely unsurprising. Hawke waves their taunts off.

“My uncle’s house is just around the corner,” he notes. “I got to know my neighbors quite well.”

“There’s a joke there that I’ll keep to myself,” she says wryly. Garrett shakes his head with a smile.

“They don’t like me,” he explains. “I had a few dust ups with their keepers that made things more difficult for them. I was— trying to help— and somehow I made things worse.”

“Trying to be their white knight or something?”

“Or something.”

An urchin child runs parallel to them with an armful of laurel and elfroot crowns for Satinalia, soliciting their attention with compliments and colorful descriptions of whatever they have on offer. She has to admire her tenacity, her expression animated behind streaks of dirt. So much life hidden under raggy, threadbare layers that must barely keep her warm. Hawke leans low to whisper in Rose’s ear.

“Watch your back and watch your purse,” he says softly. She peers over her shoulder to see them being tailed by a few other pint sized denizens waiting for their moment. The would-be offenders try to look casual, but Rose winks at them to warn them off. 

“I’ll have one for me and one for the lady,” says Hawke, magnanimous in his address, holding up a shiny stack of coppers. “And if you tell your friends behind us to piss off, I’ll take the lot.”

The girl’s sudden excitement pops out in a little hop and she slips her armful of crowns onto Hawke’s arm before turning to the bunch tailing them and unleashing a torrent of curses, scrappy and colorful as a quilt.

“Isn’t that a bit much?” Rose asks, eyeing his evergreen adorned forearm.

“They can’t go home until they sell it all. Besides,” he says, tossing and catching a crown of greenery. “I can hand them out at the tavern.” He pops a crown onto her snowflake dusted hair, so fully accepting of her transformation and presence on this illicit mission to make merry, to thumb her nose at her mother’s expectations and edicts that her answering look is rather slushy with appreciation. She smiles up at him, warmed by the compassion tucked inside his savvy though he turns sharply to shoo away the pickpockets that hover a little too closely with a pretend kick.

Tagging @crackinglamb, @delicatefade, @zenstrike, @rowanisawriter, @bluewren and ANYONE ELSE. I want to see your projects (DA or no!) 🥰

[lnbeep-art]

Tales of Reincarnation; the Myth of Undying Revelry.

TW: for blood!

Full Tale can be found below.

… … … …

A long time ago, there was once a human king named Oxford. He ruled through force, hungry for power—expansion, stability. A king not through birth, but from merit and reputation. To some, he was a warlord. A hero. To others, he was no different from a tyrant, a sham preaching “just rule” behind the face of a dictator.

But none could deny Oxford’s physical prowess, doing well to maintain his moniker as the Warlord. On the battlefield, he was as savage as he was dignified. He could lead three men against a losing tide and somehow inspire hundreds of despondent soldiers to fight once again. He was brutal. He was confidence embodied.

Oxford’s way of rule came with a cost, however; as a warrior who gained the throne of his nation not by birthright, but through sheer force of will, it also invited others to try to accomplishment the feat he had—by making plans to take his life. Warriors from all walks of life turned their eyes to the crown, hungry to best the king who had proclaimed that if he should lose his life while ruling the nation, he had been neither strong nor worthy to hold the crown in the first place. And yet even in close attempts, no one had succeeded in killing Oxford.

Oxford himself, however, was mortal; his power only extended as far as his mortal weapons could. And true to his name, he was stubborn to find a weapon worthy of his rule. A weapon to embolden his endurance and vitality.

The Soulsforged Axe.

An axe once possessed by the Life God’s champion. The weapon was said to hold the souls of fallen comrades, which would lead its wielder to great victory so long as they fought for their people. A true weapon of heroes. But where was the Soulsforged Axe?

After the Division, the weapon had been lost to time. Some said it was buried with its champion; others said it had been locked away by the Life God themselves. But it was agreed by all that no one readily knew of its whereabouts, or the crypt that held the resting champion. The champion had disappeared over a century prior, and any information about their supposed resting place was kept close to the chest.

Yet such unknowns would not prevent Oxford from finding the weapon. By all accounts, the weapon could prove better in his hands, or his generation’s hands, than another.

So Oxford sought the Soulsforged Axe; he hired esteemed researches, lore keepers—even attempted to find mortals whose lives predated his own, who would have been able to detail the events of the Division because they had been there to see it. Each trail Oxford found led him to dead ends. He couldn’t afford to waste time. Not with talk of a new war brewing against his newfound lands. The smell of an insurrection within his city walls was ripe. Time was ticking.

But in his journey, on one of his “wrong” turns, Oxford found not the Soulsforged Axe, but love. He’d stumbled directly into divine fertile soil—or, by another name, Shiki, Goddess of Fertility.

Smitten by just a mere glimpse of her divine beauty, Oxford did everything in his power to speak with her. The goddess—like others of her similar divine thread (Mother Nature and the Goddess of Love, to name a few)—was not known to be easy to woo. She took many lovers, and never played favorites. And yet Oxford, like his namesake, was persistent. Quest for the axe momentarily forgotten, he wished nothing more than to know Shiki better. To hope to become not a blip in existence, but a lifetime.

I want to be someone important to you, Oxford said to her with gifts in hand, and I will become it.

Shiki kept her reasons for adoring Oxford close to her chest, but their love for each other was—in fact—mutual. Oxford had not once asked for her power to aid them, but Shiki had bestowed it upon him in spite. She told Oxford that war may have been unkind to mortal lives, but with her and by Oxford’s hands, she would ensure that there would be more life and happiness for the future. After all, when soldiers did return in the end to their families, the rekindling of bonds brought with it new life.

Eventually, Oxford pressed on, now accompanied by the presence of Shiki idly observing from the beyond.

Unlike other gods, who always expected some form of recoup from their blessings and boons, Shiki’s favor was unconditional. Oxford’s love—foolish though it was for a mortal to love a god—was strong. When he could not request the goddess’ hand on account of his mortality, he instead vowed his life to her until his dying breath. Marriage was mortal; a vow was eternity.

Afterward, in an empty crypt deep in the caverns—teetering on the edges of the nine hells— Oxford found the Soulsforged Axe. He and the enchanted axe then became one. And his first order of business, once he returned to his home, was to cleave the leader of the insurrection cleanly in half.

With the Soulsforged Axe, Oxford’s battle smarts reached their peak. Powered by the souls of fallen comrades—for heroes to carry out their fighting spirit—the axe channeled Oxford’s rage for the men lost. The more he carried with him, the deeper in-sync he was with his axe. Battles which Oxford brought an end to singlehandedly were rewarded with prosperity for a few years, before another discrepancy would begin anew.

In his conquest to merge new lands with his own nation, usurping rule from other leaders and earning himself another nickname as the “Tyrant Killer,” his time on the earth came to its end. The battle was won, but at the cost of his life. The children he had fathered were too young to take the throne and by the law of divines, demigods could not rule over material planes. So Oxford’s second-in-command, so long as they remained strong, would take the throne in Oxford’s absence. The axe, because it was tied to Oxford’s life, was unable to give the same benefits to another wielder and would be buried with him. His second-in-command swore that promise.

As Oxford lay dying, while floating along the spectral canal of purgatory, thinking of Shiki, he instead felt the axe’s handle burn in his palm.

Heroes are made, and they can be born again, an echoing voice said. Great Heroes do not die.

And Oxford was reborn at least a century later, as those who were bound to the Soulsforged Axe were doomed to reincarnate every hundred or so years. The cause of death did not matter so much as the fact it happened. So he died, and was reborn. Again, and again.

In each life, Oxford would have no memory of who he was, how he died, or why he felt compelled to seek out the axe from his dreams. At times he was born as the son of a king, or a mercenary—other times, he was born in the lap of luxury or the humble beginnings of a podunk farmer. Sometimes he lived a great life, or a quiet retirement, but he was always a great warrior in some regard.

Untethered to any god, Oxford was a perfect target to receive blessings without formal pacts like warlocks and paladins may have sought. One century he may have received the blessings of the Thunder Titan or the Pig God of War. Other centuries, he may have caught the eye of the Reaper themselves. These blessings always came with trials and tribulations, but they were awarded to Oxford—never requested by him.

Yet one thing always remained consistent through his multiple lives: even through marriage, loss, grief, and tragedy, he always crossed paths with Shiki. It may have been early in his adult life, or at the end of his days, but she was always there to see him again. A love that truly ascended logic, tied by no other than Fate’s hands.

And Shiki patiently awaited, each century, for her mortal-chosen love to cross into her essence again. A lifetime to a mortal was but a mere breath to a goddess, and thus, her love for Oxford would never waver. An enduring unity between goddess and man.

Oxford did not recall the lives he had lived before until his current life came to its end. But Shiki would be there to reunite with the very first version of Oxford she loved. The warrior in him was tired and weary, and all he desired was to rest with her while he still remembered her, but the tether to the Soulsforged Axe was too tight to cut—even for Shiki.

So she promised to be the one to send his soul back to the cycle, and would wait for him to find her again.

[cannondisabledcharacters]

Accepted Characters 4/29/2023

Mrs Min from It's Mine

Princess Joanna from The Halberdier Princess

Tidy from the Little Trashmaid

Mama wolf from Ulvesommer

Naph from Tales of Crestoria

Chocolove McDonell from Shaman King

Gibong Kim's mother from Limit Breaker

Carna from Lily Crown

The Journalist from BugSnax

Anastasia (Annie) from Cowboy Bebop

Arja from Moka's Fabulous Adventures

Monk Murphy from The Simpsons

Wongjae from Svaha: the Sixth Finger

Minji Kim from Manager Kim

Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail

Wayne Holden from Lost Planet

Harriet Farmer from Midsomer Murders

Woo Young-woo from Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Columbo from  Alfred J. Kwak

Jude from Fullmetal Alchemist

Susan Foreman from Doctor Who

Alise from Trigger

Unnamed figure from the Lego 9209: Community Services Set

Princess Renée from Cursed Princess Club

Boboiboy from Boboiboy

Samantha McAllister (Sam) from Every Last Word

Razieh from A Separation

Jeremy Madsen from  Luther: The Calling

Sarah from Dreaming Sarah

Agni from Skate!!! Fire 100

Benito from Diamond in the Rough

Dorothy from House Keeper

Kasp Luger from Mørkalven

Haruki from Let's Cast Off

Diamond Dog from the Metal Gear series

Raymond Lafontaine from Whale Star: The Gyeongseong Mermaid

Roe Botik from Novi Star

Im Seulgi for My Life as a Loser

June from catandcatcomic

Lily from  Blobby n' Friends

Bhoot from The Jungle Book

Shinyeong Kang from Shotgun Boy

Jinsei Kimura from Fictional Skin

Venom from The Guild

Lance Crown from Mashle: Magic and Muscles

448 Requests Remain

[railroad-migraine]

hey!! just realized you turned on anon and i can leave a message!! i didnt do it earlier bc i always feel a little self-conscious sending asks on main, sorry lmao

i really love your writing btw!!! its very wholesome and brightens up my day whenever i see it. you encapsulate characters remarkably well <3 do ya think i could make a little request maybe? i’m curious your hcs on fearne & a love interest who found themselves lost in the feywild :)

-lyn

Thank you, Lyn! I'm so happy you think I've got a good grasp on the characters - keeping them recognisably them is what I strive for and work hard on, so I'm pleased it pays off :)) Ohhh Fearne ;^;

Oh, and I have an instrumental rec for reading this! Inner Peace (Crashing Waves) by Yoga Tribe is super magical!

~ Poet

Reader Lost in the Feywild

Fearne

Falling into a rabbit sized portal tucked into a tree hadn't been on your agenda that day. But sometimes fate has a strange sense of humour.

A tree root had appeared out of nowhere, entangling your ankle and causing you to trip. In a blind panic, you squeezed your eyes shut and held out your arms to protect you from harm as you tumbled to the ground.

But instead of meeting the hard and cold forest floor, you flipped and felt weightless, hairs on the back of your neck standing up with an unknown energy before oof.

Face planted in a pile of leaves, you groaned before taking in your new surroundings. The first thing that came to your mind was the word beautiful.

You are surrounded by an abundance of life. Magic buzzed and clouded your senses, and a strange looking butterfly perched on your nose and flitted away before you could swat at it. You heard bird song in the distance, but they weren't any species you were familiar with. Flowers, too stunning to be from Exandria, surrounded where you lay - something not quite a fairy circle, because you were very much not fae. Curious, you slowly reached out to pluck a luminous petal, but a voice stayed your hand.

"I know they're quite lovely to look at, but they're also quite poisonous. They don't like to be touched."

You glanced up, craning your neck to meet the enchanting gaze of the most gorgeous seven foot tall faun you've seen in your entire life (okay, the only faun you've seen in your entire life but still lol)

Yes. The word beautiful still rings true.

Fearne was immediately drawn to you, someone so new visiting her home realm, practically falling into her front garden through a portal. Of course she would help you get home if that's what you wanted, but more important things had to be dealt with first - inviting you to dinner for some of her grandmother's delicious homemade soup and bread.

If you two stick with each other long enough to join the Crown Keepers and eventually find yourselves in Marquet, Fearne knows you're stuck with each other for the long run. Will woo you without any shame in front of the others, calling you sweet names, linking arms with you, and recalling fond memories of your impromptu 'vacation' in the Feywild together <3

[shinigxmicrew-ffxiv]

FFXIV HCs

   Various headcanons for the races that populate the world of FFXIV!

Greeting and Tradition HCs [Miqo’te]:

Seekers (of the Sun) greet family/loved ones by pressing the crown of their heads together. 

Keepers (of the Moon) greet their loved ones with nose touches. 

Keeper/Seeker close greetings are cheek-to-cheek. A middle ground for them both. 

Largely put into motion by Hyur (and related) influences, Miqo’te have also added in a hand-greeting for those who wish to not get so close. (Also as a way of being polite to strangers of either Miqo side.) The way this is done is one offers a hand- palm up- and the other reaches out, as if to give a “low-five.” Instead, fingertips graze over the palm.

Up to palm is the usual, yes, but keep an eye out for those who's fingers touch the wrist; typically this denotes secret lovers in Miqo'te greeting-language.

Seekers tend to have a deeper version of "catspeak"; huffs/chuffs to denote playfulness or "calm down", deep growls with bared teeth as a show of aggression, tail wagging in anger, and so forth. 

Keepers are more domestically catlike in their "catspeak"; purrs of delight/happiness....even as a way to self-comfort. Open body language makes them easier to understand than Keepers- with some patience and a careful eye on ears and tail- but their chirps might be a little harder to translate. Just be wary of when the low growls and hissing start! 

What both can agree on, regardless of Keeper or Seeker, is the importance of their tail. Head pats aren't uncommon from other races, like the Hyur, who want to good-naturedly show positive reinforcement. A light touch of ears is fine, but petting them requires more trust. Their tails, even more than that!!! Only very close friends, family, and loved ones can pet a Miqo'te's tail without issue or fuss. 

We don't talk about the catnip. (A leafy "drug" that energizes Miqo'te to "frisky kitten" levels of wilding. Even Seekers aren't immune, and it's one of the rare times their pupils get wider. Keeper's eyes look like pools of black on catnip, always a fun sight to see!)

Body Care [Miqo’te + Au Ra]:

There’s hair care....and fur care. Ears/tails are washed with different, specialty soap that’s different from hair care. However, some of these products do overlap into two-in-ones. 

Showerheads are designed much the same: small, to avoid hitting the ears (or at least being gentle when it happens).

Horn washing is a serious business, whether Xaela or Raen. Two-in-ones for washing and prep polishing horns, then an after-polish for post-bathing cleanliness.

Seeker Names [Miqo’te]:

It’s well known that Seeker culture is quite unique...especially when it comes to names. There is an importance of their abbreviated or personal name that isn’t found elsewhere. An example being X'rhun Tia. X refers to the X (Lynx) tribe. Rhun is his given name....and Tia, his status. 

 So it is stressed, due to this interesting difference, that saying a Seeker's true name (ex: Rhun) is a highly personal and intimate matter. Either dear, close friendship or to indicate romantic ties; either way, it shows a closeness in words where nothing else might.

Hormones and Dating [Miqo’te + Au Ra + Elezen]:

What defines a Nunh from a Tia is typically hormone levels. Their innate aggression and want to lead typically is what sets some Tia above the others for potential Nunh positions.....but, of course, isn't always guaranteed. The biggest messes of power-changed typically happen for later-in-life Nunh or if they've come upon an illness. While it isn't uncommon for there to be two Nunh to a tribe.....they rarely go well for the long-term. (But quite a few have worked out, due to the nature of some Seekers simply preferring mind over matter.....or numbers above all else.) 

You can actually see some Seeker cultured mirrored in the Xaela; their penchant for violence oft sees them using it to draw eyes their way.... 

Though that makes the Raen and Keeper tribes similar, as well; Raen Auri would prefer to woo their prospective loves with a variety of things (items to shows of prowess, such as dancing), though it depends on location of said Raen. (Doma/Higanshi warriors, for example, still feel that occasional, primal need to draw eyes via a sparring match out in public eye.) Keepers are a pickier bunch, but it's not uncommon to see men vying for attention from would-be mates in any manner of show or keepsake.....shame that so few (if any) ever stick around. 

Elezen dating culture is quite similar to the Hyur and Lalafell (likely due to proximity most have encountered). The Duskwight might be more "simple" with their gifts, but they have been renowned as heartfelt items (or tools), as they are typically handmade. Compare to the Wildwood or Elezen of Ishgard, who either rely on Hyur tactics (gift-giving; bought and occasionally made) or- a popular option with those from Ishgard- to make or commission a gift specifically made for their love. Tailoring gifts to suit needs is- regardless of race- an endless Elezen custom.

On the note of Seekers, it isn't uncommon for Tias who have left or otherwise deflected from their tribe to start experiencing a hormone boost. With no rule over their head aside from their own judgement, the urge to become the "Nunh" of their own "tribe" often becomes a persistent thought. 

And yes, this has led to the creation of potions to soothe these hormones into something more docile. Though another, albeit emotionally painful remedy, is social isolation. The less time a Tia spends around the populace, the better for their hormone levels. 

 No such luck has been offered yet to the equally hormonal Xaela, who typically refuse outsider help, anyways. And given that they are more energetic and driven than the Raen, it doesn't take a scientist to note that such potions made for them (the Raen) would not well enough suit a Xaela.

[tema-makes-art-sometimes]

This isn't exactly the hc au thing, but thoughts on if gercanmano were in an isekai? i think that could be pretty interesting

Ive been thinking about this all week Anon.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this, as I don’t actually have that many issekai AU’s (shocker, I know).

Ludwig is the prince of a kingdom (I call it the star kingdom rn cause idk what to name it yet), who after a very severe illness, remembers his previous life in the modern world as a workaholic who dreamed of taking a vacation to the coast and opening up a bakery, only to have died from a car accident after not paying attention because he was sick from overworking himself.

As Ludwig struggles to recover from his illness and re-adapt himself to the world he’s been living in, he stumbles into a weird romance triangle he wasn’t prepared for! While him and Matteo, the head gardener, hit it off really well, it’s later revealed to him that he’s been betrothed to another prince this whole time!

Ludwig has no idea what to do, but Elijah and Matteo make it clear neither of them are going to back off. Thus shenanigans ensue of them trying to woo Ludwig as Ludwig finds himself and gives his past life closure in his own ways.

Also if youre wondering, yes Eli and Matteo are going to have a rivals to friends to lovers arc where they come into their own complex feelings about Ludwig but also finding out theyre not so different and maybe they can work other things out. I have an idea of a classic ‘fake relationship’ trope with the three of them later on, but I haven’t for sure decided on it, so we’ll see what happens. But dont worry CanMano is still happenin’

I might draw for this more I have other characters and plots I wanna do-- XD

catch me actually making a fucking graphic novel for this lol

Characters I Have So Far:

Germany - Crowned Prince of Sky Kingdom I haven't named yet. Prussia - King of Sky Kingdom, Germany's Dad Hungary - Royal Advisor to Prussia (Might be having a secret relationship with the King, and might be the next Queen, it's unknown) Turkey - Head Chef in the Castle Germany lives in. He and Hungary have bets over who’s gonna end up with Germany. Romano - The Head Gardener and Stable Keeper of the Castle, later becomes Germany' Head Advisor (Secretly a runaway Prince from the Mountains Kingdom) Canada - Germany's Arranged Betrothed from the Sea Kingdom that I haven't named yet. Rome - Romano's Dad (King of the Moutians Kingdom I haven't named yet) Veneciano - Romano's Brother (Crowned Prince of the Mountains Kingdom)

I’ll probably have england and france as canadas parents slash king and queen of the sea kingdom- but at the same time I kind of want to mix it up? maybe its france can and his mom is someone else, and england is part of a rival kingdom to theirs? Ill keep tinkering with it.

[scotianostra]

On July 7th 1575 the skirmish called “The Raid of the Redeswire”, took place between Scottish and English borderers.

Second mention of the day for Sir Walter Scott who wrote about this in Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, an anthology of Border ballads. I will post the said ballad below.

The incident cited is sometimes as the last “battle” between Scottish and English forces, and it was the first reported conflict since 1547 at Pinkie Cleugh, a connection to another post today, it was during The Rough Wooing. Anyway this was a regular Warden’s meeting that got a wee bit out of hand.

The meeting was between John Carmichael, the Keeper of Liddesdale, and the English Middle March Warden, Sir John Forster, there would have been fines to be paid, men to be handed over to answer for their crimes, and paperwork to be exchanged. It is unlikely that either side had considered an all-out fight. Things seems to have gone well enough, until the case of one individual was raised. Carmichael demanded that he was handed over, Forster told Carmichael the man had taken leg bail, meaning had escaped from custody, which was not believed.

Insults were exchanged and then the entire meeting got out of hand when the English lost their tempers, and attacked, killing two men and wounding several others.

There are different versions of what happened next, one states that the Scottish Borderers were onto a hiding if it hadn’t been for the men of Jedburgh turning up shouting their slogan: “Stand firm and sure - Jethart’s here!”, Jethart was the old name for Jedburgh. The other version says that the skirmish seemed to have gone the Scots way due to the the fact that the English mainly fought with bows and swords, but the Scots were armed with firearms as well as more traditional weapons. Either way about two dozen English were killed, Forster and several other nobles were captured.

In the immediate aftermath the Scots decided to a wee bit Reiving, meaning, “plunder or rob”, and also made off with 300 cattle from local farms.

Forster and the other prisoners were delivered to James VI Regent, James Douglas, and held at Dalkeith Castle. Douglas said, for their own safety, but initially a ransom would have been in the minds of the Scots who captured them. Douglas wrote to the English monarch, Queen Elizabeth, who was none too pleased, but an amicable arrangement was made, neither side wanting the incident to lead into a full scale war.

Forster and the others had been treated with kindness and were released with gifts and an apology for being held. As part of the deal Carmichael was delivered to York to stand trial, but fair does to the English, he was acquitted as the court found that Forster had engaged in an unprovoked attack.

On the Cheviot Hills, near the place where the battle was fought a monument known as the Redeswire Stone was built in commemoration of the battle. It reads, “On this ridge, June 7th, 1575 was fought one of the last border raids, known as The Raid of the Redeswire”.

The battle is commemorated by the Jedburgh Reidswire common riding each year, this ride is the longest of the festival and is undertaken on two horses at a fast pace, watch the video above  for the arrival at Redeswire.

For those not familiar with the area, Redeswire is not far from the famous stop on the Scotland-England Border at Carter’s Bar.

The Raid of the Reidswire

   The seventh of July, the suith to say,     At the Reidswire the tryst was set;     Our Wardens they affixed the day,     And as they promised, so they met.     Alas! that day I’ll ne’er forgett!     Was sure sae feard and then sae faine—     They came theare justice for to gett,     Will never green to come again.

    Carmichael was our Warden then,     He caused the country to conveen;     And the Laird’s Wat, that worthie man,     Brought in that sirname weil beseen:     The Armestranges, that aye hae been     A hardie house, but not a hail,     The Elliots’ honnors to maintaine,     Brought down the lave o’ Liddesdale.

    Then Tividale came to wi’ speid;     The Sheriffe brought the Douglas down,     Wi’ Cranstane, Gladstain, good at need,     Baith Rewle water, and Hawick town.     Beanjeddart baldly made him boun,     Wi’ a’ the Trumbills, stronge and stout;     The Rutherfoords, with grit renown,     Convoyed the town of Jedbrugh out.

    Of other clans I cannot tell,     Because our warning was not wide.     Be this our folks hae tane the fell,     And planted down palliones their to bide.     We looked down the other side,     And saw come breasting ower the brae,     Wi’ Sir John Forster for their guyde,     Full fiftene hundred men and mae.

    It grieved him sair that day, I trow,     Wi’ Sir George Hinrome of Schipsydehouse;     Because we were not men enow,     They counted us not worth a louse.     Sir George was gentle, meek, and douse,     But he was hail and hett as fire;     And yet, for all his cracking crouse,     He rewd the raid o’ the Reidswire.

    To deal with proud men is but pain;     For either must ye fight or flee,     Or else no answer make again,     But play the beast, and let them be.     It was na wonder he was hie,     Had Tindaill, Reedsdaill, at his hand,     Wi’ Cukdaill, Gladsdaill on the lee,     And Hebsrime, and Northumberland.

    Yett was our meeting meek enough,     Begun wi’ merriment and mowes,     And at the brae, aboon the heugh,     The clark sate down to call the rowes.     And some for kyne, and some for ewes,     Called in of Dandrie, Hob, and Jock—     We saw come marching ower the knows,     Five hundred Fennicks in a flock.

    With jack and speir, and bowes all bent,     And warlike weapons at their will:     Although we were na weel content,     Yet, be my trouth, we feard no ill.     Some gaed to drink, and some stude still,     And some to cairds and dice them sped,     Till on ane Farnstein they fyled a bill,     And he was fugitive and fled.

    Carmichaell bade them speik out plainlie,     And cloke no cause for ill nor good;     The other answering him as vainlie,     Began to reckon kin and blood:     He raise, and raxed him where he stood,     And bade him match him with his marrows:     Then Tindaill heard them reasun rude,     And they loot off a flight of arrows.

   Then was there nought but bow and speir,     And every man pulled out a brand;     “A Schaftan and a Fenwick” thare:     Gude Symington was slain frae hand.     The Scotsmen cried on other to stand,     Frae time they saw John Robson slain—     What should they cry? the King’s command     Could cause no cowards turn again.

    Up rose the Laird to red the cumber,     Which would not be for all his boast;—     What could we doe with sic a number?     Fyve thousand men into a host.     Then Henry Purdie proved his cost,     And very narrowlie had mischiefed him,     And there we had our Warden lost,     Wert not the grit God he reliev’d him.

    Another throw the breikes him bair,     Whill flatlies to the grund he fell:     Than thought I weel we had lost him there,     Into my stomach it struck a knell!     Yet up he raise, the treuth to tell ye,     And laid about him dints full dour,     His horsemen they raid sturdilie,     And stude about him in the stoure.

    Then raise the slogan with ane shout—     “Fy Tindaill, to it! Jedbrugh’s here!”     I trow he was not half sae stout,     But anis his stomach was asteir.     With gun and genzie, bow and speir,     Men might see mony a cracked crown;     But up amang the merchant geir,     They were as busie as we were down.

    The swallow taill frae tackles flew,     Five hundreth flain into the flight,     But we had pestelets enow,     And shot amang them as we might.     With help of God the game gade right,     Frae time the foremost of them fell;     Then over the know, without goodnight,     They ran with mony a shout and yell.

    But after they had turned backs,     Yet Tindaill men they turned again;     And had not been the merchant packs,     There had been mae of Scotland slain.     But Jesu! if the folks were fain     To put the bussing on their thies;     And so they fled, wi’ a’ their main,     Down ower the brae like clogged bees.

    Sir Francis Russell ta’en was their,     And hurt, as we hear men rehearse;     Proud Wallinton was wounded sair,     Albeit he be a Fennick fierce.     But if ye wald a souldier search,     Among them a’ were ta’en that night,     Was nane sae wordie to put in verse,     As Colingwood, that courteous knight.

    Young Henry, scaiped home, is hurt;     A souldier shot him with a bow:     Scotland has cause to mak great sturt,     For laiming of the Laird of Mow.     The Laird’s Wat did weel indeed,     His freinds stood stoutlie by himsel’,     With little Gladstain, gude in need,     For Gretein kend na gude be ill.

    The Sheriff wanted not gude will,     Howbeit he might not fight so fast;     Beanjeddart, Hundlie, and Hunthill,     Three, on they laid weel at the last.     Except the horsemen of the guard,     If I could put men to availe,     None stoutlier stood out for their laird,     Nor did the lads of Liddesdail.

    But little harness had we there;     But auld Badreule had on a jack,     And did right weel, I you declare,     With all his Trumbills at his back.     Gude Ederstane was not to lack,     Nor Kirktoun, Newtoun, noble men!     Thir’s all the specials I of speake,     By others that I could not ken.

    Who did invent that day of play,     We need not fear to find him soon;     For Sir John Forster, I dare well say,     Made us this noisome afternoon.     Not that I speak preceislie out,     That he supposed it would be perril;     But pride, and breaking out of feuid,     Garr’d Tindaill lads begin the quarrel.

[tipsycad147]

Zeus – The King of Gods and Mortals

Zeus, the king of the gods and mortals, is the most powerful god in Greek mythology. As the god of thunder and sky, he resides on the peak of Mount Olympus from where he sent storms, winds, and rain to Earth. With his wisdom, experience, and strength, Zeus surpasses all gods; with a single thunderbolt, he could throw each of them into the dark Tartarus. Therefore, they didn’t dare to defy him.

His name stems from Indo-European words dey meaning to shine or light, and dyews, which can be translated as the bright sky. In Roman mythology, his equivalent was Jupiter. Here’s a look at one of the most prominent figures of Greek mythology, Zeus.

The History of Zeus

Zeus was the youngest son of the king of the Titans, Cronus, and his wife, Rhea. It had been prophesied that one of Cronus’ sons would take his throne, and in an attempt to thwart that, Cronus swallowed all the children that Rhea gave birth to.

Cronus Swallows His Children

Before the youngest child’s birth, Rhea turned to Uranus and Gaia for advice on how to save him.

Zeus is Hidden from Cronus

According to their instructions, she went to Crete, and as soon as she gave birth to Zeus, she hid him in a cave. The next day, Rhea wrapped a large stone in swaddling clothes, and then handed it to Cronus, who, convinced that he was receiving his son, immediately swallowed it.

In Crete, Zeus was raised by the nymphs Adrasteia and Ida. They kept the baby in a golden cradle and fed him honey and milk from Amalthea, the divine goat. They would hang the cradle on a tree so that Cronus couldn’t find his son on land, sky, or sea. The five-armed Cretan warriors, called Curetes, guarded the cradle and masked the child’s cries with the sound of their weapons.

Later, when he became the lord of the world, Zeus repaid his foster parents: he turned Adrasteia, Ida, and Amalthea into stars. He gave the bees the color of gold and resistance to the harsh mountain climate.

Zeus Overthrows Cronus

When Zeus grew and became stronger, he decided to save his brothers and sisters. Metis, an Oceanid and one of three thousand daughters of Oceanus and Tethys, gave Cronus a potion forcing him to vomit the stone first, and then his children – Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Poseidon, and Hades.

Together with his brothers and sisters, Zeus attacked Cronus and the Titans, and the battle, known as the Titanomachy, lasted for ten days. After they defeated Cronus, Zeus divided the rule of the world with his brothers, Hades and Poseidon. Zeus became the ruler of the sky and heavens, Poseidon ruled over the seas, and Hades became the god of the underworld. The Titans were cast into Tartarus, an underworld region, while Atlas, a Titan who had fought against Zeus, was punished by being forced to hold up the sky.

Zeus is Challenged

Zeus’ early rule was challenged by his grandmother, Gaia, who felt that he had treated her children, the Titans, with injustice. Together with the Gigantes, Gaia challenged the Olympians, but they were able to put down the Gigantomachy and continued their rule.

Another myth describes how the gods Hera, Poseidon and Apollo, who were quickly joined by all the other Olympians except Hestia. With the help of Hypnos, god of sleep, the Olympian gods stole Zeus’ thunderbolt and tied him up. Zeus was helped by Thetis and once free, severely punished Hera, Poseidon and Apollo as well as the other gods. They never challenged him again.

Zeus as a Ruler

Zeus’ home was located on the highest Greek mountain, Olympus. From its summit, Zeus could see everything. He observed and governed everything and everybody, punishing the evil and rewarding the good. He delivered justice and was considered the protector of homes, cities, properties, and guests.

Zeus is described by Hesiod as a god who laughed out loud and who was carefree. But at the same time, he was capricious and could be destructive, especially if crossed.

Zeus and the Conflict with Humans

From Mount Olympus, Zeus was disgusted at the sight of decadence and the human sacrifice taking place on earth. He flooded the earth to purify it off humans, with only Deucalion and Pyrrha surviving the flood. This myth has parallels to the story of Noah and the Ark from the Christian Bible.

The Wives and Children of Zeus

Zeus had seven immortal wives – including Metis, Themis, Eurynome, Demeter, Leto, Mnemosyne and Hera. Of these, Hera is his main wife, although Metis is his first.

Zeus and Metis: There was a prophecy stating that Metis would bear strong and powerful children who would overthrow their father. When Metis was pregnant with Zeus children, Zeus feared the fulfilment of the prophecy and so he tricked Metis and mad her turn herself into a fly. He then swallowed her, much like his father had swallowed Zeus’ siblings. Metis had already conceived a child and began creating a robe and helmet for her daughter. This caused Zeus pain and, in the end, Zeus’ asked Hephaestus to either cleave his head or to strike it with a hammer to release the pain. Athena then leaped out of Zeus’ head, fully grown and dressed in armor. Regardless of the prophecy, Athena was Zeus’ favorite child.

Zeus and Hera: Zeus married his sister Hera, but he wasn’t an exemplary husband. Due to his numerous affairs, with both immortal and mortal women, he often clashed with Hera. She was constantly jealous and hated his illegitimate children, like Heracles and Dionysus, often making life miserable for them.

Zeus’ Children: Zeus had several children. With his wife Hera he had three children, Ares, Hebe, and Eileithyia; with the Titaness Leto, he had twins Artemis and Apollo; with the goddess Demeter he had his daughter Persephone, and so on and so forth. Zeus also sired one child without a woman – the goddess Athena, who is said to have leapt out of his head.

Zeus’ Disguises and Seduction

The manner in which he wooed these women is sometimes reprehensible. He would frequently resort to rape, deceit and disguises in order to sleep with them. Several stories exist of his tricks used to deceive a love interest.

Zeus pretended to be an injured bird and flew into Hera’s room, before he coupled with her, preying on her compassion and love for animals.

He seduced the mortal princess Danae in the form of a golden shower, which led to her giving birth to Perseus.

Zeus appeared in the form of a goose to Nemesis and seduced her in this manner.

He transformed himself into his daughter Artemis, goddess of the hunt, to lure Callisto into a sense of security before he raped her.

He abducted Ganymede, a handsome mortal, disguised as an eagle and takes him to Olympus where he remains as cup-bearer to the gods.

To seduce Europa, Zeus took the form of a bull. To prove she wasn’t afraid of him, Europa sat on his back, and he took her to Crete. There, Zeus exposed his true self, and they made love.

The Symbolism and Portrayal of Zeus

As the king and the ruler of all the Greek gods and men, Zeus was often portrayed in art with specific symbols and aspects describing his purpose and personality.

Powerful patriarch – Some early paintings of Zeus depict him throwing flashes of lightning, establishing him as superior deity and warrior. In this context, he’s seen as a symbol of power, authority, and dominance.

King of gods and mortals – In the classical period, Zeus is often depicted sitting on the throne and holding the scepter, with the winged goddess Nike by his side, symbolizing his duty as patriarch and king of all gods.

Justice and authority – Unlike other Greek deities, he was often portrayed as a mature and dignified man with a beard and great stamina, denoting his status as an experienced ruler greater than others. He usually holds a staff in one hand and a stylized thunderbolt in the other, both seen as symbols ofpower, control, and justice.

Wisdom – At times, he’s depicted wearing a crown made of oak leaves. The oak was considered to be his holy tree representing wisdom, morale, resistance, and strength.

Symbols of Zeus

Besides the oak tree, Zeus was often associated with various symbols that were considered sacred to him. These included:

The Thunderbolt – The thunderbolt was Zeus’ great weapon, fashioned for him by the Cyclopes. This represented his power and authority over mortals and gods.

The Eagle – Zeus held the eagle as a particularly sacred bird and was often depicted riding it or having it next to him. With its excellent vision, the eagle represented Zeus’ ability to see everything. They are solar animals commonly related to sunlight. Therefore, they are the symbols of courage and royalty, as well as pride, victory, and longevity.

The wolf – This powerful animal is both feared and respected. As the king of heavens and the master of weather, Zeus was often associated with a wolf, representing a battle, awareness, bravery, and protection. Besides many titles, the king of all gods was also referred to as oath-keeper, savior, protector, guest-patron, punisher, and peacemaker.

The bull – Another sacred animal to Zeus was the bull. In this context, the bull is the symbol of virility, confidence, stamina, and fertility.

Lessons from Zeus’ Stories

Aside from being powerful and strong, the omnipotent ruler, Zeus, was far from perfect. However, there are some lessons we can learn from Zeus’ stories:

The inevitability of fate – This is a recurring topic in Greek legends and myths. We could interpret Zeus as being both the victim and the emissary of fate. The ruler of all gods was destined to take his father’s throne. His father, Cronus, himself became the ruler of the world by dethroning his own father. The legend goes on to say that Zeus is prophesied to be taken down by his own child, who is yet to be born.

Infidelity – Although today, we wouldn’t consider Zeus’ behavior and his unpredictably lascivious character to be exemplary, we could still draw some conclusions from his actions and infidelity. For ancient Greeks, his actions were right and justified. If the all-mighty god, such as Zeus, couldn’t control his urges and resist women’s beauty, then common mortal men had no reason to. Some would argue that mythology, especially when it comes to Greek gods, was made up not to teach us a moral lesson, but to justify people’s actions.

Love – In a more positive light, we could interpret Zeus’ saving his brothers and sisters from their father as an act of love and kindness. It shows that sometimes it’s necessary to treat someone unfairly and unjustly for your loved ones’ safety.

Zeus Facts

1- Who were Zeus’ parents?

Zeus’ parents were Rhea and Cronus.

2- Where did Zeus live?

Zeus lived on Mount Olympus with the other Olympian gods.

3- Who were Zeus’ siblings?

Zeus had six siblings – Hestia, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter and Chiron.

4- How many consorts did Zeus have?

Zeus had several wives and numerous affairs; however, Hera remains his leading wife.

5- How many children did Zeus have?

Zeus had numerous children, including Artemis, Ares, Athena, Hebe, Hephaestus, Persephone, Perseus, the Graces, the Muses, the Moirai, Helen, Heracles, Ares and so on.

6- Who is Zeus’ Roman equivalent?

Zeus Roman equivalent is Jupiter.

7- What was Zeus the god over?

Zeus was the king of the gods, god of the sky, lightning, thunder, justice, order and law.

8- What are Zeus’ symbols?

Zeus symbols include the thunderbolt, oak, bull, eagle and swan.

To Wrap It Up

As the god of the sky and the ruler of the world, Zeus has a central role in Greek mythology representing the father, ruler, and protector of all mortals and gods. However, his conflicting personality might be confusing – his anger and fury are covered by the certain heroic endeavors, such as saving his siblings from their father’s wrath.

https://symbolsage.com/zeus-greek-king-of-gods/

[iyassus]

( NONSO ANOZIE, CIS MALE, HE/HIM, 37 ) ** ♔ announcing IYASU SEYON TESFAVE, the KING OF ETHIOPIA ! in a recent portrait they seem to resemble NONSO ANOZIE. it is a miracle that HE survived the last five years, considering they are AVARICIOUS, INSIDIOUS, and AMBITIOUS. i hope the plague has not changed them. they are AGAINST working together with the other kingdoms **

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BASICS

Full Name: Iyasu Seyon Tesfave

Name Ruling By: Seyon Sagad

Age: 37

Birthday: 2nd December

Gender: Cis Male

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Languages: Amharic, Oromo, Somali, Ge’ez (for religious purposes only), Persian/Farsi, English, French, Ottoman Turkish

Religion: Ethiopian Orthodox Christian

BIOGRAPHY

The dry season in Ethiopia was uncommonly wet the year that Iyasu was born, keeping trees lush and rivers flowing. It had been a full year since his parents had married, and as a healthy and large boy, was a clear signifier of a successful marriage. His mother was exhausted after the birth, but his father was ecstatic with energy. He had an heir to his throne, and another descendant of Solomon had been born.

From the time Iyasu started speaking he had been unable to stop. A babbler by nature, he received tutelage from the moment he could sit up, perfecting not only a number of languages and dialects, but also the ability to orate, to convince and beguile through word alone. A charismatic and intelligent child, he seemed a perfect fit for his place as the heir to the throne. Not only was he well loved and well-lovable, he also was a boy who delighted in learning the trappings of his office, in exploring all of the knowledge set before him. From oratory, then to theology, then history, and geography, astrology, arithmetic, strategy. He soaked up knowledge like the sands did water, welling with knowledge under the careful watch of his tutors and parents.

But knowledge was not the only thing which Iyasu devoured. He had always harboured a fondness for life’s pleasures. It began with suckling, and then developed into a love of food, of drink, of clothing and jewellery, or art and books and travel. Iyasu sampled all of the world’s offerings, devoured the best of them, and kept them close to his chest. He was fondly called “magpie” for his hoarding tendencies, though the word did come with a bite of bitterness from those who had had their belongings taken to pad out Iyasu’s collections. No more was this common than in the mouths of his siblings, who knew from young that their eldest brother would be quick to borrow an item and never give it back.

Despite his heightened interest in worldly belongings, it was clear to all those who knew him that Iyasu was a charming and promising king-to-be. It was therefore no surprise when Ethiopia’s allies Persia sought to tie their ruling families closer together through marriage, and Iyasu and Atossa were promised to one another.

For Iyasu, it was infatuation at first sight. A great appreciator of beauty, he could not ignore the perfection of Atossa’s features. Then, once he and Atossa actually spoke, he was in love. Despite their age gap of almost ten years, Atossa was clearly able to match him in wit and intelligence. Iyasu quickly set about learning Farsi, and showering Atossa in every gift he possibly could. He treated her as if she were made of the precious metals he adored, dedicated to wooing her, to knowing and memorising every part of her. As if she were a book of secrets, and he were its keeper. If it would have made her smile, Iyasu would have plucked the very stars from the heavens to give to her.

A few years on and Iyasu and Atossa’s marriage had not yet borne fruit, but Iyasu had no intentions of rushing his bride to bear him a child. He believed they had plenty of time to create heirs, and he would rather have his wife’s heart before her womb. But then his father unexpectedly passed, and Iyasu was quickly crowned King.

The first year or so of his rule was comparatively easy. Though there were new duties for Iyasu to juggle, there was nothing that he had not expected. He moved the capital of Ethiopia to Gondar, to a castle he’d had designed and built, showcasing his wealth, intelligence, and a love of luxury. Iyasu was ready for Ethiopia to flourish under his rule, to enter into a Golden Age so brilliant that his name would be spoken for the same length of time as his ancestor Solomon.

And then there was a dry season that lasted too long, and a wet season that was too wet. Crops failed, and in the countryside their rations spoiled or were eaten. Famine came, and famine led to death. Floods carried bodies and pestilence in the water, and that led to plagues. The bath house at Gondar, which had at first been so resplendent, quickly became a source of ire. The plague reached the capital.

For the golden boy of the Ethiopian Empire, who had had all he desired handed to him on a golden platter, the chaos proved to be too much. The first hurdle he had ever experienced was a large one, and, frightened he did what little boys in the bodies of men do; he ran away. Turning inwards, Iyasu hoarded the food in the area, sending out guards to commandeer half the produce remaining in all farms and homes and store it within Gondar Castle.

If the plague had been short lived, this move might have been considered a smart one; kept in the dry castle cellars, the food would not rot and rations could be fairly partitioned once the disaster was over. But the sicknesses, ill weather, and famines seemed unending. Iyasu’s Golden Age, the one which he so desperately wanted, was turning bark and dim before his very eyes.

Isolation does strange things to anyone, but to a relatively new king, feeling the pressure of his people’s demise, the frustration of his family and wife, and fearing the wrath of god, isolation was torturous. By the time several months had passed, mainly spent inside or wading through the water-logged castle gardens, Iyasu began to become paranoid. He was sure that there were thieves within the castle, who sought to take the rations he had taken. That, or they wished to steal the treasures of his family and forebears. He became irritable, frequently checking upon his hoards to make sure they were intact.

Though he was sure food had been stolen multiple times, no one was ever caught in the act of stealing, and Atossa, who seemed to be one of the few people able to break through Iyasu’s paranoid rants, would always end up calming him.

After almost a year of disasters, supplies arrived with a convoy from Persia; a gift from the Safavid dynasty, from Atossa’s concerned parents. Though in the past Iyasu had always been one to dote on his wife’s every whim, to give her anything she pleased, in this case he showed his true colours. Iyasu took the supplies and added them to his guarded stockpile, denying Atossa even the sight of the few personal items which had been sent to her. They quarrelled, and their relationship was severely damaged. Iyasu knows that what he did was cruel, and with hindsight he even knows that it was unnecessary, but he is a proud man who finds it hard to admit fault, and thus has never apologised.

Time passed, and measures were put in place. The palace gardens were drained of floodwaters and expanded to allow for greater freedoms within the walls. An assassination attempt on Iyasu’s life failed. Slowly, slowly, crop yields grew back to their normal numbers, sicknesses became less frequent, and trade began once more. Iyasu’s relationship with his people has been horribly damaged, but he longs to repair it. Healthier in mind, now, but still too proud to show regret, Iyasu came to the summit reluctantly to try and dispel the black reputation that preceded him. He is not looking to form alliances to improve Ethiopia, but he worries that war could be on his borders from kingdoms seeking his land’s resources unless he does his best to impart a good and strong impression on the other rulers.

Whilst travelling to the summit, someone attempted to kill Iyasu by poisoning his food. It is clear that by waiting until Iyasu was far from home, this person's hope was that Iyasu's death would not be recognised as an assassination and that the crown would pass to someone else. It was a good poison: weak enough to appear like a sickness, and strong enough to kill even a man of Iyasu's size. However, whoever administered the poison forgot to factor in Atossa's knowledge of poisons. Despite their turbulent relationship, Atossa identified the poison in Iyasu's system, helped to purge it, and aided in his recovery (all this, in spite of Iyasu's desperate attempts to keep his weakness from her). With the culprit of the poisoning not found, and Iyasu desperate to appear as a good, and popular ruler infront of other Royals at the summit, this poisoning is a secret kept by Iyasu, Atossa, the Ethiopian Physician, and whoever it is who poisoned him in the first place.

KEY POINTS:

Iyasu does actually love his family and Atossa. He wants to endear himself to them once more, but is struggling to do so. He is very smart, and often underestimated by those who do not know of his reputation (e.g., nations far from Ethiopia). He knows this, and is not above using it to his advantage. He has decided that the best way to protect his country is through forming close alliances with other countries. Seeing as Persia had sent supplies due to Atossa being in Ethiopia, Iyasu is seriously considering marriage-alliances through use of his siblings. As a descendant of Solomon and the King of a Chistian Nation, Iyasu has a strong sense of faith which guides him, and a great sense of self importance, believing he really was chosen by God to rule.

[lio-the-chaotic-nonbeanie-weenie]

Random Sanders Sides Ideas

Roman spending christmas with Remus and Virgil because Patton broke his promise to let him help with christmas dinner by cooking with Janus and Logan instead.

Janus and Logan both having a crush on Roman and trying to woo him only to find Roman is with Virgil.

Janus having old home videos with him and the king together as wells as videos with the twins during the early times after the split. Janus watches them years later and cries because he misses the twins being happy and he misses being with the king.

Remus is begrudgingly cleaning his room because Janus asked him to. He’s cleaning out his closet when he finds a crumpled box. When he opens it, he finds old drawings with his and Roman’s name on it and other stuff. He ends up getting distracted and sitting there, going through all the stuff. Janus finds him a few hours later, crying as he reads the first messy letter Roman wrote to him before he suddnely left him.

Remus disguises himself one day as Roman to see what it’s like and finds out how awful the others are to his brother. Janus especially. He reveals himself when Janus is in the middle of scolding and ridiculing him. Remus goes off back at them, revealing just how bad Roman really has it because of them. At the same time, he dumps Janus in front of the others.

Virgil doing a nightly check on everyone including Janus because shadows roam a lot at night and tend to give the others nightmares.

Logan telling the twins stories of mythology and space, smiling a little when he sees the wonder and awe in their eyes.

Logan is organizing his closet one day and finds a silver box in the back corner. It has R.S. written on it in green and red. He opens it and finds a familiar gold crown with red and green jewels. He goes to take it out but stops when he hears a knock on the door. When he hears Patton’s voice, Logan quickly puts the crown away and hides the box.

Logan being the keeper of both Thomas and th sides’ memories so sometimes he looks at the memories of the king.

Virgil hearing everyone else’s anxious thoughts. Roman’s is the loudest and only grows louder after the recent Asides. Virgil worries for him.

Remus being overly protective of his sash because Roman made it for him. He doesn’t let anyone else touch it or wash it. He’s stitched it a million times. He’s done his best to keep it clean. He gets upset if he can’t find it. He hardly takes it off unless he absolutely needs to.

Virgil, Roman, and Remus hanging out at the grocery store because it’s their turn to do the shopping. They decide to make it fun by making as any puns as they can. They also stop by the toy aisle and mess with the toys. They make several little short videos of them just messing around.

Janus singing the twins to sleep with a lullaby. The twins are too young to understand that this lullaby had a secret message within it. Roman sings it years later and immediately finds the message. He tells Remus who sings the other half. They decide to go talk to Janus.

Virgil playing animal crossing to stay calm. He has a little town with lots of flower and trees. He has a nicely decorated house. His little character looks like him. It’s his secret indulgence because he’s afraid they’ll think he’s too soft for playing animal crossing.

Virgil and Remus playing video games together. Virgil loses his shit laughing every time Remus rages or makes funny jokes.

Janus tries to find alternatives to Remus’ deodorant snacking. Sour gummy worms is in the lead with sour patch kids coming to a close second.

Patton does laundry one day and when he gets Roman’s hamper and empties it, he finds a lot of dirty prince costumes. Some are also torn and shredded.

[kewltie]

Izuku is eight when he learns the finer point of politic at his parents' hand and the word ‘betrothal’ is thrown inconsequentially around like his future hadn't been decided by a single word; intertwined with a boy he hasn't even met yet.

"Be strong, dearest," his mother tells him.

He accepts his inevitable fate with a solemn nod and turns to look beyond the horizon toward the north where the winters are said to be harsh, the lands are barren and rough, and the people are as cold and cruel as the bleak landscape that they had made home out of. One day it will also be Izuku’s.

Two years later, he meets the boy who would be king; his future husband.

With eyes burning a fierce red, clashing against the mute color of his thick wool coat, Katsuki of House Bakugou shoves Izuku to the floor. "Don't be such a baby," he says with a sneer. "I will not have my consort be a pathetic sniveling little brat."

Izuku's breath goes still as his stomach twists uncomfortably. "I," he blinks back another set of tears, "I'll be better from now on, Your Highness." A was supposed to be a little roughhousing, a game between boys, but Izuku had never lifted a blade in his life and there are scars littered across Katsuki’s chest.

A grim silence settles heavy between them until Katsuki says, "Cry if you must, but don't ever do it in front of anyone but me. You will be mine one day and I will accept all your weakness. Even your tears."

He extends a hand out toward Izuku. Doesn't reach out and force Izuku to take it. That's when Izuku knows while love doesn't bloom easily between them, this is a start.

It's their story to write.

Izuku leaves his homeland at fifteen and heads north to the mountains where he'll to be wed before the summer's light end. The cold doesn't hit him right away, but it slowly sinks into his lungs until every breath he takes a tendril of chills against his chest.

It's unbearably frigid.

The nights are long and hard in the north, and all that Izuku can see is covered in white. It's snow, he'd read about it once tucked up his bed. Something as delicate and utterly beautiful as that can only survived in this brutishly cold condition. How strange, he muses.

It's something he wouldn't ever experience in the evergreen of Maedorii, where it's humid and wet like summer has never left. It's nothing like here. "How do your people live like this?" he grumbles to Katsuki as they push their way through a foot of snow and harsh biting wind with their caravan.

It's several more miles still before they make it to Frostmountain, the heartland of the northern passage, but Izuku already feels like a walking block of frozen over ice. It makes him feel so helpless and weak when the rest of the Northerners are barely fazed by the harsh conditions.

"We don't." Katsuki snorts, riding beside him. "We survive and we thrive." He pauses and turns toward Izuku. "They will be your people too," he points out. "And you too will learn to survive and thrive like us."

He spoke with such an unshattered certainty that when Izuku's breath is stolen again, it's not from the cold this time around but it is Katsuki’s words that had left him breathless.

When they finally arrived at Frostmountain, a fortress of unsurprising large stature and presence that easily looms menacingly over them, Izuku finds the Northerners look upon his strange green hair and the freckles that dotted across his skin with curious but unwelcoming eyes.

Izuku pulls to a stop at the iron gate of the castle, his feet unwilling to move another step. Ahead of him, Katsuki also stop dead when he notice Izuku wasn't there next to him anymore. He looks back with a frown and Izuku shakes his head. He sighs and walks back toward him.

Without a word, he takes Izuku's hand in his and squeezes it firmly as Izuku's breath hitches at the touch, before dragging him through the entrance.

"I can walk," he snaps with flushed cheeks. This is so unsightly to be drag along like a disobedient child. "Please unhand me, Your Highness."

"Will you." Katsuki's feet halts just as crowd titters on with curious interest at the theatrical scene they must have made, but he hasn't let go of Izuku's hand.

Izuku blinks at the hanging question. "Yes?"

"Stand with me," he grunts out. "We can do this together or I can do it alone. Your choice."

Izuku's gaze drops to their held hand, the grip is tight but he knows if he wanted to he can break it. Katsuki has always given him that choice since he'd offered his hand out to Izuku five years ago. Take it or leave it. It would always be his to decide.

In the years since they'd met, Izuku learned that while Katsuki is neither a gentle or humble man, but he’s ambitious and honor bound; he won't break Izuku to make him bend to his will. It's unfair that he hasn't made any promise, but the walls surrounding Izuku's heart is already starting to crack under the weight of Katsuki’s conviction.

Izuku bites down on his lips, quelling the anxiety that had twisted itself into a knot in his chest, and nods his head. Nearly went unseen, Katsuki releases a small exhale of relief that draws Izuku's attention to him.

So Izuku wasn't the only one shaken after all. That's comforting to know.

It's easy to forget that they're both only fifteen years old and neither had signed up for this marriage that had made Izuku depart from the only home he'd ever known and for Katsuki to take in a stranger from a foreign land to his bed who share none of his people's customs and history.

They're children playing in a game of politics meant for adults and even then no one should have their fate played like that, but all children grow up one day. That means Katsuki will become king one day and Izuku is to stand by his side to support him. Will stand by his side until his dying breath. It is his duty as his husband.

They may not have chosen this marriage, but this is what they have decided now. Each other. Neither had ever spoken up about their unavoidable situation, because they're young and dumb. A relationship is already hard enough as adults, let alone two young men who had zero experience in it before each other.

But what couldn't be put into many clumsy words, they had let it translate through other ways. Katsuki made an effort to visit him every summer since they’d first met and he brought with him several books - a bestiary and herbology tome of the North. Izuku had dutifully read each and every one of them, treating them like sacred knowledge.

There were no big gestures and sweeping romance between them; Izuku wasn't wooed and Katsuki didn't pursue him. They are both a guarantee thing for each other even if their feelings didn't carried any weight. Yet. But Katsuki had extended a hand out and Izuku had gingerly taken it.,That was enough for both of them.

So Izuku lets Katsuki's lead him into the castle and he tries to put on his warmest smile for Katsuki's, no, their people. It spreads across his face a little uneasy, but it feels true. Feels right at this moment. It'll be okay. He has Katsuki after all. Katsuki won’t let him mess up.

Eleven days later Izuku got married in a sweeping red, his braids pinned up in the style of the north, and wore a crown made of the hardest metal mined in the northern mountains. He left the Southern Lands as Izuku of House Midoriya, but now he steps toward Katsuki as one of his own.

Three years after he'd discarded his past and stepped toward his future, the South comes roaring back into his life and brought the threat of war to the foot of Frostmountain. Katsuki is the king to be, but his parents were there before him. This wasn't to be his fight yet.

If Katsuki’s parents had their way there would be no war in the foreseeable future, so Queen Mitsuki and her consort travels to the Southern Lands to resolve the border dispute with the promise to return in two months’ time when everything is concluded; they never came back.

There wasn't even a body sent back for them to properly mourn and bury. Not that they have time for that either because Katsuki is proclaimed High King of the North in a solemn coronation five days later after the news of his parents' death. Izuku stands beside him the entire time.

Katsuki didn't allow himself to even grief properly as he mobilizes his troops and the other lords of the other Houses of the North. But in the darkness of their bedroom, he breaks down in front of Izuku and Izuku takes his grief and bears all of his sorrow and hurt.

This is his privilege alone. Nobody else can see their king fall apart like this.

Izuku doesn't tell him that everything will be alright, because it won't be. War had finally come to them and there are always casualties in war, even for winners. They can only mitigate it.

"Three days from now we'll march south," Katsuki tells him, curling his arms tighter around Izuku. "You'll stay here."

His hand stills where it was stroking Katsuki's hair earlier. "I want to go with you," he insists. The thought of Katsuki going anywhere alone petrified him.

They'd already lost Katsuki's parents to the South and now Katsuki will advance to the heart of it in order crush it, but that itself may be a futile effort. The North is a frozen fortress, but their people are few and sparse. They're easily outnumbered by the North’s wealth and armies.

There always been conflict on this continent. The south, with the highest density of population and the most advance technology, is always on cusps of invading them, while the South, a monument to the old ways, remains resilience against such threat. The Northerners are free spirit and independent people and they do not bow to the Southern's might.

But greed continues to pushed the Southerners to turn their eyes North for the abundance of mines and untamed territories. Izuku, the son of the Keeper of the Hand of the Southern Lands, was married to only son of the High King of the North was meant to keep that hunger at bay in this lifetime but their desire could not be extinguished.

They continue to yearn for the rich resources and vastness of the north, but the people here are hardy and unbending as the mountains they had settled on. They kneel to no king but their own; they'll have no other but Katsuki. Izuku will have no other but Katsuki.

"No, you can’t come with me. Who else will protect this land when I'm gone?" He lifts his head toward Izuku, his familiar hand reaching toward Izuku's face to caress it. "I'll be back though," his vows adamantly to Izuku. "So make sure there is place for me to come back to."

Izuku nods somberly and leans into Katsuki's touch, lips kissing callous palm that had never shy from hardship. "Write to me every week at least," he requests. "If I can't be with you then I don't want to you suffer alone. Tell me about your troubles and burdens. Let me bear it too. Promise me,” he urges. It's Izuku's only selfish request.

Katsuki stares at him, eyes heated with a hunger that is deep seeded, and Izuku lets himself be swallow up as he drags Izuku down for a kiss that scorched him to the bones. "I promise. I fucking promise you this," he answers.

Three days later, Katsuki is set to leave with his soldiers as he'd said. Izuku gives him one last kiss goodbye before he departs to the southern lands.  "I’ll find my way back to you,” Katsuki says, eyes burning with determination that could have move the entire world. “So wait for me.”

 “I will,” Izuku answers him urgently like he couldn’t get the words out fast enough. “I will.”

It may be the last time some of them will ever see their loved ones again but, for Izuku, he has no doubt Katsuki will keep his words.He will come back to Izuku. Tomorrow. Weeks. Months. Even years and Izuku will still wait for him.

With a burning hope in his heart, every week he waits in one of the castle’s courtyard for large eagle owl to land, bringing with him Katsuki’s letters just as he'd promised. It's never long or full of sentiments, but it offers Izuku immense comfort and relief. He’s alright.

He rereads each letter by candlelight every night before sleep, carefully combing over each word like he can find traces of his husband in them. It keeps his hope alight until one day, a year into this bloody war, Katsuki's letters abruptly stop.

Izuku won't find out the reason till several weeks later when a messenger brought news of the legion Katsuki was leading had been wiped out in Khro and he'd disappeared – declared missing, because they couldn't locate his body. Missing is a kinder word than dead, but it might as well hold the same weight.

Now, the only thing holding the tattered remains of the north together is Izuku. He doesn't cry then. Instead he calls upon his advisors and make provisions and plans for a war he's about to wage. The South was his home for fifteen years, but now it had gutted his heart and made an enemy out of him; Izuku will take no prisoner.

Only when Izuku manages to relieve himself from a tense meeting with his war council that he locked himself in his, their, bedchamber and lets the tears fall. He'd promised Katsuki that he'll only cry in front of him and this is promise he'll keep, curling in their bed and holding out for the ghost of Katsuki that he can't seem let go of.

That night he’d cried all night long but by the next morning his eyes are dried, never letting his people know the truth of his grief. There's a war to win and an entire northern territory to save, because there must be a place for Katsuki return to one day. Katsuki is alive, Izuku believes, because Katsuki won't ever break his promise to him and it is that promise that keeps him going.

[thebibliomancer]

Dark Crystal Age of Resistance ep 6 liveblog

"By Gelfling Hand...”

Huh. I fell off the watching wagon in September. Thats a long time. I’ve probably forgotten all the proper nouns.

Just a stream of thoughts.

So last time in Age of Resistance people finally dreamfast and the age of resisting finally starts. I can’t wait for the Gelfling Rey to show up and stop the one-note Kylan.

Rian has been captured, transferred from one Skeksis to another, and escapes after deciding that he’s not going to escape.

The All-Maudra is dead, long live All-Mauldra Seladon. 

Wonder what will happen now, me too.

Deet, Hup, and Brea are under arrest. And now the General wants to drink them.

“These Gelfling have just the vigor we’re looking for. Throw them in. And their little podling too.”

C’mon, Var. Geez. C’mon. Geez. He’s tall for his age.

The only good thing about Skeksis deciding to drink you is that the crystal is all the way back at the castle and they’re not going to want to hurt you or else lessen the vigor.

I’m looking at that jail cell wheel and the gaps are totally big enough for Brea to get out of if she just tries.

Oh hey, Lore senses Brea in need and is leaving his chamber by the magic of bending over to fit through the doorway.

And coincidentally, Rian, Gurjin, Naia, and probably Kylan are all here and saw Brea et al get captured so now they’re going to have an exciting chase scene to try to save them.

-Seladon looking at throne like ‘oh shit oh fuck what have i done-

Pfft she sits on the throne just when Lore decides he wants to leave his horribly hidden chamber and bursts through it like the Kool-Ade Man

OH YEAH

Seladon didn’t even get to enjoy the throne in a conflicted way for more than five seconds. That’s amazing.

Ritual Master: “VAR GEEZ C’MON WHY DID YOU KILL THAT GELFLING GEEZ VAR GEEZ”

General: “The Emperor is forgiving”

Ritual Master: -sass- “Of course! If there’s one quality our Emperor is known for, it’s mercy.”

I never thought that the Ritual Master would be the voice of reason among the Skeksis but hot damn, I’m loving his tone.

Rian standing in the middle of the road like some kind of badass.

But the Rian ruse is a distraction.

Rian: “I heard you were looking for me”

General: ‘this fucking guy’

Rian: ‘Why don’t you come out and say that to my face’

Oh the General is just going to run Rian over with the cart. You can’t accuse him of not being pragmatic.

Ritual Master: ‘I DON’T LIKE ANY OF THIS!’

The rest of the team can’t get the back of the wheel cage open but thankfully Lore out of nowhere.

Lore Out of Nowhere is going to be the name of my band that just turns exposition dumps into songs. Once I learn how to sing, play an instrument, songwrite, or organize groups.

The Skeksis don’t know what Lore is but they’re both appalled and disgusted.

Huh. There are other Gelfling in the wheel cage instead of just protagonists. The paladins that the Skeksis were gathering for the ‘war.’ One can only imagine what they’re making of this.

Lore: -rips the wheel cage door off-

General: -squeaking a little in dismay- “My carriage!”

Oh the paladins are escaping too. I don’t know that they know whats even going on.

Ritual Master: -pokes head at cart to shake his fist and tell the kids to get off his lawn-

Lore: -stomps towards menacingly-

General: “We should escape without delay!”

Ritual Master: -sass- “At long last, you’ve had a good idea!”

And they swerve around Rian instead of running him over because he’s still just standing in the middle of the road like an idiot. Mighty courteous of the Skeksis or the pillbugs to not vehicular gelflingslaughter him.

Brea gives Rian a hug so Deet gives him a longer, lingering hug.

Pls no love triangle. Pls.

Paladins still not know shit start hubbubbing about how Rian is a traitor and a murderer.

Brea: ‘Nuh uh!’

Rian: “Everything the Skeksis ever told us was a lie. But its hard to recognize the light when you’ve spent your whole life in the dark.”

So clearly you should all get- yup Rian is like lets do a huge dreamfast circle.

And hey, good idea! He says afterwards they should spread throughout Thra dreamfasting with all gelfling to share the truth. 

Paladin: “I will dreamfast with you!”

Another Paladin: “I will dreamfast with you!”

A third Paladin: “I’m Spartacus and so’s my wife!”

Oh, cool. Funeral for the Dead-Maudra. There’s a cool sounding tradition for the death of the All-Maudra. “The windsifters will deliver six pieces of her crown to six Maudras that they might come together to reassemble it and place it upon the brow of the new All-Maudra.”

That’s pretty neat. A ritual to restate the unity of the Gelfling clans and publicly endorse the new All-Maudra as legitimate.

I have a feeling that its not going to go to Seladon’s liking though.

Woo gelfling song. 

Oh the windsifters are like. Batbirds.

I had been thinking that they were like a type of gelfling job, like couriers or something.

More gelfling beastmastery is nice too though.

Seladon: “Gelfling need an All-Maudra who won’t be swayed from the path set for us by the Lords of the Crystal. A beacon of light in these dark times. I shall be that All-Maudra.”

The, uh, librarian guy says that they should get around to the burial rites and return the Dead-Maudra to Thra but Seladon is going Creon from Antigone and saying that her mom isn’t going to get burial rites because she was a traitor. She is going to be cremated instead.

This is sure to endear Seladon to the Gelfling people who thought the All-Maudra was neat despite all evidence.

Librarian guy: “FOR SHAME!”

Seladon: “For Thra.”

Oh shit the Chamberlain limps into the Stone-in-Wood village after surviving that carriage crash last time and yells at everyone to bring him water and good and just generally do stuff for him. But the Gelfling all just kind of awkwardly shut their doors and ignore him.

And also throw stuff at him.

-Gelfling closes door-

Chamberlain: “I see you! I SEE YOU!”

Chamberlain: “How could you? I protect you! YOU OWE ME!”

Aw shit again, news of the Skeksis drinking people has spread here already and the Gelflings have no patience for Skeksis anymore.

And since Chamberlain keeps hanging around screaming instead of leaving, they start throwing rocks and fruit and possibly poo until he runs away.

Hey remember how you let Rian get away, Chamberlain? You goofed. You done goofed.

Scroll-Keeper: “The General and the Ritual Master have returned. ...Without the promised volunteers.”

Ornamentalist: -laughing- “The Emperor won’t liiiiike that!”

Scroll-Keeper: -chuckling- “No.”

-both start cackling-

I love how shitty the Skeksis are to each other. 

Some of the promised volunteers that escaped somehow made it back to the castle BEFORE the General and Ritual Master and have been spreading the truth.

Oh, hm. So you can dreamfast with someone. But you can’t then dreamfast the memories you saw in a dreamfast. So the escaped tribute basically has to go ‘yeah but just trust me, I saw what I saw in the psychic vision with the guy who is supposedly has brain sick’

But a lot of things are added up. 

The death of Mira. The weird sudden calling for volunteers. The death of the All-Maudra. 

A guard: “Yes! Spread the word and gather arms. We take this castle this very night!”

I cherish your optimism, guy.

It’d be a huge blow against the Skeksis but it feels doomed to fail. Plus one of the guards wasn’t as enthusiastic about the idea as the others and is probably going to snitch.

Oh dang I was ready to say that none of the new landscapes really match up to the bubblegloop swamp from the movie but the sweeping view of the Crystal Desert was pretty beautiful, if not as lively.

Kylan, I think: “They say the sands never stop shifting. Crossing the desert on foot will be as easy as walking on water.”

That’s that good shit.

Naia: “Must you complain about everything?”

Gurjin: “Its not my fault that everything is terrible.”

I appreciate you, Gurjin.

Uh oh. It seems like everything has finally hit Brea and she’s having a melancholy moment.

Brea: “I keep thinking that if I turn my head fast enough, I’ll see my mother’s face. Or if I listen hard enough, I’ll hear her voice. .. But I won’t.”

Brea: “I should be there to bury her!” Ooooof. Bad news there, Brea.

Deet suggests that they do their own ceremony there and Brea says that would help.

Deet: “Thats what friends do. They help.”

Brea: -sad hug, sobs- “You’re a true friend!”

Aww.

(Support Conversation rank A. After the time skip, they will be married)

Archer Ur Ru carefully rolling up stuff in a leaf for eats.

Aughra: “LONG NECK THERE YOU ARE”

Archer: -spills his entire lunch, sighs-

So Aughra’s problem is that she understands the situation now and all the pieces on the board but not how everything is going to end. There are many possible outcomes and she’s got to try for the best one.

I’ll say that two gelflings left finally healing the crystal cannot have been the Golden Ending. Maybe try harder, Aughra.

Archer: -seeing where she’s going with this- “And where does my path lead?”

Aughra: “Into the sands to face the Hunter”

Archer: … -sighs- “I cannot defeat my dark half”

Aughra: “You will find a way. But not without sacrifice.”

Holy shit Aughra are you telling him to kill himself? That’s kinda dark.

I mean, Skeksis and Ur Ru are quantum linked or whatev. Archer could just. Injure himself to the point that the Hunter can’t leap and gambol about the treetops anymore. Or ask Aughra to.

Aughra: “Get a move on. You Mystics are not known for your swift speed.”

Geez, Aughra. You dump a task like this on a guy and then call him a slowpoke.

Archer: “Will we meet again?”

Aughra: -hesitates for like a minute- “Some things even Aughra cannot see.”

Archer: -sighs harder-

And then she’s off to Stone-in-the-Wood to prevent a terrible mistake apparently. Hope it wasn’t throwing produce at Chamberlain because ship sailed.

Rian: “Life and death are a circle… not a line. There is no end, no beginning. Today, our beloved All-Maudra has returned to Thra. Though we cannot be there to guide her essence home… we will sing her memory across the wind. I will bind your words into a dream-stitch. All those who find this seed will know her as you did. Speak for the dead. Share your best memory that we may all know her goodness.”

I don’t have snark. This is just a beautiful ritual.

Now Rian is having feelings about his dad.

Like I get he’s feeling like his father actually loved him because he died for him but. C’mon. I feel like we’re sweeping the bad parenting under the rug.

“I love you. Get out of bed.” Wow. The All-Maudra was something.

‘When I looked at her eyes as the light faded out of them I realized that ‘I love you’ actually meant ‘I love you’’

Hup is a good singer.

Rian, why are you and Deet staring at each other longingly across a funeral fire?

Seladon: “I loved you with all I had” -sets her mom’s body on fire- “I’m sorry it was not enough.”

Mm. This is some contrast. In rites.

Oh the dream-stitch is just like flying off into the sky. That’s neat. 

OH THE MUTINY IS NOT GOING WELL AT ALL

Gourmand: “I hope you taste better than you fight”

GOD DAMN

Okay the Stonewood Maudra Fara has shown up to Ha’ra. 

oh geeez

Maudra Fara revered the All-Maudra so hearing she was killed going against the Skeksis makes her go ‘cool imma avenge her’

Also, this: Maudra Fara: “Several of your paladins are travelling the land telling a different story.”

Seladon is handling this as a reasonable individual. 

Fara: “You speak madness”

Seladon: “I SPEAK… as the All-Maudra.”

Chamberlain comes home and finds the castle in shambles. And Skeksis freely peeing and farting on everything. 

Seems like they just go full slob when they don’t have to put on a good face for the Gelflings.

Chamberlain is pretty disgusted at how gross things have gotten since he’s been gone but he perks up when he thinks he’ll be able to curry favor with the Emperor.

But nope. The big wild party is still going on and the Skeksis are binging on essence and foods. So the Emperor is feeling pretty good.

Gourmand: “Don’t worry, we kept the podlings.”

Chamberlain has to be a buzzkill.

Chamberlain: “I bring terrible news! Cease all merrymaking!”

Emperor: “I see you standing there but no Rian. What do you have to say before I punish you for your continued FAILURE?”

Shouldn’t’ve interrupted his hedonism, Sil.

Chamberlain: -had fruits thrown at him-

Chamberlain: “I faced grave danger!”

Chamberlain tries to argue that hey the open and rising revolt by gelfling clans is a Bad Thing Actually but the Emperor is feeling too buzzed.

-everybody laughs in Chamberlain’s face-

Emperor: “The General set us free! Never again will the Skeksis have to bear the burden of pretending to care for these useless Gelfling.

But who will make your food or- oh right, they’re going to enslave the podlings.

General: ‘HEY I HAVE AN IDEA LETS DRINK ALL THE STONEWOOD’

Everyone: ‘WOO THE PARTY NEVER STOPS’

And then they make fun of how much the Chamberlain stinks because he had fruit thrown at him.

They’ve been peeing on the furnishing and they tell Chamberlain to go take a bath.

I’d feel bad for him but y’know.

OH SHIT TAVRA, THE COOL SISTER

OH SHIT SHE HASN’T HEARD ABOUT HER MOM

Tavra: “Then she died doing what she had to do. What she always did. Protecting Gelfling”

Ehhhhh, speak well of the dead I guess.

Ok so i guess the rest of the Maudra have shown up. Except Maudra of the Grot who just sent the piece of crown back. Its just too bright up there.

So the Grot, the Vapra, the Spriton, the Sifa, the Dousan all support Seladon’s inauguration but the Stonewood and Drenchen withhold. 

This has apparently never happened.

Fara: “The All-Maudra has not always been a Vapra”

Fara: “A war is coming and Seladon is not the one to lead us”

Yup thought something adjacent to this would happen.

Seladon: “It was my mother’s crown. It belongs to me!”

Fara: “I would have followed her into a nest of spitters, but not you!”

gasp 

Fara: “I challenge Seladon for the Living Crown”

Oh snap

“We cannot challenge the Skeksis!”

Fara: “They are few, we are many.”

The dramatic irony here is palpable. 

Seladon: “Maudra Fara has invoked a challenge. It is her right to choose the nature”

Fara: “Trial by air”

-gasps-

A Maudra: “Tests and trials are the Skeksis ways, not ours!”

Apparently Seleadon is a contender being smart and careful but Fara is pretty confident.

Fara: “I will take no pleasure in besting you…. Childling.”

Wow Fara gonna condescend on top of it all. 

And back to the desert. 

The Dousan! The desert gelfling! Apparently they barely leave the desert and are forbidden from being castle guards for some reason!

He seems fun.

Dousan Guy: “To the great All. May the dead become one with Thra again. May we feel their tears in the rain. And their warmth in the suns. Though they are gone, they remain with us still.”

Brea: “That was beautiful.”

Dousan Guy: “But a trifle compared to your emotion.”

Oh they got the dream-stitch thing. 

Ah. Reky’yr. Sandmaster. 

Rek’yr is a smooth guy. He’s giving Brea a bone protection charm and offering to carry the group across the desert.

He’s the most helpful Gelfling they’ve met so far.

Oh. Until they mention they’re going to a place considered a cursed ruin and then he gets cold feet.

But Brea shames him into it by calling him a coward.

Brea: “You don’t trust Rek’yr?”

Rian: “Well for starters. He’s a Dousan.” Wow. Ok. Racist. “They’re obsessed with death!”

Brea: “They’re not obsessed.”

Rian: “HE GAVE YOU BONES”

I really hope Rian is proven wrong in his kneejerk suspicion. 

And then Naia, Gurjin, and Kylan peace out to join the spreading the news group of the plot. They recognize that they’re secondary cast and there’s no room for them in this subplot.

BOLD GURJIN! THANK YOU RIAN YOU’VE DONE SOMETHING GOOD AND GIVEN HIM HIS ADJECTIVE!

Hunter: -spots the party on the flying thing- “So. The hunt continues.”

Okay so trial by air is like a flying race. And everyone telling Fara not to be afraid of Seladon because she’s just a child makes me think that its not going to be so easy.

And that Fara is going to be for a rude awakening.

Oh god. Seladon is late to the challenge because she’s been dressing Extra Extra. Like a Skeksis.

I really can’t overemphasize how Aesthetic Seladon has suddenly become. 

And then she’s like ‘hey fara take the crown i don’t even want it its nasty’

Fara: ‘u wot m8’

Seladon: ‘Its cool i made a cooler, gother crown. Its much cooler.’

Fara is mighty pissed at this but Seladon just grabs her and throws her across the room and breaks the Living Crown with her.

Seladon: “Gelfling turning on Gelfling. We stand on the brink of anarchy. Bow before me, Maudra Fara. And together we will prove our loyalty to the Skeksis and snuff this fire before it burns us all.”

Fara: “As you burned your own mother.”

Damn Fara is good at burning Seladon.

And Seladon can only go ‘yeah well gtfo my city’

You know I was wondering how the trial by air would be portrayed. Flying gelfling is well within the special effects that they’ve already shown but a race would be different. But Seladon decided ‘screw that actually’

Ah well.

And then Fara and the Drenchan Maudra peace out.

And the other Maudras are like ‘geez Seladon geez’

Seladon: “And what will you three choose. Order or chaos?”

A Maudra: “This is not the gelfling way!”

Seladon: “It. Is. Now.”

Oh you three are going to bow? You cowards.

This is the Age of Resistance, not the Age of Follow Seladon She Has Some Good Ideas.

Well I thought that the clans were in revolt but it seems mostly just the Drenchen and the Stonewood. And standing alone against the Skeksis and the other clans is not going to go well for them. 

In general, the feeling ‘oh we should definitely trust our autocratic overlords they know whats best’ has been panning out really bad.

[wwevampireamongkpop]

From Show-off to Hope P.3

Warning: smut in flashback,

Pairings: JHope(Hoseok) x Selene [OC], Dolph Ziggler x Selene [OC] (past), Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Drew McIntyre

Tag list: @empress-with-the-crown @sethie-boos-girl @sugasfatgf  @evilangel84 @littledeadrottinghood @nerdlife0612 @magical419 

A/n: This is a bit of a short part, the next part will be a bit longer

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

    ~ His fingers gently ran across her skin. Her head resting against his chest. A sigh of content fell from her lips.

    Having him relaxed and in her arms was the greatest feeling. No worries at the moment of preparing for a comeback, no press, no stress.

    A variety of foods littered Selene’s coffee table while their drinks were on the side table. The random movie Hobi picked out playing but Selene wasn’t paying much attention to it. Her mind kept wandering to the man she was currently cuddled up next to.

    She lifted her head slightly and looked up at Hoseok, admiring the adorable yet manly look he had. He had decided to wear a headband to help keep his hair out of his face. He looked adorable with it.

    Selene wanted to kiss the underside of his jaw and climb into his lap. After a bit, she gave into the want.

    She sat up and threw her leg over Hobi’s lap. He looked at her first slightly confused then he saw the look in her eyes.He went from looking adorable todominating within seconds.

    “What do you think you’re doing Jagi?” It wasn’t much of a question, he knew exactly what she doing.

    “I can’t focus on the movie, oppa.” She said sweetly as she leaned in and placed a few soft kisses to the underside of his jaw leading up to just below his ear. Her chest pressed against his soft yet firmly.

    His hands now resting on her hips, gripping her firmly and holding her still. Her hands finding their way up his arms and tangled themselves into his hair. Her lips found his moments later. A sweet simple kiss turned heated rather quick.

    Hobi’s hands moved to take her shirt off. Breaking the kiss momentarily to get the garment over her head. Once the foul thing was off, her bare breasts were exposed to him. A groan from his at the sight before him.

    “You are so beautiful, Jagi.” One of his hands reached up and wrapped itself around one of her breasts while the other grabbed her by the back of the neck, pulling her to him to reconnect the kiss.

    She ground her core over his hardening length. Little did he know, under the skirt she decided to wear she was bare. The friction of his sweats rubbing against her clit caused her to moan into the kiss.

    Her hands released their hold on his hair and moved down his body, resting on the hem of his sweats. Her right hand slipped under the hem and wrapped itself around his cock. She started to run her hand up and down his cock, pulling it from the confines of his sweats. She couldn’t wait for foreplay, she didn’t want it.

    She lifted herself up and lined him up at her entrance. Rubbing the head of his cock through her slick folds.

    “No panties I see.” He cocked an eyebrow at her before she started to sink onto him. His hands moving back to her hips, helping her lower herself onto him. Both moaning together at the feeling. “Such a naughty girl for oppa, aren’t you?”

    “Only for you oppa.” Her forehead resting against his. Her hands resting on his shoulders as he was fully seated inside of her. She stretched around him, sitting still to adjust to him. The moment her walls relaxed around him, she started moving.

    He groaned as she lifted herself up then dropped herself into his lap. A moan falling from her lips as his cock hit all the right spots. His fingers digging into her sides as she moved. Both getting closer to their highs…. ~

    Selene felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Seth looking down at her slightly concerned.

    “You okay there Selene?”

    “I’m fine, Seth. Just caught up in a memory.”

    “From the looks of it, it must have been one helluva memory.” Dean had a smirk on his face as he spoke. “Your cheeks look a bit flush there Selene.”

    “Shut up Dean.” She smacked his arm as she walked past him. She had to go change her shirt since Corbin had kicked the Shield out of the building after the little attack from the boys after the promo.

    Once in her locker room, she slipped her Shield shirt off and stood there for a moment thinking of what to wear for the rest of the night. She dug through her bag and found a subtle but not so subtle shirt that she knew she didn’t pack. She pulled it out of the bag and looked at it fully. A black crop top with the word ARMY across the front and when she turned it around, it had JHope on the back. A smile spread across her face.

    She fished her phone out of her purse and slipped the shirt on. Opening up the camera of her phone, she stepped in front of full length mirror. Her black and green resting on either side of her chest, practically framing the word ARMY across her chest. Taking a picture of the front than moving her hair off to one side to take a picture of the back.

    The first person she sent the pictures to was Hoseok. She knew he had snuck the shirt into her bag before he left for his tour just days before she left and the thought made her smile. Moments later she got a text from him, her smile growing wider. Instead of replying to Hoseok, she decided to call him.

    “I knew that would look good on you.” His voice held his smile and that caused Selene to smile even more.

    “You’re always right. I mainly called to say thank you despite the fact I have to go out to the ring in a couple minutes.” She honestly didn’t want to get off the phone but she knew she had to.

    “We’ll talk later Jagiya.” Selene heard the others in the background.

    “Love you babe.” She couldn’t keep the smile off her face and her voice held just how much she missed him. With a quick goodbye from both sides, she put her phone back in her bag.

    She stepped out of her locker room and down the hall to meet up with Seth and Dean. After last week's attack, Seth and Dean were going to attack Dolph and Drew after their title match against the B team. She followed them through the hall and out into the arena. Waiting until the match was over.

    Once it was over, Seth and Dean took off to the ring from the time keepers area. She couldn’t keep the grin off her face as she saw them attack them as she walked out and around the ring. Dolph and Drew had just got thrown out of the ring and she stood there. Dolph looked down at her as she cracked her knuckles while glaring at him. In a matter of seconds Dolph was doubled over in pain from the hard strike from Selene.

    “Talk shit, get hit.” The anger from earlier that night was finally released. She walked and jumped up on the ring apron, sitting in front of the ropes with a smile as her boys stood behind her yelling at Drew and Dolph as they walked back to the back with their titles.

    Dean and Seth climbed out of the ring and helped Selene off the apron. All three of them smiling as they made their way up the ramp. Seth was talking to her as they made their way into the back.

    “I bet your friends back home are going crazy right now.” Seth looked down at Selene as they walked back down one of the halls.

    “A few maybe but I know they are all proud of me and one especially if he saw that punch I threw at Dolph.” She couldn’t help but smirk. She thought of Woo and Hoseok, both have seen just how hard she could hit when pissed. “I never stopped working, you know.”

    “I can tell.”

    “The Acting GM of Raw wants to see all three of you.” Selene looked at the man who just spoke and tilted her head to one side. All three of them shrugged their shoulders and made their way to Corbins office. The man who told them that Corbin needed to see them. “First Rollins and Ambrose.” Selene shrugged her shoulders and stood next to the door.

    She stood there for maybe 10 minutes. She went from messing with her nails to playing with her white jade heart necklace. The sound of the door opening startled her. She saw Dean walk out and he held the door open for her as a county sheriff stepped out. She just shook her head before making her way into Corbins office. Corbin was still talking to Seth as she stepped closer to them.

    “If you don’t want to be facing charges, Ambrose and I want a title match Sunday at Hell in a Cell.”

    “Fine, you got your match.” Seth couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear. Both men looked down at Selene as she stood there. “As for you, Selene. You’re going to be in a match at the all women’s pay per view Evolution.”

    “You gonna tell me against which lovely lady I get to face?” She asked in an almost innocent voice.

    “Your opponent will be revealed at a later date. Since you want to put your hands on someone who is clearly twice your size and your actions have consequences, you are banned from ringside for Sundays tag title match.”

    “Technically, it was my fist but whatever you say.” Selene held up her hands. “I won’t be ringside Sunday but that ban doesn’t scare me, Corbin. And frankly neither do you.”

    She turned around and walked out the door. Seth looked at her with an impressed look, clearly the lack of being threatened still didn’t faze her. Seth followed her out the door where Dean and the sheriff were talking. All three nodded to each other and began to walk down the hall.

[thequeensofmemes]

Reign Season 2 Quotes Meme

I've come to offer you something. The destruction of our mutual enemy.

Common lore is that your teeth are filed into points and your eyes are black with rage.

Ruling requires that your hands be drenched in blood.

What else could I be but a witch?

You are my husband and my king.

You crushed the rebellion by yourself.

If we die, it is at her hands. And if we live I will never forgive her for this.

I'm saying that should anything happen to either of us I hope that you'll remember me not as the man who lied or betrayed you, I hope you'll remember me as the man who would have cherished you if he'd had the chance.

And real love never fades, not truly.

Just know whatever happens, this is not the end I dreamed for us.

I refuse to surrender. My reign will not end without a fight.

Whose blood concerns you more, your husband or your lover's?

All that stands between him and the crown is my head.

Is this how it's going to be from now on? Both of us constantly wondering what the other is up to?

Long live his majesty.

Contempt alone is not enough to condemn a man. Even the contempt of a king.

We're all basically fallen women.

Our love will die here.

It was rather a miracle.

Just don't expect a fond farewell from me. Or my trust. Ever again.

Do not test my power and do not tempt my fury.

If I'm as responsible as you say, I will never forgive myself.

I never imagined you'd kill him by breaking his heart.

The truth of your betrayal was the last thing that he heard before he collapsed.

I will spill blood to defend what's mine.

So you're my new keeper.

You are a necessary evil whose orbit I can't seem to escape.

But you have to know, that no matter your choices, you still have a husband who would do anything to make you happy.

I opened my heart to a liar.

And now I am lying for you, lying even to my brother, protecting you as you take comfort in the arms of another.

Build a future controlled by you, not the changeable heart of a woman.

When you were a child, there were dozens of little girls whose families begged me for that position, but I chose you because you played well together, because you didn't hurt or throw mud at her. But now you have done both.

You are on the cusp of losing your country.

You poisoned a king and a queen and I helped you get away with it. We each hold a noose for the other.

What I meant is your official mourning period is over.

You say that as if I just won a prize. You can't be serious.

Thank you for pointing out the obvious and will you please stop doting on my mother!

Thank you for pointing out the obvious and will you please stop doting on my mother!

Because I love you. And one of us should be happy.

There are those who merely believe they have power, and there are those who actually have it.

Oh, is that caring? It sounds to me like a man trying to tighten his grip on a woman.

Such haste! I haven't properly mocked you for saving the life of your mother's worst enemy.

Congratulations, you've used your knowledge of the heart's noblest emotion to manipulate and destroy someone.

I don't feel strong. I feel like I'm sleepwalking and I don't know how to wake up.

I will be your wife in name only.

Look where that love has brought us.

At least my family will cry at my funeral.

She sent you to woo me, didn't she?

The only alliance I'm interested is temporary, delicious and bad.

Do not seek to take before I can give.

here are some lines I will not cross even to save myself.

I wanted to give you the chance to do the right thing and I still believe you will.

It's a very romantic story, actually. Father threatened to kill them both if they didn't marry.

I need to handle this on my own and to do it my way. What I need from you is to be patient and to believe in me.

My dear, never give up a crown to anybody.

Are you seriously, seriously suggesting that you want to watch me bathe in return for getting my dowry back?

You know that as a Queen, you put on an act. You can't always show what's in your heart. The same is true for being a wife.

We're women. We're not allowed to have things of our own.

Do you worry that I can't bear you a child?

Does it bring us closer for you to know that your failure disappoints me beyond words?

In the name of justice and tolerance you will drive your people to civil war.

My ladies brought this to me months ago. I read it in an hour.

Have you ever been in love?

Don't you turn your back on me. I am more than your friend. I am your Queen!

I can't be ruled by desire. It's nothing to build a life on.

Your figure's gonna go to hell anyway so you might as well eat up. You are feeding the future King.

It's been some weeks now but I wanted to be sure and I am sure. I am with child, our child, at last!

You lie to your guests and then you threaten them with weapons? We will not be treated this way!

Asking you to know your place is like asking the sun not to shine.

It's must be hard. Once a Queen, now the Queen Mother. Decorative, like an expensive vase.

There's a new day coming, and you are on the wrong side.

Are all powerful men so insecure?

Innocent men shouldn't die alone.

You think you're untouchable, that your sins will stay buried, but they don't.

Of all the people you could have slept with, did it have to be one of my ladies? One of my closest friends?

I am your Queen. I command you.

One bedroom for husband and wife. Good luck with that!

[makeshiftgoliath]

Layers // Jordaal’a Dhavha

LAYER ONE : THE OUTSIDE

Name: “Jordaal’a,” the Keeper says slowly, twisting his torso as he looks out into the endless white. “Dhavha. Yes, I remember: say the whole thing. Didn’t we already do this?”

Eye Color: “Blue, like my mother’s. Really, why are we...?”

Hair Style/Color: “You’ve seen it!” he says, frustration clear in his voice - the only voice that echoes into the white.  ”Brown.” He sighs defeatedly. “Dark brown, darker in some places. It’s long and straight and it curls at the edges, but I brush it a lot. And no, I’m not cutting it. It’s soft. Like my ears.” Height: “Five fulms and ten ilms. A little taller than my father, and a good deal above my mother. I think she could take us both, though.”

Clothing Style: “I like to dress nicely,” he said bashfully, turning a rosy-cheeked smile to his feet. “I know you think it’s silly. But it doesn’t have to be overly extravagant. A well-stitched shirt. Maybe one with expensive fabric. Not too expensive, mind. And I do like my doublet...”

LAYER TWO: THE INSIDE

Your Fears: “My what?” the Keeper asks, looking up. Water stretched out in front of him, the soft sound of it running reaching his ears. Shuffling his feet, he found his ankles to be wet - which they had certainly not been when his eyes were on them a moment ago.  ”Fears. Right,” the words left him with a sigh. “I’m afraid. Afraid of being sick. Of not being good enough. It’s nothing so dramatic, I assure you.” A few seconds pass without another question, and so he scowls and continues. “I don’t want to let someone in and have them not like what they find. I don’t want someone I’m helping to know that I’m afraid. I want to be paladin, and I want to be better than I am.” With a huff, he adds, “you know that.”

Your Guilty Pleasure: “Really,” he says flatly. He doesn’t wait for a new question this time. “I like romance novels. My favorites are about knights, particularly tales of them going about the countryside and wooing maidens fair. But they don’t have to be about knights.” He’s flustered now, a deep red reaching up to his ears. “And it doesn’t always have to be multiple maidens.I just like romance, and... No, it has nothing to do with who I am or what I do. We’re not talking about this again.”

Your Biggest Pet Peeve: “People that carry prejudice like it’s a spotlight to flash others with. We’ve all had run-ins with bad people, perhaps of the same race or from the same place, or... It makes sense to be shaped by this, but you shouldn’t let yourself. Or I shouldn’t let myself. I won’t let myself.” He stood up a little straighter. “Also, people that think Chocobos smell bad. They don’t.”

Your Ambition for the Future: “It isn’t any different from the last time you asked. I want to be paladin. I want to touch as many lives as I can, and to leave them all better for it. I won’t always be able to, and I don’t know how long I’ll -”  The water at his feet began to rush, threatening to pull him away. ”R-right.” He cleared his throat, and the water slowed. “I want to be the best that I can be. And I want to serve for as long as I can.”

LAYER THREE: THOUGHTS

Your First Thoughts Waking Up: “Curious what I’ll be doing after this?” the Keeper mutters, letting his eyes close. He exists in the darkness for a breath, and when the light is allowed to reach him again, he finds mountains in the distance. White-topped peaks blend into the endless above, with grey bodies that don’t quite meet the water.  ”I think about whatever I dreamed of the night before,” he said with a smirk. “If I don’t dream, I think about how I’m feeling. Which is usually groggy, and wanting more sleep.” He chuckled. “If I’m with someone, I think of them. And if I’m not, I still do.” He nodded slightly, as though to punctuate that thought. 

What You Think About the Most: “The people I’m with, and the people I’m not. I wonder if those at my side really know me, or if they even care to. Or if those that are only with me in thought ever think of me. If they need me, or -” A terrible rumbling drowns out his words and draws his attention to the mountains. They shudder, their peaks splitting. The landslide that rushes towards him flies sideways, over the water, approaching at a growing speed.  ”You asked,” he said, almost pleadingly, a deep frown taking his lips. “I-I... I think about the people that care about me. That tell me they love me, or that they enjoy my presence. I believe them because.. I just do. I want to. Even if I always don’t, I still do.” As the landslide overtakes him, he closes his eyes. When he opens them, the mountains have mended.

What You Think About Before Bed: “Usually I think about the book I had just begrudgingly put down.” He manages to laugh. It feels refreshing. “Sometimes that has me picking the book back up. Other times I’ll just lay there, thinking about whatever wants to drift in. Good things, often, but sometimes...” He pauses on his own, staring at the mountains sideways. “The bad comes, as it always will. But I close my eyes, and I sleep. And in the morning I open my eyes, and I get out of bed.”

Your Best Quality Is: “I think I’m easy to talk to. People open up to me. Even if I have to dig into them a little bit first. I like seeing people talk about things that make them uncomfortable. Doesn’t that sound awful?” He laughs again. “But it means they trust me.”

LAYER FOUR: WHAT’S BETTER?

Single or Group Dates: “A group date as in with another couple, or with a group of women?” the Keeper asks, fighting a laugh. As the happy sound breaks through, trees begin to sprout in the distance and dot their way up to his sides. At the end of his laugh, grass grows like a moss to connect the mountains and trees to the water.  “What?” he asks the still-white sky. “It’s funny. Ah, but if I had to choose, I think I would want single dates. Group dates could be fun, but only if everyone was interested in being there for each other, and not just me.”

To be Loved or Respected: He pulls a deep breath through his nose. “Loved.” As the white begins to grey, he shrugs. “My heart has chosen. Move on.” 

Beauty or Brains: “Which one loves me?” he asked teasingly. “Mm. Must it be split? If it must, I suppose I would pick brains. Suppose if we could only speak through letters or some such, and I couldn’t see what she looked like. But even then, if I cared for her, I would find the beauty in the scribbles on the parchment, wouldn’t I?”

Dogs or Cats: “Chocobos.”

LAYER FIVE: DO YOU?

Lie: “You know I do,” the Keeper says, amusement guiding his words. As though to reward his truth, the sky bled into a rich blue, testing every shade between it and white and leaving the lighter at the mountains. Still, a patch of white exists, growing from the water and towering up into the sky.

Believe in Yourself: “When I need to. It’s easier to believe in what I want to be, rather than myself. I put my faith in my sword.” His amusement swelled at this thought. “And I guide it with my heart. My mind helps sometimes too, I suppose, when it isn’t getting in the way.”

Believe in Love: “More than anything else in the world. At least we’re laughing together now, right?”

Want Someone: “I have lovers I want in my arms, and I have friends I want at my side. I want to play with my Chocobos and with the little fur tubes I’ve recently adopted. There are many people I want; I’m not sure I could pick just one.”

LAYER SIX: EVER?

Been on Stage: “In a way,” the Keeper said, offering a sideways look to the tower of white. It had found shadows, grown edges, and arches, it’s top carved like a crown. “If you count a race track as a stage, then I certainly have. Or the podium I ofttimes stand on at the end of them. And if neither of those satisfy, my sweater has certainly been on a grand stage.”

Done Drugs:  “I drink on occasion if that counts. I’ve thought about learning how to smoke from a pipe, as the smells remind me of certain people I enjoy thinking of. Still, the smoke does terrible things to my eye.”

Changed Who You Were to Fit In: “I am paladin; I am always who I need to be, whenever I need to be it.”

LAYER SEVEN: FAVORITES

Favorite Color: “Yellow,” the Keeper declares, and as he does, the landscape begins to glow as though illuminated by a star. The waters glisten, mountains gain depth, trees cast shadows - and yet the tower changes none at all.

Favorite Animal: “Chocobos,” he says the word at the beginning of a smile. “I’ve several I’m particularly fond of: Ser Spazworth the Ornery, Spaz Jr., and Hope Hope. There’s others too, like the birds of my friends. One is named Daring, and he is not as fast as Hope Hope.” His smile spread for that. “But I can find joy with any bird, whether it gives it to me or I give it to them. I like when both happen.”

Favorite Food: “Apples. Any color, but I’m more fond of green.” His lips pull as though he had more to say, but instead, he bites his tongue and shrugs.

Favorite Game: “Triple Triad is a favorite. I usually play a few rounds before a race. Some light gambling helps keep me distracted, but I could never bet much.”

LAYER EIGHT: AGE

Day Your Next Birthday Will Be: “The Sixteenth Sun of the Second Astral Moon,” the Keeper says, his eyes caught by some motion under his feet. He looks down and is greeted with the uneasy feeling of floating. What exists beneath him is a collection of stars, some more near than others, sparkling across a blackened canvas. Many were near the end of their lifecycles, and others had already faded into lightless orbs that could only be seen in the reflection of those that still burned. “This sun, in fact Happy nameday to me.” His voice was light with distractedness.”That... that is a very odd way to ask when I was born, isn’t it? Do you not care about the turns?”

How Old Will You Be: “Oh, right.” He pulls his gaze up into the sky, for he fears he may never if he doesn’t do it now. ” Ah, this will be my twenty and fifth turn.”

Age You Lost Your Virginity: “Nnneh.” It is a cautious, uncomfortable sound that he makes.”It was twelve turns until I bled someone for the first time and the same age when I bled. It was a fight with a boar and not at all sexual, but I think I would count that.”

Does Age Matter: “For many things. You aren’t meant to enjoy certain things until you’re older, and you trade them in for things you’re no longer allowed to enjoy. I caught so many strange looks when I tried to start a game of tag with my peers.” He blushes at that memory. “I never got to play when I was younger.”

LAYER NINE: IN A BOY OR GIRL

Best Personality: “I couldn’t pick one,” the Keeper said, starting his treck through the water and towards the tower. On occasion, he would look down, though his eyes were always drawn back up, to the warm landscape, and to the tower itself. “I think I could enjoy just about anyone. So long as they weren’t an awful, awful person.” He paused his step. “Awful to others, anyroad.”

Best Eye Color: “Why do you keep saying ‘best’?” he asked, frowning as he resumed his journey. “I don’t think there is a best. But a favorite is yellow colors. Browns and golds.” He nodded lightly. “Whatever color looks at me tenderly; That is best.”

Best Hair Color: “I like darker colors. Any color, really, so long as it’s dark. Pairing pale skin with it is... is good.” He wet his lips. “Whatever color I get to run my fingers through; That is best.”

Best thing to do with a Partner: “Bathing can be relaxing. Stimulating, of course, but also relaxing. A conversation makes it even better, but I could be happy just being with them. Really, that’s all there is to it. Being with a partner; That is what’s best.”

LAYER TEN: FINISH THE SENTENCE

The Keeper reaches the base of the tower. Looking up, he sees how the light bends around it. The tower glowed, but it did so on its own. His own voice came booming down at him. I love: “Love.

I feel: “Free.”

I hide: “You.”

I miss:  “Them.”

I wish: “To climb the Tower.”

Tagged by: @bhelni

Tagging: @singforalamhigo @sun-bears @me-and-yuuqi @caqi-cove @renofmanyalts @lin-guistics-xiv (went weird with it. didn’t proof read or anything because i wanted to get it out on the birthday. will look over it later maybe :B and add a picture.)