#and “THIS IS SOMETHING FAR GREATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’

[darlingxs-blog]

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Hostile Denial.

Chapter 02 - "Soulbound" Saja Boys x Reader.

CW- HEAVVYY Abby mischaracterization this chapter, Violence towards reader (last time this happens.)

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It hasn't been more than a day and a half since the encounter you had with the demons in that isolated forest, every second that ticked by felt like a year has passed in complete agony.

You didn't have a reason to leave the house before,

and now you only have more of a reason to keep yourself inside.

Bedridden with an unknown illness crushing your chest in, pressing against your lungs as your heart pumps blood that is too thick for your veins to handle.

Sweat makes your body uncomfortably slick and it's not like you could possibly make yourself any better with the invisible weights restricting you from moving at all.

Something is happening, you're aware of it but you just don't know what.

Must be something important if that tiger insists on staying by your side with that derpy smile on his face.

Seeing the feline keeps you from spiraling too far down though, so you're thankful for that- for him staying with you.

Outside your dingy apartment pulsing purple hues peek through a covering provided by the foliage of the tree the Saja Boys hide in, hovering just above a branch so they are covered and it doesn't snap under their weight.

They've been monitoring you,

Not willingly

They just want to escape the burn in their eye sockets whenever they look away from you.

"We need to get rid of them." Abby says with agitation added to his voice. His words cause heads to turn towards him.

"We can't" Jinu replied quickly, hoping to whoever would listen to an abomination like him that his words would shut down any thoughts Abby had in his head that involved hurting that human.

Jinu wasn't fond of the situation either, but he knew the rules and the consequences.

A scoff is all Abby gave back as his eyes landed on you, watching you through the window.

You were weak, frail. It was pathetic to watch as you struggled to just blink.

"That human is causing us unnecessary pain, they are a strain on our goal!" Anger boils Abby's blood the more he talks, the more he starts to think that you are just getting in the way.

Abby reached his boiling point and the others knew the second his black pupils thinned into slits, but nobody was quick enough to reach him to hold him back. Abby disappeared with the rise of dark purple smoke being his only trace.

He reappeared in their vision once again, but this time there was a greater distance between them.

Abby was in your room.

"That idiot!" Jinu barks, teeth snapping together as he watches the display of his ignorance in front of him, he isn't doing anything. He can't.

Your body reacts to Abby's presence, heart beating faster than it already was.

It was uncomfortable, getting a flutter in your stomach by the same person that makes tears well up in your eyes at instinct. It's worse knowing the flutter's root isn't a sense of panic.

Once again, that familiar euphoria fills your body and fogs your brain over. With him near your body is still heavy but it's no longer uncomfortable.

Your eyes shift towards the figure you know is there, though you can't quite see who it is out of the five you just know.

Trying to think about why makes your head hurt.

Abby looks down at you who is basically sinking into the bed, eyes glazed over with a distant look.

'They're in pain'

'Comfort them'

'They need you'

He is  frustrated by his own thoughts. Why is his own brain trying to get him to go against the entire reason he was brought up to the overworld.

He steals humans souls.

Why would he comfort someone who only gives him pain?

Long claws dig into the palms of his hands, blood streams out and drips onto the floor through the cracks of his fingers.

If stealing your soul is impossible, he'll just get rid of you another way.

Your blood runs cold and you don't know why.

The rest of the Saja boys shared a thought that wasn't theirs.

'They need to die'

Abby's voice echoes in their head, they've never been able to use telepathy before, so why now? What did that mean? Why was he even thinking that in the first place?

Before the demons could spiral down any further with questions a stale taste lies on each of their tongues.

Their confusion only grows when a feeling of frost climbs from the tip of their tongues to the root.

The frost gets too cold too quick. Numbing the muscle before it starts to burn; scald the inside of each of their mouths and it pulls a strong reaction out of all of them.

Throats close, their lips burn and they begin spitting out a liquid that isn't filling their mouth.

They try to ignore it.

That only makes the pain worse.

The flesh of their cheeks burn and blister, or that's what it feels like

Every inhale feels like glass is forcing itself down their esophagus.

'They're hurt'

Their inner voices only got louder, screaming at them.

'You were supposed to protect them!'

Their eyes move against their own will, making each of them focus on the sight of Abby with a bloody mouth and your blood gushing out of a deep bite mark on your neck.

You're not moving.

'They can't, not without you.'

'Help them!' Again with that echo, a single thought shared between them all. The thoughts change from the third person, to the first. 'Help me...Someone help me! I don't want to die like this! Someone please, help me!' Sobs thread between the words, desperate weeps of salvation.

They all fall onto the floor of your bedroom. how they got here without thinking about it first, they don't know. They only act.

Getting closer to your unmoving body to press whatever fabric they got their hands on in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding or at least slow it down.

Only when the wound is closed does the pain in the Saja boys' mouths stop, all of them are completely drained of energy.

Murmurs fill their head instead of their own voice, their marks flare up with color again and finally a tear on the flooring beneath them opens up to bring all the Saja boys falling to the underworld.

The flame of Gwi Ma licks at the air as he laughs with mockery.

"So..you've all bonded with the same human, huh? And your first idea is to try and kill them, I don't know whether it's ignorance or plain stupidity but it's amusing to watch all the same."

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What's next? Chapter three "what is forbidden will be enticing" (more lore. Yay!!)

A/N: now that the idea of the demons thinking of getting rid of the reader has a solution I'm gonna write the final long ass chapter of lore (trust it's important) and THEN we can finally get to the fun stuff. If you've been keeping up for this long I am so greatful for you!! Love you lots! <3/p

I have been cursed with run on sentences being a terrible habit of mine and I have absolutely no idea how to describe people's actions when talking. I am so sorry everyone I'm learning and trying I swear.

[akkaweo-akkaweo]

Blowout

Lee Chaeyoung/Isa x M!reader

Tags: anal, rough sex

WC: 2.0k

[inspired by prompts from @thighsa]

—————

"You're making it really hard to not laugh right now."

"Chaeyoung, this isn't supposed to be a joke."

Who could fault Isa? You were celebrating your 3rd anniversary tonight, and Isa begged off from having dinner out after a busy week of work. Yet there you stood, gussied up in a long sleeved polo, slacks, and dress shoes. Which, to be sure, was just your work clothes, but made your case all the same with an additional bowtie.

"You're dressed up like a waiter," she laughed. "You even have a bowtie on."

Ouch. Your pride could only take so much before it started to sting.

"It's a special night," you huffed. "And you make it sound like dressing up like a waiter is like dressing up as a clown. And also, I wear this on the regular!"

Isa raised her hands like she was dodging a foul. "Hey, I never said dressing up like a waiter was lowly!" She walked up to you and toyed with your bowtie. "You're just so adorable for taking this so seriously."

Adorable?!

"Fine," you scowled, almost ripping off the bowtie and throwing it to the ground. "Forget I wanted to dress up for you then." You stormed off to the couch and crossed your arms.

You loved Isa. You'd cross mountains and swim oceans for her, and you weren't always sure just how figurative that was. But if something were to ever ground you back to reality, it was how she always knew how to press your buttons.

"No, bunny!," she called out after you, picking up your crumpled bowtie off the floor.

"No. No bunny tonight," you scoffed. You were significantly miffed, hot and dizzy in the head from frustration – but she knew that her nickname for you was a soft spot she never failed to exploit.

She wrapped the bowtie around your neck once more, playfully holding both ends to pull your face into view.

"Oh, come on, bunny," she cooed. "Besides, like you said, it's a special night. How do I get things back on track?"

Leave it to Isa to defuse a situation, but you still wanted your proverbial pound of flesh.

"Dress up for the occasion first."

Now, while Isa loved to taunt, it was only because her love for the game was far greater. She would never back down from a challenge like that – the devilish smirk she made told you as much.

"Bet," she winked, hopping away into the bedroom.

Minutes later, you heard the sharp clacking of heels on tile. Lo and behold, Isa walked in wearing heels, stockings, a pleated skirt, a long sleeved polo with a tie, and a dress vest.

Consider yourself outplayed and outdone, the almost instantaneous erection in your pants a pole for the white flag. Isa took the win with gusto, raising a knee up to the sofa and leaning over you. The buttons on her shirt were undone fairly low, only kept shut by the tie and the vest; but from the way she leaned over, her cleavage was in full view.

"Let's try this again," she said, grabbing your tie again with a heavier tug, bringing your face right up to hers. "What's for dessert, bunny?"

"We haven't– we haven't eaten yet," you replied, flustered.

"I know," she purred, "I'm starving."

Isa straddled you completely, pulling you by the collar to kiss you. When she let go of your lips, you sat there dumbfounded.

"Aw, what happened, bunny?," she taunted. "I thought you were all angry at me for not taking this seriously."

"I, uh– it was just for play, I mean–"

Isa tore open your shirt in one aggressive move. Buttons clacked onto the floor; string tickled your chest. Damn, was she strong, and you'd never not be surprised about it.

You unexpectedly gulped audibly. Sure, the thrill of Isa completely being in control was quite the anniversary gift – but you knew what Isa was capable of when she felt like being petty.

"If you wanted me to wear this so badly," she quipped, "then you're not allowed to see me out of this tonight."

"I–"

Your protest was cut short by the sudden hand on your mouth. Isa slid her hand between her legs, squirming and shuffling her legs around to free her panties. Isa then slid the panties between her hand and your face. You could smell and taste everything: the pungent smell of sweat, ass, squirt, and everything else between her legs. It made you lightheaded, as if the trigger alone sent you into an erection-dominated haze.

Isa once again slipped a hand between her legs, this time through the back. When she pulled it out, your eyes could only widen: a whole buttplug, already damp, which she tossed to the side.

"Can't take today seriously, huh?," she growled in your ear. "Let's see about that."

Whatever attempt to shout, interject, or even beg for the dignity to moan was suppressed by Isa's heavy hand – both the one still pushing your head into the sofa and the unbeatable pressure she was bearing down on you.

Isa got up and, with her lone free hand, prepared the scene. She undid your pants and boxers and freed your cock, the motions she took to do so drowned out by the overstimulation. From behind her, probably tucked in her waistband, she pulled out some lube, squeezing a whole, freezing dollop onto your pelvis. Minty. She stroked it all over your shaft, coating it with a good, heavy layer that cooled your skin.

"Y'know, I thought I could make some joke about meat for dinner. But honestly, I just want this thing in my ass."

It should be classified as criminal the way Isa had you in her grasp, evidenced chiefly how smoothly she inserted your cock in her ass.

"This ass is your anniversary gift, bunny," she whispered. "It's all yours."

Isa started to bounce on you effortlessly, sliding up and down your length. Every bump on, and pulse of, her hole made the already aggressive riding even more pleasurable.

"Damn, Chaeyoung – shit – you feel so good...," you groaned, forcing out the reaction through gritted teeth.

"What was that? Maybe you should moan louder, bunny," she commanded subtly.While you obliged, Isa was taking starting to get too rough – too demanding, even.

You tried with all your might to regain control of the moment, fiercely grabbing and slapping Isa's ass; but with every one, she begged for more and rode harder, squeezing her nipple with her other hand as she took you in with every slam into you.

For as much as you enjoyed it, Isa seemed to enjoy it even more. The tightness, the warmth, Isa's unceasing profanities and squealing into your ear – it was almost shameful how easily your gates burst for her, yet miraculous you didn't come sooner.

You groaned with every pump and spurt, feeling your load coat her inner walls. Though you couldn't see it, you could feel the cold trail each stray droplet of grool and semen left as it dripped down your balls.

Isa in a manic frenzy grabbed your hair and forced you to face her. "Look who's taking things seriously now, huh? Look at you."

Perhaps you could consider yourself defeated in this moment, spent so easily and outdone so quickly by Isa. But unlike how this was a first for both of you, this wasn't your first rodeo with Isa; the aggression, the tension, the rage started to bubble up inside you, and Isa toying with you here was going to be the last of it.

"You fucking slut."

You managed to break free from Isa's grasp, knocking her onto the floor. She had fallen in a way that she was splayed out, her body in full view for your pleasure: her thick thighs, her supple breasts, and a face that glared at you with even hungrier eyes than before. No longer did she need to be in control; she'd had her fill of petty vengeance already.

"Finally," she smirked, turning around and showing her reddened ass to you, spreading her cheeks wide. "Fucking use me until I'm sore, bunny," she taunted, swaying side to side. You hocked up some saliva and spat right around her hole, before mounting her doggystyle. At the moment of contact, she let out a guttural, satisfied groan.

"Oh yeah," she moaned, "oh fuck YES!"

Everything in you burned. Yes, there was the burn of your still overstimulated and still-minty cock, the burn of sore muscle being squeezed for its last juices. But there was the burn of wrath, lust, and everything unholy you wanted to do to Isa in this one moment. You weren't about to pass up that opportunity.

One slap.

"You think you can fuck with me, huh?"

Another slap.

"Bet you thought you could dominate your way out this one, huh?"

Another slap.

"Not tonight."

Two slaps.

"YES, bunny," Isa screamed, tears streaming down her face. "Fucking get back at me. Fucking waste me."

You lurched over and slapped her cheek – not as aggressively, you made sure of it – and growled in her ear. "So fucking dirty. Your mouth is so fucking dirty. Your brain is so fucking dirty. Wanting to be fucked like this." You hastened your thrusting.

Isa turned back, cheek red, mascara running all over – with the biggest shit-eating grin on her face. "Not fucking hard enough, bunny."

You roared in frustration. What had gotten into her, outright challenging you, toying with your emotions? You couldn't let this stand. You flipped over with her on top of you, pulling her ass apart with one hand and guiding your head into her asshole. Isa held her legs up obediently, as you began pumping into her.

"Yes yes yes yes YES!," she squealed, enjoying being pleasured at your mercy. "You fuck me so good, bunny!"

Profanities were out of the window for you. All you wanted to do was paint the walls white again, to ravage the defiant temple in your grasp until you were done.

"This asshole is mine," you hissed behind tightly gritted teeth. "All fucking mine. Say it."

"This asshole is yours, bunny! It's fucking yours!"

You couldn't take it much longer. With one hand letting go of gaping her cheeks, you rubbed her clit furiously – the one neglected spot on Isa, obviously so by touch – and suddenly, finally, Isa broke.

"Oh FUCK! Oh f-f-fuuu... Shhh–"

All words were out the window, piled up into a dumpster heap of sounds you could only categorize as an orgasm. You felt your fingers coated in a sludge that dripped down from her taint onto your thighs.

With one final, prolonged scream, you emptied your last into her. You felt your balls physically contract every last ounce you had in you until it hurt, every last muscle in your thighs finally giving way until they fell flat on the floor. You couldn't even hold onto her, your final spurts spraying across her thigh. Isa was left on top of you, both of you lying on the carpet like you were out in a grass field – completely spent.

Silence. At least, ignoring the thumping of heartbeats and labored breathing, a sense of calm in the room.

You tried your best to sit up, but Isa still being on you made that difficult, and your shaking jelly-filled arms collapsed under your shared weight. Isa snorted, rolling off you to pull you up. Neither of you could stand straight.

"Bunny?," you panted.

"Yes, bunny?"

"You're fucked up."

Isa laughed. "I thought you wanted this."

"I know," you chuckled. "But you're still fucked up."

"Gotta keep things fun, right?," she smiled. Forget the anger: all it took was a single, truly innocent smile and it doused any remaining fire in your chest.

You pointed to the buttons on the floor. "That was one of my favorite shirts."

"Oh," she said softly. "I buy you another one and we're even?"

You raised an eyebrow incredulously. "I– okay. Sure," you shrugged.

"Happy anniversary," she kissed you on the cheek. You hobbled to the shower.

"Happy anniversary, bunny," you whispered, wrapping your arms around her. "Let's try that again next time."

[dukeswonderousmenagerie]

Zoeystery Angst Idea

Zoey giving Mystery her soul like Jinu did for Rumi.

It's a little different though however compared to a demon giving up their soul like Jinu did for Rumi. After all this is a HUMAN giving up their soul willingly to a demon. Something so unheard of that they may be the only two in RECORDED history to have ever done it. After all, who would be dumb enough to do that? What human in their right mind would ever think to give up their soul to something apparently soulless. Well these two of course. . .for what reason they would have to do such a thing, who knows. But it happens. It's sudden and it’s abrupt and none of them truly have time to comprehend what the other is asking of them. But they do it regardless, perhaps it’s simply Zoey’s way of protecting him, by giving Mystery her soul of her own free will. 

"Having a soul offered is a very different experience than taking it".  

It’s an old saying, one of which implies that freely given souls, especially those given out of love, impart in the taker a far greater power than a stolen or ill gotten soul. Up until that point where it happens, Mystery and any other demon who ever heard of that would have called bullshit. After all, who could ever be stupid enough to love a demon enough to willingly give up a soul. . .

Well. . .it looks like Mystery has an answer to that now. . .

He doesn’t remember much after the act.

Doesn’t remember much after hearing her willingly give to him what he had only taken by force throughout his entire demon life. He remembers the smell of blood. How it drove his instincts and senses up the wall. He remembers the color blue. A sharp opalescence. He remembers feeling buzzing in his head. But upon that he now feel’s. . . hollow. . afterward. Not in the sense that he feels entirely empty, in fact he feels too full. But more in the sense that something seems. . . . .wrong

He feels confused.He’s in his full form by that point. But something feels off about it. It happens fast, and it’s almost as if there’s almost like a burning in him; far more than any warmth that he’s ever let off in his life. Whatever they came to do, he finishes it all by himself in such an easy time that it’s almost remarkable. And it’s shortly after Mystery’s powered up rampage that anyone actually finds him. And it’s when they do that they know something is wrong. He's still in full form and the first thing they notice is that his tusks are different. They protrude much longer and appear thicker too, but more then that they’re opalescent, like Zoey’s Daggers

They try to ask him what's going on. Where Zoey is, and the Saja at least know something is up first 'because there appears to be almost. . .like an electrical buzzing or hum in the air that only happens when a Demon takes a soul. Rumi feels it too but the nature of it is foreign to her. She’s never taken a soul, but the demon part within her still knows instinctively what it feels like. 

. . .only why does it feel so. . .familiar 

It doesn’t click

Or maybe it DOES and they're just in denial despite seeing what they are. So they keep asking him. Only to then realize that even in Full-Demon form, 

he’s crying

He's pacing, and he’s pawing, and he’s whining as he’s kicking up dust and digging groves deep into the earth and his tusk's are glowing and shining like jewels under the night sky but he’s crying. And perhaps Rumi outside of them all knows or at least has an idea on what happened because his teeth are glowing the same way that her sword did back when Jinu. . .

. . .

. . . no. . .

Rumi knows . . .

Of course she knows what happened. After all, how could she not.

She went through it once before

And though Mystery looks different,  it's like looking at a mirror. . back at the concert...she sees the tears, the confusion, the regret. See’s the hesitation and anger over the entire injustice of it all. And she knows those looks well because she went through it all herself. She knows how it feels. How he does; the uncertainty, the loss that follows so close behind that it doesn’t give you time to even comprehend what happened because it all happens too fast it makes you feel dizzy and sick. The confusion that follow’s of what to do next knowing that you'll be walking in a world with one less than what you originally had. And that what you lost was probably one of the most important things you’ll ever have.

From where she stands by the other’s, they all watch as the hulking beast loses itself more and more in it’s mourning. Mystery is confused. He's hurting. And Rumi feels for him because she felt the same way. The other's wont get near him when he's like this. But she does. Because she knows how he feels. She knows how killer the loss is. The uncertainty in such a situation on whether or not they're still with you or truly gone.

The other’s think she's crazy. Even the other Saja would never be so stupid as to do what she does next. Hell, she thinks she even heard Jinu or one of the others gasp when she brought her hands out and suddenly grabbed Mystery by the tusks. None of them would ever be stupid enough to do that, especially now when he seems so much more wilder and stronger than what he did just moments before. Especially in a form such as his full-demon, where animal and mythological clash into a hybrid of such drastic proportions that it scares even the oldest demon’s due to unpredictability.

But Rumi does. Because she knows she can't leave him like this. Can't leave him rampaging and risking hurting himself or the others in his grief. . .what would Zoey say if she left him like this. She owes it to her friend to try at least.

She grabs him by the tusks and the reaction is instant. 

He stops. He becomes still

No one's ever had the balls outside of Zoey to hold him like that. To grab him in such a state. No one was ever stupid enough to do that. But perhaps maybe the touch is familiar. . . perhaps maybe for a split second he forgot that Zoey was gone and for an instant believed that Rumi's touch was hers. . .

But it's not. . .

It's not Zoey

He doesn't know why he stopped. . .why he looks at Rumi the way he does. He could have killed her for even THINKING of touching him like that. And perhaps some primal part of him believes that he SHOULD. Because she's not Zoey. Only Zoey gets to touch him like this, no one else

But he can't bring himself to raise a claw to her, and the thought of doing so dies so quickly that it barely registers that he even thought about doing such a thing. She's not Zoey, but Zoey cared for her. . . he can't bring himself to harm someone Zoey cared so much about. That would be cruel. . . dishonorable even. . .not to Rumi or anyone else but to Zoey, because deep down Zoey was the only thing he ever gave a rat's-ass about. If Mystery had his way and he wished above all heavens and hell that he did, himself and Zoey would be the only two in the fuckin universe and he would be ok with that, as long as Zoey was by his side.

He had always tended to be a loner. He often believed he enjoyed being the silent type who stuck by himself. But Zoey had changed all that. But now she was gone and he was confused because what on earth or any of the realms was he going to do now. . . he couldn't go back to how he once was, it wouldn't be right now. Not with all the time he spent with. . .

with. . .

wi. . .ith

With a growl loud enough to rattle glass, Mystery suddenly swung his head up. In response, Rumi holds on tightly, the other's gasp, worried he'll turn on her. They don't wanna hurt Myst, but everyone knows Jinu wont let him harm Rumi regardless of his friendship with him or not. And the others know they won't be able to stop him if Jinu decides to go on the offensive and defensive.  But Rumi holds strong. She holds tight. She doesn't let go.

She can't.

Because when she had first grabbed Mystery by the tusks she felt something. Something familiar, in that cooling glow of his elongated teeth.

In response to her persistence, Mystery swings up once again; instead tries instead to paw at her, to scrape her off of him if he has too. But right as his claws come down, Rumi hops off him at just the right moment. Just in time for one of his paw’s to brush against one of his tusk

He stops. . .

Dead still; one of his paw’s hooked across his tusk. 

The appendage is suddenly clasped where Rumi once was. His attempt to grab at her. Only instead he took a handful of his tusk in his grasp and he had stopped dead in his track’s mere seconds after.

Because he feels it.

He feels what Rumi had felt. What she had felt when she had touched him the first time. What she had felt in her sword after Jinu had sacrificed himself and had given his life for her not so long again

It was the soft familiar pulsing of. . .

of. . .

He knows that energy. . .he knows her well.

He would always know her anywhere.

He looks up, just for a moment. Just to where Rumi and Rumi alone now stands some feet away with Jinu and the other's close by. Jinu seem's apprehensive. They all do. . .

But Rumi. . .Rumi looks understanding.

Mournful even . .but there's compassion in her eyes as she, in her own silent way, encourages him, and motions him, to just touch his tusks, To grab them both in his hands. To just feel what she had felt when she grabbed him.

And so, with nothing else left he does

He raises up both paw's and he grasps both of his tusks in his grip and in an instant he feels the warm yet also seemingly cooling pulse of energy echoing throughout his tusks.

It’s familiar. . .vibrant. . .just like

like. . .

Oh but of course. . .he should have known. . .Zoey always did love his tusks above all his demon features. His face. . . though he could never understand why truly she ever did.

He shouldn't have been surprised by what he felt. . .

And perhaps the other's shouldn't have been so surprised as well, to watch this once rampaging demon, suddenly crumble down to the ground like broken origami; his hands still death-gripped tightly around his tusk's. . .a mournful whale song echoing in the air as the full weight of what has happened suddenly hit’s him.

[lightoraclechaos]

Project 7c -Acotar(Part 3)

lab worker y/n x Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel

Warnings: imprisonment of Y/n and the Illyrian babies, dread over what might be asked of them, but mostly fluff.

Words: 1,500

(Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3)

~

Slowly waking up to the smell of citrus and sea salt, a steady warmth coming from beneath her wasn't unpleasant. She didn't move or open her eyes, comfortable and content. Until something cold gently brushed her cheek, almost like a caress, and she peeked her eyes open. Her interest and curiosity far greater than the need to stay comfortable. 

Her eyes opened, revealing the source of the warmth and citrus scent to be Rhysand. She lay against his chest, able to feel his calm breaths and slow heart rate as he slept. Shifting a little to move her head out from under his chin, she peeks at his expression. Relaxed and peaceful, he looked younger in his sleep. She observed him for a few moments, taking in every detail of his face. 

Another cool, almost silk textured object brushes her leg, snapping her out of her thoughts and staring at Rhysand. Blushing a little when she realised she had been staring too long, she turned to look at the other two, hoping they hadn't seen, Cassian seemed like the sort to tease her over something like that after all. But to her relief in the bed next to Rhysand's lay Cassian, wings splayed out in a relatively relaxed position, his chest rising and falling slowly as he slept just as peacefully.

She shifted her gaze to Azriel's bed, finding it empty before she looked around more fully. She shifted in Rhysand’s grip and tried to free herself gently so as not to wake him. To no avail. Rhysand was evidently stronger than her even in his sleep. Sighing a little frustrated y/n turns her head to look for Azriel. Finding him after a moment or two. He stood awake in front of the one-way glass window, his back to the glass and eyes on her. 

Embarrassment flared In her expression. He'd seen her staring at Rhysand. Why was the most observant one awake. Slowly and silently he walked towards the bed her and Rhysand occupied, making her feel even more embarrassed, a faint flush tinting her cheeks pink. She couldn't make out his expression in the dim light of the room. Those wisps were clinging to the lights again, a few even clung to the intercom as if to muffle any loud noise it may suddenly produce. 

He didn't stop until he was right next to the bed, hazel eyes looking black in the darkness of the room and making her feel uneasy. He pauses to observe her then. Taking in her rumpled appearance from sleep. He seemed to observe Rhysand for a moment as well. Noting the grip on y/n that stopped her from wriggling away. 

Suddenly he leaned forward a little, reaching out an arm, one of the wisps clinging to his skin. she shifts nervously, unable to read his intentions. Until she felt Rhysands grip loosen. Looking down to see Azriel carefully removing Rhysand's arms from her. She blinks at him, a little surprised. His voice enters her mind again, cool and calm, but softer than the first time he'd spoken in her presence. 

“You were trying to move away. I thought you might appreciate some help.”

She blinks a few times, just staring at him blankly. Snapping out of it suddenly when she releases, he's holding Rhysand’s arms still to stop them from closing back aground her. Embarrassed and apologetic, she shifts out of the radius of Rhysands arms, shuffling off the bed and standing up for the first time in a while. She mumbles softly into his mind, feeling grateful.

“thank you”

He releases Rhysand when she's out of the sleeping male's reach. Who promptly rolls over, letting out a quiet huff in his sleep. Azriel bobs his head almost imperceptibly, a silent ‘your welcome’ before he moves to stand by the one-way glass again. His gaze surveying the dark surface. 

Y/n takes the opportunity to stretch, lifting her arms up over her head and giving them a little squeeze. She hadn't moved by her own function for a while now, having been sleeping for a long time while being passed between Cassian and Rhysand. This time, she catches the movement out the corner of her eye just before that cold silk like touch brushes across her back. She jumps whirling around in time to see one of the dark wisp floats off leisurely back to the lights above. 

She felt Azriels gaze again and turned to look his way. Confused by those strange wisps and the occasional soft touch. Azriel watches silently as another wisp floats down from one of the lights to brush her cheek gently before drifting back up, unhurried. Leaving y/n looking faintly confused.

A quite “What are they?” slipped through the channel between their minds. Like an afterthought she'd accidently acknowledged.

“my shadows” A short quick response from Azriel. Grabbing y/n’s attention again. She blinks at him. Had she asked the question by accident? He didn't seem mad. That was good. Shadows. She lifts her gaze to watch them hover by the lights, blocking out the unnaturally white beams of light. They were graceful, gliding around the room every now and then, almost as if they had the zoomies. Her lips twitch at the thought, and she catches Azriel's gaze once more before he turns back to looking at the dark surface of the one-way glass. 

They stand in somewhat comfortable silence for a while, y/n taking the opportunity to stretch and move around a bit, while Azriel seems to be trying to learn what he can from the glass. 

Around 10 minutes of silence later, Azriel spoke again. The same cool, calm voice slipping into her mind. 

“You can sit on my bed if you want.” 

Y/n debates for a moment whether she should accept the offer. She didn't mind the silence, but he wasn't wrong about her wanting to sit down. She thinks about sitting on the floor but noticing how cold it was to the touch, the offer sounded better. 

“Okay, thank you” another mumbled response from her as she made her way to his bed, taking a careful seat on the edge as she watched the shadows swirl and drift through the air. They almost looked… pleased? 

She watches the shadows dart around, changing places and Moving to gently brush her cheek or lift her pieces of her hair a little every now and then. Now she knew what it was that caused that cool sensation she found she didn't mind nearly as much as before. It almost seemed as though they were giving her affection, which made her smile.

Azriel glanced over at her every Now and then, taking in her reactions and expression. a pleasant feeling built in his chest at the sight of her sitting on his bed. She seemed to gradually relax further, the tension fading, and as he watched it fade, the feeling grew. Unsure of what it was or how to feel about it, Azriel turned back to the glass, releasing a few more shadows and letting them fuss over her without interfering. If she looked uncomfortable, he'd stop them. But for now, she seemed content with the affection.

The free shadows drifted around her, and y/n watched them wide eyes as they slowly descended. Drifting slowly in a similar pattern to that of feathers. They swirled around her lazily, one landing gently onto the top of her head. It wiggled around, winding itself through strand of her hair, the cool sensation a little ticklish but not uncomfortable. When she didn't flinch and push the shadow away, the others floated closer, one of them landing of her shoulder while another floated into her lap. Their presence was oddly soothing. 

Cassian shifted in his bed nearby letting out a huff in his sleep. Catching her attention enough to pull her gaze away from the shadow in her lap. She glances over at Rhysand as well, wondering if either of them were awake. When neither of them move again she pulls her gaze back to the shadow in her lap which had shifted to be coiled around her waist in a gentle squeeze that felt similar to a hug.

A little startled, she tenses, watching The shadow as it moved gently around her waist. Deciding not to push it away, after all, it was strangely comforting, she slowly let herself relax. The other shadows spread out a little more over her skin now thats she'd relaxed, the one balanced on her shoulder slipping under her shirt and resting against her spine, making her shudders involuntarily at the cool touch. the shadow on her head seemed to weave its way through as many strands of her hair as possible, creating a cool patch on her scalp.

A muffled beep sounded from the intercom. Y/n and Azriel whipped their heads to look At the offending object. Cassian and Rhysand jolt awake and both sit up immediately, surprisingly alert considering they had only just awoken. 

What could the scientists want now? A cool tendril of dread settled in her stomach.

~ (Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3)

Bit of a cliff hanger there 🤭

Let me know what you think in the comments.

I know have a tag list, if you want to join it feel free to comment and I'll add you 😁

Tag list:

@jeskaferreira

@fawrmagpie

@saltedcoffeescotch

[sizzlingcandyjellyfishhhhhh]

I have look thru your blog and findvit interesting. I am not aware of the daily struggles associated with your condition. I hope it does not cause you to many issues.

As I was reading thru your blog I got to the point where you discussed your boyfriend's infidelity. It struck a nerve with me because you seem like a very caring person and if this guy went out and was unfaithful to you that is very selfish and heartless in my opinion.

Not my business but did you find out because he was feeling so terrible and guilty he came to you and confessed what happened. OR did you find out dome other way and it was only after he was caught that the appology happened. What you showed he give you ad his gesture for forgiveness was some sorry ass shit.. to keep it real.. He didn't buy you a card and flowers or something maybe hevknows you have wanted. Gifts and material things never make up for the betrayal.

There are different levels of cheating in my book. If someone is out and has some drinks and meets some random person and they make a mistake is one type. If the person you are with lies or deceivesvyou in order to go spend time with the other person. Time that they should be with you. Same as the attention.. were there phone calls and texts.. the point is that if it is preplanned and premeditated that is far more devious abd the lying and sneaking is hurtful also.

Life is going to throw many more challenges and obstacles your way. Do you honestly want to put time into a relationship with someone who cheated when there were no huge issues between you. How will it be if life gets harder.

You are smart and beautiful and are worthy of real love. To have someone special who will always put you first. Put you ahead of his needs and wants . Make you feel special on days that are not holidays or birthdays.

Certain times in life, we come to forks in the road or crossroads and our choices in those moments have a much greater effect on our lives than we realize. Even if something is scary or seems painful at that time the long term benefit from going thru it outweighs the negatives.

If he hurt you and does not seem really worried about it, tell him to kick rocks. There will be other people who come along that will put you on a pedastal and make you priority... putting good energy after bad will just drain you emotionally in the long run. You deserve to be treated with respect and cared for in a way that keaves zero doubts if they are truly in your corner..... just my 2 cents...

P.S. my tumblr is just entertainment for when I bored. I am interested in many things and hope you do not judge me from the cover. Good luck in all you do... I hope this conveyed what was intended and comes across the right way.

wtf are you talking about my bf never cheated on me

[mariacallous]

An emphatic advocate of Palestinian rights has won the Democratic primary for New York City mayor by 12 points—a shocking margin that he owes, in part, to the support of an outspoken Zionist.

The partnership between Zohran Mamdani and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander doesn’t just showcase an unusual alliance. It provides a road map for Democrats, whose future success will require a different kind of politics than the left currently favors: one that sets aside purity tests and commits to building coalitions across ideological divides.

For many promoters of the Palestinian cause, Lander is far from an obvious ally. The city’s highest-ranking Jewish official backs Palestinian statehood and has long condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government. But Lander defends Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state—identifying himself as a “progressive Zionist”—and opposes the BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) movement. These views make him anathema to large swaths of the left, particularly in New York City, where even bookstores and community gardens occasionally try to ban Israel’s supporters. (One of us—Alexis—is a co-founder of Pythia Public Affairs, a political-strategy firm that advised Lander’s 2021 campaign for comptroller.)

Mamdani’s campaign shows the political futility of this closed-minded approach. He and Lander organized a coalition that both liberal Jews and pro-Palestinian Muslims could embrace. Crucially, the two candidates didn’t hide their differences. Mamdani has affirmed Israel’s right to exist, but not as a Jewish state. He has also defended the slogan “Globalize the intifada,” which understandably outraged many Jewish New Yorkers and even vociferous critics of Israel. The phrase “absolutely makes me uncomfortable,” Lander told CNN. “People might mean something different, but all I can hear when you say that is Open season on Jews.” Lander acknowledged that he didn’t completely agree with Mamdani on Israel and Palestine. But, he said, “we’re not running for foreign policy. We’re running for the city of New York.”

By admitting their differences, Mamdani and Lander ultimately made their alliance more credible: They encouraged voters to prioritize shared goals, not ignore disagreement. Each persuaded his supporters to place the other one second on their ranked-choice ballots, which gave a significant boost to Mamdani. The effect was particularly evident in the district that Lander once represented on the city council—an area that’s home to the largest Reform Jewish congregation in Brooklyn as well as several Conservative synagogues, yet still resoundingly backed the Muslim Mamdani. Across the city, Lander’s supporters almost certainly made up the bulk of the 99,000 votes that went to Mamdani in the decisive third round of tabulation. Although the specific tactic of cross-endorsing is uniquely suited to ranked-choice elections, Mamdani and Lander’s model of coalition building can be replicated across Democratic politics.

To be sure, Lander’s endorsement didn’t erase the skepticism that many in the Jewish community feel toward Mamdani. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mamdani’s main opponent, did his best to amplify that skepticism—often cynically, as many of his Jewish critics argued. But Mamdani himself occasionally amplified it too. In late June, he shared a social-media post mourning the death of a Jewish woman. According to authorities, she had been attacked by a man who shouted that he wanted to “kill all Zionist people.” But Mamdani neglected to acknowledge the role that anti-Semitism played in her death, much less the role that many of his ideological peers have played in fomenting anti-Semitism. The oversight invited another round of blowback.

Still, Mamdani made a greater effort to appeal to Jewish voters than many of his fellow progressives have. During the campaign, he condemned Hamas’s October 7 attacks as a war crime. And when he criticized Israel, he made a point of quoting Israelis, including former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the historian Amos Goldberg. Immediately after Mamdani won the primary, his campaign made clear that he would continue making an effort to reach out to the Jewish community. On election night, he pledged to “reach further to understand the perspectives of those with whom I disagree.”

This approach separates Mamdani from the Democratic Socialists of America, of which he’s a member. The group’s national leadership includes defenders of Hamas, and many of its chapters have demonized Zionism. Last year, DSA withdrew its endorsement of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of democratic socialism’s most popular exponents, in part because she attended an event focused on combatting anti-Semitism. This kind of exclusionary politics has led many Jews to conclude that they are unwelcome or unsafe on the left, even though some Zionists agree with much of the left’s platform. Many Zionists (including Lander) support a cease-fire in Gaza, for example, and oppose the occupation of Palestinian territories as well as settler violence in the West Bank. The left has often alienated these voters by enforcing an anti-Zionist orthodoxy.

As Mamdani prepares for the general election, he would do well to avoid getting dragged into fights about Israel. This doesn’t mean he needs to reverse his positions. It means he should continue focusing on issues—such as housing, transportation, and food security—that made up the core of his campaign and animate a broad share of New Yorkers.

If Mamdani wins office, he can look to London Mayor Sadiq Khan for a model of coalitional progressive politics. A Muslim member of the Labour Party, Khan was reelected to a third term last year thanks to significant support from Muslim and Jewish voters. He earned the trust of these groups by addressing both Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, and by adopting priorities—such as free school meals and affordable housing—that were popular well beyond his electoral base.

If the left wants to prove that it can run the largest municipal government in America, it can’t double down on ideological purity, whether about the Middle East or anything else. Anti-Israel hard-liners will have no choice but to work with people they previously deemed pariahs. Mamdani and Lander just showed them how rewarding that collaboration would be.

[hushiesun]

thinkin about how being called things like "crazy" and "defective" seems to be a trigger for Eito. whenever someone calls him that it's like he gets extra snippy about it and defensive, despite the fact he likes to say that he's "the only sane person in the world" and call others crazy himself some content warnings for discussion of medical/familial abuse i guess

it's like it's a self-reassuring thought he tells himself. He's not the one who's broken, it's everyone else in the world who's broken. this reasoning might originate from his history with doctors and hospitals in the fake backstory he was given. his entire life he was in and out of hospitals trying to figure out his unique disorder. no doubt that anyone would face at least some medical abuse in that situation. from the small snippets he talks about his parents, he seems kind of bitter towards them? like yes, Eito hates everyone but like.. if i recall correctly he describes the way they had him hospitalized as more like throwing him away and forgetting about him. not to mention he, well.. murdered them, perhaps partially motivated by his feelings of betrayal. perhaps in this made-up backstory he was called crazy and defective by the people who were supposed to care for him. being referred to like that by medical staff and his own family would of course been extremely painful, especially for a child. the history books he read detailing past human atrocities and how they destroyed their original planet only served to solidify to him how there was only cruelty and not much good in humanity. so as a way to cope with that pain, maybe he started to think it was everyone else who was the problem, not him. he's just seeing cruel people in his life as they actually are. and this eventually spirals into Eito becoming the Eito we know during the events of the game. He spiraled and doubled-down endlessly until he reached the point where he wanted to destroy every last human, telling himself that he was some kind of dark messiah chosen by God. because if he accepts that it actually is just a disorder, then to Eito at least, it would mean everything his parents and doctors told him about him being "broken" was true. perhaps maybe he would even start to think he deserved to be treated that way, as children who have been hurt tend to do.

in the routes where he learns the truth about the Special Defense Unit's past and how they were artificially created, we can see how much this revelation shatters Eito's false perception of himself. in one instance, he even tears out his own eyes over it. he's so bitter, so upset that it really was a disorder, something unintended and unexpected. There was no God that had blessed him; it was just cruel, meaningless randomness Everything that he had told himself until then to reassure himself that he was fine, that there wasn't anything wrong with him was ripped away in an instant. all he was left with was his own choices he's made as a person. from then on, he attempts to come to terms with his reality (because he really doesn't have much of a choice when it's been presented to him so plainly), even thinking to himself during the Goodbye Eito ending that "no god would listen to the prayers of an empty shell like me" this breaking down of his delusion of being chosen by God, of his condescending attitude, allows him to really think about what he's done up until that point. to think about how he's treated the other students who are in the same situation as he is, and realize that there was no greater purpose to it. he's just a bad person. During Eito's final Free Time Event, he states "Well then… I shouldn't be wasting my time thinking about those ugly humans I've never actually met. I'm done with that. Someone like me has no room to criticize." During Goodbye Eito, he refers to himself in self-deprecating terms, "a public nuisance", "as equally repulsive as the humans" etc. it's a far cry from his original "I am righteous" belief. anyway i really have no real way of ending this ramble. I just think Eito is an intriguing character, even if I'm kinda iffy as to how certain subjects relating to him were handled. this analysis/headcanon/whatever is probably all over the place. might have to re-read this later and make adjustments as i think about it more k thanks bye

[leilousblog]

Let me present to you : the “Guilty as sin” analysis - Elriel version

So we all remember how SJM posted Guilty as Sin in her Instagram story a while back ? When she was probably working on ACOTAR 6 🥀 ? Well let’s come back to that, and dissect it to see how it might pertain to Elain ( and also elriel) story in the next book.

I know this analysis has probably done a million times but hey ! It’s always fun to see how everyone interpret it, especially with SJM recent update on the book.

Let’s dive right in :

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

“Drowning in the Blue Nile/ He sent me “Downtown Lights””

There is blue ( self explanatory)

But there is also the reference to The Downtown Lights - The Blue Nile which is literally about longing, yearning, not knowing if the other feels the same ( “ Sometimes I walk away / When all I really wanna do / is love and hold you right” ) which awfully sounds like Azriel when he left Elain in the foyer after nearly kissing her.

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

“My boredom's bone deep, this cage was once just fine”

I think by now we all realized Elain is no longer the fragile flower, boring female in the background. Even others start to slowly notice it. Even us, readers, can sense the shift .

But Nesta cut her off, seething at the pity about to be thrown her way. “Look who decided to grow claws after all,” she crooned. “Maybe you’ll become interesting at last, Elain.”

Elain remained in the doorway, her face pale but her expression harder than Nesta had ever seen it. “You do not decide what I can and cannot do, Nesta.”

Challenge filled each word. Challenge—from Elain, of all people.

“Shall I tend to my little garden forever?” When Nesta flinched, Elain said, “You can’t have it both ways. You cannot resent my decision to lead a small, quiet life while also refusing to let me do anything greater.”

In the Feysand BC, they even heavily hint it. Feyre says that maybe Elain is not as docile as everyone thinks she is. Rhys agrees that there is something about her.

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

“I dream of cracking locks, throwing my life to the wolves or the ocean rocks”

SJM herself said in an interview about how Elain’s dreams will be…tormented, brutal :

“Elain’s now going to have dreams about ripping ivy out and the ivy creeping in through the windows to strangle her at night, because let me tell you, the ivy does not want to go.

Although taking about ivy; there is this idea of Elain escaping something suffocating, getting out of a situation, a feeling.

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

“Crashing into him tonight, he’s a paradox”

Again, the foyer scene. They did not expect to see each other there. She did not expects things to turn out how they did, seeing, smelling, feeling Azriel want and need. She also did not expect him to pull out last minute, saying this was “mistake”.

Azriel :

“Azriel’s hand slid up her neck, burying in her thick hair. Tilting her face the way he wanted it. Elain's mouth parted slightly, her eyes scanning his before fluttering shut. Offer and permission. He nearly groaned with relief and need as he lowered his head toward hers.”

Also Azriel a second later ;

“Azriel was left standing before Elain, who still awaited his kiss. His stomach twisted as he pulled his hand from her hair and step back”

In this scene, in Elain’s eyes ( who’s not aware of Rhys being here), Azriel is the archetype of a paradox. One second he’s all in, and the next he says it’s a mistake ? My dearest Elain is disoriented, not understanding what went wrong (😢)

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

“I'm seeing visions, am I bad? Or mad? Or wise?”

Elain being a Seer. No one, not even herself, understood at first. They all thought she had gone mad, except Azriel who was able to understand her, going as far as telling the other she is the one they need ( kinda wise) :

“She doesn’t need anything,” Azriel answered without so much as looking at Lucien.

Elain was staring at the spymaster now—unblinkingly.

“We’re the ones who need …” Azriel trailed off. “A seer,” he said, more to himself than us. “The Cauldron made you a seer.”

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

“These fatal fantasies giving way to labored breath. Taking all of me, we've already done it in my head”

Elain in lusting over him too. She probably dreamed of him the same way he did of her. Azriel saw her shivering and shuddering, smelled her arousal, offer and permission. :

“Her arousal drifted up to him”

“"Yes," Elain breathed, like she read the decision. Just this taste in the dead of the longest night of the year, where only the Mother might witness them.”

“Azriel’s hand slid up her neck, burying in her thick hair. Tilting her face the way he wanted it. Elain's mouth parted slightly, her eyes scanning his before fluttering shut. Offer and permission.

The song is probably an inspiration and a way for SJM to say Elain feels the same.

And people think Azriel is disgusting, only lusting after Elain, as if Feyre didn’t start with Rhys saying she wanted “fun”, a “distraction”. Of course Azriel also feels lust, juste like Elain does. The books, ( and their books ;) ) will explore it all, including spicy scenes, just like SJM did in most of her books.

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

“If long suffering propriety is what they want from me, they don't know how you've haunted me so stunningly.”

We know Nesta, Azriel, and Elain herself are not a big fan of Elain mating bond. They want her to be free, to choose freely. Even though nesta is mated, even she sees Elain mating bond as some kind of toxic propriety. Azriel can’t stand the smell of it, can’t stand the image of Elain and Lucien together. Even Nesta notices it ( and also doesn’t seem to disapprove the idea of them, which says a lot judging how she loves Elain). Elain herself shy away from it, not wanting to explore it, seeing it as a prison almost. And yet Rhys, and to some extent Feyre ( although I love them both), are encouraging her toward him, partly as a pawn for political gains.

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

“ I choose you and me... Religiously”

I mean… this one is kinda straightforward. The mention of choice and religion. The whole debate on Elain’s choice. Her marrying for love and beauty. Not for political gain like it was predicted for Nesta. The multiple mentions of questioning the cauldron ( Feyre, nesta, azriel, elain…), their religion, when comes the question of Azriel and Elain. What if their religion was choosing, being each other choice. Azriel questioning the cauldron so outwardly in the BC, going to save Elain at the risk of dying. Elain buying him gifts (but not Lucien), choosing thé spend the night showing him her garden plans. Her willing to kiss him although Lucien is upstairs. They are choosing each other again, and again, and again… almost religiously.

Also, SJM talking about exploring mating bonds and one’s agency over it, choosing someone for love, choosing by ourselves. I know she said she won’t tell if she’s writing about it or not but come onnnnn, why would she even say that and never mention it or using it again ?

Anyway, thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

©️Credit ( for the wonderful dividers) : @olenvasynyt

[stump-salsa]

This one image of papyrus is really interesting to Me.

[skyshipper]

HAPPY STAR WARS DAY! MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU

[spineless-lobster]

my chew touys…

[creatively-cosmic]

more stuff for our cr retake looooore. something about cycles and reincarnations... supposedly.

[Lore under da cut . also blueberry milk is @viscarrion 's guy i just did concept art ^^]

[ edit: a lot of this is already outdated u-u ]

disclaimer: this was copied straight from a ramble over discord i did while very tired so this is Not final and might sound like a message written at 6am on a hyperfixation high

the thought with the ancients story is . We're making it cyclical with it babyy. age old legacies passed down over ages of cookies made of the same recipes yet Tweaked, born again, over and over, changing and evolving, lights of virtue watching and Waiting for an incarnation worthy of being their avatars. the beasts were a catastrophe that could not repeated- no, the next wielders had to prove themselves.

early attempts resulted in disaster, cookies chasing purpose and power, yet falling into the same corruption as the Beasts and becoming mirror images of their madness. as time passed and recipes changed, eventually, one success would rise- proven by their good natures and a great act of leadership and power. (possibly by striking down another corrupted incarnation deemed the Leviathans- smth we're still workshopping, based offa thing mentioned in the pre-registration artbook)

the soul jams had changed by then, too- but these heroes were, all the same, worthy of them. a successful batch at long last.

for a while the world thrived under their rule- peace prevailed and kingdoms were born, built, and flourished.

yet good things never last.

white lily, on the night of witches, fell into the "ultimate dough" after discovering the true nature of the witches all cookies revered as Gods- how they saw them only as snacks, puny and fragile and delicious. as the woman drowned in dark magic, poisonous ingredients, and was burnt from every angle from a second baking, she emerged changed. angry. pained. hateful. and imbued with that great power, she found herself strong enough to make a stand against the witches.

one by one, they fell. and in pursuit of vengeance and the power to change everything, let's just say that she decided to turn the dynamic of Witch and Cookie on its head. with bloodied teeth and bones as trophies, the now Wilted Lily cookie, who would come to be known as the Dark Enchantress, set out to show the world what she'd discovered. and how she would change it.

of course, the Heroes wouldn't let this stand. the enchantress did not take pleasure in fighting her once-friends. did not revel in how she had become unrecognizable. white lily, however, had always chased goals that she believed was for the good of the world- this was no different, and no one would stand in her way. at any cost, she would prevail.

on a fateful night, the war between her and the Heroes came to a head. Two kings, two queens, and a sorceress entered that battlefield.

what came of it were five shattered soul jams, four orphaned kingdoms, and only one survivor; sealed away by forbidden magic in a final attempt by Pure Vanilla to save the world as he knew it, in his dying breath.

a few hundred years passed. the dust settled- the war, forgotten. but having lost their leaders so suddenly, so cruelly, and while they were so young, the kingdoms left behind were weak. cookies left, rulers took and left the throne far faster than anything reasonable. societies rose of their own merits, but the remnants of kingdoms clung dearly to what was left, their people spurred on by whispers of legends- of undying heroes, who would one day return and bring their small lands to power again.

when spurred by belief, anything you hold closely can be true in the eye of the beholder.

a cookie was baked with pure vanilla extract and decorated in the flowers of the vanilla plant it had been harvested from. a kindly and pacifist healer, a shepherd- the village under the sky kingdom's remains watched closely, and began muttering of his uncanny resemblance to the legend of the kingdom above.

sparks of hope would become a guiding firelight in the villages hearts- slowly, the name Vanilla Flower was drowned out by the prayers for the return at last of Pure Vanilla.

a young girl cookie, red and tart and bursting with life, wandered into the Hollyberry kingdom from Dragon's Valley. she boasted of victory over beasts great and small, bringing great supplies and hopes for prosperity to the beautiful little kingdom. her passion shone bright, her natural sense of leadership even moreso. the queen that their age-old songs would never forget must have returned!

again, the name of Red Holly was lost under the voices singing of the triumphant return of Hollyberry.

The Cacao kingdom stood strong- a council lead them steadily and held them well through the endless winters of their land. But as time passed and mindsets changed, the council would fracture- no single party trusted enough to watch and unify. Nobody, except... Him. A decision was made- it was time to take a kingdom-wide belief seriously. They watched, as each newly baked cookie would come through. Trying to discern if one could finally be the reincarnation of their king. Until finally, a boy of lonesome and bitter origins came to them, begging for a chance to fight for the good of the kingdom. They saw the look in his eyes, and knew he had come home.

Frigid Cacao, under the guide of the council, quietly let his name be lost under their uplifting words of how Dark Cacao had returned.

The golden cheese kingdom had long ago made a promise to their queen- in the event of her death, they were to prepare and ensure her reincarnation happened smoothly. They did not simply sit and wait. Over those hundreds of years, they carefully engineered each step of the recipe- carefully gathered every ingredient, carefully crafted her dough, and carefully, carefully, set her aside- shaped to perfect form- to incubate in her golden egg cradle, slow-baked by the warmth of safety and adoration. It took ages, but she emerged almost perfect. It had taken too long to care about the flaws- for now, this cookie was their queen.

Before Pyrite could even learn her name, she was taught the only one she'd ever be called by her people- Golden Cheese.

the next cycle began with these four, names and identities cast aside to fill the roles of monarchs and heroes the people of the land sought for. They made idols of men, and each kingdom raised them as such.

And even so, how could they doubt who they were when even the lights of virtue told them exactly the same...?

though the soul jams were still shattered, each of the four had been baked with a small piece within them- a piece that now connected them to the past life they once embodied. the lights whispered of destiny, of rebirth- showed them memories of lifetimes long since passed. the four upheld their virtues as best as they could. even as the weight went on to exhaust them, burdened by the responsibilities, legacy, and promises of a life they had no say in- of a person they never were.

... what of the fifth?

dark enchantress, though sealed, was not dead. her soul jam was still hers, right? and white lily had no kingdom, no subjects to morn her, or to wish for her return....

... mostly.

the kingdom of the faeries held her in dear regards. she'd been a friend and savior, bringing unfathomable power only outdone by their own monarch. They led her along on her quest for answers... and felt responsible for the following chaos.

dark enchantress... that was not the cookie they'd known. whatever happened, it was not white lily. Not to them. white lily was still out there, exhiled from herself. what she needed... was help!

so the faeries made a cookie. as best they could, they made White Lily cookie. she would be born anew as one of their own, her flowers not quite the same.. but still hers.

and carefully, they laid that husk where one day, her soul would find its way home again.

Valley Lily cookie did not awake until desperation grew high enough to force a lost soul into her body. And given life... she awoke. Confused, lost, and with no idea of who she was, where she was, and even what she was ... though far more dazed, Valley Lily was no different than the other young "reincarnations."

the only difference was now, that cycle of uncertainty was not at the hands of a kingdom. it was at the hands of cookies who had been forced to remember the lily of a different life. of cookies who looked at a lost stranger, and instead saw an old friend.

[group-dynamic]

Bartender: Hey, man, how's it going?

Me: Yeah, you know, it's good. Just thinking about how Gil Galad's kingship was haunted by Elrond. Like his first great failure after being crowned when he'd barely come of age was showing up too late to stop the destruction of Sirion. How he probably felt a deep personal responsibility to find Elwing's missing boys at least but couldn't even do that. Like, I know he probably got redirected by Cirdan toward all those refugees and stuff, but he probably really wanted a win, especially because he was kinda orphaned by then himself and knew how cruel fate was to the sons of greater destiny. Like all his family who'd been king before him died, like, horrifically? And then when Elrond returns all fine and he comes to Lindon and he's chosen the fate of the elves, Gil Galad's physically haunted by him again. See, but this time he chooses to be haunted by Elrond. Because I think he wants to fix what he sees as his first great failure by restoring a bright future for this kid which was robbed from him when Sirion fell--and it's probably like he wants better for him than what he got, too, because he got this kingship in exile thrust upon him when all he was doing was hanging out with Cirdan making ships or something with the other non-combatants and refugees like he and his mother who were fleeing war and violence and he was like fourth in line to the throne so he probably found out in one fell swoop that all his family's dead and oh, you're king and your destiny's out of your hands. So he's like, I'll make Elrond herald and give him all the experience and guidance on this leadership stuff I never got while also giving him better control of what kind of future he has. Then--get this--he never even marries or has kids and when his reign is coming to an end. . . Which, by the way, he probably foresaw his own death which is fucked-- because he gives Elrond his ring before the war of the last alliance, metaphorically making him his heir and also giving him the opportunity to shape his future. . .Yeah, yeah, cause Elrond wouldn't have been considered suitable to be a lord or a king or anything after he was raised by wolves the sons of Feanor. So when Gil made him herald it was like helping him gain political experience and any status he lost. So anyway, then Gil Galad dies, but in some ways he's spent a greater part of his life dedicated to the act of restoring Elrond to the path he should have been on in an alternate reality where he was raised as Earendil and Elwing's son and like correcting that first failure--but also changing Elrond's fate because Elrond has the ring, like, he literally has Gil Galad's legacy and power in his hands, something he wouldn't have had (or needed?) before. But he decides he won't be king. He'll use that power to guard the place that fulfills the legacies of both him and Gil Galad. He's rebuilt the home he lost, something Gil Galad was trying to give him, and then he makes it a place for all the orphans and the wounded and the refugees--like he even fosters a bunch of future orphan kings and like--

Bartender: Like the ending of Hamilton?

Me: *mumbling into my empty glass* Yeah, exactly like the ending of Hamilton.

[toddtakefive]

despite the fact that spider-neil is heavily based off of the amazing spider-man (2012) peter parker, neil is infinitely more similar to miles morales from the spider-verse movies

[pillowenvelopchair]

i am still obsessed w the idea of a dragon communion tarnished x rogier btw. i need that sorcerer to be toppled over by some. freak

[depvotee]

Okey, I'm going to say this:

I think some of you, only consume Elden Ring (and all souls like) through video essays, lore videos and theories of the game, which mind you nothing inherently wrong with liking the game and consuming it that way, the problem comes when you take these YouTuber's word as gospel when they we're just proposing a theory instead of going ahead and analysing the lore by yourself and coming up with you own conclusions, that's always been the way of these games, everyone sees everything differently and although there's *some* wide spread theories, that doesn't make then canon, so, the moment when something that you don't like/is part of your personal headcanon happens, y'all lose your minds.