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devildomwriter · 6 months ago

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Ten Manga I Think They’d Enjoy #2

Lucifer

He likes manga that reads like classic literature, dark stories, mysteries, psychological stories, and occasionally something sweet or cute

Children of the Whales, Mujirushi, PTSD Radio, Requiem of the Rose King, Shadows House, The Summer Hikaru Died, Togue Oni: Primal Gods in Ancient Times, Gachiakuta, Your Lie in April, Drops of God

Mammon

He likes stories involving his personal hobbies like working on cars, gambling, etc. he also enjoys funny stories and secretly cute romances or relatable romances

Play it Cool Guys, Bleach, Chibi Vampire, Daily Lives of High School Boys, Fire Force, I Belong to the Baddest Girl at School, I’m a Wolf But My Boss is a Sheep, My Monster Secret, Skip and Loafer, The Muscle Girl Next Door

Leviathan

Leviathan loves everything but he’s especially a fan of gaming manga, magical girls, monster girls, isekai, and the classics

A Centaur’s Life, Jobless Reincarnation, Yashahime Princess Half-Demon, If Witch Then Which, Banished From the Hero’s Party I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Country Side, My Clueless First Friend, Far-away Paladin, Geek Ex-Hitman, If the RPG World Had Social Media, Komi Can’t Communicate

Satan

Satan loves manga that reads like classical literature but he also loves stories about cats, dark mysteries, psychological stories and ones with characters he finds relatable

Case Study of Vanitas, Cat + Gamer, XXXHolic, Haunted Bookstore, Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-San, Vampire Library, Heavenly Delusion, I’m the Catlord’s Manservant, Infernal Devices, Library Wars

Asmodeus

Asmodeus mostly enjoys romance whether it’s cute and fluffy or extremely erotic

Nana to Kaoru, We Can’t Do Just Plain Love, We Started a Threesome, I Want You to Make Me Beautiful, In to the Tentacle Cave, Who Wants to Marry a Billionaire, Training Mr Sakurada, My Androgynous Boyfriend, Birds of Shangri-La, Interspecies Reviewers

Beelzebub

Beelzebub is a big fan of manga involving food but he also enjoys a good action adventure and sports manga

Crazy Food Truck, My Deer Friend Nokotan, One Punch Man, Restaurant to Another World, Let’s Eat Together Aki and Haru, How to Grill Our Love, Giant Spider and Me, Hajime no Ippo, How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, Plus Sized Elf

Belphegor

Belphegor likes stories with relatable characters which can be hard to find but he also loves adventures, horror, and Slice of life; he’s a little all over the place

Servamp, Soara and the House of Monsters, Jujutsu Kaisen, Rurouni Kenshin, You Have No Human Rights, Uzumaki, SINoALICE, Gannibal, The Tree of Death, Dorohedoro

Solomon

Solomon loves compelling narratives, dark psychological stories, stories that take a deeper look a humanity and immortality, and one’s that involves demons/angels/sorcerers. He does also love cat books like Satan

Ancient Magus Bride, Blood on the Tracks, Bloody Mary, Of the Red Light and the Ayakashi, Demon Diary, Dr. Stone, Emanon, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Magus of the Library, Mob Psycho 100

Thirteen

Thirteen is a little all over the place, she likes to see what’s popular but she also enjoys slashers, one’s that take a closer look at death and spirits, and dark romance

Duke of Death and His Maid, Executioner and Her Way of Life, Ghost Reaper Girl, No Longer Allowed in Another World, Versailles of the Dead, Your Turn to Die, Chainsaw Man, Your Letter, Solanin, Corpse Party

Simeon

Simeon enjoys reading manga that have some religious aspects, he likes ones about authors since they are relatable, and he enjoys some random ones here and there that are cute or funny. He’s also a sucker for a pure romance

Ceres Celestial Legend, Handa-Kun, A Witch’s Printing Office, Lord Hades Ruthless Marriage, Takopi’s Original Sin, Ride Your Wave, Haru’s Curse, Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artists Journey, Our Dreams at Dusk, Blue Flag

Raphael

Raphael canonically likes coming of age sports dramas. I believe he’s also he amused by one’s involving ant Christian aspects about angels and demons, heaven and hell. He also enjoys one’s that include his hobbies like security, military, and anything to do with fashion

Cheeky Brat, Waiting for Spring, Blue Box, Kuroko’s Basketball, Yowamushi Pedal, Ran and the Gray World, Mame Coordinate, Cinderella Closet, Kamikaze Girls, Anri a Shoemaker

Luke

Luke loves to try everything but his books are monitored to make sure he doesn’t stumble upon anything inappropriate for his age ana angel status. He loves ones about food, animals, adventure, and a good slice of life or 4-panel.

Cat Massage Therapy, Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokémon Adventures, Animal Crossing, My Little Pony: The Manga, Story of Seven Lives, Star Wars: Rebels, Dragon Ball, Disney Twisted Wonderland, Cardcaptor Sakura

Michael

Michael enjoys funny books, one’s that take a closer look at humanity and war, classical adaptations, and one’s involving angels and demons.

Record of Ragnarok, I Had That Same Dream Again, Skip Beat, Angel Sanctuary, Homunculus, The Ephemeral Scenes of Setsuna’s Journey, Alpi the Soul Sender, X, Ballad x Opera, Legend of the Nymph

Mephistopheles

Mephistopheles likes books that involve history, nobility, prestigious jobs, mystery, and equestrian sports. He also enjoys one’s about demons and servants.

Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World, Great Jahy Will Not be Defeated, Villains Are Destined to Die, Vinland Saga, Cantarella, Kingdom, Blade of the Immortal, Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom, Ajin

Barbatos

Barbatos prefers books that are dark and disturbing as well as insightful books on time, immortality, grief, morality vs law, etc.

Coffee Moon, Drifting Classroom, His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper, The Maid I Hired Recently is Mysterious, Horizon, The Lady and Her Butler, I Sold My Life For Ten Thousand Yen Per Year, Homunculus, Parasyte, Yokai Rental Shop

Diavolo

Diavolo absolutely loves cute family manga, funny manga, one’s that involve demons and angels, cute romances, and exciting action and adventure. He isn’t picky and will read anything if it’s been recommended to him.

Correspondence From the End of the Universe, Soul Eater, Given, In the Clear Moonlit Dusk, Juana and the Dragonewt’s Seven Kingdoms, Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School, Thigh High, Delinquent Daddy and Tender Teacher, Hate Me But Let Me Stay, Hinamatsuri

#obey me shall we date #obey me headcanon #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me solomon #obey me thirteen #obey me simeon #obey me raphael #obey me luke #obey me mephistopheles #obey me barbatos #obey me diavolo #manga reccs #no manga has affected me like you have no human rights

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bobbinbugs · 3 months ago

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Entrapment: marriage, sacrifices, and gilded cages in Silksong

This is a massive, fully-sourced essay encompassing all the marriage symbolism we have for Silksong and the full breadth of its connotations. This thing is a beast in five parts: mind that readmore!

Part 1: a presentation of evidence

Rather than diving right into analysis, we need to set the stage with information gathered and analyzed by the talented people of the HK tumblr community, to whom this would not be possible without.

Hornet starts the game captured in a gilded cage, carried off by small, faceless creatures in white. as pointed out by ganymeadesclock, these characters are most likely religious figures, and Lace, while not one of the cultists, is most likely associated with them... somehow.

Furthermore, marriage symbolism. I won't reiterate myself overmuch, so look here, here, and here for various pieces I've managed to collect. No matter how you slice it, Lace is absolutely drowning in marriage symbolism, right down to her name. It does feel quite notable, then, that Hornet and Lace have similar cages, don't they? Lace's quite strongly resembles a decorative birdcage, actually, and Hornet's a fishbowl; (Aside: though the latter is a bit of a stretch.) enclosures too small to support an animal's wellbeing, but perfect for displaying them. Almost like, perhaps, a trophy bride?

Part 2: marriage as a gilded cage

This was going to have a excerpt from my essay on the unicorn tapestries, but it's already long enough as is. This segment and the following cannot analyze Silksong directly due to lack of information, but we can draw throughlines from the classic and epic literature Team Cherry draws inspiration from, and the history surrounding them.

Marriage has traditionally been a transfer of property throughout much of our world, not an act of love between two consenting parties. While a married woman would have the freedom to manage her husband's property in his absence, when he was around, she belonged to him; in marrying, she transfers from her father's ownership to her husband's. Marriage has been a total sacrifice of freedom for a woman in exchange for her "safety," which, considering how difficult it is to leave domestic abuse (Aside: Even more so in the times where woman could not own property or money, and divorce was not legal), is a perfect example of gilded cage.

This is a summary, and I recommend checking out these pieces on marriage abolition and medieval marriage culture for further context. Primarily, I'm trying to convey a certain degree of dread to emphasize why Hornet may be running herself ragged in Pharloom: her freedom may be deeply at stake.

Aside: There's also a throughline of queerness and the imprisonment of heterosexual marriage, and how it may relate to Lace attempting to free her and why Lacenet could be both canon and fascinating, but I won't delve into it here.

Part 3: A foray into ancient greece: marriage as a sacrifice

If you're a Greek mythology nerd like me, you may have noticed an odd connecting thread between Persephone, Psyche, and Antigone. All three are connected by their status as young virgin brides, but also by perversion of marriage rites in their stories. Persephone is abducted to the underworld (the land of the dead) and bound forever to a man via eating pomegranate seeds: a symbolic "seeding" (read: impregnation) if you will. Psyche, when taken away to be married, has instead funeral rites conducted for her, and she spends her honeymoon afraid of the invisible monster she married. And last, Antigone, the death-bride marching towards her funeral-wedding, thigh to thigh with her brother in the grave.

Present along the same thread is imagery of distraught mothers and sisters: Persephone's mother grieves and wails and sets a blight on the earth searching for her daughter; Psyche's sisters weep to leave her on the rock; Ismene tries to share the blame of Antigone's crime, punishable by death, so she would not be without her sister, or vice-versa.

A few feminist interpretations have been offered, but the most common is that to a Grecian mother, her daughter has been taken away from her home, never to be seen again. A marriage, to a sister or mother, is a sacrifice: A young girl is taken away from the comfort of her household into a scary, unfamiliar world, where she must learn quickly about herself and her body without the guidance of people - particularly women - she knows and loves.

Don't forget, either, that rape did not initially refer strictly to sexual assault, but the act of kidnapping a girl as a marriage rite. (Aside: The bride's consent does not matter; only her father's. Why do you think the term evolved to mean sexual violence?)

Sound familiar?

And the perversion of the marriage rite doesn't end there. Churches, a notable location in Pharloom, don't just marry people; they are also where funerals are conducted. And, if you listen to the Silksong trailer, you will hear the Dies Irae - the Funeral Mass - note for note.

But the perversion of the rite does not end there. Even more disturbing is the presence of consumption as a theme. As I said here:

Oh I am THINKING about Silksong tonight... How Lace says “Poor little morsel” and “delicious,” implying not only Pharloom would consume her, Lace is on the side of what’s doing the consuming. How spiders frequently feed on their own kind, especially in massive community web systems... whatever’s up with Pharloom, it’s going to eat Hornet alive.

A sacrifice, in its most traditional sense, is to give a deity sustenance, at an expense, in exchange for the prosperity of the many.

Part 4: Lace as Κανηφόρος and her religious duties: wild speculation!

Let's revisit Lace as a religious figure - and a potentially important often. If Hornet is the sacrifice, what does that make Lace?

From wikipedia:

The Kanephoros ... was an honorific office given to unmarried young women in ancient Greece, which involved the privilege of leading the procession to sacrifice at festivals ... The role was given to a virgin selected from amongst the aristocratic or Eupatrid families of Athens whose purity and youth was thought essential to ensure a successful sacrifice. Her task was to carry a basket or kanoun (κανοῦν), which contained the offering of barley or first fruits, the sacrificial knife and fillets to decorate the bull in procession through the city up to the altar on the acropolis. ... A girl who acted as kanephoros would have advertised the central place of her family in Athenian society, and her own availability for a dynastic marriage.

Wait, up through the city? That sounds...

Hornet, princess-protector of Hallownest, finds herself alone in a vast, unfamiliar world. She must battle foes, seek out allies, and solve mysteries as she ascends on a deadly pilgrimage to the kingdom’s peak.

...Awfully familiar.

And, interestingly, whatever ritual centering around Hornet we're spiraling towards, Hornet seems to be willfully - if unknowingly - marching towards it, and Lace seems intent on stopping it in its tracks.

I suspect she will not only be the rival won over role, but the betrayer. Lace is not to be wedded, but Hornet. Lace's role is to sacrifice Hornet at the proper time and place, and her goal before then is to stop Hornet from doing so, by any means necessary.

The final battle will almost certainly involve Lace, and in the worst ending, she will most likely be the one to deal the final blow and complete the rite. We're in pure speculative territory, but we already have the visual symbolism that Lace is just as trapped as Hornet. What is a betrayal if not duty, or a desire to save her own skin, winning over compassion?

Part 5: Disclaimers, Clarifications, and Conclusions

This is not to say I think this will be a recreation of Grecian ritual. Far from it: I don't even claim that marriage and misogyny will be a theme in anything other than visual symbolism, and I strongly doubt hornet's skill and status will ever be disputed due to her womanhood. Simply not Team Cherry's style! Until Silksong comes out, this is mere extrapolation.

But through Team Cherry's strong visual storytelling, I feel confident drawing allusions. The crushing prison of gilded cages, the marriage imagery, the subtle perversion of rite in the trailer, all spells out one thing:

Hornet is to be married or sacrificed.

But then again, what's the difference?

A special thank you to the minds of @ganymedesclock, my mutual @rukafais, and @ruthlesslistener, whose analysis was crucial to piecing this massive theory/analysis together. And for my mutuals who might be interested: @voidsiblings, @halloween-cats, @imminent-danger-came, @croissantk, @electricabsolution, and @toapenguin

#lace #hornet #lacenet #silksong #hollow knight silksong #hollow knight meta #silksong meta #meta #bobbinbugs originals

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thenightling · 5 months ago

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Things we learned about the character Beetlejuice in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Spoilers below: 1. He's actually Italian. 2. His cause of death was poisoning. 3. He told the truth about having lived through the black death. 4. He's six-hundred-years dead. Age at the time of death unknown. 5. He married a soul-sucking succubus cult leader and somehow thought it would be fine. 6. He was a grave robber (and apparently didn't wear shoes). 7. His plan for a "Green card wedding" has now grown into an unhealthy infatuation / obsession with Lydia. 8. He's multi-lingual. 9. He's familiar with Russian literature. 10. He knows how to open a portal to Hell or Hell-like dimension. 11. He now has minion who are apparently all victims of the witch doctor we saw in the waiting room at the end of the first movie. 12. Beetlejuice now canonically loves a good song and dance number in every incarnation of the character from the movies, to the animated series, to the Broadway musical, to his appearance on Teen Titans Go. 13. He is well-versed in the many corridors of The Afterlife Social services office. (Is the Netherworld all one building in the movies? It was an entire dimension in the animated series where it was called Neither World). 14. He's actually really good at dividing his attention. (See the Wedding scene). 15. Beetlejuice has a weirdly romantic side and really wanted MacArthur Park to play at his wedding. 16. Beetlejuice is familiar with the German legend of Faust. (Note the contract signed in blood. (Who would have guessed he actually has some sense of culture???) 17. There's a very high chance Beetlejuice was born Jewish. He says L'chaim at one point in the Beetlejuice Broadway musical and Mazel tov in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

18. Beetlejuice's mortal marriage was definitely not Christian or Hebrew. The ceremony had him and his bride drink each other's blood, bite the heads off chickens, and sacrifice a goat. 20. Beetlejuice has a sense of justice, as twisted as it may be, going out of his way to show Lydia Rory's true nature, and sending the ghost to Hell (or a Hell-like dimension) that tricked Astrid. I'm starting to feel like the version of Beetlejuice from the animated series is the most "accurate" depiction of the character, as weird as that sounds. Since the movie version has shifted to be more like him and the Broadway musical version feels like a prequel to the cartoon.

#Beetlejuice

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the-fire-within0 · 7 months ago

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Hey idk your history or anything but Lilith is closed to non-Jewish people.

Hey there, anon. I'm open to discussing Lilith, but whether Lilith is a closed practice for non-Jewish people is a bit complicated. First, I'm not sure about your background. Second, I don't know your intentions behind asking. Third, I'm unsure about your research on Lilith or your own beliefs. I'm not trying to be rude; I just want to clarify a few things before we proceed to avoid any potential misunderstandings.

I believe it's important to understand Lilith both as a specific figure and as a symbolic one. Although I rarely engage with Lilith in my practice, I acknowledge her occasional presence. While modern portrayals frequently depict Lilith as a feminist icon and "goddess of fertility," or "mother goddess," these views do not trace back to traditional beliefs about her or what she was associated with. She is represented as the complete opposite of these newer tellings.

Regarding that, there is archaeological evidence of Aramaic incantation bowls and amulets used in Semitic regions to ward off Lilith or demons. She is a demon associated with lust, miscarriage, and child abduction, with her name's etymology linked to screech owls, night bird, night creature and the night ("laylah," Hebrew). She is primarily a figure in Jewish apocryphal works. However, it is possible that the inspiration for Lilith came from the Mesopotamian demonic goddess Lamashtu, who in which, bears much resemblance to her.

In Mesopotamian mythology, "Lil," "Lilītu," (Akkadian) "Lilû" (masculine version) refers to a group of disease-bearing wind spirits/demons rather than a single demon. Additionally, the image on the Burney Relief plaque is unlikely to be Lilith, as scholars have suggested that it might represent Inanna/Ishtar or her sister Ereshkigal instead. Another aspect to mention is that "ardat-lilî" refers to the ghosts of young women who died without experiencing sexual fulfillment or marriage. Therefore, they would attempt to seduce young men. The term "ardat-lilî" translates to "maiden lilî"/"phantom bride." They were described as a troubled and restless spirit associated with negative sexuality and the wind. They are suggested to be a form of succubi, believed to possess the ability to fly and enter houses through windows. There's a bit more of an explanation of ardat-lilî within the book Women in the Ancient Near East. (You can just ctrl + F to search keywords).

Another thing to point out that Lilith within the Hebrew bible is only mentioned once in

Isaiah 34:14, NRSV, "Wildcats shall meet with hyenas; goat-demons shall call to each other; there also Lilith shall repose and find a place to rest."

However with this translation alone, scholars suggest that it is associated a type or class of demon (similar to the Lilītu). Lilith can also be identified in the Dead Sea Scrolls as a "singular entity" but there isn't much detail that goes further than that.

11QpsAp, "And I, the Sage, sound the majesty of His beauty to terrify and confound all the spirits of destroying angels and the bastard spirits, the demons, Lilith. . ., and those that strike suddenly, to lead astray the spirit of understanding, and to make desolate their heart."

In this translation, there is a reference to Lilith in the Songs of the Sage (4Q510–511). For more information about 4Q510-511.

In rabbinic literature, the Babylonian Talmud, during the exile, Lilith poses much more of a threat to men if they were to sleep alone,

Shabbat 151b, "It is prohibited to sleep alone in a house, and anyone who sleeps alone in a house will be seized by the evil spirit Lilith."

There are mentions of the appearance of lilith (lower-cased on purpose), with depictions of having long hair and wings.

Niddah 24b, "Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says: In the case of a woman who discharges a fetus that has the form of a lilith, a female demon with wings and a human face, its mother is impure with the impurity of a woman after childbirth, as it is a viable offspring, only it has wings."

The notion of Lilith as the "first woman" primarily stems from satirical literature like the Alphabet of Ben Sira.

Honestly, interpret this however you like. There are countless theories, different ways to interpret texts, and various personal beliefs. Even if you see everything as just lessons and don't take it seriously, that's your choice. If someone wants to explore and learn about Lilith or liliths, I'm personally not opposed to it—as long as they understand her/their exact origins. Some people practice demonolatry or just conduct extensive research in demonology, so it's hard to make definitive statements. That's why I find it complicated to say that an entity, demon, deity, or anything similar is closed. Additionally, converting to Judaism is NOT an easy process. From what I know, Jewish people would not want to work with demons. They would prefer to ward them off or avoid any involvement with them altogether, and or whatever their standpoint might be since not one individual is the same.

It's also important to note that Lilith isn't part of Christian theology (this goes to anyone just learning, honestly). The Christianized version of Lilith I'd like to think is very washed-down or "declawed."

If you'd like to discuss any potential errors in my statements, feel free to reach out. Please provide relevant links to support your points, and avoid generalizing one person's opinion as representative of everyone or an entire group, not only that, it's good to be respectful while discussing, that's all I would ask and kindly appreciate.

There are so much more information in terms of Lilith, with which you can look at through these links since it's a lot harder to fit everything into one post:

A good video to learn from too can be the video from Dr. Justin Sledge/ESOTERICA called Who is Lilith - First Wife of Adam - Ancient Origins and Development of the Myth of the Demon Queen:

youtube

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yallemagne · 2 years ago

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Lenore Posting

One of the most influential lines in vampire literature was in a poem that features no vampires: "Denn die Todten reiten schnell" from Lenore by Gottfried August Bürger.

For fun, I must first address that this phrase also appears in what is considered Bram Stoker's first draft of Dracula: Dracula's Guest.

Impelled by some sort of fascination, I approached the sepulchre to see what it was, and why such a thing stood alone in such a place. I walked around it, and read, over the Doric door, in German: COUNTESS DOLINGEN OF GRATZ IN STYRIA SOUGHT AND FOUND DEATH 1801 On the top of the tomb, seemingly driven through the solid marble—for the structure was composed of a few vast blocks of stone—was a great iron spike or stake. On going to the back I saw, graven in great Russian letters: “The dead travel fast.”

Why it is in Russian when the engraving on the tomb is in German and why proto-Jonathan is able to read both languages when his first draft self knew not even a lick of German, I cannot say. What I can say is that Styria is a reference to Carmilla, of course, and we know from the engraving: "sought and found death" that the Countess likely committed suicide, which is often deemed a sin in Christianity that can condemn one to vampirism. Eternal life as punishment for seeking death against God's will. You could take this paired with the quote as a reference to Bürger's Ballad of Lenore, in which a grieving woman curses God for the death of her beloved and is punished with death... but it doesn't fit as well as it should. That bitch Dolingen ain't travelling nowhere.

Okay, okay, right to the book:

The parallels to Bürger's ballad start before the line is spoken. The driver drives dangerously fast, urged on by his other passengers, much to Jonathan's chagrin. How was it that Lenore was led to her death? A man resembling her beloved, Wilhelm, appeared on a horse and bid her to join him to go to their marriage bed. On the way, he rides wildly, distressing her. He inquires:

“What ails my love? the moon shines bright: Bravely the dead men ride through the night. Is my love afraid of the quiet dead?” “Ah! no;—let them sleep in their dusty bed!”

(By the way, here, "Denn die Todten reiten schnell" is translated as "Bravely the dead men ride through the night")

"You are early to-night, my friend." The man stammered in reply:— "The English Herr was in a hurry," to which the stranger replied:— "That is why, I suppose, you wished him to go on to Bukovina. You cannot deceive me, my friend; I know too much, and my horses are swift." As he spoke he smiled, and the lamplight fell on a hard-looking mouth, with very red lips and sharp-looking teeth, as white as ivory. One of my companions whispered to another the line from Burger's "Lenore":— "Denn die Todten reiten schnell" — ("For the dead travel fast.")

Here, the reference is a better fit. Jonathan's fellow passenger makes the comment in reference to the stranger, who we know is the Count, being one of the dead, or rather, Un-Dead. He's travelling. Rather fast. As the dead do.

As the ballad goes on, "Wilhelm" invites a passing funeral procession to drop their mourning and sing him and his bride cheery marriage songs, which they do.

The driver and passengers (who could, in a way, be described as Jonathan's funeral procession), do not follow the Count, instead leaving for Bukovina, lamenting their failure to outpace the dead. But no matter, they are replaced by the wolves, whose singing is praised by the Count:

"Listen to them—the children of the night. What music they make!"

Now, Dracula isn't putting on the familiar face of Jonathan's dear Wilhelmina, but he does still come in disguise. And even when he introduces himself properly as Count Dracula, his hospitality is a façade to trap Jonathan and lead him to his doom.

#dracula #dracula daily #lenore #jonathan harker #count dracula #tempted to make a custom tag which is just #lemore #in reference to the pun i made earlier this day #most likely it shall be #lenore posting #dracula's guest #may 5 #if someone needs me to explain lenore itself just ask #though i highly recommend reading or listening to it #the ballad of lenore

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checkoutmybookshelf · 2 months ago

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Ok, apropos of my "For You" page being a dear and showing me a ton of posts about not being a dick to people for their ships and as someone who came to fandom spaces AFTER graduate school...

The fact that people are losing their minds over ships and noncon in fic BLOWS MY MIND given the Western Canon and historical examples of shippers. I'm putting a cut here for people who don't want to see the lists of messed up shit I read FOR CLASS, but for those of you who are curious, read on, please.

Oh, and before I forget: If your automatic response to this post is "Yes, but you are talking about GrEaT lItErAtUrE, it has something to say and a historical context to think about," then take a second and work your way out of the gatekeep-y stranglehold that academia has on you. If context and message matter in literature, they matter in fanfics too.

CW for masturbation, noncon, dubcon, historical ship wars, main character death, violence...as many Ao3 Archive warnings as I (or you) can think of. Dead Dove, Do Not Eat.

The TLDR is that I have taken significantly more psychic damage from canonical literature than fanfic, and a stupid high number of canon writers fit the definition of fanfic writer.

So in no particular order, here are some of the truly fucked up things I read for class:

A short story where a teenage boy steals his little sister's Ken doll, tears the head off, and jerks off into the Ken doll until the plastic torso is full. You know of what. (This was in the Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction, and I'm pretty sure it was AM Homes's "A Real Doll")

A short story where the reader follows a group of kids at Thanksgiving whose parents are doing a laying on of hands to cure their mother's cancer, and while the kids are unsupervised on a trampoline, one of them is bounced aggressively off and breaks their neck in a fall. (Julie Orringer, "PIlgrims")

"The Rocking-Horse Winner" by DH Lawrence, which is read as a masturbation scene in How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster

Every single bed trick in any Shakespeare (or other early modern) play is rape by deception (this occurs in All's Well, Measure for Measure, Much Ado [if you squint], and Two Noble Kinsmen). Bed tricks also occur in the Bible, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Boccaccio's The Decameron, and Middleton and Rowley's The Changeling. Other examples include Zeus pretending to be Amphitryon to impregnate Alcemene with Hercules and Uther Pendragon taking Gorlois's place to impregnate Igraine. And this isn't an old, unused trope either, it's used as recently as The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Family Guy

Titus Andronicus has rape and cannibalism in it, plus a metric ton of violence, brutality, and lopping of limbs. Romeo and Juliet has murder and an attempted forced marriage. Shakespeare in general is fairly fucked up the more you read it.

There are a metric ton of rapes given in verse too, including Yeats's "Leda and the Swan" and Ovid's "The Rape of Proserpina". A more modern example is the Broadway show Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Nabokov's Lolita. 'nuff said.

John Ford's Tis Pity She's a Whore has twincest, graphic violence, and a scene in which the male twincest MC gets pissed off that the female twincest MC sleeps with someone else, so he stabs her through her lady bits so far that when the sword comes out, her heart is spiked on the end of it and he spends the entire next scene running around waving this sword with a human heart on it at people

William Golding's Lord of the Flies has a bunch of kids murdering each other for honestly no particular reason

In Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," a town gets together every once in a while to randomly draw lots to decide who gets casually stoned to death

In William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," an entire goddamn town ignores Emily to the point where when her house smells like her dead, decomposing husband so bad that half the town can smell it, nobody bothers to check in on her. She had been SLEEPING WITH HER DEAD HUSBAND for literal years and nobody cared enough to check on her

Edgar Allen Poe's "The Telltale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado." I am aware that Poe is a horror writer. Doesn't make it any less fucked up that the protagonists of these stories murder a helpless old man because his eyes were creepy and brick their friend into a basement to die slowly, respectively

Literally all of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is deeply fucked up, but the moments that my particular English Class could not get over were the crack about Curly keeping one hand soft for his wife, and the fact that George Old Yellers Lenny at the end

The Giver by Lois Lowry discusses eugenics and both infanticide and euthanasia. I'm not going to sit here and say that NO fanfic addresses these topics, but honestly no fanfic I've ever read made me anywhere NEAR as disturbed as reading this book in FIFTH GRADE did

John Knowles's A Separate Peace has one kid thinking he accidentally-on-purpose murdered his best friend for the whole book

Sophocles's Oedipus Rex has incest, self-mutilation, and murder

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is well-known enough that I don't need to give details, right?

Jean Craighead George's Julie of the Wolves has an attempted underage rape in it

John Gardner's Grendel has a deeply fucked-up relationship with sex and sexuality, and Grendel holds a female character in a split over a fire because of said fucked-up relationship with sex and sexuality

This is nothing CLOSE to an all-inclusive list. So uh...if we aren't going to hold these stories to the moral standards we hold fanfic to, then we should lay off fanfic in general and fanfic writers.

And in no particular order, here are some historical shippers who were powerful enough to change the canon with their ships and fics:

Queen Elizabeth I was SUCH a Falstaff stan that she low-key threatened Shakespeare and insisted that he bring Falstaff back and give the character a happy ending. Hence we have The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Dr. Thomas Bowdler (of "bowdlerize" fame) is objectively a Shakespeare fanfic writer who was not a fan of smut or spiciness. He and his sister Henrietta Maria gave us The Family Shakespeare, a version of the Complete Works that is appropriate for children and women

Nahum Tate was also a Shakespeare fanfic writer--he turned King Lear into a comedy

We also get John Dryden and William D'Avenant fanfic-ing The Tempest, up to and including Dorinda, their OC (do not steal)

Dante and Milton both wrote Bible fanfic in The Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost, respectively

The Arthurian Legends are a goddamn tangled mess of fanfics and fanfics of fanfics that were written by "important white dudes" and so other "important white dudes" decided that the fanon would become canon

SHAKESPEARE HIMSELF was a fanfic writer. He wrote no original plots. He was the Elizabethan EL James but with actual talent

More modern examples? Madeline Miller and Rick Riordan are both writing Greek Mythology fanfics to SIGNIFICANT acclaim

The line between fanfic and adaptation is and has always been ephemeral. Who gets to be "canon" and who is relegated to "fanon" is largely a combination of circumscribing your current intellectual property and rights laws and passion. We don't get to go "canon is always morally fine because it's canon" because honestly I've taken SIGNIFICANTLY more psychic damage from the canon than I ever have from fanon, and at least I know that fanon works are written with love and passion, whereas Charles Dickens was getting paid by the word and IT SHOWS.

Fanfic isn't inherently morally dubious, and canon isn't inherently morally pristine. Fiction has no inherent morality. Worry less about how others engage with fiction, find what you enjoy, and have some fun with it.

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legend-collection · 1 year ago

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Erlking

In European folklore and myth, the Erlking is a sinister elf who lingers in the woods. He stalks children who stay in the woods for too long, and kills them by a single touch.

Pic by Sammycat17 on deviantart

The name "Erlking" is a name used in German Romanticism for the figure of a spirit or "king of the fairies". It is usually assumed that the name is a derivation from the ellekonge (older elverkonge, i.e. "Elf-king") in Danish folklore. The name is first used by Johann Gottfried Herder in his ballad "Erlkönigs Tochter" (1778), an adaptation of the Danish Hr. Oluf han rider (1739), and was taken up by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in his poem "Erlkönig" (1782), which was set to music by Schubert, among others. Goethe added a new meaning, as "Erl" does not mean "elf", but "black alder" - the poem about the Erlenkönig is set in the area of an alder quarry in the Saale valley in Thuringia. In English translations of Goethe's poem, the name is sometimes rendered as Erl-king.

According to Jacob Grimm, the term originates with a Scandinavian (Danish) word, ellekonge "king of the elves", or for a female spirit elverkongens datter "the elven king's daughter", who is responsible for ensnaring human beings to satisfy her desire, jealousy or lust for revenge. The New Oxford American Dictionary follows this explanation, describing the Erlking as "a bearded giant or goblin who lures little children to the land of death", mistranslated by Herder as Erlkönig in the late 18th century from ellerkonge. The correct German word would have been Elbkönig or Elbenkönig, afterwards used under the modified form of Elfenkönig by Christoph Martin Wieland in his 1780 poem Oberon.

Alternative suggestions have also been made; in 1836, Halling suggested a connection with a Turkic and Mongolian god of death or psychopomp, known as Erlik Chan.

Johann Gottfried von Herder introduced this character into German literature in "Erlkönigs Tochter", a ballad published in his 1778 volume Stimmen der Völker in Liedern. It was based on the Danish folk ballad "Hr. Oluf han rider" "Sir Oluf he rides" published in the 1739 Danske Kæmpeviser. Herder undertook a free translation where he translated the Danish elvermø ("elf maid") as Erlkönigs Tochter; according to Danish legend old burial mounds are the residence of the elverkonge, dialectically elle(r)konge, the latter has later been misunderstood in Denmark by some antiquarians as "alder king", cf Danish elletræ "alder tree". It has generally been assumed that the mistranslation was the result of error, but it has also been suggested (Herder does actually also refer to elves in his translation) that he was imaginatively trying to identify the malevolent sprite of the original tale with a woodland old man (hence the alder king).

The story portrays Sir Oluf riding to his marriage but being entranced by the music of the elves. An elf maiden, in Herder's translation the Elverkonge's daughter, appears and invites him to dance with her. He refuses and spurns her offers of gifts and gold. Angered, she strikes him and sends him on his way, deathly pale. The following morning, on the day of his wedding, his bride finds him lying dead under his scarlet cloak.

Although inspired by Herder's ballad, Goethe departed significantly from both Herder's rendering of the Erlking and the Scandinavian original. The antagonist in Goethe's "Der Erlkönig" is the Erlking himself rather than his daughter. The Erlkönig appears to a young boy in a feverish delirium - his father, however, identifies the apparition as a simple streak of fog. Goethe's Erlking differs in other ways as well: his version preys on children, rather than adults of the opposite sex, and the Erlking's motives are never made clear. Goethe's Erlking is much more akin to the Germanic portrayal of elves and valkyries – a force of death rather than simply a magical spirit.

In Angela Carter's short story "The Erl-King", contained within the 1979 collection The Bloody Chamber, the female protagonist encounters a male forest spirit. Though she becomes aware of his malicious intentions, she is torn between her desire for him and her desire for freedom. In the end, she forms a plan to kill him in order to escape his power.

Charles Kinbote, the narrator of Vladimir Nabokov's 1962 novel, Pale Fire, alludes to "alderkings". One allusion is in his commentary to line 275 of fellow character John Shade's eponymous poem. In the case of this commentary, the word invokes homosexual ancestors of the last king of Zembla, Kinbote's ostensible homeland. The novel contains at least one other reference by Kinbote to alderkings.

In Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files, there is a character called the Erlking, modeled after the leader of the Wild Hunt, Herne the Hunter.

In the author John Connolly's short story collection Nocturnes (2004), there is a character known as the Erlking who attempts to abduct the protagonist.

The New Yorker's "20 Under 40" issue of July 5, 2010 included the short story "The Erlking" by Sarah Shun-lien Bynum.

A version of the Erl-King is mentioned in Zoe Gilbert's Mischief Acts, implied to be a figure related to Herne the Hunter.

In Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher saga, the highest leader of the Folk of the Alder elves, Auberon Muircetach, is also known as the Alder King. In the story, he maintains thematic ties to kidnapping: the Wild Hunt, known for abducting humans, is subordinate to him, and he orchestrates the imprisonment of Cirilla.

#Erlking #europe

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wishesofeternity · 2 years ago

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"Ancient sources tell us nothing directly about the personality, character, world view or even the appearance of [Olympias, daughter of Neoptolemus], as her wedding entourage set off over the Pindus Mountains in the direction of her new kingdom. However, based on what is known about her life and background, we can speculate about her views and circumstance as she began her public career.

Though only in her mid-to-late teens, this young woman had already experienced a great deal. While still a young child, she had seen her father lose sole control of his kingdom. A possibly tense period of uncertain duration followed in which he and his brother shared rule. Then her father Neoptolemus died, leaving his children in what may well have seemed the sinister guardianship of their uncle. Probably soon after that, her uncle married her sister. Shortly before Olympias’ betrothal, the Illyrians invaded her country. Frontinus (2.5.19) reports that Arybbas sent the non-combatants as refugees into Aetolia, while he and whatever army he could gather withdrew to the mountains in order to utilize guerrilla tactics against the much larger invading force. Presumably Olympias and her sister would have endured the danger of the invasion and the uncertainty of evacuation. More recently yet, Olympias had made the long journey to Samothrace. Even before her entry into Macedonia, Olympias had dealt with political intrigue, physical danger, and the loss of her most powerful protector, and had traveled to two different foreign territories. Her life began, much as it would end, in uncertainty and danger.

Despite her early entry into the world of power politics and violence, as my comparison and contrast of the two kingdoms should have implied, the society Olympias would encounter in Macedonia, though likely much less alien to her than that of Thebes or Athens, would have been different from her previous experience. Philip’s court was certainly richer and more cosmopolitan than that of Arybbas, or at least it became so soon after her arrival. Military activity and success mattered more in the Macedonian court. The climate and terrain around Pella and Aegae, the Macedonian capitals, was much milder than that of Olympias’ homeland. Philip had more power over the Macedonians than her uncle did over the Molossians. As we shall see, Philip already had several wives and children (and may have had concubines in residence, as well). Despite the fact that Olympias had grown up in a court that was itself not without intrigue, the level of complexity that she would encounter in the court of Philip would be far greater than that of Arybbas (although Olympias would surely have been warned to expect the presence of the other wives).

It is particularly difficult to assess Olympias’ probable attitude toward her coming marriage. Literature written by Greek women stresses the pain and loss of identity the break between the world (family and friends) of a young unmarried girl and a bride occasioned. Olympias’ distance from the land of her birth could have exacerbated this feeling. However, since her father was dead, her mother may have been, and we do not know how well she got on with her uncle and how comfortable she was at his court, we cannot tell whether she would have been glad to leave.

What we do know is that she brought her pride in her lineage with her. Hers was a more prestigious marriage than that of any previous Aeacid woman and, if her wedding were indeed held at a major Macedonian festival, her nuptials were more elaborate and public than those of previous Molossian royal women. Olympias’ Aeacid descent would continue to be a support and source of identity to herself and both her children.

In her subsequent career, Olympias consistently pursued her son’s and then her grandson’s political interests, tending to regard any check on their power, the prominence of any other figure, as a threat to them. Herself the product of a relatively weak monarchic system, she regularly attempted to create a situation which enabled both her male kin and herself to act more absolutely. This response was probably instinctive, certainly not at first a conscious plan or policy, though it would become one. Olympias was, like Philip, a person with a knack for seeing the possibilities for exploitation in a situation. Even early on in her Macedonian career, she demonstrated that. If Olympias the young girl was anything like Olympias the mature woman, then she would have been aware of many of the dangers and complications awaiting her, but she would not have been fearful and she would not have been timid."

— Elizabeth D. Carney, Olympias: Mother of Alexander the Great

#historicwomendaily #history #olympias #macedonian history #ancient greece #mine #queue #ancient history

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eolewyn1010 · 2 years ago

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Dragging Frankenstein - Chapter 18

Which is about Victor doing what he does best - nothing!

Well, except maybe moping. Sure, take weeks to get off your arse. What could possibly go wrong? Eh, people might die, but whatever. Victor is back to health, so who cares? IT’S ALL ABOUT ME: 18

The world revolves around him again; all is well. Why is nobody grieving anymore? They had a couple pretty hefty losses.

Mary Shelley’s insistence that good weather is all that’s needed to cure unholy rage or depressions is getting weird. Well, if that doesn’t do the trick, get engaged!

“You were attached to each other from your earliest infancy” – which makes for a healthy romance, I’m sure. INCEST VIBES: 12

Frankenstein sr. even spells it out.

Though it doesn’t get spelled out in the text enough to give it an incest count, I find it interesting how not only Victor holds power over the Creature’s love life – it’s entirely on him to give the Creature a partner – but also the Creature holds power over Victor’s love life – Victor notes that he can’t enter marriage before he has fulfilled his promise. Kind of a “bride for me before a bride for you” lindworm prince dealie.

Gotta love how he secretly wishes for the Creature to just die in some accident so poor widdle baby Victor doesn’t have to bear the consequences of his actions any longer. How inconvenient that this guy exists! Wonder whose fault that is.

How does he wanna make a new Creature in about a year? Didn’t he need at least two for the first?

“he had in concert with Elizabeth arranged […]” – once more, I’m getting the impression that Elizabeth is less Victor’s partner and more his father’s in raising the kids, so, both counts. INCEST VIBES: 13

EVERY WOMAN IS A MOM: 9

“Nay, Henry might stand between me and the intrusion of my foe.” -.- Sure he does. Does Victor not have a brain, or does he just not give a fuck? I’m inclined to go with the latter.

“I might claim Elizabeth” … *throws up in the corner*

Then Victor goes and beats me with a dead herring. “Oh, good that he’ll come to England with me – can’t think of what he would do to my clueless family if he were around them!” Dumbfuck. Also, not good writing of foreshadowing, Shelley.

“she was filled with disquiet at the idea of my suffering, away from her” – of course. IT’S ALL ABOUT ME: 19

It couldn’t possibly be that, perhaps, she’s unhappy because you leave her alone in a time of grieving.

There’s our old POV fail again, mentioning the beautiful and majestic scenes and then saying he didn’t even notice them.

“…where I waited two days for Clerval. He came.” DAS GAY: 25

Geez, Victor, you need two days for that!? You’re really not good at that, are you? No, I’m not sorry.

Henry is sunshine personified. I wanna give him a lil’ kiss. What a cutie patootie himbo.

And then Shelley channels her travel experiences for a while, I guess. And waxes poetic. Fair enough. The thing about the priest and his mistress is running away from me, ah well.

“the most verdant islands that relieve the eye by their gay appearance” – what, are they swathed in rainbow colors or something? Happy Pride!

Victor begins gushing about sweet, sweet Henry and how deserving he was of any and all affection, which of course does not bode well.

“your form so divinely wrought, and beaming with beauty” o.O DAS GAY: 26

Victor, you’re gonna make Cpt. Walton jealous.

Is it possible Mary Shelley is putting too much time into these travels in an attempt to be historically accurate to a time before her lifetime? This “we need four freaking months to go anywhere” feels kind of medieval, if even that. But there’s London, here’s the fan, and the shit is already incoming.

While Frankenstein is a brilliant piece of literature, it occasionally shows how young Shelley was when she wrote it. The poor time transitions, the heavy-handed foreshadowing, the POV lapses here and there, the occasions when the plot just screeches to a halt to give us a ton of exposition, the way detailed descriptions. Kind of typical for a new writer, even in our times. I'm still blaming the husband for the purple prose and thesaurus syndrome tho.

#Frankenstein #personal opinions #disclaimer: this is just for shits and giggles

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weirdraccoon · 1 year ago

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Til Death Do Us Whole

Tom Riddle was to wed Omega Malfoy to help his family and, unknowingly, the Omega's family. Both sets of parents had plans for the marriage, never mind that Tom and Draco never crossed a single word beforehand. It didn't matter. This was all business after all. So, it shouldn't be that difficult for the Alpha to exchange vows and tie their lives forever, or at least until death do them part.

Plans get complications when Tom finds himself married to a dead Omega.

Or - Tomarry Corpse Bride AU

Chapter 1

“Marrying our darling boy to the nouveau riche,” Lady Malfoy scoffed, looking at the driveway where the Riddle’s carriage was just arriving. “We’ve fallen too low, dear.”

“Yes, well,” Lord Malfoy sniffed. “That’s the only way we keep our own wealth. The Riddles have proven good with business and didn’t even ask about Draco’s dowry,” he put on his fake smile while their guests got off their transport. “As long as they don’t ask for it, we won’t have to explain that we are, in fact, poor.”

Lady Malfoy faked her own smile and welcomed Mrs. and Mr. Riddle. Their young son was trailing behind them, looking as if he was walking straight to his grave rather than his wedding with a pretty Omega.

“Lady Malfoy, you look stunning,” Mrs. Riddle greeted with a soft smile and a bow. “And Lord Malfoy, it’s a pleasure to be in your presence.”

Mr. Riddle bowed too and was followed by his heir a few seconds later.

“We are all excited for the coming events,” Mr. Riddle said with a light grin towards his son.

Lord and Lady Malfoy nodded in agreement before leading their party to one of the sitting rooms with the promise of tea.

“Draco will be joining us in a few minutes,” Lady Malfoy added.

Mr. Riddle and Mrs. Riddle followed closely behind, eyeing the large mansion with curiosity. Their son, on his part, took his time to dawdle and peered into the rooms they were passing. He was naturally distracted when he noticed a dusty piano occupying one of the rooms.

He looked towards his parents and hosts, deciding they wouldn’t miss him when they didn’t notice he stayed behind. He sneaked into the room and sat at the piano, trying three or four keys just to check if it was in tune or not.

He was happy to notice it was in tune.

He began playing one of his favorite songs, letting out a sigh of relief when the music filled his senses and made him forget about his upcoming wedding. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to get married, however, he didn’t even know the Omega who he was going to wed.

What if they hated each other? What if their scents weren’t compatible? What if the Omega Heir wanted to wed a rich Alpha Lord but was stuck with him?

“Wow. You’re good,” he heard a breathy voice that startled him and made him jump, hitting the wrong key. “Sorry,” the Omega added with a small smirk.

“No, I apologize,” Tom rushed to stand up, keeping his distance from- his mate-to-be. “I shouldn’t have taken such liberties at your home, Omega Malfoy,” he bowed his head in respect, scenting the not-so-bad sweet scent coming off the other.

“I think,” the Omega began, taking an uncertain step closer to the Alpha, “that under our circumstances, you might as well call me Draco.”

Tom swallowed, keeping his eyes firmly on the right shoulder of his companion.

“I guess that’s fair,” he said, offering a hand. “I’m Tom.”

Draco chuckled, accepting the hand and blushing when Tom kissed his knuckles.

“I know,” Draco breathed. Then he looked at the piano with a thoughtful expression. “Father never let me learn,” he explained. “He said it was too improper for an heir. He kept me busy with numbers and literature, never music.”

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Tom commented softly, studying the face of his future bride. “I believe that music is the clearer language that love can understand. Not that I can’t enjoy literature as well. Some believe that poetry is the real language of love after all.”

Draco smiled, it made his pale complexion light up with little color. His grey eyes shined mischievously and his hand made a motion to take something out of his pocket. A book, Tom imagined, finding it completely adorable.

“We should-

“What in Merlin’s name are you two doing alone!?” Lady Malfoy had entered the room while they were otherwise eyeing each other. She frowned at them and motioned to the door with a quick hand. “Out with you two. Minister Grindelwald is waiting for you to begin the rehearsal. I won’t have any of you ruining the wedding before it can even take place.”

Draco lowered his head and left the room in quick steps. Tom took a deep breath and followed, ducking his head when Lady Malfoy let out a protective growl from the corner of her mouth.

As she said, Minister Grindelwald was waiting with Lord Malfoy and Mr. and Mrs. Riddle for them. Draco ignored the annoyed look his father sent him and stood tall in front of the table Minister Grindelwald had prepared. Tom followed him, also ignoring the knowing looks his parents sent him.

“Finally,” Grindelwald scoffed. “We may begin with the rehearsal now. This is what you must expect and this is what you must do. Pay attention and this will be quick.”

It wasn’t quick at all.

After almost five hours, Tom was still struggling with the vows. He didn’t know why it was taking him so long. He kept getting distracted by the scent coming from his side. It wasn’t a good scent but it wasn’t bad either, and he kept trying to figure out what was wrong with it.

Draco, on his part, learned his vows easily and waited patiently for the Alpha.

Tom didn’t mind that, not at all, but it was just something off about the whole picture. It was as if Draco was no more than a doll. He wondered how long it would take to make him break that submissive facade and snap at him to focus. Lady Malfoy and his mother seemed ready to do it themselves.

Just when he was attempting to start again, the doors burst open and a tall man with red eyes entered as if he owned the place.

“Sorry to be late, Lucius,” he greeted cordially, “Narcisa, I hope you weren’t waiting for long. I’d have thought the rehearsal had finished hours ago.”

“It should have,” Lady Malfoy muttered, looking confusedly at the man.

“And who are you?” Lucius asked, glaring at the intruder.

“Lord Voldemort, old friend,” the man answered, showing his perfectly white teeth. “I came as soon as I heard the news. I wouldn’t have missed this at all.”

Lady Malfoy and Lord Malfoy looked at each other in a silent conversation. When Lady Malfoy shrugged, Lord Malfoy nodded his head and offered a seat. The man ran a hand through his dark hair and stared at Tom and Draco, looking pleased for some reason.

“As you were saying, Alpha Riddle,” Grindelwald prompted, getting the young Alpha’s attention back on track.

“Ah, yes, sorry,” Tom stammered, taking the ring out of his pocket and dropping it in his haste. “Aw shoot- I got it!”

He crawled after the ring under the table and stood up too quickly, hitting his head on it and pushing it off towards the ground with a loud bang. He winced. Draco snorted. The Riddles gasped and the Malfoys rolled their eyes.

“You complete and utter fool!” Grindelwald snapped. If he had been an Alpha, he’d be growling and showing his canines for sure. As it was, the Beta only pointed to the door. “Be gone before I do something we all regret! Practice on your own and make sure you’re ready for your wedding! What a disgrace!”

Tom didn’t wait for more instructions. He didn’t look at the disappointment in his parents’ eyes. He ignored Draco’s worried expression. He fled. He ran until his legs hurt and the town was far behind him.

Surrounded by trees and snow, he felt calmer.

“Idiot,” he muttered to himself. “How difficult is it to learn four lines? Or to put a stupid ring on one single finger?” He looked at the ring on his palm. He sighed. “Draco is… pretty. I should feel lucky to be marrying such a fair Omega. I should be a good son and do as I’m said.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head, walking deeper into the woods. He was momentarily distracted by the most magnificent scent. He looked for the source, finding himself in front of a willow and a couple of dried flowers, frozen and covered with snow.

It made no sense. It smelled like fresh grass but everything was as it should be in the middle of winter. He could only see snow around him and the trees and flowers were hibernating as well as any animals he could have encountered. As it was, he could see a couple of owls peering at him from the surrounding trees, one of them a white snowy owl that hooted ominously when it noticed Tom staring.

Tom sighed, inhaling deeply.

“With this hand, I will lift your sorrows,” he recited, closing his eyes and trying to picture Draco in front of him. The mysterious scent helped him focus on the words more than the Omega in his mind. “Your cup shall never be empty, for I will be your wine,” with his eyes closed, he could only feel when the wind picked up and the scent rose. “With this candle, I will light your way in darkness.” He opened his eyes and raised the ring to eye level. He could see the moon through the ring, the willow tree, and the snowy owl landing on one lower branch, still watching him. “And with this ring, I ask you to be mine,” he finished, slipping the ring on a tree branch near him.

His movement was so smooth he couldn’t believe he had been fumbling earlier. Sure, Draco’s fingers were not tree branches, but they were almost as thin and long.

Just like the fingers currently grabbing his.

Tom’s eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat when he witnessed the ghost, the corpse of a bride standing up from the frozen flowers and willow. The scent surrounded him and the Omega stepped closer, invading his personal space.

“I accept,” it said.

The last thing Tom registered was a pair of bright green eyes grinning up at him.

#tomarry #tom riddle x harry potter #harry potter fanfiction #corpse bride au #my writing #my fics #also on ao3

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red-vampire · 4 years ago

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My little personal headcannons for the SDV marriage candidates.

⭐Bachelorettes⭐

👻Abigail: She has a secret ability to talk to spirts and monsters like Krobus/ She sometimes hangs out with Marlon and he teaches her how to use her sword/ She helps her mother with her greenhouse and grows plants for her spells.

💎Emily: They uses She/They pronouns/ On their birthday and Sandy’s they visit her and they have a day together in ZuZu City/ They’re friends with Maru/ Ask them about rocks and gems and you’ll be there for weeks, they knows everything about them.

🌻Haley: Once she gets nicer she starts a baking hobby/ She writes a lot too! she loves to write stories about romance/ She calls her parents every month to check up on them/ When she was in high school she had a girlfriend.

🍄Leah: She’s good friends with Haley/ She’s very tall and very fit, she loves to work out/ Her and Robin work together sometimes in wood working, Robin teaches her wood working techniques. She draws Elliot’s landscapes from his books.

🌌Maru: She’s Pansexual/ She and Penny go for walks in the forests every Sunday when it isn’t raining/ She teaches Jas and Vincent about science while Penny does math and English/ She loves horror, especially gorey ones/ She collects dead insects and researches them with Sebastian.

📚Penny: Aside from school she hangs out with Jas and Vincent and have picnics/ Her and Abigail talk about their recent books together/ She’s good friends with Emily/ She absolutely loves classic literature, Frankenstein is one of her favorites/ She loves to cook and bake.

⭐Bachelors⭐

🏈Alex: He’s a closeted Bisexual/ he helps Penny with P.E/ He and Sam used to be friends then Alex started to act different then broke off/ Does tutoring with Penny/ He very scared of horror and refuses to watch it no matter what/ He helps Evelyn with knitting and knows how to knit/ He watches Gridball with George.

📝Elliot: He likes to wear dresses/ He lets Jas braid his hair/ He and Harvey meet up with coffee and talk/ Penny and him write stories together/ He is Pansexual and uses He/They pronouns.

🎸Sam: He teaches Vincent how to play guitar/ He hangs out with Jas and Vincent/ He has ADHD/ He’s a great artist and likes to show them to Leah/ Him and Sebastian run a Tumblr blog about their Band/ On Spirts Eve he skates around in a ghost costume and plays Sk8er Boi by Avril Lavigne

💻Sebastian: He and his father talk on the phone sometimes/ He helps his mother with wood working/ He secretly loves romance and is very romantic and loves Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride/ He watches horror movies with his sister/ Just like Abbigail, he can talk to spirts.

🩺Harvey: He’s friends with Sandy and comes to do check ups every month for her/ He gives lollipops to everyone, even Evelyn/ He gets coffee with the local ladies and talk about their recent adventures/ He is very good at cooking/ despite being scared of quite a bit of things he sometimes adventures into the mines.

🍻Shane: when ever he can he hangs out with Jas and Marnie/ Even though he mostly gets pizza and take out he’s very good at cooking/ He teaches Jas self defense/ He spends a lot of his time with his chickens, and has a secret blue one that only Jas and Marnie know about.

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procutemeister · 4 years ago

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these, our bodies possessed by light || vergil x reader, chapter 1

The city of Red Grave has been defeated; Urizen, the devil king, has risen. No warriors have been able to best him, and countless lives have been offered to him in sacrifice. They say the devil king’s bloodlust is boundless… And you, last of the witches of Red Grave, are his betrothed.

(Vergil x F!Reader, with some V x F!Reader. Arranged marriage AU, with elements of Beauty and the Beast and 1001 Nights. An attempt to give Urizen some personality. Romance, eventually.)

much thanks to @tonitart for supporting me as i write this. <3 if you'd like to be tagged, let me know.

read it under the cut or on ao3 here!

these, our bodies possessed by light

1. land a man in a landscape and he’ll try to conquer it

Today was to be your wedding day.

Soon to be married to the devil king, all you could feel was trepidation and fear. Your marriage was not one for love, far from it; it was a marriage of compromise. Of sacrifice.

An offering of your life, for peace between the humans and demons, a reprieve from the cruelties of hell on earth.

You have a responsibility, your aunt told you as you dressed in the nicest gown you owned. It’s an honor, to have so great a task bestowed upon you.

I am going to die, you wanted to say. Your finest dress would become your funeral gown.

As one of the last witches, you were offered to the devil. With your unique abilities, the people of Red Grave hoped that you might find a way to end the devil king’s reign of terror. While it was true that you possessed some magical power, you were experienced mostly with healing and incantations, rather than combat magic.

You had met the man—if he could be called that—who was to be your husband only once before. You were relieved that at least, you would not have to live in the Underworld for this union; you would live in a palace that remained on earth.

No man nor demon on this world or the one beneath could face him. The people were sure that his was the wrath of a god, unleashed upon a defenseless humanity, and that such a great and terrible god could only be sated by the ultimate sacrifice, the gift of life.

However, you remembered that day—meeting your betrothed, slouched on his throne as you were presented to him. He had not been any more amenable to the marriage than you were. Impossibly tall, his features masked by demonic armor, you had been unnerved at the sight of him. You recoiled when you imagined the marriage bed—you could not possibly be expected to perform the wifely duties for such a creature, could you? He looked utterly monstrous to your human eyes: a twisted appearance, his body the color of brimstone and blood and covered in roots and thorns.

His voice was inhumanly deep and rattled your very bones.

“Is this to be my bride? A human?”

Despite yourself, you froze like a rabbit faced by the wolf. Your heart thundered and you could not help but cower, because what defense did you have against this creature?

You let your eyes settle on him. You could not discern even a hint of humanity in him, only the cruel cold glow of blue light in the gnarls of his skin, the suggestion of a crown by the thorns on his brow. There was no soul in those eyes.

The man beside you quailed, though he had been the one who had arranged all this. He said, “This is an offering from the humans. One of our most precious—one of our own. A great sacrifice.”

You were hardly as great an offering as he made you out to be. You were no virginal young maiden, no legendary beauty, nor the prized first daughter of a proud and subjugated lord. Your life and your body were being thrown away to sate the bloodthirst of a devil that did not even desire you. What use were you, really, to him?

He seemed to consider this. “I could kill her,” he said, “the night we are married. I have no use for human scum.”

Your blood ran cold. He couldn’t possibly—but this was a devil, not just any devil, but the king of them. You would not put it past him to kill you in cold blood. You knew that devils would not hesitate to execute any mortal that dared displease them.

And those who had come to his house before you, all killed by his hand, were the evidence: warriors that dared take arms against him, spies who attempted to undermine his power from the inside, and others like you, who had been offerings from their own hometowns. They, too, had been sacrificial lambs, offered to the demon king in a desperate bid for the legions of hell to stop ravaging the land, misguided appeals to the devil king’s nonexistent mercy. You knew not why those women had been deemed unsatisfactory, nor how many they numbered, only that they had all failed to suppress the devil king’s thirst for blood.

Rumors abound that he took wives not for procreation nor for pleasure, but for his own sadistic, murderous desires. Some lived for quite a while, others only a single day before being executed. But they all ended up the same way: dead.

Today, at your wedding, you had to find out how you could stay alive.

Before you left, you recited a spell of protection for yourself, so that you might not come to harm. You spoke the incantation from your memory as easily as you read it from a book, the familiar words and energy of the magic calming your mind. You pulled out a pendant you wore around your neck, a simple crystal you had infused with dormant power. This you poured your protective ward into, then hid the pendant beneath your wedding clothes. Then, a prayer, to the spirits above and below, that your magic might hold, and your treacherous intentions remain obscure.

Your betrothed had made almost no arrangements for the ceremony, not that you thought demonic weddings were even supposed to exist, anyway. There was simply a minister who had administered the rite upon the both of you, reading aloud the marriage vows and presenting the documentation of your union. One other demon was present as your witness, and that was all. You found you much preferred this, if the alternative were to get married with the people’s eyes upon you, watching and complacent at your sacrifice.

Your husband was called Urizen. He remained seated and he spoke no more than was absolutely necessary. There was no reception after the ceremony, only a dispersal of the scant amount of demons in attendance.

He did not stay with you afterwards, either. In fact, you would not see him until well after night had fallen.

In the meantime you were introduced to your chambers. Possibly the only good thing about this was that you would be living in comfort, however short the rest of your life might be. The palace was an old one, standing centuries before your great-grandparents were ever born, and comprised of so many rooms and structures that you could conceivably take years to explore it all. It was clean, surprisingly so, but cold and empty. It did not have the life of servants bustling around, or any other residents. Or maybe it did, and you had not seen neither hide nor hair of them. The palace was certainly large enough.

Of note were the books in what you assumed to be your husband’s room. There was an astonishingly large amount, and when you looked, they were mostly fiction and poetry, contrary to what you had thought. Some titles you even recognized, and many were well-worn, obviously read several times.

It was a strange detail, you mused, that a devil with such disdain for humans would so readily consume their literature. It was something that had kept the gears of your mind turning the rest of the day. You had a way with words, and writing had always been one of your strengths. This, along with the way your magic manifested, would be the key to your survival.

In the evening you took dinner alone. Despite being human, you were still considered with some respect, as you were served delicious food in a large and ornate dining hall. You were just completely alone; even the demons that served you were mere mannequins, unable to speak or perform actions beyond their purpose. You had the feeling that your new husband did not like to populate his home very much. You weren’t sure if that were better or worse; surely there would be no one to witness or call out to if he attempted to murder you, and you doubted that anyone would even notice in such a situation.

After dinner you washed up, spending so long in the bath you were sure you would shrivel up like a prune. You didn’t want to think about what was to come once you headed to bed; Urizen had not yet returned from wherever he had gone.

With apprehension you left the bath and dressed for bed. You wore a long nightgown, one that covered your body as much as possible. You missed your corset and your layers that shielded your body, much better than a simple nightgown could. You climbed into the bed, a large, ornate affair carved from dark wood and curtained with damask. The bed was sinfully soft, and against your better judgment you found yourself slipping into sleep as you lay there, wrapped in blankets and exhausted from the day’s events.

* * *

You didn’t want to do this.

Terror clasped at your very bones as the plan was explained to you: you, the last witch remaining in Red Grave, would be sent tomorrow into the devil king’s lair under pretense of an offering, as many other towns and cities had attempted to do.

“Hide your magic,” your aunt told you. “Find out what you can about his protections.”

“Yield to his demands,” your uncle instructed you. “Do what you must to survive.”

Numbly, you nodded, even as your veins ran cold.

“Your life is no longer your own,” they said. “The people of Red Grave count on you, now.”

The people of Red Grave had sent their men and women in futile attempts to fight the demon king. When that failed, they began to leave, or to bend the knee to cruel and demonic overlords. Some had fled to Fortuna, hoping that the supposed land of Sparda’s blessing would offer respite from the demonic invasion. Only a few years later was that hope disproven; demons installed themselves in that city’s highest of holy orders, and now Fortuna too bowed under the weight of hellish rule. Your parents had gone to war, too. They fought, and they died, and now you were expected to assume that burden.

You pressed a hand to the crystal that hung from your neck, a last gift from your mother, who taught you everything you know.

Then you silenced your fear. Outside, the summer flowers bloomed, mindless of the blood spilled on their grounds, and you promised upon your life to venture into the heart of the devil king.

* * *

You immediately woke at the opening of the door. You were still restless, after all. Moonlight still poured in through the window; you hadn’t been asleep long. The one who entered was a devil, one you recognized attending your wedding. From his chest he glowed orange, the light the color of molten rock, with an impressive set of wings extending from his back. He spoke:

“My lady. You are summoned to the throne room.”

You blanched at the address, though you expected it as befitting one who was the demon king’s wife. You supposed this made you a queen, but the title meant nothing when you felt like a prisoner. You were not allowed in the throne room, not unless you were explicitly summoned. Despite your position, you held no power in this place. All you had were your brains and the strength of your will.

“Y-Yes,” you wavered, and stood unsteadily, your hands wringing at the cloth of your nightgown. You followed the devil to the large room where Urizen stayed, dark save for the fireplace, kept lit with blue flames.

It was your husband, looking much the same as he had during your wedding. He still wore the same expression of cold indifference. At his side floated the ever-present red jewel, a mysterious object from which you could feel waves of strong demonic power. What manner of magic was it, you wondered?

“My lord husband,” you addressed him, taking a knee as you had been instructed to.

“Wife,” he grumbled, as if saying the word pained him. “Get up.”

You stood. Urizen was seated on his throne, one arm bending to support the chin, eyes skating over you to land on the flames in the fireplace as if you weren’t even there.

You had not moved. You bit your lip, wondering if what you had in mind would work, or if it were even sane. Once again, the image of the books next to the chair revived itself in your mind.

“My lord husband,” you said again, “may I interest you in a story?”

Your voice interrupted his brooding. He raised his head slowly from his hand, his face turning towards you in what looked like a silent fury. You hoped you hadn’t inadvertently angered him with your seemingly inane question.

“…A story?”

There it was, that deep, deep voice that sounded like the rumble of the earth itself. There was something strange in his tone: less animosity, something more akin to questioning. Maybe curiosity, if you were feeling generous.

“Yes,” you said, “I like to tell stories.”

You could barely keep the tremor from your own words. So far, he had done nothing, but Urizen still terrified you, as distant and dangerous as he was, the sound of his words before still echoing in your head.

I could kill her the night we are married. I have no use for human scum.

You didn’t know if he was serious or not. Maybe for now he would keep you alive, or maybe he would murder you later.

“You realize this is no harmonious marriage,” he said. “You mean nothing to me. I do not care about your stories.”

He sneered the last word. You could not help but shiver, but your mind’s eye once again found those well-worn books, stories and poetry that were clearly loved and perused. How long had it been, you wondered, since he had cracked open a book?

You settled yourself next to his throne. Carefully you started to speak, weaving the story you had formed in your mind. You had always been a lover of art, of literature, and you had dedicated many years of study to the humanities. You felt you could put together a story that would keep his attention and weave your spell so that your husband would not lay a hand on you and—maybe—change his heart.

To your astonishment he made no move to stop you. On the contrary, he seemed like he was listening, though he never said a word and never did he turn those cold eyes towards you.

You felt your resolve waver, but you didn’t let yourself falter, not when you had lulled him into this strangely receptive mood with your words. You still feared the devil—after all, he could so easily kill you, and even slouched in his throne you felt the aura of death from him. The red crystal revolved, silent and dangerous.

You continued your tale. You told it all the way until you had reached the last of what you’d written. The hero had fled the destruction of his hometown and met a young woman to whom he’d recounted his tale. He felt torn between his need for vengeance and the feelings that were quickly growing for her.

“Is that all?” Urizen asked.

You looked out the east window. The sky was swathed in violet and edged in gold by the encroaching sun.

“Morning approaches, my lord husband,” you said. “The story must be continued the next evening—I haven’t slept.”

He grumbled, but made no further complaint. Then, “Get out.”

“My—”

“Return to your chambers. Bother me no further.”

You quickly stood, nodded, and nearly ran out of the throne room. You weren’t sure how long you ran, or if you were even going in the right direction, but you made it back eventually.

You closed the door behind you, chest heaving, and not only from the running. You felt like you had just escaped with your life, and when you clutched a hand to your chest, your heart was pounding. You clenched your fists, fear and anxiety knotting between your lungs.

Knees weakening, you fell back into the large, soft bed, trying to calm your racing heart. After tossing and turning you fell finally into a restless sleep.

* * *

The next morning you woke alone. So, he didn’t have you killed in your sleep, at least.

When you looked out the window the sun was already high in the sky. You’d slept in a little; considering how late you’d stayed up the previous night, telling your husband your story, it was to be expected.

You hadn’t been given any actual responsibilities in your new home. You had the distinct feeling that Urizen considered you little more than a nuisance in his home; a thing without real purpose here. It suited you just fine: the more invisible you were in this den of demons, the more likely you were to get out of this alive. And the longer you stayed, the more you would become acquainted with the devil king, and his weaknesses, no matter how small those might be. All you needed was a single chink in his armor, and you’d be able to work your magic.

Your husband, to your knowledge, had never left the throne room. You could not go to check; the red devil that had escorted you there the night before was also nowhere to be seen. Was he just a servant, you wondered, or something more? His presence at the wedding implied the latter.

With you thus unoccupied, you decided to fill your day with exploration. The palace was undoubtedly beautiful, and you wondered why a devil would take such a place as residence. Maybe it was a site of great demonic power…? The home of a conquered human lord? You would not put it past the devils to take a man’s home as a war trophy. You were simply astonished at the state the house had been left in: it was pristine, as if servants cleaned it every day, as if demonic forces had never breached its walls. The glass of all the windows remained intact, the floors sparkling; elegant curling columns reaching towards beautifully painted, vaulted ceilings, and stained glass throwing multicolored light against the walls.

Wandering the halls, you trailed a hand absently along the walls. The sunlight shone brightly outside, and the thickness of the air signaled the height of summer approaching.

Somehow, you found yourself at the far corridor of the west wing. Judging by the sun’s position, it could not be later than noon, and so you thought a bit more exploring could not hurt until you were expected to take your midday meal.

This part of the palace was as pristine as the rest of it, just as clean and untouched, but the energy felt different here. Where you previously felt ignored by the few beings that crossed your path in the halls, here you simply felt… alone. It wasn’t a lonely feeling. On the contrary, you felt peace in the solitude.

At the end of this corridor was a large double door, vaulted, heavy and inlaid with colored tile. It was beautiful, and you couldn’t help but wonder what was inside. After checking to see that you were indeed alone, you placed both hands on the beautiful doors and pushed, making your way inside.

The room that revealed itself to you was a vast library, with towering shelves that seemed never-ending. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, so bright and the air so still that you could see the motes of dust floating.

The way the doors creaked and the difficulty in pushing told you that no one had set foot in here for a very long time. You supposed demons did not really have much time or purpose for human literature, though once again you thought of the books in your chambers. Were they Urizen’s? You doubted it when you thought about it. He had not been to those chambers with you, and it seemed in character for him to arrange a whole separate suite of rooms for you, far away from himself.

You looked again to the library you were in. A shame no one seemed to come here, because this place had been built to take advantage of the sunlight. There were tables and chairs for writing, and cozy little alcoves for reading. You could easily picture yourself spending hours here. Your parents had nurtured a love for reading in you, and you felt a prick of loss at the thought of them.

As you lightly ran your fingers across the spines of the books, reading their titles, the dust stirred. Truly, no one had come in here in recent memory but you. You thought maybe this could be your hideaway, far enough that you could feel even a little like yourself again, and still close enough by that you could easily validate your presence here. All these books would help, too, as would the ones in your bedroom, for crafting more of the stories that had somehow ensnared your husband’s attention. And if, by chance, they held magical knowledge as well, you could do some surreptitious research.

Moreover, it was simply a beautiful place. Even if you were not in the clutches of a devil, you would gladly come here every day.

The sun outside heralded the afternoon, and you knew you would be fetched and served lunch. Quietly, you left the library, closing the doors behind you. You could return another time, you thought. For now, you would acquiesce to the expectations (however little there were) of you.

In the throne room a human was being brought to kneel before the demon king. This man had dared protest his power and struck one of his knights in retaliation. Such insolence demanded punishment, and the decree for him was death.

“Do what you must,” said Urizen. “My power will not be challenged.”

He waved an imperious hand, sprawled as he was on his throne. The guards took the prisoner away, heedless of his piteous cries.

“I did nothing wrong! It was him, he—”

They dragged him to the courtyard, the man’s struggling making a spectacle of the walk. It was just your luck: the window overlooking that courtyard was the one right in front of you.

One of the silent knights struck him across the face with his metal gauntlet. He fell to the ground, and another pulled him onto the chopping block.

His pleas were cut short by the descent of the axe upon his neck.

You stared, barely believing what had happened right in front of your eyes. A man had been killed. You watched the blood spurt, the ground turn red beneath him. Above the body, the branches of a large, leafless tree swayed in the windless air, its bark as white as bone. Red splattered over that bone-white tree, soaked into the earth beneath, and his head rolled on the ground with a heavy thunk.

What had that man done? You weren’t shocked that executions were carried out here at the palace itself, but seeing it was another matter entirely.

Were you going to be next?

You had no stomach for the rest of your meal. You stood, fighting the urge to retch, and took off back to your room. Feeling numb, you hoped that you would not be summoned to attend to your husband in the evening. You weren’t sure you could take another fright in the same day. To distract yourself, you made notes on the story you had started the previous evening, in the case that you would need to provide a continuation. Your mind wandered, far from the confines of the palace walls, as you wove your tale.

Of course, right before you were about to begin your evening toilette, the same devil from the night before came to your room to escort you to Urizen once again. Various other demons came in and out of the palace during the day, but this one was the only one you had encountered at night, not counting the mannequin demons that cleaned and served in the kitchen.

In case this devil was going to remain as your chaperone, you deigned to ask him his name.

“I can’t really say, my lady. But you can call me Tony.”

You noted there was a strange, clipped quality to his words, as if some spell or physicality prevented him from uttering his name. Or maybe you imagined it because demons had different voices than humans. More than that, though—

“Tony?” you echoed. “That’s…” An unusual name for a demon, you were going to say. Much too… human. His face, too, was far more humanlike than the other demons you had encountered.

To your surprise, he chuckled. “A weird name? Sounds better than Urizen, I’d say.”

His nonchalant manner took you off guard. You hadn’t been expecting this at all.

“I only meant that I didn’t expect a devil to have such a normal sounding name,” you explained.

He shrugged. “It doesn’t need to be complicated. Just Tony is fine.”

Before you knew it, you were back again in the great hall, standing before the doors to the throne room. Tony walked ahead of you to open the doors and once again, you saw your husband.

You walked through the large room, one you surmised was the largest one in the entire palace, approaching your spouse. Tony remained outside.

You tried not to let the images from earlier that day distract you too much. The man’s cries. The blood seeping into the ground. The tree that moved by itself.

You nearly crumpled the notes in your hand.

“Wife,” Urizen said, in that deep, dark tone. There was no discernable expression on his obscured face, and none in his voice. You bowed before him and awaited his instruction.

“The tale from yesterday. Continue it.”

You breathed a sigh of relief. As long as this remained all he asked of you, you would be okay, probably. Shuffling through your notes, you began to recite the rest of the story.

Again he offered neither comment nor interjection, or really any reaction at all, which you supposed was the best you could hope for at the moment. The plot you’d woven was fairly basic: the hero of this story was torn between his mission and the growing love between him and the lady who had rescued him, and while he was making to leave, the lady asked to accompany him. She wanted to help him, she said. He did not want to get her involved in his problems.

“This is not just about you!” said she. “I lost loved ones in that attack too. And who’s to say they won’t attack this town too—”

“I have a mission. It’s dangerous.”

“With them out there, everywhere is dangerous,” she said. “I am going whether you want me to or not.”

Cursing his mission for vengeance, she left him to seek a new home for her family.

“What a strange tale,” Urizen said.

“Wh-what?” This was the first time he’d spoken about the story itself. You couldn’t tell whether he meant the comment as a compliment, or as a sign he disliked it, and a shiver of panic rose in you.

“If that is all, you may go.”

You weren’t done, but you also didn’t want to go against his word.

“Then I shall resume tomorrow evening, my lord husband.”

He said nothing, only waving his hand in dismissal. You gathered up your notes, bowed hastily, and left the room.

You wondered—why did he decide to comment on the story now? Was there something about the tale he disliked? He had given no clue as to his feelings, as always. His expression had remained inscrutable and distant. Your hands clenched around your books and papers, frustrated.

Tony was nowhere to be found outside. Alone, you walked back to your room, returning to fitful sleep.

“So? What about it, V?”

There was a crow perched on the top of an armchair in the library, where a young man sat deep in thought.

“Think she’s the one?” the crow asked the young man.

“She has power, I can feel it,” he responded. In his hands he held a book, idly flipping through the pages.

“But what about—"

He interrupted the crow. “She’ll come back. I’ll speak with her then.”

“If you’re sure,” the crow said. “Y’know, I could always fly out there, get her to come if you can’t—”

“No need,” he responded. “What she needs is here. She’ll come back.”

#vergil x reader #v x reader #dmc #devil may cry #vergil #vergil sparda #devil may cry 5 #dmc5 #dmc vergil x reader #fanfiction #my fics #fic: tobpbl

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freyar0se · 4 years ago

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Greek Goddess of Wisdom and War

Athena, also referred to as Athene, is a very important goddess of many things. She is goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill.

She is known most specifically for her strategic skill in warfare and is often portrayed as companion of heroes and is the patron goddess of heroic endeavour.

Athena was born from zeus after he experienced an enormous headache and she sprang fully grown and in armour from his forehead. She has no mother but one of the most commonly cited stories is that Zeus lay with Metis, the goddess of crafty thought and wisdom, and then swallowed her whole as he feared she will give birth to a child more powerful than him because of a prophecy – but she had already conceived.

She was Zeus’s favourite child.

She is referred to in poetry as “gray-eyed.”

The owl was her bird, and the olive tree was hers.

She turned the weaver Arachne into a spider after the mortal woman insulted Athena and the Olympian gods.

Hermes and Athena went to the aid of Perseus in his quest to slay medusa. Looking directly at medusa would turn any man to stone, so Athena provided Perseus with her polished shield. Using it, he was able to see Medusa as if looking in a mirror. Again, Athena guided his hand as he cut off Medusa’s head with his sword.

Greek Goddess of the Hunt, Forests and Hills, the Moon, Archery

Artemis is known as the goddess of the hunt and is one of the most respected of all the ancient Greek deities. It is thought that her name, and even the goddess herself, may even be pre-Greek. She was the daughter of zeus, king of the gods, and the Titans Leto and she has a twin brother, the god APOLLO.

Not only was Artemis the goddess of the hunt, she was also known as the goddess of wild animals, wilderness, childbirth and virginity. Also, she was protector of young children and was know to bring and relieve disease in women. In literature and art she was depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and arrow. Artemis ( like Athena ) was a virgin and drew the attention and interest of many gods and men. However, it was only her hunting companion, Orion, that won her heart. It is believed that Orion was accidentally killed either by Artemis herself or by Gaia, the primordial goddess of the earth. In one version of the stories of Adonis – who was a late addition to Greek mythology during the Hellenistic period – Artemis sent a wild boar to kill Adonis after he continued to boast that he was a far greater hunter than her.

Artemis was daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo.

She was primarily a virgin huntress, goddess of wildlife and patroness of hunters.

The bear was sacred to her.

She guarded her virginity carefully. Actaeon and Orion tried to dishonor or rape her, but anyone who threatened her purity met with a violent end.

She was an important goddess in the lives of women, especially when it came to marriage and young creatures.

When one of her nymphs was seduced by Zeus, Artemis transformed her into a bear and then killed her.

She was sometimes associated with the goddess of the moon.

Artemis acted out in anger whenever her wishes were disobeyed, especially if anyone transgressed against the animals that were sacred to her.

She punished Agamemnon, for example, when he killed a stag in her sacred grove.

Artemis appealed to Zeus to grant her eternal virginity.

Apollo and Artemis teamed up to kill the children of Niobe. Niobe bragged that she had birthed more children than Leto (the mother of Apollo and Artemis). The twins then hunted her children and killed them with their bows and arrows.

Artemis was worshipped widely in Greece but only as a secondary deity.

A temple built in her honor became one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.”

At least two festivals were celebrated in her honor of Artemis: Brauronia and the festival of Artemis Orthia.

Homer referred to her as a mistress of wild animals.

Artemis spent most of her time roaming the forests with her nymphs. She was described as both hunting animals and protecting them.

She armed herself with a bow and arrows made by Hephaestus and Cyclops.

In art, Artemis is often accompanied by a stag or hunting dog.

She is the protector of chastity and a nurturer of the young.

Greek God of the Dead and King of the Underworld

Hades was the god of the underworld and the name eventually came to also describe the home of the dead as well. He was the oldest male child of Cronus and Rhea.

Hades and his brothers zeus and Poseidon defeated their father and the titans to end their reign, claiming rulership over the cosmos. They agreed to split their rule with Zeus becoming god of the skies, Poseidon god of the sea and Hades god of the underworld.

He was later known to the Greeks as Plouton, which the romans pluralized to Pluto. The god of the underworld was married to persephone, the daughter of Demeter, whom he obtained through deception after abducting her to the underworld and giving her the forbidden fruit pomegranate, forcing her to remain in the underworld with him for one third of each year.

Facts about Hades -

Hades is best known as the ruler of the underworld. It became his dominion after he and his brothers drew lots for their share of the universe.

According to Iliad, Hades’ dominion lies between secret places of the earth. According to the Odyssey, one must cross Ocean to get there.

Though Hades supervised the dead assigned to his realm, he was not one of its judges. Three demi-gods served that purpose instead.

Hades was depicted as stern and unyielding, unmoved by prayer and sacrifice.

Hades had a cap or helmet that made its wearer invisible.

His wife was Persephone, Demeter’s only daughter, whom he kidnapped and made his queen.

He was also called the God of Wealth or “the rich one” because he possessed the precious metals of the earth.

Pirithoüs, friend of Theseus, detrmined to have Persephone (the most carefully guarded lady in all the universe) as his bride. To this end, the two friends journeyed to the underworld, but Hades thwarted their plan. He invited them to sit on the Chair of Forgetfulness, which cause its occupant to forget everything. Hercules rescued Theseus , but the King of the Dead held Pirithous there for trying to steal his queen.

Cerberus was a three-headed dog who guarded his realm; the ferryman Charon was another one of the underworld’s attendees.

Though Hades is the King of the Dead, he should not be confused with Death itself, which is personified by Thanatos.

Cronus and Rhea were his parents.

Poseidon and Zeus were his brothers.

Hades rarely left the underworld. His presence was not welcomed by men or by gods.

Hades took pride in collecting “subjects�� for his kingdom and was disinclined to let anyone leave.

His dominion was separated from the land of the living by the following rivers: Styx, Lethe, Acheron, Phlegethon, and Cocytus.

Hades employed the Furies, who were responsible for torturing the guilty.

Hades is described by some sources as the god of the earth’s fertility.

The narcissus and the cypress are sacred to him.

In his kingdom, Hades sat on a throne made of ebony and carried a scepter.

Hades was known for his involvement with Sisyphus, the man condemned to the underworld to forever roll a boulder uphill. According to legend, Hades allowed sisyphus to return to earth long enough to arrange his own funeral.

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agentrouka-blog · 5 years ago

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Two questions on your wonderful posts: 1) What do you think it means that the morning star is another name for Lucifer, which means light bearer. 2) What do you think of the fact that Arianne also wears a simple dress with vines on it (albeit ivory linen with vines and purple grapes). Is there a pattern for all three women? It reminds me of the echoes between the 163 slavers Dany crucified, the 63 freefolk Jon recruited, and the 63 Iron Born that Ramsey flayed.

You, anon, are a precious gift!

Thank you for this ask, I would never have bothered to make the Lucifer connection! (I’ll get to the dress and numbers in a separate post.)

Lucifer. Brilliant! It ties into a theme I discovered while combing through all 19 mentions of the word “morningstar” in the current ASOIAF novels. There are more in the rest of the related literature (Dunk and Egg, especially) but I didn’t want to go overboard.

Anyway:

Defending with a morningstar is generally good and successful.

Attacking with a morningstar is generally met with failure or injury, unless you drop the thing and use something else.

It is a female-associated weapon more than male, curiously.

It is a weapon associated with royal guards and with knights defending Catelyn and Sansa and Robb.

It is a weapon associated with Arya.

Tyrion has a troubled relationship with them.

They come up in the context of winning/surviving by trickery.

Combined with my opinion that prophecies tend to have more than one application, I think that Dany’s dragons are the “bad”, attacking morningstar, and Arya will wield the “good” defending morninstar, whatever that may be. On the show, she offed the Night King, which SO FITS THIS THEME, so whatever shape the defeat of the ice zombie threat will take in the books, I think Arya will be central to it. Absolutely vital.

That’s kind of all I can say on the subject of Arya. She will be central to bringing down the main villains. Ice threat. Fire threat. She will defend her pack and ensure their survival and their future. Because the PACK survives.

I have no idea what shape her morningstar will be. Sword-shaped, weapon-shaped, choice-shaped, trickery-shaped… But it will be epic.

But there’s more. I can make literally anything about Sansa, behold.

Wikipedia tells me:

It’s a name for Satan

It’s a name for the planet Venus

It variously means morning star, light-bringer, dawn-bringer and... “shining one”. As in “radiant”.

“Radiant” is used to describe Sansa (on Joffrey’s arm by Jon), Lysa (as a bride by Catelyn), both girls about to be bitterly disappointed by the men to whom their father’s are handing them.

Also for Cersei, sarcastically by Jaime, picturing her being unfaithful. Another brother describing his sister as radiant (while being jealous). (Totally normal sibling usage of the word.)

And Dany (flattery by Reznak mo Reznak).

"Great queen," declared Reznak mo Reznak, "you are so radiant today I fear to look on you." (ADWD, Daenerys I)

Fear. Wow. So satanically apocalyptic she scares a perfumed seneschal. Not subtle.

So, we have four female characters who get the most subtle “lucifer” invocation.

Lysa, Cersei and Dany all share traits of being female rulers who come into power after their brothers and/or husbands die, mothers and women who have suffered abuse by men, who killed their husbands and took lovers, who struggle to please their subjects, who have suffered from poison attacks, who have troubled relationships with their families. Infertility and the loss of a son in pregnancy is shared by Dany and Lysa, while Dany and Cersei share the three “children” and woeful maegi prophecies. Lysa was betrayed and killed and the show suggests that Dany will share that fate while Cersei may be united with her lover. (And die.)

And then there is Sansa. She suffered abuse by men and “killed” her former betrothed. She has quasi-familial, antagonistic relationships with both Cersei and Lysa, is linked in marriage-talks to their sons, linked to poisoning their sons, she got dresses from Cersei, and is now wearing Lysa’s. Cersei’s and Lysa’s lovers both have deep, one-sided, ultimately selfish connections to Sansa. (Jaime “my last chance at honor” Lannister and Petyr “You look like your dead mom” Baelish).

So, going by parallels Sansa will be have a quasi-familial antagonistic relationship with Dany, be a potential threat to her “children” and her lover may be preoccupied with Sansa in a way. Dany may try to make marital plans for Sansa, she may try to “dress” her or have Sansa take over what was hers after her death. Or putting her in a row with these ladies, she will rule, have children, take a lover, deal with family trouble and pleasing her subjects and something to do with poison.

Sansa is at least equal to the other characters. Villain or hero, Sansa will be important. Since she is a POV character, she will definitely surpass Lysa.

Why this massive tangent to Sansa?

We have a gaggle of false and real “Lucifers” or Princes(ses) That Were Promised or Azor Ahais and Nissa Nissas. Jon, Dany, Arya, Bran, etc are all contenders for aspects of the titles. But in the smaller variants Cersei is a Dany writ small just like Lysa is a lesser mirror to both, and going with the good-and-bad theme, we may need a smaller, happier form of Nissa Nissa. If Dany’s “children” are her light-bringer, then maybe...

In Greco-Roman civilization, it was often personified and considered a god and in some versions considered a son of Aurora (the Dawn).

Maybe there will be a positive light-bringer when the dawn comes, Sansa and Next Generation Baby Stark.

#asoiaf #lightbringer #lucifer #morningstar #arya stark #sansa stark #daenerys targaryen #cersei lannister #lysa arryn #radiant

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