#and i think there was one from mythic metals

[theamaus]

Hello, another question if you have time. We've seen how Misha and Ivan get on, and Fritz and Herbert, but what about the other BLU-RED counterparts? I know Jeremy and Jesse had their brawl but is that just friendly sparring? Are any of them really antagonistic?

Good question, let's have a look! LONG POST

Mercs and their counterparts: headcannons

Scouts

Jeremy and Jesse have a friendly but competitive relationship. They spar and fight to get better and make a big deal out of being better than the other.

They both feel like they have something to prove on their team so having an equal is like a stress reliever. Jeremy is used to being the youngest and so he automtically feels like he has to fight to prove his place on the team. Jesse goes from being the oldest in his family to the youngest on his team and works hard to earn the respect he's used to from home.

They keep eachother on their toes. Jesse is out for morning run? Jeremy makes it a race! Jeremy is playing a game outside? Jesse insists they keep score!

It's all friendly and they sometimes play ball or joke around between matches.

Soldiers

Jane and John hate eachother. They have both bought into the idea that the other team is the enemy so they don't interact outside of the battlefield.

Jane takes things very literally so when he's told BLU is bad that's how it is. He doesn't approve of Tavishs friendship with John and thinks he should find someone on RED team to hang around instead. He doesn't know Tavish and John are in a romantic relationship.

John is less hostile against RED team outside the battlefield, but won't willingly go to RED base. Tavish is the only exception, he'd move heaven and earth for his scottish boyfriend.

If they were to have an actual conversation they would pobably still hate eachother. Jane would find Johns favor toward rugby instead of football unamarican and therefore heresy. John would find Jane annoyingly loud and his fabricated warstories disrespectful.

Pyros

The pyros have an understanding. They know they both see the world differently than anyone else so if they were to hang out they could probably find something fire-related to do. They'd just rather hang out with other people.

Pyro would prefer to draw with Jeremy and sit around in Dells workshop playing guitar. They are affectionate and wants to hug and be close to their friends. Loves their ballonicorn.

Pyro would prefer to listen to heavy metal with Ivan and John or make trouble around the base with Jesse and Angus. They do NOT want to be touched by anyone. Will set fire to Pyros ballonicorn.

They might not hang out regularly but you can bet if theres a fire nearby they're both there. Campfire or arson, doesn't matter. Any fire is good fire.

Demos

Tavish and Angus meet up regularly at the bar in the nearest town for drinks. They reminisce about their lives in Scotland and share tall tales about legenday mythical creatures (which they both very much believe in).

They both get outragesly drunk but Angus is appalled at the swill Tavish is willing to drink. He shares some of his familys stuff and Tavish loves it, but he'll also drink handsanitizer if you let him so Angus doesn't count that for anything.

Tavish invites Angus to see his familys castle in Scotland and Angus offers a tour of his familys distillery. They make a trip of it and have a lovely time.

Angus doesn't really get what Tavish sees in John but is fine with it as long as he stays oUT OF BLU BASE. He doesn't hate RED team but he thinks any team-mixing should happen on neutral ground so he can have his place in peace. Tavish doesn't give a shit and regularly sneaks into John room at night through the window.

Heavys

Misha and Ivan get along fine. They have both had a difficult early life and have a silent understanding that they don't need to talk about the shit they've seen to get it.

Ivan as immense respect for Misha. He is older, bigger and stronger than Ivan and is the only one who can knock sense into his thick head. He does think Misha is a little too soft sometimes and finds his hobbies, like reading, insanely boring. He'll tease him a little on safe topics, but knows where the line is and doesn't push them.

Misha likes Ivan, but very aware that he is a criminal and has sharper edges than Misha in many ways. He's funny, but his language is foul. He can take a beating, but he's ruthless and fights like a caged dog. They can speak in russian together, which is freeing, but he can hear in Ivans voice that his relationship to Misha's homeland is strained.

They both enjoy their weekly poker night where they talk about their small useless baby team, big guns and crazy medics.

Engineers

Dell and Dennis have a lot in common. Both smart, both farmboys at heart and both care a lot about their teammates.

They're both passionate about their craft and go to expos and confrerences together, sometimes acompanied by Misha, Tavish and Raphael. If they happen to be near a rodeo or animal fair they will gladly go with Nick, Mick and Jane.

They like to set up a little campfire somewhere on neutral ground from time to time where that talk about food and play guitar.

Dennis likes to run his blueprints by Dell before finalizing anything, since he's the only one who 100% understands what he's talking about. While Dell can usually talk to Misha about these things, no one on Dennis' team has the same passion for mechanics as he does, even if Raphael makes an effort to seem interested.

Dennis is endlessly facinated by Dells robo hand but so far hasn't been allowed to take it apart to really look at it.

Medics

Herbert and Fridrich are very good friends and share a passion for the macabre and grotesque. They have a weekly autopsy night where they talk about everything from diseases to boyfriend problems. This is what prompted the Heavys to start hanging out.

Herbert finds Friedrichs experiences on the frontlines in the war facinating and will press for details on grusome operations or traumatic injuries. He thinks Friedrich is too messy and unorginized while being too hysterical about silly, uninportant things like "clean gloves" and "sterile instruments".

Friedrich thinks Herbert is brilliant, if a bit crazy, and could listen to his experimental operations with babboon-parts all day. He also thinks Herbert is too prissy and particular about where everything should be and not enough about keeping blood off his clothes and dirt out of his patients bodies.

They speak exclusively in German and hang out outside of work often, with or without their respective heavy.

Snipers

Mick and Nick, like the scouts, have a friendly rivalry going about who is the best sniper. They don't see each other much because of the nature of their job, but sometimes they'll wave or flip the bird when they know the other has their scope on them.

They both really like nature and enjoy sitting outside. Sometimes they sit together and when they do it's mostly in silence. Other times they talk about Australia, sniping, their families and otherwise joke around like brothers. They both bring snacks like dried meat and coffee.

When Mick learns the truth about his parents Nick is the first person he goes to. Nick reasures Mick that it doesn't mean shit and that he's still as Australian as he always was, even if he doesn't like fist fighting and can't grow Australia-shaped chest hair. Neither can Nick and that doesn't mean anything, probably!

They go on readtrips in Micks van and sleep in the wild for a few days. Nick appreciates that Mick always makes a point to stand on his left side so he can hear him.

Spies

Gabriel and Raphael rarely interact directly. They leave cryptic messages and codes for eachother in hidden places. Masters of geocaching.

Sometimes they are called out on secret missions together outside of their jobs as mercs and they work together like a well-oiled clock, but they don't trust eachother fully and never show their full hand. They do talk, though, and Raphael is the only one who truely knows if Gabriel is actually French or not.

One time on a mission they get to talking and discover that they both have a son on their respective teams. They find the coincidence uncanny.

Gabriel doesn't see the point in trying to be a parent to a fully grown man he hasn't been there for, even if he does still think of the boys mother often and yearns for her still. The job comes first. Raphael finds it cowardly to abandon your son now that he knows he's out there, even if he has no interest in the mother, and has found love elsewhere. Family comes first.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hello, I came to say that dragons are mythical creatures often depicted to be possessive in mythology and literature, sometimes known for their immense power, territorial instincts, and the symbolic association with hoarding wealth and treasures...

Twisted Wonderland in context, Malleus Draconia was confirmed to be a dragon fairy (essentially a dragon who can take a shape of a man), and I was curious if Malleus may have exhibited possessive traits in canon, whether through main story or vignette...?

The reason I ask that is because mischaracterizing characters or making them OOC is the last thing I want to do when it comes to writing or analyzing...

**Sorry if I was not able to word it in a way that you can understand what I'm trying to convey because sometimes I feel inferior that my wording may come off as blunt or insensitive. I just want to leave a brief note that I don't mean to come off as rude or dismissive. I appreciate your understanding!**

In my opinion, Malleus in canon is protective but not possessive. What do I mean by that? Glad you asked. Let's start by laying down some definitions.

In this situation, when I say “protective”, it implies good intentions. It means actively looking out for others' safety and wellbeing. To be possessive, on the other hand, implies a more controlling desire to own or to restrict another's actions. It’s commanding and demanding all of a person’s attention and love. It means having a disrespect for others' autonomy and instead trying to displace it with your will. (Yes, I know that you're probably automatically thinking of The Big Exception of book 7, but I will address that later in this post so hang on for a moment!)

This gets long, so buckle up! We’ve got a lot to talk about.

First thing's first, a lot of the "possessive Malleus" interpretations originate from fandom, especially when it comes to yandere, yume, or generally romantic fan works. (And to be clear: This is NOT to shame the folks who enjoy these kinds of works; I am only listing them here as examples.) Oftentimes this occurs due to individual fans bringing in ideas from media outside the bounds of Twisted Wonderland. This is totally expected and normal; there is no such thing as someone who has an interest in ONLY a singular thing. We will naturally apply our previous knowledge to help us understand and interpret new information.

For example, in irl mythology, fae are hurt by iron--and even in Disney's own films, such as Maleficent, iron is depicted as harming fae and sapping them of their power. This led to many Twst fans headcanoning that iron does the same thing to fae in Twisted Wonderland. However, we learn in book 7 that this is NOT true. Fae, particularly nobles, do find the smell of iron nauseating, but the metal does not appear to impede their powers or hinder them in any way. Lilia and his men are still able to dispatch several Silver Owls (who are dressed in iron arm and battle with iron tanks and other machinery) without issue.

Another example that’s pretty popular is fans believing that whole “if you tell a fairy your name, it grants them power over you” thing. Some have claimed this will come into play in book 7’s final battle. Others claim this is the deeper or secondary reason as to why Malleus doesn’t reveal his own name to Yuu until book 5, as giving his name would grant Yuu power over him. However, there’s nothing in-universe to suggest that names have cultural significance to fae or that any sort of power or status is granted by relinquishing one’s name. Yuu (or Malleus’s hundreds of other classmates) have also demonstrated no such control over him.

Remember: what is true outside of Twst, including in Disney's own works, is NOT necessarily true inside of Twst.

Going back to the initial question, I believe that "Malleus is possessive" is also a headcanon of a similar vein; fans are coming into Twst familiar with other mythos which state that dragons are possessive, territorial, and greedy on top of being powerful. Because Malleus is a dragon fae and is known to possess great power, it's very easy for fans to see the parallels between him and the dragons they already know of. This then leads to them filling in the gaps of his personality and projecting other stereotypical draconic traits onto him. In Malleus's case, this was extremely easy to do because it took a few years for him to see any significant spotlight in both event stories (Glorious Masquerade) and in the main story (book 7).

I think the easiest way for us to analyze whether Malleus is protective or possessive is to examine his closest relationships in the narrative of Twst. I will not be counting Sebek and Silver individually here, as they are both his bodyguards and Malleus maintains a mostly professional relationship with them. Instead, we shall look at Malleus's attitude by looking at his relationships with Lilia and Yuu, then proceed into discussing related behaviors.

I believe it's indisputable that Lilia is one of the most important people to Malleus. Lilia trained him, taught him, and trained him. He is basically Malleus's father figure. The fear of losing Lilia is what causes Malleus to emotionally spiral and take drastic measures in a desperate attempt to avoid that unhappy ending. His entire motivation for unleashing his UM is "not losing [Lilia]!" You would think that if Malleus was going to be possessive of anyone, it would be with Lilia. But the truth of the matter is... he's mostly just... not? Lilia is a very sociable person in the student body. He's frequently gaming with Idia, taking care of or lending wisdom to others (Silver, Sebek, etc.), hanging out with Cater and Kalim in their club, interacting with dorm leaders and freshmen when Malleus is absent for ceremonies, and more--yet Malleus doesn't seem to express any jealousy over sharing Lilia. I'd also like to add that although Malleus lacks parents, he doesn't really show envy over Lilia treating and calling Silver his own son instead of himself. Oh, Malleus certainly does express jealousy to some extent. Who would forget the time in his Dorm Uniform vignettes when he crushed Lilia's phone? The thing is though, the times when Malleus is upset are not fueled by not wanting to share Lilia or wanting to monopolize his time. In the previous example I cited, Malleus broke Lilia's phone because Lilia had received a picture Kalim and the other dorm leaders took after a meeting. Even the dialogue exchanged implies this; Malleus did not automatically get mad when he noticed that Lilia had a notification, he only got mad after realizing he was excluded from something the other dorm leaders were all involved in. Malleus was upset that he was not invited, not that Kalim was texting Lilia. Additionally, it is stated that the dorm leader must grant permission for others to use the lounge. If he wanted to, he could withhold the permission for Lilia, who wants the lounge for his farewell party (which everyone is invited to), or stipulate that he wants a more formal affair with just Diasomnia members present. Malleus doesn’t act in this possessive way though. He grants Lilia what he desires without issue.

Next up for scrutiny is Yuu! Now, there's some gray area here because part of Yuu's relationship with Malleus is defined by how much the player projects onto the self-insert/blank slate character. Please note that, when I discuss Yuu, I am leaving out individual interpretations and going STRICTLY by the information presenting in canon.

It can be said that Malleus slowly develops a fondness for Yuu's company over the course of the main story. At first, he is surprised and maybe even a little disappointed that someone has taken residence in Ramshackle--it used to be desolate, which makes it a perfect spot to visit on his nightly strolls. However, Malleus soon finds amusement in the fact that Yuu, not being of this world, has no clue who he is or what his status is. This grants him the freedom to speak at ease with this human and to "be himself" in a way that he cannot be with others, who typically cower at his name. You could also argue that Yuu telling Malleus they may have found a way home expedited the despair he felt in book 7, as he learned so quickly that two of his friends would be exiting his life soon. This, however, is not possessiveness. It's normal to have fear and anxiety about losing the people you love.

Malleus's voice lines also do not indicate possessiveness. Yes, there's the usual and expected fanservice-y lines where he invites Yuu to come and engage in various activities with him, but nothing in those suggests he would exclude others or become upset if they also wanted to join. (Are you telling me that Malleus wouldn't want to talk for hours on end about the glory of gargoyles to TWO people instead of just one?????) Additionally, all the characters get similar fanservice-y lines, so it's not something exclusive to Malleus. There was one line that gave me pause: "You always seem to attract a crowd... More so than I'd like, really." Buuut I think this could be read a number of ways, not solely in an ‘I want you all to myself’ way. Malleus actually does like to be alone, hence his nightly strolls. The line can therefore also be read as Malleus enjoying solitude or one-on-one conversations as opposed to addressing a group. In that case, it's a personal preference and not necessarily a sign of possessiveness. He’s definitely not completely averse to group activities though; there are lines where Malleus invites Yuu to do things with him and other characters. For example, from his PE Uniform: “Sebek has been badgering me to help train him. I'll permit you to join us. ... You're coming, I trust?”

The guy generally doesn't get angry or annoyed if Yuu mentions having other friends or managing the 7 member VDC/SDC group. In fact, he sometimes encourages Yuu to interact with others. One of his birthday lines is, "You needn't linger and focus on me to the exclusion of others. I want everyone to enjoy the party, yourself included." Malleus doesn’t so much as flinch or react when a complete stranger kisses the back of Yuu’s hand either. If he was truly possessive, wouldn’t he have gotten angry or—at the very least—have frowned or tried to put some distance between Yuu and said stranger? Yet Malleus doesn’t really react or comment on it despite being present.

Malleus seems to understand that it's not very polite to demand all of someone's time or attention--and this makes perfect sense of his character. He is a royal, and that means he was taught proper manners. Malleus has even indicated before that his grandmother stressed the importance of observing etiquette, particularly around invitations. You don't just invite yourself to functions or insert yourself into others' lives if not extended said invites... and Malleus, for the most part, adheres to those rules. In various voice lines, he even frets over committing social faux pas, wondering if he has offended his peers with certain behaviors. For example, from his Masquerade Dress: "Flamme shoots me stern looks on occasion. Have I behaved improperly in some way...?"

Malleus is also not generally possessive when it comes to his items or territory. He wants to share cake with others; eating a whole one gave him heartburn and now whole cakes are his least favorite food. Additionally, he tends to welcome people to Diasomnia rather than chase them out or expel them. (After all, they so rarely get visitors in the first place.) Malleus will at least hear out the reasoning for seeking him out. As an example, Leona (someone who has had a rocky history with Malleus) goes to Diasomnia in his Ceremonial Robes vignettes to exchange robes after a laundry mix-up. This is a stark contrast to the highly territorial Leona, who attacks a magicless human in thd Botanical Garden and also allows his own students to wail on Yuu and co. for simply walking being in Savanaclaw. Leona joins in on this bullying too. I think it's pretty clear that Malleus handles guests with far more tact, grace, and patience than his fellow prince.

I want to point out that though Malleus is usually amicable with guests, there are exceptions. Ramshackle, as I mentioned earlier, is a place he enjoys a lot. He indicates in his Halloween Dress card that “If anyone dares to damage [this] dorm, I will be as a lóng and reduce them to cinders. I have become rather fond of that place, after all.” Indeed, he does act on this promise in Terror is Trending and comes close to striking down Magicam Monsters for disrespecting a place he holds so dear. Is this possessive though? Yes, it’s a place he loves—but it’s also a place where his friend Yuu lives.

There are many other examples of Malleus going to extreme lengths to protect the things he loves. He vows to destroy Rollo Flamme, who poses a threat to his people, the fae (who depend on magic as their way of life, and the sentient gargoyles, whom he has recently befriended. He unleashes his mighty magic to attack those who wound his pride. He stops time and kidnaps the entire student body all for the sake of including ghosts in a Halloween celebration. And, of course, he sends Sage’s Island to sleep in a desperate bid to stop losing everyone. The majority of these behaviors involve him lashing out at those who pose legitimate threats to things he cares about. It’s not as though be is acting for no discernible reason or because he is doesn’t want his loved ones being with people other than him. Does that make these actions right? No, absolutely not. But I would say they are definitely more protective than possessive.

Very rarely is Malleus actively preventing his peers from spending time away from him. Sure, he gets upset that he’s not invited to join them and sure, he wishes people would invite him too—but there’s a difference between longing and being mopey about this and acting so domineering he’s breathing down the necks of others to only be with him. He is not stopping people from being with their friends and family. He is not stopping people from using his things or entering his territory. Even when he makes everyone sleep, he grants them the space to craft their own dreams and doesn’t even make the dreams center around him and his own involvement on their lives. Oftentimes the dreams involve several other characters that are important to the individual dreamer and Malleus does not appear at all. (Again, this doesn’t mean using his UM was the best move to resolve his issues; I’m just saying his actions were not necessarily possessive.)

So, in conclusion, I stand by the thesis at I proposed at the start of this post: Malleus is largely protective, not possessive, despite what many fandom interpretations would have you believe.

[elowhinn]

Back to Where We Started. [ (?)Reader x TWST. ]

CW : Blood, Death ( Tell me if I missed anything :D )

Not edited! Not proofread!

Shouting- lots and lots of shouting you believe you heard, although the ringing in your ear made it hard to tell; in your arms you cradled him, Grim. And as much as you could, you kept him close to your ever cold body- hoping that his would heat up, your heart ached- his shallow breaths made you worry.

What if he doesn't live? The ebbed it's way into your mind- intrusive, and unwelcome, because you wanted- needed to believe otherwise, otherwise the growing pain in your heart might be the one to kill you instead. Everything that transpired- it felt like a blur, you shouted out half-assed commands in hopes you wouldn't hurt Grim more- wouldn't let him suffer more.

You held Grim's small body oh, so gingerly in your arms- doing so another thought crossed your mind making you laugh bitterly to yourself, and only yourself; You felt yourself laugh at the notion of you being motherly, but in some weird way you did think that- think that Grim was practically family.

How the sting in your heart would ever more increase.

Even as the dull ache that spread across your body made you want to collapse right then and there, you tried your damnedest to stay upright. Blood, and ruined structures surrounded you both- hiding you both, in secrecy from everybody.

The sun hung low in the horizon, and as the soft sunrise cast a glow that blanketed everything around you- You made a desperate attempt of begging, hoping that someone, anyone could hear your cries; but you knew that only the wind was the only being that heard you-

" Please.. This can't be how it ends.. " You murmured, thoughts spoken out loud with a voice so hoarse and dry maybe the sound of it could even beat sandpaper. But dully, it was for naught- and only you feel the uneasy feeling fester deep inside you, growing more as you realize your foolish attempts of believing in childhood dreams would somehow come true..

Even if this world had magic, mythical beasts- and all you thought were fantasy; this was still reality, not some fairy tale dream written by some stupid fool-!

But.. Seeing the battered bodies of your friends- rise from the debris; some even shouting your name.. You couldn't help but need to do the same, rise above it all- like you always did, show them that you were alive and fine- beaten, and bloody- but still alive.

You didn't. You couldn't, the ache in your body finally reigned in on you- every movement felt like needles pricking- nipping at your skin; punishing you for even the slightest movement, but you didn't regret persevering through it just to hold Grim, to have him in your arms once more-

His fur was matted, disheveled- and stained with crimson and or inky liquid; A result of your failure to realize that, failure to neglect the obvious signs that Grim shown..

The tears felt hot and heavy as they slid past your cheeks- dripping unto him, if he were awake- would he reprimand you for dirtying the 'Great Lord Grim's' fur? The metallic taste in your mouth seemed to increase,

Oh how you wished you spent more time with him, with all of them- would you have more memories to look back upon? People said in your last moments- you'd remember the greatest memories of your life, and if you could bet- most of them would be here.

Grim was your first anchor to this world, and the rest- slowly became one too; they helped you, created memories with you- and you cherished the bond you achieved with them even though the time was short- cut briefly.

" I'm a sucker for good endings, "

The words echoed back on you,

so as the ringing in your ear turn null,

you start to regret more,

You hope that during these last moments,

the pain that built up in your body

seemed to chip away,

You'll remember the times where you gave a genuine smile,

blinking.. felt like it was causing your

eyesight to deteriorate by the second,

Laughed until your ribs ached,

warmth leaves your body slowly,

making you feel numb.

Even during this short period of life,

the feelings you had before, now- felt empty.

You wish that you could've cherished them more,

but even then, you could still crack a

solemn smile as you reminisce.

" I'm a sucker for good endings, "

Darkness envelopes you fully, fitting isn't it? From the way you entered this world through pitch black darkness and a coffin, you'll leave it in pitch black darkness and in a coffin.

Oh how you loved stories that came in full circle, stories with detailed- and or simple premises; but to you that didn't matter, you've read your fair share of novels- and as cliche as it is.. You always appreciated the journey more than the destination, and as childish as you are- you adored endings where the narrator finally rewards the main character; giving them the peace they oh so desired and to you even needed.

.

.

.

.

You're not alive anymore to tell the tale.

....But you woke up, in a dark- tight area; but it feels so nostalgic… Was this H-E-double hockey sticks? Man, you could've sworn they said it a bit more- warm? As you tried to shuffle your way out, you then heard a familiar voice- a voice you desperately wanted to hear once more-

“ Myahahaha! Now, eeny, meeny, miny, moe… " Grim.. ? Was that you- !?

Mustering up all your strength- you quickly thrust your hands out; " What the- Myah! " Grim- ( You presume, ) Suddenly let out a loud yelp, from which you concluded probably was because of you- watching how the coffin lid fall and hit something you jumped out quick on your feet as you scooped up the Feline from the floor in your arms-

" Human- what are you doing!? Let go of me, fnyah! " You feel his paws- warm paws try to push you off; Wet- and sliding down your cheek, your eyes- finally capable of shedding the tears you wanted to before- the warm fuzzy feeling swelled in your chest; and so did the scratches on your cheek.

" Grim- I missed you so much.. ! " You happily let out, nuzzling into his fur even more even though he keeps pushing you away; " Stupid Kid… " He grumbled- " Let go of me! You're gonna ruin my fur! " Suddenly a burst of flames exited his mouth, causing you to squint and- instinctively letting go of him;

Grunting out as you used your arms to shield your face; you then notice it- your robes were of the same from when you first came here, and as your drifted unto your feline companion- you notice how his body is skinnier.. smaller even-

" Finally- phew! Alright, kid. Just who'dya think you're holdin' unto! I'm the Great Lord Grim! " Grim introduces, but you remain silent as the dots finally click-

" Great, now my plans to just snatch em' off ya while you're asleep is out- " He crossed his arms, which caused you to gush inwardly at how- adorable, and pouty he looked!

His then held up one of his paw's to you, making inward motions as he said, " Whatever, now hand over what you got on. " He demanded, blue eyes looking at you- alive, and healthy; your hands weren't bleeding and calloused- and everything that was happening- happened before- you remember it all, vividly well.

Did you just go back in time?

A/N : Writing on a whim seems to do the trick, considering i wrote this all in one sitting :D yay, i did say that i was gonna continue the AntiMag!Reader over the uh summer and guess what yay summer- so i'm back to writinggg :D if u hadnt guessed by the title or maybe drawn out from what i wrote, its a reggressor reader yayyyyyy kewl ik

early warning now, this story is very much ooc because while yes i do my best to understand the character unfortunately im not that good in the dialogue category of writing so if u feel that it is ooc, please uhm dont bash me for it im trying my best :D

[nervouseden]

God Among Men.

Pairing: Avenger!Bucky Barnes x GN!Reader

Summary: After a stressful mission, your super soldier boyfriend needs you... This is literal trash. I apologize.

Warnings: SMUT. Brief mention of religious stuff. Worshipping. Misuse of religious terms. Collar and leash (it's really only mentioned like once or twice). Gender neutral reader. Blowjob. Face fucking. Finger sucking. Bucky Barnes (he's a warning). Metal arm (kink). A tad bit of hair pulling. Rough blowjob. Reader isn't the best at communicating. Praise. Some brief degradation. Voice kink (because who couldn't love that sweet baritone?). Brief mention of Shuri and Wakanda. Sir kink. Tears. Choking (from bj). Deep throating. Dom Bucky. Sub reader. Bucky's kinda rough. But also super sweet and concerned. Use of safe signal(?) like a safe word but nonverbal. Brief after care. Loosely Implied fingering/penetration afterwards. Like zero plot. Porn without Plot/Plot? What plot? Mildly dubious consent (not really, but I just want to be safe with my warnings!)

Please comment if you think I missed anything!

A/N: This is like my second or third time writing actual smut, please give me grace— Also I had this idea while sleep deprived and I'm currently stuck in artists/writers block so it's probably not my best work. But, I tried. This was written on my phone and not proofread, so I do apologize for any and all mistakes/typos.

A/N #2: I have absolutely nothing against any religions or religious people, and this is not meant to offend or target anybody in any way, shape, or form!

I do not own any characters mentioned in this story or the gif.

Dividers by @cafekitsune

18+!!! MINORS AND PEARL CLUTCHERS PLEASE DNI!!!

You were never a very religious person, having loose beliefs that you didn't necessarily align with anything specific, and you were fine with that, but that all changed one day, and in the way you least expected it. The day you first hooked up with Sgt. James Buchanan Barnes, or, as you knew him, Bucky, your best friend. You swear that night you might've been to Heaven, or Valhalla, or maybe even reached Nirvana, but whatever it was, it was caused by the super soldier Avenger fucking you into oblivion, with a godly body and otherworldly skills. Not only does he look like some mythical god, but he has the skills and the strength of one too. A god among men.

Bucky is a complicated man; He doesn't talk much, but once you get him going, he could talk to you for hours. He is tall and broad, dark and brooding, with a glare that could kill, but also sweet and soft, caring and considerate, with a smile that makes you weak in the knees... So, when your relationship evolved into something sexual, it wasn't a surprise when his prowess matched his godly looks. His quick wit matched by his skilled tongue. Strong hands matched with his (surprisingly) nimble fingers. He's also a kinky mother fucker.

Today, after Bucky got back from a rough, week long mission, apparently most of the team getting their asses kicked, you found yourself on your knees in front of him, naked, wearing nothing back a black leather collar and a silver chainlink leash, your head resting on his lap as he gently pets your cheek with his flesh hand.

"Doll," Bucky's voice is low, lower than usual, and it sends shockwaves of desire coursing through you, shocking your core.

"Yes, sir?" Your voice is soft, quiet, and shaky, a mix of nervousness, arousal, and hours of teasing from this man, this god, making you weak, your voice a minute version of it's usual sound, making Bucky chuckle.

You look up at him through heavy eyelids, your eyes raking up his body hungrily; He's wearing black sweatpants, no shirt, and you're not entirely sure about boxers. His long hair is tousled, the dark locks resting on his broad shoulders, the otherworldly muscles rippling under his skin covered in scars, his normally bright blue eyes darkened to an almost eerie tungsten blue. He's a literal god. The epitome of divinity.

"You've been so good~" Bucky practically purrs, and you already feel your abdomen tightening. "But not good enough."

Well shit.

You're definitely not getting what you want tonight.

"Talk to me, Kätzchen. Tell me what you're thinkin' about." You hesitate, but you know better than to directly disobey.

"I..." You look down, biting your lip. "I was thinking about you... H-How beautiful you are, James..."

Bucky smirks. This wasn't what he was expecting. "Oh?"

You simply nod. "Do elaborate, Kätzchen." Bucky quirks a brow, and you fight the urge to squirm in embarrassment.

"Y-You..." You sigh, deciding to bite the bullet. What's the worst that could happen? He laughs at you and uses it against you? That'd suck... but it would be a lot worse if you didn't speak. Those are always back. You don't want another spanking...and definitely not the crop. Yeah, no, that'd be bad. Better spit it out.

"You're fuckin' beautiful..." You practically whimper, and Bucky smirks.

"I know you've got more than that, sweetness." Bucky teases, and you know he's right. He's always right... It's unfair. How can a man possibly be so attractive and smart? You're starting to think he might actually be a higher power. "C'mon, doll, don't make me hit it outta ya."

Shit. That's a threat. "You're... You're a god among men, Sir... Divinity in itself... Crafted from the finest of marbles known to man... I want to submit everything I have to you."

Bucky simply smirks.

Uh oh.

"Is that so, Kätzchen?" You swallow hard, nodding, watching his eyes stare into yours with an intensity that could burn you to the ground. Yup. Definitely a god.

"Y-Yes, Sir... I... You are my god, James..." Oops. Normally Bucky doesn't take kindly to being called his name during scenes, but for some reason, he just smirks and lets it slide. That's different.

"I want my body to be your altar, your temple, your church... I am your devotee..." You whisper softly, your voice shaky and almost nervous, scared, although you're unsure what you're scared of.

"Darling..." Bucky growls, his pupils dilated so much you can barely see the ring of blue, his vibranium hand clenching on lap, his breathing picking up, that beautiful, chiseled chest rising and falling faster by the second, sweat starting to bead on his skin... You did that?

"You have such pretty lips, yet such nasty words..."

Bucky's Vibranium hand moves to the back of your neck suddenly, grabbing you by the nape of it, pushing your face into his clothed crotch, allowing you to feel the feverish heat, the wet spot on his sweats, and the rock that is his cock. "I'm not gonna last long if you keep sayin' shit like that, doll."

You whimper. Loudly. Pathetically. Lewdly. What the fuck else are you supposed to do? You just mentally brought THE Sargeant James Barnes to his knees from just a few sentences, you don't know whether to be terrified or proud... But, either way, you're not given much time to decipher how you feel, as Bucky starts to rub the side of your cheek against his strained length, the rough cotton of his sweatpants irritating your sweat shined cheeks.

"You're gonna be a good little devotee. You're gonna listen, you're gonna do as told, and you're gonna take what I give you, like a good cock slut."

Bucky's voice is a deep, dangerous growl, the sound rumbling through his chest, rolling down his abdomen and vibrating through him and into you, shooting electricity through your body, your nerves immediately on fire, your thighs quaking, your mind reeling into the abyss of lust.

"Aren't you, Kätzchen?" Bucky says with a groan, looking at you expectantly, a dark smirk on his face.

"Y-Yes, Sir... I will... I'll b-be good..." You whimper out, look up at him with doe eyes, fighting the urge to look down as he slides his sweatpants to his ankles, tossing them aside.

Bucky gently cups your chin with his vibranium hand, the dark metal shining in the dimly lit room as he puts his thumb against your lips, grinning at the feeling. "Open."

You immediately do as told, parting your lips, slowly swirling your warm tongue around his thumb as he slides the cool metal into your mouth, causing Bucky to groan sorry... It's moments like these when Bucky is most grateful to Shuri for creating touch sensors in the arm, allowing him to feel everything you do to his Vibranium arm... Wakandan technology truly is incredible.

"That's a good little whore..." Bucky groans as he uses his thumb in your mouth to tilt your head down, your eyes widening as they meet the sight of Bucky's cock.

Huh. He wasn't wearing any boxers.

"Let this be your first sacrament, devotee." Bucky chuckled.

Long. Impressive. Intimidating. Yet another reason you're starting to think he might actually be a god. No matter how many times you see it, swallow it, and take it, it's always just as intimidating as the first time. His cock is tall, curving slightly as it goes up, getting redder until it gets to the almost purple tip, your hand barely able to wrap around the girth, one large vein going from the shaft to the tip, where creamy pre-cum is beading. You might as well be salivating...and shaking in fear.

"C'mon, doll, I know you can take it." Bucky purred, wrapping his vibranium hand in your hair, guiding your face to rub against his length. It's almost humiliating. But it's also beyond arousing.

"Yes, sir." You mutter softly, licking your lips, raising your head when Bucky loosens his grip on your hair. You spit on the head of Bucky's cock, causing it to twitch where it stands, before gently wrapping your mouth around the tip, your tongue swirling around the tip, teasing the slit, causing Bucky to groan.

"Your god is losing patience, Kätzchen." Bucky growls, before tightening his vibranium hand in your hair, violently pushing your head down his cock, his length forcefully sliding down your velvety throat, only stopping when your nose is flush with his pelvic bone, groaning as he revels in the feeling, hissing as his head falls back in pleasure. "Shiiiit— So warm, Kätzchen...like fuckin' silk, doll..."

To nobody's surprise, you choke, choke hard, coughing around Bucky's member, who simply enjoys the way your throat constricts when you do so. Tears quickly form, as you try to focus on relaxing your throat and taking deep breaths in through your nose, but are quickly cut off as Bucky pulls your hair back, sliding your mouth off his length before pushing your head back down.

"Fuckin' perfect... gorgeous little devotee..." Bucky groans, starting to roll his hips as he continues to roughly guide your head up and down his cock, face fucking you as you cry and choke. Yup. You definitely fucked up calling him James.

Bucky had been tense since he texted you from the Quinjet, so when he starts to throb in your mouth rather than usual, you're not necessarily surprised, that mission really took a toll on him. You hollow your cheeks, and start gently scraping your teeth against Bucky's length as he continues to thrust into your face, his balls slapping against your chin with every snap of his strong hips.

"That's it, Kätzchen, worship me, your fuckin' god-"

Fuck, you were dizzy.

Your eyes start to roll back, head feeling fuzzy, your body seeming heavier, the restricted intake of oxygen starting to get to you, as more tears fall, but being the absolute bitch you are for Bucky, you're determined to make him cum before taking a breather.

"C'mon, babydoll, I'm so close... Lemme cum in your pretty little mouth... Let me desecrate the perfect altar that is you..." He groans, his hips snapping harder, shuddering at your teeth scraping his skin, only to be soothed by your hollowed cheeks and hot throat.

Your vision was starting to get fuzzy around the edges, but you still didn't communicate your need to breathe... Instead, you move your hands up to cup his heavy balls, massaging them roughly as you suck harder at his length.

That was all it took.

"Fuck!"

Bucky growls, the sound dark and primal, sending jolts of pleasure to your deprived body, his flesh hand joining his vibranium one in your hair, holding you uncomfortably flush to his skin as his cock throbs, pulsing rapidly as rope after rope of hot cum spills down your throat, your hands still massaging his balls as they empty into you, your muscles working overtime to swallow it all... Since being with him, you found that super soldiers have loads like damn fire hydrants. Not that you're complaining. Usually.

"Baby... Ughhh—" You had expected Bucky to pull you off his cock once he finished, but he didn't, instead he held you flat to his pelvis, basking in the feeling of your hot, velvet throat surrounding him, groaning and growling in pleasure.

You couldn't do it. Your vision was completely blurred, tears still falling, your feelings like concrete, sweat pouring down you, your mind fogged like shower glass. You take your right hand, tapping your index, middle, and ring finger on his thigh three consecutive times.

He immediately pulls your head off his length, pulling you up to his lap as you cough and suck in heavy breaths.

"Doll? Doll, are you alright? Did I hurt you?" Bucky asks hurriedly, his vibranium hand holding you close to him and rubbing your back, while his flesh hand gently holds your face. "Darling, can you hear me? Are you okay?"

It takes you a few moments to process his words, as they sounded more like mumbles from underwater at first. But, as your vision cleared, your tears stopped, the fogginess left your mind, and your breathing started regulating, you finally registered his words and nodded yes. "Y-Yeah... I- I'm fine..." You murmur with a raspy voice, your throat scratchy from the rough blowjob.

Bucky sighed in relief, brushing away your tears with his flesh hand, peppering kisses on your face. "Alright..." He didn't sound too convinced, worried he hurt you, but decided to focus on cleaning you up and caring for you.

He grabbed the pack of baby wipes from the table next to the chair you two are on, taking one out, gently wiping your flushed face clean of the saliva, sweat, cum, and tears. He then opened a bottle of water, gently holding it to your lips. "Have some water, baby." He murmurs as he helps you take small sips, putting it down after about ¼ of the bottle is gone.

"There you go, Kätzchen...You did so good, I'm so damn proud of you, love." Bucky praised softly, pulling you closer to his chest and rocking side to side gently.

"Th-Thank you..." You murmur quietly, your voice still a little raspy, as you tuck your head in Bucky's neck, your sweat covered bodies moulding together, as Bucky's flesh hand slowly creeps down to your sex. "Time for your reward."

[anilyan]

It’s my birthday, so I’m taking the chance to spread my agenda! ^^

Do you remember what the scribe of Enkanomiya said? “The Primordial One may have been Phanes.” Wouldn’t that confusion be understandable if Phanes both was and wasn’t the Primordial One? Or rather, if was just one part of the Primordial One, aka his soul?

I will argue that Venti is Phanes, and also two things about Phanes (that are technically their own theory):

Phanes is the soul of the Primordial One, just like what Cocouik was to Ochkan

Phanes was created through the Chemical Marriage between the Primordial One and Istaroth

Yes, I am coming back with a refined version of my old “Venti is Phanes” theory, after studying and organizing my thoughts and what I knew about the lore. The old post was pretty messy.

(I actually spent weeks preparing posts about other aspects of the lore, but meanwhile we got the moons web event that kinda ruined my time to shine, along with some leaked artifacts that basically confirmed much of what I was theorizing about, so I missed my opportunity and the things I was about to bring up won’t feel as special anymore. To feel a bit better, I decided to go back to my true agenda - Venti brainrot, that is. But I will still incorporate important lore parts that I studied into this post, and expand on them properly over time.)

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Section 1: What is Phanes? 2 theories:

First, let me remind you of what the book Before Sun and Moon says:

“The Primordial One may have been Phanes. It had wings and a crown, and was birthed from an egg, androgynous in nature. But for the world to be created, the egg's shell had to be broken. However, Phanes, the Primordial One, used the eggshell to separate the "universe" and the "microcosm of the world."”

The next theories about Phanes, that I will present next followed by connecting it with Venti, may be true at the same time:

» Theory 1: Phanes was born from a Chemical Marriage between the Primordial One and Istaroth

Many ties between the PO and Istaroth are obvious, not just because she was very very likely a Shade, but also because she was probably the Moon-themed White Queen to the PO’s Sun-themed Red King, who joined in a Chemical Marriage. That produced the egg/pearl/wtv that birthed Phanes, necessary to the creation of the world.

Please notice that there is evidence that, at some point, Istaroth was the Ancient Seelie who married the Traveler from Afar, but that is not incompatible with the fact that she was bound to the PO first. In fact, I think that the fact that she was likely the Ancient Seelie is a crucial aspect, especially given the crown that she dropped, which in turn was probably the golden-ring artifact created by the Rhine Maidens / moons who confered power to the PO. I have posts about that on the way.

Let me explain. I will summarize what a chemical marriage is (I will eventually make a post fully dedicated to this concept, and to show in detail why all the pairs I mention from genshin fit this doomed narrative).

The chemical marriage / chemical wedding is a concept in alchemy that represents an union of opposites: male and female, sun and moon, gold and silver, sulphur and mercury, body and spirit, red King and white Queen. DON’T mistake this with actual marriages or ship stuff, btw.

It’s meant to produce a new and improved product, the Rebis (an androgynous being, sometimes called the Philosopher’s child), or according to some tales, the Philosopher's Stone. That stone is a mythic alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold or silver.

(I can’t help but recall that Venus/the morning star, aka Istaroth, in Chinese, is called Jīn-xīng (金星), the golden planet of the metal element - and Istaroth and her rhine maidens/moons/fates are likely responsible for the golden ring/crown mentioned in the drama Der Ring des Nibelungen.)

According to Jakob, the Seal of Chymical Marriage can be used to seal off the source of life, aka the Primordial Sea, which sounds similar to creating a world/pearl/philosopher’s stone/egg/dream bubble that floats in the sea of quanta or wtv is the logic used across Hoyoverse’s worlds. Basically, a necessary process to create the world, or perhaps reshape it and change it to be inhospitable for dragons yet hospitable for humans, essentially what the Primordial One did at the very beginning. In other words, the eggsehll was used to separate the sea, a sea of elements and souls and such that granted shapeshifting and abilities to the dragons, like a sort of hivemind that is incompatible with the individualism of humans. For more info on that, check the Men of Lithin book.

The Chemical Marriage is hinted at by Albedo, through the stages of the Magnum Opus in his Ascension - although in the game, the 2 last stages are swapped, with Rubedo coming before Citrinitas (perhaps to reinforce the goal to obtain gold) in the game.

That process also sometimes involves a dove. It’s in consideration to the 3 parts of a person, body (the king), soul (the seelie) and spirit (the dove), and in Christianity, the dove often represents the Holy Spirit. The marriage is sometimes blessed by a descending dove from starry heaven. The dove sometimes is the one that brings the ring. There are other trinities that can be associated with this.

Last but not least, here are all the pairs I could think of from Genshin that execute this, that I will elaborate in detail on a different post. They are made of a Seelie or prophetic being who shared forbidden knowledge with a King, who tried to save humanity by creating a hivemind, bringing tragedy: Traveler from Afar and Seelie (who may still be Istaroth), Decarabian and Amos, Zhongli and Guizhong, Deshret and the Goddess of Flowers, Liloupar and Ormazd, Remus and Sybilla, Ochkan and Ixlel… and potentially in the future either the Traveler with the Abyss Twin, or the Traveler with Paimon.

We can also compare Istaroth and PO to Chronus and Anake, two serpentine beings who created the egg that birthed the world. But according to some mythologies, what came from the egg was Phanes instead.

It’s technically more complicated than that, here is a list of alternate possibilities I found for his origins:

Phanes hatched from the egg of Chronos and Ananke

Phanes hatched from the cosmic/orphic egg placed in Aether (who was the personification of the bright upper sky and another son of Chronos)

Phanes is a first-born deity who emerged from the abyss and gave birth to the universe, and is a god of creation, light and goodness. The Abyss part is extra intriguing because the world has an abyss half, and some in-game books even compare wine with the Abyss, and also with the idea that drinking the abyss/wine is a way to acquire Forbidden Knowledge - check this video for more on that.

Sometimes Nyx is also involved - she is Phanes counterpart. In some tales, she is Phane’s wife, sometimes his daughter, and in others she creates an egg from which Phanes is born, so wtv. I don’t know who Nyx is (besides being likely The Night Mother from the book of the Six Pygmies), but it’s pretty clear that the Abyss half is under her responsibility in some way.

If you refer back to the quote from the book Before Sun and Moon…:

It doesn’t clarify if Phanes and the PO are the same entity or not, the scribe just decides to treat them as the same. I have my own explanation for it, in the next section precisely, but my answer would be “more or less”

It says that Phanes was birthed from an egg, but then proceeds to give a different purpose to the egg, or at least to the eggshell

Here is my interpretation: The PO and Istaroth created an egg/pearl with a chemical marriage, and Phanes was born from an egg. Once he broke the eggshell to be born, the eggshell was used (unclear if by the PO or Phanes) to change Teyvat, to create the world as it is now: a bubble separated from the rest of the universe by a fake sky, less hospitable for dragons, where Abyssal matter and the Primordial Sea stuff are separated from humans, etc. So technically, yeah, Phanes was involved in at least one step for creating the world, and that guaranteed step was the breaking of the eggshell.

This is not in the book, but in the Gnostic Chorus custcene, there is a black serpent tied surrounding the gnostic/genesis pearl. The pearl and an egg are sort of interchangeable, and according to mythology, Phanes is a figure that has the serpent Ananke coiled around him. So that matches up well.

» Theory 2: Phanes is the Primordial One’s soul, just like what Cocouik was to Ochkan

Och-kan, a half-human half-dragon being who hated dragons, sabotaged the plans of his father (the Sage of the Stolen Flame) by following the human Pyro Sovereign Xbalanque - and, after Xbalanque’s death, forbid people from worshiping either the Night Kingdom or even other gods. In his quest to save humans, he became a Tyrant, whose erratic behavior only got worse after excavations that led him to meet Ixlel.

Ixlel was a prophetic figure that used to lead the dragon civilization of the area in the past, who at first was an ally of Och-kan but, upon sharing secret knowledge and prophecies with him, was betrayed. She got revenge by convincing him to use his draconic nature to power his city, by putting his Soul in the Core of Chu'ulel (who later became Cocuik, freed only much later by Bona, after the Cataclysm). Even after Och-kan was overthrown by rebels, he couldn’t die because of that split between body and soul, and his now fully dragon body was used by his father to be an Abyssal conduit, until the interference of the Traveler in the present.

This story has many more details, and once again matches the concept of Chemical Marriage and prophecies that doom Kings, so you can check my post on the topic for proper details.

There are several similarities between Venti and Cocouik:

Color scheme and overall shape is the same, that was literally what everyone first thought when seeing it

In wisp form, he had 3 wings, or rather, 3 separate parts that didnt even connect to his body, they just floated behind him, sort of like the wings of the twins at the start of the game, and exactly like the 3 wings of Cocouik. And in human form, his Vision has a single wing with 3 parts.

The power that Cocouik displays against the dragon resembles the power that Venti lends to the traveler to use against Dvalin in the flying sequences. That is the power to supress the corrosive power of the Abyss - it’s what Venti uses, and it’s in the description of Cocouik’s ability too

The description of Cocouik also mentions a halo, within which the Traveler is protected form the Abyss, and halos are often associated with angels

So… if all of those things are comparable with Venti, why would the fact that Cocouik is the soul of a dragon not be?

Oh, right, there was a sus leak that broke my mind months ago and seemed completely nonsensical, but since I started cooking this theory, I can’t help but look back at it. It claimed that Venti was the guide of the Primordial One. Humm… yeah, if Venti was the soul of the PO, I could see that. Maybe he is assuming Istaroth’s role now that she is gone in supporting the PO?

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List of EVERYTHING sus and interesting about Venti

Some of the following things will correlate to the theories presented above, while others are just fun fancts that I didn’t know where to place.

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Appearance

» Wings:

I already discussed the relevancy of Venti’s angel form and how that ties with being a Seelie, and potentially cursed at first. But the wings are also relevant for another reason: Phanes is described has having wings.

But there is more:

Both in his fake Vision and in wisp form, he only has wings on one side of his body. Just like Cocouik. Possibly hinting at an incomplete nature, or at a duality of natures (dragon and seelie, or the others I already considered)

The wisp wing is formed sort of by 3 wings/parts, and the same is sort of true for the wing in his Vision. The number 3 might just be a coincidence, but it would also fit well with the connections between a chemical marriage and the involvement of the dove, with that third presence representing how a person has 3 parts, body, soul, and spirit. And I already argued why I think Phanes is the PO’s soul.

It’s also possible that this connects with the idea that angels supposedly have 6 wings. So by just having 3 or 3 parts, that is **half of that, aka half angel/**seelie

Funnily enough, in Archon Form he has a wing at each side, and I can’t fully point why that contrast given the previous 2 cases. It’s similar to what happens to Arlecchino in boss form.

Contrary to what the statues portray, the wings in Archon form don’t connect to his back, instead seemingly fusing with his cloak. In Wisp form, and Cocouik’s case, the wings also didn’t connect. That resembles the wings of the twins at the start of the game, the mechanical wings of The Sage of the Stolen Flame, and the wings of the Seelies/envoys always depicted in murals.

In Archon form, the wings have a circular metallic part further hinting at how the wings might be mechanical/not a part of the body. Besides that, the shape has 3 tips, and strongly resembles the wings of the boss Lord of Eroded Primal Fire / Gosoythoth when imitating the form of the Pyro Sovereign. Once again connecting Venti with dragons, although dragons and seelies are really just variations of the same species.

» Other characteristics:

Phanes is also described as androgynous, which, yeah, Venti definitely is. The androginity also matters in the context of a chemical marriage between a union of opposites, since Phanes is supposed to reunite the trates of both “parents”, and the gender-neutral appearance is not the only fusion relevant here. If he turns out to be part dragon part seelie, that is just as relevant.

One thing lacking in Venti, that Phanes has, is a crown. Not even his Archon form has one, at least, not so far. But some people point out that the base of his beret hat has a golden intricate line that could kinda be interpreted as a mini-crown.

Another interesting point about his appearance is the fact that, in wisp form, the top of his head was shaped like an apple, with even a stem and leaf-shape on top. I will talk about the relevance of apples next.

His whole wisp form heavily resembles Cocouik, the soul of a dragon, and I already went over why that matters in one of my theories. The powers Venti lends to the traveler to shoot against Dvalin also resemble the powers of Cocouik used against Ochkan.

And ofc, he has a Cecilia in his hat, and I will go over the relevance of that.

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“When I first arrived here, I too was like Dvalin, cursed and left to waste”

During the Mondstadt Archon quest, Venti says that "When I first arrived here, I too was like Dvalin, cursed and left to waste".

Here are some guesses of mine that could explain that:

We know that his Archon form presents him as an angel (source: manga, official arts, and in-game arts and statues) and that angels are seelies (thanks to Natlan’s Archon quest). We also know that the Seelies and Moon kingdom fell, probably symbolizing the end of the Unified Civilization, as a consequence of the marriage between a Seelie and a Traveler from afar, who in turn was likely the Second Who Came, who waged war more a less at the same time as Nibelung and his War of Vengeance. Refer to my (future) other theories for more details. What matters here is that, after that event, the Seelies were cursed to lose their minds and original form, thus why they present as we currently see them in-game. And if angels were seelies, that was probably Venti’s fate too, thus why he showed up as a wisp to the bard.

Since he is comparing himself with Dvalin, maybe his curse was instead related with abyssal corruption. We don’t know what happened to the Primordial One who is currently afk, but if Venti was his soul, and considering that Nibelung used forbidden knowledge and maybe even abyssal energy (unsure of how much those two things overlap), perhaps Nibelung tainted the PO in the confrontation.

Alternatively, maybe he was cursed at existence, which could also explain how he somehow got involved with the bard and the rebellion in Mondstadt and possibly didn't have a strong identity before that? If he was derived from the primordial one, and the PO was the Usurper who took the power away from the original dragons, I don’t think it would be unheard of in stories for the off-spring of authority figures to be cursed by those who hated them.

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Knowledge of secret information, and songs of the past, present and future

» About General types of knowledge:

He is the one narrating the Gnostic Chorus cutscene, so he knows about the origins of Teyvat and other important stuff.

He ruled Mondstadt for a long time alongside Istaroth (the Thousand Winds temple was used to worship both of them), so she might have shared relevant knowledge with him from the period of the Unified Civilization, and even from before that.

He knows of others worlds, and titans: "In other, distant worlds…Pangu gave his blood to form the rivers and seas…the gods sacrificed Purusha and cut his body to pieces, and then fashioned all living beings with those parts…the brain of the giant Ymir became clouds. Their sacrifices seeded life in the unliving cosmos. These songs sing of the primeval ones."

In fact, he tells the Traveler about that in the manga prologue, and I don't think none of the things there were discarded - in fact, judging by the element of the traveler (Pyro) in this scene, I and some people speculated for a while that we would return to Mondstadt after Natlan.

» About music - I have a whole post on the importance of music for Teyvat incoming:

He claims to know all songs of the past, present and future, which even denotes knowledge that transcends time, fitting for the son of Istaroth, the Thousand Winds of Time - and also for a Seelie/Angel, which we know he is given his Archon form, who were always prophets.

Istaroth is heavily connected to the moons, who controlled the Fates - past, present, and future - and who were named after song and poetry: Aria, Sonnet, and Canon. The loading screen song, that is the theme of Genshin, is even called Dream Aria. Dream Aria might very well be the Sourcesong that I’m going to elaborate on soon.

Seelies/angels are in turn connected to the moons, and they are at least from the period of the Unified Civilization. They, just like possibly the dragons who originally inhabited Teyvat, know well the value of song. That once again matches with Venti, in part because of his angel archon form, and in part because of how he values song as a way to preserve the truth.

People theorize that Venti is trying to find the Sourcesong, or even knows it already, thus why he knows songs from past, present, and future. According to the Aranara, all songs in the world derive from the Sourcesong, that can diverge into different memories, just like a river diverges into creeks, yet just like creeks eventually flow into the sea, the songs converse.

In other words, that definition might hint at the creation of a hivemind and fusing the souls of the people into a collective conscience, similar to what some God-Kings ended up doing in their attempts at saving humanity and controlling Fate, with Remus being the most relevant since he used the Symphony of Fate to weave the threads, and fates, as if they were strings of an intrument. They only attempted those feats after meeting with Seelies. [Check my future post about Chemical Marriage to see an exhaustive list of all cases of that in genshin]

Venti also canonically states he can read the the rhythmic flow of energy dispersed by the Abyss Order and copy its magic with his lyre - that was how he took down the barriers during the Archon Quest.

His constellation is called Carmen Day, "God of Songs", although in practice that's the title he is less refered as. As 4clover31 on tumblr added: "Carmen also means God's Vineyard, plus, the term Carme or Carmen was used by Romans to reference a poem with a ritual and propitiatory tone."

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Venti’s strength

Funnily enough, I don’t find this point relevant for my theory, because even if he turns out to be the weakest Archon currently, there can be many explanations for that, and that is not indicative of his original strength. So it’s possible that he was extremelly powerful and still the soul/son of the PO, while being weak now.

But here is a list of what the fandom usually points out, and the different sides of the argument:

Venti is currently weak:

That’s what he claims, justifying it by saying that the strength of an Archon depends on how much faith the people of the Nation have in their Archon. Since he doesn’t actively rule Mondstadt, and people are free from his influence, he sort of implies that they don’t believe in his enough and that he his willing to let his powers pay the price for his ideals

He hasn’t showcased particularly strong powers even when Mondstadt was in crisis, or when trying to stop Signora from taking away the Gnosis.

We also know he has been gone for a long time, returning to Mondstadt during the Stormterror crisis, so it’s possible that he hasn’t regained his powers.

Maybe he was strong when returning to Mondstadt at present, but he delivered the Anemo Authority to Dvalin by the end of the Archon quest, so even if he lied initially, he is actually weaker now.

Venti is currently strong:

People who defend this argue by using Venti’s own definition of what grants power to an Archon, basically by pointing out how, in some ways, he is more worshipped than many other Archons, even if he doesn’t use that to rule the people. He has a Church, people in Mondstadt clearly pray to Barbatos and mention him often, and they completely adhere and live according to his ideals

As such, there is no reason for him to have lost the powers he once presented, like when he terraformed the land of Mondstadt and also completely changed its weather (after Old Mondstadt got rid of Decarabian, since at the time Mondatadt was covered in snow)

Consequently, Venti simply pretended to be weak out of respect for the autonomy and independence of the humans

Some people who believe this think he was just pretending until the Gnosis was taken, while others think he handed out a fake Gnosis and didn’t even try to resist Signora, and there is even people who think he lost the Gnosis but that hasn’t affected his powers

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Cecilias

The only characters in the game connected with Cecilias are: Venti, Istaroth (we see that in Ei’s second story quest), and Albedo (a prototype primordial human, who uses Cecilias as his Ascencion material too)

Cecilias were confirmed in an event, and then at the start of Natlan, to represent “the true feelings of the prodigal son”. But that information actually is as old as his announcement, way back in 2019.

An inactive user in this post found that the name Cecilia possibly came from a Latin word meaning "blind", and according to this source, “Cecilia is as much to say as the lily of heaven, or a way to blind men.” SexyPoro also commented that it’s a variant of the word caecus, that can mean other variations of blind, such as Devoid of light, Vague, Aimless, Invisible, Hidden, Secret, Obscure

Fun fact, Caerus, that sounds a lot like caecus, is an alternatively spelling of Kairos, another of Istaroth’s names. Kairos is a Greek god that resembles Hermes, and who needs wind to fly. Guess that might explain why she ruled Mondstadt alongside Venti for a while, like the Mondstadt saying goes, seeds of stories need to be brought by the wind before they can be cultivated by time.

The Saint Cecilia is a virgin martyr in christianity, and the patron of musicians, composers and poets.

Cecilias are also an important symbol in HI3. They are the symbol of the House Schariac, known for Divine Maidens, warriors who have a chance of taking in the Holy Blood. The Abyss Flower in that game, a ‘Divine Key’ and weapon from the civilization’s Previous Era made specifically to kill herrschers, is also a Cecilia. It’s very possible that Istaroth/Kairos turns out to be an expy of HI3’s Cecilia. She’s known for wielding the Abyss Flower.

The closest real life inspiration would be the flower trillium, which represent the Holy Trinity in Christianity, in turn correlated with the chemical marriage (remember when I mentioned the addition of the dove so that the number 3 represented body, soul and spirit? And how those 3 parts are important for parallels between Cocouik and Ochkan?)

Cecilias look a lot like triquetras, once again connected with the Holy Trinity in Christianism, while in Celtic culture it represents the triple goddesses (3 goddesses that function as a whole, like the Moirai or Norse Norns, who in turn are a bit like the Tribbies of HSR and the 3 moons/fates of genshin). Triquetras are a recurring symbol in Genshin.

Everything here hints at the importance of Venti’s birth and lineage. And while he might just be connected to Istaroth and things stop there, and it would be enough to justify that importance, it’s still possible that it means a little more.

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Venti and apples, the fruit of Fate

Here is a list of every connection between Venti and apples that I could find:

In his wisp form, the top of his head is shaped like an apple, including stem and leaf.

He is always asking for apples, even as payment. He also offers them sometimes. He also really enjoys apple cider.

While terraforming Mondstadt, he created the Golden Apple Archipelago

Speaking of golden apples, he literally offers one in one of his birthday arts, and the text that accompanies it is one of the most suspicious things ever: “It is written that there is a whole tiny world hidden inside an apple core. Here, this half is for you. Let's take a stroll in the tiny little world. But remember to keep it a secret because... you're the only one I want to bring there.” Please keep this in mind.

Mondstadt is a land full of apples. There are a few apple trees in Liyue too, and ofc thishas to do with the inspirations behind Mondstadt, so it’s a tenue connection, but still fitting.

Especially in anime, Apples are often depicted as the fruit of Fate (look no further than Mawaru Penguindrum), and in Inazuma, the girl giving Fortune Slips is called Gendou Ringo, with Ringo meaning ‘apple’ in Japanese.

In Sethian Gnosticism, in the Biblical story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they succumb to the serpent’s temptation and eat the forbidden fruit (often imagined as an apple) from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. That is depicted as a good thing, and as the first step towards freedom from Yaldabaoth (a demiurge, chaos entity and false god, who keeps the souls of people trapped in physical bodies).

I can’t help but wonder if the connection with apples means that he has secret knowledge and awareness of fates and the future, and is waiting for someone else to learn it too, to assume control of Fate or to break free.

If he derived from the PO, that would also made him sort of serpent/dragon-like, or at least part dragon part seelie/angel. He is probably holding fate in his hands - and if an apple contains a tiny world, according to what he said, holding it is not too different from holding the Genesis Pearl - once again tying him with the Gnostic Chorus.

The fact that Venti has only offered one half of the apple in his birthday art may connect with the fact that Phanes only rules half of the world, while the other half, potentially the Abyss, belongs to Nix, the Night Mother. It may alternatively connect to the idea of Chemical Marriage and union of opposites, since that seems to be a fundamental pattern in Teyvat, as I already mentioned.

(Thank you to u/HashtagLowElo on reddit for reminding me of this) In Lyney's teaser, when Lyney is sitting at the bard with the drunkard, Lyney took his drink and transformed it into an apple scented wine. As the man closed his eyes to drink it, Lyney transformed it into an apple before talking about the connection between miracles and magic tricks while also going on to hold the moon. So, the apple was somewhat compared to the moon.

The Golden Apple is specifically relevant in mythology. For example, in Greek Mythology, the Golden Apple of Discord was thrown by Eris at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, leading to the Judgement of Paris and the Trojan War. In the Garden of the Hesperides, golden apples were guarded by a dragon and were part of Hercules' labors. In Irish Mythology, golden apples are depicted on the Silver Branch of the Otherworld.

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Sacramental Wine, Dionysus and Phanes

Some myths say that Phanes was Dionysus (god of wine… amongst other things), or Eros (god of love, yes I’m simplifying), and oh boy isn’t Venti the god of all of that too? Although this is complicated since it has to do with gods being iterations of past gods and such.

Okay, this gets less obvious now. Phanes is a first-born deity who emerged from the abyss and gave birth to the universe, and is a god of creation, light and goodness. The Abyss part is extra intriguing because the world has an abyss half, and some in-game books even compare wine with the Abyss, and also with the idea that drinking the abyss/wine is a way to acquire Forbidden Knowledge.

Let’s keep talking about wine. I have to start by recommending this video by Ashikai that I used for a lot of the info that follows.

Sacramental Wine is consumed after sacramental bread, in celebration of the Eucharist. The Catholic Church maintains that by the consecration, the substances of the bread and wine actually become the substances of the body and blood of Christ, and in genshin, a similar process happens when a being consumes the body/blood of gods - sometimes even inheriting powers and an extended lifespan, although corruption as well.

The different types of liquids/elixirs in genshin can even be compared to real life ones: leyline liquid is nectar, primordial seawater is absinthe, and forbidden knowledge is wine. Refer to Ashikai’s video for explanations on the first two, but regarding wine, in the book A Drunkard’s Tale, a character says: “What you humans call wine, we wolves call the abyss”. I already shared how many things connected to Venti relate to the Abyss, from Cecilias to the origins of Phanes.

Fungi (more specifically, yeast) are required to make wine, for the processes of fermentation, and you can see in the list of game examples below how much fungi are relevant in the process of eucharistic rites and how often they are sacramental, as a way to grant powers or memories. Mushrooms in a circle also form the so-called fairy-rings, and besides the importance of rings in the context of genshin as objects that confer power to god-kings, they are also considered a portal. They are also called witch’s rings.

» Mondstadt and wine

Mondstadt is heavily known for its wines, and not just for the production of it. During the distiling process, the portion of alcohol that evaporates is even callled Angel’s Share, the name of Diluc’s tavern. Angels, or seelies, in turn tend to have alcoholic beverages associated with them (really, watch Ashikai’s video for more evidence).

Wine breewing is also heavily connected to witches, who have strong connections with Mondstadt. The witches are also connected to Venti, as revealed in the second Windblume Festival.

Speaking of witches, I already mentioned how witches’ rings or fairy rings are made of mushrooms and considered portals.

Albedo is a famous alchemist created by the witch Rhinedottir. Alcohol is one of the possible solvents used in alchemy, known as alkahest. In Lulian alchemy, quintessence is a solvent distilled from wine, sometimes called aether. Alkahest is the ascension material used for the sword Cinnabar Spindle, and cinnabar in turn refers to the Rubedo stage of the Magnum Opus. That’s typically the final stage, although genshin swaps it, with citrinitas/gold, but usually the Magnum Opus ties with the Chemical Marriage - you know, the thing I said that created Phanes.

Oceanids are often associated with turning water into Wine. The weapon Dialogues of the Desert Sages supports that idea. The oceanid of Springvale, also sometimes called a fairy, blessed/cursed Diona to always make great alcoholic beverages. Oceanids also strongly resemble Hydro Idolons, and Idolons are the kind of ghost most associated with Istaroth, even being one of the names for the Sin Shades from Enkanomiya.

In the Alchemy Ascension event, conveniently said by Venti while standing with Diona, he says “If alchemy has the power to transform matter… I wonder if it could also be used to turn water into wine?”

Kaeya’s Skewers are soaked in Death after Noon, Kaeya’s favorite drink, and if you check the list of examples, you can see that the medicine for Caribert required drawing water in the early AfterNoon, and it was used to water the mushrooms growing on the body of Caribert’s dead mom. The drink is also made with absinthe. The drink, or Kaeya’s skewers, are also mentioned in many sus quests, like Canotila quest about dissolving people and their memories, and in a dialogue with Xamaran.

» Examples of sacramental food/wine in genshin

The desert is full of such examples, from Apep who got to eat King Deshret after his death to gain his knowledge, to the Consecrated Beasts (”consecreated” even means “blessed”.

Jacob in Fontaine also turned into a Iniquitous Baptist abyssal creature after consuming the flesh of a dragon, and it’s possible that other abyss creatures - not hillichurls - went through a similar process, especially considering how all of them have a type named after religious positions (even mages, since the word comes from “Magi” who was a Zoroastrian priest).

Rukkhashava mushrooms, in CN, are called Rukkhadevata Sacramental Mushrooms. Before the description change, it said that the Akademia Sages consumed them to honor the sacrifice of the goddess, and remember her wisdom, like in a Eucharistic ritual. This mushroom is based on the Reishi mushroom (believed to give immortality in Taoism). Wanderer, who tried to ascend to godhood, and Collei who contains remnants of a snake god, need this as an ascension material.

In the first Caribert quest, we see a red/cinnabar version of these mushrooms. They grew in the body of Clothar’s dead wife, and while mushrooms grow on wood, Norse mythology believes that humans were carved from trees. He also had to draw water in the early afternoon (Death After Noon is the name of Kaeya’s favorite drink) to tend to them, and for the medicine. The medicine for Caribert created from those mushrooms had to be blessed by a god, and it followed a similar recipe to the Memory Recipe taught by the Aranara: a Rukkhashava mushroom variation, a lotus (Kalpalata/Barsam), and a purple flower (Sumeru rose/Yajna grass). It’s a sacramental beverage.

Fun fact, the taxonomic name for the Reishi mushroom is ganoderma, and there are mushroom-like aquatic ascension materials called Sea Ganoderma in genshin. Their description says “In the folktales told in a certain land, these mouthless, noseless creatures are the transformed souls of children who died young.” They are used by Yae Miko (guards a Irminsul tree) and Kazuha (ganoderma really like mapple trees)

Xamaran, the giant mushroom in the Chasm, is often taken as the irminsul tree of the area (it even looks like a dragon tree), or instead as a mushroom growing in the body of the main Irminsul (like how mushrooms grow on trees). The name sounds like Shahmaran, a mythological being from Persian mythology who was half human half snake, and the name can be broken into "queen/king of serpents" - and serpents in genshin are somewhat interchangeable with dragons. There are tales both about the queen and the king. What matters is that in the Queen's tale, her flesh leads to recovery, her broth leads to knowledge, and her extract leads to death.

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Confused timelines and slumbers

I don’t think there are many instances of this, but there are a few examples that fans point of Venti possibly confusing timelines - either because the wind is free from the confines of time, or because of Venti’s connections with Istaroth and even poential prophetic abilities.

One is during Mondstadt’s AQ, when he tells the Traveler to meet at the “usual place” when we have never met him there before.

Another is a voiceover hidden in a menu, where he greets the Traveler with “Ah, Traveler, we meet again! What? You don't remember me? Ahaha, well, allow me to join you on your quest once again.”

He had to dissapear and go into slumber multiple times, usually after seemingly using a lot of his power: some time after establishing new Mondstadt and making sure that the humans got it (we see him waking up in the manga and realizing how corrupt the aristocracy had become), some time after helping Vennessa win and form the Knights and still taking some time to raise Dvalin, and after the fight against Durin. People theorize it’s only after moments where he spends lots of power, but since we don’t know the exact circunstances that made him go to slumber for the first 2 examples, it’s hard to say.

There was an old reddit post by u/ahellbornlady (thank you to Jolita_Bonita on ao3 for finding it for me) that even theorized that Venti met the Traveler not in some kind of past life/time that was reset - I have seen people theorize that too but it's not really what I believe - but rather in dreams, since they were both in slumber after the Cataclysm. It's even possible that the poem that Venti shares during the first Windblume event - that changes in CN depending on the gender of the Traveler, proving it's about them - was about how they met. It has some interesting verses like "Who was it that stroked your bloodied, determined visage. By stream flowing small, by boulder standing large." and "Who was it that embraced your weary yet noble soul, in dreams deep, in skies soaring." I have an upcoming post about dreams too.

He also wakes up in this location in the manga, that strongly resembles a location shown in the trailer of the anime, so people guess it will be important. The location even shares one of the symbols of Venti and Istaroth (edited pics from https://x.com/Yivvee/status/1899111907627516062/photo/2).

This also looks a lot like a portal, which is interesting considering that the base of his big statue has inscribed at the base "Gateway to Celestia" (thak you to 4clover31 on tumblr for the reminder)

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Illusions, fake identities and lots of pretending

Voicelines from Archons say “About Venti” instead of “About Barbatos”, although all other gods are refered to with their god name. There are exceptions in the patterns of speaking about the topic from the archons, for example Furina is an obvious exception, Nahida never met the other archons, etc... Still, when mentioned, he is never called Barbatos. Even Neuvilette calls him Anemo Archon.

Even in the Archon quest, in the same conversation where he tells us about allogenes and Gnosis after the confrontation with Signora, Paimon says that the “Tone-Deaf Bard is just one of the many Barbatos incarnations” - I wonder if the CN text says this as well...

He doesn't currently use Barbatos' Lyre. Now, that might just be because he is pretending to not be Barbatos, and consequently he couldn't just demand it from the church, as we have seen to an extent in the Prologue. But there might be more to it, since he could have just opted to take that lyre with him or hid it somewhere else before going into slumber, instead of delivering it to the church. So what if that is not his lyre (it could be from the Nameless Bard, or from Istaroth), or what if it is the Lyre of Barbatos but he is just a fragment of Barbatos?

Celestia also doesn't seem to like him (Voiceline Mora about Venti - IV). Could it be because he refuses to take the throne? Because it just doesn't approve of his behavior and attitude? Or maybe because he isn't fully Barbatos? And yet, his bigger statue in Mondstadt has incribed at the base "Gateway to Celestia"...

He has shown his illusion abilities by faking the repair of the Lyre right before Signora showed up to steal his Gnosis, which makes some people believe that the Gnosis he gave away was fake.

Winking. He is always winking. In most official arts, and very often in-game too. Why would that be relevant? Because eyes, especially having eyes covered/closed, are very significant in genshin and hint at the ability to perceive the truth instead of the illusion/dream created by the Irminsul. Check my future post about patterns in the Hoyoverse for more info - I will try to list every example there, from Kaeya’s legacy, to fictional Fischl, God-Kings and their artifact sets, and ofc Irmin. He might not be immune to the Irminsul changes, but he certainly tries to combat that with stories.

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Queen Gnosis

Arguably the most important piece in chess, not counting the King and its limitations, and it’s also the piece that Venti had (maybe still has, depending if the theory that he gave away a false Gnosis to Signora is correct or not)

Funnily enough, some connect the chess queen's fluid movement to the moon’s shifting cycles, and queens were often linked to fertility and cosmic balance, just like moons were.

It might also be a hint to him currently representing Istaroth’s role in her absence.

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Dissapearances for long periods, Death and Leylines

In the Orphic tradition, Phanes is said to be a dying and resurrecting god, killed by the Titans who devoured his flesh but rescued by Athena and resurrected by Zheus. Maybe, to which extent, we could correlate the Titans (Athena and Zeus) to the dragons, Istaroth and the Primordial One.

Venti dissapears for long periods of time, and dying and resurrecting could be a way to explain that.

Dionysus, the god of wine - who, like I mentioned before, is often equated with Phanes - dies at the hands of the Titans, and that has been considered the central myth of Orphism. I elaborate more about Orphism, and specifically Orpheus, in a following section.

Dionysus was the patron god of the Orphics, who they connected to death and immortality, and he symbolized the one who guides the process of reincarnation. That strongly resembles Venti’s ability to help souls pass… to wtv is the place of the souls, Irminsul or something, like he did in his story quest, and that is likely what allows souls to reincarnate in Teyvat as well.

Unsure how that works exactly, but Istaroth and Venti definitely have some strange connections with death and leylines. And since this post is about Venti and not his mom, let’s also not forget that he shines in the leyline color multiple times too. In fact, his Archon outfit has more blue than exactly green, and same for his wisp form, although that might be an extension of angels being seelies.

It’s fairly known that the artifact categories correspond to the Primordial One and the 4 Shades, and one of them is the Plume of Death. It’s usually associated with Ronova, the Shade of Death, but even so Venti is heavily associated with feathers. Even in Natlan, those who carry an ancient name have it engraved in a feather-shaped obsidian toten, in turn having connections to the Night Kingdom.

Venti and Istaroth are mostly associated with Cecilias, but they also have some light connections with dandelions - more specifically, Venti is the only anemo character that dandelions are drawn towards after being blown, and the parts that fly are basically seeds of dead flowers. That ties in well with their quote about “seeds of stories” (in other words, the memories of people), and their connections with leylines and souls of people who passed on. In Teyvat, souls are often refered to as flowers in metaphors (I will expand on that in a future post about symbols in the game).

Venti also has a few connections with Windwheel Asters, basically stars (and Aster is also the beginning of Astaroth, one of the inspirations behind Istaroth). And stars and constellations are in turn heavily connected to the fates of people in Teyvat.

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Similarities to Orpheus the Bard

For the Greeks, Orpheus was a legendary bard, and the founder and prophet of the so-called "Orphic" mysteries.

He perfected the lyre invented by Hermes. Venti also probably perfected the lyre of the bard, and (noticed by 4clover31 on tumblr) in the Chasm there is a letter that mentions his lyre: "Not if my destructive self were made to be the lyre of Barbatos".

The suffering and death of the god Dionysus at the hands of the Titans has been considered the central myth of Orphism - and I already mentioned before how Dionysus and wine and all of that have their own connections to Venti. There is also the fact that Phanes belongs to the Orphic myth as well, although as a different entity: Dionysus at most, but not Orpheus.

Besides the bard and lyre aspects that clearly match Venti, the fact that Orpheus was a prophet is also very fitting since, as I mentioned before, Venti knows the songs of the past/present/future, and is probably a prophet given how Seelies/Angels always are.

So I propose that Orpheus corresponds to Venti’s bard identity, that he takes to avoid assuming the role of an Archon, while Dionysus/Phanes correspond to his Barbatos aspect.

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Compiling Abyss Connections

Look, most of this section are things mentioned in others, I just wanted to point out that there is a not insignificant number of connections between Venti and the Abyss... And I also didn't know where else to include the Inverted Statue.

The Abyss Order uses an inverted Venti Statue, for their ritual in one of the Archon Quests. Could just be coincidence, but with the ritual in Liyue, it would make more sense to use a statue of Morax

One of the potential origins of mythology Phanes says he emerged from the Abyss

Venti gives us one half of the apple in that birthday art I mentioned - the other half possibly represents the Abyss

He is always drinking wine, and wine is called Abyss by the wolves

He can understand the music of Abyss creatures, even using it to dispel barriers in the prologue

The Abyss Flower and Divine Key in Honkai 3rd is a Cecilia

It's possible that he hasn't even been to Celestia, or at least seems to indicate he isn't wanted there, although that voiceline can be interpreted in many ways

I will just mention how in the recent 5.6 stream art he is mostly in the shadow - tenue connection, but still

You know the "purifying abilities" of the Traveler, that have the great side effects of healing the beings they target, that are now understood as the Traveler just absorbing the abyss taint for themselves? Venti has multiple times displayed similar purifying abilities, like when lending powers to the Traveler to fight Dvalin (again, like Cocouik), healing Xiao with his music, and maybe more that I forgot.

Check the proof/pictures for these things in sections above

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Mondstadt

Mondstadt, the fairytale land with connections to every part of Teyvat (the Prologue was literally used to introduce everything, and every character there is representative of future content). I couldn’t leave out the Nation that Venti is an Archon of.

First, let’s talk about the period before Venti’s Archonhood, while he was just a wisp caught up in Old Mondstadt:

Decarabian was a participant of the Archon War - but what exactly motivated him?

The Archon War: It took place right after the fall of the Unified Civilization when Archons were the solution necessary to help stabilize Teyvat after the disasters brought by the War of Vengeance. Decarabian’s opponent was Andrius/Boreas, who likely came from Snezhnaya, and brought snow and blizzards to all of Teyvat. Mondstadt was completely covered in snow.

The safety of humans: To keep the humans in Mondstadt safe, especially from the cold, Decarabian enclosed them in a wind barrier (some, like the Lawrence Clan and possibly the Gunnhildr Clan not yet named that at the time, managed to leave the city). He micromanaged the city, forbid rebellious songs (although the CN version of Venti’s retelling implies that he only accepted hymns), and his winds were so strong that they forced people to bend their backs. He mistook that as respect, unaware that the humans resented him, which later led to their revolution to take down their god.

All for a Dream: Becoming a Tyrant in an attempt to protect humanity is not the only similarity he shares with other God-Kings. He was trying to attain a Dream, possibly another hivemind project - according to Fragment of Decarabian’s Epic, "If it were not for the song of freedom that shattered the city in an instant, Decarabian's dream would have gone on forever.” He might even have something akin to Deshret’s mausuleum or projects from other god-kings under his tower, the only location in the whole game that, if we try to access it, makes Paimon say something different than the usual: “Watch out! Don't go near there!”. In the cutscene of his death, he looks like a Sun when exploding, further connecting him to sun-kings or red-kings. Something something eternal dream and hiveminds.

Besides his goals, his appearance might also connect him to God-Kings.

We never see his appearance - possibly because Hoyo intends to show he was a dragon or had draconic features, which would make sense given that his tower has arches big enough for a dragon, a floating platform above, and was chosen by Dvalin as a nest. More likely than not, he even had the Authority of Anemo and was a Dragon Sovereign - not just because he was the God of Storms, but because he was associated with a divine throne that was destroyed during the rebellion. That has been officially confirmed now in this post (check pics below), but that was actually never hidden. The og ENG translations were simply bad, and replaced throne with crown for the purpose of rhyming, but you can see that this fan translation by dkniade pointed that it said throne in CN, along with mentions to a god’s seat.

ENG translations also still call Decarabian of Anemo Archon, which is simply incorrect because the Archon War wasn’t over yet, but maybe that was because they mistook it as Anemo Sovereign?

Amos was also far more important han people realize:

It’s unclear how Decarabian met Amos - maybe under his tower, closer to Leyline stuff? - but she was almost certainly a Seelie.

Amos became Decarabian’s lover who later joined the rebellion against him.

Her appearance, white white hair and blue clothes, already gives some slight seelie and moon themes.

She was the only member of the rebellion with a name (Either because the name of other members was forgotten to history, or maybe something more significant, like them rejecting their names and the roles they represented, or maybe names in Old Mondstadt were just the things people did, like being a Bard. I’m not counting last names, since we have those).

She had prophetic dreams, as you can see in her quotes in Amos’ Bow, and the biblical figure of Amos was a prophet - and Seelies were prophets too.

Seelies also often sided and protected humanity, which is what she did by joining the rebellion. Players often assume that she was human because of the dreams she had for humanity, but nothing actually states that.

Last but not least, she might have been the one who killed Decarabian (again implied in her bow), and it probably takes a non-human powerful being to do so.

What about the other characters involved?

Like I said before, the others had no names, only last names at most. Possible exlanations: 1) the name of other members was forgotten to history 2) they rejected their names and the roles they represented (since we know how names are tied to a person's fate in Teyvat) 3) maybe names in Old Mondstadt were just the things people did, like being a Bard 4) names were possibly hidden to hide their identities from the Irminsul

The rebels came up with the Windblume tradition, although it had a different meaning back then

Nameless Bard: We don’t know much about the Nameless Bard… but he was the rebel who led the rebellion, and whose form Venti took after once he died, due to being a dear friend of Venti. He had a Cecilia pinned to his chest, which is relevant. His lyre was different from the typically large lyres of the time, as mentioned in the description of the teapot lyre. I can’t help but wonder if he is a reincarnation of other rebels from history: The young man (probably an Alberich, but that’s another theory) from the period of the Unified Civilization, that was possessed by the Traveler From Afar and went to the Ancient Seelie to free her. It’s possible that he later reincarnated into story Ajax (the one who ended in Hyperborea) drawn by vague memories of the seelie he once loved. My other guesses, besides the Nameless Bard, are the Crimson-Eyed Youth who rebelled against Och-kan. I am undecided if currently he is represented by Alice or Childe, to be honest - in part because Idk to which extenct we should separate the identities of the female Traveler from Afar and the male figures she possesses.

Red-haired warrior: He was a traveler who wasn't from Mondstadt (no idea how he managed to enter), and he was with the bard when he died in the cutscene. He is potentially an antecedent of the Ragnvindr family, but it's not certain, since he left Mondstadt after the death of his friend.

Gunnhildr: The Gunnhildr clan wasn't called that at the time - it changed name in her honor after she was a hero in the rebellion. But before all of that, she and her clan managed to leave the city and, when suffering in the cold outside, she prayed, somehow manifesting or attracting Venti. It's unclear when did she return to the city or how, but we see her in the final battle in the TCG card.

There are mentions of figures from other clans that were involved, like Lawrence members and the Imulaukr Clan.

Andrius: After Decarabian was taken down, Andrius realized he wasn’t fit to rule humans and became a ghost, the rebellion leader was dead, so was Amos, and the red-haired warrior felt hurt and left. So the Archon position went to Venti, who took the form of his friend and terraformed Mondstadt, but didn’t take the Divine Throne. That might be the actual reason why he is the “weakest of the archons” if that really is true. He also tried to not exert authority over humans.

Official translation vs Literal fan translation vs Recent official post

Alright, and what about present Mondstadt?

Aristocracy period: Venti ruled Mondstadt alongside Istaroth for a while, with the Temple of the Thousand Winds dedicated to the worship of both. It’s unclear when Istaroth was forgotten by time, and why Venti had to get into slumber, but he was gone for a long period and, when he woke up, the Aristocracy of Mondstadt (especially the Lawrence Clan) had become arrogant, betrayed its principles, and abused their power to crush the freedom of people. The temple was converted into a fighting Arena, much was destroyed (including the original library), and Natlan’s refuggees (Vennessa’s tribe) was turned into slaves and gladiators. Venti helped fix that and, after realizing that full freedom could backfire, established the Knights of Favonius and the Four Winds, with Venessa as part of both groups.

Dvalin: It is unclear when exactly Dvalin and Barbatos met, but the poet in Breeze Amidst the Forest (implied to be Venti himself) says it occurred in "ancient times, when the gods walked among us in their prime." This puts their meeting somewhere between Barbatos' ascension 2600 years ago, and his departure from Mondstadt between 2000 and 1000 years ago. Venti helped people realize that the dragon didn’t pose any danger, and raised Dvalin, teaching him to speak the human tongue. It’s very possible that Dvalin is a reincarnated Anemo Dragon Sovereign, and that Venti entrusted the Anemo Authority to him. 500 ago, during the cataclysm, Venti and Dvalin fought against Durin’s attack, Venti had to go into slumber and Dvalin got poisoned. Mondstadt’s Prologue was all about about helping save Dvalin from Abyssal corruption and show to the people of the present that he is still a good dragon.

Mondstadt and witches: The witches deserve their own post, but it’s really interesting how they have such strong ties to Mondstadt, with two witches even taking residence there temporarily (Rhinedottir somewhat, and Alice). The second Windblume Event took us to the floating island where the witches used to reunite over tea, and for the first time told us about the members of the Hezenxirkel. It also told us of how they at some point challenged the Anemo Archon, for unknown reasons, but he befriended them instead. Interesting detail: In the cutscene about the witches, there is a moment that display’s Istaroth’s star, the same that is the symbol of Khaenri’ah - I have a post about Istaroth and that symbol almost ready too, so I won’t elaborate here, so points for another connection between witches-khaenri’ah-istaroth-venti. The Imaginarium Theater, a domain from the witches outside of space and time, also has a portal in Mondstadt. Oh, and the summer events are always connected to Mondstadt AND the witches.

Mondstadt and Wine: I already have a whole section about that, but it’s definitely no coincidence. It connects to witches, it connects to the Abyss, it connects to seelies (Angel’s Share), it connects to so many things… please go read my section if you haven’t.

Abyss: The portal is located in Musk Reef - one of the areas terraformed by Venti after he ascended, that was previously he tip of the tallest snowy mountain, known as Pilos Peak. Currently, the island looks suspiciously like multiple moons overlapping (that symbol that everyone went crazy over after the recent web event, despite being present in the game for a while). Its structure is divided into the "Abyss Corridor," which connects worlds (Teyvat was disconnected from other worlds, or at least that’s what the Legend of the Shattered Halberd book implies), and the "Abyssal Moon Spire," which leads to the unknown (possibly the same spire created by the Seelie Ancestor). In each level, we collect stars.

Flowers: Some of the flowers prominent or exclusive to Mondstadt have very interesting meanings. I already went over Cecilias, so go read that section because it’s huge; Dandelions represent wishes that are carried over to the Anemo Archon when blown, but their seeds can also represent the souls and stories of people, which in a way is almost intercheangeable given how the wishing screen kinda grants us the souls of campanions; Windwheel Asters represent stars, also very relevant for Genshin given the constellation system; Lampgrass only glow at night, so they are part of the series of flowers that change with the moon; Roses don’t seemingly exist in Mondstadt, yet two characters (Lisa and Noelle, and Rosaria has thorns in her attacks) wear them, and associated with secrets in Monds (see Noelle Hangout), and are in the cover of a big chunk of fairytales.

Gateway to Celestia (thanks to 4clover31 on tumblr for the reminder): The base of Venti's massive statue in Mondstadt has inscribed at the base "Gateway to Celestia" - people have translated and figured that out from the very beginning of the game.

Eyes of Storm, Istaroth and the Nameless Island: Idk where I'm going with this but it's interesting how, although Eyes of Storm are primarily featured in Mondstadt, the Statue of the Omnipresent God in Inazuma that many people theorize to be a depiction of Istaroth has a necklace shaped like an Eye of Storm. See this image edited by CatWithBlueHat. The quests where we first learned about Istaroth/The Thousand Winds of Time also included Eyes of Storm. (thank you to 4clover31 on tumblr for reminding me of this)

The important citizens of Mondstadt: There’s just so many that I have to break this in parts, but I really don’t like it when people dismiss Mondstadt, because everything there was a well-done setup to future content:

Kaeya is one of the few Khaenri’ah survivors, and from the Alberich dynasty no less, who not only took control of Khaenri’ah after King Irmin felt “indisposed”, but also was important far before that, being possibly one of the oldest lineages of Khaenri’ah;

Diluc is strongly connected with the Fatui, that he opposes, and with a secret organization that is probably the Hexenzirkel, judging by the cups in his mansion, Angel’s share and several other hints;

Jean is a descendant of Old Mondstadt, more specifically, of the original Gunnhildr who through her wishes attracted wisp Venti, and she is alsoboth the Dandelion Knight and the Lionfang Knight;

Rosaria has lived with bandits since childhood, was found by Varka and put in the church, and she isn’t a very faithful nun. More importantly, some people suspect she is originally from Nod-Krai - she is canonically from a mountain village and the bandit gang has endured freezing cold.

Albedo is an homunculus created by Rhinedottir, a witch, through Khemia, that he also practices, and he is technically Durin’s brother and adopted into Klee’s family;

Klee is Alice’s daughter and might very well become a super strong witch herself, and she also inherited Alice’s book;

Mona is Barbeloth’s apprentice and therefore can read fates, and another powerful witch;

Lisa is another powerful witch who was invited to be part of the Hexenzirkel (she declined), who also knows many truths and secrets;

Eula is a member of the aristocracy who goes against her family, and was taught by Amber’s grandfather;

Amber has a grandfather from Liyue, who dissapeared;

Fischl/Amy cosplays book Princess Fischl, who likely represents Istaroth and is from books written by the suspicious Mr.Nine, the author whose codename is A., so probably by Alice;

Razor has ties to Sumeru family, and his story introduced us to Boreas/Andrius;

Bennet was likely found in the Mare Jivari, a destroyed region in Natlan where wind doesn’t blow, and his bad luck is probably an extension of the curse that people from Natlan had before the Archon Quest, that prevented them from leaving the region because of Leyline issues;

Diona was one of the first characters we saw that displayed atavism (regressive animal traits), along with her whole family, and she also introduced us to the concept of fairy oceanids, and their connections with wine.

Sucrose is another character with atavism, likely a fox, and foxes are important on their own even with fairytale connections like the tale of the dandelion sea. She is another alchemist.

Noelle is very unsuspicious, but it’s interesting that she wears roses, and the fact that those flowers mean secrets in Mondstadt was even highlighted in her Hangout quest;

Mika and Barbara don’t seem to have anything weird going on.

Varka is out in an expedition with most of the Knights of Mondstadt, and will definitely be an important character too;

Dahlia is another upcoming character who will likely be important, given his leaked appearance with horns and unconventional traits for a deacon.

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That's it. My goal was to write the most extensive and in-dept post about Venti possible - you guys tell me if I succeeded and if this makes sense xD

I think I did, because reddit told me this

[arcadia-of-pluto]

Inertia; One

Pairing(s); LADS Caleb x non-mc reader

Word count; 1,616

Themes; angst (like let me tell you what — ), there will be child abuse (this is Ever we're talking about, so you know, child experiments and all that), eventual smut (way later, they're babies right now)

Notes; Hey guys! Decided to soft drop a drabble series today too as well 👀 I thought I might as well post it, yk? Anyway, if you're not up to date on all the lore bits, the og mc was called Unicorn during her time at Gaia (a research institute under Ever) and Josephine's Team was called Unicorn as well. Caleb didn't have a team name from what I remember so I decided to use Hydra for his and Chimera for yours. I think it fits the mythical creature vibes.

Also, the original mc will be named, because I don't like calling her "mc" in stories, okay? Her name will be Lia-hua, which is Chinese for lotus flower (a flower symbolizing reborth), or Lia for short — sorry if your name is Lia.

Since this is a drabble series, these chapters will be pretty short and to the point!

prev || next

☆ masterlist ☆

Summary; “You can remember your time at the Gaia Research Center like it was yesterday. The anxiety and panic-inducing memories flood through your brain like a glass overflowing with water. You’re not sure you’ll ever get over the trauma inflicted on you by the place. Not even sure if you want to.” 

Or

The day your mother willingly gave you up for experimentation at the Gaia Research Center. The story of how you became Donor 001.

...You can still remember the day you met Caleb. It was rather difficult to forget, after all. Being trapped inside that dark and dreary hell that was the Gaia Research Center. You weren't the first child put in these twisted experiments and you definitely weren't the last.

 

The first would have to go to her…Unicorn. Even though you never met her until later, you would have to be blind as to not notice how much the Unicorns Team doted on her – well, doted is…it's not the correct word per say. You could still hear her screams. Those tortured, agonizing screams that echoed through the halls on her experimentation days. She was the first experiment, Subject 001.

The first of many children that were either kidnapped, adopted, or donated into this life. Into this hell on Earth. And you?

You were Donor 001. Her perfect match in a sense, both firsts of your name. Except you were donated and she was…well, you’re not sure how the researchers got their hands on her, but they did nonetheless. The fact that you were donated never set right with you and yet, your biggest problem wasn’t the fact that you were donated…No. It was the fact that your mother was the lead researcher of the Chimera Team and why is that important?

It’s because the Chimera Team was the one responsible for your experiments.

Your mother, your egg-donor, was the one leading these malicious experiments against you, all for the sake of research. 

The Gaia Center wasn't too kind to children like you, like Caleb, like Unicorn. No, you all were considered the ‘gifted ones’. The children with the most ‘potential’. The ones with the capabilities to be more, to do more, to grow stronger.

Unlike the other children, your Evol was considered to be on the lower end of the spectrum.

When you were first donated to the Gaia Center, your Evol was a Level B. Not the lowest, but could definitely be higher compared to Caleb’s A and Unicorn’s Undetermined, but the Chimera Team planned on changing that.

Your Evol is, what the researchers consider, a hybrid — a Chimera, if you will. It could be classified as Psychic or Elemental depending on how you looked at it. But currently, it was a Level B Evol called “Metal Manipulation”. You could only use it to crush small metallic objects, use telekinesis on them, stop bullets (which you succeeded in with a lot of trial and error), amongst other things and, yet, it wasn’t good enough for the researchers.

But before we get into that, let’s start from the beginning of your plight.

“Here she is. Now, promote me.”

You were only nine-years old currently, but you could tell something was off with your mother. This was the first time you had seen her since your father passed away a few years ago and the first thing she did after seeing you, was take you in to her place of work. Dragging you by your arm through the frigid, blindly white hallways and into a dark room with a plush black carpet. A large, rounded desk was in the center of the room with a big, rather comfortable looking chair. You couldn’t see the other person in the chair, but you could assume it was her boss. Especially if she was asking for a promotion.

With your arm clasped in your mother’s tight grip, her nails digging into the skin of your wrist, you look up at her to catch a glimpse of her face. You had been so desperate to see her over the years, but now you’re regretting your previous emotions. Why did she take you here? Why was she so angry and cold? Did you do something wrong?

“Promote you?” You flinch as a harsh voice splits through the silence in the room, then a cackle leaves the man. “Alright, sure. Will a head researcher position suffice?”

“Anything is better than sitting behind a desk.” She shrugs. It seems she has no fear talking back to her supervisors. “I’ll be looking forward to your strides in research, Chimera Team leader.” You hear the chair creak as the man spins around in it to face you and your mother, “Your subject will be Donor 001.” His gaze lands on you as he speaks, “Would you like to change your mind now?”   

It seems as if he was giving her a chance to back out but, in reality, he was seeing just how far she was willing to go for the Gaia Research Center — for Ever.

“Of course not. I’ll come back with good news soon. The Chimera Team will provide the best of results for Gaia.” Your mother nods her head, her nails digging deeper into your skin and you try to hold back a wince as you feel something dripping down your arm. Blood? Before you can put too much thought into it, you’re being dragged out from the room and back into the chilly hallway. You close your eyes to drown out the bright lights and by the time you reopen your eyes, you’re in a much darker setting.

You’re in a dim elevator with your mother next to you, tapping her foot as if she’s annoyed with you. You’re unsure why. You didn’t think you did anything wrong while living with your grandmother, so why was your mother so angry with you?

“Mom — “

You feel a hand slap over your mouth and your eyes dart up to meet her gaze, tears prick the corners of your eyes as she glares down at you. “I’m not your mother. Not here, not now. I’m Head Researcher L/n and you’re Donor 002 from now on. Forget your name, it’s no longer yours.” She spits out at you and your heart feels heavy in your chest.  You must’ve done something wrong if she’s treating you like this…She never treated you like this when your dad was alive.

As the metal elevator falls silent once more, the large doors in front of you open, leading to a large open room with curved archways leading down other hallways. The walls were a rusted shade of brown with cement floors, it almost looked as if you were fully underground. The ceilings were lined with industrial hanging lights and there was an enormous set of steel doors at the very back of the room with branching hallways on either side.

Other people in white lab coats rush around the room with clipboards held close to their chests and you could hear a loud, heart-wrenching scream coming from behind the steel doors.

“How’s Unicorn’s experiments coming along?” Your mother — no, Lead Researcher L/n asks as she stops by another woman. This woman appeared much kinder than your mother with light brown hair streaked with silver. Her blue-green eyes glance over you and you catch a glimpse of sympathy within their depths before she turns her gaze back to Researcher L/n. “Relatively well. She made it to Phase-2 last night, so the other researchers are pushing for more tests.” The woman jerks her head toward the steel doors, “They’re trying a few more now, but it seems she’s unable to reach Phase-3 as of yet.”

“Just you wait, Josephine. I’ll surpass you with Donor 001. She’ll be the poster child of the Gaia Center.” Researcher L/n seemed rather smug with herself. As if giving up her child was worth it to seem superior to this woman.

“Donor 001…” Josephine presses her lips together in a thin line, shaking her head with a small sigh. “I wish you the best of luck in your experiments, L/n.”

After this, you were placed on a schedule alongside the child known as Unicorn. She’d go through those large steel doors for experiments on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday while you were scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday. It’s unsure why Saturday and Sunday were left empty, but those two days were probably for either of you or another child you haven’t heard of. It was Sunday when you were brought to this place, so anxiety bubbled in your gut as you wondered just what awaited you on Tuesday.

Since you first arrived, you were confined to a room. A room with no windows, one singular door with a tiny window showing the hallway, a mattress on the floor with a thin strip of fabric that was supposed to be your blanket, and a short table in the center of the room. Your comfortable pyjamas were traded out for a more medical looking gown with a pair of white bloomers underneath. No shoes, not even a stuffed animal for comfort in sight. Just you and your thoughts. They could’ve, at least, given you a colouring book to bide your time, instead of leaving you to pace around with paranoia and panic battling in your mind.

What would they do to you? Would you end up screaming like that other little girl you heard on your first day?     

Tuesday came around much quicker than you expected. Though you weren’t sure what day it was, when you finally saw Researcher L/n, after what felt like forever, you knew it was your time... 

[nsuyeula]

Okay I'm in the depths of RWBY brainrot and yet also have a crippling addiction to pokemon sleep so fuck it RWBY X POKEMON PARTNER HEADCANONS!

Ruby Rose & Shaymin (Skye Form)

It seems fitting that Ruby would have a Mythical Pokemon as her partner, considering she has silver eyes (which is considered rare and very powerful). Shaymin (Skye Forme) is a speedy Grass/Flying type, which fits well with Ruby's Semblance. Shaymin can also instantly purify toxins, and can release the purified substance it processes in a violent, explosive burst - not so disimilar to how the power of silver eyes can nuke the Grimm.

Weiss Schnee & Ninetails (Alolan Form)

Obviously, Weiss was going to have an Ice Type Pokemon. According to legends, nine noble saints were united and reincarnated as Ninetails, and each of its nine tails has its own unique type of special mystical power. Maybe I'm stretching just a little bit, but it fits with her Seblance that relies heavily on the use of Dust (various forms of power) and how Glyth's are only inheritable via bloodline.

The Alolan form Pokedex entry also states that it possesses a calm demenor, will show themselves to the virtuous who are lost, and can not forgive those who cause harm - which I also think is a good reflection of Weiss's character in the later volumes.

Yang Xiao Long & Pangoro

Originally, I considered Taurus for Yang's companion because of their Anger Point's ability (Raises attack power when dealt a critical hit), but they didn't really fit Yang as a person, so I instead went with Pangoro. Alongside their Iron Fist ability (boost power of punching moves), they are kind to those it considers their friend - despite being quick to anger sometimes- and do not tolerate those who pick on the weak.

Being a Fighting / Dark type, they also acts as a nice tie to both of Yang's parents.

Blake Belladonna & Liepard.

Out of all the cat pokemon, Liepard fitted Blake the best. The Dark type feline can disappear and reappear without warning and is known to attack silently and from behind, plus is famous for being moody (thought Blake does develop past that archetype in later volumes). Liepard and it's pre-evaluation are commonly used by the grunts of Team Plasma in the Black & White games, which works well with Blake's origins with the White Fang.

Jaune Arc & Meowstic (Male)

Male Meowstic's have a strong defensive instinct compared to their female counterparts and prefer to offer support rather than attack, which compliments Jaune's role as a tank, tactician, and healer rather than an combatant. Not that they aren't capable of inflicting serious damage if needed to protect themselves or others. It can harm itself as a side effect of using too much psychic energy, which you could connect to how Jaune is able to give his own Aura to help others, even at his own detriment.

Side note - but Meowstic's pre-evolution Espurr is such a pathetic, bug eyed little bean who I think encompasses V1-V3 Jaune perfectly.

Pyrrha Nikos & Lucario

Being a Fighting / Steel type, Lucario already was an obvious choice for someone like Pyrrha, who is an extremely skilled combatant and also has control over metal with her Semblance Polarity. Beyond that however, I also picked Lucario as they are one of the most popular Pokemon of all time, regularly in the top 10 of popularity polls, which I think fits with the image Remnant has of Pyrrha - the pride of Mistral; the Invincible Girl. Together. Pyrrha and Lucario would be a picturesque and fearsome partnership, one that would have won other the hearts of many during their four consecutive wins of the Mistral Regional Tournament.

Nora Valkyre & Tinkaton

This one was obvious and was one of the pairings that spurred me to waste hours making this post. Their signature colour is pink, they both carry hammers and can lift over 100kg with ease. Despite strength being their defining characteristic, Tinkaton is highly intelligent, which is reflective of an aspect of Nora that lies underneath her silliness and bravo. The pokemon is also very daring, if a little reckless, which would contribute to how the huntress only sees herself as someone who can only be strong and hit stuff.

Lie Ren & Lurantis

The Bloom Sickle Pokémon fits the Pistol Sickle weilder mostly just on visual vibes. Pink Flower based Mantis Pokemon with the Pink Aura, Lotus Symbol, quiet Huntmen? Chef kiss. But a little bit of thought did go into pairings these two beyond aesthetic reasons. A pokedex entry talks about how maintaining Lurantis's vibrant petal colours is a true test of its trainers' attentiveness, which reflects Ren's nature to contemplate and observe. It's pre-evolution Fomantis is nocturnal and hates having their naps interrupted, which is a fun little link to how development for Ren's personality started from how Nora was a morning person while Ren wasn't.

Oscar Pine & Eevee (Shiny Version)

This one I put a lot of lore reasoning into. Eevee are the most adaptable of any pokemon, being able to evolve into eight different forms of differing types. They can also start to adopt the face of their trainer. Pokedex entries describe the pokemon as having a irregular genetic makeup, and is viewed to hold the secret to evolution as a whole.

All of this ties in really nicely to Oscar's role as a reincarnation of Ozma, taking on his soul after the passing of Ozpin. While their souls will merge together eventually - as with all previous reincarnations - I like to think that is the point their eevee's evolve, acting as the last reflection of the individual who once was. I also specifically chose for all of Ozma's reincarnation's eevees and subsequent eeveelutions to be shiny's, symbolising their connection to something greater and more magical than other morals.

For a little added headcanon tidbit - Ozpin's eevee evolved into an Espeon.

Penny Polendina & Scizor

Beyond the fitting-ness of the type matching - Steel matching Penny being a Android, and Bug fitting her Allusion of being Pinocchio, Scizor also works well as Penny's partner in lore also. Scyther can only evolve into Scizor when traded while holding a Metal Coat, which you could theoretically tie to how Pietro traded part of his soul and Aura to create Penny. The pokemon also represents Atlas as a whole - surrounding itself in technology and metal at the expense of disconnecting itself from the rest of the natural world.

-

Think there is an image limit to posts, so I'll stop there before it gets too long, but maybe I'll do another post for other RWBY characters some other time

[wonton4rang]

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Bite me ¡!

pairing: bnd legal line x reader.

warnings: +18, smut, blood, and i think that's it.

summary: bnd legal line as vampires and not being able to stop while drinking your blood.

note: so i'm an engene since pre-debut (trauma crew, assemble) and vampires have ALWAYS been my favorite mythical creature + adding bnd?? couldn't help it, sorry </3 PD. i may do solo one shots for this theme because yeah, let me know if y'all enjoyed!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

sungho; he would definitely have a problem controlling his strength, like he sometimes just forgets that you are a human and mistakenly pins you against the wall too roughly when you both are kissing. so the day you moaned in his mouth due to the friction and the pressure of your bodies he couldn't help it but kiss you deeper and bite your bottom lip causing it to bleed, sucking a little bit of it. but that was fine, you liked it when he was a little rough, the problem with that was that he didn't stop, he kept sucking on your bottom lip, making you open your eyes and try to make him stop. and when you finally managed to push him away, he went for your neck, making you tremble in his grasp with some fear in your orbs and whispering a small "sungho, please... don't" and only then he came back to his senses, his foxy eyes wide open while he quickly wiped your blood on his mouth and held your face with both hands, whispering a soft "i'm sorry, baby, i'm so sorry" against your lips. you were just too sweet (loving hozier since 4eva) and he almost couldn't hold back.

riwoo; i feel like he would BEG you to let him bite you. like he wasn't even hungry, he just wanted to know how you tasted. and honestly, you trusted him enough to be okay with it, it's not like riwoo would hurt you (at least not purposely) and you knew that for facts. but the thing is that even the most domesticated animal will show their true nature once in a while. so you sat on his bed, removing the hair from your neck and giving him the space to finally sink his teeth in your jugular, it hurt so you flinched a little bit and the way he quickly moved his hand to keep you in place by holding the other side of your neck had you getting second thoughts of it. because he started really soft, you barely feeling his mouth but then it got rough, you could feel your eyes slowly shutting and you knew it was too much so you tried to stop him "sanghyeok... s-stop" but he wasn't listening, he was too focused on how good your blood tasted in his tongue :( poor thing would make you almost pass away before he noticed how weak you were getting, stopping right before your body shut down. he will stay over, making you dinner, staying until you feel better and until you forgive him for not listening.

jaehyun; i feel like he wouldn't be into biting you because he knows how his past lovers ended up like but i think it would happen on a party when he was too into the music and too dizzy to realise what was happening. you guys got to the bathroom because you were feeling hot and wanted to kiss your boyfriend properly, the problem is that jaehyun loved to kiss your neck a little too much, quickly noticing the sweet and metallic flavour on his tongue, seeing that your chain cut you. he licked the blood there and then took a step back to look into your eyes, his blood boiling and you looked so lost, so wasted, he felt so bad when he just leaned forward one more time and whispered a soft "just one time, baby, just this time". and he sunk his teeth so hard your blood came out almost immediately and filled his mouth but you didn't even feel it until the next day when you woke up on your bed with a band-aid in your neck, knowing what most likely happened but not saying anything when you saw the cute boy sleeping next to you. one bite a year won't kill anybody, right?

taesan; imagine kissing with him, straddled on his lap, one of his hands playing with the band of the brazier under your shirt and the other one in the back of your head. his tongue brushing with yours, your hips slowly grinding on his hard dick and you could feel him getting tense under your hands, his hold now being his arm around your waist and his other hand removing your hair from the way so he could kiss your neck. at first it was fine, normal kissing between lovers, a few hickeys and all, but then he focused too much on the same spot, constantly licking and sucking there, so hard it actually started to hurt. "baby, it hurts" you mouthered your hands on his shoulders when you tried to push him away but you couldn't, and then you felt his teeth graze your skin and shivered, starting to panic when you said "taesan, w-what are you-", "let me get some, just a little bit" and tbh you were not 100% against the idea, just a little scared. and with all reason because he fucking destroyed your neck, he bite you a single time but he kept sucking and sucking and sucking until your body lost strength, only being held by his own arms to keep you up on his lap, almost like a ragdoll. he would even kiss you with your blood still on his lips, a smile appearing and showing you his fangs. god, you knew the problem you just got yourself but you were willing to deal with it.

leehan; "you remember about tonight, right?" , "yeah, i do" of course you did, tonight was 'bloody night', how you guys decided to call it. once every month you allowed leehan to drink from you, you prepared for the whole week while eating healthy because you wanted your blood to have the best taste !! once you got home he would tap his lap so you can sit there and eventually start kissing. it was a soft kiss, his cold skin against yours when he kissed your cheek and took your wrist to his lips, kissing it too before licking a little bit and finally biting you, slowly but still painful. "fuck, it hurts more than on the n-neck" you complained but he just looked into your eyes while he kept sucking your blood, you seeing how some spilled of his lips. "does it tastes good?" he just nodded, giving you a final long suck before kissing your wrist and pulling away. "sweet. as always, my love" his tinted lips made you feel kinda hot, his hard grip on your waist making you feel defenseless but you couldn't lie and said you didn't like the feeling. "do you want to try this?" you would offer your neck but leehan had other ideas running through his mind so he just played with the skin of your thigh and denied. "you know, you have a really important and big vein here" he pointed your thigh "can i try that one first? i can feel it palpitating under my touch" and that's how you ended up with bite marks all over your body. your wrists, your thighs, your arms, your shoulders, and of course your neck. he just loved to devour every single part of you.

[desi2go]

Moonlight

pairing: werewolf Minho x vampire reader

warnings: fluff

request: I think it would be so cute to have like Minho have the whole “I hate everyone but you” kinda vibe and the reader is just a social butterfly who talks to all mythical beings. Would love a cute fic on this (even better with a skz pack meeting vampire!reader)

author's note: Thank you for my first request! Loved writing it 🫶🏼 and I hope you enjoy it as well

Mystical creatures weren't something uncommon in your world. Since the beginning of time there were documents, statues and other thing that showed evidence that not only humans wandered around the earth. These creatures mostly hid and disguised as humans. The most common species were werewolves and vampires.

And you never thought that especially you would meet so many different creatures. Let alone, turn into one. You were born 1975 and lived a rather normal life. But suddenly that changed when you turned 23 years old. You were still in college and walked home after the last lesson for the day in the late afternoon to your small apartment.

It were only 300 metres from the campus to your home, the sun had already sunk, and yet you met a creature right in front of your front door. The person didn't even look human, the dark nearly hiding it's appearance completely.

But you heard the whimpers of a woman. She must have been forced into the corner and the creature towered over her.

"Hey! Let her go!" You exclaimed and drew the attention of the thing to you. The street light lighted the face and it was a man, a vampire. His blood stained lips crooked into a smile, showing his sharp fangs. "Who are you, little one? Do you wanna play the hero?" His voice was raspy and his yellow eyes never left your body.

He let the woman down, she tumbled but catched herself and ran away as quick as possible. "You look stunning, dear. You're too pretty to be a blood bar, right?" He purrs, with a great speed, his body crashed against yours, forcing you to fall backwards to the ground.

His fangs pierced your skin and a scream escaped you. He chuckled and retracted his fangs. "Sorry dear. Needed to taste you" then, he bit in his own wrist and pressed it against your lips, forcing you to open your mouth so that you could feel the cold metallic blood on your tongue. Unsuccessful, you tried pushing him away from you.

You felt a mingle there, where his fangs broke your skin and the pain eased away.

He then pulled his arm away, brushing the remaining blood from his wrist, the wound already closing. " Good night dear" he whispered into your ear and before you could process that, he grabbed your neck and everything faded to black.

⛧☯⛧

The following months were hard for you. Being a vampire was totally different from being human. When you woke up the day after that man gave you his blood, everything hurt in you, the sun made your skin itch and you quickly ran into your apartment since your skin was already lightly burned.

You had been shocked when you catched a glimpse on your bright yellow eyes in the mirror and some of your teeth were sharper than usual, forming your fangs.

The blood lust was a torture and you couldn't even be in the near of a human. But fortunately, you crossed path with a witch that teaches you how to control yourself whenever humans are near you. She helped you to learn how to hunt animals so that you don't need human blood. With that help, you could finally complete your college.

After your graduation, you packed your things and moved to the rim of the city. That way, you where near the witches home and could easily hunt animals due to the fields and the forest at your place. It was a small house that you bought from your savings but it felt like you could finally be yourself there.

Years passed. Well, 20 years to be exact. You still lived in that house. But you don't live alone anymore. Five years ago, you crossed path with a young witch, Arin, she was just 18 years old. You found her on the streets after her parents kicked her out because they were afraid by her magic.

The old witch that helped you a long time ago, told you how you could identify if a person is a mystical creature or a human so that as soon as you layed eyes on Arin, you knew that you needed to help her. Just like the old witch did.

You took her home and introduced her to the old woman. With her help she could finally understand how her powers worked.

Since then, you became a shelter for mystical creatures. And you loved to help them.

⛧☯⛧

The forest was quiet, no voice could be heard. The full moon stood high in the night sky and bathed the forest in a silvery light. A cold wind blew through the trees. You loved to hunt in the night. After all, you were a vampire. The old witch crafted a ring so that you could go into the sun but hunting was more fun in the depth of the night.

Soundless, you sneaked up to a rabbit. Then, a twig cracked and your pray ran away. You sighed and looked out for the source that made the sound. You guessed that your meal needs to wait.

It wasn't a deer or another animal. It was a werewolf. The moon lightened some strands of his black hair, making it slightly silver. With attentive eyes, he followed every motion.

"Hey, wolfie. What's your name?" You asked friendly, brushing your own hair out of your face. He doesn't answer you. "Okay. So, I'm Y/n" you introduced yourself.

"You're a vampire." He stated coldly. "Yeah, I am. And you're a wolf. I don't remember any packs that live here. Where you coming from?"

"We moved here recently" he just mentioned. His body language showed his cautions and the cold temperament that hid underneath his skin.

"That's great. I'm always open for new neighbours. I live here. So maybe you want to come around with your pack" you smiled at him.

"Sorry, not interested" he told you, leaning against a tree.

"Okay. Then, hopefully see you soon, wolfie" you exclaimed, walking away to search for your next pray.

"Don't call me wolfie!" He shouted annoyed. You chuckled, it was sweet how easily he was to tease. "Alright, then tell me your name!" You said over your shoulder.

"It's Minho." He exclaimed. "Well, then it was a pleasure to meet you, Minho" you loved how easily his name rolled off your tongue. With the speed of a vampire, you searched for another rabbit.

⛧☯⛧

At home, Arin was over the moon as soon as you told her about the werewolf. She was a helpless romantic and always dreamed of love that mostly happens in books or movies. She demanded you to go into the forest again and we'll, you needed to hunt anyways.

The moon lighted your way deeper into the woods. The more time you spend here, the clearer became your mind. You loved being here.

"Hello Y/n" the voice as yesterday said. You quickly turned around. It was indeed Minho. Like yesterday, he leaned onto a tree but now with a more relaxed posture.

"Nice to see you, Minho. What ya doing here?"

"Enjoying the night. And you?" His eyes sparkled under the calming light of the moon.

"Hunting"

"Aren't you drinking blood?" He asks. "Yeah but I just drink from animals. Like rabbits and other creatures that live in the woods" you explained.

"So you're not drinking from humans?" You chuckled. "No. And in addition, I take the dead animals home so that my friends can have something to eat too"

"Are they also vampires?"

"Sometimes. Like I said yesterday, my door is always open for creatures that need shelter. And sometimes I live together with werewolves, vampires or witches"

"That's crazy." He muttered. You laughed, giving him a toothless smile. "Yup, but I like it that way."

You noticed how comfortable he was slowly getting as the conversation progressed further.

The following days, you met Minho often in the woods. He still held some distance but he grew more open and outgoing as the time went along. You couldn't deny that he was sweet and funny. And you enjoyed spending time with him.

Sometimes, you could even lure out a small smile so that his lips formed a toothy smile and a rosy tone was covering his cheeks.

As the time went on, you couldn't help but fall for the wolf. Both your personalities were totally different. He was the night, somewhat cold but at the same time caring from far away, and you were the sun, warm and friendly, even to strangers. But undeniably, you complimented each other. Just like Ying and Yang.

It was once again another meeting with him and you found him on the exact same place as always, the place where you had met for the first time.

"Hello Y/n" he welcomed, walking towards you. "Hello Minho" you smiled at him. Just like the other times, you both strolled through the woods, talking about everything and nothing, or just enjoyed each others company in a peaceful silence.

You told him about the young boy who stood at your porch this morning, a little vampire who just got turned. Of course you offered help to him. As you talked about the little guy, you walked over some big roots on the earth.

However, something that didn't disappear while being a vampire, was your clumsiness, especially when you don't concentrate on your environment.

Just like now, you didn't see a root and tripped over it. You yelped and grabbed anything to stop you from falling. Well, the nearest thing was Minho's shirt. But you didn't expect him to loose balance as well. Together, you crashed to the ground, him over you.

Quickly, he held himself up with his forearms to get his weight off your chest. "Are you okay?" He asked, worry showing clearly on his face. "Yeah" you whispered. His warm body heated your cold one.

Your eyes wandered over his face, searching for any hints of pain. You were met just with the prettiest eyes you have ever seen. They were black in the low light of the moon, still his soul and passion lightened it. Slowly, he changed his position to take some weight off his arms. One hand crept up your waist and your side. Then, it reached your neck and finally his warm hand caressed your cheek.

"You're beautiful" he mumbled, his hot breath hitting your neck.

His fingers brushed over the soft skin if your cheek when he lowered himself some more, his eyes jumping up and down from your eyes to your lips. Then, he overcame the last few centimeters and his lips crashed against yours. At first slowly and cautious but more and more passionate. You closed your eyes and just concentrated on the feeling of his pillowy lips and his scent.

⛧☯⛧

"Are you sure, you wanna meet the pack? We can still go home" Minho asked for the hundredth time. His hand held yours, caressing his thumb over yours.

"Of course it want to meet them! They're you're family" you exclaimed. Your first kiss was five weeks ago and you were over the moon when he suggested that you could meet his pack. The first thing that he did was warning you. His family was chaotic, he had said.

He brought you to a house at the other side of the forest and it was so much bigger than your tiny home. Minho opened the front door and entered, you followed him slowly.

"Guys, I'm home!" He shouted and lead you into the living room.

"Hey Min!" A brown haired boy with round cheeks exclaimed. Then, he noticed you. "Who is that?"

"Jisung, that's Y/n. My girlfriend" Minho introduced you, his fingers drawing circles on your lower back. "Since when did you have a girlfriend?" Another wolf with blonde dyed hair asked who just came through one of the doors.

"You are capable of finding a girlfriend?" A man with brown hair asked with a teasing smirk. He seemed much younger than Minho who just rolled his eyes.

Then, a wolf with curly hair came towards you with a friendly smile. "Seungmin don't be so sassy! Anyways, nice to meet ya! I'm Chan." He said.

So the younger wolf must be Seungmin. "It's nice to meet you too!" You answered.

"I'm Felix and that's Changbin and Hyunjin!" The boy with the blond hair stated and pointed to two other persons. "I'm excited to finally meet you all. I'm Y/n!" You introduced yourself as well. They seemed to don't mind that you were a vampire and not a human or a werewolf.

"I never thought that that old guy could find someone who was possible of loving him" Seungmin mentioned teasingly. Minho pressed a short kiss against your cheek. "Alright that's enough. I'll be right back, love. I just need to murder Seungmin" he grumbled and chased after the younger one.

You laughed as you watched the chasing. Chan sighed and sat beside you on the sofa. " I hope Min warned you that we are chaotic when we are ourselves" he said. You chuckled. "Yeah, he mentioned that" and you already loved that bunch of people.

[sorceresssundries]

Writing promp:

Gale and Tav’s first night in Waterdeep, post-wedding. Both are cuddling on the couch under a blanket, Tav slowly drifting in and out of sleep.

Gale’s in tears as he really can’t believe his luck, with Tav comforting him.

(I’m a romantic sap this evening.)

By the Firelight

Pairing: Gale x male Tav - SFW

Word Count: 800

Now i'm a romantic sap!! I hope you enjoy a little bit of sweet, newlywed bliss. Thank you anon, for the prompt xx

The two Mr. Dekarios were curled up on their favourite sofa in their tower, both still in their wedding robes, drunk on love, joy, and far too much wine. The warmth of the crackling fire beckoned them towards sleep, and they were so entwined they might as well have been one person. They were, really - these husbands of Waterdeep. The broken heroes who had met in dire circumstances and somehow fallen in love amidst shadow-curses and bloodstained battlegrounds. The clash of steel had been their ballad, relentless travel their courtship. Yet, by some miracle, love had settled, flourished, endured, and wrapped them into one person.

Gale had always been one for the grand gesture, for loud declarations and intricate acts of service, it was only now he was able to sink into the quiet, delicate moments he could fully understand the true depth and balance of being the other half of a person. How lucky he was, to be the other half of someone like Tav. No, he thought, correcting himself. Not someone like Tav. There was no-one else like Tav.

Before, he had believed that in order to be loved wholly, he had to chip away parts of himself and squeeze and twist into the cramped chambers of hearts he did not belong in. Tav’s heart was a welcome sanctuary, and no sacrifices or tolls were required to settle into its soft comfort. It was the place he realised he had always been working towards, and now he was there - it felt like finally coming home.

Gale raised his hand from his beloved so the new ring adorning his middle finger could catch the light. The flickering flames made the colours dance together, and the shimmer in Gale’s eyes made it look to him as though the ring was giving off its own glow. As was tradition, they had each designed a ring, which, during the ceremony, had been cut in half and the non-matching halves fused together to create their union rings. Gale was delighted with the blend of their two designs, with how different they were and yet how seamlessly they flowed into each other. Half of the ring was a simple, slim band forged from pure silver, a mythical metal said to offer protection to its wearer, and the other was intricately braided from gold and copper, resembling a beautiful autumn vine. 

“Are you crying again?” Tav murmured sleepily, not raising his head from Gale’s chest. 

“Not at all, Mr.Dekarios. ”Gale cleared his throat and blinked away the tears. “Just got some dust in my eye.”

“Ah, more dust is it? How strange. There seemed to be plenty of dust in the tavern as well” Tav raised his head to offer Gale a sweet kiss, before settling back down and nuzzling his face against his chest like a cat.

“Is it because of the whole incident with Lae’zel and the cake?” Tav’s voice was low and tired “Because I think she was just trying to be helpful.”

Gale smiled at the memory, “My mother spent a fortune on that cake, and she sliced through the middle of it with a steel sword.”

“She thought there may have been a Kobold in there.”

“Yes, well she also thought the priest may have been a shapeshifter, but luckily we managed to avoid that potential bloodbath. All that was in that cake was a small fortune’s worth of traditional almond sponge.” 

He felt Tav’s laugh rumble against his chest “I found it very funny.” 

Gale kissed the top of his head, “Well, as long as it made you laugh, my rose. I’ll forgive her.”

The day had been filled with laughter, Gale had never laughed so much in his life. He had laughed so much with Tav it became as instinctive as breathing. They had danced, and kissed (to Tara’s disgust), and smiled until their rosy cheeks ached with joy. He was alight with unfiltered happiness.

Gale let the tears spill and held Tav tighter. 

Tav stirred once again, and when he kissed Gale he could taste the salty tears on his lips. 

“Normally, I would tell you not to cry.” He smiled and kissed at each tear on his cheek. “But you have earned your joy, and I don’t think you should hold any of it back.” 

They settled back together in gentle silence, their breathing in sync and touches reverent and loving as they held each other in comfortable bliss. 

“It’s exciting, isn’t it?” Tav’s voice was just a sleep heavy whisper, barely audible over the crackle and popping of the simmering fire. 

“What’s that, my love?” Gale stroked his hair, and listened as Tav’s breathing became deeper and their eyes fluttered with the weight of oncoming sleep.

“The next adventure.” Tav sighed, before slipping away to dream of his dusty-eyed husband.

[celestiamour]

‧₊˚✧ ❛[ one loss after another ]❜

ft. peter pevensie x gn! reader — prince caspian, the chronicles of narnia

╰₊✧ peter realizing that his lover didn’t get past the gates┊1.1k words (prt two)

setting: the telmarine age (prince caspian) contains: angst!! prince caspian spoilers, guilt, descriptions of battles, mentions of death & murder, open ending, maybe ooc/lore inaccurate

➤ author's note: mmmm, narnia brainrot…

all around him was the state of his troops being massacred, the same troops who swore to follow him to the very end and were now paying the price of his foolishness with their lives. they were heavily outnumbered and deep in enemy territory while more and more telmarines joined the battle from seemingly nowhere. the call to retreat has been made several times, but some narnians were dealing with as many as three soldiers at once and the wave of archers from above raining arrows on them all certainly wasn’t helping. they were being held back, and as much as peter wanted to stay and help as many escape as possible, there were too many and the brave minotaur giving his life to hold the gate open wasn’t going to be standing forever.

he could feel his heart beating up to his ears and the wind rushing past him as he rode his horse past the archway with several others, but it wasn’t loud enough for him to ignore the battle cries and the howls of pain of those who didn’t make it behind him slowly becoming distant. as soon as he managed to flee, the minotaur collapsed on the spot and the heavy iron gate crashed atop his body. there were so many who were still trapped, trying to climb the metal bars in a futile attempt while getting stabbed in the back while some others decided to kill as many of the enemy forces as possible until their dying breath. whatever they were doing, they were all yelling at their noble king to turn back around and get away before miraz could chase after him.

it was difficult to listen to them and tear his eyes away from the entrance of the castle, but it was even more difficult to resist the urge to cry as he got to a safer distance. he failed them, he failed them all. he didn’t dare to look at the survivors, keeping his head down in shame and disbelief. he was supposed to be a king, the fabled magnificent high king of old who once saved the land from the white witch, but it was time for him to look the truth in the face and admit that he was still the troublesome schoolboy from finchley who wasn’t fit to rule anymore, much less mythical beings who were threatened to being driven to extinction.

when he finally lifted his head to address the remaining few, he felt his heart now drop. “w-where is…?!” panic was setting in as his world started spinning. lucy was back at base, susan was right in front of him, edmund just flew in with the help of a griffin, but you weren’t anywhere to be found. he thought he was going to be sick, tightening his hands on the reins and ready to go speeding back, “they must still be in there…! i-i need to go back!”

“you can’t!” susan exclaimed, the centaur whose back she hopped earlier on was now blocking his way.

“i have to! they’ll die in there!” despite being one of the most proficient with swords (even more so than him) and one of the best fighters at his disposal, he never wanted you to endanger yourself in battle and now regrets not trying harder to convince you not to join them.

“peter, you need to stop and think! you don’t have any way to get back in there— even sneaking in wouldn’t work now that they are high-alert! you’ll just get yourself killed while we need you to lead us. besides, you know that if anyone can make it out alive, it’s them, and if they can’t, then you need to stay alive to avenge them!”

she was right, and he knew that he should be listening to her since he still has the narnians and his younger siblings to protect, but his mind was racing even faster than his heart was earlier. he doesn’t know how he’ll handle the grief if you don’t make it, not after the massive scare of assuming you were already gone while he was away from narnia just to find you frozen in time thanks to aslan’s magic. ever since then, he’s kept you as close to him as he could, but now he’s afraid that fate is continuously trying to rip you away from him.

he took a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts and swallowing his fear to put on a brave facade in an effort to lift the spirits of his troops, telling everyone to head back to aslan’s how before they will figure out how to recover and their next plan of action. he didn’t follow them immediately, not wanting to see the likely spiteful look in their eyes and hear the possible gossip about how incompetent he is, and instead looked back at the telmarine castle. it was much quieter now and darker with the looming knowledge of death indirectly by his hand, but the faint sound of metal clashing against metal was enough to give him a glimmer of hope you were still alive.

and alive you were, swinging your sword like the battle just started! they just couldn’t seem to pin you down, tripping over each other as they tried to swarm you and arrows hitting their own men instead of you. there might have been even more deaths by friendly fire than there was from you, but you were only here to raise hell for them to avenge your fallen friends. if you were going to die behind these walls, then you were going to take down as many of them as possible with you! you didn’t really know if there were other narnians still alive or if it was only you, but it didn’t matter right now when you were putting all of your strength to defending yourself.

the general leaned over to catch the attention of his king who was focused on you, “that one might single-handedly wipe out everyone in the palace if we don’t intervene right now…”

miraz couldn’t help but smirk, what was a warrior like you doing serving the boy king of a lost cause? you would be much better suited in his own army, maybe as a captain or as a lieutenant. “indeed… capture them and bring them to me after a night in the dungeon, perhaps they would make a good ally with a bit of convincing…” too bad for him, your loyalties are to the high king peter pevensie the magnificent and none other. that single night that he foolishly allows you to spend in his prison will be more than enough time to break out and make your way back to camp.

[adobe-outdesign]

Pokemon review: Ditto

(No review requests in the inbox right now, so I'll be doing this. No random generation this time as most Pokemon have been reviewed at this point.)

Ditto is probably one of the most straightforward ideas for a shapeshifter you can get—it can become anything, so its base form is nothing but a simple blob, similar to the classic RPG dungeon slime. In all honestly I do prefer something like the Zorua line that has a unique design by default in addition to copying other Pokemon, but Ditto is undeniably pretty cute. I like its silly little :) face and the sort of implied arm nubbins.

One thing I will note about Ditto is that it's never been consistent color-wise; sometimes it's a lavenderish purple and sometimes it's bright pink. It's not really a problem per say, but it is strange that it's never had a standardized color after all these years. (I personally like the pink more, for the record; the purple feels a bit washed out, a common problem among Gen 1 mons.)

Another notable thing about Ditto is the way its transforming works. People generally associate it with shapeshifting everything but it's face, resulting in normal Pokemon with hilarious :) faces. This has been seen everywhere from the anime to the TCG cards.

However, this... isn't really a thing in the games. This idea was introduced in an episode of the anime, wherein the face thing was a flaw that one specific Ditto had that got fixed by the end of the episode. In the games, Ditto can and does shapeshift with 100% accuracy. While they do occasionally use this for interesting gimmicks (such as SV having random wild Pokemon be Ditto), I'm honestly a big fan of the :) face transformations and think that should've been the norm. It adds so much personality and flavor, which is much needed in a Pokemon that just mimics others and has very little going on in its true form.

I also might as well point out that there's been a long-standing theory that Ditto is the result of failed attempts at cloning Mew. This has already been confirmed to have not been the intent in interviews, but honestly, I do like the idea even if it was completely unintentional. There is just something a bit odd, even by Pokemon standards, about a blob that just can shapeshift into anything that isn't a legendary/mythical (like Mew) and is actually transforming (unlike the Zorua line, who are just disguising themselves with illusions). Like, it definitely feels weird to just see an undisguised Ditto out and about in the grass in SV after a reset. But I digress.

Bizarrely, at one point Ditto was considered for an evolution in Gen 2 with this screaming thing that evolved via a metal coat of all things. Not only does it not feel like an evo so much as a Different Ditto, but it's also just strange to give a evo (or a regional, or anything, really) to a Pokemon who's entire thing is being other Pokemon. I'm not even sure how it would differentiate itself mechanically—maybe the idea is that anything it shifts into would gain steel typing or something? Either way, best this was scrapped.

Overall, a super simple Pokemon with a straightforward gimmick, with its only issue being that it honestly isn't quite gimmicky enough.

[stevesbipanic]

If You Would Promise Me Your Heart

For my Eddie, @steveshairychest.

Every nerd in Steve’s life had their mythical creature niche.

Robin loved pixies. Channelling their mischievous energy into her everyday life, bouncing around the store while they were on shift, even joking she’d get a pixie cut one day.

Nancy, though she would deny it to anyone outside their circle, loved fairies. Soft but calculating, intelligent and beautiful, when they had visited the ren faire the year prior her cheeks matched her glittery wings.

Dustin loved hobbits and Steve loved to affectionately call him one even as the boy grew just as tall as him, the excitement that crossed his face when Steve agreed to watch the movies with him made the confusing deep lore worth it.

Lucas loved ents. Steve would often find him in the woods just listening to the trees, he was the only one of them that would still brave the forest at night, the trees would keep him safe.

Max loved harpies. If Steve were to give any proof that these creatures existed, he’d just tell you to look at Max’s face when some boy told her girls can’t skate.

Will loved merfolk. When they visited the beach last summer Steve could see the years of stress melt away from the young boy’s face as he listened to the waves, the water washing away the memories.

El loved elves. She loved the many forms they came in from fantasy to Christmas, that they could be fun or loud or quiet or brave, that they could be whatever they wanted to pointy ears just made them a little special.

Mike loved griffins. He knew that being both just made you stronger, that you can be strong and brave and protect the things you love, that being different doesn’t make you less whole.

Erica loved unicorns. She would hit you if she heard you saying they were anything less than metal.

Which of course leads us to Steve’s favourite nerd, Eddie.

Eddie loved dragons.

The first thing he did once his scars had healed enough was to get a beautiful dragon tattoo across them, the rough skin almost like scales through the dragon’s back.

One of his most prized possessions is a massive red dragon figure for his campaigns.

Steve thinks he’s seen the How to Train Your Dragon movies more than every seven-year-old in the world because it’s the only things that make Eddie feel better when he has nightmares. He has seen them so many times that he can recite his own favourite scene by heart.

They’re in the small clearing in the woods behind their house, it’s spring, the afternoon is warm and the wind is calming. The sun is setting, they are sharing a small picnic, it’s perfect. The sun is bathing them in a golden light, Steve thinks Eddie would be beautiful even if the world was pitch black.

It’s time.

He whistles out the first few notes.

“I’ll swim and sail on savage seas, with ne’er a fear of drowning. And gladly ride the waves of life, if you will marry me.”

Eddie has turned to Steve recognising the song, his eyes are as bright as the love between them.

“No scorching sun, nor freezing cold, will stop me on my journey.”

Eddie’s eyes are shining, he’ll blame them on allergies.

“If you will promise me your heart, and love,” Steve looks expectantly at Eddie.

Eddie face breaks into a smile at Steve’s pause.

“And love me for eternity,” he continues, “My dearest one, my darling dear, your mighty words astound me. But I’ve no need for mighty deeds when I feel your arms around me,” Eddie sings pulling Steve to his feet as he stands.

Steve laughs as he continues, “But I would bring you rings of gold, I’d even sing you poetry!”

“Oh would you?” Eddie giggles.

“And I would keep you from all harm, if you would stay beside me.”

“I have no use for rings of gold, I care not for your poetry; I only want your hand to hold,” Eddie sings lacing their fingers.

“I only want you near me.”

The boys begin to spin and dance to only the tune of their voices.

“To love and kiss, to sweetly hold, for the dancing and the dreaming. Through all life’s sorrows and delights, I’ll keep your laugh inside me.”

Eddie begins to spin from Steve the joy bubbling up inside him, not even noticing Steve’s voice has gotten softer.

“I’ll swim and sail a savage seas, with ne’er a fear of drowning. And gladly ride the waves of life if-” the last words catching in his throat as he looks at Steve, down on one knee.

“If you will marry me.” Steve finishes, a beautiful black ring in the shape of a dragon protecting a ruby in its centre laying in a black box in his hand. “For the dancing and the dreaming, Stevie, yes.”

[mauveastrum]

Classics student’s guide to romanticising november

While I personally love november, I understand why some people can’t really always appreciate it; especially where I live, it gets real gray around this time, when autumn still lingers and Christmas and winter are quite not here yet. A liminal space. Here are some little tips, habits, things from wellness to whatever that I like to enjoy in november when I’m not cooped up in the library battling with the attic verb system. :)

Coffee to wake you up in the morning, maybe another one at lunch if your short nights sleep is still lingering; different teas throughout the day to keep you warm from the inside as the weather gets chillier each passing day

a bowl of (warm) porridge with your favorite toppings in the morning, either prepared at home or ordered at a cafe with your friend

Dark red nails, preferably long, preferably with small metallic accents (I prefer gold and bronze, silver works very well too)

Seasonal fruits and vegetables; pomegranates! Persephone’s journey to Hades has once again taken place.

Adding a little bit of darkness to your eyes, it’s your pick whether that’s with kayal, smudged eyeliner, eyeshadow or just a gracious layer of mascara; but remember to not rub your eyes when you stayed too late at the library translating Catullus’ latin poetry! Alternatively, just rock those dark underyes baby

November is the month of poets, artists, thinkers, lovers and wanderers, you know what they say. Write, draw, think, love, wander! I keep a diary where I try to write everyday. Try to find small pleasures in the mundane and write them down. Beauty is omnipresent. I also have been trying to sketch more when I don’t have the energy nor the time to complete complex illustrations and paintings. Small but meaningful.

Pretty candles, scented or unscented, perhaps each one lit as an honoring to a god, goddess, daimon or your lares; in the colder months I like to light a candle in honor of Vesta/Hestia and ask her to keep my apartment warm

Preparing for winter by slowly switching to more thicker and moisturizing skin- and haircare products. Do this as you run out of one product, don’t give in to overconsumption, be mindful with what you buy and what you put on your skin and hair

Remember to move your body. Whether this is walking, running, stretching, strength-training, pilates… the options are endless and the choice is yours! Even little movement can help you fight that seasonal depression.

Big scarves, long jackets, leather gloves. Gives you an aura of mystery and keeps you protected from the weather

These are just some of my favorite things at this time. If you read through all of this I’d really love to hear if you have your own sacred little rituals around this time of the year. Thank you for being here, remember to be kind to yourself and others, and speak up for those whose voices are being silenced. Go make your novembers mythical🖤

Valete,

Mauve

[violetlunette]

Father Isn’t a Vampire!

Summary: Silver and Lilia have some musing after Lilia is accused of being a vampire.

Trigger Warning:

*Temporary Child Death

~Start~

Silver puffed out a breath of annoyance.

“I can’t believe they all went this fair,” he grumbled, pushing his slivery bangs back. “Even Sebek got involved.” Lilia gave a goodhearted chuckle.

“Kufufu! I’m actually flattered that they felt they needed to go so far!” Silver frown deepened at his father’s amusement.

“Please don’t take this so lightly. They almost stabbed you,” he said, a flash to his gaze and growl to his tone. “All because they believed you were were a vampire!” Lilia’s smile had a strange aspect to it as he thought.

Vampires; Demons of the night created long ago during times of famine, pestilence, and war. Who created them, few could say for sure. The Fae say it was humans who messed with dark arts they couldn’t handle and vice versa.

Wherever they came from, it was agreed that vampires were monsters. Vile things resurrected from the dead, who could only continue their unholy life by stealing it from the living.

Once upon a time they ravaged the world, devouring people like livestock until the Diurnal released the power of the Firebird to burn them all away, allowing the world to be reborn from the ashes and prosper once more.

Since then the dark creatures that nearly wiped out the world had fallen to myth, remembered only in stories.

“Well--I’ll admit that they were a bit extreme,” he conceded with a hum. It wasn’t long before he perked up again. “But it all ended well! And it’s not like they’ll be trying again.” Silver didn’t argue with that.

Aside from the verbal lashing he himself gave them, Lilia had “playful” trounced all of them, thinking they were playing some sort of game. When it was all over, they were all limping away.

“Even so, the fact they tried in the first place…” Silver interrupted himself with an exasperated breath.

To be fair, his father did seem to have some vampiric traits.

Lilia had an intense aversion to the sun, which contributed to his lily pale skin. His eyes could be seen as cat-like as well, due to the silted pupil and red color that was commonly attributed to the mythical being. He even had long fangs that poked over his lip, giving him his kitten-like smile.

There were also smaller things, such as the fact his motif seemed to be bats, he liked to fly and often appeared out of no where by hanging upside down. On top of that, he happened to like tomato and other red juices which were commonly associated with vampires.

However, as Silver had tried to explain to everyone, that was just because Lilia was a nocturnal fae of bat bloodline, not because he was a vampire.

‘It’s one thing for the rest of them to get paranoid, but Sebek--’ Silver nearly stumbled as something squished under his foot.

It was one of the many garlic cloves scattered around the area. The others brought enough to fill the Monstro lounge to protect themselves.

Silver’s nose scrunched as a strong scent filled his senses. The smell was overwhelming and he swayed on his feet.

“Silver?” Silver caught himself as his father’s worried tone reached his ears.

“Ah, sorry. It’s just-- the garlic is really intense,” he apologized. Silver had a very acute sense of smell which had more drawbacks than benefits. Garlic especially bothered him. For some reason, he couldn’t even go near them when they were in blossom form.

Lilia nodded in understanding as he stepped over.

“Why don’t you head up to bed? You’ve had just as long a day as myself.”

“Ah, but…”

“It’s fine! Besides, you’re allergic to all this stuff.” Unfortunately, he had a point. Not only did Silver have an aversion to garlic, but the metal he shared a name with burned his skin so he couldn’t touch the crosses, nor the stakes of yew wood without breaking into hives.

Silver dropped his head.

“Sorry…” Lilia waved the apology away.

“I already told you it’s fine. And I can use the garlic in my next dish.” Silver gulped at the thought.

“Father, please no,” he begged, dreading what horrible thing the other might make with those bulbs he was shoving into his coat pocket.

Silver ran a hand over his dark pink skin, burnt by the sun yet again. Lilia wasn’t the only one sensitive to the sun. In fact Silver was more affected by it than any of his nocturnal friends. Not a day went by where he wasn’t burned by the ball of light, despite the fact he used a special lotion to protect himself. Even the expensive ointment Vil offered didn’t appear to work.

As he was unable to help, and could feel a sleep spell coming on, Silver excused himself to his dorm room.

As soon as he entered, he was met with the familiar scent of dirt. Silver let out a breath as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Father…” ‘Did he sneak in here again?’ Lilia had a firm belief that a certain type of dirt would help Silver and allow him to rest. Silver had insisted time and again he didn’t need it and often threw it away. However, Lilia always managed to sneak a pile back under.

“I’m just trying to look out for my child,” he would say in the cutest tone with the most fragile expression when Silver called him on it, making the teen unable to refused.

‘It’s not that I don’t appreciate the thought, but I’m not a child. He doesn’t have to do thing like this for me.’ He even had Silver’s bed brought from home so he would “sleep better.”

Speaking of the bed, Silver never noticed how odd he piece of furniture was until he arrived at Night Raven. It didn’t look like the school beds and was often compared to a coffin by the others. It even had a lid and was lined with silk, which was dirtied from the dirt shoved beneath the cushions.

Being too tired from today to deal with his father’s eccentricities Silver just took a tired breath and climbed into the bed. He would vacuum up the dirt again tomorrow. Still, he had to admit that he rested with the scent of the earth in his senses...

~*~

Lilia cleaned up the mess the children made with practiced movements from when Silver and Sebek were children.

‘Those kids really did their research,’ he thought with a mix of pride—and worry. Because it was him, it all turned out alright.

‘But if it was Silver…’ Lilia bit his pale lip.

He should told him. He should have told him a long time ago, but how could he? How could Lilia tell Silver that he was a vampire?

Especially when Lilia was the one who turned him into one.

~*~

It was a dark and stormy night.

The wind howled like wolves and thunder roared like lions as Zeus threw his bolts across the sky.

‘Where is he?’ Lilia had wondered, pushing his damp hair aside as rain and hail fell in torrents, soaking the earth below. He tried to fly as the mud kept trying to pull him in, but the heavy water kept pushing down. By this point he was soaked.

His skin was bright blue and his teeth clattered as ice filled his veins. But he couldn’t go back. He wouldn’t go back. Not without Silver.

It had been such a small thing; Silver asked why their ears were different and Lilia thought it would be good to use the opportunity to tell him the truth. He must have said something wrong. To run out on a blistery wet night like this--

Lightning clashed at the same time he called Silver’s name, the blast drowning out his desperate cry.

‘What if I can’t find him? What if--’ The world twisted around him and he had to swallow the nausea that filled his stomach and crawled up his throat.

“No, I can’t think like that,” he told himself in a whisper. If he allowed such thoughts, they would paralyze him and then his Silver really would be lost.

He continued on until a something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. It was a piece of cloth snagged on a branch, waving in the wind like a flag. Lilia recognized the fabric. It was from a shirt Lilia bought for Silver while on his travels. Upon closer inspection he noticed the bushed looked messed up, as if something charged through them.

Terror and dread filled Lilia as he floated over them.

On the other side was a cliff’s edge. And at the bottom--

“SILVER!!” The storm illuminated the form of a boy lying like broken doll, his limbs askew.

Lilia was at his side in an instant, as white and transparent as spirit.

“No, no, no, please no.” The fae whimpered as he lifted the child out of the mud and into his arms. As he held him Lilia shook, his finger grasping him desperately. He pressed his ear to Silver’s chest, and held his breath.

There was no sound.

“No…” Lilia couldn’t believe what happened. That his precious little boy was-- “No!!”

The anguish Lilia had felt resided in his heart to this day. It tore him apart like a beast, burning his eyes and throat as cried into the night begging for heaven or even hell to given his son back to him.

‘Even if it’s as a monster, I just--’ That was when the idea came to him.

Lilia recalled a book. It came his mind as he thought of the last memory Lilia had of Silver before he disappeared outside. Silver was reading a book. It was one Malleus had found while exploring some old ruins. He had gifted it to Lilia because of the bat on the cover. It was a book on vampires. More importantly, how they--

Lilia scooped Silver’s bod—Silver into his arms, jaw locked in determination as he teleported home.

He held Silver close as he searched through the shelves for the tome he was looking for. Eventually, he found it. Using his magic, he had the book float and open. He scanned the pages, his throat holding his breath as tight as he held Silver.

At last he found it; the vampire creation spell.

‘This--!’ Lilia wasn’t sure f the spell would save the child, or condemn him. All he knew was that he had to try.

Otherwise...

~*~

In the present, Lilia smiled solemnly at the memory.

Not one person would ever believe he succeeded in his desperate act. After all, Silver was the most unvampiric person one could imagine.

His skin wasn’t pale as it was often burn pink under the sun. He didn’t turn into a bat, though he could turn into mist easily. He didn’t even seem to have fangs at first glance. (Lilia learned over time that Silver did have them, they were just dull and retractable.)

Most of all, it was nearly impossible to get the boy to drink blood,

When Lilia first resurrected Silver, he was worried the boy would turn into a blood thirsty beast as the legends said. But it was just the opposite.

Silver absolutely refused to drink blood from the source, forcing Lilia to get creative. Lilia had tried slipping some in his meals, but somehow Silver would sniff it out. He eventually learned that the stubborn boy would only eat the meals if they had blood of those he wasn’t acquainted with. The bat fae had to have liquid imported or collect some on his travels.

Lilia sighed. He was aware that he should have told Silver the truth, but he worried.

In the past, Silver was so upset just to hear that they weren’t related that he ran into a dangerous storm and off a cliff. How would he react to finding out he died and was resurrected as a vampire, one of the most feared creatures in Twisted Wonderland’s history?

On top of that, if anyone found then that soft heart of his precious child would have a stake in it.

Lilia stared at the yew in his hand as he pressed his lips into a thin line, which then curved into a smile.

‘So, everyone thinks I’m the vampire, hm?’ “Kufufu, that could be fun.” As long as it kept others from discovering the truth.

Especially Silver.

~end~

A/n:

*Haven’t decided whether this should be a series or not. Tell ya what, if this gets ten comments before next Sunday (8/11/2024) I’ll take a stab at it.

*Speaking of stab, I'll let ya'll guess the brave fool who attempted to stake our Lilia.

*I feel that this scenario would make a decent plot for comedy shoujo series, where the protagonist's family tries to hide the fact she’s a vampire while her friends believe her goth dad is a vampire. And of course, the lead is obviously dating a vampire hunter with a tragic backstory while the childhood friend and a vampire prince are in love with her. Ah well; maybe someday.

*Fun fact; despite what popular myths say, it’s actually garlic blossoms that are supposed to chase vampires away not the garlic bulbs. I just wasn’t going to pass up a joke, no matter how small.

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Renaissance Faire

Alien: Where are we going and why is there a sack over my head?

Human: I told you. Human: Our time traveling technology is top secret and we just can’t let anyone see it. Alien: I still call Hush-dush on your claim of time traveling- Human: *Removes sack* Human: Welcome, to the 1300’s of human society! Alien: *Sees surroundings and gawks* ---------------------------

Human: Mace or morning star? Alien: BOTH! ------------------------

Alien: Why do your people dress in metal clothing? Human: It’s called armor and meant to protect us. Alien: Protect you from what? Human: *Points* From that. Alien: *Turns to see another armored human approaching someone from behind and then wailing on them with mace* Alien: Does that happen often? Human: Often enough my friend. ----------------------------

*Pair sit down at table* Human: *shouts at bar keep* Two muttons and ales for us. Alien: What the florp is “Mutton”? Human: *Whispers* I have no idea. --------------------------

Alien: I think I see other human time travelers. Human: What? Alien: Yes. Alien: They carried scanning equipment and were talking into communicators. Human: Oh god damnit. Alien: You know them? Human: Yeah; they’re a bunch of nerds following a prime directive to kill fun. ---------------------------

Alien: So the purpose of the sport is to ride atop beasts and try to knock your opponent off with a wooden toothpick? Human: Pretty much. Alien: That must be the stupidest sport I have ever seen. *silence* *Silence* *silence* Human: You want to join in don’t you? Alien: Yes please, very much. --------------------------

Alien: Where are the fire breathing flying lizard creatures? Human: You mean dragons? Alien: Yes, those things. Human: *Thinking fast* Human: We wiped them all out in 1100, so you won’t see any here. Alien: Darn. *Giant mechanical dragon slowly passes by breathing fire* Human: Oh no…. a survivor! -----------------------------

Alien: Who are these brightly dressed creatures? Human: Fairies, faye, goblins, trolls, etc. Alien: Why didn’t I see any of them in the future? Human: Yeah, after the Disney hunts of 83 nearly all mythical creatures were driven to extinction. -----------------------------

Human: Crossbow or regular bow? Alien with four arms: BOTH! -----------------------------

Human: Here, I bought you some clothes to disguise yourself in. Human: *Hands over clothes* Alien: Why are my clothes for a female? Human: Aren’t you one? Alien: No. Alien: Can you not tell? Human: No but that’s a good thing. Human: Most people in this time period can’t either. ------------------------------

Alien: Why do your people of this time speak so poetically? Human: Our language was more wordy back then. Alien: Think you mean more eloquent. Human: Shut up you scrub. -------------------

Human: Sword or dagger? Alien: Bo- Human: You can’t have both! Human: It doesn’t work that way, just pick! Alien: *Pauses* Alien: I pick dog armor. Human: ……….. Human: Why? Alien: It is covered in spikes and more dangerous than half the weapons I have seen today.