#and i was like haha wait mother's UMBRA??

[cometblaster2070]

in rennala's bossfight it's a bit difficult to make out but the juveline scholars are actually singing throughout her first phase and I find the lyrics of their song to be incredibly interesting:

"Sleep tight, bound tight, by mothers amber, sleep tight, find life in mother’s umbra."

rennala refers to the juveline scholars as "sweetings" and I'm assuming that the 'mother' they're referring to in this song is rennala which is a curious detail when you notice how they mention the word umbra.

for those not aware, umbra is latin for 'shadow' and is said to be the darkest part of a shadow; the part where the light source is completely blocked and more specifically i'd like to bring up how in the song they're referencing finding life in mother's umbra; in mother's shadow.

rennala is referred to as the queen of the full moon and her incantation refers to how she "encounters" this enchanting moon.

similarly her daughter ranni is said to have encountered the dark moon.

This moon was encountered by a young Ranni, led by the hand of her mother, Rennala. What she beheld was cold, dark and veiled in occult mystery.

there isn't really a point to any of this but I still found it really interesting how ranni is associated with the dark moon and was led to the dark moon by her mother rennala, especially when you account for the detail of the juveline scholars mentioning mother's umbra or in this case mentioning rennala's shadow in a sense.

i just wonder if it's an interesting bit of storytelling that ranni discovered the dark moon, the shadow of her mother rennala's full moon, with her mother's help and it helped her escape the confines of her destiny and carve out her own path and take her life into her own hands.

finding life in mother's umbra indeed i suppose.

[quarantineddreamer]

🌧️ and 🌈 for the wip game!

Sissi!! What a pairing this will be fun (thanks for the ask, friend <3)

🌧️ Share something angsty from your WIP.

It has to be Umbra Pt2 :') (still in-progress here a year later I swear, I swear--it haunts me all the time)

“Fuck,” Jyn breathed shakily, pressing a hand to her chest as though to shift something back into place–or else maybe to ward off the deep, lingering weight of a sadness not entirely her own.  Hands shaking, she slowly reached across her lap and into the parka’s left pocket, digging until she found the small, clear bag that contained her medicine. “Treatment for amnesia is extremely difficult,” the medic had said. “The efficacy of the medicine varies…” With every heartbeat, she could feel Jyn Andor-Erso inside her: too weak to live, too strong to die. Was this what it was to be possessed? Or was she the possessor? Stealing life from another and fighting to mold it into her own familiar shape. She had battled for her survival countless times before, but never like this–never so intimately, with every strike against her enemy seeming to chip away a part of her as well. Saw Gerrera would tell her it didn’t matter. That life was all too often a game of kill or be killed, that if she wanted to keep playing, there was only one choice to make: the one that gave her the best shot at seeing another day. Jyn stared at the medicine a while longer, then dumped the second-to-last dose into her palm, stalked towards the fresher sink, and threw the medicine into her mouth, chasing it with a handful of water from the tap before she could give it another thought. Just as prescribed. As she was meant to.  She had hoped taking action would fill her with certainty, steady the world and steel her resolve. Instead, the pill began to dissolve uneasily in her stomach. She could not seem to stop her thoughts from wandering to the memory of Cassian comforting the woman he loved; how just his touch had been enough to banish her ill ease. ‘You’re okay. It’s okay…’ Jyn could not remember the last time someone had said those words to her and truly believed them. She slowly looked up, her reflection flinching back at her from within the silvery world of the mirror. She appeared even sicker than she felt, a haunting pallor to her skin, deep rings like bruises beneath her eyes. (Other lines too, lines that measured years of experiences as opposed to a single, restless night, but she quickly tore her gaze away before she could examine them too closely–she’d had enough out-of-body experiences for one morning.) “You’re okay,” she told herself quietly, dragging a hand across her face–though the gesture was far from enough to wipe the exhaustion from it. It’s okay…

🌈 Share something soft/fluffy from your WIP.

I feel like I don't write much fluff, but Roadtrip AU has romcom vibes sooo this counts...I think? (I say it does haha)

With stiff, creaking limbs Jyn clambered gracelessly out of the car. Cool air greeted her in an instant, flecking her skin with moisture, refreshing compared to the stale atmosphere in the car, but clogged with the chemical smell of petrol–wet grass and dirt a barely perceptible whisper by comparison. The road closure had stirred the small town around them into chaos. Cars backed up along the entirety of the main street, more action than it had likely seen in years. Many of the storefronts were shuttered–lights off and signs flipped to closed, too early still for the owners to have risen from their beds. (Especially if the storm had caused any power loss to mess with alarm clocks.)  Across the way, Jyn spotted a park, the large, sprawling field no doubt sodden, puddles waiting to be splashed in by dogs or small children. A swing set made a lonely silhouette in the dawn, tangled from strong winds. It reminded her of the kind of place her mother had always talked about wanting to escape to one day. Charming, with green, open spaces to roam. Enough room for a home with a yard, somewhere with a proper garden where she could spend her days with her hands caked in rich soil and the scent of herbs and flowers all over while Jyn ran circles around trees and leapt the distance between rocks, Galen watching on fondly from the window of his study. “I can fill up if you want to duck inside. See if they have coffee, snacks.”  Jyn startled at the sound of his voice, closer than she expected. She hadn’t noticed Cassian moving to stand next to her at the front of the car.  She glanced towards the stations’ market, illuminated by halogen lights and neon beer logos, promising a sticky bathroom floor and likely a worse cup of coffee than even the airport had had to offer. “Um…” Turning back to Cassian, the sentence that had been forming on her tongue fled the scene.  She’d caught him midstretch, arms pulled over his head as though he were about to dive into a pool, shirt rising to display the smallest of flashes of a well-toned stomach. (She really couldn’t fathom why the sight had the impact on her that it did–tongue tied and stammering like a fool while her stomach did acrobatics–but she found it extremely frustrating.)

Ask me about a WIP

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Evan’s 6✩ Inspiration: Umbrae Secrets [繁荫秘语] Date Translation (Prologue)

“I saw Mr. Lu in the elevator just now! He was acting different from his usual self and the look on his face was absolutely frigid…”

*Light and Night Master-list | Evan’s Personal Masterlist *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join the Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *This 6✩ Inspiration has 8 Endings!! *Evan’s tag will be #For Night, For Revolution

It was an ordinary day of work. I’d just gotten to the office when Li Man’man opened the door and entered the room.

Li Man'man: No way, no way! You’ll never believe it! I’m doing all of you a favour by reminding you to behave today.

Brother Mao: Huh? What’s gotten you into such a tizzy?

Li Man’man rubbed the goosebumps that had arisen on her arms, shivering as she recalled what she’d seen.

Li Man'man: I saw Mr. Lu in the elevator just now! He was acting different from his usual self and the look on his face was absolutely frigid…

Li Man'man: I thought I’d turn into a block of ice in no time flat the moment our gazes met!

MC: What?

Hearing her recollection, I couldn’t help but to suddenly think back to what happened yesterday during lunch hour.

❖☆———————————★❖

At noon, I’d compiled a set of documents related to jewellery designs, just as Evan had requested and brought it up to his office.

A voice sounded from within when I knocked on the door of his office. It sounded unusually indifferent.

Evan: Come in.

❖☆———————————★❖

Pushing the door open, I saw Evan leaning against his chair, his brows were furrowed, hanging low, and there seemed to be thick storm clouds brewing in his eyes.

He was still staring blankly out the window in a daze when I went up to his desk.

Evan: Just leave it there.

MC: Okay.

Hearing me, he turned. The dark look on his face instantly lightened up.

Evan: Hm? Oh, it's you.

Evan: Sorry, I was just thinking about something.

Recalling the unusual look he had on his face when I entered, I couldn’t help but step on eggshells around him.

MC: Don't worry about it. Here are the documents you requested. Are you… okay?

Before he could reply, however, the landline on his desk suddenly rang, interrupting our conversation.

MC: I'll leave you to it!

Evan nodded apologetically at me and I took my leave from his office.

❖☆———————————★❖

Did something happen to make him unhappy…?

With his personality, he wouldn’t tell anyone about his troubles even if something WAS troubling him, no doubt.

❖☆———————————★❖

When I got home at night, I switched on the TV. It was coincidentally broadcasting a camping-related program.

The lush green forest, the joyous chirruping of birds and their songs… Everything there was powered by Mother Nature’s power of healing, capable of washing away all exhaustion in one’s body and mind.

I didn't know why I thought of Evan again, but I did.

MC: There’s a gigantic forest at the outskirts of Guangqi City and it’s clear weather out all the time now.

MC: Maybe he might feel better if I can somehow get him out to the forest for a walk...

An idea popped into my head and I scrambled to fetch my phone, searching for the familiar name in my contacts.

I was just about to hit the call button when I suddenly thought of a plausible issue.

MC: I don’t think he’ll reject me regardless if he wants to go or not if I invite him directly like that.

MC: Maybe I should feel around for his thoughts about it so that I don’t unknowingly coerce him into anything.

After pondering it for a while, I hit the dial button.

❖☆———————————★❖

Evan: (Y/n)? What's the matter?

MC: … Evan, I… err, have gotten interested in coffee lately.

Evan: Really? What flavour of coffee do you like? I'll be glad to recommend you things.

MC: Oh… I haven't decided yet.

MC: Ahem, have you ever seen a coffee tree? I've never seen it myself with my own two eyes! I really want to go see one~

Evan: About that…

He sounded hesitant, there was no doubt about it. I awkwardly scratched my head. 

Did I come off too strange by bringing up that question out of the blue!?

Evan: Coffee trees have strict requirements when it comes to the environment they’re grown in. And as far as I’m aware, the PH levels of the soil and the amount of rainfall here in Guangqi City do not fit their criteria.

Evan: So, I'm afraid it'll be hard for you to spot one in Guangqi City.

Evan: But we can go see one together in Africa during your next vacation if you'd like.

MC: Eh? Africa? No need then.

MC: Ahaha… then, how about...

When there’s a will, there’s a way. I saw a glimmer of light at the end of the dark path in my mind.

MC: Then, what about a bamboo pith?

MC: I had some bamboo piths while eating hotpot a couple of days ago! I find that it’s a very amazing fungus! I really want to see one growing for myself!

Evan: It is. Although information is now widely accessible, it still hits different when you see it with your own eyes.

Evan: When are you free? We can go check it out together.

MC: Brilliant!

That's what I've been waiting for you to say!

MC: Are you free next weekend?

Evan: Yes, my weekends are open.

Evan: You… Are you this happy just to go to the forest for a walk?

MC: Hahaha, yeah! Super happy!

Evan: I'll come fetch you in my car next Saturday at 10 AM. Will that be alright?

MC: Sure! We're all set then!

Evan: Then, have you ever hiked or camped out before?

MC: No… but don't worry!

MC: I’ve watched lots of videos about camping on the internet! I’ll prepare all the equipment we’ll need this time!

Evan: Alright. I'll be leaving it all to you then.

❖☆———————————★❖

Soon, the appointed day arrived.

When I came downstairs lugging along a rucksack that towered about half a person tall, Evan, who was waiting by his car, looked slightly taken aback.

Evan: You…

I found myself blanking out as I stared at Evan, standing not too far away,

This was my first time seeing Evan dressed in such a casual manner.  The soft and form-fitting material of his clothes made his shoulders appear wider and him, much more reliable. It was reassuring, to say so in the least.

MC: Haha, did I bring one too many things? Actually, I think so too.

MC: In case we don't find a bamboo pith today, we can still camp overnight in the forest with this.

MC: Don't you think?

He smiled as he approached, taking the heavy bag off my shoulders.

Evan: Sounds good.

Evan: You must have fun and enjoy your first camping trip, if anything.

The tenderness in his countenance was the same as always. Where was that coldness to him that a certain someone had mentioned?

I secretly felt a wave of relief wash over me.

MC: Let's head out then!

❖☆———————————★❖

After driving on the suburban roads for nearly an hour, we finally reached an area near the forest on the outskirts of the City.

Evan gently took my bag out of the trunk, slinging it over his shoulder.

MC: That's pretty heavy. How about you let me carry it myself?

Evan: Since we're going to be travelling together anyway, how about we both give it our best?

MC: Alright then. Thanks!

❖☆———————————★❖

Stepping into the forest, lush green foliage surrounded us all around.

The ubiquitous noise and lights were all isolated from here, creating a secluded and serene atmosphere.

The air was warm, humid, and carried the sweet refreshing scent of vegetation. Relaxation was literally oozing out of my pores.

I turned around to look back at Evan. He was standing ramrod straight as usual with a blank expression on his face.

MC: Evan, we're here to relax!

Evan: Thank you. I am very relaxed.

MC: You can afford to be more relaxed. Here, follow me. Open your arms like this, take a deep breath, and go "Ahh…"

He smiled helplessly at me. Just when I thought he was going to refuse, he mimicked my stance, opening his arms wide.

Evan: Ahh…

MC: Hahaha. Yup, just like that.

I took out a map and a compass from the bag.

MC: I will be the leader for today! I’ve already marked all the routes we can take. Let’s see… let’s go this way first!

Evan: Alright. As you say, leader.

We proceeded through the forest according to the directions shown on the map.

We chatted about the animals and plants that we saw as we walked. Or more accurately, Evan was the one introducing them all to me.

Evan: Sorry. It must be boring hearing me talk about all these.

MC: Nope. I’m actually even more interested after hearing you talk about them.

MC: Also, your expression changes into something a little different from what I’m used to whenever you talk about something you like.

Evan: Something that I like? I’m not really sure if it constitutes as me liking it, but I think I’ll like it if you do.

He smiled in a manner as if he didn’t mind it at all, stopping as he took out some tissues and a bottle of water from his bag.

Evan: Here. Wipe your sweat and hydrate yourself.

MC: Thanks.

The soft bubbling of running water entered our ears as we stopped to rest.

MC: Looks like there's a small rover up ahead, just like how it's drawn in the map!

Evan: Looks like the leader's leading well.

❖☆———————————★❖

Following the sound of running water, we soon found the river.

The clear stream rushed across the pebbles, the crystalline liquid glittering under the golden light of the sun. The wind that blew past the waters was very cool and very refreshing. It felt great on my slightly worn-out body.

MC: The cool breeze here by the river’s really nice! And the sound of dripping water’s also very calming.

Evan: Looks like there’s a flat rock over there where we can sit.

Evan: Do you want to rest for a bit?

I want to…

After pondering for a while, I finally decided to…

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

✥ Choose your Ending:

END 1 | Choice: Do Nothing [都不做]

END 2 +3 + 4 | Choice: Call Out [呼唤] ⊹Speak⊹

END 4 + 6 | Choice: Approach [亲近] ⊹Touch⊹

END 7 + 8 | Choice: Heart-throb [心动] ☆Light & Night★

❖☆————— ⊹ For Night, For Revolution⊹ —————★❖

[oneshortdamnfuse]

Okay let me try to explain this badly... spoilers ahead, obviously. This is not exhaustive, believe it or not 🙃

There are six Astrals, or gods, who protect Eos (the in-game Earth).

Ifrit the Infernian is an Astral who initially loved mankind and granted them his power. Humans are full of hubris, so they misuse it. Ifrit gets big mad and sends a meteor that is infected with an extraterrestrial virus called star scourge down on them. Historically, people view him as wicked and evil but he’s actually infected with star scourge. Star scourge makes the nights progressively longer and basically turns people into demons. The only thing that can undo this is a prophecy in which a future human king sacrifices himself to being back the light and so on and so forth. There’s even a painting of this prophecy hanging in the citadel where the human king resides.

...but wait! Eos has a crystal that protects the planet and it’s people from total destruction. The Kings of Lucis are basically in charge of protecting it. This responsibility is bestowed on them by Bahamut the Draconian who is another Astral. Like the name suggests, he’s super judgmental and harsh but helpful when he wants to be... for a price and that price is the life of a future king of Lucis (our protagonist!) who is prophesied to save the world from the star scourge. An oracle is appointed to communicate with the gods and the kings are given immense power in a demon-destroying ring that only they can wield. Anyone else either dies or becomes horribly injured by it.

Pause for a little bit. There’s a feud over who should be the first king - Somnus, a little bastard, or Ardyn, a healer who tries to heal people from the star scourge. Suprise! The little bastard becomes the first king through his little bastard ways. Ardyn gets star scourge as a consolation prize that makes him bitter and immortal. 2,000 years later he shows up as a man of dubious nature who sometimes helps but also hinders our main protagonist, future king Noctis Lucis Caelum who is descended from Somnus and destined to sacrifice his life to heal the planet. Thousands of years of star scourge corruption turns Ardyn into one of the major villains who swears he’s the rightful king but The Crystal is all haha I don’t think so.

So, Modern Day Insomnia is a large city ruled by King Regis Lucis Caelum. Yes, that does translate to King King. Everybody has wacky names. His son’s name, Noctis Lucis Caelum, basically translates to Night Light Sky. Anyways, so he knows about this prophecy and kinda keeps it a secret from Noctis. Just wants Noctis to live a good life before he ultimately has to DIE for Eos. Doesn’t put much effort into preparing him to be a good ruler, because he’s never going to be a ruler at all. The Oracle at this time is a girl named Lunafreya who can communicate with the gods and heal people. Lunafreya and Noctis are betrothed and the story begins with Noctis going on one last road trip With The BoysTM before he gets married. Or, at least that’s what he thinks is happening.

Some background information because y’know Square Enix loves a complex plot!

Noctis is injured in a demon attack that kills his mother when he is very young. He spends some time in Lunafreya’s homeland called Tenebrae, where he can heal and get to know her. She has two dogs, Pryna and Umbra, who serve as her messengers throughout the game. Noctis and Lunafreya communicate through notes in a book while they are separated. A mysterious woman, Gentiana, stays by Lunafreya’s side and acts as a go between humans and the gods just as Lunafreya is the go between the gods and the humans. Gentiana is secretly Shiva, the Glacian... another Astral who had been killed once by Niflheim. She’s also Ifrit’s lover, so you can also see why he was big mad about the humans fucking around with their newfound power.

What’s Niflheim you say? It’s an ever expanding empire aiming to control Eos in its entirety and they’ll do anything to take it even if it means the star scourge takes over and kills everyone and every thing! (It’s cool to kill the planet if it means you get to rule it, I guess lmao). Technically, Lunafreya’s homeland is under its control though it enjoys some freedoms. At some point Niflheim gets too aggressive. Noctis has to be rushed out of there and back to his own homeland of Insomnia. Lunafreya and her brother Ravus get left behind under Niflheim’s control, which just about pisses Ravus off and he has a long standing grudge against Noctis even though none of it is his fault. So, Noctis and Lunafreya hardly see each other for years.

Ardyn teams up with Niflheim. Not that he cares about their goals or anything. Just as a means to get to Noctis and reclaim his rightful place as king while star scourge eats him alive idk. No one really knows who he is though aside from some eccentric guy who dresses in too many layers and is always in the right place at the right time... or wrong place at the wrong time? Right place at wrong time? Whatever. You get the point? He’s bananas.

Okay, so now you have to learn about Noctis’ closest companions because remember that final road trip I mentioned? They’re by his side through the majority of it and they have their own weird, plot-heavy lives too I GUESS? Everyone gets a side plot in this game. Legit. There is an “episode” for each one of them.

Gladiolus Amicitia probably has the simplest to explain background (sorry, Aries King, but it’s true.) His father Clarus is the “shield” of King Regis and he serves on the king’s council. Gladiolus is a Shield in Training. Kinda doesn’t love his job, because he thinks Noctis is an immature brat sometimes. Fair. He’d still die for him, and he treats Noctis like his little brother. His job is to train Noctis for battle and keep him in shape as well. Goes by Gladio. He looks up to resident badass Cor Leonis (Yeah, that’s his legit name) who is a top crowns guard member. Goes on a mission with him for some manly bonding and to learn his true strength. Gladio loves Top Ramen noodles a little too much, and he dotes on his baby sister. Gladio is no complete himbo, though. He loves to read in his spare time.

Gladio is your tank, basically. His specialty is survival. Gladio is also whipped by Ignis. I may be biased but I swear to god their relationship is canon, and word of god and the prophecies have hinted as such. Moving on...

Ignis’ upbringing is so weird and unconventional. Ignis was trained from the age of SIX YEARS OLD on how to take care of Noctis and he basically becomes a replacement for Noct’s mother after she dies. The only thing we know about his family is that he has an uncle somewhere in the citadel and he comes from a family of royal retainers. We’ve been told recently he had parents who loved him! That’s the simple answer, though there’s jokes and fan theories calling his origins into question because he seems super human and his magic stats are pretty high in a world where few aside from the king have access to elemental magic. He goes toe to toe with Ardyn and even puts on the ring of lucii that’s supposed to kill you but he survives and loses his vision instead. The man just cannot be stopped.

Ignis manages battle strategy, healing, and he can use magic due to his proximity to the crown family. He also drives and cooks and cleans. He is canonically the mom friend.

Prompto is Noctis’ best friend! He was adopted as a baby by a family in Insomnia, but he kind of grew up like a latch-key kid. He was overweight as a child and he developed a bit of an eating disorder while trying to look acceptable to his peers. Prompto is a people pleaser and he loves to joke and keep things light hearted but oh boy does he have big self esteem issues. He gets teased a lot, which is played up to an obnoxious degree in the English version of the game. Ardyn kidnaps him to mess with Noctis, and along the way he finds out he was actually created in a lab in Niflheim by Verstael Besithia. Verstael created him and others in his image to amass an army of Magitek soldiers (MTs) for Niflheim so that they could destroy Insomnia. It makes Prompto feel like he was born to be Noct’s enemy, but Noct accepts him even knowing the truth.

Prompto shoots with guns and cameras, both his specialty. He’s great for long range attacks and comedic relief!

Noctis is of course the crown prince. He still suffers from back pain from injuries he sustained in the attack that killed his mom. He is accused of being lazy and irresponsible at times, but genuinely suffers from depression and anxiety over the role he was given. Ignis tries to prepare him, but he is a bit resistant. Gladio trains him, and he is very tough on Noct. Prompto doesn’t expect anything from him other than friendship, so they have become quite close. The entire game involves Noctis accepting his responsibility and maturing to become the savior his people need. Noct can use all kinds of weapons and magic because he is royalty and that power was bestowed upon his line. However, he must travel with his friends to gain blessings from the gods and old kings to unlock these abilities.

Noctis loves to fish for hours at a time, so you will see a lot of jokes about this.

Regis sends Noctis away on a roadtrip not just because it’s a fun tradition he enjoyed himself in the past, but because he needs to get Noctis out of Insomnia. While Noctis is away, Niflheim attacks during ‘negotiations’ and Insomnia falls. These events barely appear in the game, but they are featured in Kingsglaive which is a FFXV movie. Huge loses are incurred. Regis is killed, alongside his advisors and many of the crowns guard people. From there, the plot hastens in game with Niflheim Magitek soldiers (MTs) attacking every so often and Ardyn both helping and hindering the boys along the way to get them to a point where Ardyn can usurp Noctis as the rightful king.

So, essentially, the game involves Noctis and the boys navigating Eos in the middle of a war as eternal darkness inches closer and closer to reality and an immortal mad man infected with star scourge tries to steal everything away from them. 🤪

Every time I try to explain the true plot of FFXV, I sound unhinged because the plot is completely bonkers.