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goddess-in-heaven-and-hell · 8 months ago

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Reginald who? (ER) - A Gwynriel One-Shot for Gwynrielweeks2024

thread: Gwyn finds a way for Azriel to let go of his gentle bedside manner by comparing him to her favorite male book character – slightly drunk Azriel cannot let that slide and a challenge ensures.

Post for the NSFW day ;) @gwynrielweeksofficial

word count: 5.1k

warnings: swearing, crude language, oral (f receiving), cum play, anal play, p in v sex

Reginald growled with pleasure as he beheld the stunning beauty that was Jasmine. He itched to explore every inch of her, his hands already reaching out to skim over her abdomen and her breasts.

After what felt like three hundred years, the book finally got to the good part. Gwyn giggled to herself, sinking deeper into the cushions and preparing for what was about to come. Or rather, who was about to come.

He laid her down with reverence, observing how her chest heaved with excitement. There was only one place he wanted to be right now, and that was between her supple thighs.

Gwyn read on with wide eyes, wishing for Azriel to be near with each line passing. The male main character was so smooth, so absolutely devoted to his Jasmine it was swoon worthy. And the priestess would lie if she said his words and actions didn’t have another effect on her. She shifted in her seat, trying to get some of the pressure off as she continued devouring page after page. If this author did one thing right, it was her attention to detail.

Reginald wasn’t done with her just yet, bending his head another time to gently lap at her, cleaning her arousal with his tongue and moaning like he tasted liquid ambrosia.

Her daydream was rudely and suddenly interrupted by a loud bang, and Gwyn’s well-deserved one-on-one time with Reginald came to a stuttering end.

She jumped out of bed, more than ready to fight or run, whatever seemed like the smartest thing to do, but as she was halfway across the room, the banging was accompanied by shouting – and with a breathy laugh, Gwyn relaxed.

“Ehhhhh”, that seemed to be Cassian’s rough voice echoing off the hall, “Ladies, we’re hoooooome!”

Another bang sounded suspiciously like the vase next to the staircase shattered into a million pieces, followed by colorful swearing. This time from another voice. Were they drunk?

“Really subtle, Cass. I think they heard us anyways.”, Azriel deadpanned. He sounded pretty normal, enunciating his words carefully. Maybe a bit too carefully.

Cassian laughed, a booming sound that might have woken up the priestesses in the library too. “True. And if they went to Rita’s with US, like we ASKED them to, they could be in on the FUN now.”

He then began singing.

Yes, definitely drunk.

Honestly, it wasn’t completely off tune and had a kind of charm to it. Azriel’s laughter told another story though, and Gwyn could only guess Cassian’s performance got enhanced through some dance moves.

“Boys!”

And that would be Nesta. Gwyn snickered to herself, letting her book come to rest on the bed again before finding the bathroom. Let Nesta deal with them. When the boys did something stupid, Gwyn would usually cave as soon as they gave her the puppy eyes. That strategy was lost with her best friend, though, and as Gwyn closed the bathroom door, she could already make out Nesta ripping into them.

The priestess the proceeded to complete her evening routine, using the toilet, washing her face, teeth and applying a generous amount of moisturizer. Training every morning in the crisp, cold autumn air left her skin dry as a desert, so she took extra care of it at night. Her river nymph heritage didn’t help the situation either as it demanded constant maintenance.

Once she was all done, skin gleaming with product, she returned to the bedroom.

“So that’s what you get up to when I’m not at home to supervise.”

Sprawled on her bed, with a shit-eating grin plastered to his face, was her beloved. Only that he was not so beloved anymore as he skimmed through her book and snickered to himself.

“Azriel!”, she gasped, lunging forward in order to snatch the book away from him. But the bastard was quicker, sitting up and putting the bed between them. His eyes never strayed from the lines as he read and read.

“What kind of name is Reginald? And how many pages can this person fill with just giving head?”, he murmured, even his shadows peeking over his shoulder to get a good look.

Gwyn’s cheeks warmed in embarrassment at his crass words. Why were romance novels completely acceptable when you read them alone, yet as soon as another person asked you about it they became a criminal offence?

She rounded the bed, trying again to grab the book, but he simply lifted it over his head. The priestess was seething.

“Azriel Shadowsinger, you give me back my book this instant!”, with her hands put on her hips, she craned her neck to look up at him, trying her best to be intimidating. ‘Looking down her nose at someone’ just like the main character of the last book she read, however that was possible. But she gave it her best shot nonetheless.

Azriel cupped her cheek with his unoccupied hand, his face now relaxed. “Gwyneth, stop it. You are too cute.”

She wanted to wipe that indulgent smile off his face desperately.

So, with her best acting, she made her eyes focus on the candle behind Az, gasping in horror and pointing. It might not have worked on him most days but his slightly delayed reaction spoke volumes about how much he really had to drink. He whipped around to the invisible threat, and as soon as his hand was within reach, Gwyn snagged the book with a triumphant laugh.

She quickly leaped away from him, pressing the book against her chest protectively.

Azriel just chuckled to himself. “Please don’t tell Cassian about that. Or anyone, really.” His eyes found hers through the dim light, slowly trailing over her face, hair and exposed legs. “You got me, Berdara.”

With only a few measured steps, he stood before her. Gwyn tightened her grip on the book just in case, but Azriel seemed to have lost interest in that. Instead, his fingers gently traced her jawline and lips.

“I’ve missed you.”, he murmured, his other hand coming to squeeze her waist. Gwyn’s breath hitched as she beheld the hunger in his gaze, the slow smile he showed her. He looked so handsome tonight with his midnight black tunic that he rolled up at the sleeves, putting his tattoos on show.

Gwyn should have been jealous that the whole of Velaris got to see him like this tonight. That he likely had to turn down a lot of invitations to peoples’ beds. But the way he looked at her made her think he didn’t care about that at all. Like he only really needed on female by his side.

“I’m sorry I didn’t go out with you.”, she said softly, swallowing down the guilt at not yet being able to cope with the masses of people a night club usually held, “But I take it you had a good time nonetheless?”

Azriel snorted, his hand now slowly exploring her neck and collarbones. “It was good, yes. You’d have enjoyed the music, I think. But it got quite crammed towards the end.”

He placed a soft kiss to her neck, pulling her even closer so she had to let go of the book and throw it on the armchair. Azriel didn’t really seem to care for their conversation right now, his lips not deviating from their mission to make Gwyn squirm.

She was already so riled up from that damned book, it didn’t take long for Azriel’s ministrations to elicit a soft moan. The Shadowsinger soaked up the noise, letting his lips finally find hers. The kiss was gentle, yet it promised something more. Gwyn could taste the bourbon on his tongue as it caressed hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss.

Azriel’s muscular frame began to crowd her, forcing her to walk back a few steps, until her back met the wall. His kiss changed as soon as he had her caged in, completely at his mercy. It got more demanding, deeper, his hands now both running up and down her sides and disheveling her pajamas until he found a piece of bare skin he could claim for himself.

This was different than before. Usually Azriel was slower, more gentle as they made love, and Gwyn had argued with herself for some time now how to best ask him to… well, just fuck her. Because Cauldron boil her, that’s what she wanted.

And apparently, that’s what she was getting tonight. She could feel herself getting wet for him as he pressed his own arousal to her hip, showing her exactly what this situation did to him too.

“Az”, she whispered in a plea as he let go of her mouth, instead pushing up her top and bending down to welcome every inch of skin revealed with open-mouthed kisses. She’d never get used to it, being naked in front of him and feeling his lips on usually hidden areas. It made her spine tingle with excitement.

“Mh?”, he looked up for a second, his eyes wild with barely reigned-in arousal. “Sorry, should I slow down?”

Gwyn let out a stuttering breath, her hands finding his inky black hair to run through. “No, this is perfect. This is what I want.” A little pull on his roots drove the point home, hopefully.

The Shadowsinger growled – actually growled – and continued his assault on her stomach and waist, squeezing her tighter. She’d never seen him so lost in the moment, not constantly fighting for control over himself. And it made her own heart beat faster in her chest at the thrill of experiencing this side of him tonight.

Azriel huffed out a frustrated breath though at his awkward position. “Change of scenery.”

He grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her up the armory instead in one quick movement, his face now level with her neck. “Better.”

Was it normal to be excited about how easily he did that, how simple it must be for him to bend her to his will?

It didn’t take long for her top to be discarded on the floor after that, her own hands helping just as much as his shadows, allowing Azriel’s hands and mouth to hone in all their attention on her breasts. He kissed, suckled and licked every bit of her, paying special tribute to her nipples and the underside of her chest. Gwyn was reduced to a moaning mess, withering beneath the heat of his mouth and trying to press her center against his stomach.

“Don’t be so fucking impatient.”, he chuckled, pinning her hips to a frustrating stop, “Jasmine took everything in stride. Not once did I read about her trying to take control.”

Gwyn glowered at him. “That’s because Reginald actually saw to her needs the minute they arose.”

The Shadowsinger stilled at her words, slowly looking up at her. “Are you saying I don’t see to your needs, priestess?”

“I’m saying that you shouldn’t assume you know everything about me and my body and what I need.” The moment the words left her, she found herself regretting them. Because really, it was unfair. Azriel did know her body like his own, and did bring her the most mind-shattering orgasms. But a little voice inside her urged her on, hoping to rile him enough to completely relinquish his gentle manners. Plus, it was fun. “Because you clearly don’t.”

Azriel smiled at her accusation in a way that did absolutely nothing to calm her down. In fact, it promised retribution.

“I don’t?”

Gwyn tried to summon some bravado. “You don’t. You’re okay, you know the basics, sure. One would hope you do after 500 years of living.”

Azriel’s eyebrows rose with every lie uttered, a manic gleam in his eyes. Oh, she was going to be in so much trouble. Her center throbbed with the certainty of that. Mother, she wanted him so badly.

But her Shadowsinger stepped back and made to grab her discarded book, leaving Gwyn shivering on the armory and covering her breasts with her arms. “How about a challenge, then?”

Gwyn stared at him with doe eyes, unsure where he’d take this.

“Looks like dear Reginald managed to make her cum”, he paused, skimming the pages again, “twice with his mouth, and once more on his cock. I’d say he knows how to please her, wouldn’t you?”

Gwyn nodded, taking in the force of nature that was Azriel. He exuded confidence as he stood there in the center of the room, his eyes drilling into hers like he might die if he can’t look at her.

“So all I need to do for you to take your uncalled for and plainly false words back is”, he stepped towards her again, his mouth whispering the challenge – the promise it held – into her ear, “prove I’m better.”

Gwyn was unwell. And it clearly showed, because Azriel already held himself like he’d won. Like he’d made her cum with just his words alone. But she also knew on thing: it wasn’t easy for her to finish. Especially not with just penetration.

“I accept the challenge. And I look forward to proving you wrong.”, she whispered back.

Azriel’s hands rose to grab hers, gently pulling them away from her chest and making them meet at the small of her back where he held them hostage. “I want to add two conditions to this. First, you can’t hold yourself back. When you feel like you need to cum, you will cum. If my shadows detect you didn’t adhere to this rule, I’ll make you pay.”

Gwyn swallowed, her mouth dry with need. She’d never heard him talk like this. But she nodded to accept his first condition. Never would she deprive herself of an orgasm just to spite him. Especially right now.

“Secondly, you will not touch me unless I explicitly allow it. I’ll need to concentrate, and I can’t very well do that with your little hand wrapped around my cock.”, Azriel gave her a stern look that had her melting and nodding her head in acceptance again.

“You can’t use your Shadows either.”, the priestess was proud she found the clarity of mind to demand this little ad-on, “Reginald didn’t have them. Only his very own skill.”

Azriel puffed out his chest. “Of course not. I’ll win this fair and square.”

Silence expanded between them and the dark room as their stared at each other in defiance. And a whole lot of infatuation. Because there was never a moment Gwyn felt more desire towards this male.

“It’s on?”, Azriel asked, looking ready to pounce.

“It’s on.”, she replied.

The word barely left her mouth before his own claimed it with a roughness that took Gwyn’s breath away. He pressed her back to the wall, spreading her legs even further to accommodate his hips and wings.

Something told her she was about to experience what it was like to be at the mercy of an unleashed Shadowsinger. And that something was his hand, finding her throat in a grip firm enough for her to moan out her approval.

“Still”, he ground out. The space between them widened again as he stepped back to pull her shorts off her body.

When they were discarded, he took his sweet-ass time to run his eyes over her nude form. Gwyn tired her best to adhere to his command of staying put, but having the undivided attention of Azriel on her made that quite hard. Especially when his gaze snagged on her exposed center and lingered. Like he planned all the things he was about to do to her to the smallest detail.

His own hands travelled up his body and began unbuttoning his tunic, revealing inch after inch of first tattooed, then bronze skin. Gwyn strained, her whole body on overdrive. She wanted nothing more than to lunge forward, feel all of him pressed against her. But she also wanted to win.

Azriel carelessly discarded his tunic, his mirthful eyes telling her he knew exactly what his little strip show did to her. “Are you wet for me already, love?”

Hearing the low timbre of his voice felt like almost like touch in itself. Gwyn arched her back slightly. “Yes.”

“Good.”, he sank to his knees before her, his head now perfectly in line with her throbbing center, “because I’m fucking starving for you.”

Gwyn gasped as she felt the first lick of his tongue against her. Her eyes closed against her will in nothing but self-preservation. Seeing him lick her would be the death of her, she knew. And she was about to relish in his attention for as long as possible.

Azriel knew he was good with his tongue and it showed. It danced along her slit with perfect pressure, honing in on her clit and circling the tiny bud of nerves in a maddening rhythm.

“Fuck”, he growled out, pressing a harsh kiss to her opening, “I’m addicted to this. I thought about it the whole night, about you underneath me.”

The priestess gasped and moaned as his tongue once again thought of better things to do than drive her crazy with his words. She liked the idea of Azriel pining for her, his thoughts thoroughly occupied so none other could take them up. Feelings of power and love flooded her veins and joined the pleasure he was already giving her.

Gwyn was wet beyond measure now, her juices coating her inner thighs and running down on the armory. She was certainly losing the challenge abysmally if he continued like that, but was it really losing if it made her feel like this?

Azriel’s fingers moved to join his tongue, rubbing up and down her wetness to then plunge into her. Gwyn moaned at the feel of them, the roughness of his scars providing ample friction as he pumped them in and out of her while his tongue remained firmly on her clit.

Despite her best efforts to draw this out, she felt her orgasm build ferociously.

“Watch.”, Azriel ground out so close against her still that she felt the warmth of his breath, “watch yourself cum on my tongue.”

And Gwyn did. With her eyes trained on his face, she watched as he doubled his efforts. And the sight of this powerful, gorgeous male before her, that was so thoroughly hers he was engrained into her very heart, made her shatter.

The priestess came with a shout and a plethora of flexed muscles. Azriel did his best to draw it out, continuing his fingering and licking at a more relaxed pace until Gwyn collapsed in on herself.

When she regained her senses, her eyes fell on the Shadowsinger now standing at full height again. He leaned forward, his arms propped up on either side of her thighs, a smug smile on his wet face. “Why don’t you count for us, sweetness? We can’t lose sight of the challenge now, can we?”

Gwyn nodded, her lust dampened to a manageable level again. She conceded this point way too quickly, even though it was worth it. “One.”

She silently made a pact with herself. The male needed to work for it, otherwise his ego might expand to the heavens. In fact, Azriel already looked about ready to burst with arrogance.

He stepped forward to give her a lingering kiss, his tongue caressing hers and sharing her essence with her. Gwyn itched to touch him, if only his shoulders or chest or hair or anything. But he didn’t allow it yet, and begging was so beneath her.

Azriel scooped her up carefully, walking towards the bed and laying her down on the covers. But instead of widening her thighs, her grabbed hold of her ankles and lifted them in the air, leaving her center and ass in full view again.

“Hold that for me, love.”, he said as he knelt on the bed as well. Gwyn grabbed the inside of her knees and pulled them towards her chest, mentally preparing to not come within five minutes.

“Like that. Good girl.”, he murmured almost absentmindedly, focusing on her center yet again while Gwyn’s resolve took it’s first hit. Why was he so talkative all of a sudden and why did she want to cum just to hear him call her ‘good’ again?

A kiss to her thigh quickly shut down her inner monologue. By the third kiss, her mind was putty again. The fifth landed just an inch short of where she wanted it. Then, the bastard repeated the teasing process on the other side once more. Her breathing quickened again.

“Do you know what tastes even better than your arousal?”, he asked, suspended right above her clit. His lips grazed it with every word, and Gwyn jumped in anticipation. She didn’t even register him asking a question until he pinched her butt impatiently.

“No, I don’t.”, she breathed out. She couldn’t think even if she wanted to.

“Guess.”

That bloody bastard.

“Cupcakes?”, she tried weakly. It was simply the only thing she could come up with.

Gwyn felt his laugh hit her center, but nothing else followed. “No, that’s not it. In fact, cupcakes are further down the list. Guess again.”

“Azriel, please.”

Apparently, she was not above begging. And it paid off. His finger began circling her clit tightly, hitting it with just the lowest of pressures but almost continually. A slow kind of torture as he still waited for her to take another guess.

“I don’t know. Ice cream.”, the priestess panted, absolutely over this game.

“Wrong again.”, Azriel said in a conversational tone, almost like he wasn’t face to face with her dripping pussy and keeping her clit hostage underneath his finger. “But I realize now you’re at a disadvantage. I don’t think you’ve ever tasted it before.”

And with that, two of his fingers sank deeply into her with the most delicious friction and a borderline embarrassing squelch of wetness. He crawled up her body then and held out his fingers to her lips.

Gwyn stared at him wide-eyed, very much unsure of what to do. She read about this once, and honestly thought it too kinky to be real. But as she took in her Shadowsinger who watched her with the expression of a man possessed, she realized it wasn’t weird at all. At least not if it pleased him.

Tentatively, still waiting for him to stop her if that wasn’t what he meant, she raised her head and took his fingers in-between her lips. He didn’t stop her. If it was possible, his eyes turned even more mad as they darted between her eyes and mouth. “That’s it, love.”

Gwyn closed her lips around his fingers and began to suck lightly while drawing back. A tangy-sweet taste filled her mouth and she didn’t know who released a more strained moan between them. Her tongue darted out to tease the slit his fingers formed, lapping up even more of herself and Azriel ground his erection against her in a movement that seemed almost involuntary.

She honestly didn’t care for the taste, but it was better than she anticipated and seemed to drive him out of his mind. So, she took the opportunity. A distracted Azriel was a sloppy Azriel.

The priestess barely contained her smirk as she went to town on his fingers, moving up and down like she would on his cock and using her tongue to gently caress the ridges of his skin. Azriel didn’t stop her. In fact, he looked like he was put under a spell, only his hips moving against her center and finally giving her a bit more friction.

Suddenly, Az yanked his fingers back, narrowing his eyes at her. She could feel his reprimand coming, but beat him to it. “Don’t you dare. You allowed it. If not to say ‘demanded’.”

He stared at her a while longer, before conceding the point. “Fine. But then I’m not to blame for this.”

Gwyn was about to ask what ‘this’ meant, but Azriel slid down her body again, disappearing from view behind her legs. Her lower lips were spread, her overstimulated and puffy center back in view, and Azriel dove right in.

This time, nothing about his movements felt calculated. He simply lapped up every ounce of liquid that dripped out of her, wanting to be in multiple spots at once. Azriel moaned in abandon, almost as wildly as Gwyn herself, plunging his tongue into her and drinking directly from the source. His nose and stubble grazed her simultaneously as he licked her walls like he owned them.

“Azriel”, the priestess moaned out his name, fighting hard to not move her hips in time with his licks. She felt like she was floating on pleasure.

The Shadowsinger let up from her entrance, his fingers taking up a slow and torturous caress up and down her slit. Gwyn was about to wonder why he didn’t use his tongue anymore when she felt it again – lower.

Every thought of shame or panic left her though, as his tongue circled her puckered hole tentatively first, then with more rigor when she didn’t object.

They had talked about this before at some point as the topic came up in one of her novels as well. And she expressed her general interest in it, not really sure how it would feel. She’d have asked him to do this earlier if she’d known.

Her muscles twitched with all their might. The pleasure he wrung from her clit was somehow amplified by the delicate skin around her bottom and Azriel’s mouth licking and kissing around it, focusing on the thin piece of skin that separated her pussy from it once in a while.

If the feeling of it didn’t drive her insane enough, the fact that Azriel seemed to take so much pleasure in it too took her over the edge. He never even raised his head for air, never stilled his fingers and reacted to every twitch of her, adjusting his ministrations accordingly.

He played her like his favorite instrument, and she ate her previous words with each slide of his fingers and tongue. The male knew what he was doing, and she was so fucking lucky.

After a few minutes of this blissful torture, she couldn’t hold back anymore and came again with an intense wave of release. Goosebumps littered her skin and she shouted Azriel’s name into the abyss in testament of his devotion.

She let her legs fall open to each side, not caring for her compromising position as she tried to catch her breath. And her sanity.

Azriel perched between her legs, gently caressing her calves as he grinned at her.

“Well done, love. How many?”

Gwyn released a shaky breath. “Two and a half.”

His grin widened ever more. “And a half, huh?”

The priestess nodded. Usually, they called it a day after one or both of them came twice. She didn’t even know if it was possible for him to drag another orgasm out of her. But as Gwyn looked at Azriel again, at how he made to unlace his trousers and setting himself free, she had the feeling she’d give him another half a point for simply seeing him in all his naked glory. Or maybe a thousand.

She scootched higher up the bed, boldly watching him strip completely. The Shadowsinger finally discarded his trousers, shoes and underwear, and Gwyn had to fight to not let her own hand slip between her legs at the sight. How was it possible she was already aroused again?

“Since you were so good this whole time, I’ll let you decide how I take you.”, Azriel said in a low voice, his hand coming up to his cock and pumping languidly. She itched to crawl forward and lick off the beads of precum that glistened on the tip.

“Can I ride you?”, she breathed, already sitting up without waiting for an answer.

The Shadowsinger chuckled at her eagerness, but his eyes betrayed his nonchalant façade. He was quick to take up her previous place on the bed, dragging her on top of him instantly and with so much force she nearly fell on his face.

Gwyn wasted absolutely no time. She slid onto him like he was molded just for her, engulfing him in her wetness until he was sheathed completely. Both moaned at the feeling of finally being united like this, and the priestess rocked back and forth just slightly to get used to him again.

Azriel watched her from below, his hands resting on her hips. His own breathing sounded a bit labored too, Gwyn thought with satisfaction, and he held her still with straining muscles.

“Cauldron, Gwyn.”, he ground out, his head falling back against the pillow in surrender. Or what Gwyn interpreted as such. Because just a few seconds after-

“Oh, Gods!”, Gwyn gasped as he drove himself up and into her, leveraging himself against the bed and taking control from her entirely. He set a punishing pace, thrusting into her again and again with no resistance. The priestess fell onto his chest from the force of him, moaning with abandon.

He felt so good inside of her, so perfect, hitting all the right spots.

Azriel gazed up at her, his features set in barely restrained ferocity. He looked so beautiful, sweating and panting, his ruffled hair sticking to his forehead, neck and chest flexed.

Gwyn relished in the feel of him, moving in tandem with his thrusts to force him even deeper.

“Fuck, I’m close.”, the Shadowsinger growled.

But Gwyn wasn’t quite there yet. “I need more.”

Azriel’s sharp gaze focused on her, and he immediately relinquished his thrusting to let her take over again. Which was just what she needed. With a heavy, unrestrained moan, Gwyn began to ride him at a slower pace, angling her hips so that her clit brushed against his pelvis every time.

And gods, did that feel good.

Her orgasm built again, different this time with the additional weight of his length inside of her. And judging by Azriel’s face, he was with her.

With a shout that surely informed the rest of the house what they were up to, Azriel raised himself up, flinging his arms around Gwyn and came hard. The priestess was quick to follow, pressing him closer against her. Her walls fluttered around him, making sure he spilled every drop of himself.

Both panted, still cradled in each other’s arms until their breathing returned to normal.

Azriel pulled back first, finding her eyes as usual. “All good?”

“Perfect.”, she sighed, pressing an innocent kiss to his lips.

“What’s the score, Berdara?”, he asked, trying to summon some bravado as he prepared to receive a stellar review.

Gwyn released a laugh. “I’ve lost count.”

“So, am I officially a better lover than Reginald?”, Azriel brushed his nose against her cheek before nuzzling into her neck in a playful manner.

Gwyn smiled to herself, finally free in caressing his neck and shoulders to her heart’s content. Which, she decided, she was going to do for the foreseeable future.

“Reginald who?”

#gwyneth berdara #gwynriel #pro gwynriel #gwyn x azriel #azriel x gwyn #gwynrielweeks2024 #azriel #acotar

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syndrossi · 2 months ago

Note

Are there any characters you're excited about introducing or writing later in the story? Are there any non-spoilery scenes you're excited to eventually write for the story? What do you think is the closest equivalent they might have to Halloween in Westeros? Harvest festivals? Days to worship the stranger, maybe? Would they carve pumpkins, do you think?

There are three characters I'm excited about who will make an appearance much further down the line (I wrote a scene with two of them but opted to exclude it from chapter twenty-three). On the more obvious side, definitely looking forward to Corlys and Laena, and eventually bringing poor Rhaenyra back to King's Landing. (She's been in the character tags since the beginning of the story and has had one scene, and we very well might not have her join the fray until we hit 200K words... 😂)

I'm also looking forward to writing some of the various Lord Paramounts (and family) once we make it out of King's Landing. Larys is due to arrive in King's Landing within just a few days. I'm looking less forward to him, because he's a thorny fellow to figure out--I'm going with his book characterization rather than the show, because we have enough "this character loves Alicent" motivations for various other characters.

Non-spoilery scenes I'm excited about writing:

going to Runestone

Ser Perkins's eventual arrival and, uh, interrogation by Daemon

when the boys' belongings (which were left behind and discovered by men of the Bloody Gate) arrive

winter in either the Riverlands or the Vale!

the boys meeting Rhaenyra, Corlys, Laena, etc

the hatchlings' first dragonflame (and flame color reveal)

Rhaegar playing legos and Viserys

Jon recovering from his injuries and getting to show off for real this time

lots of gift-giving! but especially Daemon's name day

secret passage shenanigans

Spoilery scenes I'm excited about writing:

Tarth

when Laena asks [redacted] for [redacted] after [redacted] (this may or may not happen, still musing upon it)

when the cousins [redacted]

when Laenor [redacted]

the [redacted] tourney and later the [redacted] tourney

when Daemon [redacted] and the boys are terrified

Lots of stuff I'm forgetting, but those are what come to mind!

It's interesting if they are harvest festivals, because I want to know how the heck the growing/harvesting seasons work with the fucked up seasons of this world. Like. It seems that on average, each season lasts a year-ish. So you have a "harvest" season (aka before winter when crops die out) once every three years at a minimum. So I feel like when autumn does come around, there are festivities of some kind! The idea of something Stranger-related is also a neat one.

Pumpking carving must be a thing, since Cersei snarks at one point in the books about someone looking like a harvest-day pumpkin! And in Resonant, one of the knights Jon interrogates mentions placing in one of the melees of the Harvest Tourney some years before.

I guess if I have to write something into existence right here and now I would do:

A month-long period of festivities, kicked off by a festival and closing generally with a tourney in Viserys's time (he loves an excuse for a tourney)

Pumpkin dishes are a main feature of this time, since pumpkin carving is an event that children take part in to celebrate. Pumpkin soup, pastries, seasoning, cooked pumpkin on the side, etc.

There is, apparently, a specific harvest-day--perhaps one concluding the festivities. On this day, nobles who make the trek to King's Landing for an audience with the king engage in an exchange of gifts/favors.

Some symbolic gift from the Crown to the smallfolk of the city.

I like the idea of a masquerade, but it's an "exotic" practice that hasn't gained traction. Perhaps popular in Dorne?

Probably more! IDK if anyone else has a neat idea!

#resonant asks #autumn is my favorite season so i'm a little sad it's almost over in resonant!#tbd whether the monthslong festivities are still to come #we do have SOME time yet before winter

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tragedycoded · 3 months ago

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writeblr interview tag!

Thank you to loves @the-golden-comet and @sableglass for tagging me here and here. I need you know I made a serious effort not to be a sarcastic asshole as I answered these questions... four days ago. And then forgot to post them.

Let's ggo!

Short stories, novels, or poems? I published short stories in a previous life, but I suck at following prompts or instructions and have accepted my fate as a novelist.

What genre do you prefer reading? Horror. I'm in my post-cosmic horror era right now. Existential. Yeah. Although I don't write folk horror myself (I'm thinking Laird Barron, T. Kingfisher, Stephen Graham Jones) I do enjoy folk horror v much. Bonus points if the protagonists are middle-aged and it's not about how apartments/houses or children are scary. (No hate to domestic horror, I'm just not the target audience.)

Are you a planner or a write as I go kind of person? The first draft is me explaining the Situation to myself. If it happens to make even a tiny bit of sense, we're all lucky. Like, that almost never fucking happens. I didn't show Doom Metal Love Story to anyone until the third/fourth draft because any sense it makes came from me rambling at my roommate in the kitchen while high off my ass at ten in the morning last autumn.

I'm a rambler, baby~

What music do you listen to while writing? That depends! Most of the time it's the soundtrack of whatever video game I wish I were playing instead of working LOL. I've always been like this, it's not cute. Sometimes I rotate in a specific heavy metal album I've heard a million times if the vibes aren't right. If I'm really having a good day, it's '80s music.

Favorite books/movies? Yeah man I have some of those!

Favorite book is House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Yes I realize this is a corny and uninspired answer. This book whipped ass when it was published and it whipped ass when I reread it in 2014 and I'm willing to bet money it would whip ass if I reread it in [current year].

Favorite movie is Aliens. The second one. It's the perfect movie. I refuse to acknowledge any film in the series other than Alien and Aliens. Corporal Hicks and Newt are still alive, you sons of bitches.

Any current WIPs? Yes.

If someone were to make a cartoon out of you what would your standard outfit be? A hooded sweatshirt, jeans, no shoes unless I'm out in public. Then it's flip flops. Fingerless gloves if it's chilly and muh arthritis is acting up.

Create a character description of yourself: The smell of pot smoke and the clicking of keystrokes barely penetrates the unopened window. Occasionally, they step out onto the back deck to smoke a cigarette and simultaneously praise and complain about the sun. They might be in their forties. They might own a cat. No one can agree on their height or their gender or whether they actually exist. Can only be contacted through instant message or email. Might be a ghost.

Do you like incorporating actual people you know into your writing? Hell, no LMAO. When I realize I've done it accidentally, I feel like I just got read by a therapist.

Are you kill happy with your characters? I may have killed all three main characters in DMLS multiple times, killed Khalid (from A Living Machine) when he was 12, in front of everybody, and I may intend to kill every character who appears in The Cave Dive, but...

... yeah OK there's something wrong with me.

Coffee or Tea while writing? Coffee all day every day.

Slow or fast writer? I type like someone is threatening to tickle my feet if I stop.

Where/who/what do you draw inspiration from? Uhhhhhhhh...

"OK yeah like that initial idea would be cool and all but make it worse."

If you were in a fantasy world, what would you be?

Most fav book cliche: This author comes from the land of "all cliches suck and should be avoided like the plague."

Least favorite cliche: Like the plague.

Favorite scene to write? Fight scenes. If I can't write a fight scene, let me write a fuck scene.

... why do I not write hockey romances, again?

Reason for writing? I've tried all other legitimate forms of occupation. This is the only one that rewards me for my ability to make shit up and type 40 wpm in first draft mode.

Tag! Usual apologizes for double-tagging go here, Jamie is silly.

@lychhiker-writes @cowboybrunch @finickyfelix @saturnine-saturneight

@ashfordlabs @autism-purgatory @noblebs @aintgonnatakethis

@the-golden-comet @asablehart @mauvecatfic @leahnardo-da-veggie

@sableglass @gioiaalbanoart @words-after-midnight

@lavender-bloom @jev-urisk @wyked-ao3

#writeblr interview tag #sorry to everyone who doesn't “get” the d20 gif answer--i must have thought it was funny four days ago but now i'm like “WHAT DID I MEAN”#smoke weed -> save as draft -> surprise future you

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herrinarte · 5 months ago

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Ok so jumping off what I said about SJM probably never writing a book on Mor and if she did it would be terrible, I actually have a decent idea of what she could do if she had the balls to do it.

Right, so Velaris is the only city under Rhysand’s rule that is actually a safe place for people to live so naturally you’re going to get an uprising. Classic revolution against the rich and prosperous from the poor and tortured. A group of fae are causing a stir and Rhys gets spooked so he sends Mor to ‘sort them out’, but when she gets there she is confronted by the leader of the revolution, a fae woman from the CoN who tells her she has suffered for long enough and so have so many women, women like her and Mor.

It would be a whole book about Mor having to confront the fact that she had escaped the nightmare that so many women have no choice but to spend their whole life living in and eventually die in, and did nothing to help them. Having to face the reality that Mr feminist, it’s your choice, I need a lint roller, Rhysand, might not be a good ruler and only really makes changes that benefit himself and the people close to him.

The romance would be between her and the revolution leader as they fight back and forth, Mor trying to derail the revolution and the leader steam rolling ahead whilst showing Mor how corrupt the system that she works for is. Eventually Mor learns from her and is the first to fall in love and actually tries to make a difference in the world for her people because she genuinely cares about them now and the leader finally allows herself to open up and trust someone who used to be her enemy.

It would involve a lot of gay tension and heated arguments about politics and such but it would also solve the glaring issue of Rhysand being an obviously bad ruler that no one seems to address within the books or acknowledge.

Obviously Sarah would never do this because it would require her to 1) state in black and white that Rhys is a bad ruler and not a super cool, mega genius feminist who would totally rock at being a high king. 2) write like an actual queer story. 3) be political.

It’s kind of disappointing that she doesn’t do stuff like this though. I’m no best selling author, I have no credentials, but I can see a world that she made that she could use to say something. She has loads of characters sat at the sidelines, waiting to be something, and she just goes for what she knows every time. I get it, she writes the same story over and over because it works and sells, but as a writer shouldn’t you make yourself uncomfortable? Try to challenge yourself. She’s made so much money from her books she has the financial stability to take risks that other authors don’t. She could write anything and she’d at least get sales from the die hard fans.

I know some will say she doesn’t want to say anything, her books are escapism, but SJM consistently says she want women at the centre of her books, that she’s a feminist or whatever, and I’m just screaming THEN SAY SOMETHING OF WORTH GIRL.

Women are at the centre yet the lady of the autumn court is still unnamed after all these years, a prominent figure of political importance, the mother of a main character. Still no name. Come on, girl, really?

Anyway, rant 2 over. I really do think her books are fun if you turn off your brain for 6hrs but I can’t help but feel like Sarah is slacking, majorly. In 2024 we can do better.

#book fandom #sjm rant #sjm critical #acotar critical #anti morrigan #anti rhysand #anti inner circle #ic critical

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lindsay00000008 · 1 month ago

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Away from Here Pt. 2

Part 1

Initial prompt by @sowhumpshaped

This post dedicated to @eyehartart, who sent me an ask about it a few months ago :) Thanks for encouraging me to continue!

Even though I'm continuing this story, feel free to use Part 1 as a basis for your own version.

Characters are now gendered (and I kind of love them already)

In light of the poll from the first post, I've decided to make the horse-riding character a caretaker (though he may not always be a good one)

CW: Fem!Whumpee, Male!Caretaker, mentions of abuse, bruising, cuts and scrapes, allusion to assault, general distrust and fear, some witty banter

The poor, disheveled thing that sags into Dion's chest - no longer attempting to stay upright and distant, no longer jerking with an anxious tension that inhabits their spine like a whip laid there every few seconds - is finally asleep, and is, rather unbelievably, a young woman.

Her body is thin and reveals nothing to him of curves and gentle flesh, but the bones that thrust against her skin are fine. He might have thought her a boy, were it not for the glimpse of her ears, peaking through snarls of unevenly-shorn, dirt-caked hair. They’re pierced three times on the top of each, the holes empty of ornamentation. She was once a young lady of good standing, then. Not likely a daughter of the court, but cared for.

At first, Dion had not been able to see past the dirt and matted hair to tell that she was anything other than in need of help. She’d stumbled out of the blackberry bushes and into the clearing like an androgynous personification of lost souls. Dion’s skin still crawls with the shock of her sudden appearance; but more so with the idea that, considering the way her eyes darted and her shoulders twitched, her neglectful state was likely sculpted at the hands of another man.

Part of him, the untrusting, scoundrel of a man who cares little but for his own interests, tells him she’s just a blind beggar, crying out for sympathy and a bite to eat. It tells him the squishy, warm-hearted part of him, who scooped such a thing up without question, is an idiot.

But the bruises. Blues and greens and mottled reds, visible beneath the dust. The scratches he sees now, on her neck and shoulders; some from thorns, others older. Deeper. Those were not for show. Nor the way she flinched and whimpered at his grasp when he lifted her onto the saddle, despite her submission to the handling. He has no doubt the bruises carry past the ragged hems of her tunic, and loosens his arms about her waist even now. She wears thin breeches that reach no further than her knees. Her feet are bare, the toes stained almost as dark as the horse’s hide and the ground passing slowly beneath them.

Dion had wanted to kick the horse into a canter, to leave the area faster. But despite that logic, and the young woman’s request, he found himself staying at a brisk walk. His horse was still tired from earlier travels, he reasoned. In reality, he did not want to disturb the woman’s injured body. Funny how a sudden bout of morality found him at this point of his trip. Hadn’t he almost killed a man just nights ago, for trying to steal his boots while he bathed? He wasn’t exactly regretful. Dion is certain that if the woman had met him at that moment, half-naked and roaring like a bear, she wouldn’t have needed clear vision to tell that he was not the kind of man one approached seeking compassion. He truly has no idea what motivated him to suddenly be a gentleman, coming to the aid of one less fortunate. But it’s a nicer feeling than he’d thought.

He considers his options as dry autumn leaves fall around them, approaching the main road to Beuhearth. He had planned to bring her to the city’s shrine as a Servant of Sanctuary, when he’d thought her a boy. He may have been able to get some travel supplies in return for the labor she’d provide. But women aren’t allowed to enter a shrine, much less to clean the altars or pour the elder’s wine. He might still try it, trick them as he was tricked by her mask of filth – but no, the punishment once she’s discovered would be too severe. Try as he might, Dion couldn’t think of a single place in society where a lone woman would be welcome. A whorehouse, maybe. He scoffs at the idea, discarding it immediately. He’d occasionally thought to offer such businesses his patronage, but in the end always shied away from the sunken, tired eyes of the women who called to him from the doorway. Sometimes he thought of his mother, and wondered how she had supported him, after his father left. It always turned his stomach.

But this mangy thing cannot remain his responsibility, can she? Is he to support and care for her, suffer hunger and poverty for her, just because he sat her on his horse? Of course not. He’ll simply take her far away from the country roads and drop her off in the city, where she may live off the compassion of more generous folk. He may even find a tailor shop to take her in, if her hands are any good. That’s more than what he promised.

The land turns from wooded hills to flat prairies. Farms appear on either side of the road as it widens. The city is still a day away, yet the sun already begins to set. Dion sighs, resigned to set up camp rather than ride through the night. The young woman shivers at the cold already, pushing her icy feet between his calves and the horse’s warm body.

“Are you awake?” he asks. Her feet retreat quickly and she stiffens, pulling away from his chest. She breathes in deeply, as if awakening to reality. He waits for her to calm, to breathe out and settle, before he speaks again.

“We will camp soon. There’s a river here. You should bathe, though it’ll be cold – I will try to make a large fire before nightfall.”

She shakes her head, leaning forward as if she stares at the horn of the saddle, or his hands on the reins before her.

“You do not wish to stop for the night?”

“No, I… I do not wish to bathe.”

Dion can’t stop his short laugh from escaping. Her head turns to observe him, her brow pinched and eyes red beneath dark clumps of lashes. He stops laughing when he realizes she’s looking right at him.

“Can you see me clearly?”

“I can,” she says, turning away once more. Her tone is still hoarse, but steadier than it was when he found her.

“What troubled your sight before?” A golden sunset comes soft through white clouds. The path dips and curves, and the sound of rushing water filters through sparse trees, farmland still sprawling along the other side of the road. Dion keeps his spine straight, so as to not crowd her as the horse makes its way down a slope. He waits for her to answer his question, unsure if she will.

“... It was too bright, when I… when I came out.”

“Came out… into the clearing?”

Again he waits for an answer. This time it doesn’t come.

“So, you do not wish to bathe.” he supplies.

She hesitates, then shakes her head.

“We’re almost to the city. Beuhearth, it’s called. I wish to give you clean clothes, so you may have a better chance there – but I won’t waste them if you do not bathe,” he adds, not unkindly.

“What sort of man are you?” comes her faint reply. She must have seen his scars, then. If not the one across his face, then the ones on his rough fingers that hold the reins just below her belly.

“A ruffian. But one who would not neglect to protect a lady in need,” he answers. Her head whips around at that.

“What makes you think I’m a woman?” her tone is suddenly harsh, accusatory. Or fearful.

“My apologies,” he says hesitantly, focusing on the road and away from her intense brown eyes. He doesn’t believe her in the slightest. “But it does not matter to me whether you are a scrap of a woman or a scrap of a boy. I am certainly a scoundrel at times, a man of loose morals. But even I would not harm a…er-”

“A scrap?” she finishes for him, turning away right as her lip twitches upward.

“A scrap, laundered or not. I assure you, your suffering will not appeal to me any more if you are scrubbed clean. It would bring me far greater pleasure to have you comfortable, in clothes not moth-eaten and torn.”

She quiets, likely because he’d guessed her reasoning for refusing to bathe. When she speaks again, it’s a line of questioning Dion had been prepared for, now that her survival is not necessarily tied to escaping down the road with him.

“And why would my ease bring you pleasure? Why help me at all?” she asks, distrust still evident in her posture. He is not insulted by this, though. It shows her intelligence, at least, even as she agrees to his help.

“Hmm. Not many wish to travel alongside me, upon seeing my scars and the sword at my hip. Those that approach me do so to steal or to fight, not to ask for help or companionship. I have met no one but equally unpleasant scoundrels along my path, and it would be foolish of me to turn away a person who will not slit my throat or steal my boots.”

“I would not do such things.”

“Whether you would or would not, you will not.”

“Do you mean, because I cannot?”

“I said no such thing.” His smile colors his words. “What is your name? I am Dion. The beast beneath you is Fleur.”

“I am… Willow,” she says, just as they pass such a tree, dangling its thin arms in the slow-moving water. The path trails along the river now, lined with rocks and bushes.

“Surely not.”

“I’ve elected to change it. Just now.” Her voice displays a defensiveness, a haughtiness somehow, behind the rasp and the unease still coloring it. He wonders if she’s blushing.

“You certainly are decisive. But do let me know if you change it again, Willow.”

“There’s nothing wrong with the name,” she mutters.

“Nothing at all,” he agrees.

Part 3

#whump writing #whumpblr #fantasy whump #caretaker #reluctant caretaker #lindsay00000008

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postwarlevi · 1 year ago

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Attack on Titan collab for writers and artists alike

My first collab. Yay! Be gentle. And thank you to @firefly-graphics for these amazing dividers!

Autumn is just around the corner. A drop in temperature, cozy blankets, leaves falling, less daylight, fall festivals, apple cider, pumpkin pie... love?

If it's autumn themed, step right up!

Guidelines:

🍂 Strictly Attack on Titan, strictly SFW only. Slightly suggestable okay, very slightly. (if you're unsure, better to be safe!) Modern, canon, whatever!

🎃 Open to any pairing, character ships, character x reader, or just a group of characters enjoying autumn. No restrictions.

🍎 This is open to all sorts of creations. Writers with stories, HCs, shorter drabbles (let's say maybe at least 200 words?) Artists with fanart or mood boards, etc.

☕ Any autumn activity is welcome, and including holidays within fall (Halloween, etc). You can even throw in things you can do anytime (drive in movie, etc) as long is it clearly takes place in autumn (mentions of weather, decorations, etc)

How to join + Rules:

--To join please first send me an ask or a message so I can add your name to the masterlist below. Also let me know what you might plan (HC, mood board, etc) and what characters are included once you have the idea.

-- Anyone is welcome to join as this is a SFW collab. But respect contributors rules on their pages!

-- You may join multiple times and no need to stick to the same pairing (unless you want to).

-- When you're ready, tag me in your post @postwarlevi so I can enjoy and add the piece to the masterlist and also please include the tag of #harvestmoonaotcollab

-- Start posting September 1st. Soft deadline of December 1st 2023 (a little after is perfectly fine!)

-- and of course if you like the idea, want to join, and want others to, reblogs are appreciated :)

Masterlist:

My contribution: unassigned male character x reader fic

@levi-supreme - Levi x fem!reader fic

@flametrashira - Levi x gender neutral reader fic

@m-jelly - dad/sheriff Levi fic

@arlerts-angel - Armin x gender neutral reader fic

@svftackerman - Levi x fem!reader fic

@la-undercover-latina - Hange, Levi, cadets fic

@romantichomicide95 - Levi x fem!reader fic

@happybird16 - Levi x reader fic

@levis-squishy-cheeks - vet/trio fanart

@robynhoodss - Levi x gender neutral reader fic

@roseofdarknessblog - character x fem!reader fic

@necessaryvictoriangargoyle - Reiner x Bertholdt

@yakaaamoz - Levi x reader fic f. Zeke

@mootheskinnycowsblog - Levi x fem reader fic

@humanitys-strongest-bamf - postwar Levi x reader

@darkstarlight82 - Levi x reader short fic

@chaotic-on-main - Levi x reader short + moodboard

@youre-ackermine - Levi x Hange fic

#attack on titan #aot #aot collab #attack on titan collab #anime collab #art collab #writing collab #sfw #under a harvest moon #snk #shingeki no kyojin #Harvestmoonaotcollab

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mirai-e-jump · 1 year ago

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Uchusen Vol. 182 (Autumn 2023) Kamen Rider Gaim 10th Anniversary Commemorative Book: Muso Interview with Series Producer and Designers (other pages and translations below)

Publication: October 2, 2023

Producer Takebe Naomi Interview

-Recruitment of Main Writer Urobuchi Gen-

"One of the major points of Kamen Rider Gaim, was the recruitment of Urobuchi Gen-san as the main writer, someone who's worked on video games and anime."

Takebe: That's right. Looking back, I'm amazed that he was able to do it. Currently, due to Urobuchi-san's schedule, I think it'd be difficult to have him on for a whole year, so I think it was a very important year for us.

"What were some of the characteristics of Urobuchi's scripts?"

Takebe: The dialogue was heavy, wasn't it? Each one was long and contained difficult expressions. Also, I remember saying something like, "New actors can't speak more than 3 lines" (laughs), but the choice of words in their dialogue was amazing, so I don't think it would've made a big difference even if they were made alittle shorter.

"Speaking of which, in an interview at the time, you said, "I’ve learned to write shorter lines after working on Kamen Rider Gaim" (laughs). We think it was also adventurous for you to treat dance as one of the important themes that make up the show."

Takebe: In the beginning, that was the initial setting by both Urobuchi-san, and Director (Ryuta) Tasaki, who was in charge of the pilot, and it made me think, "Wow, this is an area I'm not familiar with" (laughs). It wouldn't have been a problem if it was an anime, but as a live action show, the cast has to practice, and it's time consuming to film them dancing, so it was very difficult.

"Come to think of it, the flow of the story until the end of the show was already decided in the beginning."

Takebe: From the world of the kids on the dance team, to the adult world……the interactions with Takatora and the others, and then learning the truth from them, was all set up like chapters. When I met with Director Tasaki and Urobuchi-san for the second time, we had notes on the overall flow of the show, which was roughly divided into four parts. The final setting was established, and it ended up being almost unchanged, so it was a new experience for me because I hadn't worked in that way before. Usually, I think about what to do next while working on a show (laughs).

-Impact of the fruit armor-

"In contrast to the serious and hard hitting storyline depicted by Urobuchi-san, we think the catchy appeal of the fruit themed Kamen Rider characters were a key point of the show. The transformation sequence where the fruit falls from above, covers their heads, and transforms into their armor left a great impact."

Takebe: Since it's fruit, the colors are vibrant. The design is very interesting, and the characters stand out from the outside. I think the fruit were incorporated very well, including the gimmick of putting it on the head and having it expand into armor. However, you wouldn't know Baron is a banana if you weren't told, and Gaim is an orange, but we still tried to create a cool Rider image.

"We think that the tasteful styles of armor incorporating Japanese, Western and Chinese, also contributed greatly to expressing the individuality of the characters."

Takebe: That was a last minute differentiation. If you change the armor with a form change, you lose the identity of the character, or rather, the more you change the armor, the more you'll lose track of what makes Gaim look like Gaim. That being the case, we decided to classify the armor, with Gaim being a Japanese style, Baron in a Western style, and Ryugen in a Chinese style. Also, we decided not to lend or borrow armor to anyone other than Gaim. It might be better to play with toys by using armor that can be used by alot of characters, but that would make it hard to tell who's who.

"It was also interesting that the Lockseed transformation item had a lock motif."

Takebe: As an item, I think we made the locks very cool and cute. It's just the right size, with a nice fit in the hand, and a slightly responsive weight. In fact, I'm glad to hear that the Lockseed toys sold well.

"What other Riders or items were particularly memorable to you?"

Takebe: The introduction of the adult team (new generation Riders) who transform with the Genesis Driver. It was nice to have a group of 4 Riders on the enemy side. The bow weapon (Sonic Arrow) was also cool, and the production of Kanada Osamu's team (episode 12), which appeared for the first time, was also good. Apparently the Genesis Driver sold well, which when you think about it, is amazing, considering it's the enemy's Belt.

-A wide range of casting oddities-

"As a multi Rider show, many characters appeared, so what did you pay special attention to when casting?"

Takebe: Rather than conducting a general audition like we usually do, we called on potential candidates, and narrowed our selections considerably. The dialogue written by Urobuchi-san is difficult, so we were thinking of someone with experience rather than a total newcomer. For one of the main actors, (Yuki) Kubota-san, he was a good choice. We had an interview with him, and I think it was more like casting, rather than an audition.

"So the cooperation between the new cast members, who played the main roles, and the supporting cast of skilled actors, helped to create the multi Rider story, huh?"

Takebe: I think that Producer Mochizuki's casting of Namioka Kazuki-san, Yoshida Metal-san, as well as other adults were well balanced. (Tsukui) Minami-san and (Aoki) Tsunenori-kun were also casted rather than auditioning, but I think the casting of the 4 new generation Riders really worked well together. It was abit of an adult world, in contrast to the childish world of the main characters. So, when I think about it now, it was interesting to see the wide range of ages, and the unique characters played by everyone, including the young cast members. Of course, that was created by Urobuchi-san, so I can only say that I'm very impressed with him.

"According to Suit Actor Takaiwa Seiji-san, Gaku Sano-san, who plays the leading role is, "The most mobile of all the leading Rider actors in history," and he showed off his pre transformation action moves, taking advantage of his physical strength."

Takebe: That's right. The Action Director, Ishigaki Hirofumi-san, incorporated alot of action. Gaim had many episodes by Director Kaneda (who came from an action background), so that may have been one of the highlights of Gaim.

"Overall, we think the casting was fascinating."

Takebe: I think Urobuchi-san also enjoyed that part. By working with real life actors, things will gradually change. Actually, I think that the character of Mitsuzane changed quite abit. Mitsuzane was played by Takasugi Mahiro-kun.

"At first, you had planned to have Mitsuzane leave the show with 3 months left. However, as he was writing the story, Urobuchi-san thought, "Isn't it wrong to have Mitsuzane disappear?," so he changed the direction of the story."

Takebe: It's similar to Isuzu Daichi of "Geats," where people like that are allowed to be in a world where everyone can be happy. So, I wasn't aware of it, and I don't think Takahashi Yuya (Geats's Director) has watched Gaim either, but I thought Gaim and Geats were similar. For example, with Gridon, we thought about, "Wanting to make a lock from a nut instead of a fruit," so we'd say, "Then let's also make a nut Rider," but Geats also has small buckles including hammers, don't they? It started with the idea of creating a buckle made of wood or stone, so we were thinking the same thing, just like Urobuchi-san had already done before (laughs). I thought of this when I was rereading books related to Gaim for this interview. I didn't remember much about it while I was working on Geats, but I thought it was following a similar path. It's also the same that he becomes a god in the end (laughs).

-Various developments due to multiple Riders-

"Overall, what was the most memorable episode of Gaim?"

Takebe: After the TV series ended, we did two V-Cinemas (Gaim Gaiden: Kamen Rider Zangetsu/Kamen Rider Baron and Gaim Gaiden: Kamen Rider Duke/Kamen Rider Knuckle). It was impressive. When I was working on "OOO", I was approached to produce a V-Cinema version of "W", but I turned it down because I thought at the time that a spin off of Ankh, for example, would never be possible. However, I decided to work on Gaim just in case there were people who were looking forward to it, and all of them turned out to be impressive works. One of my favorites among them is "Kamen Rider Knuckle." Of all the Gaiden stories, Knuckle is the only one that takes place after the conclusion of the TV series. It's a positive story that continues into the future, and it's still one of my favorites.

"We think the key to Gaim's success was that it had so many sub Rider characters and was so popular that side stories were made. As a result, 6 years after the main show ended, a spin off featuring Gridon and Bravo (Kamen Rider Gaiden: Kamen Rider Gridon vs. Kamen Rider Bravo) was distributed."

Takebe: During the second Gaiden, we were talking about whether to use Knuckle, Gridon, or Bravo, and we decided on Knuckle, but Metal-san commented something like, "Hmm~, I wasn't chosen." When I heard that, I was surprised to see that he was so eager to work with us (laughs). In that sense, I'm glad I was able to do something I had left undone.

"As a project unique to Gaim, the year before Gridon vs. Bravo, a stage play adaptation was also produced with Zangetsu as the lead role."

Takebe: That was made possible when Nitroplus told us that they wanted to turn it into a stage play, but I do agree that it's something that doesn't happen very often. The casting was done by Nelke Planning, and it was great to meet such charming cast members, such as Mashiko Atsuki-kun (Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger) and Goto Dai-kun (Kamen Rider Zi-O), who would later be cast in other productions. The screenplay and direction by Mori Nobuhiro-san was also very good, and the idea of retracing the story of Gaim in a setting where Takatora has lost his memory is very appropriate for reconstructing Gaim on stage. I think it was an extremely rare success story in that Kubota-kun's Zangetsu was able to successfully tell Gaim's story in a way that was truly unique and without the original cast.

-Looking back on Gaim-

"Looking back on it like this, it was a show that covered many different topics. There were also many collaborations with other works. There was a history of collaborations with Super Sentai (Ressha Sentai ToQger Vs. Kamen Rider Gaim Spring Vacation Combining Special), and even Kikaider appeared in the TV series (Episode 30: The Red and Blue Kikaider) in conjunction with the "Kikaider Reboot" film."

Takebe: There was also a film (Heisei Rider vs. Showa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai) where all the Kamen Riders gathered. That's when the number of Showa Riders (Kamen Rider Ichigo-Kamen Rider J) and Heisei's main Riders (Kamen Rider Kuuga-Kamen Rider Gaim) were the same (15). I think it was created as a result of hearing about it from the staff, and conveying it to Shinichiro Shirakura. Actors who have played Kamen Rider in the past, including Fujioka Hiroshi-san also appeared in the film….It was certainly a work that did alot of different things. We had a cooking showdown as a bonus video for the TV series, and since we had multiple Riders, we had a large cast, so we were able to do alot of different things. That's why I remember the event being so popular. As an artist, I think I appeared at the "Super Hero Festival (Kamen Rider x Super Sentai Live & Show)" 2 years in a row (2014-2015). Kobayashi Yutaka-kun and Shida Yumi-chan, who were active as idol artists, were good at talking, so the final stage was very lively. And then, Sano-kun cried through the whole thing. He was crying for the very first time, and we all said, "Eh? This is the first time?" (laughs). But, I felt that he had worked very hard for that whole year.

"We've reached the end. Now that 10 years have passed, we'd like you to look back on Kamen Rider Gaim and say a few words."

Takebe: It was great to work with Urobuchi-san and to be able to challenge myself in various ways, including with V-Cinema. The content was abit challenging and mature, but I think Rider is able to pull these things off well in a Rider like way. Of course, it's good to have a work where each episode is complete. However, I think it's good to have this kind of show once in a while. Personally, I like Taiga dramas, and I think it's something that can only be done in a production that lasts for a year. Looking back, it's been a long time since we've had multi Riders. Currently, it's not unusual to have a large number of Riders, but it was interesting to see the development that came from having a large number of Riders, and in that sense, I think Gaim has expanded the variety of the series. Urobuchi-san and Nitroplus also found it interesting to work on Kamen Rider for the first time, and I think it was a truly valuable and interesting show that'll never be replicated again.

Designers Tanaka Sojiro x Tsurumaki Takuya Interviews

"A year after the TV series ended, the spinoffs, "Gaim Gaiden: Kamen Rider Zangetsu/Kamen Rider Baron" and, "Gaim Gaiden: Kamen Rider Duke/Kamen Rider Knuckle," were released as V-Cinemas, featuring new forms of the main Kamen Rider's from each title and many new villain Riders, but basically, they're recolored existing suits to create clever variations."

Tsurumaki: Gaim was originally a multi Rider series, so you can change the color of the forms in an infinite number of combinations (laughs). However, the inner suit is tied to the identity of the person, or rather, to the one transforming, so when it comes to a new form, we did them according to Gaim's rules, that you can change the color of the armor to some extent, but not the base.

"Zangetsu's Watermelon Arms (Kamen Rider Zangetsu) is a successful way of turning Melon Arms into a Watermelon by just recoloring it."

Tsurumaki: I think it was quite the discovery to make them look like other fruits just by repainting them. For Zangetsu, we used a melon pattern and painted it with a watermelon pattern to give it a completely different appearance. Everyone has their own impression of the fruit, so we were able to successfully create it by working backwards from that impression. In that sense, I think it's more meaningful to recolor in Gaim than in other series. That's why, because it's that fruit, it's that color.

"What about Kamen Rider Idunn (Kamen Rider Zangetsu) and Baron's new form (Kamen Rider Baron), both using Ringo Arms?"

Tanaka: In the beginning, we thought of using an apple as a Lockseed because it was a "forbidden fruit," but we couldn't find the right time to use apples, so we decided to use it in the film (Kamen Rider Gaim: Great Soccer Battle! Golden Fruits Cup), and Kamen Rider Mars and Kamen Rider Kamuro finally used apples. However, Toei still wanted to use the apple in the form of a "forbidden fruit," so it was decided that the apple would once again appear in Gaiden.

"Kamen Rider Tyrant (Kamen Rider Baron) has a design that's unpleasant to look at."

Tsurumaki: That's true (laughs). We first used dragon fruit in the film (Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Drive & Gaim: Movie War Full Throttle), but even before that, it was a fruit that we wanted to use. The shape is distinct and the colors are flashy. So I'm glad that we were able to use them in the film and also in Gaiden. They also released a figure of Duke's Dragon Energy Arms (laughs).

"The second wave of Gaiden was "Kamen Rider Duke" and "Kamen Rider Knuckle."

Tanaka: Duke is a new generation Rider who transforms with the Genesis Driver, right? However, Gaiden (Kamen Rider Duke) was a story that also depicts the past, so we thought there should be a previous version of Duke, so we designed Duke as a Rider who uses the same lemon Lockseed as Lemon Energy Arms and transforms with the Sengoku Driver.

"In "Kamen Rider Duke," the villain Kamen Rider Saver has a unique design."

Tanaka: Definitely, when I saw it, I thought that we made something amazing (laughs).

"Since it's called Blood Pomegranate Arms, the association of Pomegranate and Blood (Orange) makes it one of the most sinister in the series."

Tsurumaki: It gives off a dangerous image (laughs). As a slightly irregular villain, he does alot of things that go against Gaim's design rules.

"Also, in "Kamen Rider Knuckle," you designed Black Baron as a color change of Baron (Banana Arms) with the other being Knuckle Jimber Marron Arms."

Tsurumaki: Knuckle was originally going to be Walnut, right? How did he become Marron?

Tanaka: Wasn't it to group him up with other nuts?

"We think the fact that Knuckle's signature fist weapon as a chestnut burr also left an impact."

Tsurumaki: That's true. And, it has a two layered structure where the burrs peel off, and the gloves come out (laughs).

"After that, in 2019, "Stage Play: Kamen Rider Zangetsu Gaim Gaiden" was performed, and a new form of Zangetsu appeared."

Tsurumaki: It was designed by Tanaka-san, right?

Tanaka: That's right. Since I was the person who designed Zangetsu, I was asked by the leader of the Rider team at the time. It was decided that the Zangetsu would be powered up with Kachidoki Arms, so we rearranged Zangetsu as Kachidoki.

"The following year, Gaiden (Kamen Rider Gridon vs. Kamen Rider Bravo)" was revived as a miniseries, with Gridon and Bravo unexpectedly playing the main roles."

Tanaka: Come to think of it, Bravo (Durian Arms) was the first Rider designed by Tsurumaki, right?

Tsurumaki: The first Rider I worked on was Kamen Rider Sorcerer in the film "Kamen Rider Wizard in Magic Land," but I think Bravo might've been the first Rider I worked on as a regular TV character. I also worked on Knuckle and the Black Shadow Troopers in Gaim, so I think it was one of them.

"Bravo's King Dorian Arms is basically just a recolor, but the addition of the cape was a major one. By the way, the cape played an important role later in the series."

Tsurumaki: That's right. It's a cape that looks quite evil.

Tanaka: If you want to make something look evil, just add a cape (laughs).

Tsurumaki: An all purpose evil cape (laughs).

"What about Gridon's Lychee Arms?"

Tanaka: That was an issue.

Tsurumaki: Should we talk about it? (laughs).

Tanaka: I originally designed Gridon (Donguri Arms), so I'm very attached to it. The design of a Kamen Rider is completed after receiving opinions from different people, but for Gridon, I was able to quickly draw it from the beginning and get the OK immediately. I was so attached to it, that I even named my cat "Guri" after Gridon, and when I heard that Gridon would be the main character in the next new production, I suggested 2 rough patterns that I would've liked to have used. However, after that, a rough draft that Tsurumaki had drawn the day before the meeting was added, and that ended up being used (laughs).

Tsurumaki: At the time, I was on assignment at Bandai, and when I looked at the design proposal that Tanaka-san sent me the evening before the meeting, it looked like a samurai, or rather, Japanese styled, but didn't Gridon use a Western style? (laughs).

Tanaka: I intended to include a Western styled design, but it didn't work out (laughs).

Tsurumaki: So, I added one Western styled proposal and it was chosen…..(laughs).

Tanaka: Well, it was frustrating, but when I saw Tsurumaki's design later, I thought for sure that it would be chosen (laughs).

"We see (laughs). By the way, what are some of the design points of Lychee Arms?"

Tsurumaki: There were very few fruits left that we didn't already use. So, I thought that the only way to make this work was to take advantage of the base of Gridon's armor, and thought about what fruits I could apply to it, and by process of elimination, I settled on lychee. Also, since Gridon isn't that strong, I think I designed it based on how I could make him look strong while still retaining Gridon's armor.

"What about the other one that appeared, Kamen Rider Sylphi?"

Tsurumaki: When we first received the concept, we were told it'd be a female Rider, and that it'd be a good idea to use the fruit of the Helheim Forest as a way of presenting the Lockseed, which would probably be the final one of the series. So we decided to design a new Lockseed, not a recolor, and Bandai decided to commercialize it with a new mold. The design of the Rider itself is reminiscent of a witch who presides over Helheim.

"However, even after the show ended, you continued to design quite a few Riders."

Tsurumaki: That's true. It's not so unusual these days, but I think it was the first time I've drawn so many variations.

Tanaka: Rather, I think that Gaim was the catalyst for the spin offs that became the norm after the main show ends, and for the trend of designing many Rider variations.

Tsurumaki: In Gaim, the Rider transformation itself was the system that easily created variations, so I think that was a big deal too.

Tanaka: I think it was a good idea to create a format where the body and armor can be switched around.

Tsurumaki: It's like a puzzle (laughs).

"Finally, please look back at Gaim's design works and say a few words."

Tanaka: I've participated in a few Kamen Rider projects, but Gaim is the only one I worked on from start to finish, so I have particularly strong feelings for it. Gridon was initially intended to be a mass produced Rider, but when I saw the actual situation, I was glad to see that they made him into a proper character…..This is a story about Gridon, not Gaim (laughs).

Tsurumaki: Today was alot of fun looking back on Gaim after such a long time. Like the Lychee Arms stuff (laughs).

Tanaka: I still hold that in my heart (laughs).

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acourtofkindness · 5 months ago

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Thank you for sending in all the stories, here you can find the collection! Some of these are one-shots, some are longer stories, just click your way through them and also check out their other fics!

A Ballad of Thorns & Roses: How the High Lord of Spring told his Tale (Feylin/Tamcien)

by @positivelyruined When Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court of Prythian, finds the clock counting down to his final battle with Amarantha — two things push him into action: the sudden death and bloody sacrifice of his friend Andras and the fierce vexation of his close friend Lucien. With no more time to waste, he offers shelter to the one person that he should despise the most — the girl who murdered Andras. His heart has been bleeding for a decade. Will their connection be enough to break the bond that holds the Spring Court captive, or will this burning love only spurn Tamlin’s heart? In this tale as old as time, only time will tell.

Spirit Meets the Bones (Eris x OC)

by @lucienarcheron Eris and Iris. Son of a high lord. Daughter of a fiend. An arranged marriage brought them together and beneath all the hate, the two are more alike than they’d like to be.

To Dust Or To Gold (Neris)

by @queercontrarian Eris calls in his bargain with Rhysand: he wants Nesta to join him in the Autumn Court to help him in his scheme to bring down his father.

Flame of Autumn (Eris x OC)

by @climbthemountain2020 "He quashed his hope like a bug beneath his heel. They would meet, marry, and produce a child. How hard could it possibly be to copulate and wash his hands of it? It’s not like he hadn’t regularly found release in the hundreds of years of living. This one would just be attached to him a bit more legally." Eris Vanserra is forced into a marriage with a magic-less daughter of Autumn from a strong bloodline. Despite his best efforts to remain apathetic, the universe has other plans.

A Court of Threads & Daises (Lucien x Tamlin)

by @shi-daisy Tragedy almost struck the Spring Court when Tamlin Evergreen tried to take his own life. Lucien Vanserra manages to save his former Lord, but not his power. Now that the Spring Court has a new High Lord and the horrors of war are behind them, both Tamlin and Lucien agree to help the new heir navigate court life and attempt to rebuild the broken Spring Court, along with healing themselves. They weren't expecting to fall back in love in the process.

A Court of Song and Desolation (Tamlin x Lucien)

by @achaotichuman With his Court in ruins and everyone gone, Tamlin lives amongst the broken pieces of his Court and has no intentions of changing that. Lucien, however, will not stand to leave his oldest friend alone. When Lucien takes Tamlin back to the human lands, they discover a darkness coming for Prythian. If something does not stop it, it will completely rewrite the way Faeries and humans alike live as they know it.

Of Hearts and Swords (Feysand, Nessian, Manorian, Quinlar, etc.)

by @QueenofNightmares (on ao3) 5 years have passed since Bryce Quinlan fought the Asteri—and lost. 5 years since the Horn in her back was then used to permanently open the gates between worlds. Midgard, Erilea, and Prythian are now in open war--the reunited Fae of each world working together to fight the Asteri. But much has changed in the war-ravaged years that have passed. The Crochan Witchclan fights alongside the Valkyries. Hunt Athalar has sought day and night for a way to bring Bryce back from the dead and end this war. And the beloved High Lady of the Night Court--Feyre Archeron-- left Prythian for Erilea, just after their Inner Circle was cleaved apart forever by a newcomer. As war rages on, the Asteri have found an unlikely ally in Prythian--one that might turn the fortunes of battle against the Fae. This is an alternate ending to CC3 (HOFAS) where the Asteri win. Bryce was killed in the conflict that followed and the Horn in her back was then used to permanently open the gates. It will follow each of the main character ships (Feysand, Nessian, Rowaelin, Lysaedion, Manorian, Quinlar, etc.) as well as introduce some new ones for some other beloved characters (Azriel, Fenrys). Lots of relationship angst with a happy ending.

Flame of Autumn (Eris x OC)

by @climbthemountain2020 Eris Vanserra is forced into a marriage with a magic-less daughter of Autumn from a strong bloodline. Despite his best efforts to remain apathetic, the universe has other plans.

Beyond (Helion x LoA)

by @areyoudreaminof The Lady of Autumn has agreed to come live at the Day Court, though she seems hesitant. Can Helion convince her that she belongs at his side?

#eris x oc #eris vanserra #helion x loa #feysand #nessian #quinlar #neris #feylin #tamcien #acosf #acotar

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agirlandherquill · 27 days ago

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through the puddles of ink

since it's a new academic year, a new chapter of my life and i thought, since i've been on tumblr for around eight months now that it's about time i properly introduced myself - this would shock the person i was when i first started this blog, but as it's grown so have i, and i think university has indefinitely helped my confidence - so, without further ado, here goes i'll start this properly by explaining the title of this post - through the puddle of ink

ink is important because obviously it is the basis of literature, the foundation of stories and fitting to my blog name, you dip the quill in the ink to write, to forge an adventure that tests the imagination and takes a reader to wonderful places and puddles because let's face it, ink is messy, ink is chaotic, just like me, my characters, and my writing and because through the looking glass is a very iconic title i also watched that movie in the cinema years ago, i took inspiration, and here we are now - this post is a reflection of me, the beautiful nightmares and writing gremlins that co-exist within my brain and a way for me to get to better know my mutuals, anyone and everybody on writeblr!

here comes the scary part - only for me, and my semi-awkward self - introducing myself, i've never been very good at this stuff so bear with me - and have mercy on my nervous soul,

for the longest time i've loved the sort of self-imposed anonymity of this blog, and don't get me wrong i still do adore my blog name but I thought it was about time I properly introduced myself, so, let me just shuffle some papers in the library of my mind, find the right phrasing for this and... (cue angry hitting of the keyboard) hello! my name is Erin and i'm a writer, a lover of chaos, and a semi-functioning tempest somehow existing within society - i love and ramble about lots of different things - books, shows, songs, you name it, i can waffle and sometimes i can waffle well (that is how i am now going to describe my writing, because it feels like it fits so well)

phew, i got that out, that tiny paragraph was a lot of effort (and i've beaten writers block more often than i can count)

this little post might not seem like much, but to me it's a lot, and i'm happy to have made it this far, and i'm so looking forward to continuing to grow alongside this blog and writeblr (i love you all, no seriously)

and now onto some very much needed rambling about my works, because there's a lot the lovely folk of writeblr are yet to know (and it will come, in time, but here's what i can say for now)

Ruin's Reprisal - we all know the tale of this, my oldest, most functioning (cough, using that term loosely) work - well, where to start? well, i'm on the final stage of proofreading, and once that's all done i'm hoping (let's be honest, dreaming,) to have the final draft complete and out in the great wide world come christmas/new year (that is a courageous goal, even for me, but who knows, maybe i can pull it off, just maybe)

A Deal Of Daggers - it's almost time for nanowrimo, which marks two years since the idea for this first came to me, and i cannot wait to spend autumn working on it (not that i am participating in nano properly this year, what with student-life obligations, but i'm going to write what i can) and i've been steadily chipping away with a few chapters already

those are my two main works, and probably the only works i've been focusing on over the last couple of months - and i've fallen completely and wholeheartedly in love with them all over again, as i do, every single time i open the files on scrivener

as far as my tired but over-eager to write brain can think this should be it for everything i wanted to include in this post until the next post (which won't be long, i can guarantee it),

~ Erin, A Girl and Her Quill, or whatever this hellscape would like to call me :)

~ ~ ~

now for the tag list! (i forgot to add it when i posted, oops!)

(p.s if you'd like to be included/notified too, interact with this post :))

@humbly-a-doppelganger @imawholeassmood @frostedlemonwriter @yrndrgn @abditorywriting

@riveriafalll @lead-to-code @casualsuitturtle @floweryprosegarden @joeys-piano

@catwingsathena @godsmostfuckedupgoblin @nothoughtsjustmhaandotherthings @anaisbebe

@drchenquill @leahnardo-da-veggie @tiredpapergirl @pastelpinkhobbies

#writeblr

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uxuefrog · 7 months ago

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Forest Spirit - Elowen (they/them)

Elowen is the personification of the forest they're bound to protect, commonly known as forest spirits or mother trees. Everything within the borders of their forest is under their caring hand, from trees and fungi to the littlest of animals and even the Elven and Animali communities living there.

More info under the cut! ✨

The birth of a spirit comes from the need to nurture the land. One tree creates another, and when they are enough to be called a forest, a spirit is born in the oldest tree, with the never ending task of protecting the same thing that created them. Elowen is as old as their forest and their forest is as wise as them.

Many are the names they've had through the decades, given by the generations of Elves living there, like The White Lady or Zumar (old tongue).

The relationship between mortals and spirits has always been a complicated one. When the first bird communities settled in Elowen’s forest, they built a palace in their honor. They believed the forest spirit would bring them protection and good luck if they took care of the forest as much as the forest cared for them; and so it was for generations.

Gaining their favor was essential for the prosperity of their growing village, but direct contact with them was believed to be a Bad Omen, as forest spirits are known for being silent creatures that love their space. That's why birds warned their younglings about wandering too deep into the forest, as the spirit living there might curse them for disturbing the peace.

The body of a forest spirit takes decades to get fully formed, unlike the ones from their lava or water siblings. Each forest spirit has a unique look that can be completely different from one another. Forest Spirits, even if shy creatures, love every living being they protect; Elowen was always fascinated by the Elves living within their forest, the biggest Woodland communities in the continent (Sadly difficult to find nowadays).

Because of this love, they modeled their body to resemble the one of an elf, but the understanding Spirits have about mortals it’s not the most accurate. When it was fully formed, they decided to pay a visit to their dear Birds, who were so fond of taking care of the woods and built a palace to honor the spirit. There they meet the youngest son of the Chief Birds, a woodland elf who was in charge of the city’s safety working as a forest ranger.

Elowen quickly formed a great interest for the young elf, who seemed to be the only one who treated them without fear in his eyes, as an equal. The boy was determined and hardworking, always willing to help everyone, as his family taught him. He was able to calm all of Elowen’s deepest concerns, without being aware of it; and looked as fascinated for them as the spirit was about him.

————————

Today was Elowen’s turn! They’re another important character in the story that gives advice and guidance go the main character. They’re married to Aspen, although that’s a secret only a few close friends know, as the birds didn’t approve the relationship between the spirit and the elf.

Their body changes with the seasons. You can find the Almond Blossom, Summer, Cherry Blossom, Winter, Spring and Autumn designs. Making new looks for them is so fun!

Hope you like the info! 🌿

#characterdesign #illustration #digitalart #oc #originalcharacter #character design #characterart #ocart #fantasyart #elf #comiccharacters #comicartist #forest art #forest spirit

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asordinaryppl · 3 months ago

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A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 15: PAINFUL RE:BAKE - Episode 1: Picaresque, Again

Ali Baba: “Alright, let’s go, we’re setting off on our search for the legendary phantom Oasis!”

[Applause]

Tenma: Thank you very much!

Yuki: Thank you very much.

Muku: Thank you very much!!

Misumi: Thanks, everyone~!!

Kazunari: Thanks for watching~!

Kumon: Thanks~!!

[Applause]

Banri: …

Banri: (... Man, you guys really are awesome.)

Banri: (Us Autumn Troupe are up next.)

Banri: …

Izumi: There you are, Banri-kun.

Izumi: Good work on the final day. You did a lot as the assistant director.

Banri: You too, Director-chan.

Izumi: Following the Spring Troupe, a lot happened with the Summer Troupe too…

Banri: And thanks to that, putting a schedule together was crazy work.

Izumi: Just as you gained more experience by working as an assistant director, the Summer Troupe also gained experience in their own ways. And because of that, they were able to take on those “challenges”.

Banri: If all this had happened during the debut performance, they wouldn’t have made it in time. All of ‘em took on challenges and successfully returned with more experience under their belts.

Izumi: And next is the Autumn Troupe’s turn.

Banri: Yeah.

Banri: … Whenever I do work as an assistant director, I get a rough idea of what the first day of performances is gonna look like.

Banri: But, both Spring and Summer… Their performances kept me on my toes in ways the rehearsals hadn’t, from their first days to the last.

Banri: They leveled up a bunch for the Fleur Award.

Banri: Though standin’ on MANKAI Theater’s stage might also have something to do with it…

Banri: They’ve all grown beyond recognition as actors, and gave meaning to performin’ a continuation of their debut shows.

Izumi: Right… I think these sequels have been more meaningful to the members than I expected them to be.

Banri: Seeing the Summer Troupe, who are usually as chummy as puppies, “challenge” themselves towards their different dreams was also inspirin’.

Banri: Muku and Kumon gritted their teeth through that ruthless workshop, too.

Izumi: Is it lighting a fire in you, Banri-kun? From their Leader to their very last member, the Autumn Troupe is made up of people that hate losing, isn’t it?

Banri: Yeah. We’ll make sure to improve so we don’t lose to Spring and Summer. I’m sure they’re all thinkin’ the same thing too.

Izumi: Right.

Tsuzuru: Ugh, I’m thankful for Arisugawa-san’s praises for my scripts, but I could do without his drunk crying…

Banri: Heya.

Izumi: Come in.

Tsuzuru: Are you having a directors’ meeting?

Banri: Pretty much.

Tsuzuru: Good timing, I was lookin’ for you two. I’ve finished the script for the Autumn Troupe’s sequel–

Izumi: Already!?

Banri: Ain’t this the fastest you’ve ever been?

Tsuzuru: It’d already been decided we’d be doing a sequel to Picaresque, so I’ve been planning it for some time now…

Tsuzuru: And no one had any requests other than keeping the action fast-paced, so gettin’ the job done was pretty smooth sailing.

Tsuzuru: You all said the most in-character thing for Picaresque’s cast would be to live life as they please, so…

Banri: Still, this is too quick. We’ve got a bunch of time till performances start.

Tsuzuru: I wanted to get to Picaresque’s continuation as soon as possible, too.

Tsuzuru: I was curious myself about what everyone from the debut performance would be up to.

Izumi: A lot happened in the debut performance, after all.

Tsuzuru: Back then, I was allowed to watch the Autumn Troupe’s rehearsals right after they formed, and came up with the script based on that.

Izumi: Right.

Tsuzuru: You told me to give not only Banri, who was decided as the leader, but also Juza, a big role and it turned into a buddy play…

Izumi: I also told you that putting Juza-kun, who was most passionate about theater, on center stage might trigger a change.

Tsuzuru: And when it was all said and done… Juza’s growth lit a burning passion in everyone in the Autumn Troupe

Tsuzuru: I was affected by how much you believe in your actors, and how you place your trust in them, and realized, as a scriptwriter, how significant it is to entrust their roles to the actors themselves.

Banri: Damn, all that was going on behind my back?

Banri: When we started out, Hyodo was pretty much an amateur. Havin’ him carry all that responsibility… You guys are insane.

Banri: Geez, Director-chan, you’re so…

Tsuzuru: … But that’s what you’d expect of her.

Banri: Yeah. That’s just who she is.

Izumi: Back then, this troupe had nothing but the members who had just joined. No achievements, or anything else like that…

Izumi: That’s why all I could do was put my faith in you guys. And you’ve come this far, so all’s well that ends well!

Izumi: I don’t think my way of doing things has changed any.

Izumi: First thing I do is watch over the actors. What kind of feelings do they put in their practice sessions and performances?

Izumi: I believe doing everything I can to understand them is the most important thing.

Banri: That hits the nail on its head. I seriously don’t think I’ll ever have you beat in this complete faith you’ve got goin’ on.

Tsuzuru: Making Banri admit defeat’s a real feat.

Izumi: I feel like this just gave me bragging rights.

Banri: ‘lright, you’ll keep a real close eye on us Autumn Troupe too, won’t cha?

Izumi: Of course we will.

Tsuzuru: Leave it to us.

Banri: Yeah.

Banri: (... “Picaresque Returns”.)

Banri: (Back then, I felt a thrill I had never felt before in my life. And now, just like in the debut performance… I get to live in Picaresque’s world.)

Banri: (I’ll give the scripts to everyone tomorrow. We’ve still got a bunch of time left, so I’ll set up a practice schedule, and…)

previous episode (act 14) | masterpost | next episode

#a3!#translation #a3! translation #tsuzuru minagi #banri settsu #izumi tachibana #i rewatched akigumi anime literally 2 days ago. sorry if you can tell LOL

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littlemisssquiggles · 7 months ago

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Did you see the RWBY volume 9 epilogue?

I'm happy there was more to it than what we got from last year and that we actually got to see characters like Nora Oscar and Ren featured as important characters

I'm especially Happy Oscar actually got to be in it because to be honest he gets excluded so much I was actually shocked he had a part and we actually got to focus on him for once

This also gives me hope that they'll do something similar like they did with cinder ,with Oscar because I believe it was possibly said in a q&a or in a live stream

that originally they wanted to do cinders backstory and volume 4-5 when we thought she got killed off again but they kept having to push it back along with other things they wanted to do for certain characters

and since many think Oscar is possibly not going to make it through his merge and it will be just ozpin/Oz

when it's done maybe we'll actually get to see his past and maybe because Oscar is merging with Ozpin that means his memories are catching up with Oz's memories and will maybe get to see Oz's past too because that's something we've all wondered about as well

and maybe we'll get a hint at where the final relic is because I don't believe the writers are just going to wait tell the last minute to show us were it is I think they're going to hint at it

I don't Oscar part sense he my favorite along side ozpin

what do you think 🤔

Hiya Autumn o/ Thank you so much for your inbox and pardon the late reply.

To answer your first question, yes, I did see the full V9 Epilogue Animatic. TWICE and I plan on rewatching it many, many times because I haven’t recovered from it yet.

I know I’ve been relatively silent these days especially when it comes to this newly dropped animatic. But that’s mostly because I haven’t fully gathered my thoughts on it yet to form a consisive essay.

My head is still reeling from all that was revealed in that short space of animatic frames, particularly the bits about Oscar and what he’s currently going through. As a Pinehead, you just know that part got to me the most because BOI! WAS IT GOOD! Oscar-worthy, as I might say,

So if I may, and if you don’t mind m’fam, I am going to piggyback off of your inboxed message and use this as opportunity to get some of my main thoughts about Oscar’s side of the Epilogue off of my chest. So here I go.

According to the RWBY V9 full Epilogue Animatic…

Oscar’s story with the Merge with Oz has officially started with him isolating himself from his friends while he goes through it on his own, practically dooming him (and essentially Oz as well) to suffer in silence.

But while that’s how things seem to be starting, if it doesn’t end with a scene where Oscar is going through the Merge but this time he’s surrounded by all of his friends all vowing to stay by side through it all and cherish him for who he is---Oscar---no matter who he becomes after the Merge.

If it doesn’t end with all of Oscar’s friends being there for him during the Merge (ESPECIALLY Ruby) then, like Jon Snow , I don't want it.

I don’t know how Oscar’s story will end.

The way I perceive it, Oscar’s story can end in many possible different ways.

In one way, Oscar’s story could end the way it was originally intended to, according to the natural progression of the narrative.---with Salem being defeated, Ozma finally moving on and Oscar being allowed to live the rest of his days as himself, Merge completely avoided.

Or like a Shamalan movie, it can end with a twist. Maybe Oscar isn’t so lucky and doesn’t avoid the Merge like his predecessors and is changed forever.

Maybe Oscar gets attack by Tyrian and “dies” forcing the Merge to happen as a way to save his life.

Maybe Oscar is taken to the Tree and gets to meet the Blacksmith who decides his final fate in the Merge.

Or who knows? Maybe the CRWBY Writers saw the recent 60th anniversary Doctor Who special and have the brilliance to put a new spin on the whole Ozma cycle where instead of Oscar merging with Oz, the two split apart with either wizards retaining their memories and single identities.

Instead of Oscar of losing himself to the Merge, he is set free leaving Ozma to carry on his mission to the Gods as himself. So no more pairing him up with like-minded souls. Like Oscar, Ozma is now his own person with his own agency. So even if he died again, similar to Salem, Ozma was still immortal only now he would simply come back in his original body as opposed to the former latter of playing hot potato with his soul inhabiting another poor innocent man or young boy’s body. All this with the extra added bonus that now we have two great and powerful wizards for the price of one. Both Oscar and the newly reincarnated Ozma (who gets back his original form---the one that was married to Salem and equally as powerful as her) retained his combat-ready muscle memory and shared ability to use magic. So Ozma, naturally fights with his trademark Long Memory, while Oscar uses magic freehand without the need for the cane.

That last one’s a big stretch but like all of my past Pinehead headcanons that I’ve tossed aimlessly into the ether of the FNDM community, I’m keeping it on the table of possibilities since it’d make a sick Oscar the Sorceror’s Apprentice Pinehead headcanon AU. Definitely adding that one to the list.

---

Anyways, getting back on track. Through everything that Oscar has been put through in the story so far, the most I want from this whole Merge storyline is that he doesn’t have to go through it on his own and I don’t mean, he’s going through it with just Oz as his main company.

What I mean for that is, I don’t think the implications of what the Merge means has truly sunk in for the rest of the hero team. A part of me wishes to assume that part of the reason why the rest of the hero team seems so nonchalant about Oscar’s whole merge with Oz is because Oscar has never truly been honest with them about how he really feels about the merge.

The last time Oscar spoke about the Merge with the team was back in V6 when he basically did it in such a “no biggie; don’t worry about me” sort of way that it came off as if he just said it to sound brave in the moment for the sake of the team and for the sake of keeping his own emotions in check.

I say this because as we’ve seen from the events of V7 through V8, Oscar is very anxious about the Merge. He doesn’t want it to happen which is why he and Oz are now fighting to keep it from happening even though it’s already long begun.

Bottom-line, I don’t think Oscar has been completely honest with anyone else outside of Oz about how he truly feels concerning the Merge. And now that it’s happening, he’s basically resolved himself to go through it alone. I don’t even think anyone else in the current group; not Nora, not Emerald, not even Ren (who literally has the ability to read someone’s thoughts and feelings through their emotions) knows about what he’s going through.

I wonder if Oscar puts on a brave face whenever he’s with the others and anytime he feels another “Merger episode” coming along, he quickly excuses himself (probably claiming that he needs to get back to his research in the Archives of Solitude) so the others don’t have to see him going through it.

Ren, in particular, because I’m sure if Ren saw Oscar’s pain from the Merge, he would blurt it out. Ren has now become the unsung singing canary of the hero team after his whole semblance upgrade.

Just like how he blurted out that Ozpin was back during the tunnel walk back in V8 following the rescue mission and escape from Monstro, Ren would definitely reveal that Oscar is going through the Merge if he knew he was going through it and having a painful grand ole time too.

Ren’s inability to remain discrete when revealing another’s true emotions could probably explain why Oscar has been avoiding alone time with him.

If you look at it, Ren is on his own probably stretching himself between helping everyone. It’s also interesting to me that Oscar hasn’t asked anyone else to help look for stuff in the Shade Archives.

Even if Oscar is technically two people in one, that is still a big ass library of books and archives to sift through for even two people. And yet, as we saw from the epilogue, Oscar is ALONE most of the time and I highly doubt no one else offered to help him in the libraries.

I know the Atlesian refugees are a priority but, when you look closely, everyone else is basically sharing the work; helping each other out with something. Nora is supporting folks like SSSN and CVFY.

Same for Ren. Em as well (even though she’s mostly mentioned in notes in the scene in the animatic).

But when you look to Oscar. He is ALL BY HIMSELF.

Yes, he has Oz with him. But, that doesn’t count. Why hasn’t anyone else volunteered to help Oscar in the archives?

My assumption is because Oscar probably convinced the others to leave the archives to him (and Oz) and prioritize the refugees as a way of ensuring that he’s by himself at all times so no one would have to glimpse his pain from the Merge.

Again, each time a merger episode was highlighted in the epilogue animatic, Oscar was by himself. So my money is that no one knows what Oscar’s really going through.

No one else knows of his mental struggle or pain.

And why I find this interesting is because it kind of parallels Ruby’s whole detachment period from the others in the Ever After before she went to the Tree and what happened at the Mad Tea Party.

Not saying Oscar will share a similar experience as Ruby. I’m just saying, he’s clearly removed himself from the others and acting alone.

As Ren pointed out, he’s not himself. He’s there but…not there at the same time.

This brings me back to my point. Personally, I do want Oscar pulling himself from the team to hide the fact that he’s going through the Merge to be proven canon.

And I want it to be canon so that the first person to pick up that something is clearly off about Oscar’s behaviour to be Ruby.

Maybe Ruby realizes that Oscar is acting weird and when she brings it up, Ren is probably definitely the first person to reveal that he’s been sensing something off for a while but after everything that’s happened, similar to how he’s currently giving Nora space to work things out on her own, Ren has been doing the same with Oscar.

He’s been giving the little prince space when if anyone were to look closely at Ren’s expressions, they could probably see his frustration in being the one to know fully well that his friends aren’t entirely ok and despite wanting to help, he still feels helpless because Ren can’t force his friends to accept his help; no matter how much he offers, y’know what I mean?

I feel like some of RWBYJ’s struggles in the After Ever and how they rose to triumph over them could be mirrored in what NOR is going through now back in Vacuo.

Overall, the point I’m trying to make here is that I just want a moment where Oscar is having another merger episode and he tries to go through it alone, believing that he has to, only to get the reassurance and support he needs from his friends.

I saw someone compare Oscar’s merger episodes to Penny’s battle with Watts’ virus back in V8.

And while I didn’t enjoy the forced heavy focus on Penny during that season, I did sort of like how it culminated in everyone coming together to show their support of Penny and reminding her that she is a part of their team.

That is a type of a moment I want for Oscar. Because unlike Penny, feeling like a part of the team as himself and not just a placeholder for Oz is something Oscar desires.

I want Oscar to push his friends away, believing that he needed to go through this Merge on his own, only to be reminded by his friends in the end that they have his back no matter what.

That he is still a part of their team. That he is still Oscar to them no matter who he becomes in the Merge.

I want a scene where Oscar loses it, possibly even abusing his magic to force walls between himself and his friends only for those said friends to break down those walls and be there for him.

(Maybe even have a moment where Oscar loses control of his magic while trying to fight the Merge and it ends up looking like a moment where everyone thinks it's another Grimm attack when it's actually Oscar whose feelings of the merge have manifested into some kind of monstrous form that Oscar practically cocooned himself inside of).

Y’know that moment in Steven Universe Future where Steven loses control and all of his friends---all the major people he has helped throughout the seasons---come together to help him for once.

I want a moment where the whole team---Ruby, Nora, Ren, Jaune, Blake, Yang, Weiss and Emerald---all of Oscar’s people are there at his side showing him full support as he goes through the Merge; ensuring him that he doesn’t have to be scared of the Merge anymore because no matter who he becomes in the Merge, he will always be Oscar to them.

He’s not Ozpin. He’s not Ozma. He’s sure as hell ain’t Salem’s Ozma. He’s Oscar. Their Oscar

The small, cute farm boy from Mistral who showed up on their doorstep one random night in Mistral and has now cemented himself as one of the most important members of their little team that they will not stand to lose; not even to himself.

I want Oscar to be reminded by his friends that he will be cherished and supported no matter who he becomes in Merge.

Even if Oscar forgot his “old self” due to the Merge, they---his friends, will be there to remind him of who he was because they, as his friends, will never forgot Oscar because to them, he never left.

I just want a moment where everybody group hugs Oscar while he cries about SIX SEASONS worth of repressed tears after all the sh** he's been put through plot-wise. I want it dagnabbit!

Who knows? Maybe Oscar has another painful merger episode and it’s the worse one he’s had since it started and the love and support of his friends surrounding him is what helps to ease him out of it and back to his old farm boy Oscar self.

Just give me one scene like that. That’s all I want.

Don’t know if it will ever come to fruition given the current state of RT and the fate of RWBY as a whole. But hey, still wanted to get that off of my chest.

---

On the subject of the CRWBY Writers possibly showing more of Oscar's past in V10 as he's going through the Merge:

Honestly, at this point, m'fam, it's either now or never.

Now, as in during the events of V10, is the perfect time to give the audience more insight into Oscar's past and who he is. It is practically mandatory at this point that they show it as he is going into a storyline where he's being forced to lose that part of himself. They just have to do it!

Just as how V8 could pretty much be pretty much summed up as another Cinder-centric season similar to V4-V5, V10 could potentially be more Oscar-focused as he's going through the Merge. Like I said, it's the right time for them to do it.

And while I'm unsure of them telling Ozpin's story, maybe that too can be done and do something similar to what they did with Ren and Nora's backstory back in V4.

We got Ren and Nora's whole history in Kunoyuri in an episode that jumped back and forth between the past and the present.

Perhaps Oscar could have a potential episode in V10 where he's having another Merge episode and, as I theorized, he loses control of his magic while a) fighting the Merge again and b) running away/hiding from his friends so that they would've have to see him suffer through it.

So it's an episode that ping pongs between the present day where Oscar's friends are trying to get through to him while he's suffering through yet another painful Merger episode and the past which reveals more of Oscar's backstory leading up to the moment he met Oz and possibly showing other Oscar-centric moments that we, as the audience, never got to see like what happened with Oscar in Argus after his fall out with Jaune (remember we never got to see his side of things and it's something that still bothers me to this day)

Perhaps Ozpin's past is mixed in with it as well as you mentioned and the location of the final relic is actually revealed in Ozpin's memories in a flashback where he entrusted the location to someone. Maybe that person was Summer Rose. Since V9 revealed there is more to Summer Rose's story and that Raven actually knows more about that; perhaps Summer Rose's disappearance is connected to the final Relic or at least the final vault?

I dunno.

Overall, I definitely do like the idea of a potential episode of V10 fully dedicated to sharing bits of both Oscar's past as well as Ozpin's; specifically during his time as headmaster of Beacon when Team STRQ were still students since it could potentially reveal more on where Oz hid the location of the Vault of the Fall Maiden and the Relic of Choice. And if that episode is then followed up by an episode that shows the hero team---all of Oscar's friends actually helping him through an episode of the Merge then even better.

I think that would be pretty amazing. Hope that helps answer your questions m'fam. Let me know.

~ LMS (2024)

#squiggles answers: rwby #oscar pine #rwby volume 9 spoilers #rwby v9 epilogue animatic #ruby rose #lie ren #oscar and ozpin #professor ozpin

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