#but I have to wield what little power I have

[sillygoofyqueer]

So, originally Crowyuan occured when Bingge was already Demon Emperor, then came the idea of him becoming known as the Corvid King while Binghe was still a little disciple. What if he transmigrates and becomes known as the Corvid King before Binghe is even born? What if he finds this poor abused slave boy and decides This Is Mine Now before realising Oops! He's taken the scum villain under his wing, metaphorically and possibly physically too. Too bad, that's his son/little brother now. Oh but what if he transmigrates a little earlier and it goes the same except it's with both Shen Jiu AND Yue Qi? Or with all the other slave children too because he feels bad just saving two, even if those two are the only ones relevant to the original plot?

Wow....the Original™ Crowyuan timeline........back in the good old days where I didn't have so many different AUs to think about.....(/silly I love them all) ANYWAY. Corvid King crowyuan would definitely stumble across the street kids - he gains B-points n shit through answering prayers and gaining followers, so of course he's going to listen to the prayers of some poor little street children with nowhere else to go. It's not like he doesn't have the means to look after them, whether that be giving them to couples who badly want a child but can't have one for whatever reason, or placing them into orphanages that he funds himself (note: they don't know that he's funding it, they just believe there's a generous rich person donating whenever they need the money). However, when he's dealing with this new band of street kids, there is one child who just....does not want to let go of him. He scorns Crowyuan's existence when the deity first finds them in the alleys, offering gentle words of reassurance despite the late hour and leading the children along (yes, "Come Little Children" style, what kind of animal do you take me for?). Unlike the other naïve idiots, Shen Jiu and Yue Qi have seen this played out before. A stranger comes in the night, promising food and a home and love, and those who follow are found not long after. Dead. Crowyuan watches on in...a mixture of respect and worry as one of the children tries to explain the danger of following strangers in the night to the others, and another stands back and watches it happen, scorn clear upon his face. These children should not know the harsh dangers of life, not so young, but it is good that at least two of them are smart enough to not trust strangers, even if that isn't necessary in this instance. So, he offers proof of who he is. He sits down and tells them who he is, and he makes them pray, so he can listen to what they want. The snappy, unimpressed child doesn't, he just glares and scoffs when his friend drops his head down, but then shifts as if to protect him if necessary. When he respond's to this friend's prayer aloud - "Xiao-Jiu would be happy and safe in a bed, I think" - everyone seems to startle. (Of course, he has to repeat this exercise many times until this snappish child, this 'Xiao-Jiu', finally relents). He finally is able to lead these children to a nearby orphanage, ran by people who could do so much good with just the right amount of gold, and he drops them off there along with a pouch filled with gold. However, when he turns to leave, Xiao-Jiu clings to him. He stares up at him with a sort of fury in his eyes, demanding to know who he thinks he is, ditching them after dumping them off with these random people. A street child who speaks to a god, whose fear of being left by his saviour outweighs his fear of the power this creature wields, and does not hesitate to cling to this deity's robes with his dirty hands.

[anistarrose]

Hey. Here's some things the Temporal Chalice says:

I was made to want to be used, and to make others want to use my power. But I remember before all this, before I was a cup, and before I was torn into seven parts and jammed into dishes and gloves and what-have-you, I was something incredible. I could breathe life into entire realities and shape existence at my master's will. [Griffin: And when she says that, June kind of gets lost in thought a bit. And she says…] In this form, as a cup, with a seventh of the power that I once had, I just don't have that kind of freedom anymore. I have some broad power over time, yeah, but not enough to actually change anything. And I'm hoping that that's where you can come in.

Things we can take away from this include:

the Chalice, and presumably all Relics by extension, remember being the Light of Creation.

the Relics are aware that they were more powerful as the Light of Creation, and are less powerful now.

at minimum, the Chalice, and possibly other Relics too, look back on being the Light of Creation with a sense of longing — for that time, for that power, and for that freedom.

The Chalice wants to be used — but mourns that it can't create a full new timeline. The Chalice wants to be used... but hey, wait. Doesn't it sound like the Chalice would much rather be used as part of the Light of Creation?

So, on that note... here's a question. What if Lucretia (or a non-Voidfished Tres Horny Boys, in some kind of early-reconciliation or no-Voidfishing AU) had just... talked to the Relics? And... told them the plan? Told the Relics what they were going to do with them? Promised to finally reunite them as the Light of Creation, and to use the Light at full power to stop the Hunger?

Do you think any of the Relics might've just... agreed to that?

According to the Chalice, the Relics can even turn off their thrall if it serves them, or they want to have a conversation on equal terms. (And judging by THB not having to roll for the Chalice, I think the Chalice was telling the truth about that.) In theory, any Relic literally could've just said "wow, I thought you'd never ask!" and clicked off the thrall, happily agreeing to let themselves be restored to their former glory.

Now, that's all in theory, because maybe some of the Relics wouldn't trust that offer. Especially if they realize it's their creator, who split them apart in the first place, that they're dealing with — there might be bad blood there. Or maybe some of the Relics would just be too impatient, too eager to be used — unable to get behind delayed gratification.

But... would some of them agree? I think the Chalice absolutely would. And we know so little about the Bulwark Staff's reclamation that I wonder... if this was an approach Lucretia took. And if unbeknownst to us, the Bulwark Staff actually did cooperate.

That's even a potential answer to why the Staff's thrall doesn't affect anyone on the moonbase. The common and reasonable answer I've seen from fans is that it's concentrating its thrall on Lucretia already, since she's the one wielding it — but another answer could be that it's consciously "playing nice," because it wants to be reunited as the Light of Creation more than anything. Maybe the real answer is somewhere in-between. Trying its best to thrall Lucretia, just to ensure she'll stay on her current course, because the Light has been betrayed by its wielder before — but simultaneously, recognizing that no one else it could thrall has nearly as much to give.

You know. Food for thought. We don't get much characterization for Relics outside of the Chalice, but what we do get from the Chalice says so much, and opens so many possibilities.

[kasagia]

Tell me it's you...

Pairing: young!Aleksander "Eric" Morozova/Darkling x fem!heartrender! reader Summary: The legendary Darkling saves your life from the Drüskells. You tell your friend Eric about this, but he advises you against seeking the Shadow Summoner. You don't listen to him. And you find him closer than you dared to think he was. Now you beg him to stay with you. Aleksander Morozova's Masterlist ~•♤♤♤•~Main Masterlist Oneshot inspired by: "Tell me it's you" from Mufasa... yeah, I just couldn't leave that song. I never thought The Lion King would inspire me to write a oneshot for Darkling... Hope you enjoy it! Taglist: @aoi-targaryen @chelseyyouraverageluigi @watersquirtpewpewboomm @summersummoner-pat

"It was... like something out of an adventure novel. I'm telling you, Eric, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Suddenly, shadows appeared; I couldn't see practically anything, and then they cut Drüskells in half. I... I've never seen such power. In anyone. Ever." You tell your friend in shock, half-sitting, half-lying on his bed as he bustles around you, tending to your wounds.

"You may have imagined it. No one has seen the Darkling or any of his ancestors in centuries. Shadow Summoners are freaks of nature. The fact that they are virtually nonexistent shows that they shouldn't exist." The dark-haired man replies dismissively.

You grab his hand as he's about to apply gauze soaked in the medicinal plant dimension to your cut brow and give him an offended look.

"No, Eric, I know what I saw. Maybe not exactly; maybe I didn't really see him, but it was definitely a Shadow Summoner. As when the king's men were pursuing us and we were hidden from their view by a cloud of shadow. The fact that there are few of them proves how powerful they are. Not everyone is meant to wield such responsibility on their arms. To be a saviour." You say and let go of his hand.

"You speak too highly of him. He's probably a power-hungry maniac, a heretic, not some Grisha saviour."

"I know it's him. I'm sure of it. Just as I know it's him and only the Shadow Summoner who can stop this hunt for us. We have to find him. Maybe you don't feel it, but I do. Without him... without him we have no reason to even try to fight the Tsar, Fjerda, Shu Han, and Ravka for our freedom."

Eric sighs and shakes his head in disbelief at your stubbornness. But he doesn't have time to respond to you, because suddenly his mother enters their one-room, small cottage.

He pulls away from you and gives his mother a warning look. You only stop yourself from rolling your eyes at him because the older woman walks straight to you, ignoring her son.

"The whole village is gossiping that they saw my son bring you unconscious and bloody to our hut. What happened to you, little heartreder? Did you use your powers on yourself?"

She nods at the young healer in the doorway while examining you. And if you didn't know her better, you'd almost believe the older woman was actually worried about you. Luda steps to your side and uses her powers to heal you. You clench your teeth and look at your teacher, slightly offended.

"I was taking Marika home. We took a shorter path through the forest, and the Drüskells attacked us. She ran away and alarmed Eric, and I... somehow managed to scare them away." You lie to her about the last part, feeling your friend's burning gaze on you.

Earlier, you promised him that your... unusual encounter with the Shadow Summoner would stay between you. It wasn't safe to talk about them. Besides, you doubt the old woman would believe your story, however true it is.

You nod in thanks to Luda and try to ignore the burning feeling of jealousy as she sends one of her longing glances towards Eric. You quickly regain control, reminded of the watchful gaze of the older woman who was still present.

"I don't understand why that girl called my son, since he controls his powers like a baby controls urine." You're very proud of how you manage to keep from snorting in amusement at her ridiculous remark. Eric, on the other hand, seems to not appreciate at all his mother's teasing.

"I'm here, mother."

"And you should be in the village and working. I don't know what you want to feed yourself with, but now that winter is coming, it will be harder and harder. Stop hovering over that poor girl like a dog over a hedgehog and go find yourself some useful occupation. I'll look after her."

"But, mother..."

"Go, Eric. I'll see you later." You assure him with a warm, gentle smile.

He sighs and gives his mother one last, warning look and approaches the bed. He presses a kiss to your forehead, and after making sure your wounds have healed nicely, he leaves.

"What?" You ask her, blushing slightly with embarrassment as she stares at you.

"One day, he'll put me in my grave, and he'll regret it." She sighs and stands, her black hair interwoven with more frequent streaks of grey, and you see her hands shaking slightly as she hands you a cup of herbal tea.

Lately, you've started to notice that she... stopped looking so young. Before, you couldn't believe that Eric was her son, but now, it seems, time has started to catch up with her. And she's become impossibly more grumpy and stubborn.

"Will he?" You ask, raising an eyebrow teasingly and taking a sip.

"Don't let yourself get carried away, little brat. Just because you make him more bearable doesn't give you the right to mock me. You know perfectly well that this halfwit is head over heels in love with you. So for the sake of all of us, kill it before you break your hearts."

"I... we are just friends." You persist in refusing to admit your feelings to her. She looks at you for a long moment and sighs, nodding at you reproachfully.

"Believe the words of an old woman, Y/N. You... you deserve something more. Don't destroy your peace and life because of one pair of pretty eyes."

"We are not together." You repeat yourself, not even trying to explain to her how beautiful Eric's dark irises were. Worth any pain he could bring you—something you doubt would ever happen anyway.

He was too good to hurt you. Ever. However. He was... Eric. You could always count on his help and support; he always somehow managed to be there for you when you needed him the most. So how could you fight your growing feelings for him?

"I know. But I also know him and you. So trust me when I say, he is not good enough for you."

"Aren't you confusing your roles? Shouldn't you be saying this to Eric?" The woman frowns the moment you say her son's name.

She sighs and gets out of bed, arms folded, when she was staring at you—as if her cold, disapproving gaze would change the way your stupid heart sped up whenever he was around.

"Usually the voice of reason does not break through the deafening scream of foolish love. And this boy... he is a lost cause."

"Maybe I like lost causes?"

"Y/N... you are a smart girl. So for your own good, leave before it's too late." She gathers your things and offers you a hand to help you up.

You accept her unusual, gentle help and take your bundle from her. You absentmindedly stroke the charm on your bracelet—a small stone of your favourite gemstone that Eric gave you for your birthday—as you think about how to respond to her.

"I... I am not going anywhere. I promised him I won't leave him. He is my friend."

"Ehhh... stupid child." The woman shakes her head, irritated by our stubbornness, and leads you to the exit.

You are already on your way to the village when Baghra notices a familiar figure lurking in the recesses of the hut. Her mood darkens even further when she realises an extra, unwanted pair of ears has heard your conversation.

"Happy, Aleksander? Or should I call you Eric?" The woman huffs in exasperation and grabs her old journal from the table.

"You yourself said I should hold my real name away from anyone." Aleksander answers her with the same cold, emotionless tone she gives him and steps out of his shadows.

Only now does Baghra take a moment to look at him. He snorts when he sees the streak of blood carefully hidden beneath his cloak from your view. But not from hers.

"I should also mention your stupid heart then. She will die before you, you know that, right? No matter how much you love her or how hard you will try to protect her, she will grow old, and you will remain in the same shape as today."

"Unless I stop summoning."

"As if you could. I bet you've already done it today, right?" Aleksander turns his gaze away from her. He watches your retreating figure from the window, his heart clenching at the thought that one day he will no longer be able to be by your side or watch you from his shadows. "Let her live her life. She may be a powerful heartrender, but she is still not us, Aleksander. She won't live forever; she is not equal to us. Can you watch her slipping away from your fingers each day? Watch her die in your arms?"

He clenches his fists. Unconsciously, he lets his shadows break free and spread throughout the hut. Baghra sighs and approaches him. She places her hand hesitantly on his shoulder, forcing him to look her in the eyes.

"We overstayed here, Aleksander. I leave in a week. And if you really care about her, you will leave with me." Baghra looks at him for a long moment, then lets go of him. She heads for the exit and puts her hand on the doorknob but stops when she hears his voice.

"And what if I don't?"

Cold silence cuts through the air between them. Baghra looks at her son over her shoulder, and for a moment in his eyes, she sees the glow of her old self. A naive version that didn't yet know the true realities of this world, the curse hidden behind her powers. And since Aleksander wouldn't listen to her, to draw from her experience, all she could do was leave him to realise alone, in pain, that there were no others like them, that they were condemned to a life of solitude.

"Then prepare yourself for losing her anyway."

Aleksander clenches his fists as he is left alone in the hut. He lets his wonders flow out of him as he sinks into total darkness. And even the memory of your smile, something that always managed to fight his darkness, only makes the shadows grow thicker around him. Because as much as he hated his mother, he knew there was some truth in her words. You would eventually leave. And he would be all alone. Again. And even if he told you who he really was... it wasn't at all sure that you wouldn't turn away from him like everyone else before you did.

The truth was that you would cast him out. So he has to leave first... before you break his heart, that you didn't even know that belonged to you the moment he met you and got to know you.

He screams, letting his shadows in him exit through his mouth, swallowing the tears that roll down his cheeks.

"I've asked everywhere, and no one has noticed anyone new coming to the village. So it must be one of the locals or someone who arrived recently. But no one comes to mind, with... well, him. My investigation is at a standstill."

You grumble as you walk beside Eric through the forest path. Snow falls around you, causing a few small flakes to cling to his dark coat and hair. He looked adorable. Even with his red nose and the grimace that appeared on his face whenever you mentioned the Shadow Summoner in his presence.

"Maybe that's a good thing? Maybe he doesn't want to be found? Maybe he prefers to stay in his shadows, where he belongs."

"No, Eric, you... you didn't see what I saw, the power that flowed from him. He killed them all with a wave of his hand; it... it was incredible. If only he hadn't hidden, if only he had gathered us all and led us... maybe we would never have had to hide again, never have to make new homes, never have to worry about being discovered, about having to run away and start our lives over for fear of being tracked down and killed for who we are. You must feel the same way I do. Haven't you had enough? That every time you find a home, someone comes and takes it away just because we can do more than them? That we have power that they fear? Eric... I can't live like this. I'll find him. Even if it's the last thing I do, I have to convince him... there's no other way for us."

"That's a pipe dream, Y/N. Even if he gathers us all... forms an army... even among our own kind, there will be those who would seek to destroy him." He replies sceptically and stops to look at the frozen river. You sigh and shove your hands in your pockets, trying to warm yourself up a little.

"There will always be some. Is that why we have to keep hiding in our holes like rats? The Tsar will never change his mind about us if we don't act. We can't bury our heads in the sand, Eric. I'm not going to... I'm not going to let my children, if I have them, live in a world like that... to go through what we went through."

"Y/N..." He sighs and looks at you for the first time since you brought up the topic of the mysterious Shadow Summoner.

You frown as you see a glimpse of pain and concern in his eyes, wondering what could have caused him such a negative agitation. Before you can say anything back, suddenly an arrow flies near you and embeds itself in the ground not far away from you.

"Come with me." Eric takes your hand, not waiting for your reaction as he starts to drag you away.

He runs, pulling you in the opposite direction of where he heard the barking of dogs and the shouting of men. As you pass the arrow, you see the distinctive Fjerdan finish on it. You curse under your breath and speed up, running with Eric to one of the safe havens you and the other Grisha had set up in case the Drüskells 'witch hunt' resumes.

Unfortunately, you're running too slowly, or there are too many Fjerdans (you can't tell because Eric is pulling you along and setting your pace so fast that you can barely move your legs, let alone look back) to lose them. Your lungs are burning, and your heart is beating fast as you wade through the folds of snow.

You doubt that you'll be able to defend both yourself and Eric because you certainly won't leave him alone to these bloodthirsty men. Or that was the plan, before he pushed you into some Saint-knows-where hole big enough for one of you to hide.

"Stay here."

"No, Eric..." You hiss in desperation and grab his sleeve, realising he'll die if he goes alone.

"Stay here, Y/N. I will be fine. I promise. Just stay right here and wait for me." He cups your cheek in his hand and presses his lips to your forehead as you sob quietly into your hand, holding him tight by his sleeve, not wanting to let go. "Hush. I'll be back. I promise. Just stay here and be quiet."

Despite your efforts, he somehow manages to wiggle out of your grip. As he asked, you press your hand to your mouth and stop all the cries and sounds from escaping your throat. You close your eyes and focus on your surroundings, trying to feel the beating of hearts around you.

You shiver as the ground above you shakes with the force of the Drüskells that are chasing Eric. You try to help him in any way you can, slowing some of their heartbeats, tiring them out more, even managing to stop a few of them altogether—something you could never do in your lessons with Baghra. But it's still not enough; you still feel like there are so many more of them than Eric can handle alone.

So you do probably the stupidest thing, but the only right thing you can do in this situation. You come out of your hiding place and run in the direction Eric ran.

When you reach the clearing, the first thing you notice is him, standing surrounded by Fjerdarns. You see his eyes widen when he sees you, too surprised and frightened to notice one of the Drüskells sneaking up on him.

"Eric!" You scream and lunge at him, your hands moving in a practiced motion, manipulating the blood flow of the Fjerdan who wanted to attack him.

But you walk into the trap yourself, and before you can blink, one of them shoots you with an arrow. You scream in bewilderment and grab your arm, trying to staunch the blood while controlling as many of the Fjerdan soldiers as you can, trying to keep yourself and Eric alive for as long as you can.

And then, shadows spread across the clearing. You close your eyes and sigh with relief as their familiar coldness takes hold of you. Men scream in terror, hunting dogs growl around, but after a moment, everything falls silent. All you hear are two heartbeats: yours, calm and sluggish after losing blood from the wound you inflicted with the shot, and Eric's, quick and sudden.

Before you know it, you begin to sink to your knees, both physically exhausted from running and using your power and emotionally exhausted from almost seeing your deaths.

"It's okay. It's okay. You are safe. I got you." Eric whispers, stroking your hair tenderly as he catches you at the last second. And then something inside you suddenly snaps.

Suddenly, you remember the exact moment your mysterious Shadow Summoner saved you all those weeks ago, and as it turns out, he did it again. Eric could summon shadows. He used them to save you for a second time. He... he was the Shadow Summoner. And with that revelation, you faint in his arms.

When you wake up, it's not by Eric's side like in all those romantic novels you like to read before going to bed—your passion that Eric laughs at you for. No. You wake all alone in some makeshift bed. Or rather, you wish you would wake up alone, because the first person you see is…

"Baghra? Am I in hell?"

"You were close enough." The woman grumbles, pressing a cloth to your shoulder. You hiss as you feel the herbs burn your healer-sealed skin. "My stupid son got it into his empty head because of your little accident that the Drüskelle came here for him. So he left. To give himself to them."

"What?! And you let him?!" I ask angrily and throw the blanket off me. I reach for my coat and quickly button it, searching the small room for my shoes.

"You know him. What was I supposed to do? Only two things can stop this stubborn moose: you and his death."

You sigh angrily at her and quickly tie your shoes. You hiss when your haste and carelessness slightly strain your injured arm. But the pain you feel is only an annoying distraction in the face of fear for Eric's life.

"He left a few hours ago. To the north. If you concentrate hard, you'll be able to feel his heartbeat." Baghra advises you as you take a pair of daggers from her. "Y/N." The woman grabs your elbow and forces you to look at her before you leave in a hurry. "Bring him back in one piece. And yourself too. Saints knows what that imbecile will do if anything happens to you again."

All you can do is nod at her as you leave one of the rooms in your hideout. You push your way through other Grisha, trying to get out of the abandoned tomb you all have turned into a base and back to the surface as quickly as possible.

Your blood boils; everything boils as you think about what will happen if you don't get to him in time. You wonder where he even got that stupid idea of ​​turning himself in to the Fjerdans. It won't solve your problem. They'll still be after you, even more when they realise that they killed... that they killed HIM.

You run through the snow, following Eric's footsteps and praying to every known saint that you'll make it in time. You had so many things to tell him... so many important confessions that you were afraid of. You still are. You realise that... Eric didn't tell the whole truth about himself, but on the other hand, you know that in his situation you would proceed just as carefully and maybe even more.

He was the Shadow Summoner. He created something, creatures that could kill people with a wave of his hand. He was something completely different from you and the rest of the Grisha, something much more powerful. And you know perfectly well that they will only listen to him and follow him. If ever there is anything good for you, it will only be with his rule over you.

Luckily, Eric doesn't run far from you. A few hours later, you're able to feel his heartbeat in the distance, or at least you assume it's his. It's strange to admit to yourself that you know that delicate rhythm perfectly, that you've been listening to that song of his heart unconsciously all those nights you spent together by the fire, snuggled up together, supposedly seeking extra warmth, but in reality subconsciously craving the closeness of the other.

You loved him. Even before the Shadow Summoner thing came to light. And you know he cared about you, too. And you would do anything to keep him with you…to make him what you and the other Grisha needed.

You almost fall to your knees with relief when you finally find him. He stands by the frozen river, staring at it with a blank expression, his fists clenched, completely oblivious to his surroundings. In any other situation, you would have snuck up to him, thrown your arms around his shoulders, and berated him for his lack of attention, but now, all you can do is stare at him silently.

Seeing him makes you realise who he is, what he's capable of, and honestly, all those scary stories about the powerful Shadow Summoner don't fit the Eric you know at all.

But you knew that no matter who he really was… you would be there for him. With him.

"Tell me it's you." You say, pulling him out of his own thoughts. He turns to you slowly, staring at you as if he's seen a ghost, as if he can't believe his eyes that he's seeing you.

"Y/N, you should be resting in the hideout..."

"Tell me it's you. I... I know it's you." You interrupt him and take a few steps closer to him.

He frowns at you, pretending not to know what you're on about, but from the way his eyes widen for a second and his heart skips a beat, you know he knows exactly what you are up to.

"I am afraid that I have no idea what you are talking about. Did you hurt yourself in the head? Let me see."

"Don't make me look crazy, Eric. I know, it's you. I may be stupid enough to not realise it earlier, but I am not that stupid to not see it now. You were always there at every major disaster, saving the day, like you knew exactly where to be; you saw more than any of us... For God's sake, you never even summoned a single damn wind. Baghra lied that you had no control over your powers, that you practically had none, but you hid from all of us that you are... please don't hide from me anymore. Tell me it's you. The one we've been waiting for so damn long."

"I... you have no idea what you are talking about."

"Eric, please..." You reach out to take his hand in yours, but he moves away from you before your skin can touch for even the slightest moment. He breathes heavily, quickly, shocked to find that his best attempts to keep who he is a secret from everyone have been in vain.

"You don't know anything, Y/N! I am not even Eric; I... I don't know what I am. What you think I am... I am not. I am surely not anyone's saviour. Whatever you saw... you don't know what you have seen. I... forget about it." He mumbles, his eyes wandering on your figure as he decides what to do, what to say to make you change your mind, to make you doubt what you have seen.

You can see the internal struggle in him, as he wants to reach out for you, but at the same time, he is also keeping his distance from you. So seeing his conflict, the panic state he found himself in, all you want to do is soothe him.

"I see you." You interrupt him and cup his cheek in your hand, grounding him for a moment, making him forget everything else as he looks at you. The lump in his throat eases; he feels the tension in his body leave as you stroke his bearded cheek tenderly with your thumb. "I may not know your real name, or the amount of power and responsibility or pain you carry within you... but I know your soul. I know the man you are trying to hide behind your shadows... but I won't allow you. Not anymore."

He instinctively nuzzles his face into your hand. He closes his eyes, unable to bear your sympathetic gaze any longer. He knows he should do to you what he did to all those who came before you: push you away, make you believe he'll disappear forever, go along with his mother's plan, and let you think he died at the hands of the Fjerdans, but... he couldn't. Not with you. Not when you've become involuntarily an important part of his sour heart that's sought your light like grass hidden for months under snow.

He's been alone in the darkness of his shadows for too long. And if letting you in meant breaking him completely... then he thought a few years with you were worth every pain that resulted from the subsequent loneliness.

"Ever since you appeared, I've been running from something deep inside. And it's worse than I feared, because I look in your eyes, and I can't hide. I tried to push you away..."

"Don't push me away." You interrupt him and take a step closer to him.

"But the feelings come back, just twice as strong." He finishes his thought and wraps his hand around the wrist of your hand that’s still caressing his cheek, tangling his other hand in your hair and pulling you closer to him so he can press a kiss to the top of your head. "And I... I don't know what to say." He whispers shakily, closing his eyes and burying his nose in your hair, inhaling your scent like calming salts.

"You know just what to say." You respond in an equally uncertain, tearful tone, holding him tightly against you, not letting him move an inch away from you, not when you finally have him where you need him—pressed against you.

"I do not belong here. I do not belong anywhere. I never did. Every time I find a home, something happens to take that home away. You do not want such a stray like me."

"You are exactly where you should be. The way you feel when you're with me... Beside me... This is the most right… this feels the most right. Please, don't hide from me anymore." You say, slightly pulling away from him to look into his dark eyes.

He tightens his grip on your hair, his gaze on you burning, almost electric as he stares into your eyes as if they were the answer to all his questions and doubts.

You don't know what he finds in them, but they're convincing enough for him to lean slightly toward you, tightening his grip on your wrist and holding your hand against his cheek as if you'd even dared to think for a moment about letting go of him.

He brushes his nose against yours, a hot shiver running through you as you feel his breath on your lips, the beating of his heart speeding up madly, slowly becoming the only thing you can hear. You close your eyes, allowing yourself one quick breath before you lean down and connect your lips in a shy kiss.

He doesn't allow that insult. In an instant he's all over you, wrapping his hand around your waist and pressing you against him. He deepens the kiss, his full lips caressing yours with incredible gentleness and passion as you both moan softly, finally doing what your hearts have longed for for so long.

You start to lose your breath, but that's nothing when you finally feel his hands on you, the warmth of his body so close to you, the taste of his lips that turns out to be so much better than the best candy you sometimes bought at the market. It was addictive, magnetic, the most intoxicating first kiss you've ever experienced. And not because he was the Shadow Summoner, but simply because he was himself—your Eric.

Eventually, you have to pull away. Your lungs are burning, demanding your stolen heart, but they can't find their voice. Your heart is screaming with joy, pure excitement that quickly dies when you open your eyes and meet his worried gaze, the familiar frown of contemplation you've grown to hate over the past few weeks.

Whatever he wants to say dies on his lips as you silence him with another quick, needed kiss. You desperately think about what to say to him, how to convince him to stay with you, and you realise that you have only one good bargaining chip he could be truly interested in—yourself.

"Don't run away anymore. Don't run away from us... from me." You ask him, placing your hand on the side of his neck, moving away just a few millimetres—just so you can look at him properly, begging him not to leave.

"If you knew what I've been doing all these years… what crimes I've committed, what I've been a passive witness to… what I'm capable of… you'd curse me like they all before you did."

"You don't know that. You can't know. We've been waiting for you for so long, Eric…"

"Aleksander." He interrupts you, looking at you thoughtfully. His hand moves to gently cup your cheek as he traces the line of your lower lip with his thumb. "My name is Aleksander." He repeats in a whisper, causing a faint blush to form on your cheeks.

"Aleksander." You test his name on your tongue, and you know from the way his eyes soften and tears well up in them how deeply he is touched by the tenderness with which you say the name he has protected so much. His real name. "That suits you more. Please, Aleksander... Sasha... don't run away this time."

"I..." He’s speechless at the endearing nickname you gave him. All he can do is bury his nose in your hair and pull you closer to him, engulfing you in a desperate embrace as if you’re the one who’s about to run away.

And from the way he strokes your back, the way he breathes in your scent, you know he won't leave you. You've found the Shadow Summoner. Now all you had to do was stay by his side and help him unite Grisha. And while you were at it… you could take advantage of the special care he'd bestowed upon you. For as long as fate would allow.

Thanks for reading this! I hope you enjoyed it. I really appreciate any comments and kudos/hearts if you want to take your time to share your thoughts about this one. Have a nice day/night!! 😊🖤🖤🩵🖤🖤

[moonmaiden1996]

Hi!!! I was curious do you have an headcanons for either 🩵Fukaboshi 🔱 or 🩷Katakuris🍩 idea if the perfect partner?

(I know they are basically the same character in a different font. Protective big brother, fangs, giant, loyal to their family, wields a trident, and a few other things. But they both are just two of my favorite characters)

Okay...I have to admit I had to go back to the manga and read bits of it for these two and boy was I glad I did. These men can be any woman/mans fantasy.... I may have gotten a little steamy with this one....Let me know what you think.

Request are still open! I have added Disney's Rivals and Sakamoto's Day to my list because they are amazing.....

Fukaboshi’s Ideal Partner 🔱

1. A Partner Who Matches His Kindness

Fukaboshi is a protector at heart. He’s strong and commanding when he needs to be, but at his core, he is gentle, always looking out for others. He’s drawn to a partner who shares that compassion—someone who treats others with kindness, who listens, who isn’t afraid to stand up for what’s right.

Nothing makes him fall harder than seeing you care for his people, watching you play with the children of Fishman Island, offering comfort to those in need. He swears his heart stops when you place a hand over his and say, “Let’s protect this place together.”

2. Late-Night Stargazing

Fukaboshi loves the quiet moments—lying on the sandy shore, looking up at the stars while the waves lap at the beach. He pulls you close, your head resting against his chest, his arm wrapped around you.

"Do you ever wonder if someone up there is looking back at us?" he muses, voice low and thoughtful. When you turn to look at him, the starlight reflects in his deep blue eyes, making them even more mesmerizing.

If you fall asleep on him, he doesn’t move an inch—he just smiles and lets you rest, his fingers tracing soothing patterns along your back.

3. Someone Who Can Handle the Depths (and Him)

Fukaboshi is a big man in every sense—tall, broad, and built like a warrior-prince. His ideal partner? Someone who isn’t intimidated by his sheer size, both in and out of the water. He wants a lover who embraces the feeling of being held, pressed against his strong chest, drowning in his affection just as much as they might drown in the ocean.

And speaking of the ocean—imagine clinging to him as he takes you on an exhilarating ride through the currents, his powerful strokes cutting through the water as he pulls you along, holding you so close you can feel the slow, deep rumble of his laughter. The pressure of the depths is nothing compared to the pressure of his grip when he finally gets you alone.

"You trust me, don’t you?" His voice is husky in your ear, his webbed fingers tracing the curve of your thigh as he floats just above you. "Let me take care of you… let me make you feel weightless in every way.”

4. Gentle Yet Dominant

He may be a prince, noble and kind, but when he wants something—when he wants you—he’s relentless. His kisses start slow, savoring every sigh, every trembling exhale, but once he has you fully under him, fully his? He devours.

His webbed hands, surprisingly warm, slide over your skin, exploring every inch as if you’re more precious than any treasure in the deep. His trident-wielding strength is matched only by his patience—he loves the build-up, watching you squirm as he takes his sweet time.

"I want to hear you beg, love." His voice is low, teasing, his sharp fangs grazing your collarbone as he presses you into soft silk sheets. "Tell me how badly you need me… and maybe I'll stop teasing."

But let’s be real—he never stops teasing.

5. Riding Sea Creatures (or Just Riding Him)

Fukaboshi is an expert rider—whether it’s guiding massive sea creatures through the currents or having you ride him with the same confidence. He enjoys watching you take control, hands pressed against his strong chest, thighs shaking as you move at your own pace.

His deep, approving groans vibrate against your skin, his hands gripping your waist, helping you keep balance. He loves when you take charge—when you lean down, kiss him breathless, and show him just how much you want him.

"You're beautiful like this," he murmurs, breath hitching as you roll your hips just right. His gaze darkens, pupils dilating as his fingers tighten their grip. "But don’t think I’ll let you have all the fun."

And the next moment? You're beneath him, drowning in his slow, deliberate thrusts, gasping as the prince of the sea claims you in every possible way.

Katakuri’s Ideal Partner 🍩

1. A Love That’s Simple but Meaningful

Katakuri isn’t one for grand romantic gestures. He shows love in quiet ways—by leaving a fresh cup of tea by your bedside in the morning, by slipping a hand around your waist when you least expect it, by making sure you always get the best of whatever’s available (even if it means sacrificing his own portion).

If he really likes you, you might find little surprises—handmade snacks, flowers he definitely didn’t spend an hour picking, small gifts he leaves without taking credit.

"I just… thought you’d like it," he mutters, looking away as if he’s not the strongest warrior in the world completely flustered by your gratitude.

2. Watching Over You While You Sleep

Katakuri doesn’t sleep much. When he does, it’s usually brief and restless, always ready to protect his family at a moment’s notice. But when you’re in his life? He finds himself staying awake for a different reason—just to watch you sleep.

It’s not in a creepy way, of course. He just… likes knowing you’re safe. That you trust him enough to let your guard down around him. He traces a gentle hand over your cheek, brushes a stray hair from your face, and sighs, feeling something settle deep in his chest.

"You have no idea what you do to me," he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper.

If you wake up and catch him staring, he’ll turn away, muttering something about “just making sure you were comfortable.” But if you pull him closer and mumble, “Go to sleep, Kat,” he actually listens… because in that moment, he finally feels at peace.

3.The One Who Sees Through His Mask

Katakuri is the type of man who watches you before he lets you in. His ideal partner? Someone who sees past his intimidating exterior—the towering frame, the sharp fangs, the cold stare—and recognizes the man beneath.

At first, he’s cautious, reserved, his touches controlled. But once he realizes you truly want him—when he catches the way your eyes linger on his lips, when your fingers brush against his bare skin with something other than fear—his restraint shatters.

"You don’t have to hold back with me," you whisper against his lips, and that’s all it takes.

One moment, you’re standing; the next, you’re pinned against the nearest surface, your wrists held above your head as Katakuri devours your mouth like a man starved.

"You have no idea what you do to me," he growls against your skin, his fangs grazing just enough to make you gasp. "But you’re about to find out."

4. Dominant but Soft for You

Katakuri is a man of control. He’s used to being the strongest in the room, used to people fearing him. But you? You make him weak.

When he’s with you, he’s still dominant, still the commanding, powerful force that keeps his family safe. But behind closed doors, when it’s just the two of you? He lets himself feel.

He buries his face in your neck, inhaling the scent of your skin as he grinds against you, his rough hands skimming down your sides. He groans when you thread your fingers through his hair, his entire body shivering at the sensation.

"You’re going to ruin me, sweetheart," he murmurs, voice thick with need. And yet, despite the hunger in his eyes, he takes his time, savoring every single second as if he’s memorizing you.

5. Absolute Worship

Katakuri may be intimidating, but in the bedroom? He worships his partner. He’s the type to cherish every inch of your body, pressing open-mouthed kisses along your stomach, your thighs, watching you squirm beneath him.

"Let me taste you." The words are more command than request, his strong hands gripping your hips as he lowers himself, his breath hot against your core. "I want to hear you scream my name."

He doesn’t just want you to feel good—he wants you wrecked, trembling, breathless, incapable of thinking about anyone but him. And once he’s finally inside you, slow and deep, his forehead pressed against yours, his groans vibrating through your very bones—he stays there, savoring the heat, the tightness, the way you cling to him.

"Mine," he breathes, voice raw with emotion as he moves, deep and deliberate, watching your every reaction. "You're mine."

And when you finally reach your climax, shattering around him, he follows soon after, moaning your name as he fills you completely. But he's not done.

"Hope you're not too tired, love," he murmurs, that rare smirk playing on his lips as he rolls his hips again, drawing out another whimper from your already sensitive body. "Because I’m not nearly satisfied yet."

Final Thoughts

Fukaboshi = Deep, slow-burning passion, teasing dominance, pure love, intimacy, and absolute devotion. Katakuri = Relentless hunger, unwavering control, protective, slow but intense love-making, and complete worship of his partner.

[thetireddoktor]

Shamura's Origin's

Below the cut is Shamura's beginnings, what they had before their crown and some events that lead after the crown

The Beginning, the Weavers

Shamura was once part of an ancient and revered village of weavers known as the Fate Weavers, a society dedicated to maintaining the Webs of Fate—a sacred relic passed down through generations. Through their craftsmanship, the Fate Weavers wove constellations and stars into delicate strands of webbing, reading them much like tarot cards to divine the paths of mortals and gods alike.

Shamura was the child of Naru, one of the most esteemed Fate Weavers, whose wisdom and mastery made them a guiding figure in the village. From a young age, Shamura was taught the delicate art of weaving fate, learning to trace the threads with patient hands and a keen mind. As Naru’s child, their path seemed clear: tend to the web, preserve the relic, continue the legacy.

The Old God

All was well—until their relic was noticed by an old god. A being who wanted the web for themselves.

The old god threatened Naru and Shamura, demanding that she and her people serve under them, worship them, and use the Webs of Fate in their name.

Naru? She wasn’t having it.

(Note: This is before Shamura chose to go by they/them.)

"Oh, you listen to me, you overgrown dust collector. You do not get to come into my domain, speak of my child like he’s yours to take, and expect me to nod along like some meek little thing. I don’t care if you’re older than time itself, I don’t care what power you think you hold—I will personally unravel you, thread by thread, if you so much as look at him again."

"Now, be a dear and get the hell out of my village before I decide you’d look better woven into my web."

She had chosen poorly.

The old god left

The Loss

The weavers thought they were safe, they thought they were free for the time being. But they were wrong, the Old God returned with a vengeance. Their cultists tore Shamura's home, life, and family apart.

Father? Dead. Brothers and sisters? Gone. Their mother? …She foresaw this fate, so she did the only thing she could.

She set fire to the Web of Fate and sent Shamura away—to protect them. When Shamura returned, everything was gone. Ash, rubble, death. Their mother’s charred corpse, still entangled in the remains of the web, because she had chosen to die with it.

Then, they found the crown.

Perhaps it was fate. Perhaps it was the price of their suffering. But with the weight of their loss, the rage of war in their heart, they could see it. They could wield it.

They were named the Bishop of Peace.

Peace. Funny. They didn’t feel at peace. They felt hollow. Angry. Empty. And like any true teenager drowning in unchecked emotions, they let it fester. At first, building their cult was good, structured, steady. But over time, their mind warped under the weight of that festering anger, hate, and despair.

They began to whisper to their followers:

“Peace is fleeting. Hold onto it while you can… because one day, something will come to take it all from you. By the time they had their own temple, they resumed their fate weaving, just as their mother had taught them—only this time, they alone controlled the web.

As years passed, they bided their time, wove fates, and kept peace, just long enough to be useful. Once they had amassed a sizeable following (turns out, people love worshiping the concept of peace... who knew?), they began poisoning the well. They whispered darker thoughts into their followers' minds. They elevated the most ruthless among them into disciples—Focalor, Vephar, Hauras.

And while their growing army followed blindly, Shamura set their disciples to hunt.

Find the old god. The one who ruined everything.

Once they were found?

No one would stop their warpath.

Below, a sermon they would preach to their followers:

Shamura stood before the gathered faithful, draped in the heavy silence of their temple. Their gaze swept over the men and women alike who knelt before them reverently, their devotion unwavering. Fools. They inhaled deeply, exhaled slow. The weight of loss clung to them, as constant as the breath in their lungs. As constant as the memory of ash. When they spoke, their voice was calm… too calm. Beneath it, something seethed.

"Peace…" They let the word settle in the air, curling like thread between fingers. "Peace is precious, is it not? It is the warmth of the sun on weary shoulders. The feeling of home at your back. The certainty that when you wake, the world will still be yours." They tilted their head slightly, red eyes flickering in the torchlight. They let the thought hang in the air, let the people kneeling before them imagine that world, warm, safe, eternal. Let them hold onto it.

And then they shattered it.

"But peace is also fleeting."

Inhaling deeply, Shamura's many arms curled inward, fingers brushing together, tracing the shape of something no longer there. Something that had never been real, slowly they paced back and forth… One side to the other as they find their words. "I was born into peace. My mother taught me to weave it with my hands, to stitch it into the Webs of Fate, to follow the careful patterns laid by those who came before. My people believed in peace, in the balance of destiny, in the quiet hum of threads stretching across the stars. We believed it was something we could protect."

A slow, bitter smile curled at their lips. "But belief does not make something true." Their voice darkened, their fingers tightening. "One day, peace was taken."

The words were blunt. Cold. Final. Undeniable.

"I watched my home burn. I smelled the smoke rising from our sacred threads, felt the heat licking at my skin as the old god's hounds ripped through everything we had built." A pause. A breath. Their voice did not waver. "My father fell I watched from safety as he was torn apart. My brothers and sisters, gone, their threads cut before their time. And my mother…" They let the silence stretch. Let the weight of it settle over the temple like a veil of mourning "My mother did not run. She did not beg, she did not kneel, she did not let that wretched god lay claim to what was ours."

A flicker of something burned behind their gaze, something too bright, too sharp, too deep to ever be put out. "Instead, she set fire to it herself." They lifted a hand, a single finger tracing the air as if following the path of a flame. "The Webs of Fate, the work of generations, the threads that held the weight of gods and mortals alike—she burned them. She turned them to ash so that no unworthy hands could ever grasp them. She chose to die with them, rather than let him take what was never his to hold." Their jaw clenched, mandibles twitching as they swallowed back the pain. Or perhaps, the rage. "When I returned, there was nothing left. Only ruins. Only the bones of those I loved. Only my mother’s body, charred and crumbling beneath the weight of what she had given up."

Silence. Deep, aching silence.

"And in the ashes," they whispered, voice barely above breath, "I found a single thread unburnt." Their many arms flexed, fingers curling as if feeling it between them once more. "A thread that held a Crown. I should have felt peace. I should have felt purpose. I should have taken it as a sign that fate still had a place for me, that there was something left to be saved." They exhaled, slow, steady, a hand rising to gently touch the crown upon their head, its eye gazing endlessly into nothing. "But I did not." Slowly, their hand lowered, their gaze staring past their followers, at something unseen, even to them. "I felt hollow. I felt angry. I felt empty." They straightened, their many arms folding behind their back, their many eyes back on their devoted. Their voice, when it came next, was steady... too steady. "And so I tell you this: Do not mistake peace for something permanent." They let the words settle, their gaze sweeping across their followers. "It will not last. It will never last. Peace is a thread too easily severed, too easily burned. You may hold it in your hands, cherish it, weave it into your life, but one day, something will come to take it from you." Their voice did not rise, did not break. "And when that day comes," they murmured, "you will have only two choices: Let it slip through your fingers… or set fire to it yourself." A long silence. And then, a final whisper, spoken like a truth already woven into fate: "I have made my choice."

[omnificent-orion]

Day 4: Dream What else could it be?

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Never gonna live that down.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[yo-yo-yoshiko]

I want to carry this scene with me a little while...

[asharaks]

we've talked about wyll's bit and we all know about astarion's bit but let's talk about gale's bit. let's talk about his presentation as the Ideal of what it is to be an archmage. the man wears purple velvet pajamas with an embroidered collar to camp in the underdark. he wears a gay little earring with mystra's symbol on it. its all fun and games to joke about his jammies but let's be clear: those things Fuck. he dresses well, he dresses richly, he is a wealthy lavish man who, in a world where things like long hair are not traditionally associated with femininity, is not what I would call gender nonconforming, but I think he does have a very interesting presentation.

robes and jewellery are traditionally associated with wizardry and femininity - or, if not femininity, at least nonmasculinity. theyre the garments of monks, eunuchs, and nuns, people who stand outside of the typical sex/gender binary for socially accepted reasons. traditionally most archmages are men (karsus, mordenkainen, elminster, etc) who perform this exact presentation. the doylist explanation is, of course, that dnd canon is inherently misogynistic, but the in-universe implication would suggest that to present in this way is not regarded as gender non-conformation but as class conformation. so our options are:

wizardry is for gayboys

'wizard' is its own gender

gender presentation is less important than getting that sweet sweet +1 spell save dc and everyone knows it

class is a gender modifier. this has interesting implications for the other classes - particularly ones like clerics, which might have prescribed uniforms or vestments - but given that faerun does have a not-insignificant classless, non-adventurer population- how does it work for them?

regardless, I think it's fair to say that gale's bit - like wyll's is the Blade of Frontiers and astarion's as the seductive rake - is The Archmage. he presents himself, from the start, as an academic, as a wizard. he's a friend of elminster, the (ex-)chosen of mystra, gale of waterdeep - he's everything a Wizard should be. even when he's tadpoled, camping in the woods, he carries a stack of unread books, wears mystra's symbol, wears his purple velvet jammies. he's presenting himself with care and thought, and giving a highly specific impression. I think it's really interesting that, as much as wyll and astarion, he's putting on a front, and it plays into his story. do you encourage the side of him that's ambitious and daring, the archmage, the man who pushes the boundaries of power and knowledge - or do you try to break that down, and place the value on the man who just wants to sit in front of the fire with his cat and read a book?

[thegreatestheaver]

reblog to slap her bald head

[8-birdparagon]

I love Baldur’s Gate 3 but I do wish that there was a bit more diversity with the companions. Like they’re all generally well-written and interesting but also:

Out of the 10 total companions, only two of them are not some variation on a human or an elf

Every single origin companion has “I have spent a significant portion of my life in service to a powerful being” as a central part of their backstory

Half of the origin companions were either directly stated or implied to be extremely powerful but got reduced to lvl 1 bc a worm was put in their noggin

2 of the companions are druids (They also overlap a fair amount in terms of backstory)

Some of these points are probably a little nitpicky, but also there’s so many interesting characters that you only meet once who would be so cool as a companion. Let me recruit that one goblin who’s still faithful to Maglubiyet. Let me recruit Barcus and get to know him better while I help him find his friend. I want to bring stone mason Kith along so he can better investigate the Grymforge and also tell me about historical architecture. Z’rell or Aylin could both be really interesting act II additions to the party. The current companions are great, but in comparison to all the possibilities that are in the game they feel kinda bland.

[confinesofmy]

for the first time in a long time, i threw together something to eat and it was actively bad. not because of parosmia or any other external thing, it just genuinely wasn't good. i barely finished it and was really glad it was one serving. #humbled

[imminent-danger-came]

My favorite part of 4x07 is the fact that it doesn’t tell us fucking shit. I knew more going into that episode than coming out. Like, what is the curse? What’s it’s relation to MK? Does it even have a relation to MK? Was turning into MK’s likeness just a trick, or are they really the same? How the fuck does Azure lion control the curse and the scroll (especially at the end after the curse is “defeated” and everything is cracking apart)? How does this episode relate to MK’s flashes from previous episodes? Did MK give the curse form? Was anything Azure Lion said about it and the scroll in 4x02 true? How did Azure escape the scroll? How does the underworld play into all of this? What did defeating the curse honestly do? And, now that the curse is supposedly defeated, what in the world is the inside of the scroll like for those trapped inside? How was MK able to defeat the curse? Supposedly the scroll is “a prison designed to contain wicked souls, forcing them to relive their past misdeeds over and over again.” The curse however is something else. So again, WHAT IS THE CURSE.

The more I think about it the less it makes sense.

[blushouyo]

okay. decided that im going to reload to be playing a bit more cautiously tadpole positive onwards from the first encounter with the dream visitor because, while he doesn't trust their mysterious motives at all, he does feel slightly more confident that it wont immediately turn him into a mindflayer lol

[waywardsalt]

finally got around to putting together elden ring builds for the post-ph crew, and tested them out briefly, so here are the builds i came up with and all that! (absolutely a very long post, i had fun explaining a lot of my reasoning)

i'm not going to give them exact stats, just some vague idea of what they'd likely lean towards, and i can't say much to what equip load they have. when i tested these builds out i had 72 endurance. this uses exclusively base-game equipment since i don’t have the dlc and wanted to test these out for myself.

i also don’t use many spells or any incantations so the spell and incantation choices are mostly based on wiki descriptions and whether or not i felt it would fit the character.

some context is that this is with the idea that somehow these four get zapped into the lands between as tarnished, and this is the equipment i think they’d use, disregarding what is needed to access most of this stuff.

i also didn't change my tarnished's appearance for these, not that i think i could accurately replicate these four in elden ring's character creator, anyways, so you get to see my tarnished's face with all of these :)

Link:

His armor is: the highwayman hood, the blue cloth vest, exile gauntlets, and Carian knight greaves.

There's practically no green armor in this game, and what is there isn't really armor and isn’t exactly good protection. I wanted a bit of a balance between just cloth, but also some armor, as well as a headpiece somewhat like the usual hero's cap. The highwayman's hood works well enough, honestly, and I think it fits in well with the blue cloth vest; plus, I can see it being helpful in keeping dust and whatnot out of his eyes. Blue works well enough with Link nowadays, and I do think the blue cloth vest actually fits Link well enough- I doubt he'd want to wear something like a plate breastplate, so a vest like this is good.

The exile gauntlets I feel work well, they're simple and slim with some decent coverage, and the Carian knight graves not only look great with the blue cloth vest, but are also something that I believe fits Link, and the tall boots are likely decently practical in the same vein as the hood.

His weapons I chose are: The Carian knight's sword, with the pulley bow as a secondary weapon, and the Carian knight's shield in his offhand, with the academy glintstone staff as a secondary.

He obviously had to be the good standard sword-and-shield combo fighter, but I went ahead and gave him with Carian sword and shield partially because they look decently similar to what weapons he normally uses, but also because I enjoy the idea of him dabbling in magic along with typical damage types. The Carian sword does a good bit of magic damage along with standard, and the shield guards again both of those types, and the sword's unique ash of war (Carian Grandeur) is a good mix between swordfighting and magic, and actually really good to use in-game. I feel like they suit him well.

For his secondaries, I had to give him a bow, and I feel like the pulley bow is just right, especially with it's special feature of having increased range. I could see him being the one tasked with deactivating faraway traps and hunting the animals of the Lands Between for materials, and even just luring enemies with some normal arrows.

The academy glintstone staff is a solid staff (and the one I personally use), and him using magic is a good way to translate his usual versatility, though I only limited him to five spells, those being:

Loretta's greatbow, giving him what is technically now a second bow, and a pretty good spell for luring and doing some decent magic damage,

Magma shot, a good, simple fire damage spell,

Glintstone Icecrag, a good ice spell, especially for causing frostbite buildup,

Great glintstone shard, a very basic but reliable spell, and is good when cast a few times in succession,

and Thops' barrier, for deflecting magic attacks, and though I've heard it's a mediocre spell, I could see Link getting the timing down and getting some good usage out of it. I tried giving him a decent range of spells, which is a little bit easier said then done considering the actual spell variety and wanting to pick spell that I think suit Link, but I think this is a good lineup.

For talismans, assuming that all four of them have all four talisman slots open, Link gets the silver scarab, the graven-mass talisman, the erdtree's favor +2, and the companion jar.

The silver scarab, raising item discovery is... perfect for Link. It only feels right that he gets a talisman that makes him more likely to get items off enemies. It definitely works, too, while testing, I got way more items out of the gatefront ruins group than I'd ever seen before.

The graven-mass talisman boosts sorcery power, which is certainly perfect for boosting Link's versatility and magic power, simple and useful.

The erdtree’s favor +2 is just an all-around great talisman to use for the hp, mp, and stamina boost, and it feels perfect as something for Link to use, especially to increase his effectiveness and endurance in battle.

And then the companion jar, which goes hand-in-hand with him also being a pot user to further his versatility, and it’s very easy to see him doing the Jar-Bairn side quest. My choices here disregard how the items are obtained, but I could absolutely see Link going out of his way to interact with Jarburg.

Link’s standard fighter, with a balance between offense and defense and physical and magical damage with a slight leaning towards magical, and the main archer who aims to do more damage with archery, and uses pots when needed. He’s probably the one ‘leading the charge’ in that he’s suited for most situations, but isn’t necessarily the most effective in all-out combat- he is the most defensively oriented, however. He’s likely in the mid-to-light equip range, and likely mostly levels Strength and Intelligence to keep his damage up, and focuses a lot on keeping his Vigor up for a good chunk of health.

Linebeck:

His armor is: the black knife armor, the gauntlets, and bandit boots.

The black knife armor is the most important part of the set, not just for it being a nice blue, but because it has the unique effect of completely silencing your movement sounds- perfect for steal and getting in a good number of sneak attacks. It’s light, too, and so are the generally standard gauntlets and bandit boots, all put together for a general… blue rogue kind of look? It’s practicality and some looks and all put around the idea that he’s going to be sneaking around and panic-rolling out of the enemy’s way- so his defenses are a bit lacking in favor of mobility. I do think it’s a good look overall.

His weapons are: A bloody antspur rapier with the poison mist ash of war, the redbranch shortbow as a secondary weapon, and the frozen needle in the offhand.

For Linebeck's build, it was either daggers or rapiers, and the extra damage, range, and great designs for the rapier won out- and I think rapiers suit him well. This specific pair of rapiers are oriented around inflicting ailments, with the frozen needle inflicting frostbite, and the antspur rapier- specifically with the poison mist ash of war and blood upgrade- can inflict scarlet rot, bloodloss, and poison with poison mist active. With the blood upgrade, the scarlet rot buildup suffers, but with the speed of rapiers and just how effective scarlet rot can be, it's a decent trade-off for the ability to do four ailments at once. His role in the Radahn fight is to inflict scarlet rot and then run off to snipe him with the redbranch shortbow, which is a simple ranged option, and helps with further ailment inflicting with ailment arrows.

His damage would probably be pretty decent, especially considering inflicting frostbite and his equipped talismans, but he's mostly going to be heading in with everyone and sticking around until proccing an ailment, and then backing off, especially if poison, rot, or frostbite are inflicted. Plus I think dual rapiers look great and it's very easy to see Linebeck using rapiers.

For talismans, he gets the gold scarab, the assassin's crimson dagger, the dagger talisman, and the blessed dew talisman.

The gold scarab boost rune acquisition by 20%. It's perfect. It's one of my favorite talismans. I can't make an Elden Ring build for Linebeck and NOT give him the money-boosting talisman.

The assassin's crimson dagger restores hp upon successful critical hits, and paired with the silencing effect of the black knife armor, is perfect for someone who's more used to sneaking around and taking down enemies from behind- and it's good for topping off your hp.

The dagger talisman boosts critical damage- so then making sneak attacks all the more effective, and even making any critical hits he manages in fights do much more damage.

And then the blessed dew talisman gives you a very minuscule constant hp regen, about 2 hp per second iirc. It’s incredibly slow, but it's hp regen all the same, good for saving flask uses and good for some health regeneration if you back out of the main fight.

Linebeck's got a big focus on stealth and ailments, with just a bit of health regen tossed in with the talismans to help with survivability. his weapons and offhand options are mainly based around ailments, and besides the bow, he tends to use darts and other throwable items, and is often the one to pick off enemies at the edge of a group while the others go in to the handle the main group. With bosses, he's in the front lines until an ailment is inflicted, and will jump back in either if he's really needed, or if ailments are needed again. For longer bosses, or bosses immune to a few ailments, he would probably find moments to jump in and get a bunch of quick hits in, then back out and wait for another opening. Rapiers are pretty good for quick hits considering that I believe you actually get three attacks from a dual-rapier sprint attack. He’d likely have a focus on Dexterity and Arcane, with some Endurance mixed in for that good running and rolling stamina.

Damien:

His armor is; the sacred crown helm, exile armor, crucible gauntlets, and drake knight greaves.

Picking armor for Damien was a bit of a challenge since he’s still a bit of a work in progress and I usually picture him in generally casual clothes, but I knew I wanted to stick with some red clothing and put together a bit more of a practical sort of outfit. Plus this end result kind of helps me further figure out Damien’s actual design and outfit variations.

I knew I wanted to give him one of the simple footsoldier helmets, and the sacred crown helm won out with the additional detail of the little vine-looking wreath, plus the minor faith boost. It’s a nice little helmet and I think it suits him. The exile armor was considered due to the red cloth around the shoulders, and was properly decided on when I found that the helmet got rid of the cloth covering the bottom half of the face. So it’s a good solid chest piece.

The crucible gauntlets and drake knight greaves work both with color and giving him some more armored extremities, the crucible gauntlets are pretty good heavy armor gauntlets, if the crucible knights themselves are anything to go by, and the drake knight graves seem to have a good bit of practicality with the high boots and armor. It’s all meant to end up somewhere in the medium equip load area, for a balance between defense and speed, and the lighter helmet and chest piece were primarily to even out with the heavier weapons.

The weapons he gets are: the axe of Godrick, the highland axe as a secondary, and the clawmark seal.

The axe of Godrick is a pretty good greataxe with what selection there is, some good damage and a really good ash of war skill with a really good area of effect. It’s fantastic for crowd control when two-handed, and worked pretty well for me when I tested it out without having upgraded it. It’s all in all a great standard axe. The highland axe as a secondary is used partially as a faster one-hand option, and partially for the boost given by its war cry ash of war. The axe of Godrick is almost always what he’d use, but the highland axe is probably better for some specific situations. Damien was always going to end up using axes, and I think these two are pretty good and fitting.

In his other hand is the clawmark seal- scaling with faith and strength and so working well with him relying on strength, and boosting bestial incantations, of which he has one- and he mostly uses support incantations with some minor attack incantations- but he is primarily support, usually backing out of the fight to switch to casting due to usually two-handing the axe of Godrick. He gets six incantations, those being:

Heal, as a very standard heal, mostly just for himself,

Erdtree heal, a heal more intended for group healing,

Golden vow, a group offense and defense buff for a time,

Protection of the erdtree, for increased non-physical defense, which is likely useful for many bosses,

Bestial sling, which is a pretty basic but effective attack incantation, and boosted by the seal he uses, and is probably great in tandem with his axes to break an enemy's poise,

and then Dragonclaw as his final spell, a stronger and closer-up attack spell, likely for individual bosses that are lower on hp.

His offenses are standard and meant to be pretty decent for crowd control and poise-breaking, so his attack spells follow suite, while his support options are based around healing and some basic buffs. I personally do not use buffs or incantations when I play, so I do not know the nuances of a lot of this stuff, but Damien's got a good set of incantations to use.

Damien's set of talismans are the green turtle talisman, the mottled necklace +1, the axe talisman, and the bull-goat's talisman.

The green turtle talisman is a great talisman, simply increasing the speed of stamina regeneration, and it's a fantastic talisman. Very useful with the stamina drained by axe attacks and backing off to cast spells.

The mottled necklace boosts immunity, robustness, and focus, an across-the-board status boost, and I imagine it's useful for being up close with enemies and then staying alive to help with support- even if he doesn't have much in the way of ailment-based support.

The axe talisman is a damage booster, and considering his decent poise, charged attacks are pretty viable for him to be using.

The bull-goat's talisman is standard but very effective in practice (or maybe that's me being used to low poise), as it raises poise, therefore making it harder for you to flinch or be knocked out of an attack. Very helpful with a slower main weapon like the axe of Godrick.

Damien's standard all around, with pretty good damage and likely very helpful with crowd control, usually two-handing the axe for maximum damage and will back off when using incantations. He primarily uses incantations for support, and the offensive incantations are usually saved for bosses or rougher encounters- or sometimes just if he wants to switch things up for fun. He's likely going to focus on Strength and Faith, with some Mind thrown in for most casts.

Bellum:

His armor is: the altered tree sentinel armor, and the malformed dragon gauntlets and greaves.

Chosen partially for the color and because they're all heavy plate armor; meant to emulate a lot of the phantom designs, and for that yellow color, and I wasn't even aware that the malformed dragon gauntlets had a darker color until I was initially putting this together. Heavy armor fits with a desire to survive in battle, plus I think decent mobility in heavy armor suits Bellum; when I tested this out, I was firmly in medium equip load territory, plus it made for a good bit of poise to go with slower weapons. It wasn't too hard to pick out armor for him.

The weapons I felt suit him are: the blasphemous blade, the Marais executioner's sword, with the gravel stone seal as a secondary.

The blasphemous blade was practically necessary, a greatsword with the bonus effect of hp restoration on enemy death, plus the Taker's Flames skill, which also heals hp when it hits an enemy. This is was made me decide on greatswords over colossal weapons, trying to stick a bit with some ideas from the phantoms, plus the hp-leeching effects, plus it’s a pretty good weapon and I think it originally belonging to Rykard also fits pretty well; it’s Bellum’s main weapon unless he switches to the Marais Executioner’s sword for it’s specific skill. That sword is mostly chosen for it’s skill, as well as it’s origins- those bell-bearing hunters are absolute nightmares to deal with- so the two swords are kind of also picked for a sort of intimidation effect. At least the wriggling flesh on the blasphemous blade does the job well enough if someone doesn’t know the origins (which don’t practically matter). He would likely switch to the executioner’s sword for some boss fights, and its skill can be highly damaging to lone enemies- the focus with these two is on heavy damage and hp regen.

The secondary left hand weapon he has is the gravel stone seal, which boost dragon incantations, and so he only uses offense incantations, with a lot of incantations that cover a wide area and some that inflict ailment buildup. Bellum gets five incantations, all attacks (and all maybe emulating the idea that he’s a monster forced to be human in the lands between lol);

Beast claw, a pretty standard but pretty effective ground-level attack,

Unendurable frenzy, a wide range, fiery madness-inflicting incantation that, while only inflicting madness on a select few enemies (and himself) is likely more than useful for crowds and large enemies,

Rotten breath, a dragon communion incantation that is about what it says on the tin, a dragon’s breath attack that inflicts scarlet rot,

Fortissax’s lightning spear, another dragon incantation that summons a pair of lightning spears, with the damage at it’s best up close,

and Aspects of the crucible: tail, a wide-range crucible incantation, and the most fitting of the crucible incantations, I feel.

He has no issue getting up close to bosses, since he can fall back on the honestly insane hp regen he’s afforded by both his main weapon and some of his talismans.

The talismans Bellum gets are; the taker’s cameo, the dragoncrest greatshield talisman, the pearldrake talisman +2, and the godskin swaddling cloth.

The taker’s token has the same passive effect as the blasphemous blade; hp restoration upon enemy death. The fun part is that the taker’s token and the blasphemous blade’s hp regen effects stack with each other.

The dragoncrest greatshield talisman reduces physical damage by 20%, and the pearldrake talisman +2 reduces non-physical damage by about 11%. Covering just about all defenses with these two talismans.

The godskin swaddling cloth allows for additional minor hp restoration upon landing a certain number of melee hits within a short timeframe. This could be harder with greatswords, but with dual greatswords and jumping right into the action, I don’t imagine it’s at all impossible for the talisman’s effect to never trigger. As always, it’s extra effective with a larger number of enemies.

Bellum’s the main damage-dealer with a focus on staying power and lots of hp regen, using the blasphemous blade for regular battles while switching to the executioner’s sword for bosses due to the more aggressive ash of war. His incantations are more often used for crowd control, but are absolutely effect for boss battles, especially when given time to charge them up. He’s all about staying power and straightforward damage-dealing, with some decent poise to back things up despite his checking piece being altered and his lack of a helmet, and all of his incantations are a bit more bestially-inclined. He'd probably focus on Vigor and Strength, with some Faith or Dexterity thrown in for damage-dealing.

Overall, the idea is that the four of them are in the lands between like this, working and running around together, probably fighting over what bosses to go after next and whether or not to head into the catacombs that one of them just spotted. I could see them taking the time to scour the lands between for every little trinket and discussing whether or not to bother with some character's quest. Not too different from actual post-ph stuff, but it's fun to put them in Elden Ring and think on what kinds of equipment to give them and what would suit them.

[crushermyheart]

her little happy skippy dance at the beginning <3