#but like. how good is the friendship when changeling is a Little only in it bc it doesn’t have any other options?

[changelingeyes]

think i might have to do rewrites on the Lazy fic,, the more i think about it the more i think that maybe tiffany and changeling’s friendship isn’t actually a good one

[crystal-grotto]

For how long this blog has been around I've never actually sat down and typed out how my collection of muses see eachother. Each arrow below breaks everything down and most of these have years of characterization and Discord plotting behind them.

-> Kanjigar

Draal is his only son. Kanjigar loves him with every fiber of his being, even though he did have to distance himself for so long while doing his duty as Hunter. He harbours many regrets for his actions but has been given a second chance, so he's working towards making any amends possible so they both can have a chance to heal.

Jim is new - but full of promise. Even though there have been hiccups here and there, Kanjigar likes and respects the youth enough to offer what wisdom he has to make sure Jim can survive, and be a more elder voice of logic in rough times.

Hagel is one of his closest friends out of the entirety of the OC crew. She was one of his first and only Gumm-Gumm Reformers, and throughout the years he grew to trust her through repeated contact. Their physical interactions are always in amicable light, sharing tea and food as well as stories even though Hagel is not required any longer to see him regularly.

Renjai is a troll of reputation. She's someone that he's not had a lot of interactions with - yet he has seen plenty of her work ethic as well as heard enough tales of her exploits from Draal to hold her in high esteem. In his opinion any Kiltar is a good thing to have in defense of Trollmarket; but it's even better to have one as decorated as Razorback there.

When it comes to Alex and Sturm, Kanjigar knows they are local as he has seen them around. He is also aware they interact with his son, but he's had little experience with them both himself so far, thus he has formed no defined opinions. That being said he is certainly more wary of Sturm compared to Alex as he suspects the electromancer is another Gumm-Gumm underneath those traveler robes; as neither cause issues in the Market, however, the old hunter has had no official reason to confront or persecute them.

-> Draal

Draal is very much his father's child. His love and devotion to Kanjigar runs deep - even though many wounds have been given throughout the years with his sire being distant. Now that the Fates gave him back, and offered a second chance, and the duo are making amends whenever their schedules align.

Jim may be tiny, but he is mighty and determined. Everything he's done so far has defied odds, making Draal all the prouder to be associated with him both as an ally and in family. Wherever the human Hunter decides to go, Draal will most likely be someplace nearby to keep a protective eye on him.

Renjai is a troll that Draal is a huge fan of when it comes to her professional life. He's attended a lot of her fights, and cheered her on many times both in the Kiltarheim and Trollmarket. He's even more delighted that he managed to achieve friendship with the pit fighter. She's a rarity in trolls that outmatch him - and he hopes maybe one day he can match her in combat capabilities. (Dependent on verse, he's crushing on her - ship tag: renjaal).

Alex, to Draal, is an odd one - in a good way. A changeling, but one that defies it's nature, is unheard of in the troll world. After causing him and her many levels of conflict after the female's status discovery, he's still somewhat surprised that she weathered it all and is a loyal friend. Shes a voice of calm compared to most of his circle; while Draal is not exactly sure what brings so many creatures of her ilk into his life, she's the only shapeshifter that has earned (and kept) his protective axe.

Sturm is a little bit of an enigma Draal is trying to unravel. After temporary butting of heads in Market encounters, tensions were smoothed away and tolerance allowed - and now the tinkertroll bull is a source of curiosity for the fighter. He's never known any troll to have magic like the hybrid does, nor such a understanding of machinery like him; and through much conversation Draal has managed to pry back a bit of the shell to secure a friendship with the other. He very much likes socializing with the other and listening to them talk about whatever topic is on hand - unlike Blinky. (Dependent on verse, he's crushing on him - ship tag: Sturaal).

-> Jim

He's had very little interactions with anyone aside from Kanjigar and Draal, as well as Alex.

He's in awe of the skill Kanjigar possesses, so he holds him up on a somewhat 'superhero'-ensue pedestal that he can learn from in his tenure of Trollhunter; he's not yet come to learn this version of Kanjigar is a Revenant. Draal on the other hand he loves to pieces as a elder (troll) sibling and takes everything he does with thoughtfulness and care - and subjects him/is subjected to his fair share of shenanigans.

When it comes to Alex, the young Hunter is clueless to her nature. He simply thinks she's a cool library/teacher's assistant that has an interest in the sciences and arts. He appreciates that she's relaxed and approachable, and that holds true as well in the rare instances he finds her in Trollmarket selling her hunts or herbs in her true form.

Renjai he admires at an arm's length. She's terrifying and powerful in the same way Draal was when he first saw him; Jim has not worked the nerve to talk to her yet.

He's only recently gotten wind of Hagel, so soon they may become good friends.

Jim has no idea that Sturm exists yet.

-> Renjai

Everyone has head the stories of the great Kanjigar the Courageous. To meet him in the flesh was not something Renjai expected to do, and yet she has maintained her composure and given the Revenant high esteem and wonder even if they have not spoken too much aside from the pub. He's earned it.

Draal, in her eyes, is everything a honourable Kiltar should be. Proud, skilled in the art of combatives, and mighty. The admiration is something that is a wayside bonus from her popularity and a source for amusement sometimes - but she much prefers the brawler as a friend and drinking companion over a fan as he's one of the few who can keep up with her, and one of the few of her species that she can allow herself to put faith in. (Dependent on verse, she crushes on him. Ship tag: Renjaal)

Renjai watches Jim's progress from afar, and marvels at how quickly he adapts and grows. At the same time she pities him - as he is but a child wearing the responsibilities of adults to kill and defend. In the near future, she's decided, she will approach him and offer her trainings just like Draal and Kanjigar have already done.

Much like Draal, after Renjai learned what Alex was, she gave her much grief. Renjai fully wanted her dead, once upon a time, before the small shapeshifter proved herself worthy of not finding her demise at the end of a spear. Now there has been gained respect and friendship to the point of forgiveness and defense if ever necessary. If anyone ever asks: yes, even Renjai is baffled in her turn of emotions.

Hagel is a good troll. Even if she was a Gumm-Gumm once, she Reformed at the hands of Kanjigar. Renjai deals with her from time to time, and shares a polite word and a meal. It's almost like being around one of the kinder Kiltar smith elders back home.

She's not very sure about Sturm. Renjai has seen him lurking about once or twice, but has never actually seen his face from the traveler's garb he chooses to wear each time he is in Market. She's got her eye on him if anything ever goes sour though.

-> Alex

Alex is the one who is somehow on good terms with nearly every muse.

The only person she's not managed to befriend in any way is Kanjigar - and that is mainly due to the fact that she's wary of his previous status of Trollhunter and his life experiences. She keeps her head down around him and minds her business; yet she also respects everything he's achieved and held together in the world of trolls by himself. He's a mighty individual, even without amulet.

With both Draal and Renjai it took some time to earn their friendship as the taught prejudice of changelings runs deep. She was scared of them at first, for they could kill her without effort; yet with enough time, proximity, and trials, she eventually proved herself as on the side of good to the warriors and developed an amicable bond with them. She appreciates their companionship more that she'll admit out loud and counts them in her small circle of true friends

Jim is a good kid. She likes talking to him whenever she can, and just relaxing whenever the youth can take a moment to himself and breathe. He's genuinely curious and she's happy to teach and has befriended him to an extent in the human world - but is internally fearful of the day he figures her out. She does not know how he'd respond to even more of her kind in his life.

Alex adores the things Hagel can do, and how nice she is. Such a friendly troll is a rarity - and she loves to trade with the giant Gadag whenever there's the chance. She's got the sneaking suspicion Hagel has probably adopted her at this point, but she doesn't overly care.

Sturm is... Like her, in many aspects. They both came from the same place, knew similar horrors, and knew similar pains for not being 'normal'. After working through a jagged start of simple trades, suspicion, and polite words into something more amicable the two quickly became good friends. She's more than grateful that he became another of her circle instead of an enemy.

-> Sturm

His default is cautious when it comes to others. Sturm is well aware of the threat he can be perceived as, and as such, has had very limited contact with the collective muse group; the only two he's had sustained interaction with is Alex and Draal.

Kanjigar is suspicious of him, and Sturm knows it. He actively avoids being in the older bull's line of sight to mitigate the risk of conflict, and the same goes for most other muses.

As he's heard the whisperings of Renjai's exploits the electromancer does not trust that she will not target a Gumm-Gumm in the Market in the name of it's defense. He keeps a wide berth from the she-troll whenever she roams.

Now that Jim is present, Sturm tries to keep to himself as he has no idea how a human would react to someone such as himself. So far it's been going well enough - coupled with the fact he only goes to Trollmarket once or twice a year.

Alex is what would be considered his best friend. They both suffered in the Darklands, but prevailed against all odds - and happen to be tinkertrolls in different veins. She trades many things with him and spends a decent chunk of her free time in his presence. In turn the bull has done similar, and has crafted gifts from time to time in gratitude for being someone he feels he can put his confidence and comfort in.

Draal... Dependent on verse that's a pile of complicated feelings that Sturm is still working on sifting through. Both of them are on agreeable terms, friends even though the Kiltar is the son of the previous Trollhunter. Sturm admires many of the fighter's traits - and hopes eventually he can be just as confident as Draal is in certain aspects of his own self. (Dependent on verse, Sturm is crushing on him - ship tag: Sturaal).

Hagel is only known to him as a chef troll. He's never walked that far into Market to see her, or figure out who she is in relation to him.

-> Hagel

This troll is on friendly terms to almost everyone, just like Alex.

Kanjigar is held in high esteem - mainly as he gave her a chance to change her life and make a place for herself someplace where she could actually do some good rather than harm. Even though her Reformer trials are over, the she-troll is happy to continue the tradition of visiting whenever time permits.

The son of the Trollhunter might be a touch gruff still, but neither of them bear ill will towards eachother and are rather friendly at this point in time.

Renjai is another that Hagel on good terms with - but so far the duo do not visit too much aside from business in association with a good cooked meal. Hagel understands and is simply happy that she is trusted.

Alex trades good supplies to Hagel and is very polite! Hagel suspects the Leodarin is not a true troll, and yet finds that she does not care terribly about that. Anyone who is on agreeable terms, makes an effort to be a friend, and sometimes even cooks alongside her, is more than welcome in her home.

So far the Gadag has only seen Jim in passing. As soon as Hagel learns he is a cook though then the she-troll is going to be delighted that he's not just a fighter. Overjoyed, even, and she'll want to share recipes with the youth and learn if human methods compare to the Gadag way.

Her and Sturm have not been reunited yet. She holds constant guilt about the series of events that happened, and thinks he is still lost to the Darklands. Hagel fails to notice the other Gadag in the instances he does make trips to Market as he never comes close enough to her dwell.

[realmofthefirebird]

The non mlp fan from before, I managed to already watch the movie, and I would def appreciate a must watch list, but I realised how deep the prohibitedwish brain rot goes when my brain compared tempest and capper as you can probably guess who lol. It's wasn't really my style, but it was entertaining enough that I'll give the show a shot (:

You are SO right Tempest and Scarab are like long lost twins. Or maybe alter egos?

Okay, uh, warning! Insanity below the cut.

I split the list into two parts: absolute essentials and nonessential episodes that I strongly recommend. They are fairly long! But that's mostly because MLP is kind of a long show. Feel free to skip around all you want, this is mostly just to get you started. The word "essential" is being used very liberally here lol.

ABSOLUTE ESSENTIALS

Most of these episodes are two-parters, and that's because most of the important events and lore take place in these special episodes.

Friendship is Magic Parts 1 and 2 (S1E1-2)

You absolutely cannot skip the first two episodes of the series. Not only do you learn how the Mane 6 meet, but you are also introduced to one of the best characters in the series (Luna). If you watch no other episodes, at least watch these two.

The Return of Harmony Parts 1 and 2 (S2E1-2)

DISCORD I'M HOWLING AT THE MOON! This is Discord's first appearance and is an extremely important set of episodes lore-wise.

A Canterlot Wedding Parts 1 and 2 (S2E25-26)

These episodes are absolutely iconic in the best way possible. Not only do they have one of the best MLP songs ever concocted, but we are also introduced to one of the best and most important major villains, Queen Chrysalis.

The Crystal Empire Parts 1 and 2 (S3E1-2)

Crystal Empire lore. Here we are first introduced to King Sombra (a canonical bicon!) who is a major villain.

Magical Mystery Cure (S3E13)

Arguably the turning point of the entire series. Things start to get a little crazier from here on. I won't spoil it.

Princess Twilight Parts 1 and 2 (S4E1-2)

Don't really have much to say about these episodes (its been years since I've seen them) but I remember them being important.

Twilight's Kingdom Parts 1 and 2 (S4E25-26)

There's some cool lore stuff here, but honestly Tirek is probably MLP's least interesting villain. That's just my opinion, though, some people may disagree. Definitely still recommend giving these eps a watch tho.

The Cutie Map Parts 1 and 2 (S5E1-2)

These episodes are really just amazing. Hands down. The premise is great and, love her or hate her, Starlight Glimmer's debut is fantastic. She's in my top 5 for a reason.

The Cutie Re-Mark Parts 1 and 2 (S5E25-26)

Who doesn't love a good time-travel shenanigans episode? Not only that, but we get to see some swanky butterfly-effect style alternate universes. All around a great set of episodes, even if they did give Starlight a goofy ass backstory.

The Crystalling Parts 1 and 2 (S6E1-2)

I'm only including this in the list because its a special two-part episode, but you could probably honestly skip it, unless you've become invested in Starlight as a character (bc there's important Starlight character development ig). Lore-wise, this special is a little weak and kinda boring.

To Where and Back Again Parts 1 and 2 (S6E25-26)

A special about Starlight Glimmer and ALSO about changelings! Two of my favorite things! Sign me up! Genuinely, tho, this special is one of the best and you HAVE to watch it if you're at all interested in changeling lore.

Shadow Play Parts 1 and 2 (S7E25-26)

These episodes are really interesting. Very heavy with lore, too. You wouldn't expect this kind of premise in a show like My Little Pony, that's all I'll say.

School Daze Parts 1 and 2 (S8E1-2)

Beginning of the MLP school era. I actually really enjoy the school episodes, but some people are mixed on it.

The Mean 6 (S8E13)

I had to include this episode because its just so damn iconic.

The Sounds of Silence (S8E23)

I also had to include this one. It is absolutely inconsequential lore-wise, but this is the only kirin episode and genuinely probably one of the best episodes in the series.

School Raze Parts 1 and 2 (S8E25-26)

I actually love Cozy Glow, she's ridiculous.

The Beginning of the End Parts 1 and 2 (S9E1-2)

We're on the final season now, things are starting to get serious. Something is brewing in the background. also Sombra is back (yay!)

The Ending of the End Parts 1 and 2 (S9E24-25)

The finale.

The Last Problem (S9E26)

The last episode and technically the epilogue. We get to see a peek into the future of the Mane 6.

Whew, that was a lot. Now on to the important, but nonessential episodes. I chose these ones because they are either culturally significant to the MLP fandom or because I just like them a lot. This list is entirely subjective, though, so keep that in mind. I'll be more brief with this one (I think if I tried to summarize each one of these i'd go insane). I did highlight some of my favorites, tho :)

Boast Busters (S1E6)

Dragonshy (S1E7)

Bridle Gossip (S1E9)

Call of the Cutie (S1E12)

Suited for Success (S1E14)

Feeling Pinkie Keen (S1E15)

Luna Eclipsed (S2E4)

Secret of My Excess (S2E10)

The Last Roundup (S2E14)

It's About Time (S2E20)

Dragon Quest (S2E21)

Magic Duel (S3E5)

Keep Calm and Flutter On (S3E10)

Castle-Mania (S4E3)

Power Ponies (S4E6)

Bats! (S4E7)

Pinkie Apple Pie (S4E9)

Pinkie's Pride (S4E12)

It Ain't Easy Being Breezies (S4E16)

Maud Pie (S4E18)

Make New Friends but Keep Discord (S5E7)

Slice of Life (S5E9)

Amending Fences (S5E12)

Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep? (S5E13)

Rarity Investigates! (S5E16)

Hearthbreakers (S5E21)

What About Discord? (S5E22)

Gauntlet of fire (S6E5)

No Second Prances (S6E6)

Flutter Brutter (S6E12)

The Times They are a Changeling (S6E17)

All Bottled Up (S7E2)

Parental Glideance (S7E7)

A Royal Problem (S7E10)

Not Asking for Trouble (S7E11)

Discordant Harmony (S7E12)

The Perfect Pear (S7E13)

Triple Threat (S7E15)

To Change a Changeling (S7E17)

It Isn't the Mane Thing About You (S7E19)

A Health of Information (S7E20)

Once Upon a Zeppelin (S7E22)

Fake It Til You Make It (S8E4)

Grannies Gone Wild (S8E5)

Surf and/or Turf (S8E6)

Horse Play (S8E7)

The Parent Map (S8E8)

Molt Down (S8E11)

Yakity-Sax (S8E18)

On the Road to Friendship (S8E19)

What Lies Beneath (S8E22)

She's All Yak (S9E7)

Frenemies (S9E8)

The Last Crusade (S9E12)

Between Dark and Dawn (S9E13)

A Trivial Problem (S9E16)

A Horse Shoe In (S9E20)

Growing Up is Hard to Do (S9E22)

THIS GOT AWAY FROM ME I'M SO SORRY

Anyways, I hope this helps you at least kind of get an idea of where you'd wanna start. I really, sincerely do hope you enjoy the show! Its a bit different from the movie, so maybe you'll like it more. Thank you for asking for this, btw! I've been looking for an excuse to make a list like this for a while. Lmk if you ever have any questions or anything, thank you sm!!

[illarian-rambling]

Happy TT (Thirsty Thursday)!

Tell me about one of the Ships in your WIP!

Or if there's no ships, a relationship!

Well, I've got only one ship, so I guess we're going with Astra and Mashal. Happy thirsty Thursday Friday!

The two of them met when Astra found Mashal broken on the side of the road and, after finding out he was a sentient robot, decided to patch him up rather than sell him for scrap, as had been her intention. She had to go on a bit of a hike to find out just how to fix him, because Mashal is sort of a freak in robot terms, but she managed and her wagon was the first sight to greet him upon waking up.

Mashal didn't have any memories when he woke up. All he knew was his name, and that magic was dangerous. And Astra is practically nothing but magic. He was very scared at first. However, he managed to curb his suspicion on account of Astra having saved his life. She agreed to let him stay with her until he figured himself out, as he had nowhere else to go. When he indeed eventually 'figured himself out,' Astra decided to assist him on his quest. Mashal assumed this was a purely selfless act on the witch's part, though she did have some ulterior motives.

The pair started out as tentative friends and nothing more. Astra had been living a solitary, nomadic life for years, so she had no friends to speak of, while Mashal had no memories of any friends he might’ve had. They were both lonely, so they clung to each other in a way. A bond of circumstance and nothing more. In the beginning, Astra tended to belittle Mashal and treat him as less intelligent than he was, while Mashal was incredibly suspicious of the witch, even as he tended to place her on a pedestal and overlook her faults.

Eventually, as their adventure wore on, they became true friends, faults and all. Astra learned to respect Mashal's skill, while Mashal recognized Astra's failings and learned to overcome those feelings of hate he realized in time were not meant for her, but for someone he no longer could remember. They were both there for the other in their darkest hour and both ended up putting their life in the other's hands. They risked everything for each other, but also risked trying for friendship by spending time together out of battle. It's no surprise that Mashal fell in love.

As of now, he hasn't spoken or acted on these feelings. He thinks he isn't good enough for Astra. He isn't smart like she is, he can be dangerous when he loses himself to that icy hate, and, well, he's a robot. Robots can't feel the touch of a lover or do other things that Mashal would blush (in theory) to speak of. He thinks she deserves someone better, and that he'd rather keep their friendship as is than ruin it with an unrequited confession.

For her part, Astra is as oblivious as a blind rock. It's a toss-up as to whether she'd notice if she was on fire or not, much less in love. If she were to realize, though, she would likewise think that Mashal deserves better than her. He's kind and thoughtful and plainly good - not like her. She wouldn't care that he's a robot, as love means more to her than the body it's in, and she's on the ace spectrum anyways. However, if he doesn't say anything, she's certainly not going to, even if she does miraculously manage to process what she's feeling towards him.

So yeah, they're just two weirdos with low self-esteem and varying levels of emotional intelligence. Also, there's a conquering demigod on the loose, so that's a little more pressing than romance. Maybe they'll figure themselves out. Maybe they won't. Maybe their only hope lies in a meddling little changeling who's read wayyyy too many romance novels and wants the best for their robot pal.

Anyways, that's the only ship I've ever written. Have a bitchin day :)

[xdeusxmachinax]

"Tell me, Otto, How has your week been?" Strickler began to use a very specific, practiced tone. A venom-honey voice that only well-spoken tyrants could pull off.

"Let me tell you about mine."

He grabbed a beautiful, pink-petaled Kalanchoe, tossing it into the air and catching it.

"On Sunday, A goblin ate the last book I'd managed to keep hidden from Dictatious. That new best-seller, you know? The one with the car chase? I was four chapters away from finishing it. "

He lifted the pot over his head, then slam-dunked it against the porch.

"On Monday, Gunmar demanded I butcher a Nylarlagroth. Did you know their chitin is twelve inches thick? Nearly impossible to carve; so you have to crawl inside them and start from there. On Tuesday I spent twelve hours in the Crucible. Our Dark Underlord calls it sparring, but really, it's just an excuse to watch me fight for my life against a pack of rabid Helheetis. I supposed I made a good show of it, because on Wednesday, I was confined to quarters to recover. Mind you, A Gumm-Gumm's idea of medical attention is to lick an injury until the bleeding stops. "

A massive Hen and Chicks plant exploded against the pavement.

"I've had no proper food, no indoor plumping, and no freedom. I make these sacrifices because I want to help my half-breed brethern. That is my burden to bear. The only thing I ask the Janus Order to do in return is keep tabs on five measly changelings while I'm away!"

Strickler's eyes were burning now, and he turned his attention to an elegant jade plant. He grabbed the terra-cotta flowerpot and began to press his palms together.

"Nien! Not that one!"

((One of my favorite scenes! I'd love to hear the commentary!))

I wanted to introduce Otto and Eloise, who was abook exclusive character. I also wanted to draw attention to their humanity. We're given very little about Otto, except that he is friendly, ruthless, and enjoys playing the Sadist. I think he enjoys the heckling aspect of threatening others with death more than the actual pain they'll suffer, but I digress. I wanted to give him a hobby as distinctive as Nomura's pottery or Strickler's ships in a bottle ((From a deleted Trollhunters scene)) and the idea of him having a green thumb amused me, especially when I remembered that there's a plant known as the Friendship Plant that will make an appearance later.

Also, it was really hard for me to think of things Strickler and Gunmar would do together at this point in their relationship. Teaching Strickler how to butcher a nyarlagroth would seem like humilating torture for Strickler, and a good survival lesson to Gunmar. And yes, maybe humble him a little from how openly he glares.

The sparring is Gunmar genuinely trying to connect and just being awful at it.

[emcandon]

The Stupidest Bardlock pt. 2

time for an update on the Grand Twit!! in the time since last we gazed upon this walnut, he has:

disrupted a perfectly good bar fight by handing over both his and his cousin's drinks to the offended party (the most expensive "wine" on the menu for her; something dreadful at the intersection of Powerful and Dirt Cheap for him)

disrupted a perfectly good escape attempt through the black market by stealing a ring for his patron at her insistence ("NOW?" he asked her. "does it have to be NOW?")

(he usually steals things for her very differently! with time and thought and social manipulation! cut and run not really his deal! and they were on a time limit! COME ON...)

disrupted a perfectly good potential new friendship with the party's other warlock by abandoning him to the consequences of said theft

disrupted his oWN THEFT by passing the ring off to Creepy Wee Cousin and bolting to evade the law

(privately asked his patron if she's mad at him? and if she could not be? because yes, he did go ask god for help with their relationship, but not in the way she maybe fears! he didn't ask how to abandon her! he asked how to get her what she wants so she doesn't need his help anymore! see? it's fine! it's fine!)

disrupted that perfectly normal chat with/apology to his patron to accuse her of also fucking with his cousin! and to ask her to not do that please?

(patron claimed that whoever's fucking with cousin isn't her! SOME EVIDENCE CONTRADICTS THE CLAIM BUT. CONFUSINGLY.)

(stupidest bardlock's warlock stuff tends to manifest with iridescent pale dragonflies; Creepy Wee Cousin saved the rest of the party from an encroaching bounty hunter mob by threatening to destroy the stolen ring and thereby securing help from something that sent a horde of iridescent black insects... hm....)

("....maybe she color codes us," thinks stupidest bardlock)

disrupted a perfectly good apology to Creepy Wee Cousin for the whole debacle by whipping off her sun hat and thereby revealing the fun new curse horns she'd acquired.

disrupted a perfectly chill and normal revelation that one of their companions is a changeling (rumored to eat babies!) by utterly failing his Arcana check and asking them if they eat babies.

disrupted what might have been his last chance to convince the party that his relationship with his patron is fine and cool by confessing that when he said he worries he might be on a time limit, he meant that, well, his body is kind of sort of disappearing bit by bit -- flaking away into little gossamer dragonfly wings that leave nothing but void in their wake. most of his torso is gone ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it's a little anxiety-inducing, but that's what smoking is for.

the next session was arguably better for him but also arguably worse, in the sense that he very much failed to take the party's attempt at a warlock intervention seriously. ("SHE'S LITERALLY DESTROYING YOUR BODY, LACE," say they. "Not like, MALICIOUSLY," says he. "and maybe not even on purpose!" he adds. "why is lace's abject stupidity the only thing we can agree on?" say they -- that and the fact that being recruited to do god's chores for god is kind of a big ask.)

pt. 1

[alparlaboratories]

My OCs Masterlist

I got tired of having to look through my mess of a computer to find drawings and other stuff about old OCs and characters I might wanna use in the future, and I’m bored right now so I figured I’d make a list with all of my important OCs, or at least the ones that mean the most to me.

These are not ALL of my OCs, just the main ones for their respective stories/campaigns. But there’s still a lot, lol. Also I’m not counting Niss for this list, even if she’s an OC in my heart. You can learn more about her in my pinned post anyway.

(Note: Art is either made by me, my partner @pastlight or has been commissioned by various artists)

1)

Metchi

You know how parents say they don’t have a favorite child? Well I do and it’s Metchi. ‘What if someone decided they wanted to do good purely out of spite and had pretty much everything stacked against them?’ I asked myself. ‘What if she was also a grungy trans girl who has no fucking clue what she’s doing and is constantly bickering with the deity inside her head?’ was the next question. And from that, Metchi was born. The willpower to burn a hole through Mt. Coronet yet the resources and energy of someone who considers cigarettes the most effective breakfast.

2)

Nico

He’s my PC from our current (in hiatus) Pokemon tabletop campaign. A Lumiosian street artist and Sky Trainer who enjoys throwing himself off of high places and being completely fucking incomprehensible to all who meet him. The only neurons in his brains are dedicated to serving looks, calling the wind to his command and delivering the most unhinged takes on the nature of human happiness he can think of.

3)

Tulip

‘I would like to make a tragic character whose obsession with the truth will inevitably lead her to ruin’ I thought. ‘Oh, fuck’ Tulip replied. Out of all my stories, hers is currently my favorite from a writing perspective, and I owe a lot of that to Tulip herself, always willing to push and push until something pushes back, because it’s what she thinks she owes to the people who were just as unfortunate as her. And I love her for it.

4)

Hope and Hunter

These two come in a package deal. ‘Small town life-long friendship’ is something I’ve been meaning to try my hand at writing for a while, and though their story is at the very beginning, I like them quite a lot already. A lot of my personal history with friendships and growing up into your twenties is imbued into them, though they are cooler and dumber and more than willing to take those things to their natural extremes.

5)

Ska

Protagonist of my yet in-progress, unnamed visual novel I’m working on. She’s a sheltered Fae changeling with a death sentence hanging over her head, and a desperate desire to do as much stupid shit as possible before something ends up killing her. She has a bat and absolutely sucks at using it, and she’s hopelessly in love with both of her best friends. I love her deeply, and I hope I can share her with everyone soon.

6)

Shadi

Absolute trash human being, possibly the worst woman in Sinnoh, lover of drama and shadow magic and also Dark Souls. What if an older sister was allowed to be as evil as her little heart desired? Well, that’s Shadi. Obviously there’s more to her, but I like making fun of her. I think she’s a funny character on her own right, except when she’s doing horrible shit to my other OCs, which is often. In any case, she’s one of my favorites to write for a reason.

7)

Eatos

Eatos is... weird. They don’t have a set story, they kinda bounce around a few of my works being mysterious and off-putting and tricking people with smoke/illusion magic. They exist in the same universe as Ska, and in that world at least they’re a human with the power of a Fae artifact. I’ll get more of a chance to develop them someday.

8) (Really old drawing, I didn’t even have a tablet back then lol)

Shadi... 2!

Yeah I have a few characters named Shadi, I just really like the name. Anyway this particular Shadi may be my first actual OC, back when I was... fuck, I dunno, fourteen? I don’t know how relatable this is, but she’s the OC that made me think ‘I’m gonna write her story and become a famous fantasy author and write a bunch of books and-’ and you know the drill. That didn’t quite end up happening, but I don’t regret it much. I did write a book, but my creative goals right now are very different from back then, and I’m happy with that. One step at a time. Still, I care a lot about Shadi for basically getting me into writing fiction, and someday I hope I can write a story that’ll serve as thanks for her.

9

Cole

PC for another Pokemon tabletop campaign that unfortunately never progressed much. Which is a shame, because I like this guy, even if he’s so hard to relate to sometimes that I have trouble writing him. He’s nn ex League/army man who now lives peacefully in Pacifidlog alongside his Electrode called Maradona. He loves dogs to a comical degree (the only part about him I understand) and spends most of his time drinking beer, wishing he could drive fast vehicles and helping out Darya, his neighbor and aspiring contest star.

10)

Machi

Uh... yeah, we’re getting into the really old ones. I don’t remember much about Machi other than she was a hired killer and lived with a guy who did all her murder planning for her because the pay was good and he hated his job that much. It was from her story that Eatos came forth, so it’s a shame that they ended up being so much more interesting to me than Machi. I still like her, though.

11)

Tala

Listen, we all gotta have an edgy OC with a sword, and Tala was mine. Another PC for an even older Pokemon tabletop, maybe even THE oldest. I went around from loving him when I created him, to despising him a few years after and now kinda liking him again, just because he’s so ridiculous in his drama queen ways. He almost rivals Niss in that regard. But yeah, cool sword, tragic backstory, crabby personality, the works. What do you want from me? I loved that shit when I was a dumb kid.

Anyway... there are more of them, but these are the main ones I remember. Of course there’s also Reiko and Percy and characters like that, but they’re different kinds of OCs, and I already posted about them before.

No point to this post other than to have them on here for future reference.

[shroudedinsilver]

My take on MLP G5

G5 spoilers btw!

TL;DR: It's a good show. I like G5. It's fun to mess with. Also watch Trope Talks on Sequels and Timeskips.

My Little Pony G5 is certainly an interesting one. It's not bad. I honestly really like it and enjoyed watching Make Your Mark. But I think everyone agrees there's an overall ceiling as to what you can do when the entire premise is "everything Twilight did has been undone and now a new generation of ponies has to redo it". Trying to make a set of locations completely different from what we saw in G4's Equestria and building up on it as current Equestria is weird. Not that previous locations like Ponyville, Cloudsdale, Canterlot, etc needs to exist, but I think there are certainly more questions left floating about what happened to those locations and why the three pony tribes moved to new ones after Twilight made the crystals.

And also, what about the other creatures? The yaks, griffons, hypogriffs, kirins, and changelings were left unmentioned. But dragons still stayed? (Also not to beat a dead horse but I'm not too crazy about the G5 dragon designs. They're nice, but not in the context of this being a G4 sequel).

But I do like Opaline. I like her story, and I think the implication that an ancient alicorn society did exist before Equestria like a lot of us theorized is cool. I think Opaline is a really cool villain! I enjoyed her theatrics and she had a decent villain song.

I think if we at least got an idea as to what happened to the unity of other creatures, and what happened to previous locations, I would've been fine with that. Given that Opaline targeted dragon fire, I think that would leave an implication that the other creatures fled Equestria to avoid her wrath and not even she knows where they are, or doesn't target their magic.

No matter how it's looked at, I think the creators should've realized that everything that was built up in G4's end should've been at least mentioned in G5. And that's not a problem with the series, it's a problem with sequels in general. I found myself thinking about Red's Trope Talk on sequels and timeskips the more I think about G5.

I think if we only looked at G5 in terms of how people looked at G4 as a completely lore filled world, then yes; it's bad.

BUT if we looked at it like how My Little Pony has been for decades: A world of magic ponies made to tell friendship lessons to little kids, then I think G5 surpassed it nicely. It at least succeeds as a sequel to G4 to tell the lesson that things can be undone, but it can also be put back together.

Either way, it's a show about colored ponies telling kids to be nice to each other. And there's nothing wrong with using it as a sandbox world to tell your own stories and aus. But maybe we shouldn't put so many expectations on it. I dunno. Just have fun lol.

[intherainbowfactory]

Pony Rituals (5/6)

Epiphany! That was what was needed! There was no way that the two of them would be able to work out their problems on their own; they needed a third observer to bring them together by busting their preconceived notions of what the other thought of them! Manipulation would set them free. In my mind’s eye, I began to picture the ponies as sorts of dolls, marionettes, actors without a sort of driving will to give them anything except the horrible existence they eked out before I came into their lives.

And so I enacted my plan. I would bring both of them to neutral ground to meet and talk things out without them being the wiser for my plot. I would enter the friendship lesson so that I could finish it and get out of there quickly before I arouse any suspicion; I may be an expert infiltrator and... I may somehow be considered a friend to both parties I'm bringing together, but I don't know enough about pony culture to pass for one, and I have a couple of bad physiological habits that wouldn't be able to fool a discerning mob. 

The DJ, whose name I learned was Scratch, would be summoned by a letter I would forge so that she would come to the next town the caravan of actors was travelling towards. I would make it so I would be there to mediate between the two as I surmised that the conversation would be awkward, but not hostile.

Finally, we arrived at the next town of Ponyville right on the date before I would have her and Scratch meet. Success! I knocked repeatedly on the door to Melody's wagon that she built herself with her own four hooves. I was so excited for her! Half-formed future exchanges between Scratch and Melody played out in my mind: in a cafe, over tea and donuts, they start laughing over a shared joke and have so much fun rolling all over the floor laughing and screaming! Or maybe they’ll have a heartbreaking, tearjerking reconciliation in a moodily lit fancy restaurant while lamenting their numerous woes… I love playing with my pony dolls! They’re so much better than stubborn changelings.

Trotting in place at the door for minutes lost in imagination bolstered by my companions, I gradually came to feel that something was wrong. Melody didn’t answer the door.

I knocked again. And again. Oh, no! I thought but did not say since I’ve been getting better at doing that. Did I seriously forget how to knock on doors? That must have been the only reason why Melody was not letting me in! How could I have forgotten! I learned how to knock on doors on my very first infiltration mission, where I replaced the filly of an Appaloosan mare. It was only for two days, but I still got a lot of love, and I learned from the natives that the proper way to knock on a door is to pound on it at all times of day or night and in all situations, so I did.

Melody opened the door a crack, hissed at me to get in, quick, and pulled me into the darkness inside her wagon.

I screamed like a little filly for a while. Boy, does that actor juice mess you up but good! When I stopped, I noticed that Melody had the curtains tightly drawn and wrapped over every window or opening (even the bottom of the door) to stop all light from entering her caravan, and she was holding a candle on an upturned hoof that illuminated a face that bemusedly stated, “Are you done,” before she said those exact words.

Moving over to nuzzle her withers (I had realised long ago that the withers were a very calming, huggable, and extra fluffy spot on my supposed friend to put my muzzle on), I told her that I might be done screaming like a filly depending on how dramatic the moment would feel, earning for my troubles an indulgent expression from her.

…An indulgent expression on a face with reddened eyes, layers of bags evident on them. A face with a wild, unbrushed slept-in coat leading to a wild, unbrushed bed-head mane with several black hairs sticking straight out of it. Noticing this led to me noticing how her tail twitched stiff periodically, or shook with an unnerving rapidity quicker than even my eyes could follow. In turn, this led my eyes to her legs which were also shaking and seemed to have lost some muscle, looking as if they could only barely support her weight. Her weight, which was looking awfully unhealthy.

Diagnosis: sick pony. Time to feed some hay to her, brush her mane, and play sportsball with her to raise her fun levels! Or, that would have been the case if I hadn’t tasted something concerning coming from her emotional eigenvector. It had the faint taste of the same sort of sour yearning, for lack of a better term, for Scratch, but worryingly enough, it was subdued by a pinch of amusement and smothered relentlessly by a gagging sense of shame that I could only barely recognize from my hours as an Appaloosan filly.

And so, the only diagnosis could be that Melody needs emotional support.

[thunderstomm]

Every Generation of My Little Pony is Connected and Here's How.

"My Little Pony: A New Generation" and "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" are in the same universe, there is no denying it.

And, after watching the movie, I realized that all the other TV incarnations of the MLP franchise could fit into the same universe. So, I wanted to make a post with a timeline, detailing the order of events, and how they fit into the big and wonderful world of My Little Pony!!

Timeline is under the cut (:

My Little Pony

Generation 1

My Little Pony's First Generation is where it starts. This is when the three pony tribes have just been brought together, and established their home, and first Kingdom.

The Ponies have their first encounters with other species, as well as their first battle against notable foes, such as Tirek. Magic is present, and works perfectly fine.

The human world is still connected to the world of the ponies. At some point in time, these two worlds would have been separated, most likely by magic.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Generation 4

Surprisingly, FiM is the next to come in the sequence of events. Equestria has now been established, and Alicorns are now ruling the lands. The three pony tribes live together in harmony, and magic is more abundant than ever.

Magical Artifacts now play more important roles in pony society. Ponies also face new foes, and see the returns of old ones, such as Discord, or Tirek.

The Human and Pony worlds are now separate, except for a few stray portals, and the occasional leaking magic.

Ponies have began to make peace with other species who inhabit nearby kingdoms, such as Changelings, Dragons, and Breezies.

My Little Pony

Generation 3

Generation 3's "My Little Pony" comes next. The pony tribes still get along, but now live in different lands, based off of species. They are Ponyville, Unicornia, and Butterfly Island. Alicorns no longer rule the land. However, Princesses are still the primary rulers of each land.

Although magic still exists, it is used far less, especially by the unicorns of Unicornia. The reliance on Magical Artifacts, such as Unicornia's Rainbow Wands.

There are less villainous threats to the lands. The Ponies still maintain two of their major bonds with other species, those being the Dragons and Breezies.

Modern infrastructure and transportation starts to appear in the lands, primarily Ponyville.

My Little Pony Tales

Generation 1.5 / 2

Next, is Tales. The three pony tribes have officially cut one-another off for good, as evidenced by the show's all Earth Pony cast. There is no reference to there being any non-earth pony residents of Ponyland. Princesses no longer rule all lands, seemingly.

Magic has also ceased to be by this point and time. Magical artifacts are also not present at this time.

There are no major, or magical threats to the land. The Earth Ponies are able to live peacefully, with their biggest problems simply being small dramas amongst themselves. The ponies have now lost all ties with other species.

Technology and modern infrastructure becomes more present, with buses, and telephones being used by the ponies.

My Little Pony: A New Generation

Generation 5

Finally, is Generation 5!! The ponies have been seperated for a good while by this point. They all live in 3 lands, distinctly named and built for only their kind. They are Maretime Bay, Bridlewood Forest and Zephyr Heights.

Magic has fully ceased to be, with the reason being the lack of harmony between the three tribes of pony. However, Magical Artifacts have began to appear again, specifically, Three Gemstones each carved in the name of it's corresponding pony tribe. (However, after the events of the movie, basic magic is seemingly restored.)

There are no interactions with non-pony species, and thus, no outside magic threats currently exist (That we know of). However, the ponies each see the other tribes as threats to them. Later on, an Earth Pony (Sprout) does indeed become a threat to a small amount of Pegasai and Unicorns.

Technology and Modern infrastructure now thrive in the land of Equestria. Pegasus ponies have advanced TVs, Cell Phones and broadcast, while Unicorns have microphones, and video game cabinets, with Earth Ponies even having Giant Machinery, robotic devices, and a monorail throughout the town.

[douxie-casperan]

Rise of the Titans and the assassination Hisirdoux Casperan’s character development

I’ve been ranting so much since Wednesday morning that I finally condensed by thoughts of WHY this one subject keeps setting me off namely the utterly diabolical way they handled Douxie and Archie’s relationship in Rise of the Titans and how it wasn’t just enough to hit him with the nerf bat.

Please note I’m at the point where I literally cannot tell the difference between Aaron headcanons, Teny headcanons and my own they are all mixed together in the blender that does funky things. I also apologise for typo/weird wording it’s half 1 in the morning and I’d rather sleep than edit.

~

If asked to sum up Hisirdoux Casperan there are certainly several things that come to mind:

Sees the value in people as a whole and will find do anything if there is a chance of help someone out

Prefers tactics that disable/banish rather than kill an enemy yet willing and able to pull the trigger if circumstances become forced

While not academically inclined he is very capable of thinking on his feet and outside the box calling back to his time on the streets where a split-second decision making is the difference between being caught and not

Terrible at planning he’ll be in there figuring it out as he goes along which is what makes the previous point so vital to literally how he goes through life

A natural charmer that would let him talk his way out of trouble 9/10 providing a perfect cover for his distrustful nature and reluctance to be touched by random people

Very down to earth, humble and never one to brag unless outright sassing someone

Will bang out some hot tunes at the drop of a hat, his love of music has never wavered once since he caught the bug despite instrument hopping ironically becoming a jack of all trades much like his magic style

The earliest memories he can recall are him as a young boy lost in the woods where he was for an unknown amount of time before his soon to be familiar finds him amongst the roots covered in dirt and drying tears, there is nothing before that. Unbeknownst to him is the colour of his magic matches the blue of a lost mother’s eyes and the song that haunts his nightmares as much as fire could well be hers though there is no way to be sure. From that moment on Archibald, shortened to Archie, would become his entire world and their friendship only becoming closer during the years they prowled Camelot together trying to keep themselves in one piece until the fateful day Douxie tricks the wrong person leading him straight into the path of the famous wizard Merlin Ambrosius.

It's no real secret that Merlin is a very closed off person who keeps his emotions as well guarded as his secrets, prefers the style of negative reinforcement over positive encouragement and is a very strict perfectionist in his. At this point in his life he can be very easily described as a disaster that is genuinely doing his best with every little mistake held of his head and his future self when brought back to that time period is belittled by Lancelot (Errand boy) and Arthur (Boy) too meaning it’s hardly a wonder his confidence was very fragile revelling in the times where he could do things without being told off for it. With Morgana largely ignoring him too (Though personally I like to think as he got older she’d occasionally take an interest until the blistering arguments with their master started to talk over daily life) a certain disguised dragon would have remained a lifeline and give that physical affection he craved much like being told he’d done well never seemed able to earn.

With Killahead he’d lose that home and family he made leaving just the two of them behind struggling to figure out their place in the world that had abandoned them.

There wouldn’t have been the words for it back then but the way he had been treated prior was outright abusive instilling very bad habits into Douxie yet by irony he was always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt and help those in trouble without thinking earning a reputation as the Shepard of Fire. He refused to become like him seeking to be better, perhaps not as a wizard (Even though he was learning new charms and spells along the way) but certainly as a person. Despite everything he suffers through or witnesses in the intervening years, the loss of friends and kindling of far newer ones he never loses his good heart 

That said is it any wonder that after rightfully sassing Merlin for resurfacing, ignoring his existence despite being in the same town and only visiting him to run a finding errand that all the confidence he’d managed to build completely from scratch after Camelot wavered causing him to fall back solely into trying impressing his old Master who was acting like his humble apprentice must have coasted the past few centuries who himself fell back into old habits of belittling? It’s only when Merlin started to truly listen and acknowledge that this was not the same Moppet he once knew after Excalibur was fixed that their relationship finally started to become more like equals. After the defeat of Janus the changeling that broke into the castle he touched Douxie’s shoulder with a genuine smile and for a second he simply didn’t know what to do because the old man never did this before his brain kicked into gear and realised he’d finally earned that one thing he’d been so desperate for his entire life: That in Merlin’s eyes he could be more than a failure who only caused problems for the closest thing to a father figure he’d ever had, never solved them.

A staff will be earned, history would be set back on trap by banishing Morgana tag teaming with Archie because they know one another inside and out, as promised he’d get the kids back to the present but soon after things would go badly wrong. They’d lose Jim and because of his very nature he’d make a gamble to try and get him back because that life is worth trying for just for in a moment of surprising selflessness Merlin would be sacrificed to save him. The only constant in his life apart from Archie would apologise, openly express pride and how the greatest thing he’d ever done was saving this orphan, call him son for the first and final time before turning into ash in his arms. There would be no time to grieve for things will barrel into the crescendo of Douxie sacrificing his own life to buy everyone time to escape because if they did that everything he’d ever done would be worth it with one last whispered goodbye.

(Zoe sees him fall, so does Archie – His heart would break if he was conscious just like theirs does when his body crumples into the ground)

On the very fringes of the Light Realm he is gifted one more conversation with Merlin in a truly heart-breaking sequence (THANKS TENY) where they can just talk without any fear of consequence or politics and just be completely honest. Douxie is allowed to stand equal to Merlin, to have the hug he’d needed since he was a child and be allowed to simply let go of every pretense and cry his heart out because this can never happen again. He’s allowed to say goodbye to both his master and Morgana who had both shaped so very much of his life but like the painting he’d always remained firmly in the long shadows of until that moment.

When Hisirdoux Casperan finally leaves Wizards if we just accidently deliberately put the shawarma back in along with checking in with Zoe before departure, it is with having learned to live during his wandering years but this is the point of true freedom because he can finally escape into his own light with Archie by his side to keep Nari out of the hands of those that would see the world harmed. It won’t be easy but it feels possible somehow even with the knowledge everything is simply running on borrowed time.

Then Rise of the Titans happens.

At first everything is genuinely fine! No more running, they engineer a solution shut the Order’s magic down to make them a lot less dangerous and potentially at least incapacitate them until they can come up with a longer-term solution but all the best laid plans and all that. Douxie’s quick thinking stops the train from crushing any of the people below and it’s a very him style move to switch places with Nari to stall for time because for some reason the plot disabled Claire from portaling her or any of the threatened people/heroes to safety. He openly sasses the Order despite knowing the consequences will be bad for him because once again he’s managed to trick them, buy time that at the other end isn’t even slightly utilised until he’s forced back into his own body in excruciating pain. Archie immediately mobs him with comfort just as he has done every single time the wizard is distressed or collapsed with exhaustion without thinking because that is what their bond is like, incredibly close and far more than the Soul Bond mark that connects them together. They’re very alike in that regard, you have to earn the right to touch while equally knowing exactly what form the other needs the most in that precise moment in a way very few others could.

Bar the moment of figuring out that an illusion is in place to hide where the Order is opening the Genesis Seals and the brief insistence on reconnecting with Nari somehow Douxie manages to forget everything that makes him who he is after this point choosing to stand in the background being very no thoughts head empty or can only use the most basic spells of his youthful days not the seasoned master wizard he should be. Nomura is treated like an innocent slip rather than an outright death he did absolutely nothing to prevent (Not to mention the stupid daytime thing) nor seems to care particularly about afterwards yet with Nari’s he’s allowed to openly grieve in a gorgeously animated visual showing how he’d failed to keep her safe despite everything. He did nothing to help here either mind despite allowing himself to be tortured in the same piece of media to keep her safe, just watched another loss happen right in front of his eyes in his conga long line of them.

Then there’s Archie, oh god then there was Archie.

The dragon who even here he’d been shown to have an incredibly close bond with him decides you know what sod that tell him goodbye I’m going to make a joke about having a kingdom now dad and me are trapped in here forever. Douxie on his part looked sad for all of three seconds saying that he hoped he’s happy like it's a pet that wandered out into the world one day and never came back instead of a lifelong companion that has been there for as long as he can remember. He was now completely alone in the world since Zoe was also written out entirely and because every bit of his background had been forgotten about it somehow meant nothing. This wasn’t “I know you miss him, I know you need to grieve but you are running out of time” moment like things had been with Charlie, this was “cool shapeshifting dragon cat is now stuck in a plot hole that’s a shame” with zero pay off or any of the genuine reaction that should have been there or hell even trying to Ohana him back that very second because it never should have happened in the first place. Then even this wasn’t enough somehow, they managed to de-power Douxie even further into uselessness bar the (Admittedly nifty!) sticky feet stunt, the one who fought Skrael and Bellroc to a stalemate was shunted aside with barely a thought and his head would somehow get even emptier.

The one person who knew the danger of time magic the most stood by and said nothing.

The one person who would suffer the most by a reset because the lynchpin to his issues would be asleep if you got it wrong and should have drilled it into Jim’s head the best time to aim for stood by and said nothing.

The one person who had just suffered the loss of his familiar, best friend and only family along with the almost sister like Nari stood by and said nothing.

Then to add further insult to injury the caption when Douxie and Archie is shown says Some go their entire lives living an existence of quiet desperation because every drop of his character growth, his ability to finally start addressing his trauma instilled back in the 12th century, the staff he longed for was instead openly mocked by going “Aww he got his cat friend back how nice!” Everything he’d rightfully earned and had now would be unable to progress until certain criteria are met because it hinges entirely on the Trollhunter going to Merlin’s tomb and there’s only so much your support network of two (One if she’s written out) can do, the root of the majority of his issues all stem from one man.

And this folks is why I’ve been going on multiple rants about Douxie in particular, everyone was hit with the out of character bat to some degree in this film but when they came for him they didn’t just stop after they took his legs out because they wanted him to suffer from something he’s never had any control over to begin with all over again. Abuse survivors deserve better, these characters deserve better and we as viewers deserve far far better writing than we were forced to endure.

[talvenhenki]

erdariel asked: Ok from the prompt thing you reblogged, can I get "You're my friend, of course I fucking care" with platonic Nerys & Julian (with Julian being hurt/sad/not doing good) pretty please? Bc I need more Nerys & Julian friendship in my life

----

“What are you doing?”

Julian spun around. It was late, way past midnight, and nobody should have been walking on the Promenade. Especially not Major Kira Nerys, the first officer. No, if someone were to be hanging out on the Promenade, it could have been either Quark or Odo. Or Garak, even. But not Nerys.

“Walking”, Julian lied, “just taking a midnight stroll, major.”

A finger poked Julian’s cheek, irritating him, for some reason. He just wanted to be alone, to be unseen.

“Who are you and what have you done with Julian?” Nerys asked softly. It wasn’t a threatening question; no, Nerys sounded tired. As if she had been worrying for weeks.

“The Changeling is gone”, Julian muttered, “you were there. Weren’t you, major?”

Nerys hummed. “And yet he did not call me ‘major’ like you do”, she said, “when did you change the way you speak to me?”

Julian shrugged. He wasn’t that certain either. Nerys was not the only one; Julian had begun to call everyone by either their surname or rank.

“We’ve been worried”, Nerys said softly, “ever since that dreadful Zimmermann left the station. You haven’t been yourself.”

Avoiding Nerys’s eyes, Julian leaned against one of the circular windows. “Why would you care? I don’t even know what it means to be ‘me’.”

“You’re my friend”, Nerys argued, grabbing Julian’s wrist, “of course I care! Do you...do you think we would not care about your wellbeing? That we’d leave you to suffer alone?”

Shrugging again, Julian allowed himself to slide onto the floor. If this was to be a night of uncomfortable talks, he might as well make himself comfortable.

“I did feel like that”, Julian admitted, “in the Jem’Hadar camp. And right after, too. Everyone seemed to like the Changeling more.”

Nerys knelt next to Julian. “I’m sorry, Julian”, she whispered, “by the Prophets, I’m sorry. I wish I had noticed. I thought...I thought you were sad about your break-up with Leeta. That you just needed time.”

Julian looked at her and saw shame. Oddly, it didn’t make Julian feel better.

“You thought I was depressed?”

Nerys nodded. “And I’ll be damned if I ignore your hurt again”, she said, “because we’re worried. And ashamed. You deserve better than that.”

Shaking his head, Julian avoided Nerys’s eyes again. “I don’t”, he whispered, “I don’t deserve any better. And yet...I want to stop hurting. I want to stop feeling so empty. I want to feel like I belong here again. That I’m not too much.”

Nerys pulled Julian close, hugging him as tight as she could. She was, as usual, a lot stronger than Julian could imagine. She rocked him from side to side - both of them knew how comforting the repetitiveness of it felt.

“I’m sorry, Julian”, Nerys breathed, “oh, I’m so sorry.”

Biting his lower lip, Julian blinked against the emotion that threatened to overtake him. He had felt so alone and when Miles had made his little comment on the Changeling being easier to get along with...it had felt like a betrayal.

“I’ll fix this”, Nerys said, “I promise. You’ll be okay. I’m so sorry we made you feel like an outsider.”

For a moment, Julian could almost forget how bad he had been feeling.

[clockworkspider]

25 and ibayuzu

*cracks knuckles*

Fairytale AU. So uh... I'm basing this slightly off Persephone and Hades, but let's make it more of a fae AU so it's less specific.

It all started when the Fae King fell in love with a human singer. The singer had the most beautiful voice, the most captivating dance, and a pure heart. The Fae King approached him, and they formed a wonderful friendship.

Sadly, people of the court were jealous of the singer. They slandered his good name and ruined him. He went into destitute and fell sick. The Fae King approached his friend, and offered to take him to the fae realm and make him immortal. But the man refused, choosing to die as a mortal.

Heartbroken, the Fea King went home to mourn, only to learn that the man's wife was pregnant with child. He charged his loyal Gatekeeper to steal the child on the date of his birth, and leave a fae child in its place.

Now... sadly, the Gatekeeper has never really met the singer or his wife. So, he grabbed a baby in the right location, red hair, blue eyes. Looks about right. IN HIS DEFENCE HUMAN BABIES ALL LOOK THE SAME!

It's the wrong baby.

That child he grabbed was baby Ibara.

Having missed the moment of Subaru's birth, the Fae King can no longer steal him. Gatekeeper is like "well what do I do with this baby?" and the Fae King is like "I don't care. You took him, he's yours now," and went back into his room, presumably to cry.

That's how Ibara grew up as a changeling human child in the fae court, with very little care, his position no more than an unloved pet.

Now, while the Fae King had his fun with the court singer, the human kingdom has witnessed his magic. And the crown prince, who was very ambitious, wanted to use it to expand their empire. So the court magi sends their own child to the land of the Fae to study their magic.

Yuzuru was told one key thing before he set off, "never eat food the faes offers you, for once you do, you'll belong to them, and they'll always be able to find you."

When Yuzuru got to the fae court, he meets Ibara. Being the only two humans in fae court, they bonded. Yuzuru told Ibara about the human world, and shared some of the food and items he brought from Above with Ibara.

Ibara wishes to go to the human world. He doesn't want to live his whole life as a slave to the faes. But for Yuzuru, who grew up in a very rigid environment, whose every breath was there to serve the royal family, he's never experienced so much freedom. The human world was full of poverty and war and strife, but here everything is provided for and he can learn magic to his hearts content. He realized he didn't actually want to leave.

Despite Ibara's wish to leave, he knew he couldn't. Because he's a child of the fae and he grew up eating fae food. They'd be able to find him and drag him back.

Upon Yuzuru's one-year anniversary in the fae realm, Gatekeeper presents him with a pomegranate. If Yuzuru eats it, he'd be able to stay in the fae realm forever. Yuzuru considers staying here with Ibara and abandoning his mission. He talks to Ibara about it, but Ibara got angry at him for giving up his human life so easily, when it's everything Ibara crave to have.

They spend some more time together. When Yuzuru finally makes up his mind to eat the pomegranate, he gets an urgent message from home. The youngest prince, who's dear to Yuzuru's heart, was shot with a poison arrow, and didn't have much time left. He had asked for Yuzuru by name.

Shame fills him. How could he even consider abandoning his people when they needed him? He rushed back with an all-curing antidote, without having a chance to even say goodbye to Ibara.

After going back to the Human Kingdom, he saved Tori, and served as the magi of the Crown Prince, now the young king. They expand their kingdom and conquer many lands together. And he mostly doesn't think about Ibara.

Not until years later, when a new Fae King returns to the human realm, accompanied by his trusted human advisor, who asks to speak with Yuzuru by name.

Ask Game: Send me two tropes and a pairing.

[jdscanvas]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic----It Doesn’t Deserve It’s Fanbase

I feel like based on the amount of traction that one post I made years ago about how I felt about the Changelings post-Season 6, I should finally clarify how I actually feel about the show, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It's been almost three years since the show concluded, and in that time I came to a realization...

It doesn't deserve the community that was built around it, and I honestly feel like the fandom and even the IDW comics (of what little I know of them) took far better advantage of the world and characters.

Now I am heading into this argument on somewhat shaky legs, because I have never actually sat down and watched an entire episode of the show.

Why didn't I? Well to tell the truth it was fear. Whenever I thought of doing it, I would start suffering serious nervousness and second-hand embarrasment. I could never figure out why. After seeing how the series finale was handled, and then seeing where Hasbro was going with G5, I have my answer: I wouldn't be caught dead watching this Care Bears level cringe.

Most folks who love the show might say it was better than anyone expected a show attached to this toy line to be good since it was primarily targeted towards girls and yet it ended up having mass appeal. I wholeheartedly believe that Lauren Faust had a clear passionate vision for the series, but even in the beginning information came out that the final show did not always turn out how she wanted. Luna and Celestia should have been the only alicorns, Celestia was supposed to be a queen, etc. Faust claimed she wanted to create a show that challenged the perception that shows for girls tend to be low quality. One quote I remember being sourced from her was that in these shows characters could defeat villains by crying/smiling/something along these lines. The show's solution to this? Anti-climatic friendship kamehamehas. Like almost every villain was defeated this way, even in the Seasons that Faust was directly involved in. Sometimes the journey to get to the kamehamehas was different, but literally nothing else ever worked.

Even when the Elements of Harmony aren't directly involved, a friendship kamehameha ended up being the answer. Or, going directly against Faust's desire for her show, beating them via emotional speeches, LIKE STARLIGHT GLIMMER. And honestly, Starlight I was always on-and-off about. On one hand she felt like a replacement for Twilight for fans who absolutely despised her alicorn princess fate, and on the other she felt like a Filmore (the disney show) style character---a former foe/deliquent who is recruited by the good guys and that which leads to their redemption. Literally all the writers had to do was have Starlight initally punished/imprisoned for the nasty stuff she did in Season 5, and then have Twilight take pity on her and take her under her wing (literally). And I would've had no problems with that; the concept of a character like that is really cool to me. You could've also taken out two birds with one stone and use Starlight as an example for kids that anyone can change as long as they want to. To some extent though, Discord technically already fulfilled that role in Seasons 3 and 4 so I guess the writers' hands were tied here?

Twilight being an alicorn, in hindsight, was a huge mistep that I don't believe Faust would've ever been OK with if she was still there to do anything about it. Twilight was a nerd, a bookworm, an aspiring master wizard. Some skeptics would argue the only reason she became an alicorn princess was because it was a show for girls and girls wanna be pretty princesses. I argue it was mostly a case of main character syndrome, and how the "nowhere-to-go-but-up" mentality can ultimately screw up a character. Like...Goku is super-powerful, to an almost ridiculous degree, but Toriyama didn't make him the new King Kai, or the new freaking Omni-King? Luffy may eventually become the Pirate King, but he's not going to become King of the whole damn world! Naruto always wanted to become Hokage of his village, and he did, but that doesn't mean it would've made sense to make him like Grand Master of all Ninja Villages of the World??? Consequently, why in the hell did Twilight need to be turned into Chad Celestia (or Celestia 2.0)? Yeah sure she had leadership qualities but that doesn't qualify her to be a monarch of an entire country/kingdom. Even with the exsistence of the Council of Friendship, it was so obvious at the end that she was Celestia and Luna's replacement because hurr durr she main character. Was it because of other characters that became leaders of their "tribes" (Thorax, Ember, etc.)? Keep in mind, by the end of the series she had her own castle and school ON TOP OF CELESTIA'S CASTLE AND SCHOOL. Guys, this isn't an Elder Scrolls game where you can just keep piling on important titles onto your protagonist. From a narrative standpoint, I guess the writers just had no other places to take Twilight. They had her achieve basically all of her dreams at once (except the Master Wizard thing, because I don't think she was ever considered the next Starswirl, just a super powerful ball of magic), so what "shocking" developments could they have given her next? Ruling all of Equestria. Even taking into account that Faust apparently always intended Twilight to succeed Celestia in some fashion, I seriously doubt she intended to mutate her into Neo Celestia. You put her side by side by her friends, and she doesn't even look like one of them anymore, she sticks out like a sore thumb (doubly so in the future episode).

I do believe effort was placed in some of the humor and especially some of the non main characters, but almost all the characters post....Season 2 never got enough screentime to truly take advantage of the story potential. How many fans of Shining Armor like me were praying that he at least had an episode focusing on how he felt being the only non-alicorn royalty? Wouldn't anyone have loved an episode where Armor and Cadence got to meet the new changelings and really get to know Thorax and Pharynx and what not (or did Thorax's debut episode count as checking that box?)? Why did the Cutie Mark Crusaders (again the mere words "cutie mark" really make it near impossible to see anything in this world as genuinely dramatic) need to have nearly identical cuite marks? Even taking into account their "destines" to help other kids find their talents, you didn't have to make them homogenous from a design standpoint to do so. Meh, but they got more than others did. Cadence I loved more as a potential cool character, but they never developed her enough even when she had so much more screentime in later seasons. Her infant daughter who couldn't even talk got more development. Flurry being born an alicorn felt like a kick in the gonads to fans that wanted an alicorn Shining Armor. Like wow his daughter gets to be born one, but he doesn't even get the honor of proving himself worthy? Spike getting wings doesn't count because he's a dragon and that was an obvious leap in intuition. Speaking of Spike, he's one of the more developed non-main characters (although to some he's the Butters of this show, the unofficial extra main character) but even he got done a little dirty. I say a little because his crush on Rarity never went anywhere, it was just one-note comic relief, and they only ever talk about what it was like to grow up with Shining Armor and Twilight in the final season. That little moment where he wins the Sibling Supreme crown and they tell him he's the little brother they've always had? Awesome, yes, more of that please. Also his future self looks like a freaking Chad. Like why did they give him a buff body type that wasn't too far removed from how he fantasized about himself? I've heard some theories as to why but I don't really agree with them.

Celestia is a strange case to me because I was glad to see more of her personality show in the later seasons, but you could also argue that she was made to be more like Twilight (and maybe they did that to try and convince fans that it was totally a natural evolution for Twilight to become like Celestia because they're so alike yo!). I know Faust always intended her to be somewhat mysterious and now I can't help but feel like the writers went against that idea. Luna was always a favorite of mine, and they handled her very well when they did focus on her, I don't have too many complaints there. Honestly, the characters that weren't given much development could've gotten plenty, because they managed to do exactly that with Sunburst in Season 6. One two part episode, and he automatically became one of the more interesting side characters. Heck, I'd even argue Maude from Season 4 gets this honor even if parts of her are the generic "stoic misfit". Pharynx I think was handled pretty well in Season 7 as well, for someone who only ever mattered in one episode (again they could've done so much more with him).

I remember thinking that the movie that came out in 2017 could've been like The Lego Movie of little girl's cartoons if they played their cards right, but even just based on interviews the creators clearly were not concerned about doing anything interesting.

Equestria Girls should've never been a thing, and kind of went against the whole point of the franchise not being so stereotypically girly girly. I mean jeez the main series still had the balls to lampoon the whole "we totally aren't like those girly girl generic shows" on occasion (like in Rainbow Dash's nightmare) but like....you have a concept called "cutie marks", hearts decorate almost every piece of architecture, the main character was made a princess for no real reason, the highest authorities are princesses and not queens "because queens are evil bad guys", your theme song is like something out of a generic Disney TV special, and your heroes never get to actually directly fight and win against the villians.

Powerpuff Girls literally did the whole "girly show that's actually bad ass and funny" thing years before you (of which Mrs. Faust was a writer, and it's being revived with original creator on the helm so yay!)....

I can't help but think that the show being inherently connected to a franchise called My Little Pony, and therefore being the first part of the title, the first thing people think of when they think of this show, ruined a lot of it's chances of being taken more seriously. You hear that title and you cannot distance it from literally the most generic girly girl stuff you can ever think of. You remember that's the franchise this is connected to, and you think of all the attempts FiM made to be like one of the "good shows" with "actual stories worth telling" just not meshing well. Was the show Dead on Arrival? Clearly not if so many folks of all walks of life saw something in it worth salvaging.

All the other shows of FiM's generation, even the PG ones that kids of the same age group shouldn't techincally be watching unsupervised but many many kids did, Regular Show, Adventure Time, freaking Gumball, Steven Universe. These shows had far more intricate characters and lore, had more interesting styles, and told far more interesting stories that went beyond generic Aesops. Again, even taking into account the PG rating of most of these, GUMBALL, a show that while on occasion dabbles into the juvenile, was also still able to tell interesting stories with decent lessons behind them AND they also had more thought out humor. Even companies as conservative as Disney are willing to let Gravity Falls and Star vs the Forces of Evil get through. HELL, HASBRO THEMSELVES let at least 90% of the Transformers television shows, with their interesting stories and characters, be released.

I always believed that Friendship is Magic could've been a Transformers level franchise, but for mostly young girls. It could've had more developed characters, better action, and genuinely bad-ass moments. It could've been Powerpuff Girls with more story, or simply Samurai Jack for a new generation. Unfortuantely, I guess it wasn't meant to be.

It still hurts when I think of something that was born from one person's passion become what it became and how it could've truly landed among the stars. I still don't know, almost three years after the Finale, if i'm better off completely ignoring it, or simply indulging in the fan content that continues to come out to this day.

I do know, however, that G5 will not be a true successor to FiM like the fandom deserves. Literally in the very first story, the main character became an alicorn. Wait 8 more years, and they'll make her ruler of the entire world. That's how little faith I have in the people attached to this franchise. Hasbro even killed FiM in the IDW comics to completely focus on G5.

If you have a love for FiM despite it's failures, I'm glad and I would never try to take that from you even if I can't see it. I personally would love to create a show with a similar style, even though I've got a long way to go in the field I'm trying to get into now. The things that I appreciated about FiM, as few as they turned out to be, continue to inspire me like the many other stories I've come across over the years. I hope someone inspired by FiM can come along and succeed where it failed. Ultimately though, we have no choice but to wait and find out.

[aeon-arts]

Starlight Glimmer Redesign!

So. uh. this turned into a lot of self-projecting and au (or perhaps more of just a ua) making...? whoops. More on this under the cut...

| x | x | x | x |

yes you can draw this design! just @ me to give me credit!

Starlight is a bit more different than canon. However, both her parents were toxic and hated her interest in kites, as they were a family of strong magic. Her only escape from them was her friend, Sunburst. But, like canon, he leaves after getting his cutie mark and they lose contact despite attempts on both parts.

She becomes determined to become an extremely powerful unicorn and throws herself into her studies. Learning magic was now her only friend. However, it only allows her to escape for so long from her toxic parents. Her mom (the somehow less toxic of the two) leaves and she is stuck with her father. It finally becomes too much for her, so she runs away.

Being only a teen pony with no family nearby and no friends, she wanders around. One day, she accidentally stumbles too close to the changeling hive and is captured. Instead of feeding from her, Queen Chrysalis takes her in, thinking that perhaps her strong magical abilities could be of use later.

Chrysalis is not much better than Starlight’s parents and, since changelings don’t eat typical food, she is left to find whatever she can. She is never treated right and basically spends day and night training to be a powerful unicorn.

After Chrysalis fails her invasion during the royal wedding, she decides that Starlight is ready to test herself in the field.

She goes to the same town she did in canon, but instead of taking their cutie marks, she uses a shapeshifting gem to make her shift into an alicorn princess. Chrysalis shifts to look like an alicorn queen using her normal powers. 

They trick the villagers into thinking they are royalty and manipulate the town into thinking everything bad they were doing was for the greater good. Through an elaborate underground process, the changelings absorb the love the villagers have for the two fake alicorns and each other to be well-fed and powerful.

Like in canon, the mane 6 travel there and expose Starlight and Chrysalis as a fake. She becomes overpowered by all of them and turns to Chrysalis for help. She rejects Starlight and barely escapes with the hive. Starlight vows revenge.

However, the shapeshifting powers she used to appear as an alicorn had startling effects on a normal unicorn and she turns a bit monstrous. (Haven’t quite figured out how that would look but I would say perhaps a bit like what eqg corrupted/demon sunset shimmer looked like but also a little changeling-like too?? idk)  

She still does the whole time-travel thing, but instead of becoming fully good at the end, she becomes a sort-of anti-hero. Her and Sunburst don’t fully become friends again, but they are at least on better terms (this happens probably about the time they go back to their village to solve the friendship problem instead of after a two-part episode).

She does get her cutie mark, finally, after allowing herself to enjoy kites again. Becomes friends with Trixie and they become a chaotic duo that does good but perhaps in not the...best way.

Design notes: 

Pre-kidnapping, she looked like her baby self but bigger and angrier. Horn is still curved.

Mud covers her lighter markings. 

Her colors are duller when she was a villain/a part of the hive.

Wings stay after she becomes more of an antihero but they don’t work well. Also has fangs that grow if she gets pissed.

Irises are red even after healed

Still can go in “beast mode” if angry enough

Gains back weight as a form of healing when she becomes good (by anti-hero standards ig lol).

[kim-monsterlings]

Eladan - M Orc x GN Human (Reader) // SFW

The pictures do not belong to me. I only created the mood board. Do not repost my work anywhere.

Content: SFW/Orange; surrounding a mute from birth reader and some mild self-depreciating thoughts of this, mild swearing, minor heartbreak, insecurities, drinking alcohol, light touching (hugging, stroking arms, tusks nuzzled to reader’s cheeks), very fluffy ending to make up for the heartache

Wordcount: 3067

Notes: Eladan was one of the first stories I wrote, but until “tropemas” I never finished him. There is a small follow up planned for Quinn the changeling, with info here, and a maybe NSFW for each Eladan and Vaia the cute minotaur. I hope you love them <3

“Tropemas” Summary: soulmate AU - the first words overheard by your soulmate are marked on your forearm, but they aren’t so nice

Masterlist // “Tropemas” Masterlist

Of all places, the words intended to shatter your heart came while you were working. The words so many others clutched tight and waited for, desperate to find their soulmates, left you wanting nothing more than to avoid them. Suffering with the harsh words marked into your forearm since you were young enough to remember had left you broken-hearted before the offence, and weak-kneed when it finally came.

Working in the tavern, no less. If only you could blame it on the alcohol, but the offending orc had only just begun to drink. Sat in a large booth beside a minotaur - neither of whom you'd ever seen before, but beside Quinn, an old fae friend of yours, a changeling. They'd yet to see you, and after freezing behind the bar, you weren't sure if you had the strength to near them.

The orc's pint had clattered against pierced tusks, the froth bubbling up to a thick, braided beard, before he scowled, almost shouting, "why should I waste my life on some soulmate?" The pint slammed back onto the table once more, emptied. "Fuck fate."

Fuck fate.

It hurt more then. The first sentence you were too familiar with - after years spent scrubbing at the words, hoping one day they would wash away like ink - but the following sentiment twisted your stomach into nausea. The tavern busied in your lapse, patrons flooding in with no concern to your pained smile as you served them.

Fuck fate.

Waste my life.

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair for Quinn's soulmate brand to have delicate cursive, to almost whisper "take me", yet yours was harsh and unfeeling. So many times, you had considered marking it over, though artists refused. Altering a soulmate mark was immoral, no matter the price or bargain.

The orc quieted following his outburst. You wouldn't have been drawn closer if not for a call of your name - nickname, at least, with Quinn above all respecting the importance of names - and you were helpless to wandering closer.

Though this was the first night you had ever neared Quinn when out with strangers, the fae only leaned back and softened their dangerous, charming smile. Pierced and pointed tips of their ears appeared through plaited midnight hair as they turned closer. In the presence of strangers, too, they began signing in common, for which you were more than grateful for as the orc's attention swung to you.

"I wanted to say hi. Busy night?" From that, Quinn frowned. "You look tired."

"Tired," you repeated, and shrugged a little, Quinn mirroring with a small sigh. They were busy too, and you had to wonder why of all company, they chose to spend their night with an orc so horribly rude. Of course, you wouldn't outrightly say such a thing - yet. "New friends?"

"Old," they signed, before spelling, "Vaia." They tipped their chin to the almost honey coloured minotaur, and she smiled, her nose ring shifting, which left the orc to be, "Eladan. Only visiting. When do you finish?”

That cracked your mask a little. Quinn would often wait for you, to share a drink in the early morning before walking you home. Tonight, nothing sickened you more than the thought of time wasted in Eladan's company.

So, with your smile weakened, you returned, "tired." Quinn's bright eyes rolled. The excuse was well overused, but they didn't persist. "Have a drink on me."

Their touch brushed to your palm. Quinn kissed your knuckles and bid you goodnight, but only in turning did the angle of Eladan's stare strike you. He hardly feigned looking away from the loose sleeve at your wrist, and had it been any looser, the dark cruelty forever scarring you would have been legible.

The table waited hardly a minute after you left before whispering of you, but to your surprise the mumbled whisper of, "cannot speak," came from the minotaur, not orc. A weight of stares fell upon you where you stood, pretending to wipe down the bar. Vaia's deep voice carried, and though the question came as no surprise, the curiosity only served to benefit your soulmate. "How?"

"Born mute," Quinn said, and that was all.

When you looked back before passing into the kitchen, the orc had gripped his wrist tight.

Another server tended to their booth under your pleading. Most who worked in the tavern, and several customers, had been kind enough to learn some sign, or carry paper for you when needed. The night passed well, without any further heartbreaks, until Quinn's wave caught your eye.

They would be back late in the night for you so you only smiled back, smiling even to Vaia, and paid no mind to the orc yet to leave. But hidden only behind your hair now, his passing scrutiny struck harder. Was it now your shying away that earned a frown, his tusks twisted at his lips, or the refusal to turn away when he came to the bar, leaning on his forearms, that had his head tilting?

Suddenly, the colour of your outfit struck you. Something as simple as that burned in your chest and forced you to lift your head from your chest. The soft green of it matched the orc's mottled shadings near perfectly, and the irony twisted deep in your stomach.

"Pardon me," he said, in a voice so soft you almost forgot the words scarred onto you. "May I ask if your heart is spoken for?"

Why couldn't those be the words of love and affection so many had on their bodies? The pain from his attempt now to - what was he attempting? To seduce you or use you for his visit - bittered what little was left of your good mood. You left Eladan watching as you turned and walked away.

The close friendship you cherished with Quinn became your undoing. Where they went, two shadows trailed, and usually into the tavern. They hadn't specified how long the visit was, nor its purpose, and you couldn't help feeling rude asking after immediately being introduced.

Though you ought to have because Quinn thought it would be fun to introduce you all. Your refusals were ignored after desperately trying to think of an excuse, but your only excuse was work, and they could wait for you to finish. Quinn invited Vaia and Eladan to the markets, a day out usually reserved for only the two of you, and not a heart-breaking orc.

Vaia was quiet, but that was no different to how many were around you. Often afraid to speak for you couldn't, unable to really communicate but with a strained smile and nod, but the company was nice, at least, and when she began talking, drawing you to stalls when a soft fabric caught her eye, you found you didn't mind staying by her side and helping wrap the small scarf carefully by her horns, for more reason than company.

The orc never strayed far. More than often, he stood with Quinn, but his eyes flitted back to you. Vaia moved to catch up with Quinn and left you to yourself before you'd realised, and a quiet rumble of your name left you frozen in shock. He offered a small flower, dark petals and tiny in his hand, though somehow dwarfing yours. Eladan's lips rose as he stepped closer.

"Walk with me?"

Fuck fate, he had cursed, and you wanted to throw the flower, but he ducked his head and left you with an aching heart, as if already resigned to your refusal. The orc looked shrunken; shoulders fallen low as he looked back to where your friends had gone ahead without you.

"They mentioned lunch," he said then, eyes firmly on the flower twirling in your hand. "If you're hungry? Not at the tavern, that would be cruel to take you back when you are not working. Somewhere with warm food."

Cruel, and the word twisted your stomach. In an effort just to make him stop, you nodded, and Eladan's chest deflated on a rush of breath.

"We hunt when we travel. Vaia and I," he said quietly, after stealing looks in what you had hoped to be a companionable silence, walking close enough his arm brushed to yours; the arm marked by his words. "I miss proper meals. Isn't it hard working around warm food all the time? No, I… I suppose not," he mumbled when you only frowned, and his head lifted when, like a blessing, Quinn called out to you.

Eladan offered to order for you. The offer itself tightened your chest in a way you tried to fight off, immediately signing to Quinn and waiting far from the pair and by Vaia. With a nod to the jewellery now changed in her nose, she grinned and thanked you for the implied compliment. Standing beside her now had been easier before, when you didn't see the small frown on the orc's lips after you left him.

The other small tavern in your village was adjoined to an inn, less crowded and more welcoming to friends than a bar would be on a late evening. Eladan squeezed beside you in the booth not intended for so many, and Quinn sat opposite you, leaning into Vaia as you waited for drinks.

With all your heart, you tried to hate the evening. Forced close to your intended soulmate, his muscles thick and tense, it was impossible not to wonder at what could have been - what still might be, if you moved beyond the harsh words you'd grown up with.

He was travelling with Vaia looking for work. They helped people in need of protection as unofficial bodyguards. You believed that wholeheartedly, and even grinned when Vaia told a story of how she'd been the first of their company to beat Eladan in a fight, and the first to bruise his ego. If he'd caught his breath when you'd laughed, you smothered that to the back of your mind.

"If you ever want to travel," he murmured, lifting his pint up and glancing down, a small smile crinkling his eyes. "I'd love to take you. Have you travelled?"

You shook your head and sipped at your drink, which was a dangerous thing to do, now his rumbling voice had begun to sound pleasant, and the press of his thigh to yours was warm and welcomed. You couldn't pinpoint when you had stopped leaning away from him, either, his arm resting on the back of the booth behind you.

"Not many know sign. In the cities, it's... it's different, but the woods and the sea - I think you'd love it."

It wasn't the promise of the sights that made you soften and nod, but the promise of being near him, and you stiffened. By then, Vaia was already nearing the stairs up to the inn, and Eladan brushed his hand to yours in a way of goodnight before retiring, too.

That left you with a changeling who saw too much, who rose from the booth and offered an arm to hold you close. The night carried you both onward in a peaceful silence, until your home began to near. They stroked down your arms only to soften at your wrists, a flash of gold in their eyes disarming you.

"You have always been so vigilant in hiding it. The words," they whispered. "They are not kind, are they? They're… they're what he said. You overhead?"

Unable to sign with Quinn still holding you, only a sniff broke the silence. They waited for you to nod before brushing up your sleeve. Knowing the words did little to prepare for seeing them, for finding them thick and unwavering.

After an evening so pleasant by his side, they slammed a weight into you, knocking a pain which had fallen away over the course of the night, back to its place in your chest.

Why should I waste my life on some soulmate

"His arm is blank. I do not wish to overstep-" you couldn't help frowning, and Quinn laughed with you. "More so than already, but, look," they sighed. Hands gentle on yours, Quinn squeezed. "He thought there wasn't a soul out there for him. Eladan wants you."

You twisted free then, staggering back a step. "He may want a soulmate but he does not want me. He does not want some-" your fingers twisted and Quinn reached, whispering your name as you struggled to focus and sign through the rush of pain. "Some mute. He wants a soulmate, not me. Goodnight."

Quinn ducked their head and returned the sentiment, waiting until you were indoors before leaving. They didn't see you collapsed to your knees and tracing the words by heart, wishing as you had so many times before that things were different.

True to their word and for that you were beyond grateful, Quinn didn't overstep. No more outings as a group were encouraged and you threw yourself into work, spending the nights walking home and chatting with your friend, and only them, waiting until the two guests would finally pass on.

Maybe it was wrong to think so, but you didn't want him. Eladan wanted a soulmate too late. The words were always and would be scarred, stinging, a reminder of how for years you had anticipated it being in disgust at finding you mute. Whether that was so or not, whether it was a mistake, your heart had been burdened for a time long before he had tucked a flower to your ear and teased smiles to your lips, and he would be leaving soon.

Soon, but without any timeframe. It was below you to outrightly ignore him, even on the night he came into the tavern alone. Eladan's warm smile didn't meet his eyes when you left him nursing an almost untouched pint, and for once it was you looking over your shoulder to the lonely orc.

For a breath too long, your stare lingered, entranced by the muscles flexing as he shucked off a jacket, small beads in his beard clinking. The move was one so insignificant - simply removing his leathers, as many would - but he bared his wrists, his plain, empty wrists, like he wanted you to see.

Eladan's shadowed eyes fell from you to his wrist when you were drawn helplessly to the booth. "What I'm thinking," he began quietly, with his thumb rubbing in circles you had drawn time and time before, but where yours were an effort to scrub away words, his were to summon. "I think you already know, don't you?"

Unable to deny it, you did nothing but turn.

Tonight, Quinn wouldn't be there to accompany you home. Maybe it had been a set up - an overstep you doubted, but it didn't surprise you to find an orc the last patron left in the early hours of the closing tavern. Eladan left with his jacket over his shoulder and reached out to brush your hands together before leaving.

You couldn't find the strength to stay standing any longer. The churning in your stomach forced you out for fresh air, collapsing back into the wall for support when the first, long-suppressed sob tore from you.

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair to be so heartbroken before ever learning who your soulmate was, and to now want to be with them, to learn them, yet feel the pain of their imprint lingering behind any soft smile or effort in carrying a conversation.

Nor was it fair to be completely unsurprised by the tentative call of your name from your soulmate, the very same who had waited for you, stumbling across you pressing a hand over your mouth and choking back cries.

Eladan's knuckles first brushed from your damp cheeks to skim along your throat. Gentle enough was his hold that you could lean into him and he trembled at the closer embrace, shifting to tuck you against his chest when a shudder wracked you.

"The first words you heard me say," he murmured. "Of all the things that night for you to hear, I think you heard the worst."

The tiny, indistinguishable hum that came from your throat earned a weak smile. Eladan nodded more to himself as he tucked his fingertips beneath your coat and bared your wrist, the words as dark and legible as always.

Why should I waste my life on some soulmate

"Fuck fate," he whispered then, the following words that had served only to worsen the wound. Eladan curled himself closer and nudged his tusks to your cheeks in a move as tender and intimate as you would allow.

For him to twist free from you and turn his head down came with a strike of shame. Had you so easily fooled yourself? To think that this warrior orc, one who spat harsh words and was only passing through, would want you of all people made you weaken and sniff, trying to lean away.

Eladan frowned, braids flicking beyond his shoulder. His fingertips pressed against your cheek to return your unfocused eyes to him, before his hand curled into a fist, arm folded across his chest, and he moved his fist in a slow circle.

"I'm sorry," he signed. The next attempt became so jittery, his movements rigid and nervous all at once, that you reached for his large hands and squeezed. He weakened again and brought your touch to brush against his tusks as he spoke aloud. "Those words were from anger. I thought I was the only soul not to have a match out there. I never thought… you," he breathed, and closed his eyes. Just this once, you told yourself, you would let him lean into you; you ignored that it had happened before, that you'd let him come close already. "I want you. I want to want you for you, for more than fate's hand, and if you would give me the chance - please, I," he caught himself then, his voice cracking. "Quinn is teaching me, um- I-" You couldn't help your smile when Eladan wriggled his fingers free to sign, "please. One chance."

"One," you returned, but it was enough for him to shudder and clutch you tight.

He fumbled behind your back enough for you to recognise hand movements, before he grunted, "thank you."