#but the other question is why did they develop magic resistance

[asexual-levia-tan]

thinks about toonka. thinks about the bandit leader, who was said to resemble toonka. thinks about how he was forced to fight in an arena, and ended up killing someone he thought of as his brother. and enjoyed it.

thinks about how toonka had to kill someone he thought of as a close friend. thinks about how that impacted him emotionally. thinks about how easy it really was to get him to think about the well-being of those weaker than him. thinks about how he's one of the whipper kingdom citizens who manifested magic resistance as a defense against the human experimentation the magic tower was doing. thinks about how toonka has no family thats been mentioned as of yet..............................

[captainuranium543]

Hi! I just wanted to know your thoughts on this post here: https://www.tumblr.com/yamishika/761491771751596032/something-that-has-been-bothering-me-regarding-the

Do you agree with this? Disagree with this? Was this just a light comedic moment? It def feels out of character for Jellal to a large degree. You have such great takes on Erza in general, that I wanted to check about this. I tried looking at your posts (now that I have better cell service) and didnt see this on your posts list. Apologies if you’ve covered it already. Thanks in advance!

the post in question^

thanks so much for this ask actually cuz I have been resisting the urge to yap about this forever and now I have an excuse ahaha.

honestly I completely agree, I've been saying it forever but as fairy tail has gone on Mashima has kind of stopped putting as much thought into it has he did early on. Early on the characters where the center of the narrative and honestly I think that's when ft is at its best because that has always been the best part if ft as a whole. The tower of heaven and the trauma Erza and Jellal faced along with countless others had so much impact on the story as late as season 6 because of just how massive a tragedy it was.

starting with Erza and Kiria, it feels especially disgusting for this to happen to specifically Erza because she has spent so much of her life being treated as less then human already. In the tower her purpose was literally to work herself to death, they needed sacrifices and lots of them. As soon as she wasn't useful to them anymore she would killed without a second thought and her life would only be another number added to the massive death toll of the r system project. she wasn't a person in there, she was a tool. Even after the tower she was still under someone else's control (on a leash you might say) with Jellal holding the lives of her friends over her head to keep her quiet, constantly taunting his power over her by spying on her with seigrain in the magic counsel. this is exactly what happens with Kiria and it feels genuinely horrifying to see it happen again but still its just played for fanservice and I find that incredibly irritating.

as for the Erza vs Jellal fight in the Aldoron arc, here we have a scene that is objectively horrifying to both of them. Erza and Jellal share INTENSE trauma associated with mind control and the loss of free will, and yet the scene is played for laughs and fanservice.

I do understand why Hiro did this, if they took the scene seriously it would probably set Jellal right back into his old ways again of avoiding Erza like the plague which he doesn't want because he's trying to push them closer together. I get that but its still feels like such a missed opportunity to give them some kind of emotional development which neither has had in so long. I'm gonna get into my own idea for the fight here so bear with me.

The fight begins and they intercut it with flash backs to the tower of heaven arc, or even further back to their actual childhood, showing how genuinely afraid of him Erza is right now while also trying to control herself and keep her "fight" instinct at bay because she doesn't want to hurt him. the fight from her perspective should be chaotic, rapidly throwing her between past and present while she desperately tries to hold onto a sense of reality and remind herself its not him.

now imagine this, at some point she loses control and really starts to spiral and he gets the upper hand. she's totally beaten and exhausted after trying to fight him and her demons at once and while she's on the ground he approaches her, lifts her up, and we get a call back to this scene.

throughout this fight we never really see Jellal's face, its mostly been from Erza's perspective and when we do see his face its a flashback to a different time while he was mind controlled. Now in the present jellal says something, idk what he would say exactly, but its something similar to the "it was the color of your hair" moment where it reminds Erza of something he said to her while he was himself. Erza finally snaps back to reality, she looks down at him and we finally get a clear view of his face in the present, and we see that he's crying.

that is enough to fully snap Erza back and finally give the fight her all, because its not just for her sake its for both of them. he would never forgive himself if he hurt her so she's going to have to be the one to do it even if it hurts because its the only way she's going to save him. and more than anything she wants to save him. (Again, call back to the tower of heaven, she was to late to save him then and it weighs on her to this day, she wont be to late this time.) anyway fight ends shortly after that she knocks him out and she's crying because obviously she never wanted to hurt him either she's just taking one for the team (like always but that's another rant). Just before Jellal passes out he looks at her and he thanks her for saving him (ONCE AGAIN CALL BACK TP THE TOWER OF HEAVEN but this time its not manipulation he's being fr showing us that its really him now). he passes out, erza gets up, looks back at him maybe one last time, says shes sorry, then goes off to go keep fighting. fight over

case and point I think this could have been sick as hell and i'm sad it didn't happen. its not that I have a problem with fanservice I just think it should be tasteful at least a little.

[andreal831]

Do you think that Hayley/Elijah/Jackson could’ve potentially worked as a throuple? 👀

I actually laughed when I read this question. Not because I think it would be impossible but because I think it would be absolutely wild. Maybe if the show was being run by more interesting people we could have had a storyline like this. It would make sense.

I mean on one hand, we have Hayley and Elijah who are in love and on the other hand we have a forced marriage. If anyone was going to have a throuple, they were primed for it. I have said it before but I don't believe the unification magic is so aware that Hayley and Elijah couldn't have stayed in a relationship. Also, no one proposed the idea of a throuple. I feel like that would have worked for the magic aspect of it.

If it did work, Hayley would have had to be the one to introduce it, and you know she would have. Hayley, especially at that time, was definitely a 'have your cake and eat it too' kind of person. And that is not a critique on her. She knew what she wanted and she went for it. So why not bring up the idea to the men.

Elijah would have been on board. He had been pinning after Hayley for like two years at that point and would have jumped at the opportunity to be with her in any way possible. He also has lived so long that I don't think it would have been strange to him. I joke that I love jealous Elijah but we really didn't get many scenes where he was obviously jealous. I feel like he was just, essentially, too old for that teen drama. So it wouldn't have bothered him that Hayley was also with Jackson. Especially because it would mean he got to be with her as well. Jackson would have been resistant for a variety of reasons. I can see him saying "That's not how we do things." But there definitely was a power imbalance there so I could see him caving and agreeing, but resenting it. So not a healthy throuple.

However, overtime, I could see Jackson and Elijah finding common ground. People love to say the men are so different, but they really aren't. They just wear different clothes. Jackson is more like a Mikaelson than he or the fandom want to admit. Jackson treats his pack similar to how the Mikaelsons treat their family. I think this is something Elijah and he could bond over. They've both had to make tough decisions, even bad decisions, in order to protect the ones they love. They've both also messed up a lot. They also both cared for Hayley and Hope which would likely be the first common ground they could come to.

I also love to think over time, given the chance, Elijah and Jackson would become friends. I can just see Jackson talking about hunting or some nature thing and Elijah just casually asking questions, trying to pretend he's not that interested. We view Elijah as an uptight business man, but let's not forget he was originally a farmer/warrior from what is present day Virginia. Elijah is a country boy. I would love a scene where Jackson is surprised by Elijah's knowledge of farming or hunting and then Hayley walks into an intense discussion about crop yields or the best way to skin a deer.

To me, it wouldn't ever be a true throuple, it would more likely be an open relationship. I just never got queer vibes from Jackson, but who knows. But if the show had focused more on character development and family, and less on drama, we may have actually seen a begrudging friendship and mutual respect from the two men. And Hayley would have truly benefited from that. But we all know how little Julie likes to let women have control over their relationships.

Thanks for the ask! These are always so fun for me.

[lollytea]

Just want to bring up a question about the Grom curse thing, this implies that a curse can be made by can be made per se by strong emotions. This also may have given Belos the idea of "the dangers of wild magic" he could've conveniently corrupted people who posed a great threat to him. just a thought

Oooooh!!

I'm hesitant to call Grometheus' fate a curse because I can't say for certain if that's what it is. TOH is kinda vague about how curses in this universe work or what defines them.

It's never clarified if Belos' problem is technically a curse like he claims or just some stupid shit he did to himself, without considering the possibility that the glyph/palisman magic might be uncooperative with his (at the time) human body.

I don't imagine that what Grometheus endured was a traditional curse like Eda but rather, something more similar to Darius (and maybe Belos a bit too)

Alright so, this is just a headcanon but I've always figured that this talent Darius has for shifting his whole body, flesh, bones and all, into goo mode wouldn't be like. Standard abomination magic stuff. This track is the study of controlling goo, not becoming goo. So, the stuff he's pulling off here is near impossible for any normal witch.

So, in my opinion, Darius is simply not normal. He was born with a capacity for magic that is far beyond that of a normal witch and equates to being extremely powerful. Anyway his mastery over abominations became so natural to him, as simple as breathing that his physical body went through an innate "transfusion" of sorts where he basically became one with his magic.

Cases like these are very rare and usually only crop up if a witch has bonded their soul to one specific area of magic. So if goo is what's making Darius' bile sac overheat, goo is what he's gonna be.

So, for example, another born powerful witch like Eda, who is a jack of all trades, wouldn't have developed something like this (even if her curse hadn't hindered her.) because there's too many spells and techniques being practised but no outright obsession that is being mastered enough to completely dilute her bloodstream.

Well, possibly. It's unknown if a witch can achieve this form with mixed magic. The condition is rare enough that not a lot of data has been collected yet.

Giuls and me have been exploring the same idea with Willow

(There's a lot more in-depth biological details about how this whole thing works but Giuls will probably talk more about all that at some point)

Anyway!! Grometheus!!

So, what I imagine is that Darius is an example of a successful fusion between physical form and magic, while Grometheus was an example of the same thing Gone Terribly Wrong.

See, in Darius' case, he managed to achieve a perfect union between his own sense of identity and the magic that had become part of him.

But in Grometheus' case, that did not happen.

They began as person who collected the essence of others for their research. They hoarded fears inside their own mind for years and years, maybe even decades. That's thousands and thousands of souls that they stole those fears from.

That's far too much for a normal witch to handle. But Grometheus was not a normal witch. They were powerful enough to endure it. Or at least they thought.

It was too much. Far too much. It was like deathly bacteria damaging everything inside of you. A slow and steady rot. Think food that's gone bad that's been there for months. That was the magic inside of Grometheus.

I dont imagine that this corruption was directly caused by Grometheus' negative emotions. But rather, those emotions weakened their resistance to the swarming fear that was consuming them. Maybe if they had been stronger or happier or had people around who reminded them why they were alive, they could have realized what was happening before it was too late.

There still would have been long lasting damages. But they may have been able to find the balance between themself and the magic and kept their identity intact.

But soon enough, the fear ate away at everything else that remained of Grometheus. They lost who they were. They didn't know who they had ever been.

They were no longer a witch who collected fears. They were simply the vessel for fear itself.

It's a little unclear what this ask means but I don't imagine that Belos was the one who corrupted Grometheus, if that's what it's implying. Although yes, he probably would have used this case as effective propaganda.

At the time of Grometheus' corruption, this concept of physical form and magic fusion was unheard of. No cases had been documented yet. So Belos could conveniently twist it as an example of the dangers of wild magic.

However, as times changed and studies continued, this condition became more well known in the Healing Coven as a perfectly natural (if rare) biological evolution.

Sadly, it had not yet been theorized that Grometheus' case was anything other than a reckless use of wild magic, rather than a condition that wound up destroying them because nobody knew enough to help.

The truth doesn't come to light until after their vessel was slain in the Hexside arena, but they were hardly still alive in there anyway. The truth is delivered by Gus Porter, who saw everything through their eyes during that one moment where he dissected them with his amplifier mirror.

So now, Gus has absorbed it all. The thousands upon thousands of fears all melted together into a sickening tarry contamination. Gus inherits everything that consumed Grometheus and now it resides in his own mind.

And that's where we currently stand and now the question hangs in the air. Can Gus achieve a successful physical and magical transfusion the way Darius did? Or is he in danger of losing himself to the rot?

[kerizaret]

YAYYYYY TY!!!!!!

I was wondering what exactly your process was when it came to worldbuilding? ,:3 I remembered when I rambled to you about my polysho au and you had so many questions that I hadn't even thought about which I thought was really cool and when I see your rambles about your own aus they're so intricate and detailed and stuff and I always wondered how you did alla that :3 sorry I'm not good with words um. TLDR I want to know your process of world building if you're okay with it ,:3

OH. MY PROCESS. UH. I.. don't really know if i have a concrete process??? I'm just a Perfectionist who needs to have everything figured out as much as possible HAHDHS

It just sort of happens? It's really really hard to explain how I think. I just really want things to make sense and for that I need to know why they are the way they are and have explanations for any questions people might have for them. Think about it like, if I was told about [situation/power] without context, what would I ask about? What would I want explained to me?

But well. Thays very vague. I'll try to write down some of how I think below but i don't really know if it'll make sense ahahdh

Usually when I come up with a new idea, it's because I come up with a certain scene or concept I think would be interesting, and just build the plot around it? And then I just ask myself questions all the time. How would we reach that point? What's the process? Why is someone acting like this? Why this character in particular? How does it fit them? How does this work?

Generally the most important question I need an answer to is – what am I trying to achieve with this? Where am I leading the story towards? What's my end goal, or at least a certain point late in the story that I want to realise? Am I trying to lead the polysho au to joint marriage or for them to choose? Do I want something happen to the hina tenmas? Will the opposition in the cpdw au win against the oppressing system? (I know i haven't shared much of this au bc there's so much going on there but I promise I will soon)

I also definitely always try to think up a background for the story. What is the situation and how it affects what's happening? How did it reach this point? Is it a finished process or is something still developing? Will the background situation change and somehow affect the story later on?

If the action is in a city/country/land, what's that place like? Is there something happening in it that's important? If it's a seaside village wary of mermaids, why is it like this and what happens if a mermaid appears? If its a cyberpunk city oppressed by the system, what is the oppression like? Is there a resistance, and how does it fight back, how does it hide, what are their struggles? If it's several kingdoms, what's different about each of them that makes them separate countries and not one and the same thing? How are the relationships between them? Things like that

But other than that it's hard to pin down exactly one route i take, you know? The thinking is really like, unique to each au. For example the polysho royal au was inspired by one ruikasa scene that randomly appeared in my head (that I can't tell you about because it's happening later on and is important) and I just thought "well. Now I have to somehow make it make sense". And then I came up with the arranged marriage thing, and how emunene work into this, and had a basic concept. (I wasn't PLANNING to make an au out of this, but you guys got interested and I decided might as well try. And now I had to figure out how the relationships develop and why)

For hinamatsuri au, the concept for toy-fixers tenmas came first, and only then I started figuring out how I could work other characters into it, and how exactly their "magic" works. I haven't shared it yet because drawing this is. A process. But I have a whole lore reasoning for why toys even move in the first place, what the Tenmas' abilities depend on, their limits. Their creation and why they broke later, how this affects them

Why did Tsukasa's power fail, in the last comic? Was it a one-time thing or will this continue? Why does Saki start crumbling sometimes? Why does tsukasa forget things? And other things

I like it when a power has its weaknesses or limits, when a situation has its consequences and reasons for it. You take whatever concept you have and think, where did it come from? Where does it stop? How does it change things? Why did I choose this person for it?

I generally also like to and try to reference the original story somehow too. Like the hinamatsuri au characters' stories. I tried to - as much as was possible - do something similar to their Canon situations. Like toya being harumichi's puppet whose strings tenmas cut off, like honami being mistreated by her owners but still choosing to stay with them at first, like nene being thrown away because of her voice failing.

In cpdw au emu finds herself fighting against her family who works for the system she doesn't agree with. Ruinene have a whole backstory together as childhood friends whose contact grew apart. Tsukasa let the system manipulate him with idea of fame into working as their propaganda idol

If it's possible, I like to keep the characters' personalities close to canon – except sometimes I emphasise their certain characteristics. Like for hinakasa I took the big brother energy and multiplied it tenfold, but toned down a bit on the impulsiveness as you've probably noticed

I don't know what else is there really? It all comes down to me just taking the idea and taking it apart to be able to know it inside-out and from all sides. Ask yourself questions! Be curious! Think about where things came from, how they work and what they change!

Or, talk to someone else about it. Heavens know how much it helps. There's ALWAYS going to be a question you won't come up with yourself that someone asks you and you go completely blank. And it's great! It lets you develop things better! It gives you a new perspective! And most importantly you can scream about an idea you like as much as you can. What could be more fun?

I'm always happy to listen to new ideas and ask questions to help if you ever want to!

[melia-vibes]

Bloodmarked Character Analysis and Opinions: Selwyn Kane

Spoilers ahead!

1. Sel's development from the first novel to now is *chef's kiss*. He is a flawed character who is always willing to admit when he is wrong. His apology and explanation for is actions during LB in chapter 37 were absolutely heart wrenching. I loved it vulnerability and honesty.

2. Selwyn has come a long way from the boy who didn't know how to ask to be Nick's friend or ask Nick to be his. He expresses his feelings for Bree and makes it clear that his priority is her happiness, even if that isn't with him.

3. Sel's relationship with Nicholas is beautiful but so complicated. It is clear they care for each other more than either of them wish to admit, but it is also so hard to move beyond the hurt and betrayal both of them have inflicted on the other. Both of them have abused their bond at some point or another. But they have also been at each other's sides for almost a decade (it's 8 years. Sel was 10 and Nick was 9 when they were oathed.) Sel knows Nick better than anyone else on the planet and vice versa but that type of bond and knowledge breeds resentment and pain, especially with the immense pressure both of them shoulder. The two are inextricably linked. In LB we find out that Sel had a crush on Nick when they were younger and when Bree asks him about it in BM, he says, "I don't think that's in the cards for me... if I allowed myself that wish, it would be something. Wishes are a dangerous game we play with ourselves and the only way to win is not to play." I took this to mean, he will not allow himself to love Nick in that way because he thinks it cannot work out. But before that, he stated that he feels safer and more whole with Nick. I really love the complexity of their relationship and I hope to get more of it in the next book.

4. Let's talk Sel's magic. For a large portion of this book. Sel had Void Cuffs on and could not call aether. Shortly after Bree breaks the cuffs, she is badly injured, and Sel uses his magic to do something unprecedented. He holds Bree together. He holds her organs, nerves, and blood vessels together for 3 hours until William can get to them. William himself says that what he did was incredible and would have killed another Merlin. My question is what gives Selwyn the ability to do that? Why is he special? I think it's because of Bree's root! When he does this he is still under the affects of Bree sharing her root with him. We've seen Bree's root have lasting effects on Alice (mesmer resistance). And we've been told that as demons consume aether they become more powerful. So it makes sense that with root flowing through him he'd be able to do something that should have been impossible. Bree also willingly shared her root with him and I think the reason it didn't cause him to succumb then is just that. Consent. When Bree shares her root, it strengthens Sel. When he takes it in the bloodwalk, it causes him to succumb to his blood. These are just my theories but I'm excited to see if Deonn chooses this route for the story.

5. Sel's mother. We know so little of Natasia Kane but I think she will be a major player in the next book with Sel's humanity on the line. I also think we might find out that Erebus is Selwyn's father. Erebus hinted to a relationship with Natasia and has a soft spot for Sel. Whether that is due to him being his father or if it is because of his relationship with Natasia, I'm not sure but I hope to find out.

I absolutely adore him and I pray he ends up ok

[psshaw]

Feelings-first therapy language has been interesting to navigate because I’m a very “actions are more important than words” type of lady. Growing up midwestern, I learned early that “sorry” means “don’t be mad at me”, and “we’re so happy to see you!” has no bearing on whether a person gets talked shit about later. “Nice” was never a trait I admired. In my experience, “nice” people were either naive or liars. “Nice” people cared what you were supposed to say, not what was true.

I could not figure out the motive for living like this, because it looked like torture. Now I realize the political benefits, but grokking it feels like reverse-character development.

Meanwhile, I can argue with you 100 times a year and feel nothing, because I respect you more for holding your own and being honest than I would if you agreed with everything I said. When I’m looking to knock someone off-guard, honest observations change the tone fast. I start asking questions— really, you agree with everything I said? That’s all you have to add? And sometimes people really do start to wonder what programmed them to do that.

I still hold a lot of hurt from an old friend who hated to argue. They always asked my opinion before giving theirs. Looking back, they were used to getting what they wanted by being “nice”, and got enraged and confused when it didn’t work. They often did objectively cruel things, just a step removed from where the victim could see it. They kept no-one’s secrets, “played both sides”, and took zero responsibility for the part they played in ratcheting the tension. Whenever things went south, they washed their hands of it and told the story as if they weren’t there. But the next time around, they still couldn’t resist getting involved. Because when two people won’t resolve things directly, the agony aunt gains two friends.

That preoccupation with perception— agreeing with two people at once, only taking responsibility for what they’ve been caught doing, using “sorry” like a magic word but repeating the cycle anyway— feels familiar in the obfuscations of therapy speak. I think a lot of people are attracted to “toxic” and “gaslighting” and “red flag” because it facilitates a flattening of a situation— a good guy and a bad guy, maybe. I’m often surprised by how little some people examine their own actions for anything other than “does this look good according to the current zeitgeist?”

The way I handled my Catholic guilt was by noticing I wasn’t in this alone. My whole congregation supposedly had Original Sin, and they sure as hell weren’t living more morally than me at 9 years old. Plus, what loving sky-daddy would put us on a world with so many temptations and just quietly scratch off our Heaven points for 80 years? So I deduced there was more wiggle room than we were interpreting the Bible to have— otherwise, Hell is full of preteens.

All of this is to say that “bad person” has never been a scary label to me, because I was raised to believe we were all bad. What mattered is that we were trying to be better. This is what made social justice make sense to me, too, though now I understand why other people see “don’t do that, it’s racist” as some kind of indelible attack on their character. (It’s cos they were raised wrong.) To me, the point isn’t to come out of the gate being perfectly liked and agreeable. It’s to show everyone how hard you can try.

[shiawasekai]

10, 13 and 19 for Nela!

Dujour, thank you for these!

10. How does their ancestry (race) play into their class and mythic path - do they overlap, or what dynamic is created from that combination?

Now that's a fun and complicated question right there with enough layers I'm not sure I can't comprehensively take them.

It may seem, from an outsider's perspective, a completely logical outcome for the aasimar to become an angel. Of course, how couldn't it not! But, as far as Nela is concerned, reality is far more complicated than that.

In short, she resents being an aasimar. As far as she's concerned, it's something that has only brought her grief from early childhood. And, as an emberkin, that resentment has fed her darker side in the past and led her to make very questionable choices.

Becoming an angel was, ultimately, the lesser evil, but it wasn't something she desired. And yet, becoming an angel is a positive experience for Nela if viewed strictly through the lens of her troubled relationship with her own race.

First, because it's validation. She finds success as an angel, gains the respect of the Hand of the Inheritor, all whilst being herself. She spent her entire childhood being judged and decried for not fitting people's ideas of who she was supposed to be, and yet actual celestials accept her as part of their own wholeheartedly.

There was nothing wrong with her all along. They were seeking fault where there was none. She was fine, she's fine.

Second, this is completely MY take on it but the Angel powers counter the Fallen Angel ancestry in her. The horrible intrusive thoughts that had been a constant in her life, better or worse but never gone, are no more.

Third, due to her very, very troubled relationship with her aasimar ancestry, she is actually glad being known as an angel is overwriting it. It's hard to say which of physical traits she develops over the game come from being an angel, and which are derived from her aasimar bloodline.

And most people don't know enough about angels to know there is something off about her, they only see a celestial. Nela the aasimar is no more, there is only Nela the angel.

Due to all the aforementioned reasons, and the fact that albeit somewhat subconscious this was a choice she took, that's an identity she feels a lot more comfortable in. It's one of the reasons she stays as an Angel instead of going Legend.

Her body image issues are a different, albeit partially related, matter. So I'll leave that aside this time.

13. Which mythic abilities/spells would be iconic to them, and was it their preference or did they prefer something less iconic?

As I've mentioned before, Nela is strong but what makes her terrifying is the ability to make others exponentially stronger. In that sense, I would say Angelic Halo would be the most iconic: capable of reducing the enemies' spell resistance and damaging them, giving her allies elemental resistances and higher AC simply by being besides them.

It may not be the most powerful part of her mythical kit, but I feel it's what symbolises her strengths the most.

She is more proud of her mythic magic, and that's in a way iconic in its own right. However, I'm almost certain no few people associate her magic with that holy empowering aura even when it's an altogether different thing.

19. What is their favored weapon(s) or spell(s), and why?

For this topic, I'm leaving aside the ludicrous amounts of buffs she uses between her arcanist spellbook and the angel spellbook, as I would hardly call any individual buff "favoured."

I would say Sirocco and Storm of Justice. Sirocco has some strange synergy with the Angel kit. Sword of Heaven's maximized dice apply to every hit so Sirocco does quite the substantial damage for a spell that's sustained and unavoidable. If it manages to knock down the enemy they would be trapped there until they died. Quickly.

Storm of Justice is... So much damage against demons. So much. Why use anything else.

[theuntitledblog]

Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4) - REVIEW

* I have only played Final Fantasy VII Remake on PS4 and have not played Intergrade or the Yuffie DLC.

I don’t think there’s a game I’ve been more nervous to play than Final Fantasy VII Remake. I avoided it for several years because I couldn’t see how it could possibly compare to the beloved original and worse still were the rumours of changes being made to the narrative that would make it, to me at least, more of a reimagining than remake. I suppose it would be fair to say that there didn’t seem to be a way for the developers to win me over; make changes and get criticised or stay the same but then it can’t possibly live up to the FFVII name. I decided to avoid altogether which then poses the question of why did I finally give in and give Remake a go? In short it came down to curiosity getting the better of me especially with the pending (at the time) arrival of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth which looked astonishing and seemed to be much more in line with what I hoped this project would be when first announced. I finally decided to give Remake a chance and I’m delighted to say that a lot of my fears have largely proven to be misplaced … but not all.

The introduction alone did a lot to win me to the cause as I didn’t anticipate just how powerful a feeling it would be to see this world and those beloved characters rendered in such stunning detail. Whatever you might think of the decision to turn this Remake project into a trilogy of games, the developers here have tried to expand the Midgar opening to be as a compelling a gaming experience as possible from what was originally a very small part of the original. Remake retains a linear structure within a limited but grand looking setting which mostly consists of Sectors 5, 6 and 7 of Midgar but at the same time there are open world characteristics that can feel sometimes feel too much like filler.  Remake is filled with side quests, combat challenges and mini games all the while it stretches out story segments as far as they can. It’s mostly successful but at times Remake does feel like it is being squeezed as tight as possible to get as much content as they can out of it which can sometimes make it feel a little thin. I also found once or twice that this approach to stretch out sections affected the pace when I felt that the story really needed some momentum especially during the Shinra attack on the Sector 7 plate support. From a storytelling perspective however, the benefits are plain to see with the expansion of the Midgar setting allowing us to see more of the city than the original and it’s given time to flesh out characters such as Biggs, Jessie, and Wedge.

What isn’t thin however is the environment, characters, and especially combat with each going a long way to compensate for whatever shortcomings Remake has. Cloud, Barrett, Tifa and especially Aerith are brought to life in stunning detail plus Nobuo Uematsu’s revamped but familiar score serves also as a strong reminder that despite Remake’s slick new look, this is still Final Fantasy VII. OK sure some of the dialogue and awkward exchanges are very cheesy and worked better in the silent original, but this is still a story I easily got sucked into. The Sectors and Slums in Midgar feel liked lived in, believable environments with plenty of NPC’s who you can purchase items, materia and weapons from, accept quests or simply interact with. All this helps to make you feel immersed and emotionally invested in the lives and fate of all these people as the threat from Shinra grows.  

The best element of Final Fantasy VII Remake is the outstanding combat system. The real time combat system introduced here has many more layers than the original and requires you to be adaptable in your strategy depending on the enemies you’re facing. Some enemies are vulnerable to certain magical and/or physical attacks while others have a resistant to certain magical and/or physical attacks and by exploiting that weakness can you put pressure on a foe which can eventually stagger them which allows you to inflict greater damage. Factor in the return of limit breaks, the ability to parry and block attacks to reduce damage taken, abilities, weapons and materia and what you have is a richly layered combat system that requires you to get your party’s balance right. It is an immensely satisfying system, so much fun and one that I never got bored of even when some combat sequences go on for much longer than anticipated. It should be noted that you have the option of switching to a turn-based combat system much like the original however I opted for the new system.

Going in I feared that Final Fantasy VII Remake could only be a lesser version of the PSOne classic, and the good news is that this isn’t the case however I can’t deny that there are elements that just don’t work for me. As mentioned above, I think it is stuffed with unnecessary filler to pad out what is essentially a tiny part of the original game and I think there are times where it shows. I also felt they were holding back when it came to equipment, materia and of course weapons which admittedly they do compensate for by having a function where you can spend experience points and upgrade your weapons which I liked a lot. But it just contributed to a general feeling that the developers significantly held back to keep this first game confined here and that feeling has only grown for me since Rebirth’s release. However, my biggest gripe is centred on a new element included exclusively for Remake; the Whispers. Visually I felt that they made the screen messy, I felt their presence at times affected the flow of the story and were a distraction. Most of all I felt it was such an unnecessary change to a game whose popularity has endured for 17 years in part because of that story. The Whispers embody for me every concern I had about a Final Fantasy VII Remake and while they don’t undermine my overall experience with the game, they are a significant blemish. With that said however, there is no denying that nostalgia and my own personal biases influence a lot of how I feel about Remake and if this was any other game, some of the elements here might annoy me a lot more.

OVERALL

Given the Final Fantasy VII name, characters, music, and story (Whispers aside), and no small amount of nostalgia, I found Remake to be exciting,  a lot of fun, emotional and most surprising of all is that  it made me appreciate the original game even more.

4/5

[whinlatter]

She IS a writer.

Have a pear. 🍐

Firstly THANK YOU, she is trying to be 🥲

🍐 Is there anything in canon that you absolutely hate and love to fix in fics? A wrong choice made, a fuck-up in characterization, a misunderstanding never cleared up, a conversation never shown onscreen, etc…

Like a lot of readers and authors, I definitely like to write and read work that reconsiders which moments in characters’ lives were most formative emotionally, particularly ones that, in canon, are mentioned either as asides or barely relevant to the central plot. Harry as a limited narrator doesn’t always see other characters, especially the adults around him, that clearly. I think this the sort of work that really great Marauders fanfiction can do so beautifully: seeing flawed adult characters and working backwards to trace the emotional contours of their life that fashioned them into the imperfect articles we see in canon. I think it’s so exciting to go back and play around with that!

My fic idea notes are often along these lines. Like, Arthur Weasley was violently attacked in a near fatal attack in OotP and… no one ever mentions it again. Like, how was Arthur doing after that? Did it change his attitude to fatherhood? Does he think about it every Christmas? Or — in the war, Dean Thomas and Hermione are both persecuted as muggleborns, but Dean is a young Black boy likely from East London in the mid-nineties, and Hermione - even if we take her race as canonically undefined - seems to be the daughter of affluent dentists either from London or the Home Counties who goes skiing. How might those two characters, Dean especially, think about the vast differences them in the Muggle world while being placed in the same category as equals in the Wizarding World?

The other big one is the place of politics in the Wizarding World, and particularly the politics of resistance. The big one I’m desperate to try and sort out and write about, somehow, is how the Weasley family came to be and managed their status as a family of the resistance. It’s played down so much in canon, because the family first get introduced as Harry’s best friend’s family to provide a source of warmth and love for a young boy without one, and later seem to end up at the heart of the Order accidentally, almost through Harry. But it’s clear from so many throwaway details - the deaths of Fabian and Gideon Prewett, the divergence in the Black/Weasley/Prewett family trees, and the way Molly and Arthur willingly move their children to Grimmauld in OotP and later establish Order headquarters in their family home, that this is a family for whom resistance is a birthright. Molly frets about her children’s safety, but she also is committed to the cause, undertakes Order missions in her own right, and eventually duels Bellatrix Lestrange and wins. Bill transfers to London from his job in Egypt to be more active in the Order; Charlie recruits foreign fighters from abroad. From generation to generation, the family are openly political, subversive and actively resist both the influence of dark magic but also - and especially - aspects of the state and society entrenched in inequality and blood purity. I’ve been thinking about a lot about the Weasleys, and about political causes and fights that span generations, like Catholic Republican families in twentieth century Ireland, for instance. I’m itching to try to develop this theme in something, either through the Ginny character study I’m writing, or in its own one shot, and put politics at the centre of the family. (The Percy fight looks even juicier in this light, no?) It’s why I love ce ne sont que des cailloux by @pebblysand so much, for the ways it takes up this question to look at the Delacours and speculates about their generational history of resistance, including during the Occupation.

That said - the quick boring answer really should just be I will read every James Potter redemption fic I can get my hands on, and keep trying to have a go at writing one. Canon does the man extremely dirty! James was a character beloved by all-round canonical goodies, and he deserves fics that attend both to his clear good traits and his growing-up arc from teenager to young man, both of which are erased in canon. So justice for James 4 ever 💘

(ask me anything!)

[ppenguinpperson]

omg im obsessed with your dasha n katya designs i love madoka magica and pafl!! i wanted to ask what were their magical girl contract events? like what were the reasons why they chose to become magical girls? also feel free to talk about it more in general because i love this concept and find it fascinating

thank you!!!<333 i appreciate it!!! im gonna talk about this au under cut as to not flood peoples dashes n such

so!! to explain dasha's, i gotta explain this au a bit before i dive into it.

even though a lot is similiar to mm in this au, the incubators dont work alone. they work with the facility!:3 the facility studies how much despair a witch can produce, how much despair a magical girl can endure, how strong a magical girl can be, what the limits are of what you can and can't wish for (even though the incubators say 'anything', the facility isnt That trusting of them. for obvious reasons, such as, incubators withhold so much information. and then use the excuse that you just didn't ask. so !! though they work together, they don't rlly, trust them 100%.), etc !! temnova is the leading head of this experiment. soo . as you might suspect from 'like a dog', and all the "how old is temnova?" "wouldnt you like to know:)" things, temnovas a mutant in canon - most likely anyways lol. so, in this au, shes a magical girl, too:) she doesnt fight witches tho, just studies them. she herself was very fascinated with kyubey and the concept of magical girls, so, she wished (like 50 years ago btw) for something along the lines of "i want to be alive as long as my soul gem is intact" . she has a higher resistance to despair, and, she ages Very slowly! kyubey approached her when she was like 15, and during these 50 years shes aged like, less than a decade. when she got into her twenties she demanded kyubey stop aging her, for if he keeps doing that, she will become Old and Fragile in no time. so. she ages slowly! and all that shit. or something.

the facility also like. it doesnt kidnap magical girls. not rlly ❤️tries to contain the witches though (with varying degrees of success)

now. about dasha. my girl dasha !!! shes been a magical since she was like, a child, seven years old or smth. temnova was always curious about what would happen if a magical girl made her wish at a young age - how long she could go until she turned into a witch, how much power her wish could hold, how her despair would look n such... dasha most likely isn't her first 'experiment' like this. dasha didn't make her own wish. temnova told her to wish "I want to be able to locate other magical girls", so she did. when dasha grows older, she starts recruiting magical girls. as in, once shes old enough, convincing enough, she starts finding MMs and telling them "Hi i have a group of magical girl friends back at home. do you wanna fight with us" . and youre lying. youre fucking lying if you say that any magical girl wouldnt go "what the hell this is a child. what the hell. why is she fighting witches. what the fuck kyubey" and follow her, to the facility. the scientists ask her questions, "what did you wish for?" "how long have you been a magical girl?" "what's your weapon?" "can you fight a witch for us?" "can you describe some of the witches you've fought?" nothing too drastic - can't have her telling the other magical girls about them - all under the guise of being dashas family, studying magical girls, keeping statistics, just curiousity. but magical girls arent stupid. some Would try to trust them. maybe temnova does these interviews, since shes a magical girl herself. or Something i dont have this that developed. im making some of this up as i go lol

dasha's weapon... is a gun!!

thats her holster:) i didnt wanna give her a close range weapon, because, dimas telekenisis n all. plus its sorta stalker-ish.

when shes around 15, temnova takes her aside one day and says "hey. i love you like a daughte.r ok. thats why i'm going to tell you this. because i trust you can handle it. its a disgrace! im amazed at the boards lack of scientific taste, they just dont understand youre too precious to witch out! shame. yeah they think youre a loser and they wanna turn you into a witch, study that form and all." bc . shes put far too much work into dasha to lose her at 15!

dasha breaks out.

also, if you're wondering, "how did she survive without turning into a witch for eight years??" wellll theres this thing called bottling up your feelings so hard you dont even know they're there. hope this helps. she distances herself from literally everything.

lmk if you'd like me to elaborate on any of this!

--

katya!! katya lives with nadya in this au. (under the theory that nikita and nadya are her parents, which is, practically canon to me - nikita still bailed) her twin sister, which she has in the canon human au that ferry sometimes talks about, doesnt exist. why? ❤️because. im silly like that.

one day she meets yulya (fem!yura :3 get GIRLED), and the two become friends! sorta. katya hears yulya being self depricating n shit and decides "ok thats gonna be my big sister figure now:)" mm. about yulya. to explain things a bit: stalkers still exist in this. theyre not as illegal, but theyre not really legal either ! no law about them. they work for the facility - non magical girls that venture into witch's labyrinth, retrieving curses, scouting the labyrinth out, taking back 'artifacts', etc etc... yulya wants to be one ! for funsies, maybe. idk. she knows about magical girls because of sergei (unsure if ill girl him or not) !! she still tutors sanya, and, bc of sergeis stalker profession, shes heard a bit about labyrinths and such. thinks it could be interesting. or whatever. who knwos ... so !! she wants to be a stalker. katya doesnt know magical girls exist, theyre like, cryptids to her still. like the tooth fairy.

one day, the duo (maybe trio .. sanyas there, maybe), one way or another, they get stuck in a witchs labyrinth. they get cornered by curses, or the witch herself. no magical girl in sight. kyubey appears, explains the deal (not rlly, though. mostly "make a wish!! and youll be ok!!") and . yulya . she cannot bring herself to do it. she knows that the magical girls turn into witches, always eventually, from sergei. and she cant bring herself to do it. she loves katya like a sister, she doesnt want her to seal the contract either - but, she cant. do it. she freezes. katya doesnt know who the witches rlly are, though. so. in a fit of panic and desperation, she wishes something along the lines of "i just want my friends and i to be happy!!" or something. n. to her, this is magic! she gets a magical girl transformation! she gets a cute outfit, she gets a way to protect yulya!! she survives!! shes happy!! but to yulya. this is fucked up messed up shit and fuck. katya has already died, to her. "it was always going to end this way, shes been dead since the beginning" n shit. so she cant fucking. bear to be happy. but she cant tell katya the truth either!! shed witch out!! so shes. stuck. katya too.

katyas weapons are balloons that she can make, like animal balloons, that explode! so. she makes a silly dog balloon and throws it at the witch! and thats how she deals damage:) maybe shes got juggling balls idk !

mm. also, about that witching out...

she doesnt rlly make it out the story in one piece lol. she learns the truth about magical girls one day. and ummm . she cant really handle it. she doesnt explode right away. tries to be positive, like, "oh i can. do htis. i can handle this" . she tries . but she fails . she cant bear to fight a witch again. and succumbs

neleppy p'yerro is her witch name. the laughable witch. pathetic. tries to keep her audience, people in her labyrinth, happy, joyful. isnt outright violent, but. shes still a witch. she doesnt mean to harm you. she only wants to make you happy, to prevent you from reaching the fate that she did. doesnt want you to be sad, succumb and witch out. but she doesnt know how.

again, lmk if youre curious about any of this !! or if i explained anything poorly!!! :D thank you for asking!!!

[rachaellawrites]

I was tagged by @moondust-bard! My words are fate, question, afraid, wound, and gaze.

Fate [The Willing and The Chosen, Book 1]

In the hunting and fishing section, she wandered for a moment, looking at the rifles locked in cases, the fishing rods displayed on the walls, and the deer heads mounted up near the ceiling. Their beady black eyes stared down at everyone as though alarmed by the fate of their brethren.

Question [A New Age of Magic, Book 4]

The sky was clear, pale stars winking down at us through the thinning fall canopy. I found Farida leaning against the papery trunk of a birch tree, staring up at the moon with a faraway look. I hesitated before closing the distance, not wanting to startle her or impose. She turned to me at the sound of my approach, eyes questioning. “It’s the ‘probably’ that bothers you, isn’t it?” I asked. “What do you mean?” “[REDACTED] said, ‘It’s probably a trap.’ But ‘probably’ also means ‘maybe not’.”

Afraid [The Willing and The Chosen, Book 1]

“The combat training?” Ella frowned, but resisted asking her next question: Why come to the Academy if you were afraid of fighting? No one was forced to go. Well, at least, no one staying in this dorm was forced. Shrugging, Tiffany traced a pattern on the leg of her jeans as she stared down at her lap. “Guess it’s something we’re supposed to get used to after a few classes. Right?”

Wound [not found]

Gaze [The Willing and the Chosen, Book 1]

At the bottom of the classroom, the wall was dominated by an enormous white board, upon which was written, dead center: Instructor Autere, she/they. The instructor identified by the white board turned from the three other students she had already been chewing out for being late, sharp grey-blue eyes locking on to Ella and Tiffany. Her wire-rim glasses did nothing to shield the two girls from the flint-cold intensity of her gaze. And, as if there could be any doubt that this professor was a hard-ass, her greying hair was pulled back in the most severe, headache-inducing bun Ella had ever seen. “Do none of you understand the concept of setting an alarm?” they snapped when they noticed Ella and Tiffany enter. The older person’s face was drawn into a scowl, the deep lines around her mouth and along her forehead indicating that this was her usual expression. “Did you not consider it pertinent to find where your classrooms were before the moment you needed to be in them? Do you think my time is free to be wasted?”

Thanks again to @moondust-bard for tagging me! This game is always so much fun 😊

Now I'm tagging @human-still-developing @k--havok @gracehosborn @willowtreewrites @authorlaurawinter. Your words are panic, flare, drip, care, and wrap.

[passionpluto]

Presenting: The Big Four Preservation Project (AKA Operation: Release the Vickles-Shaye Cut)!

What if the first four Altador Cup MVPs were all part of a secret society, and the only one who knew was Tandrak Shaye? That's the question Jair Tollet finds herself asking when her team captain uncovers a sabotage scheme targeting the Altador Cups's high scorers and asks her for help. All Jair really wants to do is lay low and train her new apprentice Scout, but when an old frenemy from her Team Maraqua days is linked to the sabotages, Jair finds herself pulled ever deeper into the mystery...especially once the saboteurs begin to target Scout for her own burgeoning abilities...

The Big Four Saga was an unreleased Altador Cup 'verse written from 2010-11 for the Neopian Times. It was extensively advertised on Neopets forums, mainly Jellyneo Forums. Two stories (Jair's backstory Jumper and the intro short story Big Four Minus One) from it were eventually published, but its main series The Vickles-Shaye Battles was never released because, even after massive edits, it was continually rejected by the NT. It has only ever been read in its entirety by one person, a suburban father from Kansas City...until now.

Okay, so I wanted to do the crazy Defunctland-style narration for at least one paragraph to make this sound more important than it is, but putting that aside, I asked you all if you wanted to read my old AC fanfics in their uncut, ninth-grade glory, and boy did you guys deliver! I'd been thinking about doing this for some time since I'll be switching computers soon for the first time in a long time and wanted a way to preserve these silly things that still have a place in my heart, but wasn't sure if I should do it publicly or just add them to my Google Docs and call it a day. Due to extensive work writing and marketing my current WIP Premiere Nebula to publishers, I knew I wouldn't have time to fully remaster the Big Four Saga, but figured I'd leave it mostly as-is (more on that later) so readers could see the progress I've made in 13 years. I'd like to think I've grown a lot since then!

But point is, thanks to all your morbid curiosity (that you may end up regretting later), the full Big Four Saga is coming to AO3, alongside Paging Doctor Sparkle and the rest of If You Give a Little Love from FiMFiction. This will include both published stories and the full, unpublished Vickles-Shaye Battles 10-part series. Finally, someone other than my dad is going to see these! Maybe the people who actually waited for this on JNF will stumble on it and finally get to read it!

To finish this little self-promotion segment, I'd like to preface the release with one thing: this is a finished series that I'm releasing purely so I can have someplace online to preserve it. The Big Four Saga ended over a decade ago, and I have since moved onto other projects, one of which actually exists because of the Big Four Saga! You see, after Vickles-Shaye, I had intended on writing a sequel series called Valkaine, which was permanently cancelled due to continued rejection by the NT and me realizing the planned genre shift from a sports story to a magical girl-inspired sci-fi was a bit too jarring. If the concept for Valkaine sounds familiar to some of you, that's because it was the basis for Premiere Nebula! So hopefully, you'll all get to read some form of Valkaine someday, or at least a spiritual successor to it.

This brings me to the one change I will be making to the Big Four Saga before publishing it: Scout's name has been changed. The story explains that she was named for a central figure in the Resistance, but in the original version, her name was Valka. This change comes entirely because the name of the magical girl rebel leader in Premiere Nebula is, you guessed it, also Valka. They were actually the same character for a really long time, but as I developed PN!Valka, she got further and further from the original Valka concept that I thought "why not just name OG Valka something else?" So PN!Valka stays Valka while BF!Valka became Scout, purely to avoid future confusion between the characters should Premiere Nebula ever be published. But for those of you who follow PN, it might still be cool for you to know that Scout was the proto-Valka. :)

[theeeveetamer]

Ooh I’ve been absent in the fandom for a while (so my everything is rusty), I didn’t realise that ppl would criticise the game cause we don’t know the continent name? In terms of lore I don’t think its that important to develop, instead I want to focus on the lands of Nohr and Hoshido.

For me whenever I read leokumi there’s a focus on strengthening relationships between the two nations, and whilst I love love love that the main focus is Leo and Takumi, I’ve read so many that I want a plot that includes their relationship whilst not glossing over trying to establish the peace between the two nations, especially because they seem to have a history of war (I think). Normally I would just write it but then I realised that there’s so many missing details and so that’s where my idea came from to flesh it out.

I absolutely agree on what you’re saying since establishing random facts like ancestry etc is not what interests me, UNLESS that ancestor idk was responsible for establishing like a mage school which has a knock on effect in the present game (because like the Nohrians are known for their dark mages. I swear I heard there was a school there, and its curious that dark mages aren’t as feared compared to their counterparts in other games and genres. Perhaps another point towards the desperation of Nohr? Or perhaps they are less fearful of the unknown? Or maybe willing to experiment, one could say innovative? [Stuff like this I wanna build on]). Oh plus also the relations with the smaller nations/towns (?) like Nestra, Mokushu etc (I’ve still to research on this part so maybe I’m wrong)

Funny you should mention the concubine wars. I was going through the Fates Drama and like I would love if the concubine wars were mentioned more. Fans seem to know that some of their siblings died during disputes between the concubines but also some were executed, died in battle, taken by Hoshido and I feel like that offers already so many questions to expand on. But also begs the question on really how many children were there in total. A fanfic set where Corrin or Azura has to navigate the court or even Takumi navigating the court would be super interesting.

But yes, deffo that point. One that I struggle on is the establishing of peace between Nohr and Hoshido. I want to know why its difficult. Like ofc we have the villages and ppl affected, but how far does it go back? Realistically there would be resistance groups, perhaps from both sides? Why wasn’t trade the first thought? Or did it start with trade and escalate? How much of it was Garon or was Hoshido being difficult etc.

I didn’t think about the farming techniques but that’s something I want to explore as well. I think during peace times it would make sense for Leo to use Brynhildr to try and heal the land. I want the legendary weapons to be used more if that makes sense. Like the two swords on both sides make sense for defending the country but a magical tome has so much more potential, especially on the agriculture and perhaps terraforming with gravity. Fujin Yumi wise, I’d have to do more research but it would be poetic if the second sons of both nations were in charge of making sure the nations thrived from within whilst the elder brothers defend it.

Omg I’m so sorry I didn’t mean for it to be so long. It’s just really nice to ramble to someone who knows what I’m talking about and that cares ^^’ If AO3 allows such a thing then I might start planning, I’ve already got 2 sheets of notes from the audio Drama :D

Thank you for listening again!

-N

Oh also I just read my ask you answered and by no means did I mean to trash fates. I love the game but I just have issues with the plot. It makes me sad at all the potential lost since I love the game and it's cast. But yeah its not to say that the history and world building we got was bad, I just as a lore nerd crave more. I really hope we can get a remake, maybe on switch but at this rate I think it's copium. I read the wikipedia and apparently one of the writers wrote enough for 2 books worth in terms of plot and just aaa I wonder how they must feel about the game

-N

Oh, let me be clear I didn't think you were trashing Fates with your first ask! Don't worry about that anon. Also, I would DIE if they gave us a switch release of Fates, especially if they re-localized it to make it more accurate. Like honestly I'd be so over the moon. But I'd also accept just a port, I mean it's kind of necessary since I believe Rev is now no longer available on the eshop as of this month and the rest of the eshop is shutting down soon?

Anyway I'm glad we're similarly minded with regard to establishing background facts that don't have much effect on the present, lol. As for the history of conflict, it's been a while since I've played, but IIRC there was always the implication that Anankos's influence was part of what's been driving conflict between the nations? I suppose if you were writing an AU that ignores Valla though (or wanted reasons beyond that) you could really go with anything. I think the game also implies that Hoshido is kind of isolationist and that combined with their bountiful lands kind of leads to Nohrians resenting them? Resources and lack thereof have always been a major driver of conflict historically.

All of the stuff you brought up does sound interesting! I'd especially like to see your take on the Nohr dark mages because you're right, it doesn't really seem all that strange there like it does in other places in the series.

Anyway no problem! Feel free to ramble or ask for opinions any time! I double checked AO3's ToS for you and yeah, I believe something like this would qualify as fannish meta so you should be good to post it there!

[kathrynalicemc]

I posted 931 times in 2022

That's 324 more posts than 2021!

247 posts created (27%)

684 posts reblogged (73%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@cursebreakerfarrier

@kathrynalicemc

@carewyncromwell

@endlessly-cursed

@thatravenpuffwitch

I tagged 720 of my posts in 2022

Only 23% of my posts had no tags

#hphm - 265 posts

#hogwarts mystery - 218 posts

#hphl - 131 posts

#hpma - 128 posts

#magic awakened - 99 posts

#lineage challenge - 93 posts

#hogwarts legacy - 86 posts

#dafne arcano - 67 posts

#kaari arcano - 66 posts

#the phoenix resistance - 54 posts

Longest Tag: 95 characters

#would be funny if the ironhearts at some point intersected with one of the gifted 3 families 👀

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Part 2: Coloring

My beloved 💕💕 I might also do a part 3 with a background and lighting? Also I forgot to color some lines so I might fix that.

29 notes - Posted March 11, 2022

#4

Oops,,, New Fantastic Beasts OC?? What if there was a ship that was magically enchanted to sail the skies and there was an adventuring crew?

I don’t have a name for him but I love him. Hufflepuff maybe? Probably an astronomer and/or cartographer and/or explorer 😌 he could use a crew👀

37 notes - Posted January 22, 2022

#3

Inspired by @immagrosscandy here are some of my Firsts compared to my Most Recents. I just did the OCs who I’ve drawn recently. I haven’t drawn most of them in a long time ooof.

Kathryn: October 2018 - July 2021

Devon: December 2019 - January 2022

See the full post

42 notes - Posted February 23, 2022

#2

Day 1 - Sea Shells

Summer Break Challenge by @usernoneexistent! Idk if I’ll do every day but I’ll try if I get an idea. For this one, Nessi saw a shell she wanted and just dove right in.

48 notes - Posted July 4, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

The Lineage Challenge - August 3rd to 8th

I was gonna create some content for my Arcano family but I remembered lots of other people have their own large family trees so I decided to make this a challenge! From August 3rd to 8th I’ll be doing these challenges, feel free to join me! I’ll be tagging it with #lineage challenge.

Day 1 (August 3rd): Family Crest

Draw or edit your family's crest. You can even explain the meaning behind what symbols or colors you used.

Day 2 (August 4th): Family Tree

Use websites like Familyecho or draw/edit your own to show off your entire family tree!

Day 3 (August 5th): Playlist

Create a small playlist with songs that help define the family or specific members within it. Feel free to describe why you picked each song.

Day 4 (August 6th): Character Spotlight

Create any content you wish to show off a member of the family who is overlooked, needs more development, or is the newest addition!

Day 5 (August 7th): One Shot

Write a small one shot story about any member(s) of your family or any lore the family has. If you’ve already written one in the past, feel free to reblog it.

Day 6 (August 8th): Ask Game

Answer a list of questions about your family and lore. Other people are welcome to send you some Asks to answer even more questions.

Canon or Fiction? If your family is a Canon one you made your own: What drew you to that specific family? Did you make any changes to Canon, and if so, why? If your family is completely original: Where did the Family name come from? What was your inspiration and who was the first OC you created for it?

Family Ties: What other families are related/connected to this one? Are they Canon families or creator made families? (Tag them!)

Foundations: What year and which OC was the founder of the family line? If the family goes back hundreds of years and you don’t know the first member, tell us about the oldest OC in the family you have created.

Fun Facts: Do you have any misc lore you have that you haven’t had a chance to post about? Talk about anything you like!

Free Space: Feel free to ask any creator a question not listed here and maybe you will get one in return!

50 notes - Posted July 23, 2022

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[stxrmnight]

Shooting Stars and Red Marks

Continuation from Elpis posts [ Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 ], but also works as a pairing one shot. After the clash at Ktisis Hyperboeia, Nemi has her doubts about Venat's advances towards her after seeing scant words to calm Hermes or Meteion. Venat is confused by Nemi's sudden coldness, and finds out the real gravity of the hurt Ancients of the future and the past have inflicted Now, how to mend that gap?

Based on my own interpretations of the Ancient world and the flaws that led to Hermes' downfall. Also drawing from life to make conflict so please keep that in mind. It's a relationship development fic first and foremost.

There are sexual themes implied at the end but not gone into explicit detail, so this doesn't need a label.

░ ▒ ▓ ☾ ♢ ☽ ▓ ▒░

From the moment she arrived, Venat had sensed the strange aether of her claws. They were more stagnant in their composition than the rest of her body, and were not used when she apparently punched Emet-Selch in the face demanding respect for her speech. This alone would’ve gotten interested in her, even if she didn’t have a mark of Venat’s magic that she never placed.

It was intriguing, the way she was honest and stammering even if her face was fully covered at the time… not being afraid to ask questions and posing the wildest ideas. Only in few moments did she pull nervously at the pink ribbon wrapped around her neck. When she unveiled her eyes, her pride of carrying individuality on her face, Venat felt in awe of such level of connection with blood brethren. Later, that woman had to unveil her beautiful brown hair and shout as vibrant as her red highlights, swearing and swinging harder at every mistake in her step. Venat couldn’t resist going all out on her when they sparred, thrilled as she tripped on her chest and looked up with those cute eyes of hers. Even her mind felt more enticed when she pressed on the makings of Ancient society. This is the sight she wished all other Humans to have! And then she had to stop on her tracks, struck by her words of comfort for others judging Venat’s decision to live beyond her seat… She could really see her, not just her deeds. It was an admirable quality, not missing even in face of the danger Hermes was setting in motion.She persisted on him with compassion and sincerity and convinced to let them women both be spared from Kairos… it made Venat feel lacking, even with all the wisdom and life forms she’d communed with and aided in her travels. They welcomed her and respected her, but did she connect with any so openly based on pure drive of compassion? Even with the power to do terrible things.

Which is what put Venat at a loss for words when she started to put up walls, right after they returned from Ktisis Hyperboeia.

“Nemi, are you alright? What was that about light corruption that you described?” She’d also observed her hiss with a long tongue, but she thought it another trait of hers. How she talked to Hermes about being twisted and unmade by light and, showed her claws… it explained why the aether in her body felt different when they grazed her sleeves.

“It’s not relevant. We should just get going,” sighed the woman in front of her. The woman who gave the name Neirmer, but revealed to her she’s actually Nemi. “It was just so Hermes would let us go. 

“That’s a half truth… you’ve been nothing but sincere with every act. It’s writ plain in your voice.”

Nemi glanced off a tree, tangling her fingers in her ponytail. “It’s not a story you’d like, nor one you’d like to bear with,” she chuckled. “You’re better off not fearing things that won’t ever touch you or your fellow kindred. It’s not related to the final days.”

Venat stepped in her eyesight, putting her hand to her heart. “But you talked so openly of the wonders of the future!  Don’t tell me you’re actually ashamed of its ugliness? Just at least, tell me why.”

Nemi scoffed. “What does that matter to you? It’s not going to affect you or your role as Hydaelyn.”

“Nemi… we are the last bastion in the universe to love life as it is. We must be united, and we can’t be if I don’t know how to support you.” Venat spoke gently, placing her hand on Nemi’s shoulder.

Nemi froze under her hand, grimacing with red cheeks and turning her gaze away. “It’s not that… I just don’t want to pressure you to understand something you won’t.”

That got a frown out of Venat. “What makes you think I won’t?”

Nemi chuckled darkly, turning her gaze back to her. “The fact you didn’t try to stop Emet or Hythlo from exerting excess pressure on Hermes. I had to do all the work.”

Venat squinted, puzzled. “But, they were just doing their duty as Convocation Members. They didn’t speak wrong.”

“That’s what I’m talking about! You, you didn’t think Hermes would be threatened by bringing up Amaurot with no assurances? It’s the same as saying we’ll kill Meteion for something she couldn’t control.” Venat’s wince at the word die made her frown. “Oh c’mon, you could not have seen death bereft of the grace and performance than these adorned ‘Return to the Star’ ceremonies must have.” She mocked the ceremony with hand blockquotes, raising an eyebrow as Venat stepped back like she had been slapped. “Maybe if I didn’t show up, this calamity would have started way worse…..”

Venat took a deep breath, closing her eyes firmly shut. “That our views are different, I don’t deny, and that chasm of the now and the future might be what spelled our doom. But is it so fair to blame our ignorance?”

“No shit Venat. You’ve never talked to someone with an ill heart before? You can create quirky dogs but not approach someone in a corner carefully. How childish,” Nemi hissed, but regretted it immediately. Venat’s eyes shuddered like one holding back tears. “In any case, the future was set. What ifs are useless.”

Venat opened her eyes at that, summoning Argos to her side. “In that we’re much in agreement. We must not wait time and check on the others, without being seen.”

 ◎ ∴ ∴ ∴  ╝ ϟ ☄ ✤ ╚  ∴ ∴ ∴ ◎

Nemi was reluctant to put her subconsciousness onto a dog, but Venat assured her the process was more of a mental piggy ride than something so invasive. She scoffed at being called a manner of creation by someone else, scowling under her breath: “It’s not my fault I got transmogrified!”

Once the link with Argos subsided, Venat touched her shoulder again with a sad look of concern. “Then, what happened was something done to you against your will?”

Nemi clammed up once again, turning and walking towards a mountain nearby. venat just followed at court distance, her hand still outstretched. “If it’s too painful a memory to recount in greater detail then… I shall stop imposing on you.”

Venat’s words cracked something in her, making her turn with tears forming. “I-it’s not that! I just don’t know what you see in me, and I’m terrified to find out.”

This made Venat’s jaw drop, shaking her head to fend off the stupor. “Whatever you would fear of me? I’m confused if I've offended you.”

Nemi bit her lip, her voice marred with watery edges. “You’re someone who’s only known me for a day, not as the powerful Warrior of Light or the Vaunted Warrior of Darkness.” The titles made Venat frown, to which Nemi turned away. “...I fear what you see in me, beyond the titles and accolades I’m glassed in… or if I’m just an eccentricity, and you won’t see me as I am now or in the future.”

Venat stared at her stunned, opening her jaw but struggling to think words. “No, no… That kind of fear, it's abominable you could be made to feel that way. How did you come to?” She grabbed at her mask, frowning. “I swear, I sincerely regarded you as I did any of the other people in this star. My interest has just been piqued strongly from your origins and no more.”

Nemi chuckled, still not looking at her. From the way other Ancients spoke to her and Venat still showed as much pragmatism as everyone else… She couldn’t help but fear her closeness could be more sinister after her fears were reinforced. Nemi’s hand locked on her shoulder, rubbing it. “I can’t help but think, because, you spoke of Meteion as someone to defeat…” her head lowered. ”...not someone who needs to be saved. That’s what every person of this society would think, it seems, especially with how every researcher gawked at me like some pretty pet to possess.”

Venat drew in a breath, closing her eyes. “I had nearly forgotten how my colleagues looked at other beings, having walked with people of all kinds and values for so long.I’m sorry your disguise forced you to such unkindness.” She walked to Nemi’s side, who stayed fixed on the ground despondent. “In regards to Meteion… You have shared much with her than I have. All I know and can think of is, the threat she presented to all I hold dear.”

Nemi frowned at Venat, confused. “Does it not do something to you that she looks, walks and talks like a child? Especially since as an entelechy she is more vulnerable. She could only take the full brunt of the hivemind. You can’t stop an inundation with such small hands, specially one cacophony so terrible morphed in dead stars…”

“And it's for that gravity that we must not hesitate,” Venat added.

Nemi took a step back. “Y-you think she can’t be saved?”

Venat squinted confused. “Do you see a way? I can’t ill pursue paths I don’t know how to take.”

Nemi glanced aside, showing teeth. “Not even willing to try… and I thought Hydaelyn was disappointing.”

Venat’s voice rang vexed. “Excuse me? You told me yourself of the horrible dimensions of loss the Meteia have afflicted on your world. You would hesitate to save it just because of her origins?!”

Nemi looked back surprised at Venat, who seemed surprised in return with how she raised her voice. She would not hesitate to cull any threat to what she holds dear no matter the form, just like a mother… This thought made Nemi chuckle and turn away again. Pure defensiveness doesn’t make you virtuous. Then Yotsuyu would have grown happy.

“Nemi, answer me!”

Her arms crossed firmly over her chest, trying her best to keep her voice leveled. “I get what you’re saying, but you're completely misunderstanding why tears forming on Venat’s shocked face.9m upset… The Meteia are possessed by ghosts of dead civilizations by virtue of their nature, not their will. And as I must stress,” she clenched her fists, voice gargled with anger. “She is a child, entelechy, ancient or not! I can’t believe you’re content to strike a child down rather than think of how to counter the awful sentiments caging her!” Nemi turned her gaze with anger, but gasped at the legacy of my time?”

“Is this… how the future looks down on us?” Venat whispered under breath, putting a hand to her eyes. “Is this the legacy of my time?”

Nemi put one hand on her own hip, looking down at Venat with a sneer. “I’m not going to be soft. Even if she’s dangerous, this is no different from what Hermes feared your friends at the Convocation would do: kill her rather than try to help her heal.” Nemi saw Venat’s mind spin with discomfort, but the storm in her wouldn’t be satisfied with this.  She walked to her and unsheathed her scythe, pulling her chin up with the blunt side. “But do you know why I’m so sharp with you?”

Venat stared with mouth agape, swallowing against the metal. “You have bitterness against what I’ll become, and what actions I’ll take to lead mankind to be ready for this threat.” Venat closed her eyes, her temper leveling with that statement. “Is that it?”

Despite her battle might, she didn’t move away from the metal… Nemi felt her head cloud hot, but shook it out of that stupor. “I don’t know everything about Hydaelyn. I don’t know how she coped with the calamities advancingas her awakened Warriors walked to their deaths, but, if she thought like the people of this time then…” A scoff changed Nemi’s face to, resignation. “Then we were nothing but tools, after all.”

Nemi saw glowing blue eyes intensify, opened wide, and next second her back was pressed against the tile, Scythe knocked off as Venat wrestled with her hands. “After our sparr and everything we’ve done together, you still mock my values?! My heart?! Stop declaring I’m the same as everyone else who hurt you!” Venat struggled to pin closer to Nemi’s face, blocked by her firm elbows as she snarled teeth at her. “I may be a naive fledgling tumbling still in the frameworks that raised me, but I’m here, trying to listen and lend my hand to help you!”

Nemi’s angry sneer didn’t give in. One arm pull yanked Venat’s hair painfully, giving an opening to roll her over. Though they still struggled, their joined hands quivered against the ground with the hiss of Nemi’s close whisper. “Then you better listen, little Primal to be. The world that will be created by the Sundering? It sounds beautiful from someone used to it, but with all the seeming perfection and leisureness you see here, it will be abominable.  We feel fear in our flesh and hunger empties our step. We can’t twist what’s around us to simply make a shelter, and for long we fought for food and land. I was blessed to be born after these times, but I see this forced by big bastards that abuse and divide for their sole benefit. I’m happy to spill blood and gore when I can get my hands on one.” She grinned madly on Venat’s face, green eyes and the shadow of her hairs all in Venat’s vision. “Can you look at our worst in our push from need, and not mistakes undeserving of living?”

With one groan, Venat pushed Nemi off and tackled her on the stomach. “Of course I would! That would be my fault, and I’m ready to accept the consequences of stopping my brethren from sacrificing each other in vain!” 

Nemi hacked and coughed some blood, arms shaking as she levels a glare at her. “I-it’s one thing to hear than to, a-act…” Her head hung heavy with a test to cast. “Tell me, are there even laws to address such kinds of conflict?”

Venat gasped and casted regen on Nemi’s stomach, but binded her hands to the floor while hovering on her. “Everyone has food and warm chambers for their enjoyment in Amaurot. No one’s choice of concept or design is under the other…” Then her jaw dropped, clicking on Nemi’s meaning. “We can’t even conceive your words as possibilities. We, we’re not ready for worse…” She saw Nemi’s breath level, frowning slightly. “Would you be happier if we suffered?”

Nemi pulled against the yellow lasso and grunted, eyes obscured by her hair. “No, I,” she leveled her stare away, breathing heavily with flush on her cheeks. “It’s just frustrating to there be forces out of your control pinning your blood, your efforts, all of your life as worthless, no matter who says it. I don’t want to advance the ploys of, s-someone who sees me the same way,” she stuttered, trying to swallow the truth right back in her truth. Being under Venat like this, it was hard to bury her own heartbeat.

Venat let the lassos grow loose, laying next to Nemi on the grass. Her hand on her shoulder made Nemi hitch, to which Venat knowingly chuckled. “Nemi, I may have just met you for one day, but it’s writ plain in your voice you’re going in circles now… and not about inquiring on your story with corrupting light.” 

Nemi glanced at her and the sky, pursing her lips, shoulders wracked by a sob that had no tears. “It hurts… it just really hurts, being in your presence and seeing all these things. It makes me angry, and lonely a-and, I don’t know, I can’t do words right now.” She bit her own shoulder, trying to control her breath. It was really those eyes, what those eyes did to her…

A beat passed. Venat traced her down to the forearm, looming over Nemi despite her averted gaze. “Have you concluded that you dislike me now? I thought…” She sighed, taking Nemi’s cheek gently to smile at her. “...that you were one of the answers I’ve been looking for. You’ve hurt and loved so much, determined to go as far as to come here for a chance to save your present. Recklessness I have seen, but your compassion and nobility…” Venat touched down to her hand, thumb rubbing to the base of one of her claws. ”You took care not to marr my skin, even though my coldness deserved your ire… I’d like to understand you more deeply, if you would let me.”

Nemi’s breath caught at the touch, wincing and trying to catch her breath as tears flowed out of her. “Venat, your gaze hurts me because, I think I like you, and,” she whimpered and turned away on her side burying her face in the grass. “No, I shouldn’t have said that!”

The confession punched the air out of Venat, who had to blink out of the blow of those words. “Nemi…” she called softly, patting her cheek with one thumb. “Are you afraid of loving? ‘Cause I can take it slow if that’s what you need. I’m just as fond.”

Nemi stilled, shrinking away more after a beat. “Do you realize who you’re saying this to?”

Venat moved to lay next to Nemi, not taking her hand off her cheek. “To the announcer of my fate. You think I should be upset at the Sword you’ve placed in my hands?”

Nemi’s eyes finally trailed back to her, voice hitchy but face despondent with regret. ”I know you’re good with uncertainty, I know that, but…” Her nose crinkled. “I’ve done something terrible, affixing your fate to my will and my image than the spontaneous decision you would’ve made by your own hands otherwise… I’ve taken the decision from you and made it an imperative.”

Venat scoffed softly. “You complain of my ignorance, then wish for it? You’re confusing Nemi. Besides…” Her index wiped Nemi’s tears, smiling as her breath leveled. “I don’t mind this change of dynamic, sincerely. My mission will be easier with the hope of seeing you shine in your age.”

Nemi shook her head, gaze firmly fixed on Venat’s “You’re wrong, you’re so wrong… It’s cruel to make you watch with feelings.”

Venat just smiled wider. “It’s too late. Those feelings caught me and I’ll revel in them. I want to see this world we’ll create.” Her hand digs into her scalp, making her blush and gasp as her heartbeat ramped up Venat smiled hearing it. “Now, what about tying me further to your orbit, O’ Warrior of Light and Darkness?”

Nemi pouted and flicked her long tongue at her. “That was so corny.”

That was a mistake, for Venat closed on the side of her tongue with her lips. “You’re probably worse.”

Nemi’s pupils dilated as her body set on fire. Claws enclosed on Venat’s scalp and pushed her closer to kiss her awkwardly and rushed. Venat groaned at her clumsiness, massaging the sides of her neck to relax her grip. Nemi’s breath shivered and trailed her hands to her back, turning and locking lips with a better angle. Their limbs tangled further with every wave of their mouths, the water fountain the only other sound.

Venat finally gasped for air, drawing back with pursed swollen lips. Her white hair was now a messy matt, a disaster Nemi realized she made. She barely perceived her own breath as she felt the blaze in her grow even higher. Venat looked more enchanting disheveled like that… Then Nemi had to shut her eyes at a gust of wind exhaled by Venat, blinking and then taking in how petals now scattered and descended all around them. “You… you did this on purpose?”

Venat still panted, brushing messy locks behind her own ear. “No, you really took that much air out of me. I can’t believe you were not tired!”

Nemi sputtered and tried not to laugh. “I guess the Kojin’s blessing also works for kissing.”

“The what?”

“A enchantment to breathe underwater, I mean. Guess it provides oxygen in any case!” Nemi’s head fell back on grass with laughter, knees knocking Venat’s hips.

Venat chuckled and grabbed her chin, bringing her laughter to a flustered stop. “Let’s continue this at my chambers.”

“Ah,” Nemi lamented. “I don’t want to stop and walk that much again.”

Venat leaned closer with a smirk, making Nemi gulp. “We don’t have to.”

As she took her lips, Nemi felt her aether dissolve and expand to fall on soft sheets. She returned the kiss as her hands palped at the sides, not feeling the edges of the bed. A queen’s size, was it? This could or not be a room meant for two, a thought that flustered her further. Venat started to pull down the hem of her robe, and Nemi felt her heart jump to her throat. “W-wait.”

“Oh, did I misinterpret you? Your hands seemed to enjoy my chest a lot back there.” Venat said nonchalantly. 

Nemi blinked and looked away, withdrawing her claws. “Before we go further, are you sure you’re not making a mistake?”

Venat tilted her head. ”I have never backed out of a decision, provided you want this too of course.”

Nemi shook her head, descending on her elbows and looking at the ceiling, voice neutral. ”I’ll kill some of your treasured associates, you know. I will have no mercy and this won’t change my thoughts on it, but I don’t want to make the future more complicated for you.”

Venat raised one eyebrow, climbing on top of her. “The people you described are too terrible. If anything, I’d be thankful you put them to rest from walking terrible paths.”

Nemi didn’t withdraw this time, chuckling as she knocked a knee against her thigh. “Then I hope you enjoy the show.”

Venat rolled her eyes with a grin, trailing Nemi’s neck ribbon. “You think you’ll make me mad?”

Nemi inhaled sharply and smiled. “I don’t need that to stoke you further. Rather,” she trailed off, pulling at her neck ribbon, “Let me tell you off the struggle with the Light.”

The ribbon unmade in one pull, and there were no barriers between them.

░ ▒ ▓ ☾ ♢ ☽ ▓ ▒░

Venat sat cross legged at the end of her bed, listening Nemi’s tale of taking down every Lightwarden, minor contact with Ardbert calmed her sickness,  the Last kill cracking her skin until one old friend intervened, and then he was shot down for trying to foster the Salvation of the First. Venat’s hand craved to indulge in the heat of her figure, but Nemi needed her space to make this intimate revelation. Her back was turned to Venat, still clothed and splayed by brown and red of her hair let loose.

“I saw in that moment every friend lost,” she spoke solemnly, grabbing the edges of her robe. “All laying their bodies so I could step in the paths forged by their blood. All the grief of their losses hit me at once, and simmered into anger at the embodiment of our torture and manipulation through time right before me. Riding that wave of wrath, I wielded the light before I knew it and, turned.”

She pulled her robes down to her stomach, laying down and near burying her face on the sheets. Venat almost couldn’t hear herself breathe. Wounds were a part of many of her ventures as Azem, but the advancements of magicks made her flesh rebuild pristine as it ever was. No one in Amaurot had these marks called scars, nor been seemingly stabbed thrice and other times with different blunt weapons. Even the edges of those sabs seemed to cross like lines that reminded her of cracked porcelain… 

The catch of her breath seemed to make Nemi stirr after a beat. She chuckled and continued. “The shade in my soulstone split us in three however, sparing us from fully being lost. This… these holes that you see, they’re all left of both facets of a Lightwarden, fighting to define their next course. If my Beloved Shadow hadn’t taken some aether and led my friends to reach my wounded soul, I wouldn’t be here.” 

Clouds had rolled in the sky, robbing them of natural light. Venat swiftly summoned light in her hand, but almost dropped it from seeing the scars turn white and reflect all facets of the light spectrum like a prism. She reduced her light with a gasp of shock, then opened two fingers to see a tiny ray illuminate the hole of a rapier. “Your scars reflect the light… how is this possible? Stagnant aether should make it harder to move your light if it’s, crystal.”

Nemi chuckled and shrugged. “It feels no different than before really. Would this be a new field of study?”

Venat hummed, ghosting one hand over back as she thought of the Convocation. “Emmeroloth would take great interest in this, especially assuring there would be no ill developments from this over time.” She placed one finger tracing from the edge to the center, smiling when Nemi trembled and keened softly. She was so touch starved…

“Maybe I would be open to that, p-provided this matter stayed private,” Nemi gulped with fluster in her voice.

Venat hummed in agreement, pulling her torso back up gently. “Is it that other people react to scars negatively? Even if they signify survival?”

Nemi leaned more in Venat’s hands, wrapping her hands on her forearms. “I don’t want to be questioned on something born from her own emotional weakness, especially when it endangered so many people.” 

Leaning into her ear, Venat whispered: “But from all you’ve told me, I think you needed to explode. You should walk proudly relying nothing you don’t want to. You owe no one anything.”

Nemi made another of her charming little chuckles, and turned affixing her with one eye. “Thank you, though I imagine… your curiosity isn’t satisfied?”

The way she rolled her last words deeper, the challenge in the gleam of her eye… Venat burned under that gaze, trembling. The person beholding could twist her neck without hesitance. And yet she bore herself here, daring her to touch further done near the water. 

Venat dragged her lips in adoration on the center of her back, following the cracks up to her other shoulder. Every whine of hers was sweet, tasted with skin and whispers that she took in turn. Finally full bare and looming over her, Venat took in the rough edges of her figure, hardened by battle, the warmth of her flustered breath, the shy way her fingers curled over her chest, her little smile under those vibrant eyes inviting her closer. It was then Venat realized She was the universe, loss and anguish and wrath and death taken form in a life, mortal and terrible.The hand making Venat gasp put her friends to sleep. Fire and softness enveloping her would tear limbs and nails that dared to cross her path. 

And this would be at Venat’s hands too, wouldn’t it? She would  invoke many to struggle at the precipice of conflict and chaos. A world with disease, twisting of the flesh, heavy sighs, new rituals, markers of legacy and family, rifts set before birth, humility among indolence. Their union conceived it to persist: the future to be, where they’ll raise it to persist beyond their last breaths.

[ Next part, which can be skipped if you're not comfortable with discussions of child sexual abuse ]