#can you use ephemeral like that. idk

[trickstarbrave]

hi im on my bullshit making up random aus again

this is steren! not his main story either. i might write up his main story in bits and pieces at some point. but this is an au bc i wanna see him happy with his parents.

so he's getting dropped in @mulberrycafe's vivi's world. sorry kid, azura will grant your wish but not how you're thinking

obligatory picture of steren and some background info from this post. and bonus baby picture.

this is just part 1. part 2 will be the gang dealing with an unconscious dunmer who fsr has a moon and star ring of his own and nerevar's sword. which will be uh. concerning.

(also i didnt proofread this :'D)

--

Falling to his knees, Steren coughed up a bit of blood, willing the last of his magicka into a healing spell to keep his organs stable. 

It hadn’t been an easy battle, both physically or emotionally. 

Dagoth Ur, after all, had at one point been his father. 

Fate was cruel like that. His first lifetime he spent his whole, although very short, life chasing after his father and his legacy. He felt alienated in House Indoril, and when rumors stirred he might be of an unsavory bloodline no one dared name, things became more complicated for him. When he was a young adult--when he should be just spreading his wings and leaving to the world--he had found documents that were to be burned from the sinful Sixth House. 

Documents that clearly defined that he was born from Voryn Dagoth. Born from a supposed fling he refused to name and died shortly after childbirth that the Lord of House Dagoth refused to let rot and instead welcomed as a legitimate son with open arms. It seemed to go along with his memories too--hazy, faint things from when he was such a young child. Memories of a golden skinned mer with long black hair that would hold him close, laughing with mirth and pride, calling him ‘little star’. 

Steren then went to Vivec for answers. They were all on the first council when the war broke out. It was impossible the living god didn’t know his father was Voryn Dagoth. He demanded answers--why was his father killed? Who was his mother? Was she really dead? Did she miss him? Did he have any other relatives--aunts and uncles in other houses who knew who he was? Why had his whole house been destroyed and they shoved him into Indoril in secret? 

But Vivec had refused to answer. 

When Steren was young, the warrior-poet was oddly close to him. He still lived in Mournhold, having not yet built his temple in the Ascadian Isles, and welcomed Steren almost like a mentor. Encouraged his magic and swordsmanship, and assured him there was a place for him in the world. But when Steren knew the truth, the god’s eyes had gotten cold and hard.

“What good would come if I told you everything?” Was Vivec’s answer. “House Dagoth fell because they were traitors. Voryn Dagoth had betrayed our people and fought against us in the war that destroyed parts of Vvardenfell. Even Red Mountain spewed fire in anger.” His words only fanned the flames of resentment more and more for the young dunmer in front of him. “If there were relatives who could take you, I would have gladly let them. And no matter how much I tell you of your birth, of that accursed house, it will not undo that tragedy. It will not bring your parents back.” 

It was the truth, in a way. A painful truth Steren had refused to accept. He grew up isolated and lonely, wanting nothing more than to belong. Wanting nothing more than to know his history. Something to call his own. A relic from his parents. A memory to cling to. Proof that, at some point, in some way, he was loved like he always craved. 

And Steren chased answers until he died tragically, killed in a landslide as he tried and failed to get into an old House Dagoth outpost to look for hints of the stronghold’s location. He had barely gotten married and had a son himself, who no doubt had to grow up without him. 

And in Steren’s second life that tragedy never really ended. 

He was orphaned in Cyrodiil, not even knowing who his parents were, kicked out once he was the age of majority for a mer. And with little life skills, he had resorted to taking whatever work he could. He hadn’t intended to get mixed up in anything illegal--that would be stupid. But the imperial guards didn’t much care about his ignorance when they rounded up everyone involved in the smuggling operation. Steren pled his innocence: he thought it was just unloading cargo off a ship. How was he supposed to know it was smuggled goods? But the law didn’t care much about it at the time. He was to serve his sentence of five years since he had no money to pay a fine. 

Only to, after one year, be shipped off to Morrowind, unknowing what events would unfold. 

Another cough, and a bit more blood spilled onto the volcanic rock. He felt so warm here. The lava below was making him sweat like when he had corpus fever, but he didn’t have the strength to stand up and leave. 

“Steren,” Nerevar’s voice spoke to him, kneeling beside him and trying in vain to wipe his brow. It wasn’t entirely unappreciated; while Nerevar couldn’t really touch him, the spectral presence gave a faint, cool sensation on his sweaty skin. “It’ll be alright--” Nerevar was always quick to reassure and help him. “Do you have a potion or two?”

At the very least, in this lifetime he found the answers he sought--his other parent had been none other that Nerevar. Steren had been born of a fling--a quiet, drunken affair neither of the two had expected anything else from. Nerevar had told him as such, but that they both loved Steren very dearly regardless. That Nerevar had loved Voryn, even if he couldn’t say so openly. The hortator had run off after discovering the pregnancy, ignorant to what the dwemer were getting up to, to have Steren in secret under the excuse of going on a pilgrimage to Azura, and handed Steren off to Voryn to raise. 

And after his death Nerevar couldn’t bear leaving his child alone. Reincarnation and prophecy be damned; his son was alone in the world. Nerevar had wanted Voryn to raise him so he was always looked after and loved by at least one of his fathers, and now with Voryn dead Nerevar would take up that role. Yet, he was powerless to speak to Steren--to answer his questions and protect him like he always wanted. And with that regret he continued to watch over Steren’s child. Then Steren’s child’s child. All the way until Steren was reborn to a dying mother fleeing persecution in the Illiac Bay. 

Steren had a feeling his dad was going to have to see him die all over again, once again helpless to stop it. The Moon-and-Star ring let him speak with and see Nerevar, but there was only so much a ghost could do.

“I used the last of them…” Steren admitted. He had just enough to barely survive the fight, gulping them down while he dodged attack after attack. 

“Recall amulet?” Nerevar replied, and Steren tried to get the energy to dig through his pack. If he could pull out an amulet or scroll he could use that to get into town--limp his way to a healer or general goods seller for a few potions to stabilize himself.

But then there was a spectral blue light that didn’t match the golden glow of Nerevar, and a woman’s voice spoke to him. 

“Well done.”  She was smiling affectionately, but Steren kind of wanted to curse her out. “With this, Morrowind has been saved. And Nerevar’s soul might rest.”

“Azura--” Nerevar scowled in response. 

“It has been over three millennia, hortator.” Azura’s smooth reply came. “Are you not tired of this tragedy?”

“My son still needs me--”

“Your power wanes even now, and you know this.”  Azura’s reply came. “A soul should not be as active as yours is, haunting the living. You do not rest in the home of your ancestors. You do not rest even in Moonshadow.” Steren’s eyes widened. “Through force of will you have continued on, but I know internally you weep for the sharmat’s death.” Nerevar looked away now, still scowling. “Your soul cannot survive much longer without a rest. You will cease to be.” 

Steren didn’t want to say goodbye either. Tears were running down his face at the news, but he nodded his head. 

“Go.” Steren forced a smile. 

“Steren--”

“I don’t want to be responsible for the death of both of my fathers.” He had admitted. “If you leave now, it won’t be goodbye forever, right?” 

The look Nerevar gave him was indescribably painful. 

“I’ll see you again one day, right?” Nerevar wrapped his arms around him, trying in vain to hold him tight. “And I’ll give you a real hug then, Dad.” He wanted to hold Nerevar back in return, but he had long since learned he couldn’t. Only in his dreams could he. But the cool embrace was oddly soothing. 

“Of course.” Nerevar shook with sobs himself. “I’ll be waiting for you, little star. With open arms.” 

With that, the golden light faded, as Nerevar pressed his hand to his cheek, smiling at him the best he could through his own ghostly tears. 

And then it was just Steren and Azura in the chamber now. 

“You have done well, righting the wrongs of the past.” Azura smiled again. “You are truly a precious child to undertake this monumental task. And to you I am eternally grateful.” She should be, honestly. Nerevar couldn’t be reborn to do it, so here he was answering for the sins of his fathers, correcting their wrongs and setting everything back on course. He got the divine disease, went through hell and back, and had to kill one of his fathers with his own hands and blasphemous tools. 

“I can grant you whatever wish you desire.” Azura’s presence was even warmer as she came close, though given the heat of the heart chamber he wished it wasn’t; he missed the cool, spectral touch of his father already. Yet, despite the pain clouding his senses, he tried to think. A daedric prince offering a favor was a big deal. Many would wish for pleasures beyond their wildest dreams, or fame and future. His whole family line had been cursed with rotten luck, and he could finally make something of himself…

Yet, none of that had any appeal. To be honest, before being shipped off to Morrowind he had no idea what to do with his life. Given he hadn’t even reached his 100th year and was still barely an adult by dunmer standards, he thought he would have some time to figure it out. And now that he saw his past life and finally learned all he wanted to and more…

Well. He didn’t know what he wanted from life. How was he supposed to go on alone, even with wealth and fame? All he would be thinking about is, in the afterlife his fathers might be waiting for him. 

“...I just want my parents back.” Steren admitted after a few moments of silence.

“You know I cannot bring back the dead.” Azura frowned. 

“I know.” Steren replied. “Instead I’d rather… Just be with them.” It was unspoken what he was asking for, but he thought he implied it well enough:

He was asking for Azura to finally let him rest too. To put him out of his misery. He had done his part, and the kindest thing she could do for him is to finally let him rest peacefully in the presence of his parents. He already made peace with his death on the long trek up Red Mountain, though he never told Nerevar that fact. 

After a moment of silence, Azura closed her eyes. “I see.” She approached even closer. “I can reunite you with them then, if that is what you wish.”

“It is.” Steren was certain. Even if she didn’t take his life here, he didn’t expect to live much longer with the injuries he sustained anyways. 

“Are you truly prepared to leave this all behind?” She asked again. “There will be no going back.”

“Positive…” Nerevar would lecture him, cursing him to the deadlands and back, but Steren was so very, very tired. He would take the lecture, comfortably in his father’s arms once again, before finally having a nice, long rest. 

“Then that shall be my gift to you.” 

White was the next thing he could see. All encompassing, painful white, as he quickly went from feeling far too hot to feeling frigid. 

And then he was falling. And falling fast. Seren scrambled, activating his slowfall ring, his heart accelerating and lungs still burning. Still, the enchantment could only cushion his fall and try as he might to flail around in the air, to get to dry land he could see, he ended up falling into the water. 

“Fuck!” Steren swore. The cold felt like knives digging into his skin, and before he knew it he felt like he was gasping for air, suffocating despite his head being above water, as he continued to flail towards the beach. He climbed himself out of the frigid waves eventually, shivering, now soaking wet. 

Azura had promised him he’d get to see his parents, but he never expected Moonshadow or the ancestral realm to be… Cold and snowy. There wasn’t a whole lot of snow in Mournhold after all. Yet here he was, now soaking wet and freezing, snow on the hills he could see. 

If he was dead, did it matter if he was cold? That was a question he had. It sure felt like a pressing issue though, so he continued to swear and curse, trying to think. How should he keep warm? He wasn’t used to the cold growing up somewhere subtropical and then being shipped to Vvardenfell where the volcano kept the climate oddly warm compared to the neighboring country of Skyrim. 

So he pressed on. Maybe Nerevar wanted to retreat to a colder area of Moonshadow. All Steren needed to do was find a place to warm up and find him. 

That was easier said than done though. 

He had underestimated the problems with wet clothing. His robe froze, forcing him to discard it, along with a chunk of his armor still stuck to it. He pulled out a cloak, trying to keep warm, but the wind seemed to seep through the fabric to the wet silk under it and still left him shivering. He wandered and wandered, his hands going numb and his head aching like he had a terrible migraine. 

And then he started feeling oddly feverish, like he did back in the heart chamber. His clothes felt like they were wet from sweat, trapping the heat against him until it was burning. He would have stripped down more, except he was afraid if he did he would stop moving. He had to keep moving forward. One step after the other. His dad was here, and he didn’t want to stop.

Faintly, he heard people talking. His ears perked up as he blinked. His vision seemed blurry and blown out, stinging from the harsh glare of sunlight on pure white. Yet, over a small hill, he could make out two familiar faces:

A golden skinned chimer in House Indoril armor, white hair, and blue eyes. A dunmer with long, black hair and red eyes, a third eye on his forehead. He knew their voices too--he couldn’t possibly be mistaken. There were other people there but Steren didn’t pay them much mind; his fathers being here, together, was much more important.

“Dad!” Steren called out, his voice hoarse, before coughing again. Sucking in the air to yell felt like needles were pricking his already injured lungs inside and out, but he was so close--! Just a bit further. He willed his numb legs to push him forward through the heavy snow. 

Nerevar gave him a confused look, before Steren wrapped his arms around him. 

“Woah--” Nerevar stumbled slightly as Steren threw all of his weight onto Nerevar. “Oh gods, he’s freezing!” 

“His hair is frozen--” Voryn said, confused and equally concerned for the strange dunmer who seemed delirious from the cold. Yet, Steren could barely even understand the words coming out of their mouths. All he could do was cling to Nerevar, relishing in the fact his dad felt solid and warm under his touch rather than ephemeral and cold. 

“Here,” Nerevar unclasped his cloak, wrapping it around his shoulders. “C’mere, let’s get you someplace to warm up, alright?”

[gibbearish]

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[lovers-rck]

Can you do a fluff where like Ellie gets you flowers 😭 idk why I just think it’s so cute

it's so cute!!!!!!!!! i want ellie as my gf so bad it's embarrassing

☆

the idea had been lurking in the back of her mind for weeks.

ellie didn't consider herself the kind of person who gives her partner something new every week. she was, indeed, in love with you, but her love expressed itself through her touch and words more than through gifts. but whatever, she thought, once in a while doesn't hurt anyone.

so she went, and when the flower boy (is that how he is called?) asked ellie wich kind of flowers she was looking for, she felt like and idiot i don't know man she almost said the ones she likes?

ellie even considered calling you to ask you what kind of flowers you liked, but she realized it was a dumb idea that would ruin her whole surprise plan. so she spent about 15 minutes picking out a bouquet made up of different flowers, choosing and regretting every time she picked a flower of a color that didn't match the rest. she could feel the flower boy's (she decided to call it like that) hateful look on her, but she was going to pay him anyway so fuck it.

then she walked a few blocks back with the flowers in her hands. she cringed. she didn't know how to hold them without feeling embarrassed and like a total loser.

"i saw dina and jesse on my way here" you said, laying in ellie's bed a couple hours later "they looked suspiciously couple"

ellie nodded "right" ellie mumbled as she paced the room, playing with her fingers.

"do you think they're together?"

ellie cast furtive glances toward her closet from time to time, trying to keep the thread of conversation going but failing in the attempt "huh?" she replied.

"dina and jesse" you repeated, looking at her "do you think they're together?"

she pretended to think about it, imagining her best friends together. then shrugged "i don't know. maybe"

you leaned back on your stomach, your hands supporting the weight of your head thoughtfully "they look good together"

ellie nodded absently, her body so restless that she couldn't stay in the same place for more than three seconds. if you saw the situation from afar, you'd think ellie was performing some kind of strange dance.

"i bought you something" ellie said after a few seconds.

you furrowed your eyebrows and sat down on the bed. you noticed how ellie was restless since you arrived, quieter than usual, not commenting much on your stories like she used to do practically all the time.

"what's that?" you asked, watching as ellie turned away to look for something hidden in her closet "you didn't have to."

she shake her, opening the closet door "it's not much"

you waited silently, watching as the locks stealthily escaped from her half bun, adorning her face and matching her freckles.

"close your eyes" ellie said, more for her sake than for yours.

you obeyed and closed your eyes, trying not to laugh at the suspense ellie was creating.

ellie laughed uncomfortably. her footsteps echoed in the room, indicating that she was approaching you "don't peek"

"i'm not!"

"i know" Ellie murmured, standing in front of you with the bouquet in her hands "i just wanted to make sure".

you let out a giggle, the excitement pouring out of your pores.

"okay" ellie took a big inhale "open them up"

a feast of colors and scents rose in front of your face. yellows, oranges, reds and pinks danced in your eyes, showing their ephemeral beauty. ellie hid behind the bouquet, her gaze intent on you, trying to decipher what your expression meant.

"ellie..." you murmured, getting up from the bed and stroking a yellow petal.

"i don't know what flowers you like" ellie replied "in fact, i didn't even know there were that many flowers. there were a million there, i thought maybe you'd like these."

you were still admiring each of the flowers. their smells permeated your nostrils, making your nose itch but you wanted to smell them one more time.

"i put the bouquet together all by myself" ellie continued, a hint of pride in her voice "that guy at the flower shop didn't even help me. he didn't know shit about anything. i bet it was his first da..."

you gently took the flowers from ellie's hands and laid them on the bed, wrapping ellie's body in a hug.

"thank you" you murmured, your arms wrapping around her neck.

ellie took a few seconds to reciprocate your embrace, but when she did you could feel a weight lift off her shoulders. ever since you arrived she had a feeling that a wolf was inhabiting her stomach, ready to devour every organ in her body if her gift didn't go as she had planned.

now she was relaxed, her mind didn't feel the need to babble on about everything that was going through her head to avoid the nervousness. she was so awkward and you loved it.

she hid her face in the space between your shoulder and your neck, her arms around your waist in the softest way.

"did you like them?" she murmured against your skin.

you laughed lightly before nodding fiercely "they're beautiful"

ellie released you from her clutches after a few seconds, sitting on the bed and indicating you to do the same next to her, to babble randoms data she had taken care to learn about those flowers a few hours before your arrival.

the sun went down and gave way to a sunset of the same colors as those flowers, while you told ellie where the flowers would go, she listened to you attentively while she left delicate kisses on your skin, some more wet than others. the reality is that ellie couldn't care less about those flowers when she had you in front of her.

[antianakin]

Any thoughts on the Jedi and romantic relationships? I get that they're allowed to love/have feelings and such, but, idk, my understanding is that they generally prefer to have “selfless service to the Republic/Galaxy” as their only major commitment.

I think Jedi can HAVE romantic relationships but they'd look a lot different to what we normally conceive of as a romantic relationship. They'd likely end up feeling closer to a friends with benefits sort-of deal or maybe a queer platonic relationship (without the necessity of being queer, obviously). They can't HAVE a commitment to their partner beyond like... the basic compassion and respect they show to everybody, so the relationships would always end up relatively casual. A lot of people interpret the Jedi as being a basically aro/ace society, so I think that using aro/ace relationships as a basis to understand how they might approach romance is probably a good place to start. One of the things I really like about looking at romances from that perspective is that it really breaks down some of the expectations of what's necessary in order to qualify as a relationship, romantic or otherwise. Sex, intimacy, living together, etc. These are all things that often end up a dividing line between friendship and romance, but aro/ace relationships can blur those lines a lot. So while those things CAN define the difference between friendship and romance, they aren't the ONLY things that could do so and, for some people, might not qualify as a difference at all.

I think that Jedi in general are okay with the idea of relationships being ephemeral and ever-changing. A lot of relationships these days work on the concept that people are always growing and changing and so the perfect partner will grow and change WITH you over the years. But I think the Jedi would accept that that's not always possible and that it's entirely natural and normal for the relationship not to remain romantic forever, but that that doesn't make the relationship meaningless or that any friendship would have to be terminated along with the romantic relationship. Relationships aren't meaningful because they last, they're meaningful for any number of reasons the people involved in them might decide on. Maybe someone went through a difficult mission and what they needed from a partner was very different for that moment, but as they healed, their needs changed and the relationship ended but the fact that this person was there for them would still remain very meaningful and the relationship remains important regardless of whether the romantic/sexual portion of it stayed. Maybe certain people come in and out of romantic relationships with each other, and it's not a will-they-won't-they type of deal, it's just that they gravitate towards each other during different periods of their lives and they allow themselves to just... go where the Force leads them, but it's not what they need or want ALL the time.

I also imagine the Jedi are just impeccably good at long distance relationships because they don't put all of their happiness into a relationship with one person and the relationship is never their top priority anyway, so they can manage being away from someone for long periods of time without it negatively impacting the relationship itself and could probably start the relationship up again years later without it feeling like a big deal.

I personally headcanon that the Jedi don't even necessarily have specific labels for their relationships and there's a lot less of a firm line between things like friendships and romantic relationships for them. A romantic relationship is going to look very different for different people and all that matters is that the people involved in the relationship agree on what it is and what the boundaries are. So two people might be in a relationship that could seem like a romantic relationship but that both people insist is NOT romantic at all. Or the opposite, two people seem like there's nothing romantic between them from the outside but if you asked them they'd both confirm that that's exactly what it is. Labels like boyfriend, girlfriend, (romantic) partner, husband, wife, spouse, etc all tend to come with specific expectations attached to them that the Jedi would probably agree with on an ideological level and just plain be uncomfortable with on a personal level.

This opens the door for the Jedi to have any NUMBER of different kinds of relationships with different people that allow them to remain very fulfilled in their life without needing constant access to a romantic partner, hence being a lot better with the long distance relationships. Maybe they have one person they really like doing more romantic stuff with but there's someone else that they have a more friends with benefits style relationship with and tons of other people that are friends without romance or sexual additions to it that can run the gamut between being mentors, peers, or students of their own. I imagine they'd be pretty open to the concept of polyamory since they don't do major commitments to romantic partners, so the idea of having multiple romantic or sexual partners would be fairly normal and not that big of a deal.

I think Jedi relationships often end up seeming really complicated and difficult to people outside of the culture but, to them, it really is very simple. It's romantic if the people involved say it is and all you really owe your partner is respect and compassion. It's everyone else who has all of these labels and expectations and obligations that make relationships exceptionally complicated from their perspective. If you just open up a little and expand/loosen your definition of what romance or a romantic relationship might entail, there's plenty of ways for Jedi to have romantic relationships. I do think that these relationships end up generally less compatible with people outside of the Order who don't tend to have similar cultural concepts, which is likely what leads to misconceptions like that the Jedi don't allow love or relationships at all (something we see with Padme, who comes from Naboo which does seem to really emphasize familial relationships a lot as something vitally important if that's what you choose to pursue). It might even be easier for Jedi to simply tell people they don't do romantic relationships or to allow people to believe that than to try to explain their ways to people who are just unequipped or unwilling to understand it.

This is also where I think the clones tend to come in as some of the only people capable of truly understanding the way the Jedi choose to do relationships. The clones aren't allowed to form the kind of commitments everyone else would, they can't make promises to each other that they'll be together forever. And I imagine the clones end up prioritizing finding happiness and pleasure any place they can find it above being faithful to one relationship above anything else. Loving someone means wanting them to be happy and if you're able to give them that, even for a short amount of time, then that's what matters. They'd be forced to get really good at long distance relationships and accepting change is inevitable. And while all of this is coming from really awful circumstances, I do think it'd allow them to sort-of build cultural values that end up pretty similar to the Jedi's and would likely REMAIN fairly similar to the Jedi's even in a happy fix-it AU where they gain the freedom to explore more options. So while most non-Jedi have difficulty being in relationships with Jedi because of how different their cultural values towards romance end up being, the clones are actually a lot more able to adjust to that and I think some of them might even specifically PREFER relationships with Jedi to relationships with anyone else.

I'd love to see some sort of Star Wars media really explore this more. The two options that we end up seeing are Jedi who choose to break the rules in order to be in a relationship anyway or Jedi who choose to avoid romantic relationships entirely (either in a situation like Obi-Wan's where he FEELS romantic attraction and has to specifically walk away from the relationship or situations like Mace or Luminara where we simply never see them interested in romance at any point). We see them be friendly with each other and with other people, obviously, and we know from Lucas that they aren't celibate, so the opportunity is THERE to see Jedi in happy romantic or sexual relationships that are simply more casual, but no one's been interested in actually showing or exploring that yet. My aroace ass would LOVE more representation among the Jedi.

[eggtrolls]

haiku misinformation: a fact check

there's an post going around about haiku that has a lot of incorrect information about haiku, its terminology, history, etc. I will try to debunk some of the biggest inaccuracies here. everything in quotes is a direct statement from the original post. this is also really, really long.

"Haiku are made of 14 on, which are essentially the equivalent to Japanese syllabic structures, except the nature of how Japanese as a language is constructed versus English means that any given proper haiku could be translated in extremely and intensely different ways, each giving a subtle but distinctly different meaning."

Starting off strong - haiku are (usually) made of 17 on. It's the classic 5-7-5 pattern! 5+7+5=17! [possibly this is a mix-up with wakiku (脇(わき)句(く)) which is another type of Japanese poetry that does use 14 on but who knows.]

Definitions: an on is a phonetic unit, the equivalent to a mora (pl. morae) in English. this concept a) exists in English and b) like on, is related to syllables but distinctly different from them (i.e. ba is one mora but baa with a long vowel is two morae). On can be counted using the number of hiragana (phonetic syllabic characters) when the text is transliterated, so a word like Osaka that has the long O sound (made up of 4 kana) would be 4 morae or 4 on (o-o-sa-ka; おおさか). it's not really a syllabic structure at all, and more importantly has nothing to do with translation. idk where that last part comes from because that's really...not the point here. Yes, any given "proper" haiku could be translated in different ways with a subtle but distinctly different meaning but that's true of just...translation, period. check out Deborah Smith's translation of The Vegetarian by Han Kang for more on that.

Furthermore, haiku were/are not rigidly locked into the 5-7-5 on pattern. That's just not true, which is why I said usually above. Easy example: a 1676 haiku by Matsuo Basho that uses 18-on:

冨士の風や　扇にのせて 江戸土産; ふじのかぜや おうぎにのせて えどみやげ; the wind of Fuji /I've brought on my fan/a gift from Edo <- that first line is 6-on!

2. "The best way I can explain what I mean is that in English a good poem can be defined as a shallow river, whereas a good haiku is a deeply-dug well."

Not dignifying this with a response. Deeply incorrect and untrue. @bill-blake-fans-anonymous can handle this assertion.

3. "The presence of the kigu. There is a specific series of characters/words which are used to imply a season, and specifically a specific aspect of a season which the haiku revolves around. The creation of a haiku is often done as a meditative practice revolving around the kigu--you're essentially contemplating on this particular natural feature (nearly always the temporal aspect emphasizes either ephemerality or the opposite as well bc Buddhist ideas of enlightenment and beauty begin coming into play) and building an evocative and purposeful point that revolves around it like a hinge. It functions as both ground and anchor."

First (and largest) problem: the word. is. kigo. kigo. It's ki (季; season)-go (語; word) = 季語. Both the English and Japanese language Wikipedia, or a 3-second google search, will tell you this immediately. I have no idea where the term kigu comes from.

Second problem: plenty of haiku, both traditional and contemporary, do not use kigo. these are described as muki (無季; seasonless). Matsuo Basho, the haiku-writing poet non-Japanese people are most likely to know, wrote at least ten seasonless haiku that exist today. Masaoka Shiki, the Meiji-era haiku poet and reformist, wrote hundreds of kigo-free haiku and as an agnostic, tried to separate haiku from Buddhism and focus more on the shasei, the sketches from daily life. you can actually, today, buy what are called saijiki, which are lists of words and terms that refer to specific seasons (in the traditional Japanese calendar, so there are actually a lot of "micro" seasons as well). some saijiki include a whole section of "seasonles" words - here's an article about non-season kigo in a saijiki.

so the claim that English-language haiku are invalid or not "real" haiku because they lack a kigo doesn't hold up, unless you invalidate a whole bunch of Japanese haiku as well. the op also claimed they would categorize a lot of English "haiku" as senryū which is...an opinion. Yes, haiku tend to be focused around nature (more on that below) and senryū tend to be more comedic or about human foibles but...that's it! it's a tendency! it's not a hard and fast rule!

Third problem: the claim that a haiku is as meditative practice revolving around the kigu kigo...yeah, no. the earlier form of haiku, the hokku, were the introductory poems of the longer poetic form, the renga and the hokku gradually became a standalone poetic form known as haiku. the hokku had a lot of purposes and we have a historical record of them going back ~1000 years to Emperor Juntoku where they were declamatory poems tied to events (births, deaths, etc.) or social events (moon-viewing parties) - not really meditative. haiku, if a genre can focus on a single idea, focus on an experience and that can be real or imaginary, direct and personal or neither.

Here's another Basho poem for your consideration:

夏草や 兵どもが 夢の跡 (natsukusa ya tsuwamonodomo ga yume no ato; summer grasses--/traces of dreams/of ancient warriors)

both the dreams and the grasses are those of Basho (contemporary) and of the warriors (ancient); it's about travel, it's about connecting the present to the ancient past, it's not really so much about the summer.

(Fourth, minor problem that I'm not really going to get into: you'd have to take this 'Buddhist ideas of enlightenment and beauty' up with haiku scholar Haruo Shirane but he explicitly says in the Routledge Global Haiku Reader (2024) that "pioneers of English-language haiku [such as D.T. Suzuki, Alan Watts, and the Beats] mistakenly emphasized Zen Buddhism in Japanese haiku".....so.)

4. "The presence of the kireji...it's a concept borderline absent from English because it's an intersection of linguistics and philosophy that doesn't really exist outside of the context of Japanese."

Let's begin with clarification. What is kireji (lit. a 'cutting word')? It's a class of terms in Japanese poetry that can do a few things, depending on the specific kireji and its place in the poem. In the middle of the poem, it can mark a thematic break, a cut in the stream of thought highlighting the parallel(s) between the preceding and following phrases. At the end of the poem, it provides a sense of ending and closure - it helps mark rhythmic division, to say the least, and it is seen as the 'pivot' word.

Two problems with claims above:

a. there are haiku that do not use kireji. For the hat trick, here's a Matsuo Basho haiku from 1689 AD that is kireji-free: 初しぐれ猿も小蓑をほしげ也 (hatsu shigure saru mo komino wo hoshige nari; the first cold shower/even the monkey seems to want/a little coat of straw) <- NB: I love this haiku so much

b. the idea of a kireji, as in a pivot word that provides an inflection point with rhythmic division and structure, exist not just in English poetry but in multiple different types of poetry across time and space! The caesura in Latin and Ancient Greek! The volta in sonnets! Whatever is happening in the third line of the Korean sijo!

final thoughts:

the op included language, which I won't quote here because it was messy and tied into other rbs, about Orientalism and appropriation in English-language haiku, which is definitely a real thing. but this blanket statement ignores that the relationship between haiku and "the West", much like Japan and "the West", was and is not a one-way street. Western writers were influenced by haiku and, in turn, those writers influenced Japanese writers who wrote haiku inspired by these influences - this process has been going on for well over a century. Furthermore, English and Japanese are not the only languages in which haiku are written! Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore was writing haiku in Bengali; other Indian poets were and are writing them in Gujrati and Malayalam, particularly by the poet Ashitha. the Pakistani poet Omer Tarin has written haiku about Hiroshima! The Spanish poet Lorca published haiku in, get this, Spanish, in 1921 and the Mexican poet José Juan Tablada published more in 1922! Italian translations of Yosano Akiko were published in 1919! any discussion of the idea that English/non-Japanese-language haiku aren't really haiku because they don't hold to the "rules" (which Japanese authors have been revising, adapting, critiquing, and/or straight up flouting for centuries) or because English/non-Japanese poetry is "a shallow river whereas a good haiku is a deeply-dug well" just shows a lack of knowledge around traditions and depths of...well, poetry itself.

my god this is so long.

in summary: this is a complex topic. If anyone would like some actual information about haiku, its history, common themes and forms, or a collection of good poets, the Routledge Global Haiku Reader (2024) and Haiku Before Haiku : From the Renga Masters to Basho (2011) are great references and really accessible in their language! hmu if you're interested and I can send you some pdfs.

[heartilywrites]

Omg! I lowkey kinda binged all of your KorraxReader stories lol! I was wondering if you can write about Korra and the reader having a daughter (pregnant + birth if that’s okay with you ;)). Idk how to describe it but the spirits somehow allowed reader to become pregnant with Korras child and Tenzin confirming that it’s possible because it happened to Kyoshi and Rangi.

،، 𝓐 Glimpse of Us ; Korra

request guide | masterlist

resume: where the spirits gave you the best gift you could ask for.

content warning: domestic ; fluff ; Korra x fem!reader ; the whole fic is about pregnancy !! ; tw for vomit ; ephemeral mention of sex ; no nation nor bending status mentioned ; no use of y/n

wc: 3.6k

a/n: hi darling!!! im glad u like my fics akdhsj the partner cravings, heartburn and belly shapes are just superstition/beliefs I know around pregnancy because in my country is believed to be true and I wanted to share because I love the those ideas <3 this one was definitely one of my favorites to write, i love domestic fics <3 THANK YOU FOR REQUESTING, ENJOY:D

“ I will be protect you from all around you, I will be here, don't you cry.

Sitting beside the ceramic seat, you were almost laying down with one hand over your stomach after throwing up everything you had in, you were sure even your ideas got mixed with the vomit.

Something you ate had fucked with your stomach, you thought, but what could it be? All the foods you ingest that week were homemade, maybe the strawberry candies Korra had brought?

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “My spirits, you look like you saw a ghost.” your partners voice got your attention. “Here, I bought an electrolyte and I'm making a soup for you to eat... I think we should go to the doctor.”

You shook your hand, straightening back up and taking the bottle on your shaky palms. “I'm okay, something just...” you shut yourself up and opened again the toilet to keep returning the last pieces you had on your stomach, the girl's hands held your hair.

It was safe to say after staying another three minutes in the bathroom, Korra took you to the doctor against your will. At first they said it could be a stomach flu since there was an epidemic going on about it, but he wanted to make sure by examining you.

When you described your symptoms, you saw an eyebrow raised your way and the pen was quick to write down. The doctor had asked you to do some exams to be sure, hours had gone by and Korra was sat by your side holding your hand at the waiting area.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Maybe this is a sign for me to stop buying you sweets.” she joked to break the silence, you looked at her funny.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “On the contrary, I'm sure it's a sign that you don't buy me enough sweets.” your eyebrow was raised and she giggled.

She was about to attack again when the doctor coming in asking you to step in their office cut her off. Once they saw you settle in the seats, a couple of papers where brought up. “Okay, the results just came in and what I suspected was confirmed.” hands held together, the doctor's gaze was on you now. “Congratulations, ma'am, you're expecting.”

Any and all traces of calm smiles were dropped from both faces, Korra's gaze showed confusion your way while yours was uncertain, a mix of panic and confusion.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Wh– okay, wait, are you sure?” you asked however you could formulate. “Is this even my record? Didn’t you confuse me with someone else?”

The professional read your name out loud on the folder, you nodded. “Then it is you, miss, I would recommend you to start looking for a obstetrician or a doula, is really up to your comfort...” you zoned out, not being able to hear the rest.

The walk back home, both Korra and you were quiet trying to digest what just happened, walking one beside the other. At half of the trail, you stopped the girl with your hand on her arm.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I didn’t cheat, I swear.” you were quick to clarify, bitting the inside of your cheek, she blinked surprised.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Darling, I know... We spend like twenty-five of the twenty-four hours of the day together.” her eyes softened and took your hands. A small sigh left her lips. “I just... I don't get it...”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Fingers do get you pregnant.” you joked, feeling your face a bit warmer and Korra giggled.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “If that was the case I'm sure we should have at least a football team by now.” she smiled flirty. Now you felt your face hot, you pushed her softly. “...Do you think maybe Tenzin can help us?”

After a shrug from you, the avatar made the way for you two to go at the Air Temple Island to pay a visit to the master.

Upon arriving, everyone welcomed the two of you with open arms and excitement to see you. Korra asked the older man for a private conversation as it was important, when the three of you were alone she explained the whole situation to the man and even when both thought that he was going to think you two were crazy, his face stood calmed, a bit surprised by the end.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I see...” you took Korra's hand in yours, nervous. “Listen, kids, it's not the most common thing, but this had happened before.”

A wave of relief washed over you, thanking the universe at least maybe you had references from the past to understand this whole situation.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “How so?” the avatar asked, frowning a little bit.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Back at avatar Kyoshi's times, the spirits gifted her and her partner, Rangi, the opportunity to be mothers,” he began, you frowned a little bit. “It was... They conceived a child with their features, a biological child.”

Your eyes shot at Korra, she was already looking your way with excitement shining in her gaze. Her hand squeeze yours and she smiled. Tenzin smiled fondly at the two of you.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “All I can say now is congratulations, girls.” he finished walking up to you two and hugging both. “I know you will be such great mothers to this fortunate child.”

After that visit and staying over for dinner, you two went back home with a bunch of tips and stuff Pema had given you for the journey the second she stopped hugging you so tight, happy about the news.

You still felt a bit confused at the whole situation, by the time you lay besides Korra at bed, she hold you close.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Mothers... Can you believe it?” you asked looking back at her, she opened one of her eyes and then both of them.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “It feels surreal.” she answered, her free hand moved a strand of hair out of your face. “A weird gift from the spirits, but if it's with the love of my life I know it was the best decision made.”

You stood up a bit to exchange a sweet kiss with the girl. “We need to start moving our ass if we want to be ready on time for when our child gets here.” you whispered on her lips, she smiled.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I love how that sounds, our child.” now her arms hugged your neck to pull you back on top of her.

The next weeks, Korra and you started to look up for the most important things you needed at the early stage of the pregnancy. A doula was contacted and named the family's, you bought books on pregnancy and started to buy things to make a nursery on one of the guest rooms in your house.

The first trimester the one that suffered the cravings was all Korra, you remembered reading a book on how in some pregnancies the person carrying the child wasn't the one with cravings, but their partner and when that fragment popped up in your memory you found yourself giggling while Korra was eating fire flakes with a sweet sauce, she looked at you confused.

Your belly wasn’t showing much at the first half of the trimester, but you were amaze at how a tiny group of cells were taking such toll on you. You found yourself tired most of the time, always napping when you had the chance, there were foods you couldn't stand even smelling, you hated that part so much because of the nausea you were experimenting half of the time.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “My boobs hurt.” you said one night preparing for bed, pouting a little bit.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Want me to give you massage?” the girl's eyebrows played before giggling.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You just ate fire flakes, I'm not letting you touch me with those fingers.” Korra let out an offended sound, you laughed with closed eyes. “Let's sleep, my three hours nap didn't work.”

By the beginning of your second trimester, you felt changes; you passed from being tired all the time to being active shopping stuff for the baby, almost as if you weren't fatigued a week prior.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “That's my little strawberry,” Korra was talking to your belly while you were laying down looking fondly at her. It was beginning to be a tradition for her to talk to the baby every night before going to sleep. She also had started to call the baby strawberry after remembering how you two blamed the candies with said flavor she bought for your sickness. “We're so excited to meet you, baby, you have no idea what we just bought for you.”

You giggled. “And what your uncles will buy you when they learn about you.”

Before the beginning of your fourth month, Korra and you came to an agreement of not saying anything to your friends for a little bit while you got settle with the important details and thankfully your baby was also part of the agreement by not showing much, you also were grateful with the fact that the clothes you used was a bit more loose from your shape.

You two hosted a dinner for the group as a way to announce the news to them and after eating and chatting for a little while, Korra broke the news to them with the whole explanation following. The three had such surprised expression that it was funny looking, but after some questions and giving them time to assimilate the situation, they were quick to hug both.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “That baby will have the best uncles and aunt in the world.” Mako said, pulling away from you, you smiled and nodded teary-eyed by the mix of hormones and the situation.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Do you have names? Oh! Can I suggest? Bolin is such a strong name.” the earthbender said, making you all laugh a bit.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “This is so sudden, I'm so glad you told us! I will finally be the rich aunt.” Asami talked now, you hugged her with a smile.

After that announcement, Korra had made a letter to send to her parents writing exactly what she said to her friends and the context. Saying how she was excited for this new chapter in her life, how they would be the best grandparents and telling them you two would visit after the baby was born for them to meet; the two southerners sent back a letter congratulating and some of Korra's toys and clothes from when she was a baby along with a necklace from the water tribe.

The changes you felt were a lot, but you were so grateful to have Korra by your side in the whole journey to comfort you those nights you couldn’t sleep because your hormones were making you feel bad or because you had a lot of heartburn that was impossible for you to lay down for more than one minute

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You know, my grandmother used to say that when you were feeling heartburn during your pregnancy was because the baby would born with a lot of hair.” she said one night, at the end of your second trimester while leaving circular caresses on your back, you had a grimace on your face.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I would love for the baby to born with a lot of hair, but this is ridiculous, I hate it.” Korra hugged you with a tiny smile, leaving you a kiss on your head.

At the end of your fifth month, your belly had grown big enough for anyone to tell that you were heavily expecting, it was getting harder to breath normally and one day you finally were able to feel your baby.

The first communication your tiny person had with you was while you two were preparing the nursery with a cradle, a changer, a rocking chair and the toys for the baby.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Holy fuck,” you said under your breath, both hands now resting on your belly. Korra got close quickly. “No way.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Are you okay? What happened?” no verbal answer was given, your hand took one of hers and left it resting on your belly. “Honey, what...?”

Korra's voice got quieter when a soft kick was felt under her palm, teary-eyed she looked at you. The baby was starting to kick, you took it as a way for them to greet you. Tearing up a little bit, Korra left a kiss on your lips, excited.

Midway your last trimester, your back was starting to hurt and your feet were swollen all the time, adding how now you got tired so easily since you had difficulty with breathing as normal.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Tenzin told me I could do something to help you with your back pain,” the southerner talked walking to you and getting behind. Both hands cupped your belly, you were confused. “Ready?”

You nodded, with a slight frown. With all the caution in the world, Korra picked up your belly; in the act, she was picking the baby, you felt instant relief when at the feeling of less weight on your back to the point where you sighed and melted in her arms, the avatar giggled before leaving a kiss on your cheek.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Thanks to the universe for Tenzin,” you said, you felt so good. “How did he learn about it?”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “When Pema was expecting Ikki her back pain didn't allow her to sleep well and he simply tried it one time she was standing and thought that maybe if he picked up her belly a little bit she would rest for at least some moments.” your head nodded, it made sense for them to have the best tips on pregnancy after four kids.

By the middle of the last month, everyone reunited a last time before you got into labor to celebrate the new baby coming to the world. A small reunion with your closest friends, food and some anecdotes, a couple brought gifts for the baby even if you two insisted it wasn’t necessary, but thank them afterwards.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I think it's going to be a boy.” Mako said, taking a seat with his plate of food.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “It's going to be a girl, look at her belly,” Pema counterattacked, sure of her answer. “It's round. You know what they say, round belly is a girl, low belly is a boy.”

You giggled and turned your gaze to your now big belly, small caresses were left by your hand. “It doesn't really matter, we're going love them either way.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Yeah, as long as they're healthy we'll be good.” Korra backed you up, sitting next to you and handing a plate of food. “Strawberry will be the happiest child.”

A couple of minutes after they all left, Korra and you were picking everything up. Well, Korra was, you tried to help and she had scolded you saying that you should just relax and not worry about anything.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Korra, it's okay, I won't break water just for picking some cups.” you laughed, walking to the sink.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “No, but I don’t want you to do anything either, being pregnant with our kid is enough.” she spoke while washing the dishes, when her blue eyes looked for you and spotted you standing still in the middle of the living room, she frowned. “Did you drop something?”

Your eyes were looking at the water puddle you just made, after some minutes of silence, you turned slowly to your partner. “Don't be mad... My water did break.”

Plates and cups made noise when they dropped from the avatar's hands, drying them she run your way. “What!? Oh my fucking spirits, okay, let's stay calm, we are prepared for this.”

Still standing, a pain assimilating a cramp started to make appearance on your body, making you shut your eyes ans grunt a bit. “Honey...”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Wait, no, fuck, I forgot where is the birth bag!” the southerner started to run in circles on the house. “Where's the doula's number!?”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Love..” you tried to talk, you felt out of breath at such pain extending all over your lower body.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I think I'm lightheaded,” she stopped on her tracks. “Where's the bag!?”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Korra!” you screamed when the contraction stopped, she looked at you astonished. “We first go to the hospital and there we call the doula, the number is on the bag which is at the entrance.”

She nodded with a worry look, you extended your hands asking for help and she was quick to take them. Helping you to walk out of the house to the car Asami had sell you two, Korra walked at your speed, leaving strokes on your back and saying courageous words.

After that tiny panic reaction, the avatar focused in being your support during birth. Even if she didn't drive that well, Korra managed to get both of you to the hospital once she made sure everything was on the bag. She registered you and made the call while you were getting checked up. When everything was settle she sat besides you taking your hand for support and always attentive at you.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “This is happening.” she said, cleaning sweat from your forehead. “This is really happening, holy shit.”

She heard a sob coming from you and panic took over.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Are you okay, baby? Do you want me to call a nurse?” she asked quickly, looking up to see if she could catch any on the way. You pulled her a bit and when she saw you, you shook your head.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I don't think I'm ready,” you whispered, embarrassed. How come you would say that until now? “I'm scared.”

Your partner smiled with warmth and left a soft kiss on your forehead. “I'm scared too, baby... But I know we're going to be great mothers, we have the best support circle with us, you can do this, my love, I know it.”

Your frown raised a bit while a weak smile showed on your face. “I love you so m–” a grunt vibrated on your throat making you stop talking and squeeze her hand.

Even when the avatar was strong and she could handle pain, the squeeze felt a bit too much. “Oh, wow, that was a big one, huh?”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Mh–mh,” you shook your head and found the way to talk. “It's coming, I'm sure it's coming now.”

And that was enough to make Korra call for help. Once the doula was in the room, everything else happened a bit quicker.

While you were pushing, you had the southerner by your side cheering on you and cleaning the sweat on your face, her eyes traveled from you to the professional and back to you. The last minutes felt like hours to both of you, but the sound of crying washed over relief on the both of you; with tears in the eyes, your partner was handed the tiny bulk in a blanket.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Congratulations on the girl, moms.” the doula said with a big smile, Korra's eyes widened and shot to you. Between tears, you giggled.

Your arms stretch to her asking for the baby and when you had her in your arms, it felt like you finally were complete. Accomodating the tiny human in your arms, you could see Korra's hair color in her and it made you laugh a little bit.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “She's beautiful,” the avatar said looking at the baby from your side. A kiss was left on your head. “Thank you, love, for our child.”

Bright eyes looked up to her and smiled, exchanging a sweet kiss before turning back to the newborn when she cried again. When she opened her eyes after she was cleaned up and brought back to you at birth, iced color orbs sparkle at you and from that moment you had a feeling she was going to be Korra's copy, and you weren't wrong.

As the baby grew, the avatar's features started to show. She had the same skin tone, face form, hair color, nose type and even her personality, you would always joke to her about how you just birthed a mini Korra when the two of them did something similar at the same time. The first month with the baby had been such a challenge with the sleepless nights and how you always resorted to Pema when you two needed help with the baby. But you were sure all was worth it when you saw Korra play with her and make her laugh with the southerner's actions, you were so grateful for your family.

Visiting the avatar's parents after the baby turned one month old, Senna was the most excited one to see her granddaughter.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Oh, my spirits! She looks just like Korra when she was a baby!” she exclaimed excited while her eyes were delighted at seeing your first-born in her tiny water tribe outfit they sent, you smiled proudly and turned to the mentioned.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I told you, she's your twin.” the southerner rested an arm on your shoulders, bringing you closer while she shook her head laughing.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “What's her name?” Tonraq now asked while playing with the baby, making faces behind Senna.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Strawberry.” his daughter answer, you sighed shaking your head.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Her name is Yui.” you said, your arms hugging your partner's waist.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “It's the same, Yui means strawberry!” she defend, you nodded a little bit just to let her have her win and a laugh was heard from the baby making everyone melt in love for her.

[mrsdarkandyandere7]

Dark!Xavier Thorpe

Pairing: Dark Xavier Thorpe x (female) Reader

▶ This is a yandere/dark work and it may contain triggering content so please READ THE WARNINGS before. Do not read if minor.

More at Masterlist

WARNINGS: Toxic/Abusive Relationship; Manipulation.

AN: Please, reblog and give me feedback.

Also, I haven't finished Wednsday so don't give me spoilers 😂 But idk if I'll write more about him or not.

--

Xavier is disappointed with himself, why is he like this? He’s clearly taking advantage of you, it’so obvious even to himself. But it’s not for you.

No, you are completely and entirely oblivious to his disgusting behavior. 

“How about I sneak into your dorm tonight to kiss you goodnight? I know boys aren’t allowed but don’t worry, no one will catch me.” he takes one of your hands into his, bringing it to his lips, eyes trained on your hesitant expression.

You really can never say no to him, can you?

No. For you, he’s nothing but a good loving boyfriend. In your eyes, Xavier can do nothing wrong. He loves you and love doesn’t hurt people, am I right?

But that doesn’t stop a shallow regret in the very back of Xavier’s mind, but he explains to himself that it’s better it’s him and not another person taking advantage of you. He can’t stand the possibility of you being with someone that not him, the mere thought of that making his stomach churn. 

“Why do you talk so much with that normie guy? You’re not trying to leave me for him, are you?” Xavier glares at you, eyeing the scared way you gulp.

You frantically shake your head, muttering apologies and he instantly feels a warm sensation in his chest, proud that you’re so submissive to you.

“Good, cause he doesn't really like you, he only wants to make fun of you. To use you, to ridicule you.”

You see the world through hopeful innocent glasses, too trusting for your own good. You blindly believe and accept everything that comes out of his mouth, your beautiful eyes twinkling with adoration as you look at him.

“Shh, it’s fine. This is what couples do to make it official, you know.” you bite your lip at that, still reluctant and Xavier presses another intense kiss on your lips, his hand moving your own towards his hard cock and he sweetly smiles at you.

“And I only want to show you how much I love you. So take me, take my love and take my cock, baby. Let me make love to you, baby.”

Even when you have your ephemeral doubts about him, you always look so conflicted, lower lip catched between your teeth as you stutter to find the courage to protest, to argue against him and in those moments, Xavier feels so much love for you.

You’re such a fragile thing, unable to even stand up for yourself, so sickeningly weak. 

“I-I just want to hang out with her, so why can’t I? She’s like us, she won’t hurt me.” you shyly protest, fingers nervously picking at the material of your skirt. 

Xavier doesn’t bother acting nice, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he stares at you, not a trace of the frequent sweet smiles he offers you.

“Cause I said so. You’re not good at judging people, are you? But I am and I’m telling you she’s trouble. So no.” you look conflicted, but something in his expression must’ve warned you that Xavier won’t budge.

You pout and sulk, but he already knows that you’ve submitted to his decision. Good girl, he thinks. 

That’s why you need him. Xavier can protect you way better than you ever could, he’ll fight for you as if his life depends on it. And truthfully speaking, it does. He can’t possibly live without you.

To him, you’re more precious than oxygen, you’re the only thing he truly needs to survive. Without you, he’d be nothing. 

“I love you.” Xavier mutters, pressing a kiss to your wrist, eyes locked with you. You smile, your face lightening up with joy. You reach towards him, pecking at his lips. 

“I love you too.”

[flightfoot]

Ur a pretty fair voice in my opinion when it comes to the whole mess in miraculous. Would you mind telling me what your favorite things are about Marinettes appreciation of Chat Noir in Canon? Not fanon, CANON.

I'm still grieving LadyNoir and recently I'm feelin very down in life in general and now I don't have my comfort show and ship anymore the way I used to love them for.

The way Marinette treats Chat Noir in and outta her transformation never stops hurting my poor broken LadyNoir heart n as much as I wished I could love the potential of her love for him as I once did, it just feels so paper thin and shallow to me now after everythin this show did.

The show is clearly trying to have her feelings for him be smth now, but for me it never seems to go beyond her infamous vague heart eyes the show likes to hav her throw around for damage control & surface level appreciation of his presence when she has to. But if you'd tell me that she still has no real feelings for him, I would believe u, cause he as a person doesn't truly matter at any given moment her words have to MEAN something more than a vague "<3" she's never asked to back up with anything worthwhile (srry, I know you've heard that complaint a million times before. It's at least comforting to know that others feel the same)

Wasn even her taking any interest in Chat for his person in the first quarter of season 5 only caused by Marinette wantin to proof Alya wrong and that her love for him instead of Adrien is real and valid? That's so disheartening...

Going through the tags isnt helping either, cuz most i find it is either much more fanon than Canon, or it's in line with Chat prrty much being her servant now instead of her finally giving care back

Idk, I hope I'm not bein too much of a downer. So imma get back to my question now. Maybe u can help me see Canon in better light again.

Could you tell me what you like most bout Marinettes and Ladybug's connection with Chat Noir? Things she does for him, what she values in him and so on and so forth?

I like the times we see her getting upset when Chat's hurt, or when she comforts him when he's clearly not feeling good. I adored how angry and upset she got in Timebreaker when Chat was "killed" in front of her for the first time, how she suddenly became more vicious. She doesn't want to lose him.

Or like, for times when she's comforted Chat, I adore how calmly and patiently she spoke to Chat in Reverser, after his courage was taken away, how she gently coaxed him where he needed to go. I took great solace in that, the first time I rewatched that episode, since I'd been exposed to a lot of Saltinette at the time, and I needed the reminder that Marinette does, in fact, care about people, even when it's inconvenient.

While I wish that Marinette had really thought through Chat's potential reaction to someone new showing up with her Miraculous without warning, I DID love that Marinette had this long list of protips. I especially liked this one:

Marinette: (v.o) Protip 33: When Cat Noir tells a joke, try to laugh at it even if it isn't funny. It makes him happy.

Even in episodes where I have a problem with the way Marinette conceives of Chat Noir, I generally still like elements of it. Like even in Ephemeral, while I think it was very, very wrong for her to try to trick Chat the way she did, she WAS doing it because she didn't want to risk Su-Han taking Chat's Miraculous from him. Or in Kuro Neko, when she didn't want to give the miraculous back to Plagg to give to Chat Noir, because she was afraid they'd end up back in this same situation, and she didn't want to keep hurting him.

At her core, Marinette cares about Chat's feelings and wants him to feel good, to be happy. The issue comes from her not seeing things from his perspective, from being terrible at reading him. Marinette has a lot of compassion towards Chat Noir, she just doesn't understand him.

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

If all the Ninja's elements represent a core aspect of life, Earth being Stability, Lightning being Creativity, Fire being Persistence and Ice being... idk Power or sum I forgot, Does that make Lloyd Hope? I've always headcanoned that the Golden Weapons sort of tie into the world in a metaphysical sense. Like in one of my stories that I'm writing, the Golden Weapons being separated from Ninjago takes a toll on the world, people lose their creativity and persistence. What I'm asking is would Lloyd being possessed by Morro affect the world in metaphysical way? (Also dear lord does Lloyd still have his Golden essence by that point? Because Morro with that kind of power is horrifying)

this ask took like four different turns snksnksn where do i start

Okay, so in the case of each element representing a different aspect of Life (true), that specific definition, like the definition of life itself, depends on the eye of the individual, and it takes different forms/shapes/meaning depending on circumstance. For example, this is Wu's take on the Core Four:

"Jay is the Blue Ninja, for he is the new Master of Lightning." Jay takes it like he's being knighted; Kai rolls his eyes. "Your element is energetic yet precise, invoking the spark to make miracles happen when we least expect them to. Yours is an element of ingenuity, reflecting a sudden burst of inspiration when we otherwise feel directionless and lost in a storm. After all, thunder cannot roar until the lightning strikes." "Black Ninja is Cole, and the new Master of Earth!" Wu carries on before Jay can get carried away. Cole sighs in relief, head bowed as the staff rests upon him. "Inherited from your mother's family, your element is steady yet malleable, invoking the resistance needed to endure crumbling hardships, yet also the tenacity to use change as a means to overcome. Solid as rock, Earth serves as the foundation for the other elements to build themselves upon. " "White Ninja is Zane, new Master of Ice! Inherited from your grandfather's family, your element is frigid yet pure. Ice can be cold, sharp, and off-putting when we first come into contact with it...but regardless, it invokes a sense of curiosity, and a sense of clarity once we come to better understand. Ice may be ephemeral, just like life, but that is what makes it so beautiful to behold." "Kai…you, Red Ninja, are the new Master of Fire." Wu sets the tip of his staff upon his shoulder. It gives Kai goosebumps. "Inherited from your father, your element is vibrant yet vigilant, and invokes the power to persist despite the circumstances. It fuels the very passion that keeps us all fighting to maintain our lives, and able to provide a beacon of warmth in otherwise dark times."

...and this is Lloyd's:

"If Cole is the foundation, Jay is the inspiration, and Zane is the protection…then you're the spirit. You're the preservation." Lloyd becomes insistent now, smiling as his own eyes begin to gleam. "And that's what you do. You find a way to beat out the odds. You find a way to overcome your problems. And even when you can't, you never stop trying! And that's…more important than anything else. Because that’s what makes everything else matter. You not only determine your own worth…but you help others find theirs too."

(Lloyd also interprets Fire as "Creating Hope")

But Lloyd's element itself, already being so abstract, definitely does not have a set meaning at all. It can be Hope, or it can Suffering. It can be beautiful or ugly, it can be long or short, it can be fulfilling or empty...but it always encompasses every extreme at any time, and once more falls to the beholding individual. Life is what you make of it, after all, and with enough energy, you can do anything~

In my interpretation, the Golden Weapons, while powerful artifacts in the way that they are able to harness the elements, may have shaped Ninjago as we previously knew it, but otherwise wouldn't have a direct physical bearing on the world itself if something were to happen to them (especially since they've been out of play for longer than they HAVE been in-play during the show. World would've ended or humanity would've crashed a loooong time ago)

Now, making an abrupt left-turn into Morro Land, Lloyd being possessed wouldn't have an effect on the world, either. The biggest battle he'd have to fight in that scenario is the one within him (literally).

Also...as far as I can remember, Morro doesn't even use any of Lloyd's power while he's in his body. He strictly sticks to his Wind (which...opens a whole other can of words, but eh). And the main reasons he possessed Lloyd in the first place was because he needed a Spinjitzu Master specifically, not Lloyd's powers (but then, he could've taken ANY of the Ninja's bodies in that case), but he really only picked Lloyd specifically out of spite for him becoming the Green Ninja. So I'd say due to the fact that his soul is still in possession of the Element of Wind, that automatically blocks him from being able to use anyone else's power ignoring DR rules and esp including Lloyd's (as those powers are tied to Lloyd's own soul, and a soul can't really possess another soul, only a body)

And yes, Lloyd does still have the Gold Essence at that point (after several attempts to try and rip it out of him, heyo), but again, Morro's not able to tap into that, either.

[lorkai]

*･゜ﾟ A/N: I warn y'all right away that I will not pay for therapy for anyone who reads this /j. But fr I had to write this scenario even though I was crying while I was writing lol. (I'm tagging you because I think you'd like this @lemonandlime22 @sweetbydarkness )

*･゜ﾟ Warning: Angst, Hurt/No comfort, character death, idk how to write the ending so it was kind of open ended.

"Photos are amazing, aren't they?" Lilia's voice was lost in his labored breathing. His throat burned and his lips trembled the more time he spent looking into the faces of everyone he'd ever lost.

All those people he would never see again. All those people he saw swallowed by the earth. All of them preserved in those almost yellowed pages, smiling, laughing or celebrating some achievement, so oblivious to the events that would lead them to their deaths.

And among them, Lilia noted with an ache in his heart, was his boy. Silver smiled as he held the hand of his beloved and also human, Yuu. They made an amazing couple and their wedding was so beautiful that Lilia found himself dreaming of that day. If he closed his eyes now he would see it all play out in his mind again, how he helped Silver choose his suit and write his vows, and how he guided Yuu down the aisle, handing them to his son, with a big smile on his face.

The fae sat in his armchair for hours, flipping through each page and reliving each memory. Memories of when he enlisted to serve in the Briar Valley Army, memories of the first friends he made, and then the precious memories of his dear son with such expressive eyes and goofy smile as just a baby.

Silver was like having an anchor that reminded him that there was still good in the world. He was a smiley baby and his laughter was so infectious that Lilia found himself laughing rather than lecturing him after every prank young Silver pulled off. He even remembers what Malleus and Silver's awkward interactions were like.

He missed his son very much. Lilia supposes that as an immortal, he should be used to death and all the feeling because he's seen it many times, he's seen nations rise and die, he's seen many important people etch their names into history and then return to earth, but still his eyes filled with tears with every page he turned. And he couldn't stop. He needs to see him again, he needs to remember every little thing because if he doesn't remember, he's afraid he'll forget.

Just like he forgot several other people.

"He wouldn't want to see you so worn out." A sober voice sounded in the room, deep, carrying a pain just like Lilia's. And Malleus with a face closed from any emotion sat back on his heels in front of Lilia and his hands gripped the album the older fae was staring at so earnestly, gently trying to pry it out of Lilia's hands. "Silver would probably say you need to get some rest. He'd hate to see you crying and isolating yourself here, and you know it."

Lilia let out a long sigh and looked away from the picture of his son with his first sword. Instead, he focused on the thunder falling over the starless sky, it seemed that even the night felt gloomy and the tiny raindrops adorned the cold windows like tiny crystals. He wanted to touch them, he almost touched them, but finally he decided to hold Silver's necklace between his fingers since it was one of the last memories Silver left behind.

"The pain of losing a child… Can you imagine, Malleus?" Lilia asked after remaining silent for a few seconds. "It's like losing a part of you and you know there's no way to get that part back, so you just wish that at least you had gone with it."

Sobs erupted from his throat and Lilia doubled over, trying to hide his face in his hands. And Malleus wrapped him in a strong hug, trying not to show how the death of his brother and friend affected him as much as it did Lilia. He needed to be strong for both of them.

For a good eighty years Malleus and Lilia watched Silver and Yuu grow old happily together. Ephemeral, their life spans so short. They were two bright, kind, amazing humans and they would miss those two dearly.

[thatgirlonstage]

Sometimes I get overwhelmed by how ephemeral most art is. Even outside willful capitalist greed that pulls shows and films from streaming (or refuses to even release them in the first place) and refuses to make video game consoles backwards compatible—even with the best will and effort to preservation in the world—paints and dyes and fabrics fade and degrade over time. Stone and metal statues get worn down. Colors aren’t perfectly replicable on new monitors or with new ingredients. DVDs and CDs and records get scratched. Files lose data. Film gets worn out. Things can’t be copied with complete fidelity to their original — brushstrokes or colors or sound quality will have shifted, even with the most careful effort, even if you are using the same medium (and if you can’t use the same medium, eg digitizing something originally on film, you will inevitably lose some things you can’t get back. Fuzziness and timbre and color quality that artists knew they were working with and whether they leaned into it or worked around it they expected it to be there and their absence will inevitably be felt). Plain text is essentially the only thing that can at least theoretically be copied without any loss of information, but even that is only in theory! Typos and misprints and errors plague any copy. Debates rage over whether something in an older version was an error corrected in a later edition or an intentional choice that got revised for whatever multitude of possible reasons. I haven’t even touched art that is by its very nature ephemeral from the start — live performance and installations made of living plants and art where the whole purpose is watching something fall apart.

Idk. I am desperately and fiercely in favor of all efforts at preservation of art while also being painfully aware of how impossible it is to preserve anything forever. Go to the theatre and feel with your whole heart how incredible it is to witness something that will only be done exactly like this just once, just today, just right this moment, and then it will be gone forever, whether its alterations are obvious or almost imperceptible they will be there. Then expand that feeling to everything you touch and feel at once lucky and heartbroken.

[vivizn]

Re: the tags you put on my post; you don't have to figure out the gender stuff all at once. You mentioned dresses? Try wearing dresses! Try a different set of pronouns, try a new name. None of that stuff has permanent ramifications. Take advantage of your group of non-cis friends for support with the name and pronouns stuff, they'll be thrilled to help. If you're "wrong" and you're "just" a GNC cis guy? That's still a great thing to be, if you're doing it on purpose!

(Future me here, quick info. Context at the bottom, and OP this turned out kinda long so read this when you have 5min to spare.)

Oh, uh, hi

Sorry, didn't expect a feedback on that, i was kinda yelling into the void and i keep forgetting this site is made of people ^^'

First off, thanks for reaching out, always nice to see that happening. And i hope you had, have and will have a nice day. Triple kindness in your face.

Secondly, dresses. It's kind of an ironic love that i have for those? Like, i just like wearing dresses for the bit (or on rare occasions i'll wear my skirt cuz it's faster to take on/off than pants). I say i get giddied up but It's really more because of the reaction of those around me (they find it funny (not in a mean way) so i'm glad i made them laugh).

Thirdly(?), changing names / pronouns. My *checks bio* neo-gendered sibling in christ, i can't even name my OCs, what makes you think i can name ME ToT ? As for the pronouns, eh... idk, i'm fine with keeping he/him i think, keeps things consistant. Again, default settings. I definitly need to try it one day though.

Fouthly? Fourtly? Fourd? Fuck, permanence. You fool. You absolute baffoon (affectionate). How dare you think for a moment have what it takes to handle ephemerality? I literally have mlp themed stickers still in package because i don't want to deal with using them somewhere and later not having them anymore. Either I will give up after the first time someone uses another set of pronouns, or the short period of time where they did will haunt me forever because nothing came out of it. <- also work if i end up changing pronouns, my brain is good at thinking bad. (I also have a suspicious amount of ND friends. Yeah yeah, i know, the idea of seeing a therapist sounds sexier everyday.)

5 (because i'm tired, it's 3am), being wrong. That is actually something i somewhat enjoy surprisingly. Because at least that means i have something to go off of, a starting point. That's usually all i need to start working on anything that require thought (so literally everything). I'd rather have someone tell me to do a thing and then shit on the thing they told me to do than having someone tell me "just follow your heart 🥰🥰🥰". Like, cool bro, how do i do that? Bitch won't move, how am i supposed to follow it?

1/3 of 666, credits. I never know how to close off rants because i always forget the first 3 points i try to make. So uhhh thanks to your patience if you've read through that (i feel like you would), sorry for ranting/venting(?) on what was just supposed to be a positive message i think. Thanks again for trying to reach out, but i honestly think i've got to deal with my other problems before i can tackle my gender (like the o so joyful experience of finding a job. yay.) (<- monotonest voice ever).

original post + my tags for those interested in context, AKA: hi alexxel, hi malt (watch out for the rant in your name, i'm gonna steal it), probably hi gayotic

And a pic of me in a dress because i feel like it

Couldn't find a dress so all you get is a fashion disaster, feat a hat i borrowed from a friend to complete the fit.

[chocosvt]

I’m not finished reading Her part five yet, but I did read the ask where anon asked how you imagined Her- and I just want to say that I think the exact same way when writing/ reading!

I always thought it was quite funny that they’re called “x reader” or “self-insert” fics when I never insert myself or imagine the reader as myself.

Also that scene where Her talks about her pottery class and then breaking what she made- idk if you’ve ever watched Naruto Shippuden before but Her’s little speech about art being ephemeral totally sounded like Deidara. (And I totally agree with that, too)

the thing is i love writing fanfic from second perspective! 😭 so i feel obligated to do a reader insert! at this point it feels the most natural both reading & writing even tho i also never imagine myself :?

well well well... you're talking to the right person 😎

i love naruto! i totally forgot abt deidara's art obsession! art is an explosion guys... something something maniacal laughter. but yes honestly i totally understand his reasoning. sometimes being too attached doesn't allow us to fully appreciate something! or it can hinder us from realizing something deeper!

[dialux]

Hello! Hope you're having a good day!! Idk if u got my previous ask, but I just wanted to know if you're still doing director's cut and if you are then could you do one for 'i imagined a dark world where the stars clamor to be inside us' aka the feanor and findis fic? I've read it so many times its insane and I just love it so much!! I'd love to know your thoughts when u wrote it

In your findis fic, at the end, is my understanding that feanor ended up making horcruxes or something adjacent to horcruxes right?

Combining these two bc I'm pretty sure they're from the same person!

Literally this started because of the LOTR/ASOIAF crossover AU, where Sansa's dropped into ME and mistakes Boromir for her father: I hadn't read LOTR in AAAAAAAGES and so I hopped onto Tolkien Gateway to learn more about the timeline. My search essentially went Boromir -> Third Age -> Age -> First Age -> Feanor -> SILM.

I then started reading the Silm (keep in mind this is in covid-lockdown in 2020) and found myself so absolutely disinterested in the Valar that I skipped all of it to go to chapter 6 (THEE Feanor chapter), and found myself very confused. So I hopped back onto Tolkien Gateway and used their incredibly useful family trees to keep everyone straight in my head. As I'm doing all of this, I'm struck by the similarities between the Finwean kids and the Stark kids, especially Findis/Sansa-- but at this point all I'm thinking is eldest daughter eldest daughter, nothing else. I put Findis into the crossover fic anyway (still know nothing about her apart from the TG page!) and get on with the rest of the Silm.

And then I find out that there are a number of similarities between Sansa and Findis beyond simple birth order, including favoring their mother, presumably being pious, etc etc. I start reading PoME and HoME. I start building an idea of Findis in my own head from, like, four lines total in all this reading.

Annoyed at the lack of canon material, I go to ao3. This is April of 2020; after filtering for languages, I get about a 100 works. I scan a few, but don't find the character I'm looking for. This is mostly because I've wholesale made this character up myself. I scowl at myself and sulk for a few days. Then I start writing. I post the story in a month's time, and in the process I've gotten so many feelings about the Silm that, a full three years later, I still haven't managed to deal with any of them.

Re: the story itself!! I personally think of the Finweans as a little bit incomprehensible, as more mythologized even to their own family than any normal elf; I wanted to explore that idea in the story, particularly how it feels when one person becomes a myth, and how it feels to be left behind when that happens. Feanor does it first, of course, but Findis isn't far behind-- chapter 2 is all about Feanor leaving Findis (and everyone else in his family, through Findis' eyes), but chapter 3 is very purposely from everyone's perspective but Findis, so we can see how it feels for them when she's walked away.

And yes, Findis does in fact create a couple of horcruxes. So does Feanor. They're good horcruxes, though, ig? Don't need murder, are simply like the... laboratory equivalent of soul fission, and yet with some ephemeral connection to the og soul. Afaik the Valar didn't ask before hallowing the Silms as well, so! Not exactly great when imperfect people have parts of their souls hallowed!

[irafuwas]

Now that I finished putting up my translations for chapter 1 of Book 7 over on my translation blog, I wanted to come here and jot down some of my thoughts/observations/questions/ramblings I had while going through everything. Putting this under a read more 'cause it contains spoilers.

Anime Girl Lilia doing the "Oh no, I'm late!" bit was perfect

Malleus said he's been alone since long before he hatched from his egg, which provides credence to the idea that his parents had already passed away before he was born

Lilia said the house he raised Silver in was just a vacant home he came across in the woods. So did he have another home in town that he just chose not to live in or something? The guy's a decorated war hero so I would presume he'd have a proper house in the castle town, so why did he choose to raise baby Silver in a random, abandoned home he found in the middle of the forest?

Squatter Lilia confirmed

I think Lilia's weapon that Sebek found while cleaning out Lilia's closet is going to play an important role later in the story. They went of their way to draw up art for it and it was, like, the main focus of a whole episode so I feel they are drawing attention to it for a reason. The special characteristic of this weapon is that the stone blade is adorned with a magic type of metal that changes shape in response to the owner's magical powers. Maybe Silver will take up the sword from/for his Father later on, and it will transform in some way? Possible future Mulan reference?

I haven't been able to puzzle out if Lilia's beloved acorn bracelet is a reference to anything in particular. I can't think of any Disney movies where something like that was featured. Can you guys think of anything? It's literally just a bunch of nasty old acorns tied together with a piece of string, and Lilia said that even Malleus is jealous that Lilia has it.

It's absolutely and positively way too suspicious that Lilia is trying to leave so quickly and suddenly. I feel like whatever secret he's keeping from anyone is about to come to a head and that's why he's trying to exit stage left so quickly. Or maybe if he were to stay with everyone, it would be putting them at risk somehow? Idk I just don't believe his "i'M olD aNd mY mAgiC raN oUT" story for a moment.

I really don't think Malleus himself realizes his own feelings of loneliness. So often, he will say that he's used to being alone and that he prefers it (and he does indeed often split off from groups in order to do his own thing), but I don't he's conceptualized quite yet that yeah, he gets lonely sometimes. I feel his loneliness, and possibly that of the other Diasomnia crew will be the defining theme of this book (Silver's loneliness in his ephemeral humanity, Lilia's loneliness as a broken ex-soldier, and Sebek's loneliness in not having a place to belong in either side of his family (humans fear his fae-nature, and the fae despise his human blood)).

Loved the shoutout to Elsa with Malleus accidentally scaring others with his ice powers and almost turning his home (the castle) into ice forever. If/when he does attempt to prevent the people around him from leaving him behind, I'm now curious if it will purely be a sleeping curse or if his ice powers will also be involved as well? Maybe a combo of the two?

If Malleus is Elsa, who is his Anna?

One of the "rules" for TWST books is that whoever overblotted in the last book will use their Unique Magic to aid the main characters of the next book in someway. All Idia's UM does is just open and close the gate to the underworld, so I'm a bit concerned how that will come into play later on... Could Lilia's story about wanting to go to the Land of Red Dragons just be a cover up, and his true destination is... idk but somebody gonna end up getting trapped in the underworld or something and it better not be Silver 😡

[clannfearrunt]

I can’t imagine the idk self confidence or Understanding or what have you to be able to come up with a One Brand To Represent Your Self like I’m in awe of people who can just commit to a single name or whatever to put alllll of their stuff under. Well. Obviously Con “has a different username on every single website that they use” Clannfearrunt is not one of them I contain too many often ephemeral multitudes to commit to sticking it all under one thing (or the organizational skills to maintain many different Personas for separate topics)