#collectors' tome

[randomnameless]

If you could rewrite the church family (Rhea, Seteth, Flayn, Billy, Cyril, Catherine, Alois, idgaf about Jerry, and Shamir’s fans generally like Edelgard too much for me to vibe with them), how would you do it? I love your headcanons.

thanks lol

No Manu ???

I don't know if rewritting them is the word, or just, "using them", but it can range from anything like "summer AU" (like what FEH tries to sell even if Cyril and Alois will never be added and the lizards are in limbo) where everyone relaxes, to monastery hijinks like

Cyril's first day of class and everyone popping up to check if he's alright, like Alois passing by to say hello during class and cracking jokes as an excuse to see if the giant cookie stash Rhea gave Cyril is empty or not (if it's empty it means he shared some with his new friends!), Shamir being "suddenly ordered" to give archery seminars or Catherine inviting everyone to the training tower.

Alois's family sometimes visiting Garreg Mach and Flayn sort of befriends his daughter and loves to hear the story of how he and his wife met - Seteth, after many "hmph" and "maybes" finally accepts to accompany Alois to visit his family with Flayn (who wanted to talk to his daughter about fashionable stuff young people do nowadays and how normal people live!), but it ultimately became a trip to convince Alois not to buy the rumour that "there is a Great Sage living in Lake Teutates who can teach you how to master your fears" because 1/he knows his brother started this rumour since he was bored and wanted some company and usually it ends in a disaster 2/Indech loves to make magic ghosts/soldiers for fun, and if dropping kid!Rhea in a pond was supposed to help her "master her fear of water" he knows Indech is going to throw a hundred ghost soldiers at Alois to help him "master his fear of ghosts".

Rhea still gives the worst pointers to Billy on how to "people" correctly, to the point where Billy is the one who gives her pointers, but it doesn't really work - until Manu gives the ultimate advice to Billy, no one has to try to socialise with her, because everyone falls for her charm! So Billy tries to understand what "charm" is, which prompts Rhea to dust off some "subversive books" to help them.

Which of course spirals in a catastrophe, when Cyril who's starting to recognise letters, wonders what's "charm" to Catherine who tells him it's something like exchanging knight vows, like swearing your life to someone "a bit like a partnership then?", but it's totally not like that, so Catherine directs him to Manuela. Of course Cyril doesn't go and asks Rhea instead, who is very happy to tell him everything she knows about Great Emperor Wilhelm which leaves him completely puzzled, but he's too polite to point it out, so he nods.

Ultimately he asks Seteth when he returns "It's like swearing knight vows but not like a partnership and doing it like the First Emperor did?" and Seteth gives the longest sigh every, asking him to come to his office later to get a lecture about "romance and appropriate conduct", but Cyril replied that he was not interested in romance anyways, but the professor is, since they have books about it.

Of course, Alois volunteers to help Billy with their heart issues, and Billy spills the beans, they tried to make friends so they asked Manuela how to do so, and Rhea gave them those books.

It is rumoured Seteth's sigh echoed for days in the halls of the monastery.

Billy, while accompanying Seteth who pulled out one of his "straight to the Abyss" cardboard boxes to "cleanse the Archbishop's quarters" asked Cyril if he managed to make friends during his first day of class, and Cyril dismissed them saying they don't need friends anyways (which then made Alois confess he had been spying on Shamir's orders "But I saw your bag of cookies, you didn't share them with your friends?") the life at the monastery is more than enough for him.

Billy then said to everyone - who's reunited in Rhea's quarters because they were following first Seteth (who's hunting the "subversive books"), then Billy, then felt bad for Cyril (who brought fresh water for the flowers!) so followed him - everyone here is their friend.

Alois cried hugging them, Catherine called them stupid for saying something so corny but ruffled their hair, Flayn was so happy to hear it, Manu didn't hear anything since she was arguing with Seteth about "artistic licence" and "books of art" and Cyril still didn't see what was to great about having friends. Rhea returned from helping kittens (Duchess Whiskers the VIIth got a new litter!) she placed in Seteth's office seeing everyone hugging Billy in her quarters, who told her they have friends now.

Flayn then pulls out the "deluxe tea-time set" from Rhea's cupboard - she kept just in case hoping she would be able to have tea with a lot of people - and the "preserved thanks to Nabatean magic" cookies and everyone shared a cup of tea.

[capripian]

Very interesting to me that the big bedtime story the Collector makes King read them is a board book. Like! Those big stone pages and simple rhymes with pictures? That's a board book! That's for a kid to read! They're just a little kid...

[beholding-moth]

for the oc ask thingy Austrat!!!! afsdgads it's so hard to choose the questions ywy i wanna know SO MANY THINGS

ok ok let's narrow it down to 5, 15, 29..... oh and G & H <333

i love how you chose him of all my OCs, the guy I'm playing as in my first bg3 run :')

*slaps Austrat* this purple warlock tiefling can fit so much religious trauma and gay yearning in him, he has hands down maybe one of the most traumatic backstories I have written aside from Meomy that is and maybe that would explain why he immediately felt a connection with Astarion

5. How easy is it to earn their mistrust?

very easy, his very first instinct is not to trust at all and once someone breaks his trust in any way possible he won't be able to trust them ever again

one thing that needs to be known however is that he values loyalty above all else and once someone gains his loyalty he will be devoted to it

15. How do they speak? Is what they say usually thought of on the spot, or do they rehearse it in their mind first?

he is very calculating about everything he says, he does come off as charming though. but also more often than not he deceives, doesn't like to talk about personal things and speaks half-truths if needed. In short: most of the things he says have been rehearsed in his brain a million times before, that it started to come to him naturally now. (all im saying is: he is a pathological liar)

29. Do they usually live up to their own ideals? 

his ideals are very in the morally grey area tbh. all he strives for is staying in control of his own decisions, providing his fey archon with little treasures and mysteries for entertainment and helping out wronged people. and if he has to kill for any of those? he will

but also what can i say :') it's hard to say what ideals one has when they are very dependent on whims...

G) What trait of theirs bothers you the most?

i think all his "ooh im so mysterious and untouchable" behaviour would kinda piss me off. id kick him in the shin for that, but only if i didn't know where he is coming from..... which i do... and i wanna give him a pat and tell him everything is gonna be ok, you will get your revenge

H) What trait do you admire most?

i think i admire how free spirited he is, he is trying his utmost best to let go of the past and enjoy the present moment, he does not think or worry about the future so much and i think all of this is admirable in a way

JKJKJK, unle-

[deliriousmonk]

Note to self: never go to the thrift on a Friday evening.

[witekspicsbanknotes]

Commemorative circulating banknotes from St. Thomas & Principe.

[emiliemaria]

.

[pygmi-cygni]

Hewo pygmi🧡🌻

Idk if your requests are open or not. If not, please feel free to ignore this.

I'm in a reading slump, and I can't read anything😭I need Steven (or Jake since we know he loves romance books) to help me get back on reading again🥺

-Not Mani

yes my requests are open!! tysm mani ly

cw: fluff, bookshop au, fem reader, steven pov

Oh, he was down so bad. Even Marc knew about it, he'd done such a bad job of hiding it. Jake probably did too, but he had the dignity to shut his yap about it. Marc wasn't that nice.

Oh, gonna go see your little girlfriend? Gonna forget to log encyclopedias to watch her read all day? Huh? Dude, seriously, it's pathetic.

Steven, for the record, did not care what Marc thought. For maybe the first time in his life, actually.

It was very liberating.

And yes, he was going to forget about ninety percent of his duties to watch you flit around the bookshelves like a little fairy. Was he supposed to just ignore your effervescent presence? Nonsense. You were the highlight of his day.

Steven unlocked the little bookshop, whistling merrily and smiling at the few customers waiting outside. The homey smell of parchment and warm tea met him like a big hug. He could die a happy man in here.

The jingle of the bell overhead rang musically all day, children dashing in and out, young people perusing in little cliques. Elderly folk came to hem and haw about the stay of the shelves, which he sheepishly told them he'd fix (he wouldn't). Steven puttered around, shelving and marking and

oh!

Had he missed you walk in? He usually gave you a bright smile and a dashing wave, but apparently you'd snuck by. Steven paused his recording and raised his hand, but paused when you huffed frustratedly.

He didn't like seeing your lovely face all twisted up. Hopefully everything was alright. Steven hummed and returned to the shelf, momentarily forgetting what he was doing.

"Excuse me?"

He jumped. You were at his elbow, a thick volume in your hands. For a moment, he gaped, shocked you were even talking to him.

"Er, uh, sorry, what-" God, listen to you-

"Do you have the second novel to this series? I've been looking for ages and I can't find it," you asked politely, eyes sparkling up at him.

Keep it together, buddy.

Mentally smacking Marc, Steven smiled and nervously raked through his hair. "Uh, yeah, sure...follow me," he said with more confidence than he felt. You had some sort of perfume on that made his head feel light and glowy. It was a fantasy series, one of his favorites, and he tried not to take it as a good omen.

No more omens.

Steven went through the shelves with astonishing accuracy, mentally speeding through every single book in stock until-

"Here," he pulled the dusty tome off of the highest shelf and handed it over. You grinned, and his heart about exploded. Gushing thanks, you waved and continued your search, leaving Steven in a lovesick daze. He leaned against the bookshelves, heart racing and face stuck in a dopey smile.

One of the older women raised her eyebrow at him, chuckling. He blushed and returned to the register. You were waiting for him, peering at the trinkets he had on display.

When you caught sight of him, you began chatting amiably, explaining why this book was so important to you. The story went right over his head, but Steven was so excited to talk to you he didn't care. He rang up the book, nodding excitedly along as you gushed. By accident he stuck an extra bookmark in the pages, but you waved off his apology with a sweet smile.

"Bye, have a good-"

"Oh," you started, turning back around. "I noticed you've got lots of Egypt stuff in here. You like that sort of thing?"

His eyes almost bugged out of his head. "Er, yeah, I do, a lot, actually."

You beamed. "Cool! I've got a bunch of collector's books from my dad's study that he wants to donate, would you be interested?"

Marc sighed, shaking his head. Steven's grin almost broke his jaw in half. Yes, he would love that. He would love it even more if you'd go get lunch with him after and then never leave but a book meeting? He'd settle for that.

"Yeah, I'd l-love to," he said, eyes bright.

You fidgeted, cheeks reddening. "Um...do you maybe wanna get food? After?"

Steven blinked dumbly. Did- could you read minds? Was he hallucinating? Somehow - through Marc's immediate fronting and mediocre British accent - a 'yes' was delivered, and you gave him an address and a wink as you left.

Steven darted into the back room and grinned like a loon, willing his heart to stop pounding out of his chest. Marc watched with a little grin, rolling his eyes.

"That's how that happened?" You asked, propping your chin on his chest. Steven nodded, fingers dancing on your head.

"Yup," he popped the P, "good ol' Marc had to save my sorry arse after that one," he said sheepishly, cheeks pink.

"Well," you said with a smile, nestling closer and closing your eyes, "tell him thank you."

Marc gave an obnoxious fist pump and Steven rolled his eyes, pressing a kiss to your forehead. "It's gone to his head, now, see? You've completely ruined his ego."

"His accent needed work."

Ha. Marc frowned.

You grinned, tickling his side affectionately. Steven yelped, before returning the favor with a teasing growl. Darting up from the bed, you ran cackling through the tiny flat. The movie played quietly in the background as you danced around the apartment, laughing loudly and brightly. Steven amended his earlier statement. The bookshop, though his sanctuary, was not home.

This was home.

@krakenkitty @ominoose @bulletgoth @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @justsomeonecalledemma

@iolaussharpe-24 @rosegnome @twwcs @heeheehoohoofictimr @steven-grants-world

@ael-xander @to-be-a-sunshine @weasleyswizarding-wheezes @silvernight-m @lonelyisamyw-0love 

@unear7hly @purple-amaranthe

[disneytva]

Dynamite Comics Launches Kickstarter for GARGOYLES Classic Comics As Part Of The Show's 30th Anniversary.

Dynamite Comics and Disney Comics are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Gargoyles with the first-ever Kickstarter campaign featuring brand new graphic novels collecting long out-of-print Gargoyles comic books.

Dynamite Entertainment brought back Gargoyles as a comic series in 2022 to great acclaim. Now the publisher is crowdfunding a reprint of the classic comics based on the beloved animated series. To celebrate the 30th anniversary, Dynamite is excited to offer three beautiful tomes collecting all of these previous tales for fans. The set is initially being offered on Kickstarter to reach and communicate with diverse fans of all ages directly.

“I’m honestly thrilled that these three volumes will finally give Gargoyles fans easy access to these great stories, including the canon SLG tales!” said Weisman. “I think the Dynamite Kickstarter is a great way for Gargoyles fans to get the word out and to reserve their copies. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I hope our fans don’t miss out!”

The first volume is the hotly anticipated compilation of the first-ever Gargoyles comic series from 1995. This 11-issue title was originally released by Marvel Comics and is set loosely between the first two seasons of the original TV show. The memorable first issue featured a jaw-dropping cover by artist Joe Madureira, one of the biggest superstars of the era from his work on Uncanny X-Men. The series was written by Martin Pasko (Superman) and Mort Todd.

The second and third volumes of the Gargoyles Classic Years will be an incredible treat. From 2006 to 2009, a new Gargoyles comic series was launched from SLG Publishing in association with CreatureComics — the first written by Weisman. The main series, often referred to as “Clan Building,” was joined by a companion title, Bad Guys. Issues #9-12 of Gargoyles and #5-6 of Bad Guys did not see release and were only printed in paperback collections with small print runs. They were produced at a smaller digest size and have been incredibly expensive for years on the secondary market. 

The three-volume set is available in multiple variations for different kinds of fans and collectors. Each is available as either hardcover or paperback. Deluxe hardcover editions with signed tip-in pages are being offered. For the Gargoyles diehards, the most premium option will be the Gargoyles 30th Anniversary Premier Editions limited to just 1,000 copies each!

In addition to the books at the center of this celebration, the campaign will offer several add-ons for backers, including lithograph prints of Jae Lee and Amanda Conner’s covers for Dynamite’s Gargoyles #1. The most premium art piece anyone can get will be a deluxe signed and remarqued giclée print of Lee’s Gargoyles art.

In addition to the reprint of the full series, fans can get special facsimile editions of the very first issue with gold or purple foil stamping. Sketch cover options are also available, as well as commissioned original art from Lee. Plus, collector packs of variant cover sets or premium limited editions and metal covers for Dynamite’s series can be added.

[avocado-writing]

What places in the city do you think Astarion would want to show you or take you to? Thinking about the city and its undiscovered streets/shops/places as I was gazing out over Baldur's Gate from Ramazith's tower. Would he sit on the edge of the balcony and tell you things about the city or his experiences?

oooo, what a question...

if there's a chance his favourite tea shop from when he was alive is still there (possible, if its owners were elvish) he takes you for a cup of assam and a slice of cake. he watches you enjoy your food and talks to you about when he used to come here, how things have changed, what he recalls of the original decor.

later, he probably knows the hole-in-the-wall places and little-known bars which serve the best drinks. the fine vintages which they aren't really meant to have their hands on, but somehow they find their way to the owners anyway. he buys you a couple of glasses and watches you light up in pleasure at the taste. he was a wine snob in life, he knows what the best bottle is.

when he was stalking around as a spawn, he saw so many tailors he wanted to go and visit. now he finally has a chance! the two of you buy whole new wardrobes, spending a long afternoon getting measured and discussing fabric together. you are the best-dressed couple in Baldur's Gate.

takes you to his favourite bookshop. yes, he has one. it sells old tomes at far too high a price, but they're all first editions and collector's items. he tells you not to let Gale know about this place, because he thinks it's funny to keep it a secret. you pretend to tell him off but agree to keep this only between the two of you.

he knows the best spot to watch the sun set over the water, see the way the orange light dances across the waves. he's too busy to enjoy it himself, though, because he can't stop staring at you.

doesn't tell Rolan he's taking you up to the top of Ramazith's Tower (that little tiefling can't stop him anyway, and it's better to ask forgiveness than permission). the two of you sit, sharing a bottle you bought earlier, looking out across the whole of the city. he tells you of his life two hundred years ago here, what's changed, what's not. how he's so much more glad to be experiencing all this with you this time. you're a new light in his life.

he kisses you, lays you down on the balcony, and makes love to you over the top of the city in the sweet summer air. a celebration of your new life together here. with you, his future is bright for the first time.

bonus: rolan finds you embraced together the next morning and is apoplectic. the two of you have to run away, half-dressing yourselves and giggling as you go.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Monsterhunt: Lixivioth, that which Bleeds from Beyond

Artsource

It starts as a ripple in the air, a churning beneath the skin of reality, then a silvery limb breaks the boundary before melting back into unexistance. Like a drowning soul thrashing in the sea, a body breaches the 'surface' full of a wild and desperate impulse to survive, a willingness to drag anything down if it meant keeping their head above water a little longer.

This is Lixivioth, a celestial who's time in the outer void has so deeply warped it that nothing remains but a cataclysmic desire to return no matter the cost. Once an explorer and collector of knowledge, Lixivioth's curiosity tragically drew it not just to the unknown but past the boundary of what could be known, beyond which laid nothing but dissolution.

Adventure Hooks:

Seeking forbidden knowledge, a devotee of Vecna has summoned and bound Lixivioth to a magic mirror, tormenting the spirit with glimpses of a reality it cannot touch. While infiltrating the villain's lair, the party come across the mirror and have the opportunity to ask it questions that might give them an edge against their foe. There is a magical procedure they must follow though, as every question that does not ascribe to the proper magical formalities puts a hairline crack in the glass, weakening the celestial bindings and giving it a chance to break free.

Days before needing to perform an important spell for the safety/prosperity of the realm, a great wizard was found dead in his study bleeding mercury form every hole in his skull, a tome of celestial learning in his hands. His body cannot be moved and the flow has yet to cease, slowly flooding his tower as his apprentices (and local authorities) scramble for answers. Lixivioth is using the wizard's body and magic to manifest in the material plane, and by the time the party are called to help it will be a matter of hours before the eldritch angel crawls it's way up his throat. To win the day they'll need to piece together the components of a binding spell from the mage's libraries while fending off quicksilver elementals and the tower's malfunctioning defences.

Beyond the borders of the party's homeland, an order of elven oracles were once rumored to seek wisdom of the distant future and past in the ripples of a silver spring, at least until a marauding band of centaurs overran their glade acting on their mystic's visions. Generations of ensuing seers, all mad as haters through imbibing magical mercury, have led the herd to become stronger and more violent all while unwittingly doing Lixivioth's bidding. A renegade has broken free, seeking aid from the people her herd has spent lifetimes raiding in the hopes of stopping an upcoming ritual.

[ironladle]

Tarot Card Legacy Challenge

Generation 1: The Fool

Pack Focus: High School Years, For Rent

Goals: 

Active, Outgoing, Adventurous

Master the Fitness skill to Level 10  by participating in school sports 

Complete the "Outdoor Enthusiast" or “Body Builder” aspiration, going on outdoor adventures with friends and exploring hidden spots in the neighborhood.

Collect all types of fish and insects in the neighborhood as a beginner angler and bug collector.

Achieve 10 charisma skill by making friends and socializing at school events and parties.

Gather collectibles like feathers and crystals by exploring secret areas around the neighborhood and completing after-school activities.

Romance: The Fool finds romance during high school, developing a crush on their lab partner or a fellow athlete. They navigate their first love through shy glances, secret notes, and stolen moments in between classes.

Generation 2: The Empress

Pack Focus: Dream Home Decorator, Growing Together

Goals:

Green Fiend, Family-oriented, Nature Lover

Master the Gardening skill to Level 10 by tending to the school garden and helping out,and personal garden

Complete the "Freelance Botanist" or “Super Parent” aspiration, selling home-grown produce and flowers 

Achieve Level 10 in the Parenting skill by babysitting younger siblings or volunteering

Collect all types of flowers and produce to create beautiful floral arrangements and healthy meals for the family.

Participate in neighborhood gardening competitions, showcasing the family's garden and winning prizes for their beautiful blooms.

Romance: The Empress meets their significant other at a community gardening event or through mutual friends. Their romance blossoms over shared interests in nature and sustainability, with romantic picnics in the park and stargazing under the moonlight.

Generation 3: The Emperor

Pack Focus: For Rent, Home Chef Hustle Stuff

Goals:

Handy, Ambitious,Outdoorsy

Master the Handiness skill to Level 10 by fixing up the family's rented home and helping neighbors with household repairs.

Complete the "Outdoor Enthusiast" or” Master Chef” aspiration, going on camping trips with friends and mastering the art of outdoor cooking.

Achieve Level 10 in the Logic skill 

Collect all types of fossils and crystals during outdoor adventures and neighborhood exploration.

Establish a successful food business, selling handcrafted meals made with locally sourced ingredients.

Romance: The Emperor finds love at a neighborhood block party or while volunteering at the local soup kitchen. Their relationship flourishes over shared meals and cozy nights in, with romantic dinners cooked together in their food truck.

Generation 4: The High Priestess

Pack Focus: Crystal Creations Stuff, Realm of Magic

Goals:

Bookworm, Paranoid, Creative

Master the Spellcasting skill and unlock all spells by studying ancient tomes and practicing magic rituals.

Complete the "Spellcraft & Sorcery" or “ Archaeology Scholar” aspiration, delving deeper into the mysteries of magic and mastering potion-making.

Achieve Level 10 in the Logic skill by experimenting with magical elements and researching arcane phenomena.

Collect all magical artifacts and tomes by exploring hidden caves and participating in magical duels.

Explore all hidden areas in Glimmerbrook and Forgotten Hollow to uncover ancient secrets and mystical creatures.

Romance: The High Priestess meets their soulmate at a magical gathering or during a séance. Their bond deepens through shared experiences in the magical realm, with romantic moonlit rituals and enchanted picnics in enchanted forests.

Generation 5: The Lovers

Pack Focus: My Wedding Stories, Get Together

Goals:

Romantic, Outgoing, Charismatic

Master the Acting skill to Level 10 by participating in school theater productions and joining drama clubs.

Complete the "World-Famous Celebrity" or “ Soulmate” aspiration, climbing the ranks of fame and hosting extravagant parties.

Achieve Level 10 in the Charisma skill by networking at social events and building a large circle of friends.

Collect all celebrity memorabilia and awards by attending exclusive parties 

Host extravagant parties and events in luxury penthouses, showcasing the glamorous lifestyle of the rich and famous.

Romance: The Lovers meet at a high-profile gala or VIP event, instantly drawn to each other's charisma and charm. Their love story unfolds amidst the glittering lights of the city, with romantic rooftop dinners and spontaneous adventures in the nightlife scene.

Generation 6: The Chariot

Pack Focus: Horse Ranch, Werewolves

Animal Lover, Adventurous, Independent

Goals:

Master the Robotics skill and build advanced robots to assist with farm chores and household tasks.

Complete the "Renaissance Sim" or “Championship Rider”  aspiration, excelling in multiple fields of study and expertise, including horse riding and animal training.

Achieve Level 10 in the Handiness skill by repairing farm equipment and maintaining the family's homestead.

Collect all elements and crystals to craft potent potions and futuristic inventions for the family ranch.

Travel to all vacation worlds and explore cultural landmarks and local traditions, incorporating new techniques into the family's farming practices.

Romance: The Chariot finds love in the countryside, meeting their partner at a local rodeo or equestrian event. Their romance flourishes over horseback rides through scenic trails and cozy nights by the fireplace.

Generation 7: Strength

Pack Focus: Cats & Dogs, Seasons

Animal Lover, Family-oriented, Athletic

Goals:

Master the Veterinary skill to Level 10 by opening a veterinary clinic and caring for pets and wildlife in the community.

Complete the "Animal Enthusiast" or “Friend of the Animals” aspiration, fostering strong bonds with animals and participating in pet competitions.

Achieve Level 10 in the Wellness skill by practicing yoga and promoting physical and emotional well-being for Sims and animals alike.

Collect all types of feathers and notes in a bottle, to create unique crafts and decorations for the family's pet-friendly home.

Participate in seasonal festivals and competitions

Romance: Strength meets their partner at a local animal shelter or while walking their pets in the park. Their love grows through shared adventures with their furry companions, with romantic picnics and sunset walks along the beach.

Generation 8: The Hermit

Pack Focus: For Rent, StrangerVille

Paranoid, Bookworm, Loner

Goals:

Master the Herbalism skill to Level 10 by foraging for rare plants and brewing potent potions to unravel the mysteries of StrangerVille.

Complete the "Paranormal Investigator" or “Strangerville Mystery”  aspiration, investigating strange occurrences and uncovering hidden truths in the mysterious town.

Achieve Level 10 in the Logic skill by analyzing evidence and conducting experiments to solve the town's supernatural mysteries.

Collect all types of artifacts and relics by exploring secret labs and hidden caves, documenting strange occurrences and encounters.

Investigate secret conspiracies and alien encounters, uncovering the truth behind the town's strange phenomena.

Romance: The Hermit finds love amidst the mysteries of StrangerVille, meeting their partner while investigating paranormal activity or sharing theories at the local diner. Their romance deepens as they work together to uncover the town's secrets, with late-night stakeouts and passionate debates over conspiracy theories.

Generation 9: The Wheel of Fortune

Pack Focus: My Wedding Stories, For Rent

Party Animal, Outgoing, Ambitious

Goals:

Master the DJ Mixing skill and become a renowned DJ by hosting epic parties and events in the community.

Complete the "Party Animal" or “Fabulously Wealthy” aspiration, mastering the art of socializing and bringing people together through music and entertainment.

Achieve Level 10 in the Cooking skill by experimenting with new recipes and hosting seasonal feasts and gatherings.

Collect all types of rare and exotic fruits and vegetables to create signature dishes and cocktails for their events.

Participate in seasonal festivals and competitions, winning prizes and earning recognition for their contributions to community spirit and celebration.

Romance: The Wheel of Fortune finds love on the dance floor, meeting their partner at a lively nightclub or music festival. Their romance ignites through shared passion for music and nightlife, with spontaneous dance-offs and intimate moments under the stars.

Generation 10: The Star

Pack Focus: Get Famous, Dream Home Decorator

Goals:

Charismatic,Ambitious, High- Maintenance 

Rise to stardom as a celebrity in the entertainment industry, pursuing careers in acting, music, or comedy, and gaining fame and recognition.

Develop culinary skills to create stunning dishes and desserts, showcasing talents through cooking shows or hosting celebrity dinner parties.

Utilize interior design expertise to decorate lavish homes and venues for celebrity clients, earning acclaim for their exquisite taste.

Master the photography skill to capture glamorous moments on red carpets, at exclusive events, and during intimate gatherings.

Utilize gaming expertise to engage with fans through live streams and gaming events, building a dedicated online following fascinated by their celebrity lifestyle.

Romance: The Star finds love amidst the glitz and glamour of celebrity life, meeting their partner at industry events, through mutual connections, or even on the set of a blockbuster film. Their romance plays out in the public eye, with paparazzi capturing their every move and fans speculating about their relationship. Despite the challenges of fame, their love remains strong, and they ultimately tie the knot in a star-studded ceremony, attended by fellow celebrities and broadcasted to millions of viewers worldwide.

Complete World-Famous Celebrity or Master Actor/Master Actress aspiration

-Slay, I will be fixing this challenge little by little.

#TS4TarotLegacy

[coochiequeens]

‘100% feminist’: how Eleanor Rathbone invented child benefit – and changed women’s lives for ever

She was an MP and author with a formidable reputation, fighting for the rights of women and refugees, and opposing the appeasement of Hitler. Why isn’t she better known today?

Ladies please reblog to give her the recognition she deserves

By Susanna Rustin Thu 4 Jul 2024

My used copy of the first edition of The Disinherited Family arrives in the post from a secondhand bookseller in Lancashire. A dark blue hardback inscribed with the name of its first owner, Miss M Marshall, and the year of publication, 1924, it cost just £12.99. I am not a collector of old tomes but am thrilled to have this one. It has a case to be considered among the most important feminist economics books ever written.

Its centenary has so far received little, if any, attention. Yet the arguments it sets out are the reason nearly all mothers in the UK receive child benefit from the government. Its author, Eleanor Rathbone, was one of the most influential women in politics in the first half of the 20th century. She led the National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship (Nusec, the main suffragist organisation, also formerly known as the National Union of Women Suffrage Societies) from 1919, when Millicent Fawcett stood down, until the roughly five million women who were not enfranchised in 1918 gained the vote 10 years later. In 1929, aged 57, she became an MP, and remained in parliament until her death in 1946. While there, she built up a formidable reputation based on her advocacy for women’s rights, welfare reform and the rights of refugees, and her opposition to the appeasement of Hitler.

It would not be true to say that Eleanor Rathbone has been forgotten. Her portrait by James Gunn hangs in the National Portrait Gallery. Twenty years ago she was the subject of a fine biography and she is remembered at Somerville college, Oxford – where she studied in the 1890s and ran a society called the Associated Prigs. (While the name was a joke, Rathbone did have a priggish side – as well as being an original thinker, tremendous campaigner, and stubborn, sensitive personality.) She also features in Rachel Reeves’s book The Women Who Made Modern Economics, although Reeves – who hopes shortly to become the UK’s first female chancellor – pays more attention to her contemporary, Beatrice Webb.

A thrilling tome … The Disinherited Family by Eleanor Rathbone. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian

But Rathbone, who came from a wealthy dynasty of nonconformist merchants, does not have anything like the name-recognition of the Pankhursts or Millicent Fawcett, or of pioneering politicians including Nancy Astor and Ellen Wilkinson. Nor does she enjoy the cachet of writers such as Virginia Woolf, whose polemic about women’s opportunities, A Room of One’s Own, was published five years after Rathbone’s magnum opus.

There are many reasons for Rathbone’s relative obscurity. One is that she was the first woman elected to parliament as an independent (and one of a handful of men at the time). Thus there is no political party with an interest in turning her into an icon. Having spent the past three years writing a book about the British women’s movement, I am embarrassed to admit that when I started, I didn’t know who she was.

Rathbone was not the first person to propose state benefits paid to mothers. The endowment of motherhood or family allowances, as the policy was known, was written about by the Swedish feminist Ellen Key, and tried out as a project of the Fabian Women’s Group, who published their findings in a pamphlet in 1912. But Rathbone pushed the idea to the forefront. A first attempt to get Nusec to adopt it was knocked back in 1921, and she then spent three years conducting research. The title she gave the book she produced, The Disinherited Family, reflected her view that women and children were being deprived of their rightful share of the country’s wealth.

The problem, as she saw it, was one of distribution. While the wage system in industrialised countries treated all workers on a given pay grade the same, some households needed more money than others. While unions argued for higher wages across the board, Rathbone believed the state should supplement the incomes of larger families. She opened the book with an archly phrased rhetorical question: “Whether there is any subject in the world of equal importance that has received so little consideration as the economic status of the family?” She went on to accuse economists of behaving as if they were “self-propagating bachelors” – so little did the lives of mothers appear to interest them.

Rathbone’s twin aims were to end wives’ dependence on husbands and reward their domestic labour. Family allowances paid directly to them could either be spent on housekeeping or childcare, enabling them to go out to work. Ellen Wilkinson, the radical Labour MP for Middlesbrough (and future minister for education), was among early supporters. William Beveridge read the book when he was director of the London School of Economics, declared himself a convert and introduced one of the first schemes of family-linked payments for his staff.

But others were strongly opposed. Conservative objections to such a radical expansion of the state were predictable. But they were echoed by liberal feminists including Millicent Fawcett, who called the plan “a step in the direction of practical socialism”. Trade unions preferred to push for a living wage, while some male MPs thought the policy undermined the role of men as breadwinners. Labour and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) finally swung behind family allowances in 1942. As the war drew to a close, Rathbone led a backbench rebellion against ministers who wanted to pay the benefit to fathers instead.

Rathbone celebrates the Silver Jubilee of the Women’s Vote in London, 20 February 1943. Photograph: Picture Post/Getty Images

It is for this signature policy that she is most often remembered today. At a time when hundreds of thousands of children have been pushed into poverty by the two-child limit on benefit payments, Rathbone’s advocacy on behalf of larger families could hardly be more relevant. The limit, devised by George Osborne, applies to universal and child tax credits – and not child benefit itself. But Rishi Sunak’s government announced changes to the latter in this year’s budget. From 2026, eligibility will be assessed on a household rather than individual basis. This is intended to limit payments to better-off, dual-income families. But the UK Women’s Budget Group and others have objected on grounds that child benefit should retain its original purpose of directly remunerating primary carers (the vast majority of them mothers) for the work of rearing children. It remains to be seen whether this plan will be carried through by the next government.

Rathbone once told the House of Commons she was “100% feminist”, and few MPs have been as single-minded in their commitment to women’s causes. As president of Nusec (the law-abiding wing of the suffrage campaign), she played a vital role in finishing the job of winning votes for women.

The last few years have seen a resurgence of interest in women’s suffrage, partly due to the centenary of the first women’s suffrage act. Thanks to a brilliant campaign by Caroline Criado Perez, a statue of Millicent Fawcett, the nonmilitant suffragist leader, now stands in Westminster, a few minutes walk from the bronze memorial of Emmeline Pankhurst erected in 1930. Suffragette direct action has long been a source of fascination. What is less well known is that militants played little part in the movement after 1918. It was law-abiding constitutionalists – suffragists rather than suffragettes – who pushed through the 1920s to win votes for the younger and poorer women who did not yet have them. Rathbone helped lead this final phase of the campaign, along with Conservative MP Nancy Astor and others.

Rathbone was highly critical of the militants, and once claimed that they “came within an inch of wrecking the suffrage movement, perhaps for a generation”. Today, with climate groups including Just Stop Oil copying the suffragette tactic of vandalising paintings, it is worth remembering that many women’s suffrage campaigners opposed such methods.

Schismatic though it was, the suffrage movement at least had a shared goal. An even greater challenge for feminists in the 1920s was agreeing on future priorities. Equal pay, parental rights and an end to the sexual double standard were among demands that had broad support. After the arrival in the House of Commons of the first female MPs, legislative successes included the removal of the bar on women’s entry to the professions, new rights for mothers and widows’ pensions. But there were also fierce disagreements.

Tensions between class and sexual politics were longstanding, with some on the left regarding feminism as a distraction. The Labour MP Marion Phillips, for example, thought membership of single-sex groups placed women “in danger of getting their political opinions muddled”. There was also renewed conflict over protective legislation – the name given to employment laws that differentiated between men and women. While such measures included maternity leave and safety rules for pregnant women, many feminists believed their true purpose was to keep jobs for men – and prevent female workers from competing.

Underlying such arguments was the question of whether women, once enfranchised, should strive for equal treatment, or push for measures designed to address their specific needs. As the debate grew more heated, partisans on either side gave themselves the labels of “old” and “new” feminists. While the former, also called equalitarians, wanted to focus on the obstacles that prevented women from participating in public life on the same terms as men, the new feminists led by Rathbone sought to pioneer an innovative, woman-centred politics. Since this brought to the fore issues such as reproductive health and mothers’ poverty, it is known as “maternalist feminism”.

Rathbone and other Liverpool suffragettes campaigning in 1910. Photograph: Shawshots/Alamy

The faultline extended beyond Britain. But Rathbone and her foes had some of the angriest clashes. At one international convention, Lady Rhondda, a wealthy former suffragette, used a speech to deride rivals who chose to “putter away” at welfare work, instead of the issues she considered important.

The specific policy points at issue have, of course, changed over the past century. But arguments about how much emphasis feminists should place on biological differences between men and women carry on.

Eleanor Rathbone did not live long enough to see the welfare state, including child benefit paid to mothers, take root in postwar Britain. Her election to parliament coincided with the Depression, and the lengthening shadows of fascism and nazism meant that she, like her colleagues, became preoccupied with foreign affairs. In the general election of 1935, the number of female MPs fell from 15 to nine, meaning Rathbone’s was one of just a handful of women’s voices. She used hers to oppose the policy of appeasement, and support the rights of refugees, including those escaping Franco’s Spain. During the war she helped run an extra-parliamentary “woman-power committee”, which advocated for female workers.

She also became a supporter of Indian women’s rights, though her liberal imperialism led to tensions with Indian feminists. During the war she angered India’s most eminent writer, Rabindranath Tagore, and its future prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, when she attacked the Congress party’s policy of noncooperation with Britain’s war effort. Tagore criticised what he called the “sheer insolent self-complacency” of her demand that the anti-colonial struggle should be set aside while Britain fought Germany.

Rathbone turned down a damehood. After their first shared house in Westminster was bombed, she and her life partner, the Scottish social worker Elizabeth Macadam, moved around the corner to a flat on Tufton Street (Macadam destroyed their letters, meaning that Rathbone’s intimate life remains obscure, but historians believe the relationship was platonic). From there they moved to a larger, quieter house in Highgate. On 2 January 1946, Rathbone suddenly died.

Rathbone’s blue plaque at Tufton Court. Photograph: PjrPlaques/Alamy

A blue plaque on Tufton Street commemorates her as the “pioneer of family allowances” – providing an alternative claim on posterity for an address more commonly associated with the Brexit campaign, since a house a few doors down became its headquarters. She is remembered, too, in Liverpool, where her experience of dispersing welfare to desperately poor soldiers’ wives in the first world war changed the course of her life, and where one of her former homes is being restored by the university.

I don’t believe in ghosts. But walking in Westminster recently, I imagined her hastening across St James’s Park to one of her meetings at Nancy Astor’s house near the London Library. Today, suffragettes are celebrated for their innovative direct action. But Rathbone blazed a trail, too, with her dedication as a campaigner, writer, lobbyist and “100% feminist” parliamentarian.

 Sexed: A History of British Feminism by Susanna Rustin is published by Polity Press (£20). To support the Guardian order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply

[cuubism]

I’m BEGGING for more “retired!Dream opens up a weird magic fey bookshop” au. Its so intriguing!

you are in luck. i wrote more

--

"So," Hob says, leaning in the doorway of Dream's study-of-sorts, "much as I love the recommendations, do you mind if I browse?"

He's taken, recently, to meeting Dream on the upper floor of the shop, bringing coffee and watching Dream label and sort his new books in incomprehensible categories. He usually gets some interesting book facts out of it, too, or strange little stories -- "this book washed up on the Sardinian shore some years ago", "this was signed by a long-dead author, I've been curious to see how long it will take for a collector to find it," "an old man bestowed this upon me on the eve of his death, it's the only copy in existence" and so on -- not to mention the pleasure of Dream's company. He is so odd, and so engaging.

Dream looks up at him now with a tiny smile that crinkles the corner of his eyes. "Of course. Find whatever you wish."

Hob has been wondering if Dream's serendipitous knack with books will extend to browsing, to random finds. Only one way to know.

He leaves Dream to his labeling and goes to wander the shop.

This time, he does get swallowed in Oneiromancy, where he finds Sleeping Worlds, a book about dream travel. Then he wanders deeper into the shop, passes categories like, "Cat Training," CLOCKS, "Mathematics: Easy -> Impossible", and, "♾". Of course he goes into Infinity, and picks up The Birth of Numbers, a book whose text starts in the center of the page and spirals outwards, font growing larger as the book goes on, and in another section called "Romance: DIFFICULT LEVEL" -- whatever the hell difficult means -- he picks up a tiny book that's just one line, one syllable on each page.

I

on

ly

want

ed

you

to

see.

God, Dream's shop is weird.

Dream finds him there some time later, deep in Sleeping Worlds. "I see you've had a productive day."

"Yeah, sorry, lost track of time."

Dream keeps looking at him with a little smirk.

Worry darts through Hob's stomach. "Wait, what time is it?"

"Midnight," says Dream, with satisfaction. "I've absorbed you."

Yeah, no kidding. Hob scrambles to his feet. "Jesus, Dream, sorry. I'll get out of your hair."

"No matter. This is what The Library is for."

Hob goes to hand him the books, and he waves a hand. "Keep them, I will get them back eventually."

Ominous. Great.

"Gonna break into my house and retrieve them?" Hob asks. He probably wouldn't even mind, to be honest.

"Nothing so alarming." He gestures Hob forward, and Hob follows, lets Dream walk him out.

It is, indeed, pitch dark outside on their shared street. Hob's supposed to open the cafe at 6. Whoops.

"Thanks for the books, Dream," he says. "And for. Ten hours of distraction, apparently."

Dream leans in the narrow doorway of his shop. "Of course. Come browse... anytime."

And he melts back into the shadows as Hob steps down onto the street.

--

Hob wonders if he's an idiot for wanting to ask Dream out. Dream is clearly some kind of other thing, and hanging around him did kind of get Hob cursed. But the way he bites his lip when he's making notes in books is so cute. His unerring ability to make perfect book selections is both strange and endearing -- even the books Hob had picked up on his own had been exactly what he hadn't known he was looking for. Hob's heart picks up every time he steps into the cafe.

But if he's to ask out Dream, his own personal weird bookshop creature, he has to do it right.

And he knows how.

The next time Dream comes in for coffee, Hob sits down across from him and hands him a book. Dream looks at it in surprise, and Hob has the sudden thought that as the all-powerful selector of tomes, he probably isn't gifted books himself.

The book is called, Broken Hands. Hob had pulled it off his own shelf. Dream doesn't ask him what it is, instead he flips open the cover and reads, as Hob had hoped he would.

The first page of Broken Hands has the following paragraph:

Kissing her hand, he came to know himself. Kissing her mouth, he came to know them both. When they went onward, for now only in his mind, he kissed more of her, and more, and more, and then, he knew her. He wanted to know her.

Dream reads it, and looks back up at him. Offers a tiny smile. Yes, Hob knew he would get it.

"You have something you would like to ask me, Hob Gadling?" he says softly.

"You have something you want to answer?"

Dream takes a long sip of his coffee, but looks at Hob over the rim of the mug, a smile in his eyes. Then he swipes away the milk foam from his upper lip with his tongue and says, "I'd say that you are very foolish, to still wish to associate with someone who did, in a sense, get you cursed. But that I find myself grateful for this foolishness. People do often come back to the library, once they find it-- but they don't often come back for me."

It makes Hob sad to imagine--Dream the perennial custodian of The Library, shepherd of its patrons, gifting small touches of coincidence and magic, but always in the background, a bridge and not a destination. Meanwhile, Hob likes the strange books, but it's Dream he keeps wanting to hover around, to lure back into his own space.

He dares to take Dream's hand and squeezes. "...So?"

"I'd say that I'd like to get coffee with you, if you know a place."

Cheeky thing. "Yeah, there's a Starbucks a couple blocks down," Hob says, gesturing, and Dream chuckles. Hob's still holding his hand, and brings it to his lips for a light kiss, and gets to watch as Dream's cheeks tint pink. His heart lifts in his chest. So easy and light.

"You're gorgeous," he says, and that blush deepens. "I'd suffer even Starbucks for you."

"You would suffer much, then," says Dream.

"We'll get our Starbucks and wander around WHSmith and have a fabulous date," Hob says, and Dream's face goes through the most exquisite journey of horror.

"You demand too much," he says, faint. "You enjoy my suffering."

"Little bit, yeah." Hob's certainly enjoying the reaction.

Then Dream looks at him in challenge. "Very well," he declares. "You've set the date. Now you must follow through."

Hob can't even spare a thought to the distasteful activities he's now gotten himself into--he has a date with Dream. "So that's a yes?"

Dream smiles again, a tiny, pleased thing. "It is a yes, Hob Gadling."

--

They do go to Starbucks. Hob is treated to the glorious sight of Dream sipping a pink drink out of a long straw, which is so worth dealing with the coffee. Then he indeed drags Dream to WHSmith, where Dream stands in the middle of the brightly-lit store, spins in a circle staring at carefully lined book displays with wide eyes, says, "Hell would be more merciful," and bolts away. Hob follows him, laughing.

Outside, he finds Dream leaning in the shade of a tree, looking vaguely shell-shocked. Hob really shouldn't keep laughing at him, but he can't help it. "Were you traumatized permanently by the big chain store?"

"Yes," says Dream, but, despite the perilous adventure, smiles. "You are a cruel man, Hob Gadling."

"Nah. Just harnessed the fluorescent lighting to chase you back into the safety of my arms."

"Oh?" Dream pushes off the tree and steps closer, until he's standing just before Hob, close enough to touch. "Was that the goal?"

Hob takes the leap that's offered and touches Dream's cheek with a light hand. "Did it work?"

This close, in the midday light, Dream's eyes are almost grey. The shade of the tree dapples his skin. It's still odd to see him out of the contained space of his bookshop, of Hob's cafe, but it does make this feel more real. A part of the world beyond the spun-sugar story of their orbiting binary stars.

Dream rests a feather light hand on Hob's chest. Studies Hob from under his eyelashes. And instead of answering, he leans up and, with that same light touch, presses his lips to Hob's.

Hob revels in the mere touch of him for a moment, but doesn't let it stand at light for long. He takes Dream's face between his hands and deepens the kiss, sweeping his tongue into Dream's mouth, swallowing Dream's hum of pleasure. If only he could put into the kiss what he had felt when Dream had handed him Nightingales. A sudden finding of something long lost that was always meant to be rooted in his heart.

When they part, he makes good on a promise and does pull Dream into his arms. It feels like a great indulgence. It also feels right.

"Make me a solemn promise, Hob Gadling," Dream says against Hob's cheek, arms wrapped around his back.

"Anything."

"Never take me here ever again."

Hob laughs into his hair, squeezing him tight. "What could one possibly want from here when The Library exists?"

This seems to greatly gratify Dream, who preens in Hob's arms. Hob kisses the shell of his ear, then his cheek, then they part again, and he takes Dream's hand. "I'm glad you expanded your horizons with me for a day."

"And now I will shrink them again," says Dream. "Except for one." To which he runs his thumb along Hob's lower lip, a touch Hob sways forward to follow almost drunkenly as Dream smirks. "Come."

He starts leading Hob back in the direction of their quiet street, and far far away from any fluorescent lighting, and Hob follows, touching his lips fondly. And lets himself be cautiously, tentatively hopeful that this will continue spiraling up into something real, because he wants it so bad. Curses and all.

[dewdropdinosaur]

Screen Time is Bad for Your Brain

VOX x READER(PLATONIC) Summary: Vox is desperate for information about Alastor and is running out of options. So he turns to the only person in Hell who might know and that comes with...costs Warnings: NONE For the lovely @gerascophobicmuch (sorry if the username is wrong) REQUESTS OPEN!

In the depths of the underworld, where chaos reigns and power is both coveted and fleeting, there existed a peculiar alliance - or perhaps more aptly, a rivalry - between two formidable figures: Vox, the technological tyrant of the Hellish airwaves, and Y/N, the enigmatic overseer of a secrets nestled in the murky heart of a bog-like district.

Vox, with his penchant for the latest in infernal technology, ruled over his domain with a metallic fist. His domain buzzed with neon lights and the constant hum of screens displaying his broadcasts to the denizens of Hell. He craved information, but not just any information - he craved the instantaneous, the digital, the easily manipulable. It best served his purposes after all.

On the other hand, Y/N was a creature of subtlety and cunning. Their library, hidden within the shadows of the swamp, was a sanctuary of ancient tomes and whispered secrets. Y/N was the keeper of these mysteries, a being who danced on the fine line between chaos and neutrality. They dealt in information, but unlike Vox, their methods were more traditional - ink on parchment, whispered rumors, and clandestine meetings. It had been their trade since before their death.

Their paths collided not out of coincidence, but out of the inherent nature of their roles as overlords of their respective domains. Vox, always hungry for fresh knowledge to manipulate, sought to tap into the vast reserves of secrets hidden within Y/N's library. Meanwhile, Y/N, ever the collector of stories and knowledge, found Vox's reliance on technology distasteful and saw him as a threat to the delicate balance they maintained.

Their relationship was defined by a delicate dance of banter and manipulation. Vox would send his lackeys to negotiate access to Y/N's collection, offering promises of power and influence. Yet Y/N was not easily swayed. They would meet Vox's advances with a sharp wit and a cunning smile, always keeping their true intentions veiled behind a facade of somewhat passive aggressive friendliness. Distasting Y/N’s adept parries to his lackeys, Vox decided to take matters into his own metal hands. He always did a better job anyway. The neon-lit confines of Vox's domain buzzed with a frenetic energy as he paced back and forth, his metallic shoes tapping impatiently against the polished floor. He needed information - crucial, damning information that could shift the balance of power in Hell between himself and Alastor. But try as he might, his usual sources had come up empty-handed, leaving him with only one option: Y/N and their infernal library of stolen secrets.

With a begrudging sigh, Vox clenched his fists, steeling himself for what he knew would be a less-than-pleasant encounter. He despised the idea of relying on Y/N, of stooping to such lows to get what he wanted. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and Vox had never been one to shy away from doing what was necessary to achieve his goals.

Summoning all of his resolve, Vox made his way through the winding corridors of Hell, his mind racing with thoughts of the bargain he would have to strike with Y/N. He hated the idea of relinquishing one of his precious secrets, of allowing someone else to hold power over him. But he knew that in the cutthroat world of Hell, sometimes sacrifices had to be made.

Vox's form flickered into existence within the dimly lit confines of Y/N's library, the faint glow of his neon visage casting eerie shadows on the ancient tomes that lined the shelves. Vox sauntered into the swamp surrounded library, the glow of his blue neon accents casting an otherworldly sheen. The library was a broken down building, made of marble and accentuated with embellish statues and markers long dirtied by th terrain.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Vox purred, his mechanical voice tinged with a hint of amusement. "The elusive Y/N, surrounded by dusty old books. Don't you ever get tired of living in the past?"

Y/N glanced up from their desk, the candlelight barely illuminating their haunting figure. Dressed in a 1940s beige dress, they looked right out of the Shining in the boggy domain. A sly smile playing across their lips. "Ah, Vox. Tell me, do your screens ever whisper secrets to you like these pages do to me?"

Vox chuckled, the sound reverberating through the library like distant thunder. "Oh, they do more than whisper, my dear Y/N. They shout, they scream, they broadcast the truth to all who would listen."

"But do they tell the whole truth, or just the truth you want them to tell?" Y/N retorted, arching an eyebrow.

Vox's grin widened, the flicker of his holographic eyes betraying a hint of mischief. "Why settle for the whole truth when you can have the version that suits your narrative best?"

Y/N chuckled, shaking their head. "Ah, Vox, always the pragmatist. But remember, there's more to power than what can be displayed on a screen."

"Indeed," Vox replied, his tone tinged with mock sincerity. "There's also the power of a well-placed secret, wouldn't you agree?"

Y/N's mouth twitched in amusement. He was sucking up…he wanted something. "Ah, but secrets have a funny way of finding their way into the light, don't they? And when they do, it's always fascinating to see who's left standing in the aftermath."

Vox chuckled, the sound reverberating through the chamber. "Oh, I appreciate secrets, my dear Y/N, just in a more... efficient manner. Why waste time leafing through dusty old books when I can access the information I seek with a simple click of a button?"

"Efficiency is overrated," Y/N retorted, waving their hand dismissively. "There's something to be said for the thrill of the chase, don't you think? Besides, not everything worth knowing can be found in your precious digital archives."

Vox raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite himself. "Oh? And what, pray tell, do you have that I couldn't possibly find in my vast network of data?"

Y/N's smirk widened into a knowing grin. "Ah, but that's the beauty of it, isn't it? Some secrets are meant to be kept hidden, known only to those who are clever enough to uncover them. And trust me, Vox, you'll never find them in your cold, sterile world of technology."

Vox chuckled, the sound echoing through the chamber like the distant hum of machinery. "You may have a point, Y/N. But mark my words, one day I'll crack open those dusty tomes of yours and uncover every last secret hidden within."

Y/N's laughter mingled with Vox's, the sound echoing through the library like the ringing of bells in the night but then they turned a sort of deathly calm. "Oh, Vox, you can certainly try. But remember, not all secrets are meant to be revealed. Some are best left buried in the shadows, where they belong."

Vox gritted his teeth, forcing himself to maintain a semblance of composure in the face of Y/N's taunts. "Cut the pleasantries, Y/N," he growled, his voice tinged with impatience. "I need information, and I know that you're the only one who can help me."

Y/N's smile widened into a smirk as they leaned back in their chair, steepling their fingers beneath their chin. "Oh, I'm well aware of my... unique position in the grand scheme of things," they replied, their tone dripping with amusement. "But what makes you think I'd be willing to help you, Vox? After all, we're not exactly the best of friends."

Vox clenched his fists, his frustration mounting with each passing moment. He knew that Y/N was toying with him, reveling in the opportunity to hold power over him. He had tried to play it cool, starting out with some banter as a power play; that failed. But he had no other choice - he needed the information, and he needed it now.

"Fine," he spat, his voice laced with venom. "What do you want in exchange for your precious information, Y/N? Name your price, and I'll pay it."

Y/N glow eerily in the candlelight and glow of the talking screen, a small smirk widening into a malicious grin as they leaned forward. "Oh, Vox, you're so predictable," they chuckled. "But I'm afraid that this time, the price is quite steep. I want one of your secrets - something juicy, something scandalous. And trust me, Vox, I won't settle for anything less."

Vox's heart sank as he realized the gravity of Y/N's demand. He hated the idea of relinquishing one of his secrets, of allowing someone else to hold power over him. But he knew that he had no other choice - if he wanted the information, he would have to pay the price. Y/N extended her hand with a sheet of paper, eyes glowing a deep dusty gold as Vox signed his name on the contract in front of him. The ink melted into a black puddle on the page, sealing his promise to her.

With a heavy sigh, Vox nodded his head, his resolve hardening with each passing moment. "Fine," he growled, his voice tinged with resignation. "You'll get your secret, Y/N. But mark my words - one day, I'll come for what's mine, and when I do, you'll regret ever crossing me."

And with that, Vox turned on his heel and stalked out of the library, leaving Y/N alone with their thoughts and the tantalizing promise of the secrets yet to be revealed. But deep down, he knew that his bargain with Y/N had only sealed his fate, setting into motion a chain of events that would reshape the very fabric of Hell itself.

[jadegretz]

Black Cat: Feline Fatale by Jade Gretz

The humid New York night clung to Felicia Hardy like a second skin as she shimmied across the gargoyle-laden rooftop. Moonlight glinted off her emerald green bodysuit, the sleek fabric whispering promises of forgotten treasures and daring escapes. Tonight's target: The Oculus of Odin, a legendary sapphire rumored to grant the power of foresight.

Felicia, better known as Black Cat, had a healthy skepticism for such mystical nonsense. But the hefty payday promised by a mysterious collector, a man shrouded in more secrecy than a Gotham sewer, had piqued her interest. Besides, a little light danger always kept the adrenaline pumping.

The building loomed before her, a gothic monstrosity that seemed to sprout from the very bedrock of the city. Its windows, dark and lifeless, held an unsettling, watchful air. Reaching the rooftop access, Felicia bypassed the rusted fire escape with practiced ease, her movements a silent testament to years of honing her craft.

A skylight, thankfully unlocked, provided entry. Inside, the air hung heavy with the scent of dust and decay. Cobwebs draped precariously from the vaulted ceiling, and shadows danced like phantoms in the flickering moonlight that filtered through the grimy windows.

Felicia, ever the pragmatist, dismissed the spooky ambiance. This was just another dusty antique store masquerading as a high-security vault. Still, a prickle of unease crawled up her spine as she navigated the labyrinthine corridors, her footsteps echoing in the oppressive silence.

Finally, she reached a heavy oak door, intricately carved with runes that sent a shiver down her spine. It was here, according to the collector's cryptic instructions, that the Oculus resided.

With a practiced flick of her wrist, Felicia disarmed the ancient security system, a forgotten skill gleaned from a dusty tome on arcane security measures. The door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit chamber.

In the center, secured in a pedestal of obsidian, pulsed a sapphire the size of a robin's egg. Its inner depths swirled with a maelstrom of blue, a hypnotic dance of lig …(see the rest of the story at deviantart.com/jadegretzAI). For more supergirl, chun li, batgirl, tifa, lara croft, wonder woman, rogue and much more, please visit my page at www.deviantart.com/jadegretzai - Thanks for your support :)

[sealrock]

02. horizon

no content warnings word count: 809 words

The picturesque Sharlayan horizon never failed to take his breath away. Against the green backdrop of the Orn Wild, the clouds of night that blanketed the sky just hours before started to break apart as the sun stretched its rays across the mountaintops, the muted multicolored sky becoming richer in color.

Hues of oranges, pinks, and reds mixed like paint on an artist's easel. The call of mourning doves announced the arrival of dawn… Not that the city of Sharlayan heeded it, seeing how the colony never sleeps. The buzz of activity could be felt even from his vantage point from the Makers' Quarter, researchers running this way and that, preoccupied with whatever kept them up for three nights straight. Hector couldn't judge too harshly, for he couldn't sleep either, the rush of excitement thrumming through his diminutive body.

Hector's father continued to lament the boy's career choice to become a gleaner. As soon as he turned sixteen, an adult in the eyes of Sharlayan law, Hector walked straight to the colony's Gleaner's Guild and signed up. While Hector could've continued his studies to work alongside his father as a scientist, he took his mother's advice and followed his heart. For most of his young life, Hector's otherwise mundane love for horticulture began with a visit to Saint Mocianne's Arboretum as a child. By the time he turned nine, he already had a miniature greenhouse from the comforts of his room, taking the time to study each individual plant and its growth patterns.

And so it was decided. Hector wanted to witness many more horizons, not from the Great Gubal Library stuffed to the brim with tomes, but from cities he only heard about in those tomes. The world is vast, filled with many perils and thrills, and gleaners were allowed to travel wherever their assignment took them. After a year of training, seventeen-year-old Hector Wormwood, son of Esta and Jolyon Wormwood, was ready to take the world by the horns.

When the bell rang out, its resonating chimes echoed across the morning air, Hector was quick to head for the Gleaner's Guild situated in the Collectors' Quarter, his dark green uniform free of wrinkles and stray lint. It was at the guild that he met his fellow inductees—most were older than him, and others came from average families. The Wormwoods were part of Sharlayan nobility, though nowhere near the irrefutable status of wealth and recognition that was the Leveilleur family. To see the family's only heir amongst the crowd of, for lack of better words, errand boys and girls raised an eyebrow or two.

Tucking his wavy ink hair behind his ear, Hector anxiously waited for his turn to receive his backpack, he practically quivered in place as the line grew shorter. Maybe he shouldn't have drank all that coffee in one sitting this morning, but he couldn't help but feel like he could bounce off the walls in pure jubilation.

"… Hector Wormw-"

"Present!"

The lady at the front desk, an older Hyuran woman, jolted upright from her slumped position in her chair, eyes wide as saucers at Hector's louder-than-normal voice. It was clear she wasn't a morning person, judging from her wrinkled frown upon spotting Hector's raised arm and beaming smile. Muffled snickering and giggles came from behind him. Hector offered a sheepish smile as an apology and shuffled forward. A few pieces of paper signed here and an oral declaration of obedience and secrecy on behalf of the Forum there, and Hector became an official gleaner.

Hecto's first assignment—acquire a species of live seedkin from the Sea of Clouds. While others may balk at the prospect of going so high up, Hector didn't think twice about it. In his training, Hector's superiors deemed him most suitable to handle the study, cultivation, and capture of flora. With the trip funded by the guild, Hector was filled with a blooming sense of wanderlust. He already said his goodbyes to his parents the night before, knowing they would be too swamped with work to give him a proper sendoff at the Cenotaph. Hector didn't mind, that was the family's routine since he was born, and his plants kept him company either way.

Hopping into the chocobo carriage with other gleaners, Hector looked over his backpack for all his essential items; the guild provided temporary packing equipment, the rest he'd have to procure on his own. The carriage jerked forward as the chocobos started their strut along the bricked path down. Instead of looking back at the colony, its massive size shrinking with each passing minute, Hector kept his eyes towards the sun, the sky brightening with a brilliant blue as the morning yawned past the mountains. Hector was off to start his journey to distant lands, and he never felt more excited in his young life until now.