#dance macabe

[bluebeetle]

can i have the dragon back

[punkeropercyjackson]

Please i'm so sick of Batfanon stans acting like Jason is the token alt of the Batkids😭Tim is explicitly skapunk,Stephanie is implied to be pastel punk,Cass was written with tradgoth elements in mind and Duke is afropunk by definition.Also token alts aren't a thing......Alternative people don't fw aggressive normies unless we're forced to and when we become friends with the good ones they invetably end up going alt thanks to us.You say Jason listens to punk music and dresses goth punk(correct),well canonically Tim listens to Green Day and Stephanie listens to Metallica and took Tim on a date to an underground show and was isolated from other kids for her autism and gendernonformity and Duke grew up getting kicked out of schools and beating up bullies and joined a gang and Cass' entire Batgirl run is her being an offputting off the shits macabe ahh girlfreak with a black costume with no mouth hole or visible eyes and stitches.What if they all just hung out at Jason's apartment to eat significantly different edibles each and diy junk and dance to Mcr and then stole a bunch of Batburger food to eat together at the skatepark and finished the day off with hunting down fascists to beat up and splitting money between themselves to donate to charities.What if you all just shut up and read comics instead of Jayr*y/Batcest/Dannyjason for some white reason fics

[hallowkinght]

Me playing Baulder's Gate and hearing Astarion say Time for the Dance Macabe

Me: yeah I will dance on your dick later.

[quirkwizard]

Since Halloween is around the corner, what Quirks of yours do you think would fit with the holiday?

For the sake of this, I'm avoiding any Quirks that make the user a monster or are designed to scare people. Those just feel like cheating.

Reel Deal: Watching holiday specials and horror movies is one of the key factors of Halloween. So now you can prefectly project those movies for everyone to see with amazing definition and sound. Plus, it could but fun to use it to suddenly scare people with imagery from a photo in your pocket.

Shadow Puppet: Without going into Quirks that induce fear, this is one of the best ways to go about it. You could make people jump at all kinds of weird shadows. What's better is that they would be perfect visuals for telling scary stories, adding unique viusals to whatever tale you tell.

Pocket: Great for trick or treating. You could have a nice hole going back to your house to store all your treats and still have room for more. And if any house daring to hand out fruit for Halloween treats, you could reach into your bag to pull off whatever nasty trick you want, as is your holiday duty.

Tailor Made: Have you ever been indecisive on your outfit? Do you find that you're wearing the same costume as someone else? Is buying expensive costumes draining your wallet? Worry no more, because now you can swap your outfits around as you please. Dazzle and amaze with your sudden transformations.

Baked Goods: Since the holiday is so based around sweets, making your own on demand can really help you set up for a party or for trick or treaters. What's better is that they give so much energy to the people as well, making sure that they are ready to enjoy the holiday as much as possible.

Director: This would make for such a good haunted house. Imagine you having total control of all the furniture and decorations to move and program however you want. You could have your lawn decals dancing or have a scarecrow that slaps at the hands of anyone that tries to take too much candy.

Skeletal: I had to include this one. They just fit too well in with the holiday and would be so much fun to play around with. Use them as servants for your Halloween party, send them out to scare people, or just hang them out in your yard in a macabe display to ward off any would be trickers.

[readitnreap]

Hey Ghesties, question...

How are we reconciling Chapter 2 with the Mary On A Cross, Kiss The Go-Goat and Dance Macabe videos?

From just the videos it seems like Sister chose Nihil and he knocked her up pretty early in Ghost's (canonical) run.

From Chapter 2 it's inferred that Nihil belongs to a long generation of Papas. A progeny that is long and welcome.

So is Nihil an outsider or no?

Did Sister have anything to do with his ascension or was it always his blood right?

Sex and babies and (especially for the Nihil line) seem important... so why is Copia a "dark secret" so to speak? I mean, Sister is high ranking in the church even way back... I'm not sure why a child out of her & Nihil would be so... taboo?

What are some thoughts? Hit me!

[theinheriteddutchess]

I thought fairy...

Ooh or dark macaber dance

Are you part of that world or dragged in?

What if it is magical and you can take one piece of the skirt off and do some magic with it, until you run out of layers!!

So; You are there to trick death to bring your loved one back. There's a dance, you gave up everything for this magical dress that *mumble mumble* made for you to make you succeed, if you're smart. Can you trick death? Can you save your love

...if this is not what you meant I'm sorry!

The Dress

Who would you wear it for?

Where would you wear it?

What would your intended seducee say to you?

What's under the hood?

Does it have magical powers?

[dinodouchebaggery]

// AU where everything is the same, but instead of bikers with a seemingly random millionaire, Doma is just the in universe version of the band Ghost, and half the arc is just Dartz singing 'Square Hammer', 'Circe', 'Dance Macabe', and 'Darkness at the Heart of my Love' to Atem

[darling-i-read-it]

Wedding Costumes

Charles Lee Ray x reader x Tiffany Valentine 

Word Count: 1k

Warnings: talks of murder, cuss words, insintuations to sex, profane suggestive religious costume mentions 

Author’s Note: Imma do one with just Tiff eventually but I love these two together and I wasn’t about to pass up this little idea. 

Summary: Tiffany comes home with a lot of decorations and costumes

Genre: fluff

I don’t own these characters. They belong to author/director 

(not my gif)

“Halloween is a great chance to put yourself out there!” Tiffany yelled as she walked into the house. You glanced over at Chucky who let out an annoyed sigh at her presence. You were both sitting on the couch watching a movie. Well the movie was on in the background, you were doing your nails while he flipped through a magazine with a bunch of girls in it. 

“Why is that Tiff?” you asked, sitting up and looking behind the couch. She walked into the room holding bags upon bags of things. Chucky looked back at her and gave her a look.

“Where the fuck did you get all that?” 

“The store,” she said happily, putting the bags on the couch.

“No shit,” he muttered. You blew on your nails and Tiffany noticed that they were freshly painted. She could almost smell it from the second that she walked in, like it was her super power. She leaned forward and blew on your nails a bit. 

“No need to mess those up, I’ll show you,” she said. She started to open up the bags and take things out. There were decorations there that went pretty nicely with the house's regular macab meets prep decor. You had to give Chucky a whole room to himself so that he could let Tiffany put pink things all over the place. 

She even pulled out a few costumes that she had bought.

“Where did you get the money for this Tiff?” Chucky questioned, narrowing his eyes at her. She shrugged a bit, a small hidden smile on her face. 

“The cashier,” she said. 

“You’re going to need to specify if you took him to the back room and fucked him or if you took him in the back room and-” Chucky started but Tiffany cut him off. 

“I killed him, don’t worry,” she said innocently. “That’s why I have so much! There’s more in the car, can you help me?” Chucky shook his head.

“Y/N can do it.” 

“She has wet nails, silly.” She grabbed Chucky’s arm and pulled him up. He let out a sigh but followed her out of the door to the car. You picked up the costumes that she had brought and laughed. Sexy versions of everything she could find. She even found a priest costume she could probably get Chucky in if you promised to wear that nun costume which you weren’t quite inclined to do. But other than that there were sexy nurses, sexy cops (which didn’t make sense to you, you had been chased by enough cops to not want to get anywhere near them), a sexy movie characters. 

Tiffany had brought the things she thought you all might look good in, not things to share with the outside world. You tossed them aside and picked up the bits of decorations she had alsos got. You put them carefully on the shelves and such, careful to not mess up your nails as you did so. 

Chucky walked back inside and put the bags on the ground.

“What are the costumes she got?” he asked you. You shrugged.

“Something she expects to dance in I assume.” Chucky smiles cheekily, giving you a look as he started back to the front door.

“She does know us,” he called simply. Tiffany came in and passed Chucky as he left again to get more things.

“Did you like the stuff? I got plenty more.”

“It was all pretty cute Tiff,” you said honestly.

“Did you see the nurse one? I thought you might like that one,” she said, raising her eyebrow suggestively at you. You let out a small smile as Chucky came back in with the last of it.

“Yes I did. Geez Tiff did you steal the whole store?”

“I sure tried.” She started to take things out again as Chucky sat back down on the couch. He looked through the things she had left there and some things grabbed his attention but mostly he just went back to looking at a magazine. His day didn’t quite start until night and there was still an hour or two of daylight left. “Here you should try this one on!” Tiffany yelled, tossing one of the costumes to you. You caught a long white dress barely, just before it fell. 

You put it out in front of you and was surprised to find some sort of wedding dress.

“Are we going as the girl from Corpse Bride?” you questioned. 

“Tiffany!” Chucky yelled back. You looked at her and she had her hands clasped, a smile on her face.

“Let me have a bit of fun Chucky. I wanna see you in a wedding dress! I can spray fake blood on it later if you want,” she suggested. You laughed. The dress was definitely from the cheapest store that she could find but you liked it anyway.

“I’m going to put it on.” 

You went into a bathroom and put it on, admiring yourself in the mirror. You weren’t the marriage type, that was evident by your relationship with Tiffany and Chucky. But your little self might have liked it. You looked pretty.

You walked into the main room and Tiffany put her hand over her mouth before clapping. 

“You look amazing!” she yelled. Chucky turned around and looked you up and down. He tried not to show that he agreed but you could tell that he did.

“You look okay,” he said. Tiffany hit him. 

“You look like a superstar,” she stated simply and walked over to you, taking your hand before twirling you around. Tiffany squealed. “Ugh! I love Halloween.”

[femininechrist]

Oh hey thank you for tagging me lemme do this lol just looking at my playlist I’m sensing a theme

1. Crush - Ethel Cain

2. Dance Macabe - Ghost

3. THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD - Revend Kristin Michael Hayter

4. Devil Like Me - Rainbow Kitten Surprise

5. Black Sheep - Brie Larson and The Metric

6. Work Song - Hozier

7. Country Roads, Take Me Home - Lana Del Rey

8. In The Room Where You Sleep - Dead Mans Bones

9. Me and The Devil - Gil Scott-Heron

10. It’s Not A Statement, It’s A (Fucking) Death Wish - My Chemical Romance

I tag: @robotpussy @hunnybeemp3 @blackgirlapathy @schrodingers-queer @lochnesie @ofallingstar ❤️❤️❤️

thank u for the tag @goldslick !!

shuffled my “on repeat” playlist and got hit with the following 10 songs:

smooth operator by sade

shining star by earth, wind & fire

FTCU by nicki minaj

table for two by nat & alex wolff

remember the time by michael jackson

freaking out the neighborhood by mac demarco

tainted love by soft cell

stayin' alive by the bee gees

white glove by dove cameron

pressure to party by julia jacklin

i'll tag @jlf23tumble @femininechrist @peaklesbian-look & @aboutmetamorphosis . happy holidays all!!

[gothamincarnate]

“hands” - your muse tightly holds onto my muse’s hand ( for bruce >:^) )

They've held hands before. The first few strikes are always grabs for wrists or fingers curling around fists. Then it shifts from blocking to attacking. Take a finger and bend, take an arm and twist. Hold him, hold him, don't let him escape.

Then there are the times they fall. Knife in the ribs repaid by a knee to the sternum. One or both of them sinking to the bloodied concrete. Bruce holds on so Joker can't escape. But, a few times, when Bruce is too injured-- a high pain night he tried to push though. A night he shouldn't have gone out with a fever-- theres' always his hazy voice above. The Bat is heaved and shifted into a lap, someone squeezing his fingers tight. He wakes up in the med bay alone, scolded by Alfred. Reckless. If only he knew.

It's the space between his fingers that's untouched. Sweat and blood collects in those webs, nothing more. Bruce Wayne kisses his lover's hands, fingers, palms. He doesn't hold them.

It's another night of fighting, chasing. They're together, alone, both cornering each other. Joker lunges, grabs his wrist. Bruce tenses for an attack, but there is none. Hand walks up his wrist to twist around, palm to palm. Fingertips interlace, then slide down. It feels intimate, more than the-- is it thrice now?-- times they've woken up wound around each other. Those sensations he knew, was at least starting to understand and line up into something coherent.

But Joker always knocked him off balance, didn't he? Their fingers are knotted together, Bruce tries once, halfheartedly to pull free. An arm slides beneath the cape, setting a thumb against the small of his back.

He missed this closeness, this growing lack of hesitation betweenthe two of them. Joker steps forward, leading in the pale moonlight. And Batman steps back, trusting, daring, relinquishing for a few moments. The clown hums a tune to the danse macabe and the bat finds himself joining in.

They dance, they spin slowly. After a minute or so, Joker twists his wrist and presses. Bruce's fingers bend back until the Bat rewards him with a pained hiss. More pressure, just the slightest and Bruce gasps, groans and earns a kiss to his jaw.

The pain's the thing, the reason they need each other. Or, why Bat needs Clown. The kiss leads to more, he keeps finding their fingers laced rather than wrapped around wrists or tangled in hair.

And back in the sanctuary of that bed. The bed where this is no crimes to answer for or cold bodies to tally. Two madmen ever careening into this folie a deux.

Warm fingers slide up his shoulder and again wiggle their way between his own. There's a weight half settled across his chest, right hand interlaced as left hand roams between collarbone and jaw. Again, Batman sighs, allows this vulnerability and tinge of fear. His eyes close and he hums. He squeezes gently in a silent good night and his partner squeezes back.

[aspectofnine]

The silence is broken by a call of a familiar voice. A soft echo in both a literal and metaphorical sense of the word. The Witness looks down at her with a neutral gaze. Her glittering gown twinkling like the faint wisps off of the Taken forms. The specter-like duo dance along the black, watery tapestry at their feet. More appear now, filling the room like an extravagante and macabe ball.

Witness is much taller than his little student and it resizes itself to be the appropriate size before taking her hand for this dance. It does not struggle to lead her to the center of the black floor as it continues to lead her in the lovely waltz. It does not speak to her, seemingly lost in thought and absentmindedly letting its body take over in thr dance.

To Dance // open thread for mutual only for The Witness

The Witness is in a large, mostly empty room. The floor is a mirror white texture. A light fog laps at its feet. The gentle hum of its voice barely echos in the room. It is still. Quiet. Dull.

Small Taken shadows dance together in twitching melancholy. It watches with hands behind its back. Gaze almost hyper focused on them. It tilts its head to the side as they seem to stand tall, twitching but in formation. They move to the rhythm of a silent waltz.

[ceremonyanddevotion]

Papa Nihil is having visions of himself from when he was Papa. And it’s the wig that proves it.

First I want to talk about that dialog while Nihil was typing.

Now I thought it could just be a direct parody from the Shinning, and yeah there is a typewritter scene and him freaking out, but the topic is not the same at all.

And I honestly think it’s also young Nihil speaking at different times of his Papacy, not current Nihil

“This position that I hold, it pays the bills but erodes the soul.”

Young Nihil discussing his feelings being the new Papa

“If I were to leave sister, tell me, would you miss me?”

Nihil and Sister are totally together, but he feels she’s only with him for the church / because he’s Papa.

“I want to go down in ministry history!”

Nihil wants to prove himself to the Church.

No matter what you think of Nihil, he came to the Church as somewhat as an outsider, so he probs did need to prove himself in some way.

Now the Wig, easy.

Nhil had short hair when he joined (or rejoined idk I’ve got my own headcannons on Nihil)

His hair was long in the Chapters, so he clearly grew it out as he was Papa.

So that wig is meant to mean this is taking place a bit after Dance Macabe

I don’t think Nihil is gonna die (just yet) I think he’s gonna do something before that happens (if it does).

I think his statements in his speech allude to his mindset at the moment and what he may do, but I can’t be sure.

Also, that Sister bit before young Nihil appears was totally their (actual) wedding, the mood and attire fits.

[bugsinmyroombitingme]

Honestly this app makes me feel like im being stabbed in my weak point and theres musical cues for each attack and my weakpoint is an eyeball on my back and i die and i run into a wall and the wall cracks and the water in the room we were in all drains and a heart comes out and you dance on my corpse its all quite macabe you teleport out and i never see you or the light of day again god willing.

[youaresimplycomplex]

Lady of the Orc [part 1]

“It is your duty to me and country”

“But why him!?”

“Because I have said so. Now I won't hear another word about it.”

“But Farther -”

“Not another word”

At that he turned and left Ashlynn alone in her room. He slammed the door so hard it blew out the candle. Now only the moon shined any light onto her life. She went to the window to stare at the sky. The pale almost full circle hung in the sky. It's haunting beauty only made her mood worsen. The injustice, the terrible fate now laid out before her.

Ashlynn's father, an ever shrew and clever man, has decided that the latest treaty should be signed with her marriage. Now her opinions being a middle daughter of a minor Duke have never been grand. She had an two brothers, one barley a year her elder but still he would have her father's title. Then her other brother, the youngest, has already been on several military campaigns and proven himself capable. Ashlynn was a young prodigy but no one noticed. She was taught the courtly arts of dance, speech, and reading. She outwitted even her father in chess and backgammon several times. She also read much on war and it's winning. Yet at every turned she has been berated for not being proper and well behaved.

Now her father wanting to make peace and appease the brutish orcs to the west, has offered her hand to their chief's son. He had tried to clear them off a plot of land so that humans could farm there instead. He had thought this more peaceful sec of Orcs easy pickings for his well trained knights. They had found a tougher foe then they had hoped. The campaign against the orc lands had been an embarrassing loss for their little providence. Peace had to be made with them. This naked act of aggression, might lead to raids on human lands in retaliation. Her father had reluctantly paid reparations and written promises of peace down. Then he had offered Ashlynn to an orc. She knew why her dad did this. It was finally his chance to be rid of the insolent child, but still it felt like betrayal to her. She slept poorly that night, dreading what was to come.

Ashlynn had a week of drowning depression. Her fate seem like an inescapable horror. She thought to run away but she could never figure out what to do once outside the walls. She knew of only here, she had barley left this castle. She thought to just refuse but her voice meant nothing to her father and what if the orcs grew reckless waiting on a bride. She seemingly could make no choice that wouldn't end in disaster.

She was lamenting in bed when her brother decided it best to pay his dearest sister a visit.

“So how our resident orc whore doing?” he said with smile she couldn't see but could hear. He had held his position of eldest over her most of her life. She spent years taking his verbal abuse.

“Shut up and leave me be Nathan.” burring deeper into her pillow fort of despair. He sighed falsely and sat onto her bed.

“You should be happy that dad finally found someone as ugly and stupid as you.” something in her snapped at that.

“We'll both be far more beautiful than you and whatever hag you end up.” she salty spat back. She was already being married to an orc not much she had left to lose. Nathan lost his footing a second but came back smugly with, “Oh foolish sister, you haven't even seen an orc.”

“I don't need too to know that one would be a better sight than your hideous face,” she said as she sat up.

Her brother always thought himself smarter than Ashlynn. A leftover from their childhood when he could tell her all the things he was learning. She used to listen with aw and wonder. She had long out paced his studies now but he still insisted on slowly explaining the obvious to her. Often incorrectly but who was she to correct him. She always consoled herself with the thought he'll learn when his ignorance when gets him killed. He had begun to sputter in shock at her assessment of his horrid visage. He could take insults about as gracefully as a headless chicken. And like a headless chicken he ran out of the room with no clear direction.

She sunk back into her bed and found his words sinking in. It was true she had never seen an orc. She heard the stories though and they we're all terrifying. Green beasts twice as tall as normal men. Able to eat knights in full plate. Strong beyond belief and dumb as a rocks. The barbaric tribes knew only blood and war. Ashlynn knew that these tales were mostly stories. Fiction had taken to them like moss but she still feared what truth lay under it.

‘And what of my face,’ she thought, ‘It's not like sutors are lining up at the castle door.’ She pondered this for a time but it just sunk her deeper into her misery. She had never thought herself as ugly but also never as beautiful. She liked herself well enough and that's all that really mattered. She had assumed that sutors thought her brash and unbehaved like her father. Now though she wondered if she was so ugly to others. If her looks keep her from marriage not just her attitude.

“Guess it best then to be married to an orc,” she said sadly to herself, finding sleep again.

A knock at the door woke her.

“Delivery my Lady”

It was one of the maids

“Come in” she said rousing from her night of nightmares of yet to come. She sat on the bed as young maid came in with some sort of package. It was something wrapped in rough leather and tied up with rope.

“Who is it from?” she asked puzzled by the package as it was placed in her hands. The maid suddenly got shy,

“ Well it's from... you know…”

This continued to puzzle Ashlynn.

“No I don't,” she said flatly “please tell me who it's from.”

“Oh it's from… well,” she looked shy and then full of pity, “ It's from your husband to be.” The silence hit the room hard. Ashlynn slowly looked at the package with new frightened eyes. “Thank you. You can go,” she said off handley. Once she heard the door shut she gently pulled at the rope that held the leather together. Inside was necklace, a letter and something covered in feathers the likes of which she had never seen. She examined the necklace first. A worn leather string held a small wood carving of bear. Was she supposed to wear it? She took the letter next, opening it in hopes of explanations.

Dear Lady Ashlynn,

I am Varbuk son of Varungad, and I am the orc to which you have been promised to. I am happy to have our union bring peace to both our lands. I can only hope you share in this joy. I want to apologise to you, I have come to understand that you were not asked about this. My father assures me this is normal among humans but I still feel this a slight to you. It was my hope that we could talk and get to know each other before the banquet. Things have not turned out that way. This letter comes with a couple of gifts. The first is my bear totem, it keeps me safe and gives me luck so I hope the bear protects you as well. The second is a cloak made from the feathers of an owlbear. I hunted the beast and made the cloak from its feathers myself. I know these gifts can not replace a proper proposal but please take them anyways.

Sincerely,

Varbuk the Ever Will

Ashlynn sat for a long time reading and rereading the letter. She was in complete shock. First of all orcs are apparently able to write and when they do they are peace loving sweethearts. It was too much to be believable but there it all was. Then looking over everything again her eyes landed on the cloak of owlbear feathers.

She scrambled out of bed though she did not know why she felt such haste. She threw on her new cloak with a fever. She looked at herself in mirror. The cloak was completely covered in the grey and black feathers. The cloak was secured with a talon or claw and the brim of the hood had the beak of the beast it came from. With the hood up she looked like a terrifying fairy tale witch. It was dark twisted, macabe, and she actually liked it. She was surprised how much she liked looking scary and dark.

The dark sorceress feels reminded her of a time when she had begged and pleaded for a magical education. The art of magic could be taught to those smart enough to learn it. It was common for children of Noble birth to learn wizarding. Like in most things her brother had convinced her father that she wasn't smart enough to get magic. She knew he was only upset because he couldn't wrap his head around the all the spells wizards tried teaching him. Ashlynn picked up a hair brush and began to wave it like a wand. She pretended to be a dark witch casting curses on her brothers.

Then as she wandered back to bed she saw the letter and remembered where this cloak came from. It was off her as fast as she had put it on. She threw it onto the bed hard but immediately regretted it. She picked it back up to see if it was damaged but it seemed fine. This orc who had sent her these gifts seemed sweet and trying hard to help ease her into this new turn of life. Which is more than can be said for everyone else. Her brother called her a whore the other ladies at court had laughed, been disgusted or only knew pity for her. She had heard whispers that many were happy to see her go. She looked back at her cloak and got a wicked idea.

_________________________________________

The banquet hall was an array of splendor. Everyone seemed happy, and jubilant. Bards played away as the party was in full swing. Though one thing was off Ashlynn was absent. Varbuk was worried, the servants had continuously reassured him that she was just getting ready. But it had been hours now where was she? The young orc had never had the chance to meet her and was concerned that she might have fled. Humans rarely tolerated Orcs and to marry one seem to be a short straw in fate's hands for most.

His mind began to swirl with anxieties. Would she hate him, throw up at him on sight. Most humans at this party had been giving him a wide berth. Mostly the ladies of the court. He definitely felt like an outsider. He had agreed to this union because her father had been so insistent. Then a loud creek came from the large double doors. In came a shorter humanoid figure draped in a familiar cloak. Valbuk heart fluttered suddenly at the sight of his future bride wearing his gift. Everyone else was not so at put at ease. Gasps and murmurs floated through the crowd. Valbuk wasted no time though as he made strides across the hall to Ashlenn.

“Lady Ashlynn I am to assume?” he said boldly

“Yes and you are Varbuk?” she said not looking at him. Her voice was deeper than most but still soft. Varbuk got down on one knee and reached for her hand. She did not stop him raising it up and gently kissing it.

“I am my Lady.” He said looking up into her eyes. It was the first time he had saw her face. Her eyes were emeralds wreathed in wavy blonde-red locks. Her face was in a unreadable blank expression. Though prominently around her neck was his first gift. Under it was an vibrant green dress. Varbuk was touched on how she wore his gifts and amazed at how beautiful she looked in them.

_________________________________________

Ashlynn felt the eyes of everyone on her. She had decided that if they were going to be rid of her then she was going to go out looking badass. Before she saw him she could feel Varbuk's stride ponding on floor. She didn't bother to raise her eyes to meet his. She could tell he was tall. His outfit was simple and unfancy. Cloth shirt and trousers with a leather belt free of weapons. When he bent down to kiss her hand she got to see his face. His hair seemed longer than hers, the shining black dreadlocks tied back behind him. A short chin strap beard warped around his face. His two white tusks popped against his summer leaf green skin. They meet eyes and his eyes were a warm amber. She had to admit he was handsome he seemed rugged and worldly. Ashlynn was jealous of that freedom to explore.

More footsteps came hurtling towards the pair, theses were much lighter.

“Ashlynn what are you wearing!?” Ah her father was here. She turned to the thin duke to speak but Varbuk's booming voice beat her to the punch.

“Gifts I sent her doesn't she look magnificent in them.” She saw the struggle play out across the long face of her father. He needed to play nice with the orc but really thought she shouldn't be wearing such ghastly garb. Diplomacy won out in the end as he weakly gave a, “Yes.”

The Duke slunked back to the large dining table and sat at it's head and called for dinner. Varbuk stuck out an elbow, inviting Ashlynn to take hold. She took him up on the offer. As they walk she could still feel the glares of disgust and hate but she didn't care. They always cast her as the villain so she was going to live up to expectations. Varbuk arm was thick and muscled, in fact most of him was. He stood a foot taller than everyone here and towered almost two feet taller than her. There was two other orcs here one older man and a woman. Both were huge in their own right. Valbuk must have noticed her looking and said,

“That's my father and mother.”

“Oh that's nice they came out with you” Ashlynn said trying to make small talk.

“They want to make sure that this peace goes well.”

“Doesn't everyone?”

“Yeah I suppose so,” he chuckled. She could feel his voice pull from deep in his chest.

“But do you?” Valbuk continued.

“Do I what?”

“Want this peace to go well?”

“Of course I do. Our people need peace.”

“Yes but do you want this? Want to marry an orc for the sake of your people?” No obviously not that was her answer, right? Why did that answer seem so far away. Like getting all these orcish gifts on made her forget that answer in her room.

“I, uh …” was a she got out before they were at the table being interrupted.

“Ah the lovely couple please take a seat.” A servant pointing to their chairs at the table. Varbuk pulled out one for her. She sat in it as let Varbuk push her in. He took the seat right next to her, smiling that warm smile of his.

The rest of the court and guests took their places. Valbuk, and Ashlynn sat at the end near her father. Valbuks parents on the other side situated between her brothers. The Duke stood and made a speech about peace and the coming together of stuff but he was using his boring voice so Ashlynn paid little attention. Everyone seemed enraptured by the speech though. She keep glancing at Varbuk, his question still lingering in her mind. Did she still want to run from this orc? He had been nothing but kind and generous with her. The stories she heard wrong on everything except their skin tone. Her mind was storming with these questions when on one her glances she saw something. It was a raised dagger behind Valbuk's back. Something awful dripping off the blade.

“WATCH OUT!” She shouted. Without a thought she grabbed the servants wrist trying to hold back the blade. The man was stronger then her but she had bought Varbuk enough time. His much stronger hands grabbed the servant and lifted him up like he was nothing. He stood up then he tossed the would be assassin like a rag doll across the room. The deadly blade landing near Ashlynn's feet. A similar struggle played out at the other end of the table as Varbuk's parents easily fended off Ashlynn's brothers. During this the Duke had made a break for it. He called out as he ran for the guards. Ashlynn knew this was going to be trouble.

She grabbed Varbuk's hand,

“This way!” She pulled him behind her as she ran. She knew these hall all too well. With a glance back she saw all three orcs on her tail. She was running on autopilot as she dodged though hall after hall. Down one way, left here, right there. Her nerves were tingling then she came to when she was running to. She released Varbuk's hand then set to work on the wall.

“What in the Nine hells just happened!?” Varbuk said gasping for air. Ashlynn had a good idea what happened.

“My father just tried to cut the head off the snake.”

“What!?” said the older man almost shouting.

“It's an old technique where you lure an enemy leader under peace terms then kill him and scatter the remaining army.” She kept scanning the stone bricks of the wall.

“Ashlynn your foot” Varbuk said solemnly

“What about it?”

“It’s bleeding.”

She looked down and saw a dark stain on her foot. Then it hit her, the dagger the servant had must have fallen on to her foot then to the ground. She hadn't even noticed. She looked back at the wall with renewed fear. She found what she was looking for. A brick marked with a bird carving. She pressed it and the wall shook as the secret passage way opened up.

“This leads to a the stables at the edge of the city. We need to move quic-” she was light headed and then stinging in her feet was getting worse. Then she fell but she was caught in Valbuk's arms. He lifted her up and carried her bridal style.

“It's going to be ok we're going to get out of here.” Varbuk voice cooed at the weak Noble in his arms. Then she blacked out.

[keijitrash]

I don't know if anyone noticed but...

The more well known music used by/in @thearcanagame during dining scenes and the Masquerade really suits the story well and you don't even realize it—

The dining room music is called "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" or "The Habanera" from Carmen (an old French Opera).

It's upbeat and playful, but the lyrics talks about how love is a rebellious bird. I'm not gonna go around spoiling stuff right now but it's pretty relevant to the plot, especially if your choices lean to change (either towards yourself or who you're romancing).

Of course, Habanera might not be too relevant, but the next extremely is.

!! SPOILER ALERT !!

The second well known piece used in the game is during the Masquerade. It's a piece called "Danse Macabre" by Camille Saint-Saëns, which literally means Dance of Death.

I'll tackle the literal meaning of Danse Macabre first before getting to the allegory.

The Masquerade is the near-climax of the story where everything begins to turn chaotic. It literally becomes a party with death looming over it the moment you discover that you must stop the Devil and Lucio from accomplishing their 'evil deeds'.

The allegory on the other hand states: "no matter one's station in life, the Dance Macabre unites all."

Which is another thing that happens in the Masquerade. Everyone is present - parents, sisters, Lucio's cool mom...everyone. The Masquerade united people not only of Vesuvia but from other places. The Masquerade is the Danse Macab.

I have absolutely no idea if the people behind The Arcana's soundtrack meant to do this or just found the two tracks pretty good for the scenes but still—

It's pretty fken amazing.