#emperors of eternal evil

[eroticartofslaughterhouses]

Playing lots of wargames in December. Call that the real 'War on Christmas'!

[hazellvsq]

I’m thinking of an au where hazel’s arc culminates by her giving her mind over to gaea like her mother did. her hand is forced in some way where she has to save her friends by joining gaea and she then becomes creepy priestess/vessel for the goddess and when she’s lucid she’ll still try to protect her friends but she’s only herself part of the time.

[gabrielsantar]

done with mechanicum. i think it's pretty safe to say that graham mcneill circa 2008 was the weakest of the heresy writers so far at that point, but i like that he writes rogal dorn and ferrus manus as hunks and he's pretty funny (sometimes accidentally) so i will let it slide. i hope that i can see him improve i read books that came out in later years, but you can feel moments like this where it feels like he's trying to hit a word count.

“‘The labyrinth of the night?’ asked Caxton.  ‘Are you sure that’s what he said?’ ‘Yes, absolutely,’ said Dalia.  ‘The labyrinth of the night.’ ‘The Noctis Labyrinthus,’ said Mellicin, and Caxton nodded. Dalia looked at the pair of them.  ‘Noctis Labyrinthus… what’s that?’ ‘The Labyrinth of the Night, it’s what Noctis Labyrinthus means,’ replied Caxton.”

[sixteenseveredhands]

Emerald Spectacles from India, c. 1620-1660 CE: the lenses of these spectacles were cut from a single 300-carat emerald, and it was believed that they possessed mystical properties

These eyeglasses are also known by the name "Astaneh-e ferdaws," meaning "Gate of Paradise," based on the symbolic associations between the color green and the concept of spiritual salvation/Paradise. That symbolism (which is rooted in Islamic tradition) was especially popular in Mughal-era India, where the spectacles were made.

The lenses were crafted from two thin slices of the same emerald. Together, the lenses have a combined weight of about 27 carats, but given the precision, size, and shape of each lens, experts believe that the original emerald likely weighed in excess of 300 carats (more than sixty grams) before it was cleaved down in order to produce the lenses. The emerald was sourced from a mine in Muzo, Colombia, and it was then transported across the Atlantic by Spanish or Portuguese merchants.

Each lens is encircled by a series of rose-cut diamonds, which run along an ornate frame made of gold and silver. The diamond-studded frame was added in the 1890s, when the original prince-nez design was fitted with more modern frames.

The emerald eyeglasses have long been paired with a second set of spectacles, and they were almost certainly commissioned by the same patron. This second pair is known as "Halqeh-e nur," or the "Halo of Light."

The Halo of Light features lenses that were made from slices of diamond. The diamond lenses were cleaved from a single stone, just like the emerald lenses, with the diamond itself being sourced from a mine in Southern India. It's estimated that the original, uncut diamond would have weighed about 200-300 carats, which would make it one of the largest uncut diamonds ever found.

The lenses are so clear and so smoothly cut that it sometimes looks like they're not even there.

Both sets of spectacles date back to the mid-1600s, and it's generally believed that they were commissioned by a Mughal emperor or prince. The identity of that person is still a bit of a mystery, but it has been widely speculated that the patron was Shah Jahan -- the Mughal ruler who famously commissioned the Taj Mahal after the death of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan did rule as the Mughal emperor from about 1628 to 1658.

The emerald and diamond lenses may have been chosen for symbolic, sentimental, and/or cultural reasons, or they may have been chosen simply because they're pretty and extravagant; the original meaning and purpose behind the design is still unclear. Experts do believe that the eyeglasses were designed to be worn by someone, though.

At times, it was believed that the spectacles had spiritual properties, like the ability to promote healing, to ward off evil, to impart wisdom, and to bring the wearer closer to enlightenment. Those beliefs are largely based on the spiritual significance that emeralds and diamonds can have within certain Indic and Islamic traditions -- emeralds may be viewed as an emblem of Paradise, salvation, healing, cleansing, and eternal life, while diamonds are similarly associated with enlightenment, wisdom, celestial light, and mysticism.

The Gate of Paradise and the Halo of Light were both kept in the collections of a wealthy Indian family until 1980, when they were sold to private collectors, and they were then put up for auction once again in 2021. They were most recently valued at about $2 million to $3.4 million per pair.

Sources & More Info:

Sotheby's: Mughal Spectacles

Architectural Digest of India: At Sotheby's auction, Mughal-era eyeglasses made of diamond and emerald create a stir

Only Natural Diamonds: Auspicious Sight & the Halqeh-e Nur Spectacles

The Royal Society Publishing: Cleaving the Halqeh-Ye Nur Diamonds

Gemological Institution of America: Two Antique Mughal Spectacles with Gemstone Lenses

Manuscript: From Satan's Crown to the Holy Grail: emeralds in myth, magic, and history

CNN: The $3.5 million Spectacles Said to Ward off Evil

BBC: Rare Mughal Era Spectacles to be Auctioned by Sotheby's

[tanadrin]

There is a great engine beneath the North American continent that drives people to insanity and spits out new religions on a regular basis. Maybe the lingering tectonic energies of Yellowstone, worrying at us just below our conscious awareness and driving us to a quiet, gibbering fear like rats scurrying about just before an earthquake. Maybe a kink in the Earth's magnetic field that affects our brains in some way. Maybe just the shock of agoraphobia, of wandering out into wide open spaces and going mad beneath the vast and starry sky.

Over in Europe they spent a thousand years fighting wars and piling up the dead in hills of gore, all to determine trivialities like the true nature of the Eucharist, or who really had the authority to appoint bishops. Muslim kings killed each other by the score over who was the rightful successor of the Prophet. The scholar-officials of China carefully composed the orthodox interpretations of the rites and laws, and then the Emperor had everybody who disagreed beheaded. Oh, there were heretics all right, but the stakes within each tradition were low--is Christ of one substance or two? Which hadith are valid? Is there a true and eternal self, or no?

In the United States, though, people sought the edge of civilization, declared that here lay the Frontier. They stepped beyond it, and then they went stark raving mad. They declared the ghost of Ben Franklin was telling them how to build a mechanical Jesus. They said an evil scientist created white people as soulless devils on the Greek island of Patmos. That all our anxieties are caused by the restless ghosts of alien political prisoners, executed by volcano. That God was once a man, and we too might become gods someday, as long as we remembered that coffee-drinking was a sin.

And it's no coincidence that every major American religious movement seems to be founded by an obvious con man. I think that's the secret to being a prophet. You have to learn to lie. To lie so nakedly and so intensely that the things you are lying about appear before your very eyes, become tangible to you and to everyone who believes. Ordinary, simple, sincere faith will not do. You must learn to lie with such intensity that you can change the world.

[st-just]

Less Boring 40k Demon Prince Ideas than 'Bigger Angrier Chaos Space Marine'

Unspeakably ancient eldar who was one of the decadent hubristic imperial magnates so good at murderogries they caused the birth of Sleanesh, happily sold out the rest of the species

Sisters of Battle canoness/living saint who was actually genociding people for Khorne instead of the Emperor (took multiple campaigns for anyone to notice, very embarrassing)

Demon Prince of Nurgle that literally is a zombie apocalypse plague, their consciousness distributed throughout the Resident Evil/Left4Dead-style horde and monstrous mutatioons

A Sauron-among-the-Numenoreans disciple of Tzeetch, appears as a normal looking charismatic savant genius who shows up and givens a world's leaders everything they need to start a glorious new golden age (eventual rebellion and/or disastrous collapse can be assumed)

Corrupted machine spirit of a titan (with bonus entire crew of the titan still eternally bound within it)

Just like, any aliens tbh.

[homoeroticbetrayal]

Iconic Homoerotic Betrayal: Round 2

Round 2 Directory

Context:

Lelouche/Suzaku

Summary by Anonymous Contributor

szll is already iconic but I'm just going to list all their betrayals (and perceived betrayals) as a refresher:

(first, for context, one thing you gotta understand is lelouch, leader of the rebellion who believes ends justify the means, is also the discarded prince of the empire he's fighting against. suzaku, rising knight of the empire who believes means have to justify the ends, is the son and killer of the prime minister of the country being oppressed. this is PEAK narrative foils and enemies-to-lovers recipe right there.)

- lelouch and nunnally were sent to japan as political hostages. britannia takes over japan quickly after and lelouch, knowing how much japan means to suzaku, promises to destroy britannia. suzaku should be angry at britannia! lelouch will free them!! except years later he learns that suzaku is now WORKING for the empire? he's becoming a KNIGHT for the empire, betraying his own country and their shared hatred for britannia. what the fuck, what happened to principles, suzaku? this is lelouch's first (perceived) betrayal.

- lelouch (accidentally) kills euphemia, the only princess who's trying to make peace with the japanese, the princess that suzaku is knight of, the princess suzaku LOVES and lelouch adores. now yes, this was an accident, but lelouch ROLLS WITH IT and lets suzaku and the rest of the world believe that it was intentional, thus fully driving that knife deep. he never tells suzaku this was an accident. this is suzaku's most painful betrayal.

- suzaku finds out lelouch is zero, leader of the rebellion, and turns him in to his evil dad, emperor of the empire, in exchange for becoming a knight of round (the highest military status). now if you count akito the exiled as canon, this also means sending lelouch to be BRAINWASHED into serving the empire as a master tactician before R2 happens. suzaku monitors him all throughout, watching lelouch destroy nations and praise the empire against his own principles.

this is just season one of code geass. this doesn't even touch how suzaku is also forced to betray his own loyalties/principles sometimes whenever the "live" geass that lelouch condemns him with acts up. how suzaku would monitor lelouch and keep deceiving him that rolo is his beloved sibling, not nunnally. etc etc.

AND YET despite all of this, code geass culminates with them SWEARING LOYALTY to each other, with lelouch becoming the demon emperor and suzaku becoming his right-hand man, the knight of zero. lelouch becomes a tyrant that suzaku is destined to kill. lelouch brings peace to the world but will never be able to live in it. he will always be remembered as the dictator, the scourge of the world. suzaku atones for all his sins by being reduced to a heroic symbol, by being punished to kill his best friend and never becoming suzaku the person ever again. with the "live" geass, he is cursed to never die, never to escape, always bearing both of their sins -- the eternal punishment he has been seeking. and by killing lelouch, he is able to avenge euphemia in the end, and bring the peace all three of them desired.

code geass is a hot mess but there is poetry in their betrayals. they are thematically bound to live this tragedy, and that is why they are iconic. the ending of code geass is well-known and highly regarded as one of the most iconic endings ever, and it can only ever be so because it stands on the love and loss and betrayals of suzaku and lelouch.

Charles/Erik

Summary by @sing-the-beginning-of-moana

it was love at first sight. they got together and were happy for a while until erik caused charles to feel the excruciating pain of dying (without actually dying), tried to kill hundreds of people, accidentally paralyzed charles, and then abandoned him altogether. and that's just the first movie. repeat with the same sort of behavior and constant breaking up and getting back together for the next several decades.

See other descriptions of Suzululu or Cherik

[emperor-church]

О, святой Великий Ангел, который предстоит Трону Императора и освещён озарением Его Божественного света, просвещён знанием непостижимых тайн о превечной Его премудрости! Всеусердно молю тебя, наставь меня к покаянию от злых дел и ко утверждению в моей вере, укрепи и огради мою душу от прельстительных искушений и умоли Императора нашего об отпущении моих грехов. О, святой Великий Ангел! Не пренебреги мной грешным, который молится к тебе о помощи и заступлении твоем в этом веке и в будущем, но всегда будь моим помощником, да непрестанно славлю державу Отца Твоего.

O Holy Great Angel, who stands before the Throne of the Emperor and is illuminated by the illumination of His Divine light, enlightened by the knowledge of the incomprehensible mysteries of His eternal wisdom! I pray you most earnestly, guide me to repentance from evil deeds and to confirmation in my faith, strengthen and protect my soul from seductive temptations and beg our Emperor for the remission of my sins. O Holy Great Angel! Do not neglect me, a sinner, who prays to you for help and intercession in this age and in the future, but always be my helper, so that I may unceasingly glorify the power of your Father. (Art Denis Kornev)

[danmei-action]

Danmei Gotcha for Gaza: Tentative Fandom List

Attention danmei fans! Our final list of available fandoms will not be released until creator sign-ups are complete, but we do have a list of the novels our potential contributors would like to make fanworks for.

If you would like to join the event in any capacity, you can find the interest check here.

Tentative fandom list:

Mistakenly Saving the Villain

Qian Qiu

Sha Po Lang

Yuwu

The Submissive Emperor

The Wife is First

Pixiu's Eatery, No Way Out

Married Thrice to Salted Fish

The Ugly Empress

Guardian

Golden Stage

Transmigrating into the Prince Regent’s Beloved Runaway Wife

The #1 Pretty Boy of the Immortal Path

After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine

Those Years In Quest Of Honour Mine

After Transmigrating Into the Book, I Picked up the Protagonist Shou

list continues below!

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish

After Crossdressing and Provoking Long Aotian

An Empire as a Betrothal Gift

Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Little Mushroom

Mist

Qi Ye

Pretense

Imperfections

Breaking Through the Clouds

Kaleidoscope of Death

Case File Compendium

The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity

How to Survive as the Villain

Taizi

Sa Ye

High Energy QR Codes

Earth in Online

Don't You Like Me

First-class Lawyer

The Governor is Ill

Silent Reading

How to Feed an Abyss

Liu Yao

Peerless

Joyful Reunion

Encountering the Snake

Yingnu

After Marrying the Evil God

Dinghai Fusheng Lu

Nan Chan

Quickly Wear the Face of the Devil

My Husband is Suffering from a Terminal Illness

Non-Human Sub-district Office

Don’t Discriminate Against Species

Global Examination

19 days

Cherry Blossoms After Winter

Twisted Love of His Highness

I Woke Up as the Villain

I Have to be a Great Villain,

[empiredesimparte]

Live broadcast of ‘Le Sacre de Napoléon V’ on the national channel Francesim 2, hosted by Stéphane Bernard

(Stéphane Bernard) The Emperor will become a quasi-sacred figure through the anointing: it is a sort of transfiguration. The imperial canopy conceals this profoundly sacred moment because the rite must remain a mystery to the common mortals. We are witnessing a revival of the triple blessing from the Reims ceremonial of the kings of Francesim. Their Majesties, kneeling before the altar, receive the triple anointing from the Pope: one on the forehead, the others on both hands. First the Emperor, then the Empress.

In his prayer, the Pope asks God to bestow the treasures and graces of His blessings upon the Emperor. He prays that the Emperor will govern with strength, justice, loyalty, foresight, courage, and perseverance. The Emperor must combat Evil and defend the holy Christian Church. The Empress, for her part, receives God's support, and that of Christ, to preserve the Empire and the French people for eternity.

(Stéphane Bernard) Such a ceremonial highlights the spiritual and mystical dimension of the imperial monarchy. It is a moment steeped in tradition, where every gesture, every word, carries deep symbolism, reminding us of the sacred bonds that unite the sovereign to his people and to God. (Mgr. Morlot) Almighty and eternal God, who have decreed that, following the example of David, Solomon, and Joash, the foreheads of Kings and Emperors should be adorned with a diadem, so that, through the brilliance of their gemstones and the splendor of their ornaments, they might serve as a vivid and striking image of the majesty that surrounds you to the peoples while they reign on earth…

(Mgr. Morlot) … Pour out, we beseech you, your blessing upon these crowns, so that your servant Napoleon and his spouse, who will wear them on earth, may shine with the radiance of all virtues.

(Pope) May God encircle your brow with the crown of glory and justice...

(Pope) ... May He arm you with strength and courage so that, blessed by Heaven through our hands, filled with faith and good works, you may reach the crown of the eternal kingdom…

(Pope) ... By the grace of Him whose reign and empire extend throughout all ages and ages. Amen.

(Napoléon V) Amen.

⚜ Le Sacre de Napoléon V | N°11 | Francesim, Paris, 28 Thermidor An 230

While the bells ring out and the cannons roar, the Emperor and Empress of Francesim are crowned at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. It was broadcast live on television by Stéphane Bernard, the famous journalist for the crowned heads in Francesim.

Beginning ▬ Previous ▬ Next

⚜ Traduction française

(Stéphane Bernard) L'Empereur va devenir un personnage quasi-sacré grâce à l'onction : c'est une sorte de transfiguration. Le dais impérial cache ce moment tout à fait sacré car le rite doit rester un mystère pour le commun des mortels. Nous assistons à une reprise de la triple bénédiction du cérémonial de Reims des rois de Francesim. Leurs Majestés, agenouillées devant l'autel, reçoivent du Pape la triple onction : une sur le front, les autres sur les deux mains. D'abord l'Empereur, puis l'Impératrice.

Dans son oraison, le Pape demande à Dieu de répandre les trésors et les grâces de Ses bénédictions sur l'Empereur. Il prie pour qu'il gouverne avec force, justice, fidélité, prévoyance, courage et persévérance. L'Empereur doit combattre le Mal et défendre la sainte Église chrétienne. L'Impératrice, quant à elle, reçoit le soutien de Dieu et du Christ, afin de conserver l'Empire et le peuple français dans l'éternité.

Un tel cérémonial met en lumière la dimension spirituelle et mystique de la monarchie impériale. C'est un moment empreint de tradition, où chaque geste, chaque parole, porte un symbolisme profond, rappelant les liens sacrés qui unissent le souverain à son peuple, et à Dieu.

(Monseigneur Morlot) Dieu tout-puissant et éternel, qui avez voulu qu'à l'exemple de David, de Salomon et de Joas, le front des Rois et des Empereurs fût ceint du diadème, afin que, par l'éclat des pierreries et la splendeur de leurs ornements, ils fussent aux des peuples, pendant qu'ils règnent sur la terre, la vive et frappante image de la majesté qui vous environnement...

(Monseigneur Morlot) ... Répandez, nous vous en conjurons, votre bénédiction sur ces couronnes, afin que votre serviteur Napoléon et son épouse, qui les porteront sur la terre brillent de l'éclat de toutes les vertus.

(Pape) Que Dieu ceigne votre front de la couronne de la gloire et de justice ; qu'il vous arme de force et de courage, afin que, bénis du Ciel par nos mains, pleins de foi et de bonnes oeuvres, vous arriviez à la couronne du règne éternel...

(Pape) Par la grâce de celui dont le règne et l'empire s'étendent dans tous les siècles et les siècles. Amen. (Napoléon V) Amen.

[pharawee]

Just some random thoughts on yesterday's Pit Babe 2 announcement because I keep seeing some theories floating around (really interesting theories, mind you!) on how Way and Tony could or couldn't still be alive and...

Apart from the fact that this is Thai drama and they don't really need a reason to still be alive beyond the fact that (much like Emperor Palpatine) somehow they've returned, the show itself has also given us plenty of possible canon reasons for what could have happened if we take the announcement trailer at face value:

That drug Babe's father used on Charlie could also have been used on Way.

Everyone was far too upset and distracted to check if Way was really dead. They didn't even administer first aid. For all we know Way could have felt like going for a walk five minutes after everyone left.

Fancy enigma powers (it's over for all of us if he ever learns to do mass-hypnosis).

Way has returned as Way the White.

As for Tony, he's rich and evil and eternally scheming so he totally could have planned for this. I could even see him using Kenta as part of his contigency plan - and playing dead is the perfect sleight of hand. If you want to get really dark, I don't think Kenta would have been in any position to refuse if Tony had roped him into at least somewhat taking the fall for him (granted, he did look surprised by whoever got them all out of prison but it could have been surprise at Tony actually returning for him). It would even add to that penultimate scene of him accepting his role as Tony's dog. One very satisfying stabbing indident doesn't really change the fact that, dead or alive, Tony will always have some degree of influence over him - especially if there's no one left to give him guidance (and Lord knows Dean and Winner can't even find their way out of a clown car).

Besides, neither Pete nor X-Hunter (seemingly) standing up for him (and that after they all gave him so much encouragement in season 1) and leaving him to rot in prison with Winner and Dean (I'm kind of taking that personally) actually somewhat confirms his skewed worldview of Tony being an inescapable reality.

And much like Kenta himself, I'm also still not over PeteKenta so I wonder how and if that will factor into everything - especially since with Way (presumably) still alive Pete again has the choice between two poor little meow-meows who are (un?)willingly trapped on the wrong side of things. Because he will try to save them both. It's just who he is (but yes, I'm also here for PeteWay so I don't mind either way; all I know is that the angst will be delicious).

I'm also just really excited for the baddie squad in general. We have Dean who's pragmatic and ambitious (and looking really good while doing his evil little thing), Winner who's making squeaky clown shoe noises wherever he goes (I know this and I love him) and Kenta who's tragically stuck with both of them. Those are some A+++ dynamics and I already love this team-up so much. I'd watch a whole series with just these three.

Then there's the possibility of the whole announcement trailer being one big sleight of hand and maybe KentaDeanWinner (don't mind if I do) aren't evil at all but more of a Suicide Squad kind of thing (again, would watch). They could be working for Pete (and the thought of Pete possibly having read Winner's mind and still deciding to hire him is incredibly funny to me).

Anyway, I want everyone to be still alive because imagine the shenanigans! The absolute high jinks! The angst! The possibilities are endless!!

[yoificfinder]

Hello!!

I would just like to ask for Royalty au for viktuuri please and thank you! ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

every calculation falls silent by @thehobbem [T, 29K]

With an engagement arranged behind his back, Emperor Victor only wishes to have one last day for himself as a free man.

But the last thing he will be is free, once he meets someone who seems to have the exact same plans, and perhaps motivations, for today.

In Fire, In Whispers by @voxofthevoid [M, 12K]

“What do you think he meant by friendly stabbing?” Viktor asks, deceptively casual as he winds a lock of his hair around his finger.

“Sparring, probably.”

“Ah,” Viktor sighs, his disappointment loud and theatrical. “And here I thought he meant the other kind.”

Yuuri feels himself heat to the roots of his hair.

“Not here,” he snaps, hands clenching at his sides.

Viktor’s eyes sharpen, the veneer of pleasantness finally leaving his face.

“My mistake,” he says, his smile thin and icy. “You seem tired, Prince Yuuri. Let me escort you to your bedchambers.”

~

In which Viktor and Yuuri are the princes of warring kingdoms but manage to fall in love anyway.

My Love, We Deserve the Softest Eternity series by @japansace [G to E, 88K]

"A baby," Yakov gripes. "Not even a thousand yet, and he thinks he's in love!"

My Name on Your Lips by @feels-like-fire [E, 108K]

Yuuri Katsuki has been betrothed to the High King's son, Victor, since he was just a child; furthermore, as an omega, he's forbidden from practicing magic in combat. For years, he's been able to put off the former because the Prince was traveling abroad, and gotten around the latter by practicing with his mentor in secret.

Now Victor Nikiforov has finally returned home, and Yuuri is being summoned to the capital for their wedding. He needs a plan to put off marriage long enough to find a way to break the betrothal, while keeping his practicing from being discovered.

If only the Prince didn't have other ideas.

(Or, the swords-and-sorcery arranged marriage AU. Updates weekly.)

On Your Every Word by @stammiviktor [M, 71K]

It starts, as most things do, with an extravagant banquet.

"Dance with me?"

He’s holding out his hand. It’s an offering, an invitation, and a dare all in one.

The onlookers part and a blinding smile graces the dancer’s lips.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

(A Royalty AU, with a twist)

The Phoenix Lives by velvetcadence [E, 5K]

Prince Yuuri has banished yokai from the world. Now home from his travels, he must navigate another adventure: his arranged marriage to Prince Viktor Nikiforov.

But Prince Viktor is hiding a secret, one that may upset the fragile state of their marriage.

Please Leave a Light On When You Go by adjit [T, 19K]

Everyone knows tales of princesses trapped in towers and guarded by evil dragons, but, actually…

Yuuri is here by choice, thank you very much, and Phichit is quite a nice dragon, all things considered. It’s just that the knights who keep trying to rescue him don’t seem to be getting the memo.

And then there’s Sir Nikiforov, just another knight like the rest, except that he’s not. Because after he realizes that Yuuri is not, in fact, in need of rescuing, he drops it. And stranger still, he decides to stay.

the promise i'll make series by lily_winterwood @omgkatsudonplease [M and E, 102K]

When Crown Prince Yuuri of Japan escapes his army of minders at his Saint Petersburg hotel, he thinks he’s found the opportunity to explore the city as a commoner. When investigative journalist Viktor Nikiforov discovers the Crown Prince of Japan on a park bench in Saint Petersburg, he thinks that he’s found his ticket to redemption at the magazine he writes for. But like the stories of those stranded during the White Nights after the bridges go up, neither of them had anticipated falling in love. (Roman Holiday AU)

Roses of May by @cuttlemefishwrites [E, 47K] *WIP

At age five, all children are assessed for talent and beauty in the City of Hasetsu and the other eight cities of the Empire. Every year, five are branded with the mark of a rose before being carded off to the Emperor’s palace where they are trained to become Roses, or sacrifices to be sent every May to the Ice Spirit that lives in the castle at the top of the mountain. Roses never return, except for Katsuki Yuuri, who shocks the Empire when he appears again two years after his departure with a silver crown on his head and a blond baby in his arms, demanding the Emperor step down or face the wrath of his husband, the Ice King. But, not everything is what it seems.

The Dragon Prince and the Winter Son by @sophia-helix [E, 121K]

Yuuri Stark is a noble son of the north, returning to Winterfell in disgrace after the latest disappointment in his checkered tourney career. He hasn't given up his dream of becoming a knight, but maybe it's time to find himself a new path, settling down at home.

Prince Victor Targaryen is the greatest swordsman in Westeros, but he no longer finds joy in competition. Things are uneasy in King's Landing, where politics are shifting and dangerous, and he seizes the chance to escape north in search of the young man who came so close to beating him in a tourney last year — and was so beguiling at the banquet afterwards.

Together they begin a journey to the great tourney of Harrenhal, with intrigue, honor, friendship and love along the way...and inevitable political conflict ahead.

(A Game of Thrones fusion with 90% less grimdark)

Technically Arranged by @ajwolf84 [E, 78K] *WIP

Yuuri is a tech genius working in Silicon Valley, but he never would have gotten this far if not for the support of the Russian Royal family who offered him a full scholarship to the elite Rostelecom Academy and have been supporting his education ever since. Of course, this help didn’t come for free. He’s now considered a member of the Royal family, which isn’t so bad, other than the inordinate number of weddings he has to attend. There’s also the small stipulation that he is technically a candidate to become the Prince’s consort, but that’ll never happen…

The Tsesarevich Lives by mothedestiel [E, 50K]

An Anastasia AU. Victor is an orphan with no name, no family, and no memory of a time before he was ten years old. Could he really be the missing Nikiforov heir? An adventure across Europe with two conmen will lead him to the answer.

The Vastness of Space by @shysweetthing [E, 17K]

As chief communications officer on board the Interstellar Alliance Fleet’s Star Ship Victory, Yuuri doesn’t have to think about who he actually is on his home planet. He just has to listen to his captain, do his job, and…not fall in love with his best friend, the ship’s science officer, Victor Nikiforov.

Well. Two out of three’s not bad.

Then his mother calls with the worst possible news: She, the Empress of New Nihon, has arranged Yuuri’s marriage.

There’s only one thing Yuuri can do: Fake a boyfriend, and fake one fast. Who better/worse to play that role than the friend he wishes was more? What can go wrong? It’s not like Yuuri can fall more in love...

With Two Hands by whatsup_buttercup [E, 28K]

“Do you think he’ll let you get a picture with him?” Phichit’s voice comes through distorted by the long chain of communications systems and the great distance between them.

“I imagine some official photos might be taken,” Yuuri offers.

“You should try to work ‘I became a translator because of you!’ into conversation. You know, casually.”

Yuuri takes a large sip from his mug of tea, refusing to be baited. “We’ll see.”

Yuuri Enchanted by the__magpie / @wecalleverythinglove [T, 58K]

At birth, Yuuri Katsuki was given the gift of obedience, although he quickly learns as he grows up that it is a curse. He has to obey any command given to him, even if it puts him or others in danger. Too afraid to face the terrifying outside world, Yuuri stays in his home town of Hasetsu, until a chance encounter with Prince Victor urges him to venture outside of his safe bubble. Determined to break his curse, Yuuri begins on an adventure involving fairies, ogres, true love, and courage he never knew he had.

-----

Other people's rec:

Equivalent Exchange by writingfromtheshadows

The Nature of Things by Zombubble

Thanks for the rec, @tanouska, @kittygoeswoof90! 💙

[knightotoc]

Season 1: 23rd century, mutiny, Federation-Klingon War, T'Kuvma, Ash/Voq, L'Rell, Captain Lorca, giant tardigrade, Sarek, logic extremists, Vulcan Expeditionary Group applications, Admiral Cornwell, time loop Harry Mudd, Pahvo, Mirror Universe, Captain Killy, Culber dies, Emperor Georgiou

Themes: betrayal, trust, good vs evil

Season 2: Captain Pike, Red Angel, seven signals, Spock's nightmares, Jett Reno, Terralysium, Amanda Grayson, L'Rell and Ashvoq's baby, Section 31, Leland, the ghost of May, the Sphere's data, Culber gets better, Kamina, Talos IV, Control, Airiam dies, Klingon monastery, time crystals, Queen Po, jump to the future

Themes: motherhood, secrets, corruption

Season 3: 32nd century, the Burn, Book, trance worm, Aditya Sahil, Zareh, Captain Saru, Tal, Adira, Gray, Trill, Admiral Vance, seed archive, Nhan, Ni'Var, Qowat Milat, T'Rina, Kwejian, the Emerald Chain, Osyraa, Carl, goodbye Georgiou!, Su'Kal and the holograms, Burnham demoted then promoted, dilithium deliveries

Themes: grief, scarcity, transphobia?

Season 4: Captain Burnham, President Rillak, the DMA (cough covid cough), Kwejian destroyed, Gray resurrected, J'Vini, cadets stranded on the moon, Ruon Tarka and Oros's parallel universe, Felix and the orb, Gray and Zora play a Trill board game, Species 10-C, Book's betrayal, hydrocarbon emotion math language

Themes: misunderstanding, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" references

Season 5: Progenitors, Moll and L'ak, solving riddles to make a map, Q'Mau, Fred, Rayner, Lyrek, Adira and Gray break up, Jinaal possesses Culber, time bug, the Breen, atheism on Halem'no, racer Tilly, Ravah, Ruhn, Eternal Gallery and Archive, Hy'Rell, Tahal, wedding and finale

Themes: romances, religion, power

[myers-meadow]

Aftermath of the Amulet of Bhaal: Halsin x tav

Title: Aftermath of the Amulet of Bhaal

Pairing: Halsin x tav/reader.

Summary: After killing the hollyphant and impressing the Murder Tribunal, you've gained the Amulet of Bhaal. Perhaps you should've taken a different path to getting to Orin and getting Lae'zel back, but you didn't. Now you're at camp, bloodied and disgusting, and you only want Halsin.

Based on my playthrough and my tav, who is a tiefling. I describe that they have long hair and horns. The smut is vague enough that no descriptors or anatomy is described. Established Astarion and Halsin romance.

Warnings: 18 +, mild smut at the end. Tav is not a good person.

Wordcount: 1800

Divider by Saradika-graphics

You return to camp covered in blood. The jitters of fear still have you feeling jumpy, and all your companions show their disapproval at the most recent completed quest. The amulet of Bhaal hangs heavy wrapped around your wrist. It would take nights upon nights to forget their expressions, their words. Astarion, who was with you as you bathed in the Murder Tribunal's pool of blood, seems less shaken. Somehow, despite sharing so much with him, you keep away that night. You yearn for another's comforting words. The only one you can stand right now is Halsin.

"I hope aquiring that amulet was the lesser of two evils," is all he says, and his tone holds the faith he has in you. It's more than you deserve.

You sigh heavily, feeling his eternally kind gaze on you, his desire to want to assume the best case scenario. "I'm- I need a bath. Will you join me? If you don't mind, I'd like to have your company."

When he silently agreed, a great relief washed over you. Not feeling up for soiling the waters of a bath house with the amount of flaking blood that dried on your skin and in your hair, you opt for the river, quite a ways outside of the city. It was a secluded spot, just over the hill, the part of nature you camped nearby before reaching the outskirts of Baldur's Gate. Halsin senses your desire for quiet, and he doesn't break the silence between the two of you. Wading in the river is almost a shock to your system with the cold of the water. Halsin stays behind on the river bed to undress properly, but you don't bother. Only after you got the worst of the blood from the armour did you take each piece off. The blood's seeped into every small crevice it seems. What you don't take off, is the amulet. Taking care not to wet your hair, you scrub thoroughly. Your mood improves as the water around you tints pink.

Halsin looks at you curiously, and you raise your eyebrows at him. You lean down to splash your face with water.

"Is it better now?" you ask, wiping the water from your eyes and rubbing behind your ears.

"Well..." he says, trying to find a kind way to say it, "your hair is still red."

"Oh." is all you manage. "Of course."

Then you laugh, and he joins you. You wade to the riverbed to undo the ribbon and the pins and let your hair down, untying the long braid.

"Have the others told you what happened?" you ask, with your head upside down, scrubbing at your scalp.

"Only the basics." He's letting you tell your side of things. A pang goes through you as you realise his consideration for you, his trust.

"We found Sarevok, who is... frightening. I don't even remember the conversation, I was too distracted by how to get through it. Maybe he got me wrong, perhaps the Emperor interfered for Bhaal to have deemed me worthy, or perhaps I have indeed killed as many as they deemed enough." You flip your hair back and look your lover in the eye. "Gods know I've killed more than my share."

You finish up washing your hair, wringing it out as you step onto the grass. Halsin is waiting for you, sitting up, leaning on his elbows. Usually, you'd be eager to drape yourself atop of him, skin to skin, but not now. There was more to be said.

"Somehow I convinced Sarevok of something evil, and he said I was worthy of becoming an 'Unholy Assasin'. As amusing as the title is, long story short, I killed the hollyphant and he had me bathe in a pool of blood."

Your love nodded. He reached out to pull you to him, and you gladly fell into his arms.

"We weren't even looking for the murder tribunal, we were just looking to get Lae'zel back... None of us were prepared to fight, but that doesn't even matter." Finally you force yourself to look at him. Take his head in your hands. "You expected better of me. Better, like we did in the Shadow-cursed Lands, in Moonrise. I've disappointed you, and many of the others."

He presses his palm to your hand, leaning into your touch like a dog eager for praise. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. You were there, we weren't, we have little right to judge."

You recoil at his words, his understanding tone. "No! Halsin- no. By all rights, you should break up with me. I killed a holy being! This is not the person you admire. You and your big heart... You like me because I didn't take the easy way out back then, you liked my courage, my determination to do what was right. Truthfully, this is who I am. I knew it was wrong, and I knew I should have pushed through, no matter how scared I was of Sarevok, but I didn't. We've fought worse foes, with worse odds. Yet I took the easy way out, just because it was the path of the least resistance."

He remains silent after your tirade.

You scoff (recognising the same tone that Astarion uses when you're kind to him, he's rubbing off on you). "Your heart is too big."

"If it's so big, there certainly is space for you." He seems unperperturbed.

Somehow, through the anger, falsely directed outward, a sob shakes your shoulders.

"I'm not a good person." You wipe at your eyes. Halsin's thick arm encircles you as he pulls you to his warm chest. Skin on skin.

"You always tell me I should be more selfish in what I want," His voice is light. Then, just a murmur right by your ear; "you should trust me more, in my judgement, in my loyalty."

You smile bitterly. "If you know me so well, you know I'll let you do anything. Even though you deserve better, I'll forever be the selfish one."

With a big hand on the back of your head, he holds you steady as he kisses you deeply. He keeps it up until he's completely stolen your breath away, heaving chests pressed against each other, lips to a forehead, silence and the moon and the trees reflected in the river besides you.

As soon as you open your mouth to say something else, to object to his kindness, he kisses you again, deeper, until you're clutching your arms around his neck tightly. With his free hand, he pulls at your skin, kneading lovehandles, waist, thighs, breast, shoulderblade. You feel mallable when you're with him, but in a good way. Like clay that can be so beautiful if it's treated right, if someone were to look past the grey shapelessness, to see your potential. Not like with Astarion, you can't help but think, as Halsin sucks on your tongue. Halsin growls softly. With Astarion, you feel like a puppet, a doll for him to dress up, to have you positioned on a shelf all nice and sweet, waiting for him to come by and take you down and play with you.

Halsin allows you to pull back, you're panting hard.

"Halsin..."

"Say you'll have me. Say you'll be mine," he says, breathless. "Allow me this selfishness, if nothing else."

You smile and nip at his lip. With how tightly you're pressed against him, you feel the jut of elbows, and are surprised to realise that that limb is yours. "Anything for you."

He laughs deeply now, his joy juts at your belly. You're warmed by the realisation that perhaps his words are true. His affections and arousal certainly feel as true as anything. The kiss turns hungrier, it grows teeth. You tug at his hair, and let him consume you. He's fond of your horns too, using them to guide you to him again and again. With a hand wrenched in between your bodies, you touch his weeping cock. Are you in his lap? It feels like it, but the world is spinning. You'd only have to lift your hips and sink down on him...

"Fuck, I don't deserve you," you curse, brows knitted together, Halsin bites at the tender flesh of your neck. It feels like completement. Like a reward for something good you must've done in a past life. Everything but him fades. His hot breath on the shell of your ear makes you whine. He's so beautiful.

"I'll have you forever, if you let me," he says. He tastes you again, deeply, deeply. You're not exactly setting a pace, as both of you are too concerned with being close, but somehow it feels better than anything in the world. You moan instead of answer.

"More, more..."

"It's never enough for you, is it?" He laughs. Perhaps there is a mean streak in him yet.

He fulfills all your wishes. His fingers dig into your hips painfully, adding edge to the pleasure. You need him to be your rhythm, your heartbeat. After another wet, messy kiss, he blinks up at you and the gold shows through. It drives you wild to see how much he's still holding back, even as he's leaving bruises in his wake. The pleasure grows and grows, stretching thin like a worn down thread - until it snaps. It happens so suddenly it makes your head swim. He follows not long after, chests bumping into one another. Sweat sticks to your shared skin, like two slugs who've temporarely become one, fluid dissolving the barrier between you.

Halsin lets himself fall backward, taking you down with him, and you laugh. Still, he holds you close, arms wrapped around you. The soreness sets in immediately after, as the glow fades. When you move your head to look up at your lover, you feel the love bites he left behind. Nothing ever disgusts him, you think, not the sweat, nor the drool, nor the blood. With a finger, you trace the features of his face. Sweat cools in the night air. He smiles under your attentions. You wonder if he loves you. You wonder if he knows just how fond you are of him.

His voice is a rumble as he speaks again. "Do you see now, my heart?"

You hum something that doesn't mean anything, but somehow that is enough for him.

"Kiss me," he says, voice but a whisper. Hazy, you lean up and kiss him properly. He lets you take the lead this time. After, you rest your head on his chest, his chest hair soft against your cheek. He plays with your hair, traces your horns. Sleepiness overcomes you, and your love shushes you until you've slipped away entirely.

[reallyhatethiswebsite]

wip wednesday

thought i would do this since it's gonna be really hot again over the next few days and heat always makes me super sick (i wouldn't last 5 minutes in avernus lol)

for context it's part of a fic i thought to write since i felt like i didn't fully explore the Raphael-hunts-Tav request i got from a lovely person (and i also wanted to write something dark again since i am not good at it)

welcome to me writing mean and angry raph lol (tbh can't be sure if i will finish this)

thank you laura for labbing raph's dialogue with me ❤️

-

“Why would a power-hungry magelet with a chip on his shoulder abandon decades of ambition for some little bint he found on the roadside, when he could have hundreds – thousands of warm and willing holes to wet his cock with if he becomes a so-called god? Do you think you’re worth that sacrifice? Does Gale think you are? I’m sure he says lots of sweet things when he’s inside you, just as I’m sure he said the same things to Mystra, and we all know how that worked out…”

“Stop,” Tav begged. Sobbed.

“No,” the devil sneered. Utterly merciless. “It’s high time you faced the reality of your actions. You have doomed a future for the githyanki free from tyranny, you have doomed your friends’ chance to escape the emperor’s machinations, and you have doomed yourself, sweet pet, to reap what you sow – all for the sake of a man who rolled over you because you were the first woman in years to say yes. You wanted to enter my house without permission? Then you’ll stay for eternity.”

“You can’t keep me here!”

“I think you’ll find I can, girl,” Raphael rasped, malicious, quiet. His gaze flayed her alive, peeled away layers of skin and muscle to stare at her very soul. “For in this house, in this pocket of Hell, I am the master, and that means I can do whatever I want.”

A sick, bitter pill to swallow: he was right.

“Fine!” Tav laughed maniacally, the futility of the situation driving her to anger. “Fine, you evil bastard! I suppose you’ll have a pet squid soon, then. Have you always wanted one of those? Was it a boyhood dream, if you were a boy once? I hear ink stains are a bitch to get out of silk rugs.” As soon as she said it, Tav wished she had kept her mouth shut. She’d done everything wrong since entering that portal. Everything. Raphael’s shrewd yellow eyes narrowed as he considered something. Tav watched him raise his fingers, ready to snap, with dawning horror; if he did this, she wouldn’t just be stuck with him forever. She would owe him forever. A fate so much worse. “No! Wait! You don’t – I’m sure I won’t transform! It’s different in Hell, right?!”

“I’d rather not take the chance,” Raphael murmured, enjoying this moment of despair. “I’m not too fond of tentacles, you see. And besides…I promised I could be your saviour, didn’t I? Even though you hardly deserve it, but I’m nothing if not magnanimous, after all.”

CLICK. Such a small sound heralding a monumental, irreversible change.

Agony. The likes of which Tav couldn’t comprehend. Her skull splitting apart, bursting from the inside, her brains chewed up and spat out, eyes and teeth and tongue destroyed, sinuses burning…it only lasted for a few brief seconds, maybe, but the next thing she knew she was on her hands and knees. Frothy blood and bile oozed from her nose and mouth. Her body shook violently. Her head felt like it was full of water. She wasn’t sure, but she might have pissed herself a little bit. She stared up at the devil through bleary wet eyes and saw him watching her. Savouring her suffering. Floating in his palm was her tadpole, sluggish and covered in gore. Covered in her brains.

“Hmmm…I suppose I could have used less force for the extraction,” Raphael mused, unapologetic. He squinted at the ugly cosmic horror larva with disdain. “I was lead to believe these things were near-impossible to remove. Clearly not. Such weak magic. That worthless boy still has a lot to learn.” He curled his fingers inward and the tadpole caught fire, writhing and screaming as it died. Rendered to ash. Then he smiled at Tav, placid, almost business-like, as if he hadn’t just up-ended her entire existence. Her suffering had greatly improved his mood. “There we are. Now you won’t have to worry about those lovely guts of yours dissolving any time soon. Not before I get to sample them, at least.”

“I’d rather be a mind flayer,” Tav slurred quietly. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She felt hollow. Without that tadpole – as awful as it had been – she couldn’t reach her friends or even the emperor to beg for help. She knew they were pragmatic. They’d realise something went wrong and cut their losses. They wouldn’t risk storming this infernal psycho’s little castle to rescue her, not when the elder brain was so unstable and they were so close to vanquishing the Absolute cult, but at least pretending it was an option would’ve given her something to hold onto. 

“And ruin that delightful complexion of yours? Perish the thought.” The devil reached to wrap one big paw around her forearm and tugged her upright. Tav was too weak to pull away. She barely stayed on her feet. The room and everything in it swayed. Until it was forced to stop by his hot clawed hand holding her jaw firm. Raphael’s image swam into focus. He gently turned her head this way and that. He was examining her; examining his new property. “Can’t fault the magelet’s taste. You are a pretty little thing. And now you’re my pretty little thing.”

He pushed his thumb into her mouth. She could taste the sulphur and hellish magic even over the copper sticking to her gums and teeth. She bit him, tried to, but Raphael wasn’t phased. He dug his thumb claw into her tongue instead, pressing until he pierced the muscle, until Tav cried out. Fresh blood welled from the small puncture wound.

“Behave,” the devil simply said, like he was talking to a naughty puppy. 

“Never,” Tav spat. Raphael seemed to like that answer, if the sparkle in his eyes and his rich chuckle were any indication. 

“Oh, you’ll learn, my little mouse. One way or the other.” He dragged his thumb out of her mouth, smearing blood and spit across her lips. His pupils expanded as he looked upon her. He found this arousing, Tav realised, more repulsed than she’d ever been in her life. 

“You make me sick,” she hissed. 

“You have no idea just how sick I could truly make you,” he purred around a sinister smile, “but we have all the time in the world for that, don’t we, pet? Thanks to you, I’ve got a lot more work to do now. Plans to tweak, contingencies to set up, that sort of thing. I don’t expect you to understand, but unfortunately it means I won’t be able to break you in quite yet. But fret not, you shan’t be alone. Haarlep can keep an eye on you until I return.”

[punderdome]

The Fine Print

Ok, so this is the first of many things for me: this is my first fic, this is my first time writing romance (no I do not count whatever weird smut I tried to write at 13) , and I've literally never posted on Tumblr, so you're going to have to just help smooth the edges a little. I would love any amount of help, but here is my first chapter and it's a good thing it's SFW

Major edit: The exposition (Chapter 1) should read a little bit differently now and a lot clearer. Huge thanks to @bitethedevil, @a-true-neutral, and @mslanna for help with tons of different things like writing structure, POV, and tumblr in general. I was able to start many of their corrections for Chapter 2, but I went back and gave another round of polish for Chapter 1.

Read on AO3: [Chapter 1]

Synopsis:

Rapidly running out of options, Tav signing Raphael’s contract was the only way to free herself from the tadpole and defeat the Elder Brain and save her love from his eventual ruin. She should have paid closer attention to the wording of the contract before she signed it. Now, Tav gets more than she bargained for, and the devil has come to collect.

Chapter 1: The Devil's Den

The Devil’s Den.   She had met with Raphael many times before but was never filled with this much dread.  He was some sort of evil cambion bard, verbose but not foreboding, versed in iambic pentameter not ill-omen.  He was rhymes and lullabies, cherries and sulfur.  He seemed like he should be a character in a play whispering out his dastardly plans to the audience while standing on stage right.

The desperation of the Illithid voice in her mind raged and howled as she walked across the balcony to the ornate door carved with the likeness of a devil.  The rage shivered down every vertebra one after the other, demanding to be heard.  She refused it.

“What are we doing here?” Gale demanded.  “You can’t honestly want to make a deal with the devil.”

Tav eased him gently, running her hand down the Karsite scar on his chest.  “He helped Astarion understand the Rite, he might have other information at a price we’re willing to pay.”  She knew what he wanted the last time they visited: the Crown of Karsus.  Gale’s latest obsession.

“You know what he wants,” Gale pounced.  “He wants the Crown.”

“And my Prince requires rescue.” Lae’zel reminded him firmly.  “The perfumed trickster inside will provide us the means to rescue him for only a small price.”

Gale’s jaw clenched firmly.  Ascension.   She knew Gale thought that would solve all their problems.  In his mind they would be together for eternity, wanting for nothing, infinite in power.  Gale had dreamed of what Goddess that Tav would become.  At night, when they lay together, he told her of his imaginings of her as the Goddess of Regrowth.  The Goddess of Winter.  The Goddess of Snow.  She was all of these goddesses, currently residing in flesh in his mind, and he wanted her to pick one.  He would trace the path of her white scales on her human form and regale her with stories of how much they would shine when she was with him in Elysium.

“This deal will only spell trouble for all of us,” Gale countered.  “You will save your people from the Grand Design only to doom them further.”  Tav could feel the pinpricks of the Emperor’s eager agreement to her paramour, but she did not care to remind him mentally that he never gave a shit about Lae’zel’s people or any of them at all.

Raphael’s prior deal had been tempting.  They would gain the tools needed to defeat an Elder Brain and would finally be free from the looming dread.  The Grand Design would be over.  Raphael even promised to throw in a lavish dinner at the House of Hope at the conclusion of their adventure, allowing her band of mighty heroes to celebrate their victory in style.

Gale couldn’t ascend.  Gale couldn’t have that power.

Gale couldn’t leave her.

She took a quick look behind her and saw the panic on his face.  He was trying to hide it behind a mild scowl and his glorious beard.  Tav knew Tara hated that beard, but she melted every time the lips within went to her neck and the bristles tickled.  He quickly shook his head in warning not to knock at the door.

Tav didn’t want to lie to Gale, but she knew the terrible row they would have if she told him the truth.  She had come to read Raphael’s deal, and likely, sign.  Their terrible predicament would have a path to resolution.  A path to redemption , Raphael had called it.  Forceful eviction of their other tenant.   She had purposely left Wyll and Karlach back at camp, knowing how disapproving they would be of what was about to occur.  She wanted to have left Gale back as well, but he forcefully demanded that wherever his beloved went, so he too would go.  So, she reluctantly agreed to drag him along to a meeting that would break his heart and destroy his dreams.  The dread pooled deeply in her abdomen.  This was the only way to be free of the tadpole - or it was the only way that relieved the guilt at her lack of faith.

Lae’zel stood proud, eager for her to knock on the door and grant her the path to Prince Orpheus’s freedom.  When Tav hesitated, she urged her on.  Enter.  Go.

Tav could feel the sweat on her palms.  She took a deep breath and whispered silently to herself.  You know Infernal.  He won’t be able to trick you with hidden loopholes.  She researched Cania and Hellfire magic at the university, though sorceresses were often not accepted in academic circles.  Her research was about to be put into practical use, though she wished the stakes weren't so high.

Gale’s face had drifted from furious into stony.  His rage had hidden but not extinguished behind his eyes.  He knew they were there about the Crown, despite whatever story she tried to tell him. 

Tav ignored his gaze and placed three firm knocks on the door.

She had to do it.  Gale would just have to deal with the consequences.

“Come in,” the deep voice purred from behind the door.  Tav opened it and entered.

“Ah, my most cherished client.” Raphael’s face was smug.  He was wearing his human guise and gave a grand gesture of welcoming with a smile.  “Please, please, come partake of the Devil’s Den where we have no shortage of sins to enjoy.”

Raphael strode to his desk, crossing his legs as he lounged in an ornate chair behind it.  He gestured again to three ornate chairs opposite him.  Tav seated herself in the center, but both Gale and Lae’zel elected to stand.

“Now tell me,” he purred.  “What can I do for my most favored client?”  He cocked a brow and leaned back, relaxing into the silence.

Tav wasn’t going to be put on the back foot so early into a negotiation.  She leaned forward and rested her head in her hands.  “I thought you always claimed to be a good host.”  Raphael’s eyes narrowed before widening again with a smirk.  He snapped and a bottle of wine appeared with four goblets.  He waved and a mage hand poured and served each glass.  Tav took hers but the the mage hand had to leave the other two in front of Gale and Lae'zel.  Tav and Raphael each took sips from their own goblets, but the ones before the other two were left deliberately untouched.

“I imagine you are not just the famished coming to feast, but there is a reason you have come knocking at my door.” Raphael countered, now that his abilities as host could not be challenged.

“We have come to deal,” Lae’zel finished for her.  “We have come to negotiate for the Orphic Hammer.”  Raphael’s brow lifted quickly and his smug smirk brightened.  Tav stiffened, and she thought she could audibly hear Gale turn to her in betrayal and anger.  What she had wanted to hide from him was now completely out in the open.  She was going to accept the devil's deal.  Tav tilted her head slightly to Gale and saw his face completely red and his hands shaking.  His eyes were forced closed.  Tav winced at how much this must be hurting him.

“Aha!” Raphael exclaimed triumphantly.  “Are you now?” His voice held a cocky musicality.  He always knew they would come knocking at his door, and as much as it hurt to admit it, he was always right.

“Yes, Devil.  We have come to negotiate for the Orphic Hammer," Lae'zel repeated, becoming more annoyed and impatient at Raphael's lazy interactions.

Raphael turned to Tav directly, still holding her goblet and asked again.  “You are the only one with whom I wish to make a deal.  Are you here to make a deal with me?”  Smugness radiated off of him.  Tav paused, and Lae’zel gave her a look that was surely going to result in Gith expletives if Tav wasn’t forthcoming.

She swallowed and refused to look back at Gale who was likely trying to summon multiple Scorching Rays into the back of her skull.

“Yes, Raphael, I am here to make a deal for the Orphic Hammer.”  Tav spoke plainly, knowing that any attempts at subterfuge would result in a much more complicated contract to read when the actual signing came.

Gale immediately stiffened, and she knew she there was no way to deny that she had lied to him on several occasions.  She knew him well enough to understand that his fears were contorting and consolidating into a verbose rage that probably would require a dictionary the morning hence.  He stormed out of the Devil’s Den to return to camp without another word spoken between them.  Tav hadn’t wanted him to be here for this, and she felt a heavy pang of sadness that he had decided to join.

“My Little Mouse,” Raphael started, the excitement in his voice palpable.  “Then I believe we should get started with the contract I prepared.”  He snapped his fingers and a pitch black piece of parchment appeared in his hands.  Even in his human guise, his grin widened and his eyes glowed.  Tav felt like she could feel flickers of his cambion gaze break through his glamor.  He handed her a document aglow with the fiery runes of an Infernal contract.

“I had this prepared for you, in hopes you would return.”  Raphael rolled up the scroll and passed it to her.  She unfurled it, starting to read the runes within.  The infernal script danced in front of her as she tried to parse its meaning, but this wasn’t her first time reading and translating Infernal language.  She rolled it out fully over the desk to get a better scope of what legalese awaited her.  Raphael leaned over, amused at her reading.  Her fingers traced firmly over the runes, reviewing the translations.

“Do you require assistance?” Raphael taunted.  He leaned back in his chair again, waiting for a reply.

“No.”  She didn’t need his help.  He would have demanded additional clauses if she agreed to any additional services.  Raphael would never do anything for free.  The devil always received what was owed to him.

Lae’zel was waiting eagerly but impatiently.  Her armored boot tapped against the wood floors of the Devil’s Den.  Tap. Tap. Tap. Orpheus. Tap. That energy seemed to radiate from her impatience.

Tav blinked and took a deep breath, hoping Raphael wouldn’t notice the momentary lapse of focus.  His brow raised slightly, before he relaxed again, appearing disinterested.  The language was intentionally complex, written to confuse rather than educate.  She took her time and traced each rune.  She occasionally sipped at her goblet while ruminating on the meaning held within the runes.  They were sharp and jagged and angular - nothing like her Common language writing which was looping and gentle.  As with all Infernal text, the true meaning was held deeply within.

Raphael’s smile widened as she persisted.  His Mouse was a clever one.

“Shall I translate?” Raphael taunted.  They both knew that he had to be honest in their dealings, but every moment of weakness would set her back some sort of irrational and irritating demand of his.

“Raphael, I am only taking my time.” Tav breathed in and out deeply, internally trying to regain some sense of control over the accursed document while remaining calm in front of the accursed devil.  The distracting foot taps from her Githyanki colleague were not helping.

“Of course, my dearest Mouse, we have all the time of the Hells.”  Raphael sat back and continued to drink his wine.  He studied her with uncomfortable concentration as she continued to read.

“Crown for Hammer… Unable to invade mortal realms…” Tav started to roughly translate aloud as she read her contract.  Raphael raised an eyebrow but didn’t say another word as her monologue continued. “Soul collateral… Tavara Aureum.”  Tav looked him straight in the eye, though she was numb from so much horrible legal writing.  “Why just my soul?”

Raphael checked his nails uninterested in her question.  “Why would I want the others?”

“Are they safe from you if I fail?” Tav responded nervously.  The Little Mouse was fatigued and nervous, and Raphael found this state delightful.

“Would you like them to be collateral, my darling?” he responded again, still uninterested in her concerns.

“No,” Tav responded firmly.  Lae’zel gave an affectionate and approving noise, though it seemed more like a tut than a hum.

“Very well.”  Raphael finished falsely examining his nails and continued to watch his favorite client read.  She paused at the bottom of a page on some sort of footnote referencing an appendix.  Oh Gods, how many appendices did he include?

“Something wrong?” Raphael challenged.  The Mouse bit.

“No,” Tav fought back.  She thought back to all of her wizard colleagues who disregarded her because of her innate sorceress gifts of winter and storms.  Ignorant sorceresses could not study Hellfire.  Dragon Children were too spoiled to be able to truly understand Hellfire.  Raphael clearly believed in the same fashion that Little Mousies could not understand his writing.

There was one clause that caused a multitude of rereadings.  She had a hard time deciphering it and didn’t know its meaning.  “Pater….” she almost tried to sound it out, the rest of the word huddled in her chest, locked in ice.  “Pater…” she repeated again.  It was part of a line, a subclause for Raphael’s duties to her.  He had agreed to protect her something something pater something.

Tav could do this by herself, and she definitely didn't want his help.  He was not going to translate, and he was not going to read it to her like she was a child. 

Raphael watched her intently.  Lae’zel’s foot tapped impatiently.

“Give me the quill, I’m ready to sign,” she declared triumphantly.

Wordlessly and with an unreadable expression, Raphael handed her a quill and ink.  Lae’zel’s eyes burned through her as she signed the contract.  The resident devil clasped his hands in joy before snapping and handing Lae’zel the Orphic Hammer.

“Thank you,” Tav deadpanned, fatigued and still frightened of Gale’s reaction.

“Thank you, Devil.” Lae’zel didn’t bother waiting for a response before heading back to camp.  She was out of earshot before Raphael responded to her.  Delight was a new look on his face that she had never seen before.

“You are most welcome, my Lady.”

*****

When she returned to Gale at camp, he was hiding: fuming in his tent.  Tav approached him, hoping she could lure him forth so they could speak.

“Gale, please come out.  I want to talk,” she pleaded quietly, so the entire camp couldn’t hear her.

“You didn’t want to talk before, and I certainly don’t want to talk now,”  He bit back angrily.  She paused, sadness biting at her and a horrible feeling of tension lay beneath her sternum.

“Please, Gale.  Please talk to me.”  Her voice became lower, and before she realized it, she was softly begging him to leave his tent or welcome her inside.

The reply became short and stiff.  “There is nothing for us to talk about.”

“Gale…” she took a sharp breath.  “I did it for you.”

Incensed, he sharply stood up and ripped the tent flap open to stare at her in the face.  Fat tears were rolling down her cheeks and her look pleading.  Mocking, he raised his voice so everyone could hear him.  “For me?  You threw away everything that I wanted and dreamed of.  You discarded all of my gifts and all of my ambitions for what ?” His voice was now a shout, emphasizing his final question.  All of her companions in the camp turned to stare at the two of them.

“Prince Orpheus!” Tav could hear Lae’zel call from behind her.  Gale’s face became red and angry.  He was obviously not expecting a third party to intrude.

“My love,” Tav pleaded, her voice missing the any confidence she might have had at her negotiations with the devil.  The confident, competent front she wore meeting with Raphael had eroded, leaving behind only a weak vulnerability.  Tears continued to fall, freezing on her cheekbones when they hit patches of scales.

“Do not call me your love.  I gave, and I promised.  You took, and you keep taking.  You stole godhood from us, Tav.  We could have been together for eternity.”

“Gale, Mystra would have ended you.  I couldn’t let her hurt you.”

“Why will I never be good enough for you?” Gale challenged.  He prodded his finger at her, which lightly struck the sensitive patch of scales on her chest that mirrored his own scar from the Orb of Karsus.

“You were always more than enough…” Tav continued to cry, but her pleas went unheard.  Gale’s face became red again and he turned away quickly.

“I will help you defeat the Elder Brain, but then I never want to see you again, Tavara Aureum.”  He threw his hands up in a grand gesture of exasperation.  “I’ve wasted too much of my energies on you.  We will get rid of these tadpoles, and then that’s the end of us.”

“Gale… Waterdeep…” Tav started to wail.  Some sort of dam inside her broke, her magic swirled angry and chaotic.  Her fingers crusted with ice that she could no longer control.  

“When all of this is over, I am going back to Waterdeep.  You are not coming with me.” 

Gale retreated back into his tent, closing the flap with an unmistakable huff.  Tav slowly retreated back into her tent, gingerly closed the flap, and lay motionless on her side for some time.  Long after the darkness was heavy in the sky, she continued to cry hail on her pillow.