#fan in the shape of a peacock

[acrosscenturiesandgenerations]

▪︎ Fan in the shape of a peacock.

Place of origin: Ceylon, Sri Lanka

Date: mid 16th century

Medium: Ivory, horn

[here-there-were-dragons]

judging by the "fixes" they've applied to fern and i'm fairly sure also to a few other genes, they likely intend to flatten and generic-ify EVERY gene that does anything interesting with especially the top feathers portion of the wings. :/

[exuvianen]

dating hc's with dr. ratio, aventurine + blade!

headcanons about what these hsr men do in a relationship witth you <3

cw: x reader, gn! reader (no physical descriptions), mostly fluff, sfw, headcanon style

notes: hsr brainrot… ahahaha... i hope i have a fairly good grasp on these characters and wrote them well. 

wc: ~1050 words, around 350 words per character. all under the cut!

feel free to drop an ask or to add on to my thoughts! likes + rbs are appreciated  <3

✎ Dr. Ratio:

He likes parallel play, or being alone together with you. He works on his own projects, like grading papers or writing a new thesis while you’re doing your own thing, like playing video games or reading. Occasionally, he might ask you for your input, such as ideas about his next thesis or what pose he should sculpt himself into next. 

He has a spare desk and chair for you in his office. You can choose to do work or entertain yourself there when you visit him and he’s still teaching a lecture, but feel free to take a nap on the plush sofa he bought just for you. 

He will nag you about your health but in an annoyingly endearing way. He fusses over you, telling you about appropriate attire for today’s weather, offering you an umbrella, and reminding you to drink water. 

He entertains all your ideas, no matter how silly or illogical. He’ll hear you out on anything you say, though he might have some very strong disagreements or objections to your ideas, especially if they are silly or completely nonsensical. However, he never turns you away when you bound up to him with a mischievous gleam in your eyes - he just sighs and prepares himself mentally to hear whatever goofiness comes out of your mouth. 

He’s your biggest cheerleader, supporter, and advocate. Though he may come off as intimidating, he is always willing to help advance your career or work. He has many connections and vast knowledge of the universe after all - why not utilize them for his beloved? 

He’s very good at dispelling any irrational thoughts in your head. If you’re panicking and your mind is disoriented, he’ll sit next to you and hold your hand gently, but firmly to ground you. He doesn’t speak at all when you vent out all your frustration, confusion, or anger - rather, he’s silently contemplative and then asks questions when you finish talking. He’ll indirectly guide you to a solution while gently calming you down as he dispels those pesky thoughts from your head.

He makes a custom alabaster head for you. 

♤ Aventurine:

A big fan of matching accessories and clothing. You don’t need to wear the exact same outfit, but he likes wearing complementary colors and jewelry to yours.

If you’d like, he’d be more than happy to bring you to casinos and public events with him. He wants to show off to you and let you witness his wit, talent, and skill like a peacock presenting its colorful feathers. 

He likes it a lot when you trace his skin through the spade-shaped hole in his outfit.

He hates the feeling of being vulnerable, but he likes being around you. This creates conflicting emotions inside of him. Oftentimes, he doesn’t know how to deal with it and just lurks by you. Pull him into a hug to quiet the voices in his head. 

He will send you packages or luxury items from the planets he’s visiting. You’ll be greeting a disgruntled Topaz or IPC soldiers at your door as they hand you various gifts ranging from limited-edition jewelry to flowers that bloom only once every 200 amber eras. He gifts extremely grand things, but he always knows how to find things that suit your tastes.

He’s a big spender on you. If you’re unused to the amount of money he’s willing to throw at you, he’s going to give you a lot of “exposure therapy” with his generosity. He’ll invite you to private auctions, lavish galas, luxury boutiques, and high-end jewelry stores. He’ll start filling your wardrobe with tailor-made clothes with the excuse that you should match his outfits when you attend formal events together, but his clothing contributions eventually infiltrate your closet pretty deeply. 

He enjoys being pampered and pampering you. Self-care nights are a must - as a representative of the IPC and one of the ten Stonehearts, he has to keep himself presentable and looking sharp, and that goes for his partner too! He’s more than happy to spend money to fund your trips to the salon or buy you any beauty products to use at home. He’d love to put on face masks together and share a drink or two with you. 

☠︎︎ Blade:

If you want to, and Elio’s script permits, he will bring you along on missions to safer planets. He’ll drop you off at a commercial district - feel free to go shopping or try out some novelty food while he wraps up his Stellaron Hunter business.

He likes getting his hair brushed. One of his favorite activities is sitting down and letting you comb through his hair after he cleans up from a mission. It’s an activity that leaves him vulnerable, but he doesn’t mind if it’s with you.

He’s an acts of service kind of guy. He moves to take your bags before you even say anything, holds open doors, and pulls out chairs for you. Brings you a cup of water and some fruit when you’ve been working for too long, and silently drapes his jacket over you when you shiver.

Tell him you like a certain pastry and he’ll show up every day and bring some. Show him a picture of a pretty flower and he’s boarding a spaceship to bring the flower to you personally. If you want something, he’ll do his best to get it.

He’s pretty quiet, but he’ll remember everything you say, what your preferences are, and what you like. He secretly writes it down in case his memory gets murky, and he’ll often reread his notes to remind himself.

He gives simple but traditional gifts to you, such as jade bracelets and pendants, and combs and hairpins if you have longer hair to wear or use them.*

He’ll treasure anything you gift to him. If you make an accessory for him, he wears it at all times. If your gift is small enough, he’ll stow it safely in his pockets and take it everywhere with him.

If family is important to you, he’ll send funds their way and ensure that they’re taken care of. 

As someone who’s often dead and then undead, his body can get stiff. He’ll enjoy it immensely if you massage him, and accompany him for his daily stretches and calisthenics. Even if you just hold him for a while, he finds that his muscles will relax from the warmth emitting from your body. Therefore, he quite appreciates having you physically near him.

* Combs, hairpins, Jade bracelets, and pendants were given as tokens of love and affection in Ancient China. These gifts have a deeper meaning/symbolism, but for the sake of post length, I did not write them all out. 

[spookygibberish]

I really enjoy the elaborate throne designs. One thing I'm curious about is what are the fan-like parts of the headless and how do they move? Are they like feathers on a peacock and are they responsive to emotion? Are they like hard plates/ a crest? Are they fleshy?

I tend to call them petals, and they’re soft, but not squishy.The ones I draw that look like this tend to have smooth, silky skin on the front and slightly coarse fur on the back. The ones with eyes are essentially glorified eyestalks, with the ornate shape supported by mostly hollow bladders and cushioned with a layer of fat, the central stalk is further reinforced by a cartilaginous sheath. Petals mostly move by adjusting the bladder shapes via flexing or contracting a muscular outer layer, they can bend to the sides, backwards and forwards, and flatten/spread. If you smacked one it would sound a bit like hitting a melon. Some Thrones are designed to be able to use them as resonant vocal organs, and considering how big they are and how they usually have 5-6 of them at least, they would sound, in my professional opinion, really crazy.

And yes, they are expressive

[bump-inthe-night]

Vivziepop cares so little about Stella that she still hasn't confirmed what kind of bird she is. Fans have spent years trying to figure out what she is because her ambiguous design makes it impossible to tell. There have been different claims about Stella being a swan, secretary bird, owl, or peacock.

If she were designed better, we would be able to tell from that alone, but she shares the same head and beak shape as Andrealphus, a peacock, and Stolas, an owl. They all look like different variations of the same bird, despite being separate species.

What's the point of making all three of these characters different birds only to make them all look the same 🤦🏾‍♀️?

[atamascolily]

Walpurgis no Kaiten Trailer #2 Breakdown

Aniplex dropped a 35-second trailer with new footage from Walpurgis no Kaiten, so let's take a look and see what we got!

Homura falls backwards in a stained glass cylinder that contains a spiraling staircase (we'll see the whole thing in a later shot). Note that this is the doppelganger because of her headband, and that the glass has Homura's distinctive diamond sigil on it, among other things.

We finally get our dance scene--not a pas de deux, but a waltz! Headband!Homura spins Madoka around, leading the action, and she appears to have taken Madoka by surprise. Note that waltzes also involve going in a circle.

I've talked before about how the doppelganger appears to be courting Madoka in the first trailer and how I think a Swan Lake-style "choice" might be forthcoming, so add this to the evidence pile. Madoka's voice over, "I will go with hope," also seems to suggest a choice.

I'm not sure where this is located, but I think it might be Madoka's house? A house, anyway. There are photos on the walls and chairs.

Doppelganger Homura is down so bad, y'all. And can you blame her? Also NOTE HER EYE COLOR HERE, HER EYES ARE RED, not brown (key visual) or purple (original Homura). Eyes are the window to the soul...

(Red eyes automatically make me think "Incubator", but I'm withholding judgement on that until we get more info.)

HELLO VISUAL METAPHOR!! Okay, so first off, we have a fan spinning in a circle, a cross-quartered circle with a closed eye at the center (!!!) surrounded by taped cardboard holding together a box marked with the emblems of "fragile, handle with care". I feel like that one speaks for itself.

(What do you want to bet that that eye opens.... EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD IS SPYING ON YOU.)

Continuing the eye focus, here's a close-up on one of the Clara Dolls holding up a magnifying glass to enlarge their own eye. This is Ibari (Pride). Note the yellow flowers around the lower part of the glass and that Ibari's eyelash is similar in size and shape to the one on the box fan in the previous shot.

My guess is that the Clara Doll's role in this story is primarily as a group/decoration/background element rather than full characters in their own right (the chorus witnessing the action in a theater production, as it were), but I love how this shot turned out and would be happy to see more like this.

Doppelganger Homura (?) examines her reflection in a compact mirror. She has the headband, but her eyes are purple here, like the original. I think she's adjusting her appearance here--literally, if she can shapeshift--to match the original, especially since she's also missing the dark collar that characterized the doppelganger in the key visual. Note sure what is going on with her headband when I look more closely--it seems to stick out from one side of her head and doesn't lie flat??

The scallop shape and the "Dummee Venus" inscription are a little too on the nose in my opinion... Venus being the goddess of love and beauty who was born out of seafoam on a scallop shell. [Is there a Botticelli reference in the house? TBD!!]

I suppose this could be the original Homura here, but the context makes more sense for the doppelganger. Again, note the round/circle, and mirror imagery and focus on the eyes.

EDIT: I was wrong, "Dumme" is German for "fool", not a misspelling of the English "dummy", so this could be the original Homura after all. Although Walpurgisnacht is also a fool, so... I guess we'll see with more context, but I'm leaning towards Original Flavor Homura for now.

View of the spiral staircase from above... a circle combined with a straight line makes a spiral. Note that the surrounding glass has Walpurgisnacht's signature motif of "peacock tails", suggesting a connection between the doppelganger Homura and Walpurgisnacht, and that Walpurgisnacht herself appears as a circle on radar.

The staircase abruptly cutting off and going nowhere also seems like a metaphor, huh.

Balloons going free, compare to a similar shot in Rebellion where they are trapped in a glass dome where Kyouko and Homura have lunch (more on this in a bit). Boundaries and prisons are breaking down, magical girls/witches cannot be contained any longer.

"Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?" Devil Homura is torn down and overthrown. Interesting that one stocking is red-striped (or is that a ribbon wrapped around her from someone else) and the other is pure white--but with a black bow around the ankle.

Madoka enjoys a nice date with...??

(Note: this shot is in a different place from the one that immediately follows; I believe the two are deliberately juxtaposed to be misleading. More on this in a bit.)

God, I love this shot. Half a glass (glass half full, even) with their surroundings in miniature, and the glass is cracked and held together by threads of gold (kintsugi). The ring makes her a magical girl, the outfit is a Mitakihara middle school uniform, and her hair is green, so this is someone new.

also the diamond-shaped placemats juxtaposed with the circular saucer.

Hi, new character!! I have so many questions, but it looks like they really are in a teacup, or at least a different teacup--the old glass dome from Rebellion (or someplace similar) is full of trees and also flooded and now home to water lilies and lily pads.

Nagisa is spending quality time in the ball pit (insert DashCon meme here). And so is this new girl... my guess is human!Charlotte, but I don't have any evidence about that besides vibes and the way these two shots mirror each other.

I love this shot so much! Not sure what's going on, but there's Sayaka in her magical girl costume at the bottom.

Based on the similar backgrounds in these two shots, Madoka is either having tea with Mami or tea with someone else in the same space. Cake and dessert and birthday themes, a la Charlotte's labyrinth.

Feather pillows exploding on a modernist couch.

Kyouko on a pillar/table eating a piece of cake. Cranes and cityscape in the background at night.

Runes and the pages of a book. Witches coming out of a book? Or... something else? (see below)

Flash shot of Sayaka bandaged in a theater.

And here's Kyubey! On the shoulder of the pigtailed girl last seen with Nagisa, wearing the dark collar of the evil!/mirrorverse Mitakihara Middle School like the doppelganger in the key visual. Her eyes are hidden by her bangs and she's smiling. Piloe of books/records (alternate universes, if Magia Record imagery is anything to go by).

Whatever's happening, Kyubey is so in on it, lol.

The salamander representing Homura's dark orb (powers) is stabbed with some kind of metal, near a tea cup, causing it to disappear and explode. It then transforms into a shackle. That's probably not good.

(Whose arm, though? Homura is the most likely suspect, but we'll see.)

White feathers ascending to heaven, a circular vortex made of clouds and shining light, spinning, spiraling...

One of which is a mixture of black and white. This feels very significant, given my earlier predictions about "confronting one's opposite" and "people are neither nor good nor bad but a mix a both" being major themes.

Anyway, I'm sure I'll have more thoughts later, but that's my quick off-the-cuff reactions for now!

[aspiringtrashpanda]

HI TUMBLR USER ASPIRINGTRASHPANDA im a big fan of your work please keep it up!!!!!!!!

would it be too oddly specific to request raph introducing mc to hella britney spears obey me? :D

HI TUMBLR USER SHOOTINGSTARRFISH IT WOULD BE AN HONOR TO WRITE ABOUT HELLA BRITNEY SPEARS OBEY ME. 💕

Characters: Raphael, MC, appearances by Solomon and Simeon Raph shows MC his pet. pure fluff! No warnings apply

“Ah, welcome,” Simeon smiled from the doorway of Purgatory Hall. “I heard from Luke that you were coming by. Are you seeking refuge?”

You shuffled your feet, ducking your head as shame prickled the nape of your neck. “How did you know?”

His eyes squinted, that pretty jingle of his laugh filling the air between you. “I think I can see smoke coming in the direction of the House of Lamentation.” 

“Oh. Yeah, you see…” Where did you even begin to explain the domino effect that had happened this time?

“No need,” Simeon came to your rescue, gentle gaze oozing sympathy. “I know those brothers well enough to surmise what happened.”

When you winced something akin to an agreement, he ushered you inside, sheltering you from the occasionally overwhelming presence of your favorite brothers. As you toed your shoes off in the entrance, the scent of Simeon’s cooking washed over you. You may as well have turned into a cartoon caricature of yourself, floating towards the delightful smell in the kitchen. 

“Luke and I are making lunch.” As if he even had to clarify. He did, however, add, “but you’ll find Solomon and Raphael in the living room,” which was basically Simeon for don’t bother trying to help.

Making the familiar turns throughout the first floor, you lifted a hand to wave at Solomon and Raphael, only to drop it to your side when you found them. The two men stood side by side, folding laundry. Or, more like Solomon was hauling clothes out of a basket, molding them into a roughly square shape, and placing them on the coffee table… Just to have Raphael re-fold them right beneath his nose, with piercing eye contact. 

You watched for a few seconds before making your presence known. There was a twinkle in Solomon’s eyes, a twitch to his neutral lips that had you wondering if he was intentionally ruffling the angel’s - currently withdrawn - feathers. 

Solomon’s amusement was lost on Raphael. You were certain you could see the cogs whirring in his brain beneath his ashy hair. The crease of his brow told you he had absolutely no idea how Solomon could be so bad at laundry. 

“Hi,” You broke through the silence, putting on your cheeriest smile, “How is my favorite Purgatory Hall resident today?”

As you saw the confusion give way to suspicion in their twin looks of surprise, you considered that perhaps you, like Solomon, also liked to stir the pot. It was funny, how they both straightened their spines, puffed out their chests, sized the other up while simultaneously pretending to be unbothered. Subtle peacocking, in a way. 

You would do the same to the brothers, but… Well, then you would just end up at Purgatory Hall once more, wouldn’t you? Such a taunt was sure to start another fire of some sort between the Rulers of the Underworld. 

“Well, if it isn’t my adorable apprentice,” Solomon beamed, reaching behind the laundry basket to procure a bowl of pastries. “Can I interest you in a macaroon?”

“Did you make them?” You eyed the fluffy cookies. They did look good…

“Of course!”

Never mind.

“Ah, sorry Sol, I ate before coming here and I’m stuffed.” You lied. Thankfully, Raphael’s malfunctioning tastebuds saved you from further scrutiny. He lit up like the heavens above, blue gaze sparkling like sapphires as he snagged one of the sweets.

“Truly delicious, Solomon.” Despite his praise, Raphael remained as stoic as ever. Only the slightest glimmer of joy dancing in his eyes gave away his genuine gratitude. “I must get your recipe. Michael is so fond of sweets.” 

“I’ll make sure to bake him a special batch at the end of the semester,” Solomon preened beneath the compliment, “You could send him my regards.”

And just like that, the angel’s guard flew back up, an expression edging confusion finding solace in your hum of surprise. What on earth - er, the three realms? - did Solomon want to send regards to archangel Michael for? 

As Solomon turned back to the laundry, excusing himself by claiming he had to retrieve another load from the dryer, Raphael eyed you with unveiled curiosity. You shrunk under the intensity of his stare. It wasn’t often you found yourself alone with the latest exchange student from the Celestial Realm, and you weren’t sure you would ever get used to the way he watched you so carefully. Though he rarely voiced his thoughts, his stare had a certain weight to it. One that told you that he was questioning every flex of your fingers, every slope of your lips, every shift of your limbs. Why he found you so interesting, you weren’t sure. 

As for you… Of course you found him interesting! Luke had said it himself - Raphael was the youngest angel to ever be given the rank of seraph! He was quiet and mysterious and so very guarded. You never knew just what he was thinking at any time. You could examine him for hours and you were certain boredom would elude you.

In fact, you were about to find out who would win a casual staring contest between the two of you. Almost taken aback by your confidence, there was a split second where you thought he was going to cave, his jaw clenching and his lips pursing in a pout you almost considered petulant. But then, he steeled his resolve, doubled back with a burning question in his gaze.

You had no answer for his silent inquisition, but you felt scorched regardless. 

“Hey,” He blinked slowly, forfeiting. “Do you want to see my spears?”

“Actually…” You were answering before you even knew what you were going to say. “Yeah, I do.”

“Come with me,” He nodded curtly, exiting the living room with little warning. 

Nearly tripping over your feet in your haste, you raced after him, the flutter of his Celestial Realm clothes a flash of ivory turning a corner. Your heart thudding in your chest, you felt your anticipation growing with each step. You had heard so much about his rain of spears! The terrifying display of violence that struck fear into even Belphegor’s heart!

And so, you were completely flabbergasted when Raphael spun around from the corner of his temporary bedroom, brandishing… not a weapon. 

You almost considered it anticlimactic, but the disappointment lingered for less than a second. Your brain’s buffering complete, it reached a very reasonably enthusiastic conclusion: Raphael was cradling a hedgehog. Not just any hedgehog, but a shadow hedgehog native to the Devildom. Its charcoal quills quivering under your awestruck gaze, you hit the brakes on your excitement, your index finger hovering an inch away from its curious nose.

“Can I pet it?” You whispered, even though no one had told you to keep quiet.

“He likes when you rub his forehead,” Raphael matched your volume, lifting the little mammal closer to your face.

Sure enough, the shadow hedgehog squeaked in delight as you carefully ran the pad of your finger up his nose to the patch of fur between his ears. “Is… Is his name Spears?”

Raphael looked at you incredulously, as if the answer was obvious. “His back is made of a thousand spears.”

To accentuate his point, he gently stroked the needles laid flat over Spears’s back. You smiled, “Shadow hedgehogs are known to inflate like pufferfish when they feel threatened.”

Raphael regarded you with a stern frown, “I would never harm Spears.” 

“No!” You squawked, startling the hedgehog. He hissed softly, nuzzling into Raphael’s thumb for reassurance. “I didn’t mean it like that!”

A pensive hesitance fogged those sapphire eyes. Cradling his pet close to his chest, he seemed to calculate the potential risks in his head before offering, “Would you like to hold him?”

Did you ever! Your hands shaking, you extended them towards Spears, your palms pressed together in a makeshift platform. “Okay…”

It tickled, the way his little paws scurried across your skin. His nose - wet and cold - nudged against the base of your thumb, his miniature spears raising in apprehension until he deemed your hands safe. Then, he sat still and allowed you to marvel at his pristine quills and beady onyx eyes. He was an awfully cute hedgehog. 

“You know, in the human world, there’s a musician named Britney Spears.” You weren’t entirely sure why you were bringing up the pop star. You were positive she was not to Raphael’s liking. 

“Are they any good?”

You sidestepped. “They’re iconic.”

His silence seemed louder this time, his lips twisted into the smallest frown as he watched his pet tentatively lick at your palms. With a resolute jerk of his head, he decided, “I will allow Britney to be his middle name.”

“Middle name? Like, Spears Britney… Last name?” 

“His first name is Hella.” 

“What?” You blinked. Listen, you led quite a bizarre life. From being yoinked into the Devildom, to nearly dying at the hands of Levi because you lowkey cheated at a quiz show, to actually dying in a different timeline for wanting to hug Belphie, and then to somehow becoming the apprentice of the world’s strongest sorcerer. And yet, this hedgehog’s name managed to be the oddest thing you had heard yet.

Raphael shrugged, “Solomon assures me it is a name for only the most honorable warriors in the human world.”

Your lips curled inwards, sucked by the force of your inhale. Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh.

Still, your voice wavered with amusement. “Hella…Britney Spears, the shadow hedgehog.”

“Yes,” Raphael confirmed, pride overwhelming his gaze as he gently took the little mammal from your hands. “The best around.”

The glint in his eye told you that arguing would only end in a rain of actual spears. All you could do was nod, thank him for sharing a piece of his life with you, and echo, “The best around.”

*・゜・*:.。.*.。.:*・☆・゜・*:.。.*.。.:*・☆・゜

My requests are open! Find out more HERE. Banner by the incredible @4laurus, Beel fan extraordinaire.

ALSO HERE IS HELLA BRITNEY SPEARS OBEY ME.

[thiswomansmind]

I finally got to watch Small Things Like These. I had read the book in the autumn and absolutely loved it, and couldn't wait to see what Cillian did with Bill Furlong.

What a quietly moving film.

There is no excitement, there is no crescendo, there is no thrill sequence, and yet it is an absolutely gripping interpretation of a piece of Irish history - although based on a fictional book - that has been told in different ways in the past.

Claire Keegan's book doesn't give a lot away about Bill Furlong, and neither does Cillian's performance, but what we are presented with doesn't hold back. Bill's passive and humble manner makes him an immediately likable, "paternal" character; he poses no threat, he's warm, and for some reason there is the sense that you can trust him from the start despite this lack of real revelation or outspokenness. A man so passive you rarely meet, these days.

Bill's sad backstory breeds his feelings surrounding his concern and speculation about what is happening in the Magdalene Laundry, and we get a puzzle-piece history of Bill and how it shaped him. You can see the sense of "there but for the grace of God go I.", given his mother's 'status', when he first stumbled upon Sarah, and then when he changed his and her life on his return.

One scene I was hoping to be included in the film is a wonderfully written piece from the book, where Bill and Ned sit together and Ned sings The Croppy Boy. Sadly, this wasn't featured, but there was the eluding towards Bill's parentage and Cillian played that shock and realisation incredibly well.

I was waiting (im)patiently, also, to see the scene where Bill and Eileen talk about his speculations and worries in the bedroom, wherein Eileen tells him in no uncertain terms to essentially wind his neck in. I was keen for this scene, not only because this was a cementing scene within the book, but also because of the way in which both Cillian and Eileen had talked about the intensity of it in interviews. I'll admit, I was expecting something more severe in its delivery, but it was as wonderfully understated as everything that Bill travels through the entire feature with, so it was fitting if a little underwhelming.

As with many people, I love when a film that is based upon a book stays true to it, and this is definitely the case here. Even down to the fireside scene between the holy Mother and Bill, it was like my visual interpretation whilst reading had been perfectly brought to the screen as I'd imagined it myself. Even down to expressions and inflection, Emily, Cillian and Eileen seemed to really embody the holy Mother, Bill and Eileen as Claire wrote them, and it was extraordinary to watch it.

Don't come to the film (or the book) looking for the thrilling revelations of a dark chapter in Irish History - it wasn't in the book and it isn't in the film. It skates on the outside, as an outsiders view of whatever was happening in the Laundries, and it sparks questions about your own morals and ideas, about your own choices if faced with something similar or as challenging. I would also say that if you go to the film solely as a Cillian Murphy fan from Peaky Blinders, you're going to be disappointed, but if you're a fan of his massive back catalogue of films and his softer performances (perhaps Broken, Peacock, or The Delinquent Season), then I think you'll be able to add this film in as another of your favourites. But whatever you do, don't miss out the book from your reading list.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Laundries from a different view, Eileen Walsh starred in The Magdalene Sisters as a "fallen woman" held in one of them, and you can also find a variation on that film on YouTube called Sinners. Both are from the inside of the Laundries and therefore offer, perhaps, the answers to some of the films posed questions.

As the granddaughter of an unmarried Irish couple who came to England to avoid this situation falling upon her grandmother, I found it a brilliant story. They did return to Ireland, married with two children, and then my own parents came to England in their twenties. But, I've grown up with the 'culture' and pride for Ireland, and often find love and a sense of nostalgia in Irish books and films. It's definitely going to be one I will also purchase on DVD, and I would definitely watch it through again - as with the book, which I have read through a second and third time.

[casino-lights]

So I wrote a love letter to the Wigmaker Job.

If you ever saw that snippet I posted with Illario putting on eyeliner and playfully roasting Lucanis, this is part one of that full fic! This is also the first meeting between Illario and Lidia. There's at least one swordfight, some rooftop parkour later, and perhaps most importantly, the Dellamortes fucking around at a party. A typical Saturday night for an Antivan Crow.

you can read some here or the full thing on ao3 here!

Somehow, Lucanis agreed to let his cousin help him again. Even after the mess the wigmaker job had become, he still buckled when faced with Illario’s knowing smile and a chant of please, cousin, think of all the fun we had last time! He had to admit, Illario’s presence did help time go by faster, and this job could require a lengthy wait. And besides, Lucanis couldn’t possibly keep his socialite cousin away from a ball in their home country even if he had refused.

So there he stood, dressed in the Antivan Crows interpretation of a sharp black suit, beside Illario as he peacocked in front of the mirror in the attic room they shared in the inn. Lucanis watched his cousin trace a finger along his own jawline, turning his face left and right, before smugly straightening his back and adjusting the collar of his navy brocade vest. He preened the sleeves of his silver silk shirt until they billowed just right, dangled the chain of his watch tantalizingly from his breast pocket, and fastened a feather-shaped, gem-set silver pin to the opposite lapel.

Lucanis sighed and turned away, pacing the room as Illario tightly lined his waterlines.

“You know, nothing says you can’t take pride in your appearance too,” Illario said, his voice deepened by the angle of his chin as he fanned out his eyelashes. “You could make those eyes stand out, maybe pick up more than just a target tonight, eh?”

“If you fuss over your face much longer, we won’t even get that far,” Lucanis muttered before fastening his cape to his shoulder with a silver crow skull clasp.

Illario scoffed. “Some of us actually like to display what the Maker gave us rather than hide it with that scruff you call a beard.”

“I think it suits me.”

“And I thought your jawline suited you, too, but clearly you disagreed.”

“I can still see it.” Allowing himself a smirk, Lucanis added, “You just hate that you never liked yourself with proper stubble.”

Illario rolled his eyes and turned away from the mirror. “Ah, but you did take my advice on the cape. Excellent. Shall we?”

“If you’ve finished admiring yourself, certainly.”

“I’m never finished admiring myself, cousin.” Illario winked and pulled on a pair of supple leather gloves stitched with silver thread. “But we should go before our ‘fashionably late’ becomes ‘actually late.’”

The inn was sparsely populated as they left, but the streets, as always, were bustling. Antiva City was always densely packed, especially at night, and despite the merchants’ ball being hosted nearby, plenty of people were still making their way through the district. Clearly, none of the expected guests were important enough to warrant shutting down even the nearest avenue.

As the Crows approached, they noted several carriages stopped outside the stately hotel hosting the ball. Lucanis nodded toward an especially luxurious one, lavishly decorated with purple curtains, gold trim, crystal drop ornaments, and oil lanterns.

“Our target?” Illario asked eagerly, subtly glancing into the carriage.

“Possibly.”

“You will tell me who we’re after eventually, won’t you?”

Lucanis hummed. “He’ll be upstairs in one of the state rooms. We can go up now or scan the ballroom for him - your choice.”

Illario sighed through his nose. “I would be better able to identify him if I knew who he was.”

“You never read my dossiers,” Lucanis complained. “Devi Santuono. Merchant prince - made his fortune selling jewelry to nobility, then married into it later. He deals in magical artifacts now, but he’s been known to sell fakes to less discerning clientele.”

“So… a mage?”

“Not according to my findings.”

Illario flashed a smile at the doorman as he followed Lucanis into the foyer. “Why hire the Demon of Vyrantium?” he asked, voice low enough and smile tight enough to avoid suspicion. “Seems a waste of your talents.”

“Perhaps. But Caterina mentioned a special request and a tidy sum.”

“Hmm. Upfront?”

“Upfront.”

A second doorman, guarding the entrance to the ballroom, checked their tickets and nodded at them approvingly. Illario thanked him as he held open the heavy doors for them, and they crossed the threshold into the warmly-lit, sweet-smelling room. The banquet had yet to be served, so the long tables were instead laden with punch, wine, and untouched porcelain plates, and the chairs sat mostly empty as the guests took the opportunity to mix and mingle.

Several of them turned to look at the Dellamortes as the doorman announced their pseudonyms. They resumed their conversations promptly thereafter, paying the two no mind as their chosen names were unremarkable in Antiva City’s merchant circles. Still, more than a few smiled back at Illario when he met them with his own dazzling grin.

Lucanis scanned the room, noting the many exits, clear sight lines, and profound lack of choke points. He saw no sign of the target so far, but the night was young and the crowd was thick. They had plenty of time.

Illario glided effortlessly through the ballroom, making his way toward an elven servant with fresh glasses of wine and punch on a tray. He collected a red and did a sweeping circuit of the ballroom before returning to Lucanis, and sipped his drink before frowning slightly.

“Hmm. Cheaper than I’d expect for such a nice ball.”

“Poisoned?”

Illario chuckled dryly. “It might taste better if it were.”

“No sign of the target,” Lucanis murmured as he scanned the room again. “And I think that woman over there is the passenger of the carriage we saw outside.”

Illario raised his eyebrows over the rim of his glass. “Oh?”

“Her crystal earrings and brooch match the carriage decor. Likely new money - perhaps even a client of our jeweler.”

After a swallow and another small grimace, Illario offered, “I can ask. Newly rich women love being asked who did their jewelry.” 

“Also, Lady Josephine Montilyet is here,” Lucanis added, casting his eyes toward an attractive woman in a striking lavender gown surrounded by at least half a dozen enraptured guests.

“I noticed,” Illario replied. “Looking especially lovely this evening, too.”

“And a fine draw for any wandering eyes.”

Illario barely contained a cough and smacked his lips quietly. “This gets worse with each sip.”

“Then stop drinking it,” Lucanis said with an irritated edge to his voice.

“I can’t make it obvious that I know better wines.” He drained the last of his glass in one large swallow before setting it down on the nearest table. “Here’s hoping the punch is better.”

Lucanis glared at him. “Don’t get drunk before we find Santuono.”

“Relax,” Illario soothed with an easy grin. “The evening has only just begun. Didn’t you say he’d be in his room? Why don’t we just slip out while everyone is enraptured by Lady Montilyet, kill our man, and be back in time for dinner?”

After a look in Josephine’s direction, and satisfied by the amount of attention she commanded, Lucanis nodded once, and he and Illario followed the wall to the nearest exit.

AO3

[rabbit-rays]

image 1: designs for sayer, from the podcast sayer. it is shown as a large figure wearing a blue and teal cloak with a pattern of stars and a map of typhon on the back. two drawings show it from slightly different angles, showing that the cloak appears to be empty, and a third shows it seen from behind, so the pattern on the cloak is more clearly visible. another drawing shows it from the waist up, with four segmented hands emerging from inside the shadowy darkness of the cloak, gesturing vaugely. a written note pointing to this drawing says 'tends to keep hands (and face!) hidden'. a final drawing shows it looming over a resident, showing that it's much taller than the average person.

image 2: designs for future. it is shown as a long, worm-like creature with a transparent body. inside its body a bright red nervous system can be seen. it has two arms that end in scythe-like claws and a large fan like structure with false eyes that covers its head. it is seen handing from inside of a ceiling, with most of its body concealed. smaller drawings show it with the fan on its face closed, so that it appears to have two long red antenna, sitting back with its claws held in front of it, and lunging forward with its body stretching behind it. a final drawing shows a detail of the fan on its face, showing a side view of how it opens and closes.

image 3: designs for ocean. it is a large, bipedal creature with no arms and a long neck, with a long mane of blue tentacles descending from the bottom of its neck to the ground. its back slopes down to a wave like shape. a drawing shows it walking forward, with a vaugely raptorial stance and its neck held low and parallel to the ground, and another drawing shows it perched on an unseen surface, with its head held below it. a lose sketch shows it towering over a person to show it's size, and a final drawing shows it crouched with its tail fanned out behind it like a peacock.

end id.

taking a stab at designs for the main ai!!! speaker is in the works but i havent figured it out entirely so it'll get it's own post :)

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

How do you feel about Felix?

Canon hasn't given Felix enough consistency or core elements for me to have feelings about him. Every time he shows up, he's basically a new character, meaning that I have no idea who he's supposed to be which makes it pretty hard to summon any feelings beyond confusion and occasionally annoyance.

I'm not the sort of person who delights in taking a drop of potential and shaping it into a full character in the context of fandom. I save that stuff for my original fiction. While I do a lot of fix it content, my main draw to fandom is still playing with the established characters/lore/world and so on. I want to create stories and takes on these characters that feel genuine to other fans. That's the fun and the writing challenge. I can't really do that with Felix. Canon has given me nothing solid to work with.

Let's quickly contrast him to Nino since I recently discussed how badly canon has handled Nino and how I had to do a lot of redesigning to make Nino work in my stuff. The core of my Nino redesign comes from canon because it's all firmly rooted in the fact that this guy is supposed to be Carapace, The Protector. Add in the fact that he's Adrien's best friend and Alya's boyfriend - two characters with pretty strong core characterizations - and I'm good to go. Those are strong anchors to work with!

If you removed those elements and Nino was just Adrien's best friend, then I'd probably have no idea what to do with Nino because that's a pretty nebulous role. This is Felix's problem. You can go almost anywhere with his character because nothing about him gives him a clear role in the narrative!

Does Felix care about Adrien? No idea! He's done nothing to help Adrien or make his life better, so my guess is no, but Felix is a good guy now so maybe???

Does Felix actually love Kagami? No clue, their romance is based on nothing of substance. As best I can tell, he just decided that all humans save for his mom were worthless and the show is heavily heteronormative, so he obviously wants a girlfriend and Kagami is kind of his only option unless he makes himself a sentigirlfriend. It's a very weird way to write their relationship. If I were writing this, he'd contact Kagami for some greater plan and fall in love as they worked together, but nope! We get deeply confusing insta love that starts with stalking leading to a kidnapping and ending with them together because this show is incapable of showing healthy romance!

Side note, but with how poorly they've handled Marinette and Adrien's crushes, can you imagine theses writers trying to write a setup where the male lead was actively trying to trick the female lead into loving him (which was the set-up when Felix was the lead)? I think that PV Felix would come across even worse than our current heroes do!

Is Felix okay with people using the peacock? I thought that the answer was "no," but he's happy to use the peacock for pretty mundane things, so who knows? I seriously can't tell you what Felix's attitude towards sentimonsters is. I thought that he was a freedom fighter after that moment in Strikeback where he apologized because I thought that he was apologizing to Strikeback, but now I'm thinking that he may have been apologizing to Ladybug because he was about to betray her??? I don't know, my new best guess is that he only wanted the peacock for protection and that he cares about no one outside himself and those he's deemed worthy. Most sentimonsters are just tools to him. He's basically lost all depth in this area because that would mean treating the sentimonster thing seriously and the show isn't going to do that.

Did Felix care if Gabriel destroyed the world? I don't think so. He didn't really help with Gabriel's "defeat". Felix spent the entire season knowing everything, but didn't tell anyone until it would personally benefit him. That benefit had nothing to do with a fear of Gabriel or even a desire to be a hero like one might expect since he's apparently part of the team now. We didn't even get Kagami making Felix want to be a hero who defends the world or even just a hero who helps his cousin. It was Kagami and Felix wanting to be together more openly and nothing else. Who cares about protecting the world or helping friends? We just wanna be able to go on dates and make out a bit, so can you fix that for us, LB? It's not like you've got anything else on your plate right now!

What a deeply selfish and unheroic motivation for both of our supposed heroes. Remind me, what has Kagami done to earn her miraculous? Because - as far as I can tell - she's really not suited to being a hero anymore. Season five made her look like a selfish, gullible fool.

While we're on the topic of how "heroic" Felix is, I'll also point out that, after this big reveal, Felix disappears. He doesn't help with the final fight or anything like that even though he has all the information on what was going on and a god-tier power set that could be used to free the people being controlled by the rings. Not sure if this is supposed to read as him not caring or just the writers pretending that Felix doesn't exist because letting him fight would undermine Marinette's role since Felix's powers are so much stronger than hers.

Is Felix some sort of genius mastermind? The show seems to want me to say, "yes" to this, but they've never actually written him as all that clever. Much like Lila, his plans really only work because the plot makes them work. For example, he didn't get the miraculous due to clever plotting. He got them because of shear dumb luck. Ladybug could have wielded the dog herself and he'd have been screwed. Same goes for her taking the dog back after he was done using it since he was by no means needed after they took down Risk. I still don't understand how Gabriel was able to open her summoned yo-yo or why Felix waited until the train to check if he had the real miraculous. Basically, the writers really had to warp the show's logic to make Felix's win work.

So who is Felix? No idea! The only thing I can say for certain is that he loves his mom and that's really not enough for me to work with if I want to write a Felix that feels true to canon. Almost any take on him feels true to canon at this point because he's a nothing burger. He has all of the substance of unset jello.

I was briefly excited about his character when I thought that his season four role was setting him up for something big in season five, but then he showed up in Emotion and my excitement died. What even was that episode? It's written like a mental breakdown, but it was foreshadowed in Destruction, so was it a mental breakdown or was this seriously the best plan that Felix could come up with after several weeks of plotting?

To put this in perspective, Gabriel came up with and created the Alliance rings faster than Felix came up with and created with Red Moon, a sentimonster that took him all of two seconds to create. I am unimpressed.

[death-limes]

tbh i don't think i would even be suprised if it turned out the playbills were never even produced in the first place and were just part of a scam by spindlehorse and viv to make fans spend even more money on the merch package then they already would've w/o it by making it look like the merch bundle would have more than it really has.

yeah thats partly what i meant; i was also thinking maybe they WERE gonna make it but stuff went pear-shaped in the process and they realized too late that it just aint gonna happen, but they cant refund everyone cuz tbh they probably already spent the money

but yeah i also would NOT put it past them to have just planned this from the start, like youre saying. the super-dedicated fans have shown how easy it is to treat them like garbage & then placate them with cutesy bullshit; someone as greedy and unprofessional as v*vz*epop probably sees dollar signs at the mere thought. time for a fourth cruise this year, or a third taxidermied peacock to match the first two she bragged about buying at over $6000 a pop

[chic-a-gigot]

Le Petit écho de la mode, no. 48, vol. 18, 29 novembre 1896, Paris. 1. (1.) Capote Mercédès à 7 fr. 45. — (2.) Col en castor à 53 fr. 95; Manchon assorti à 12 fr. 95. — (3.) Eventail à 4 fr. 95 et Capote Antonia pour théâtre à 5 fr. 85. Ville de Paris / Bibliothèque Forney

No. 1. (1) Capote Mercédès à 7 fr. 45. — La forme très gracieuse est en velours avec fond doré. Devant antennes en plumes de paon. Cache-peigne de roses de velours dont la nuance est au choix entre: rose, rubis, crème, paille, thé, mauve et violet. Le velours est dans les teintes suivantes: noir, tabac, rouge, émeraude, vert foncé, ciel, rose, marine, crème, vert Nil, héliotrope, violet et rubis. Le fond est doré ou en jais.

No. 1. (1) Mercedes capote at 7.45 fr. — The very graceful shape is in velvet with a golden background. Front peacock feather antennae. Velvet rose comb cover with a choice of shade: pink, ruby, cream, straw, tea, mauve and violet. The velvet is in the following shades: black, tobacco, red, emerald, dark green, sky, pink, navy, cream, Nile green, heliotrope, violet and ruby. The background is gold or jet.

—

(2) Col haute nouveauté en castor Colombie loutre très foncé, entouré d’une large bande en mouflon gris clair moucheté noir. Dos forme pèlerine légèrement ondulée se termine en pointe devant. Col Médicis, pouvant se rabattre à volonté, en castor doublé à l’intérieur en mouflon. Hauteur devant à partir du pied du col 0m40 et dos 0m30. Prix 53 fr. 95. Manchon assorti en castor 12 fr. 95. Pour le col envoyer le tour de cou.

(2) New high collar in very dark Colombian otter beaver, surrounded by a wide band in light gray mouflon with black speckles. Slightly wavy pilgrim-shaped back ends in a point at the front. Medici collar, which can be folded down as desired, in beaver lined inside in mouflon. Height in front from the base of the collar 0.4 m and back 0.3 m. Price 53.95 fr. Matching beaver sleeve 12.95 fr. For the collar send the choker.

—

No. 2. Capote Antonia pour théâtre et cérémonie â 5 fr. 85. — La forme gracieuse et distinguée est en velours; avec fond doré. Devant draperie de velours retenue par deux coulants eu perles. Sur le côté piquet de plumes frisées. Derrière nœud formé par deS coques de velours assorti. Les plumes et les coulants sont noirs ou blancs. Le fond est doré ou en jais. Nuances du velours au choix: ciel, rose, émeraude, vert foncé, tabac, loutre, saphir, turquoise, grenat, or, marine, mauve, violet, héliotrope, rubis, mousse, noir et crème. Corsage garni de mousseline de soie, de forme blouse, froncé devant, dos uni. Manche garnie dentelle. Matèriaux: 5 mètres soie, 2m50 plissé mousseline de soie.

No. 2. Antonia capote for theater and ceremony â 5.85 fr. — The graceful and distinguished form is in velvet; with golden background. Front velvet drapery held by two pearl slides. Curled feathers on the side. Behind bow formed by matching velvet shells. The feathers and runners are black or white. The background is gold or jet. Velvet shades to choose from: sky, pink, emerald, dark green, tobacco, otter, sapphire, turquoise, garnet, gold, navy, mauve, violet, heliotrope, ruby, moss, black and cream. Bodice trimmed with silk chiffon, blouse shape, gathered front, plain back. Lace trimmed sleeve. Materials: 5 meters silk, 2.5 m pleated silk chiffon.

—

Eventail Louis XV à 4 fr. 95. — Monture os ou laquée avec incrustation or et satin orné de peinture fine. Hauteur totale de l’éventail: 0m24. Nuances au choix: Rose, ciel, crème, blanc, rouge et nil.

Louis XV fan at 4.95 fr. — Bone or lacquered frame with gold and satin inlay decorated with fine painting. Total height of the fan: 0.24 m. Shades to choose from: Pink, sky, cream, white, red and nil.

[helluvapurf]

So uh, I kiiiinda forgot I had a HB-themed blog in the midst of me feeling the itch for HB redesigns... figured I'd might as well fix that with this recent Stolas family piece I did not too long ago-

(Now, as mentioned before on my DA post, I honestly have nothing against either Stolas, Octavia, nor Stella's canon designs.... Iiii just feel like as high-ranking demon birds, a lil "variety" tweaked in could lowkey go a long way the more I thought about it?)

Aaaand here, here's a quick lil rundown of what I had in mind for my own personal interpretations (AU, HC? Idk what exact term fits best but... *shrugs*):

DA Link~

For Stolas, I tried to tone down all the black & red from his previous design to a more "autumn sunset sky"-aesthetic (+ditched the big top hat 'cause like... you're a royal my dude, don't you just need a crown? lol), gave him a gradient starry cape instead of that old ripped one 'cause I always loved how the star cape looked on him from the "Ozzie's" episode, popped in some grey streaks in his hair, and then finally unified his outfit to a purple & black theme like a classic Disney villain~

For Octavia, I went with a classy "indigo night sky" vibe with lil gold accents, then shortened her hair to a fanned bob (kiiinda looking like bird wings, in a way?) along with adding some more "blended" features from her mom and dad just 'cause .3.

As for Stella... honestly I've fallen *way* too in love with the "Stella is a Swan" fan-theory ('cause yknow... she's all-white, black & pink beaked, elegant-looking but bitchy af in-person, etc.) that I couldn't resist incorporating more swan-y vibes to her design. Then I relaxed her big choppy hair to a more "refined" half-up/half-down style (+some extra feather tufts to still fit with her peacock bro Andrealphus), gave her more of a mermaid-shaped dress to fit her regal noble-lady vibe, then I simply left it a gradient pink/black in terms of colors 'cause... idk, it just reminded me alot of fancy Chanel-aesthetics~

[celestiall0tus]

So now that we've seen all the designs of the Seven Princes in Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss, what do you think of each of their designs and the designs of their sigils (which can be seen here https://www.deviantart.com/moheart7/art/Hellaverse-The-7-Sins-of-Hell-1128188249)?

I'm being asked to give my design opinions on something? Holy shit

Rolls up sleeves Let's get into this!

I'm going to cover the sigils all in one because I have no real other opinion besides I like them. I think they did an amazing job incorporating the design of the sins and condensing it down into a sigil.

Now, the real shit

Satan:

I was honestly amazed with his design. I wasn't sure what we were going to get other than him loosely being based on the imps since most of the sins seem to reflect the demons they likely created, but for the man to be a dragon is the most metal thing ever. And the western aesthetic added in was just amazing. I love the reds and orange of his skin contrasted with the dark clothing. And the fact he is so big and intimidating works so well for the sin of wrath.

Beelzebub:

My favorite out of all of them because it's just beautiful. I love the lava lamp torso and hair, doubling that torso burning away the shit she consumes so she's never truly full is just fucking genius. Add to that her hair and tail kinda look a little like honey, the fennec fox motif is cute as shit, and despite what people say, there are definite bee motifs in her design. Her larger hips and thighs to be a bee butt, her legs shaped like bee legs instead of typical hellhound legs, her little bee wings, the antenna on her ears ad eyelashes, the extra arms, it's all there. And to make gluttony a party girl? I fucking love it. Better than the boring typical depictions of a fat ass that just pigs out all the time.

Mammon:

I hate this fucker so much, but he fits greed so well. Being this big, fat cat type of character just screams typical evil business CEO man from old school media that you knew immediately was the villain. Though him being a spider wasn't quite on my bingo card still, even with all the webs around and seeing him transform.

Asmodeus:

I loved Asmodeus from when we first saw him in Ozzie's. I loved seeing him being this big ass rooster (a cock) with his fancy feathers, extra little faces in his hair/feathers, the wide ass chest, everything about him has the swagger of a peacocking rooster. Which, I will say, it might have been interesting to see him as a peacock given the flamboyance of those birds and all the fancy to attract a mate, but we got a closeted Andrealphus, so I can't complain. I will say I'm not the biggest fan of Ozzie in disguise where he's this twink ass twig. It just looks unsettling, but I mean, it works, yeah? Oh! And can't forget the fiery form he takes that is just fucking amazing. I love that his role with the fire dancer or whatever it's called for the circus Luci once ran. Lust and love burn hot like a fire and I love it.

Leviathan:

This will be quick since we only saw a little of them, but I love them. I love the two faces, the two heads, them being the freak show, their colors are just so appealing. I love how the three big envy demons we've seen so far take after each of the heads, which makes sense because envy, they'd want to be like someone else and who better than their prince? Also, side note, I love that one of the heads was into Mammon and the other was like "Uh, yeah, no." It was honestly really cute and showed they are two separate people. I really hope we see more of them.

Belphagor:

Bel is so fucking cute! I really want to see more of her because she's too stinking cute! The bits of sheep inspiration because sleep, counting sheep, though I've seen people point out there's some llama or alpaca or something else with her longer neck (can't remember which one). I would definitely need to see more of her to give a greater opinion, but for now, I think she's fucking adorable.

And, saved the best for last, Lucifer:

The man of pride, the first fallen angel, the light bringer, the morning star, Lucifer. I love the design inspiration making him based off porcelain dolls. It gives this almost innocent but unsettling look (like the dolls themselves). The apple theme of him from his apple core tuxedo, staff, and on his hat are nice touches, love the snake wrapped around his hat, and his ducktail hair. It all just wraps up what he is and is rumored to be with the symbols that became associated with him, that may or may not be associated with him. The only thing that confuses me is his place in the hierarchy of heaven. He has six wings like the Seraphim, but I don't think he was a Seraph. I thought he might be one of the Cherubim, which are traditionally just below the Seraphim, but we've seen Cherubs, but I also don't know if they're exactly the same since Cherubim have four wings, not just two. There was also the consideration of an Archangel like Michael and the others, but the Archangels are amongst the lowest on the hierarchy with common angels just under them at the bottom. Granted things are likely different in Vivzie's version of heaven, but it still leaves me to wonder where Lucifer was in the hierarchy to have six wings. Also, side note, I thought Cherubim before because of him shapeshifting into different animals to fight Adam and the Cherubim are more animal in appearance (much like some of the Cherubs in the show) and Lucifer has a snake face shape. I thought this might contribute to why Charlie almost looks more dog-like? That's a topic for another time, but yeah, I love his design minus that one element that makes me question everything.

[heytherecentaurs]

Aelwyn Abernant: New Life, Old Habits (1343 words)

Aelwyn reheated half a cup of tea from the previous morning in the microwave. It spun around in the yellow light as the arcanotech whirred, casting her in a dim glow exaggerating the undertone of her skin into a sickly jaundiced complexion. Morning moonlight pierced the drawn curtains, permeating her messy apartment with a dusty grey haze falling over her scant belongings and furniture.

When the microwave chimed, Aelwyn removed her cup of tea and sipped it—disgusting—its over-steeped bitterness clinging to her tired tongue. Her nightshirt, an oversized Fig & the Cig Figs band tee, fluttered around her thighs as she wandered her bare new apartment. Cardboard moving boxes formed a Stonehenge around her living room, flaps opened, half unpacked, their contents hanging from them.

She stared at the landlord white walls imagining future decor. She never had to decorate a home before. Following a trail of strewn clothing and a pair of glittery high heels down the hallway, Aelwyn reached her bedroom, the only fully furnished room in the apartment, complete with her sleeping houseguest.

Beneath a thin cotton sheet, a half-elven woman slept, the white sheet draped over her contours suggesting her feminine figure like an unfinished marble statue. Her long dark brunette tressed escaped the messy bun she’d hastily tied them in the night before and fanned out around her head. She exhaled a somnolent breath through her parted lips, still wearing a hint of pink from last night’s makeup.

Pushing the laundry onto her floor, Aelwyn settled on an impressive wicker peacock chair in the corner of the room, its back fanning behind her. She peered at her beautiful bedfellow, trying to remember her name—Tambourine? No. Tamagotchi? Absolutely not. Tamara? That could be it. So she couldn’t remember her name. Old habits died hard. She recalled how her skin tasted after a long night of dancing; she could draw the shape of her from memory, remember how she gambolled headlong into ecstasy with gasping trills, a melody Aelwyn composed with nimble fingers and an attentive mouth. Was forgetting Tamale's name so bad?

Her guest woke in a moonbeam crossing her body, figuring her in sensuous terrains of light and shadow. Upon waking, she sat up in bed with a quiet moan, the sheet cascading off her moonlit breasts, and as she stretched and yawned, she pushed her hair from her face, her green eyes settling on Aelwyn.

“Oh, hey, good morning, Aelwyn,” said Tumeric (that wasn’t it either), her voice possessing a seductive raspiness. Aelwyn remembered that too.

“Good morning,” she said, cradling her teacup in both hands. “I apologize, but I’ve forgotten your name.”

“Tameryn.” She slipped from the bed in search of her underwear, her lithe and graceful body enticing Aelwyn as she strode through the columns of darkness. In their amorous frenzy, Aelwyn had discarded Tameryn’s panties to the corner of the room, and her guest slid her legs into them within the shadow lingering there, the unnatural endless night plunging Spyre into darkness. “That’s all right,” Tameryn said. “We both had a few drinks.”

Aelwyn drummed her fingers on the side of her teacup, her ring clinking against the porcelain. “No, that’s not it.”

“So,” Tameryn said, pulling on her sequinned minidress, “do you wanna grab breakfast?”

“Let’s not ruin a good night with an awkward morning.”

“All right.”

“You should probably go. Your shoes are in the hallway.”

“Busy day?”

“Not particularly, no. That’s not it at all.” Aelwyn left her chair. She cradled Tameryn’s jaw as though to kiss her before letting go and retreating. “I think we should put a bow on this. Accept it for what it is.”

“What’s that?” Tameryn found her purse on the bedside table.

“A good time had by all. Let’s not waste our energy on what could be or spoil our fantastical evening with the reality of the morning after.” She guided Tameryn from the room, and picked up her guest’s sparkly high heels from the hallway floor where they sat among the clothes Aelwyn had worn the night before.

“Right. Yeah. Sure. Let me give you my crystal number,” Tameryn said as they reached the door.

“Let’s leave it up to fate,” Aelwyn replied, guiding Tameryn out the door and handing over her high heels in the hallway. “Goodbye.”

Tameryn cast a glance at a werewolf man leaning against the hallway wall with two coffees, checking his watch. He crooked an eyebrow at Tameryn before his gaze slid to Aelwyn.

When Tameryn had walked out of sight, Jawbone pushed off the wall. “That was rough,” he said. “Can I come in?”

“If you don’t mind the smell of stale sweat and pussy. Jawbone, you’re always welcome here most of the time.” Aelwyn stepped away from the door and let him in.

“I appreciate that,” he said, handing her a coffee. “If you’re being crude in an attempt to shock me just remember who I am and who I used to be. Spare me the details but you’re aren’t going to rattle me with a messy one-night stand. I remember once in Bastion City, I woke up naked on a bad air mattress with strangers on either side of me and using another stranger’s stomach as a pillow. Do you know how hard it is to sneak out at dawn when you’re sandwiched on a partially deflated air mattress? You don’t exactly make the most graceful exit.” Jawbone’s lupine nose twitched. “You weren’t kidding about the smell.”

“Let’s not talk about it.” Aelwyn sipped the latte Jawbone had brought her, its sweetness welcomed after a few bitter sips of yesterday’s tea. “Ever.”

“Fine by me. She seemed nice.”

“Tamerson? Very nice.”

“You didn’t want to see her again?” He leaned against a tower of boxes.

“I can’t really do nice long term. If we run into each other, I’d be happy to rock her world again.”

“Given how that goodbye went, that seems presumptuous.”

“I may not be the Elven Oracle but it doesn’t take divination to know she’d come back for more.” Aelwyn climbed onto a cluttered sideboard and crossed her legs, almost flashing Jawbone unintentionally. “What are you doing here?”

“Checking in. Came to help with the move. First time living on your own can be daunting. Figured you could use a hand.”

“I can handle it.”

“I know that, Aelwyn. I’m not here because I think you can’t handle it alone; I’m here because you don’t have to. I understand Mordred wasn’t your jam, but you’re a member of our little community whether you live at the manor or not. We know you haven’t got much of a support system left and Adaine’s off with the other Bad Kids saving the world, but you’ve got people who care. And if you need help… well, I know it’s not easy for you to ask for it, but I’ll tell ya, it’s ease for us to give.

“Shut up, Jawbone.” She smiled and sipped her latte to hide it.

He held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, it’s just how it is, kid. Why don’t you get dressed, probably shower first because it’s not just the room that smells okay, and I’ll take you out to find some furniture. Looking a little sparse in here. There are a couple good secondhand stores across town. They typically deliver, but if need be, we can borrow Wilma and Digby’s cube van.”

“Fine, I’ll go, but you have to buy breakfast,” Aelwyn said, hopping off the sideboard.

“Breakfast with the legendary Aelwyn Abernant? Hell yeah, I’ll pay for that,” Jawbone said, averting his eyes when Aelwyn bent to pick up her dirty laundry from the hallway. He cleared his throat.

She straightened up. “Right. Sorry for showing you my ass,” she said. “Though, I suppose that’s been the entire rehabilitation process, metaphorically speaking.” She continued down the hallway towards the bathroom. “Oh, and please control your impulse to help and don’t bother unpacking. Turns out I mostly own cursed objects. They’re all that survived the fire.”