#general: amethyst empire

[monsterdramahub]

*music number pauses*

...

"I don't sing."

[kaerinio]

That night she dreamt that she was Rhaegar, riding to the Trident. But she was mounted on a dragon, not a horse. When she saw the Usurper's rebel host across the river they were armored all in ice, but she bathed them in dragonfire and they melted away like dew and turned the Trident into a torrent. Some small part of her knew that she was dreaming, but another part exulted. This is how it was meant to be. The other was a nightmare, and I have only now awakened. She woke suddenly in the darkness of her cabin, still flush with triumph. Balerion seemed to wake with her, and she heard the faint creak of wood, water lapping against the hull, a football on the deck above her head. And something else.

no, because the whole this is how it was meant to be. The other was a nightmare, and I have only now awakened is giving some serious reincarnation vibes??? like, what do you mean the other was a nightmare, when you hadn't even been born yet?? what do you mean you've only now awakened???? it's not dany saying that her life has been a nightmare up to that point (it has). it's her distinctly reflecting on the fact that what happened at the trident shouldn't have happened (and though she doesn't know it yet . . . in so many ways, the outcome had cosmic influences!). it's something akin to aemon saying that stannis' fake light sword is only going to lead people further into darkness. robert's rebellion and the events it sets off tear the targs further away from their destiny, as alluded to in the whole ice armor imagery. but also, ofc, this is directly pointing toward dany's destiny as the prince that was promised, azor ahai reborn, stallion who mounts the world, etc.

[sleepless-in-southlands]

You're Telling Me Lies (I'm Telling You Myths)

Ao3

Summary: As a mob boss in Heremita, Scar's life was an inherently dangerous one. Surviving as long as he had required a certain level of risk-awareness, and the ability to make choices that would prioritize his safety as much as they did his power. So as to why he kept ending up spending time with another mob's right-hand, one who he was fairly certain would happily kill him at a moment's notice… well, Scar was still working on rationalizing that. Content: AU - Mob bosses, open-ended; flirting/threatening/who knows, trust issues, myths, flower language, poor communication, the rituals are intricate and right now that's not helping them ok Pairings: Fruity scarian (the plot is that they won't admit it), background also-fruity-but-not-admitting-it grumbo, platonic scar + bdubs Notes: Part six of the Bloody Fruits au

~

“Just buy a second bed.”

“We generally try to avoid staying overnight. A second bed encourages the opposite.”

“It doesn’t seem as though having only one bed is serving as much of a deterrent.” Grian pointed out, glancing at Scar. “Is it a cost issue? I’m sure the South could afford to supply its ally with another bed.”

Scar huffed, feigning insult. “A cost issue? Have you never seen the goods of the Glass Empire?”

“Goods?” Grian echoed questioningly, staring at Scar in a way that meant nothing but, as of late, hadn’t once failed at getting under Scar’s skin in the most maddening of ways.

“Gems and jewels and precious metals? All of exquisite taste and high cost?” Grian’s expression didn’t change, not that Scar truly expected it to. “You’ve been to at least one of my shops before, you know they’re jewelry stores.”

“Rocks don’t interest me much.” Grian said with a shrug, very purposefully adjusting his amethyst tie clip. Scar rolled his eyes.

“Alright then, what does interest you?”

“My work.”

Scar waited for Grian to say something else, chuckling when it became clear he wasn’t going to. “That’s all? Just your work?”

“Were you expecting something else?”

“What about- I don’t know- your employer?”

“Mr. Eris is rather heavily related to my work.”

“You know what I’m referring to.” “I believe what you’re referring to comes from a time where I was… less than rested, and you were nearly dead.” Grian dodged neatly, ever so slightly tilting his head in mock confusion. “So I don’t know if it’s a trustworthy reference.”

Get an inch, lose a mile Scar thought as he sighed, ignoring the smirk Grian technically wasn’t making but was certainly present. “Still. Nothing else?”

“You know my profession. Would you prefer I not give it my full attention?”

“I mean your out-of-work hobbies.” A blank stare. “Oh, I know you know what a hobby is.”

“My hobbies are also work related.” Grian stated with another shrug.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Are you trying to tell me, what, you don’t do anything except work? If it doesn’t have anything to do with being a right-hand, it doesn’t have anything to do with you either?”

Scar’s tone was teasing, non-serious; if Grian wanted to keep his hobbies to himself, Scar wasn’t going to pry, but he was going to poke fun. Grian’s reaction, however, was oddly somber. His face shifted minutely, but instead of scoffing or rolling his eyes, his lips downturned into something that could be read as rueful.

“My job is my priority.” He said flatly, the statement shadowed by a hidden meaning Scar could sense but not make out, before turning away from Scar to organize supplies at the back of the bar.

Frowning, Scar crossed his arms over the bartop. He had been at the End Crystal for about thirty minutes, having originally come to talk to Mumbo only to learn the head of the South was ‘busy.’

(“He’s busy with paperwork at the moment,” Grian had told him, which either meant that Mumbo wasn’t there or Grian was forcing him to rest, because never once had Scar seen Mumbo prioritize paperwork over anything, “but I can pass a message if you want.”)

Scar, whose business wasn’t quite worthy of leaving a message over, had opted to chat with Grian instead. Whether or not Grian would have entertained him in usual circumstances was moot, the right-hand having briefly traded his role as overbearing casino security guard for that of bartender, making it difficult for him to escape Scar. The only bartender employed for that portion of the day shift had called out sick, and since the End Crystal was rarely busy enough in the daylight hours to need more than one, they were short-staffed. The next shift worker wasn’t set to arrive for a few hours, and with no extras on stand-by (they had yet to fill the most recently vacated position, and Scar was starting to doubt they ever would- not for the first time, he considered seeing if he could convince them to let him handle it on their behalf), the options had come down to Grian filling in for a bit or closing the bar during business hours. Apparently, Grian bartending was the lesser evil.

Not that Scar was convinced it was any sort of evil. Grian had mostly been sorting and putting away supplies, a task he carried out with familiar ease even while talking with Scar, and the few drinks he had mixed he had done so with deft and clever movements. It was obvious Grian was experienced with working behind a bar, not that he was going to directly acknowledge that to Scar.

(“You’ve worked as a bartender before?” Scar had asked, watching as Grian flipped a bottle in hand and poured it into a metal shaker, arm rising and lowering gracefully as he did so.

“I have more important things to tend to than our drink selection.” Grian had responded, non-committal, as he lidded the container and began to shake it. The ice within the shaker started audibly cracking right away, slamming against itself and the metal around it, tossed about with the strength of arms built by cracking bones. Scar told himself he wasn’t thinking about that.

“You’re pouring drinks as skillfully as you break fingers.” Scar pointed out, earning an amused eyebrow raise from Grian as he did just that, a dark gold liquid spilling out of the shaker into the tall glass he had put onto the bartop beforehand. “You clearly know what you’re doing.”

“Interested in what I can do with my hands, Mr. Chronos?” Was Grian’s only reply, detached and cheeky, leaving Scar to pretend he was glaring at Grian when he was really watching his fingers flex as he smoothly slid the drink down to the patron that had ordered it.)

Grian had moved back to the counter area by the time Scar reemerged from his thoughts, stacking drink napkins underneath the lip of the bar, a silent indication that Scar could keep talking if he wanted to. Scar grinned at the gesture. Even if Grian was playing a passive role in the conversation at best, and even if he was working the entire time, and even if he was most certainly going to abandon Scar the moment he was no longer working the bar, Grian did want to talk to Scar.

Not that it mattered to Scar whether or not Grian wanted to talk to him. Or, it did, but only because it was important for Scar to be on good terms with all his organizational allies, like he was with Mumbo. But not exactly like with Mumbo, obviously, not that he would necessarily be against- wait-

By his Empire, Scar was starting to sound as bad as Mumbo. 

“No hobbies, and the only job you'll admit to working is this one. You're a difficult man to small talk with, Mr. Penemue.” Scar finally said, using the addressing conventions he usually protested in the same way Grian had shoved all the bar knives into a drawer when Scar sat down- automatically. Even Mumbo was only ‘Mr. Eris’ around other people, and Scar wasn't trying to antagonize Grian into using his name. “What can I ask you?”

“You can ask me anything.”

“I thought we weren't using weak moments against each other.”

Grian chuckled, and Scar took it as adequate compensation for having his own wit turned against him. “Playing fair isn't really in our mission statement.”

“Not even for a friend of the casino?”

“Usually? No. But I suppose I can make an exception, seeing as you’re our only one.” Grian looked up from his counter work, shifting his gaze to Scar. “I’ll answer one reasonable question. ‘Reasonable’ is determined at my discretion. How’s that for small talk?”

“It feels a bit more like one of your casino games.” Scar replied, propping his chin against one of his hands. “Since I’m guessing that asking you what counts as ‘reasonable’ is a quick way to end the chat in your favour.”

That pulled an actual smile out of Grian, as if in delight. “You catch on quick.”

“Like I said, you’re difficult to small talk with. Have to be careful not to miss the opportunities I get.” Scar returned Grian’s smile. Thinking of a question to ask Grian wasn’t hard, and choosing might’ve taken longer if it weren’t for Scar having a particular one that had been pressing into the back of his mind for longer than he felt could be considered normal. “What’s with the name thing?”

“How elegantly put.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I do.” Grian acknowledged. “But do you think that’s a reasonable question, Mr. Chronos?”

“You’re the one who decides that, Mr. Penemue.” Scar over-stressed Grian’s name that time, metaphorically gesturing at his point. “But for the record, yes, I do think it’s a reasonable question. I deserve an answer for all the trouble you put me through for it.”

Grian moved to rest his arms on the bar across from Scar, leaning closer to him as he did so, tone amused as he repeated, “Trouble?”

“I’m not the one who’s agreed to answer a question here.”

“No. You make the mistake of doing it for free.” There was an inflection to Grian’s voice that suggested he was teasing Scar. Scar did his very best to not press closer to the counter, to Grian. “But yes, your answer- it’s more respectful to refer to casino guests by their last names, and you know how the End Crystal prides itself on treating its guests as respectfully as possible.”

“Don’t lie, I know you don’t respect me.” Scar joked. “Besides, I don’t come here to empty my wallet. No need to bamboozle me with formalities.”

“You’re still a guest.” Grian said simply, pausing for a moment before adding, “For the sake of business, last names are also more professional. First names can get… personal.”

Silence, for a long minute, as Grian busied himself with refilling a bowl of peanuts and Scar attempted to un-busy himself with watching a mental replay of every time Grian had called him by his first name. He could count the instances on one hand, theoretically quick to run through, but his mind caught on the most recent, layered with thoughts of touch and personal and close.

“That explains me then, but what about Mr. Eris?” Scar asked, pivoting hard into the familiar territory of poking at Grian and Mumbo's relationship. “Hate how I phrase it all you like, I'm not wrong when I say things between you two are certainly personal.”

“Mr. Eris and I are close in a purely professional manner,” Grian lied like clockwork, “and technically that's a second question.”

“It’s a subquestion expanding on my original question, it’s allowed.” Scar argued, like it mattered, like they were in some sort of negotiations, like Grian wouldn’t just stop playing their little game the second he felt like it.

“It’s cheating.”

“So now we’re playing fair?”

Another smile. “Of course not.”

“Then please, Mr. Penemue, answer the subquestion.”

“If I must.” Grian’s attempt at sounding put out was unsuccessful in face of the fact that Grian never said anything he didn’t want to, never disclosed anything without first carefully thinking it through. Case in point: the slight pause in consideration before he spoke again, hidden behind more bar busywork. “You are aware that me and Mr. Eris used to… work elsewhere, I believe.”

Mumbo, panicked, fingers digging into his own chest, convinced old rivals had poisoned him; Grian, staring at Scar’s neck, talking about the right-hand who had tried to kill him, as if he knew something Scar hadn’t said. “I am, yes.”

“This line of work can follow you anywhere,” Grian said casually, conversationally, and if Scar wasn’t watching him so closely he might’ve missed the quick way Grian’s eyes darted around them, “can you blame us for being careful?”

“Never.” Scar replied, a little too quickly if the raise of Grian’s eyebrows was anything to go by. Scar cleared his throat, producing another ‘subquestion’ to distract Grian with. “Have you ever considered other options? Aliases, codenames, those sorts of things?”

“We like our names,” Grian answered as he tidied the already more-than-neat bar space, “and codenames aren’t great for professional interactions.”

“So you have codenames that you only use in non-professional circumstances?” Scar asked with a smirk. “Y’know, I think they have a different term for those. Starts with a ‘p,’ ends with an ‘etnames-’”

“Purely professional, Mr. Chronos.” Grian repeated, tone flat but not necessarily annoyed. “And I never said we use codenames, merely that they would be impractical for business purposes if we did.”

Scar huffed a laugh. “I take it you won’t be telling me whether or not you two do use codenames?”

“Observant as ever.”

“I try.” Scar quipped back, conversation briefly lapsing past that. Scar had already passed his allotted small-talk-questions quota, but Grian had yet to stop talking to him, and the End Crystal’s atmosphere had Scar wanting to push his luck. “I’m also guessing you won’t tell me if you have codenames with anyone else?”

“If you have a point you want to make, you may as well get right to it.” Grian replied, sounding curious despite the way he cut Scar’s dramatics to the quick.

“The point is maybe we should have codenames. For each other. Since that’s the only time, I imagine, I’ll ever get to know any of yours.”

Grian cocked his head to the side. “Not a minute ago you were implying something very… personal about codenames. Unsubtly, I might add.”

“Codewords, then.” Scar switched to, most certainly not blushing, because he refused to keep allowing his teasing to be turned back on him more effectively than he himself had employed it. “A type of confirmation without being so ‘personal.’ Come on, throw a dog a bone.”

Grian didn’t immediately respond, not that Scar expected him to. Scar had decided the most likely outcome for his conversational gamble was Grian taking his time to prepare a truly devastating remark, one that would then force Scar to flee the casino and make the difficult decision between going back to his base of operations and being ridiculed by Bdubs, or getting shot in enemy territory.

Before Scar could get too deep into thinking through which situation he’d be in more trouble over, Grian picked up a rag, using the excuse of wiping down the bar to lean close to Scar, speaking quietly. “And what would you propose our codewords be?”

“Hmm… let me think…” Scar did his best to sound like he was drawing out his answer on purpose, and not because he didn’t expect to make it that far, “They should share a theme, something easy to bring up in everyday conversation.”

“You’ve really thought this through.” Grian commented, making it clear that he knew Scar was making it up as he went. “Shall we choose each other’s words, then? So we don’t forget them.”

“That’s a great idea. Care to go first?”

“You insult the End Crystal’s hospitality. I insist you pick first.”

“I doubt ‘hospitality’ has anything to do with it.” Scar mumbled, ignoring the professional smile Grian flashed in response and casting his gaze around his immediate surroundings, looking for ideas.

Anything relating to casinos and gambling would be too obvious, so most of the scenery was out from the start. Liquor wouldn’t be quite as conspicuous, but Scar didn’t care for the idea of assigning Grian a cocktail as his codeword. It couldn’t be anything as common as ‘chair’ or ‘floor’ either; the codeword couldn’t be so unordinary as to make it jarring to bring up, but if it was too ordinary, it would be of no use.

Scar twisted in his seat, looking away from Grian. The space adjacent to the bar was filled with a cluster of tall tables, giving patrons a place to sip their drinks and chat in between games. The centerpiece of each table was a tall golden vase holding an elegant, colourful bouquet- tasteful eye candy that was nice to look at without distracting from the End Crystal’s more tempting splendors. Oh, yes, that would do nicely.

Without a word, Scar slipped off his barstool, walked to the nearest empty table, and picked up the vase on top of it. Turning back towards the bar, he found Grian watching him, having paused his work to focus on Scar with an intensity others would likely be concerned by. Scar took it in literal stride, returning to his seat and setting the vase down on the bar between them, pushed enough to the side it didn’t block their vision.

“Flowers?” Grian asked neutrally, still watching as Scar ran his fingers through the bunch. After a few seconds, Scar stopped, fingers curling around the stem of one flower in particular, swiftly pulling it out from the rest of the bouquet.

Taking advantage of the fact that Grian was still leaning over the bar, Scar tilted forward, reaching out and tucking the purple sprig behind Grian’s ear. “Lilac.” Scar corrected, settling back in his seat and admiring the way the flowers seemed to curve around Grian’s head like a half-crown. “How’s that for a word?”

Once again, there was no immediate response from Grian, but the silence came with the uncomfortable fact that Scar hadn’t expected it. He had put a flower in Grian’s hair, for End’s sake, he had expected- again- to be ruthlessly yet efficiently quipped out of existence, or perhaps even get his wrist broken as punishment for putting it so near to Grian.

(A voice that sounded unfortunately similar to Bdubs in the back of his mind asked why, then, did you even put the flower behind his ear in the first place? Technically unable to lie to himself, but certainly willing to try, Scar put the thought aside for later consideration.)

Instead, however, Grian wasn’t doing anything, acting almost as though he had been frozen in place. His expression was the one he wore most commonly around the End Crystal, professional but meaningless, like he wasn’t quite sure how to react and had ended up on a default.

“Mr. Penemue?” Scar said, tentatively, as the silence stretched. Without knowing what was wrong, Scar didn’t know what- if anything- he could do to help, outside of calling Mumbo if Grian proved to be truly unresponsive.

Thankfully, at the prompting of his name, Grian blinked and narrowed his eyes, expression shaping into one of (oddly mild) scrutiny. “You don’t know, do you?”

“I- what?”

Another moment of Grian staring before he closed his eyes, letting out a huff that could have been a laugh, could have been a sigh. Not answering Scar, he turned to the vase Scar had brought over, shifting through the flowers for a moment before plucking one out. Stem pressed tight between his fingers, Grian waited until Scar leaned forward, allowing him to tuck the bright red flower behind Scar’s ear in return.

“Poppy.” Grian said simply, looking as though he knew something Scar didn’t, before he echoed, “How’s that for a word?”

Not for the first time, and almost certainly not the last, Scar found himself envious of Grian's ability to adapt to whatever Scar tried to throw at him, skillfully returning any advantage Scar had held over Grian back to the right-hand tenfold. In his defense, his preparations had been for an outright attack, not… whatever this was classified as.

“Stunning.” Scar said after a moment, the pause dragging out a bit too long. He was still leaning forward. Grian hadn’t moved back. Close. “Er, it’s stunning. Great word.”

Grian stepped forward, the edge of the bar digging into his midsection as he tilted towards Scar, as if staggering, as if tipsy, even with his perfectly professional expression and perfectly steady cadence and perfect-

“Is that all you find stunning, poppy?”

“Well, Mr. Penemue, I do believe I’ve taken up far too much of your time already.” Scar quickly pulled back from Grian like a moth who had finally realized the flame was burning it, the flame himself watching on with no significant reaction. “Have a good day, tell Mr. Eris I’m sorry I missed him!”

Grian watched Scar hurry off, waiting until he had made it to the lobby to sigh. “You’re supposed to be sleeping.”

A moment later, Mumbo was sliding into Scar’s vacated seat, not looking apologetic in the slightest for his wakeful eavesdropping. “I woke up.”

“You could go back to sleep.”

“Later.” Mumbo glanced to the side as one of the casino’s waiters quickly ducked past him, dropping a drink order on the counter in front of Grian before leaving just as swiftly. Despite their standings in Heremita, Grian and Mumbo didn’t usually have to deal with skittish waitstaff, but the still fresh-in-memory firing of the waiter who had tripped had created a tense atmosphere.

(An overreaction, both Grian and Mumbo had acknowledged in retrospect, not that either had been interested in exploring why they had made it. They had their reasons- Mumbo’s boyfriend and business partner, Grian’s boss and organizational partner- but they knew they were excuses.)

Grian picked up the discarded paper, reading the scrawled order and grabbing the first glass he’d need without looking up. Scar hadn't been wrong in his earlier assumption- the road between the Desert and the South had been a long one, and of the jobs Grian had picked up along the way, bartender had been a favourite.

For a few minutes, Mumbo sat quietly as he watched Grian mix drinks. His own favourite occupation.

“You scared him off.”

“I’m trying to make a point.”

“Is it working?”

“Given he keeps coming back?” Grian carelessly dropped an olive garnish into one of the drinks, frowning at it before he adjusted the stick and wiped off the edge of the glass to correct the slight untidiness. “He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

“Does he not,” Grian leaned forward as soon as he saw Mumbo’s arm moving, making it easy for the mob boss to brush the backs of his fingers past the petals in Grian’s hair, “lilac?” Grian scoffed. “He picked a random flower.”

“It’s accurate, nonetheless.” Mumbo pulled back, allowing Grian to return to his bartending. He moved his hand to the vase beside them, idly tracing the lip. “Yours wasn’t random.”

“I told you, I’m trying to make a point.”

Mumbo’s fingers stilled. He tilted his head, just enough to be noticeable, and Grian didn’t need to be looking at him to know a thread of melancholy had woven its way into his expression. “And you think that will work?”

Grian shuffled the completed drinks off to the side, other hand already reaching for another glass under the bar, ignoring how red the bases looked wherever his fingers pressed into them. “No. I don’t think it will.”

~

“Lilacs and poppies?” Bdubs looked up from the ledgers he had been reviewing to stare at Scar, confused and slightly apprehensive. “You want information on flowers?”

“Yes.” Scar rocked on his feet, tapping his cane for emphasis and balance. Around him, the back offices were bustling with the activity of counting bills and inspecting gemstones. Most of it was legitimate, and only Scar and Bdubs knew all the parts that weren’t. “They came up in conversation while at the End Crystal, and I was simply curious if you knew of anything… note-worthy regarding them.”

Bdubs eyes flicked to the poppy still nestled in Scar’s hair. Scar knew it was far too late to hide the flower, and trying to remove it in the moment would only draw further attention to it, but it was tempting to see if yanking it out of his hair and flinging it across the room would relieve some of the scrutiny being directed at him.

(It wouldn’t, but it was nice to think it would. Scar did miss the days when Bdubs only had to question his decisions when he got himself shot.)

“Flowers aren’t really my area of expertise.” Bdubs pointed out, as though Scar might have forgotten he was a mob boss’s right-hand and not a florist. “I know there's a myth associated with them, but that’s all.”

“A myth?”

“You don't know it?” Scar shook his head. “Well, it doesn't have much to do with the flowers themselves, but it’s supposed to tell how they came to be.”

“And that would be how, exactly?”

Bdubs frowned at Scar. “You’re aware I have actual work to be doing, right?”

Before Bdubs could finish his sentence, Scar leaned over and scooped up one of the ledgers scattered on his desk, holding it open with one hand. He gave it a quick once-over, identifying it as one of their less-than-honest logbooks before he looked back to Bdubs. “You were saying?”

Bdubs sighed before sitting back in his chair, accepting his defeat. “According to the myth, lilacs and poppies were created in a time where gods still ruled over humanity. Every so often, they’d demand a certain number of tributes to fight each other for the gods’ entertainment. Those who died were considered divine sacrifices, and the victor would honour the gods with their glory. Lilac and Poppy were two tributes in the same fight.”

“Ah.” Scar mumbled as he scanned one of the log pages. He did know some myths, after all, and it didn’t take too large of a leap in logic to guess how the named characters would end up correlating to their modern-day flower equivalents.

“The full myth is more detailed, but Lilac and Poppy team up and end up as the last two tributes. Since there can only be one survivor, Poppy offers to allow Lilac to kill them, but Lilac refuses and insists upon a fair final battle. They get one, but,” Bdubs shrugged, “Lilac still wins, and it’s unclear how hard Poppy actually fought back. Lilac, covered in Poppy’s blood, is declared the victor.”

Scar turned a page in the ledger as normally as he could, trying not to think about the flower in his hair. Or who had given it to him.

“Angry at the gods, however, Lilac kills themself as soon as they’re deemed the winner, throwing themself off the cliff they had killed Poppy on. No surviving victor, no glory for the gods.”

“Seems… extreme.”

“That’s kind of the point.” Bdubs replied, glancing towards his pocket watch to check the time. “Anyways, most of the gods hated both Lilac and Poppy for the disrespect of their final battle, but the god of love was touched by their devotion. To memorialize the tributes, he turned the drops of Poppy’s blood and the broken bones of Lilac’s body into flowers, thus giving the world poppies and lilacs.”

Scar briefly leaned against the edge of Bdubs’s desk, resting his cane against it as well. With his newly freed hand, he grabbed one of the pens Bdubs had out, making a quick mark next to one of the entries. “I take it the flowers are typically… paired together, then?”

“All the time, in romantic dramas for teenagers.” Bdubs said pointedly, reaching over to take the book and pen from Scar in a much nicer manner than he had made his implication. “And yeah, outside of movies too. It’s common to find them in the same bouquets, or in two-packs sold to couples to exchange between each other.”

“...Exchange?”

“The meanings of the flowers mirror their namesakes.” Bdubs explained distractedly, frowning at Scar’s note. Still looking down at the book, he made a gesture off to the side, catching the attention of one of the wandering employees. “Lilacs represent dogged loyalty taken to disastrous extremes, and poppies represent devotion above all else, even to the point of ruin. Although the traditional meanings are more watered down these days…”

Bdubs trailed off as the employee approached, focus shifting away from Scar as he started issuing a set of instructions to them. The timing worked out perfectly for Scar, given he needed at least ten seconds to re-school his expression into something a little less ‘openly shocked and possibly panicking.’

Unknowingly, he had given Grian a couple’s marker of intense loyalty. Knowingly, Grian had given him the matching marker of fatal devotion, right before he leaned directly into Scar’s space and called him by it.

Was it a threat? A reminder of who killed who in the stories? A promise between allies? Or… a promise between enemies?

How close do you keep your enemies?

“With that settled,” Scar forced his attention back towards Bdubs, who had handed off the marked ledger and switched to checking numbers in another, “did you ask Mumbo the South’s election counts? In between… everything else you were talking about?”

“I didn’t get a chance to, Mumbo was out.”

A microsecond too late, Scar realized his mistake, Bdubs’s eyes instantly narrowing at the admission. “You weren’t talking to Mumbo?”

“Uh-”

“Who gave you the flower, Scar?”

“Would you believe me if I said it was the bartender?” Not technically a lie, but Scar was fairly certain that wouldn’t change Bdubs’s level of disappointment upon learning who the bartender was.

“Grian was bartending?”

Scar was right- no change. “They were short-handed. And I was just passing the time to see if Mumbo would show.”

“With flowers.”

“With flowers.” Scar confirmed defeatedly. Scar moved a hand towards the incriminating poppy tucked over his ear, meaning to take it out but hesitating a moment before. The motion ended with his fingers briefly brushing the flower’s petals before dropping back to his side, achieving nothing.

Bdubs rolled his pen between his fingers, a little too fast, before sighing. “You should talk to him. Directly.”

“You and I both know how that would go.”

“It would be a start.”

Scar looked away from Bdubs, throwing his attention onto the busyness of the office instead. “There’s nothing to talk about, Bdubs.”

“That’s not-”

“Grian’s only loyalty is to Mumbo, and as either will tell you, that loyalty is entirely professional in nature.” Scar continued, shooting Bdubs a wry smile after a moment. “I’m nothing but the ally dating his boss.”

Bdubs looked up at Scar carefully, expression neutral- not Grian’s neutral, of stainless steel and polished mirrors; his had life to it, schooled away out of personal consideration rather than business etiquette. “The ally with a poppy in his hair.”

Scar just let his smile grow into a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes, picking his cane back up and shifting his weight off of Bdubs’s desk in the same motion. “Speaking of allies, do you still have the resumes and background checks for our most recently interviewed, but not hired, applicants?”

“I do.”

“Did any of them have experience serving drinks?”

“A few.” Bdubs answered, turning his chair to watch as Scar started to walk away. “Want me to get them for you?”

“Yes please!” Scar called over his shoulder, fully confident as he stepped into his office that Bdubs had heard him and would get to his request as soon as he could. He slid into his chair, dropping his cane into its regular spot and readjusting the bright red flower curling around his ear.

He was going to get the South another bartender, like any good ally would do, and he wouldn’t think anything else about Grian, or mythological devotion, or the act of risking a punch just to get close enough to touch.

[horizon-verizon]

Do you have any personal theories regarding the Maiden Made of Light, Great Empire of the Dawn, House Dayne, and Daenerys?

I just found out Daenerys’ name means “Lady of Light” and I fell down a rabbit hole of Azor Ahai/ Nissa Nissa/Maiden Made of Light/Amethyst Empress all being connected to Dany.

I don't know if this is a "theory" so much as a feeling, but I have suspected for a while that Daenerys will become a sort of god or at least a spiritual figure of nature people will worship in Essos for generations after her eventual death. not just become legend, I mean actual WORSHIP in at least a couple of areas and for some diff ethnic groups. Under a different but a similar-sounding name to her original. No "Maiden of Light" but any of her titles could become her god-name. She wouldn't like it, but her impact ran away from her, I'm afraid.

Make of that what you will. 😏

nothing about House Dayne, I'm void on them.

[sleepingdeath-light]

relationship hcs ; yellow diamond

requested by ; anonymous (24/04/23)

fandom(s) ; steven universe

fandom masterlist(s) ; here

character(s) ; yellow diamond

outline ; “hey since you did relationship hcs for white diamond could you do some for yellow and blue too :D? (separately) love your works!^^”

warning(s) ; none, just fluff!

as far as being in an equal relationship goes, yellow diamond is extremely out of her element — she’s used to being in a position of distinct hierarchical authority, and only having one person who she truly sees is on an equal level to herself, and that mentality does cause a lot of conflict early on in your relationship

she takes care of you, of course, and always makes sure that you’re well tended to and have everything you could possibly want or need — making use of her countless colonies and underlings to ensure that this is the case, making sure that you’re worshipped and respected as an authority figure in the same way that she is

but yellow diamond is also quite emotionally distant and dismissive at times because of how busy she is, and unless you express a need for intimacy and affection to her then she’s not going to realise that you feel neglected — but even then it’s incredibly forced and stiff as she’s just not used to being physically or verbally affectionate with you, or anyone, quite yet (just give her some time, she’ll grow to love it)

if anyone dares to disrespect you or offend you in anyway then yellow will be swift to punish them for it — either poofing or outright cracking their gem, or sending them to trial to find a ‘better’ punishment if you’re less fond of execution

she doesn’t use any pet names with you and generally just calls you by your first name (or, maybe, a slightly shortened version of it), but if you insist on calling her a term of endearment then she’d probably prefer something that sounds more formal — think ‘my diamond’ but more affectionate, like ‘my dear’ or ‘my beloved’

she’s terrified of losing you as she did pink, which makes her extremely protective over you — refusing to let you leave her sight (whether that’s in her room on home world, in her palanquin when she’s on a colony, in her ship, etc) and having you accompanied by a large collection of amethyst and jasper guards wherever you go if she’s too busy to physically accompany you herself (she cannot lose another person she cares about; losing you would destroy her)

whenever you’re making a public appearance she makes sure that your outfit is spotless — having her servants dress you in her colours and in clothes that are as practical as they are formal — and that you’re mentally prepared for everything that is expected of you well in advance (memorising dances, practising posture and poses, mastering the perfect acknowledging smile and polite nod, etc.) so that there’s no chance of either of you being looked down upon

you’re the only person aside from pink diamond who has ever been able to make her laugh — and you’re also the only one who gets to see the ‘imperfections’ that she hides from the other diamonds and their subjects, such as her sense of humour and her insecurities about her place in the gem empire

no matter how busy she is, she refuses to move whenever you fall asleep on her — taking her calls wherever she is and working around you, instructing whoever she’s talking with to stay quiet as she doesn’t want to wake you (she thinks you’re so very adorable like that and she doesn’t have the heart to disturb your sleep)

she’d get you your own pearl, or an entire gem entourage, if you asked — making sure that you got only the best cut of each because you deserve only the best — but in the meantime yellow pearl is more than happy to entertain you when her diamond is working, and in fact you’ll likely end up getting along quite well as your relationship with yellow diamond progresses

[15-lizards]

hii, what do you think that the people of the great empire of the dawn wore? especially the amethyst empress. love your account 🫶🏻🫶🏻

Okay I have a mix. I like both Mesopotamian and early Judaean clothing for the Empire of the dawn

The ancient near East in general has some very great stuff for imagining a mythical empire. Complex drapings, bright dyes, geometric patterns, large and heavy headpieces etc etc it all just seems very full of tradition and history. Perfect for a dynasty of magical god emperors who may or may not have existed

Early Christian/Judaean clothing is nice too bc it’s also ripe with tradition and just feels very rich. I feel like the Jewish queens of the Old Testament are kinda perf for the Amethyst Empress due to the sheer volume of what they wear, clearly very wealthy. Compared to a common person, they look almost ethereal and god like, which is the whole point

[reflection-s-of-stars]

[ID: A reply on a post from the original poster, @/katakaluptastrophy, reading “@/sunshine-fruit-of-the-vine Ooh, your point in the tags about Corona’s comment to Judith is really interesting! Though I suppose it could also be interpreted as the Second being the ones doing the business contracts? Also please tell me more about your political headcanons…” /End ID.]

@katakaluptastrophy this is old but you absolutely do not have to ask me twice oh my god. This is where I reveal exactly how much of a history dork I am so be warned. I have also indicated Vibes in case that is helpful to anybody

So the common denominator among the Houses (as well as among societies as a whole, I spent like half a unit in my sociology class on this last year) is that there’s always a small upper class/nobility/etc and the population gets larger as you go down the ladder. That manifests in different ways within the different Houses, but it’s the same principle: The rich are few, and the poor are many.

That being said…

SECOND: The military leaders of the Nine, the Second are the ones who do the actual conquering of planets. However, Corona’s comment about how “as a Second, [Judith] should be willing to sell her birthright for economics” suggests they might not be getting their share of the profits. A huge portion of the Second lives in poverty, especially the capital city of Trentham, and pretty much the only way to escape it is to join the Cohort. The wealthy and powerful (generals, admirals and war heroes) vehemently deny there ever being a problem. For vibes, think New York City or Chicago but A Little Worse.

THIRD: The economic center of the Nine, the Third is a trade powerhouse and a hub for merchants and artisans. But they also export something a little less palatable: Propaganda for the Empire. The capital, Ida, is an enormous massive palace very similar to Versailles, where the best of the best workers (and the friends of the royal family) are privileged to live. Unlike the Second, where hard work actually can bring you up in the world, success in Ida comes out of bribes, flattery and sex. For vibes, think Paris but even less subtle, and crazy on the amethysts.

FOURTH: Supposedly a backup to the Second. In actuality, the lack of any real leadership has left the small and vulnerable population (veterans, the sick and disabled) to the mercy of the Fourth’s criminal underbelly. The capital city of Tisis is functionally a ghost town, mostly full of impotent, sheltered nobles and extensions of the mafia collecting bribes, and the other cities aren’t much better. For vibes, think Piltover (I don’t play league of legends but I LOVE Arcane), but the upper city is way more depressing and abandoned and the whole thing has kind of an ancient Roman feel as well.

FIFTH: The administration of the Nine, the Fifth works closely with the Emperor himself to keep the internal workings of His Empire running smoothly. Koniortos Court is a complex and many-armed bureaucracy, managed by its Lords or Ladies (and Seneschals, who do most of the actual diplomacy) like clockwork. It lies nestled in the capital of Rhax, where the majority of the Fifth’s population lives and works. There are frequent rebellions, but they’re snuffed out with alarming ease. For vibes, think combination of Victorian London and the city from Ulysses Dies At Dawn.

SIXTH: Less of its own independent state and more of the Emperor’s House of Wisdom, the Sixth House is the center of learning in the Nine Houses. Almost all the Houses send the best of their best to study there, so there’s a lot of people, but its native population is incredibly small- the size of a single city on the Third. Most of the Sixth is a single huge, labyrinthine library, surrounded by dormitories and a few spaceship ports for trade with the Seventh. Rank is decided not by birth, but by ability and age (in theory, anyway; in practice, they’ve strayed a bit from Cassiopeia’s vision). It’s still very communal, and everyone considers each other family on some level. For vibes, think a walled city combined with a super old university.

SEVENTH: The Seventh is responsible for most of the beautiful things made in the Empire. They export and import a lot of art, from pottery to poetry, and are considered superior craftsmen to the Third (which is why Ianthe thinks so poorly of their cloud formation poems). Outside this, they’re largely self-sufficient and very insular, doing their own farming making regular contact with only the Sixth. The lower classes are mostly farmers, while the aristocracy is just a few families, which is how Heptanary cancer happened. For vibes, think the romanticized version of the antebellum South from old books that like to gloss over the slavery thing, but a little bit sickly and weird-looking.

EIGHTH: The religious center of the Nine, the Eighth is in control of the worship of the Emperor and his Saints, as well as the Nine’s religious traditions. They’re also responsible for a chunk of Imperial propaganda- less than the Third, though, and directed less to the shepherd worlds and more within the Nine Houses. They live similarly to the Ninth House, with religious decadence, everyday asceticism and very little social mobility. The population of the Eighth House is actually very diverse, full of pilgrims from all over the Empire. For vibes, think medieval Italy but it’s all minimalist white and it ruins the whole thing.

NINTH: We know about the Ninth. We got like ten chapters about the Ninth. For vibes, think the Ninth.

[walksinlatewithcoffee]

Baby name ideas for the Empires Crew

Cause apparently yall need some now?

SCOTT:

Theme: colors

Scarlet

Amber

Violet

Cyan

Gray

Ash (associated with gray)

Beryl (a pale green stone)

Bianca (means white)

Carmine (crimson red)

Fawn (light brown)

GEM:

Theme: Sun

Citrine (light callback to s1 cause citrine is a stone formed when amethyst experiences intense heat)

Sunny

Apollo

Helios

Crystal

Peach

Flora

Alba (means Dawn)

Soleil (French sun name)

Star

JOEL:

Theme: gods/holy/Greek

Blessing

Hera

Theo (means ‘gift of god’)

Pandora

Ares

Eudora (Greek name meaning ‘generous gift’)

Skye

Achilles

Orion

Ouranos (Greek spelling of Uranus, father of the Titans and also a word meaning “the heavens”

KATHERINE:

Theme: dichotomy of glimmer grove/strength/beauty

Lilac

Lavender

Janus (words with contradictory meaning are sometimes called “Janus words”)

Hecate (goddess of witchcraft)

Persephone

Tempest

Farris (‘strong as iron’ according to the website I’m looking at)

Valentine (both a romantic association as well as having ‘strong’ as an earlier meaning)

Sterling (steel)

Belle

OLI:

Theme: music/independence

Harmony

Lyra

Aria

Viola

Lark

Cadence

Wolfgang

Rhythm

Robin

Spirit

JIMMY:

Theme: strength/common western names

Barrett (mighty as a bear)

Billy/Billie

Oak

Cash (last name if a famous singer)

Dakota

Beau

Daisy

Wynona (first name of a famous singer and a personal favorite of mine)

Cheyenne

Colton (I know so many yeehaw boys named Colton it’s an epidemic)

LIZZIE:

Theme: animals

Kitty

Wren

Leo

Wolf

Draco

Raven

Kit

Dove

Ursula (from ‘Ursa’ meaning bear + light callback to season 1)

Mariposa (butterfly)

SAUSAGE:

Theme: peace/safety/protection/rabbits

Faith

Jack (jackrabbit)

Serenity

Peter (Peter cottontail)

Olive/Olivia (olive bran em has symbol of peace)

Alexis/Alexander/Alexa etc. (All meaning protector of mankind)

Atlas

Angelo

Anthea (goddess/flowers)

Crysanthos (golden flower, name of a Saint)

PIX:

Theme: history, ancient stuff, stones, memory (amendment: I couldn’t find many good names so I just found a bunch of really old names)

Sophia (lover of wisdom/knowledge)

Athena

Beowulf (both a name meaning ‘intelligent wolf’ and the oldest known work of Anglo-Saxon literature)

Sage

Alareiks (gothic name meaning ‘ruler of all’ modernized as Alaric but I think Pix would use the older version)

Áleifir (old Norse form of Olaf and that is such a downgrade on spelling why did we ever stop using the original spelling????? Also means ancestor’s legacy which is PERFECT)

Caecelia (original Latin spelling of Cecelia, means both “blind” and is the name of an ancient religious martyr)

Cúán (“little wolf” in Old Irish and I think that’s just cute)

Demophon (literally “the people’s voice” in Ancient Greek)

Ingo (an old name and also a reference to a character who accidentally travels back in time in Pokémon: Legends Arceus) (I’m running out of ideas can you tell?)

JOEY

Theme: water, treasure

Diamond (it’s not that weird I went to high school with a girl named diamond)

Jade

Cordelia (apparently means daughter of the sea)

Hudson (literal name of a body of water on earth)

Caspian (literal name of a body of water on earth)

Opal

Gold

Sapphire

Tiara

Jasper (a personal favorite + matching initials)

FWHIP:

Theme: names with negative meanings, more stones (no I didn’t use them all on Joey’s list actually)

Lapis

Jet

Onyx

Ruby

Topaz

Deidre (sorrowful)

Kennedy (misshapen head)

Cain (I don’t think I need to explain this one. It’s also a favorite name of mine)

Cameron (crooked nose)

Lorelei (literal translation is ambush Cliff, but colloquially the meaning is ‘a woman who leads a man to his death’ which is metal as fuck)

SHELBY:

theme: herbs/witchy stuff/creepy stuff

Damien

Desdemona (Ill-fated one)

Rosemary (both an herb and a character in a classic horror film)

Nyx

Poe

Salem

Blair

Belladonna (comes with the literal translation of ‘beautiful woman’ as well)

Morrigan (literally ‘phantom queen’ and a figure in Irish mythology)

Dusk

FALSE (if she ever logs in to participate)

Theme: obnoxiously British as befitting a steampunk theme

Silas

Ambrose

Augustus

Eleanor

Gwendolyn

Scarlett

Theodosia

Lysander

Wesley

Luther

[terrietont]

Beach City grew a lot over time since Steven’s departure and it got a little too crowded for some of the more firey gems. Bismuth was forced to construct more and more homes for more and more gems and it grew a little stressful after a while. She adored the new era of peace, but sometimes she missed just hanging out with the gems alone.

The B Team (as Peridot called them) crystal gems of Lapis, Bismuth and Peridot decided to relocate their homes just a little bit away from Little Homeworld. The trio were close with their friends, but they still needed their own space especially with the population growing every day since the liberation of the gem empire.

Peridot often claimed the growing noise was “cluttering her work style” and Lapis was generally overwhelmed with so many gems in one place and found it especially hard to relax after a long day of mentoring and showing off her “meep Morps”

Bismuth couldn’t even lie about how much more peaceful the days have become since moving. Of course she loved her gem comrades, but even she; the ever confident metal worker needed personal time too.

Now she could have time to herself to think about certain… “problems” that had been on her mind for an annoyingly longer time than she’d hoped for.

That night out with Pearl, Steven and Connie was one of the best nights she ever had since her reformation. Seeing her once anxious and frustrated friend so happy, so relaxed and so contented warmed her up like the lava she bathed in, but it felt like there was a piece missing from her gem.

Ever since that night, she couldn’t stop thinking about Pearl. Getting closer to the ex-servant was making it harder to manage her feelings.

She really thought she could let go of those feelings after admitting them to Steven, but they only seemed to grow stronger since that night.

She became more and more flirtatious, trying not to show it to anyone. (Though she was sure Garnet was aware due to that little smirk the fusion kept giving her.) Stars, it made her so nervous to think about admitting to Pearl just the stuff she told Steven, let alone everything she felt entirely!

Of course what she said to him was true; she did want to catch up… but that wasn’t just it. She was really hoping her dumb feelings would dissipate once she told someone about them, but ever since Steven left beach city, she didn’t really have the courage to tell the gems about this and she almost knew without a doubt Amethyst would go blabbing the secret around town (even if it was by accident).

She just couldn’t shake the emotions out of her body.

It was like torture! She couldn’t just keep pretending like everything was okay with her and Pearl… she had to tell her. It was going to come out one way or another.

She’d prefer it came out by her own will and not her blurting it out in the middle of conversation.

Bismuth stared over at the lush trees in the open forest, feeling nothing but the cold wind on her body and the morning sunshine peaking through the white clouds.

The buildings behind her empty of her allied gems. Namely, Peridot’s tall green ‘peridot-shaped’ home and Lapis’s more lazily built blue tent-like structure right next door. Bismuth also had her own miniture forge and resting place for Peridot’s obnoxiously large room. (Something Peridot built for all of them so they could “sleep over” as the green gem put it). It was nice, and it felt like home.

Just peace and quiet, no other sounds to interrupt her thoughts-

‘Crackle, Crackle’.

The sound of a rustling bag caught her by surprise. She turned to see Lapis, standing there with what looked like a bag of chips. The gem was putting them in her mouth so casually, Bismuth almost thought she was Amethyst shapeshifted if it weren’t for the blatant blue hue.

“Oh! Didn’t see ya there, Blue!” Bismuth smiled nervously. “Hey, you going okay over there?” The blue gem asked, gently grabbing a chip and putting it in her mouth. “Oh uh yeah yeah… just thinking about things, that’s all.”

Bismuth stopped to look at Lapis with a curious smile. “I didn’t know you liked to eat!”

Lapis shrugged. “Yeah sometimes, I dunno it’s fun when it’s just something small.” She replied.

“Haha yeah, I mean I don’t really eat all that much, but I do like a good pizza every now and then.” Bismuth laughed.

“Tried it. Too cheesy and gooey” Lapis replied, swallowing her chips.

Bismuth chuckled then continued to stare back into the wilderness. “So… what are you day dreaming about?” Lapis asked, curious.

Bismuth stoped and turned, hiding her nervousness. “Uh well… you know lots of things and wait, where did you learn about day dreaming?”

Lapis snorted with a relaxed grin.

“When you nap as much as I do, you tend to drift off when you’re awake as well” she explained nonchalantly.

“That makes sense” Bismuth nodded.

The silence came again and Bismuth found herself lost in thought. “Who are you day dreaming about?” Lapis asked, smile getting a little wider.

“Huh? Who?” Bismuth’s face darkened… how on earth did the ocean gem catch on so quickly? ‘How did she know?’ Bismuth thought to herself.

“Yeah, who?” Lapis nudged playfully.

“Um well, I uh…” Bismuth sucked in a huge breath. There was no hiding it from Lapis at least “Was it that obvious?” She asked sheepishly.

“To someone who knows what it was like, yeah.” Lapis explained.

“Huh? Wait… you day dream about someone too?” Bismuth asked, curious and kind of desperate for some closure.

“Yeah I used to have these weird feelings around Peridot all the time, I had dreams we’d be I dunno a fusion at some point” Lapis laughed, blushing at the memory.

“But uh fusion kind of sucks for me and Peridot doesn’t want to fuse anyway which is fine. I guess what I’m trying to say is, yeah I kept day dreaming about her off and on, it was like torture” she shuddered, rubbing her arms together.

“That’s what this feels like!” Bismuth exclaimed in desperation. “But how did you tell her?”

Lapis turned her head to the side in confusion. “Tell her?”

“Yeah! You did tell her, right?” Bismuth asked. Lapis looked away. “Not really. I don’t really want to make her uncomfortable, she’s not the kind of gem to feel that way about anyone. I just kinda held it all in and then it went away I guess?” There was a hint of sadness in Lapis’ voice.

“I just- I don’t know how you could just hold it in all the time! I-I want to tell her how I feel about everything! I want to hold her and tell her how beautiful she is and how she makes me laugh and smile and she’s so strong and brave and… I could never amount to her bravery.” Bismuth vented, her hands turned into fists.

“Sounds like you got it bad” Lapis teased with a friendly smile. Bismuth forced a smile, but she was clearly embarrassed, her face being a much darker shade than her whole body.

“Maybe I just need to let it go. Not like I haven’t tried that!” She vented again, feelings compeltely mixed up.

Lapis pondered this for a moment. “Well… you could tell her and maybe she feels the same way? And if she doesn’t… then uh you guys can still be friends, right?” She shrugged.

Bismuth looked over for a moment, thinking long and hard. “I guess… I just, I feel like it would make things so tense between us for the rest of our lives.”

“Gonna be honest with you Bis.” Lapis began, looking at Bismuth directly. “It could be super weird at first but if you guys really get along, you can start over and just be friends again right? I mean I did some pretty dumb things and Peridot and Steven still hung out with me” She tried reassuring the nervous blacksmith, but it didn’t seem to be helping.

“Okay but what if she DOES feel the same way?!” Bismuth replied in panic.

“Then that’s good right?” Lapis shrugged

“Is it?” Bismuth replied, shaken for a moment thinking about Pearl ACTUALLY reciprocating the feelings.

“Oh stars… I just don’t know how to do it!” She exclaimed.

Lapis hummed in thought for a moment. “Hmmm… maybe you need to talk to a certain someone about it? Someone who knows about feelings and stuff way more” she suggested with a knowing grin.

Bismuth’s eyes lit up in realization. “Garnet! I know she’ll help me with this!”

“Yeah she um… she’s pretty good when it comes to this stuff” Lapis replied, looking away looking suddenly nervous.

“Okay! I-I think I can do it!” Bismuth puffed out her chest confidently and brushed off the dust from her outfit. “I just gotta go talk to Garnet!” She reminded herself.

She turned to face a slightly surprised Lapis with a grateful smile.

“Hey Lapis? Thanks, I needed to get that off my chest”

The blue gem blinked for a moment before snort-chuckling. “Well uh yeah sure anytime”

Bismuth warped into the temple where she found Garnet waiting for her on the couch, stroking Cat Steven’s head gently.

“Oh Garnet, you’re here!” Bismuth said in surprise.

Garnet had a small smile on her lips. It was pretty obvious she knew what Bismuth was coming to her for.

“I saw you coming here asking for my advice on an urgent matter” Garnet replied stoically. Bismuth laughed nervously, fidgeting with her fingers. “Oh yeah, future vision” she said under her breath.

“Come.” Garnet motioned for the buff gem to sit with her.

“So, Pearl then…” Garnet’s smile began to widen ever so slightly.

Alas, Bismuth’s face went dark again. “Oh. Is it that obvious?” She felt like she was repeating the same thing earlier that day, except feeling even more incompetent than before.

“Bismuth, whatever fate decides for you and Pearl, I know is going to be alright and all I can see is that you both end up being happy.” Garnet reassured.

“But… how did Ruby and Sapphire do it?” Asked Bismuth.

“How did they not crumble into little pieces when they admit their feelings for one another?”

Garnet laughed under her breath a little. “Ruby and Sapphire were a complete mess. They never once had a calm moment when they fell in love. They were completely love struck.”

“But… what if only one of them were love struck? What happened then?” Bismuth asked, becoming a little more desperate for a quick answer with each passing minute.

Garnet thought for a moment, touching her visor.

“Well… they both ended up dwelling on their feelings for a while until one of them made the decision to talk about it, otherwise they’d stay the same. Restless, tortured, longing.” The fusion explained, cringing at the past for a moment when Ruby and sapphire used to bottle up their feelings more often before they finally decided to stay perma fused.

“I mean it’s not like I want to fuse with her, it’s just… I want to be with her and make her happy and make her smile and just be there for her through the good and the bad, and just support her in anyway I can!” Bismuth sighed, day dreaming again.

Garnet could feel Ruby and Sapphire awing deep within her fusion.

“Bismuth, you need to tell her right away!”

The fusion’s voice suddenly perked up with excitement.

“Wha-huh?!” Bismuth looked startled for a moment and then looked to her side, sweating nervously.

“Uh I um, I dunno Garnet, it just seems like it’s too soon, you know?”

“Well if you don’t do it sooner, you’ll never get around to it and you’ll continue to suffer with deep longing” Garnet explained with harshness, reverting back to her stoic nature.

Bismuth sighed, clenching her fists. “I-“

“You’re right! You’re right!” She stood up, feeling more determined than ever, this time actually feeling like she could do it.

“I better think of something too, maybe prepare a monologue and get some fancy wearables!”

Garnet gave her a smile. “Show her you mean Bismuth” she joked.

The rainbow gem chuckled

“And you better come up with something soon because Pearl is about to use the warp in twelve seconds” Garnet added just as emotionless as before.

“SHE- WHAT!?”

Bismuth tensed with panic.

“Oh shucks! Why didn’t you tell me that sooner?!” She whined, hands griping to her rainbow locks.

“You got this.” Garnet replied simply, giving her a thumbs up and a toothy smile before leaving towards her temple room.

“W-wait!” Bismuth tried, but failed to stop her.

That’s when the warp activated. The whooshing sound of the warp pad and the blue column flashing down shocked Bismuth into hurriedly straightening herself and her hair, brushing off her gem as nicely as she could; though she looked like a real

mess when she stood there waiting; sweating and twitching in anticipation.

Pearl was humming something as she returned from the warp pad, her face remaining neutral before she noticed the pale gem with rainbow hair standing there, almost startling her with her silent presence.

Pearl lit up with joy, clapping her hands together.

“Oh Bismuth! So good to see you again! Did you need something?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact.” Bismuth stood there trying to sound as stoic as possible but her posture said otherwise. She looked like she was imitating a wall.

“Oh… is there something wrong? If it’s about my criticisms of the wedding armour I-I I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said anything-“ she started rambling anxiously.

“What? No no no!” Bismuth shook her head. “It’s about… Us.”

Pearl’s eyes widened for a moment. “Us?” She repeated.

“Yes. Us.”

Pearl didn’t have internal organs, but it felt like she had a heart that just stopped beating for a second. She was worried, concerned, curious, flustered. She didn’t know why. Was it going to be what she thought it was?

Bismuth let out a deep sigh. “Pearl, I need to tell you something. Something that’s been on my mind for well… ever since I met you” she lowered herself to Pearl’s eye level, letting her face go warm without the worry of the reactions she might be getting.

Pearl’s irises went glossy for a moment. Something about the way Bismuth spoke so soflty felt so familar to her…

“Rose” Pearl swallowed, approaching her leader. Said leader turned around with a curious pout, her fluffy pink hair waving around the motion of her body. “Is something wrong, Pearl?” Rose asked worriedly. Pearl clenched her fists tightly. “Can I tell you something?”

Rose smiled warmly. “Of course Pearl, you can tell me anything!”

Pearl smiled slightly, a blush on her face. “Yes uhm.. well the thing is… I’ve been thinking about us..” Pearl admit, flustered.

“Us?” Rose asked, confused.

“Yes. Us.” Pearl continued to force her confidence, but was shaking on the inside. Rose sat down, looking at Pearl expectantly.

“I-I need to tell you s-something I’ve been m-meaning to tell you since we’ve been uhm… around” She gulped, blushing furiously.

Rose, moved, put her hands together, stars in her eyes.

“Yes Pearl?”

Pearl inhaled sharply and then finally let it out “I-I’ve always felt so close to you e-even more now and I-I want to be with you and I-I want to be your Pearl forever. Rose, I love you!”

Rose smiled widely with a giggle. “Aww Pearl I love you too! you’re such a funny gem! So loving and caring and you care about everyone so much!”

Pearl felt like her gem was cracking in two.

“Just the same way Greg-“ Rose suddenly perked up in realization. “Pearl! I need your advice on this! Greg has asked me to be his “Girl-friend?” I have no idea what that means, but he wants to see me tonight about it! What do you think I should go with for my attire? I want your opinion!” She squealed, bouncing up and down like an excited toddler.

“I-I see…” Pearl choked out, holding back tears.

“Pearl? What’s wrong?” Rose rested a hand on Pearl’s shoulder, looking into her eyes.”Oh-Oh it’s nothing!” Pearl forced a laugh, holding back tears as much as she possibly could.

“You mean the world to me, Pearl, you know that? So… black pants outfit or white flowing one?” Rose asked, showing off to her what looked like a tuxedo and a white dress similar to her own.

“Oh whatever you think looks best!” Pearl forced a smile. “Oh you’re right! I think the white one would make Greg really happy!” Rose sighed, blushing at the thought of seeing her human lover again.

“Y-yes I’m sure it would…”

“And Pearl?” Rose turned to her with a warm smile.

“Rose?” Pearl’s voice laced with longing and desperation.

“Don’t forget about our little outing tomorrow, just you me and Greg, my best friends in the whole world !” Rose chuckled warmly and went to hug Pearl. Rose was warm and soft, but Pearl only felt cold and broken.

“Well, wish me luck Pearl! Gotta go dress for the ocassion and impress Mr. universe! Hehe!” Rose got up almost immediately, running to her room.

Pearl stood there silent.

Eventually Rose said goodbye to her gems and left for her “date”, saying “don’t wait up!” Before disappearing into the night. When Garnet and Amethyst retreat to their rooms, all hell broke loose

Pearl fell to her knees and wept. She was angry. Angry at Greg, angry at Rose, angry at herself. What was she thinking confessing like that? She felt so useless and empty. Of course she chose Greg… she just wished deep down she hadn’t.

Everything hurt and it hurt for so long. She was so deeply in love with her Diamond, so deeply in love with Rose… but nothing ever really came of it. Rose made her choice, and she wasn’t it.

As the memory resurfaced, so did Pearl’s attention towards Bismuth who started rambling for a moment. “Pearl… that night we went out to the skating rink.” Bismuth swooned, blushing.

“That was one of best nights of my life”

Pearl’s cheeks went blue and she could not get a single word out.

Years and years of hiding her true feelings came bursting out of the rainbow gem.

“I’m going to honest with you, I always felt this way about you, even when you were falling for Rose. I had to hide eveything because I was afraid!” Bismuth explained, her voice becoming more and more emotional.

“I was afraid of what you would think of me and afraid of how you’d react. You don’t need anyone to be happy! I love that you are yourself and even more so that you’ve really come into your own” She continued causing Pearl to start tearing up, a happy smile on her face, her hands cupped together.

“Bismuth…” Pearl said, only finding enough courage for a soft gasp.

“What I’m trying to say is… I really like you Pearl, I always have and I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go out sometime, maybe for a walk or somethin’ I’ve been trying to get rid of these feelings but no matter how hard I try, they just keep comin’ back harder than ever!” Bismuth’s face was completely flushed by now, but it felt so good to finally let these feelings out.

Pearl’s face was bright blue and she looked like she was about to collapse from the confession. It was so familar, except this time… she was the recipient! She almost couldn’t believe it!

Bismuth had always valued her while she was chasing after an impossible dream. Bismuth was always right there, ready to catch her, to laugh with her, to help her. That was until Rose bubbled her in secret... How much pain she was in over this and how much she tried to hide everything she felt about Pearl for so long.

Pearl was moved to tears.

She felt valued, appreciated, loved, seen. The opposite of how Rose made her feel after she was rejected for Greg. She really thought for so long that Rose was her ultimate fate, her true love, her fantasy turned reality. She would go back in time and tell her past self everything that she so obliviously missed before, if she could!

Pearl’s hands flew to her lips, tears running down her cheeks and blue blush still covering them.

“Pearl… I want to be your rock and if you don’t want that, I understand completely. I’ll always be there to support you no matter what descision you make” Bismuth finished, looking straight into Pearl’s eyes, tearing up at the same time.

“Bismuth I…” Pearl was completely stunned, almost shaking in shock.

Somehow, she felt nauseous, despite not having a stomach. This was so new and so different.

The awkward silence broken as Bismuth began stammering.

“I-I’m really sorry I didn’t want to overwhelm you I um… f-forget I said anything!” She forced a chuckle backing away to give Pearl space, feeling completely embarrassed. “Bismuth.” Pearl stared lovingly at the blacksmith.

“Yeah?” Bismuth turned back, blushing still. “I would love to go for a walk with you” Pearl smiled, speaking soflty, blushing still.

Bismuth let out a half-laugh half sigh of relief. “Really? Where did you wanna go?”

“Anywhere” Pearl held Bismuth’s hands in hers, despite the hand size difference. She reached her head towards Bismuth’s cheek and gave a quick peck, avoiding poking her nose into the taller gem’s face.

Bismuth froze, eyes wide and cheeks still as dark as ever.

“You’re the most beautiful, wonderful, powerful rock in the cosmos, you know that?” Bismuth swooned, almost falling over from the surprise peck.

Pearl chuckled flirtatiously. “Oh Bismuth, don’t be silly. That title belongs to a certain Blacksmith”

Bismuth laughed and couldn’t stop herself from scooping the ex-servant into her arms. Pearl yelped in surprise but was smiling from cheek to cheek, laughing.

“Bismuth, you smooth stone!” She flirted back.

“Who are you calling the smooth one, doll?” Bismuth nicknamed, looking deep into Pearl’s eyes. Pearl couldn’t help but chuckle, swooning over her once more.

For what felt like eternity, they spun around, sharing eachother’s loving gazes, finally finding one another.

“You know” Pearl began, flirtatiously. “Humans usually plan weeks ahead for these things called ‘dates’ but I think we should start right now!” She expressed with a loving gleam in her eyes.

“The most important thing to do on these romantic escapades, is to dress for the occassion!” Pearl said ‘as a matter of fact’. “I know just the attire to dress for!” She popped out with excitement.

“Oh? Dress nicely huh? I think I have a lil’ somethin’ for that!” Bismuth winked and walked over to the warp pad. “I’ll be right back, in my you could say, dating material!” She chuckled lovingly.

“Oh Bismuth you haven’t even seen the REAL fancy suit!” Pearl replied sultry.

Pearl came out of her room wearing the deluxe black tuxedo from Empire City and Bismuth warped back with a white Tuxedo instead.

The rest of day the two did everything they wanted to do together for a long time. Pearl helped Bismuth with puzzles, Bismuth and Pearl began to cook together and both of them talked about old times.

Then as the sun began to set, they walked out still in their formal clothes onto the quiet beach.

There they stood, staring at the calm ocean as the sun started to set over it. Pearl rested her head on Bismuth’s shoulder, watching it with content. “I guess this was uh our first date huh?” Bismuth laughed.

“The first of many” Pearl replied back, eyes closing as she rested closer into her shoulders.

Bismuth’s smile grew so much it hurt and her eyes were so wide and teary. She felt so happy, so calm, so relaxed.

The future was looking bright and it all started with tonight.

[athzhowakar]

The Betrayal of Blood: The New Heir

❇️ Place: Yi Ti

❇️ Period: The Great Empire of the Dawn

❇️ ‘The Betrayal of Blood’ is a Tumblr series on the Amethyst Empress, the Bloodstone Emperor and the First Long Night.

❇️ Summary:

Chapter 1 : The New Heir

The Opal Emperor has declared the name of his heir.

“Heavy is the head that wears the crown.”

The crown princess was standing in the palace garden and plucking a flower when she heard some footsteps.

“Brother,” she said to the man who had just arrived.

“It is quite unusual to find you here. Generally, you stay in your manor and write scriptures or read books. Why are you here today?” the man asked.

The crown princess said, “It felt like the flowers called out to me. Tell me Brother, what brings you here?”

The prince replied, “I came to congratulate you, Sister.”

“Thank you, Brother,” she replied. “You lifted the burden off my shoulders with your words," she added.

The prince asked, “What kind of burden do you talk about?”

“The burden of loneliness,” she replied. She wore the flower that she had plucked, on her hair and continued, “When Royal Father declared me as his heir, I had thought that you would harbour sour feelings towards me. I had assumed that you would leave me alone among my friends and foes to fend for myself.”

“You speak of friends and foes, and then you speak of loneliness,” he said. “But Sister, how would my departure make you lonely if you have friends?”

The crown princess sighed.

She said, “Brother, in the court, it takes very little time for friends to turn into foes. You however, are my brother. We came from the same womb.”

She approached the prince and caressed his face. “We belong together. That is why, you must stay with me. You must protect me from the backstabbers and help me to rule,” she said.

The prince smiled and said to her, “I will. What good will come of a brother's sword if it cannot be wielded in his sister's service?”

“I am glad that you think so,” the crown princess replied.

The eyes of the crown princess went to a nearby tree. “Look! Mistletoe is covering that tree,” she said.

The prince replied, “I see. The tree was kind enough to let mistletoe grow on it. Now, it is only a matter of time before it is killed by the mistletoe.”

The crown princess said, “I will ask the gardener to remove the mistletoe.”

“Let it be, Sister,” the prince said, holding her hand. “The stronger being feeds on the weaker being. Let us not interfere with the laws of nature. Let the mistletoe grow and feed on the tree as it desires.”

“You want me to let the mistletoe kill the tree?” the crown princess asked.

“Every tree has to die one day,” the prince replied.

“If you insist, I will let it be this way,” the crown princess said.

The prince looked at her and said, “Men and trees are alike. Some die of old age, some die of plagues, some die of hunger and some by sword. There are also others who die just like that tree because they were too blind to see that they had sheltered a mistletoe.”

“You are right,” the crown princess replied.

[monsterdramahub]

uh oh, boss monster time

[megabuild]

i was already struggling with my adie design because i kept accidentally leaning into stuff i already had for pixelle (eg. he's a steampunk guy, i'm swithering on giving him a cane/leg brace because. smiles) but now im realising that if he comes to season 10 through a amethyst rift then that's. just like the empires crossover. which in aoyuer/my general lore ive already established is time travel not dimension/worldhopping. i could make him a little 1910s victorian boy...

[your-fav-rocks]

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[horizon-verizon]

As a Yi Ti stan it pains me to say this, but the Blood Betrayal isn't the definitive story of how the Long Night began. It's the YiTish legend. It centers around YiTish gods (the Lion of Night and the Maiden-made-of-Light) and the mythical predecessors to the Rainbow Emperors of the Golden Empire. The Gemstone Emperors and the Great Empire of the Dawn might not have existed. So unless GRRM confirmed it, there'd be no reason for HotD to include an Amethyst Empress ref :(

("AWoIaF -- Bones and Beyond -- Yi Ti")

Why do you think that bc it's from Yi Ti, it has no bearing, thematically or magically, on Rhaenyra-Aegon-the loss of magical defenders against the Others and therefore Dany? A character who's story begins and develops in the East part of Planetos unlike evry other character we know and have read from?

Another thing: ancient greek myths are not "originally" "Greek" or from the Greek isles. they came from Mesopotamia, Anatolia/Turkey, etc. Just bc these are myths and legends, doesn't mean real events or people didn't inspire them just as some do in real life. You can't say these emperors didn't exist at all when we know the traditions could have been many emperors adopt titles from past one for the image of longevity. And those god you mention? Those names for those gods are very general, evocative, and metaphorical, which means that they easily could have been figures/deities of many different names to different peoples/those names passed down from other cultures that the Yi Ti-ish adopt. In fact, it's pretty rare you get mythical figures/gods totally and proven to be original form just one culture.

Aphrodite? She comes from the Phoenician goddess Astarte, from the Semitic goddess Ishtar, based on the Sumerian cult of Inanna. If you look to Jesus, he's developed from Dionysus and the mythic tale of a self sacrificed, sometimes cannabalized, male figure who replenishes the earth. Myths are not direct copies...nor are they "original".

Just bc these tales/myths are recorded last as coming last from Yi Ti and they form specifically Yi Tish gods, doesn't mean they do not have cultural significance and history and influence (or even developed from another people) in Esso's past. These people are connected by land after all. That's simply not how human societies work, and GRRM knows that.

[jin-renshu]

THE MAIDEN-MADE-OF-LIGHT & THE LION-OF-NIGHT

The people of Yi Ti believe in two deities: the Lion-of-Night and the Maiden-made-of-Light. Their mythology and religion that formed from it is based on the belief that this goddess and god had a child, the God-on-Earth, and it is from him that the God-Emperors of Yi Ti are descended. Many centuries ago, the Maiden-made-of-Light turned her back on humanity because of the wickedness of man, and YiTish people have been praying for her return ever since. The people of Yi Ti have a very profound belief in her, a goddess seen as the embodiment of goodness, a benevolent and loving figure who still protects those worthy of her care. On the other hand, the Lion-of-Night, is a ruthless and darker god. He descended upon the world when the Maiden-made-of-Light left it, bringing forth his wrath and it is believed he can even influence people to harbor that same divine ruthlessness in their hearts. There is a belief amongst the Faceless Men that the Lion-of-Night is one of the many faces of the Many-faced-God, so that interpretation has been adjudicated to this deity. This interpretation is generally dismissed by YiTish people, however. One of the many legends that surrounds these deities is that of the Bloodstone Emperor. He was the legendary ninth and last ruler of the mythic Great Empire of the Dawn. He was the son of the Opal Emperor and the younger brother of the Amethyst Empress, who succeeded their father. Envious, he slew his sister and proclaimed himself the new God-Emperor. His usurpation became known as the Blood Betrayal in the annals of the Further East, which claim that the act of usurping his sister's throne ushered in the Long Night. YiTish people have a deeply rooted belief that a second coming of the Bloodstone Emperor will happen when another ruler embraces the darkness of the Lion-of-Night and spills blood against kin and against his own people. The story goes that during all the darkness brought by the Long Night, a humble priest named Jin Qian-xun sat in a bamboo spring and sang to the Maiden-made-of-Light. His song narrated the strong belief he had in her, a presence that he felt all the time, everywhere, despite being unable to see her. He sang about the marvel of changing seasons, about the beauty of a newborn's first breath and the moving last exhalation of a person dying, about the warmth of fire and the refreshing sensation of water, about the miracle of a beating heart. The legend goes that the branches of the bamboo began to light up as little candles around him, indicating that the Maiden-made-of-Light was with him. To this day, when YiTish people build temples for their goddess they plant bamboo around them and fill the temple with unlit candles, so the Maiden-made-of-Light herself may light them. To this day, one of the most important rituals of the YiTish is that of the Qian-xun Song, a ritual that seeks to bring closer the presence of the Maiden-made-of-Light, particularly in moments of distress when the grasp of the Lion-of-Night feels closer.

[nightbringer24]

So my current plan with my Empire army is:

General on horse

3 Captains on Foot, one with the battle standard

20 Halberdiers with detachment of 10 crossbowmen

10 Swordsmen

10 Handgunners

5 Pistoliers

10 Greatswords

8 Knightly Order knights

3 Demigryph Knights

1 Great Cannon.

I can also do my Amethyst Order wizard, but I'll need to dip into my non-GW bits since I can't find the hand I wanted him to originally use.

So I think I've got an all right starter army.