#he looked like he was trying to convince me to join his religion

[coffinpal]

🔥

[on-my-vigilante-sht]

Immortal Danger II

Apollo x wife!Reader

Summary: Despite an extravagant wedding, Apollo is still confronted by those who want to end his marriage

Warning: Smut; Ares, Demeter, and Phobos slander; attempted assault; alcohol consumption and mentions of underage drinking; probably some ancient greek wedding inaccuracies

Word Count: 5k

Part 1 | Masterlist

Apparently a wedding in Vegas wasn’t good enough for my mother because I found myself in her green house mansion on Olympus being lectured and listening to her berate Apollo.

“Dem, we’re all adults here,” my husband tried to reason.

“She isn’t even a century old!” Demeter cried in exasperation.

“Twenty-four is considered an adult on earth,” I offered. “Didn’t Persephone run off with Hades when she was seventeen?”

“Oh don’t even get me started on him!” my mother ranted. “What is with you gods and my daughters?” Apollo opened his mouth but she just held a hand up, silencing him. “No! I don’t want to hear all the perverted things you think about her.”

“When did you become such a prude, Dem? My father told me all about your wild days.” If Apollo could die he’d be trapped in Tartarus right now based on the glare she sent him.

“A ‘Vegas’ wedding officiated by a mortal is not a real wedding. I won’t have you two living in sin.”

“Well we’ve been ‘sin-’”

I clamped a hand over Apollo’s mouth, silencing him. “Firstly, with all due respect… Mother, you have the wrong religion there.”

“Well we don’t have set moral codes like Christians do!” she cried. “Urgh you’re both so infuriating. You two are going to have a proper, traditional wedding. You,” she looked pointedly at me, “will be staying here until your wedding because I don’t want you,” she turned her glare to Apollo, “defiling her more than you already have.”

I shared a glance with Apollo who appeared to share my sentiments. “Fine,” I agreed. “As long as the wedding occurs within a month.”

“And after you are married you will stay here. Apollo can visit you but that’s it. No spending nights at his home or going out to sneak around,” Demeter insisted.

“Mother!” I immediately chastised.

“Demeter!” my now fiancé cried simultaneously. “That’s unreasonable. I know you think of her as your baby and you’re afraid you’re going to lose her like Persephone but she’s my wife. She’ll be my wife again. You can’t treat her like an untrustworthy teenager. Besides, you know as well as I do that according to tradition, the marriage isn’t legitimate unless we live together.”

“Well then you may as not get married at all!” Demeter offered sarcastically.

“Mother, it’s not as if I’m disappearing or we’re just fooling around. I love him,” I professed, looking back at Apollo with a smile.

He returned it before standing up to confront my mom. “Y/N’s right, we’re not just fooling around. After all, we’re already married.

She only rolled her eyes before giving a sigh of defeat. “Be ready for the wedding. Hera, Aphrodite, and I will be planning it,” she said with an accusatory finger before disappearing.

~

Two weeks later and my mother had managed to pull together a wedding she deemed acceptable. She had wanted to hold it a century from now but I forced her hand. But in preparations for the wedding, I met all the gods. Except for Ares they were all excited for me. Even Aphrodite who had reprimanded Ares when he got aggressive.

“You know, it’s not too late to join the Hunt,” Artemis offered again as she braided my hair back for the wedding. Ever since we met she has been trying to convince me to dump her brother and swear him and all other men off for forever.

“Artemis!” Aphrodite whined from across the room. “Stop putting ideas in her head. Why do you hate true love?”

“Don’t you have a husband that isn’t Ares?” Artemis quipped.

“That’s different,” she claimed, standing up from the sofa she was lounging on. “That was not true love.”

“And don’t you have dozens of children that are neither Hephaestus’ nor Ares’?”

“Ugh what do you know?” Aphrodite scoffed. She stood on front of me, stooping down to make eye contact. “Y/N, don’t listen to her. You and Apollo are meant to be, I know it. And running around in the woods for eternity won’t bring you joy. Do you really want to camp with a bunch of 12 year old girls for the rest of eternity? It’d be like… well… being stuck at Camp Half-Blood for all eternity.”

I chuckled, appreciating both the goddesses’ efforts. “Thanks for the assurance Aphrodite and thanks for the offer Artemis. If he pisses me off enough in like 500 years then I may take you up on your offer.”

Hera then entered wearing a traditional chiton. “Today’s the gamos!” she said excitedly as she entered. She seemed shockingly excited considering I was marrying her husband’s bastard. “Aphrodite, put a beauty charm on her and then get her in her dress.” She then left after barking orders much like my mother.

Both goddesses complied and soon enough I was dressed in an extravagant chiton, decorated in gold, and with a lace veil over my face. They led me to an enormous dining hall decorated in white and gold, the gorgeous ceiling enchanted to reflect the sky outside, depicting the stars and the moon. As I was looking around in awe, I caught Apollo’s smile. Upon noticing my attention was directed at him, he raised his glass to me which I recognized as his attempt to compliment me.

According to Athenian tradition, the bride wasn’t supposed to have contact with the groom until the unveiling ceremony but there was a feast beforehand.

I was sat where Apollo couldn’t see me so I was fortunately allowed to eat. On my plate was a square of ambrosia and with just a wave of my hand it turned into a proper wedding dish.

As I was chatting with Artemis and some of her hunters—who wanted to sit as far from the male guests as possible—Hera and Demeter came flitting up next to me. “It’s time for the unveiling ceremony!” Hera gushed.

“It’s not too late to back out,” Demeter offered again. “You don’t have to swear things off with Apollo but you can at least postpone,” she pleaded hopefully.

I looked up at her sympathetically. I knew she just wanted to have her daughter to herself but I couldn’t help but be reminded of the half-blood daughters that were never this important to her. “Mother, I want this,” I informed her earnestly again. “I love Apollo and he loves me too. I’m ready to begin my immortal life with him.”

“Demeter, I know there are a lot of feelings here but we have to go,” Hera tried to calm her sister before flipping the veil back over my head and ushering me from my seat. I complied until I reached the grand entrance of the hall. Stood in the doorway was Apollo also in a traditional chiton. Just past him, awaiting us outside was the chariot that would take us to his home.

I stepped up closer to him, smiling up at him as he beamed down at me. He literally was the sun personified and I couldn’t wait to spend eternity with him.

If there were any formal rituals associated with the unveiling ceremony they had either been long since forgotten or Apollo didn’t care because he took a more modern approach. After a whispered, “I love you,” he took the veil and flipped it over my head before gently placing one hand on my jaw, the other on my waist before kissing me deeply. Much like modern Christian ceremonies.

Although, the kiss wasn’t very Christian as it was deep and passionate and Apollo seemed reluctant to end it. Every time he pulled away slightly it was just to connect our lips deeper again. He only pulled away when a shout came from Hermes. “You’re not in your bedchambers yet!”

Apollo pulled away with a laugh while I flushed with embarrassment. Upon noticing me, he pulled me closer with a laugh whilst I buried my face in his shoulder. I could feel his deep, joyful laugh as he turned to address the room. “The sun may be up a lot later tomorrow morning!” he announced to the room.

I groaned against his shoulder, pushing him towards the chariot. As he stepped away from me, he grabbed my hand. He helped me up onto the chariot before stepping up himself. As soon as he was stood firmly behind me, I urged the horses forward.

As we proceeded out, all of our guests appeared along the path all the way to Apollo’s home. Used to all the praise and attention, Apollo waved to other other deities as they cheered us on, with me tucked under his arm trying not to fall out of the chariot.

As we reached the grand entrance of the mansion, we finally had some privacy. The sun god helped me down from the chariot again, before sweeping me off my feet. “And now, we will enter our home, cementing our marriage,” he explained with a smile.

I giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck as he carried me through the magically opened doors. He didn’t even bother to pretend to want to celebrate that we were married now, he immediately carried me up towards the bedroom. “You’re going to hate your mother for not letting me see you for two weeks because tonight I’m making up for not fucking you for that time,” he explained eagerly.

As he went the doors opened automatically until he was placing me on the middle of the bed. He followed, kneeling on the bed with a leg on either side of my hips, looking down at me. I began unfastening the bindings of my chiton but Apollo just snapped his fingers and I was in white lingerie. Before I could comprehend what happened, he tore the bralette off of me as his lips found mine. As he kissed me, I could feel his warm hands on my breasts, fondling them and teasing my nipples.

Soon enough his lips were leaving mine and trailing down my neck and chest until one of my nipples was in his mouth. I let out a soft moan as I felt his tongue swirl around me. He moved to the other breast, simultaneously sliding his other hand to my panties which I now realized were entirely lace as there was virtually nothing in between his fingers and my pussy.

As his thumb found my clit and his mouth continued the assault on my breasts, I could only let out cries of pleasure. My hands found his back as I dug my nails into his skin, trying to ground myself. But one hand overstimulating my clit, the other rubbing circles around my nipple, and the other nipple still being tortured by his mouth was too much and my panties became even more soaked as I climaxed.

Upon feeling my entire body seize, Apollo pulled away from me with a satisfied smile. I stared up at him in slight wonderment. I never orgasmed that fast, I would have thought that I’d be less sensitive as a goddess. Seeing my surprise, Apollo explained with a laugh. “Now that we’re both immortal and married we’re more in tune with each other,” he explained. “It’s like our bodies are made for each other. They just react more to each other than when you were mortal.”

“So you feel it more too?” I asked. He nodded. “Good,” I smiled. I snapped my fingers and all of a sudden his chiton was gone and he was naked. Before he could react, I had pushed him to lay on the bed, my body on top of his. Much like what he had done to me prior, I gave him a brief yet deep kiss before lowering my head to his already erect cock. I met his eager gaze, holding eye contact as I grasped his cock. Stroking it a bit, I brought my mouth down on it while still maintaining eye contact. I felt his entire body shiver as I wrapped my lips around the sensitive head that was already leaking precum.

I licked at the sensitive head ever so slightly, bringing my mouth up and down his shaft the littlest bit, teasing him. But as I reached the very end of his cock, acting as if I was about to pull away, his hand shot out to my head, keeping me in place. Looking up, I found his face contorted in pleasure, the hand not tangled in my hair was gripping the sheets. “Don’t stop,” he said in a strained voice. I complied, continuing my assault on his cock. As a goddess, I no longer had to worry about a gag reflex so I could take his entire cock in my mouth, something he deeply appreciated judging by his deep groans.

I tried to keep going until he came in my mouth but his grip on my hair pulled me away. “No!” he grunted out. “I wanna cum inside you first.” He immediately flipped us so now he was on top of me but my head was nearly hanging off the foot of the bed, ripping off my lace panties in the process. He stared down hungrily at my cunt, licking his lips like a starved man. Rather than fuck me like I thought he was going to, he brought his mouth to my core. Upon feeling his mouth wrap around my core, tongue prodding at my clit, I let out more of a yell than a moan. I was so sensitive from the previous orgasm, I came directly in his mouth this time. But rather than stop there, he kept going. His tongue made its way inside my clenching hole, swirling around, making me see stars.

I was squirming around so much his hands had locked around my hips, immobilizing me. All I could do was beg him to stop as he assaulted my cunt until he finally pulled away after one more release. “I need you inside me,” I begged him as he raised himself to his knees. He smiled, eagerly complying. He pulled my hips up until they were flush with his. I brought my legs up as he did so, resting them on his shoulders as he slowly pushed inside of me.

I screamed so loudly in pleasure you’d think I was being murdered. Gods I was so sensitive from the previous orgasms and our newfound connection.

Once he was fully in me I could feel his cock twitching inside of me and I knew what that meant. He had never cum this fast but then again, never had I either. I rolled my hips into his, wanted him to feel the same pleasure I had and I could immediately feel him spill inside of me. Which made me cum around his cock, milking everything out of him.

But he didn’t pull out or soften inside of me. That was the nice thing about gods, there was no refractory period. As soon as he stopped cumming, his hips were moving again, fucking me.

I quickly became a babbling mess as he continued to fuck me through numerous orgasms each. He had me bent over, riding him, under him, every position imaginable. Sometimes he was rough, other times more gentle and loving. No matter what we did I loved every moment of it.

He only stopped when he had to go get the sun chariot ready. Despite the fact that I didn’t need to sleep anymore, I immediately passed out as soon as he left.

~

Apollo’s lips on my neck were the only things that pulled me out of the inviting grasp of sleep. I let out a groan so he knew that I was awake.

“‘Morning,” he greeted in my ear. “So today is called epaulia, it’s when everyone comes to congratulate us and bring gifts,” he explained through kisses. “I can tell them that you’re not feeling up to it today if you want. I know you’re new to immortality and last night was a lot.” I could feel his smug grin against the skin of my jaw. “But, if you choose not to see anyone then I’m warning you that you’re not leaving this bed.”

I finally peeled my eyes fully open. Fortunately the blinds around the bed had been drawn so I wasn’t blinded. I rolled over, meeting his gaze. “I know I’m immortal and as much as I would love to spend the entire day in bed with you, I think I might actually die of exhaustion if you do that to me.” A grin appeared on his face as his fingers found their way in between my legs. “Apollo,” I moaned, tossing my head back as his fingers assaulted my still puffy and throbbing clit.

“Okay,” he agreed, as if he weren’t fingering me right now. “I’ll tell them they can come over once I’m done.” He continued, his fingers fucking me to the edge of an orgasm. But before I could finish, a gong rang through the home. I jumped and Apollo pulled away. “Oh shit, I guess they came anyways.” He pressed a kiss to my cheek before jumping out of bed. “I’ll talk to them while you get dressed. Technically today is about you since epaulia is supposed to make the bride more comfortable.” I just stared at him, still a little bit flabbergasted before he disappeared.

After a minute of calming myself down, I got up. Going to the vanity I found my messy appearance. Fortunately I could just give myself a beauty charm, something Aphrodite taught me, and I looked like I hadn’t spent the night being fucked within an inch of my life. I summoned a white slip dress that was still modest enough to be worn in front of my family.

With one last look in the mirror I headed downstairs, finding several goods and goddesses standing in the foyer. As soon as they noticed my presence, several of the goddesses came flocking over to me. They were all asking about last night—questions I wouldn’t be answering considering I hardly knew them—and shoving gifts in my hands.

Seeing as I didn’t have enough hands, they all herded me towards the kitchen, lining the counters with their gifts. Eventually Apollo made his way towards me, throwing an arm around my shoulder. He addressed the crowd with ease, telling them thanks but not to crowd me. His confidence was baffling but I guess when you’ve spent centuries being adored it comes easily.

Aphrodite pushed her way through the crowd, Ares standing behind her with a glare. I retreated further into Apollo’s embrace, remembering how he was trying to kill me just two weeks ago. “Open my present,” Aphrodite gushed, oblivious to her lover’s glare.

Shaking off Ares’ intimidation, I took the pink box in my hand. “Aphrodite, do I want to open this in front of everyone?” I asked, my eyes flickering across the room of mostly strangers and meeting my mother’s scowl.

“Yes, it’s fine!” she insisted. “It’s just perfume.” I opened it reluctantly, knowing that her perfumes were love potions. I pulled it out of the box, the label informing me that it would make me irresistible.

A few other visitors presented their gifts. I was delighted by the plants that Athena, Artemis, and a few nymphs gave me. There were a few lingerie sets that I didn’t take out of the boxes and bags. As well as a few other home goods.

By the time I had gotten through the mountain of gifts, someone had pulled out the alcoholic nectar. Aphrodite quickly pushed a champagne flute of it into my hands. “Have you ever drank, Y/N?” she asked. “You were at camp a long time.”

“Um, once when I was 15 before I became a year-round camper,” I explained. “My boyfriend at the time and I-”

“Your boyfriend?” Apollo demanded in surprise, having never left my side.

“You knew about him!” I defended. “We only made out a couple times.”

“Still,” he huffed.

“I know your children. I grew up with some of them,” I pointed out.

He rolled his eyes playfully. “Yeah whatever,” he said with a pout before breaking out in a smile. “Hey, I’m gonna go talk to Hermes,” he informed, pressing a kiss to my temple. He then looked at Aphrodite. “Please don’t let her get too drunk,” he requested. “There’s a difference between mortal alcohol and god alcohol. Even Dionysus has made a fool of himself off of this stuff.”

“Don’t worry,” Aphrodite assured. “I’ll take care of her.”

He gave her an uneasy look but I just pushed him to go. “Go have fun. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” he said reluctantly. “I love you,” he told me before disappearing into the crowd.

I looked back at Aphrodite and she was immediately waving her hand, shots appearing on the counter. “Oh we’re getting you wasted tonight,” she laughed. I laughed with her, grabbing a shot off the counter.

“To love,” I toasted with her as she grabbed a glass.

~~

Apollo and several other gods were in the den, talking with an American football game playing when Hermes came in. “Apollo!” he called across the room, obviously a little drunk. “Your wife is fun!” he slurred.

By now all the men were looking at him. Apollo stood up, going to his friend. “What do you mean, bud?” he asked.

“Well I was going to get some food but I ended up doing shots with Y/N,” he explained enthusiastically. A few chuckles erupted from the room. New immortals were rare but when they got inebriated the first time it was always funny. “That girl can drink.”

Apollo chuckled nervously, directing his friend to the couch before going back out to the main room. Stepping into the main living space, he found Artemis with her on the couch, trying to force ambrosia into her mouth.

“Y/N, you have to either eat or I’ll force you to throw up,” he heard Artemis threaten.

“Thanks ‘Mis,” he interrupted, taking a seat on the other side of his wife. “I’ve got it from here.” His twin nodded before standing up and disappearing into the crowd.

His wife looked at him with a smile. “Sorry I got drunk,” she giggled. Apollo couldn’t help but smile. She was cute like this.

“It’s ok, I don’t blame you. Aphrodite was supposed to watch you.”

“She did this to me.”

“Yeah, well, you need to sober up a bit before you rejoin the party,” he said, taking her hand. She followed him up into a standing position but immediately tripped over herself. Catching her, Apollo held her close to help her keep her balance. “Let’s try this,” he said, before transporting them to their bedroom.

He managed to get her to the bed, sitting her down on it. Out of nowhere she gasped. “You’re trying to take advantage of a drunk girl!” she immediately erupted into giggles.

He smiled, joining her laugh. “No, you’re gonna sleep off the shots.” She huffed but agreed anyways. Apollo thanked her for her cooperation. “I’ll be downstairs. Call me if you need anything,” he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek before going back downstairs.

~~

I laid back on the bed, staring up at the windows above me. Despite the fact that there were still no clouds in the sky, it looked like it was moving. My head seemed to swim and it was as if my body was mortal again. I felt so weak now.

Just before I found the strength to roll over and go to sleep, I head the bedroom door open. “Apollo?” I called, assuming it was him. When I got no response I sat up, finding a vaguely familiar figure coming up the stairs. My vision was too hazy to see his face distinctly.

“Hey, Y/N,” the voice came.

As the figure got closer I could finally make out his face. “Phobos?” I guessed.

He smiled. “You remember me and you’re not screaming in terror,” he chuckled. I shrugged awkwardly. He sighed, sitting on the bed next to me. “Listen, uh, I'm sorry about trying to kill you. Father’s orders, y’know?”

“Uh, sure,” I agreed.

“I was hoping you could forgive me,” he requested. He kept moving his head to look into my eyes, as if willing me to agree. Fortunately for me, my vision was going in and out of focus too much for it to have any affect.

“Yeah, we could be friends,” I slurred excitedly.

“Well, I was uh… hoping we could be more than friends,” he said nervously. Before I could ask him what he meant, his lips were on mine. His hands locked onto my jaw and neck, holding me in place as I struggled.

As he tried to lay me down on the bed, I slipped out of his grasp. Literally falling onto the floor. I tried to crawl away but he was straddling my hips, pinning me down in a second. “Apollo!” I yelled, tears streaming down my face in fear.

Before I could yell again, Apollo’s face was in front of me. As if it had replaced Phobos’. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Apollo’s voice came but it sounded hollow. “It’s just me,” he assured. His lips found my neck, hand trailing up my body.

“No!” I cried. “I don’t wanna right now. I feel weird.”

“You’ll feel better,” he assured, continuing to touch me.

“Phobos!” I yelled, pushing him away, or trying to at least. “Apollo wouldn’t do this to me!” I insisted, recalling all the times when I told him I didn’t want to do anything and he backed off. “Apollo!” I screamed again, hoping he’d hear me over the talking and music.

I cried harder as his hands found the neckline of my dress. But before he could work the garment off of me, there was a flash of light and a yell. “What in Tartarus are you doing, Phobos?!” Apollo’s enraged yell came. The god on top of me immediately changed back to his original form as Apollo yanked him away.

The vague forms of other gods appeared as Apollo was still holding Phobos. A girl I recognized as Athena came rushing over to my side, making sure I was ok. “What happened?” she asked.

It was hard to explain through the alcohol and the tears but I told them about how he came up and started trying to assault me.

“It’s not like that!” Phobos insisted. “Ares told me I should try to get with her.”

“Why?” Zeus’ booming voice demanded from his son and grandson. No one answered. “Tell me or Hecate will be administering truth serums.”

An angry voice belonging to Ares answered reluctantly. “I thought that if Y/N cheated on Apollo she'd leave him for Phobos and then he’d be devastated that my son stole his wife.” There were a few murmurs and I could vaguely hear Aphrodite reprimand him. “But I didn’t tell him to force himself on her.”

Apollo started yelling, causing some of the others to start yelling until Zeus silenced them. “Enough! Ares and Phobos, you’re coming with me. Apollo, take care of your wife. Y/N,” I think I vaguely looked in his direction, “I'm sorry your epaulia was ruined and this happened to you. Everyone else out of Apollo’s home!” he yelled to the rest of the house. There were a few groans and disagreements but within a few minutes everyone had disappeared, leaving just me, my husband, and mother.

“C’mon,” he said, picking me up off the floor. I curled into him as he carried me to the bed.

Meanwhile my mother was still there, arms crossed and tapping her foot like a cartoon. “See I knew something like this would happen.”

“Dem, can we not do this now?” Apollo asked as he placed me on the bed.

“You can’t even protect her!” she continued anyways. “You knew she was vulnerable but were too busy with your friends. I knew you weren’t capable of being a husband.”

“Hey-” Apollo began.

“And you!” Demeter continued anyway. She appeared in my still hazy vision. “Getting that drunk at your own epaulia? What were you thinking? He wouldn’t have tried to force himself on you if you hadn’t been so irresponsible.”

“That’s enough, Demeter!” my husband yelled at her. “You’ve been nothing but critical ever since you found out about us. But we’re married, twice now. You can’t change that. And are you seriously blaming her for what just happened? You of all people should be sympathetic and be glad I got there when I did.”

I could hear Demeter’s huff. “Well she wouldn’t have been in danger in the first place if you never got involved.” Then there was a flash of light and she was gone.

Apollo’s sigh came before he settled down on the bed with me. “I’m so sorry that happened,” he stated, pulling me tightly into his chest. “I never should have left you alone.”

“‘S ok,” I consoled, still slurring my words. “Not your fault.”

“I love you so much,” he said, hugging me impossibly tighter. “I swear that nothing like that will ever happen again.”

Part 1 | Masterlist

[bloopitynoot]

3 Shadowgast fics that made me ugly cry

Okay so I read a LOT of shadowgast fanfics and I wanted to share some of the ones that made me absolutely weep. (I was going to wait until tomorrow but I got too excited to share).

All of these have some intense emotional distress, but I promise you all they may be angsty but they absolutely have happy endings.

They are all set in very different AU's, are hefty completed fics, and have similar feels!

1. the breathe before the phrase

(171513 words) by @kmackatie Chapters: 20/20 Rating: Explicit Summary: The ringing note of a concert A is played by the oboe, echoing on its own in the space. It’s picked up by the wind section, followed rapidly by the brass, and the familiar feeling of an orchestra calibrating takes over Caleb. The tonal adjustments as each person brings their instrument into alignment sinks into him and something inside Caleb shifts in recognition as Essek leads the strings into their own tuning. It’s like something is waking up, like something unfurling and firing across long-unused paths of memory. His hands shake slightly, as he raises his bow and joins them, fingers fumbling against the pegs and fine tuners that give him control over his instrument. ---- Essek Thelyss is a leading violinist, his spot as Shadowhand of the Rosohna Philharmonic Orchestra has been uncontested for over a decade. Caleb Widogast is a recent arrival to the city, convinced by his friends to audition for one of the vacant violinist positions. After starting off on the wrong foot, Caleb and Essek get to slowly know each other, discover what brings them joy, create while defying expectations, and find out that what they can produce together may just be better than anything they can do separately.

Why I cried: The amount of pressure put on Essek made my heart absolutely shatter. That plus the pinning between Caleb and Essek had me weeping. The hurt/comfort energy. The bad parent Dierta and of course past Caleb Ickythong trauma healing. Other than the story itself Katie has put so much energy into explaining the music, the playlist is stunning, and the inspiration for the played pieces in the fic are grounded in actual compositions. No spoilers, but the ending is gorgeous <3

2.Till Human Voices Wake us

(66080 words) by @ariadne-mouse Chapters: 23/23 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Additional Tags: Merman!Caleb, no Mighty Nein but otherwise canon setting/events, Neutral evil Essek, Essek-typical anxiety and fatalism, Loneliness, Hurt/Comfort, spooky gothic vibes, some horror and disturbing imagery, the ocean as a threat/love language, Illustrations, drowning themes Summary: Essek Thelyss, lonely and ambitious prodigy, comes to Nicodranas to make a risky gamble with the Assembly. At the water’s edge, he finds himself swept up in another dangerous entanglement he can't seem to escape — and as time goes on, he's less and less sure he wants to. Will his treasonous alliance or the sea itself devour him first? (Or, the one where Caleb is a merman.)

Why I cried: okay so look, this story was so fucking sad I can't even begin to describe it. The love and longing between the two, the tragic backstory for Caleb. Treason = death for Essek (it's a happy ending though so do not worry, but I definitely worried so you don't have to LOL). It also has some stunning art in it!!!

3. what luminous worlds await

what luminous worlds await (178674 words) by @essektheylyss Rating: Mature Additional Tags: Champion of the Luxon AU, Alternate Universe - Future, Space Opera, Religious Conflict, religious trauma, Violence, Minor Character Death, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Dreams vs. Reality, Demisexual Essek Thelyss, Past Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Angst, Fictional Religion & Theology, Implied/Referenced Sex, Mention of Using Sex as Self-Harm, several immortals grapple with loss while trying to save the world, so so many liberties taken with consecution, this wouldn't be a problem if you'd EXPLAIN matthew mercer, and/or if a certain drow would give literally any straight answers, (I mean he can't give straight answers when he's not straight), Background Fjorester (Past), Post-Canon, …very post-canon Summary: “You seek my nature. It is a lonely endeavor. Would you like to join me on this path?” “Yes.” — After a thousand years, a divine champion awakes in a lightless cave above Port Damali with little memory to speak of and a beacon in his hands. Even as he struggles to piece the past together and process what he has lost while he slept, the future demands he answer for the crimes of his elders. It offers little in return, but perhaps there are fragments of possibility awaiting him.

Why I cried: Omg oh boy, this one made me BIG cry- honestly one of my favourite fics I have read so far. A true space opera, a story of love, in many forms, over time, space, and multiple lives. I sobbed from chapter one literally until the end. Though I think you will need an A03 account to read this one, but it is worth the wait to set one up. My partner watched me cry so much while I read this. I totally did download and save this fic to send to pals so they can cry with me. It is worth the agony for this happy ending. I might still be crying LOL

[strategicallyignoringmytodolist]

Here's my S3 theory. (I'd be thrilled to hear yours as well.)

I am writing this now so that when S3 finally drops in 24 billion months or whatever, I can look back at my notes and feel very smug and smart. Or laugh at myself for how wrong I got it.

My point is, dolphins. Or rather-- that terrible yet well-written cliffhanger:

At the very very end of S2, as Aziraphale was going up the elevator to Heaven, I'm pretty sure he knew he was going to have to work under cover to prevent the end of the world. Certainly after watching the recordings of Gabriel and what happened when HE protested, Aziraphale would realize that the bureaucracies of Heaven and Hell were determined to get to a final battle.

The Second Coming, from what (admittedly minimal amounts) I've read of it, doesn't have quite as many plot points as the arrival of the Antichrist. Jesus is supposed to show up in a burst of dramatic weather, all the humans who have ever lived are going to be immediately tossed into Heaven or Hell, and... That's about it? (I was actually raised Catholic, but I didn't pay much attention in Sunday school, and as an adult I don't really interact with religion. This isn't my best trivia subject, in other words.)

Anyway, at some sooner-rather-than-later point I think Aziraphale is going to decide to let all the angels and demons who want to fight it out with flaming swords have their go, and he is going to focus on preventing everyone else from getting hurt while that happens. Maybe the final sorting of goodies and baddies is going to involve processing all of humanity through some massive portals. And maybe Aziraphale is going to use his new position of power in Heaven's bureaucracy to change where the portal exit point is. There have been sooo many references to Alpha Centauri in the first two seasons, and that's presumably where Beelzebub and Gabriel went at the end of S2. I bet they would be willing to help with portal setup and receiving refugees on their end.

I'm not entirely certain what Crowley's role will be in S3. I can totally picture Aziraphale coming to him and saying, "Let's run off to Alpha Centauri together, only I've got several billion humans I want to bring with me." Maybe Crowley will have to help with portal setup down in the basement offices of hell. Or maybe he will need to convince Jesus to join Team Save Humanity (Crowley was friendly with Jesus once upon a time and did show him all the kingdoms of the world, after all.)

I think there are going to be some funny bits with the Nazi zombies from past seasons and all the other people who are being raised from the dead.

In the original book, Adam said that Heaven and Hell were a lot like his gang, the Them, and their rival gang, the Johnsonites: They were always trying to beat one another, but it wouldn't be any good if one of them actually did win. Having a rival gives you something to do, after all. I don't think there can ever be a final resolution between good and bad. They're kind of like death -- baked into the system. It's going to be a stalemate.

I also suspect that God is playing a many-layered game. All the demons and angels are helping to judge and deliver consequences to humans for their use of free will. But maybe God is watching all the angels and demons to see whether they understand that being on a team doesn't mean that you can't make your own moral decisions and act outside the party line.

Ultimately I think the battle will end and the human refugees will return to Earth. Our favorite supernatural couple will buy a flat with a garden somewhere, and that's where the story will end -- in a garden, just as it began.

[yanderes-galore]

Can I request you do a platonic yandere concept of the one who waits? I was thinking the reader can be lamb's sister?

I can try, sure! Kept it Gender Neutral for Darling though.

Yandere! Platonic! TOWW with Darling related to Lamb

Short Concept

Pairing: Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Cults, Manipulation, Death, Religion, Kidnapping implied, Murder.

You and The Lamb are the last of your kind.

Two sacrifces to stop TOWW, siblings by birth.

A ritual that would backfire on the Bishops.

A poor attempt at fleeing fate.

TOWW only needed one vessel to remove the Bishops from their rule.

However, The Lamb was insistent to have you be revived with them.

TOWW complied, the more the merrier.

A cult needed members to survive.

The moment you both bow and the Red Crown is placed upon The Lamb's head... TOWW knows you two will prove useful.

The Lamb Twins become the symbol for the cult.

A cult made in honor of TOWW... their savior.

The Lamb hunts down the Bishops and crusades for the cult.

You give the followers faith in the power of the Red Crown.

TOWW did not expect to care much for you.

Your sibling is stronger, the only reason you taste life again is because The Lamb needed to comply.

Despite this... TOWW likes your loyalty.

While The Lamb is strong, their loyalty is questionable.

TOWW is convinced you'd trust him more as your sermons convince the followers with excellent charisma.

You and your sibling are two sides of the same coin and he needs you both... yet he likes you more.

TOWW isn't someone who's usually platonic.

You are an exception that TOWW cares for.

He keeps both you and The Lamb alive.

For the time being you still breathe like the living until the mission is over....

The more TOWW sees your dedication, he decides you will be rewarded.

The cult is gifted luck and you are watched over carefully by the chained one.

If you perish for any means before your mission is done, a crusade with your sibling gone wrong perhaps...

You will be brought back by his skeletal hands.

When you awake in the cloudy afterlife, TOWW watches you with a gaze as red as your blood.

His look softens towards you and a grin full of sharp teeth splits across his face.

"Dearest lamb... your life is still needed. Your sibling will not be able to work alone and I still need my most dedicated follower. I gift you life once again. Show them you mean business...."

You're then sent back to do what you are needed to do.

TOWW may not show it much but his rotten heart cherishes you.

While his intentions still hold malicious motives, his love for you is that of a god to his disciple.

Everyone else may die... yet he will make you prosper.

Once your mission is over and you draw your last breath... TOWW has a surprise.

He's saved you a spot as one of his loyal guardians.

When you die... you're confused.

You thought you would confront TOWW with your sibling?

Fate is not that nice and you sit in front of TOWW alone.

"... already you miss them, don't you?"

You feel a chill down your back as TOWW looks at you with a slight frown.

"Your sibling will betray us... out of the two your loyalty has been promising. You may not be my main vessel... yet you are the one I'm choosing to keep."

The god reaches a hand out to you.

"My siblings are dead. Your sibling plans to kill me like mine. I'm the one who's always saved you. For being loyal I allow you a spot by my side. I will care for you in the afterlife."

He grins a cheshire grin, beckoning you with a rotting claw.

"I only ask you join my side instead of them. I trust that your loyalty will lead you to the right path, my lamb."

This is the ultimate test.

A test of your loyalty... do you listen to the god who cares for you, or the sibling who fought beside you?

Narinder awaits your answer with a smug look.

You are a child to him... he is your guardian now and forever.

"Make your choice, loyal lamb."

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

Dear Theo,

I'm glad to hear that you're able to enjoy some of your time away at least a little. I promise I'm not jealous. Elowen literally knocked some sense into me on that topic, trust me. I trust you. (Don't underestimate Elowen, she's quick with a wand)

Remember Master Josh Toyonaga's husband and that temple he's been working on in Strangetown? Well, they have a smaller branch in Arkhelios now and my parents allowed me to attend a day of study there. Well, my dad refused to sign the release form probably because he thinks that I'm about to run away and abandon the coven at a moment's notice. Mom signed it though, and hugged me really strangely afterward. She's acting weirder than ever, but at least she's willing to listen to me when Dad won't. I hope you get to check out this place when you get back. It's amazing. I got an official escort at President Bellamy's request from your grandfather and that pink demon who always yells at your dad. Not everyone gets an escort, but she said that I was an exception.

A lot of demons work there, more than I imagined anyway. Maybe they'd let you do a summer internship there and if you're already there, maybe my dad will see reason and let me join too.

I met your aunt(?) Ginevra while I was there. She works with her wife full-time there with their kid. She's really nice, I don't know why your dad doesn't have her over more often. He is related to her, right? I hope so, because I talked to her like she was your family. She says hi and to come visit when you're in Arkhelios. I think she wants us to hang out with her or something. That or she wants one of us to marry her foster kid who's in college. She wouldn't stop talking about him and winking at me. If she's not actually part of your family, she'd fit in perfectly.

Her wife, Maegan, is a full demon, but she studies the same weird religion as Master Toyonaga's husband and helps him both study ancient tomes and collect new information. She talked a lot about certain crystals that could be found deep in the ocean and others that have seawater crystallized within them. Theo, you have to help me convince my dad to let me intern here this summer. We could do it together and find the coolest things. You get to wear cool old robes too.

There are these cool meditation stones that channel different kinds of energy depending on the stone. I meditated on our future and when you'll come back for two hours, but nothing happened really. It's not the stone's fault. My mind is never clear when I'm thinking about you and how I feel about our relationship. Maybe I'll try a stone that channels love and affection next time. I hope there's a next time. Maybe they sell them online?

It's always fun to see how adults act when they think I'm not listening. Ginevra could talk your ear off about arcane magic, even blood magic. I feel like you two would have some very interesting conversations. She's looking for something even if she won't admit it. I hope that doesn't have anything to do with your father somehow.

Scary Pink Lady (I forgot her name and am too terrified to ask again) certainly has her mother's personality. I gather that she's not popular with the Sovereign and has been stuck listening to the concerns of the mortals as punishment. She thought I was you for a moment, despite knowing about my arrival. I don't think she can tell two humans apart, or if she can, she makes no effort to. I got to hear about a sippy cup she gave your parents at their baby shower that you would think was jewel encrusted by the amount of time she bragged about it. Demons are more complicated than I'd realized, even with having you in my life. Everything is so dramatic and the end of the world if they're slighted at all. Even the ones who serve this supposed Ocean deity are just as terrifying as the demons at home. Maybe you can tell me more about your studies of demons or let me borrow a textbook or something. Since I plan on being in your life for the rest of mine, I should really learn more about demonic society.

Your grandfather didn't say much. He mostly hung around the hallway, watching me intently. Your dad really does look like him (well, not like a zombie). It's uncanny.

One last thing-I saw a tree made with crystals growing in it. They developed a symbiotic relationship with the tree and now magic flows in its roots. It's different than the decorative trees made of crystal in Crystal Cove. The wood absorbs the magic and some people make wands from the enchanted wood. They taught me how to make it light up and it was the coolest spell I think I've ever done. (You usually do all the interesting spells we try)

You could just feel the magic running through it from the branches to the leaves. It reminded me of how you make me feel when we're casting spells together. Both of us working together, twisting our magic together and usually nearly blowing up the school together if you listen to my parents.

I hope this letter finds you well. I hope that you're doing great in your studies and that you can come back home soon. I miss you more than anything.

Love Sincerely,

Adam Darktide

[sorrinslays]

About the headcanons--

Do you have any specific ones for like how he may be in a normal au? Like if he was in our world?

If not then please elaborate on any headcanons you want!:>

Okay, so, dealing with a normal AU is. Tricky, for a lack of a better word. It really depends on what's the story is about.

If I were to try a 'realistic' take on Sampo then I would have to reimagine a lot of things. From Masked Fool lore to how Belobog could be isolated and how the fragmentum could exist realistically.

If I were to give a concrete answer, I would probably start by saying that the Aeons exist, but instead of alive concepts, they are either powerful humans, a group of likeminded individuals or crazy single minded people because I don't think we can take the 'oh they are this world's religion' route since in the game they make decision that have consequences.

The Masked Fools, realistically, would be a crazy cult. Unlike a lot of people who headcannon, I don't think the Masked Fools collect orphans. I just don't think they would 'force' elation onto children, they should find it themselves. They don't force it because then it isn't fun, the antithesis of their belief.

I think Sampo in this AU would be an orphan, one that literally has no name. Parents dead since he was an infant, home village burned down, no background, no relatives. He was taken in by some government officials or whatever and lived his whole life in an orphanage (not Natasha's). No childhood memories due to trauma.

He probably found the Masked Fools when he left (ran away from) the orphanage. I can imagine a fifteen-seventeen year old Sampo who just ran away with a fresh new name stumbling across the World's End tavern, looking for shelter from the rain after being borderline homeless for a week or two (he has an apartment, he didn't leave completely unprepared! Okay?! It's just a bit... run down...).

Just imagine, young Sampo with no penny to his name listening to the stories of other Fools, deciding to join and making a lot of stupid decisions. After living life and maturing, he decides to takes some time off. Leave the Masked Fools and truly find himself. Find what the name 'Sampo Koski' means to him.

By chance he learns about Belobog, a city that is supposed to be dead due to heavy snow storms and a lost connection with no way of communicating with the outside world. He also learns that, contrary to popular belief, the city is not dead. There's people living, a whole civilization.

So he goes there, and the rest is history. I think the Belobog storyline can be played out basically the same (without the violence). The Stellaron can be some research gone wrong by lunatics (the antimatter legion or the followers of Destruction) and, out of despair Cocolia convinces herself that this thing will save them.

The Astral Express crew can be a respected 'vigilante' group that travels around and looks out for Stellarons. But I'm just spitballing here.

Like I said, it depends on what the story is about. Sampo is a very versatile character and it's very easy to take advantage of that. If you want to write a cheesy comedy about a boyfailure thief, you can!, if you want to write a complicated noir movie about people in power and hidden motives, you can! you just have to find a way for it to be cohesive and to understand how much lore from the story you want to use.

What I described is what I would do if someone told me to make a 'realistic hsr universe'. If I had to pick a genre, it would probably a comedy with a lot of social commentary, I think the premise fits the genre

[earthgrudgefear]

hidan!!! for the ask game

YES right to it

obviously this is going to be a long post

you've been warned !

favorite thing about them: oh man. i think he's a really unique character. he's only like 2% justified in his anger and he makes it everyone else's problem. he's never depicted as anything BUT evil. the shinobi world is insane right? toddlers are raised as soldiers the second they can hold a knife. and so was he, no different from the rest of them. and the series Doesn't like to push that blame onto people, really early on you hear about all the awful things zabuza did and at the end of their battle he still dies as a respectable shinobi. BUT from start to end with hidan he is ONLY bad. he's doing this for FUN he's not doing it for a mission, he's not doing it because he needs to do it to survive like it was NEVER in question that this guy is JUST EVIL. but you CAN find these human sides to him. he has a Real bond with kakuzu, like they Actually are concerned for each other. in Akatsuki Hiden he meets a kid and he forms a bond with That Kid to the point of giving him funeral rites (burial rites?) when he dies. not as a sacrifice but as someone he cared about. when his village turned on him and he felt REAL betrayal. if he didn't care about them to some extent, he wouldn't still be mad about it. it's just FASCINATING.

least favorite thing about them: i don't even think there's anything i don't like about him. he's so fucking annoying and if i had to deal with him i'd try to kill him too BUT because i don't have to deal with him he's my best friend i like him SO much

favorite line: to be so transparent i like when he's picking on kakuzu for keeping the headband for him.

AND if i can use the book - i like this, it's less about the line itself but more about the repetition of it. like this is how they start every fight and i just think that's delightful

brOTP: y'all already know it's kisame. my defense for this has absolutely no basis in their interactions because honestly? kisame doesn't care for him too much. HOWEVER kisame is the easiest akatsuki member to get along with and hidan is basically impossible to get along with. i think it's a good match.

OTP: kakuhida, motherfuckers. they're everything to me. they were on screen for all of three seconds and i already knew that was it. i haven't been normal about them since. and they're canon as far as i'm concerned. stated or not they were Something.

nOTP: k*nan (sorry for censoring you name queen i don't want it to be searchable) i have such a Visceral reaction to them together i Cannot stand it. their characterization is so BUTCHERED for that ship that they become Unrecognizable. and i don't fucking get it like ??? yes they're both hot PICK ANYONE ELSE. also shipping him with any of the kids. like. that's not cute. he's young but he's not that young also holy shit they don't deserve that anyway

random headcanon: i probably mentioned this somewhere before and it's so easy but i think his favorite color's pink. like red sure because i mean look at him but also. Pink. i like pink for him.

unpopular opinion: i've touched on this before i don't think jashinism is real. i think he made it up and i think maybe he's convinced himself it's real. but i don't think there is a single other person who's ever heard of or tried to join the religion before. there's the kid i mentioned from the book but he learned straight from hidan, and then goddamned ryuki from boruto who i swear to God the writers wanted him to literally be hidan but they weren't allowed. neither of which really compel me to believe it. it just doesn't make tons of sense

song i associate with them: ouuh choke on one another death spells. that's been a big one recently

favorite picture of them:

favorite's a big word but i had this one saved to my phone which is probably good enough

OKAY 10000 points if you made it to the end you win idk what you win but you win

[landofzero-archive]

Absolute - To Abhor the Impure World 5

(Location: Luxury hotel (Guest Room))

NEGI: “Nope. Shaka’s simply afraid for his own physical safety.

Shaka believes that his life is being targeted.

That person has the temperament of a prodigy, so his heart is very delicate. So much so that fear could get him recruited into a strange religion— ”

Hiyori: The Buddha (1) joining a religion? This can’t even be made into a funny story, though?

NEGI: “Yeah. It doesn’t give off a very good image though, so it’s being kept a secret from the world.. Shaka’s behaviour has been really dangerous lately, you see. Because he’s caught up in that weird religion.

However, a religion is supposed to soothe your heart and console you, but unless it can remove the fundamental cause of your fear, your true spirit will not gain salvation. 

That’s what Shaka said. It really does sound religious-ish, huh?”

Hiyori: So basically, we just need to remove “that something” that Shaka-san is afraid of, right? But, are we even capable of doing something like that?

NEGI: “I’m not expecting you to go that far. I just want you to safeguard Shaka somewhere safe till the dust settles down.

I have the technique that allows you to transform the human form. It can make it seem like Shaka is a different person, and it can even make it possible for us to send him off to lead a new life.

But… I don’t have the methods to let that Shaka run far away.

Because as you can see, I’m currently a caged bird.”

Hiyori: Poor you and Shaka-san. I do feel sympathy for the both of you. Is there any merit for us if we were to listen to your request?

NEGI: “Of course there is. That’s why this is less of a request and more like a deal.

Shaka has won Absolute six consecutive times. Naturally he’s the top candidate for the championship this time, too.

This time, instead of that guy taking part, he’ll introduce you, Eden, as his stand-in.

At that moment, you’ll go from being some undiscovered idols from a different country that nobody really knows about to rising as championship candidates bearing that Shaka’s seal of approval.

The attention on you will be sudden and explosive, you know. After the fact, whether or not you can win Absolute would depend on you though.”

Hiyori: That’s attractive, but it’s a nobleman’s duty to help a pitiful person.

Unfortunately, I can’t comply with that deal.

NEGI: “Why’s that?”

Jun: Y-yeah. It looks like they’re in a fix, so isn’t it fine to just help ‘em?

Hiyori: I’d like to help if possible too, but if I take on that deal, I wouldn’t be able to fulfill that request from Gatekeeper.

Jun: Ah— Is, is that so.

Hiyori: That man asked us to convince Shaka-san to take part in Absolute.

But if I let Shaka-san escape, I wouldn’t be able to complete that request.

To put it simply; I’m sorry, but I already had a prior contract.

Just by observing the particulars of what happened during SS, it’s clear to see that trashing a promise with Gatekeeper will lead to terrifying things.

If it’s up to me, I would not be able to do it no matter what.

I’d like to avoid any situations that would cause trouble to Jun-kun, Nagisa-kun, and I suppose Ibara, as well as my own family back home, you see.

That’s why. I’m sorry, NEGI-chan.

NEGI: “It’s fine. I already knew it was an unreasonable request.

Still. Now that it’s come to this, what should I do? I’m in trouble, I don’t have anyone else to rely on.”

Hiyori: I figured. When you’re asking for help from us whom you haven’t had any relation to at all until now, I can see that you really have too little leads.

NEGI: “Mm. It might look like I’m striving to make every effort, but I’m still a feeble girl.

In the face of an overwhelmingly violent fate, all I can do is cry myself to sleep.”

Hiyori: For the time being, I’ve accepted your feelings. We’ll try to cater to Shaka-san wishes to the extent that our position allows for.

That all depends on tomorrow’s meeting.

To be frank, I can’t put my life on the line for an idol from a different country that I have never met or talked to, who is not even my family or my friend.

I guess I’m cold.

NEGI: “No. Even the Sun would not be able to make the world nice and warm when it's just like this dead of night, right?

You’ve mentioned this earlier, but there is a possibility that it might be too late tomorrow…… But it can’t be helped, there’s barely anything else that can be done right now.

Yes, I understand. I’ll go back to my nest and try to think of a way to solve this problem on my own. Sorry for disturbing you this late at night.”

Hiyori: NEGI-chan.

I don’t know that much about what happened in Yumenosaki, but if you do something rash again, you’ll likely make Anzu-chan sad.

NEGI: “…… Yes, I know.

It seems there are people who would be sad as though it was a person who had died even though it’s just the disappearance of a ghost— even in a world this shitty.”

TL NOTES:

The ‘Buddha’ used here is お釈迦さま (‘O Shaka-sama’ in Kanji) instead of Shaka’s name which is written as シャカ (‘Shaka’ in katakana).

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[edenfelled]

This headcanon was originally posted on @rosafulmen ! I have tidied it up for this blog.

no one look at me, i am having brainrot for a FFX failed!guardian lightning. she became a guardian for serah who desperately wanted to defeat sin, but she was ultimately unable to protect her when the time came. despite that, her skill and expertise in guardianship is second to none, and other summoners seek her out to try and assist their parties.

i've attached some other thoughts below the cut.

claire and serah grew up in luca after being orphaned at a young age. although the port doesn't have a dedicated temple, much of the people who assisted the girls during this time ( at least until claire was old enough ) were yevonites, which helped serah instil a firm belief in the religion. i don't think claire ever held an overtly negative opinion to the church, she just... didn't see the point in praying to a god who implied the reason their parents died was the result of them not being 'pure' enough. she also quickly picked up the dichotomy of acceptable and unacceptable machina, even if she wasn't allowed to talk about it.

claire joined the crusaders as soon as they would take her, mostly working odd jobs around the city. like the guardian corps, this gave her the ability to provide for her sister at the cost of her time. serah met snow during this time — and up-and-coming blizball star for the luca goers — and began to seriously consider becoming a summoner.

this was also the time where claire changed her name to lightning. it likely started as a codename she adopted and was reinforced during the pilgrimage, especially after journeying through the thunder plains.

lightning returned home as soon as she learned of her sister's plan and the two got into a massive argument. serah would not budge on her plans despite her outrage, and snow was fully prepared to drop his blizball career in order to support her. not only did lightning not approve of their relationship but she was convinced snow would get her killed. she became a guardian only to show them both how stupid the idea was.

serah attends her first temple, gains her fayth and the pilgrimage begins. there's also huge opportunity for the other cast to integrate here. maybe sazh lost his son and became a guardian for him, or maybe fang/vanille were another prototype dream before tidus? no matter who, they journey the land until they finally reach zanarkand.

serah ends up choosing snow to be her final aeon due to the love they held for each other ( i vibe with the idea that he promised to marry her after she got the aeon and... well. ) and the knowledge that lightning would completely reject yunalesca's truth. this means lightning was not privy to what went on inside the room of the fayth — she saw two enter and one leave.

i don't really know if my personal ship for snow / lightning applies in this verse but it can go one of two ways. whether she secretly loves him or she's finally accepted him as being worthy for serah, he sacrifices himself for what is ultimately a few years of peace. this nearly leads her to attack yunalesca, only for serah to intervene and remind her that all their work is for nothing if they die.

in the end, though they reached sin, serah was struck down before she could complete the ritual and dies in lightning's arms. no one really blamed lightning for being unable to protect her; the life of a summoner and her guardians is a perilous one, safety is not guaranteed, and a guardian can do everything they can and it still not be enough. lightning could not protect serah from sin itself. all it did was instil in her the senselessness of the pilgrimage.

with nowhere else to go, lightning returns to luca where she is constantly propositioned by summoners looking for an experienced guardian. she rejects every single one until yuna.

auron specifically sought her out after serah's death. as the both of them were products of a malignant belief, they vowed to undo the cycle. this means that lightning wouldn't say anything about the final aeon, despite knowing a guardian would have to die, and wouldn't interject when the others were offering themselves during zanarkand. I don't know (?) if she would know he was unsent, but it ultimately wouldn't matter to her.

i also have two ideas for snow's fayth. one, light buries it somewhere in zanarkand and gives up the location to yuna after they defeat yunalesca. though he would not be her final aeon, she is able to ensure his death wasn't for nothing and he could assist yuna during the fight with sin — ultimately freeing him and avenging serah. two, she's had it on her the whole time and basically does the same thing minus leading them to the fayth. if a baby seymour can carry anima around before a temple, so can she.

[wanderer-on-the-steppe]

Katarzyna Simcha notes? 💕

Thank you! :)

This is really just some notes so far, though at least the basics of the plot are more or less thought out.

It’s about a Jewish teenager (grown up as Rifka, but very much preferring Simcha now) trying to become a Cossack. Partly because he has a somewhat tumultuous temperament, so Cossack life (or what he imagines of it) appeals to him, partly because he’s rebelling against his family and community (who are haunted by a whole lot of trauma because of Cossacks, and he doesn’t have the empathy and life experience yet to understand it, it just feels stifling to him, and they don’t have the ability to react to a youth like him without making the estrangement worse), and then… there’s Katarzyna. Who once was called Beyle. And they had been so very close, before she left and converted for the sake of that insufferably smug Polish nobleman…

Will anyone believe me I did not intentionally make the character constellation look like Jurko, Helena, and Jan? :D Nevertheless, since I realized how much it looks like them, I’ve been thinking: Why not emphasise it even more and make Bohun (the historical person in that case, of course) Simcha’s personal role model whom he admires since he heard songs about him in the market place?

Also – because it’s one of my stories ;) – the attempt to disguise as some (non-Jewish) street urchin and join the Cossacks goes really wrong really quickly, he gets suspected of being a spy, and the only thing he comes up with to save himself is to insist that he could be a spy – but for them, and he demands to be taken to the hetman himself to make him an offer…

(As one can imagine, he’ll be taken to the polkovnyk at the most, but as he’s a master of bragging and romantic delusions – if not necessarily of spying… – he’ll stubbornly claim it was the hetman!)

“Don’t run away to the steppe... Don’t run away to the steppe... There were three places that Rifka didn’t belong: in the rebbe’s house, together with the other boys (though, upon considering the cramming, it wasn’t that much of a loss…), in the steppe – and in the church of the Christians, with Katarzyna, for taking their marriage vows.

The first one could be redressed by calling oneself Simcha and putting on trousers and a hat. The other two, however… these needed more skill. One had to steal a horse and also some sort of knife. And a name that made one’s own grandparents shiver with fear. Bohdan, for example. Bohdan was terrifying – Bohdan was great.”

Maybe that quote is a good example of why I don’t know if this ever gets written, and if so, if I'll dare post it. It’s Simcha, of course, who talks about his religion and his family like that – because he’s a rebellious teenager, and angry, and quick-tempered, everything he wants in life seems out of reach. But me writing it? Could end just about as disastrously as Simcha’s plan to convince Katarzyna to run away with him by appearing at her door as a dashing Cossack amidst a full-fledged raid... (But, just like Simcha, I also keep thinking that it might be a good plan, so the idea keeps living in my head, and that document on my computer.)

By the way: The most interesting bit of information I’ve learned since this idea first came up is that there seem to have been some Cossacks who were hired as guards by Jewish communities to protect them against the not so honourable among their comrades. And I can’t stop thinking: Simcha – if only you were someone to make good choices in life, this would have been the way to go. But alas, Simcha doesn’t make good choices (and he probably doesn't even know that this kind of arrangement exists somewhere), and if he did, the whole plot wouldn’t work. But… it’s really the way my young wannabe-Bohun should have joined the Cossacks.

[silverloreley]

What are your headcanons about Claudine Frollo?

Since I started with the HoND characters, I expected this question. Yet, it took me a while to write a decent answer, if the one you're about to read qualifies as one.

Point is... I don't know what to make of her. We know she's the child of one of the worst villains in Disney history and there's a lot to unpack about such a person having a child, a daughter nevertheless. We're talking about a man who had no qualms about burning homes with people inside to reach his twisted goals, and the power to get out of it clean. A man who thinks of himself as above everyone else and self-justifies all his wrongdoings by thinking himself holy. A man who has a whole song about lusting after a 16 years-old girl (although we can argue Esmeralda is older in the movie, it's not any better). And that's not talking about his view of the world and the tie with religion (and I was raised Catholic so believe me when I say Disney toned down/avoided adding lots of things that would have made him even worse).

But also, how do you raise a child Catholic in a place where a literal Greek god lives? What do you tell her? We know he must have some great manipulation techniques, but assuming that 1) Claudine has a mother (and possibly an uncle) and 2) she's able-bodied and without big physical issues, Frollo couldn't have kept her inside like he did with Quasimodo and we know Quasi, as soon as he had the chance to get out and meet more people, changed his view of the world pretty quickly.

Also, children start to question their parents' words and beliefs around 12-13 years old, on average. Assuming Claudine isn't stupid (and I don't think she is) and she had the chance to look around herself, her trust in her father's infallibility should be shaky at best. I'm pretty sure she'd become an atheist - because if your father tells you there's only one infallible God that allows bad things to happen even to innocents like babies but you live with all kinds of supernatural creatures including a so-called Greek god, you end up thinking there is no such thing as gods or anything as absolute as a "true" God, just a ton of overpowered beings.

So, Claudine. We know she attends Dragon Hall and rings the bell that signals the start of the day. It means she's not confined in her home/room/tower or whatever. We also know she joined the Anti-heroes club, meaning she was recruited, convinced, and ended up acting as a messenger for them. This alone means Frollo's control over her is loose at best.

Now, I spoke about Jehan Frollo in another post and, perhaps, his influence on Claudine's growth shows in some ways. I bet, since he used to be a university student, he had some interesting ideas about law and free will and other things his brother wouldn't approve of, but he ended up passing those very ideas to Claudine. The seed of rebellion was planted by her uncle, the only other person who was allowed to have influence over her, and her biggest protector against her father's worst tendencies.

Other than that, the fact she can go out and mingle with other teens, she attends school, she can go out and do things more or less normal, it doesn't really speak of a secluded child, so I think either her mother is a rather strong-willed woman who only humors Frollo but ultimately lets her daughter do whatever; OR Frollo himself realized that to better control his daughter he had to let the chain looser, perhaps under Jehan's suggestion; OR he actually cares for his flesh and blood, again, the way he behaved with Jehan says he ends up justifying and covering up for his relatives' shortcomings, so Claudine could fall under the category of "my blood never sins, only makes minor mistakes that money and influence can fix".

The second explanation is more interesting, to me. Frollo is cunning and ended up learning from his mistakes in raising Quasimodo, which means he decided to try a different approach to raising his daughter. I think the Barrier mellowed him (remember my theory on why the Villains are almost OOC? that goes for him too) in the sense he's less harsh and his obsessive nature toned down to a caricatural Catholic man who spouts Bible verses in any occasion, is scandalized by the perdition of everyone around him but actually does nothing about it and he's more of a glutton than anyone around (he does have a creperie, no?) In fact, his lust was turned into gluttony the same way Jafar's pride and ambition became mere greed over common objects and the cheap money of the Isle.

He still administered a slap or two to his rebellious child when she sins (or he thinks she did) and he did try to raise her as the perfect Catholic, but, in my head, he's the kind of parent who, in public, is always on their children's side. In private, it's another thing and he does punish Claudine, sometimes very harshly (but never in ways that could be noticed at a glance, think of stuff like making her wear a cilice, or whip the soles of her feet, or slap her hands, or even making her kneel on chickpeas for a few hours, you know, the traditional Catholic punishments for misbehaving kids) but nothing she can't walk away from in a few hours.

(it helps that her mother is a former prostitute that Frollo "redeemed", actually a rather cunning woman who realized she could use his lust to her advantage, get married and make him provide for her in both resources and protection. She also made sure Claudine never had to live her same life and the very first time Claude so much looked at their daughter the wrong way she threatened to cut off his dick).

Claudine knows appearances are everything to her father and she has to dress in a modest yet elegant way, her clothes must stay clean, her hair tied in a certain way, and her grades can't slip. Therefore, she's terrified of getting dirt or ruining her clothes, let alone getting bad grades, and, of course, she had to memorize entire sections of the Bible in both Latin and in the common tongue (that's so she can help convert her fellow kids).

She can have friends of lower stature, it's charitable for her to, but can't allow them to overpower or influence her out of the Frollo family ways. If anything, she's supposed to rule over them. She hates the idea of that, she'd much rather have genuine friends than minions.

Uhh, I can't think of anything else, right now, and the answer is long overdue, so I'll just reblog it again if something else comes to mind.

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for wanting to validate my father’s research?

I (14f) recently set out on my own for the first time. I didn’t want to do so, but I was effectively forced. You see: my dad was mysteriously transformed into some kind of terrifying monster, and I was determined to find a cure. I decided I’d become a wizard every bit as powerful as he was— eventually working my way up to a spell that would fix him, and hopefully being able to help other people along the way as I honed my skills.

Initially, I was accompanied by just P and B (Both 20sf F). They had their own goals, but were okay with forming an adventuring party. And we got along pretty well. But eventually, our little team grew, and that’s where the problems arose.

E, N, RD and R (All 20s M) are the four who joined us. And initially, they seemed nice. Maybe a little slow (the first two came from some kind of hippie commune?), but generally agreeable. Our first bit of strife came when I made a realization about my dad.

…You see, I was studying from his spellbook, and as I deciphered more spells, I realized he was some kind of necromancer. This frightened me at first, but then I remembered before his transformation my father was a very, very kind man. I knew he would never use that magic for evil, and that he had to have some kind of good intent.

I decided to start studying necromancy myself— to confirm my hypothesis. But to actually perform any necromancy, I’d need a body, and so I asked R (generally one of the tougher members of the party) for some help.

He helped me dig up a grave and retrieve a body. I felt a little bad about doing it, but decided it was for a good cause. You see: I was hoping to find a way to make zombies remember who they were: reattain sentience. And so although my methods were dubious, ultimately I was trying to do something that was best for my new zombie and his family.

No-one was a fan of this decision, least of all E and N. Apparently, their hippie religion was very against this.

But I insisted it was okay. I knew what I was doing, and so we continued onward.

Occasionally, they’d make jeering remarks towards me, but I tried not to let it get to me. Despite our ideological differences, I tried my best to work well with them, and I did, for a few more adventures.

But then in the midst of another adventure, I was stolen from by kobolds. They took my zombie away from me, bringing him to their underground lair in hopes of luring me there.

Apparently, they wanted a favor from us. But the party weren’t necessarily ecstatic about it. Eventually, this boiled over into a fight. P (Not me. P.) fired the first shot.

This fight went poorly. There was a cave-in, and in that cave-in, N died. E, especially was heartbroken. I sympathized with his grief— at least… until he turned it around on me.

E accused me of having caused this. He said it was all my fault. Even though P initiated the combat, not me, he was convinced that the real reason N died was that their god was punishing the party for my ‘sins.’ Instead of looking towards who was logically responsible (P or, YOU KNOW, THE KOBOLDS), he pointed fingers at me: saying I was an evil, selfish, irrational person, and that we wouldn’t have been in the caves if not for my ‘stupid zombie.’

And even worse… half the party took his side! Both RD and P sided with him, saying this was my fault. This was especially insulting coming from P, who I feel was just trying to deflect the blame.

Soon after, the party split, but apparently they haven’t ceased holding a grudge against me. Most recently, they told local authorities about me and tried to have me apprehended (and potentially executed), not because they were worried about anyone being in danger, but solely out of SPITE.

AITA? I don’t think I am, but they were so INSISTENT, and so I’d like to get an unbiased opinion. What do you think?

[hlekani-666]

<112> 16. Atheist Republic Newletter: A personal message from the Atheist Republic founder.

A personal message from Atheist Republic founder, Armin Navabi: When I was a young Muslim in the Islamic Republic of Iran, I became terrified of hell. I spent years trying to find a way to avoid going there. But what terrified me even more, was the thought of my mother going to hell because she did not pray five times a day like good Muslims were supposed to.

In our school, we were taught that if a boy dies before the age 15 (or a girl before the age of 9), he would enter heaven no matter what. In my mind, it was clear what I should do and was surprised no one else took advantage of this obvious loophole.

I jumped out the window at my school in an attempt to kill myself and enter heaven; I failed. I broke my wrist, both legs, and my back, and I ended up in wheelchair for seven months. After my failed attempt, and seeing what it did to my mother, I decided to just try to be a good Muslim. I became very religious and begged my parents to pray on a daily basis.

I started studying Islam in greater detail; the more I studied, the more questions I had and the more confused I got. I started questioning God's judgment to send people to hell simply because they picked the wrong religion, and then I felt guilty for questioning God. But then, I convinced myself that studying the nature of God couldn't be a bad thing. I decided to study religions other than Islam, even ancient, dead ones, to see what was so evil about them that the adherents should deserve eternal damnation.

The more I learned, the more it seemed possible that the whole thing could be a man-made concept. I was terrified about even letting that thought enter my mind. But it did. And I couldn't take it back. I could feel the doors of hell opening right in front of me. I could feel God looking right into my thoughts. I could feel his disappointment. I felt like I let my best friend, my protector, my creator, down. I felt so ungrateful and even evil. But once the doubt started, I couldn't stop it anymore. I kept thinking about the idea of religion being man-made and the more I did, the stronger my doubt got.

Eventually I decided that I needed to face all of it head-on. I knew God was real and there must be proof. I thought if I could find the proof, my faith would be stronger than ever. I started my hunt for evidence, or any logical reasoning for the existence of God, but I couldn't find any. I grew desperate. I started praying, begging God to show me anything. A sign, a message, anything. My prayers were never answered.

By age 18, I had lost all my faith in God. I felt cheated, betrayed, fooled. I had sacrificed so much (almost my life) for a fairytale. I knew no one else who doubted God. Sometimes, I felt that maybe there was something wrong with my head. I thought, "Am I really that arrogant to think that I have discovered something that no one I knew had realized?" I wanted to let more people know about my lack of belief and the thought process that had led me to that conclusion.

I was becoming exceedingly lonely being an atheist in an Islamic country so I started a community about this topic on Orkut (a social media website that was popular in some countries before Facebook). I was surprised to see so many people joining the community and discussing the topic. I was so excited to find others like me. The idea of God not existing didn't seem so crazy anymore. I wanted to reach out to more people, find more atheists, and discuss God and religion with anyone who was interested; more than that, I wanted people to see atheism as a legitimate option. It seemed unfair that people weren't given a chance to choose.

I didn't set out to convince people that God doesn't exist, my aim was to let them know about the many people who didn't believe in God, providing an invitation for them to explore such ideas if they were interested. But more than that, I wanted to create more communities for atheists like me, and make them feel less lonely and ashamed. I wanted them to know that not only are there others like them, but that there are people out there willing to listen, support and guide them. So, in 2011, I started a page on Facebook and later, a private Facebook group, for atheists who prefer discussing topics in private.

Since then, we developed a website with a blog, news, and resources, and grown a management team of over 150 people from all around the world. The Facebook page has grown to more than 1.2 million fans, and the private group is one of the most active private atheist communities online.

Atheist Republic is a growing community of godless heathens who share views and ideas, help one another express their atheism, support one another, and discuss news, books and other atheist expressions. We give every atheist a chance to share their views with the community or raise awareness about those things which matter to them.

Atheist Republic is a reflection of the views and ideas of its community as a whole. That's why it's called a republic. The entire community, all our Facebook fans, all of the people who engage with AR through the website, all direct the course of the community.

It's clear that atheists care. A lot of atheists want to find a way to help, to make a difference. Those who wish to be more involved can join the management team. The members of the Atheist Republic team have the opportunity to express themselves through images, blogs, news articles, newsletters and other resources.

The barriers of communication are breaking down, and our new more transparent world is becoming a much more difficult environment for religion to spread. More and more people are being exposed to the fact that many atheists are moral, see true beauty in the world and lead rich, meaningful lives.

The future of Atheist Republic is bright. We have ideas for offline events and groups, making it easy for our community to plan and organize through the website. We want to continue to add resources to the website and have plans in place for adding more poetry and visual art. We would like to create videos and a podcast to reach an even wider audience with more information and resources, and we have plans for Arabic and Spanish versions of our site. We are excited and hope you will continue to journey with us.

Link To Original Post:

[olddirtybadfic]

Nobody will tag me but I'll just answer anyway because Just Post

some of these don't even have titles yet

fuck: A fic that's sort of a send-up of this one Cori Falls fic called "Where Angels Dare to Tread" (I don't know why but this fic made such an impact on baby Pokéfan me and I need to exorcise it from my brain by writing this). It would be inspired by the same Pokémon episode "Control Freak," where Jessie gets drunk with power after finding a magical staff. That would still happen in this fic, but Jessie would have a bit more to do than just wait for James to rescue her.

The evil queen doesn't take over her body (at least not yet; she only appears to Jessie whenever she looks at a reflective surface). The queen whispers poisonous thoughts in Jessie's ear, trying to nudge her over to the dark side, making the idea of taking over the world seem like a reasonable and noble act rather than the violation of autonomy that it definitely would be. Lots of talk of Pokémon being divinely ordained to be humans' slaves rather than their friends, bringing order to the world, purifying it, and needing a strong iron fist to do so. Jessie is in danger of becoming Darth Vader (with her Palpatine queen), but with a bunch of powerful Pokémon.

James and Meowth have to go to the abandoned tower to which Jessie has followed the dark call and convince her not to give in to the queen's ideas for world domination. But Meowth starts to fall under the dark spell of the queen in a similar way to Jessie. Even worse, he can be controlled by the queen's staff.

James will get magical powers (but not due to Wicca, I'm pretty sure the Pokémon world's religions are not the same as our world's) but they might be temporary. Complicating matters, James is pregnant with Meowth's kittens. This might allow Jessie to control him to some extent with the queen's staff. Jessie would definitely figure this out. Then she starts wanting to force James to birth armies of (possibly magical) talking Meowth kittens to help carry out the world domination plan.

Basically, Jessie and Meowth fall down the fascism Diglett hole and James has to pull them out. I would reread the tale of Tam Lin and Bonny Janet, shotgun the entire Song of Ice and Fire series, and listen to "Running Up that Hill" by Kate Bush, "The Mother We Share" by Chvrches, and "Witch in the Ditch" by Erasure on a loop as additional inspiration.

marry: a re-write of my oldfic "The Book of Moltres James" (posted here) in which James makes Moltres his god and joins a cult called the Moltres Witnesses. I would try to be less religiously clueless and this rewrite would focus more on how people can fall into cults so easily when they're in a vulnerable place. It wouldn't be a fix-fic and there would probably be less blood-drinking.

kill: This crack ass fic I can't stop thinking about that's basically Twilight, but Meowth is Edward, James is Bella, and Jessie is a cross between Carlisle and Emmet (she has medical knowledge and she likes punching things). I want to stop writing it and put it in a drawer, but it keeps. Pulling. Me. B̴̛̛̻̘̯̫͎̰̤͇̱̦͌́̊̀̈́̋́̀A̵̡̡̝͚̙̲͓̠͈̩͍̘̼̘̖̯̰͒͋́͆̾͐͒̑͐͆͊̋͘̕͠Ç̷̉̂̇̒̈̀̉̋̀̕K̵̢̨͍͈̩̼͔̲͔͓̣̣̫͙̩̟̒̈́͐͜

Wow, this was a long ass post.

I don't really know anyone to tag. If I did, I would do it here.

new ask game: fuck/marry/kill but it's for your WIPs

fuck - the story you just want to read instead of having to write it yourself

marry - the story you're obsessed with writing and never want to stop working on or thinking about

kill - the story you're most frustrated with and would rather just put in the trash (or maybe just on a high shelf somewhere so you can forget about it for a really long time)

[dimensionhoppinghybrids]

Diary entries (drabble 2)

[Page 10 of X]

Religion. It has to be the most stupid thing I have had to experience. Take the fact I was put as the Herald of Andraste, a religious figure in this place because she did some really notable things. She was elevated kind of like a saint. Now I am her herald, her messenger. Because everything went shit faced and everyone is losing their mind.

Imagine that. You see a gigantic tear in the sky that can be seen from nearly everywhere around, especially from the capital Val Royeaux. I had to go there to try my best to convince the people in the Chantry to give us a chance, the Inquisition a chance, and this lady that is denouncing me goes all full testament on me.

She hated me, and I had never met her. She called her lap dog on me, the Templars. And, well. He socked her. Because he wanted to take his Templar buddies and sever himself from the Chantry and make his own little group.

Look, to explain a bit there, and mind you I still don't grasp everything of what is going on, but the way I am seeing it, he feels like his order is being swept aside because a good lot of the Templars, himself included were fighting the mages. That was why the meeting I had barged into got set up. It was in a great big temple, and the woman that summoned them was negotiating peace talks.

Well, she died. She died and the Chantry are now lost, the Templars are angry, and the Circle of Mages is going mad with power. Well to me the Chantry were as well at that point to me, but they were afraid.

The lady that got smacked like a whet rag? She confirmed as much to me. She hated me because if I was right, then it meant a lot of things were questioned, and if I was wrong in being the herald, it meant that many things were wrong. It was a no win situation in her book. Especially since the biggest honcho they had was dead and they were dragging their feet in finding a leader.

That brings to the topic I wanted to write here. I swear these pages are the only place I can vent my frustrations from the others since everyone believes in some kind of God, be it Elven or something else.

But Religion to me is a sham. I went to the capital and I saw too many people praying. Praying for pete sake.

I tried to tell just one guy, just one guy that was feeling lost to pray to his god for guidance, not forgiveness. Because I didn't want to be an asshole. It didn't work.

So I told him to stop praying, to stop chanting, and start doing something. Because times like that require less sitting on your knees hoping things get better, and more acting to make things better.

He gave me a funny look. I think I really did hurt his feelings but he was pissing me off. Its the motto I have been going with ever since because it seems to be the only thing that smacks these people in the head. They want to pray and feel and act like everything will be okay.

Things won't be okay, if you don't do anything about it. I have been trying to be less of an ass about it. I just met Giselle really, the lady we rescued from a bad situation that was going on worse. Her followers have been helping where they can in Haven. Sharing out food, blankets, stuff like that. Doing what she can to heal the injures. I respect her for that. But she treats me.. She treats me like a dangerous animal. I can see it on her. She joined us to help, but she's unsure about me. I keep denying I am a herald. I don't want to be seen as a Herald of anything. I am just trying to help fix a mess I made. Unknowingly made mind you, but still my mess.

I want to think she respects that. But she's been insisting I lean onto that title. Because people need to believe in something. I just want them to believe in themselves.

I guess that is too big of an ask.