#i have so many ideas yet no power or talent to put them to life

[high-guardian-herbs]

I'm cooking sm rn with the plot, but I'm no cook and I love putting everything I can get my hand on in my soup, so, like, watch out

[cosmic-ghost-hermit]

What is your hidden talent?

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The decks I am using today are The Tarot of the Divine, Believe in You Own Magic Oracle and The Healing Waters Oracle. Take everything that resonates and leave the rest behind but always be open to new experiences.

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PILE ONE

Astrology: Leo, Virgo, Scorpio

Song: I Set Fire To The Rain by Adele

Vibes: Teal, green, yellow/gold, shear white cloth, smelling smoke, burning house, swimming, mixed drinks, hot chocolate, braided hair, locked doors, house plants, deep skin tone, 888, shells, feathers, crayons, colored hair, ares

Cards: 2 of Wands, 9 of Cups, 5 of Wands, Mural, Gold, Cleansing, Into the Unknown

Welcome in, pile 1! You have two hidden talents. One that you use rather regularly but unknowingly and the other you have yet to unlock. The energy I am getting from the cards makes me think the two talents are intertwined. ALSO Trigger Warning for abuse in this reading. It is VERY HEAVY. Do not read if you do not think you are ready.

The first hidden talent is starting new from the ground up. I know to you it might not sound that interesting. You have no idea how hard it can be to start new things for others. Starting from the ground up is scary and intimidating. Organizing the chaos in your mind and project that chaos clearly into reality. I see you are probably an artist of some kind. You might paint, make clay sculptures, or hand-make intricate jewelry of some kind. I see you learned to hone this ability because of a karmic relationship. They made you feel adored and cherished until you were in their grasp. When you were trapped with them, they turned on you. It's giving love bombing. This person literally blew up on you over the smallest things. I see a shattered tea/coffee cup. You stayed with them for a long time even though you knew what they were doing was wrong. You had to completely shred the life you had with them. You had to start your life from scratch. Which is why you are so used to the idea of starting with nothing and building up. The pain that you felt from that past connection still hurts you to this day. You probably have PTSD from the situation you were in. I am so sorry you had to go through all that. You didn't deserve to be treated like that.

The second hidden talent is transmutation. I see that the reason you haven't unlocked it yet is because you fear change. What happened to you in that shitty relationship makes it way easier for you to start over than to change the situation. You are scared to see things to the end. I see that this fear reveals itself in your artwork. You probably have many unfinished projects because you view yourself as incapable of seeing them through. Which by the way isn't true you are so capable of anything you want to do. Heal the hurt part of you that thinks you are incapable. Your ex was the one who instilled that in you. Don't let that motherfucker get you down. Especially if they aren't in your life anymore. Don't let them have that power over you, love. You deserve to feel good. Face your fear of them being right. You and I both know they aren't. When you do unlock this ability you will be able to transmute all the pain that asshole put you through into beautiful art. You will be able to finish all of those unfinished projects. You will be able to find true love within yourself. You will find that you were never broken like that bitch said you were. You were always lovely, sweet, and accommodating. You were always creating love everywhere you went.

_______

PILE TWO

Astrology: Sagittarius, Gemini, Pisces

Song: I Love Rock n Roll by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Vibes: Navy Blue, white, peach, deer, horses, libraries, books, coffee, hot springs, scones, pillow forts, maxi-skirts, cowboys, mermaids, 333, wine, fine dining, tall trees, athena, artemis

Cards: The Hermit, 3 of Wands, Knight of Swords, Nostalgia, Stars, Water Codes, The Healing Lagoon

Hello, pile 2! You have one secret power but trust me it's a good one. You have the ability to pull information out of thin air. You are crazy smart. People might not think it when they look at you because you try not to flaunt it too wildly. You prefer to stay under the radar when it comes to intellect. This makes people underestimate you. I feel that some of yall reading like this for various reasons but others really fucking hate it. You have some insecurity around this skill. That's why you don't think it is a good skill tbh. You think a lot on the go even while in conversation which makes people see you as kind of ditzy. Even so, you absolutely obliterate at trivia night. Your friends come to you first when they need obscure information. You might have been a really lonely kid and spent a lot of your time reading away the time. For a big chunk of your childhood you found your companionship in novels. You may have been bullied for this. Don't let those people's words get you down. Honestly, they were just jealous of your intelligence. The friends you have now love to hear you infodump about your favorite books. They love to hear everything you know about sea creatures and astrology/astronomy. They ask questions not to mock you but because they genuinely are interested in what you have to say. You are magnificent. Your mind is unparalleled. How people perceive you has nothing to do with what is actually happening in your mind. It is just their projections of themselves onto you. Ignore them lmao. <3

________

PILE THREE

Astrology: Cancer, Taurus, Libra

Song: Stay by Zedd

Vibes: All shades of blue, creeks, hanging flowers, 9999, faires, watermelon, paint-brush, rabbits, bird chips, car horn, pearls, lily pads, walking in the rain, lanterns, puppies, beaches, zues

Cards: Queen of Cups, Page of Cups, Ace of Wands, 9 of Pentacles, Raindrops, Stagnant Waters, Light House

My dear pile 3, welcome to your reading. You have a hidden ability that I feel is only hidden from you. Everyone else seems to know this about you. You have the power of hospitality and refuge. You are a safe place for everyone you know to come to if they need it. You are the type of person to tell everyone you know if they need a place to stay for any reason, all they gotta do is ask. You have a motherly energy about you, even if you aren't a woman. You always have emergency snacks for occasions like that. You host parties and everyone always leaves feeling 10 times better than when they arrived. You are the friend that lends a hand when needed. You the kind of person to have a shoulder ready for anyone to lean on, even if you don't know them well. The most beautiful thing about this is that these actions are never self-sacrificing. You have an abundance of all that you need so you can be generous constantly to those in need. I see you resting when necessary and listening to your body. I see you volunteering in your community. I think recently you helped clean up a beach or something. Maybe you organized it? Your energy is so soothing. You are just amazing, my friend. Absolutely the softest heart on earth. I also see you might foster animals! You take in rescue animals and nurse them back to health until they can find a forever home. ;n; You are the definition of an earth angel. Please see how amazing you are and how big your heart is. I wanna be your friend so bad from hearing all of this. Never stop being this beautiful of a soul, my dear. You are perfect.

_________

PILE FOUR

Astrology: Aries, Capricorn, Aquarius

Song: Black Girl Magic by Londrelle

Vibes: Cyan, yellow, rusty red, iridescent, sake, 4c hair, magic, spell casting, curse breaking, singing, tea, pottery, steam-train, festivals, celebration, 963, small forests, mercury/hermes, lambs, Oshun

Cards: The Star, Ace of Cups, 2 of Cups, 6 of Swords, 7 of Wands, Tower, Spaceship, Thank You

PILE 4, WOW. Welcome. Your energy is just sooo woah. You are so indescribable. All that you have been through. Everything you have seen. All I can say is, wow. Your secret power is balance. It is a well-earned hidden ability. You have been through so much to gain the skills that I see in this reading. You have traveled so far. When I first looked at the reading I could not pin down exactly what skill you had because you are just so good at EVERYTHING. I legitimately out loud said, "Everything??? Everything." You know how to take care of yourself. You are an excellent lover. If you are a parent you are good at that too. You are chasing your dreams. I see you performing as a singer or a musician and your talent stuns everyone in the room. You are the best manifester in a 20 miles radius. You are a witch for sure. You have worked so hard on breaking karmic familial curses and you succeeded. You succeeded far past your soul's initial expectations. You are everything, my love. Like literally everything. Then it hit me. You are a tightrope walker. You are balancing everything perfectly. Have you ever heard of Rock Cairns? They are stacks of rocks that hikers add to as they pass by on park trails. You have turned your life into something like that. You have perfectly balanced every stone you passed in your life in a pile and you manage it all on your own. First off, I want to tell you what a good job you are doing. What a good job you have been doing since you were born. Second thing, PLEASE REST WHEN YOU NEED IT OHMYGODS. You don't need me to tell you that though. You are probably smoking a joint right fucking now while reading this or you just got done doing that. No notes, baby. You got this. I just think Spirit wanted to remind you of your magnificence.

[soaringwide]

PAC: What hidden talent do you have?

Hello with another pick a card reading, this time on the topic of ''get to know yourself better''.

This time the idea is to look into what talent of yours you are not fully aware off and could tap into and develop in the future.

By definition this might not be at the core of your personality since it is hidden, but maybe that's something you will tap into later in life. So I hope it's useful to you in some way!

How does that work?

Take a moment to recollect yourself, breathe, close your eyes if you need to, focus on the moment. Look at the 4 pictures and select the one that draws you in the most. Not the one you think looks cooler but the one that creates that pinching feeling inside of you. The one that makes you feel it has something to say.

It is possible to feel attracted to more than one pile, just as it is possible to only find parts of the reading relevant. Remember that this reading is meant for many people so it won't be perfectly applicable to your situation.

PILE 1

Cards: The Nectar + The King (archetype) + 4 of Swords Rx + Empress Rx + Strength + The Hierophant + King of Cups Rx + the Protectress + The forbidden forest + yin and yang; 2 of Swords + 4 and 6 of Wands; Priestess Magician

There is definitely the idea of a latent, untapped ability.

To me it has to do with healing, as in, the ability to help people through their recovery process and put them on track to bloom and be abundant again. To remove barriers to healing.

The fact that it has to do with remediating what is poisonous for the person, transmuting something toxic into something positive, makes me think it has to do with magical or energetic healing.

Perhaps you will use your words like a fire-talker (not sure it's the right way to translate but "coupeur de feu" in the orginal french term as in those who can heal burns by talking fire out, among other things), or work on removing magical thorns with your healing touch. I'm getting strong hand imagery and holy words may be significant as well as carrier for background movements in the spiritual realms.

I'm getting you will be or are guided to do this by higher powers with this ability that can help others tremendously, somewhat relaying these healing powers into the world. Like a bridge between the healing spirits and our world, putting healing energy in motion.

There is the idea of a position of authority that must be embraced with humility, respect and reverence, in order to restore the flow and clarity of health, working in tandem with powers from the realms beyond and by learning to develop your own power and ability for leadership whilst staying true to yourself.

You have this undeveloped ability of perceiving the higher realms, harness their energies and transmute them into something not only healing, but also protecting for others.

You would need to go on your own healing journey to gather the missing parts of yourself (individuation process is another way to look at it) and rectify what is unbalanced to find a wholeness that will allow you to carry this energy over to others. I'm really getting that it's not just about picking up a skill but really going through a process yourself in order to reach that step and that's why you haven't reached it yet. With also the idea of learning to listen to guidance and understand your bond to these higher powers more, and let yourself be guided on that path.

I wanted to see if there was another message that wanted to come out and I saw that while this ability is not currently active, and even blocked by your current circumstances, there would be great success gained from going through this journey towards that path. It's a call that you have the option to answer and are encouraged to do so with the support of your spirits and god(s) and that would be a source of celebration and achievements.

PILE 2

Cards: The Fool and Fear and Happiness + 7 of Cups Rx + Queen of Cups and 4 of Cups + The Magician Rx + Queen of Pentacles + 7 of Pentacles Rx

Your hidden talent has to do with performance arts, perhaps theater or dance, with the use of your body alongside your voice. You can pretend to be someone else again and again, endorsing different roles on different days and creating this artificial image for others to see.

You have the hidden ability to perform emotions so that it can be reflected in the heart of the audience. For example, expressing sadness or joy, the whole palette of emotions, and having that be felt by those who watch you. Relieving people in the lights of the stage.

I don't think it is about showing who you truly are but rather as I said, endorsing different identities and expressing something universal through that. You might not always feel passionate about what you are expressing, what role or piece you are given, but that's the nature of the craft. And in some way it allows yourself to explore your own thoughts and emotions by shifting perspectives, so it can be healing for yourself as well if you allow it to be.

By creating an artificial space for exploration of thoughts and emotions through your craft, you can shift people's emotional state and help them let go of what worries of preoccupies them. It is cathartic and the healing aspect of the arts. Ever watched a movie, cried for a while because it reminded you of something and felt lighter in the end? That's what you can give to people: freeing them of themselves for a short while. Allowing them a break from their own lives.

It's a trickery of some sorts, but the good kind of trickery because it is part of the game and the reason why people would come to you. It is to be willingly taken on adventure.

There is also a highly democratic aspect of your craft, as in, in front of performance in the audience, everyone watches the same things, react to the same things, rich and poor, good and bad. You help people bond together by lowering the boundaries that separate us all for a while.

In any case it is a raw talent, as in, you're very much at the apprentice level at the moment. You would need to work on it consciously, nurture this talent to let it grow and harvest its rewards later on. If that reading resonates with you I think that would be a good thing to practice on a hobby level for the pure enjoyment and personal fulfillment of it, rather than in order to make money from it.

PILE 3

Cards: The King, Protect your feelings, Knight of Swords Rx, 9 of Wands + King of Cups, Reflection Rx + 4 of Wands Rx, Renewal Rx + 8 of Swords Rx, Courage + 5 of Cups, Gloom Rx + 10 of Cups + The World + Intuition Rx, Sorrow Rx

Your hidden talent is to embody some of the noble qualities of the King, especially being a protector of the weak. You have the ability to stand up for what is right when facing a menacing majority and would step up to fight to defend what you believe in. You may have a tendency to be rash and impulsive when faced with something that doesn't sit right with you, because you want to confront that and rectify the wrongs committed. You will not take a defeat and will get back up again.

Your quality associated to that talent is that you are full of compassion and look at others with empathy because you have a great understanding of human nature and suffering, and you have a desire to protect that. You are devoted to help people and this helps balance the harshness of you combative spirit.

The caveat is that you might feel like it's a lost battle, or at least that you won't personally see the end of it in your lifetime. You feel like you're doing you won't be the one in the parade at the end of the battle because you will be long gone. What you don't see is that you can still help others in the present.

What you can give others with this talent is that your bravery is infectious. You lift them up, give them courage and they can free themselves in the moment. With you by their side they feel so much stronger.

And when faced with a loss, you are, again, here to help people grieve and be a shoulder to cry on, listening to their pain with empathy, which helps them tremendously.

And for the reason why it is hidden, I think the need just hasn't arisen at this stage of your life. You will need to reach a form of completion and to move on from the idea that things are perfect to the desire to put things in motion again and start a new chapter. A content heart doesn't strive for change.

PILE 4

Cards: Aletheia, Wheel of Fortune Rx + The Moon Rx + 9 of Swords Rx + Queen of Cups + The Empress + Justice

You hidden talent is the ability to speak the truth on what's hidden and trigger changes for those you bring the news to. I see you being able to detect lies easily. It can trigger fears in others because they might not want to see what you reveal.

You are able to see through the confusion and pierce through the illusion, and thus, bring vitality back where there was just fog and stagnation. It might make you feel a bit lonely and isolated at times due to feeling misunderstood. I don't think you have come to term with that talent yet so you may fail to see the good in it.

Because your strong intuitive gift of being able to see your emotions so clearly can bring a lot of healing and clarity to people, especially if you wield it with kindness and compassion. You may get back a lot of love and consideration from helping others.

Because you can help people release who takes advantage of them by shining light on their lies, especially if they are over-dependant and attached to this person or situation.

As to why it is hidden, you may not believe that you deserve to speak up and that you have the right to do so and would feel like you're being manipulative when it doesn't have to be the case.

[uselessbard1031]

Every Rose Has Its Thorns (Ambessa X Black Rose Spy! Reader C1)

Trying a new thing where I cross post on Tumblr and Ao3. (Ao3 link at end)

C1:

Everyone is sleeping with someone and beds can bury many secrets under the covers. Secrets like the Demacian lover of a famed Noxian assassin. Secrets like the Trifarix takeover of Grand General Darkwill. Secrets like the Crimson Circle’s leader planning another coup. These secrets stick to the thorns of those special redolent rose colored lovers tangled up in the sheets with generals, captains, and house heads. Those lovers whose special magics put the guile in beguiling. 

Your job is a florist -- a host handing out roses and collecting the pricked off secrets those roses gathered. A job you do well. Not every flower at your shop is a rose. No. There are delusional daisies and desperate daffodils. There are illusions of irises and professional pansies. But those are all a cover for the sweet pollen of your roses. Rose roots, as most know, are everywhere once they're planted. They sap the nutrients from every other flower nearby -- they have the power to consume. To consume secrets of the rest of the garden. 

One day about a month ago a daisy had earned the affections of a general so much so that she had begun buzzing about her life like a little pollinator. The rumors stuck to the rose roots within your brothel and thus came to you. You saw to it that the general’s lover was upgraded to a rose still suiting of her tastes. The daisy, you had said, was bought by someone looking for a bouquet in their home. The general had not minded in the slightest which was no surprise. If she'd have genuinely cared about losing the flower, you would have simply spliced the daisy in with a rose, given it thorns, and kept it pricking. Instead, your mother has taken it and all of its intel too. 

So now, for a month, a rose has been sticking into those secret filled covers. A rose who is very good at his job. A rose who is…marching towards you with a bruise beneath his gold-lidded eye and a fuming gaze?

“What's happened?” You ask, quirking a brow.

“I'm done,” he snaps, his voice as pretty as his feminine face. 

“No you're not. Where's the client?”

“In my room. Wants someone else.” He looks down the hall of doors and rooms before leaning in to you. “I pressed about the son, like you said. She wants nothing to do with me now. I'm burned.”

“And bruised. Go get some ice.”

He storms off to nurse his wound and you bite your lip, scanning through your mental inventory. All of your research says he's her perfect type. Skinny. Benign. Docile. Pretty. Your other effeminate male rose is currently assigned elsewhere. Though if she comes another day, he may do. You know she likes women as well. Ones with strength. No. Power. Weapons of women and flowers of men. But muscles alone won't do. You have many talented mages, sure. Perhaps one of them could peak her interest. But none of them have what she truly craves in a female lover -- someone with superiority -- someone chosen -- someone capable, with control and, well, power. Someone like…

You glance back at her room. It's an idea, but is it one you're willing to dedicate to? You grin, imagining how your mother will react to the news. She'll be amused more than anything. Impressed, you think. Proud. Guile means more to her than pride so to sell yourself as a flower, as a rose, someone so unobtainable that the general will feel oh so special to have you. Yes. You'll earn your mother's pride for this clever little play. 

You switch the sign on the front door to closed and head back to the retired rose’s room. With a breath of confidence, you knock, a smile glazing over your lips already. 

“Enter,” a voice like broken glass on a gravel path orders from the other side.

You open the door, heading inside but paying her no mind. Not yet. Something small first, a show of your magical power to aid your social power. You twist your hand absentmindedly around a healthy pothos hanging from a ceiling hook. A shadow creeps down its long vines, blazing a trail of withered brown and fallen crinkled leaves behind it until it slithers all the way to the new growth at the tip. 

“You've given one of my top earners a black eye,” you say, still not facing her.

“Your whore ,” she growls the word, “was testing my patience and good nature. I pay for pleasure, not for interrogation.”

“He's chatty.”

“I don't care for chatty.”

“Your last lover was chatty.” You toss her a look over your shoulder. Then sigh and go back to the pothos, killing another vine with darkness so deep it drains all the stored sunlight away with ease. “You liked him. I assumed this would be a good match for you.”

“I have been employing your brothel’s services for near a decade now. Yet, I don't believe we've ever spoken.”

You turn to her now. Your eyes trace the hem of red cotton that drapes over her muscled thighs. They slip up to her red painted lips on her glass of posca. They twist through curls of grey hair leaning against a headboard, twirling a strand by her scarred umber face. She really is attractive, now isn't she?

You glide up to the bed, taking your time. “We may have never spoken, but that doesn't mean I haven't kept tabs on you.” 

As you reach her, you sit on the mattress, just out of reach, teasing the edges of her aura with your own. You bring shadows from the corners of the room closer. Snakes of black curtain around the bedframe and lurk on the floorboards. One tickles across her leg and she shudders, though she hides it. Her gaze falls on you, curious, interest piqued, but wary and ready for battle. 

“You are strong,” you say. “Stronger than most. In will. In might. Ah, but you already know this. It makes you difficult to please. You've been unhappy with my business twice now. I do not wish to leave you dissatisfied a third time.” You lean just a bit closer, fingers tracing lightly around a scar by her knee. “So perhaps something off menu would better suit your unique tastes?”

Her gold flecked eyes darken a shade and she smirks. Humming amusedly, she asks,”Mm and what may you be offering, off menu, exactly?

A shadow follows your hand, reaching forward with you to brush hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear. “I've always preferred female lovers, and I've heard rumors that you enjoy both sexes.”

“The rumors are true”

“Please then, allow me to apologize for the chatty whore. Have a night on the house. With me.” You lean closer still, your lips ghosting her own. You think for a moment to leave the choice to her, to allow her to seize you, claim you. But then you think about how attracted she is to women in control so you seize her instead -- kissing her before she kisses you. 

And boy does she kiss you.

A calloused hand finds its way to the back of your head, fingers knotting in your hair. She chuckles, hungry mouth against your own, her tongue rolling along your bottom lip. It's not a fight for dominance. No. It's a test to see if you will yield it. You don't. Which spurs her to smile more. She pulls away from you, eyes finding yours with a bit of a glimmer. 

“You are curious, little flower,” she says. 

“As are you, general. Tell me, how does a wolf stalk its prey?”

She chuckles again, a low rumbling noise. “Deliberately.”

“And how does it attack?”

“Without mercy.”

Her claims prove valid when she attacks, mercilessly, your lips again. Your neck. Your shoulder. You allow her to guide you to your back, pulling the darkness around you entirely so that the only light in the room is the halos you allow around her and around you. You keep the spell the entire night you spend together. With every talented curl of your finger or quivering shake of your orgasm she grows more and more intrigued by you. By your focus and your abilities. Good. Your roots are being planted. In time, your thorns will prick those secrets from her.

In time, turns out to be a patient six months. You've uncovered much of her story but only the outer shell. Her loyalty to family. Her desire for legacy. And just now, a few days after the six month mark, she finally gifts you the information your mother has so wanted.

“Daughter,” the voice greets you in the pale red darkness of her illusion. How can it be pale and dark? Well, how can anything be mutually exclusive when it comes to her? A woman with a million faces yet not known for a single one. The Faceless.

You take a knee before her, her silhouette shifting between heavy and light, brawny and slender, masculine and feminine. “Mother,” you greet, “I come with the information you sought from Ambessa Medarda.”

“The one whose love child is of our own kind? Now that is interesting.”

You stand. “The son, Kino, he is in Nava on a diplomatic mission for their house.”

“Are you certain?”

“Would I lie?” You smirk.

She steps forth from her illusion, a pale face with a bob of blue hair and dark purple lips that smirk right back at you. 

“You've done well, daughter,” she says, thin white fingers tilting up your chin. “I knew there was a reason I took you in that century ago. Just a bawling little infant then. Look at you now. All grown up and covered in thorns. Our agents in Nava will capture the wolf pup. He will be tested and, if potent, used. The Black Rose will bloom again.”

“What about the alpha wolf? Have we any further use for her?”

“Perhaps. The future is all smoke and mirrors. So play your part. Keep her leashed. Remember that there is still a second child we may require if this one proves to be the wrong one.”

“Understood.”

She sighs, releasing you and turning to the warping edges of the nothingness around you. Turning to some door in some far off room. With a wave of her hand a magician’s staff appears between jeweled rings on her thumb and index finger. Without looking back at you she says, “I’ve got to go. The assassin’s are due at Swain’s doorstep any minute now.” She glances over her shoulder, a purr and a grin, “it's how he knows I care.”

With that, the void disappears and so does she. You're left alone in your bedroom with its stone walls and silk sheets. 

You gaze out over the city through your window. Noxus Prime. All these years and it hasn't changed much at all. Then again, neither have you. Your looks are still that of your youth. Easier, then, with bright eyes and a light face, to manipulate the shadows behind Noxus’s big red curtains. All these banners and blood and war. How trivial. Those two men your mother works alongside on the Trifarix are nothing more than puppets in a big show. One day, they'll be gone -- bone and ashes -- just like the man before them and there will be another puppet and another. All marionettes, dancing by the pull of their strings. Dancing, by your mother's hand. Dancing, for the Black Rose.

[bonefall]

Windstar's kits in BB are Dust Muzzle and Morning Whisker. With the former being renamed Dustiest Muzzle to fit naming conventions. But whats Morning Whisker's new name? Esp since you said that they will probably be the leader after Windstar passes and theres already Morningstar of ThunderClan (my beloved).

TO RECAP FOR THOSE COMING IN;

There's three groups in BB!DOTC now; Park Cats, Mountain Cats, and Forest Cats. Forest cats are the oldest cultural group and have lived around the White Hart for decades. Park cats arrived a few generations ago following their king away from the destruction of their home down south. Mountain cats recently followed Gray Wing the Wise down from the north at the beck of prophecy.

Forest cats are given a simple, natural name, and then their talent earns them a suffix from a small pool of traditional meanings. Bee, a strong fighter, might earn -sting, -slash, or -stone.

Mountain cats inherit the last names of their parents, and are usually given first names that work with them. Tempest Sky and Quiet Wing's children are Gray Wing and Clear Sky. Quiet Wing then had another litter with Stone Peak, and they were named Fluttering Wing and Jagged Peak.

Park cats are born nameless. They're given simple descriptions about their physical traits, traditionally until they're given a mentor. They spend their adolescence as (Mentor)'s Paw, until they make an achievement that is worthy of their leader giving them a title of three words or less.

Normally the leader is the King, but the Wind Coalition broke off from the River Kingdom many years ago. The Wind Runner sees herself as being much better than a King, HER kingdom is self-made, battle-tested, unprotected by the powerful river or the secretive forest.

Moth Flight isn't her child anymore, but I do know I want The Wind Runner to keep three total. At birth, the kittens were "named" Littlest One, Middle One, and Biggest One.

(It's tradition that the first real name of a Park cat is their apprentice name, but Windy is BURSTING with hubrice and LOVES breaking traditions. So it's possible the three of them did something different.)

SO currently I'm thinking their new names are;

Emberkit: Littlest One -> Embers Under Rain

Morning Whisker: Middle One -> Prayers at Dawn

Dustiest Muzzle: Biggest One -> Dustiest Muzzle

Embers might still die rather young, but at the very least she gets to apprenticeship. I'm not entirely sure on what I'm doing with her yet. If her name is a title, she managed to light a fire during a rainstorm (probably using flint)

Dustiest Muzzle gets his title from being an early tunneler and both bold and curious enough to stick his nose in every burrow. It actually reads as kind of unearned though, you could put it in English as "works harder than everyone else" which he probably just got because he's the son of The Wind Runner.

(Not that he isn't hardworking, just that Windstar doesn't even pretend she isn't biased.)

And Prayers at Dawn is interesting, because praying to future Clan cats looks like tilting your head upwards, and feeling the wind stir your whiskers. In Ancient Parkmew, her name meant something more like "Rousing Whiskers at Sunrise." I like the idea that she's quite religious for some reason, possibly also a friend of Moth Flight when it comes time.

The Parkmew word for "whiskering" eventually becomes the Clanmew word for the physical position of making prayers.

So Prayerstar would be a perfectly good name to avoid the conflict of Morningstar down the line later, BUT I'm also tempted to make the name MOURNINGstar and maybe have her take Mourning Whiskers as a title during her life.

Maybe even as a self-given title of great sorrow. I could have her become very close to Moth Flight and make her heart break when Moth and her children agree to split themselves up across the five Clans in Moth Flight's Vow.

Hmmm... perhaps Windstar's last life withered away pretty slowly, and Mourning Whisker knew she was going to inherit the Wind Coalition on the brink of war with SkyClan already attacking. Moth and her kits knew that WindCo would defend them all with their lives, and that's exactly why they knew they couldn't stay.

[weveseenallthegreenery]

Seeking Divine Comfort — Mel Medarda seeks out Viktor after discovering her arcane talents.

sfw | part 1 | 1715 words | hurt/comfort | shortfic | alternate season 2 | loosely edited | kind of spoilers

I didn’t know where my legs were taking me, but I knew I had to get there soon. The incident with the Black Rose had me shaken up in so many different ways, and my mind was swarming in ways that I couldn’t begin to comprehend. I was arcane. I was a part of the very group that my council had tried to prevent from corrupting the city. I was one of the people who helped Hextech take a launch toward popularity. Maybe I somehow knew, deep inside of me, that the normalization of such things could only benefit me.

No, I didn’t know. I couldn’t know. I was just afraid and saw an opportunity that could better our society. That was it. That was all it was… well, along with an affinity for the one proposing the idea. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I didn’t know this would happen. I didn’t know the madness it would cause as my feet dragged me to a mysterious gate.

It looked like it was being held together by magic itself, completely white and gold with most of the buildings on the inside of the commune shaped like a circle. It was incredibly futuristic. Beautiful yet morbid at the same time for reasons that I couldn’t quite put my hand on.

A brunette male approached me and questioned, “You don’t have any weapons on you, do you? There is no place for them here.”

“I do not possess anything of the sort,” was my response as the man led me into the hidden city. There were people of all kinds mingling together, golden marks on their skin almost similar to the ones on my own but different. My marks were a show of my power, of my birthright—it seemed that theirs was a mercy to hide all of the scars of their past. This place truly was both lovely and horrifying at the same time.

The words that left my mouth next surprised me, as I wasn’t quite sure why I was there or how I even knew of the location, “Where is Viktor?”

“Viktor?” The man raised an eyebrow at me at the casual mention. “Oh, you mean The Herald… I could take you to him if you’d like.”

I simply nodded, following behind the man until we reached probably the roundest building in the entire space. Once I walked in, the man behind me made a point of disappearing as well, not wanting to follow me for some reason. I roamed further into the strangely shaped building before noting the complete lake of furniture apart from the nerve-like tendrils attached to the ceiling—attached to Viktor.

“Viktor,” my voice came out weaker than I expected.

He opened his eyes and just stared at me for a moment. I wasn’t sure what to expect from him, as we had never really gotten along well in the past. However, I was shocked to find that it took less than a minute for him to begin smiling at me—not a fake smile, either, a genuine, warm smile. “Mel Medarda. You have awakened.”

I nodded simply before hesitating, “I don’t know what to do. I have discovered that a lot of which I knew to be true was a lie.”

The tendrils snapped from his back before Viktor gently sat himself on the ground and walked toward me. It was weird to see him walking. It was unnatural for something to heal someone so perfectly after such a permanent injury—and yet, he didn’t seem to be in any pain or discomfort. He seemed content. He seemed like he knew himself better than he ever had in the past. Like the artificial arcane inside him had given him life.

“Do not be afraid,” he took my hands in his and gestured for me to follow him to the pool behind his main area. He wanted to find a place where we could sit and talk. “You can tell me whatever you wish to—although, I feel I already know what you are going through.”

I hesitantly sat down next to him and began recounting my recent discoveries one by one, from the revelation that my mother had purposefully targeted a man of the arcane to forge me into a weapon to the fact that she had sacrificed my brother in my name to the fact that the Black Rose wanted me to join forces with them and prevent her from going through with whatever harmful act she tried to use me for. I was terrified. It felt dirty for me to say all of these things aloud, but at the same time, it felt amazing to have someone to confide in.

The entire time that I was explaining my plight, Viktor rubbed my back in a reassuring gesture, encouraging me to speak my mind and get everything off my chest. He waited a few seconds after I stopped talking to ensure that was all I wanted to say before his voice came in a gentle rumble, “It is unfortunate how you came across this information… but do not let your mother’s indiscretions distract you from realizing that what you have is a gift.”

“A gift?” I raised an eyebrow at him before withdrawing my hand from his and crossing my arms over my lap, “How could anything born of such selfishness be a gift?”

He gave me another smile before taking his hand off my back and placing it on my knee, “Just because you were bred for a specific goal does not mean that you cannot use the talents provided for something else—something more worthwhile. You could do anything you wanted. You could save Piltover. You could protect all the people of Runeterra. Or, if you wish, you could join me here to cleanse the people who fear what was stolen from them.”

“I… cannot do that,” I hesitated as I stared at him. “I cannot abandon my people simply for comfort. I will eventually return to Piltover, but I do fear what they will say to me—or do to me once they find out that I possess the very thing that they despise. I was always taught to fear the Black Rose in my youth, and now I have sworn myself a part of them.”

He rubbed a soothing circle on my knee and shook his head at me, “I have a feeling that Piltover is not the only place that you are needed, and it is not the only place that will accept you as you are, either. Because they will. They will accept you. They knew you far before this part of yourself surfaced, and they will understand that you are merely trying to defend them.” I stayed silent for a long moment before uncrossing my arms, placing one of my hands on his, and trying to force a smile. “I’m sorry, Viktor… for the way that I treated you before. I know that I seemed cruel, but I just… I knew that you weren’t as open to my requests as Jayce, and I figured it better to get what I was through other means. I should have considered you more. I am truly, truly sorry.”

“You do not owe me an apology,” he looked me straight in my eyes as he said it. “I knew what you were doing. When I was still human, I judged you for it. It made me angry. I had been overlooked many times in the past, and I hated it… but those things are trivial now. You ignored me then, but you now understand my value and seek my help.”

I sighed, closing my hand around his as I closed my eyes and tilted my head downward. I stayed like that for a few moments before looking back up, “Thank you. I don’t know who else I would go to right now… I don’t know who else would understand what I’m going through… and I’m not quite sure how I knew where you were.”

“The same way that I knew you were close to discovering yourself,” he intertwined his fingers with mine. “The arcane flows within us both, Medarda. No matter whether it was inherited or consumed, we are connected now. We understand each other, and we seek each other out because no one else can feel the fear and joy that we feel together.”

I hesitated slightly as I asked, “You are afraid…? But you seem so happy.”

“Of course I am afraid,” he chuckled a little bit as he let go of my hand. I hadn’t realized how tightly I’d been holding onto it before then as he continued, “I had never intended for this to happen. I had only wanted to live. I feared death. Once I realized what the arcane would do to me, I begged Jayce to destroy it, but he could not… and I blamed him… But then I touched them. I touched them, and it killed me.

“Every time I help them, I feel pain. Building this place felt like breaking every bone in my body. It was horrifying, but all of the fear was worth it once I realized that these people relied on me. That I was giving these people a second chance at life… at a cleanliness that they had never gotten to experience before. I grew up in an undercity that was infested with poison. I grew up in a world where the sick were bound to die and be destroyed. I had prayed for someone to come and save me when I was young, and now I realize that I am that person that I was praying for, Medarda. I am their herald. No matter how painful it is, how much I fear it—I must continue on for as long as I can so that the people of Zaun have a sanctuary, so that they never lose hope the way that I almost had.”

I didn’t know what came over me as I hugged his shoulders, “Do not be afraid.”

He wrapped his hands around my back and laid his head on my shoulder, breathing me in before humming, “You can stay for a bit longer if you would like.”

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | smut filler | part 5 | part 6

[gingerrtarot]

◌ ｡ PAC: “I’ll do it later…” - why do you procrastinate and how you can stop it?

hello everyone! welcome to my new reading~

as the heading suggest, today we will look at the reasons behind your “laziness” and you will get some advices on how you can change that.

keep in mind that this is a general reading, so it may or may not resonate with you.

now, let’s pick a pile!

Pile 1 Pile 2 Pile 3

°｡ Pile 1. ◌

Hello, guys!! so right off the bat I don’t actually see you guys as some slackers. People from this group, on the contrary, may be involved in many different activities at once, or at least they always have many plans in mind. maybe you judge yourself too harshly. another thing i pick up on here is that you were this super talented kids at school and now your family, teachers, colleagues may be expecting too much from you. so you end up always feeling like you are not doing enough.also, it seems like you are doing what others want and do not do things that will satisfy your desires. you may be oppressed by others. I see that some of you may want to work in a political field or maybe something related to judging. or you just want to be somewhere where you will be heard in your opinions will matter your words will have power. so why do you procrastinate? there are several options here. first, you may, actually, take a lot of tasks at once, and then you end up doing a little bit of this a little bit of that, and it doesn’t produce any result. Second, you may come up with many ideas and, but you always put off their implementation until later. In the first case, you are advised to learn to prioritize the right things; make a to-do lists, highlight the most important ones and do them first. In the second case, you need to start bring your ideas to execution as soon as you have them. Don’t put anything off for later, take at least a small action that will help you bring your ideas to life. don’t forget about it, don’t shelve them, it won’t make you any good.

one more thing. some people in this group may have problems with their family. They force you to do something that you don’t want, or even if they don’t force you, they gently persuade you or raise hopes for you that you cannot justify, you don’t want it, but you do it for their sake. And here the cards advise, if possible, to move. You will immediately become more motivated, more active and energetic. All the things that previously seemed difficult to you will be given to you with ease. if this is your problem, moving here will be extremely useful.

°｡ Pile 2. ◌

hi there pile 2! Here I see people who have recently experienced some kind of transformation. It could have moved, changed your study place or a job, perhaps you have suffered a loss or something similar. It may also be that you had to grow up early, when your inner self was not yet ready for it. Now you may be in a state of apathy; you do not have the strength and energy to do anything.

And even if you do want to do something, you just don’t know how. It feels like you are in the fog. Where to go and what to do, how to do it - you lack knowledge and skills. I see here a desire to return to your comfort zone, maybe go back to your childhood, to your family. somewhere you didn’t have to decide and do so much yourself. you want and need some help. and some stability and security. You shouldn't judge or blame yourself if you experience this, it's okay. Change can be difficult to cope with, give yourself time to collect yourself both mentally and physically. But if you have been in this state for a long time, you should think about it and pull yourself together. Otherwise it may drag on for years. The advice to you here is to find people with whom you can grow and develop together. You lack experience and knowledge in some areas right now. And help of people now will be very useful to you. Communicate with those who are more experienced than you, with those who can teach you something. Invite acquaintances at your place of study or work, if possible. Or try to find people with similar goals through social networks, with whom you can somehow collaborate. Yes, I know it's not that easy. But even if you can’t do this, try to find at least some celebrities, bloggers and influencers who would work, for example, in the same field in which you want to work. Find those who you will look up to, those who will inspire you and will be able to provide you with some helpful information and this will already be great.

°｡ Pile 3. ◌

hey, pile 3!! There's a lot of youthful energy here. You guys are most likely extroverts, you are active, like to go for walks, relax, have fun, and do some kind of creative work. And yes, we all love it, but you especially. Like the second group, you lack life experience that can help you achieve what you want. And what else is important, many here may not have any goals or desires at all.

Perhaps you prefer to live in the present and you’re not thinking about the future too much. Yes, it may be good, but here it’s a real problem. some people here simply don’t have enough willpower, you indulge your momentary weaknesses and whims. for some, it’s just a trait of your character that you need to work with and change it, if you want to be more productive. But for others, the lack of motivation and any ambition comes from disappointment in the past. You may have been brought up in strictness; your desire and way of self-expression was not accepted, your dreams and goals were devaluated and you got used to considering yourself a loser. Or maybe, having failed, you have lost faith in yourself. Maybe you had a small failure or maybe a big one, in the end it led you to the fact that you decided not to try at all. It may also be that you are one of those who get disappointed and quit the job they started after it didn’t work out right away. Like, you wanted to draw a masterpiece but it turned out to be doodles, and you start to think that drawing is not for you and give up on it. But it’s wrong. You may be born a genius, but without training and practice you will achieve nothing. Therefore, it is important to study and work and not give up after the first failure, no matter what.

Self-discipline is what you need. Of course there is no miracle advice or potion that will help you deal with this. It will take time but in the end it will be worth it. So create a routine for yourself that will help you be more productive and stick to it. If it’s difficult for you to control yourself, ask others for help, there’s nothing wrong with that. Over time you will succeed, be patient. good luck!

[incorrecttowerofgodquotes]

learning that Ehwa is best girl to you is interesting - I don't disagree but this is a great excuse to ask for some Ehwa propoganda

so.

justify yourself

You don’t know what you’ve wrought upon yourself

Part 1: Personality

Ehwa hits the great mix between confident and strong as well as naïve and compensating. Due to her status as the only Yeon daughter for the next eighty years, Ehwa obviously has a lot of burdens placed on her, something we see early on in the season. The struggles of trying to live up to her family’s expectations plus the complex she has about her “defective” powers means she puts on the front of a noble and strong headed woman so that her weaknesses can be covered up.

However, the thing is, Ehwa is never actually cruel. In Trustworthy room, the only people she tells off is Prince and Viole, and even then, she still attempts to get to know Viole. As the arcs progress, Ehwa gets nicer and nicer due to her emotional needs being met thanks to S&S. By Hell Train, she’s simply just a good person, meanwhile even now Endorsi still struggles with her temper and Yuri recently just committed genocide (not to say this makes them bad characters though).

I also really love Ehwa’s childish side. We know that Ehwa entered the tower at only age 14, and that her previous life in the Yeon family gave her very little support (aside from her “Mama”). Just like Khun, Ehwa is a person whose childhood was stolen from her, and thus her emotional growth was stunted. As she becomes closer with S&S, she stops maintaining appearances and starts acting more like a girl her age. It becomes especially pronounced when she meets Rak, as she really loves reptiles, and starts following him around.

Part 2: Powerset

While there are many cool abilities in ToG, one of my favs is the Yeon flame. The idea of a living flame existing inside someone, and the fact that it could take control when the user is put under enough stress is super cool.

This is shown to great effect in Ehwa’s fight against Angel, when her childhood trauma and current emotional disturbance causes the Yeon Flame to take front seat in controlling the body while Ehwa dissociates or something. She went from struggling against Angel, to no diffing her in an insane boost of power, especially since said power allows her to fly, something stated to be very difficult for Regulars as it requires extreme shinsu control. SIU himself even said that when Ehwa masters her power, she’ll have abilities that can put even Ran to shame (y’know, one of the most talented Khun family members)

Also, unlike some other powers, Ehwa’s undergoes development. At the beginning, Ehwa suffers from power incontinence, having it leak out when her emotional state becomes turbulent and uncontrollable when using it. When Horyang and Viole, the rocks of team S&S are gone, Ehwa starts worrying about hurting her other teammates. However, instead of being able to learn to control her powers from this fear, she instead learns due to her desire to protect them, allowing her to take out the parasite Beta had. Finally, when up against Angel, all the turbulent emotions she feels leads to an explosive rise in power, but only for a few minutes.

Ehwa still has a ways to go in mastering her power, and the moment when she’s able to utilize her full potential while being in control will certainly be an amazing scene

Part 3: Development

Ehwa starts off as very alone and without confidence in herself. This stems from an incident in her childhood, when she was about 4 or 5, when she accidentally burned one of her maids alive. The people around her, instead of consoling her, praised her for her talent, which led to a complex about her powers. She feels the need to be useful to her family and live up to their expectations, but she’s also afraid of hurting people close to her.

During Trustworthy Room, she starts off as very prickly due to the pressure she feels about passing the test. Yet even so, she still remains naïve in that she takes a drink from Prince as well as hoping to become good-natured acquaintances with Viole. Ultimately, she doesn’t get to do much and is then left with a team she had no real say in, but she still sticks with them anyways.

By the 21st floor, Ehwa has sort of gotten used to her position in S&S. She’s still very hotheaded, and tends to blow up when either Wangnan or Viole are involved. However, then we get a look at her deeper insecurities when she talks with Arkraptor. Ehwa calls herself defective, unable to control her own power and needing to rely on Viole to stop herself. The 10 Families promote division amongst themselves, so for Ehwa, relying on others is extremely difficult. But even so, Arkraptor consoles her by saying that whatever her trouble's are, they aren't any worse than what everyone else is going through. Her power incontinence is just a hurdle she can overcome, and until that happens, its perfectly fine for her to rely on Viole and her other teammates.

After the Flower of Zigena, Ehwa is left in a depressive state over the actions her family has taken. I pointed it out in a separate post, but Ehwa doesn't look like she's surprised her family was corrupt, but more that she was trying to avert her eyes from the truth. It’s only when Hwaryun points this out to her that Ehwa declares that she will accept the 10 Families mistakes and then fix them (Fun fact she never wears the Yeon flower and gems in her hair after this).

This is also when her relationship with Viole changes. At first, she saw him as just a bad person, which makes sense, he is part of a terrorist organization targeting her family after all. However, it’s through getting to know him and the sins that her family has committed that Ehwa realizes why someone like Viole is necessary. Her feelings evolve from just a simple crush to a genuine admiration of his courage and charity.

While Ehwa doesn’t have much focus during Workshop battle, we still see her growth in learning to control her powers in order to protect her friends. There’s also a nice line of set up from Quaetro about her powers that will be the basis for her character development in Hell Train. “Who would listen to someone who’s afraid of herself?”

In Hell Train, Ehwa is pitted against Angel, an illegitimate child of the 10 Families. Angel received no love in her childhood, not even from her mother, and was eventually given away because she had some talent. This contrasts with Ehwa, who was born with loads of talent and received a lot of doting as a kid. However, the doting Ehwa received ultimately ended up harming her due to the callous nature in which they praised and pushed their expectations on her.

During the beginning of their fight, Ehwa can barely stop Angel. As she’s running away, all she can think about is how so many people failed to teach her anything about her flame. She can’t believe that she was flame itself from the moment she was born, because to her, the destructive flame she possess is in conflict with her own kind nature.

It’s only when Angel kills Hongjo, someone who had been kind to Ehwa up until then and even attempted to protect her, that Ehwa comes to the realization of what those words really mean. Her rage overtakes her to the point that the Yeon flame has to take control, in the process losing her own self. As a defeated Angel watches Ehwa continue to use her flame, as the audience we’re meant to feel fear and sadness that Ehwa is losing herself like this. It’s no coincidence that this moment comes about in front of Bam, who had just previously lost his mind to the Thorn.

Ehwa is only able to regain her sense of self when Bero Bero crashes into and starts yelling at her. Bero tells her she needs to take responsibility for her power, responsibility that no one else in her family will take. As these words sink in, Ehwa is reminded of her “Mama”, a loving maternal figure who told her the same thing.

Ehwa’s character growth stops about here, mostly due to her exiting the story, however we still see her through the Name Hunt Station arc. At the beginning, Ehwa is removed from Team Sweet and Sour and placed with Bam, Wangnan recognizing her skill and believing she can keep herself alive as she stays with Bam. Ehwa is incensed by this, even running up to Bam and telling him to make Wangnan change his mind, and when Bam says otherwise it shocks her. Ehwa wants to stay with everyone, but due to the difference in abilities she can’t. She now has to take responsibility for protecting herself first and foremost.

This is her mentality when going into the fight against Karaka vs Yuri. She still wants to continue despite being badly injured cause if she didn’t, it meant she left Team S&S for nothing. However, she ends up getting put into a hostage situation, and at that moment instead of thinking about her own well being, she thinks about how to save Bam. She ultimately sacrifices herself, but she does so with a smile, telling Bam that it will be okay. She went from distrusting Viole due to his FUG ties to implicitly trusting Bam to keep moving on to protect more people.

As sweet as this moment is, it’s also the greatest tragedy to happen to Ehwa. Her removal from Team S&S and then her loss at NHS, makes it so that Prince and Arkraptor die, and she remains completely unaware. The family that accepted her as she was became broken all without her knowing. If Ehwa had been with them, there’s no doubt in my mind that at least one of them would have survived, her Yeon flame wouldn’t allow for anything else. Instead, her absence sealed their fates. The responsibility she had towards protecting them is now destroyed.

When Ehwa finally reenters the story, I have no doubt that her arc will focus heavily on the fallout of losing Prince and Arkraptor.

It’s also interesting that she was kidnapped by Revolution, the group whose goal it is to reform the Ten Great Families. If we wanna get wild, Ehwa might become the new Yeon Family Head candidate.

That’s about all I have to say aside from gushing about how pretty she is, but I’ll let that happen during the S2 anime.

[vigilskeep]

How do you think the Thedas holidays are celebrated in the circles?

because they’re andrastian holidays and circles are an andrastian institution, i would be very surprised if they weren’t celebrated! but a little differently, due to the circumstances. more sermons than getting out and celebrating, i fear. nevertheless, good plentiful food and a break from work are the typical markers of a medieval-ish holiday. i would certainly expect a day off from studies and a feast in the great hall for circle mages! perhaps performances and displays of their work... here’s a great canon letter from a retired knight-commander to his knight-templar grandson that gives us some insight:

“My Dear Boy,

Your pious outrage might earn you some approval with your knight-lieutenant, but I beg you to join the rest of us in the real world, lad. Do you have any idea just how wealthy the Circle of Magi can be? The amount of gold the nobility pays for enchanted goods would overflow a well. Many mages—particularly Lucrosians—are from good families, used to entertainments and the finer things in life... and Maker knows they can afford them. So why shouldn’t they indulge a little?

Besides, a few musicians and dancers and an elaborate dinner is nothing. There are a dozen acting troupes in Val Royeaux and Halamshiral who specialise in bringing plays and stories into Circle Towers. A little collapsible scenery, the right costumes, a sprinkle of artfully chosen scent, and they can transform a workshop into an enchanted forest, a cold courtyard into a war tent on the eve of battle, or a dining hall into a darkspawn lair.

It does the mages good, too. When you see the same dreary walls day after day, a change to the familiar is a taste of freedom.

When mages entertain themselves, now, that’s a sight. No mere “tricks” there. I’ve seen ones who could juggle fire into ice or breathe a word into one hand and release a song from the other. I once saw a mage build a cathedral out of playing cards, upside down, yet it was impossible to knock it over! Even a game of battledore and shuttlecock takes on a new dimension when the players can move objects with their minds.

It isn’t all idle entertainment, either; most mages I know are eager to put their hands to useful work. Those gorgeous wooden panels in the teyrn’s castle at Ostwick? The ones that show the Qunari Wars on the Waking Sea? All carved by an enchanter at the city’s Circle, over the ten years he spent there. More than a few palaces have benefited from the artistry of mages: tapestries, stained glass, anything that takes time and patience.

In some day, some knight-captains frowned on mages spending their time and magical power for “frivolous ends.” Frivolous? Any mage with enough fine control to keep an audience enthralled, or to build a mosaic of Andraste, has better mastery of their magic than one who only uses it to destroy. Leave the moralising to the revered mothers, my boy. It’s not for us to say how a person should stay occupied in their own home.”

as for the more specific festival traditions, i wouldn’t be surprised if city-based circle mages were asked to send talent to perform magic for some festivals. the fires on funalis, perhaps. and i wonder if the most lenient circles ever have some kind of templar mage role swap for the day on satinalia lmao. or at the very least have a little apprentice be first enchanter for the day. i wouldn’t imagine they have much of a coming of age for summerday because maturity is much more marked by your harrowing

[starsfic]

Scooby Doo: Together Forever

The adult Scooby Doo idea I mentioned starting discussing with @vegalocity

After years and years of making their name known through mystery solving, brushes with the supernatural, and gaining top marks in their college classes, Mystery Incorporated heads back home to Cool Crystal, Florida, for summer break. It's nice to unwind and charge the batteries at home...

Until summer is over, and they are unable to leave.

Old mysteries will be uncovered, and the perfect skin of Cool Crystal will be ripped apart as Mystery Incorporated tries to break free, helped by allies like the DJ Angel Dynamite, ex-Manticore Marcie, and the mysterious Mr. E.

Characters below:

Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated's heart, Scooby has a big heart, a bigger stomach, and an even bigger talent in magic. He serves as Shaggy's familiar and seems to have a magical history of his own. Despite his easily spooked nature, Scooby is determined to protect his friends, his family, no matter the cost.

Shaggy Rogers- 23, majoring in cooking/athletics/zoology: Shaggy is the jack of all trades in the gang and the strongest. He specializes in cooking and kitchen magic, and his powers possibly stem from a family history of magic. He started learning magic after the werewolf incident and flourished with Velma's help. Despite being easily scared and distracted by his stomach, Shaggy loves the gang and will make sure they all survive this.

Daphne Blake- 22, majoring in semiotics/molecular neurobiology: Daphne was a normal wealthy heiress until a demon broke into her home in hopes of stealing her pure soul as a child. Now, Daphne trains in various athletics, hoping one day to take revenge for the death of her mother, having trained her body to actually be able to punch ghosts. She's also the smartest emotionally-wise, actually taking the steps to admit her love for all of the gang.

Freddy Jones- 22, majoring in engineering: Freddy is the himbo of the group and serves as the group's shield- to the point of jumping in front of the gang to protect them from anything, whether ghost or actual person. The ghost thing seems to not be a problem for some unknown reason. Still, he's never seen without his lucky ascot, something enchanted by the rest of the gang. He can also talk about traps all day long if you give him the chance.

Velma Dinkley- 20 (about to turn 21), majoring in criminology/history/etc.: For years, Velma claimed to never believe. However, years of running into various supernatural phenomena have caused her to believe and start training. Thanks to long hours in the library, avoiding the rest of the town as the main source of gossip, Velma can find any book and shares its knowledge with Shaggy. She's also the only one willing in the gang to put on a mask herself.

Other characters-

Mr. Blake- Daphne's father who has spent his life in a mental health ward after the violent death of his wife. He claims to have visions of Cool Crystal burning, so many dead, and over it all... Scooby. Doctors believe that he isn't helped by his room sitting next to Pericles' cell.

Mrs. Dinkley: Velma's suffocating mother, Angie, has long believed in ghosts, to the point of creating an entire business out of the various supernatural phenomena that haunt the town. However, even if she's willing to drag dirty secrets out for money, she has her own secrets.

Angel Dynamite: The town DJ, Angel has provided a safe space for the kids- specifically Velma- since middle school. While she holds many secrets, including how she learned to throw CDs like throwing stars, she has none that she's willing to endanger the kids with.

Marcie Fleach- Velma's former science fair rival, Marcie has developed a strong friendship with Velma and the gang to the point of a mutual crush. She attends online college as an engineering major, having stayed in town to help her dad with their amusement park. Although she doesn't believe in the supernatural yet, she is more than willing to help Shaggy with taste-testing.

Sheriff Stone- The town's sheriff. Also an idiot.

Ed Machine- The CEO of the biggest company in town, Destroido Corp., Machine stays stone-faced throughout everything, even as he serves as an errand boy.

Amelia- A newcomer to Cool Crystal, Amelia has supposedly moved in order to serve as the new head of security of Destroido Corp. She's much nicer to the gang than her stonewalling boss, willing to help them in solving mysteries and turn a blind eye when they sneak in.

Mr. E- A mysterious supplier of clues and hints as the gang learns about the dark secrets of Cool Crystal. He planned to play the gang like chess pieces, but he was unprepared for the weirdness of this group of kids.

Professor Pericles- Pericles has admitted to having caused the disappearance of a group of kids in order to gain "knowledge." He's known to be sadistic, willing to cause whatever harm he needs in order to reach his mysterious goals. The gang provides a way to both reach Mr. E and find information while he is locked up.

Nidhogg- A mysterious spirit, Nidhogg seems to be very interested in the mystery in the city's heart. He's calm and manipulative, bordering on gentle for the gang, whispering in their ears, unlike E and Pericles' blatant power struggle.

[nephilimeq]

Teen Wolf and Lack of Character Development - Scott McCall

Incoming Rant: Re-watching the first season of TW I have realised why I never felt that Scott was The Hero of the story even if the writers did not stop hammering the idea that he was pure and perfect and always right. He never sacrifices himself. This is a classic of fiction, the hero will always be the one who makes the greatest sacrifices for the common good and for those they love, renouncing happiness, normality and even their own life. 

But Scott never does that. Even in the first season this is very clear. The first few episodes emphasise that playing lacrosse and dating Allison are things he wants, but are dangerous to himself and those around him. The narratively logical thing would be that, after a period of selfish refusal, he would realise that the right thing to do is to give up what he loves until he has better control of himself and his new powers, sacrificing his temporary happiness for the good of others.

Instead, the narrative rewards Scott with control gained through Deux Ex Machina and not hard work, he gets to date Allison and becomes a Lacrosse star without sacrifices and therefore doesn't grow or evolve at all. This keeps up for all 6 seasons. Meanwhile, everyone else around him is constantly sacrificing their safety, sanity and even life for the common good.  And ten years later in the movie nothing has changed. Scott’s still not the one performing the sacrifice, he's still not the hero yet. He gives nothing, but the narrative rewards him with true love. Meanwhile Derek gives his own life to save those he loves he is The Hero.

So. Yes. To all of this.

I have made a countless number of posts about Scott’s development. Specifically, his lack of development. The writers had every opportunity to make him a decent character -- and Posey could have performed it and done everything at least moderately well -- but instead, they caved into Jeff Davis’ whims.

There were other writers in the room who should have held Jeff accountable and written Scott as a proper hero: a hero who sacrifices his own selfish wants for the greater good.

They do not have the right to tell us not to like characters such as Stiles or Derek more because they were the ones who wrote those characters using the hero’s journey narrative that they very easily could have written for Scott...but they didn’t. When the creator of Teen Wolf speaks up against those fans, he has no one to blame but himself and the other writers, and to say anything to the contrary just makes him look like a hypocrite.

You cannot expect your audience to believe your main character is a hero when you do not give them faults to overcome and make them a better person.

They wrote Scott as never taking consequences for his own actions -- instead, they had everyone else suffer the consequences of his actions and had them clean up his mess and deal with the repercussions. (not going into detail here because I have already done so on many other posts)

But when you show characters such as Stiles and Derek dealing with complex emotional and physical traumas and then doing things to try and improve themselves, while also dealing with their own mistakes and growing from them...but then don’t hold your main character to the same standard, how can you be surprised when no one relates to them? The accountability for Scott’s lack of accountability can be traced right back to the writers’ room.

I genuinely could have liked Scott. In fact, when he was being sweet and helping his mom, I loved him! He had the potential to be a fantastic main character...but the writer’s neglected their responsibility as writers.

To put it simply: the writers suck.

The only reason the show lasted was because they had good cinematography, and they brought on some experienced older actors into the cast, and they had two natural talents on screen: Dylan O’Brien and Tyler Hoechlin.

That’s it.

[paeliae-occasionally]

pae pae, what is one piece of lore you’ve been gate keeping, and why?

pls go on a tangent

Hello love, sorry this took me a little while to get to. Real life :( but in return you get the longest rant I have ever put on tumblr so I hope you are proud of yourself. (Also why have I been keeping it secret? It just hasn’t come up and it is a whole story so buckle up.)

Lore time…

Ok so the lore we are talking about today is Where are the gods??? There were gods but now they are gone. This is broken into 3 events: The Separation, The Dissolution and The Accords (including magestones)

The Past

In the past there were hundreds of gods who roamed the mortal plane. Gods of elements, life and death travelled there to shape the world as they saw it.

As the world developed, the latent simple components of thought and souls began to settle into creatures of the earth.

This created a race of humans, who were the first beings who had souls yet so little innate energy that it would not sustain their bodies forever.

With the rise of humans, Gods of thought and memory grew in power and purpose as more thinking creatures were formed. They had a whole new domain to weave.

The Separation

At this time any magic done by mortals was cast from their own tiny energy store so was small enough to be unnoticeable. The gods intended to keep them to their small powers so that they could never rival the gods in terms of power.

One of the Eldest gods, Ezemhaziel god of controlled magic, traveled the earth trying to create a new way to control magic, the runes. He found a mortal Rin, who seemed to have a talent for magic and a creativity that could help in his work.

Ez created a bond with Rin to share some of his large energy store between them, this is called a Laren bond. Ez later taught him to cast straight from the world around him, similar to how modern mages cast. The pair grew closer and became almost inseparable.

A group of gods watched in disdain as this mortal gained the ability to cast powerful magic. They hated the idea of the narrowing differences between morals and gods, so they decided to remove the threat to their power. These gods gathered and when Rin next left Ez’s side they drew a group of mortals together to kill him.

Rin was attacked by the mortals. He called out to Ez, who came but the gods held him back, and kept him out of Rin’s sight. Rin was killed by the mob. Ez tried to save him with every power he possessed but could not reach him in time. Ez then cursed the gods and the runes and left the mortal plane.

During the encounter Ez pulled so much magic to himself that he formed a concentrated area of Ike, (magic) so much that the mortals could feel the magic that hung in the air around them. These mortals eventually discovered methods to harness the magic around them and became the first druids. Further down the line they also train the first mages. So despite the gods’ efforts (and largely because of them) the mortals get access to more powerful magic. Even though this is all the other gods’ fault, they blame Ez for creating the magic dense area and summon him to a trial.

In his grief Ez does not return to the world so the gods decide that it is reasonable to kill all mortals who have acquired magic and salt the earth where the collection of magic is.

The gods start to go about enacting this, but many other gods are against the idea of culling mortals. This resentment builds especially in gods who rely on mortals as their domain. Gods of memory, thought, fear, illusions and names stand up for the mortals who act as the medium of their power.

The gods who require mortals and therefore prevent the slaughter called themselves the Azeraad, and the gods with no need for mortal creatures label themselves Dieral.

For generations there is a stalemate with a few gods killing and protecting mortals, but most remaining still to prevent a large scale godly war.

The Dissolution

In the decades while the gods watch each other, mortals develop more innovative and powerful magic and build up mage cities. In their development the mages do not forget the massacres that the early Dieral gods committed and plan revenge. They begin work on becoming immortal to further show their power as equals to the gods. Secretly a group develops weapons to use against immortals.

The mage city of Laith’Seyleren is the centre of immortality research and the forefront of magic development when the Dierals finally take notice.

The Dierals break the stalemate to ensure mortals never discover immortality. They destroy the entire city of Laith’Seyleren utterly, no one survives. The other mage cities don’t even find out until a day later when a group of diplomats teleport into a wasteland of rubble and ash.

After this the Mages and the Azeraad gods declare outright war on the Dierals.

The war rages in the deserts to the north west of the Illeri lands with the dieral gods building temples on the mountains to the east and the mages building tall thin mage towers to the west.

Hundreds of mages die in an altogether uneven battle until one mage Muliva Kazi invents a way to bind gods and trap them in Demi-planes then cut the plane off into the aether beyond. This entirely changes the battle as the gods can now be killed. Even the Azeraad gods who fought with the mages were uncomfortable with these machines.

During the battle, a group of mages and Azeraad gods have been working together to end the war but after Kazi’s machines are invented they gain the support of some minor Dieral gods as well.

One member of this group, Paeliae of Laith’Tielere, plans to carry a peace treaty into the temple of the Dieral god of light who leads their forces.

While Paeliae travels through the desert into the walls of godly defences, Ezemhaziel wakes up. He sees the war and the suffering of the mortals and gods and calls on all of the power he could not reach so many years ago to kill the God of light.

He succeeds and takes the fallen god’s seat in the Dieral hall.

Paeliae finds him there and presents him with the treaty. Ez agrees to negotiations of peace and calls the Dierals and Azeraad gods back from the war to meet.

As soon as these words have left Ez’s mouth Paeliae falls to the ground, broken by journey but fulfilled in his purpose. Ez swears one last promise to remember the fallen mortal.

The Accords (Magestones)

The Gods and a collection of mortal mages gather for peace negotiations after years of war.

A compromise is reached where some magic will be bound away so it can no longer be used by the mages or gods.

Magic was bound in giant engraved rocks called magestones. These were made of a translucent stone that glowed and hummed with power. Bindings ran like water across the surface of the stone keeping the magic contained.

Specifically magic relating to immortality, time, and the type of godly binding that Muliva Kazi invented were all collected in magestones so they could not be used again.

Particular war criminals, both gods and mages were also bound in magestones to appease both sides and as a reminder so that a war on this scale would never happen again.

In exchange for the mages giving up large portions of their magic, the gods who fought in the war agreed to leave the mortal plane and return back to their home planes. While in their home planes they can only help their followers indirectly, I.e. creating bonds that are incredibly weak due to the long distance.

Modern Day

So in the modern day the magestones are well established. Mages are taught about the magic restrictions and a few horror stories of people who tried to perform that magic and were absorbed into the magestones. There are a few magestones in Zairel that come up in the Xaeren WIP which is fun.

There are a couple of occasions of gods breaking their pacts and entering the mortal plane and one instance of a god breaking out from a magestone. (He is trapped again eventually, this starts the mist war.) —————————————————————————

Hope you liked the PAGES of lore. There is more but this was already the longest tumblr post I have ever made so that will have to wait.

Tagging the Tag List~ which is new for me:

@thelovelymachinery, @an-indecisive-nerd, @the-letterbox-archives, @oliolioxenfreewrites and @winvyre

[thenewfuture]

chapter 2 of DT has ended what do you think of the last episode

Okay, let's finally get to it and end this thing!

We've confirmed that Ace was the culprit last episode and we've also found out that this final episode was going to be 27 minutes long. Shorter than the trial episodes but clearly longer than what many would think it to be.

Well first is the voting and to no surprise, it is indeed Ace-

Who voted for Teruko? Was it David? I bet it was David :P

And speaking of David!

Right?! I never get over how certain blackeneds talk about murder being wrong with everyone, knowing damn well they did it.

The relationship Ace and Levi had this entire chapter is truly sad when you think about it. Ace was upset with Levi for even threatening his life in the last chapter whule Levi has been trying to repair that relationship ever since, but Ace has been seemingly wanting to murder someone since the start of this chapter. They've both been hurt by the revelation of each other, yet at the same time are still trying to keep the image of the other in a good and positive light. "Doomed Yaoi", is what I think they call this.

But it appears Teruko has an idea that might just save them.

And I mean.....Teruko's logic isn't exactly.....wrong? What does a blackened have left to lose at this point? And it hasn't been confirmed at this point if MonoTV had any replacements or copies like Monokuma. Well we the audience know this is a fruitless effort, but the cast doesn't.

Then we get another animated cut-scene! The Dev is putting some serious work out here and I will appreciate it. But still there's no way Ace is ever going to-

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

GET FUCKED YOU STUPID TV HEADED BITCH! OH YOUR DAD COULD NEVER! MONOKUMA WOULD NEVER LET THIS HAPPEN TO HIM! WHERE'S YOUR DEFENSES, YOUR SPEARS, YOUR PROTOCOLS?!

Damn. I would have never, NEVER, guessed something like that would happen. Hoo boy! .....well sadly we all know how this goes.

This doesn't work, and MonoTV springs back to life. With a new voice as well. This is either some really good range by the VA, or its someone else entirely. And I could swear it sounds almost like Teruko....Hmm... I could be looking too much into this. Anyways, after that...

Oh hey, is that the rule Bubbles and Poi were talking about? I still have no idea what episode it gets brought up in. Well it looks like it's paying off now.

But MonoTV attempts to punish Teruko and everyone is trying to convince Teruko to run and hide but she is unfazed and unmoving. Calling back to Chapter 1 where Xander stabbed her and Teruko claimed that she cannot be killed, no matter what. She seems completely sure about her luck in these types of situations. So where does this put her on the luck power scale? Kinda the same as Nagito, right? But just how is she going to survive this-

LEVI AGAIN! YOU TOOK THE HIT FROM THE SPEARS IN THE PROLOGUE AND NOW THIS! WHY ARE YOU A LITERAL GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT? I CAN'T TAKE MUCH MORE OF THIS!

But he is alive. Barely, but alive nonetheless. However, no one can leave quite yet. Ace still has an execution to get through. And so, with a heavy heart, and scarred out of his wits. Ace demands MonoTV to execute him to get it over with so everyone can save Levi. And onto that execution.

Thanatophobia: the fear of dying.

This execution is pretty unique in the sense that it's not about Ace's talent, but rather his personality. I can only name a hand few of executions that do this sort of thing, and it makes so much more sense. All Ace has been talking about is that he's scared of death, he doesn't want to die and this execution has him face those fears personally. Death by illnesses. Death by fire. Death by drowning, getting hit by a car, falling, lighting. And finally, all that fear and anxiety caused him to have a heart attack. Ace's fear of dying finally caught up to him. It's incredibly sad. Not so fun fact is that if you notice is that certain sprites have Ace clenching his heart. Probably not from theatrics, but because he could feel the pain his heart and could tell he was indeed going to die soon. It was all a matter of time.

And adding on to this is that fact that STILL, no one cared about Ace to react to his death. I know they were all in agreement that the second it ends to get Levi help, but the only one that had any reaction or acknowledgement of it...WAS VERONIKA!

(Please stay away from me at all times...)

The elevators open and everyone gets on, save for Teruko who uses this time to talk to MonoTV and essentially....vent.

If there's one thing that Chapter 2 has made evidently clear, is that Teruko wants to trust in others. Try as she might to push others away, she still holds a lot of baggage. All stemming from her and her luck ability. At one point in her life just accepted it. She accepted all the shortcomings her luck gave her and that included the death that came with it. Whether it be from Teruko miraculously surviving events that should have killed her, or the death of others close to her such as her family like her secret claimed

Attachments bring pain, and Teruko never wants to feel that pain again. But all it's doing is making the pain worse. Chapter 1 showed what happened when Teruko was all trusting, this chapter showed what happened when Teruko wasn't trusting, and now she's worse for wear because of it.

Balance. There needs to be a balance.

And with that. The chapter comes to a close. And Teruko sits there at the trial grounds....all alone in the darkness....

........

.....Hoo boy, this chapter sure was all over the place, huh?

From secret guessing, to attempted murders, theories about swapping victims, and how Teruko would react to it all. Needless to say it kept a lot of people guessing. But I think that's good. One of the themes of this chapter; in my opinion, is the price of what happens when assume someone. Many assumed Levi was an all around upstanding fellow, when in reality he was an uncaring and antisocial criminal. Many assumed Nico was just the sweetest thing and couldn't hurt a fly, and then they nearly murdered Ace. Many assumed was too stupid to think of a murder plan this thought out, and well he did! Almost all of the cast assumed David was this upstanding and good moral-ed fellow, and then he....okay he's a whole new can of worms, but you get the point right?

But you may be thinking, well doesn't this mean you should stay away from everyone entirely. No. Of course not. That what Teruko had to learn this chapter. That's exactly why you hang around people, to know them. Even in a situation like this. I think Teruko finally got that point, or at the very least a part of it and hopefully that'll continue going on into the next chapter.

While it will be another long while before Chapter 3, or even any other bonus content we may get from this series. It's evidently clear that the Dev put a LOT of work into this second half alone, and needs an understandably well deserved break.

So until that time comes, I'll still be here doing my own thing. And hopefully you guys will enjoy that. I'll see you around!

-Mod

[4ce-of-2pades-inkwell]

I’ve been watching/listening to those SCP videos on YouTube while I draw Cuphead stuff, so it was only a matter of time before I came up with a crossover AU:

Dr. Manuel Animi is a young but talented scientist rising up through the SCP Foundation. He has a particular interest, fascination, obsession even, with SCPs that break the laws of reality, or that are beyond comprehension. Merely out of scientific curiosity, of course, nothing more... He spent many years working with eldritch beings such as… well, I can’t remember any off the top of my head, but things along the lines of what Cthulhu was expected to be, not his SCP reality. Dr. Animi had a better capacity than most for withstanding the dangerously incomprehensible, a mental tolerance for things that would drive an average person to insanity, but he was still human, and many times was affected to the degree of needing prolonged therapy or even intense medical treatment to recover. He would always return to his work with a passion as soon as possible, but eventually he was banned from working with any SCP classified as a significant mental hazard. His superiors claimed he had reached the lifetime exposure limit that was protocol (similarly to scientists working with radiation), and they cited his hair, which had changed from red to pure white as a result of the horrors he had seen, as proof he had been at this long enough to be at risk of permanent mental damage. They claimed his relocation to other SCPs was for his own safety, and that they did not want to lose such a bright scientist, but this was a lie. In truth, Dr. Animi’s obsession with these eldritch beings and mind-breaking ideas concerned them. They saw a high probability that Dr. Animi would not stay content with his permitted research, and would attempt to use the anomalies for his own purposes, becoming a threat. In short, he liked his work too much. If he had refused the ban on his area of study, he would have been deemed too far under its thrall, and would have been terminated. So Dr. Animi now works with other anomalies, though is not satisfied with his current work, and is biding his time for an opportunity to reenter his preferred field.

Chase Animi is a gambler. Addicted to it. This has caused him to go deep into debt, and in and out of prison. Any attempt to keep a job or build any kind of stable life is sabotaged by this addiction. He’s miserable, but he can’t stop. He falls in with shady crowds trying to pay back the money he owes, starts conning people for their cash, gets caught and put in jail again. He is not having a great time. One night, a bar fight gets a little too heated, and results in three men dead by Chase’s hand. If this isn’t enough of a crime to earn a death penalty, then he somehow does something else to earn his sentence. He ends up a D-class at the SCP Foundation. He is given cleaning duty for The Sculpture for several months, and as all goes to plan during that time, he survives without incident. Soon though, he is sent in to observe an SCP that affects a person’s mind—though he doesn’t know that yet. This is where he first interacts with Dr. Animi, who has just convinced the higher-ups that he should be allowed to study mind-altering SCPs again, if only ones of significantly less power and danger to himself. Chase doesn’t recognize the scientist that happens to share his name. But Dr. Animi recognizes him.

They’re twin brothers.

The two had parted ways years ago after an argument. Manuel had just joined the SCP Foundation as a scientist, and tried to convince Chase to apply as well, so they could stick together. Chase was furious with Manuel for wanting to retreat from society into a group of crazy all-powerful scientists, and for not telling him sooner that he was planning this. Chase wanted nothing to do with the Foundation or any organization like it. Manuel warned Chase that if he didn’t join the Foundation in some way, he would have to be given amnestics to forget its existence. Chase said that was fine by him, and that if Manuel wanted to leave him so badly, then he would be more than happy to forget his brother entirely. So Manuel, also caught up in anger, did exactly as he asked, erasing any trace of himself from Chase’s mind and leaving his brother for good, devoting his life entirely to the Foundation. Chase’s life, meanwhile, fell into disarray. It is possible that the careful amputation of such a constant presence in every single one of Chase’s memories negatively altered his mind in such a way that predisposed him to his addiction. With the sudden lack of something he had depended on all his life, he needed to depend on something else…

Dr. Animi recalled Chase from his current assignment before its effects could take a stronger hold, and through application of his recent research, was able to produce a near-total recovery. Dr. Animi then told Chase that they were brothers, and explained what had happened to cause his amnesia about their shared past. Chase was furious with Dr. Animi for destroying his memories of him, and disgusted that he would not only commit unethical experimentation, but do it to his own brother. Chase refused to speak to Dr. Animi further, but Dr. Animi still wanted to help Chase. He knew there were a few rare cases of D-class not only surviving their ordeals, but being allowed to reenter society and live ordinary lives. Only a handful of cases, out of innumerable casualties, but if Dr. Animi played his cards right, he could save Chase.

There was an SCP that had been discovered earlier that year (let’s say this takes place in 1973 I guess), SCP-666. That one that tempts people with addictions. Very few D-class had been tested with it so far, and all had died as a result of succumbing to their addictions, but Dr. Animi had a theory about the nature of SCP-666, and he was going to bet his brother’s life on it. He contacted the team studying SCP-666 and recommended Chase as a test subject, highlighting the strong gambling addiction that had been the root cause of every crime Chase had ever committed. The team had tested subjects with substance addictions, but had yet to try addictions of any other nature. They accepted Chase as their next subject.

Dr. Animi insisted on being the one to deliver the D-class to his destination. Chase refused to speak to him, but Dr. Animi whispered that he was doing everything he could to save Chase’s life. This was his best chance at not only survival, but escape. If Dr. Animi was right, SCP-666 was not a death sentence, but a test. Any D-class subjected to it who was not already an addict had seen no ill effects—666 did not compel a person to act against their will, at behaviors that were not their own, but merely encouraged existing addiction until it reached the point of death. If Chase could resist 666’s temptations, he may be released alive, and in order to study the long-term effects on his addiction, Chase would need to be introduced back into the wider world, where he could be monitored in his natural environment with its usual available temptations. Dr. Animi would convince the Foundation, somehow, that Chase could not be exposed to any other SCP without destroying a valuable research subject. All Chase needed to do was not die from SCP-666. An even more difficult task, as there was not much opportunity to gamble in containment, and Chase was feeling withdrawal. Dr. Animi had a theory, but the facts (which Chase was not supposed to be told) said that everyone who had faced this SCP had died. So why not live it up one last time before he went? What did he have to lose? What did he have to go back to? And yet, this addiction had destroyed his entire life. If he was going to meet his end… what if he could win, just once, over that all-consuming force? Win something not through luck, but through skill, through willpower?

Well, he’s going to try. He doesn’t anticipate an outcome where he survives. He’s not doing this because he believes he’ll be freed, in any sense of the word. He’s doing this to spit in the face of 666-1, and prove to himself that he has control in his life, even if that life is about to end.

Also, there’s one last thing you should know about Chase. See, that mind-altering SCP he did a brief stint with? Well, I looked pretty unassuming. Just a plain white cup sitting on a table. Chase didn’t know what he was supposed to be looking for. And he certainly didn’t realize when he started talking about me in the first person. My effects can end pretty badly for those exposed. Usually, they end up drowning themselves, often with tea. But Dr. Animi caught Chase’s symptoms early, and managed to talk him out of being a danger to himself. He was unable to be convinced that he was not, in fact, a cup like me, but Dr. Animi twisted this belief into something safer. Chase had arms and legs, right? And eyes and a nose and a mouth? He repeated this often, making Chase locate these attributes on himself, until he finally believed it to be true. He was a person, who had different needs than a cup. But he was also a cup, there was no talking him out of that. Dr. Animi could only do so much. Instead, he worked with Chase to develop a persona that became his new self-image, a persona that was, of course, still a cup, but functioned a lot more like a human. Chase once again understood himself to need sleep and food and air, and to be susceptible to death under many conditions that an average non-person cup would thrive in. And despite an insistence that his hair be constantly damp with tea or milk or coffee, Chase was deemed able to live normally again, thanks to a little outside-the-box thinking on Dr. Animi’s part. After all, Dr. Animi understood that you don’t necessarily have to see the world in a way that makes sense to anyone else to live a good life. You don’t have to be one hundred percent “sane.” Sometimes your life can even be better if you let yourself go a little crazy…

[tavyliasin]

A Prequel? Haarlep, is that you?...

Hello darlings~ I have landed where all writers who love Haarlep end up eventually, imagining their first meeting with Raphael, how they came to be in the cambion's service, what they were like before taking his form. Both are probably around 120 years old, so they are well established in their own rights, but by their races' standards they are young and inexperienced. I'm only half working on this between my request list for now, because the idea won't let me go, but have a few little previews below the cut, including a version of their appearance that a very talented Tav-maker has made with their lovely mods~ Other renditions of them based on my imagined description are more than welcome, I do very much enjoy seeing different interpretations. Preview below the cut! If you'd rather wait for the first chapter to drop, give me a few more days while I work on a few deadline pieces ahead of event exchanges and I'll publish it on AO3 <3

The first appearance of the un-named incubus.

A young fiend stood before a glimmering doorway, uncertain of when precisely they were meant to cross the threshold. They were dressed in a black silk outfit that gave them an appearance of masculine androgyny. Dark tan skin and bright green eyes might have looked human, if it weren’t for the 4 short horns protruding from their brow, slightly parting black hair that cascaded down their back and over their shoulders almost blending with the silks they wore. The other tells of their demonic nature were more obvious, however. Huge wings with blackened edges, claws at the tip, coloured in sunset hues of red and gold stretched out behind them, quivering with nervous anticipation. A long tail with an arrow-tip end pawed at the ground behind them, kicking up a little infernal ash. All they carried was the clothing they wore and the instructions they had been given. A simple enough task, and they were hardly inexperienced, but their first meetings were usually within a dream. Subtly watching their target, learning their desires and their fears, finding every intimate secret they hid in their subconscious before they would ever appear before them physically. They sighed. They didn’t even have a name to bring with them. Whatever it was had been taken, a simple exchange for a promised reward. “Let him name you,” the instructions had been clear, “let him do as he wishes. Get close, learn all you can, and deliver it back to me. You are no fool, incubus, and neither is he. But play the game well, and you will have the life of your dreams in the end. A home all of your own, whatever meals you desire delivered to your door, complete power over the domain I shall grant you.” It was tempting. It would be tempting to any incubus or succubus. They also couldn’t deny a small amount of pride at having been chosen. It sounded like the advances of succubi had already been rejected, so they relished the thought of a challenge. Besides, the son of Mephistopheles was hardly without any power of his own. They took a deep breath, steeling their nerves before they stepped through the portal.  ------------

The sass starts early with this one...

The cambion put his feet on the floor and straightened up the papers, putting them in a neat stack on the table. He stood, walking towards the invited invader in his home, stalking around them to observe and assess them. “I’m not a piece of meat, Raphael.” They stood still nonetheless, allowing him to pace and take in all of their form. They flexed their wings and tail to put on more of a show. “Do you like what you see?~” “Passable.” The cambion grunted, the highest praise he had given any attempt yet. “And good you finally recognise your master’s name. So, why are you here?” “You know that much. Your dear father sent me. You are well aware that many of your kind take ours as advisors, partners in pleasure, or allies for whatever purposes you might have for our abilities.” The incubus grinned, the hint of slightly sharpened teeth glinting in the light as they looked down on the smaller human form of their supposed master. “You’re a spy.” Raphael said simply. “Obviously.” They replied, pleased that they were not being expected to work for a complete fool. “Do you wish to refuse me? Send me back?” “Honesty is a commodity that few of your kind trade in. You may stay. However, ground rules must be set.” He turned to walk away, beckoning for them to follow. “Come.” “Already?” The incubus laughed at their own humour. “It takes more than that, Raphael.” 

-----

The First Rendering of The Presently Un-Named Incubus

Lore Time

The description, appearance, and other details I'm using here are all from established lore for an incubus in 5e. The main source is an article titled for the succubus, but they are very similar beings. Click here for Incubus/Succubus Lore In the article there's a lot of binary gender talk and heteronormativity which irritates me, so I'll also be taking the literal latin descriptions here: Incubus - To lie on top of Succubus - To lie below Concubus - To lie beside (The literal Top/bottom/vers, where a Top gives, bottom receives, and vers is either. As an aside, this is not the same as Dom/sub/switch, as you can have a sub Top and a Dom bottom) From this line: "Legend held that incubi and succubi were wholly separate sexes,[1] and the males were significantly rarer than the female of their kind.[5][6] In fact, with their shapechanging powers, incubi and succubi could both change their sex with ease, though most had a preference for one or the other." I headcanon that Haarlep feels more comfortable in a masculine or androgynous form, but has no issue taking a feminine form or body. However their attitude to gender in general remains "stop boring me with the details and tell me what you desire, all that matters is pleasure. Gender is a boring mortal construct. My nature is an incubus, my form is immaterial." So the article also shows that incubi and succubi also have a more human range of skin tones, much smaller horns than cambions, and the distinct pointed triangle at the end of their tails - something which isn't present in Haarlep's scenes when he's in Raphael's form. I'll definitely go into more detail on these things later too, particularly the changing of forms for the first time.

This is an incubus from the lore page images, so you can see a difference between this and a cambion's fully reddened look. They are much closer to a human in all but the wings, tail, and horns. So that's where I'm leaning with dear Haarls, before they take the form of Raphael.

What about Raphael? What is he like now?

Well...he's younger. Not long taken ownership of the mansion that will later be known as the House of Hope. --- Quote --- Fine leather boots paced across stone floors, the click of heels echoing around the halls of the largely empty mansion that floated through Avernus. It was a start. A place of his own, somewhere to work with his own contracts and plans. The owner of the boots was a cambion, son of Mephistopheles, and already a powerful fiend in his own right. Raphael, if you were to ask a mortal, looked like a human in his mid 20s. Chestnut hair was swept back neatly from his brow, the ends curling a little just below his shoulders. His brown eyes were deep set but sparkled with ideas, face clean shaven and expression darkening by the moment. --- End Quote --- So as you see, Raphael is still finding his feet, working out the beginnings of far grander plans. He has already rejected several "gifts" sent his way, so that's why our dear incubus is nervous. They have to work to get his attention and approval, but they're not sacrificing everything of who they are to do so. As soon as I wrote the two of them in a room together again, it was flowing. I love their dynamic as they exist in my head, the push and pull, the absolute sass and shifting of power between them. I'm going to lean heavily on how this builds up, how they find the balance that leads to where they are in my game-era works with them.

Is this all an excuse for more Raphael and Haarlep? A self indulgent dive through their history just to keep writing their stories?

...Yes. I'm not sorry. I earned this. I love them both too much. I hope you'll join me in my endless adoration for the very best of fiends~ I can't wait to share the first chapter and begin proper work on the series in 2024!

[childotkw]

(omg sorry for the long post!!)

I have this fanfic idea in my head for years now and it is one of them i often fantasize about (yea i have many different ones. i just let them play in my head like a movie while staring into space or while listening to music) but anyway, sometimes harry is a boy but most time hes a girl version. He/she has this mad talent about getting in and out of any situation or place she needs to. He/she has this shady business where she steals for clients in exchange for money, or sometimes for pleasure because hes a bloody magpie and likes shiny things. The harder the mission the more she likes it (danger junky). I even imagined his/her apartments/hide-out place in great details (and the booby traps). Anyway, the ministry is under Voldemorts control, under guise as Minister Riddle. He gets involved in trying to trap her/him after she manages to sneak into his mansion (and skillfully avoids all the detection tools) and she robs his ring, escapes right under his nose too... (She has no clue that she robbed from a dark lord yet, that wasnt in her extensive research). That moment is when his obsession starts. She is already wanted by the ministry but he now gets involved. I have this scene where he lays a trap and she is in his grasp however she uses the ring as a bartering chip for her freedom (she thought she might have to use it when she realised a dark lord was after her). She placed it in a dangerous place surrounded by enemies, a place only she can sneak into but something goes wrong cos theres a rat in voldemorts inner circle and she gets caught. Before getting caught she manages to send the ring to him but he still decides to get her out of there and gets into full murder/war scene (he wanted to get rid of this group of enemies anyway). Shes pissed of. She could have gotten herself out even after the torture sessions, thank you very much. 😂 Anyway a fic full of (sexual or other) tension between the two, trying to get one over the other. A lot of wump, vulnerability, power play, childhood trauma, inner demons ect.. Theres so much more but ye, sorry, just felt like sharing and see where u go off on this haha, cos ur brain is super interesting and i never had the skill to write something even if i have so many ideas. Mind you, i tried starting on my own novel but im just not a writer, if something could just take it straight from my brain to paper, that would be awesome 😂😂😂 (futur AI?? Haha) xxx

(Imma borrow a concept from American Gods for this because it's too good not to!)

When Harry is four she finds a coin on the ground. It's gold, and shiny and to a little girl it's the prettiest thing she’s ever seen. So she picks it up and puts it in her pocket - and it's the best decision she ever made.

Because her pretty little trinket is, not that she knows it at that point, a leprechaun's coin. Imbued with pure luck, this little coin changes her life, and brings with it certain traits.

A need for mischief, the ability to come out of any situation on top, a love for all things shiny. And that combination, introduced to someone so young, well...it's only natural that Harry would grow a taste for thievery.

Years fly by and Harry, with her lucky coin held close, begins to gain a reputation as someone who can get in and out of impossible situations, in and out of impenetrable places, and collect valuable items. She can't help herself - it's almost an addiction, and no one is better than her.

Her current wanted poster - no image, because she's too lucky for that - is framed on the wall of her hideout.

Harry never turns down an interesting job, so when someone asks her to break into Minister Riddle's house and steal some documents, she agrees because why wouldn't she? Riddle's a dick of a politician, and Harry might not be heavily involved in the politics of her country but she gets a special kind of joy from fucking over assholes.

She breaks into his house, grabs the documents, and on her way out she sees a ring. It's gaudy, truly a hideous thing, but Harry wants it.

So she takes it.

How was she to know that that ring would be the thing that brings down the full attention of the Minister on her? How was she to know that her dickhead of a Minister was actually a fucking Dark Lord and petty as shit.

Harry likes a challenge but she likes living more - and something tells her that even with her lucky coin, she wouldn't come out of that fight unscathed.

And so begins their dance. Harry on the run, Riddle at her heels, back and forth, up and down, the two of them circling each other like cats.

Riddle's growing obsession with the person clever and quick enough to outmanoeuvre him.

Harry's addiction to adrenaline making her take more risks.

This is the most fun either of them have had in years.