#king sun | nebula

[bloodmoons-knife]

if any dimensional travelers showed up at nebula's castle, hed either invite them in for snacks, or try to gently shoo them away with a broom

[bloodmoons-knife]

well u see, mischief is the answer. is nebula even aware theyre in there? we may never know~

as for color options with nebulas cloak, i got this gorgeous piece of fanart a while back that gave his cloak fluffy galaxy vibes and ive been riding that high ever since.

(Me, while having an art discussion with myself)

You know, I've been having a hard time figuring out what color Nebula's cloak should be, or what kind of fluffy it should have.

Let's do light purple for the main color and baby blue for the fluff...

Hm... Maybe a bit more fluff...

Hmm... Maybe the color's off?

No worries, I'll just turn everything but the basic sketch invisible!

But while I'm at it, the cloak seems too... gravity defying in the back. I'll just-

What the? @bloodmoons-knife , what are your kids doing???

[tnyhua]

[no one would come help us]

next second he has uriel, black flame dragon, wukong and the underworld nebula by his side.

[kazz-brekker]

people often make a big deal (at least in the online circles that i move in) over book awards like the hugos and nebulas, but for me it's also very interesting to see which books stand the test of time and actually end up being remembered in the popular conscience. for example, a game of thrones by george rr martin actually didn't win the nebula award in 1997 for best sci-fi or fantasy novel published in the us that year and was instead beaten by the historical fantasy novel the moon and the sun by vonda mcintyre, which has since not really gone down as a particularly well-known book despite at the time being blurbed by a number of famous authors like robin mckinley and diana gabaldon, while a game of thrones is now one of the most famous fantasy novels ever written. furthermore, the moon and the sun was eventually adapted into a movie called the king's daughter which was filmed in 2014, locked in a studio vault for various reasons for 8 years, and then very unceremoniously released in 2022 and watched by almost no one even though it has a number of famous people in the cast (it also has a 21% on rotten tomatoes). ANYWAY this is all just to say that i was at a used bookstore when visiting my grandparents over the weekend and i found an EXTREMELY cheep and very nice hardcover first edition of the moon and the sun, so i am now determined to read the book and then watch the movie and see for myself if either of them are any good, thus satisfying my curiosity over this whole little anecdote in sff history.

[wickedzeevyln]

Final Frontier

Shoot for stars but take your world with you. A space-lost man knows that he is trapped in his mask. He blows breath onto the visor despite dwindling supply, creating a thin mist reminiscent of snow telling the world it’s December. There he sees the past reflected on a soft, soggy patch. There he momentarily lives, knowing the end has finally arrived to pick him up at the airport. Through…

[hughmanbean]

Queen of the Cosmos

Signs are showing. Constantine dreads what they predict.

The Queen of the Cosmos, Successor of the Tyrant King, Ruler of Galaxies, Embodiment of Space, Keeper of Balance, Siren of Stars, and many more.

She's the most powerful BeingTM by millennia. As far as the information John's gotten has indicated.

The stars are flowing, swimming in smooth currents. The sun dims, cracks of darkness revealing nebulae so beautiful. The moon grins, knowing and mischievous. The horizon is a mixture of greens and purples and blues and yellows.

The Queen of the Cosmos will arrive, and she must be welcomed.

The Queen of the Cosmos shall come, and she must be respected.

The Queen of the Cosmos is near, and the royal family will follow.

John grimaced. A Wrathful Prince with a habit of glassing worlds? A Wandering Princess who played tricks? A Knight with a penchant for punishing dissenters with eternal madness? This wouldn't be easy. Time to tell the Big Guys and Girls.

[bitterkarella]

Midnight Pals: Hugo Drama

Hugo Gernsback: hey everyone its me, hugo gernsback Gernsback: editor of Amazing Stories and namesake of the hugo awards Gernsback: perhaps you've heard of them? Clive Barker: oh buddy Barker: buddy Barker: we've heard all about them ha ha

Stephen King: they're named after you? i thought they were named after victor hugo Gernsback: ha ha a common mistake Gernsback: but that's fine Gernsback: i'm not mad at all that victor hugo keeps getting the credit Gernsback: i think its funny Gernsback: in fact i'm laughing

Gernsback: ah yes my precious hugo awards! Gernsback: the most prestigious award in science fiction and fantasy! Gernsback: a place for serious business Gernsback: certainly no room for shenanigans here Gernsback: no room for tomfoolery Gernsback: no room for clownish buffoonery

Gernsback: The Hugo -- an award whose very name rings with integrity & honor!   Gernsback: it is no mere nebula! no paltry clarke! Gernback: the stoker, the howard, the lambda - none can compare! Gernsback: the L Ron hubbard writers of the future award? pah! dust before the hugo!

Gernsback: only the choicest cuts of science fiction and fantasy would ever achieve the lofty hugo award Gernsback: an award forever untainted by shenanigans or hijinks! Gernsback: now to take a big sip of coffee and read this  file 770 report!

Gernsback: what the--?! Gernsback: my beautiful hugos!!! tainted by the foul stench of corruption!!! Clive Barker: yeah boy i bet victor hugo's just sick about it Gernsback: Barker: just sick about what they did to his award Gernsback: Barker: ha ha Poe: clive leave him alone

Gernsback: my hugo!!! you were supposed to be a thing of beauty... not this monstrosity! Dean Koontz: gosh he's so sad about his award Koontz: do you think it would cheer him up if i gave him my nickelodean kids choice award? Poe: i think that would be a very nice gesture dean

Chris M Barkley: [thrusting microphone] Mr gernsback! mr gernsback! a statement for the press? Jason Sanford: [thrusting microphone] how do you respond to the allegations about your award mr gernsback? Gernsback: confound these intrepid newshounds of the 4th estate!

Gernsback: [wiping brow] don't worry, we will be taking measures to fix this Barkley: what are you going to do mr gernsback? Sanford: the people demand an answer mr gernsback! Gernsback: we'll uh Gernsback: we'll nominate an essay called 'Dave McCarty Can Fuck Off Into the Sun'

Gernsback: what a debacle! i cannot believe my good name will now forever be associated with such shady practices! HP Lovecraft: hey when are you gonna pay me for my story you ran? Gernsback: new phone, who dis?

Gernsback: you know who this really hurts? Gernsback: worse than the nominees secretly disqualified for politics? Gernsback: worse than the entirety of Chinese science fiction secretly disqualified for being Chinese? Gernsback: worse than the winners whose awards are now tainted?

Gernsback: the person that this hurts most of all Gernsback: is clearly bitter karella Gernsback: for reasons i can't articulate Gernsback: everyone should immediately go and heap conciliatory praise on bitter karella Gernsback: truly the most wronged person of all

Bitter Karella: [bravely holding back tears] no no it's not about me Bitter Karella: [voice cracking] my only thought is for the hugo community who has been through... so much... Bitter Karella: [stoically gazing into distance] they're the REAL heroes

Gernsback: look how bitter karella keeps a brave face... for our sake! King: god bitter karella is so brave... and so modest! Poe: truly a great goblin Poe: possibly the greatest Koontz: why? what did they do? Poe: dean! show some respect!

[oceancracker]

Hi my name is Dokja Read’er Demon King of Salvation Kim and I read a lot (that’s how I got my name) and a lot of people tell me I look like Yoo Joonghyuk (AN: if u don’t know who he is get da hell out of here!). I’m not related to Sun Wukong but I wish I was because he’s a major fucking hottie. I’m a demon king but my wings are fluffy and white. I’m also a constellation, and I run a nebula called Kim Dokja’s Company in Seoul where I’m in the leader (not Yoo Joonghyuk). I’m normal (in case you couldn’t tell) and I wear mostly white. I love Mass Production Maker and I buy all my clothes from him. For example today I was wearing a white infinite dimension space coat with a dress shirt under it, black slacks and black shoes. I was walking outside the Industrial Complex. It was cloudy so there were no stars, which I was very happy about.

[A lot of constellations are staring at you.]

I put up my middle finger at them.

[bluebblurry]

Okay okay so the victor naming scheme with like celestial bodies (I like to think this is what the Watchers call them) is really really cool to me so i was trying to come up with more for the potential winners

(I decided I’m going to go through all of them while i wait for grian to poST HIS FUCKING VIDEO so please bare with me lmao)

Grian is the Sun, of course. It’s his series, not to mention he shares a name with the Irish goddess of the sun. Mumbo can’t win bc he’s out but like if he ever does win, i think he should also be the Sun like Grian, because they canonically share a soul (at least in hermitcraft). He could also be Icarus as a tribute :3

Scott is the Stars. Why? I dunno, fandom consensus lmao. I don’t personally keep up with his pov because he and grian don’t really cross paths much (i mostly only watch grian, mumbo, and scar 😭). He also had that little crown in Last Life that looked like stars so

Pearl is the Moon, firstly, because she is PearlescentMoon, but also because she had a strong connection with the wolves (Werewolf!Pearl my beloved). It also completes the trio lol

Now here’s where we get into the people that don’t necessarily have an agreed upon title, starting with Martyn. To me, he is Mars. The Roman god of war is a contributor to that, but he also just has the vibes (it also rhymes with Stars but atdhdbjd). Similar to Mumbo, Ren could also be Mars if he won bc his soul is shared with Martyn now (i think??). If not, then maybe Jupiter, like the king of gods, and the red dot can be Red Winter.

Scar is the Earth. He had an earthy color palette for most of the season, but that’s not the only reason. He is alone. The Earth is alone in the universe when it comes to life (as far as we know).

Now, i’ve seen Cleo as Mercury and as Venus, and I love both of those. Venus is the Roman goddess of love and beauty, and I think that’s very fun for Cleo. Mercury also is kind of just her vibe. However! I thought of Pluto, at first as a joke, because Cleo “technically doesn’t count”. But i decided it fits because Pluto is the Roman god of the Underworld, and Cleo is a zombie! :D

Okay now i’m making some up for fun for potential future winners 💀

Jimmy could be a Comet! Somehow it’s similar to a canary to me, i dunno it just makes sense lmao. If Tim ever won, it would be like he’s hurtling toward the finish line like a big flaming ball, so it’s funny. I don’t have the words to explain the symbolism i want to get across, but it’s there i promise

Lizzie could be The Void, one because ShadowLady, and two because she died to the void in Secret Life. I know it’s not exactly a celestial body, but it can apply to the dark matter of space :)

Etho could be Saturn, purely just for color and vibes. Alternately he could be Jupiter and the red storm can be like Etho’s red eye!

Joel is Uranus. Just cause it’s funny.

Gem could be the constellation Gemini. I know it doesn’t exactly count as a celestial body, and Scott is already the Stars, but i don’t care lol

A potential one for Tango is Mercury. His blue fire form could represent Mercury’s retrograde.

Big B would probably be Neptune, for his sweater, or! Venus because of his recent Creaking stuff.

Unfortunately i don’t really have one for Bdubs, so if y’all have suggestions let me know! Maybe like, the Horsehead Nebula?

I’d like for Impulse and Skizz to be intertwined somehow, something like Alpha Centauri, which are two stars that orbit each other.

Tell me if you have suggestions! I might also be using some of these for my pirate au…. 🤫

[apod]

2024 June 10

Sh2-132: The Lion Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: Imran Badr; Text: Natalia Lewandowska (SUNY Oswego)

Explanation: Is the Lion Nebula the real ruler of the constellation Cepheus? This powerful feline appearing nebula is powered by two massive stars, each with a mass over 20 times greater than our Sun. Formed from shells of ionized gas that have expanded, the nebula's energetic matter not only glows, but is dense enough to contract gravitationally and form stars. The angular size of the Lion Nebula, officially named Sh2-132, is slightly greater than that of the full moon. The gaseous iconic region resides about 10,000 light years away in a constellation named after the King of Aethopia in Greek mythology.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240610.html

[tsams-and-co-memes]

List of characters and who they’re voiced by

I remembered Matt breaking character at one point and expressing that people keep crediting a different VA for one of the voices he does, so I figured I’d make something and share it to maybe help avoid any future confusion

If any of this is wrong or I forgot someone, feel free to let me know so I can correct it, and feel free to suggest additions for it, too!

Some of these are more obscure/gag/one time characters, but eh. I figured they were still worth mentioning

Davis:

Sun/all Sun variants (except Cringe Sun)

Monty/all Monty variants (both their masculine and feminine forms)

Solar/Eclipse/all Eclipse variants

Trash Can Man

Solar Flare

One of the Bloodmoon twins/“Bloody”

FC

Taurus

Forgor

Ruin

Blue and Green (Rainbow Friends)

Wally Darling

BanBan

Karen

Gordon Ramsay

Molten Freddy

Old Foxy

Henry Emily

Neptor

Goliath

Everett Larson

EAPS Andrew

EAPS Mimic

Blue Baldi

Huggy Wuggy

Venom

The Nutella King/Nutella servants

MGAFS Andrew

EAPS Lefty

Staff/map bots

Reed:

Moon/all Moon variants (except Cringe Moon and EAPS Moon)

Lunar/all Lunar variants

Jack

Creator

KC

One of the Bloodmoon twins/“Harvest”

Castor

The devil from the bible

Catnap

Papyrus

The only Kmart employee

Rez

Moon killer!Sun

Kat:

Earth/all Earth variants

Pollux

Nebula

Miku

Monty’s mom

Forgor

Dazzle

Francine

Daisy

Libra

Nedd

Matt: (up until 2/1/25)

Foxy/Cringe Foxy

Cringe Sun

Cringe Moon

Puppet/all Puppet variants

Vegeta

Leo

Frank

MGAFS Stitchwraith (both Jake and Andrew)

EAPS Jake

Monty’s dad

Keith

Derek

DogDay

Rambly

Francis

EAPS Moon

EAPS Lefty

Vincent

EAPS Glamrock Bonnie

EAPS Mimic

Kayk:

Vanny

Circus Baby/all Circus Baby variants

Elizabeth Afton

Evan Afton

Toy Chica

Roxanne/all Roxanne variants

Old Ballora

Cassie

Austin:

Gregory

Tiger Rock

Rocky

Helpi

Lazy

Cassie’s dad

Mario:

Glamrock Freddy

OG Freddy

Phantom Freddy

Shadow Freddy

Golden Freddy

Springtrap

Bon-Bon (?)

Digi:

Spring Bonnie

Glamrock Bonnie

Funtime Freddy

Glamrock Ballora (?)

Kainabunny:

New Ballora

Oddfox:

Glamrock Chica

OG Chica

Lolbit

Glamrock Mangle (?)

EAPS Charlie Emily

Alexander:

Frankie

Michael Afton

Carrion (may also be voiced by Mitch, but idk)

Flora:

EAPS Glamrock Ballora

MGAFS Charlie

EAPS Roxanne

[bloodmoons-knife]

miiiisssss me? :]

HEHEHE OKAY SO

apus!! who gave him that name. did binary pick it out for him as the Resident Name-Giver or did he choose it himself? if so, what's it in reference to?

what would everyones favorite books / book serieses be?? i feel like i might be projecting a little but i think binary would like pjo he gives those vibes to me hjsdhds

actually wait. how did nebula react to the 5000 dimensions collapsing, or has that not happened yet in the timeline of the fic-? i feel like he would be absolutely devastated but hey!! at least he has less dimensions to look for a moon in-?

what kind of festivals are there? there's one adjacent to christmas but i'm curious if any others holidays carried over? (eg. halloween, Eid, etc etc)

also i was rereading lltk (because God it's such a good fic) and i just realized that. eri gives off immense susie deltarune vibes sdhjdsjh i can see her just picking up kris off the floor and dragging 'em to noelles house or smth like how eri dragged nebula to the library

:D you return!!

apus is named after the constellation apus! it represents a bird of paradise and i thought itd be fitting uwu.

as for who named him, shrug! open to interpretation, but either way binary was involved.

honestly i think binarys favorite book series would be The Babysitters Club. now forgive me for i read a small variety of books BUT

apus is the one who enjoys the pjo series actually! they like the idea of being born for something big and grand. its fun

eridanus is rarely trusted with books because she keeps forgetting she can't read them safely underwater and binary almost jumped her last time. she Did read a random mid-series Warriors book and was very confused and oddly invested. totally never happened to me.

nebula actually loves childrens stories and folk tales! they make him nostalgic <3

rust likes reading horror books, with an affinity for scifi!

nebula read All Tomorrows once and it haunts his every moment post-star (he may or may not have a mild fear of turning into the Qi. he will never speak of this.)

THE DIMENSIONS im not quite sure if itll be canon to lltk if im honest! it might, but either way i Can tell you nebulas reaction.

he would absolutely be devastated over the mass destruction, he would be mourning for weeks for people he never knew and would never meet.

halloween is definitely carried over, it wasnt even a conscious decision for nebula he just mentioned it off handedly once and next thing he knew it was Surprise Halloween. someone found him laying face down in a smashed pumpkin four hours later. its not clear if he tripped and just stayed there, or actively chose to lay there. it was a very long debate over his body.

also youre right eri Does have those vibes. bully with good intentions. at least most of the time maybe. either way she probably bites.

[bloodmoons-knife]

SCREAMING AND WAILING AND CRYING AND SOBBING MY BOYYYYYY

Next Reference for Long Live The King by @bloodmoons-knife!

Granted, this was the first one I started, but the cloak proved to be a hard concept to wrap my head around until I could properly focus. Anyway!

Presenting the sad sack of absolute power that we all love to pity:

Nebula!

Again, I feel like I could do better, but I'll be happy with what I have now. And I hope the picture isn't blurry. If so, I'll edit this later.

Goodnight! Imma nap sleep

[thecroissantwriter]

Fic Masterlist

Who Let Him Become a Therapist? — This is my first DCA fic and also my most popular. The main idea is that Moon is a very unqualified therapist and you are his client (therapy hasn’t been helpful for you in the past). Shenanigans ensue! This started off as a joke fic, but uh, haha… it didn’t stay that way 😅

The Nebula (or the Key) — This is one of my shortest fics at the moment. Basically, Moon and Sun are gods, and you, the reader, are… well… very important to them for various reasons. The title of this position is called Nebula or Key. You don’t know that you have this position. After a fight a long time ago over [SPOILERS], Moon and Sun split apart into two hemispheres: the day hemisphere and the night hemisphere, where it is always day or always night respectively. Shenanigans ensue.

Necromancy and the Reckoning — This fic is INVOLVED. It’s my favorite. It’s using all of my brainpower. While Sun and Moon do have major roles here, please note that this story is heavily driven by plot and foreshadowing not related to the automatons. The idea is Sun and Moon are Necromancers and you, looking to fulfill your dead mother’s legacy, require their services. Shenanigans ensue.

Brilliant Nightmares and Monstrous Beauties — This is my mer fic! Sun and Moon are sirens who were captured by Fazbear Entertainment and put into an establishment that’s a combination of a library and an aquarium. You, a budding marine biologist, decide to explore the area to see what it’s like. Shenanigans ensue.

Notions of a Madman — I’m going to make this one brief as a lot of people know this fic. You, the reader, take a walk into the woods while looking for a job so you can afford to live and find Moon, an enigmatic—and slightly crazy—mad scientist looking for an assistant. Shenanigans ensue.

It’s a Cold World Out There — This is my shortest fic! It’s only one chapter. It’s a oneshot where Sun is the King of Summer who rules over the Kingdom that’s always warm and Moon is the King of Winter who rules over the Kingdom in an eternal freeze. You were exiled from the Summer Kingdom and sent to the Winter Kingdom, but not everything is as it seems…

That’s all for now! Come back later for more fics if I make new ones :D

[theofficialastronomy101]

(NEW)

The Lion Nebula 850mp

Is the Lion Nebula the real ruler of the constellation Cepheus? This powerful feline appearing nebula is powered by two massive stars, each with a mass over 20 times greater than our Sun. Formed from shells of ionized gas that have expanded, the nebula's energetic matter not only glows, but is dense enough to contract gravitationally and form stars. The angular size of the Lion Nebula, officially named Sh2-132, is slightly greater than that of the full moon. The gaseous iconic region resides about 10,000 light years away in a constellation named after the King of Aethopia in Greek mythology

[thehomophobe]

Dusk, the resting hour. 

You decided to eat outside in the gardens. With the Sun setting, the air turned to a biting cold. You left your shawl in your room so you shivered when the wind blew. You watched the great star lay in the mountains. Imagine, in his physical body, resting his head with crossed arms, watching the citizens go by with white, hazy, lidded eyes and a sleepy smile, resisting the urge to fall asleep so soon. "Not yet" he'd whisper, "just a little longer."

You breathe in the cold air. Good Lords above, you made a fool of yourself. Everyone must think you're crazy. The village idiot, or the town lunatic. You looked at the wooden bowl of fish soup. A sea of broth with little crumb sailors swimming peacefully in the dusk. The soup had gone cold, yet you still drank the broth. Good Lords, you can't stop thinking about today.

What you said was true. Except that it wasn't a vision, but a dream. 

The Moon; he rode on a boat. A canoe made of stardust. Like Charon on the River Styx, he offered you a ride amongst the stars. Glittery nebulas, twinkling stars, myopic planets floating in a vast ocean of darkness. The sea of the night. It's no wonder other monks and priests describe him as a fish; to swim through the night with gallant fins as you practically shift the stars to your command. You told him those tales with lief as you wallowed in the black. He chuckled, watching your ecstatic expression like a parent; the exuberant wonder in your eyes shimmered like stars. He stood up, taking the oar in hand, and guided the little stars rippling from the boat upward. The oar swirled the stars like paint, creating a mural on a canvas of black. Aquila, The Eagle. The King of the skies. You've heard the tales, but even hearing it from The Moon made it seem more tantalizing than how others narrated. His voice was like crushed velvet, deep and silky with a rasp. A waterfall into a babbling brook. A grotto. 

He held you close, whispering into your ears. You felt yourself sink deeper into the night, resting peacefully in his arms.

Then you woke up.

And The Moon's brother rose in the sky once more.

You loved The Moon. How brave he is, how nurturing he is, how tender and caring and benevolent he is. And what you love the most, he listens. He listens to your pleas. He listens to your cries. He listens to your prayers and wishes. Unlike his brother, who's unable to speak in his current form, you'd wished he would talk to you. Lie down on the cleanly cut grass, idling as you chat about anything that pops into your head. 

The wind blew away your daydreams. The Sun had fallen asleep. The other stars had awoken in the dark night, and the lamplighter had ignited the lights. You quickly wished the Sun sweet dreams before scurrying off in the shadows, heading back to your room.

You lied. Somewhat. 

You did go to your room. To get your shawl.

 You wanted to go to the beach before heading to bed. The shore is the best place to find peace, it is the birthplace of The Moon. While the Sun was born in a bed of flowers at dawn in the morning, the Moon was born in deep waters of the ocean in the dead of night. It was said that he had risen from the sea, walking on the water with grace. Many stories of his always reference water in some shape or form; from emerging from the water to answer a poor man's prayer to drowning a beast with the tides to stopping a caustic inundation from dissolving the town. Each story, somehow, always returned to the water. Exactly why you enjoyed walking along the shore at night.

Speaking of night, the moon wasn't out. Only the stars shined from the darkness. Where was he? He's leaving the little ones unsupervised! You kneel in the muddy, damp sand, looking upward, trying to search for your god. 

...

Hmm...

Perhaps he too is asleep. No matter. It doesn't stop you from praying. The same rules applied, only you may speak English to him. 

O benevolent Moon, please grace our land with your protection. Please ward off the demons and the spirits, and protect our children--unborn and born--from the evils. We offer our arduous work and effort from the day in return for peace and sleep. May you too rest, for you deserve the peace you bring to the land. O loving Moon, we are grateful to you. We love you.

 I love you...

You breathe the three words. A little tear formed in the corner of your eye. You loved your god. You loved The Moon.

*squish squish squish*

 Distant steps slap the soak sand. Whoever was coming was getting closer. The sound made you trip over your robes, falling to the sand. The steps stopped, probably noting your fallen form before offering a hand. 

“Thank you.” You exhaled, dusting your robe again.

”You’re welcome, sister.” 

…

”It’s you!” Your hand yanks away from the man’s grasp. It’s him. The merchant. Still in his tawny garbs with his hood up, and two blue eyes. 

"And it's you, dear." He joked, chuckling softly before grabbing his sleeve as he looked. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to startle you."

"What are you doing here?" You asked.

"Just walking around, enjoying the peace and quiet." The merchant answered. "I...heard you praying." 

"Oh...that was just a small hymn." You said sheepishly. (Why though?) 

"To whom?"

"Um..." You looked upward. The stars playfully winked at you. "Him."

The merchant looked up with you, trying to find who you were talking about. He blinks, noticing the missing piece in the sky. "Oh. He's has been quite unresponsive lately." He mirthed. "Frightened?"

"A little. I have seen him in a dream once." You stated. "The vision I told at the gathering."

"That was a dream?"

You nodded. The merchant hummed. "I told a lie, yes, I know the great lords would scorn me for it one day." You sighed. "But it seemed unfair for The Moon to be excluded from today's gathering."

The merchant chuckled, or whatever it's called when you exhale a short breath through your nose. "I believe you've done him a great honor." He smiled. 

"Really?" You asked; honestly, you weren't sure about that at all. The shame of what you said; a lie, a "half-truth" about your god. You couldn't dare to face him in your sleep, hence why you went to the beach. To ask for forgiveness. Yet through all your internal overcompensation, the merchant nods. 

"I've been through most of the gatherings in the past and frankly, it's been nothing but lies, or half-truths." He said. "The horrors and terrors of the god of night. How he slaughtered the nocturnal animals at midnight, how he flooded cities out of boredom, how cruel and evil the stories exaggerate he to be." He hissed, "To this very day, people still believe he's the god of death, that the ocean is truly the river of the dead, and that he killed his brother....out of envy."

The anguish exhausted from his mouth like smog. The tension was thick, dark like the night. The grottos dimmed in disgruntle as the merchant's mouth thinned. He then shakes his head, clearing away the smoke. "My apologies. I've grown bitter in the last few days."

"You needn't apologize." You said, "I do agree though; it seems our gods are slowly being forgotten with time." 

"But that's what your role is, is it not?"

"..."

"It seems to me you still care for The Moon. Even if he's not present." 

The merchant was right, your prayers were always listened to, always heard by him. Even when you couldn't see him floating in the night, he watches. You sighed, getting up from the damp sand. It's getting extremely late. At this point, the other priests would be worried sick trying to look for you. You dusted off your garbs, looking down at your crusted feet. You're gonna need to wash them. And you rather not use the ocean. 

"I wish I could talk to you more, but I have to get going. The high priestess would scorn if came back this ragged." You looked at the merchant, still sitting on the beach. His eyes shined crystal blue again as a soft smile rested on his face. 

"If you want, we could meet at the marketplace again. The same stand in the corner is where I'll be." He offered. You nodded, that would be nice.

"You're not going home?"

The merchant hummed, gazing at the horizon. "Not yet. Just a little longer..."

You smiled. The night was truly beautiful.