#magickal menagerie

[amaskofmyart]

A lot of Inscryption doodles I did after I watched Markiplier play a year ago - but as I type this I’m fucking feral for the game so there’s even more art to appear.

1: Trying to figure out what they looked like to me (this has changed lmao)

2: P03 the fuckin— *grips it with both hands*

3: This is heavily inspired by the FnF song “Plaything” from the Wii Deleted You mod

4: My oc!! Ignore how fuckin angular she is, she was inspired by Ena design wise.

5: I— I love both Leshy and P03 so much so Annie gets two boyfriends 🥰🥰

6: Before now I was in denial about how much I liked P03 - I am no longer in denial :^))

[mosshawksmenagerie]

This butterfly cabochon was made by Nix Creations (Etsy). I usually buy resin eyes there, but this floral cab was too pretty to resist. I love the way it turned out. Epoxy, watercolor, pyrography, Ph Martin's ink.

[pobblebonked]

APRIL PATREON POLL

Another adventurer approaches your Wizard Maze! This is a great opportunity to flex your Transformative Magicks and add another monster to your menagerie!

Vote Now to Choose a Spell!!

BESTIARY (poll options)

[unionizedwizard]

OC asks for Irma: bound, hunt, skin?

bound: Has your OC ever been imprisoned or captured? What happened? How did they get out? Did the experience leave any scars?

she was made to take part in an attempted primal summoning as a child (as the catalyst), surviving only thanks to hydaelyn's intervention (whisking her away in the lifestream opening cutscene-style before irreversible damage to her soul could be inflicted). sort of like a reverse lightwarden corruption situation (this is a secret tool that will help us later!). her soul was flooded with umbral-aspected aether (lightning, specifically), and she was very notably not meant to survive - the fact that she did, as well as the circumstances in question (the triggering of the blessing of light), were unexpected, but deemed interesting by the ritual's instigator, which is why he let her get away :)

of course, although she lived, she didn't escape unscathed; her soul was stabilised and solidified by the power of stasis that hydaelyn embodies, but it was, as it were, sundered again almost all the way through, so her soul is "cracked". this manifests as an enhanced affinity for black magick & offensive spellcraft in general, but with a rather heavy drawback: she can't wield healing magick (at least not in the traditional way), a condition which she learned about when she tried to train as a conjurer post ARR (whenever she tries to meditate/enter the state that allows the caster to heal, she falls unconscious). (this was somewhat remedied right before EW). also, as a secondary (and minor) consequence, her eyes (which were originally green) turned black. this whole ordeal (as well as the years that preceded it) was wiped from her memory as a consequence of the enormous amount of energy that passed through her body so her earliest (and very hazy) memories are of the aftermath, when she was sent to ul'dah (or smuggled would be the more accurate verb lol), with no idea that the name on her passport was not her original name...

hunt: Who or what is your OC hunted by? A person, a feeling, a past mistake? Is your OC able to let their guard down, or are they constantly alert?

two things: the everpresent, looming shade of Duty; and the gnawing belief that she's actually a monster, deep down, because of her combat capabilities (and inclinations). (both are linked and feed into each other). zenos' monologue at the royal menagerie hit her, and badly so, because he expressed his lust for combat in the exact same terms she'd been using - privately, not speaking her mind to anyone, and she's always been terrified of having her most deeply-seated fears be confirmed, and she hates zenos (more than she ever hated anyone) because deep down she's convinced he's right about her, and about the both of them. she's always on the alert and has trouble letting her guard down long enough to fall asleep also :)

skin: How comfortable is your OC in their skin? Do they grapple with anything that lives inside them—a beast, a curse, a failure, a monster? How do they face the smallest, weakest, most horrible version of themself? Are they able to acknowledge it at all?

irma has always favored discreet, highly concealing, multi-layered clothes (fortunately, mage robes are generally fitting for this purpose). she has also never believed herself beautiful so she never really tried to pay attention to her appearance, though she does make a point of personal pride in wearing well-cut, good quality (and more importantly, clean) garments. she owns some perfume but doesn't have many opportunities to use it. if asked about it, she'll say in a very matter-of-fact way that "she knows where her strengths lie and acts accordingly". her only concession to vanity has always been her hair, which is an object of pride and that she takes great care of (as much as she can with the life she leads, anyway...). she almost always wears gloves (worn black leather ones) and refuses to show skin as a rule (she considers it a show of vulnerability). there is a deep, lingering shame about her as a whole, that she masks with rigid efficiency & a stoic mindset

as for the second part of the question: as indicated above, the smallest, weakest, most horrible version of herself has been thoroughly expunged from her memory (until post EW that is). denial and repression ARE her most practised skills at this point!

[gallavichfanficlibrary]

hey :) Any recommendations for WIPs?

Hey :) Some WIPs we're enjoying now:

Africa - AU. When Ian lands himself an internship with famous wildlife photographer Mickey Milkovich he can’t believe his luck. Spending one month traveling through South Africa with his big hero is a dream come true.

second chapters - When Mickey’s PO assigns him a job at the local library, he’s pleasantly surprised—not that he’d ever admit it. Practically lived in the prison library, and what better way to start his new life than with a career he might actually enjoy.

Ristretto - Ian works the late shift at a coffeeshop. When he gains a new colleague with a wicked sense of humor and a sinfully hot boyfriend, he starts to think maybe he should be trying to do more with his life than perfecting his latte art.

The Menagerie - Ian finds himself splurging on a membership to an exclusive BDSM club and meeting the notoriously hard-to-please club veteran, Mikhailo Milkovich.

Tender Hearts and Other Maladies - The magickal tattooed Mickey + plant mage Ian + small town fantasy elements + Ukrainian folklore fic.

Intro to Quantum Dating - College AU. This is a falling in love story.

Out of Nowhere - Enemies to lovers AU with gangs and hidden money. The Gallagher gold. Mickey wants it. Ian will do anything to protect it. Who will cave first?

Sweetpea -Sweetpea, the stray that eats his neighbors flowers, is a little asshole of a cat. But Ian still hopes to win her over with treats from his lunch [...]. Just as he thinks he's starting to get her to like him, everything flips on its head. You see, Sweetpea is not a normal cat. And Sweetpea is not a she.

Your question has been received - A tumblr AU with a bit of a twist.

Don't forget to leave comments!

[mermaidenmystic]

Mermaid Secrets ~ Menagerie of Magick - Fantasy art and oddities by Rebecca Barkley

[forabeatofadrum]

Happy Wednesday everyone. Woo WOO! Thank you @artsyunderstudy for the tag!

The Class Menagerie is almost done. I thought that the deadline was today, but it's actually September 10th. I might be turning 25 in less than a month, but I guess that at some moments, I am Jared 19. It's a good thing I have some extra time. All the animals have been found, but I am once again stuck on the whole romantic ending thing, where my aroace ass is basically thinking: "How do they go from rescuing animals to kissing?"

This later deadline also makes me feel less guilty about thinking about my Snowbaz TOTK-inspired fic. I am having a lot of fun with the world building here. (Plot who idk her shhh shhhhh!!!)

I am not pretending to be creative here. In this fic, the Sky Islands were also created by an ancient magickal species and guess what I called them? The Sonai.

“I am a Mecha,” it says. “A Mecha?” “Yes, built by the Sonai. I am a Nursing Mecha and I have been looking over you.” I blink a couple of times. I need to process this. “What are the Sonai?” “The Sonai are an ancient civilisation. They are long, long gone. They built this place, but after many decades, they decided to leave the World of Mages. The Land Up Here and us Mechas are the only things that are left of their time.” “The Land Up Here?” I look around. I realise I am on a Sky Island. “The Sonai were powerful beings,” the Nursing Mecha says, “Yet, naming things wasn’t their strongest suit.” The Nursing Mecha makes some noises. Is it laughing?

For the non-Zelda fans, in the original game, the Sky Islands were made by the Zonai. Also, I called the surface The Land Below There.

As I mentioned, I don't want to use the story of Tears of the Kingdom, so it's fun figuring out what I can use (and potentially adapt) from the game. Right now I have the Zonai, the Constructs, the dragons and uhhhh... the ARMOUR. Yes, this is all so that I can put Simon in the Frostbite shirt:

Come on, guys!!! It has an open back, which would work perfectly for his wings!

If I had more artistic talent, I'd draw it. AND I WOULD GIVE SIMON THE PEARL EARRINGS TO MATCH.

And now, the weather: @quizasvivamos @blurglesmurfklaine @coffeegleek @esperantoauthor @otherworldsivelivedin @caramelcoffeeaddict @sillyunicorn @bazzybelle @dragoneggos @raenestee @tectonicduck @nightimedreamersworld @urban-sith @thnxforknowingme @captain-aralias @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @justgleekout @cerriddwenluna @tea-brigade @ivelovedhimthroughworse @moodandmist @whogaveyoupermission @bookish-bogwitch @confused-bi-queer @aroace-genderfluid-sheep @ionlydrinkhotwater @1908jmd @special-bc-ur-part-of-it @larkral @chen-chen-chen-again-chen ​ @cutestkilla ​ @nausikaaa ​/@wellbelesbian @martsonmars ​ @facewithoutheart ​ @shrekgogurt @boyinjeans @rockitmans @bitbybitwrites @blackberrysummerblog @whatevertheweather

[mingi-bubu]

19. “Do we have a deal?”

For Fictober22~ demon!hyunjae x gn!reader, magic and the supernatural exist, directly related to 76 Kisses to Valentine's Day Prompt #34 and tangentially related to Fictober22 Day 8; deal with the devil Fictober22 Masterlist || 76 Kisses Masterlist

You shiver in the damp cold that surrounds you.  Your breath puffs out, white clouds dissipating moments after they appear.  The forest is full of noise.  Or at least it was when you were walking to the clearing.  Now you can’t hear anything but your heart thundering in your ears and your quick breaths.  Your eyes dart around the clearing, frosted blades of grass shining in the light of the fullest moon you’ve ever seen.  You knew long before you decided to come here that this place was drenched in magick.  That the trees here are more ancient, more knowledgeable, than any others.  But even if you hadn’t known that, the unnatural chill in the air, the frost on the plants around you, the odd lack of noise… There was magick here.

It was only a matter of being able to tap into it.

After acquainting yourself with the area, you quickly get to work.  The messenger bag slides off your shoulder and falls to the ground, disturbing the pristine grass beneath you.  You pull out the aged tome that you had stolen from the widower’s home.  With his wife gone and him not having the Ability, he had no use for it.  You, however, do.  You open the book, flipping through pages carelessly as you find the passages you were looking for.  It didn’t matter to you if the pages around it fell apart or ripped; when you finally got what you desired, you could fix it.  If that was something you chose to do.

“Heh,” you murmur in victory, finding the passages you had marked.  You hold the book on either side and bend it backwards, breaking its spine so it would lay flat in the dirt.  You place it on the ground and press a palm into the middle, pushing down just in case.  When you pull your hand back, the pages lie open.  Ignoring it for the moment, you kneel and pull out a menagerie of glass containers.  They ranged in size, shape, and color.  On each container, your rushed handwriting told you what was inside.  A sprig of hawthorn, containing both flowers and berries, resides in a long, skinny, light green bottle.  The blood of a stone sloshed around in a vial the size of your thumb, closed off by a cork.  The laughter of a swine, the sneeze of a worm, food stolen from a left-handed woman in her third trimester while she sang.  All of those ingredients and more were in the glass surrounding you.

Finally, you pull out a mortar and pestle.  The summoning required that you chose the stone it was made from, but not that you had to make it.  Something you were greatly appreciative of.  You decided on a black stone, rough and speckled with gray and blue throughout.  The mason’s son, Sangyeon, had crafted it into a beautiful set.  It was such a shame that it would only be used this one time.

You half-turn and drag the book back to yourself.  You set it against the now empty messenger bag, and find yourself surprised at the way you can still read every word clearly.  Despite the moon’s brightness, you had thought it would be more difficult.  You shrug it off, looking at the steps you were to follow.  Each step had several ingredients that were to be combined with the amount of times you were to crush it with the pestle.  You separate your glasses into groups for each step, figuring it would be easier in the long run.

Sand from a cloud, fire caught in sea glass, the brain of a blood minnow.  One by one, you opened the containers and tilted them over the mortar.  You kept a careful eye on the ingredients as you did, not wanting to have any spill or tumble away from the bowl.  The tome says that you need to crush them together for twenty times.  You let out a small sigh; the rest of the steps never get easier with regard to the crushing amount.  But to get what you desired, you would have to sacrifice.

The next minutes are filled with this, and the pile of empty glass containers gradually started to outnumber the full ones.  When you reach the final step, you feel like you understand why the widower didn’t use this, regardless of his having the Ability or not.  The precision and structure kind of sucked.  Especially as the forest only grew colder around you, seeping into your clothes.  You read the instructions thrice more before you complete it; if you fucked it up here, you would have to wait another year before you could do this again.  The amount of time it took to find the ingredients was more than waiting for another full moon.

Wind whirled around you, pushing you back several feet.  You shielded your eyes from it, head bending into the invisible force.  A noise fills your ears, like a shriek but multiplied over itself tenfold.  You felt like your ears were going to bleed.  For the first time since you stepped into the forest itself, you felt fear.  It sat solid like a stone in your stomach.  Despite the wind making the frost disappear on the grass, your clammy hands didn’t change.  You were pushed back another few inches, and you leaned into the breeze more in attempt to fight against it.

And then, as if the wind itself knew your intentions, the direction changed suddenly.  You drop to your knees, a gasp tearing out of your throat.  You dig your fingers into the cold, damp earth as an anchor.  The shrill noise intensifies and your knuckles turn white, the bones underneath pushing up against your skin as you tighten your grasp on the earth.

Everything stops.

You don’t realize at first; your body and mind were still dealing with the attempt to not be blown further away than you were already.  When you no longer feel your hair whipping around your face and neck, cutting into the soft skin like the ends were well sharpened knives, you realize something has changed.  Your ears ring in the sudden silence.  Opening your eyes just enough to see clearly, you force your fingers to straighten, hands pushing into the grass and dirt beneath you.  Dark brown dirt, almost black in the light of the moon, sticks to your skin.  It looks like you were trying to crawl out of a grave.  The wind had thrown grass fragments and loose dirt onto any part of your body it could find.  Your ragged breaths finally register, cutting through the ringing in your ears.  Something drips onto your hand and you look.  Whatever liquid it was, it was clear, cutting through the mess on the back of your hand.

Another drop, this time on your other hand.  Your eyes dart to it, and widen at the deep, rich red there.  Both of your hands come up to your face, and you put your fingers carefully onto your skin.  Pulling back, your fingertips are covered in blood and tears.  You hadn’t thought you would cry from this summoning attempt, but it appears you were gravely mistaken.  Your hands are shaking in front of you.  You don’t know if it was just your hands that shook, or if it was your whole being.

“Do we have a deal?”

[sororalice]

Book Review: “The Hierographicon” by Cory C. Childs

A font system for occultists and more from the author of “A Little Orphic Initiation: Three Easy Pieces for Prose, Poetry, and Piano”

Disclosure: I know the author/compiler of this text and software personally and work with them professionally. Nonetheless, I will endeavor to be as objective as possible.

“The Hierographicon” by Cory C. Childs, billed as a “Technical Toolkit for Esoteric Artist and Academic Esoteric Alike”, is actually a compilation of several texts, separated using a schema based upon the Greek Muses, an ennead of goddesses that, according to Hesiod, are the children of Zeus, king of the Olympians, and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. From this divine origin comes art in all its forms, and each muse is reflected in the present text as different aspects of the work are brought to light.

At the core of the work is the font system (for that is the only word I can use here, for this is no mere font) which is linked to at the beginning of the text and available free of charge. The installer for the font also installs a shortcut to activate the massive and complex system of shortcuts that make the font system usable.

As an offering, especially a free offering, the font system is excellent. It allows for a single Windows installation for an extensive number of languages and symbol sets useful to occultists (note that while I am sure classicists, philologists, and folklorists—among others—may benefit from this font system as well, I am primarily speaking as an occultist writing for other occultists). This font system works in any Unicode-based writing software (though, as noted in the text, it will argue with Microsoft Word’s shortcuts…solutions are offered within the text) and, for those with an urge to get under the hood, the entire Unicode specification document is included.

The use case given by our author for the font system is that of an occultist researching a particular spell in the PGM (the “Greek Magical Papyri”), which almost certainly contains several ancient languages the reader does not know. Speaking from experience, this can be a difficult task involving several reference texts in addition to the PGM itself, and part of why it is so difficult is because until now it has been nearly impossible to take accurate notes for later research and reference. This font system makes this laborious process much easier, allowing the working occultist to note down accurately exactly what the text says in a document for later work, which saves time and energy for the actual research required to make sense of the spell and make it useable.

The font system itself is articulated in to several subsystems, which are helpfully explained by the Muses in turn. In addition, several appendices are included. This is where our dear author shows their impishness as well as their literary ability. Among the appendices are works by the odd and interesting author of the 19th century, Isaac Preston Cory, with whom our author clearly feels a peculiar kinship and with which the average reader may feel varying degrees of interest, but the real gem of the work, at least from an aesthetic point of view, is our author’s brilliant and scintillating literary offering satirizing the best and worst of our little occult community.

About halfway through the book, in section Ω, right after the “Agrippa’s Pseudo-Koryphanean Alphabetic Correspondences” and right before “Orphicum Fragmenta” sits the sort of long, fantastical riff one would expect to run into into in the best of William S. Burroughs on a real good fix (think “Interzone”, “Nova Express”, or of course “Naked Lunch”) where the reader is led through a goth club filled with a menagerie of magickal helpers and hazards. While it is a short piece wedged in among the “real material” on offer here, I feel like this jazz solo of a short story can stand alone on its own merits.

All in all, “The Hierographicon” is an interesting, if uneven, contribution to occult literature. The font system will, I am sure, prove invaluable to many, and the various appendices are interesting enough to support their added weight. Well worth the price.

“The Hierographicon” by Cory C. Childs can be purchased on Amazon here (not an affiliate link): https://a.co/d/68rUK14

[moonpool-system]

for the ask game! 🌈

Hello! Apologies this is wildly late!!

🌈- What are some common hobbies?

We have quite a few throughout the system!

As for outerworld hobbies, we do arts & crafts like drawing & painting, pagan spellwork & divination, rollerblading or longboarding when we have the spoons, and we play a menagerie of video games depending on the member! Badeline specifically is learning guitar, and Pure Vanilla is trying to get us into gardening. We used to be avid readers and writers as well, but we can't take either up again reasonably until we find a medication that works.

Innerworld hobbies are interesting too! Metaphysics is still a big focus, but there's more interest on how spirituality, magic from different canons, and Chaos Magick affect our headspace & system's function. Refining magic & metaphysical tech is a big hobby in headspace. And off of that, just obtaining knowledge/learning in general- the center of the City is a giant library. Exploring is another popular one, since headspace is pretty large and all that ground sure hasn't been covered by anyone. Like 85% of headspace is free of anything harmful/dangerous so it's pretty safe to wander. And for people that want more of a challenge, there're the various floating islands where gravity is particularly sketchy, or Celeste Mountain that forces you to face your own internal tendancies as you climb. We also have a colosseum for the fighters, it has a program set up to automatically rebuild itself when it gets inevitably destroyed by someone or another's duels. Beyblade is also pretty popular!! Some fictives brought it over and the other Croissants will custom make ones for people that get in on it. Casual fights can be in the park or one of the little bowl stadiums but serious battles needa go to the colosseum.

thanks for asking! this was fun to talk about

[mythrielofsolitude]

Photograph

Photograph

She was going to kill him the next time she saw him.

She knew it was part of his job.  But he had acquired a head concussion and bruised ribs and the nasty hand wound when rescuing the Qilin and she wasn't there to take care of him.

She loved her job and the promotion, she really did, but damnit her boyfriend was hurt and she couldn't bandage him up or stroke his hair and listen to his sleepy renditions of potions while he was falling asleep.

He told on himself in their most recent cryptid letter (never knowing if mail was confiscated they devised an animal code in case major things happened and they wanted to reassure the other person).

She wished she could snuggle him.  She missed the smell of his hair and his head on her chest.  They had fallen asleep together after the graveyard fight on the train and he had snuggled up so peacefully in her arms.  That was the only time she had ever gotten to hold him and she wanted that permanently so much.

All she had now was the photographs he'd sent her when he was forced to update his author bio.  He looked so good in it.  She had magicked it to her extra pillow so she could pretend he was sleeping next to her.  Especially since she was back in New York alone, no word on Queenie and Jacob was still hurting in his bakery.  

She had duplicated them and had another in her locket.  He had also sent photos of him with Teddy (that name), playing with Pickett, photos of the case habitats, and his menagerie habitats.   She yelled at him in her return letter (gently) and placed it in her bag to be sent on at work.

She was finally seeing him again.  Queenie was back (there was yelling then hugging), her baby sister was finally going to marry Jacob and her (HER) Newt was going to be there.  She bought a new dress for the occasion, had her hair trimmed, made sure her makeup was perfect, and slipped on her coat to apparate to Jacobs bakery.  

There he was, muttering about the best mans speech.  He looked so good in his suit.  He even touched her waist before she was whisked in by Lally to start the ceremony.  

The night was a whirwind of tears, laughter, toasts, and him.  Queenie and Jacob were tucked away in his apartment, she stole Newt back to hers and they kissed and kissed before wandering around the case and falling asleep in his cot in the case.  She had woken up in the middle of the night for a bathroom break and had untangled herself from him, did her business, then wriggled back into his arms.  He sleepily mumbled her name and she kissed his head before falling back asleep herself.

[supnerds]

is protector of the small a book (series?) and if so should i read it

okay SO

I have been saving this ask because I know I wanna ramble about it but at this point if I don’t answer now I will forget SO HERE WE GO

Protector of the Small is the name of a series that I read years ago and remains one of my favorites to this day! There are four books in total: First Test, Page, Squire, and Lady Knight.

The series is set in a medieval world, in a kingdom full of knights and a bit of magic. About ten years pre-story, the law was changed saying that girls were now allowed to go through training to become a knight, after one woman disguised herself as a boy to do so and proved women could (I think there’s a separate series about her story but I haven’t read it and you don’t need to read it in order for this story to make sense). However, it’s not easy to get over social stigma and since the woman who became a knight can use magic many conservatives believe she magicked her way into knighthood and is an exception etc etc no girls have attempted to become a knight in the ten years since the law was changed.

Until today.

Enter Kel, our main protagonist of this story. The youngest daughter of a minor lord and lady who have been instrumental to the kingdom in securing an alliance with a neighboring nation, the Yamani Islands; by which she spent much of her formative years in this nation while her parents acted as ambassadors and thus internalized some of their customs. Most notably, the fact that they believe showing any emotion is impolite - at various points in the series Kel will put on what she calls her "Yamani face" when she doesn't want others to know how she is feeling. Another important thing about this - women in this country are encouraged to learn how to fight and defend themselves as they are often set under attack by pirates and the like, giving Kel some background in weaponry and battle.

Kel has a strong sense of justice, and sees all living things as deserving of life and rights. She greatly admires Alanna (the first female knight previously mentioned), and these things all contribute to her motivation to becoming a knight— a motivation she clings to strongly as anyone and everyone tries to discourage her, from guests at a banquet refusing to be served by a female page to older trainees adding extra weight to her training weapons and pulling all manner of pranks and tricks meant to drive her away, even getting into fights out of sight of their instructors. Nevertheless she stands strong and continues working toward her goal!

and that’s not to say she doesn’t have anyone supporting her - she draws people to her like moths to a flame and becomes close friends with other pages, servants, knights, etc alike! she also ends up with a menagerie of animals that aid her - a grumpy horse named Peachblossom, the ugliest dog you’ve ever seen named Jump, and a flock of sparrows that adopt her as one of their own.

my thoughts on the series: I absolutely adored this series, from when I first found it what must have been nearly a decade ago to today. It’s a nice easy read - I just checked the series out from the library and finished them all within a few days, though that may also be just me trying to avoid responsibilities

you know those posts that say things like “what characters have you internalized and are now a part of your personality” yeah that’s kel for me. the yamani face is something I internalized either intentionally or subconsciously and to this day I still sometimes keep a straight face even when Emotions occur (we can’t let people know that we FEEL). love her for that

but yeah it’s a really good series!! lots of brilliant worldbuilding, fantastic character development, and great overarching themes. there’s something to be said about the impacts we leave on others and that others leave on us, and how those things can completely change the course of a person’s life.

anyway tl;dr — yes it is a book series, and YES you absolutely should read it

[liroyalty]

𝕎𝕙����𝕥 𝕋𝕪𝕡𝕖 𝕠𝕗 ℚ𝕦𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝔹𝕖?

The Queen of the Sun, and of Daylight Realm

Always in a shroud of sunlight, your sun is kissed and shimmerings wherever you walk. There's always warmth in your fingertips and sunspots dancing around your feet. You attract people, and they love you. You were chosen as soon as you were born. A prophecy was foretold about a glimmering baby, who would one day bring light to the village, then to the kingdom and beyond. It is now your choice whether you want to expand your light, or keep those you care about warm.

So, my queen - what is your choice?��

Your crown Your coronation dress Everyday dress-wear: | x | x | x |  Your hairstyle: | x | x | x |  Your jewellery: | x | x | x | Coronation make-up:| eyes | lips | face | Sunlight itself lent its essence on your coronation. The sky settled on your skin and dusted your cheeks. You shimmered, you glowed and everyone knelt before you.  Every-day make-up: | x | x | x |

The Queen of the Moon & Starlight Realm

There are legends among your people. That on the night of an eclipse, a shooting star will land on earth and become the new ruler. So, I ask you this: did you come from a shooting star? Or did you wade out of the ocean and onto the shore - gleaming and glowing? Maybe you were simply born from your mother, all I can say is that you, Queen, you hold the stories in your hand. 

You are a creative ruler that listens to her people and provides a strong yet caring shoulder. You're not to be underestimated though, you have high endurance and can outwit many to most opponents. That's why there are so many rumours about your origins; some say you're an immortal goddess who reincarnates every 100 years into a new body. Others say you were the first sorceress, that of old magick and conjured up the world using your own two hands. 

It is you who the witches pray to. Along with being the Moon Queen, you are worshipped by those who love magick. 

Your crown Your coronation dress Everyday dress-wear: | x | x | x |  Your hairstyle: | x | x | x |  Your jewellery: | x | x | x | Coronation make-up: | eyes | lips | face | The moon itself rains her light upon you, dazzling those with a cool glow. There always seems to be mist circling your legs.  Everyday make-up: | x | x | x |

Tagging - @akumanoken, @alexandraxsuoh, @yukixxnoxxtsubasa, @fctedivided2, @oc-menagerie, @frznkingdom, @ivoryfall, @kingdomofbellows, @petiteamores & whoever else wants to do a quiz!

[blindingspark]

Command the Stars

The Warrior of Light, Auri Brighteye, comes to terms with a twisting of fates design after saving the crown prince Zenos yae Galvus- their dearest friend and enemy. Rating: Mature-ish Pairing: Zenos/WoL C/W for attempted suicide and blood.

"Farewell, my first friend. My enemy…"

The words so quietly spoken, the au ra scarce had time to call out and beg him to stop, to lower the blade from his neck-

Wait! the word caught in their throat, shooting downwards to their legs and propelling them forward even as they knew his hand was faster.

One swift motion was all it had taken as the crown prince slashed his own throat and collapsed into the bed of flowers that he had only just stood upon, Auri's movement staggering at the sight, 

"No..." they hissed through their teeth, "No, no, no!" the cry that soon followed, a sound that could only translate as a heart breaking, clinging desperation as they dropped to their knees beside the garlean, hands shaking as they tore a piece of cloth from their robe and pressed it to the deep cut.

Zenos' gaze- unfocused as it had become in mere moments- shifted to the blurred figure above him; his breathing becoming shallowed, a wet rattle with each inhale and exhale that tore Auri's heart anew each time. Taking one hand away, they dug into the satchel on their waist and procured the weathered stone of healing and began to murmur the words of a basic benefic spell through a panicked, choked voice; a mere bandage in the moment until more thorough medical care could be given.

Even through the settling chill, the sensation of the healing magicks could be felt, prompting the dying prince to grimace and swallow hard. Out of the corner of their vision, Auri could see a gauntleted hand lift, a limp gesture that revealed just how much of the garleans might was sapped by his own attempt to end his life, 

"You're not dying on me, not today…" they hissed, blinking back the welling tears pricking at the corners of their eyes, watching his head fall back with a faint thump, his hand resting upon his chest as the magicks steadily reversed the worst of the damage-

"Auritel?" The voice of Lyse carried from the far edge of the Menagerie, their attention flickering up for just a moment before returning to their work, "Auri, what are you doing? Get away from him-!"

"Fetch the chirugeons!" the caster barked, looking up to see the leader of the Ala Mhigo rebellion stopping in her tracks, a baffled look apparent even from this distance, 

"I- Auri? I... I don't understand…"

Lyse slowly drew closer until she but was a few yalms away, allowing Auri to soften their own voice, though it trembled in spite of themself,

"Please… I promise I'll explain later."

Magenta eyes flickered over to the field commander making his appearance, the battle-hardened grimace comfortably in place on Raubahn's face as he regarded them and the man they were healing,

"There had better be a damn good reason for this, lass," he said, "The people won't take too kindly to hearing the Warrior of Light was seen healing the crown prince by their own volition…"

" I know," Auri replied, an unexpected sharpness becoming apparent in their tone and continuing to mend until Zenos appeared to rest, his breathing more even. Their clawed hand hovered over his partly healed throat before letting it rest in their lap, "I said I would to Lyse…" A moment of thought gave them pause, their attention remaining on Zenos as they spoke again, "However you feel it must be done, I would make a request to have him tended to, out of sight and away from the people."

"But why-"

"I said," they bit, looking over with a defensive glint in their weary eyes, " I would explain, and I intend to... once I know he'll survive. He's weakened right now, by his own doing- and he is no threat to you so long as I'm around."

A steady breeze blew past them, the tension thick in the air as the trio stared at one another across the expanse of flowers and stone that sculpted the Menagerie until Raubahn spoke after a deep sigh,

"I don't know what is going on between you two, but do not expect this kindness to be extended outside of these walls." he said, looking to Lyse- seeing the rage and confusion lurking beneath her blue eyes- before returning his attention to the warrior of light,

"You'd best keep your word, lass, and keep that man on a leash if your word holds true."

-

Hours of talk.

Hours of walking a fine hairs width of a tightrope.

Hours before they could finally check on him.

With a change of bandages and salve in hand, Auri crept into the hidden room that Zenos had been carried to, carefully closing the door and setting the supplies on the nearby writing desk. They could feel a pair of eyes boring into their side.

Looking over their shoulder, the au ra met the gaze of the crown prince, a look on his face that was… difficult to pin down; his gaze was ever steady, though an expectant air was present even as he lounged by the small window, the seating area beside it providing at least a gleaning of homelike comfort,

"The Alliance is still holding a private meeting," Auri began simply, turning to face and meet his gaze in full, "I gave my reasons and the advantages of having you as an ally, even if it's merely in relation to my presence."

"Deliberating over my fate," he murmured, the best his hoarse voice could manage through the dressings, watching his face wince faintly as he swallowed, "Am I to be your ward, then?"

Even with the self-inflicted wound his tone carried a dry lilt, tilting his head to look at the au ra as they approached, "Or perhaps your loyal dog?" 

"I…" they huffed, now standing before the garlean and meeting him eye-to-eye- a small blessing thanks to his relaxed state, "I could not say, not yet."

Silence resumed with Auri shifting from foot to foot before the question could no longer be prolonged,

"Why did you do it?" they inquired carefully, "Attempt to take your life, I mean?"

"Why did you spare it?" Zenos retorted, his languid stare remaining as he glanced down at Auri's tail curling around their leg, then back up,

"We talked about this- you said you would leave with me if I won our 'contest'..." they mumbled, "You promised-"

"I told you I would consider it," he shifted his weight and spoke again, "We both know full well the ledger I have with the XIIth, the red staining my hands is not something so easily cleansed. Deeds are harder to wipe away when the aftermath is felt years after."

Auri frowned even as the sound logic settled, "...And so you decided to take a blade to your neck."

"It was to be my own or the Alliance's… or the Ala Mhigans," he paused, humming softly in thought, "Perhaps the Domans; I'm certain all would gladly take up the executioners mantle at the mention of my name."

"Zenos." The au ra sighed, hands now wringing as they stepped closer to him, "I… understand all of that, and I admit I let my emotions take hold in the Menagerie, I simply couldn't bear the thought of... of-"

They paused as Zenos lightly grasped their wringing hands with one of his, tugging them closer and letting his other hand snake around their middle,

"Saying farewell in return?"

Auri nodded, looking down at their hands and adjusting to more easily hold his, "...Yes."

A soft grunt was his response, head tilting faintly as he regarded the au ra and applying pressure to the small of their back until they stood between his parted knees, the closest they could be without Auri simply crawling into his lap to hold him, though being mere ilms apart was sufficient as he spoke again, strained voice quieting to a low murmur,

"I took a blade to my throat because I knew you would not," he watched them sigh and mirror his head tilt with a forlorn look upon their face, "As ferocious as I have seen you become, you would have hesitated had I given you the chance, no?"

"Certainly…" they uttered, a weak smile tugging on their lips, "And not for a lack of might, either."

"Mmh, even after all you have endured, all you have seen, I could think of none more deserving of such an opportunity to finally end my 'reign of terror'... and yet," he punctuated with sliding the hand upon their back upland, up to their head and brushing some of the hair from their face, watching as they leaned into his touch, "Your heart could not bear such a burden, even as others would celebrate your deeds."

"Because it would be at the cost of the one I treasure, who has pulled apart the armor I bear and shown me what I am truly capable of… all for the sake of others who rarely seem to view me as more than a driving force," they huffed, adjusting to hold his other hand between theirs, "I can only do so much, but whatever happens in the coming days… my wish is for you to understand. Understand in full why I have done all that I can."

Zenos' mouth pressed to a firm line, realizing he had discovered his friends stubborn streak in full at long last. He watched the au ra close their eyes and savor the lack of distance,

"I have fresh bandages with me, if… you will permit me to change them." They soon noted, opening their eyes and feeling his grasp ease to sit back, relaxing against the pillowed seating to watch them retrieve the dressings from the opposite end of the room.

A strangely comfortable quiet settled between them as Auri prepared the supplies, the gentle clatter of glass vials on the small nearby table in the room and the distant howl of the Lochs's fauna outside serving as the only break before they began; the au ra gingerly lifted Zenos' chin- keeping the motion slight as to not aggravate or reopen the cut- and unwrapped the gauze from around his neck, mindful of the process as the dark red stains grew wider before finally pulling the dirtied bandaging away. As the wound was exposed they felt their jaw clench, regardless of the healing done prior thanks to their magicks, and let out a soft huff. Dismissing the wandering thoughts in favor of picking a fresh cotton swab and applying alcohol to it to gently dab at the dried blood and old salve.

Their attention shifted upwards to look for any sign of discomfort, slowing as they were met with the garlean's steady hooded gaze upon them. It was not the bored, languid look as he had so often given the world around him, instead focusing on the au ra in a way that stilled them without touch, tearing away the world around them until all they were all that remained and pulling them further to the depths of blue like the most treacherous of seas simultaneously.

Such intensity would have frightened them in their younger years, yet even after their time traversing Othard and Gyr Abania, Auri could scarce place what exactly was running through his mind no matter how long they peered into the depths; in spite of his grandiose gestures and blasé displays of might, the crown prince had proven himself a quiet and solitary individual when away from the prying eyes of his peers and the battlefield. 

They set the dirtied swab aside along with their thoughts, moving to unwind the roll of fresh gauze and begin the equally careful dressing of the wound, searching his features after the first pass,

"Any discomfort?"

A noncommittal grunt was followed by a low sigh while he straightened himself slightly, reaching to gather some of his flaxen hair in hand and holding it aside, allowing the au ra to finish more efficiently,

"I could have done that, you know," Auri teased softly, noting the smirk that tugged on Zenos' lips,

"You did not ask."

"I think," they murmured, finishing the bandaging and setting their supplies aside to rest one hand upon his cheek, "You were merely distracted for once…"

Letting go of his hair, the garlean leaned into their hand as he settled into the quiet with them once more, the au ra reached up with their remaining hand to stroke his other cheek with their thumb and feeling him ease at the gentle motions, savoring the moment of peace they had achieved even if it had followed on the heels of a near-tragedy -

The sound of a knock on the door made the caster stiffen, looking to the entry and stepping away from him before the door handle clicked heavily and swung open with a groan. 

A Twin Adder lieutenant stood in the doorway, with two Ala Mhigan guards posted on either side of the entry and stood at attention upon seeing Auri to salute them,

"If you'll follow me, champion of Eorzea."

A moment of hesitancy kept Auritel in place, watching the Adder shift from boot to boot before inclining her head, 

"We will escort the crown prince, the Alliance has reached their decision."

[mosshawksmenagerie]

Commissions are open and welcome! Mosshawk's Menagerie: Exceptional Magickal Tools since 2018.

[placeholderwitchname]

Wtf ever happened to @magickalmenagerie?? I just got a random email from them, but the website doesnt exist anymore??