#man i love líf

[dreamonseems]

Líf

First raid

- Story eight of Líf series of one-shot stories about Ubbe, his reader wife, and their children. Every story will be different but within the same universe. Nothing will be in order, just random stories about their lives.

⚠️ Warning: Smut in this chapter!

- Ok I made up a place called Raven United so any race reading this can Imagine being the reader.

Summary: You go on your first raid. There's some trouble, but Ubbe is always there to protect you.

As the Viking army sailed towards their target, Y/N felt a surge of adrenaline rush through her veins. She watched as Ubbe and his brothers prepared for battle, their faces stern and focused. Ragnar stood beside them, his eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of danger.

When they finally arrived at their destination, she jumped off the boat, sword in hand. She followed Ubbe and the others, her heart pounding. They charged forward, their battle cries ringing through the air.

At first, she felt overwhelmed by the chaos of battle. She saw men fall around her, heard the clang of swords and shields, and smelled the blood and sweat of their comrades. But as the battle raged on, She found herself falling into a rhythm, moving with the others, defending herself, and attacking their enemies.

They fought bravely, taking down several of the enemy soldiers with their swords. She felt a sense of pride and accomplishment as she fought alongside Ubbe, knowing that she was proving herself as a worthy shieldmaiden.

After the battle was won, she felt a sense of exhilaration and relief. She had survived her first raid, and she knew that she had proven herself to Ubbe and the others. She felt more confident in her ability as a warrior and knew that she had a bright future ahead of her as a shieldmaiden.

After the successful raid, the warriors were in high spirits and celebrated around the fire with meat and mead. Ubbe was caught up in the moment and was laughing and drinking with his brothers, while Y/N sat a little way off, lost in her thoughts.

Suddenly, a warrior from their army approached her and started to flirt with her. At first, she politely declined his advances, but he became increasingly forceful and wouldn't take no for an answer. She tried to leave, but the warrior grabbed her arm and struck her across the face.

The sound of the slap echoed across the camp, drawing the attention of the other warriors, including Ubbe. He rushed over to her, his eyes blazing with fury.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ubbe growled, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

The warrior, who was still holding onto Y/N, sneered at Ubbe. "Just having a bit of fun with the new girl. What's it to you?"

"She's my wife," Ubbe said through gritted teeth. "And I won't tolerate anyone treating her like that."

The warrior laughed. "Your wife? She's just a slave you bought."

Without hesitation, he drew his sword and charged at the warrior, engaging him in a fierce battle.

The fight was short-lived as Ubbe was an experienced warrior, and the offending warrior was quickly overpowered. In a swift move, Ubbe dealt the fatal blow, ending the warrior's life. Y/N, shaken but unharmed, watched on as her husband defended her honor.

As they entered the tent, Ubbe noticed how shaken Y/N was. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and her hands were shaking. He sat her down on their bedroll and knelt in front of her.

"Shh, shh," he said softly. "It's okay. You're safe now." Ubbe held her close, stroking her hair as she wept

She clung to him, her tears wetting his shirt. "I just feel so overwhelmed," she admitted. "Everything that happened today, and that warrior... I don't know if I can handle this."

Ubbe tightened his hold on her. "You're stronger than you think," he said. "You proved that today. You fought bravely, and you defended yourself when that man tried to hurt you. You're a shieldmaiden now, my love. You're one of us."

She sniffled, looking up at him. "But what if I'm not good enough?" she asked. "What if you realize that and leave me?"

Ubbe's eyes softened. "I will never leave you, my love," he said firmly. "You're my wife, and I love you. You're the most important person in my life, and I would do anything for you. Please don't ever doubt that."

Her eyes met his, searching for any sign of falsehood. But all she found was love and sincerity. Slowly, she began to relax in his embrace, feeling safe and protected.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I just... I get scared sometimes. It's a lot to take in."

Ubbe kissed her forehead. "I know. But we're in this together, my love. Whatever happens, we'll face it together."

Ubbe's lips met Y/N's. She felt a rush of warmth spread throughout her body. She could taste the mead on his breath as he kissed her with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. His hands were tender as they cupped her face, and she felt his fingers gently stroking her hair.

She wrapped her arms around Ubbe's neck, deepening the kiss. She could feel his muscles tensing as he held her closer, as if afraid to let her go. The world around them faded away as they lost themselves in the moment, lost in the passion that burned between them.

Finally, Ubbe broke the kiss, looking into her eyes with a mix of desire and affection. "I love you," he whispered, his voice husky with emotion. "I will always love you."

smiled, her eyes shining with tears. "I love you," she said, her voice filled with sincerity.

Ubbe's hands roamed freely over her back, pulling her even closer to him as he deepened the kiss.

Their tongues danced together in a fiery tango, exploring each other's mouths as they lost themselves in the moment. She could feel her heart racing, her body trembling with anticipation as Ubbe's hands traced down her spine, sending shivers of pleasure through her entire body.

Their kiss grew more passionate, Ubbe's grip on her tightened. She surrendered herself completely to him, letting him take control as she felt herself slipping into a deep state of arousal.

Without breaking the kiss, Ubbe began to remove her clothing, one piece at a time, revealing her supple skin to the firelight. She felt her body heat up with desire, wanting nothing more than to feel his touch on her bare skin. She returned the favor, helping Ubbe out of his clothes until they were both naked and exposed to each other's eyes.

Their lips never once parted, as they explored each other's bodies with hungry eyes and eager hands.

"I'm going to show you how much I love you," Ubbe whispered in her ear as his fingers began to work on her core. She moaned in pleasure, her body responding to his touch. "Please, Ubbe," she whimpered, unable to hold back her desire any longer.

She could feel herself getting wetter and wetter with each passing moment, her body craving more of Ubbe's touch. She moaned loudly, her hands gripping tightly onto his muscular shoulders as he continued to work his magic.

Finally, when he could tell she was ready, he removed his fingers and positioned himself above her. "Are you ready?" he asked, looking deeply into her eyes. She nodded, a look of anticipation and longing on her face. With a deep breath, he slowly entered her, filling her completely with his hard, throbbing member.

gasped in pleasure, her body arching up to meet his as he began to move in a slow, rhythmic motion. She could feel every inch of him inside of her, and she loved it.

She moaned as Ubbe continued to move inside her with increasing speed and intensity. She couldn't believe how much she loved this man and how much he loved her, She felt safe and protected in his arms, and the pleasure he was giving her was beyond anything she had ever experienced before.

As Ubbe's grip tightened around her, she felt a surge of arousal coursing through her body. she moaned, her fingers digging into his skin as she held on tight. "More."

Ubbe's smirk grew wider as he heard her words. He growled, his pace quickening. "Look at you, Wife taking me so well, so deep."

She couldn't speak, lost in the pleasure that was consuming her entire being. She could feel herself getting closer and closer to the edge, and she knew that Ubbe was right there with her. They moved together in perfect harmony, their bodies in sync as they reached the peak of pleasure together.

[aestheticitii]

hair clip.

when the castle was reduced to nothing but rubble, had it still been there? [líf/kiran] content tags: slight angst(?) notes: writing for líf is hard because i want him to smooch the summoner but i don't want him to smooch alfonse's summoner so all i can do is make him sad. also endings are hard

nestled into the palm of his hand is a small, rectangular box, dark blue in color and lacking any extra embellishments. his fingers curl over its slightly curved surface, their tips resting just barely above where his thumb sits at the lid's end.

the identity of its content is obvious to him. though the specifics might be different from his own experience, there is still a younger version of himself walking around the castle with a golden hair clip keeping his bangs out of his face.

a similar gift for him, by the estimates of someone who knows kiran well, is to be expected.

how did that go the first time again?

it seemed like your hair was bothering you.

"on one, two...three!" as its gifter's command, he opens the box to reveal a silver hair clip—a rectangular piece composed of tiny jewel leafs. "it seemed like your hair was bothering you. so...i got you this!"

so...this is for you.

a smile of some sort accompanies her entire performance. at first, a cheery one, mimicking the false cheeriness she injects into her first words; it then melts into something shy, more in line with the careful, uncertain note she ends on.

"do you like it?"

i hope you like it.

dark brown eyes shift from the hair clip to his face—once, twice, seemingly intent on repeating the gesture for however long he remains silent. a thick strand of dark hair, dyed golden because of the sun's warmth—or rather, what manages to make it through the clouds dotted across the sky—spills loose from its restraint.

was it a braid? was her hair always so short?

i think it'll look good on you,

kiran steps forward to the tune of her own exhale. concern softens her eyes and tugs the corners of her lips down ever so slightly. his free hand longs to cup her cheek, so that she'll close her eyes and lean into his touch—and so she'll remember that he'll always trust her judgement.

instead, her fingers graze his cheek hesitantly.

was her touch always so warm?

she says his name.

alfonse.

"líf?"

the beautiful illusion shatters. in place of his wife stands a younger girl who wears her face and guards her heart, and who commands the same love and affection from him, no matter how much he tries to resist.

"your expression," he mumbles.

it's the same.

"hmm?" she retracts her hand in a hurry, as if it is his skin that burns instead of the other way around, and wraps her arms around herself. "sorry. you seemed out of it."

with his gaze still focused on her, he murmurs, "i had one...before. this..."

regret floods his veins the moment he comprehends his words.

"a hair clip? why—oh." her curiosity withers away and leaves behind a saddened expression on his face, one that makes his heart both ache and preen. "i'm sorry. i noticed your hair—and alfonse..."

the blue-haired man looks down, his hair partially obscuring his gaze. "i was just remembering it. i haven't seen it in a long time."

a useless apology lies in wait on the tip of his tongue. without knowing the exact cause of its existence, líf swallows it back down; the hazy, half-realized thoughts he has about it lead him down a river of memories he hasn't visited in a long time.

kiran's muffled laughter, from the day he lost the hair clip, interrupted briefly by their unborn child's vicious desire to remain relevant in the current setting, rings clear in his mind—as does the sound of his daughter's tantrums, and the quiet, sullen way she promised to find the hair clip she haphazardly hid in the royal library.

when the castle was reduced to nothing but rubble, had it still been there?

a warm hand on his shoulder distracts him from his current thoughts. líf covers it with his own, much cooler hand, the result of being a member of the undead; gently, he squeezes it, then looks up at her, hoping the look on his face conveys nothing about his earlier thoughts.

her expression flickers.

"you don't have to wear it. just...know that, okay?" she says finally, holding up her hand preemptively to prevent him arguing with her. the hand he's been keeping cool begins to move, and as he releases it, it grasps his hand and returns his earlier gesture. "and...i'll see you around."

kiran loosens her grasp on his hand and slides her hand out, letting it fall to her side. lips quirking into a terribly awkward smile, set on the backdrop of an expression torn between determined and embarrassed, she turns around and begins to leave.

he watches silently until her form disappears from his view, his gift still in hand. his fingers press down on the lid, then curl tightly over the box.

"you'd like me to wear it, wouldn't you?" the blue-haired man asks, to a dead woman, looking contemplatively at where her younger self once stood.

"if it's from you too, i think...i'd like to wear it."

[moe-broey]

your gustav hate is so cathartic. i hate hate HATE that man >:( also homophobic gustav makes me laugh a lot bc in my verse he'd be super annoyed alfonse was dating the summoner but he'd be like "ok at least he's interested in women again" until henriette is like "oh no darling, i met domi and they're not a woman :)" so anyway, nonbinary sovereign domi for the win, giving gustav headaches since whatever year fire emblem heroes takes place in

AHSJAGSJSGKSHAJSJSJ WAIT THIS IS SO FUCKING FUNNY........ Gustav would absolutely be the type to just. Have No Concept of bi/pansexuality. Also the type to be really fixated on the future of the kingdom, and maybe somewhere in his heart there is truth to him "Wanting what's best for Alfonse". But his idea of "What's best" is entirely rooted in The Kingdom, he's of the belief that like. Any personal desires come second to that, if they're even considered at all. I think he'd also find nobility in self-sacrifice and self-denial, and will often impart that onto Alfonse.

I HAVE.... so many thoughts about this..... that can't really be fleshed out bc we don't know anything beyond Gustav/Henriette Askr family-wise, except that there is an ancestor named Líf (where our Líf picked the name up from). But I do think, Gustav is a prime example of how patriarchal ideals hurt everyone, even those who are meant to benefit from it (also potentially generational trauma, but again, no concept of what the grandparents were like). In my head, maybe he wasn't Always Like This. Maybe there's an exact age you can pinpoint where he was broken down and reduced to as we know him today -- emotionally neglectful, out of touch, abusive. It's likely the only thing he's ever known, and likely. The only way he can conceptualize "love".

And in my head, Alfonse is in a precarious position -- where this is also all he's ever known, when it comes to how men should Be. He still respects his father, still loves him. Still wishes to be like him. Alfonse is a bit at a crossroads, where he still idealizes his father, but also has a spark of rebellion in him. This has some REALLY interesting effects dynamic-wise, in my head, where he can occasionally slip into sounding or acting like Gustav. (THIS one I'm actually careful when I think about it, bc 1 it's rare and 2, Alfonse is still careful, gentle, and kind. I have SO many thoughts about how all of this plays out LMFAOOO esp in conflicts w Sharena...)

I'M. SO OFF TOPIC. BUT.

I DO have a lot of fun ragging on Gustav, whenever I see him it IS On Fucking Sight LMFAOOO. But. I have. So many thoughts as well. Absolutely adding your lore to my plethora of headcanons when it comes to how Alfonse navigates his relationships as crown prince as well though, like, that's so fucking funny LMFAO

[chevaleri]

A tool of death, hidden in plain sight. What a normality this had become. Stay out of sight of the guards, lurking around to listen in on classes, then return to the shadows of Abyss and glare people away from her. Thrasir held no love for the covertness of her existence, but she remained here nonetheless. Perhaps though, she should have left, moved on to the next place to try find Líf.

The blonde haired prince of another world was a dim memory to the undead woman. An old protector, nothing more. Someone from when she was weak. Helpless. Pathetic. Thrasir should have avoided him like the plague. Ha. She was the plague. Perhaps it was simply that fact which meant she couldn't avoid that which she desired to.

To Veronica, Xander had almost been a big brother. Someone who stood at her side without a contract binding him. Someone who had been there when Bruno had not. Veronica was dead though.

Not enough, apparently, to prevent Thrasir from being drawn to the man like a moth to flame. It was foolish, not even the same hero. Why?

"Xander..."

Her body was mostly obscured by her cloak, there was no possible way for him to know who she was. Veronica was dead, she was Thrasir now. Yet she still reached out. For some reason, she still reached out. Why??

she speaks with familiarity - barren of royal title, begone of formalities lacing her tone. the stranger before him says his name with purpose.

that is enough to catch his attention, as quiet as she may have uttered it, head turning towards her with the expression he always dons. stern, serious, albeit not intimidating nor with malcontent - it was simply how his face rested. to what he sees is nothing more than a stranger, brows furrowing a moment as if she were a companion he had since forgotten.

no, nothing came up. her voice was not of a nohrian dialect, nor was her attire - and even if she were, it was nigh impossible for xander to remember every individual under his reign.

in recent years, xander had employed policy that was less than enjoyable for his people - but it was a necessity for their kingdoms survival. perhaps this was a politically driven introduction, a passerby interested.

he extends his hand to shake.

"pardon, but have we met?" is how he begins. "i apologize, but your face isn't one i know. if we have, the memory has slipped beyond me. you speak with familiarity."

[pyrothecary]

okay so we have the separate Claude and Sylvain and Felix selfships which I have to now adjust because uhm. Eye opening Claudevain :3 I love them. :3

Also Byleth. I want M Byleth so bad. And Yuri. I keep remembering more pretty boys

then there’s the ones outside of fe3h like Berkut and Rinea poly

Alfonse, Innes, Lewyn, and Shigure are my beloved, I met them in fe heroes and got super gay. The canons are insane but I just turn off my brain

Then there’s Reyson, Líf, Hríd, Niles, Asugi, and Artur also because of FEH im so normal

I'm so sorry long answr

i am always so happy to spread my claudevain agenda... BUT THOSE ARE SUCH GOOD CHOICES not to be me but.. claude & sylvain are my go-to s supports <3 some of my favourite characters of all time even!!!!!! i play f!byleth for Them. and i totally understand enjoying felix he's so interesting i want to study him under a microscope

M!BYLETH SO TRUE i know he's the less popular byleth but i love him i would defend him to my last breath. someone said he looked like a greyhound once and i can't stop thinking about it. anyway,

YURI ALSO SO TRUE i haven't finished the dlc i've. actually barely started but i'm in love with him his post ts design is SO GOOD. HE IS SO BESUTIFUL. he is perfect to me and perfect FOR me

ASJFHDJEJFJRJKSF I HAVENT TALKED ABOUT SOV IN SO LOMG BUT YES I LOVE BERKUT. I LOVE HIM. i got stuck early on in the game years ago and haven't picked it up since so i don't know much abt rinea but uh what i do know is that they're so. in love. i mean yes there are the things that happen BUT HEYRE STILK SO IN LO

i was also a fan of lucas in that game i think. i don't.. remember much..... still.... man i need to finish it

WHWHWHAHAAAAA FEH!!!!! YEAH!!!!! i only play it to see my meow meows in different outfits but i do love some of the original characters!!!!! huge fan of líf alfonse and ASKR 💪💪💪💪 hríd and nott look Very Good but i don't know much about their personalities

Also i totally understand becoming interested in characters after seeing them in heroes that was so me before. i really liked leo kaden and keaton before i... actually played fates... and realized why it had such a controvwrsial rep 💀👍 BUT HAHA THAT ASIDE. I LIKED INNES TOO JUST BASED OFF DESIGN. also enjoy the homoerotic relationship he has goin with ephraim! if you like asugi i highly recommend checkin out the person he's based on - gaius from fire emblem awakening <3 (sorry awakening is my favourite game of all time ever every time i can shameless plug it i will)

[hulloitsdani]

It’s time for the big one. Book 3!!! My beloved!!!

Okay I’m coming out swinging with this one, but I think I liked book 2 better— HEY put those pitchforks down let me explain myself.

I think, as a first time read, book 3 is really god damn good. There’s genuinely so much to love about it and it marked the moment I personally fell in love with Heroes. The way it expands on the world and takes advantage of FEH’s setting is fantastic, the aesthetic is hands down the best one, and many other things that I’ll dig further into in just a moment. HOWEVER, Book 3 has a pacing problem. And it unfortunately becomes really obvious on a second watch, because you’re already aware of the major twist.

The first five chapters? Gold. Pure gold. Inject the awkward family dinner dynamic directly into my veins. But once we’re in the realm of the dead? Ehhhh the pacing gets a bit more meandering. It’s not as tight in comparison to Book 2. I think the only time book 2’s narrative drags a little is with Loki’s among us shenanigans, but even then it’s not that bad. Outside of that? We are on a rollercoaster and it is not slowing down. Book 3, in my opinion, needs to take notes from that.

Let’s us Helbindi as an example. The reason why his character is effective, despite his limited screen time, is because the story is making full use of Leagjarn and Leavatein’s character building scenes. It’s not only building their dynamic, it’s also building his character. It’s creating the context necessary for us to understand exactly what it means when we learn that he has a younger sister that he is trying to care for in Múspell under Surtr. Book 3 lacks those multipurpose scenes. Most are exactly what they say on the tin. This greatly dampers its ability to juggle our cast of colorful characters in its short timeframe. And perhaps there is no bigger example of that than the character of Eir.

Eir almost feels like she could be cut for the narrative altogether, which is a shame, because man I like her. She deserves a more fleshed out narrative about overcoming her abuse and traumas. In the same way that I’m invested in Fjorm’s vengeance against Surtr, I want to be invested in Eir growing out of Hel’s control. But unfortunately the two characters we mainly see her interacting with is Líf (which are good scenes) and Kiran, you know, our silent protagonist. And Eir herself is pretty quiet. Not exactly a good mix for effectively communicating a lot about her character quickly.

Ironically, there’s a scene in chapter 1 part 5 where Anna is suspicious of Eir and is grilling into her, and it’s honestly a way more interesting dynamic. It’s immediately dropped as other plot developments occur, which is a damn shame because I think that could have been a fun answer to this conundrum. Anna could start suspicious, then immediately feel really bad about being suspicious upon learning what Eir has gone through, but then has those suspicions confirmed when it’s revealed that Eir was ordered to betray them. It would both make sense for Anna to pick up on this threat given the Order’s history and it might also make Eir putting all her cards on the table a lot more impactful.

But that’s enough criticism, because my guys, it’s book 3. Like holy shit I love book 3. If you enjoy FEH, you don’t need me to sell you on book 3. Book 3 gave us Líf. Líf is a sad wet cat of a man and I adore every second he’s on screen. The way he recontextualizes Alfonse and his dynamic with the people in his life adds years to my life. Your honor I require that the skeleton jello man be in a god damn situation with no breaks. To the blender with him.

Speaking of, I was surprised to find how incredibly depressed Líf is. I thought there would be a lot more rage present, but no he’s just sad. This makes every scene between him and Sharena delightfully painful. Chapter 12 part 1 (ie after Líf collapsed a building on top of everyone and has a chit chat with Sharena) might be one of my favorite scenes thus far. As they’re sitting in the rubble of the ruined castle they all called home, they have a painfully genuine little heart to heart. Líf needs to get a little meltdown out of his system before getting back up again and does so by talking to the only person he’s ever known how to. Twisting the knife on it is how it’s all phrased in a way that showcases that it’s just Alfonse. Painfully Alfonse. The same Alfonse who tried to logic his way out of being hurt by self isolating and distancing himself from others. The same Alfonse who tried to double down on that failing ideology, before finally letting his walls come down. It’s delightful. I love how consistent Líf feels with Alfonse’s previous actions.

Also, some of his lines are just really funny? “The realm of the dead is no place for the likes of you, living boy.” now lives rent free in my brain forever. It’s a gift that keeps on giving. On a surface level, that’s an odd line and bizarre insult. But the more you learn about Líf, the better it gets. When was the last time he talked to living person outside of the realm of the dead? Do think he rehearsed that in his head for the day he knew he’d inevitably face down his younger self? Is he internally cringing or fully committed? No matter the answer it’s hilarious. God damnit I love Líf.

In other news, I may have glazed over it before, but oh my god those opening chapters are delightful. Awkward family dinner my beloved. I genuinely cannot get enough of it! I am putting Gustav under a god damn microscope. All of his scenes are so god damn fascinating. I loveeee this guy and his consequences on the narrative. Usually, when there’s a somewhat morally complicated character who is also a parent, the parental qualities of that character are seen as the morally good parts. But with Gustav, that’s where the moral complexities of his character reside. He’s not a bad person, he’s a good leader, he’s a great husband, but he’s a complicated father to both Sharena and Alfonse. Hell, he’s complicated for those exact reasons! It’s so god damn fun to see. The love is there, but so is the flaws of every person involved.

The writing on this guy is peak too. Everyone is nervous and stuttering when talking to him, which is behavior that we haven’t seen out of most of these characters up to this point. Surtr resurrecting himself didn’t even begin to strike the same level of momentary blind terror that proceeds Gustav rolling up to witness the overly dangerous dumb shit our protagonists are getting up to. And it makes sense! That’s their dad! And king of the whole nation! Our protagonists care about his opinion more than most. It’s so awkward and I love it! The best part, in my opinion, is that the only character not at least a little nervous to talk to him is Henriette. I don’t know what exactly it is about this that gets me, but oh boy does it get me. They’re married, your honor. I would even be so bold as to claim that’s his other half. They mean a lot to me. Henriette did not deserve to be caught in the cross fire of the FE dad curse, but damn does it make good drama.

And last but not least, Sharena. Oh boy do I love every scene with Sharena this season. To the point where I’m disappointed that we don’t get more. Her dynamic with Alfonse is called to attention for obvious reasons, but I enjoy the subtle way it’s pushed to the forefront before the stage light came on. The royal siblings got each other’s back— to the point where if one goes down, it’s like the other lost a limb. I really like that and it’s a shame the pacing doesn’t allow for more of it.

I also want to draw that scene where she stops Líf’s assassination attempt so so bad. She deserves to kick his ass and then be confused about his behavior with Alfonse later.

Anyway, that’s where I’m gonna leave this one. I feel like I could go on for forever. More than already have, anyway. Book 4 is up next and will mark the half way point. Wish me luck

Um. So. I may have gotten stressed and started transcribing FEH’s story mode. Might currently have all of book 1 written down. Perhaps a third of the way into book 2.

This started as a way to have the preface chapters handy since they’re not replayable. But then I looked on the FE wiki and saw that they only have a small fraction of the chapters written down. And that scared me, because means that my hyperfixation has a nonzero chance of becoming lost media if the app were to go down one day. So now I have all of book 1 in my back pocket, including the preface, two intermissions, and the two relevant xenologues. Once I’m further along and have a few more books accounted for, I have no problem making the document public. But until then I encourage others to also write some of its content down. Just in case, you know? Especially those prologues and Tempest Trials.

With that PSA out of the way, omg book 1 hi!!!! It’s been forever!!!!

Apparently, I haven’t reread book 1 in its entirety since I first played Heroes! I’ve gone back to look for specific scenes and replayed the levels on harder difficulties (self inflicted or otherwise), but I haven’t done a thorough second pass before. Which was news to me, because that meant I was consistently blindsided by scenes and characterization that I completely forgot about! Did any of you remember that Zacharias was apparently Alfonse and Sharena’s childhood friend? I didn’t! But there it is, chapter 7 part 5 after battle cutscene, Anna specifies that aspect of their relationship. That’s crazy! How does the timeline even line up on that??? If he spent his childhood in Askr, how did he manage to have a strong relationship with his significantly younger sister? How did he find himself rubbing shoulders with enemy royalty? Could he have inadvertently met Peony? I’m not changing my takes on his character, but I would love to know.

Speaking of character, apparently seven years spent writing a character naturally changes how they sound! Who would have thought. It made seeing the book 1 versions of our Askr trio a little jarring, but in an oddly nostalgic way! This was a phase of the game where the story, its characters, and its world existed with the singular purpose of introducing new players to what Heroes was trying to do. Which was, at the time, being a cute yet unobtrusive gacha app tie in with simplified FE mechanics to give you that gameplay fix on the go. And to its credit, it does do a good job of this! It ain’t a masterpiece, but I was charmed by its emphasis on showing off all these cool characters you could go summon. Ryoma gets to talk for a few lines and you are going to look at his very pretty art! But that meant that the world and characters of Zenith take a bit of a backseat. They’re not here to be too complicated. The Order of Heroes are the friendly faces that go on adventures and meet these heroes that you can summon for only $19.99. But we all know where the game and its story is going to go from here. That emphasis is going to wane as FEH grows into its own identity (and also earn IntSys over $1 billion worldwide).

But that’s a later development. Before that fundamental shift is where book 1 sits. It’s in this fascinating position where these characters have yet to solidify into their recognizable forms. And if you don’t believe me, chapter 9 part 4 has a scene where Sharena and Alfonse’s roles have reversed. For once, Sharena is posing the cautionary “what if the information we are getting from this total stranger is a trap?”, to which Alfonse responds “nah I’m getting a vibe that it’s fine and that we should believe him whole heartedly.” Like??? Huh???? It’s Bruno, but still, that’s hilarious! Alfonse’s pragmatism bordering on paranoia hasn’t established itself as a massive driver of his character yet. Nor has Sharena’s role as trusting emotional core and moral compass of the group. It was very easy to borderline Mandela Effect it into being there, but it isn’t. Not quite. There are hints, sure, but once again these characters were initially made to be simple at the time. The depth doesn’t quite exist yet.

It wasn’t until I was writing this very paragraph that it finally dawned on me why the Askr trio voice lines, especially Alfonse’s lines, are such a big deal. That's where Alfonse’s character arc with trusting Kiran resides. There's the pragmatism we know and love! It’s not super present in the text of book 1, but the depth of these characters can be found in the voice lines you unlock from building them and earning the crown jewel level 40 conversation. That’s where Alfonse’s arc with his self isolating behaviors crumbles at that sight of one silly tactician. That’s where Sharena finally wins a fight against her own loneliness by forming genuine friendship with this stranger form a strange land, who is appreciative of her loud eccentricities. That’s where Anna apologizes about her initial underestimation of Kiran, thanks them for being more reliable than she could have ever hoped for, and swears that whatever hell may come their way, they’re in this together. The books themselves don’t seem to reflect this characterization until book 2, where they overall act more in accordance with the rest of the narrative. It’s as if they're taking from the voiced lines’ example and extrapolating more on the story they imply.

The one standing in slight contrast to all this is Bruno, as he's the most interesting character in book 1. It's blaringly obvious he's Zacharias, but it's genuinely amusing how deep he is in his own gaslighting. He can't manipulate, mansplain, manwhore his way out of this one folks, but he's certainly going to try! His lies aren't even that good, but it honestly contributes to how at wits end he is. Like, sure honey, I totally believe you that you just killed Zacharias. I bet he has an eight-pack too. Just take a nap for two minutes. But then everyone believes him because our protagonists have yet meld their group braincell. Overall, an amusing time.

I don't have a particular point I'm trying to make with this one. Just having a fun and pointing out the things I've noticed. Might give a little update for every book I complete. However many that will be.

[theflowerbabyy]

Aksjsknd

I don’t know how to draw someone help me

Also I love changing my art style like 24/7-

H ow do I d r aw his m a sk i M —

[bloodyellenlost]

Líf honey

You're already heartbroken

Lemme fix that for you by spamming you with me tapping on the screen

[saltlordaris]

Líf with his sexy thighs at the Day of Devotion festival be like

[dreamonseems]

Master List

Vikings Ubbe 

Líf series Part 1

Líf series Part 2

Líf series Part 3

Líf series Part 4

Líf series Part 5

Líf series Part 6

Líf series Part 7

Líf series Part 8

Joel Miller

The man I am Part 1

The man I am Part 2

The man I am Part 3

The man I am Part 4

The man I am Part 5

Jack Harlow

First Meeting Part 1

First Meeting Part 2

8 Daughters Part 1 

8 Daughters Part 2

8 Daughters Part 3

8 Daughters Part 4

Angus Cloud/Fezco

Twitter

Erling Haaland

Brats Deserve To Be Punished

Breakfast

First Game

Hands

Miss Understandings

Cry Baby

Reminder

My One And Only

Falling On The Job

Behave

I'm Sorry

I Love You

Good Strong Viking Name

Mango

Venha Aqui (Come here)

Lucky

First Time

Orange

Baby's Wish

Viking Rage

Clumsy Mommy

TMI

Nightly Shenanigans

The Other Woman Part 1

Happy Wife Happy Life

The Other Woman Part 2

The Other Woman Part 3

Towering

King Haaland Part 1

King Haaland Part 2

King Haaland Part 3

Reward

Princess

Thank You

Brazil [Coming Soon]

Embrace [Coming Soon]

Crush [Coming Soon]

First Game [Coming Soon]

Eduardo Camavinga

Love

Protector

Kylian Mbappé [Coming Soon]

[oracleether]

“I made a dangerous wager...and I lost. We all did.”

[sherbet-shark]

The ghost of you

Mini Drabble

Author’s note: I’m trying my hand at writing for another fandom/ and the idea of making this blog a multifandom one is invading my mind asdjkl. Do not interact if you don’t want spoilers for this game. Fire Emblem Heroes. I can’t believe I’m being dragged back into the fandom AGAIN,,

Summary: Líf sees the ghost of you every time he every time sees the summoner of this Askr. You have the same face, mannerisms, and beautiful smile that would’ve made his heart skip a beat. If only…

Trigger Warnings: Character Death, FE: Heroes spoilers, War, Angst

Líf loathed admitting how similar you were to his summoner. After you summoned him to the Order’s side, all he could see was the ghost of you in them. Every little thing, the undead general saw you. Líf knew even though he was undoubtedly in an alternate universe where death won. It stabbed his heart with jealousy and malice towards every peaceful interaction you shared with him.

Stop looking at him like that. Stop asking how he was doing after every battle. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop trying to make his already dead heart beat with love for someone that was already gone…

Why did he have to suffer the horror of losing the love of his life, his family, and the war against Embla while the younger version of himself can revel in your affection, the constant victories, and his remaining family alive? Deep down, Líf knew that for your world to win. His world had to lose, but in that painful, horrific moment. A small piece of his sanity and heart died as his summoner drew their last breath by Eir’s dagger.

That was only the tip of the iceberg, as his Order’s Heroes dropped like flies. It made everyone anxious seeing their beloved Summoner dead by an ally’s hand. Soon after, everyone perished. The taste of defeat and death sat bitterly upon the dead man’s tongue as he held Sökkvabekkr. The metal file in his armored hand tightens as he sharpens his sword. To sheer away unwanted memories, clean away the dried blood of his enemies. To clean away the ghost of you, as his glowing red eyes stared into the blade. What would you say now seeing his damned soul like this?

[hulloitsdani]

Part of the struggle I faced when making my own modern designs comes from Alfonse not quite being the person he expresses on a surface level.

In the few times I’ve drawn him this way, I had the dawning horror mid drawing that he 100% would wear argyle vests. And not as a work causal slay. No, thats more what Anna is flaunting. She is the queen of button down shirts and dress pants. And it looks so natural on her because she is as extremely work driven as she appears.

But that’s not what Alfonse is doing. He’s formal in a way that looks stiff. It’s not truly who he is, but at a first glance it makes him look like the calm collected straight man (not the sexuality, the comedy role) in this group of eccentrics. The friend who your mom trusted with her number to call in case the group got into trouble. But get to know him a beyond this surface level and you will learn that Alfonse is the friend who got the group in trouble in the first place. He is just as chaos prone, but he puts a mask up to appear like he isn’t.

In order to preserve this part of his character (at least in a beginning), the more interesting gender nonconformity unfortunately takes a bit of a backseat. There are still hints, as you are taking Alfonse’s heels out of my cold dead hands, but it’s kept to a minimum. However I imagine as his character develops and his walls start dropping, we witness more of this side of him and see his more natural states of dress. It’s not a super developed style because he’s been neglecting this form of expression outside of a logical tool, but it’s still there. And we love that for him.

Meanwhile if you want an Alfonse who has fully stopped giving a shit and says fuck it we ball the moment he walks into a clothing store, may I direct your attention to Líf. He is such a goth bitch. Wearing all black in the middle of summer because it gives him the happy chemical and he now knows not to take that for granted. Thasir’s eyeliner? No, it’s Líf’s spare eyeliner that she carries for him in case of emergencies. He’s fucking it up. He’s serving. He may be cringe but at least he’s free.

It is extremely difficult to design modern outfits for Alfonse though idk what it is. Sharena will look good in anything from flannel docs lesbian outfit to cute overalls to something sporty to high femme dresses (tbh I still wanna draw her in one of my fave old dresses ..) but Alfonse. There are def a few routes you can take keeping his character/personality in mind and I think they look good/are super cute and make sense but like... esp for me personally, thinking of the v specific way I draw/stylize him...

AH. MAYBE. MAYBE I FIGURED IT OUT BC I HAVE NO PROBLEM DESIGNING OUTFITS FOR HIM IN FEH CONTEXT...... it's cause that bitch is always wearing tights and long shirts that (esp depending on how you draw it) border on being dress-like to straight up robes/skirt-like garments WHICH makes sense for him in universe bc that's p standard wear for men in Askr, in the Order of Heroes specifically. Like

Seliph's resplendent stands out to me as a huge example of this, and you can kinda see it in Corrin's too! Though I do think resplendents often take a lot from the chara's base outfit (both standard and resplendent Seliph having tunics, both Corrins having leggings ect). But speaking of Corrin, espp the lengthening of that bit of fabric at Corrin's hip, looks a lot like Gustav's garments!

Who may be a better measure for men's dress in Askr (normal attire, for a king anyway, and a cultural festival outfit). But I do also think you can glean some details off of resplendent designs too!

Also actually.

This Day of the Life comic that acknowledged Sharena's absence from the DoD banner (BITE BITE KILL KILL SO MUCH HATRED IN THE WORLD‼️‼️‼️) implies that their outfits may have been identical, just in their respective signature colors (blue and pink). And even looking at Alfonse and Sharena's base art, they have a lot in common!

And looking at Seliph and Corrin again, the puffy sleeves seen on Sharena and Henriette aren't necessarily gendered traits. ACTUALLY.... GUSTAV HAS THEM TOO! Alfonse's outfit is an outlier sleeve design wise!

Which is to say, there aren't actually a lot of strict gender differences in attire here. A lot of the clothing looks/feels androgynous esp when viewed through a modern lense (like I'm sure there's a lot of real-world historical inspo that goes into the designs, I just know fuck all about that LMFAO 😅). And esppp the way I've come to draw Alfonse a lot, I do emphasize what reads as femme -- giving him longer shirts, simplifying the strappy armor on his thighs into. Over the knee socks. Over the leggings/tights. 🫣 And that's not even getting into the knee high boots and heels!!!!

WHICH IS. Actually SO FUCKING DIFFICULT. To translate into modern fashion esp typical standard men's fashion, in a way that still feels true to him as well... bc I do believe in femme/androgynous Alfonse supremacy 😤 But he is ALSO. SO IMPORTANTLY. He is VERY MUCH just some guy who is heavily defined by the role he's been put in. Which is also kind of difficult to sort out, what Would he wear, if the standards were completely different and also if he was choosing for himself?

SINCE. I'M CERTAIN idk if I wanna dig for it but -- I'm CERTAIN all his outfits have been picked For him to some degree. The Order of Heroes outfit is a uniform, the bunny outfit is implied/stated to be picked by Sharena. The yukatas in their duo are 1) Hoshidan and 2) I think Anna was the one who picked them? Might be wrong on that, but I do feel like there's a castle dialogue about it. And of course, the DoD outfits are implied to be cultural Askran wear, and going back to that comic -- it seems neither Alfonse OR Sharena have much of a say in what it looks like (her being uncomfortable "showing that much leg" -- that, if given a choice, she may have wanted something more modest).

So like. There is. So much going on here actually.

[otterskin]

Dumb Details From the Loki Trailer I noticed but then got too serious about

First - apparently it’s not a trailer, so I guess we’ll get ‘Trailer 1′ later? ‘Exclusive Clip’ hardly seems accurate, but hey, I’m not Disney’s marketing division. I wouldn’t live in a shoebox if I was.

Dumb detail no. 1:

Owen Wilson’s jacket is...weird. Look closely.

And another shot:

Yeah...his jacket has a ‘reversed collar’. It’s a cut-out rather than cloth folding on top. Huh. What a strange design choice. What could it mean?

I’ve no idea, but that I watched the trailer enough times to notice this should concern you.

Detail No. 2

In this scene, we see what we can presume to be President Loki’s ‘Throne’. Notice the candy-canes. This is a Santa Claus throne, presumably from some mall Santa. This whole place might be in a mall, judging by the stuff in it.

But the Loki in this shot is not President Loki. Notice that he’s wearing brown pants, a thin brown tie, and the beige shirt he’s seen wearing in other parts of the trailer after he's apparently joined the TVA. President Loki wears black pants, a green vest and a wide green tie with a golden clip that resembles Loki’s little chevron he always has (more on that later).

So it would seem that Loki might meet President Loki here. President Loki might even be addressing him at the end of the trailer. It’s possible that his minions turn on him because there’s two Lokis and they don’t know which is the ‘imposter’. 

Speaking of, there’s a minion with bicycle handlebars grafted to a football helmet here, likely meant to resemble Loki. I dig it. There’s also cans of food scattered among the rubbish here. Makes sense that food production is non-existent since everyone has resorted to wearing license plates and spoons. Love how tattered the whole aesthetic is.

This reminds me of the opening Michael Waldron’s script ‘Worst Guy of All Time’, which featured a similar post-apocalyptic setting after the ‘worst guy’ ruins everything and makes himself king of the ashes. That’s likely what’s happened here, but I hope that Loki isn’t anything like Logan Paul, who was the inspiration for that title character.

Ah, the mysterious female character watching a meteor shower WAY TOO CLOSE UP. But my eyes are drawn to one thing...

What is that oblong object with a shiny handle? Could it be...

A sword? I do love swords. Did you know there’s a bunch of pictures of me in the stock photos for ‘Fencing?’ That’s my cred for loving swords.

I suspect that this female character will be an amalgamation of Amora (shudder) and Sylvie and an alternate Loki of some kind. This sword is currently in her possession, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it or another timeline version of it becomes the Loki Show’s Loki′s weapon. 

Loki has lacked a ‘weapon of his own’ in the MCU for quite some time. I mean, yes, he has his little knives, but they are many and disposable and something he chose for himself, rather than the two legendary weapons wielded by Odin and Thor, Gungnir and Mjolnir. In fact, throughout his appearances, Loki has seemed to want such a thing of his own - he briefly had Gungnir, and then the Gungnir-like scepter, and even tried to lift Mjolnir.

One might ask why Odin would’ve overlooked such an obvious show of favouritism. Why give Thor a storied weapon and leave Loki empty-handed? Heck, even Hela had the Necroblade.

In Thor 1, we might’ve assumed that the Casket of Ancient Winters was perhaps intended one day to be given to Loki, as it is shown with Mjolnir in the Vault and thus connected to it and the children who would inherit it.  But in the comics, Odin did have another weapon of storied history put away for his second son: Gram the Sword.

It was locked for eons by Odin in a special vault which required five keys to be opened, and it was meant to be for Loki if he be worthy.[2] The five keys were infused by Odin with the powers of "journeys", "endurance", "secrets", "new beginnings", and "brotherhood", respectively.[3]

The sword, like everything else in comics, has a complicated history full of take-backs and twists, but let’s just leave it at ‘it’s a representation of Loki’s worthiness and belonging in the trifecta with Odin and Thor as a King of Asgard’. It gives him ‘equality’.

In the original mythology, it’s wielded by Sigurd to kill the dragon Fafnir, and the only relation it has to Loki is that Loki is partially responsible for Fafnir existing in the first place (my username is nod to this myth by the by. Sorry Ottär.) But hey, maybe that means we’re getting a dragon? The Fafnir would be very cool.

Or it could just be a bit of rebar in this mining quarry.

Then again...it appears somewhere else...

It’s easier to see in motion, but that’s a sword swinging on this person’s back.

So the hooded figure is this lady...shall we call her Amylkie? Does that mean she’s the antagonist of this show? Well...maybe, but I suspect the true antagonist is foreshadowed here  -

So, what’s going on here? A young girl (Young Amylkie? Some other TVA prisoner that the guard is watching over? An oracle, A Norn, or a kid who wandered off from the tour group in a basilica somewhere?) She’s giving Mobius M. Mobius a...piece of chocolate. Maybe he saw a Dementor, I dunno. I suspect it’ll be a MacGuffin of some kind later. He looks pretty concerned here, which contrasts with his ‘another day at the office’ blaséness when dealing with Loki. But of course this is the eye-catcher:

So, Norse Mythology. It’s been Christiannized. You can thank Snorri Sturluson for that, but you can google all about him later. Let’s just say that he made many Norse figures into equivalents for Christian ones. Baldur is Jesus, pure and a sacrificial lamb who dies for a greater good. And the devil is...Loki. Something the Marvel comics and the MCU have continued.

Here we have a devil, dressed in green and with a distinct shape on his chest:

Hmmm...wait...I know that weird horny shape...

Ah. I’d say that cinches it. This is meant to be Loki. If you look at the devil’s hair, it also resembles Loki’s, being shoulder-length and black.

So, what’s devil-Loki doing? Laying an egg? Trying out a foot massager? For a second I thought it was a moon, but we see the moon over his left shoulder, amongst the stars. Which means this is - probably the Earth.

...Dammit; I live there.

So Earth is barren and being devoured by flames, likely caused by this Loki sitting atop of it (in a throne, no less). Aw gee, things look pretty bad, don’t they?

But wait - what’s that? Under the Earth (and, possibly, under the earth)?

It’s a plant. A shoot, to be exact.

Back to Ragnarok for a second. Ragnarok isn’t the apocalypse (something we see a lot of in this trailer - all of it seems to be exploring the end of days). Ragnarok is the fire meant to wipe out the old and fertilize the ground for the new. And after the gods have died, what happens? Well, Baldur emerges from Hel, one of the only surviving gods (hmm, seems him dying worked out, didn’t it?). He’s joined by Líf and Lífþrasir, who are the new first man and woman, who’s names mean ‘Life’ and who are pictured, usually, with plants and new life. It is they who are tasked who growing a new Yggdrasil after the destruction of the old. The previous first man and woman are Ask and Embla, meaning Ash Tree and Vine/Elm tree, so there’s a theme there. 

So a new sprout, possibly a tree, growing out of the destruction of the old.

This fits with Loki’s role as understood in mythology. He checks the arrogance of the gods, including when they tried to achieve immortality (sorry, Baldur, nothing personal), and that keeps the gods at their best. After Loki is imprisoned, the gods become weak, unhelpful and foolish, and Yggdrasil starts to rot. Eventually Loki escapes and returns along with Surtur (who also resembles this figure) to burn it all to the ground. This is also referenced in Thor:Ragnarok, with Loki releasing Surtur in the Vault, a place of thematic importance to Loki and one that represents the hidden secrets and sins of Asgard). You could say Ragnarok continued into Infinity War, where Loki played an important part in aiding Thanos’ destruction, giving up the stone to protect his brother and essentially dooming the rest of the universe - but also ultimately leading to its salvation, even if, like Myth Loki, he wasn’t around to see it.

So, we see Amylkie literally start a fire in the trailer -

- in fact, this whole trailer is awash in flame -

It’s fire, fire everywhere and she’s setting them!

It’s possible Amylkie’s our big bad, but I think there’s a chance she’s either a red herring, or, much like how Loki ‘worked’ with Thanos in The Avengers, she is the pawn of a greater foe -

  - a Loki bent on destruction, for some reason or other. The TVA is obviously aware that this is the case, and it seems like they might be trying to ‘fight fire with fire’ by enlisting one Loki to combat another. The villain could be President Loki, since there's evidence of 2 Lokis in that scene - or maybe that's one of many Lokis, and the Big Bad Loki is being played by Hugh Grant as Old Loki. In any case, it would appear that Loki will be coming face-to-face with the worst versions of himself, and many of them. And, if I’m right about this scene:

...Loki will likely eventually discover that even his ‘good’ timeline ended in the destruction of his people and home, plus his own gruesome and torturous death. Although I think the TVA will keep that from him, and just show him the happy parts in an effort to inspire ‘good behaviour’. Until Loki inevitably discovers the rest of how that timeline played out and realize he’s been lied to. I don’t imagine he’ll take that very well...

Damn, even our ‘hero’ Loki is burning stuff down! Does this mean that Loki is doomed, always meant to be an avatar of death and toasty destruction?

Well...let’s go back to that stained glass.

Hmmm...wait...I know that weird horny shape...

And there’s something else...the bottom of the Earth is being lit up, and not by fire. Light appears to be coming off this little plant.

What colour is this plant again? That’s right, green. Green is the colour of new life and growth and change and...hang on, I’ve heard that before, too...

Hang on hang on HANG ON... let me have a look at the shape again.

That’s...a letter. An L? For Loki? Like in the title sequence?

Wait...no, a different letter. An older letter. After all, Loki is old Norse. How do you spell his name in that again?

ᛚᛟᚲ ᛁ -

And ENHANCE on that third letter!

This, my friends, is a Kenaz/Kaunaz, or what would become 'K' in our alphabet. It is also known as the 'Loki Rune' (and the Ulcer Rune, for some reason. I suspect Odin understands why). It’s used to spell his name, but is also used on his own to represent him. Heck, it's even his Superman 'S' in the comics:

Runes are more than letters - they are symbols for concepts. So what else does it mean?

Primarly, it means ‘torch’.

And also ‘knowledge’ (ken). As well as ‘growth, change, the search for truth, decay, arrogance, elitism, feminine, kinship and creativity.’

...Okay, that’s a lot, but you have to admit it fits.

More specifically, it means ‘Mastery of the Fire’. As in, someone who has learned to tame fire so that it is helpful, not harmful. To bring light and, symbolically, knowledge.

There’s another way Loki’s been associated with fire - in the Wagner Ring Cycle, Das Rheingold, the opera that inspired much the Thor films’ aesthetic and certainly their helmets, Loki is called ‘Loge’, which means ‘Fire’. He’s usually dressed to match, too -

Many trickster figures are associated with fire. They are usually called ‘Fire-bringers’ - See: Raven, Lucifer, Prometheus, etc. They are often complex figures with a foot in different worlds, but who nonetheless help mankind with the gift of ‘fire’ - although they usually pay for it, and tend to be self-destructive.

(Side note. Lucifer means light-bringer, which is what luciferase is named after. Because it glows. Which is helpful in labs. In case someone needed to know that.)

Moving from a destructive fire-starter to a fire-bringer seems like a great character arc for Loki to take, especially given his rehabilitation in pop culture, the comics, and even wider culture. Loki has gone from being seen as an evil, deviant, destructive character to one who’s seen as a patron of the arts and creativity, of stories rather than lies. Heck, some scholars of Norse Mythology even posit that he’s the closet thing to a protagonist Norse Mythology has, so I guess that backfired, Snorri!). Being dressed in green and with the sprout clearly also being stylized after his Kaunaz, there’s foreshadowing that he’ll be capable of growing good things even out of ashes.

So, to sum up: Being ‘Satan’ sounds pretty bad, but with a little letter re-arranging like we see in the title sequence, you can be...

...practically a saint. Maybe even a saviour.

Merry Christmas, everybody.

[mornyavie]

Glossary of references in The Bifrost Incident

 It’s Very Long and yet also not really complete. If there are any questions / clarifications I can add, or I’ve messed anything up and need to fix it, let me know!

The tl;dr is that nearly every word in the album draws from either Norse mythology or the Lovecraft / Cthulhu mythos, directly or indirectly.

@moony221b here’s that glossary that I promised forever and a day ago.

Edit: I decided to create this document of annotations (x). Lyrics taken from Genius; I’m not totally sure how accurate they are, but hopefully they help get the point across! Again, questions and complaints both welcome.

Arcomba

I can’t find anything on this, would be interested if someone knows.

Asgard

One of the Nine Worlds, specifically the one where most of the Æsir (the subset of gods most associated with humans, including the well-known ones like Thor and Odin) live.

Thus Asgard is the planet on which the most powerful inhabitants of the Yggdrasil system, and those named after the gods, are found (though the subjugation / colonization relationship does not exist in myth).

Azathoth

This one’s from Lovecraft; Azathoth is the greatest of the Outer Gods, often served and worshiped by other gods themselves. Often described as mad, a demon, a sultan, or putting it all together as the Mad Demon Sultan. Resides at “the center of the universe,” where he appears as some sort of vast, amorphous, bubbling, roiling mass of “nuclear chaos.” (Nuclear probably refers to center, not nuclear power, which didn’t really exist when this was written). Servants about him play drums and flutes.

Mentioned briefly as the train travels through the Bifrost and into his realm, and a lot of the narration in those few verses draws directly from Lovecraft’s descriptions.

Baldur

The god of light and beloved by all, Baldr was killed by Loki in his final betrayal of the gods. After the murder Loki was tracked down and imprisoned, and will escape at the start of Ragnarok. In particular, Loki used a spear made of mistletoe... or, in the album, missile two. And tricked another god into throwing it, which I think is mimicked in the distance and impersonality of the crime. Look up more of his story if you want, it’s interesting and important, but that’s the relevant info here.

Bifrost

The rainbow bridge that the gods use to travel between worlds. 

Which is, of course, directly analogous to the wormhole-ish extradimensional-ish space of “shifting, undulating hues” through which the train travels.

Edda

The Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda are the names given to two pieces of literature that are most people’s main source for Norse mythology. The Prose Edda was written by Snorri Sturluson around 1200 to teach his (mostly Christian) contemporaries about the mythology and mythological references that made up a big chunk of Norse literature. The Poetic Edda is a set of poems that serve as a major source for Norse tales.

This is partially just a way to connect our hero Lyfrassir Edda to the Norse traditions, but also definitely a reference to their (presumed) role as the main “recorder” and source of information to get out of the Yggdrasil system.

Fate

Honestly the way the Mechanisms deal with fate in general is very interesting and arguably sometimes quite Nordic... but in particular, Bifrost Incident references fate or destiny a number of times and features a number of situations where the outcome is fixed and can’t be changed, but you have to fight anyways: “Killing me won’t save your world” “I don’t care” or how Loki and Sigyn can’t stop the train, but can only delay it. A lot of Norse tragedy revolves around people heading into battle knowing that they’re doomed and fighting anyways, or around the cycle of conflict that marked the cultural requirements for avenging insults. And the myth cycle is notable for the fact that the gods know, explicitly, exactly what Ragnarok is, what’s going to happen, and how they’re going to die, but will fight in it anyways. 

Inevitability and helplessness in the face of what you can’t possibly understand, let alone fight, which is a depiction slightly sideways of the Nordic version, are very Lovecraftian themes.

Fenrir

A wolf, child of Loki and father of Skoll and Hati, who was chained by the gods (particularly by Tyr, who placed his hand in the wolf’s mouth as “hostage” to assure him they would unchain him later, and lost the hand). He will break free at Ragnarok to join the battle against them and kill Odin.

With his association with monsters and with Loki, it’s fairly clear why he was aligned with the resistance movement. He’s serving “five life sentences” as a reference to his being chained, and the whole motif of the train’s journey being hijacked for a prison break certainly references the various characters who will be freed or break free as Ragnarok begins.

Frey

The brief reference of Frey being killed by the raging fire of the sun, with “no weapon, no defense,” is a direct translation of the god’s role in Ragnarok, when he will be killed by Surtr. Frey gave away his sword for the opportunity to woo his eventual wife, and so will be armed only with a stag’s antlers in his final combat. Also called Freyr.

Freya (“weeps tears of red-gold”)

Like her brother Frey (and yeah, these names get confusing), Freya is associated with harvest and fertility, though unlike him she also gets battle. In the song she weeps red-gold tears at the death of her husband Odr, which in myth she is said to do when her husband is absent. Also called Freyja.

Garm

Garm is another wolf, who guards Hel’s gates. He also breaks free at Ragnarok, and his howling heralds its coming. As in the album, he will fight and kill Tyr. Also called Garmr.

Hati

There’s a lot of wolves in Norse mythology. This one is a child of Fenrir. He chases the moon across the sky, and will swallow it when Ragnarok comes.

Mentioned briefly only as one of the resistance members on the train.

Heimdall

Heimdall is the watchman of the gods, with keen eyes and foresight, and guards the Bifrost as the entrance to Asgard. He will blow his horn to summon the gods to the final battle during Ragnarok, and he and Loki will kill one another. Also called Heimdallr; you’re probably noticing a pattern. It’s a grammar thing.

Mentioned as guarding the train and “doing his part.” His dying screams initiate the train’s destruction and echo throughout it, which presumably recalls the horn thing.

Hel

Another daughter of Loki, and, as the name will imply to English speakers, a guardian of the dead. She refuses to give Baldur back to the world of the living after Loki kills him. Also the name of the realm in which she resides, and to which go those who die of disease or old age. Doesn’t necessarily have the same bad-punishment connotation as modern Hell. I don’t know whether there’s any indication of what she herself is doing in Ragnarok, but many of her people and associates are certainly fighting against the gods, and I’m fairly certain the ship Naglfar, which carries Loki and his allies to Ragnarok, sets sail from Hel.

Hel as a prison colony clearly references the various characters the gods have chained or otherwise imprisoned (though, in myth, not all within Hel) as well as her alignment with “other side” during Ragnarok, and the jailbreak the resistance members are planning recalls the breaking of all these bonds as Ragnarok begins.

Hoddmimis

The woods in which Líf and Lífþrasir (see Lyfrassir) will shelter to survive Ragnarok and the various disasters accompanying it. 

So, good news! We can be marginally assured of Lyfrassir’s survival after taking shelter at the mining-colony of Hoddmimis.

Jormungandr

The world serpent, which lives in the seas and encircles the earth. Will arise during Ragnarok, causing great floods, and fight Thor; Thor will slay the serpent, but in turn the serpent’s poison will cause his death, after he staggers “nine steps back.”

Thor’s fight with Odin-turned-serpent is pretty clearly analogous to this, especially the taking nine steps to the window before destroying it with his hammer, resulting in both their deaths. I don’t think there’s any mythological basis to Odin turning into the serpent, though

Kvasir (“blood drained out”)

Kvasir was a very wise man/god and the originator of poetry. I’m leaving out a fair amount of his birth and life; the important information here is that two dwarves who were jealous of his knowledge tricked him, killed him, drained his blood, and mixed it with honey to make mead. Any who drank of the mead gained the gift of poetry / scholarship; eventually the gods stole it.

I’m not sure if there’s a reason they decided to specifically describe him as a resistance member, but there’s a clear parallel in Kvasir’s blood being drained and used to power the train, especially with the language of glyphs and sigils providing power.

Loki

Ah, Loki. Male in the general canon, though not without genderbending (he turns into a mare and gives birth to Fenrir, Hel, and Jormungandr, for instance). Inasmuch as the Norse myths we have can be organized into a “chronology,” you could do it (in my opinion) along Loki’s path from a mostly benevolent trickster god whose antics occasionally cause trouble to a genuinely malevolent figure. Associated with wit, magic, and trickery. Despite how modern lore (I suspect influenced by Marvel) often portrays Thor and Loki as brothers and children of Odin, in the myth Loki and Odin are bonded as blood-brothers. But Loki also often appears alongside Thor. As mentioned, parent of three of the main figures of Ragnarok. In the “final” myth, he jealously arranges the death of the god Baldr, who was loved by all; then he appears at a feast, where he exchanges insults with the other gods. This is the last straw; they capture him and chain him to a stone, over which they tie a serpent. Venom drips from the serpent’s fangs, causing him great agony. His wife Sigyn stays by his side, catching the venom in a bowl, but when she is forced to leave for a moment to dump it out his thrashing causes earthquakes. He will break free at the start of Ragnarok and sail to Asgard, where he and Heimdall will kill each other.

Hopefully that’s enough to give you a good background for Loki’s role in the album... it’s pretty clear why she’s framed as the opposition to the gods and the “leader” of the resistance movement, as a call to her role in Ragnarok. Her association with magic and trickery make sense for her being the “expert” in the twisted Lovecraftian “science” that produces the train. It also parallels her role in myth; her actions often get the gods into trouble, but they just as often need her wit and knowledge to get them out of it, as Odin needs her knowledge despite her taking action to destroy the train. And the setup at the end - drip, drip, drip, her face twisted in pain, her wife beside her, her “release” heralding the end of the world - precisely echoes the language of her bondage in myth; though her mind-destroying imprisonment by Odin also invokes this.

Lovecraft(ian)

A highly influential horror writer from the early 20th century. He’s largely credited with the creation of the creation of the “cosmic horror” genre, a type of horror which emphasises a vast, unknowable, uncaring universe against which we cannot hope to even begin to fight. His ideas and the gods / demons / creatures he created form the basis of the “Cthulhu mythos” or even “Lovecraft mythos,” which today is a sort of standard set of assumptions on which writers can build. Lovecraftian themes of apocalypse, inevitability, and powerlessness are highly prevalent in the album. Several of the gods in this mythos are used; in particular, Yog-Sothoth (see below). Also, a lot of the general description (madness, roiling chaos, undulating colors) draws from his distinctive vocabulary that remains staple of the genre. It’s worth noting that Lovecraft was a horrible and very racist person, but the genre today is widely used by people who are not terrible.

Lyfrassir

Líf and Lífþrasir in Norse mythology are the two humans who will survive Ragnarok and rebuild humanity; a hopeful sign for our album’s protagonist!

Midgard

In Norse mythology, the “middle” world where humans live. Earth.

Nagthrod

I don’t know this one.

@acorn-mushroom pointed out that it may be a mis-transcription of Naglfar, the name of the (ocean) ship which will carry Loki and his followers from the shores of Hel to the battlefield at Ragnarok. It’s made of dead men’s nails.

Odin

The king of the gods in Norse mythology. As the god of both wisdom and madness, Odin’s role in the album as a researcher and technological ruler whose discoveries drive her slowly mad is both very Lovecraftian and a reasonable leap. I could say a lot about the figure of Odin, but I think this character is one of the most divergent from the myth, in detail if not in role.

Odr

Óðr is Freya’s husband.

Outer gods

A Lovecraft thing referring to several of the most horrible and powerful gods, including Yog-Sothoth.

Ragnarok

The apocalypse, basically, in Norse mythology. Proceeded by various catastrophes, especially a very long winter, mentioned in the album, culminating in a great battle between the gods and their enemies, and resulting in the death of the majority of gods and other creatures of the world.

Ratatosk

A squirrel who runs up and down Yggdrasil, carrying messages between some of the tree’s other inhabitants and sowing discord. The Ratatosk Express links the worlds of the Yggdrasil System, and causes “discord” in the resistance’s opposition to it.

Sigyn

Loki’s wife. See Loki for her role in his imprisonment.

Skoll

Sköll in Norse mythology is the wolf that chases and will someday eat the sun. Association with Fenrir (another wolf) and other monsters motivates his inclusion in the list of resistance members.

Thor

A Norse god, associated with war, lightning/thunder, strength, and in general sort of... common people, as opposed to Odin’s association with kings and royalty. Prone to anger, which makes sense with his depiction as a volatile military leader in the album. He is heavily associated with his hammer mjölnir, hence jokes about “throwing a hammer in the works” and whatnot. Often associates with Loki, both as friends and as enemies as Loki progresses from a mostly-harmless trickster to actively opposing the other gods; thus how in the album he and Loki were once friends. See above for his death fighting Jormungandr.

Tyr

Another Norse god associated with war. He sacrificed a hand to bind Fenrir, and will be killed by Garmr during Ragnarok, both events referenced in the album.

Yggdrasil

The world-tree of Norse mythology, which supports the nine worlds of the cosmology. 

Yog-Sothoth

An Outer God of Lovecraftian mythos; also called the Gate and Key. It is associated as sort of the substance of time and space, binding together the cosmos. A lot of the description during the Ragnarok sequences draws directly from the “canonical” descriptions of this deity, and the invocation spoken by Lyfrassir in Red Signal draws from a story about this creature, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.