#ruby red coupes

[giftideasfromaycaramba]

Piscine Piper Heidsieck Champagne Coupes

[horizon-penblade]

Ok i think there are two things that really get me about synthetic red diamond and the first is that he is just that -- a synthetic diamond. He's a freaking diamond!!! Based on the steven universe lore I know, there's normally only the four! And he's not one of them, not part of the diamond authority, bc he's a fusion and it sounds like ren/emerald and martyn/ruby were kinda planning a bit of a coup (or at least some kinda treason) and the thing is that, if they did try to take over, being a diamond is gonna give their claims to homeworld a lot more credibility. Like i could totally see them being a major threat to the DA. Two non-diamond gems being able to fuse into a diamond throws SO many interesting wrenches into the existing gem heirarchy.

And then, putting aside the gem politics aspect, I am obsessed with the fact that like. Ok so they're a red diamond because of the red king, right? But ren's not the red diamond. The fusion is. Implying that the red king isn't ren. The red king is something that only exists with the two of them together. There cannot be a king without his hand. and THAT take on third life is giving me so many thoughts that I don't think I can fully flesh out yet since I haven't watched all the way through the dogwarts perspectives but Aaadjkgdsjkksgjb

[lottiecrabie]

itll be you and me and this idea forever babe.. we might be alone but we Understand🤞

what if it wasn’t just us… 😌🙂‍↕️ and it entered the world through the miraculous art form that is writing by tumblr dot com user lottiecrabie 😌🙂‍↕️😏 (even just a crumblet)

for you my psychic linked sister. a little Crumb🫶

the saxophones and trumpets ring through the ballroom. the repetitive steps and roaring laughs mix through, skisloping off the kicks and twists of the t-strap shoes. the champagne flows out into a series of coupes and you grab one, spilling it on the side. you down a mouthful with a grin, still light and happy from the spinning dance you just twirled out of. 

sweat sticks your headache band to your forehead. you fix up the feather. you fish a cigarette out of the emerald elephant dispenser, placing it between your ruby red lips. your eyes scan for a lighter next. 

‘enjoying yourself?’ your ears perk up at the sound of his husky voice. you smirk, turning around to find detective healy. 

with his modest trench coat and permanently gloomy predilection, he sticks out like a sore thumb amidst the decadent decor. it’s always a little funny to see him around such open fun, like he’s meant to exist in dark, cold alleys, frowning over a body. still, he looks handsome, dark and broody, with his sober eyes and his wild flowing hair. 

you pull the cigarette from your lips with a smile. you shrug, crooning, ‘why, it’s a lovely night.’ healy searches the inside of his trench coat. ‘what about you? not too joyful for mr. grumps?’ 

he shakes his head, though a grin still teases his lips. he draws a lighter out. you lean closer to him, hanging the cigarette off your lips again. he flicks once, lighting up the tip. you exhale out the smoke, but stay near him. he smells like cedar and whiskey, like nights toasting after murders successfully solved.

healy gives you a look, shoving his lighter back in his trench coat. ‘what are you doing here, trouble?’ 

‘can’t a woman enjoy a soirée? my, if i was like you, i’d be locked up in my house all year round.’

‘you’d be safer for it.’

you smile, mischievous. ‘and your life much, much less fun.’ healy gives you a onceover, trailing on your uncovered legs. you take a sip of your champagne, drawing attention to your lips next. you give him a faux-innocent look, singsonging, ‘you know, mister briggs is an excellent charleston dancer.’ 

healy groans, rubbing his eyebrows. ‘tell me you didn’t dance with a murder suspect.’

you up your nose. ‘well, if you don’t want to know, then i guess i won’t share what he said.’ you whip around, taking two steps before a strong hand wraps around your arm. 

you don’t even bother hiding your smirk before turning around. healy gives you a somber look, demanding, ‘spill.’ the tone of his voice sizzles down your spine. 

‘is this a shakedown?’ his jaw ticks. a crystalline voice spills from your lips. ‘you’re cute when you’re annoyed.’

‘then i must be ravishing every time i’m in your company.’

your eyes spark. ‘oh, yes, you are, detective.�� healy swallows thickly, dropping his hand from your hand as if burned. you cock your head, tension still fizzling. ‘promise me a dance and i’ll tell you.’

‘a dance?’

‘oh, you do know a foxtrot, don’t you, detective healy?’

his stare burns. ‘fine.’ 

you hum, turning to look at the roaring party. ‘mister briggs has a lovely summer home in brighton. he loves to entertain his most favorite guests there. why, he just invited me,’ you catch briggs chatting up a young lady, brushing the pearl on her ear. you sigh regrettably, ‘but i’m afraid the cold sea air doesn’t agree with my predilection.’

‘brighton. where francesca would visit every month.’

‘oh yes,’ you throw him a look. your shoulders up excitedly. ‘francesca and mister briggs were having an affair. how scandalous.’ 

he grins and, oh, this might be your favorite look of his. rare but dazzling, shining over his face. he says, ‘that’s motive.’

you tsk. ‘and you didn’t even want me to dance.’ he opens his mouth to protest, but you’re too quick. your throw your coupe on the table, discarding your smoke on the elephant head. you grab his hand, cutting him off, tugging him to the dancefloor. ‘come on, you owe me one.’

‘there’s a murder suspect at large.’

‘oh, please,’ you halt in the middle of the floor; your hand on his shoulder, his finding home on your waist— no matter his protests. the touch is electric, burning through your dress. you feel wired. ‘he’s not going anywhere. this is the soirée of month, after all.’ 

matty sighs resignedly. languid jazz plays. he takes a first step, gliding across the floor. his moves are certain and precise. you follow his rhythm, pushing and pulling at his guidance. detective healy is a good dancer. what an interesting new morsel of information.

in the crook of your ear, healy whispers, ‘one day, all this frolicking with trouble will really get you in deep waters, darling.’

you lean back enough to meet his eyes. ‘then it’s lucky you’ll be there to save me, isn’t it, detective?’

[shinestarhwaa]

RUBY PT2 || CHOI SAN

Read part 1 here

Genre: Smut

Pairing: Rockstar!San x Fan!Fem reader

Word Count: 2.1K

Tags/warnings: sex drugs & rock n roll life, alcohol, unprotected sex, smoking (joints), dacryphilia, oral sex, fingering, namecalling (whore,slut), squirting, rough sex, Loud sex, overstimulation, breeding kink, cum eating, masturbation (kind of??), split second of a handjob, doggy style, bit of biting, bit of fingersucking cuz San loves it

Taglist: @anyamaris @a-soft-hornytiny @whatudowhennooneseesyou @wooyoungmybelovedhusband @pyeonghongrie-main @woosanbby @dreamlesswonder86 @lemonhongjoong @changbinslovelylegs @jonghostie @lovjensoo @1-800-shedevil @glintneon123

ENJOY!

You wandered the streets of Paris late at night. You had just landed in the city and taken a cab to Le Marais, where your hotel was located. You checked into your room first, but decided to go out for the night.

Tomorrow was the night of King Ruby's concert in Paris and San had asked you to be there. You couldn't help but wonder if he would remember you or would've moved on immediately. Knowing his lifestyle he might've fucked ten other people in the meantime.

You remembered the way his fingertips grazed your thigh, the way you licked across his chest, the way he pumped you full of his seeds. You couldn't remember everything as you had gotten so drunk on champagne you must've blacked out.

The past two weeks had been awful, you couldn't possibly get him out of your head. You had been so horny but you couldn't statisfy yourself the way he had. Even now you were finally in your beautiful hotel bed, ready to play with yourself again. It wasn't good enough. It wasn't San. You were kind of worried he ruined your sexlife forever.

At the night of the concert you were filled with joy, worry and a raging libido. You didn't have tickets, but you got dolled up anyway, planning on staying near the concert hall to spot your one-time-lover.

Your eyes were smokey and glittery, black dress short and revealing. Daring. You wore high leather boots with high heels on them, making you look even more desirable than ever.

You waited near the venue for a while, trying to find San after the show but no luck. You ordered a cab back to your hotel as it was too far to walk. You paid the driver and got out of the car, noticing a man standing in front of the hotel.

San.

You got closer as you watched him turn around, a huge smirk plastered on his face. He took off his beanie, revealing his bright red hair. You had seen his new coupe online, but he looked even better in real life. "Missed me, star-girl?" He asked as he got close, running his fingers through your hair, his other hand holding a joint.

"How... How did you find me?" You asked as your hands ran over his chest. "You posted a picture on your socials... You know you really should not post that stuff, someone could see it and come up to you to do really bad things to you..."

"Well, maybe you should protect me then, or... did you come to do bad things to me?" You teased. "After I've smoked this big boy, I plan on ravishing you, my pretty Ruby," San smirked, taking another puff of his joint.

"So you remembered?" You asked. "How could I forget?" San answered, hand grazing your hip slightly, feeling the fabric of your dress on his skin. "You kinda ruined my lipstick with writing on the mirror," you grinned. "I bought you new ones," San said as he grabbed a little bag from the pocket of his jacket.

He handed it over to you, making you curious to see if he got the right one. To your surprise there was the exact same one in there, but also two similar ones. "Three?" You asked, raising your eyebrow. "Well I found the one you used but I thought the others might look nice on those lovely lips of yours. But don't use it tonight, it'd get so ruined. Or maybe... Put it on so I can see how messy you get."

A blush striked your cheeks as you remembered the mess on your face in Amsterdam, two weeks ago. You were certain you'd have black tears running down your cheeks tonight and it made you wet in anticipation.

You took a little handmirror from your purse and put the darkred lipstick on. "How does it look?" You asked. San smiled, admiring your face as he gently cupped your cheek. "Like a perfect doll, my Ruby."

"This one doesn't really smudge though," you said, looking at the packaging. "It will if I'm rough enough." Your heart and pussy seemed to flutter at the same time. San finally finished his joint and threw it away. "Let's go inside then, shall we?"

~

You entered your hotelroom, still feeling the handprint of the bandmember on your ass. He couldn't get his hands off you all the time you were trying to get to your room. San pushed you down on the bed, landing on top of you himself.

San's hand slid under your dress, pushing your panties to the side and slipping his fingertips through your wet folds. His lips attacked your neck as he toyed with your clit, making you arch your back.

"O-oppa~" you moaned out, sounds muffled by San's tongue entering your mouth. The kiss was wet, messy and sloppy, lipstick smearing everywhere. He grunted as he looked at you. "My pretty little doll, for me to ruin."

San slipped off your panties as you lifted your dress over your head, dropping it to the floor. His mouth grazed over your breasts, tongue circling your nipples. "Fuck, San, I've missed your mouth so much," you whined softly.

"Yeah, babydoll? Missed me?" "Yeah... Nothing and no one makes me feel as good as you." San smirked as his fingers slid through your folds again, spreading your wetness. "Please," you begged him.

''Okay, sweetie, it's okay, I'll make you cum so many times you'll forget your name,'' he grunted as his clothed crotch rutted against your thigh, trying to get some friction. San pushed two of his thick fingers into your throbbing cunt. You cried out his name when he pumped them inside you, curling them slightly to find your g-spot.

''My precious Ruby, you're so gorgeous like this, my little whore,'' he smirked, fucking his fingers into your sopping cunt, ''So ready, everytime.'' ''So fucking ready for you, always, for you,'' you whined as he repeatedly hit your g-spot.

''Fuck, yes!'' You moaned out, body squirming beneath him. ''Feeling good, babygirl? You love my fingers in your cunt, don't you?'' "Oh god I love your fingers so much, San!"

Your moans grew louder gradually until you could barely breathe, the stimulation of San's fingers becoming too much, causing an mind-shattering orgasm. Your loud pants must've been heard throughout the entire hotel as you squirted on his hand. San only worked harder, overstimulating your precious, sensitive cunt.

"Please, San, i-it's too much, Please!" You begged and begged as you felt sweat collect on your forehead and the valley between your breasts, where you felt his hot tongue on your skin.

San didn't listen for a single second as he continued to pump his thick fingers into your cunt, his thumb still playing with your clit, making your body shake.

It didn't take long before you felt the familiar tightness in your abdomen again and yet again you came hard, juices flowing out of you. "Good gracious baby you're so fucking slutty for me, look at that, coming all over my fucking hand? My slut...," he grunted as he finally rode out your orgasms.

Tears formed in your eyes as your hips moved against his hand. "Oh? I thought you were begging me to stop, princess," he smirked, rubbing your clit between his index-finger and thumb.

"I-I- Yes, please," you whined. "Hmm, your body is moving on it's own baby, it's definitely disagreeing with your words." "C-cock, g-give me...your cock," you breathed out as he licked your nipples.

Three of his fingers found their way back into your cunt, the squelching noise making his length hard as a rock. "S-San, San, San!"

Tears flowed from your eyes as his fingers pumped inside you. Your back arched and your legs trembled as he pleasured your sensitive pussy. "San, please, it's too much!" You cried. Your arousal gushed out of you as you squirted again, your orgasm making you moan louder than ever.

He really stopped this time, wiping your tears away from your face. "Such a messy baby," he cooed. "Open up," The rockstar said as he undressed and positioned himself above you. Your mouth opened and San slid his big cock in.

San fucked your throat and enjoyed all the gagging sounds coming from your throat. His balls were in your face but it couldn't even bother you, because it was San. It was San. He used you like a fucktoy and you didn't want it any other way.

You had trouble breathing through your nose but you didn't want it to end, loving the way San was moaning and grunting because of you.

"Yes, baby, my beautiful fucking Ruby," he grunted as he pulled his cock out, hovering his balls over your mouth now. You sucked and licked at them as San jerked his cock off.

Soon enough San's dick was pulsating, twitching as he came loudly, squirting his sperm all over your tits and stomach. He panted out and got off you, admiring your cum-stained body.

San was dragging his tongue all over your torso, licking every drop of sweat and cum off your body. He kissed you passionately and you tasted the salty mixture on his tongue. You moaned into his mouth as he groped your breasts, fingers playing with your sensitive nipples.

You broke off the kiss and panted, "Please fuck me now, I cannot wait any longer." Your hand reached for his cock, pumping it slowly so he'd be fully hard again for you.

"Yeah baby, I'm gonna fuck you so hard, so full," he groaned. He flipped you over and you propped yourself up on your knees and elbows, ass up in the air. San smirked as he watched you prepare yourself for him. He reached in the pocket of his jeans, pulling out another joint and a lighter.

He positioned himself behind you as he lighted up his joint. The male pushed his dick into your awaiting hole, filling it all the way, balls deep. You let out a long moan as you felt your body heaten up.

The strokes of San's hips were long and slow, making you yearn for it more and more. "Please, harder, harder," you whined. San smirked as he smoked his joint, the smoke clouding his brain. His hips moved faster and harder, pounding his cock into you.

You whined as he repeatedly hit your g-spot. The way his cock twitched inside you every now and then made your eyes roll back. You feel your elbows get weaker as San's thrusts get more aggressive. His body leans over yours and the smoke of the joint intrudes your nostrils. You take the joint from between his fingers and take a few puffs yourself.

San smirked as he bit the sensitive skin in your neck as he held you in his embrace. You moaned loudly as you felt him pound you in a way you never felt before.

"Yes! God, yes," you moaned as you passed the joint back to the male. He finished smoking it as he kept pounding you. You felt yourself getting closer and closer to another orgasm, your breath picking up. "Yes! Gonna cum!" You cried out as his hands groped your ass. "Good girl, cum on my cock, fucking clench on it, beautiful Ruby," he moaned.

You moaned loudly and came hard, you swore you nearly saw stars - How ironic. San kept pistoning his cock in and out of you at an inhumane speed, chasing his own orgasm. You were crying out his name over and over, feeling so sensitive after your orgasm.

"Gonna fill you up baby, you're gonna take it, right? My precious Ruby's gonna take my fucking cum, fucking all of it," he moaned, speech somewhat slurred. "Yes! Pump me full San, breed me, put it all in me!"

"That's right baby, take it, yeah, fucking take it," he grunted as his thrusts got sloppier, which told you he was about to cum. You felt two of his fingers in your mouth and you sucked on them as he came hard, deep inside you, letting out an animalistic groan.

He pulled out of you, admiring your cunt stuffed with his cum. He laid next to you and panted. The two of you looked at each other but didn't have to say a thing. Right when you wanted to say something you noticed him drift off to sleep. You grinned and grabbed your polaroid camera, taking a few pictures for him to take on tour, so he could admire the mess you were when he was away.

Just in case you wouldn't see him again.

[honeykaes]

—𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐥𝐲

✦ pairing: kaveh x reader

✦ w/c: 2.1k

✦ warning: dark content, yandere content, minors do not interact

✦ disclaimer: gender-neutral reader, gods/goddesses au, based on apollo myth, kidnapping, stalking, planned assassination, same universe as death's infatuation, gaslighting (alhaitham to kaveh), implied drugging, unedited

Kaveh hated how much he wore his heart on his sleeve despite being a divine entity. He was the God of Creativity after all, and his kindness and diligence with his craft had granted him favor with the many Gods and Goddesses of the lands. He even had favor with the other two most powerful Gods in Sumeru. Alhaitham, who he hated to praise, was analytical, granting favor for all that asked for his knowledge and skill. Nahida, who he loved, was sweet and merciful, often blessing the unfortunate and giving them a chance in life. Still, between the two of them, his heart couldn’t help fluttering in envy at times—wishing he could have the respect they craftily created. 

It wasn’t until one day when he met with Alhaitham he saw another side of the usual stoic and cynical God. His typical eyes burned from their usually greenish hue to bright red, silently steaming. Kaveh resisted the urge to back up watching vines beginning to climb up and weave their way through the room. The God of Wisdom glared down at Kaveh before turning his body away from him. Kaveh only narrowed his eyes but could feel himself shrink, feeling Alhaitham’s anger. Kaveh swallowed, saliva coating his dry throat letting flowers begin to grow on the vines as a means to try to distract him and let the sweet aroma coax his anger.

“Alhaitham. It’s unlike you to be this bothered about anything. What happened to the perfect creation,” Kaveh attempted to greet in a sarcastic and light tone. Alhaitham’s body shook for a second before he sighed, as red began to dissipate from his form returning to its emerald green state. Alhaitham took a seat grabbing a large henna berry from a bowl beside him.

“One of the villages that pray to me has stopped because a lowly foreign mortal has convinced them the meritocracy, I so carefully created, should be crushed,” he sighed. Kaveh resisted the urge to sigh. He couldn’t help but agree with the mortal for once. He despised Alhaitham’s meritocracy style, seeing how many people fell through the cracks.

“...Diplomacy? Acceptance? As if these mortals can actually enact these laws without a coup or the knowledge to keep their civilization alive without the Gods,” Alhaitham sighed. Kaveh simply shrugged, a lazy smile on his thin pink lips.

“To think you’re bothered over something so trivial. You just said it yourself. They’re a mortal, Who cares? They’ll probably die before they can enact real change in your civilization, yknow?” Kaveh replied. Alhaitham’s eyes flickered up to Kaveh in annoyance.

“Sheesh, okay okay. I’m sorry!” Kaveh yelled out. Alhaitham sighed once more. His slim fingers tapping on a marble table..

“...I need you to do a favor for me. Get rid of them. Kill them. Make them disappear. Take them back to wherever they came from, I don’t care,” Alhaitham announced,” It’s too dangerous to let them continue doing as they please as the seeds of change have already been planted.” 

Kaveh ruby eyes widened. Kaveh typically didn’t do bounties anymore, especially after...he had to kill another God. Kaveh swore to himself he wouldn’t let himself go that far anymore.

“Alhaitham I can’t—”

“You don’t think you owe me after all the support and needs I gave to a dying God. Let’s be real, if you were on your own, you wouldn’t be able to talk to me right now, now would you Kaveh? I would do it myself, but I know Nahida would encourage me not to and I don’t feel like debating her right now,” Alhaitham muttered. Kaveh clenched his mouth tightly, flowers beginning to wilt at his frustrations. Alhaitham was right, he couldn’t protest. It was because of Alhaitham people began to pray to him again, raising him to popularity. If that last girl, Nilou, managed to perish, he would have disappeared with her.

“...Fine. Show me what they looks like.”

Kaveh flew in the night, based by the dark the night graced him. Below, he saw your blurred form talking with someone in a temple. Trees were scattered around, as Kaveh descended. As his eyes adjusted and saw your sad form, his cold, guarded heart fluttered. He felt his cheeks heat up, he was sure he was blushing. Why was this happening at all times?

“We fall in love in one second as divine beings. It only takes one sight to know we want to be with that person for the rest of our existence.”

That comment from his late mother resonated with him. Was this a sign? You must be his love? His forever? Kaveh has been so jealous of the other deities having cute nymphs catering to them. He wanted that, to fill the void in his life. Kaveh wanted you to help fill the void in his life.

Kaveh could see the old tear stains on your face as you spoke with your friend. You had caused the wrath of Al-haitham? You seemed so gentle and sweet. 

“(Y/n), I promise it’ll be okay. I swore to you that I would protect you. I refuse for you to get hurt and I stand by any of my promises,” the man insisted. His dark-skinned hands wiped your cheek before gently caressing your cheek gently, the coolness giving you goosebumps. Kaveh resisted the urge to swoop in and take his hand from you. Kaveh didn’t expect you to be this close with Cyno, the God of Judgment. He was considered a lower god and mainly did dealings in the human world. 

“Cyno, I’ve angered the Gods and couldn’t even give you what you wanted. This is it for me. I’ve accepted my fate. The village was already planning on marrying me off to appease Alahitham’s other villages. You don’t have to protect me,” you insisted. Lightning begins to crackle from a distance causing your form to jump. Cyno narrowed his eyes towards the rest of the temple, gentle snow falling from it.  

Kaveh clicked his tongue understanding the situation now. Cyno had been the one to get you to advocate for diplomacy and crush the meritocracy in the village. He wondered if Alhaitham would retaliate against him if he knew.

“I’m going to make this up to you, I promise. I’m going to head off and ask my allies to protect you—this used to be Tighnari’s village after all. I’m sure...he has already requested for your head,” Cyno muttered. You placed a hand on his shoulder.

“...You should be protecting yourself, Cyno. Now go, alright?” you insisted. With a sad nod, the God of Snow morphed into stormy purple clouds, as it drifted towards the sky to Mount Celestia. You sighed into the night once more before going to the plaza where the village was celebrating.

The men were conducting traditional dances of the forest, in an attempt to appease Alhaitham. The bright color of green, black and gold was worn all over—contradicting your soft red attire. You knew the village was filled with kind people, who feared what would happen if larger villages would come in and overrun the area. You were thankful they still treated you with the kindness you gave them. Your eyes wandered towards a boy who suddenly dropped his toy on the ground, eyes wide and looking at something else. Slowly, the other villagers followed. You narrowed your eyes, turning your head towards their direction—to see him.

Kaveh loomed in the sky as the mortals looked in awe. He continued to look at you, attempting to morph his face into that of anger—a complete contradiction to his internal feelings that wanted nothing to hold you in his arms. 

“Foreign mortal, you have angered a friend of mine and for that, I have been sent down to deal with you myself. How lucky,” Kaveh seethed. He quickly lunged forwards swooping you in his arms. He resisted the urge to moan from the smell of your body. You felt so soft under his tight grip, as you struggled in fear. Kaveh shifted his head causing his blonde hair to seem wilder than what it was, gripping you tighter, as he looked down to the village.

“Be sure to not piss him off again. Would hate to see him bury this place up like he did the last,” Kaveh stated, shooting up to the sky. He could hear the screams of the villagers dying out as he reached closer and closer to his home in the heavens. You had stopped struggling, your beautiful eyes shut closed. Kaveh assumed you had stressed yourself out so much, you passed out. It was no worry though.

He’d be sure to take good care of you.

You fluttered your eyes open, looking at the large empty bed lifting your form up from the silky sheets of the bed. You’d been with the mysterious floating man for 3 months now. Life was relatively mundane for you. 

You couldn’t ask him questions, he’d ignore you insisting on talking about something else. You couldn’t leave wherever you were lodging at, he insisted it was for your protection. The only company you had were the books he had given you: stories of different deities in Mount Celestia. Out of all of them, you felt a connection with the newest spring god. You wonder how they were feeling, being with both the God of Death and God of Hurricane.

Life wasn’t all that bad though. You didn’t have to fear Alhaitham anymore. The blond man had given you everything you could have wanted, only wanting your touch and affection as payment. You weren’t really sure if you truly liked him though; he was just a question mark to you.

Tap. Tap. Tap. 

Your eyes wandered towards the window as you approached it. Your eyes widen seeing familiar stormy scarlet-slitted eyes look back at you. It was Cyno. You quickly opened it, feeling your skin shiver from the cool breeze outside. How you missed your close friend. 

“Cyno! I missed you so much! Are you alright?! How did you even get here?!” you began to ramble. Cyno looked around you, seemingly more serious than he usually was, most likely out of caution of being caught talking to you. You narrowed your eyes in confusion.

“(Y/n), I don’t have a lot of time, but you need to get out of here as soon as possible. The man you’re staying with is Kaveh, the God of Creativity, Flowers and Dreams. More importantly, he’s an ally to Alhaitham!” Cyno quickly murmured. The smile on your face fell in confusion, fear began to bubble in your stomach.

“W-What? If that was the case he would’ve killed me already right? I mean I’ve been here for 3 months—

“What are you talking about? You’ve been here for over a year!” Cyno shouted back. Your body began to shake. You had assumed every night you fell asleep, you’d wake up to the next day. Was that not the case? Has Kaveh tampered with your sense of time? Cyno lifted his hand up revealing a silver dagger, placing it gently in your hands. It felt so cold against your skin.

“...If you can manage to stab him with this, it’ll render him immobile for the time being. I can then take you away and up towards my Tighnari’s domain where he agreed to let you stay, alright? You have to do it tonight, do you understand?!” Cyno grunted. His body was becoming foggier and foggier. With a sad sigh, Cyno flashed a gentle smile.

“I promised I would’ve made it up to you, right?” With that, Cyno’s body faded, leaving the view of the blue sky you knew all so well. You held the silver dagger up, the metal shining in the sunlight. 

You trusted Cyno over Kaveh in a heartbeat.

Night arrived rather quickly. You insisted on not eating, claiming you were feeling sick. Kaveh insisted you go to bed early claiming he would sleep with you too. His arms were wrapped around your frame. You could feel his breath evening out. Your frozen body could feel the blond man relax. You wiggled out of his grasp, grabbing the dagger you hit underneath your pillow.

Your hand shook, tears beginning to develop. Could you do this? Could you really stab someone? Surely Kaveh was still kind...right? Did he deserve this? You exhaled, lowering your body from him, dropping the knife away from your grasp. You couldn’t do it. You were too conflicted. 

“...Looks like I was right about you all this time—”

You froze, feeling his hands cup against your cheeks, leaning his face close to yours. Kaveh smiled gently, pale cheeks flushed in a rosy hue. The world around you seem to be slipping, the smell of sweet flowers overwhelming your senses.

“I just knew you were just meant to be mine”

[meepetteoneonly]

Raphael and Tiamant (the DND dragon goddess and archdevil) theory

So I will once again refer to all the pieces of the puzzle already discovered and shared by @certifieddilfenjoyer and another layer of theories and questions about Raphael...

(Sorry for spam, I just wanted to add it to my theory collection but I also want to make a separate post, because I am so excited!)

We already know, that Vlaakith made a deal with some devil in order to carry out the coup against Mother Gith, i.e. mother of Orpheus. However, the important information is also what Lae’Zael tells us after we are attacked by Githyanki at Wyrm’s Lookout the night before we reach Baldur’s Gate.

Once we successfuly defeated Orpheus’s protectors and Emperor uncovered himself, Lae’Zael tells us, that what we know about Orpheus is only half of a story and that Gith managed to defeat Illithids because she made a deal with Archdevil Tiamant. Also, she explains that it was Tiamant who gifted Githyankis their red dragons.

Furthermore, she tells us that Mother Gith stayed in Hells and that Tiamant’s envoy helped Vlaakith with her mission to become the queen.

Tiamant’s enovy. A devil with wry charm who did a deal with Vlaakith (according to the disk we find in Astral Prism near Orpheus). I wonder, who that may be… 

Now - who is this Archdevil Tiamant? I didn’t know either, but Forgotten Realms wiki had my back again:

Tiamant was the lawful evil dragon goddess of greed, queen of evil dragons and, for a time, reluctant servant of the greater gods Bane and later Asmodeus.

Do we know how Gortash become chosen of Bane, btw?

Tiamat was a unique chromatic dragon, who had one head for each primary color of the most common species of chromatics (black, blue, green, red, white). Each head was able to operate entirely independently of each other and had the powers of a member of the respective race of dragonkind.

Primary colours are subtle theme that is common to Orpheus’s bubble, the bubble we can see inside Astral Prism for the first or so time we get inside.

Also, „Astral Prism… or Prison“, as Gortash put it in his notes… Prism is triangular piece of glass that disperse the light into primary colours.

Tiamat had three manifestations in Avernus as well, one of which never left the gate to Dis. She also had a lair in Avernus, on the Nine Hells, known as Tiamat's Lair.

Tiamat's Lair was the divine realm and prison of Tiamat in Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells, according to the Great Wheel cosmology. The realm was a large cave system within a tall mountain, hidden in the hills of Avernus. It held the only known portal that led to the second layer, Dis. 

Avernus. Here we are. Interesting, isn’t it?

The lair was also inhabited by Tiamat's mates and their descendants. The realm was generally avoided by demons, who were aware of Tiamat's lack of interest in the Blood War.It was, however, occasionally visited by devils offering gifts, hoping to seal bargains with Tiamat.

Do we know anyone who is always up to a bargain?

Tiamat wanted to take control of the Realms, and even as she was thwarted again and again by her enemies, she didn't give up. As of 1491 DR, however, her primary goal was to break free from the Nine Hells.

Having once been an archfiend living on Avernus, Tiamat was loosely allied with Bel and lent him many Abishai to fight in the Blood War. She resented Mammon for converting some evil dragons away from her. She helped Asmodeus forge his Ruby Rod.  She developed an enmity with Asmodeus and the archdevil Bel after they betrayed her.

The crafting of the rod required the shard of evil and a huge ruby to be soaked in the blood of a thousand sacrificed mortals, quenched in Tiamat's acidic saliva, and polished with 777 angel tears.

That’s a little weird but I guess it is better to have a ruby quenched in super-powerful dragon goddess’s saliva than to have no ruby at all.

Also, Orphic hammer is decorated with red gems as well. And infernal chains binding Orpheus and Hope are attached to some red rocks. Rubys, prehaps?

Finally, Raphael doesn’t seem to be someone into crafting and forging, so there has to be someone who forged the shackles and muzzle for Orpheus and Astral Prism. Given that Astral Prism was probably created at the same time Tiamant was doing business with Gith, maybe it was her… Or maybe she helped Raphael? 

As regards the blood of secrificed mortals, I wonder, was Mephistopheles up to something similar with the Rite of Profane Ascension? 

Ok, let’s continue… 

The church of Tiamat was regimented by a strict hierarchy of ranks and titles. Her clerics were occupied by the twin tasks of acquiring an ever-increasing hoard of wealth for the faith and sabotaging the faiths of other deities. As a result, they occupied most of their time with an unending series of thefts, assassinations, acts of vandalism, and arson. In Unther and Chessenta they were primarily concerned with seizing as much power as possible, while in western Faerun, the cult's agents were focused on subverting the Cult of the Dragon.

Which is interesting. The Cult of Dragon attacked Baldur’s Gate and when Wyll came to the rescue, he end up being tied to Mizora. If you speak with Wyll about the event, he tells you that Mizora didn’t care for the city, but Zariel sent her for some reason.

The Forgotten Realms wiki provides: … However, to avoid disappointing Asmodeus again and to prevent a conflict with Bel, Tiamat refused, instead offering to be Asmodeus' champion and devouring all who opposed him (and offering covert aid to Zariel to prevent Bel from becoming too powerful). So, did Zariel sent Mizora to help Wyll with Cult of the Dragon to do Tiamant some favour? 

This was everything I managed to put together after I rushed to research this Tiamant lady right after Lae’Zael spoke about her in the game. 

So my theory is that Raphael somehow serve Tiamant (or served) or that he has some kind of bargain with her. But the only weak proof is that Tiamant’s envoy helped Vlaakith and that this envoy had wry charm… That’s not much.

I also found this super cool fanart of Tiamant by an artist Jexion and in my opinion, I could see Raphael on his knees for someone like that...

[dani-luminae]

Chloe Charming redesign ideas for a RoR rewrite that @thetimelordbatgirl and I are tossing around.

Chloe is one of the many Isle kids freed from the island and thriving in Auradon under the reign of King Ben and Queen Dahlia. Chloe was adopted by the Charming family and has adapted wonderfully to a life of lovely dresses, sparkling jewelry, and adoring family.

So naturally, Princess Ruby "Red" of Wonderland isn't very satisfied with this choice of ally when a dangerous coup hurls them both back in time. However, Chloe is still an Isle kid, knows how to wield a sword, and isn't nearly as sheltered as Ruby thought...

[geekcavepodcast]

Brandy Norwood and Rita Ora Join “Decendants” Movie “The Pocketwatch”

Brandy is once again playing Cinderella, this time in the Descendants universe, and Rita Ora will portray the villainous Queen of Hearts. In addition to Brandy and Rita Ora, The Pocketwatch (tentative title) also stars Kylie Cantrall (Red), Malia Baker (Chloe), Ruby Rose Turner (Bridget), Morgan Dudley (Ella), Joshua Colley (Hook), Melanie Paxson (Fairy God Mother), China Anne McClain (Uma, daughter of Ursula), and Dara Reneé (Ulyana).

The Pocketwatch will follow a different group of fairytale villains’ kids, the Queen of Heart’s daughter Red and Cinderella and Prince Charming’s daughter Chloe, as they travel back in time to prevent a coup in Auradon. 

(Image from 2015′s Descendants)

[witchesoz]

Oz lore: The MGM movie

Now… I did Oz Lore posts for quite a few adaptations of Oz, but I haven’t yet looked into the lore of the most well-known Oz adaptation of all, so known in fact it overshadowed the original book. The 1939 MGM movie, The Wizard of Oz. What can we say about it?

# A key element to the beginning of the movie is of course a color opposition. To manifest visually the greyness and dullness of Kansas, the parts taking place in the “real world” as in sepia, while Oz is colorized (The Great and Powerful would use a similar technique by having its opening in black and white). In a similar way, a parallel is made between the real world and the one of Oz by having the Ozians characters be counterparts to people Dorothy knows in Kansas (the Wicked Witch is her nasty neighbor, her three companions are farmhands helping Uncle Henry…). Because the movie actually decided to turn Oz into an imaginary landscape, a dream-world in Dorothy’s mind after she was badly knocked by the flying window.

# We actually do get to see the Wicked Witch of the East outside of her pair of feet stuck under Dorothy’s house. Indeed, the transformation of Gulch into a witch in the tornado, at the beginning of the movie… Well, given the lyrics of Dorothy’s song afterward and how she believes the Wicked Witch of the West to be the one of the East, it is pretty explicit that this witch Dorothy sees by the window is the one of the East, confirming that the two wicked witches are indeed twins (it also shows that the Wicked Witch of the East is actually foreign to Munchkinland/the East of Oz, but more on that later). We also know by Glinda that, while the Wicked Witch of the East was a wicked oppressor, she was actually not as bad as her sister (or rather her sister was even worse).

# The Wicked Witch of the East is here identified as the Wicked Witch of the West sister, which added a whole new reason for the WWW to hate Dorothy, since she “murdered” her sister. This aspect came to be so iconic it was canon in numerous following Oz adaptations (while in Baum’s book the Wicked Witches were merely colleagues, part of a quarter of wicked witches who took Oz in a coup d’état). Similarly, another major change from the books to the movie is the shoes: in the novel, the Witch of the East wears silver slippers. Since the MGM wanted to use their new Technicolor technique a maximum, they turned the shoes into the bright red Ruby Slippers.

# In a similar way, you can note that this version of Oz dropped the color-code of Baum, to use the Technicolor a maximum.

# The Munchkins deserve a paragraph. They still seem to be the ethnicity inhabiting the East of Oz and like in the novel they are actually child-sized (being played by either dwarfs or child actors). Which becomes quite jarring given that Dorothy is not here a child but a teenage girl. Not confined to the blue Baum gave them, and out of their typical farmer style, they are now wearing an extravagant multicolored fashion. The Munchkins seem to have a great relationship with plants, since on top of the gigantic flowers and bushes planted in their village they include a lot of flowers and flowerpots in their clothing. They are extremely coward, visibly having all hidden from the Witch of the East before Dorothy appeared, and also all lying down in worship when the Witch of the West manifests. A distinct trait of the Munchkins here is their childishness – on top of their size and childish voices, as well as extravagant clothing, their two major guilds are shown to be the Lullaby Guild of ballet dancers and the Lollipop Guild of mischievous little boys (while quite creepy in the final products, first tries and tests revealed that originally the actors were to be given boy voices, before the high-pitched one they were given). Everything here evokes an image of children. Oh yes and finally, if you don’t remember, it is implied that the Munchkins are born into eggs (remember the baby Munchkins we see in the village?).

# Glinda. Oh, sweet Glinda… a famous character but also a famous misadaptation. The MGM movie decided to simplify the novel’s plot by having the two good witches of Oz fused into one same character: Glinda. She has the Good Witch of the North’s long wand (now with a star instead of an Oz symbol) and title of the North Witch, but she also has Glinda’s red hair and royal regalia, plus youth and beauty. As a result this causes plot holes ranging from minor (is there no South witch?) to major (alright so… Glinda deliberately refused to tell Dorothy she could go home with the Ruby Slippers? Cue to the theories saying she is a wicked witch too and played Dorothy to eliminate her rivals). This Glinda has a Disney-princess like pink gown with silver stars all over it (and her wand and crown also have silver stars) – while pink is new, it evokes a faded red, color of Glinda, while the silvery stars were in the design of the North Witch. All over, this version of Glinda has a distinct fairy/good fairy godmother style.

Glinda is also shown using a bubble to appear and disappear – interestingly the bubble takes all sorts of different colors, like a rainbow (a recurring theme of this movie).

# Glinda explains that in Oz, only wicked witches are ugly, while good witches are beautiful. Thus the Wicked Witch’s inhuman appearance would be due to her evilness. However, this is later proven wrong when it turns out the Wicked Witch looks like that simply because it is how her people look like… Glinda is confirmed to be a racist.

# The Ruby Slippers teleport on the feet of Dorothy here. Now there is an ambiguity that is never explained… What happened? Did they teleport on their own because only the one who killed the previous owner can wear the shoes? Or did Glinda actually teleported them on Dorothy to get them away from the clutches of the Wicked Witch? It is unclear what happens here.

# Ah, the Wicked Witch of the West… How not to talk about her? One of the most iconic villains, if not THE most iconic villain of the 20th century. Most of Baum’s characterization was dropped to produce the MGM’s unique villain. They clearly took from the classic wicked witch look, and yet turned it into a being that redefined said archetypal look. The black dress ad cape, the pointy hat, the clawed fingers, the hooked nose and chin, a general ugliness… The true innovation here is to turn the Wicked Witch’s skin entirely green, highlighting even more her evil and horrible nature (since green is one of the evil colors, associated with poison, treachery and the devil/demons) while also using a maximum the Technicolor. It is however quite strange to see that as a result, on a color-code it associates the Wicked Witch to the Emerald City and the Wizard of Oz which also appears green-skinned… Anyway.

The Wicked Witch’s role has been considerably expanded in this movie. In the original novel, the four Witches are confined to their respective areas in Oz, barely leaving and if so for a short time (like the Good Witch of the North did), but the Wicked Witch of the West was clearly said to never leave Winkie Country. Here however the Wicked Witch appears twice in the East and flies over the Emerald City. While unable to directly hurt Dorothy at first, she torments her along the way and tries to scare her – she attacks the companions with fireballs, she animates apple trees to attack them, she asks the Emerald City to give her Dorothy… Though interestingly she never tries to directly harm her, merely scare her – until she arrives to her country.

The Wicked Witch is associated with fire, appearing and disappearing in red smoke and columns of fire, while throwing red fireballs at the Scarecrow – which makes sense given her weakness to water. Here, no umbrella, but rather the typical and traditional witch broom, on which she flies – and which can leave trails of black smoke if she wishes. She also uses it as a torch. She cackles a lot, likes to call Dorothy “my pretty”, and doesn’t care about enslaving people, being only hungry for revenge and thirsty for the Ruby Slippers, which she immediately tries to take off Dorothy, using all sorts of psychological torture ranging from the threat of death to hurting Dorothy’s pet. But we’ll see more of that later. Finally, the Witch’s power of “seeing everywhere” thanks to her only eye is also changed here – not only can she see beyond her land (in the novel she only sees in her land) but she also uses for it a huge crystal ball. [In fact, this will be played on in the Muppets Wizard of Oz, which has the Wicked Witch have both a magic eye and a crystal ball – by having a fake eye of crystal that doubles as a magic crystal ball]

# Interestingly, if you look close enough the Yellow Brick Road is mixed with another road, made of red bricks. Many people have theorized and commented about the famous “Red Brick Road”. You might try to look it up, it is fun.

# Here we have no reason for why the Tin Man is alive, no background for the Scarecrow, they just happen to pop up out of nowhere, as if such beings are casual in Oz (and given how the Emerald City is ready to receive them, they are probably casual in Oz). We also do not see the Kalidahs, removed (while in the novel the threats of the East were natural, animals, rivers, etc… here the Wicked Witch makes all the threats).

# In the book, the field of deadly poppies was one of the natural threats of Oz, while here the Wicked Witch clearly puts a spell on the poppies to make them extra-soporific, using a strange red powder and a mortar. Interestingly, the idea of the red powder is found back in another item she owns – a great golden hourglass with dragons on it. This hourglass contains a red sand, similar to the red powder used by her to turn the poppies deadly, and it seems to be a killing device – the Wicked Witch flips it over and leaves Dorothy locked in the room with it, claiming that when all the sand runs out, the girl will be dead. It is unclear how exactly it will work, but clearly this red powder has some deadly effects. [A Powder of Death, which is quite ironic given the Powder of Life in the books?] (Oh yes, and when the Witch throws the hourglass to the ground after Dorothy escapes it explodes in flames and smoke). Many people have pointed out how Glinda mysteriously appearing to make it snow on the poppies is not in the novel – but it is actually from Baum’s mind. Indeed, when Baum adapted his book into a theater play/musical, he had the deadly poppies killed by the Good Witch of the North, who offered her protection to Dorothy and upon seeing the evil flowers try to kill the girl, summoned a massive snowstorm to freeze the plants to death. (You do NOT mess with a Good Witch).

# There is a lot to say about the Emerald City, such as how the Wizard of Oz actually disguises himself as two of the City’s guardians, or how the Emerald City uses a special breed of horse that actually changes color every minute. Oh yes another mention is how the Emerald City fashion has a distinctive “war feel” to it. Indeed, not only do the “nurses” of the City look like military nurses, but many men in the city itself wear Napoleonian general hats, and captain of armies or battleships hats. There is a very distinctive Napoleonian and Victorian feel in their clothing, mixed with a strong Southern USA vibe (such as the ladies, mostly dressed as Southern Belles).

# Interestingly, while the Wicked Witch is seen brandishing the Golden Cap, it is not mentioned anywhere in the movie. Yet it follows pretty strictly the idea of the novel that the Winged Monkeys obey to the Witch once, to catch the intruders in her domain, and then when she dies they immediately rejoice and stop serving her. However, since the movie forgot to mention they were enslaved by her or the cap, it looks like they naturally worked for her.

# In the novel, the West was mostly a vast wasteland of burned fields and abandoned farms. Here, the land of the West (before reaching the gloomy and ominous Witches Castle) is covered in the “Haunted Forest”, a gloomy and terrifying place in a state of perpetual autumn where the trees are crooked in horrific shapes and creepy animals lurk (well mostly creepy birds, since we see owls and vultures with red glowing eyes). The Haunted Forest is the official name of the place and deserves its name, since it is filled with “ghosts”. We do not see them, but an invisible ghost(s) lifts the Tin Man and throws him around when he says he does not believe in ghosts. Beyond the forest is a range of grey, dead mountains and there the massive, obscure, grey and dark Witch’s castle. Note that in the novel, the castle of the Witch was noted to be yellow in color and extremely luxurious, filled with furniture and tapestries showing the Witch’s wealth – and similarly it was very well lit and a bright place, since the Witch was afraid of the dark (the very opposite of what she is in the movie).  

# In the novel, the Witch could not get Dorothy’s shoes because she only took them off at night or when taking her bath, and the two fears of the Witch prevented her from taking them. Here, the Witch literally cannot take them – trying to take the Slippers by force causes bursts of yellow electricity to burn the Witch’s hands. Indeed, the Witch knew that she had to be given the Slippers willingly, however she forgot that one of the spells of the Slippers is that they cannot be taken off the person’s wearing them as long as said person is alive. This is why the Witch needs to kill Dorothy first – but in a subtle and not too violent way. As the Witch says, the shoes have powerful and delicate charms into them, and taking the shoe too brutally could damage their magic.

# Let’s talk about the Winkie guards. They all share the same traits, which are the traits of all Winkies: hooked nose, hooked chin, green skin… Sounds familiar? Yep. The unnatural traits of the Wicked Witch is not because she is deformed, but simply because she belongs to the Winkie ethnicity, the native inhabitants of the West (the way the Munchkins live in the East). Like in the novel however, they are not evil, but rather all hail Dorothy when she kills the Witch, showing that they were enslaved by her. Interestingly, the Winkie Guards have the same outfit as the guard protecting the Wizard of Oz’s throne room/palace, implying it is a standard military outfit in Oz.

No need to tell you that many have pointed out how the Witch enslaving her own kind could be read as a commentary on how Hitler and Mussolini were “enslaving” their own people too (remember this movie was released when World War II broke out). This is an interesting interpretation, though just as many people pointed out how the Wicked Witch could be interpreted as an anti-Semitic character and thus the movie might be interpreted in favor of Hitler and co. There is a lot of historical debates around this piece.

# In the novel, the Wizard asks the heroes to kill the Witch. In this movie, he simply asks them to get the broom of the Witch and nothing more, killing her was a happy accident.

- - - - -

Thre is much more to say about this movie, of couse, but I try to limit myself to the basic lore content

[xmoriartea]

So Wachter doesn’t believe in normal ass delivery folks and instead sends her dumpy little spymaster to get caught by us because.. power plays? I guess? Who can say. 

But weird old Ernst after getting pinned in alley by four spell trigger ready bastards had a simple and lovely message to share:

       An ambassador of Ravenloft's coming to Vallaki.

See. Ismark was Burgomaster yes, but the newly formed city council currently only had three members which meant if there were ties with the four of them... no one could break the ties fairly. And Ravenloft was already growing agitated by the way the town was running after the coup and wanted things settled.

Which I’m sure a fake Rictavio would have gone SWIMMINGLY, but instead Tanner managed to simply convince some of the council to allow him to audit the meeting essentially. Alkali wanted to get involved, but after witnessing the black carriage from Ravenloft arrive with Strahd’s Chamberlain as guard... she decided it was best to not leave Ireena alone.

So far, we hadn’t even MET Rahadin. We had just heard about him from both Kasimir and Savid. And honestly, for a minute, Alkali was ready to try and play nice with Rahadin, try to get him on their side, see if he was loyal out of true loyalty or fear, your know? But... well... Rahadin is a bastard and that went out the window within minutes of meeting him.

But alas, we did not aggro Rahadin. Yet. Instead, Alkali went to guard Ireena and Tanner got dressed up and escorted Kalina as a +1 to Wachter residence and realized a miscommunication in delivery had occurred somewhere.

Just a totally normal, totally fine luncheon with four vampire brides, a wereraven innkeep, a possible cult leader, a recently-realized divine artificer, the brother of the woman the lord of the land wants to abscond with, and... Tanner.

While Ludmilla was definitely handling the politics of their visit with grace, there was definitely an unsubtle aura of “if you cannot decide on a fourth to create a check system, one of us will remove one of the current three” because hey. They just want an odd number to see things get done.

And on the other side of town, Alkali was trying to get what information she could out of a Ravenloft servant who was tending to the property the black carriage had gone to.

HINT: it was literally across the fucking street from Ireena and Ismark’s!! 

Which means the bitch Kasimir was still alive... 

As a sister and a woman, Alkali does not support sororicidal bastards!! She’s fully on Patrina’s side right now because if HER brother killed her, Alkali would 500% come back from the dead to kill him herself!! It’s justified!! Kasimir has no rights has far as she’s concerned, thank you for coming to her TED talk.

Because apparently Chamberlain also means mailboy and Rahadin came to deliver a very fancy ass ruby necklace and red dress. Both of which were quickly shoved back into a box with a plan of burying it in the hallowed garden later because — yeesh.

So. THIS Potion. It’s... basically a 5 hour energy coffee sort of nightmare creation from our favorite alchemist, Faraga. Tanner fucking mainlines them to get everything he wants done. It helps you stay awake without exhaustion. Alkali took ONE when she had to hallow the property and hated it. Tanner swears by the things and his weird little science brain wanted to see what happens when you give one to an already hyperactive vampire... girl could have vibrated through walls.

And that’s how Tanner Fensik became Councilman Fensik and Escher became 100% fixated on lesson plans for the rest of forever

TL: DR;

Following all that, after everyone got to reconvene and share wtf just happened, Alkali could not resist the temptation of mingling with the brides again. So while Ireena and Ismark stayed safe on their own property, Alkali (followed by the party who would wisely not let her go alone) went to welcome the brides to Vallaki.

This involved:

Terrorizing Kasimir by existing in his presence

Meeting Patrina briefly

Snooping with Anastrasya to find out why Kasimir wasn’t dead (apparently Ludmilla outvoted her and Rahadin, Strahd was too busy to care/notice his ex-fiancé wasn’t dead anymore)

Experiencing the worlds most hyper vampire woman until the potion wore off and she legitimately crashed

More dancing with good vibes and wine

And also a bit of realization that brides are not eternal - they were, after all, introduced as the CURRENT Brides of Strahd, and Alkali got just a little bit of a taste of that anxiety off of Escher when he wasn’t nose deep in lesson plans for a school not yet built

[a-modernmajorgeneral]

Miss Loftus had been brought to the attention of the War Artist's Advisory Committee as 'an outstanding factory worker'. Knight expected to do a studio portrait but the Ministry of Supply requested that she be painted at work in the Royal Ordnance Factory in Newport.

Making a Bofors Breech ring was considered the most highly skilled job in the factory, normally requiring eight or nine years training. Loftus was aged 21 at the time of the painting and had no previous factory experience. Her ability to operate the machine presented a considerable publicity coup at the time. However, it has been suggested that she was placed at the machine precisely for this reason.

Loftus was an outstanding factory worker who had mastered complex engineering skills in a very short space of time, and Knight was commissioned to paint her at work in the factory. Knight was fascinated by circus artistes and dancers, and she emphasises the balance and posture of her subject at work. Industrial machinery was a wholly new element in Knight's work but her technical accuracy was praised in contemporary reports: Knight, like Loftus, was proving herself in a traditionally male environment.

History note

War Artists Advisory Committee commission

Inscription

Laura Knight

---

Ruby Loftus Screwing a Breech-ring is an oil painting on canvas measuring 86.3 by 101.9 centimetres (2.83 ft × 3.34 ft). It is one of the largest pictures of the wartime commissions, and the largest of the single-figure portraits they acquired.[5] The painting is in the realist style;[15][16][c] the cultural historian Gillian Whiteley considers the painting resembles the works of the Soviet socialist realists, and provides "an authoritative, optimistic, heroic and popular inspirational image".[17] The picture shows Loftus, bent over the lathe, which is in the act of cutting the screw of the breech. Her fingers rest on the machinery as she concentrates on the work she is doing.[15] According to the cultural historian Barbara Morden, Ruby Loftus is similar to other works by Knight in showing a female worker focused on her work.[12] The art historian Catherine Speck writes that Loftus's feminine features and clean hands "affirm the temporary nature of ... [Loftus's] work 'for the duration' " of the war; in this way the painting feels to Speck more like propaganda, rather than an image of Loftus going about her usual work.[18]

According to the cultural historian Barbara Morden, Loftus is depicted as "a young and attractive woman";[19] with brown curly hair not quite contained under a green headscarf or snood. She wears paint-splattered overalls and make-up, the latter emphasising her femininity.[19][20][21] By leaning over the workbench her face is placed in the horizontal centre of the picture, accentuating her importance. Her face is highlighted with the reflection of the light shining on the wet metal.[22][12] The social historian Elizabeth de Cacqueray observes that Loftus's head and the highlighted metal disk face each other along the diagonal of the picture, with Loftus's head scarf and face repeated ovals that reflect each other.[15]

The painting shows Loftus cutting the screw threads which would attach the barrel to the breech housing of the gun as sparks and water droplets come off the lathe.[12] According to Foss her workspace is "clean and efficient-looking",[5] while the natural approach to the work—and the level of technical details captured in the picture—"had the desired effect of testifying to Loftus's exploit [of being expert at her work] being an indisputable fact".[23]

The background of the painting shows the rest of factory floor, populated with women working at their benches; there is one man present, probably the foreman, given that he wears a tie.[24][21] The clothing worn by the women carries a patriotic tone, according to the art historian Mike McKiernan, as reds, whites and blues dominate.[25] According to the cultural historian Lindsey Robb, the painting—along with Frank Dobson's 1944 work An Escalator in an Underground Factory—"reinforce the representation of industrial work as female" during wartime.[24]

According to the art historians Teresa Grimes, Judith Collins and Oriana Baddeley, Knight adopts what they call a "documentary approach" to the machinery that "has the verisimilitude of a photograph but makes a far more powerful impact".[16] In this manner, the painting is similar to many examples of British wartime cinema that depicted the working class in an unsentimental manner.[16]

Laura Knight - Ruby Loftus screwing a Breech-ring (1943)

[themovieblogonline]

"Descendants: The Rise of Red" Brings Royal Drama to Disney+

Disney+ is turning up the heat this summer with its latest addition to the “Descendants” franchise: "Descendants The Rise of Red." This new installment promises to deliver the signature mix of magic, mischief, and music that fans have come to love. Premiering on July 12, this film is set to explore the tumultuous world of Red, the rebellious daughter of the Queen of Hearts, and Chloe, Cinderella’s perfectionist daughter. Get ready for an epic adventure that takes us back in time to unravel the origins of villainy. A Night to Remember at the World Premiere Disney+ celebrated the world premiere of "Descendants: The Rise of Red" on the Walt Disney Studios Lot in Burbank, California. The event was a star-studded affair, featuring influencers, celebrity fans, and the film’s stars. Themed red carpets are so last season; this event had a "RED" carpet to match the movie's fiery title. Among the cast members gracing the event were Kylie Cantrall (Red), Malia Baker (Chloe), Brandy (Cinderella), and Rita Ora (Queen of Hearts). Returning stars China Anne McClain and Melanie Paxson added a nostalgic touch, making it a true reunion of Descendants royalty. The Burbank premiere was a star-studded affair, with influencers and celebs rubbing elbows with the cast and crew. We're talking OG Descendants stars like China Anne McClain (aka Uma) and vets like Melanie Paxson (Fairy Godmother) mixing it up with the new generation, including Kylie Cantrall (Red) and Malia Baker (Chloe). "Descendants: The Rise of Red" boasts an impressive ensemble cast. Kylie Cantrall shines as Red, bringing a rebellious yet relatable energy to her character. Malia Baker as Chloe provides the perfect foil with her perfectionist tendencies. Brandy reprises her iconic role as Cinderella, while Rita Ora takes on the menacing role of the Queen of Hearts. The cast is rounded out with Dara Reneé, Ruby Rose Turner, Morgan Dudley, Jeremy Swift, Leonardo Nam, and Joshua Colley. With such a talented lineup, this film is set to be a hit. A Tale of Two Worlds The plot centers around Red and Chloe, two polar opposites who must team up to prevent a coup in Auradon led by the Queen of Hearts. Their journey takes them back in time to change the course of history, aiming to stop the traumatic events that set Red's mother on her villainous path. This storyline not only provides thrilling action but also delves into themes of identity, destiny, and the power of friendship. Brandy, a beloved figure in the world of Disney, returns as Cinderella. Her involvement adds a layer of nostalgia and gravitas to the film. Rita Ora steps into the role of the Queen of Hearts, bringing her own brand of charisma and menace. These two stars, along with the talented ensemble cast, make "Descendants: The Rise of Red" a must-watch for fans. See more photos from the event over in our Facebook Photo Album! (Source: Disney+)  

[calicoups]

imagine coups with an s\o who has natural aeygo doe eyes nd all

dude... the cheolrot.....

help your the only person on here i can trust w\ my cheolrot ໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა

aww i appreciate the trust, that's so cute of you 🥹 i don't like how this turned out, i'm sorry T_T

one thing seungcheol adores about you are your eyes. big, round and shiny. and so easy to get lost in.

he'd find himself wandering deeper and deeper into your pretty eyes as you go on and talk about something: your day, a little trinket you bought or when you talked to one of your or seungcheol's friends.

it's almost as if your eyes were hypnotising your boyfriend (they were). he'd adore the way you would interact with little stray cats on the streets or the fish and rabbits at the local pet adoption centre, the way you would talk to the animals in a little voice with glossed up pouty lips. he could kiss that cute pout right off.

he loves the way your cheeks puff up when you smile or have food in your mouth, the way you get all giddy when he presents you with that glimmering necklace you'd been eyeing earlier.

"i bought this for you," he says with a small smile on his face, holding the velvet box out to you. you gasp at the logo displayed on the red of the box, it glints under the light and seungcheol lifts the cover.

snug in it's place is a beautifully crafted golden necklace with a ruby red gemstone on the pendent. you look up seungcheol with watery eyes and his eyes widen, "doll, why are you tearing up?"

his hands finds its place on your cheek and you shake your head as you lean into his gentle touch, "just...thank you for this. you didn't have to, cheol."

"i wanted to."

[ancestorsofjudah]

2 Kings 24: 1-7. "The Rubies."

Nebuchadnezzar "the Ruby Prophet of Constitutional Order" comes into the picture after Israel's distress becomes apparent. After a prosperous episode, things decline and the Pharaoh of Egypt, "the remover of freedoms" and the Line of the Kings of Israel begins to falter.

The opposite effect now appears: something called Nebuchadnezzar, which God implements like a shot a shot of freedom steriods. The process begins as all freedom in the Torah begins, with serfdom.

The etymology for Nebuchadnezzar is:

Root נבא (nb') means to speak on behalf of, or in the stead of, some authority. Noun נביא (nabi') means spokesman or speaker and is also the Biblical word for prophet. Verb נבא (naba') means to prophesy or speak for some authority. Noun נבואה (nebu'a) means prophecy. Noun נביאה (nebi'a) means prophetess.

The verb כדד (kdd) isn't used in the Bible but in cognate languages it means to toil severely or be very tired. In the Bible this root appears to have to do with fire: glowing or baking. Noun כד (kad) means jar. Noun כידוד (kidod) means spark or red glow. Noun כדכד (kadkod) denotes a gem, possibly a ruby.

The verb נצר (nasar) means to watch, guard or keep. It describes the diligent endeavor of keeping something shielded from an intervening outside world and maintaining this thing's constitutional integrity. Items so kept range from vineyards to single trees and from solitary persons to entire towns. It may describe keeping a promise or covenant or edict, or an attitude of kindness or a secret or one's intentions.

The plural word נצרים (nasarim) describes men engaged in the activity the verb describes: watchmen, safe keepers, protectors. The adjective נציר (nasir) refers to the thing protected or preserved.

Our watchers have not been watching and we are in trouble. Certainly Joe Biden could have and should have put the Mormons down after they and the terror monger tyrant Donald Trump attempted a coup on the US Governmnet on January 6, 2021. After January 6, they regrouped and attacked Israel on October 6, 2023. Many are now dead.

Their continued presence in the world has caused the entire planet much worry and despair. Now a very heavy hand is going to be needed to undo the damage and restore the habits and mannerism associated with normal persons who together in a stable, healthy culture.

Religious extremists are not permitted. The second they organize and try to toggle with personal and institutional freedoms like the Pharoah of Egypt did with Josiah, they have to be dealt with.

God uses Nebu, Consitutional Order to restore Judah, and throws in Babylonians, (bureaucracy, which can be good sometimes) Arameans, (intelligence, not rot) Moabites, (traditions), Ammonites (mothers and kinsman).

The US Constitution states the President and Congress have the right to ratify treaties. The UN Charter and Declaration were ratified by a US President and Congress on 8 August, 1945. The US Government uses the terminology contained in these documents to prosecute other nations, its internal, self-enforcement must be impeccable and guarantee support to nations that are in distress.

The United States Constitution provides that the president "shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators present concur" (Article II, section 2). Treaties are binding agreements between nations and become part of international law.

The President has to power to sign treaties to this effect, and if the Congress ratifies the treaty, it becomes federal law. We are not behaving like a constituted nation at this time. Fortunately that is a problem one can easily fix if we do as the Melachim says and serve the law even as it serves the people when it is honored.

This sentiment called Jehoiakim means "to rise up". The world must rise up against the Republicans, Mormons, Russians, Iranians, etc. in accordance with the law and become free of violence and murder once again and it must never, ever fall prey to them again after they are gone:

24 During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he turned against Nebuchadnezzar and rebelled. 

2 The Lord sent Babylonian,[a] Aramean, Moabite and Ammonite raiders against him to destroy Judah, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by his servants the prophets. 

3 Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord’s command, in order to remove them from his presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done, 

4 including the shedding of innocent blood. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive.

5 As for the other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 

6 Jehoiakim rested with his ancestors. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.

7 The king of Egypt did not march out from his own country again, because the king of Babylon had taken all his territory, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

The Values in Gematria are:

v. 1: Jehoiakim’s reign. The Value in Gematria is 9712, טזאב‎ , tezav, "The Design."

v. 2: The Raiders. The Value in Gematria is 9158, טאהח‎‎ , tahah, "to balance."

The common noun, adverb and preposition תחת (tahat) means beneath or under, and often expresses a balance between a load and its support rather than a mere burden or lower position.

Adjective תחתון (tahton) means lower or lowest, and adjective and substantive תחתי (tahti) or תחתית (tahtit) means low, below or lowest.

v. 3: Sins of Manasseh. The Value in Gematria is 6493, ג‎ודט‎ ‎ , godet, "the banks of the river."

"In the Parshah (Torah reading) of Vayishlach (Genesis 32:4–36:43), we read how Jacob and his family crossed the Jabbok River.2 Jacob planted one foot on the near bank and the other foot on the far bank to form a human bridge, and transferred his possessions across the river.

Realizing that he had forgotten a number of trivial items, he chose to leave his family and possessions behind and set off in search of those items. The Torah tells us that at this point “Jacob remained alone” on his side of the river.3

The Midrash suggests that in emphasizing Jacob’s “aloneness,” the Torah indicates that Jacob was comparable to G‑d. Just as G‑d is exalted and alone, so too was Jacob.4

How did Jacob attain this collegiality with G‑d? It was not through spiritual ecstasy or meditative inspiration; it was through his attention to detail. He had forgotten a simple earthenware pitcher and went back to retrieve it.

What is the significance of this pitcher? To answer that, we must first understand the purpose of Jacob’s sojourn in his uncle Laban’s home and his later encounter with his brother Esau.

His uncle’s home and his brother’s company were not conducive to personal spiritual elevation. But Jacob was not there to satisfy his own agenda; he was there to satisfy G‑d’s agenda."

v. 4: The shedding of innocent blood. The Value in Gematria is 7273, זב‎זג‎ , zabang, "it bites." In addition to the literal meaning, effort without happiness is the shedding of innocent blood. Bites entail work that is for naught at the beginning of the effort, stings come at the end.

v. 5: The Stand. The Value in Gematria is 6500, ו‎האֶפֶסאֶפֶס‎, "the Ephesus."

Stage Five involves the stability an enlightened society chooses for itself. We tend to choose otherwise, engaging in biting and stinging conversations about marriage, the uterus, gay fags and lesbian dykes, the transgender fashion restroom runway, and all the other ridiculous things the Republicans enmire us in while the world wilts, but we could and should choose to do something else.

v. 6: Jehoiachin, "the Fix."

Root כנן (kanan) and hence verb כון (kun) mean to set, establish, fix, and so on. Nouns כן (ken), מכונה (mekona) and מכנה (mekona) denote a base or pedestal, noun מכון (makon) describes some fixed or established place, and noun תכונה (tekuna) means place or arrangement. Noun כון (kawwan) expresses a sort of ritualistic or sacrificial setup.

Adjective כן (ken) means right, true or honest, and adverb כן (ken) expresses confirmation: "thus" or "so". Verb כנה (kana) means to give a title or epithet or cognomen. Slightly unexpected, the noun כן (ken) denotes a gnat; the sort of proverbially plaguy insect that appears in huge swarms.

The Value in Gematria is 4177, דאזז‎ , dazz, "to be strong and powerful in God's Name."

v. 7: The King of Egypt did not march out. The Value in Gematria is 9464, טד‎וד‎, ted us, "from the fire of the exercises comes the understanding of God's Goodness" (and ours too).

This thing we are doing with Donald Trump and his followers and his party, it is not in good taste and shows no good sense. It's going to be interesting to be sure, but he needs to be put down, and a single-0pointed humanitarian system and tradition of government, one that matches our religious principals and traditions needs to be transplanted back into this country again.

[giftideasfromaycaramba]

Red

[meepetteoneonly]

So I will once again refer to al the peaces of the puzzle already discovered and shared by @certifieddilfenjoyer and another layer of theories and questions about Raphael...

We already know, that Vlaakith made a deal with some devil in order to carry out the coup against Mother Gith, i.e. mother of Orpheus. However, the important information is also what Lae’Zael tells us after we are attacked by Githyanki at Wyrm’s Lookout the night before we reach Baldur’s Gate.

Once we successfuly defeated Orpheus’s protectors and Emperor uncovered himself, Lae’Zael tells us, that what we know about Orpheus is only half of a story and that Gith managed to defeat Illithids because she made a deal with Archdevil Tiamant. Also, she explains that it was Tiamant who gifted Githyankis their red dragons.

Furthermore, she tells us that Mother Gith stayed in Hells and that Tiamant’s envoy helped Vlaakith with her mission to become the queen.

Tiamant’s enovy. A devil with wry charm who did a deal with Vlaakith (according to the disk we find in Astral Prism near Orpheus). I wonder, who that may be… 

Now - who is this Archdevil Tiamant? I didn’t know either, but Forgotten Realms wiki had my back again:

Tiamant was the lawful evil dragon goddess of greed, queen of evil dragons and, for a time, reluctant servant of the greater gods Bane and later Asmodeus.

Do we know how Gortash become chosen of Bane, btw?

Tiamat was a unique chromatic dragon, who had one head for each primary color of the most common species of chromatics (black, blue, green, red, white). Each head was able to operate entirely independently of each other and had the powers of a member of the respective race of dragonkind.

Primary colours are subtle theme that is common to Orpheus’s bubble, the bubble we can see inside Astral Prism for the first or so time we get inside.

Also, „Astral Prism… or Prison“, as Gortash put it in his notes… Prism is triangular piece of glass that disperse the light into primary colours.

Tiamat had three manifestations in Avernus as well, one of which never left the gate to Dis. She also had a lair in Avernus, on the Nine Hells, known as Tiamat's Lair.

Tiamat's Lair was the divine realm and prison of Tiamat in Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells, according to the Great Wheel cosmology. The realm was a large cave system within a tall mountain, hidden in the hills of Avernus. It held the only known portal that led to the second layer, Dis. 

Avernus. Here we are. Interesting, isn’t it?

The lair was also inhabited by Tiamat's mates and their descendants. The realm was generally avoided by demons, who were aware of Tiamat's lack of interest in the Blood War.It was, however, occasionally visited by devils offering gifts, hoping to seal bargains with Tiamat.

Do we know anyone who is always up to a bargain?

Tiamat wanted to take control of the Realms, and even as she was thwarted again and again by her enemies, she didn't give up. As of 1491 DR, however, her primary goal was to break free from the Nine Hells.

Having once been an archfiend living on Avernus, Tiamat was loosely allied with Bel and lent him many Abishai to fight in the Blood War. She resented Mammon for converting some evil dragons away from her. She helped Asmodeus forge his Ruby Rod.  She developed an enmity with Asmodeus and the archdevil Bel after they betrayed her.

The crafting of the rod required the shard of evil and a huge ruby to be soaked in the blood of a thousand sacrificed mortals, quenched in Tiamat's acidic saliva, and polished with 777 angel tears.

That’s a little weird but I guess it is better to have a ruby quenched in super-powerful dragon goddess’s saliva than to have no ruby at all. 

Also, Orphic hammer is decorated with red gems as well. And infernal chains binding Orpheus and Hope are attached to some red rocks. Rubys, prehaps?

Finally, Raphael doesn’t seem to be someone into crafting and forging, so there has to be someone who forged the shackles and muzzle for Orpheus and Astral Prism. Given that Astral Prism was probably created at the same time Tiamant was doing business with Gith, maybe it was her… Or maybe she helped Raphael? 

As regards the blood of secrificed mortals, I wonder, was Mephistopheles up to something similar with the Rite of Profane Ascension? 

Ok, let’s continue… 

The church of Tiamat was regimented by a strict hierarchy of ranks and titles. Her clerics were occupied by the twin tasks of acquiring an ever-increasing hoard of wealth for the faith and sabotaging the faiths of other deities. As a result, they occupied most of their time with an unending series of thefts, assassinations, acts of vandalism, and arson. In Unther and Chessenta they were primarily concerned with seizing as much power as possible, while in western Faerun, the cult's agents were focused on subverting the Cult of the Dragon.

Which is interesting. The Cult of Dragon attacked Baldur’s Gate and when Wyll came to the rescue, he end up being tied to Mizora. If you speak with Wyll about the event, he tells you that Mizora didn’t care for the city, but Zariel sent her for some reason.

The Forgotten Realms wiki provides: … However, to avoid disappointing Asmodeus again and to prevent a conflict with Bel, Tiamat refused, instead offering to be Asmodeus' champion and devouring all who opposed him (and offering covert aid to Zariel to prevent Bel from becoming too powerful). So, did Zariel sent Mizora to help Wyll with Cult of the Dragon to do Tiamant some favour? 

This was everything I managed to put together after I rushed to research this Tiamant lady right after Lae’Zael spoke about her in the game. 

So my theory is that Raphael somehow serve Tiamant (or served) or that he has some kind of bargain with her. But the only weak proof is that Tiamant’s envoy helped Vlaakith and that this envoy had wry charm… That’s not much.

I also found this super cool fanart of Tiamant by an artist Jexion and in my opinion, I could see Raphael on his knees for someone like that...

Astral Prism, Orpheus & Raphael Theory

So you know how most people in Baldur's Gate 3 fandom make the Raphael joke?

I'm here to tell you that it's extremely hurtful, because his character has a lot more depth than some of you are willing to see.

Behold, my Baldur's Gate 3 theory:

Right before we enter Act 3, we are jumped by githyanki who want to retrieve our Astral Prism. We are summoned to the Dream Visitor - The Emperor, to help him in the fight.

We find out then that our supposed ally is an illithid but there is one more guy, The Gith, the Orpheus, The Prince of the Comet.

You can ask the Emperor what the heck is a githyanki doing there and he will tell you the brief story about the War of The Comet*.

He is going to mention, that he is bound by INFERNAL chains. Hold on? How come?

After we are done with the Royal Guard, we can go to the upper left side from Orpheus's prison and find an ancient Githyanki disc. It will tell us, that Vlaakith had some infernal business conducted with a devil with wry charm. Of course Raphael isn't the only devil capable of being charming, but it feels natural for it to be him when he is already a very important character in game.

Baldur's Gate 3 Wiki says that it is indeed Vlaakith and Raphael.

OK, but why would they exchange the Astral Prism and is it Vlaakith getting it or Raphael receiving the relic?

He is giving it to Vlaakith. But how would he be in possession of such an artifact?

My theory: He is the one who had it created for that trade. (Commissioned from someone else)

Explanation:

If you look at Hope's and Orpheus's prison, you will notice a striking resemblance at the crystals that can be only shattered by the Orphic Hammer. A Hammer, that Raphael is in possession of! How convenient!

(Even Hope's and Orpheus' eyes are glowing in the same way when they are enslaved.**)

The runes and the design of both Astral Prism and Orpheus' shackles are also strikingly similar. It does not look like anything of Githyanki creation, it screams infernal.

But that still doesn't really add up, does it? Who would possibly create such a powerful object which plays such a major role in the plot?

Here, we have to familiarise ourselves with the wonderful post by Bearhugsandshrugs

Em explains above who the people visiting House of Hope are***.

One of them is a crazy, extremely knowledgeable wizard who specialises in creating copies of himself which prevents him from dying in battle.

When we kill Raphael, we kill him in HoH, in his own domain. He should be gone, for good! But yet, upon interacting with the Orb of Infernal Envisioning, we see that he is soon to be devoured by his father. Hells do not split into separate planes - so either Mephisto snatched his soul somehow (which seems impossible because his body is still there and devil's souls are their bodies) or Raphael respawned and his father took one of his clones or something like that. (He's just so cool I had to put it in here, but let me return to my theory now)

Another name on the list points out to Raphael's interest in different planes (even the ones which don't seem to be reachable) but also, magical puzzle boxes capable of holding items inside. As you can see, the name on the list is under the uninvited visitors section, which most likely means that they either fuel his soul pillars or have been turned into a soul coin. So it didn't have to be that particular person helping Raphael with the creation of the Astral Prism, but it points out to his interest in that topic.

Now, when would that even happen?

Karsus Folly took place in -339 DR, BG3 takes place in 1492 DR, around 2000 years later.

The enslavement of Orpheus - so also the Vlaakith trade - happened at around -4000 DR.

It is not impossible that Raphael was already around and scheming at that time. Why? Because Mephistopheles gifted Haarlep to Raphael most likely when Raphael was about to get the Crown before his father snatched it. Comparing their visual age, it seems that Raphael was already a young adult cambion at around the War of The Comet age.

Another thing is the fact that, Kith'rak Voss, the badass Githyanki Red Dragon rider, the sword of Vlaakith, found out about Raphael and contacted him and told us to get our ass inside Sharess Caress. Raphael doesn't mention him having an 'office' there, it's Voss who does it. Only upon entering the place, we can interact with Korrilla who's like, hey girl go upstairs Raphael rented a room hoping you'd drop by. HE KNOWS WE SPOKE TO VOSS, he has to! And also, Voss was around when Orpheus got enslaved! According to Wiki he was inside the Astral Plane when that happened. And Raphael has absolutely 0 interest in trading with Voss, yet the githyanki managed to reach him somehow. In my opinion, when he finally realised the lies of Vlaakith, he was looking for a specific devil, for Raphael, because he might remember him from back then.

(* Justice to my poor Githyanki, the most based and cool race in BG3. Imagine how painful it has to be to realize over centuries of time that you helped the self-proclaimed queen establish her tyranny over your own people because you've been brainwashed to believe that Orpheus is a traitor and Vlaakith the rightful heir of the throne)

(** The eyes, the chains, the crystals. The top of the Orphic Hammer is literally partially built from that same gem/crystal and on top of that, if you use Examine on it, it clearly states that it has been built in Infernal forges.)

(*** headcanon warning: The Amulet of Vigor that is present in the Archive is actually proven to have some... Other invigorating capabilities ☠️☠️☠️ and the old, ancient, crazy wizard has the boudoir privileges. Coincidence? ☠️☠️)

Anyways, to sum up:

• Githyanki disc shows us a deal between Vlaakith and Raphael where the devil gives her the Astral Prism.

• Raphael orders creation of the Orphic Hammer (the name itself, come on, it's such a mockery just like House of Hope) to make sure that he has the means to free him if it will benefit him in any way.

• In exchange for the Hammer, he receives some kind of knowledge of ascension to godhood. (Lae'Zel tells us during the game that ascension is the githyanki's greatest honour but it turns out it is nothing else but ensuring that Vlaakith remains alive and a god, because she just consumes the life force of her greatest warriors)

• Hope's and Orpheus's chains are strikingly similar and the part of the Orphic Hammer is built from the same gem/crystal that seems to be enslaving both of them.

So yea, my humble request is that you start fully appreciating the incredible writing of the game, instead of just focusing on the shallow 'haha bottom' jokes. I could make another post about that itself, but it's pointless. I hope you enjoyed!