#she casts these beautiful sonas to play her

[mariusroyale]

i truly fear the person i become when im on character ai

[mythriteshah]

The Sultan’s Dream

“Nyra… Glacius…  It has been a journey of ten-thousand malms since we stepped foot upon Eorzea.  I was but a simple lordling that wanted to make a name for himself, with nothing but my two greatest companions – my best friends – by my side.  You two were always there.  Through my triumphs and my failures, you were all I had to depend on.

Yes, I have my Angels to watch over and safeguard myself and the Regalia, but even they are not always around – unlike you two. ‘Tis not often I am given an opportunity to simply enjoy the scenery and share my thoughts; there are few whom I trust enough to divulge my deepest secrets.  And to tell you the greatest truth of all, Nyra & Glacius… I’m tired. My time spent in Eorzea was one filled with so much turmoil that I would not even wish such a life on my worst enemies. And although I’ve brought the Regalia to a shining age of prosperity, I had still suffered a great deal since I first became an adventurer.

All this conflict is for the cloudkin.  I’ve already cavorted with enough primals to live three full lives.  And the repeated incursions of the Garlean Empire are evolving into quite the proverbial broken record.  There are numerous other adventurers and ‘heroes’ strewn about the realm to make an army; what’s one merchant-lord in the grand scheme of things?

We’ve played our part on this grand stage of imbeciles, Glacius.  Nyra. But now it is time for the curtains to descend.  I am done fighting and tempting fate – I’ll grow old doing this for so long. ‘Tis time we returned back home to where we belong.”

Thiji reflected back on his speech he gave to his two most trusted companions some summers ago.  While he has gained and lost much throughout his time as an adventurer, he was tolerant of the outcomes and made peace with them.  Of course, there are certain moments in time he wish would have changed for the better.

His confrontation with the Harriers and their leader in the heart of Snowcloak, though successful in its objective, costed Thiji the life of the only Angel who ever loved him – Mamai Mai, who was given the title of “Lady” posthumously.  She insisted on accompanying the then Mythrite Prince and his comrades-in-arms in his assault, offering her pugilistic skills to the table. Unfortunately, she was waylaid unexpectantly by what may as well have been a sub-zero blast of cold by the Lady of Frost.  Thiji may have withstood the brunt of it, but Mamai was not so prepared, and she fell as a result.  This was the beginning of a martial awakening within Thiji, for this event catalyzed his ascent – or descent, to some – into the path of the Dark Knight.  This would later be realized in its fullest when he battled against the fourfold master of the blade in His home turf: Ravana, Lord of the Hive.

“Martial perfection”, the Amalj’aa called it.  The apex of one’s skill for which all Amalj’aa seek to strive.  This concept stuck close to Thiji as he eventually took up the sword and shield, continuing his adventures as a Paladin during the campaign to liberate Ala Mhigo.  When he had faced off against the Lady of Bliss, whose Qalyana dreamers were coaxed into summoning their false deity due to threats from the Garlean Empire, he had received word from Nyra, who bore a message from one of his Angels informing him that his then-Sultana, Nanago Nago - whom was with child and under the care of Sarielle - had succumbed to her own avarice, consuming gratuitous amounts of aether from his weapons collected throughout his journeys during the Dragonsong War.  The resulting effulgence – combined with her own innate powers as an Astrologian – caused her and their unborn child to perish in a stellar explosion, effectively removing them from existence.  Another crushing loss – greater, even, than the one incurred from losing Mamai. Thanks to the laws of time and space, no one but he and his Angels know of this event.  Once more unhinged, Thiji found new strength in not only his martial, but his magical prowess, effectively dispatching of the Lady of Bliss, though at the cost of his own blade and board… and his soul crystal, which he casted away with his armor following the battle.

It always seemed passing strange that the Dunesfolk nobleman from the Near East would gain new strength and prowess by leaps and bounds at the expense of some tragedy – this only further added to his eccentricity.  He was a calm individual, but was incredibly vindictive – especially if one ever crossed his Angels, whom he cared for so dearly.  Others may not have picked up on the cause of these… awakenings, but Thiji was more than aware of it.  Some days following the Largesse, when he was alone in his Aldenard Branch office, he gazed upon a glistening blue greatsword of exquisite make.  It was made by a Dragoon friend of his who had a fascination for all things Allagan, and upon the length of the blade was an engraved sentence:

“As long as you make it out of a battle alive, you're one step closer to fulfilling your dream.”

More than just pretty words to the Mythrite Sultan.  He had experienced many battles and came out of each intact.  Even now, as the kingpin of the Higuri Regalia, Thiji had even conquered a battlefield which extended beyond the physical: the realm of high fashion. He toiled for many winters to get to where he is now; to be the titan of aesthetic and philanthropy which has earned the respect of many (and, for some reason, the ire of some).  Yet therein lies the problem:

What dream remained?

Sure, Thiji Higuri was a man of ambition and intellect.  But he had not enjoyed the pursuit of a dream since the assault on Djanan Qhat.  Ever since he was a child, he was spellbound by a particular play, and never missed a single showing.  Thiji had experienced it so many times that he could (and probably still) recite the entire script verbatim.  It was a tale of romance and tragedy; of a powerful sorceress with a good heart who stood up for a broken country’s people, and the solitary man who rose up to defend her:  the Sorceress’s Knight.

A dream he may have fulfilled after the Dragonsong War, but was snatched away prior to Ala Mhigo’s freedom. It was a sensitive topic, and seldom brought up in the Mythrite Sultan’s presence, lest an Angel earns his anger. Why keep the claymore, then, if he had no dream to pursue?  What other meaning could the decorative sword have to Thiji if he is a man bereft of that driving force?

The evening following the Largesse, the Mythrite Sultan was no longer present at the Aldenard Branch. He had begun making for the Main Branch for reasons as of yet unknown – probably to oversee the release of the Blessed Wardrobe’s second clothing line.  As usual, his Advisor, Veeveena Veena, was present in his chambers, enjoying some Winter Lassi as she gazed upon the moon with that lovely smile on her face.  It was yet another peaceful night in Radz-at-Han, and though she has seen the view many times, it was no less breathtaking to behold for the Near Eastern flower.

Veeveena took a few sips of her drink as the winds suddenly began to rise.  The trees amidst the emergent layer of the jungle which could be seen from the city began to sway and billow, and would eventually cause a whisper or three to blow through the balcony.  The sudden shift in temperature caught her off guard as the Dunesfolk woman let out a soft gasp, stumbling somewhat, but maintained her posture as the numerous jewels and decorations on her sampot clinked like wind chimes against her body.

“This breeze…” she whispered to herself.  “Could it be the North Wind?  Has he arrived in Radz-at-Han?”  The sheer thought of meeting the elusive debonair was too enticing to resist, and Veeveena would quickly down the last of the lassi, enduring the brain freeze that would follow.  As swiftly as she could, she doffed her garb to put on some evening attire before making her flight from the Main Branch Headquarters.  Forgoing the usual method of taking the bridge out from the city, she utilized her fans to conjure wind-aspected aether to propel herself upward, gliding down gracefully toward the canopy.

Meanwhile, as Veeveena made her way to the rivulet, a lone figure was seen dancing about.  It was shrouded entirely thanks to the shadows cast by the dense canopy beneath Menphina’s light.  The figure’s movements were seamless, effortlessly transitioning into fouettes, sliding along the waters from one side to the other as they froze over, striping the rivulet with bands of ice.  All throughout was the sound of steel ringing through the night air, and that same icy wind began picking up once more as the figure gathered aetherial energy for a brief moment before soaring from one end of the river to the other in a twirling flourish.   Upon reaching the apex of the jump, it performed a flawless jete, the silvery moon cloaking the figure all the while as if the spectacle was taken straight out from a painting. The concealed terpsichorean was releasing the stored energy as it did its finish, resulting in an arch of slick ice to form over the rivulet.  Sticking the landing with one final twirl into a plie, it detected movement within the trees.  It did not bother to take the time to discern the incoming presence, and instead fled the scene with a blinding dash into the forest floor.

When Veeveena had finally emerged, the figure she believed to be the North Wind was nowhere to be found. All that she beheld was the stark scenery of a partly-frozen rivulet, the banks dotted with shards of frost, and an arch spanning its breadth.  “This is beautiful… but the North Wind could not do this,” she thought, as she felt the scintillant snow particles kissing her face.  While she was awestruck at the sight, Veeveena had to report this occurrence to her peers.  Without wasting another moment, she contacted the Angels at the Main Branch, who would then arrive within the bell.

The “S” Trio (Sena, Sona, Suna) and the “L” Trio (Lena, Luma, Lina) were investigating the area as Veeveena brought them up to speed on what happened to the best of her ability. Sosona was easily able to deduce that the lingering aether was not the result of a primal’s thanks to her aetherometer obtained by the Scions of the Seventh Dawn (who, when asked about how she acquired them, stated that they didn’t seem to be using them anymore anyway);  Lelena and Lilina, with their own unique abilities, further deduced that the culprit was not using the ambient aether or the influence of a construct; Luluma and Susuna had also come to the conclusion that the focus area was away from any wildlife or beastmen, so none were harmed from the result of this… phenomenon.

What really stood out, however, was Sesena’s observation after gazing upon the frozen arch for several minutes:

“Hey, Angels… do any of you feel… different?” she asked them.  “Miss Veeveena?”

“Yes,” she replied. “I thought I was the only one who felt such… emotion from this scene, so I did not address it.”

“Miss Veeveena’s right… I don’t feel all that chipper,” Lilina commented, holding a hand to her heart. “It’s not… aether sickness, but when I gaze upon this scene, I’m seemingly overcome with… sorrow.  But it’s a sort of… beautiful sorrow – like a dying maiden being held in her lover’s arms before the last flames of life fade from her eyes…”

The other Angels absorbed Lilina’s words, taking in the scenery, watching the snow particles dance in the air.  The longer they remained, the more these senses seemed more profound.  They may have been involved in many conflicts both small and large, but the Angels were no strangers to emotion – especially ones as palpable as what they were experiencing.  They felt tranquility… yet sadness; bliss… yet loss.  It was as if they were traversing a thin line between positive and negative emotion.

“I’ve heard tales of his prowess, Angels, but I don’t think even the North Wind is capable of something like this,” Sesena commented.

“Whomever it is,” Sosona began, “they’re damn good at expressing themselves.”  The Angels remained for a while longer, until the icy spectacle would be whisked away by an errant gust of wind, freeing the rivulet from its frozen state in a cloud of diamond dust.

From atop the city in the Main Branch Headquarters, a Lalafell woman veiled in mythril blue and silver watched silently from her vantage point.  Lady Mimizo, the Valide Sultan, was surprisingly awake during this bell, her face obscured by one of her fans.  But for what reason was she spying on the Angels?

As Nyra flew to her side, Mimizo looked over her shoulder to find a slumbering Thiji, who seemed to be well into his sleep, a rare smile of content made visible on his face.  His mother would grin in kind as she gave a kiss to the owl’s cheek.

“[I am indebted to you, Nyra.  Thank you for keeping this secret for so long.  But soon, the Angels will have to know. Until then, pray hold your tongue a while longer],” Mimizo whispered to Nyra in their native tongue.  She would bow her head before taking wing, flying off into the night sky.  Mimizo gazed upon the vestiges of the ice particles swirling into the heavens, enjoying the sight for a moment before quietly leaving her son’s bed chambers.  She would return to accompany her husband before the Angels would make their way back to report this event to the other branches.

“May your dreams bring you the bliss you so rightfully deserve, my beloved son…”

[tigerkirby215]

5e Seraphine, the Starry-Eyed Songstress build (League of Legends)

(Artwork by Jennifer Wuestling. Made for Riot Games.)

I mean I’m going to have to build her eventually, right? Honestly Tasha’s Cauldron comes out tomorrow so I may as well take a bit of a cheat day and make a build for the new champ. I mean I still have to and pick out a bunch of spells so at least I’m doing that?

Samira build is going to come out sometime in the year 3587 lol.

GOALS

Lookin' for a song in everything I meet! - Seraphine is a stage performer, rallying the whole crowd into song to make it loud and proud!

You're all breathtaking! - Seraphine can unite everyone around her with shields and heals. COUGH SONA COUGH.

Sing it with me! - When the time comes Seraphine can bring the whole world closer together! Good thing she isn’t mute.

RACE

I would really love to do a funny joke and say that Seraphine is a Tiefling or an Orc or something but no: she’s a Human. I can’t even justify any of the Eberron races so we’ll just be going for good ol’ Variant Human.

As a human you can increase two ability scores of your choice: pump up your Charisma and Dexterity to keep fit and beautiful. You can also learn a skill of your choice and for hearing so strong you can hear the voices of a dying nation inside your special necklace take Perception proficiency. You can also take any language of your choice so I’d suggest one that fits with your group, or whichever one you think is Korean. Actually I think Seraphine sung in Chinese which also made people mad? Man Riot can’t stop making her controversial, huhn?

But of course the main appeal of Variant Human is the free feat at level 1. I think Alert is pretty good for mimicking super sensitive hearing. Along with a +5 bonus to initiative you can’t be surprised nor can you be snuck up on. Being able to hear everyone has its perks, huhn?

ABILITY SCORES

15; CHARISMA - If you’re gonna get the crowd to adore you you’ve gotta look the part.

14; CONSTITUTION - I don’t care if Seraphine is a squishy midlane mage we simply don’t need anything else more. Feel free to swap this out with a different stat if you want better roleplay but worse health.

13; DEXTERITY - You need to be able to keep your balance on a moving platform as well as be able to dance along with the K/DA crew.

12; WISDOM - Seraphine’s big thing is being able to hear the emotions of everyone. Knowing what makes people tick is Insight, which is a Wisdom skill.

10; INTELLIGENCE - Seraphine is just your average, everyday girl. Ditzy and a little clueless.

8; STRENGTH - Seraphine can best be described as “petite.” Muscles in the chest hurt your nice soprano.

BACKGROUND

Now you may not know this but Seraphine is a singer, which is a type of Entertainer. As an Entertainer you get proficiency in Performance (obviously) and Acrobatics as well as a music instrument of your choice (Indie Seraphine plays guitar so grab a Lute) and a Disguise Kit, so maybe you can disguise the fact that you’re a copy of So...

Being the premier superstar of Piltover means that you get to tour around a lot By Popular Demand. You can perform in exchange for a place to stay, and doing so will get people to notice you! "Music helps you keep your head up."

(Artist unknown. Blame LoL Wiki. Artwork made for Riot Games.)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - BARD 1

YOU MAY BE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT SERAPHINE IS A BARD. As a Bard you get proficiency in three skills as well as three instruments! Choose whatever instruments you want (you mostly sing, and the majority of magical instruments are Lutes anyways which you’re already proficient in) (my secret advice? Pan Flutes and Horns have a few magic instruments) but for your skills take Insight to hear the crowd, Persuasion to rally the crowd, and Arcana to learn why your magic crystal is screaming.

You also get Bardic Inspiration! Seraphine talks about being inspired so she can inspire others, and you can inspire your allies with a d6 to add to Attack Rolls, Saving Throws, and Skill Checks!

But of course Bards are spellcasters with Spellcasting too! You can learn two cantrips from the Bard list: Prestidigitation will let you get some special effects on stage and Vicious Mockery doesn’t have to be mockery... It would just be a lot cooler if it was.

You also learn four spells from the Bard list: Comprehend Languages will let you understand everyone’s song, and Faerie Fire will let you light up their life. On the more unnerving end Dissonant Whispers will let folk listen to your crystal, and Detect Magic will let you tell exactly what kind of magic you’re hearing. That’s weird: why is the Hextech crystal radiating Necromancy?

LEVEL 2 - BARD 2

Second level Bards are Jack of All Trades, being able to add half their proficiency bonus to any skill check. Because you see the rhythm in everything! Additionally you get Song of Rest, helping your friends take a break and recover more health during short rests.

But most importantly you get another spell! Another way to cheer someone up is to give them a good laugh, and Tasha’s Hideous Laughter will make them do just that! Maybe they’re laughing about the fact that Riot keeps insisting your not a copy of Sona? Oh don’t worry the jabs at Seraphine as a character are just gonna keep coming.

LEVEL 3 - BARD 3

Third level Bards get Expertise in two skills: choose Insight to hear the souls of both cities, and Performance because... yeah duh. You don’t become famous in a day.

But much more importantly you get your choice of Bard College, and for the rich and fabulous the College of Glamour will make sure everyone loves you! You can now officially captivate the whole audience (up to your Charisma modifier) with your Enthralling Performance, charming them and making them idolize you and defend you on Twitter. To both shield your allies and speed them up with Surround Sound Mantle of Inspiration takes a Bonus Action to give them Temporary Hitpoints and let them take a reaction to move out of danger. Yeah this was pretty much on a silver platter for me so I figured I’d take it.

You can also learn another spell and for an effective Beat Drop take Hold Person, rooting them in place for long enough that your ADC can do their magic.

LEVEL 4 - BARD 4

4th level comes with your first Ability Score Improvement. Charisma is pretty much everything for us now so pumping that up would be helpful!

You can also learn another spell and another cantrip! For your cantrip Dancing Lights will let you light up your stage and also pulls double duty by letting your dumb human eyes see in the dark. As for leveled spells Suggestion is a more direct form of emotional manipulation, suggesting actions for the other person to take. These actions can’t be directly harmful or against what the character would normally do, but “you should buy my $30 release skin” is a fairly ordinary request, right?

(Picture from Seraphine’s Twitter. Yup Seraphine is definitely real.)

LEVEL 5 - BARD 5

5th level Bards get Font of Inspiration, allowing their Bardic Inspiration to come back on a Short rest instead of a Long rest. This is great because your Bardic Inspiration die also increases to a d8, increasing your Mantle of Inspiration Temp HP too!

You can also learn third level spells but the keyword here is can because I’m actually going to stick at second to take spells like Calm Emotions. Man you’ll never guess what this spell does.

While Calm Emotions is a nice spell feel free to deviate from my builds as you see fit. Like seriously a temporary ceasefire is nice but so is a huge Fear cone.

LEVEL 6 - BARD 6

6th level Glamour Bards can make people dance like they have a magical instrument from Ionia. Mantle of Majesty lets you Concentrate on a not-spell once per Long Rest and get the ability to cast the Command actual-spell as a Bonus Action for one minute. Command lets you make one word commands at your enemy as long as they can understand you and you aren’t asking them to do something harmful to themselves. So commands like “Dance!” “Sing!” and “Cheer!” are all viable (though perhaps not effective in a teamfight.)

You can also add another spell to your spell list but again the third level Bard spells aren’t too enticing to me, so take Enthrall to make sure they concentrate on you and you alone.

Oh and you get Countercharm, letting you use an action to give allies against Frightening and Charming effects. Or they could buy some Tenacity. Or you could get a Paladin.

LEVEL 7 - BARD 7

7th level Bards get 4th level spells and Confusion will get the crowd mixed up in the noise, resulting in a cacophony that would sound like unbearable noise to most. Because it is unbearable noise. But at least your friends can fight them in the madness.

LEVEL 8 - BARD 8

8th level Bards get another Ability Score Improvement. Do you know what’s helpful for a class based entirely on Charisma? Maxed out Charisma!

You know what else is helpful? Charm Monster, so you can talk to any crystal scorpions that might be looking for their family. I mean, assuming the Brackern speak human.

(Picture from Seraphine’s Twitter. Yup Seraphine is definitely real.)

LEVEL 9 - BARD 9

9th level sees your Song of Rest increase to a d8. Does this ability scale really poorly? Yeah kinda.

At least you get 5th level spells now. If you want some high notes that’ll dance around you Animate Objects will let you make a bunch of tiny objects to hit your foes! Honestly at this point all the Enchantment spells become uhhh... evil? So we have to go for a different school if we want “good” spells.

LEVEL 10 - BARD 10

10th level Bards get Expertise in two more skills: Persuasion will help you shift the hearts of a nation. Take whatever skill you want as your secondary one since it honestly doesn’t matter too much. (I personally opted for Perception.)

But more importantly it’s Magical Secrets time! This will let you get any spell from any class’ spell list and add it to your own! Most of the time when you get this feature you want to grab some stuff at the max level you can cast but I’m actually going to go down to third level for some support and buffs! For a healing aura around you take Aura of Vitality from the Paladin spell list. To quickly charm a crowd Incite Greed will force everyone to be charmed by you as they want to see your 50 dollar Brackern Corpse... I mean Hextech crystal.

Along with your two Magical Secrets you also get another cantrip. Message is always good to keep plans in team chat.

LEVEL 11 - BARD 11

11th level Bards get 6th level spells like Otto's Irresistible Dance, which forces everyone to get into the rhythm! It’s much harder to fight when you’re dancing: it’s like being stunned! Good thing only you can force a stunning dance on enemies.

LEVEL 12 - BARD 12

12th level Bards get an Ability Score Improvement but now that your Charisma is maxed you can grab Inspiring Leader to rally everyone together for an awesome performance!

(Artist unknown. Blame LoL Wiki. Artwork made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 13 - BARD 13

13th level Bards see their Song of Rest increase to a d10, and this is the point where I make a joke about Song of Rest scaling poorly.

You at least get 7th level spells, and because none of these really fit Seraphine I’m going to suggest Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion for a K/DA stage. But again I need to remind people that I’m picking options for RP and you’re welcome to build the character however you want. Take what you think will be useful and make your own song!

LEVEL 14 - BARD 14

14th level Eloquence Bards have Unbreakable Majesty! As a Bonus Action you can put on your Ultimate Skin to force enemies to make Charisma saves if they try to attack you. If they fail, they’ll target someone else! This is a great way to keep the damage off you since you don’t exactly have great HP or AC. Do remember that it only lasts for a minute though, but you can get it back at the end of a Short or Long rest.

Additionally you get two more Magical Secrets! If you want to sing to enemies far and long (but maybe not Wide) Gravity Fissure is a Dunamancy spell that forces everyone in a line to take a massive amount of damage and be pulled to the center of the spell.

Now that you got your ultimate the world is honestly your oyster. My recommendation to get a crowd to put their hands up would be Chain Lightning, but that’s more because the spell is good than because it fits Sera.

LEVEL 15 - BARD 15

15th levels get their maximum Bardic Inspiration die of a d12! This also means that your Mantle of Inspiration will now give everyone 15 temporary hitpoints! "Harmonize!"

LoL Wiki doesn’t let me link to voice lines anymore and that’s a true crime.

And hey; 8th level spells! If you want to make some Gamers™ mad about your “cash grab” Twitter account just inflict them with Feeblemind so they can spam pictures of Skarner like the marketing department gets to choose what the champion designers make. Because remember: even if Seraphine isn’t real the people pretending to be her are, so don’t be an ass please!

LEVEL 16 - BARD 16

Who likes ASIs? We haven’t used our hyper-sensitive hearing enough so take the Observant feat for a +1 to Wisdom and a +5 to passive Perception and Investigation. And the ability to pick up on lyrics by reading people’s lips!

Are there more useful feats? Yeah, but we build for character here. If you want a powerbuild check out Reddit.

(Picture from Seraphine’s Twitter. Yup Seraphine is definitely real.)

LEVEL 17 - BARD 17

17th level Bards get to pretend that Song of Rest is a good ability! It’s a d12 now so I’m sure it’s useful now that your party all have around 100 HP!

But you finally get access to your mythical 9th level spells! Honestly all the options are great for a girl who has everything, but I’m going to go for the fun Music Video option of True Polymorph. Turn Akali into a dragon! Turn Evelynn into a demon! Turn Skarner into a battery! The possibilities are endless! (Unlike the #BrackernRights memes.)

LEVEL 18 - BARD 18

18th level Bards get their last two Magical Secrets. This is also the last two spells you’ll be getting so better make them count! Of course the best way to make a spell count is to Wish for anything. With this you can finally unite Piltover and Zaun, as long as you believe enough! Or you can bring back Skarner’s family...

For something a little more in-character and a lot more immediately practical: Mass Heal is the perfect Catch-22 to negate any burst. A burst of 700 HP to everyone is never not useful for a bit of Redemption.

LEVEL 19 - BARD 19

19th level Bards get their last Ability Score Improvement: we have an uneven Wisdom score thanks to our last Feat so eh. May as well take Resilient Wisdom for better saving throws and even scores.

LEVEL 20 - BARD 20

20th level Bards have Superior Inspiration! When you roll initiative and have no uses of Bardic Inspiration left, you regain one use. That is literally how the ability is worded. I mean, okaaaaay? At least you can spam Mantle of Inspiration a little more?

FINAL BUILD

PROS

Whole world hears me now! - You’re a full caster with no multiclassing! 9th level spells: no strings attached! You’ve even got a nice spread between Concentration spells and Non-Concentration spells, as well as both utility and combat spells.

Everyone fights to be heard; I'll fight to listen - Being a Bard means you’re good at just about everything, and particularly good at a select few things. 29 Passive Perception? +17 to Persuasion?

We've only just met and I'm already inspired - Who would’ve guessed that a Support class built to support well would be a good support? You’ve got charms, heals, and CC a plenty along with Inspiring Leader to bolster everyone before a battle and Mantle of Inspiration to keep everyone moving with the music!

CONS

Stage fright? Never heard of it - A lot of your BADDEST™ toys are locked behind big spell slots. You’ve only got two 6th level slots, and just one 9th level slot despite having three different 9th level spells to choose from. Again feel free to build your spell list however you want as I just picked what fit in character.

Pretend it's a big rehearsal - Your DEX is meh, your CON is meh. 140 HP isn’t godawful but it isn’t great when you’ll likely have 14 AC at best with Studded Leather. You know what’s really hot right now? Tattoos. See if your DM’s a cool dude who’ll pass you a Rare Barrier Tattoo from Tasha’s to essentially get Medium Armor! Elven Chain is also nice and pretty.

Joy's too quiet without sorrow on the downbeat - I don’t want to make two points related to your stats but they’re the only thing that’s really hurting in this build. Your only good stat is Charisma: and everything else ranges from meh (+2 in DEX / WIS / CON) to bad (0 in INT, -1 in STR.) While you’ll still be able to roleplay with Jack of All Trades skills your Saving Throws hurt. Your concentration is bad and anything heavy will break your petite spine in two. Luckily INT saves aren’t common but anything Strength or Constitution based will quickly put an end to your performance.

Uniting the world in song isn’t easy, but if anyone can do it it’s you. Harmonize, move with the rhythm, and unite everyone through song. There’s nothing you can’t do, and no one can bring you down down down down down down. Well, except perhaps an angry crystal scorpion monster and his army of Twitter followers.

(Artist unknown. Blame LoL Wiki. Artwork made for Riot Games.)

[rosslove103]

Mine in Yours - The Prologue

Summary: Only fate will decide what happens between Princess Edith Tane, the daughter of King Valsi and Queen Ainsley, and Prince Ben Solo, the son of King Han and Queen Leia. The two royals are set up to meet and fall in love. The two kingdoms have very different reasons for allowing their child to wed each other. Only they get to choose what their real reasons will be. 

WC: 1K

AN: This story is set in a Star Wars Alternate Universe, it will not include anything from any of the trilogies. This is an Ben Solo x OC, the OC will be portrayed as Stella Maeve. I’d like to say this story is set during the 1400s from my knowledge, think of this being set during “Reign”, a show on CW. 

Please enjoy and feedback is always appreciated! <3

   A long time ago in a kingdom far, far away.

Cora was ruled by King Valsi and Queen Ainsley, two beautiful majesties to rule one beautiful kingdom. King Valsi had an arranged marriage to Queen Ainsley from a young age, much like what will happen to their daughter. Their love for each other and their kingdom could be seen even from the bind, it was undying and unconditional.

The kingdom was their pride and joy; it was filled with little brick villages, fields of flowers that could be seen for miles, and cliffs with waterfalls people could only dream of jumping off of. The villagers adored the royal family and to much surprise, did not hate them. Unlike other monarchs, they ruled with love and compassion instead of hate and fear.

Their daughter, Edith Tane, was the only heir to the throne and blessed with all the same gracious features from her parents. She had delicate facial features: brown, almond shaped eyes that would pop if she only bore a little more makeup according to her mother, brown hair that fell down to the middle of her back, and soft pink lips.

Their majesties would often find Edith running throughout the castle, playing and running about with the child of whoever was staying at Court. She had a knack for connecting with the children more than those her age but that did not mean she was terrible at conversing with the other people at Court. Her looks already got her pretty far with getting the attention of the men at Court, but her brain and aura would draw even more men to her feet. She had a warm glow around her at all times, prickling the attention from suitors far and wide. But that same glow could turn people away, cast them into the shadows.

Edith knew that it was her duty to find and marry the next king of Sona and although it scared her half to death, she would often dream of falling in love with a prince. Her father never pushed the idea of marriage because he already knew what was going to happen, an arranged marriage on his behalf. He would never entertain the thought of Edith falling in love with whoever she pleased, it was not the duty of a royal. 

Her mother on the other hand, was a different story. Every so often, when her mother would put Edith to bed, she would tell her stories about falling in love and the journey it took to get there. Edith looked up at her mother with bright eyes and always went to bed dreaming about a faceless boy.

+

Alderaan was just like any other country in the east - cold for the better half of the year with acres of snow covered forests and stone villages filled with villagers who had no idea why the King and Queen taxed them so much for tea. But what other countries did not have, besides the upcoming of a war, was Alderaan’s wealth. Many came with the hopes of getting on the King and Queens good graces to leave with fully pockets but often left with full bellies and no riches.

The Prince of Alderaan brought beauties from country lands far and wide, all hoping to have the handsome prince ask their hand in marriage. All but none caught his eye whenever they came around and left his parents, King Han and Queen Leia, with defeated looks. Their majesties tried to bring in those that they thought Prince Ben Solo would like but they didn’t really know him or what he liked. They were too busy looking after the kingdom to worry about the next queen. Their kingdom was already on the brink of war with Tatooine that they didn’t even bother to see the wall being built between them and their only son.

Prince Solo never dreamed of having the crown because he knew of all the pain it brought those who wore it. He saw his parents distance themselves from him as he was growing up, putting the crown before their own beloved prince. Whenever their majesties needed Ben, for yet another ‘diplomatic meeting’ with a princess, they would find him stowed away in his room, writing a story about the life he never got. He loved writing and calligraphy more than he loved sneaking around the castle with the women from Court. Being away from the troubles of their kingdom and lost in a new story was all Ben could think of.  

Prince Ben knew that he had the looks fitting to be a king; pale skin from the lack of sunshine he got from constantly being inside the castle, raven black hair that the women of Court always seemed to want to touch, and lips that always looked red after sneaking around with some random girl. 

Ben was quite the charmer despite his lack of social appearances, easily making all the women fall for him with his simple and kind demeanor. He also knew he would have to find a girl to be the next Queen of Alderaan, it was as much his duty to his country as it was his body's job to keep him alive.

+

Life as a royal is never easy, despite what the villagers seem to think. They struggle as well but not in the way you may think. They struggle to find love, happiness, and freedom much like their villagers. Royals do not have the luxury of marrying for love, only the luxury of marrying to elevate their status or help their country. This is both a blessing and a curse.

One kingdom wants their daughter to marry for both their country and for love. The other kingdom wants their son to marry for the sake of winning their personal war, for love as a last resort. Alas, only the Prince and the Princess can really choose what their reasons will be for marriage.

One fact remains, the King and Queen of Alderaan are visiting the Kingdom of Cora in hopes of pleasing King Valsi and Queen Ainsley to allow an arranged marriage between Prince Edith and Prince Ben and have the precious Princess Edith fall for their son, Prince Ben.

[moonraccoon-exe]

I STARTED PLAYING HORIZON DURING THE WEEK I WAS GONE

AND I’M IN LOVE AKSDJSLKGJDA

Imma add one of the useless keep reading lines that don’t work on mobile lkajsdksaj wtf Tumblr, but just so you know where the rant goes, and that there’s spoileeeeeeerrrrrrs there if you haven’t played it -3-

1. At first I thought it wasn’t going to be much of my jam because it took me a while to get used to the controls, and Aloy felt sorta heavy and I’m terrible with heavy characters (lmao Ganondorf and Bowser are out of my smash bros games lol), but as soon as I got used I got obsessed .3.

2. It has voice dub in my language and the cast is EXQUISITE UGH

3. I have a terrible giganormous crush on Aloy baby girl baby

4. Can we appreciate that they’re not sexualizing any of the female charas? Like they didn’t go with the fragile skinny round faced protag (which is fine! all girls are beautiful!), but to the context, a tougher girl of course is not just better but...necessary. GAWD I LOVE HER SO MUCH

5. Is it bad that I always knew Rost was gonna die? ;A; Aaskdjlkg I mean, the one character that takes care of protag and the only one that loves them always is sorta meant to die ahaha, so I was expecting it but BOY did it still hurt because I wasn’t expecting the way it happened. I thought it’d be tragic, yes, but...KABOOM? THAT IS SO HORRIBLE WTF WHY DID THEY DO THAT ;A; Also, the way he acted all weird before the Trial, I thought that the final test would be something like “Now u fight this conveniently chosen random Outcast to DEATH” and it would be him and he would sorta gladly die so Aloy was accepted into the tribe, which was tragic but at lEAST THERE WOULD BE A BODY TO MOURN?? I’M SORRY I’M JUST UPSET ABOUT IT GOING KABOOM

6. Can we also talk about how Rost appeared right when things went wrong? Because it meant that he never really left, he was secretly still looking after Aloy to make sure she was okay and to witness her joy when she won and omg my heART :’(

7. Is it bad that I wanted Bast to do more stuff aksldjaf. Vala was clearly gonna die, but I wasnt’ expecting it for Bast. I thought he would get a longer redemption story, but honestly, those few minutes make me forgive that piece of shit.

8. that masked guy is that guy from Meridian that insisted so hard Aloy went to visit one day is it not? fucking. asSHOLE (if I’m wrong I’m going to be surprised)

9. I hope the new sun king is handsome and I know it’s wrong of me to do that because I just spoke of not sexualizing characters but. Sun king. someone with that title needs to be a goddamn snacc

10. machines. I’m frightened of machines because I’ve always thought they gonna end us so you can tell this game is some pretty serious stuff for me ahahah °3° 

11. good machines that are friends those are babies though, i protecc

12. Aloy is so badass and skilled aw man oh my god fuck me

13. *kills every single bandit in the base* *goes to see Nil* “So look there are some bandits there, why don’t you kill them? *talks to him again without having done a thing because I already did it* “well that was spectacular”

14. how do i use this thin- *machine bursts into flames* okay i like this one.

15. THE GIANT GIRAFFE LIKE MACHINE??? FUCKNG. MAJESTIC

16. I’m at the point before going north to find Sona so pls no spoil me

17. can Rost come back I miss him

18. FREAKING. SUPERB VIDEOGAME I AM OBSESSED THANK YOU

[rosymiz]

Like A Rose, Epilogue

Title: Like A Rose By: ArisuChanSenpai (Visit my blog for AO3 link!) Fandom: League of Legends Ship: Jhin x Sona

An insignia of a white mask with four roses blooming from the corner and the words “Lost in Reverie” were painted on a wooden sign outside a theater. The streets were quiet and almost empty except for the faint music and singing that came from inside the building. It was a full house, rows and rows of seats taken by mesmerized fans leaning in their seats during the denouement of the story.

A man dressed in a black suit with a crimson cape adorned with gold stood on the stage, reaching out to the skies for an answer to his forbidden love. His voice boomed to the sound of trickling strings in the theater. Suddenly, the spotlight flickered off as he began to dance in silence.

Soft gasps came from the audience when the female lead gracefully walked onstage, her voice ringing loud and true as she professed her love for the man she wished to marry—a knight of a humble backgrounds—not another man of aristocracy who simply wanted her for power and influence. The spotlight then blinked off, the stage now dark.

This time, a spotlight flashed at the side of the stage, where a woman dressed in a sky blue dress that twinkled in the light like her golden instrument stood and continued a soft melody before the lights faded back on the stage. She let a chord resound before the darkness drowned her figure.

The story was reaching its end, and the audience desperately wanted to see their leads get together and elope like they wanted to.

However, the man sang of the truth. He couldn’t be with her, for he was only her knight. Nothing more, no matter how much they wished to the stars above to grant their love. The queen would never accept the marriage between a princess and a knight. He then sang a lullaby that spoke of another world where there were no laws to keep them apart.

The princess sang with him melancholically in a harmony that reflected her acceptance of the truth.

Quiet sobs were heard from the audience as the princess and knight parted ways to revert back to what they were before their love changed them: a princess and her devoted knight. They couldn’t be together. It just wasn’t possible in this world. But they wanted the other to be happy, asking each other to move on but to be true to their heart. The lights faded to dark after the knight kneeled before the princess and presented a rose to vow his dedication to her happiness, that he was her ally, her friend.

A moment of soft sobs broke out from the audience before the woman in sky blue appeared again with a happier melody. The stage lights shined on the princess, happily strolling in the rose garden with her arms linked with another man’s. She smiled as she sang of her fulfilling marriage with a man who treated her with respect and sought for the betterment of her people. Behind her followed the trusted knight of the princess now dressed in a white suit and black tie with his crimson cape pooling around his feet.

The princess turned to her knight and plucked a rose for him, thanking him for his dedication to her and her happiness. She asked him, “Where is your light? Your own happiness? Surely, you’ve finally found the rose your heart desires.”

There was a look of apparent confusion on the musician’s face as she continued to play the song. This wasn’t part of the script. Yet the princess’ words matched the melody of the song.

The knight smiled as he held the rose up to him. “I have, indeed. She is a woman of beauty and grace, a woman who I’ve dedicated my love to for years, a woman who helped me know silence, a woman I love like a rose glistening with dew in the early morning sun.” The light dimmed as a single spotlight shined on the knight. The princess and her husband began to sing in harmony to the music. “My love. My muse. Sona Buvelle.”

The woman in sky blue froze, her aqua locks bouncing as she jerked her head to the knight. Her love. She watched Jhin approach her as he unbuttoned the crimson cape and left it to fall behind his steps. Her lip quivered as he tucked the rose behind her ear and cupped her face.

Slowly, other cast members walked out onto the stage, all singing in harmony to what Sona would have been playing for the final act. Members in the audience were slowly standing up in realization of what was happening with gasps and murmurs of excitement.

“I couldn’t have come this far without you and your support. You are my love, my muse. No matter what, you stood by me and believed in me when things have turned for the worst. I am more than willing to do the same whenever your silence engulfs you like my darkness once did.” He kneeled on one knee, pulling out a crimson box from the pocket of his suit. “Now, I want to move on to the next act of our story. I would like to stay by your side until the end of time, darling.”

Tears surfaced from Sona’s glassy eyes as she gasped when Jhin opened the box to a beautifully crafted ring of sterling silver and a rose quartz glimmering under the light.

“Will you marry me, Sona Buvelle?”

Sona choked out a sob as she nodded in pure joy. She desperately tried to hold back her tears as Jhin slid the ring onto her finger. She cried into Jhin’s shoulder when he pulled her into an embrace. She was so, so happy.

The audience cheered and squealed to see Sona accept the proposal. Everyone stood up to applaud this special moment, ecstatic that they were able to see this proposal in-person.

But it wasn’t as special as it was to the two lovers who held each other lovingly, tuning out the sound of the audience and the cast members to their hearts beating in a symphony.

“What’s the surprise?” Sona signed.

“We’re almost there, darling.” Jhin was holding his hands over Sona’s eyes as he guided her up a small hill after their performance. “I was planning on coming here as soon as the opera ended yesterday, but we got held up by everyone congratulating us.” He chuckled. “Fortunately, sunrise makes this place just as beautiful.”

When they came to a stop, she let Jhin slowly uncover her eyes to reveal the very grove they first met in. Time only enhanced the scenic view of the cherry blossoms that now bloomed like a forest. The rising sun colored the trees in beautiful colors of red, orange, and yellow to their pink hue.

Sona breathed out in speechlessness, emitting a light huff of white from her lips. The grove looked more beautiful than she remembered it to be.

Jhin smiled at her surprised face. “There’s a reason why I wanted to have my next opera in this city. While the capital is more grand, this city holds more meaning to me than every other city of Ionia.” He pressed his lips against Sona’s cold cheek. “Because it’s where I met you.”

Without a word, Sona began to play the tune of their first performance together. It was the song she made in their time in the grove and performed at the capital several years ago. Letting her magic spill from her fingers onto the strings, Sona watched the fallen petals dance to the rhythm of her song around them.

He placed his hand on the small of her back and watched in awe. This song held something special to them both. It simply reminded them of the times they sat in the clearing listening to Sona’s music and talk to each other with a growing comfort between them. To others, it may not have been the most memorable. But to them, it was everything. Everything that lead up to this moment.

The music stopped, and the petals that were dancing in the air now gently floated back down. Jhin chuckled as he brushed loose petals out of Sona’s hair. “Have I ever told you why I like roses so much?”

Sona tilted her head in curiosity. “No, you haven’t.”

“Roses make everything beautiful, whether the petals are sprinkled on a stage or a whole bouquet adorning a display. Not even the morning dew can tarnish it. But you must take good care of a rose, or it will wilt. I like the precise and dedicated care so that it will eventually bloom with a beauty that can’t be compared.” He gazed into Sona’s eyes with bliss bubbling inside him like butterflies.

“Am I supposed to be the ‘rose your heart desires’?” Sona teased.

Jhin huffed in laughter. “Oh yes, but it’s much more than that.”

“Then what?”

“Everything we’ve done up until now, starting from this grove to the finale at the capital city and now to this… It just reminds me of the very reason why I like roses.” He embraced Sona from behind and watched the sunrise together with her. “My heart will always bloom for you…”

“And my heart will always bloom for you…”

Like a rose.

A/N: NOW we're at the end of this story! I thank you all for reading the story I wrote (out of spite, originally, but then it took over my life), and I don't know how to express the gratitude I feel towards the positive feedback for this! I appreciate each and every comment--even the “HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME”--I received thus far, as it only motivated me to keep writing and see where it takes me.

However, I cannot thank my best friend @bekkodraws / @bekkomi enough for supporting me through a rough patch and then helping me write this story as I gained my motivation and inspiration back to draw and write again. I honestly couldn't have gone through with this story without her and her dragging me into the abyss that is JhinSona-- Love ya, my dude!

Anyways! Thank you all so much for sticking by this story! I hope you enjoyed the fluffy ride ;)

My next work for JhinSona will be a series of drabbles, so please look forward to it! It contains drabbles of different AUs (including original universe, of course) but all centered on one theme. I hope you will enjoy my next work! Thank you so much for being a part of this experience! <3

[rosywrites]

The Beauty Within (Part 1/2)

Title: Reunited Chapter: The Beauty Within (Beauty and the Beast AU) By: ArisuChanSenpai (Visit my blog for AO3 link!) Fandom: League of Legends Ship: Jhin x Sona

Word count: 7755

Once upon a time, there lived a king in a grand castle surrounded by lush, green forests. He was given everything and anything he ever wanted, but he became obsessed with beautiful things. He would call the most beautiful people from all over the country to work in his castle and make it as beautiful as he envisioned it, even holding lavish dances to flaunt the elegance of his castle.

One night, he was called to the front door to see a shivering woman in a black cloak. Her skin was colored purple with lighter markings, her clothes worn out. She pleaded for shelter from the cold rain in exchange for a single rose, a flower the king adored the most.

But repulsed by her inhuman appearance, he rejected the woman’s offer, claiming that he could pick out a more beautiful rose than the barely blooming one she held. The woman warned him that he shouldn’t judge things based on appearance, for true beauty lies within.

The king scorned the woman’s warning and turned her away once more, going so far as to calling her a demon.

At his final refusal, the woman shed her cloak in a burst of glistening light, her skin now like a human’s without a horn, dressed in golden clothing—revealing an enchantress of stars. The king’s apologies fell on deaf ears, for the enchantress found no beauty underneath. Only a selfish and unkind king.

As punishment, she cast a spell to turn him into what he had called her. In addition, she spread the spell to the rest of the castle and its residents, her powerful magic hiding the castle in a mist and from the memories of others.

In the king’s claws was an enchanted mirror and the rose, which will bloom for ten years until he can learn to find love in the beauty within. If he could find love and earn their love back by the time the last petal fell, the spell would be broken. Otherwise, he would remain a demon forever.

Years passed, and the king slowly fell into despair at his wicked appearance. He could only wait for the last rose petal to fall. After all, how could someone ever come to love a demon?

What a small village this was. There must have been something beyond the forests and mountains surrounding this crowded place. And yet, only the hunters or merchants were allowed to traverse through the dirt trails into the forests. “To keep this village safe,” they say. Sea green eyes rolled at the notion as they gazed out into the horizon, the sun’s rays spilling out of the mountain peaks.

Sona sat by the window of her cottage while strumming her harp to the sounds of the birds chirping in the tree by the windowsill. She took a deep breath to take in the aroma of the autumn morning breeze and exhaled.

The view from her room sometimes made this small corner of the world feel a little bigger.

Her eyes glanced at an elderly woman spreading grains for the chickens in the coop. Her hands winced away from the strings as she slowly backed away from her window. Attracting attention so early in the morning wasn’t ideal. Especially for her.

Giving up on playing her harp any longer, she stepped out of her room with her parchment and charcoal to start making breakfast. However, her mother, Lestara, was already awake, stirring rice porridge in a pot and cooked eggs on a plate by the table. She knocked on the doorway four times in a rhythm to gain her mother’s attention. “Oh! Sona, good timing. Sit down, dear, breakfast is almost done.”

She took a seat and watched her mother pour the porridge into bowls and bring them over. She scribbled something onto the parchment and flipped it around. “Do you have everything you need for today?” she wrote.

“Of course, dear. I double checked everything and made sure I didn’t miss a thing.” Lestara poured soy sauce into her bowl and tested the taste. “I’ll be visiting the market after the hunt, but I’ll be sure to come back as soon as I can.”

Sona started writing onto the parchment again. “Will you be warm enough? It’s getting closer to winter, after all.”

“With the fur coat you and I made, I’m sure I’ll be just fine.” She hummed in satisfaction when the porridge turned out to be better this time. “Is there anything you would like from the market?”

“Perhaps more parchment? I’m starting to run out.”

“Other than parchment and charcoal, dear. You don’t have anything you would like me to get you?”

“I’m fine with whatever you give me, mother. You usually get me something I like anyways.”

Lestara chuckled. “I know, but I felt like you might want something specific. You know I’ll ask before every hunt, Sona.”

Sona giggled as she took a bite from her porridge. But she shook her head to indicate that she didn’t want anything specific. Everything her mother gave her was precious, but she always cherished the books her mother could chance to get her with the extra money left over from the profits. “Anything is fine, I promise.”

“If you insist, my dear daughter. How’s the porridge? I think I did a superb job this time.”

“A little thick, but it’s better than a soupy porridge.” Sona smiled and finished the rest of her breakfast with her mother to see her off after.

 “Are you sure this is warm enough? You don’t need anything more?” she wrote, pointing to the fur coat around her mother’s shoulders.

“I’ve packed extra clothing aside from what I need, so don’t you worry.” Lestara ran her hand through Sona’s hair and smiled. “I’ll be back soon, Sona. You take care of the house for me, okay?”

Sona nodded and watched her mother take their horse and cart past the village gates, waiting until her mother disappeared into the woods. She sighed. Her mother was skilled in hunting, but Sona couldn’t help but worry whenever she went alone.

“You know, there are demons out there beyond these forests. Or, at least where your mother always goes,” a voice drawled from behind. She turned to see Yasuo standing behind her with his hand lazily placed on the hilt of his sword. “Your mother mostly goes alone, and that can be a great risk to her.” Sona was about to scribble something onto the parchment until Yasuo grunted and contorted his scarred face in distaste. “Don’t even bother. I’m not a man of reading words.”

She glanced at her writing on her paper, the Ionian characters rather blocky and stiff compared to their original, fluid form. Being adopted and taken to Demacia at a young age limited her study of her native tongue and writing, something that distanced her from the rest of the Ionians in this village. Despite being Ionian herself.

His eyes glanced at Sona and her writing on the paper before he turned around to leave. “For someone of our descent, you’re not really like us. You’d be better off doing work instead of reading or writing all day, don’t you think?” He wandered off with a listless drag in his step.

“Hmph,” Sona huffed out loud, her face hot in embarrassment. She watched Yasuo disappear into the sea of people walking or running about to get their tasks done.

Yasuo was known as the village’s protector and slayer of demons, according to the tales of the villagers who have gone hunting—demons or animals—with him in the forests. They said that he was the reason they could hunt and travel again. Before, demons had taken over the forests, perhaps spiriting away the trespassers who dared to step in their territory.

She never liked his crude and arrogant personality, Yasuo usually bragging about his kills and how he got certain scars.

Not to mention, he sometimes picked on her when she was without her mother, taunting her for her inability to speak. The worst of the worst in this village, she considered him to be.

With a sigh, Sona locked the door of the cottage and headed to a small, lonely building nearby, vines of ivy crawling on the walls. She pushed the door open, greeted by the smell of books and scrolls waiting to be studied. A slightly older woman with forest green hair poked her head out from the back.

“Oh! Sona, I was wondering when you’d be coming in. Here to borrow another book?”

She nodded as she scribbled something and showed it to the librarian. “Do you have something I can use to practice writing Ionian characters?”

Not many people knew how to read or write here. The librarian was one of the few people who knew how to read, but she was the only one who offered Sona the welcoming kindness the village lacked. But it was a place Sona frequented to escape from this small village into bigger worlds. Books were the one thing she could turn to for communication. Even if knowing how to read was frowned upon here, words made up so much of her world.

“Did Yasuo say something to you again?” Seeing Sona hesitate, the librarian shook her head as she scanned one of the shelves for an appropriate book. “That man is never up to anything good. Just keep ignoring him, dearie, he’ll leave you alone eventually.” Her face lit up as she grabbed a book and looked through the contents. “Aha! How about this one?”

Sona approached the librarian to see a book of illustrations and writing with it. She tilted her head to see an illustration depicting two children climbing a rope to the sky.

“This is a handwritten storybook of Ionian folktales. The writing in here is big enough to see each stroke properly to practice with.” She patted the back of Sona’s hand as she placed the book in her hands. “Your Ionian is proficient enough, but if you want to practice writing, I would highly suggest starting with that.”

Nodding thankfully, Sona sat down by a table and chose the story of a daughter of a poor farmer marrying a dragon prince. She copied a few words and repeated them as she read through the folktale. Time seemed to pass faster in the library, but it wasn’t like she had much to do in the first place in this small village.

Lestara was lost. Perhaps she took the wrong turn from the last fork in the road. But there was no reason why it mattered, since the two roads eventually merged again anyways. So why was there another fork in the road, when there wasn’t one there before?

She looked at the map she had bought from her previous visit to the market, her brows furrowed in confusion at the unmarked fork on the map. “That can’t be right…” She held her lantern up at both roads, each seeming to lead into the same direction anyways. “Let’s try this way, Hec.” She guided her horse down one of the roads, hoping that this would lead to the right way eventually.

The night was eerily silent. Almost too silent. Her breath turned into white in the winter breeze as the first flakes of snow began to fall from the sky.

The pattering of paws against the snow.

A howl.

Two howls.

Now primal growls sounding from behind Lestara’s cart.

Lestara turned to see a pack of wolves slowly approaching the cart. They were not interested in the excavated objects packed in the cart. No, they wanted meat. They wanted blood. Three behind the cart. Two on her right. One on her left. Without another moment to spare, she unlatched the cart from her horse’s saddle.

“Hyah!” Her horse speeded through the road with the wolves making chase after them.

They weren’t going to make it.

The wolves were growing closer with every second.

She looked back to see the alpha of the pack only a foot away. All it needed was to extend its neck to bite a chunk of flesh off her horse to send her flying into the snow as their next course. But when she turned back around, her horse collided into a wall of branches. She collapsed from the saddle, her horse running in another direction and abandoning her.

Looking back, she saw the wolves trying to get through the branches and used the opportunity to escape. Her eyes settled on the open, vast land before her.

And a castle.

There was no time to think. Lestara immediately ran through the snow to the castle as she pulled her fur coat closer to her body. She felt a sudden pull and fell onto her knees, turning to see one of the wolves with her fur coat in its jaws. Panic coursed through her body as she kicked it in the throat and kept running. But there was no way she could outrun the pack of wolves that were now free from the branches and heading straight for her.

She cried out in relief when a gate came into view as she pulled it open as much as she can. But another yank at the sleeve of her coat sent her face first into the snow. She immediately got up and swung her arm to pull her sleeve free from the wolf’s jaws, but it wouldn’t let go.

“Ugh, keep it!” She ripped her coat open to run through the gate and pulled the gate closed. She shivered in her now-soaked turtleneck as she hurried through the spacious garden and up the stairs to the door. She held her hand up to knock, but suddenly, the door clicked and swung itself open—much to Lestara’s bewilderment.

“H-hello?” she managed to stutter out. She stepped inside with caution, seeing the ornate palace to be empty. “Is anyone here?” Lestara spotted the orange color of fire flickering from further back of the castle and paced across the hall to, hopefully, greet the owner.

But there was no owner. Only a table of food by a lit fireplace. “I apologize if I’m intruding, but I have lost my horse and my belongings to go home. I would at least like some shelter from the snowfall before I go back.” Seeing there was no one to greet her, she approached the fireplace to warm herself up. She crouched in front of the fire with a sigh and dug her head into her knees.

How could this happen? Not only did she abandon the cart that contained her weapons, her horse was nowhere to be found. How was she going to return to Sona? Another sigh escaped her as she looked up at the table of food behind her. If no one was coming out after her few attempts to get their attention, she could eat too, right?

Hesitant but hungry, Lestara approached the table and sat down. She grabbed a small loaf of bread and spread some butter and cheese before taking a bite. The loaf tasted like it was freshly baked, making her wonder if someone had just made this meal. But there was no one in sight.

“Psst.”

Her eyes widened as she jerked her head around to find the source of the voice.

“Over here.”

She looked at the candelabra at the right of her plate. It, it couldn’t have been the candle talking, right? The design of the candelabra suddenly moved like a face.

“Hey, you might want to get out of here before the master finds out. He’s not very welcoming to outsiders.”

It was the candelabra.

Lestara’s breath caught in her throat as she stopped chewing. “You, you can talk?”

“Zed, how many times do I have to tell you you can’t just start talking out of nowhere like that?” another voice came from a small clock on the opposite side of her. “I apologize. Zed tends to do things without thinking,” the clock sneered the last part at the candle.

“What else do you expect me to do, Shen? Dance in front of her and sing? That’s one way of easing her into it.” The table clattered from Lestara getting up without a word and running away from the talking furniture. “And there she goes.”

The candle talked. The clock talked. This was not a normal castle. If they were magical creatures, then surely the owner of this castle was of inhuman origins. She flew towards the door to make her escape, but she stopped dead in her tracks when a dark figure closed the entrance shut.

“Who are you?” a low and unworldly voice growled. “A thief?”

“N-no, I was just passing by… I was… chased by wolves,” Lestara stammered as she stepped back when the figure approached her. Horns. This man was no human. “Please, sir, I didn’t mean any trouble. I lost my horse and all my belongings!”

Glowing blue eyes glanced at the talking candle and clock, who tensed up at the figure’s stare. “Yet you enter this castle and help yourself like you live here?” He cornered her by a pillar, a growl rumbling from his throat as he spoke, “I think not.”

He was a demon.

Sona awakened from the sound of panicked hooves clopping to the gate of the cottage, a frightened whinny begging her to let it in. She burst out of the door and saw their horse looking around and fidgeting restlessly.

Why was Hec alone?

Where was the cart?

Where was her mother?

Her eyes widened as she checked behind the horse for a sign of her mother walking back from the forest, but no one was there. Her breath quickened once she realized their horse had come here alone.

What happened in the forest?

She pulled the horse in and ran back into the house for her shawl, packing her charcoal and parchment in a sack and tying it around her neck. She then hopped onto their horse and slapped the reins to jump over the village gates into the forest. They brushed through the snow until Hec skidded to a stop by the cart in the dirt.

The sheet covering the goods Lestara was planning to sell at the market was blown away by the wind, and some items were cluttered on the ground… with bite marks and shredded scraps.

Sona’s eyes darted around the area. If the wolves were still around, they had to leave. Now. She urged Hec to keep going until they walked through the opening of the branches Hec made. In the distance was Lestara’s fur coat, now torn into pieces. She looked up at the castle and gulped. Her mother must have taken shelter in there. She leapt off Hec and quickly opened the gates to let herself and Hec in, making sure to shut the gates tightly to prevent the wolves from entering.

Once she arrived to the base of the stairs, she took a deep breath to quell her shaking hands. The castle was large, but it looked so unsettling. She hopped off the saddle and walked up the stairs until she reached the door. Before she even raised her hand to knock, the door opened on its own, startling her. She pushed the door open more, poking her head through.

No one was in the castle except for the lit fireplace in the opposite hallway. She stepped inside with caution and closed the door quietly. Could her mother have gotten lost here? She hoped for the best.

“Isn’t that…?”

“Another person wandered in here?”

“As if the other one wasn’t enough.”

“But she looks like a younger woman. Do you think…?”

“You honestly think she could be the one?”

Her head jerked to the right, where she thought she heard voices. She approached the direction, seeing no one but a lit candelabra and a beautifully-designed clock. She took the candelabra to light her way through the dark halls of the palace, her nervous breaths making the flames flicker. Sona ascended the main stairs, but she felt the atmosphere growing colder and colder with each step.

She swallowed a lump in her throat and knocked on the handrail four times in a rhythm. She continued to wander around, repeating the knocking to see if her mother could recognize her and call for her. But the palace was too big. There was no way she could find her in such a huge place. She placed the candelabra down to sit down and press the hem of her dress to her cold, aching feet.

Suddenly, she heard a faint cry for help. It sounded like her mother. Her head perked up immediately and grabbed the candelabra again. She continued to follow the cries until she reached a stone staircase in a tower. Was this where her mother was? She quietly walked up the stairs, knocking again.

“Sona?!”

Without another thought, Sona ran up the spiraling staircase to see her mother behind bars. She gripped onto the cold metal, trying to shake them apart out of desperation. How did her mother get here?! Why was she imprisoned?!

“Sona, what are you doing here? You shouldn’t have come here!” Lestara pried Sona’s hands off the bars to send her away. “You need to escape. Before he comes!”

“Who?” Sona breathed out.

“Another one?” a voice echoed in the tower.

“No! Not her! She has done nothing wrong!” Lestara cried out. “Anyone but my daughter, please!”

Sona whipped her head to the source of the voice, seeing a horned figure sitting on the windowsill of the tower, covered by shadows. She heard her heart pounding in her ears as the figure hopped down to the stairs, merely feet away from her. Looking closer under the torch’s light, she spotted claws and spikes covering the arms.

“If you’ve come here to free your mother, your journey has been useless. She is being punished for trespassing my castle and thievery, and I intend to keep her here until she perishes.”

Her heart suddenly sank into her stomach. No. He couldn’t do that. Not to her mother. She desperately shook her head, grasping her hands together to plead to him to release her. But seeing that the demon wouldn’t budge, she took out the parchment and charcoal from her sack.

“Sona, no, please! Don’t do it!”

She bravely stepped into the light of the torch by Lestara’s prison with her parchment held out in front of her. The demon took a step forward, still in the shadows, reading her blocky writing.

“I will take her place. If you let me, please let my mother go.”

The demon paused, his eyes glancing up at her. “You’d take your mother’s place?”

“Please, sir! She can’t speak! She can’t live in a prison like this!” Lestara pleaded.

“Only if you promise me my mother will be set free and let her go back home.”

There was another pause, as if the demon was considering his options. “You shall have my word. But you are to remain in this castle forever. Will you go so far as to do that?”

Without hesitation, Sona grabbed the torch and held it to the demon. White, skull-like head with horns growing out and glowing blue orbs in the eye sockets. Fangs as sharp as mirror shards jutting out. Arms with spikes that turned from dark violet shoulders to crimson claws. Legs that bent like a beast’s. She gasped in horror at his inhuman appearance, nearly dropping the torch.

A demon. A monster.

But she had to promise him. And a promise he was going to get. She nodded firmly with determination flaring in her eyes.

“Fine.” He swept past her to unlock Lestara’s prison.

Sona rushed to the bars to give her mother one last hug before the demon hauled her away for all eternity. “I’m sorry,” she breathed, squeezing her mother tightly in her arms. Sona then locked herself behind the bars, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. Lestara was then yanked away from her embrace by the demon, who carried her down the stairs to send her away.

The candelabra and the clock peered over from the side of the prison, seeing her silently weep into her hands while sitting in the corner. They exchanged worried glances. The candle then hopped onto the clock’s head to pull the lever to unlock the prison.

She flinched at the sound of the metal gate screeching. Strange. Was the demon letting her free? It couldn’t have been. A sharp gasp escaped her when the candelabra and the clock walked into her prison.

“Come with us, young lady. We can show you to, uh, your room?” the clock said. “Uh-oh.” He ducked when a wooden stick flew at him from inside, hitting the candelabra instead and sending him tumbling down the stairs. “Wait! We’re harmless, I swear!” he attempted to calm her down. “We promise we won’t hurt you.”

Sona had held up a wooden stool in her hands to throw the clock down the stairs with the candelabra too, but she set it down once her shock had finally settled in. A talking candle… and a clock…? How was this possible?

“You bitch! I’m going to light you on fire!” the candle threatened as it hopped back up the stairs, getting stopped by the clock.

“Zed! Calm down! She’s never seen talking furniture before. What do you expect?” The clock smiled nervously at her. “Sorry about him. He’s a little hot-headed, no pun intended. His name is Zed. My name is Shen. We, uh, we will be showing you to your new room in the palace, so please follow us.”

“No need.” The demon’s voice sounded from the stairway. “I will show you to your room. Unless you prefer staying in this tower forever.”

She shook her head.

“Then hurry up. I would rather we not dawdle.” He grabbed Zed to light the way through the castle. His eyes watched Sona hesitantly chase after him and follow from a few feet away. The atmosphere was heavy. But considering he had exchanged her mother with her as a prisoner, it was a given. He looked away when she sniffed and wiped a tear away from her cheeks.

There was no escape, was there? Looking around, it seemed as if the entire castle was alive. Sona glanced at the demon, who seemed to be having a conversation with the candle. Who was he? What was he? She winced when the demon looked back at her.

“You’re allowed to go anywhere you wish in the castle. However, you are forbidden from entering the highest floor. Do not let me catch you wandering up there, or else.” The threat in his voice was quiet but clear enough. They continued to walk through the halls until they reached a door at the end of a hallway on the second floor. “This will be your room. I will reiterate that you are free to wander around the castle of your own accord. My servants will attend to your needs, should you have anything to request.” He paused as he glanced at the insisting candle. “However, I expect you to be down for meals when you are called. That is an order.”

Sona flinched when the demon slammed the door behind her with a growl. She leaned against the door and slid down, hopelessness settling into her heart that she would never see her mother or the village again.

Yet she had no more tears to shed.

Yasuo sat by the counter of the bar, downing a cup of sake and pouring himself another. What a boring day it was today. There was nothing to do in this village anymore other than drinking or taking naps. Nothing interesting to travel for. Nothing to hunt. Nothing to slay. He was sure his sword was lusting for a demon’s blood.

But how could he find a demon when he’d already slain all the demons infesting the woods near their village?

As he was about to take another sip, the doors of the bar burst open, revealing Lestara looking desperate and helpless. “Somebody! Anyone! You must help my daughter. The demon took her prisoner in his castle!”

All eyes focused on her as she approached the nearest patron to ask for help. “There’s a demon living in a castle in the forest, and he took my daughter!”

Yasuo’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. A demon? In these forests? Impossible. “A demon, you say?” he drawled. “Are you sure it wasn’t just the winter snow playing tricks on your eyes?” That earned him a snicker from one of the patrons sitting at the end of the bar.

“No, you don’t understand. His castle is hidden by the trees, and, and it’s alive! There are talking furniture in there that move like people!”

The bar fell silent and then burst into laughter at such unimaginable claims. Furniture that talk? Moving like people? She must have been joking. Even Yasuo couldn’t comprehend what kind of demon would have furniture as pawns.

“Yasuo, please. I am telling you the truth. The demon took me prisoner and exchanged me with Sona!”

For a moment, and only a moment, he had believed her. No sane person of admirable hunting skills like Lestara would lie about a demon in the woods. Perhaps he could check. It would provide him something to kill time with. “Then lead the way, Lestara. I can go with you to slay the demon.”

“Oh, thank you. Thank you! Follow me, I will lead you there immediately.” Lestara and Yasuo rode horses past the librarian, whose eyes followed them out the village gates into the woods.

How curious. Where were they going at this time of night? But there was no time to answer that, for she had some scribing to finish.

However, the journey to find the castle was fruitless, for the fork in the road that lead to the castle had suddenly disappeared. Lestara desperately cleared bushes to try to find the other road. But there was no use. “That, that’s impossible! I know it was here! I had to leave my cart on the path to escape the wolves!”

“Wolves?” Yasuo repeated. “You mean you dragged me out all the way here to tell me that you were chased by wolves? Is that the “demon” you’re talking about?”

“No! No. They weren’t the demon. If they were, I would have said they were wolves, not a demon.” She clenched her hand into a fist out of frustration when she couldn’t find the road anywhere. “I don’t understand. It was here. I am not lying to you, Yasuo, I swear.”

Yasuo clicked his tongue. “Forget it. This was a waste of my time. As if there is a demon in these damn woods.”

“But…!”

“You are on your own!” he snarled. “Don’t even bother asking for help the next time you hallucinate something as ridiculous as a demon and talking furniture.” He turned his horse around to return to the village, leaving Lestara alone in the cold.

Sona couldn’t get a wink of sleep that night. She kept tossing and turning under her covers, thinking about how desperate Lestara was to remain in the prison instead. But how could she endure knowing her mother was out here in this castle, trapped forever? The thought of her mother’s freedom was her only solace.

Thankfully, she kept herself preoccupied with the talking wardrobe, Ahri, in her room. Ahri was certainly a talker, having engaged her in a conversation for most of the night. Since Sona was mute, Ahri resorted to yes or no questions and talking from there.

She sat up from the plush bed, combing her fingers through her hair. It was dawn already. The sky was still grey, still snowing. With a sigh, Sona hopped off the bed to change out of her nightgown. Once dressed, she poked her head out of her room to see if the demon was coming by.

Seeing as no one was coming, she decided to take the opportunity to wander around the castle. If she was allowed to go anywhere she wished, then she was going to take that chance. Especially if she can find escape routes.

She wandered from hall to hall, from floor to floor, taking note of every window she could use to escape safely.

Her feet took her to a large door at the end of a hallway that loomed over even the tallest statue in the hall. Her jaw dropped at the ornate design of gold and wood on such a huge door. She had considered this to be the demon’s lair, but it stood out too much to be so.

She pushed it open to see a ballroom behind the door, the gold floors matte from the dust that piled up from years of unuse. On a raised platform sat a piano and a harp as tall as her. Her eyes glittered brighter than golden doors as she approached the harp to pluck the string.

Her face contorted at the cacophony. It was so out-of-tune… She’d have to fix that.

But the sound of the door creaking open again stopped her. She turned to see a feather duster entering the ballroom. “Oh, it’s just you. What are you doing here? We’ve been looking all over for you!” When Sona opened her mouth to attempt to say something, the feather duster hurried over and shooed her away from the harp. “There’s no time for chatting. You’re being called for breakfast.”

Breakfast with the demon. What an unpleasant thought. Sona’s brows furrowed as she exited the ballroom and walked back to her bedroom instead. There was no way she was going to have breakfast with someone like him.

“Just where do you think you’re going?” the feather duster called out as it chased after her. “You can’t defy the master’s orders, you know!”

Sona answered the feather duster by slamming her bedroom door, but not without the duster slipping inside. She firmly shook her head to insist her refusal on joining the demon for breakfast.

“Ugh. Ahri, I’d expect you of all people to convince her first.”

“Hey, I tried, Syndra. But I can’t persuade someone who was practically taken prisoner in a castle. That’s unfair to her.”

Their conversation was cut short when four loud thumps sounded from the door. Sona flew to the door to lock it immediately. It was the demon. “I thought I told you to come down for meals when called,” he growled. “Care to give me an explanation?”

Sona shushed the feather duster that was about to speak and angrily started writing something onto her parchment, slipping it under the door.

“You can’t stay in there forever,” he growled louder.

“Yes. I. Can,” she wrote.

There was a bang of frustration against her door and a low snarl. “Fine. Then starve.” He stomped away from her bedroom, slamming the hall door with great force.

Syndra sighed. “Fantastic. Look what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

Sona couldn’t help but send a glare at the door and shake her head as she rolled her eyes. As if she would ever let him have his way. Not when he was going to treat her like this.

The demon entered his lair, where pieces of wooden frames and canvas lay cluttered on the floor. Zed and Shen followed closely behind. He approached a table holding the enchanted mirror and a glass container holding the rose. His hand hovered over the back of the mirror as if to grab it but hesitated.

“Your Majesty, you mustn’t keep losing your temper like that,” Shen warned.

“It’ll only make it worse with that girl,” Zed muttered, earning a hard nudge from Shen.

He sighed as he picked up the mirror. “Show me the young lady.” His reflection changed, the mirrow now showing Ahri and Syndra trying to convince Sona to give him a chance. But Sona could only shake her head angrily, refusing to show acknowledgement of him. “Why does it matter?” He set the mirror back down on its reflective surface, walking out to the balcony to cool his head. “It’s hopeless.”

Shen and Zed exchanged worried glances and left the room to leave him to his thoughts.

After an hour, Sona snuck out of her room with Syndra tailing behind. “Oh, so now you’re hungry, huh?” Syndra shook her head as she guided Sona to the kitchen. “Well, we can’t have you starve, no matter what the master says.” Once they entered the kitchen, they were greeted by clusters of moving plates, utensils, and teacups. Shen and Zed were on a table talking to a teapot.

“Well, well, well, look who finally decided to join us,” one teacup said as he jumped down open drawers. “Care for some breakfast you missed out on? Or,” he paused to look out the window, “oh, sorry, it seems to be close to lunch now.”

“Kayn, leave her alone,” another teacup called from a table. “You can’t blame her for not wanting to join the master for breakfast.”

“Guess what, Akali? I’m going to. We went through so much trouble making all this food, only to have it go to waste because both parties decided not to eat.”

Sona bowed apologetically at the teacup’s piercing remark.

“Kayn, behave. We must be respectful to the guest,” Shen said.

“Guest, my ass,” Kayn muttered.

“Don’t give your uncle sass, Kayn.” Zed looked at Sona, who stared back with a questioning look. “Besides, at this point, we need to treat her like a guest.”

“Fine, dad,” he drawled.

“Yeah, Kayn. Listen to Uncle Shen for once.”

“Shut it, Akali.”

“Now, now. The young lady must be feeling hungry. We can still give her what we made,” the teapot hopped in between the two teacups glaring at each other. “Welcome, young lady. My name is Karma. I mostly run the kitchen to prepare the meals for you. I suppose you’ve come here because you’re hungry.” Karma looked at Shen and Zed to lead Sona to the dining hall. “We will be with you shortly, dear.”

The two lead Sona to the dining hall and sat her down at the end of the long table. “So, how are you liking the castle so far?” Zed asked.

Sona scribbled on her parchment and showed it to him. “The castle’s very spacious. I’m rather interested in the harp that’s sitting in the ballroom.”

“Interesting. You can play music?” Shen asked.

“I took lessons in my old country before I moved to Ionia.”

“Ah. That explains why you look Ionian. Your writing says otherwise, though,” Zed commented, making Sona’s cheeks turn red in embarrassment.

Her embarrassment was short-lived when the kitchen doors opened with trays flooding in and placing themselves before Sona, opening up to uncover the food inside. Oh gods, she was so hungry. How was she able to withstand this hunger earlier? She thanked them for the food and helped herself to as much as she could eat to last for the day.

“Slow down, dear, you’re going to choke,” Karma warned. “Even if the master won’t let you eat, I am not having that. I will personally deliver your dinner to your room if I must, so don’t force yourself.”

Sona nodded in thanks and started eating more peacefully, feeling relieved. The servants in the castle were so kind compared to the demon. She couldn’t help but wonder why the demon wasn’t like them.

While Shen and Zed were giving her a tour of the unventured part of the palace, they had eventually fallen into a deep conversation that paid no mind to Sona’s presence. Figuring they wouldn’t notice if she wandered off on her own, Sona took a detour up a staircase to see what else was up there.

The surroundings seemed to become more dilapidated as she continued to ascend the stairs. Even the marble statues seemed to turn darker and more frightening as she approached the top.

Next thing she knew, a door marked with scratches and webs stood before her. Realization hit her that this was the demon’s lair. She wasn’t allowed here. But her curiosity pushed her hand to open the door and enter the room.

The room was dimly lit by a fireplace and a few candles around a king-sized bed. In other corners of the room lay shattered and torn paintings. Upon closer inspection of a torn painting by the bed, she noticed it was a painting of humans. The man in the middle, where the canvas was most damaged, seemed to stare at her with deep blue eyes. Was it the previous owner of this castle? Before the demon took over?

Not wanting to think about the fate of the former residents of the palace, she turned away to explore the room more. By the balcony of the room, where it was lit by only moonlight, a table with a mirror and a glass container with a rose sat in the center. She approached the rose, examining it closer. She raised her hand to touch the glass to admire its beauty, when a shadow loomed over her.

She sucked in a sharp breath seeing the demon standing by the balcony.

“I thought I told you this place was forbidden!” His claws clenched into fists and struck the wall with so much force that it cracked under the pressure. “Get out. Get the hell out!” he roared, sending Sona running out of the room in fright. He eyed the rose for any damage or a sign it was tainted. It took mere seconds for the demon to realize the damage he had done.

Sona choked back the lump in her throat as she ran down the main stairway with her shawl wrapped around her shoulders. She couldn’t stay here any longer. Nothing was going right. The demon could have killed her. She was so scared. She ran past the servants begging her to stay and went on her way on her horse.

The sun had set, and she could barely make out the landscape. She went through the forest to hopefully find a way out back to the road. Her eyes darted around to find an opening. Somewhere. Anywhere.

A howl following two more chilled her blood. She looked back while Hec was still running and saw a pack of wolves approaching her from behind.

Oh no.

No, no, no, no, no.

She slapped the reins against her horse to escape.

The wolves were on her tail, one even getting close enough to try nipping at Hec’s legs. In Hec’s fright, he launched Sona into the snow, trapped by the circling wolves. Sona gritted her teeth and grabbed a branch by her feet and rushed to her horse’s aid. She swung the branch at the wolves to deter them, even managing to send one collapsing into the snow.

It was no use. There was only so much she could do.

A wolf caught her swing and pulled the branch out of her hands, rendering her vulnerable. She backed up to her horse to protect it. Was this how she was going to die? All without seeing her mother one final time? She shut her eyes for her imminent death when a wolf leapt at her.

A snarl sounded from her right following a pained whine from the wolf. Sona opened her eyes to see the demon before her. But his presence didn’t discourage the wolves. They collectively leapt at the demon, trying to tear at him, only to have claws sinking into their flesh as he sent them flying at trees.

The demon glared at the wolves, a demonic rumble reverberating from his throat and sending the survivors fleeing. He fell to his knees, his body covered in blood and wounds. Unable to take the pain, he collapsed onto his side.

Sona gulped, her breath shallow and quick from the adrenaline. She pursed her lips as she glanced at the demon, whose usual glowing eyes were now dull. This was her chance. She could escape his clutches once and for all. She regained her composure and went to hop back onto her horse.

But she stopped.

She could run. She could run right now without having to look back.

The demon wouldn’t be able to chase after her.

And yet she couldn’t just leave him to die.

“He’s waking up!”

“Oh, thank the heavens. I thought he wouldn’t make it.”

The demon awoke to some of his servants and Sona, who hovered over him with a soaked rag in her hands, by his bedside in worry. He groaned from the sharp pain in his arm and side. Tilting his head slightly, he saw bandages on his torso and arm. “What… is going on?”

“You suffered wounds trying to save this young lady, from what she’s told us,” Karma explained. “She’s been up all night tending to your wounds.” She nudged the bowl of hot water towards Sona. “If you have any sort of common sense, you would thank her.” She jumped off the bed. “By the time I come back, I expect you to have at least done what you should do.” She hopped away out of the bedroom to meet with the other concerned servants to update them on his condition.

An awkward silence settled between them as the demon tried to find his voice to speak to her. Sona remained in her seat, staring down at her cupped hands.

“I, um,” he started, “would like to thank you for helping me. I probably could have died, if you didn’t.”

Sona glanced up at him, whose eyes gave her a sincere apology. She reached out for the parchment and started scribbling onto it. “I accept your apology. But also, thank you for saving my life.” A genuine smile curled her lips for the first time since she came here.

The demon fell silent at her smile. He cleared his throat before saying, “You’re welcome.” There was another awkward pause before he cleared his throat again. “Your name was Sona, I believe?”

She nodded.

“My name is Khada Jhin. You can call me… or write, in your case, Jhin.” He stared up at the ceiling. “I believe that introduction was long overdue.”

[craigcahn]

Can you do all the dream daddy asks :D

i think you are personally trying to kill me??????? i’m down for death so let’s do this

1 : Which dad did you romance first? If you have not romanced a dad yet, which one would you want to romance?

craig is my number one through and through, but i am thinking about going for damien!!

4 : Dad that surprised you the most?

i wasn’t expecting to be too into mat just because vernon kept saying that his route was essentially a bunch of niche music references, and i’m not that invested in just hearing a bunch of jokes/puns that i don’t get?? but mat is actually really sweet and Good because the mc doesn’t really understand it either so mat does his best to explain it all!!

5 : Dad that grew on you the most?

can i just say that as soon as the game came out, i stared robert and damien for like two seconds and immediately decided that i wasn’t feeling them.  whenever i talked to friends i always just said that i didn’t like how robert seemed to be the Bad Boy™ who was too tough and edgy to talk about his feelings and how damien seemed super snobby to me.  Never Have I Been So Wrong.  i actually really love them a lot now and they’re definitely among my favorite dads

the rest are under the cut!!

6 : Any dad(s) that is (are) your type?

honestly craig is the embodiment of my type which are people who have a lot of empathy for other people.

7 : Any dad that you aspire to be more like?

i think i really want to adapt more of damien’s whole positive philosophy on life

9 : Favorite series of dates?

craig’s, the answer will always be craig’s

11 : Any date(s) that you completely aced?

all of them except brian’s^^

12 : Any date in the game that you would want to go on?

scaling a giant, dangerous mountain for fun.  if this means like an actual date that happens in the game but in real life, then definitely robert’s first date.

14 : Favorite side character?

mary fucking christiansen

15 : Favorite minigame?

the golf one was actually kind of fun because i was determined to beat brian

16 : Least favorite minigame?

that one penguin minigame was so incredibly overwhelming that i was just yelling the entire time and spamming the smack button

18 : Name of your Dad-sona(s)?

lyndon mcnut!  i had his first name and appearance planned/drawn out since the game was first announced!!  the last name was a panic decision when i realized that i had to pick a last name.  by far, the best situational terror that this caused was when amanda looked at my dadsona and said, “team mcnut?” and i had to respond, “team mcnut.”  like i was Horrified.

19 : Did you make your Dad-sona a physical reflection of yourself?

oh hell no, i am a walking disaster.  he has a similar skin tone to mat and his hair is pulled back into an thick, afro ponytail.  he’s got a full beard and round, wider nose.  his eyes are hazel with long lashes!!  lyndon does fashion designing for younger kids but his style is on point

20 : Did you see any of yourself in the personality of your Dad-sona?

it’s weird because i designed him to be similar to me but also not me?  if that makes sense??  whenever i play video games where you get to create your own main character, i always design the character to be exactly like me so that i get to make decisions the way i would.  i even would give them the same name as me (i’m mac hi!), and that caused me to feel like i was in the game.  but i didn’t want to feel like i was romancing the dads, because it’s not my place to.  i wanted to envision a character that would be a good father to amanda, and then i created lyndon!  there were definitely some character traits that i specifically gave him so that he was like me, but we’re very different!  his entire story is eerily similar to craig’s even though i made him before we actually met craig, but alas.  in his college days, he definitely fooled around a lot because he didn’t have his shit together.  he felt like that was the only way to feel alive, and he got drunk quite a bit until he realized that craig was actually a pretty cool roommate.  (he didn’t give craig the time of day before craig offered to down one of his bottles when lyndon was doing the classic edward fortyhands.  they were buddies afterwards, though they kept it all as a friendship hiding some wonderful mutual pining)  he didn’t get his act together until c, aka the amanda’s other parent, hired this unorthodoxly well-dressed man to be her personal shopper after his boyfriend (who was his boyfriend for barely a month) gave her the recommendation to hire him.  lyndon sobered up, slowly but surely, as he spent more and more time with c.  they were basically soulmates, except not the romantic kind.  they were honestly just really good friends who eventually moved in together as lyndon realized that he actually really enjoyed finding looks that would fit her style.  then he realized that he really wanted to design his own clothes.  lyndon found his way into a fashion designing company focused on children’s clothes, which he dedicated himself to wholeheartedly.  once he and c were both comfortable with their lifestyles, c mentioned offhandedly one day that she wanted a kid, and lyndon realized he did too.  so after a lot long talks at night about how this would work, they agreed that they would adopt a child.  they would be this kid’s parents wholeheartedly and unbashedly, even though they weren’t romantically invested in each other.  so, they adopted amanda.  it was really good for a while, then c died.  lyndon invested himself in amanda’s life along with work, but he never overextended the way craig did.  he made it to every bakesale, every spelling bee tournament, even learned how the hell to cook for her.  sure, his social life definitely declined greatly, but he didn’t mind.  he didn’t want to meet anyone who could bring his impulsiveness back out, which inevitably led to lyndon losing a lot of his ability to charm people that he didn’t know well.  that’s why when he ran into craig again, he was beyond excited to be with him again.  because he was the one person who stood by his side during his worst times, those sweet sweet college years.  (sorry that got long.  i just really love my dadsona)

21 : Would you actually parent like your Dad-sona?

i would want to!! i don’t think my execution would be too great though;;  i think i would definitely put more love into my kid than work, be there for them emotionally.

22 : Would you consider your Dad-sona a “good dad”?

he’s the kind of caring dad that i’ve always wanted in my life, the kind who doesn’t forget about me

23 : How much time have you logged into the game?

a solid number of hours, i’m not sure of the specifics;;

25 : Did the game live up to, transcend, or fall short of your expectations?

i am so glad that this exists.  like this game has such a beautiful cast of representation along with intriguing story lines that really make you invested in the dads.  sure you might not like one or two of them, but you find that one dad who just gets you and it feels good.

[ladybuvelle]

Quiet Me

Drabble Time | Accepting

Leave a “Quiet Me” in my ask, and I’ll write a drabble about my character trying to calm yours down [be it from crying, from lashing out, feel free to specify.] 

please!>

Sona wasn’t even certain he could ‘hear’ her anymore. The corrupted limbs on Varus’ otherwise pale-colored body were coursing with vile-looking tendrils. They were something between the color of night and the color of blood, glowing with a strange corona about their edges. It was like nothing she had ever seen before.

Normal people shouldn’t witness such horrors. Such horrors shouldn’t exist.

But they did, and he had tried. How much can one human take, though? Only so much. Only so much until those same tendrils wrap around his human heart, around the spark of mana that is his soul, and the man named “Varus” fades a little more. Every dream, every hope, anything that was left…

He had killed again. It had been enough to drive him into a rage that couldn’t be sated or quelled even with time on his own. The Pallus demanded more. More Noxians. More of the guilty. Thieves and murderers and general sinners - but why stop there? This fragile moral compass was cracking ever more, and soon whatever kept Varus from turning his arrows toward the innocent - mothers, children - was sure to break.

It was only a matter of time. What was she going to do about it?

The one thing Sona could do; the one thing she was born to do. Though she didn’t enjoy using the power of the Etwahl when it came to things like this. Direct manipulation of a person’s emotions was a magic her instrument was built for and a technique Sona understood very well - but naturally, she felt it very unfair to do without consent. People who bought tickets to her performances were a willing audience. They knew what they were coming for. And she always made sure she never well too far with her abilities.

But Varus was raging like a beast. He barely looked human anymore, with his eyes obscured by a cursed and sickly light. Sona didn’t know if he was looking at her or through her. The answer soon came when his arms lifted; a ‘bow’ of solid, glowing material forming with an arrow to match.

Kill her. Kill her, kill her, kill her!

It was then the first chord rang out. Sona’s fingers swept along her instrument’s strings, and like a wave the sound spread out from her and around them both. Immediately the air changed; everything felt somehow lighter, more gentle, more soft. The light that leaked through the forest canopy was suddenly so beautiful and sparkling to behold. The birds and bugs and other small critters had all gone quiet to turn their ears toward the captivating notes, and even the grass and wildflowers around Varus’ ankles gently waved in the current of magical air that lifted Sona from the ground.

It was as if they were deep under the sea, surrounded by warm and gentle waves as soft as wind. The notes she plucked echoed through the trees - but they were not without focus. Varus couldn’t loose his arrow. His arms felt locked in place despite the violent churning of corrupted muscle.

It knew. It couldn’t keep its grip on his heart anymore. As if with ethereal hands the Maven had reached into Varus and cast the blackness away from him - not completely, of course, but away from the core of his being. It could not have him. Not this time.

If only she could find the heart of Pallus as well, but the terrible, cowardly thing would set itself in a defensive and mysterious corner that Sona couldn’t reach inside him. Not without possibly hurting Varus. There was still so much about the Etwahl’s ability and limits she didn’t know… but for now, the beast was tamed. And when Sona opened her eyes she saw that the archer had fallen to a knee.

she assured him, the last notes she played fading into the wind. On her descent back to the ground she reached for him and gently fell to her knees at his side, her dress and robes falling downward as gravity bade them again. The birds began to sing again. The critters chittered, the bugs clicked, the sunlight was still beautiful in its own way.

He said nothing for a long time, but she held him all the same.

[rosymiz]

Like A Rose, CH 1: Unseen

Title: Like A Rose By: ArisuChanSenpai (Visit my blog for AO3 link!) Fandom: League of Legends Ship: Jhin x Sona

Hiding—nay, “blending in” as he would rather put it—had become almost enjoyable. Almost. He hated crowds. They took away from his performances when they would yell and scramble around. But the thought of tainting these beautiful buildings with red tempted him. Such beauty couldn’t be seen by anyone else but he.

But alas, Jhin had to stay at the table. A plate of freshly-made dumplings sat in front of him, the steam still rising out of the green leaves wrapped around them. Oh, and they were in a neat arrangement of four. Perfection. Wouldn’t want to waste them.

Crowds of people walked by the restaurant he was in. Families, couples, children, and the elderly went past without a single eye batted towards him. With the way Jhin looked, many would think he’s like any other middle-aged man who’s come to enjoy the festival. How uninspiring.

Jhin stifled a dark chuckle. If only they knew the Golden Demon was among them. Screams of terror as he shoots Whisper into the crowd, his aim precise and seeing the beautiful artwork his performances create—one, two, three—

No, no, not yet, Jhin decided. It wasn’t time. His hands instinctively touched the bag next to him, when a waitress stopped by his table.

“How are the dumplings, sir?” a waitress asked.

“Quite delightful, thank you,” he replied in a quiet, but hoarser voice than his own.

“Is there anything else you would like?”

“A cup of green tea would be nice, thank you.”

“Right away, sir.” The waitress rushed back to the kitchen to retrieve his order.

He ate the last of his dumplings and took his time to drink the tea. It was still late in the morning, about to be noon, but Jhin had already seen everything this small festival had offered. He enjoyed the all form of arts: acting, poetry, dancing, calligraphy art, and many others. But this was a small city in Ionia. Homely, yes, but not much to it.

But being out here had its benefits. He wasn’t constantly being chased by Shen and Zed, who were after him since he was freed by those corrupted old fools. It was a shame. He couldn’t give them the performance they deserved that night at the Blossom Festival.

After paying the bill with a tip, he got up to roam around the village. Perhaps there was something he missed. He arrived at the city square, where a crowd seemed to form at the center. How curious. He patiently waited nearby until there were less people, listening to conversations.

“I never would’ve thought she’d come here for a performance!”

“Isn’t she famous for her music?”

“Yeah! I heard that the way she plays just tugs at your heartstrings!”

“What do they call her instrument again? Something with an e…”

Music? Heartstrings? An instrument? Where had he heard those words before? Realization struck him. It couldn’t be. He found himself leaning in closer.

“An etwahl! It’s so beautiful!”

It was. Sona Buvelle, the Maven of the Strings, had come to this city to perform. He felt a smile creep up to his face, a glint in his eyes. What an unexpected surprise, he thought.

Perhaps he can give these people a true performance after all.

And yet, she was nowhere to be found. Jhin knew Sona would never go anywhere without her etwahl. She would be hard to miss. While he did spot Lestara Buvelle enjoying a snack in a restaurant, her mother was of no interest to him.

Could she have gone outside of the city?

“Pardon me, sir,” Jhin called out to a local and smiled politely. “I do apologize for interrupting your time in the festival, but are there any other attractions in this city? It’s quite beautiful, and I wanted some inspiration for my next work.”

The man gave his question some thought. “Hmm, are you looking for landscapes? Because we have a grove of spectacular cherry blossom trees in the outskirts of the city.” He pointed to the entrance of the city. “Just head outside and look to your left. You definitely can’t miss it, since they’re in bloom right now!”

“Excellent. I’ll make sure to go visit.”

“You an artist?”

Jhin’s smile widened. “Of the sort.”

“Well, good luck! A good, long stroll should give you something to work with!”

“Thank you. Enjoy your festival.” Jhin tipped his hat and turned to go back where he came from. It wasn’t a long walk to the city gates, and it was still noon. Once he exited the city, he looked to his left. There it was. A grove of cherry blossoms trees with a brilliant pink that stood out from the teal colors of Ionia. He wondered how he didn’t see it the first time.

He noticed that his pace picked up as he got closer to the grove, his mind keeping at a rhythm with his steps. This wasn’t the biggest grove of trees, but it was big and far enough muffle the sound of a gunshot. His steps got quieter and quieter as he walked through the grove, as Sona’s hearing was keen to pick up on any sound.

At that thought, he stopped to consider his options. He was wearing a modest outfit, so he couldn’t hide Whisper in his clothes like he can with his knives. Oh well. That’s what the bag is for. He set it down, his eyes scanning the area while he took out Whisper and loaded four shots.

Normally he would fully assemble Whisper in its true beauty, but this shouldn’t be a difficult performance.

As Jhin got closer to the heart of the grove, he began to hear plucked notes of Sona’s etwahl. Ah, so she’s here, he thought. The music grew louder and louder as neared. He couldn’t help but make a face of distaste.

To someone who studied and appreciated the arts as much as Jhin, Sona’s music was lacking. She was always taking the spotlight from him with her little harmonies, when his work was terrifyingly beautiful. He stifled a grumble.

Sona was delicately plucking strings on her etwahl, most likely practicing for her upcoming performance. She looked up at swaying cherry blossoms, petals flying around the surroundings like a flower storm. She plucked a few strings and played a lovely melody that sounded like laughter.

Jhin kept his eyes on her. He kept his distance, but that was never a problem for his artistry. Sometimes, art was meant to be viewed from afar. He hid behind a large tree with his gun in hand. He had to play this right, or this performance was going to be a disaster.

He took aim, his finger on the trigger. Sona’s back was to him. All he needed was a little something to catch her attention and watch her face as he shot the bullet into her. He envisioned it so well. Her blood pooling like a bed of roses, white fire coursing through her skin, smoke rising like butterflies with her last breath…

Sona suddenly played a song on her etwahl. It stopped him in his tracks.

The finger that was on the trigger was shaking. What? Jhin felt something in the back of his mind. Like something was tugging at him, almost holding him back. But from what?

This was beyond unexpected.

He couldn’t bring himself to shoot.

Was this Sona’s power? Has she caught on to him? Not wanting to stay around any longer, Jhin decided to retreat. He couldn’t afford to be stopped here by Sona of all people. Especially not with a gun in his hands. He lowered Whisper and quietly slipped away from the grove.

A misstep.

Rustling of fallen petals.

The melody stopped. Sona turned her head to the source of the sound, angling her ear towards the area. She couldn’t hear anything. Hopefully it wasn’t a fan who had found her. Maybe it was a small animal that was scurrying by. Suspicious, her fingers plucked a tune but with her magic combined. If someone was in the range of her magic, they would be compelled to speak up.

…

…

Nothing.

Maybe it was just a squirrel.

Sona happily turned her attention back to her instrument and resumed her song.

At that point, Jhin had well been out of her earshot and near the outer grove. He shot a glare at the speck of Sona’s aqua hair flying in the wind. How? How was she able to stop him? Did she even know he was there? The feeling in the back of his mind was gone, and all he could think of was his finger shaking on the trigger.

A case of stage fright? Yes, he always felt nervous before a show, but he felt it necessary. But this was different.

Jhin took a deep breath. He packed Whisper into his bag and went back to the city. He was going to attend Sona’s performance tonight, much to his distaste. But what happened at the grove made him curious. He had to know what held him back.

For once, there was a feeling at his core that he had felt was… new.

Dusk fell onto the city, painting the buildings orange with the setting sun. Jhin had made his way to the back of the crowd, should he need to escape. For a small city, the crowd that gathered for Sona’s performance was big. He couldn’t understand how Sona’s music could bring forth such numbers.

Well, he’s had more grandiose performances. But with her stealing his spotlight, the impact of his work was always diminished. Cast away as another murder. Oh, but the look on the faces of people who has seen his work… That was always satisfying to see.

Jhin looked at the crowd before him and held his bag closer. His fingers were itching to hold Whisper and make his grandest work yet. What a slave he was to this passion.

But his vision was shattered when the crowd began to applause and cried out in joy. Ah, Sona had made her appearance on the stage. Her etwahl levitated beside her as she gracefully stepped into the spotlight. Lady Buvelle followed behind her and stood next to to Sona.

“Good evening, everyone. My daughter and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for giving us the opportunity to perform here.” The Lady and Sona bowed, earning an applause from the audience. “Sona, dear, would you like to say a few words?”

Sona placed a hand on her cheek, thinking. She then played a few chords in an ascension to express her gratitude to the people.

How pretentious, Jhin thought. She uses her etwahl for everything, doesn’t she?

“My daughter has been practicing and trying to create new music for everyone to enjoy. In fact, she even prepared a completely new and original song for you all to listen to.” Lady Buvelle smiled as the audience shouted in excitement. “Shall we get started?” She gave Sona’s shoulder a gentle pat and walked off-stage.

The stage grew dark. It began with a quiet melody that slowly progressed into louder crescendo until she struck a chord that almost lit her entire being with green, like grass dew sparkling in the sunlight. The spotlight came back on, and her song continued with a fervent melody.

The audience cheered with the occasional enthusiastic whistle from a fan when she hit the chorus.

Jhin quietly listened to her song. It was strange. Now that he had thought about it, he had never heard Sona’s music in-person before. He’s only heard of her and her concerts by word of mouth, but he’s never attended one until now.

Something was stirring within Jhin with every note being played. There was that feeling in his core again. It wasn’t as strong as when he had approached her in the grove. But it was there. What was it?

Sona finished her song and bowed. She was tuning her etwahl to prepare for another song, trickling her fingers across the strings for a chord she found perfect. With a nod, she took a breath and started playing in staccatos.

This was a little too upbeat for Jhin’s taste. He preferred more traditional songs. His favorite were the ones that kept to a rhythmic beat of four. Times were changing, but he knew his work was ahead of his time.

This was like a modern version of a traditional song. A little catchy, he bitterly admitted.

He wondered, what kind of sound would Sona make when she dies? He didn’t know. His thoughts stopped there. He couldn’t envision her death.

Impossible. Did she have the power to stop thoughts and make her audience listen to her music only? It was a phenomenon to Jhin. He looked up at Sona, who was ending her song with a refrain.

Lady Buvelle came back to the stage, looking satisfied. “We are just about to end this performance, folks! But not without her finale!” She stroked her daughter’s hair. “She’s been working hard on this song alone, and not even I have heard her play it. I’ve been anticipating this for the longest time.”

Sona plucked a few notes that sounded like laughter.

“Ready, Sona?”

She nodded in response. She seemed almost excited to finally debut her new song. As her mother left the stage, she tuned her etwahl again. The audience leaned in closer. She smiled and played.

Jhin immediately recognized it. This was the melody Sona was playing earlier in the grove. He perked up and stared in disbelief. Her song felt light and carefree, as if the notes carried him like a petal in the breeze.

Any thought and visions of his performance with Sona disappeared like smoke. He looked at the people around him, who were listening intently with similar expressions. It’s not that this feeling was holding him back. He no longer felt the tugging of his passion, the desire to see the beauty in death, the urge to kill.

He felt… at peace.