#silvery outlook

[sinnamonsters]

I really like the whole Nightstars AU thing and like

I spent too much time on this. This is literally the first time I've drawn more than two characters in one picture. And I rarely do backgrounds

Fuck

[silveryoutlook]

Silvery Outlook Update 1, Pages 1-3

Happy 7th anniversary, Sparklecare!

[brisyl]

Brigh and Syl are now both open to questions!

I don't have any plans for a story or anything quite yet, this is just something cute I wanted to do to show off the ship a little while I write Silvery Outlook!

[sinnamonsters]

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH this is so goddamn adorable . thank you so much i love it i love it i love it

brisyl in love forever and always

@sinnamonsters HERE :3 *ATTACKA YOU*

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Any HC's on what's going on with Luna?

Hi, so I really like Luna as a character, and I've seen various theories about her being a seer, which at least used to be popular in fic, but I never got that impression from her. Personally, I don't think there's anything magical going on with Luna. I think she's just a girl with imagination, a sense of whimsy, and some trauma of her own who chose to handle it through her internal little world rather than anger and other more externalized ways to cope.

So, this kinda ended up being a bit of a character study on Luna...

Pandora Lovegood & Luna's Trauma

One of the major moments in Luna's life that really changed her worldview and approach to people and the world was her mother's death:

“Have you . . .” he began. “I mean, who . . . has anyone you’ve known ever died?” “Yes,” said Luna simply, “my mother. She was a quite extraordinary witch, you know, but she did like to experiment and one of her spells went rather badly wrong one day. I was nine.” “I’m sorry,” Harry mumbled. “Yes, it was rather horrible,” said Luna conversationally. “I still feel very sad about it sometimes. But I’ve still got Dad. And anyway, it’s not as though I’ll never see Mum again, is it?” “Er — isn’t it?” said Harry uncertainly. She shook her head in disbelief. “Oh, come on. You heard them, just behind the veil, didn’t you?” “You mean . . .” “In that room with the archway. They were just lurking out of sight, that’s all. You heard them.”

(OotP, 863)

I want to talk about her mother, her death, and Luna's general outlook on death and tragedy which explains a lot of her characters.

So Pandora Lovegood experimented with spells and one went badly enough to kill her in front of her 9-year-old daughter. This is why Luna can see Thestrals and hear voices from beyond the veil like Harry and Neville. But Luna, at her soul is an optimist and a very brave one at that. This is something that she doesn't share with her father, which I'd get to, so I think her outlook on life and death is actually something she learned from her mother.

Luna prefers to look at the half-full part of the glass. She is choosing not to get too sad over things or bothered over her bullying (which I'll get to). The main point is that Luna's way of dealing with the hardship and trauma of watching her mother die is to feel the sadness of it, but not let herself wallow in it. She keeps pushing herself forward.

I headcanon Luna took her mother's death to embrace her mother's outlook on life. That things will always be fine, that they'd always work out. I don't think Luna knows for certain everything will be fine, but she chooses to believe it will be and you see it with her later in the books as well.

“I was saying, what are those horse things?” Harry said, as he, Ron, and Luna made for the carriage in which Hermione and Ginny were already sitting. [...] “It’s all right,” said a dreamy voice from beside Harry as Ron vanished into the coach’s dark interior. “You’re not going mad or anything. I can see them too.” “Can you?” said Harry desperately, turning to Luna. He could see the bat-winged horses reflected in her wide, silvery eyes. “Oh yes,” said Luna, “I’ve been able to see them ever since my first day here. They’ve always pulled the carriages. Don’t worry. You’re just as sane as I am.” Smiling faintly, she climbed into the musty interior of the carriage after Ron. Not altogether reassured, Harry followed her.

(OotP, 198-199)

Again, this shows her way of dealing with death and loss that ended up helping Harry. She sees the Thestrals and instead of being discomforted by them and the loss they remind her of (like Neville and Theodore Nott), she tries to smile, to take comfort in the reminder of her mother. "It's sad that she's dead, but it's okay, things will be okay", it's not a direct quote, but I feel it summarises Luna's outlook on loss and negative life experiences in general.

Xenophilius and the Quibbler

As I mentioned above, Xenophilius is much less brave and optimistic than Luna, hence why I think she learned her positive outlook from Pandora and not him:

Xenophilius gulped. He seemed to be steeling himself. Finally, he said in a shaky voice difficult to hear over the noise of the printing press, “Luna is down at the stream, fishing for Freshwater Plimpies. She . . . she will like to see you. I’ll go and call her and then—very well. I shall try to help you.” He disappeared down the spiral staircase and they heard the front door open and close. They looked at each other. “Cowardly old wart,” said Ron. “Luna’s got ten times his guts.”

(DH, 347)

I understand him, I really do. He lost his wife, and his daughter is all he has, of course, he's scared of helping Harry. He doesn't want to lose Luna too. But, I headcanon Pandora was like Luna in that regard. She wouldn't have let fear stop her. I mean, she had to be brave to experiment with the kind of dangerous spells that'll kill her.

The other thing I want to note about Xenophilius and Luna is how close they seem to be whenever we see them:

Bidding the wizards farewell, he turned to his daughter, who held up her finger and said, “Daddy, look—one of the gnomes actually bit me!” “How wonderful! Gnome saliva is enormously beneficial!” said Mr. Lovegood, seizing Luna’s outstretched finger and examining the bleeding puncture marks. “Luna, my love, if you should feel any burgeoning talent today—perhaps an unexpected urge to sing opera or to declaim in Mermish—do not repress it! You may have been gifted by the Gernumblies!”

(DH, 124)

They seem very affectionate and close, both with words and I'm sure also physical affection. Luna even mentions she still has her dad when she explains how she handles her mother's loss. I think both of them grew closer and more dependent on each other after Pandora's death. And I think that's what really pulled them both through it. Each other.

I write about it more later in this post, but Luna tends to comfort a lot of characters. Hermione, Ollivanders, Harry, and I think the first person she practiced this with was her father. She is a very empathetic person and she watched loss affect her father first-hand. I think, that after they lost Pandora, Luna did more of the heavy lifting in terms of emotional comfort rather than Xenophilius, who was probably a bit of a wreck.

Now, the third major thing I think Luna learned from her father is his various odd beliefs. To name a few Quibbler article titles from the beginning of OotP:

How Far Will Fudge Go to Gain Gringotts?

CORRUPTION IN THE QUIDDITCH LEAGUE: How the Tornados Are Taking Control

SIRIUS - Black As He’s Painted? Notorious Mass Murderer OR Innocent Singing Sensation?

We all know they have some odd ideas, and are both very convinced of them. Luna never strays in her belief in the things her father writes about:

Yes, he’s got an army of heliopaths,” said Luna solemnly. “No, he hasn’t,” snapped Hermione. “Yes, he has,” said Luna. “What are heliopaths?” asked Neville, looking blank. “They’re spirits of fire,” said Luna, her protuberant eyes widening so that she looked madder than ever. “Great tall flaming creatures that gallop across the ground burning everything in front of —” “They don’t exist, Neville,” said Hermione tartly. “Oh yes they do!” said Luna angrily. “I’m sorry, but where’s the proof of that?” snapped Hermione. “There are plenty of eyewitness accounts, just because you’re so narrow-minded you need to have everything shoved under your nose before you —”

(OotP, 345)

She actually shows a dislike and anger toward Hermione at first because of how Hermione treats the things she believes in. Luna doesn't get angry often, but when her beliefs are ridiculed in the way Hermione does so, is one of these few times. She doesn't mind being called "Loony", but she cares about her, and her father's beliefs are aggressively questioned. She wouldn't have minded it if Hermione just didn't believe her (like Ron and Ginny) what bothers her is that Hermione doesn't even entertain the possibility of these creatures being real. What angers her is Hermione's closed-mindedness, not that she doesn't agree with her. Luna doesn't mind being alone in her beliefs, she minds closed-minded people who think they know everything, that's what gets her annoyed with Hermione, I think.

Now, I kind of want to discuss why Luna and Xenehpilius believe what they believe. Well, more Xenephilius than Luna, because he taught her most of it and gave her all the evidence she is basing her understanding of all these creatures and conspiracies come from.

Because that's what a lot of these are — conspiracies — and mostly about the Ministry of Magic. These article titles are somewhat like farfetched conspiracy theories like: "NASA hiding a second sun at the center of the Earth" or "Did you know the Earth is actually flat but the government doesn't want you to know" or anything to do with Area 51 and aliens. The articles from the Quibbler sound awfully a lot like that. And it seemed the main reason Xenophilius and Luna believed Harry was because the ministry didn't.

Xenophilius and Luna also believe in miracle cures like gnome venom (as quoted earlier), Gurdyroots and Plumpies:

“May I offer you all an infusion of Gurdyroots?” said Xenophilius. “We make it ourselves.” As he started to pour out the drink, which was a deep purple as beetroot juice, he added, “Luna is down beyond Bottom Bridge, she is most excited that you are here. She ought not be too long, she has caught nearly enough Plumpies to make soup for all of us. Do sit down and help yourselves to sugar.

(DS, 348)

They are essentially wizard conspiracy theorist hippies.

Basically, Xenophilius and Luna distrust the ministry (rightfully so, as the ministry sucks) but they took their distrust to the extreme. Essentially believing any information from the ministry, or ministry-sanctioned textbooks and newspapers to be false (some of it definitely is false, but not all). If it comes from the ministry it's false in their eyes and therefore everything the ministry doesn't live in is true, even if it doesn't make sense. So what I think is going on with the Lovegoods, and what they are supposed to be, is just conspiracy theorists, who rightfully distrust their government, but took this distrust too far beyond common sense. It doesn't mean all they belive is false, they are actually correct often enough, but not always.

Now, I think, as I said, they have a good reason to distrust the ministry, they just took it a bit far. I actually have a bit of a headcanon about how Xenophilius came to the conclusion that they can't trust ministry.

My headcanon is that it has to do with Pandora's death. We don't really have any indication that Xenophilius believed in everything he did before her death. Neither do we know how exactly the spell killed Pandora. I think the ministry either hid information about Pandora's condition, used some spells she created in their books without giving her credit, or the ministry never sanctioned her spells (we know the ministry does approve spells, Hermione mentions as much in HBP). I'm not sure what exactly went with the ministry, but I headcanon Xenophilius has a personal reason related to Pandora to distrust them.

Loony Luna

We know Luna gets bullied. Her belongings get stolen, other students call her "Loony". And it isn't surprising she gets bullied. children are mean to anyone who is weird and different and Hogwarts has no anti-bullying measures. Literally none, the faculty doesn't care.

What is more interesting is Luna's outlook on her own bullying. It's the same optimistic acceptance of how she treats death.

“How come you’re not at the feast?” Harry asked. “Well, I’ve lost most of my possessions,” said Luna serenely. “People take them and hide them, you know. But as it’s the last night, I really do need them back, so I’ve been putting up signs.” She gestured toward the notice board, upon which, sure enough, she had pinned a list of all her missing books and clothes, with a plea for their return. An odd feeling rose in Harry — an emotion quite different from the anger and grief that had filled him since Sirius’s death. It was a few moments before he realized that he was feeling sorry for Luna. “How come people hide your stuff?” he asked her, frowning. “Oh . . . well . . .” She shrugged. “I think they think I’m a bit odd, you know. Some people call me ‘Loony’ Lovegood, actually.” Harry looked at her and the new feeling of pity intensified rather painfully. “That’s no reason for them to take your things,” he said flatly. “D’you want help finding them?” “Oh no,” she said, smiling at him. “They’ll come back, they always do in the end. It was just that I wanted to pack tonight. Anyway . . . why aren’t you at the feast?”

(OotP, 862-863)

Other Ravenclaws steal her things and hide them, they call her "Loony" and at no point is Luna angry or scared. She is calm and serene and she declines Harry's help because she believes it will all work out. It's the same outlook on death and sadness: "Everything will be fine, just keep your chin up and believe things will be good" That just really seems to be Luna's life philosophy. She faces every problem with optimism and serenity.

Instead of being concerned over her own situation, she actually goes a step further and ask how Harry is doing. Luna goes out of her way to brighten up other people's lives and help them see the good in situations like she can. She is really sweet.

“I enjoyed the meetings too,” said Luna serenely. “It was like having friends.” This was one of those uncomfortable things Luna often said and which made Harry feel a squirming mixture of pity and embarrassment.

(HBP, 138)

“Oh, it’s been all right,” said Luna. “A bit lonely without the D.A. Ginny’s been nice, though. She stopped two boys in our Transfiguration class calling me ‘Loony’ the other day —”

(HBP, 311)

These are two more examples of Luna's being bullied. She is lonely and didn't really have friends before the D.A. But just like with her missing things, while it makes her sad, she doesn't wallow in it. She looks at the good parts. The happy memories, the fact that Ginny defends her now. Honestly, it's a healthier coping mechanism than what we see with other characters, I'll give her that.

The other interesting note is how honest she is with all of it. She always says things exactly how she believes they are. She doesn't lie or hide information from people, even for their own comfort. I think this has to do with the distrust in the ministry her father and her share.

Essentially, she was raised being told how awful the ministry is for lying to everyone and how it's horrible they hide information from the wizarding world. I think this is part of why she is so honest and straightforward. She really sees hiding information and lying as awful things to do. And, I mean, she's a Ravenclaw for a reason, she likely believes information should be accessible to know and learn, not hidden in the bawls of the ministry. It's all part of her honesty.

Luna's Empathy

Luna is one of the more empathetic characters in the books. I mentioned before how she goes out of her way to encourage and comfort others, and here are some examples I picked up:

“Are you sure you don’t want me to help you look for your stuff?” he said. “Oh no,” said Luna. “No, I think I’ll just go down and have some pudding and wait for it all to turn up. . . . It always does in the end. . . . Well, have a nice holiday, Harry.” “Yeah . . . yeah, you too.” She walked away from him, and as he watched her go, he found that the terrible weight in his stomach seemed to have lessened slightly.

(OotP, 864)

Luna is the first person to make Harry feel better after Sirius' death, to tell him life goes on and actually convince him of it. She can empathize with people really weel and tell them what they need to hear.

He finally tracked her [Hermione] down as she emerged from a girls’ bathroom on the floor below. She was accompanied by Luna Lovegood, who was patting her vaguely on the back. “Oh, hello, Harry,” said Luna. “Did you know one of your eyebrows is bright yellow?” “Hi, Luna. Hermione, you left your stuff. . . .” He held out her books. “Oh yes,” said Hermione in a choked voice, taking her things and turning away quickly to hide the fact that she was wiping her eyes on her pencil case. “Thank you, Harry. Well, I’d better get going. . . .” And she hurried off, without giving Harry any time to offer words of comfort, though admittedly he could not think of any. “She’s a bit upset,” said Luna. “I thought at first it was Moaning Myrtle in there, but it turned out to be Hermione. She said something about that Ron Weasley. . . .”

(HBP, 310)

Even with Hermione, whom Luna tends to argue with most due to Hermione appearing closed-minded to Luna, when Luna hears crying her first instinct is to go help. And she actually seemed to have made Hermione feel better, she found the right things to say.

Her mention of Moaning Myrtle makes it sound like Luna knows the ghost well. My headcanon is that in Luna's first years, when she was lonely and had no friends, she sat and chatted with Myrtle, and they had a cute little lonely friendship.

“That’s right,” said Luna encouragingly, as if they were back in the Room of Requirement and this was simply spell practice for the D.A., “That’s right, Harry. . . come on think of something happy. . . .” “Something happy?” he said, his voice cracked. “We’re all still here,” she whispered, “we’re still fighting. Come on, now. . . .”

(DS, 548)

Encouraging Harry to cast a Patronus when they need one.

“I’m going to miss you, Mr. Ollivander,” said Luna, approaching the old man. “And I you, my dear,” said Ollivander, patting her on the shoulder. “You were an inexpressible comfort to me in that terrible place.”

(DH, 437)

And even comforting Ollivanders.

Luna just brings comfort to everyone she meets. Knowing what to say to make them feel better.

About her supposed seer-like abilities

As I said, I don't think Luna is a seer or anything like that. I think she's intelligent, open-minded, incredibly empathetic, has some extreme distrust in the ministry, and has an overall life philosophy of looking at the full half of the cup.

When I searched for scenes that had "extra-magical" potential I found only two:

The girl beside the window looked up. She had straggly, waist-length, dirty-blond hair, very pale eyebrows, and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look. Harry knew at once why Neville had chosen to pass this compartment by. The girl gave off an aura of distinct dottiness. Perhaps it was the fact that she had stuck her wand behind her left ear for safekeeping, or that she had chosen to wear a necklace of butterbeer caps, or that she was reading a magazine upside down. Her eyes ranged over Neville and came to rest on Harry. She nodded. [...] The girl called Luna watched them over her upside-down magazine, which was called The Quibbler. She did not seem to need to blink as much as normal humans. She stared and stared at Harry, who had taken the seat opposite her and now wished he had not.

(OotP, 185)

I think this is more Luna being awkward because she never had friends more than anything. I think she is just honestly shocked and confused that Harry and Co. want to sit with her; of like, their free will, and not just to say mean things.

As much as Luna holds her head high, she is hurt by her bullies and loneliness, she just chooses to not internalize any of it and never stop to be herself. Honestly I really appreciate this aspect of Luna, I adore her ability to stay afloat.

The second scene:

He led a party of warlocks into the marquee as Luna rushed up. “Hello, Harry!” she said. “Er—my name’s Barny,” said Harry, flummoxed. “Oh, have you changed that too?” she asked brightly. “How did you know—?” “Oh, just your expression,” she said.

(DH, 123)

I don't think this is being a "seer" or anything like that. I believe this is an extension of Luna's intense empathy. She says she recognises Harry's expression. Also, she's smart and he acts around Ron the way he always does, Luna would be able to recognize it...

So, yeah, these are my thoughts about Luna.

[eirakairos]

Telomeres

Pairing: Rafayel x MC

Summary: You are in an arranged marriage with the god of the sea.

A/N: Finally after so long lol the thoughts are all over the place since it was dragged a bit.

Inspired from the song Telomeres by Sleep Token

Words: 4.7k

Tags: arranged marriage, angst but with happy ending, presumed character death, MC being a dummy, pregnancy, a little violence, Rafayel being a literal god, implied nsfw, drowning, losing memories is a theme

“You know, if we meet each other again in the future and we are all grown up, let’s marry each other,”

“Huh?!”

“Hahaha! Sorry, I was only joking,”

“... I promise then,”

“Huh?! Wait-”

“I promise I’ll marry you when we see each other again,”

You opened your eyes after drifting away from a dream. Was that a dream? It felt like a distant memory. You saw the sunrise on the horizon, and seagulls passed by the window. Today is the day.

Your wedding day. Or being taken hostage, willingly and legally.

Across the room, you gazed upon your dress, it is a white dress with glittering designs of seashells and pearls. The wedding would be wonderful, from the venue to the food and even to the groom.

A couple of knocks were heard at your door.

“Your Highness, it is time to wake up. It is time for you to get ready,” your servant said before entering. You sighed and looked again at the window, thinking about your groom.

“It is time for the grand day,” a Lemurian elder said as Rafayel looked at his reflection. If this were successful, it would be a big progress in their plan. “For Lemuria and our people,” he whispered. He proceeded to elevate himself to the shore, where the wedding would occur.

Despite it being a grand day, for a wedding, it looks like a simple, intimate wedding, as requested by the bride. The only thing that matters to Rafayel is the venue, it should be a wedding at the seashore. In Lemuria, it would be legitimate.

He put aside his thoughts as the nobles from the human side approached him. He was guided to the other end of the shore. The more people gathered and as the planned time began, he became nervous.

And there you are.

His beloved bride.

You walked like a silvery white fish slowly swimming towards him, precious like a pearl shined by the sun.

You were only a pawn in the grand scheme. He knows you are innocent in all of this. He felt the time stop, felt that he had seen this before. He had been at the far end of the aisle before. He blinked, and he saw his bride. It was still you, but in Lemurian clothes, almost like a goddess. You look at him, and his sight becomes clearer, you’re back in the white dress. Rafayel gazed at you, despite being a human princess, you look ethereal, like his goddess. He felt conflicted, like in the inner depths of his heart, he can’t deny you. He can’t hate you, but love…

“I’m sorry… I can’t give you the love you probably were looking for,” he said. You are sitting beside him in the gardens, outlooking the wide sea. “I know,” you said as you looked at the horizon. “But at least it's not some old nobleman,” you followed. Rafayel smirked, astonished that you were looking at the lighter side of this situation. “No really, I thank you for getting me out of this place,” He was off guard by your remarks at times, in the months of meeting you. You are not pompous nor stuck like the royals he encountered. “I was only taken in this castle… They said my heart is special, for some reason,” you scoffed. “Aren’t you scared of that? Of being taken advantage of?” Rafayel asked. The question was not his character to ask. “No… I’m used to it. I have accepted it as my duty,” you answered. Rafayel only hummed, there is something about you that made him curious. But besides that you are right. He wants your heart, for Lemuria.

“What about you?”

“Huh?” he said.

“Tell me about your beloved,” you said.

“Ah…” he said. He doesn’t want to ruin this marriage because of her. “My memories are blurred about her, but I feel I was waiting for someone,” he brought up a small bracelet. It was a bracelet with a purple seashell as its pendant. “This is all I have about her,” You hummed, he is taking care of it like his life depended on it. Oh, if only he had loved you like how he loves her.

The royal family appointed you to be married to him, to unite the two kingdoms of land and sea. The two kingdoms are hoping it will stabilize the tension. It was a long time plan between the kingdoms and it was rejoiced as Rafayel finally agreed with the marriage. You arrive at his side and take his arm to face the officiant.

As the officiant does his speech, you look at Rafayel. It all leads to this moment, what you’ve been dreaming of, to marry him. But not in the flow you’d expect. The Lemurian elders and the royals, are all looking at you. But Rafayel? He is looking straight ahead and holding onto the seashell pendant.

Everything was a blur in this grand wedding.

Rafayel sighed as he glanced at you and held onto the seashell he cherished before looking away. ‘My heart, I’m sorry… I have to do this as my duty for Lemuria. I tried to find you, tried to find answers… My heart is so confused right now. She isn’t hard to love, she reminds me of you so much…’ The officiant ordered for him to face you. Rafayel gazed at you. ‘I’m sorry you caught up in this mess… Before that time, I will do my best to love you,’ he thought as he cupped your face and kissed you. Rafayel felt the spark, it was a very familiar but odd feeling, he felt like everything was right, like he was destined to be with you despite the odds given by the fates. He felt his heart leap, maybe being wed to you isn’t a bad thing. As he parted from you, you are in a daze. 

Rafayel, the god of the sea, is now your husband. You, the human princess, are his beloved bride.

You were feeling exhausted in the reception. It is both celebrated on the surface and in Lemuria. The surface celebration didn’t take long, as the royal family was just glad that this marriage was done and was more excited in the negotiations with the god of the sea regarding the fish supply. The Lemurian side is totally different, with lots of dancing and music, so a bounty of foods around, mostly different kinds of seafood. You enjoyed it more than the surface, in general, you enjoyed staying in Lemuria than in the surface, even if you were adamant about the other way around before, a long time ago.

You randomly stared at the blue fires encased in the torches around Lemuria. “Are you alright?” Rafayel asked. You look pretty tired, despite being relieved that the wedding is over. “I apologize, I’m a bit spent for today,” you said. He closed his eyes and hummed. “Very well, let me accompany you,” he said. “But- I’m fine, Rafayel, I can go to our chambers on my own,” Rafayel looked at you, not fazed as he moved and carried you, princess style. “Rafayel!” you stammered. “Need I remind you that you are my wife now?” he whispered as he strides away from the throne, letting the people celebrate. “Also, I’m glad to be out of that place,” he sighed. “Time for bed, my wife,” Upon hearing that, you blushed. You two are married and going to your chambers, with him, in one bed. You looked at Rafayel, he seemed amused and seemed to read your mind. “Relax, I’m not going to do anything. I promised you that, remember?” he smirked. You pouted, well it's true.

He kicked the door to the bedroom. Striding towards the large bed, he gently places you on it.

“But what if I do want it?” you asked. He froze and gazed at you.

“No, you don’t,” he said with a serious tone.

“Well, yeah, you are not ready,” you teased. You saw him with his lips pursed, then suddenly pounced on you. You giggled as he tickled you. You two gazed at each other. Rafayel thought you were not hard to love; he felt his heart flutter when you smiled at him. You thought this… “New” Rafayel isn’t hard to love; he is still Rafayel despite this arrangement of his being not an ordeal.

“Are you sure about this? Rafayel won’t remember you!” Talia said. “He already failed once.”

“And it cost him greatly. I… I made a deal with the deep sea. Rafayel also accepted its favor,” you said. Talia remained silent but was surprised. “I know Lemuria and the sea dislike me being with their chosen god of the sea,” You hold the seashell as the medium of the spell. You gave this to him as the vow of offering yourself as his bride.

“I already know my fate, I’d rather die by his hands than be rotten in the castle walls. I’d rather be dead than see my love suffer for any longer. The prophecy must be fulfilled, so that Lemuria can be saved and won’t turn into an ocean of sand,” you said. “For so long… He deserves the sea and land, that I’m willing,” you followed.

“My dear,” Talia said. “Lemurians live to love. I feel… Erase his memories or not, cast him away… The heart will remember,”

Rafayel moves closer to you, meeting your lips with his. He wants this. He doesn’t know why he feels this way, but it feels right. You encircle your arms around his neck; you miss him so much. As he parted from you, he was flushed and panting. “Are you sure? If we continue, I might not hold back,” he smiles. It is full of love; this is the Rafayel you remember.

You two are spent in pure pleasure and bliss, like newlyweds. The marriage will be conducted tomorrow, but you lure Rafayel to a night of passion. You open your eyes and see your love sleeping soundly. He is so beautiful, you feel the pang of pain, that this dream has to end. The plan should follow as is or else there would be consequences. You knew Rafayel sacrificed so much to be with you, but you couldn’t longer bear to see him in misery. You sang the spell while holding the seashell, as tears fell.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I love you so much, Rafayel, my cherished groom,” you said and kissed him to seal the spell. He started to glow, and blue and red fishes appeared around him, representing his memories. The fishes swam to the seashell. As the spell was finished, you quickly dressed yourself and left the palace, leaving the seashell with him.

“Goodbye, my beloved groom…”

Rafayel watches you sleep deeply, feeling proud that he tired you out so much. He never felt this elated, this bliss of marriage.

He felt odd that his vow, an orange fish mark on his chest that glows to its promise, didn’t deter him from this arranged marriage. He thought he would feel immense pain for betraying his beloved. But looking at you, he felt everything was right in place.

But it all ends now.

He looked at the seashell trinket on his bedside table to contemplate before looking at your slumbering self. “I… I’m sorry,” he whispered. He felt pain, everything telling him not to as he summoned his dagger. He raised it and he looked at you. He trembled and stayed still before dropping the dagger. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I… I can’t do it.” He cried softly and he kneeled on the floor. He sees your face, sleeping peacefully.

His whole being suddenly trembled. He heard the deep, grumbling noise in his head. His head hurt, and he felt he was losing himself. He is starting to feel nauseous.

‘How dare you?! You defied the prophecy again! Lemuria will be ruined because of such fleeting love with a human!’

‘I will not let the prophecy be thwarted because of your incompetence!’

“Stop… Stop! You will not control me!” Rafayel screamed, making you wake up. “Rafayel? What is going on?” you murmured, unaware of what was happening.

Rafayel’s eyes darkened as he grabbed the dagger. He stood up and his hand trembled again, Rafayel inside trying to snap himself out of it.

“Argh!” you gasped in intense pain. Your eyes widened in seeing Rafayel, your lawfully wedded husband, stabbed your chest. Rafayel’s darkened eyes blinked and he shook his head quickly. He stumbled as his arm hit the bedside table. The seashell trinket fell and smashed on the floor. You feel dizzy as you see blood pouring out from your chest. You saw Rafayel struggling, the seashell lets out a wisp of blue and red fish going back to him.

Glimpses of memories pour into Rafayel as the lights on his eyes return. He finally sees the blurred girl he’s been trying so hard to hold onto and remember, seeing it was you all along. He has so many questions but it halted when he sees you bloodied on the bed. You feel your consciousness seeping away and accept your fate, the last thing you saw was Rafayel in shock.

Before he can react, the ground starts to rumble as blood seeps to the Lemurian floor, and the fires of the torches around Lemuria turn red, the sign that the god of the sea has accepted its duty and completed the prophecy. The Lemurian soldiers and elders rushed to the chambers, stopping Rafayel from getting to you as your body was taken away.

“Stop! Where are you taking her?!” he cried and struggled, wanting to get to his beloved, his wife, the woman he had loved from the beginning. An elder went to him with a solemn face. “Lord Rafayel, my apologies, she had passed.” Rafayel froze and looked at you, you looked drained and pale as if your essence was already gone. “N-No, no, no… No!” he struggled again, wanting to run to you. “I want to see my wife!” he said. “Your Quintessence, we have to bring her to the surface, her body will deteriorate fast here as she is not Lemurian,” Rafayel stopped and he knew this, he saw your chest remained still and not breathing, and it's all because of him. He didn’t care, he went to look at you, your eyes are closed as you permanently rest. Pearls fell on the floor as he cried, as they took your body away to be sent to the surface.

A private funeral was still held in Lemuria, it was not announced yet, but it seemed obvious to everyone. Rafayel never went out since, despite the room being cleaned already, endless pearls surrounding the inside remained. He stared at the shattered seashell beside him as he started to realize piece by piece. He learned that you knew the grand plan after all. He discovered that you pulled such strings to make him forget about you, yet as Talia said, the heart always remembers. He realized that you two would be married but you chose to sacrifice it to continue the plan. No wonder his mark didn’t react negatively whenever he thought of loving his bride and letting his beloved go, as it is the same person all along. He didn’t even have the moment to say goodbye or hold you. As the prophecy is fulfilled, he is no longer allowed to the surface, he is now in the depths of the sea as he was born into.

What angered him is that, not long after, the people of Lemuria celebrated the return of their god of the sea as they looked forward to the prosperous blessing of the deep sea. It felt like a betrayal to him, like they just waited for you to be gone, it felt like everything was too fast. A heavy pit of hatred in his heart was formed, how dare they take away his bride, his wife, his beloved that he waited for centuries! 

He screamed, all of the mourning, loss, and remorse he felt, as blue scales appeared on his skin, his legs slowly formed into a tail and his ears became fins.

The ground shook as the Lemurians were surprised, the elders ran along with the soldiers to check on their god.

As the doors opened, their eyes widened as Rafayel was gone, but a different person… Entity of ethereal power. The multicolored eyes are now as blue as the sea, the once calm face is replaced with a serious, angered riddled expression. Gone with their beloved Rafayel, and now rises as the tyrant god of the sea.

“How dare he refuse me?!” The king said, visibly angry. It’s been a few months since storms surged nonstop at the sea, making it difficult for fishermen and marine vessels to catch fish. “Your Highness, Lemuria is under lockdown since as well, as I read the reports from their palace,” the messenger said, representing Lemuria. “It seems the god of the sea is still mourning the loss of his late wife,” The king scoffed. “He still didn’t do his end of the bargain of this marriage! The princess is not of royal blood but the audacity of her to betray the kingdom, over some sea god!”

There was little silence. “Then, I will deny your request. I will never let any human set foot in my domain,” the messenger said, surprising the king. The messenger’s eyes are blue, and he has mists of blue aura around him.

“Rafayel,” the king hissed. “You must do the end of your bargain from the marriage! Dissipate the storms!”

“How could I do the end of my bargain when I lost the only reason I held onto that marriage?” Rafayel said as the messenger crossed his arms as he willed to. “No need to fret, the human race isn’t the only one who suffers,” he stated. “You need to be struck down, a tyrant in his own kingdom!” The king yelled.

“The audacity to call me a tyrant, when everyone betrayed me,” Rafayel said menacingly. “Even your wife? What if she is alive? Are you going to punish her?” the king said. “No, she did not betray me. Her fate was sealed but not like this,” he said, solemnly. Memories rushed back to him, the beautiful moments of being with you. Your love for him went beyond, your willingness to give your heart for his sake. The king scoffed. “All of this just because of that pawn?” he laughed. Rafayel, or rather the messenger, raised his hand. Water seeps into the palace as a storm is above the castle. “What- Rafayel, stop this instant!” The king said as the water was starting to flood fast.

“My wrath will not stop. The only thing it will stop is if my wife is miraculously alive,” he said. Water slowly rises, and the people in the castle panicked in the floods and the howling winds and tried to stop it and save the king.

“Stop! She is alive! She is!” the king screamed. Rafayel was surprised and made the messenger stop walking. But no, no more lies as his heart was played many times.

You groaned as you woke up and had to lift your heavy belly to sit up to start the day. It is a few months after an elderly couple found you unconscious by the shore. You almost died that day and you try to recall what happened, but all is very fuzzy. You only remembered someone crying your name, someone smiling at you tenderly, you felt and knew he loved you so much. So much that…

“Hey, stop kicking,” you chuckled at your belly, breaking your thoughts. “We can’t get fish, sorry,” you whispered. You wanted to know who is your partner, you tried your best to remember him or even find him. But no one knows as you live in a village where the elderly couple found you. You were also wearing this wedding ring on your finger, a gold ring with a blue gem in the middle. You didn’t feel strange about it, as if it felt right that you were married.

You are craving so much seafood, but the market is out of fish as the fishermen are having a hard time getting to the sea, which is also expensive. No human is allowed to travel by sea as the god of the sea’s anger is immense. The sky is often gray and the tempests are strong. You heard stories about the sea god, and rumors went around as you roamed the market. You heard of him as benevolent in the past, but he became cruel because of the loss of his wife. Some say that he killed his wife as a sacrifice for the sea, which caused him to be this mad.

A woman’s pregnancy craving won’t stop anyone, not even the god of the sea himself. You had cravings for a week and it is starting to feel painful. In the early dawn, you managed to walk to the shore and sneak into an abandoned boat. You look above the darkened sky, the sky seems clear enough and there are calm winds. “Am I really going to do this?” you asked yourself but you are desperate. Your plan A is to catch a fish, plan B is to demand the god of the sea to give you one. You chuckled as if you were special enough for him to give you an audience.

You started to row the boat towards a good distance so that you could get back on shore quickly. It is difficult as the winds get stronger. The sea is indeed tricky, it was calm on the shore but the opposite once on the water. The waves rock the boat harshly as you try to get the net. The sea has become uncontrollable as if they detected a trespasser. You tried to hold onto the boat but the waves were rocking it nonstop.

“Ahh!!!”

Your body went into shock as you were thrown overboard. Cold water envelopes you, you try to move to get above but feel heavy. You see the boat getting farther and farther. You try not to panic to have enough air but don’t know whom to seek help. You curled up, not having any options, apologizing to your baby bump. You don’t believe in such but if ever he is real, you hope he can do a miracle. You uttered a familiar name, as if that name is very special to you like it holds your entire heart.

“Rafayel…”

Rafayel’s eyes widened as he stood up from his throne. He hears many prayers and wishes amongst his people and on the surface that knows him. But this soft voice…

“Help… My child…”

His eyes blinked, unsure that the familiar voice he was hearing was indeed real. Despite the anger in his heart to everyone, this one… He felt the warmth he was craving for. He steps down from his throne and swims like a flying dart, outside his palace and into the vast sea. Swimming to the approximate location, he saw a figure falling to the depths, with a capsized boat above. He quickly swam when he realized that the figure was expecting and was familiar. He went to her… To you, his supposed dead wife. His eyes widened as he recognized you, his hands trembled when he embraced you. He placed his lips onto yours, so you could breathe underwater. You coughed hard, trying to expel water from your lungs but were still unconscious. His head is running with so many thoughts, but he shakes his head, your safety is a priority. He holds you close as a protective aura envelopes you before going down to the depths of the sea.

“Is she well?” you heard a familiar voice. You felt comfort and warmth all over your body.

“Yes,” you heard another female voice. You couldn’t pinpoint her but she sounded familiar. “The mother and the baby are healthy,” you listened to the other voice sigh in relief. “Rafayel… I can’t believe that she…” she trailed off.

“I know, Talia,” he said. His voice is beautiful, yet there is a hint of nervousness and shock. “She’s pregnant… Her belly is already big,” he said, astonished. “I wonder who’s the…”

“Rafayel, you still question her devotion after all this time?!”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know- It’s very-” he said. You are surprised that this is the tyrant god the people on the surface were talking about all this time. You heard Talia sigh and hear a wisping sound, you felt a cool sensation on your belly as she said a string of incantations in an unknown language.

“There, see? Two little fishes. If it's a pure human, it would be a seedling,” Talia said. “She is carrying twins, Rafayel, and yes, they are yours,”

“What?”

‘What?!’ You wanted to say it but you only muttered a groan. Rafayel and Talia looked at you as you opened your eyes. You saw the god of the sea, as beautiful as his voice, the purple hair with his wonderful eyes. Memories surged in you as he looked at you tenderly. You married this ethereal being.

“Rafayel?” you spoke. “Hey,” he said, both happy yet a little awkward. “I- I didn’t know you’re- I tried looking for you-” he said, completely overwhelmed. You can see his tears becoming pearls as they fall off. You moved closer and cupped his face. Rafayel embraced you tight as if you’d disappear from him again. You hear the sound of pearls hitting the floor.

All of the blurred memories become clearer now. “I mean, I was surprised that I was pregnant all of a sudden, but it felt that whoever I did it to, I did cherish that person,” you spoke and rubbed his back. “I don’t forget things easily… The heart always remembers,”

“I tried looking for you… I can’t go to land anymore as I accepted the duty,” he spoke. “I didn’t know you’re…”

“Ah, I had fuzzy memories but… I was almost until an old couple found me. My chest was bloodied, a piece of my heart was gone… Well, that was what I heard, not sure if it's true, because well… I survived,” you said. “Then, I felt weird changes in my body and learned I was pregnant… I had dreams of being and marrying someone and I have this ring,” You showed the gold ring, and Rafayel wore a similar ring on his ring finger, too. “So somehow that made me think I was married,” you smiled.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry I hurt you, I-” It broke your heart. You can hear him being miserable, blaming himself for what happened. “Rafayel, I know what you had to do,” you smiled. “It’s okay, I’m not angry or anything… I’m just grateful you saved me,”

“I’m just glad I found you fast enough. If I lost you… You three…” he said. It sinks to you that you are carrying twins. “Well, the god of the sea didn’t disappoint in saving his follower,” you chuckled and he smiled. You two remained embraced until Rafayel was comfortable and calmed enough, he was listening to your heartbeats along with your voice. “I want to ask, why were you at the sea? The waves are rough and the storms are relentless,” he said.

“Well, who’s fault is it that there are storms in the first place?” You said and crossed your arms, pouting. Rafayel was surprised and looked down in guilt but he was just a man who lost his wife. “I just want seafood so bad! There’s not much to buy because a certain someone forbidding everyone to go to the sea,” Rafayel blinked in surprise and suddenly chuckled. The lengths you’ll go to for cravings. It is bad enough for Lemurians, what more for a human. “Hey!” you pouted.

“Ah sorry, sorry,” he said, smiling and kissed you. He felt complete that he could finally kiss you again. You blushed in response. “Okay, I’ll tell the kitchen to cook you some. You’ll be having seafood for days, a feast, just for my wife,” he placed his hand on your belly. You feel a slight rumble above as if the storms are cleared and the sea is calm again. “You two caused your mother trouble,” he said softly. He is ready to face the deep sea, Lemuria, and everyone to have you and his babies in his arms. “But then again, thank you because I found her,”

[sinnamonsters]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa i did it i drew syl in a skirt and it makes me feel so happy

brigh helped her with the outfit because hes actually the biggest trans ally ever and if you say otherwise im blowing you up

thank you @sparklecarehospital for helping me open up and figure out this part of myself <3

[silveryoutlook]

Say hello to Nurse Neatoh!... though don't expect a response. It's the quiet type.

It's full name is Inca G. Neatoh (incognito) and will be the main nurse for Syl throughout Silvery Outlook!

It rarely ever speaks, and the mask doesn't emote very well, but Neatoh is a very kind and caring nurse, not that any of the patients want to be around it to find out. It's one of the (physically!) strongest staff at the hospital, and often does a lot of the heavy lifting when Rem isn't around to do it herself, so people tend to steer clear of it.

Feel free to send any questions about Neatoh through an ask, I'd love to talk about it!

[brisyl]

[hiemaldesirae]

hmmm another fae au. i am also still very sleepy (moreso cause i hiked 2 hours today) bit hopefully this is more comprehensive than the ladt sleep derived rdst writing i posted

Vox struggled against his bindings as he was bound to the sacrificial altar, defiance blazing in his eyes as he glared at his former servants. There was remorse there, regret in their expressions, but in the end they had agreed to Carmilla's plan to sacrifice him.

He'd known from the start, of course, that as an adopted ward of the Crown, that he was far less valuable than the actual royal children, the Crown Prince and Princess. What he hadn't expected was that the Royal Advisor, in her cold calmness and cruel facade, would order for him to be sacrificed in order to quell the war of the faeries.

Tch. As if it mattered. The fae would kill him, then all the rest of them, and he'd laugh at them from his position down below (what? Vox was under no impression he was making it to Heaven, after all) and out of this mess.

And yet he hadn't been prepared for the fae that stepped through the circle next to the altar, having been summoned by his former servants. As expected, it easily tears through flesh and bone, decapitating the servants as if they were nothing more than cotton dolls. Black, writhing masses of tentacles and shadow pull at the corpses, dragging them underground and staining the grass where they'd fallen a deep crimson red.

The shadowy mass around the fae twists and turns like the tail of a cloak waving in the wind. It strides towards Vox with a confident gait, and Vox- never having been one to suffer in silence- decides that if he's to go in such a way, he's at least not going to go down quietly.

He starts to gnaw at the makeshift gag in his mouth made of cloth, wriggling harder against the post and banging his legs on the ground. Faintly, he registers the fact that there are silvery and red mushrooms growing round him in a circle, and he lashes out at them, kicking the fungi balls here and there.

It's of no use, of course. The fae appears before him in a cloud of black smoke, their face obscured still by the shadows that swim at Vox's feet. "And who are you, now? Those are robes of the Royal Family, are they not?"

It points at the twilight-coloured robes Vox wears, spiralling dyes of blues, purples and pinks blending into what looks like an approximation of the sky. He used to love these ceremonial robes, making the most of the occasions he'd had the chance to use them, but now... well, wearing them to his deathbed had changed his outlook on them somewhat.

Vox glares at it through his bindings, still resolutely chewing at the cloth. The fae seems to realize he can't respond properly, and in the next second Vox finds the gag missing, coughing as he tries to regain his senses.

"They're... they are robes of the Royal Family," Vox admits begrudgingly, "They wanted to sacrifice me to your... er, people, as a way to distract you in a bid to win the war. Or to make a deal, or something, but I'm pretty sure that was a cover-up."

"So, then. You were their prince, and yet they still offered you up as a sacrifice?" The shadows around the fae amplified, as if its eyes widened from the absurdity of the statement before breaking out into a bout of laughter. "And they call us the cruel ones. Poor fools. I suppose it takes one to know one, hmm?"

Vox rolls his eyes.

Surprisingly, he finds himself willing to talk to the creature. Maybe it's because, despite the fact that he knows it'll likely kill him just as easily as it did his servants, at least it wasn't the one to sign his death contract. No, that had been his family, his siblings and even the servants who served him. "Well, that's definitely not how they're gonna present it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, they'll probably make up some bullshit like I'd volunteered to sacrifice myself for the good of the people."

Vox wrinkles his nose as he pulls harder at the bindings keeping his arms wrapped around the post, wanting to smooth out the material of the robes he was wearing. To his surprise, a shadowy tentacle reaches forward and- instead of cutting off his arm or something, like he'd expected, it unties the ropes keeping Vox's arms tied up to the post.

"Ah, uh..." Vox looks to the tentacle.

Making sure not to land himself at the fae's mercy by insinuating some sort of fee owed, he bows to it (well, as best as he can while still half tied to a post) and says, "I'm glad for the assistance."

"Clever," the fae laughs. "But you know you aren't going anywhere."

"Obviously," Vox frowns. He'd known that from the beginning, been willing to go down kicking and spitting but never stupid enough to believe he'd leave alive. "Even if you don't butcher and kill me here I'll never be able to go back. And the neighbouring kingdoms are either too far to reach on foot or hostile nations. I'm not under any false assumptions that your tentacle helping untie me means I'm surviving past today."

"You're not very optimistic, are you, my dear?"

"Don't call me that," Vox frowns.

"Then give me a name," the fae says. Vox thinks he can hear a faint smile as they speak, "And we'll make a deal."

"You must think I'm stupid," Vox says in reply. "I'm not making a deal with a fae too cowardly to show their face. And who's to say you won't fuck me over in a deal?"

"How's this as my word?" The fae asks, the shadows surrounding them slowly receding into the forest around them. As the shadows uncloak the fae, Vox notices the fae's dark crimson red hair and long antlers, sharp snd strong enough to use as some sort of stake. Their eyes shine a deep red with flecks of green and gold, but perhaps most damning is the diadem of shadow and thorns twisting around their head.

Vox's eyes widen involuntarily as he stares up at the imposing faerie. "You- you're the-"

The Unseelie Fae King smiles down at him. "The King? I'm quite well aware, my dear. After all, that is what the crown atop my head is for. Now, about that deal of ours... here's my request."

Cold, clawed fingers scrape against Vox's chin as the King clumsily- yes, that was the word he'd use for it, not careless, but clumsy- tilted his face this way and that, surveying him. The Fae King brushes against a semi-hidden bruise on Vox's cheek- a last souvenir he'd gotten from the court when he'd tried to reason with Val, tell him that what they were doing was insane... only to be betrayed by the man he'd called brother.

"I'm in need of an assassin, of sorts. A... ah, the title hardly matters. I've a position at court to fill, and I'd like for it to go to someone able to keep my court in line." The King pauses in his talking as a small tentacle sprouts from the ground and sticks itself to Vox's cheek, making him suck in a pained breath before relaxing himself. "It would be quite beneficial if my assassin was able to... permanently rid me of nuisances, so to say."

"You need someone who can use blessed iron?" Vox realizes, remembering Carmilla and her unfashionably expensive blessed iron decked-clothes, the biggest offender of which being her fucking ballet flats- as if she needed those things to be equipped with iron. "That's why you want to make a deal with me? So I can kill for you?"

"It's better than the alternative, isn't it?" The King smiles. "So, what will it be?"

Vox reaches out for the King's hand and places his in the fae's, gripping firmly in an awkward handshake. "Deal. I'll give you my name and kill for you, and you'll provide me a home in your court?"

"Why, look at you! A master deal-maker in the making," the King chuckles, clearly finding some sort of humor in the statement. "But yes. I'll take your name and your service, in return for shelter and belonging. Will you take our deal, or will you die here?"

The answer is obvious.

"My name is Vox," he tells the King, and for all of two awful seconds, he feels drained and sapped, cold to the bone and missing something he can't even describe, before everything is normal once more. "Wait, you-"

"Shh," the King says, and Vox promptly shuts his mouth. "We can talk more once we return, yes? For now, you can know me as Al."

"Just... Al?" Vox squints, not sure if it's a trick.

"More answers will come once we return," Al says, although Vox can swear that the King's grin is a little too wide to be genuine. "Until then, I hope you'll find your way around court easier than you did here with the humans."

"I don't doubt that I will," Vox murmurs. "I really don't."

[silveryoutlook]

if youre happy, neatoh doesnt mind <3

making out with neatoh crazy style rn

(inca belongs to @sinnamonsters!)

[driftward]

Title: FFXIV Write 2024 - 24. Bar (Another Take) Characters: Zoissette Vauban, Aymeric de Borel Rating: Teen Summary: Zoissette catches Aymeric up on everything he's missed, including telling him about her new relationship. Notes: WoL|Sette timeline. I realised I never established the earring in her WoL timeline and well

Aymeric was one of the first people Zoissette went to visit after she returned from the First. He had been a stalwart ally of the Scions. They needed to talk about the developing situation in Garlemald, probably, since that would definitely affect Ishgard. He was a dear friend of hers. Their courtship may have fallen apart, but it had made for a stronger bond between the two, not a lesser one.

And also she simply had to tell him the news.

She showed off her new earring to her, two black carnations, with two little pearls dangling from them on silvery chains. It was beautiful, and was now her most precious possession.

"A symbol," she said. "Of Y'shtola and I dedicating ourselves to be bonded."

"Congratulations," he said warmly. "You two deserve each other, and deserve the world. I couldn't be happier for you."

"It is definitely the best relationship I have ever had," said Zoissette, looking down and fiddling her fingers together. "She has been with me for so many years, and I admire so much about her... and she feels much the same of me. I hope you do not find it offensive for me to say so."

"While you do indeed have my heartfelt congratulations and I offer you my assurance that I share your outlook, that your relationship with that woman is the best thing that I think has ever happened to you, I do want to say... best relationship? That is a terribly low bar to clear given your history, Sette. And I shall not take offense if you will return the favor."

"I feel like I should take some offense on your behalf! We were good together. Not great, but... it was nice, for a time."

"Ah yes," he said, dryly. "The very image of two upright Ishgardian citizens, courting as the Holy See claimed Halone intended. Keeping each other carefully at arms length, coquettishly fluttering our eyelashes across the table at one another. Never revealing our true feelings, playing our proper roles, showing up to balls and dancing terribly."

"Sharing lovely meals, talking about our respective interests-"

"While not being truly interested in said interests I am sorry Lady Vauban but I could not keep up with half your discussions on mathematics or aetherology."

"-nor I on the particulars of terrible High House rivalries and petty politics but we did not dance that terribly."

"Sette I did not know how to tell you this at the time, but all of the dances you knew were horrifically out of date."

"Oh."

"Coerthan, I believe? From perhaps a few dozen years ago?"

"... Riversmeet was not exactly avant-garde."

"Rearguard even perhaps."

"You certainly had no complaints about my rear. Or my oral technique."

"If there is one regret I have about the ending of our courtship, it is the loss of that talented tongue. I can only hope that I learned something from the experience that I may pass on to my next partner."

Zoissette smiled smugly at him.

"I do not miss how you get when you are insufferably correct on a matter, though."

"Of course not, since it never happens that I am wrong."

"Telling lies in Halon's city? I cannot believe you."

Zoissette just hummed smugly at him, and after a moment, they both broke into laughter.

"Seriously though. Back to the matter at hand, which is this... congratulations. I can think of no union that could be any more blessed in the eyes of the Fury, and I hope I can look forward to an invitation to the bonding ceremony, whatsoever form it takes, and wherever it shall occur."

Zoissette sighed. "Of course, though I do not know yet. Something which I need to talk to her about. We have very different backgrounds, I am certain we will have very different ideas on what is right and proper. I am sure she knows enough about how we do things in Ishgard, but I have precious little idea about the traditions and culture of the Jaguar tribe. Or she may even want to follow the rites of the Night's Blessed. Or perhaps something else altogether. I just do not know."

"Night's Blessed?"

"A community that took her in on the First."

"Ah. I see." Aymeric hummed thoughtfully. "Well, this actually does explain much about a missive that preceded you by mere bells."

"Oh?"

"Well, I was not going to mention it. Discretion being the better part and all that, you know. But I think you two should, in fact, have that conversation. Rather sooner than later. And perhaps with each other instead of through me."

"...Aymeric?"

"You see, I have in my possession a latter from one Lady Y'shtola Rhul, asking me for advice."

"What sort of advice?"

Aymeric smiled at Zoissette, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Advice on the proper way to go about courting one Ser Zoissette Vauban, in accordance with the traditions and manner of a proper Ishgardian noble who wishes to make a good impression, both upon the lady and her family. Along with any, shall we say, hints I might be able to provide on said noblewoman's preferences in the same."

Zoissette blinked at him, several times, and her mouth hung slightly open, and Aymeric laughed.

"Ah, now that is a rare sight, and one which I rather enjoy more," said Aymeric. "Zoissette Vauban, flummoxed."

She snapped her jaw shut, frowned, and crossed her arms at him, sticking her nose in the air, but that only caused him to laugh more. And then laugh even more when he noticed the twitch of the side of her mouth as she valiantly resisted joining in.

Zoissette sniffed in mock disdain, but then dropped the act. "She really asked for that?"

"Indeed," said Aymeric. "I believe she not only takes this most seriously, but if I had to guess - and to be clear, I am guessing - I think she is doing this for your benefit, Sette."

He reached over, and took one of her hands, clasping it in his, and he smiled warmly at her. "And if I had any doubts that she deserved you, I think such a gesture would dash them to nothingness. I do not know her as well as you, of course, but we did interact much, from the Shiva matter all the way up to the Alexander incident. She never minced her words, or made any pretense at her lack of tolerance for those parts of Ishgard she disdained. I still recall her choice words over finding out about the Witchdrop, and her sharp opinions on the old system of trial by combat.

"And yet, she is willing to take up at least some of our traditions. For you."

Zoissette felt her eyes water, and not knowing what to say, said nothing, just wiped her face with the back of her free hand. Aymeric pulled her in to a tight hug, and she returned the gesture.

"You are well loved, Zoissette," he said. "And thank you for sharing that with me."

"How could I not?" she sniffled into his shoulder. "You are one of my dearest friends. Thank you, Aymeric."

"Now," he said, breaking the hug, and patting her on the shoulder. "Tell me all about your adventures on the First. I am eager to hear of what our Warrior of Light has been up to."

Smiling, Zoissette walked along with him, and began to tell him the tale of all that had passed, sparing no embellishment as to the Scions' accomplishments, and making sure to fill him in especially on how she had come to appreciate and learn again the depths of one Master Matoya.

[floofgryph]

I hope you like my new OC but if I may ask could I please have some head cannons for him because I don't know what else to add to his character and I would like to hear what you think

I deeply enjoyed reading about what you've written for Ikiota Kurosaki so far. In my opinion, he's a very interesting OC. I'm a sucker for clones and characters who are subjected to scientific experiments, especially when they're well-done. I don't have many headcanons for him, but here's what I have in mind.

Ikiota Kurosaki Headcanons

He has a clear understanding of medical aid, surgery, and medicine administration, and is more than willing to share his expertise with others, particularly those interested in pursuing a career in the field of medicine.

Ever since he found out that he was a clone, he showed great interest in genetic engineering and reproductive biology.

Although he's aware that his father is cold and violent, he secretly hopes to bridge the emotional gap between them. He wants to persuade Ulquiorra to defect to the side of the Grim Reapers as he believes Aizen's actions are unjustified.

Ikiota grapples with nihilistic tendencies due to his cynical outlook on life and inherent reserve. However, he tries to cultivate a more optimistic perspective by recognizing the good in others and appreciating the inherent beauty of existence, despite the challenges and complexities of the human experience.

He genuinely cares about Ichigo's well-being and appreciates the hard work he puts into his job. However, he can't help but feel jealous of the recognition Ichigo receives from the other Grim Reapers. He wishes they would acknowledge his own loyalty and contributions, valuing him as a helpful ally.

He likes to decorate his hair with braids and dye them in duller shades of pink and blue.

He always carries a first-aid kit and a small set of surgical tools in a satchel bag with him, prepared for any medical emergency that may arise outside of work.

He owns a pair of silvery avian goggles, strangely drawn to their aesthetic appeal. He also finds them practical, using them to protect his eyes from blood splatters.

He shares very similar abilities with Ulquiorra as he was originally intended to serve as his replacement in the event of his death. However, he's able to take on a draconic form when he reaches the peak of his power. This transformation comes at a significant cost as it's mentally draining and leaves his body covered in blackened scars. Full recovery from these scars takes approximately one to two weeks.

Ikiota possesses a stunning singing voice, which he utilises to lure his intended targets into a false sense of security before eliminating them.

[silveryoutlook]

and then theres dr party in the background looking annoyed at everyone stealing their 24/7 mask style

Saw @silveryoutlook had a character who wore a mask and had to draw this lol

Description in alt text

Original image + a some context:

[the-bah-commune]

Hi guys! Uh not sure if this sent cus it said it didnt so ima send it again!

I was hoping if i could get a lvl 5 jane doe (ride the cyclone) alter and!

An alter named Oddette (a Hamilton the musical inspired alter) using this faceclaim! :3

hiii! here you go! this one was so fun for my theatre kid ass :)

a new flower has blossomed! 🌹

jane doe (rtc) & hamilton inspired ... [LVL 5 PACK]

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name(s) ;; jane doe, penny, savannah, dolly, eleanor

pronouns ;; it/its, she/her, doll/dolls, pale/pales, death/deaths, 404/404s

age ;; 16

species ;; human, deceased (transBJD)

gender(s) ;; xenogirl, g?rl

orientation(s) ;; sapphic

role(s) ;; autism symptom holder, depression holder

source ;; ride the cyclone

sign-off(s) ;; [🎢🪆] ; – Jane Doe

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appearance ;; 5'2", with a soft figure. pale skin, with a pure white porcelain face. curly blonde hair. shiny black eyes. primarily wears frilly dresses. see below for picture.

personality ;; soft and melancholic. doll is sensitive and easily frightened. she's not great in large crowds. it is creative and intelligent.

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likes ;; dolls, plushies, musical theatre, opera, nature documentaries

dislikes ;; people who are intimidating, sudden loud sounds, roller coasters

possible front triggers ;; depressive thought patterns, the ballad of jane doe

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cisid(s) ;; deceased, cisWhite, autistic

transid(s) ;; transBallJointedDoll, transDating, transFictoromantic, transHarmful, transPopular

trisid(s) ;; trisHarmed

kink/fetish/para(s) ;; autofictophilia, necrophilia, spectrophilia

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moodboard ;; found here

playlist ;; "a pound of flesh" - regina spektor / "the ballad of jane doe" - ride the cyclone / "she used to be mine" - sara bareilles / "the magician's assistant" - emily rohm / "liquid smooth" - mitski

kinlist ;; the tin woodman (oz books)

bonus info ;; has somewhat jerky movements

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name(s) ;; oddette [and some other options...] theodosia, mary, odile

pronouns ;; she/her, they/them

age ;; 30

species ;; human

gender(s) ;; cisgender woman

orientation(s) ;; demisexual, heteroromantic, polyamorous

role(s) ;; socializer

source ;; brainmade, inspired by hamilton the musical

sign-off(s) ;; – ⭐🥂

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appearance ;; 5'6 ½" and average build. cool dark brown skin. silvery grey eyes. long curly dark hair sparkling with jewels and pearls. always in ballroom-appropriate dress. pictures attached.

personality ;; kind and excitable. they have a positive outlook on life. she is a romantic, but perhaps a little naive when it comes to love. clumsy and cute.

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likes ;; dancing, romance novels, period dramas, champagne

dislikes ;; violence, guns, solitude, boredom

possible front triggers ;; parties, drinking alcohol, hamilton

══════════════════

cisid(s) ;; cisBlack, aphantasia, ADHD

transid(s) ;; transFamily (Schuylers), transActress, permaFormal, permaDancing

kink/fetish/para(s) ;; exhibitionism, dipsophilia, agoraphilia

══════════════════

moodboard ;; found here

playlist ;; "almost there" - the princess and the frog / "helpless" - hamilton / "right person, right time" - leanna firestone / "tightrope" - the greatest showman / "absolutely smitten" - dodie

kinlist ;; angelica schuyler (hamilton) / princess tiana (the princess and the frog)

bonus info ;; loopy cursive handwriting, large signature

[cethlyarlo]

In Tandem on Opposite Tides

One

Summary: Sabine and Shin find themselves bound by the Force soon after Sabine discovers her own abilities.

Word count: 1,555

Warnings: none

Chapter: 1/2 (more to come)

*Spoilers for Ahsoka, Episode 8

Sabine's first night on Peridea was dark and overcast. The patchy cloud cover hid most of the stars, yet the moon was visible enough to cast satin bands of light across the nearly barren landscape. She would know because she couldn't rest. Her bones still vibrated from the events of the day prior, mind still alight with residual adrenaline and the strangeness that came with how open everything felt now that she'd figured out how to access the Force.

So many things had changed in such a short amount of time and she was still trying to wrap her head around it. At the end of the day though, she was still stranded on a planet in a galaxy so far away they needed an ancient, long-forgotten map to find it. She was just thankful for having Ahsoka and Huyang by her side along with the small caravan of Noti that allowed them to tag along in their seemingly endless travels.

At least Ezra got to go home. She'd completed her goal; her mission, and she knew he wouldn't leave her behind on the same planet he'd been stranded on for nearly a decade, if not more. Time felt strange and Sabine found herself struggling to remember how long it had truly been since she'd seen the person who'd been like a brother to her for so long. Eventually, she had stopped counting the days, but the urgency to find him lived on.

Regardless, she knew he'd come, but she didn't know how long it'd be before he did. She took comfort in knowing he didn't need a map to find them, though.

Feeling restless, Sabine wandered around the perimeter of their darkened camp, all lights and lanterns having long since been extinguished. The silvery moon hung brightly in the foreign sky, occasionally eclipsed by a rapidly moving cloud. She wondered if a storm was on its way. The air above was turbulent and churning while the air below was still and calm; a gentle breeze kissing her cheeks every now and then.

Despite the darkness and solitude, Sabine didn't feel alone. She could feel every life that inhabited the camp, Ahsoka's glowing brighter than the rest due to her attunement with the Force. It was such a strange feeling. While she welcomed the change, a very small part of her found it uncomfortable and strange, but she knew that discomfort would fade with training and practice. 

A smirk formed on her lips when she remembered what the dark apprentice, Shin, her name might've been, had told her: you have no power.

Well, now she did have power. She just didn't know how to control it as well as she'd hoped. Then again, it had still been less than a day since discovering how to access it, so who could blame her? 

She sighed when her thoughts turned to the young woman whose blade had pierced her side and destroyed her right kidney, and her hand reached to rub at the scar. She wondered what Shin was doing; if she'd been able to leave with Thrawn and the rest. If she hadn't made it back to the star destroyer, she would possibly be a threat Sabine and Ahsoka would need to look out for.

Then again, during their last encounter, there was something so broken and lost about her; sentiments so different from the other times they'd dueled. Despite not having discovered how to access the Force in full, Sabine could still pick up on the young woman's emotions, and they felt of pain, anger, and an intense loneliness that hadn't been there before; abandonment.

Sabine couldn't help but wonder what became of her. If Ahsoka had given her the chance, she would have chased Shin down so they could talk. She recognized the shift within the dark apprentice that had altered her outlook and disposition at least for the moment, and Sabine knew she would use that as leverage.

What she would say exactly, she had no idea. She didn't know who Shin was or what she was capable of, and yet something pulled at her chest when they were near each other. Something wanted them to be close and that inkling had been the source of her encouragement to follow after the young woman. She didn't know if Shin felt it too or if it was just a figment of delusion brought about by the lack of sleep she'd gained in the last several days. Either way, thoughts of the fair-haired mercenary seemed to burrow themselves deep into her mind.

Sabine paused in her wandering to look up at the moon, a cloud passing out from under it to once again brighten the terrain enough to allow shadows to dance in the liquid pewter hue that blanketed the world around her. The patches of foreign constellations glittered above and she frowned at the growing tightness in her chest that pushed her to reach out with her newfound ability to use the Force.

Unsure of what she was doing, Sabine allowed herself to indulge in what she thought could be the Force's guidance, trusting it just as Ahsoka had told her to. She quickly moved from her circuit around the camp's perimeter, a sudden itch in her limbs carrying her further from safety as she approached a massive boulder several hundred feet away.

That's when she felt it: a very careful tendril of… something that reached for her. It appeared in her mind's eye like threads of shimmering diaphanous silk, and the moment she went to reach for them, they vanished. Confused, Sabine turned to look back towards the direction of their camp, and relaxed when she realized she could still feel Ahsoka's life-signature glowing brightly in its midst despite the distance between them. The tug in her chest remained and she reached up to rub at it again, her palm pressing flat to the cloth of her gray flight suit, armor long since discarded in hopes of being able to sleep.

With a sigh, she glanced around for a place to sit, and settled upon a rather large stone that jutted from the ground like something trying to break free of its bindings. Clambering up its gently sloped sides, Sabine made herself comfortable where the angle of the rock began to plateau, folding her legs in a posture of meditation. The tightness seemed to wane and she used the opportunity to breathe deeply, doing her best to mimic the tactics she'd seen Ahsoka use, hoping they would help her find… balance? Inner peace? Calmness?

If she was honest with herself, Sabine didn't know what the goal of her mediation should be. Everyone was different and everyone had different ways of connecting to the Force, therefore making meditation different for everyone… right?

She winced when the coil of tension built in her chest again, and she took it as a sign to focus and follow the path it was trying to show her. Closing her eyes, she worked to calm her breathing enough to find the patience to uncoil the knot that seemed to be living within her. She reached for the bands of power that tickled her fingertips and got to work.

The thin, glimmering threads soon reappeared as a mental image, this time with more substance as they shifted between a pale silvery blue to a rich gold and back. The feeling of looking in from the outside was strange and it let Sabine know that seeing the threads themselves were not of her own making, but rather a projection of something more. As they developed and solidified further, she reached for them again, this time with more patience and a much gentler hand than before, now knowing how fragile they were to touch. 

Hands tightening around her kneecaps, Sabine focused on controlling every bit of the situation without becoming too inflexible, and the moment she reached for those glistening threads again, they vanished…

Almost.

Out of the many that had danced in her mind, only one remained, and it was wrapped around her fingers, coiling itself tighter as though cementing itself as a part of her being. It stung slightly, the twisting patterns it made around her hand noticeable as it pressed into her skin. She tried to pull away from it, but the thread only clung on with more conviction. Soon it had crawled up her wrist and arm, reaching for her shoulder and neck. In the darkened distance within her mind, the thread reached on and on, seemingly possessing an endless supply of material to encase her with. Panic soon enveloped her and she struggled against it, doing all she could to get it off, but to no avail. 

"Ahsoka!" She cried in desperation as she tried to rip the coils of silver from her arms, squirming in place as she worked. "Ahsoka, please!" 

Sabine felt her legs move, and suddenly she was weightless, the shimmering thread following her as she fell from the edge of the stone she had been sitting on. Her body instinctually braced for the impact, but her mind was caught between worlds and she didn't feel it when her limbs flattened against the rocky ground below. Her vision cleared and before she knew it, she was gazing up at the night sky once again.

________

Hey! I've got this up on AO3 (same username), but I wanted to post it here too. This'll be a multi-chapter work and more is coming soon!!!