#star stealing prince

[kah-hoa]

What Jrpg games do you recommend checking out?

A game with great storytelling! I love it so much!

I consider to this day purchasing the sequel book of this game the best purchase ever! I love re-reading it!

Another good one I would recommend would be "END ROLL" for the same reasons.

(I love games that lean more on the story part haha)

[alanahikarichan]

THERE THEY AREEEEEEEEE WOOOOO YEAH I LOVE THEM I LOVE THEM I LOVE THEM

SNOWE AND XIRI MY BELOVEDS <3333

I was commissioned to draw my own characters which was a nice treat. Have Snowe and Xiri from Star Stealing Prince/Ephemeral Prince after I don't even know how many years that I drew them together last.

[heartorbit]

can i get a magical girl set please

[its-leethee]

[cat166]

I have so many questions about the ambler. Why is it so tall? What in evolution could possibly make a creature that large on land? What does it eat? If giraffes evolved the way they did to eat trees then what did amblers evolve for?? The fricking stars???

[wutheringmights]

please please please explain how the bullshit military death cult in Fourth Wing is unsustainable. I need more Iron Flame slander in my life lol

I may have chosen the wrong phrasing last night. It’s less about the sustainability of the magical dragon country’s military college, and more about how much Yarros’s tendency to use specific numbers riles me up. Very specifically, a graphic at the beginning of Iron Flame. 

(Note: I only got a little bit over 200 pages into Iron Flame before I had to return it to the library; if there is an universe rebuttal to any of this, I may not have reached it yet; I also do not have the book in front of my to double check specific numbers, but luckily Yarros’s Specific Numbers have rustled my jimmies so much that I have been spamming my group chats about them so I inevitably wrote them all down.)

The graphic in question is this:

It illustrates the structure of the titular Fourth Wing. As you can see, it is made out of 3 sections that are then divided into 3 squads. You will notice two important notes on this graphic:

Each squad contains 15-20 people

Each of the four wings that make up the dragon rider cadets in the military academy has the same layout

With this information, I should be able to more or less calculate the number of dragon riders attending the military academy. 

In theory, the fourth wing has 8 people in leadership positions, and 136 to 180 squad members. That’s a total of 144 to 188 people in the fourth wing. 

If the fourth wing is identical to the other three wings, that means that there are anywhere from 576 to 752 dragon rider cadets across three grade levels. That’s already a pretty small number, but this is an exclusive military program. It’s not an unreasonable.

Except it’s actually impossible for there to be 576 to 752 dragon rider cadets. Why do I know that? Because Yarros already gave us a Specific Number.

Let’s rewind. In Fourth Wing, it’s established that you cannot advance beyond your first year unless you bond with a dragon. If you do not bond with a dragon, you repeat the year until you either bond or die trying. There are also only a select few dragons who are willing to bond each year. 

Yarros, of course, told us specifically how many dragons were willing to bond not only for that current freshman class, but for the two years previous:

1st year: 100 dragons*

2nd year: 137 dragons

3rd year: 163 dragons

(*actually, it was 101 but two dragons, in a super special unprecedented move, bonded with the same person; I’m trying to count the cadets, not the dragons so this really does not matter)

That means that there are around 400 dragon rider cadets, which is way less than what the info graphic implied. You can argue that the missing 176 cadets are those who did not bond with any dragons, but I highly doubt they would make much of a difference. Why? Because dragon rider cadets keep dying. 

I kept track of how many people were dying in Fourth Wing. By the end of that book, there were less than 80 bonded cadets still alive. Yarros then contradicted herself in Iron Flame by stating that there were 89 cadets in the second year. This isn’t because a bunch of cadets suddenly bonded with dragons and advanced a year; that only happens in a one a year ceremony. Yarros is just bad with numbers, which shows how silly I am for going to this much trouble trying to prove her wrong.

All that’s to say that I’ll split the difference and say that 85 cadets were still alive at the end of the first year. That means that there is a 15% death rate between bonding with a dragon and getting to the end of the first year. 

That means that by the time each class ended their first year, this about how many dragon rider cadets there should be:

1st year 85 cadets

2nd year: 117 cadets

3rd year: 139 cadets

That’s 341 people across all four wings. That means each wing has about 85 people. 

But wait! People die beyond their first year. There’s an ever decreasing number of cadets each year. If we assume that 15% death rate is consistent each year, that means that by graduation day, each year has: 

1st year: 85 cadets

2nd year: 100 cadets

3rd year: 102 cadets

That’s 287 cadets across all four wings, or 71 people a wing. I need not remind you how that is far below our predicted 144 to 188 per a wing. 

And I haven’t even mentioned that not every dragon available to bond even bonds. So those starting numbers are already the best case scenario where every possible dragon selects a cadet. Our actual class numbers are probably 10 to 20 people smaller, and that’s before the numerous deaths. 

When I started Fourth Wing, I inferred that the incoming freshman class started with about 700 people. (Each of the freshman dorm floors hold 156 people; there are at least three but it makes more sense for there to be a floor for each wing. Sixty-seven freshman died on the parapets. That’s a total of 691 freshmen, which I rounded up to 700.) 

Xaden (terrible name) has a speech where he claims that 1/2 of the incoming class will die by the end of the first year, 1/3 by the second, and 1/3 by the third. He’s probably just trying to scare the newbies, but let’s take him at his word anyway. 

According to his estimation, by the time the freshman class graduation, 172 people should still be alive. That’s a 21% survival rate, according to Xaden. That is somehow less severe than what is actually happening in the books.

There's never a point in time in the story where we acknowledge that the class sizes are this small. Everyone is dying, and there always seems to be more nameless faces than not. Yet, as all evidence suggests, there's not even enough people in the entire dragon rider curriculum to fill up a movie theater.

Ultimately, the numbers don’t really matter. What matters is that this fantasy military system is wildly inefficient. I understand on a trope-level why it has to be deadly. New Adult, the gangly older sister of YA, loves a good deadly game of wits and wile. Yarros was commissioned to write a romantasy story, and by god she was going to write the most marketable one possible. But you would also assume that Rebecca “second generation army brat who loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to her for over twenty years” would have a better understanding of how the military works. 

On the most basic of levels, you win a war by having the most people still alive at the end. Everyone knows this. It’s not that hard. It’s in the best interest of the brass to keep your soldiers alive. When that best interest gets screwed over, it’s usually because of economic issues (like being able to afford the supplies needed to keep your troops alive), or prejudice (soldiers from persecuted demographics being less worthy of better food/ammo/missions, under qualified officials earning their jobs via privilege, etc.). 

That is in itself another gross simplification. My point is that there’s no good reason why you would kill your own troops before they can even reach the battlefield. That’s a waste of resources! I don’t care if the dragons demand a blood sacrifice, or whatever. A practical military leadership would find some way to reroute failed rider cadets to a different career track before they needlessly died in training. The training can be as dangerous as you want, but for world building sake, be practical about how wars work. At least acknowledge that the military’s favorite canon fodder aren’t soldiers, but foreign civilians. 

Believe it or not, but I actually don’t really care that the worldbuilding is nonsense. Can I write a needlessly long essay about how the numbers don’t add up? Sure, but who cares? It’s just bad in a normal way. I’m more than happy to let other people harp on it. 

What is interesting is the way that Yarros views the morality of the military. It’s one thing for something to be pro-military. It’s another when your book’s thesis comes down to “it’s morally wrong for the big, powerful, totally not American, country  to not provide military intervention to smaller, poorer foreign countries that are being viciously attacked by a seemingly unbeatable, dehumanized enemy.” Yarros doesn’t even try to cover it up; Xaden makes a giant, righteous speech about how they have a moral duty to protect citizens, to actually quote the book, “beyond our borders.”

As I said when I first read this: what the fuck? 

Rebecca “second generation army brat who loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years” Yarros claims she is writing a series about the dangers of censorship. See how callous we are for letting other people die, and then covering it up? Yet, she mindlessly reproduces that idealized justification we’ve been fed for decades. Yarros, it’s never about helping civilians. I know you’re a biased army wife, but you know about the oil and the military industrial complex. You know America is not the good guy. 

Moreso, the in-book movement to wage a war “beyond our borders” is labeled as a rebellion. According to this series, it’s counterculture to want military intervention overseas. Yes, Yarros is writing the world’s most marketable book. In a post Hunger Games society, there must be a little rebellion sprinkled in there. But to frame the desire to fight a war as any form of counterculture is downright insidious. 

Fourth Wing is a book that looks you in the eye and tells you that the government is lying to you-- the war beyond our borders is necessary, that if we do not send the army to fight our inhuman enemies, they will hurt not only our poorer, less fortunate allies but also our homeland. War is a morale imperative.

I haven’t finished Iron Flame yet. Perhaps this rant is premature. Maybe the series turns itself around. But as one can imagine, I don’t trust Rebecca “second generation army brat who loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years” Yarros to have thought it through all the way. Just a gut feeling. Who can say? If I am wrong, I would be more than happy to eat my words, though. I would love to be wrong. 

Me being wrong means that the most compelling reasons why Fourth Wing is bad really is the bad worldbuilding, prose, romance, characters, action, lore, smut, dialogue, editing, and everything else. There’s already a hundred big brained book reviewers who are making a video essay career off of telling you that in five hours or less. I respect the hustle. Personally, I never want to hear about this series again unless it’s about how Yarros built her blockbuster book series on conservative ideals of militarism and foreign policy, and then had the audacity to tell you that’s what it means to be a rebel. 

[somerandomjewelleryonthefloor]

Through the Solace-Bolas-Verse .ೃ࿐

Chapter 5: Darker world

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. · ───

Summary: "The bolas party find themselves in a realm they all love and hate this time, and seeing a possibility they never wanted to think could be true."

Characters: Solace (+ other versions), Nia, Mal, Tyril, Imtura, Aerin, Valax (+ other versions mentioned), Mavros (OC), Chimera (OC- mentioned).

Word count: 3501 lol

Warning?: This chapter was a little rushed, I'll admit that. I'm getting back in the groove of school so I did rush to get this out of the way lol, sorry

Extra notes: this is a SILLY and GOOFT series. If you come into this thinking professional writing, it may disappoint.

Tags: @lover-also-fighter-also @cadybear420 @choicesmc

────────────────────────

Whatever they were hoping to see after leaving the portal they came from, it wasn't at ALL where they landed.

Its bright light fizzled out, it revealed the darkness of where they landed.

As they landed on the ground, one look was all they needed.

"The Shadow Realm?" Valax looked around, having not been here ever since she merged the 2 realms together after the battle of Morella, "Is... Solace here? Why would he be... Here?"

Looking up, it was as dark and creepy as ever. The sky was a thundering mess of lightning strikes that were as loud as 5 cannons going off at once. In the distance, they could see the castle. Black stone and small streams of lava poured from the top of its middle turret, a lone stone pathway of rock at the mercy of the lava that filled the gaps on its sides, and the smell of burning was as prominent as ever.

The fortress was foreboding as whatever was in there would shock or destroy (or do both) to the party.

"How lovely... Death." Looking around, Aerin didn't exactly find anything new. It was the Shadow Realm, as simple as that.

As a lightning strike hit in the distance, sending debris flying, everyone looked at eachother. Unease and annoyance being the most prominent thing they could see eachother feel, because no one wanted to be in the Shadow Realm again. At least not with all the monsters that existed and lurked.

"I bet 2 coins, for Solace being in the fortress." Mal said, "I just hope it isn't because he's being... Hurt..."

The light he brought to the group for a second faded quickly.

"Well, because the Voice told he they were going to help out whenever they could, we're conveniently placed where Solace is. So I'd say... It's a high possibility..." Tyril said, the wheel in his mind still turning as he thought.

"I really don't wanna fight more people from the Shadow Court... But if we have to-" she quickly pulled her double axes from her belt, holding them firmly.

Looking at eachother in silent agreement, they all grabbed out their weapon of choice, before Valax lead the party. Shadow magic was moving around like it had a life of its own, just itching to be used as it fills her palms. Looking around, there weren't any dangers they could see which was... Unnerving.

Getting closer to the fortress, the most bizarre part was that there wasn't any guards out on duty. No one to be seen near the door, and it was eerily quiet besides the magma bubbling and popping.

They were all hidden behind a large rock, discussing.

"So we all believe this is a trap, right?" Mal asked everyone, his head tilted in the direction of the fortress.

"I do" Tyril held his sword as he sharpened it.

"Yes... But also... This is another universe. Maybe, just maybe, the Shadow Court are dumbasses here." Imtura suggested, seeming somewhat confident.

"As much as I want to believe in that- I feel that's wishful thinking." Nia responded to that, uncertainty in her voice.

"Well yes, but we shouldn't expect too much or too little, we're in an entirely different dimension" Aerin added, hugging his book to his chest.

"Well, regardless, we're staying on high alert." Valax insisted, which everyone agreed with.

After their 'discussion', they all peeked from behind the large rock, looking at the fortress again. Looking at it more closely, all they could see was pitch black beyond the wide open door. Mal's idea of it being a trap grew more believers.

Hesitantly making their way over, the grips on all their weapons grew tighter as they were now standing in front of the open door. They couldn't see anything, just darkness. It was inviting them to come in, in the most aggressive way possible.

Taking a moment to listen, there were no sounds, besides magma and a lone breeze of wind that echoed as it entered inside.

"..."

They all got close together, like a small compact group of flamingos. Following as Valax walked inside.

With how it was, Imtura, Tyril, and Nia were at the back, whilst Aerin and Mal were with Valax at the front.

Walking together, immediately after walking inside- the doors that they went through closed abruptly.

"I WAS RIGHT!" Mal yelled, before Aerin put one of his hands over Mal's mouth.

"Shh!" He shushed him.

Seeing as they were stuck in pitch black, Valax clicked her finger and a flame of blue appeared on her hand. Lighting up the walkway in front of them. Tyril enchanted his blade, orange flames dripping from the sword as he used it to light up the area behind them.

Moving together, they all were almost tripping eachother with how close they were together.

Whilst walking, there was a small gasp in the darkness, as the feeling of being watched grew strong. In front of them, a pair of blue glowing pupils could be seen.

"Oh... My Sol is going to have SO much fun, seeing you!"

That was the last thing they remember before they all woke up, laying on the floor of the treasure room. Many events happened in this room, and apparently more would keep happening.

As they all got up, there was small clapping.

Looking up, they saw a man. Dressed in a pure black leather cropped top that covered his shoulder and showed his chest with matching black leather pants that had hip-windows, and with horns that shot up out of his head and curved in a outwards spiral, and skin that was a dark red that was spotted with peach scales on the sides of his face, with white hair in a mix of dreads and mini-braids. 2 large tusks and 2 large fangs protruded out of his mouth, and he looked amused at them.

He continued clapping.

"They're awake! Finally! Was getting worried we actually killed you! That would've been boring..."

His voice sounded dark. It was deep and raspy, and he let out a snicker.

"And who in the sunken hells are you." Imtura looked up at him, propping herself up with her hands.

"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. sorry, where are my manners-" he did a dramatic bow before standing up tall and laughing again, "as if! You aren't knowing SHIT about me!"

"That's quite enough, baby..."

As the sound of a person's voice filled the room, the tiefling smiled uncontrollably. The voice was distorted, it sounded like whispering and screaming at the same time and it was both deep and high pitch. A figure surrounded by shadow appeared behind the tiefling, hands wrapping around his neck as a pair of blue and red eyes stared at the party on the floor.

Their gaze swept over them, before specifically resting on Aerin. The mysterious person looked shocked, eyes widened a little as their distorted voice held a hint of surprise and gentleness...

"Aerin?" As the figure's form came into existence behind the tiefling, they stepped into the light that emitted from the small crack in the ceiling.

"Aerin... You..." The man shook his head, sighing.

The man was Solace, but it certainly wasn't the Solace they knew.

His hair, instead of the colour of snow, was jet black. His skin was covered in black veins, his black skin held a lime undertone instead of a shimmering purple-blue, his diamond shaped vitiligo patches on his face and arms and legs and ears were a pure black– darker than shadow itself, with pale blue sharp 6 inch nails and his golden markings now a brilliant ruby shine.

His hair was out, leaving a long trail behind him as a big stand covered the middle of his face while a long thick stand of hair went down the right side of his body and covering his right pec, His feet were covered in teal wedges with ribbon that were tied around his calves and tied in bows on the side of his legs, and his face was tired but his eyes held no pain nor worry. Only a constant sadness, though for now he was calm.

Wearing a dark turquoise dress, which was a long piece of fabric that wrapped around his left shoulder and wrapped around below his left hip and was tied on the right side of his body. It showed off his body more than any other outfit ever did, and he seemed so comfortable. Whilst it did show off a matching dark turquoise undergarment, he didn't seem bothered. He couldn't be bothered.

Shadows came off of his body, like the flames on Tyril's blade, and he simply looked over them.

"With what you said, I wasn't sure you'd... Return... No less with a party and not a follower anymore, but whatever" as he said that, hints of white in his hair showed before being covered with shadow. His eyes looked at Aerin in pure affection before he looked away.

His voice was smooth despite the distortion, and he walked back to the tiefling who stood there. Watching him with absolute pure adoration, almost the same as people devoted to their partners looked at their beloved.

As Solace leaned on him, the tiefling wrapped his arms around Solace's waist and hid his face within Solace's hair.

It was... Something.

Solace as a follower of the shadow court. The fact they were seeing this now was insane. And the fact that in their eyes, he was still beautiful- almost even more so as he walked with a casualness, that him looking the way he did wasn't some big issue. That him looking so comfortable, looked incredibly sexy.

Tyril was the most affected, feeling severe conflict with his emotions.

This was Solace, his beloved, and he looked absolutely sublime with being comfortable in his skin. But he was influenced by the Shadow Court, the one thing he loathed with every fibre of his soul.

Aerin could only watch this Solace stunned.

A universe that favoured him, meant having Solace be in the shadow court? And with him? The look he was given didn't go unnoticed, and his face was as red as cherries.

Though he wouldn't lie to himself that seeing Solace's hair getting repeatedly kissed by some man he did not know and being held tightly, did cause his eye to twitch for a millisecond.

"Solace?" Nia looked at him over once, twice, her mind completely boggled.

"That's my name... Yes...?" For being a shadow court follower, he was pretty calm and collected at the moment.

"Why are you so... Calm?" She asked, standing up with everyone else.

The question caught him off guard, and he went silent for a moment. His boyfriend looked up from Solace's hair, his gaze going down towards him as he moved a hand up to push some of Solace's hair behind his ear gently.

Hands clasped together, he shrugged.

"We lost the battle of Morella, and by that time I found myself losing interest in all..."

He let a small burst of shadow engulf his hand as he held it out.

"This..." He then closed his hand, "But I still like it, Keeps me powerful"

Solace just looked at the ground as his boyfriend kissed his cheek.

No one really knew what to do. There wasn't cause for a fight, but they were in enemy territory. It was Solace, but not their Solace. He was as beautiful as ever, but covered in shadow.

"Mavros, have you heard of where Chimera is?"

"Said she'd practice her fighting skills..." Mavros then kissed Solace's cheek again, before hugging him tighter, "does it matter though? We have these idiots to deal with..."

"Idiots? I'll show you an idiot-" Valax was cut off as her mouth was sealed shut with shadow magic.

"Stop riling them up..." Solace looked at them even closer, "they're not... Supposed to be here... Their energy isn't of this world..."

After a moment, Solace lifted the shadow magic off of Valax's mouth. Breaking apart from Mavros and walking across the room, finding himself grabbing a book from a broken shelf that held books full of dust and grime.

Blowing the dust off and patting it down, Solace opened the book and flipped the pages before landing on one.

"Like Samuel Sherrington theorised. "Each universe is packed with an energy of some kind, and anything that disrupts or deviates from the energy of the world whether magical or natural does not belong", he talks about experiencing this once with an animal that felt like it didn't belong despite looking like it did..."

Solace looked at the party again as he closed this mysterious book.

"Which is them..." He then put the book back away.

────────────

Whilst there was no fighting, the tension was still there.

Solace and Mavros were sitting on the floor in the far right of the room, Mavros holding Solace in his arms, looking towards everyone else who sat down on the far left of the room.

It was silent as no one knew what to say, no one knew if they wanted to talk at all even. The silence was much more acceptable then talking to a shadow-influenced Solace.

He was calm, and he was peaceful at this time. But it was still hard.

Aerin simply looked at him, being held tightly in Mavros' arms as he kissed Solace's head. Sitting in his lap, red hands holding onto his hip and head as he rested on the tiefling's body. Seeing him so comfortable in someone else's arms, completely vulnerable, made him feel a bit empty.

Whilst he shared some kisses with Solace, and they shared a tent a few times to sleep next to eachother, they weren't completely at that level of pure vulnerability.

He knew Solace was like that with the others, and that was fine. He did betray his trust last year and he also did run away again. It was understandable that it'd take longer to reach that. He knew they'd cuddle with him and bathe in the same lake together, but the difference was that he never had to see it.

Seeing it in person, it made him feel a small hole in his heart that was lightly bleeding. How nice it'd be, to have Solace lean on him and melt into him and sleep in his arms, souls bared to eachother as they held eachother in private. It was a pleasant fantasy he hoped would happen soon. "Hoped" being a key word here.

Watching them as he sat with his knees to his chest, he saw a small gap in the shadow that covered Solace's body. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared, but it showed a glimpse of his white hair before he got turned. The shadow wasn't actively leaving his body but it definitely wasn't supposed to do that, unless the hold of the shadow was loosening its grip on him.

Getting his face kissed now, Aerin could see the gentle smile creep onto Solace's lips, and it honestly made him want to curl up in a ball and get swallowed by the earth. He just wanted to find their Solace so he could hug him again.

Back turned to everyone, Imtura was using one of Mal's spare knives to sharpen her axes. Holding one up, she grinded the blade with one side of her axe and moved fit up and down fairly swiftly.

She was doing this so she didn't have to look at Solace, which was fair. Mostly everyone didn't want to look at him, regardless of how peaceful he was.

Nia was sitting with her calves underneath her thighs, looking at the pearl she got from Solace way-back-when. It pulsed a shimmering purple-blue in her hands, like it was actively working against any evil. Touching it in her hands, she looked up to look at everyone else.

Sitting against a wall, Mal was in course proximity to Imtura, watching her as she sharpened her weapon. Mostly looking at his blade though as it was being used, he was holding a dagger in his hand and was checking it.

Tyril was nearby, the only one who was simply crouching. He was looking at a blemish on his sword as he bided his time like everyone else. He made an effort to not look in the direction of Shadow-Solace, as he run a hand on his blade slowly.

Aerin was the closest by the door, knees to his chest as he looked at nothingness. Thinking. His arms holding onto eachother around his legs, closing his eyes.

Valax was observing the marbles she had gotten, looking at them closely and observing the details they all had. She was sat the closest to Nia, resting an arm on one propped up knee and holding a marble as one arm was keeping her upright behind her as it pushed against the stone floor.

Nia looked back at Solace, seeing him being cuddly with that Mavros man. She kind of smiled. Whilst this was a weird circumstance, seeing him be shadow-influenced, but the fact that he still had someone or people to love and look after going down such a dark path made her feel a type of way. Calm, and happy for him.

────────────

As an hour went by, 2 hours maybe, it was long before another portal opened up.

It was a small window of bright white that you couldn't peer into, and Tyril almost immediately got up from where he was sitting. Being the first person to leave.

"Tyril, you're just gonna- okay." Mal got up after him, sighing as he went towards the portal to follow Tyril quickly, in case the other side had something dangerous.

Imtura put her now sharpened axe back in its holder that hung in front of her in her belt. Holding onto the spare knife, she did a small glance at Solace behind her.

He was still relaxing in that man's arms when she looked, and she looked away quickly. Going towards the portal as she wanted to get TF out of here like Tyril.

Putting the marbles back, Valax looked towards Nia who put her enchanted pearl away. Standing up together, she extended a hand to hold hers as they made their way to the portal.

As they did, Nia looked back at Solace and did a gentle wave goodbye to him which he reciprocated before they went through the portal.

All that was left was Aerin, who couldn't move immediately. Alone, still sitting, still thinking. Staying there with his knees to his chest, eyes closed. He could hear as everyone left, but he didn't feel the urgency yet.

As he stayed there, thinking for a second longer, he felt a presence next to him.

From moving from shadow to tangible, Solace appeared next to him. Sitting down, and watching him as he ignored the world.

"Your friends are gone... What's so important to think about that you left them?" He asked softly, his distorted voice sounding more like an echo of a choir now that Aerin was able to listen carefully.

"Just... About my relationship mostly." Aerin admitted, opening his eyes and looking at the ground.

"Hm..." Looking at how stiff he looked, Solace extended an arm, "would you mind if I... Indulged in a hug? It's just been a long time since I've seen my Aerin, and you look..."

Solace then shrugged.

"Really? You want to hug me?"

"Yes... May I?"

A small blush appeared on his face as he nodded. 2 long arms wrapped around him as Solace rested his chin on top of Aerin's head.

Aerin could feel the cold that came from the shadowy mist that covered Solace's skin, and the smell of rainwater gave him comfort from what Solace always smelt like as he always remembered that Solace liked to feel the rain in his hair and skin.

Solace's hand went under Aerin's chin, and gently moved his head to look at him.

Leaning back to look him in the eyes, he then moved his hand and ran it through Aerin's hair.

"You should probably go... Life doesn't wait for those not wanting to continue on..." Solace then held Aerin's face.

"Right..." Aerin was more caught up in Solace's eyes. He was used to seeing gold and purple, and he missed it greatly, but the red and blue were as beautiful.

Solace leaned forward and gave his forehead a kiss, which made him burn up immediately.

"C'mon, you don't want to keep everyone waiting..." Solace then helped him up and watched as he watched away.

Aerin walked backwards into the portal, looking at Solace for as long as possible. Touching the spot where his forehead kiss was, his skin was blazing a deep red once again.

Disappearing into the portal, he saw that universe of Solace wave goodbye and gently blow a kiss for him before his vision filled with white.

...

────────────────────────

[part 1]

[pyromaniac4198]

Obi-wan kenobi, fallin through the force finding a scarred teenling who was abandoned to war too soon almost being murdered by another teenling abandoned to war too soon: hello child, do you need a mentor in the ways of the force? Or, alternatively, assistance finding a mentor you do have?

Azula (and maul): KENOBIIIII

[thestarswillguide]

His hair looks so soft I just wanna pet and rub my face against it omg agbjkcividhg-

[therubberducklad]

Old habits die hard

[magicfaealaric]

Alaric didnt ever grow up with much... in fact he lived on the streets since he was a child and would stay in little abadoned buildings he saw. He tried to never steal instead would try and work only most places were afraid to hire him, not with the rumours of who his parents had been or at least his mother. "into dark magic so she was, a sorcerer" said another. "Can you believe her husband almost worked in the castle kitchen...? I heard their spawn even used to play wiht the prince.. disgraceful." They would say. There was one small llittle place barely staying open itsself that would give him anything left over. In return he would help with repairs. Alarics father wasnt father of the year up and leaving when he didnt want to sahre his wifes attention but he did teach him some things. His little shed had a whole in the roof but he didnt mind, Alaric loved watching the stars and when he had more energy painting them.

A loud eruption in the streets and suddenly a banging at his door sent him suddenly falling out of bed and rushing towards the opposite wall just to get a glance out of the window. Heart pounding he clutched his chest and stiffened before starting to barricade the door with anything he could find, iced objects suddenly flew across the room his hands quivering. "BY ORDER OF THE KING OPEN UP IMMEIDIATLEY. the king?? What did the king want with..

"BY ORDER OF-" enough of this" Anorther said and kicked the door down. Alaric fell back against the wall. "Grab him.. hes to be taken straight to the king.. this is the one... he owes the kingdom a great deal.. thinking they could rob the kingdom.. marry off to nobles.. pathtic. He'll do well as a servant." Alaric didnt understand a word of what they meant and yelped as he was grabbed. "Restrain him.. we dont want him possibly trying to escape or hurt our prince."

The queen knocked gently on Ferre's door. " I do hope you are up by now.. its nearly 9." She chided. "Its a beautiful day come down darling." @combeferre-the-mothman

[solxamber]

Leona, romantic, and “September” by James Arthur. Idk, I just always strongly associated this song with him.

"I'm gonna love you for the rest of my life" || Leona Kingscholar

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭

𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐠: September by James Arthur

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 580

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐬: Fluff, Established Relationship

Leona remembers seeing you around back when you were both young. At first, he didn't think much of you—just another face in the sea of students, another voice in the endless chatter that he had no interest in.

But the more he saw you, the more you lingered in his mind, the more he felt like he had to talk to you.

Not that he'd ever admit it out loud.

So he does what any self-respecting, prideful man would do—he bribes Ruggie to drag you to the botanical gardens under some flimsy excuse, and just so happens to be there himself.

"What a coincidence," he drawls, feigning disinterest, stretching out on the grass like he owns the place. But when you plop down next to him, start talking about something mundane yet completely captivating, he knows.

It’s instant. The way he falls. The way you slip into his life so effortlessly, laughing at his sarcasm, stealing his fries, treating him like he’s just Leona and not the second prince of some far-off kingdom.

Even when he scoffs, even when he refuses to admit it at first, you are his friend. You are his.

And then, one day, you’re both sprawled across his bed in a way that feels so natural, as if you belong there. He’s half on top of you, lazy and heavy with the weight of an afternoon nap, and you’re giggling at something on your phone. The sound is warm, golden, wrapping around his heart like the sun after a storm. It’s infuriating.

He can’t let this go on. He can’t let another day pass without making you his.

So he grumbles out a question, as if he’s annoyed by his own need for you. “Go out with me.” His cheeks are flushed, his tail stiff and betraying him, and for a second, he almost takes it back—almost—but then you look at him like he hung the damn stars, and you say yes.

And when he kisses you for the first time, slow and deep and possessive, he thinks—maybe—he can finally look in the mirror and like who he is.

Every weekend, he waits for you. Waits for you to finish your errands, your work, your whatever so you can spend the whole day with him. Because he’s stronger with you, and weaker without you. You’re his soulmate, his lover, his home.

And when the weight of his title presses down on him, when the whispers of "never good enough" creep in, you’re there. Always. Holding him in the dark, chasing away his demons with nothing but a smile and the unshakable belief that he is yours.

Sometimes, he gets mad. He can’t help it. Sometimes, he snaps even at you. Sometimes, he’s too jaded, too bitter, too tired of the expectations forced onto him since birth.

But then you have the audacity to smile at him, that infuriatingly sweet smile, and he wants to drag you back to bed and keep you there until the world forgets both of you exist.

Until he can hear nothing but your laughter and the soft, whispered confessions you think he doesn’t catch when you think he’s asleep.

He’s going to love you for the rest of his life.

And as he lays beside you now, watching your peaceful expression as you sleep, his fingers ghost over the ring he keeps hidden in his bedside drawer.

He can’t wait to make you his family. And for you to make him yours.

Masterlist ; Valentine's Event

[tinydancerandthemoonchild]

Are you sure? Your face is very flushed. *still a bit worried, but absent-mindedly grabs fork and skewers some steak and pasta with it*

[He nods, gently cutting off a bit of his burger for her.]

Here, you wanted to try some.

[yaeggravate]

oh this man's doomed DOOMED

i'm like dropping hints i'm doomed by the narrative

[rivendell-poet]

*･༓˚✧ ❝𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 '𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮' (𝐋𝐨𝐭𝐑)❞ ‧͙⁺˚༓˚✧ « scenarios »

○ Aragorn ○ Legolas ○ Frodo ○ Sam ○ Merry ○ Pippin ○ Boromir ○ Faramir ○ Éowyn ○ Éomer ○ Bard ○ Thranduil ○ Lindir ○ Haldir ○ Elladan ○ Elrohir ○

GN!Reader | Wordcount : 2.9k (each individual around 180~ words) | Read on ao3

TWS : Power imbalance touched on in Thranduil's scenario

This work is not chronological to the scenarios/these take place at different times

« 1, 13, 14, masterlist »

𝐀𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐧

✧ Aragorn believes in elvish love, so from the moment he confesses he knows that he loves you.

✧ He sees how much he does in everything, from the few dates you can steal in Rivendell, to the smiles you exchange while walking with the Fellowship.

✧ But he’s not sure when to say it, as he knows just how much of a milestone it is. And how much he wants it to mean to you.

✧ Keeps trying to get it in a specific place, a specific time. But every time he just enjoys your company, and never ends up saying it.

✧ You notice his love, however. So obvious in how he’ll stare at you, offer to help with something or simply spend time with you.

✧ Eventually, it happens only a few days before the Fellowship is to leave Rivendell.

✧ The two of you are stargazing together, and he just about hears a yawn you fail to stifle.

✧ Laughing, he moves closer to you and wraps you in his cloak - the two of you cuddling together.

✧ As you rest your head on his chest, and he looks up at the stars, he thinks about how perfect this is.

✧ Gently, he bends his head to be near yours before whispering. “I love you.”

✧ Feeling you look up, he simply smiles when your gaze becomes more questioning.

✧ When you say ‘I love you too’ you can immediately see his grin, and he gently places a kiss on your forehead.

𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐬

✧ When an elf confesses, the idea that they love you - utterly and completely - is an undertone that’s carried with it. It’s Legolas’ unspoken promise to you, as soon as he’d asked if you would court him.

✧ But actually saying it to you is another matter.

✧ He’s not scared, he’s just… a little scared. And a little intimidated. Because he doesn’t want to mess anything up, and he wants what he will give you to be perfect.

✧ So Legolas actually takes a long time to say those words, although you know how he feels about you for a while.

✧ Legolas also confesses just before you leave Rivendell, although his is more planned out.

✧ He spends almost two days beforehand looking over all of Rivendell, in sunlight and moonlight, trying to figure out what place is perfect for you.

✧ What place is worthy of you.

✧ Eventually, he decides on a shaded pavilion surrounded by trees, one that reminds him of Mirkwood. Except here flowers grow all around, and he can focus on being romantic with you.

✧ When he invites you to join him you suspect something, although the sight of your prince surrounded by flowers is still breathtaking.

✧ Waiting until you join him, he tries to hide his nervousness by rubbing his finger over the flowers he’s holding for you.

✧ And then you’re right in front of him.

✧ “I love you.”

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐨

✧ Frodo first says he loves you when he confesses to you.

✧ (“(Y/n). I know we’ve been friends for a long time now, and I’m very grateful for that. But - I don’t just want to be your friend. I want to be more to you, I want you to be able to love me like I love you.”)

✧ But that doesn’t make his feelings any less genuine, his love for you any less sincere.

✧ When he says those words to you he means it just as much as anyone else, he’s just slightly more in tune with his emotions.

✧ Because he knows you well enough that, as much as he wants to make a grand romantic gesture out of these words, he simply wants to tell them to you more.

✧ (Besides, the sooner he says it for the first time the sooner he can say it again.)

𝐒𝐚𝐦

✧ He’s embarrassed about how he’s going to say it. Not because of you, of course - he knows he loves you wholeheartedly - but because he doesn’t want to mess anything up.

✧ So, to make sure he can properly confess to you, he practises.

✧ What he says changes slightly each time, there are too many good qualities to pick. And although some staples remain it often changes to encompass what the two of you had done together, like how beautifully you look when you smile, or how grateful he is that you’ll help him.

✧ When Sam finally has the perfect time to say what he wants, he realises he’s slightly at a loss for words.

✧ You can tell he wants to say something to you, the way his throat hitches and then he relaxes. Taking a deep breath.

✧ Noticing your eyes on him, Samwise decides that now is the time to speak.

✧ “I- I love you. More than I’ve ever done with anything, more than I do with the Shire, or the flowers out in the garden. Because, you’re the person who truly makes me happy. You’re the person who I can truly be myself with, you’re the person whose smile lights up my heart. The person who knows how to make me feel better, the one I can trust.”

✧ “And, for that. I really do love you.”

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲

✧ Although he’s overt with his affections, Merry doesn’t immediately say these words to you. He wants to earn them. To prove to you that he is a good boyfriend, and then he’ll be fully worthy of your love.

✧ At least, that’s how he sees it. (And somehow doesn’t see that he two of you are completely enamoured with each other.)

✧ It’s a little after your third date, when the two of you are sitting together and laughing, that he realises he needs to say it.

✧ He waits until the two of you have stopped, with only smiles gracing your faces. But he can’t wait longer than that.

✧ “I love you!”

✧ The admission rings in the otherwise silence, and then he sees you smile. And he realises that he is worthy of all of this.

✧ Merry eagerly leans into the hug, burying himself in your arms before whispering it again, this time with a grin on his face. “I love you.”

𝐏𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧

✧ You actually say it first, while the two of you are walking in Rivendell together. You’re on a more secluded path, and as Pippin asks about your day - and listens - you can tell he truly is absorbed.

✧ There’s passion in his eyes as he listens to you, nodding and asking the right questions, and you realise this is the time to say it.

✧ As an elf you knew you loved Pippin when he confessed to you, and that you would always love Pippin, but you were never sure when you would say it.

✧ As you stare at him, Pippin realises something’s happening and he turns to you with a quizzical look.

✧ “I love you.”

✧ It’s only three words, but Pippin lights up as though you have promised him the world.

✧ “Really?” The grin he gives is incredible, “I love you too!”

𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐫

✧ When Boromir confesses to you he’s says almost exactly that, just not using these words.

✧ For him there is something almost sacred about them, a bond more powerful than anything else.

✧ He is also worried about saying these words, and again it’s because he doesn’t want anything to go wrong. He wants to continue being worthy to you.

✧ So, when he confesses how much he loves you, he decides to do it properly. Asking you the day before if you’d meet with him, going to the market and hand picking flowers.

✧ Coming to where he is, you can recognise when he first sees you. Freezing slightly as he looks you up and down, almost as if he can’t believe you’re here, before smiling and welcoming you.

✧ At first it’s just talking. There’s romantic undertones, of course, and then he swallows and you realise he’s going to say something important.

✧ “I… I love you.” He says it proudly, “For all of you. I love you so much, my heart.”

𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐫

✧ Also afraid of confessing his true feelings to you. Although not just because he wants it to be perfect, which he does, but because of more self-worth issues.

✧ That his times with you are some of the best he has, and he doesn’t want any of that to change. He still wants to be able to laugh with you in Gondor, to kiss your hand goodbye and see the smile you give him in return.

✧ He isn’t sure why his mind thinks telling you that would put you off, but it’s a large enough part that he’s slightly hesitant.

✧ As the two of you walk along one of the top segments of Minas Tirith, he turns briefly to look at you. At how perfect this moment is.

✧ And he realises he needs to ask.

✧ “Can I tell you something?” His voice is soft, almost as if he wishes you not to hear it, but you pick it up and give him permission.

✧ Fully turning to you, he takes your hands in his. “I love you.”

✧ The way your eyes light up, and you immediately say it back, washes away the doubts he has.

✧ The kiss you lean into, light but reassuring, helps as well. Just another small gesture of how deeply the two of you feel for each other, and one he will never tire of.

𝐄𝐨𝐰𝐲𝐧

✧ (Éowyn’s eyes drift to the Paths, the rest of your company waiting, before she takes a deep breath. “Then we shall both swear not to fall in battle. We shall both fight to protect who we love.”)

✧ She is another who says how she feels in all but those exact words. And neither of you get a chance to say those words to each other until you’re in the Houses of Healing.

✧ As much as she wants to say it the second you’re awake, she shows some restrain. Waiting to make sure that you’re mostly ok.

✧ The conversation flows decently, but both of you know what she wants to say.

✧ And then the conversation stops.

✧ “I love you!” She blurts it out, and then instantly looks embarrassed. But your grin reassures her, and the red on her cheeks go from blush of embarrassment to a blush of love.

✧ As to not aggravate either of your wounds, she instead holds your hand as tightly as you will allow.

𝐄𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫

✧ Éomer can think of quite a few times when he’s wanted to say those moments to you (and, in all honesty, he could have said them from the moment he confessed.)

✧ But instead he tries to wait, waiting for the perfect time. And then, as he’s sitting at home and watching the fire die down, he realises that there will be no perfect time with you. Because every time is magical, in its own way.

✧ So he resolves to only until he sees you again.

✧ But, as the fire turns to embers, Éomer realises that will be too long of a wait.

✧ It’s almost eleven at night when you hear a knock on your door, and you open it to see him outside, looking up at you.

✧ As soon you open the door he hug you, burying himself in your arms. “I love you. And I should have told you earlier, but I love you.”

𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐝

✧ Bard wants to try and take things slow in the relationship, to fully appreciate each day (and even each moment) that he gets with you.

✧ That doesn’t mean he hasn’t thought about how he’d say those words to you, or potentially how they would sound falling from your lips, but it isn’t something he wants to rush.

✧ It’s something he wants to happen organically, as a product of your relationship rather than a given day.

✧ But still, when he finally confesses, it almost just slips out.

✧ You’re just saying goodbye to each other, and you turn back briefly before you leave, as if waiting for him to say one final remark.

✧ “I’ll see you later, love you.”

✧ The words slip out of his mouth before he can stop them, and he can feel himself blushing once he realises what he’s said - once he sees you frozen in space.

✧ “Did you…” You come slightly closer, “Did you actually just say that?”

✧ Looking into your eyes, he sees his own love reflected back at him. “Yes, I did. And I do.”

𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐢𝐥

✧ For all the elves, the act of saying ‘I love you’ is the largest commitment they will say, in their entire life.

✧ Those words will become like oaths, have them bind themselves to you for all of time, and that can never be taken lightly.

✧ The gift of love is the most meaningful of all, at least to them.

✧ But for Thranduil the weight of those words means even more. It also offers you a kingdom, a new family, and (most importantly to him) he does not want to pressure you.

✧ While sitting together, you can sometimes so clearly tell that he wants to say this to you. The elf will catch you, either over a book or glowing in the sunlight, and he just begins to speak before switching the conversation.

✧ And you catch on to why he hasn’t said that.

✧ Then, it happens again, as the two of you are talking over the fire together and he does that now familiar start of a conversation.

✧ Looking him in the eye, you place your hand over his, “Tell me.”

✧ “Are you sure?”

✧ “Completely.”

✧ “I love you.”

𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐫

✧ Despite being a minstrel, his words seem to fail him when he looks at you and tries to confess.

✧ He can write something down, yes. An epic poem or a song that details how he feels about you - but it's never quite enough. There is always something missing from it, something that does not show his love for you properly.

✧ Lindir recognises that it’s because it lacks spontaneity, he’s tried to polish and perfect it to be worthy of you but lost the raw emotion that gives it so much meaning.

✧ Which is why, after he puts down the pen for the third time that evening and thinks, he realises he should just tell you.

✧ There’s a quiet knock on your door, and when you open the door you see Lindir - blushing profusely.

✧ “I love you. I love you more than anything, enough to give up this immortal life, to give up the moon and stars. Because, for me, you are worth more than their light, than their radiance. Even a single smile from you is worth a thousand suns, because you are you. And I love you.”

𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐫

✧ Surprisingly, Haldir says those words to you when he confesses to you.

✧ He’s worried, for many reasons, and one of those is the weight that those words carry. That they may be too much, too soon.

✧ But he resolves to try, and that - on the eve of battle - it wouldn’t be wise to have regrets.

✧ (“I must say something, before this happens.” He reaches out, fingers gently touching your hand and breathing in when you fully embrace it. “You are the one my heart has chosen to fall in love with. Forever. And I apologise for the awkward timing, for not saying something sooner, but I need you to know now. That I love you.”)

𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐧

✧ As good with words as the twin is, the idea of putting all his love for you into three simple words is terrifying.

✧ And, frankly, he doesn’t think it sums up how he feels for you well enough. How can three words encompass all the happiness you give him? All the smiles he has gained because of you? The comfort he has gained because of you? The infinite ways his life has become better?

✧ Then the two of you are together, when you let out a small yawn and he pulls you close.

✧ Cuddling into his chest, you stare up at him for a second, “Thank you, Elladan.”

✧ “Of course.” He doesn’t mean to add the next words on, “I love you.”

✧ Elladan feels when you tense for a second beneath him, then the smile on your face as you look up and whisper, “I love you too.”

✧ Until now, Elladan didn’t understand what those words meant. But now he does, and how much they carry. How obvious it is, when you say those words for him, that you care.

𝐄𝐥𝐫𝐨𝐡𝐢𝐫

✧ Surprisingly, Elrohir struggles to say the words as well. Not because he doesn’t love you - he’s more sure about his feelings to you than he is most things in his life - but because he isn’t sure what you’ll say.

✧ There’s a degree of elven versus human courting fighting inside him. That, although he’s been clear with the fact he loves you (even jokingly asking you to marry him) that perhaps you thought it was just that, a joke.

✧ That he hasn’t done any of this the correct way, and what if you don’t feel the same way.

✧ You find it slightly odd that, with long days into your relationship, and no words past your lovers lip - that neither of you acknowledge it.

✧ But, although you can’t be sure, you think you start to recognise the problem.

✧ So it’s you who says it to him. “I love you.”

✧ “Really?” Instantly all his attention is on you, cheeks slightly flushed and eyes hanging onto your every word, “Do you really love me?”

✧ “Yes.”

✧ “Meleth nîn, you are my world.”

A/N : Casually drops this after disappearing for three weeks. Well, not disappearing, just not working on these. Sorry for the delay, life's been happening. But I hope you enjoy! Also, here's the remains of my original author's note : (the taglist issue still has not been fixed, so I welcome help!)

First of all, for some reason my taglist isn't working. It's just only tagging the first five people soo... I will try my hardest to fix that. Not sure what's going on with it. Also, the getting flowers was inspired by a drabble recently (can't remember name of author) but the thing that amused me was when they wrote about the flowers matching your eye-colour. Like, my eyes are brown. I'm sure it's supposed to be romantic, and it was very well written, but that just made me laugh.

« first scenario, previous scenario, masterlist » thank you for reading *･༓˚✧ Taglist : @howling-medic / @celestialhole / @starwars2222 / @xiaoseminence / @withasideofmeg / @ferns-fics /  @fleurdemiel-145 / @chewgazellechew / @nilintakan / @stormchaser819 / @raikan624 / @wordbunch / @killermarionette / @bespectacledhuman ✧ wish to be tagged?

[miraculan-draws]

I love putting Gale in blue and gold!! He looks amazing in it and I love separating him a little more from Mystra's colors. He also looks stunning in dark green and rich browns—its very flattering on his neutral but lightly tanned complexion. So does the peachy light orange color.

I love putting Astarion in muted colors and pastels!! I tend to leave his cloaks dark for Sneaky Vibes but he is, of course, The Pale Elf. He's our star. Putting him in sort of greige-y tones flatters his silvery dead undertone instead of washing it out. It looks very fairytale on him, like a fey prince.

I love putting Wyll in really RICH jewel tones!! Warmer reds, like a brick red or a deep orange make him look so COZY and REGAL at the same time!! I also like Wyll in black or dark brown, something that COULD be utilitarian/plain on anyone else, but on him it just looks sharp and tidy and purposeful and just totally steals the attention of the room.

And I think ALL THREE of these boys are absolute peacocks and they WILL discuss these qualities amongst themselves because I firmly believe they would be the ones taking a shopping trip because one must look their best for the apocalypse. They get mimosas and everything.