#tales from the daemon faerie | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

avani008 · 2 years ago

Text

Dear Yuletide Writer 2022!

Here are some things I think are rad: snark. friendships. sneaky twisty endings. stories with bite. characters with personalities. stories that make their writers happy. mythology. humor. stories that dig into and expand on the canon, whether that’s backstory or minor characters or worldbuilding. brown paper packages tied up with string.

Stuff I’m not so keen on: rape, incest, mentions of RL pandemics/quarantines or cancer? more into het and femslash than slash. no modern AUs for the fandoms I’ve selected this year, as I’m interested in the canon settings; AUs that preserve the canon setting (either canon divergence or trope-based [soulmate, daemons, fantasy elements in non-fantasy canons]) are not just fine but would be much adored!

Treat Policy: Yes, please!

Fandoms Requested: Ponniyin Selvan (2022), Regency Faerie Tales- Olivia Atwater, Spymaster series- Joanna Bourne

Ponniyin Selvan

Characters Requested: Kundavai, Nandini

Where to Find Source Material: currently playing in theaters, but supposedly coming to streaming (Prime?) in November 2022

I love so many characters in this movie (and the source material), but to exactly no one's surprise, I loved Kundavai and Nandini best. I'd really love to see anything more about one, or both, of them (writer, you do have explicit permission to only feature one character in your fic, if that is what works better); but also here are some prompts that may help!

A quick note, though: while I'm familiar with the novel, the movieverse seems very different--starting from the fact that everyone is aged up in this adaptation to bigger details (Kundavai is implied to be solely responsive for Nandini's adolescent banishment, Vanathi's...entire personality). I'm totally fine with incorporating elements of the novel, but a fic based only on what we see in the movie is fine, too!

Another quick note: for people familiar with the novel, certain revelations and fakeouts about Nandini's backstory skirt the no-incest DNW. If including it is necessary for your fic, that's fine; but I ask you don't center the fic around that particular tension.

For Kundavai:

Kundavai is my historical (and fictional!) favorite, and I loved how the movie showcases her political competence and general smarts--so tell me more about that! 5 times fic for Kundavai backstory? Love it. Kundavai having to solve a mystery and save the day? Amazing. Kundavai's political and moral development, taking into account her very real blinders about class/caste that we see? Please!

In terms of shipping, if you want to stick with canon verse: Kundavai and Vandiyadevan have pretty great chemistry, and I'd love to see something that explored their relationship further, since most of their novel scenes establishing their attraction got cut (though Karthi did a phenomenal job in quickly conveying that *this* crush/flirtation was serious). What actually did happen during the offscreen scene where Kundavai gives him her message for Arunmozhi?

For Nandini:

Nandini is unsurprisingly such a clever, mercurial, magnetic character-- one of my favorite scenes is the compression of 3 chapters in the book, where she faces down 3 different men confronting her, all into the space of 5 minutes; she handles each differently, easily swinging from amused indifference to indignant earnestness to furious authority. Also fascinating: her unapologetic "Yes, I have [grown accustomed to luxury]" to Ravidasan, her co-conspirator, her tangled feelings for Aditya (unlike book Nandini, who isn't nearly as venomous about him), but, more than anything the scene where Nandini is staring at the throne. Not only does she seem far more longing than we've seen her look at any man around her, but I adore the choice to have her picture her younger self (alone, rather than as royal consort) enthroned, rather than her present self: is this because her present self is no longer worthy of it? Who knows? Nandini could easilyfuel a thousand character studies by herself, and certainly all of those questions would be great to include.

Or: again, while Kundavai's protegees got cut, Nandini's handmaidens are very prominently around--and clearly involved in her scheming, both in terms of her husband's plans, but also the Pandya plot? Why? Are they also ex-Pandyas, or (the more interesting option, IMO), is Nandini, with her experience of being looked down upon, actually a phenomenal boss who inspires incredible loyalty? Exploring their relationship and who these women are and how they interact with her would also be fantastic.

For both together:

One of the things that intrigues me the most are the years just pre-canon where Kundavai and Nandini are technically both part of the royal court; we know Kundavai spends most of her time away, but surely she must have made other, earlier visits. While their verbal sparring is ever- delightful (and one of my favorite things about their relationship), I'd particularly love something about them being forced to work together to solve a problem--political intrigue? a mystery at court? a conspiracy? They'd be a startlingly brilliant team despite (or because) how much they clash, and I'd love to see them together.

Or, naturally, their troubled backstory. Aditya accuses Kundavai (both in the novel and in the film) of being motivated by jealousy only, while her defense is her duty/her internalized casteism/classism, but what if there was more that inspired her to act?

Finally: if you want to acknowledge the incredible chemistry between them, and pair them together (as enemies-to-...still-enemies-but-now-with-benefits?), absolutely go for it!

Regency Faerie Tales- Olivia Atwater

Characters Requested: Dora Ettings, Elias Wilder

Where to Find Source Material: Your local library, bookstore, or ebook supplier!

This fandom, along with the next, were two surprise discoveries this year, both amazing in their own ways! The Regency Faerie Tales are such lovely comfort reads, with truly likeable, pleasant characters --though paired with an honest look at the social inequalities of the time period, and the chilling nature of Faerie. Consider:

That last paragraph of the epilogue and its implications! How does that come about, after their previous distaste for Lord Hallowvale’s world? How do Elias and Dora adjust to a rejoined Dora, and how is that different from their previous relationship, if in any way? How do they adjust to life in the faerie realm?

Or: each of the books is clearly vaguely based on a fairy tale--"Rumplestilskin" " Cinderella" "Goose Girl"--so maybe something that centers around another fairy tale? The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast/East of the Sun West of the Moon, and Snow White would all be interesting given the themes and backstories that the characters have, and I'd love to see a take on them!

Or, an exploration of Faerie would be so intriguing! Tell me more how its alien customs and structures really work. In particular, while I haven’t requested her specifically, I’d be totally fine with the inclusion of Lady Hallowvale, even if you wish to set it prior to the Epilogue. I’m also fascinated by the similarities and differences between her and Dora, but also the parallels between her and Elias, especially given his backstory.

Finally, if you are interested in worldbuilding, and/or other cultures, I would love to see a more inclusive look at characters, magic systems/entities, fairy tales from other countries! How do they play into this world? How does (or doesn't) magic change this world? How do Elias and Dora react to storytelling tropes from another culture altogether?

Spymaster series- Joanna Bourne

Characters Requested: Justine DeCabrillac, Adrian "Hawker" Hawkhurst

Where to Find Source Material: Your local library, bookstore, or ebook supplier!

In contrast to that last fandom--while they share a nominal setting in the Regency period--the Spymaster series is all brilliant characterization and intrigue. The action plots are superbly paced, where the romance doesn't take up too much from the main plot, and the limited perspective works so well--the Annique twist in the first book took me utterly by surprise, and then delighted me.

So writer, if your long standing dream has been to write canon-typical plotfic, I would be so ecstatic! Couples working and bantering together is always one of my favorite things to read, and the espionage aspect of this series is a particular strength . While we see a lot of glimpses of the Adrian-Justine relationship, I think there's always room for more, so whether you want to add a post-canon adventure, or invent one we didn’t see between flashbacks, it would be great!

I also love these characters, and their relationship--I love the pining in the face of duty, the very real tragedy* I love how it extends in bits and pieces of the years, I love how it's frequently interpreted and misinterepreted through outsider POVs. Something that plays with outsider POVs would also be so fascinating, again, at any time during the series; or, what a happily ever after looks like for these two crazy kids.

*again, DNW caveat: it's okay to acknowledge canon-accurate mentions of prior assualt in this case, but I would really prefer that it be kept to a minimum, with no on-screen incidences.

Finally, although I haven't formally requested, Annique (and her irreverent narration) is always a delight. I love her instant platonic-soulmates friendship with Adrian, and I am intrigued by Joanna Bourne's words on her blog on how Annique compares with Justine:

When I was writing Annique, I was making her the other side of the coin with Justine. They were both child spies, about the same age. Both raised by Lucille. One relatively protected, innocent, a child of the light, one who had not killed. The other abandoned and debauched, a child with little light inside her, a willing killer.

And they knew each other, of course, as they were growing up. They were more than a little jealous. When Annique makes the remark about the doppleganger, she's thinking of Justine.

Adrian, in TSL, come fresh from one side of the coin to the other and neither Annique nor Adrian realize this.

This is such an amazing dynamic we never see on-screen, and I would love to dig into it further at both ends.

I hope at least some of these prompts help! Thank you in advance and have a wonderful Yuletide yourself:D

#yuletide22 #dear yuletide writer letter #ponniyin selvan #regency faerie tales #spymaster series #queue ho gaya na

16 notes · View notes

the-river-person · 3 years ago

Text

Monster History in the Librarby

Niven was getting ready to close the Library for the night. All the usual patrons had gone home already. Both of the editors for the Snowdin Newspaper, as well as the Loox that often hung around by the tables and played word games like crosswords, junior jumble, or soduku. Speaking of which, Lady Garf, one of the editors of the newspaper who specialized in making games for it, had left a few of the ones she’d been working on. With a sigh he collected the pages and stored them behind the main desk, he’d have to remember to give it to her tomorrow. The bell on the door tinkled and Niven looked up to say that they were actually just about to close. But the words died on his lips and he stared at the person who had come in. Face hidden by a dark cloak, they were somewhat tall, nearly reaching the height of Sir Papyrus, captain of the Royal Guard. Though he couldn’t see their face, he caught a glimpse of white fur. Was it Ice Wolf? Just a little over a year ago he’d started coming in every few months to check out books to read during his work breaks. No, Ice Wolf was much bigger. “Is this the Librarby?” Asked the figure, a male voice, deep yet not unpleasant, almost musical really. Niven grimaced at the question. He’d once harbored hopes of getting the sign repainted. But there really wasn’t any point now, was there? Not only had everybody just gotten used to it, but even if he did repaint it, the sign would just reset along with everything else in a few short weeks. It wasn’t worth the effort, but it still irritated him. Forcing himself to smile he quickly decided just to see what this Monster wanted before closing up. “Yes, it is. We don’t usually see too many non-locals in here. Most just pass by on their way to the ruins or the Greater Snowdin Caverns. Are you from the Capital?” “You could say that,” said the figure, sounding mildly amused. They offered no further explanation, and Niven decided not to push his luck further that way. “What can I do for you?” For a moment the Monster was silent, looking round the small library as if gauging its potential somehow. Not for the first time, Niven wished for the resources to make a much grander library, something akin to the great libraries he’d read of in human books: Ashurbanipal, Alexandria, Pergamum, Villa of the Papyri, Trajan’s Dual Library, Celsus, the Imperial Library of Constantinople, House of Wisdom in Baghdad, "Dharmaganja" ("Treasury of Truth") and Dharma Ghunj ("Mountain of Truth") in India’s Nalanda University. There were so many, and all he had was a few shelves. A couple histories, fiction, somone’s book report left here years ago and never retrieved (it was gleefully shelved as something new and at least 3 people had checked it out since for the sheer novelty), poetry, only a single science book about astronomy, and an entire shelf devoted to joke books and word games. But if someone was really coming out here, far from the Capital, to look for something specific. Well... They had to be desperate. New Home’s public library was much bigger, and if you couldn’t find something, you might humbly petition the King and Queen for access to the castle archives in the chance it might be there. Nobody came to a tiny town at the edge of civilization. Well... they did come. Sometimes they even bought things at the general store or stayed a the inn. But that was really just people on their way to the Ruins after Reset Day, the crowds and the general traffic as Monsters carried out their plans for the next three weeks. Getting puzzles ready for the famous DT and Royal Guardsman Monster Kid, who lived right here in said small town. So some people came through, a lot of people. But not for books. Never for the librarby that hadn’t even spell its name right when the sign was painted. “I’m hoping,” said the Monster. “That you might have texts on Monster History from before the war. History, perhaps theology? Mythology and folklore? I’ll take anything you’ve got.” Oh, so that’s what he wanted. Niven gulped. Okay so maybe it wasn’t accurate that nobody had been coming to their tiny library from out of town. There was that person from the capital he’d only seen once, a shifty fellow who was supposed to be a castle servant. White hair, pale purplish skin, and a terrifying grin with sharp yellow teeth. Niven had been freaked out by the Monster’s weird face markings and the J like tail that had lashed back and forth in agitation. Jevil, or so he had said his name was, had been after books on Monster Religion. It was a surprising subject, one few cared about. But Niven had a couple of rare tomes on it, possibly texts even the Royal Archives didn’t have. And that, it turned out, was the entire point. Jevil was a scribe in the Royal Archives and kept the smaller of the castle’s two libraries in good order for the King and Queen’s more general use. Thankfully he hadn’t come again after the first time, having taken a stack of books with him. He sent them back a month later, along with a few coins for the late fees, and asked for more books, naming each specifically. So Niven had shipped them off to the Capital, and sure enough they returned the next month with a request for more books. Sans the skeleton had become a familiar face as he came by so often to pick up or deliver boxes of books headed for the weird little Monster. And Jevil wasn’t the only one. Ice Wolf had been checking out the weirdest things. Niven would have expected a joke book, or even an interesting novel, but no. Ice Wolf wanted to read about physics and geology and historical documents and traditions. Niven hadn’t had much cause to write to the Capital Public Library in... well ever really. But to get some of the texts Ice Wolf wanted he pulled up his sleeves and penned message after message requesting various books until someone came down about nine weeks in to ask why on earth there was suddenly more book traffic going to Snowdin. “Oh, heh heh.” He laughed nervously. “I believe we do have some things. If you’ll come this way please.” The Monster followed him into the lower levels of the library, a section which held most of the least circulated books and materials available only by request. He really needed to dust down here, now where was the light? Ah yes. A dim bulb flickered to life, bathing the shelves in a warming and distinctly yellow light. From the shelves he pulled book after book, most dusty, a few with a little water damage, and many quite old. These he stacked before the Monster, who shifted in surprise as he looked over the growing pile. As Niven set another book on the pile he caught a better glimpse of the face beneath the hood. A white furred goat-like face with black markings on his lower cheeks and eyes of a dark muted red. Niven almost dropped the books in surprise but hid his reaction by faking a sneeze, though maybe with all the dust in here it really wasn’t that fake. This was a Boss Monster! But not Asgore, not nearly tall enough and certainly much thinner. But not the motherly Toriel either. It didn’t make sense, all the other Boss Monsters had been killed in the war, only the King and Queen had made it Underground with the others. And the only other Boss Monster living since then had been... Hadn’t Asriel Dreemurr become a flower? How had he regained his body? Or... something similar. It wasn’t quite a child anymore, though not yet an adult. Somewhere in between if appearance was anything to go by. A teenager maybe. That didn’t make sense either as his age should have been tied to Asgore and Toriel’s, and none of them could age anyway with the Resets, but maybe being a flower did odd things to you. Niven watched out of the corner of his eye as the prince began flipping through some of the books. “Monsters and Humans have always dwelt together in the world, though the nature of this coexistence had been woven together with myth, legend, and superstition for thousands of years.” Asriel read the passage from a “Brief History of Monsters and Humans”, it was volume nine of the collection, which was anything but brief. The author had been criticized for his long winded and needlessly flowery language. Still it made for good reading, if you had the time for it. “Owing to the nature of Monster’s Souls and the intrinsic connection their magical bodies have to the state of their soul, Humans were often under the mistaken impression that the Monster Clans were more numerous than they really were. As new generations of Monsters were born, they sometimes took on new and often unique forms different from their elders, forms that matched the state of their very soul.” The Prince broke off reading and looked up at Niven, who suddenly realized he’d stopped taking books off the shelves and had been staring as he listened. Flushing, the Lizard started to turn back to the shelf. “Is that why some of the Monsters around are things like Aeroplanes or shaped like bathtubs and obsessed with washing? Because they were born with new forms?” Niven turned back around. It was a good question, and not really covered that well in schools. Sure they touched on the subject, but no one really focused on the implications of how Monster Souls behaved. “Well, more or less. You have to understand that Monsters such as the Tsundereplane couldn’t have been born until Monsters learned of the existence of human airplanes. And anime of course. Then when this new Monster was born, their soul manifested a body that fit who they were at their foundations, the most basic structure of all the things they could become. We Monsters don’t have much control over this, we can’t shift our own forms at will, but our appearance is far more closely tied to who we are than you would think. Creatures like Woshua were born of groups of water dwelling Monsters. Humans often characterized us with names like Fay or Fairy, Spirits, Daemons, and lots of other things. And human folklore has a lot of tales about faeries who insist upon cleanliness and washing, often enacting terrible punishment if specified arrangements weren’t kept, like leaving washing water out at night for them to bathe in, or having a strict routine of personal hygiene while living in an area where said fairy has to deal with you often. Sound familiar? At some point the bathtub must have been an image they focused on, and at some point a Monster child was born with that form as part of who they were.” Asriel nodded, forgetting that he was trying to hide his face and letting the hood slip down a bit as he listened with wide eyes. Just barely visible in the upper shadows of the hood were his horns, not terribly big, just poking up from the white tufts of fur. “Alright,” he said. “I’ll take this one. And these.” He plucked another four books from the pile. “Can you hold the rest for me?” Niven found himself agreeing to do just that as he followed Asriel back up the stairs and let him out. As he locked up and turned out the lights, he wondered why nobody had heard anything about the prince yet if he was back to his true self?

#jevil #snowdin town #librarby #undertale #undertale au #aeontale #asriel dreemurr #tsundererplane #woshua #toriel dreemurr #asgore dreemurr #monster souls #library #snowdin librarby #flowey the flower #ice wolf undertale

8 notes · View notes

forbidden-sorcery · 4 years ago

Quote

The tradition of sacrificial offerings to vampyre-gods thrives with especial potency amongst various tribes of India amongst whom the undead or Bhuta are worshipped in an ancestral-cultus. The Bhuta are thought to be the shades of dead Hindus and can appear in several shapes and are often seen as shadowy figures in graveyards and lonely places at night where it is distinctly perilous to encounter. The Bhuta feed on excrement and intestines if not propitiated and cause disease and death in the community. In an article from the St. James Gazette from 1888 we read: “Every village, graveyard, burning-ghat, has its special bhut or bhuts… Every Hindu has a guardian bhut that requires propitiating, and the guru is the medium.” Though the Bhuta are often fearful to behold they are tricksters who like to lad travelers astray such as is told of the tall, luminous Bhuta of Awadh, an account which echoes the tales of Pixy-led travelers in Cornwall and other aspects of Faery-lore. Shrines to the Bhuta are called Bhandara and the focus of obligations being the spirit-house where the Bhuta resides and accepts offerings of flowers and burning perfumes. A large shrine is called a Bhutasan and may serve as an entire village. In it are placed brass images of the Bhuta as semi-animal daemons and at certain night festivals shamanic ceremonies take place around the shrine. The guru, holding the shrine-bell in one hand and the ritual sword in the other, dances to a group of drummers, imitating the Bhuta. Sometimes the dancer is painted in yellow, white and red pigments and having reached the crescendo of the performance will become still as trance-ecstasy takes hold. At that moment of magically-inspired consciousness the voice of the Vampyre-Ancestor speaks through him and communicates with the living. Blood sacrifices follow along with coconut-milk and rice-balls boiled in milk.

Nigel Jackson - The Compleat Vampyre: The Vampyre Shaman, Werewolves, Witchery, & the Dark Mythology of the Undead

#Nigel Jackson

14 notes · View notes

lostinthewinterwood · 4 years ago

Text

AU Exchange 2020

Hey friend!

Looks like this letter’ll be going out on time, for once in my life. This one’s very long; there’ll be a list of fandoms after the general info so you can hop around and not get bogged down in the details that don’t matter for what you’re going to be writing.

Treats in any medium are welcome, my other exchange letters are here, and at the bottom there’ll be tags for each fandom I’ve requested, if you want to see whether I’ve requested them before and what I’ve said about them. Good luck, have fun, and thanks for writing for me!

General DNW non/dub-con; non-canonical major character death; heavy angst; hurt no comfort; graphic depictions of deliberate and methodical self-harm*; graphic depictions of suicide; smut; gore; grimdark; complete downer endings; character bashing; incest; cringe comedy; a/b/o; mpreg; graphic eye trauma; graphic and/or permanent hand trauma; issuefic; unrequested identity headcanons; a focus on unrequested romantic relationships**. *I don’t include things like, say, punching a wall in a fit of emotion under this. however, something like cutting would not be appreciated. **canonical levels of canonical ships are perfectly fine; background non-canon ships that I haven’t dnw’d are okay too (unless otherwise specified—see below for fandom-specific notes).

General Likes

– I really like plotty fics

– Secret identity and disguise shenanigans, the more layers to them and more absurdity the better.

– Crossdressing for whatever reason and gender disguises, also for whatever reason.

– A focus on family and/or friendship, especially characters realizing they’re not nearly as alone as they think they are, and just generally characters who like each other and enjoy spending time together

– Found family; families of choice

– Character studies

– Worldbuilding

- explorations of how whatever AU you pick to write affects the characters and/or plot, and the ways in which it doesn’t

Other General Notes:

If there’s an AU I’d especially like to see on its own, without any other AU in combination with it, I’ll mention it—outside of that, feel free to combine the AUs as you see fit.

All the times that the Dragon Rider au is one I asked for, I’ve framed it in my prompts as a sports story thing—while that would definitely be great, don’t feel pressured to make it be like that; it’s just where my prompting muse is at right now, so if you want to take it in another direction go right ahead.

Fandoms in Order of Appearance:

Hanging Out with a Gamer Girl

Harry Potter

Mother of Learning (x2)

Day Break Illusion (x2)

Hanging Out with a Gamer Girl (Manga)

· Fanfiction (Medium)

· Terazaki Kaoru (HOwaGG)

· Ousaka Nanami (HOwaGG)

· Group: Terazaki Kaoru & Ousaka Shouko (HOwaGG)

· Group: Terazaki Kaoru & Ousaka Nanami (HOwaGG)

Fandom-specific dnw: sexualization of Kaoru’s crossdressing, romance between Kaoru and Nanami beyond light shiptease à la canon (unless the AU chosen is a romantic fairytale, in which case go right ahead), full justification of Kaoru’s fears re: Nanami’s dad, heavy gender dysphoria.

Overall I love these kids and their friendship, and I also love how much Shouko feels like a mom to Kaoru even though he isn’t hers, even though he’s keeping secrets from her—he doesn’t seem to have that much parental support overall.

Whatever AU you pick, I’d appreciate that being preserved.

· ALL: Character was Stolen by Fairies as a Baby

· All: East of the Sun and West of the Moon Fusion

· All: Fairytale Fusion

· ALL: Fantasy/Magic Royalty and Palace Intrigue AU

· ALL: Magic is a part of everyday life

· ALL: Magical Girl Fusion

· ALL: Magical Realism

· ALL: Regency-Inspired Fantasy AU

For this set of tags, I’d love to see something that fuses the AU elements to canon, or replaces canon elements with them—maybe instead of gamers, the kids are magical girls! Or maybe there’s just magical elements wound seamlessly into their lives, or they instead live in a fairytale world, or…

Basically, this is my more generic magic!au set.

· ALL: Characters met as children

· ALL: Deaf Canon Characters

· ALL: Disabled Canon Characters

· ALL: Mute Canon Characters

· HOwaGG: trans girl Terazaki Kaoru

These are the generally mundane AUs—if one or both of the kids is disabled in some way, how does that affect them? If they’ve known each other longer than they have in canon, or used to know each other—how does that affect them? If Kaoru is a trans girl, is that something that she knows before their canon meeting, and maybe that’s a point at which she’s already begun transitioning? Or does the crossdressing give her a revelation?

· ALL: Daemon AU

· ALL: Daemons in Canon Divergent AU

I like daemon!aus a lot, though I’m not very good at writing them myself—if this world has daemons, what are the kids’? Are they fully settled yet, or not quite? Most people have daemons opposite to their sex—is it obvious that Kaoru’s daemon is female, and if so, does that pique Shouko’s interest? Does his daemon get him recognized by people who know Kaoru-the-boy even when he’s out looking like a girl?

· ALL: Dragon Rider AU

· All: Figure skating AU

Sports aus! One mundane, one distinctly less so… what’s it like, if they’re dragon riders? Is it a whole other world, or just our world +dragons? If it’s figure skating, what kind of skating do they do? Singles? Pairs? Ice dance? Are they just casual about it or competitive?

· ALL: Platonic Soulmate AU

· ALL: Soulmates - Soulmate Mark Appears At First Touch

· ALL: Soulmates Share Scars

These are probably my three favorite kinds of soulmate AUs—run with them! Tell me about the kids and their dynamic and the world they inhabit, with soulmates thrown into the mix!

Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

· Fanfiction (Medium)

· Percy Weasley (HP - JKR)

Fandom-specific dnw: non-canon ships.

I’ve phrased this so broadly because it’s generally better safe than sorry on these things—essentially what I especially don’t want is non-canon ships between people on opposite sides of the war, e.g. drarry, harry/Voldemort, etc. If you want to toss in background, idk, Pansy/Daphne or something, or relationships between various Ministry people, that I don’t mind.

· ALL: Underground Resistance

· HP: Percy Weasley is a spy for the Order of the Phoenix during the war

· ALL: Character Is a Secretly a Spy for the Other Side

There’s really one thing I want here—spy!Percy! He spends so much of the war in the Ministry, surrounded by Death Eaters and their accomplices and enablers, to all appearances the black sheep of the Weasley family and not much of a threat. Now, this could be genuine… but it could also be him playing them; I want to see a world where he, at some point—maybe after he chooses to stay with the ministry instead of his family, maybe before—decides to be a spy for the Order et al.

What are the risks? What can he accomplish? Can he help people beyond simply passing out information, perhaps with seemingly-inconsequential little acts?

Mother of Learning - nobody103

· Fanfiction (Medium)

· Kirielle Kazinski (Mother of Learning)

request-specific dnw: physical parental abuse within the Kazinski family, significant exaggeration of canonical emotional neglect/abuse/general family dysfunction, romantic and/or sexual Zach/Zorian.

· All: Character has a secret identity

· All: Identity Porn

· ALL: Possessed by time travelling future self

· MoL: Kirielle as a Branded One

I’m fascinated by the idea of Kirielle somehow getting wrapped up in the time loop—what’s it like to live years and years of your life while your body stays nine? What does she do, what does she learn? Are Zach and Zorian still Branded Ones, or is she taking one or both of their places?

If you go with this, I’d rather not have her gate!soul erased—either let her escape, or don’t go far enough to need to address it, please.

The identity bits here are mostly leaning on the idea that, with her only being nine, Kiri would need some kind of identity obfuscation to do half of what Zach and Zorian do in canon, so…

· ALL: Daemon AU

· ALL: Daemons in Canon Divergent AU

Nothing particularly profound here—but! Daemons! How does this affect things? Is Kiri happier with someone to talk to who isn’t her siblings or parents or village children that her parents mightn’t approve of? I’d imagine her daemon hasn’t settled yet—what forms does it like?

· All: Changeling AU

· ALL: Fairy Tale AU

· All: Fairytale Fusion

· All: Historical Fantasy AU

�� ALL: Magical Realism

· ALL: Nature Magic

The setting and/or mood change AUs—give me Kirielle-the-faerie child, or Kiri in a fairytale, or shift the setting more historical and into our world, or change the nature of the magic—the canonical magic system is fairly hard as magic systems go, which works well for the story as it is, but I also really like softer magics. What about a world where there’s simply small everyday magics present, or where Kiri has an affinity for green growing things quite beyond the natural?

· ALL: Deaf Canon Characters

How does Kiri’s life change, if she’s born deaf or becomes deaf? How does her role as Cikan Kazinski’s only daughter change? Does Eldemar have a Deaf community?

This could play into her desire to go to Cyoria, too—I wouldn’t expect Cirin to have much in the way of resources or community, but maybe Cyoria does; maybe that’s why she wants so badly to go.

· ALL: Finding Peace/An End to the War

· ALL: Legal Drama

· ALL: Magical environment/species conservation scientist au

· ALL: Magical horticulturists

This set is more likely future!fic than anything else—Kirielle’s growing up into a country on the brink of war; what’s she going to do when she gets older? Maybe she’ll be involved in that, or with the law—or maybe she goes to school and learns to be a mage, and then goes on to a career as a conservationist or horticulturist.

Mother of Learning - nobody103

· Fanfiction (Medium)

· Zorian Kazinski (Mother of Learning)

· Zach Noveda (Mother of Learning)

request-specific dnw: physical parental abuse within the Kazinski family, significant exaggeration of canonical emotional neglect/abuse/general family dysfunction, romantic and/or sexual Zach/Zorian (unless in a romantic fairytale au).

· All: Changeling AU

· All: Fairytale Fusion

· ALL: Fantasy/Magic Royalty and Palace Intrigue AU

· ALL: High Fantasy AU

· All: Historical Fantasy AU

· ALL: Magical Realism

· ALL: Nature Magic

Again, setting and/or mood changes—turn one or both of these two into a changeling child, or push them into a different setting, or change their world to feel a little more magical than it does in canon.

· All: Character has a secret identity

· ALL: Deaf Canon Characters

· ALL: Legal Drama

· ALL: Magical environment/species conservation scientist au

· ALL: Magical horticulturists

· ALL: Role Swap AU

This set is a combination of probably-post-canon things and things that could slide into the canon timeline—what if one or both of them went to more effort to construct a second identity, either in the loop or out of it, for anyone’s benefit? What if one or both of them was deaf—if you go here, it’d be interesting if you combined it with deaf!Kirielle too. A role swap—what if Zorian got there earlier and the angels didn’t think him unworthy, and Zach wound up his tagalong instead?

And the other three are basically what-ifs for the post-canon world—there’s Zach’s court case to be dealt with, and these two are both skilled enough to do basically whatever they want to, if it’s to do with magic. Why not become a conservationist or horticulturist?

· ALL: Daemons in Canon Divergent AU

· All: Figure skating AU

· ALL: Regency AU

· All: Robin Hood Fusion

· ALL: Spies & Secret Agents

· ALL: University AU

This is a whole grab bag of different AUs—they’re all fairly self-explanatory I think, though I will say that you shouldn’t feel pressured to keep the overtly mundane-seeming AUs mundane, if you don’t want too—I’d like the mundane versions of course! But there’s plenty of interesting things you could explore with, e.g., magic!figure skating, so. Go wild.

· All: Tam Lin Fusion

In a weird way, MoL already has its characters in the roles they need to be in for a Tam Lin fusion, though the structure is of course very different–what is Zach if not a sacrifice against Panaxeth’s release? What is Zorian if not the one who fights nigh-impossible odds to save him from that fate? I’d love to see a fic that goes into this.

幻影ヲ駆ケル太陽 il sole penetra le illusioni | Day Break Illusion

· Fanfiction (Medium)

· Tsukuyomi Luna (Day Break Illusion)

· Taiyou Akari (Day Break Illusion)

· Shirokane Ginka (Day Break Illusion)

· Hoshikawa Seira (Day Break Illusion)

· Group: Tsukuyomi Luna & Tsukuyomi Serena (Day Break Illusion)

· Group: Hoshikawa Seira & Shirokane Ginka & Taiyou Akari & Tsukuyomi Luna

fandom-specific dnw: heavy gender dysphoria.

· All: a character is transgender (binary)

· ALL: Alternate First Meetings

· All: Character has a secret identity

· ALL: Deaf Canon Characters

· ALL: Disabled Canon Characters

· ALL: Street Rats

This is basically the AUs of mundane level things; the broad strokes of canon are perfectly compliant with any of these, or at least they could be. What changes, if you go for any of the AUs listed above? What stays the same?

· All: Changeling AU

· ALL: Character was Stolen by Fairies as a Baby

· ALL: Daemon AU

· All: Fairytale Fusion

· ALL: Fantasy/Magic Royalty and Palace Intrigue AU

· ALL: Magical Realism

· ALL: Regency-Inspired Fantasy AU

· All: with the right postage you can send letters anywhere anywhen

Different flavors of fantasy—for the changelings, is the character we know from canon the stolen child, or their faerie replacement? Are their daemons affected by them fighting the daemonia; what happens to a daemon when the human is consumed by a daemonia? How do their powers and battles work in a world that’s more overtly magical? For the last—who/where/when would they send letters to? Would Akari send one back in time to Fuyuna, Luna to her sister, Seira to her friend? Forward to their future selves? How does this affect the timeline; do you have to be careful, lest you irrevocably change things, or are future-letters already set and immutable? Is this common or rare—what’s the price to send a letter through time?

· ALL: Character Journeys To The Underworld to Rescue Their Dead Friend

· All: Journey to the Underworld to Resurrect Loved One

Who are they rescuing? How are they going about the rescue? Are they bringing back Fuyuna? Seira’s friend? Luna’s sister, if it turns out she’s dead not just vanished some other way? Ginka herself, if we suppose that she died in the annihilation rather than going to battle elsewhere?

If a Daemonia’s victim is resurrected, does everyone remember them again? Either way, what are the consequences of bringing back a person who’d been erased?

· ALL: Dragon Rider AU

· ALL: Fencing AU

· All: Figure skating AU

Sports aus! Two mundane, one not. I’d love to see the kids in some kind of competitive something—are they teammates? Competitors? Is Sefiro Fiore a sports organization in this world, or are they both athletes and tarot users?

· DBI: Daemonia hosts aren't erased from the timeline when killed

So, one of the generally convenient things in this world—even if it’s not a particularly nice thing—is that none of the characters ever have to deal with the fallout of the deaths they cause; the daemonia’s victims are erased. Ret-gone, if you will. But what if they weren’t? What would the effect of that be; how would that change things?

幻影ヲ駆ケル太陽 il sole penetra le illusioni | Day Break Illusion

· Fanfiction (Medium)

· Group: Hanayume & Lymro & Mama Nagataki & Taiyou Akari (Day Break Illusion)

· Group: Hanayume & Lymro & Mama Nagataki (Day Break Illusion)

fandom-specific dnw: heavy gender dysphoria.

· All: a character is transgender (binary)

· ALL: Deaf Canon Characters

· ALL: Disabled Canon Characters

· ALL: Found Family

So, again, this is the more mundane aus—add these in!! tell me how they affect things, or how they don’t affect them!

Found family is… kinda canon? But there isn’t really much focus on that aspect in canon so I’d love some more here.

· All: Changeling AU

· ALL: Character was Stolen by Fairies as a Baby

· All: Fairytale Fusion

· ALL: Fantasy/Magic Royalty and Palace Intrigue AU

· All: Historical Fantasy AU

· ALL: Magic is a part of everyday life

· ALL: Magical Realism

· ALL: Regency AU (no homophobia)

· ALL: Regency-Inspired Fantasy AU

· All: with the right postage you can send letters anywhere anywhen

And these are the magic and/or setting AUs! How do these elements change their lives; what stays the same regardless?

See my previous set of Day Break Illusion requests for my thoughts on the letters tag.

· ALL: Daemon AU

· ALL: Daemons in Canon Divergent AU

Just—daemons! What are theirs? For Hanayume—what gender is her daemon? I’m sorry I’m running out of things to say at this point…

· ALL: Dragon Rider AU

· ALL: Fencing AU

· All: Figure skating AU

So, in canon, Hanayume, Lymro, and Mama Nagataki are kind of Akari’s fortune-teller aunts/mentors; if we change it so that Akari’s thing is fencing or figure skating or dragon-riding, why not bring her aunts along for the ride as her mentors in that sport, or, if we’re not including Akari—competitors themselves, perhaps, or maybe generally teachers?

If you made it all the way down here—first of all, wow, this letter was way too long so good on you for making it—second of all—thank you again for writing for me!! Good luck!!

#exchange letters #auex #au exchange #requested: harry potter #requested: hanging out with a gamer girl #requested: mother of learning #requested: day break illusion

2 notes · View notes

omnislaught · 5 years ago

Text

@magitekelite // cont .

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 & 𝐈 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐋 . 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐉𝐎𝐘 ! 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 ! 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓'𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 , 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 ? 𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐁𝐄 𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 !

❛ oh ? is that what you’re thinking about now ? how YOU feel ? look at you , dolly ----- you’re so mad at me . . . hee hee hee ! it makes me wanna LAUGH & LAUGH & LAUGH ~ ! ❜ a breath , pausing . ❛ maybe i do know something about you that you don’t .

so ~ what are you gonna do about that ? huuuuuh ~ ? BEG SOME MORE ? d’ya think that’ll make me spill my guts THAT easily ? ❜

he hisses to a stop .

& their silence is deafening . what was once alive with brightened words & song had been strangled . choked & suffocated beneath lies , obsession . his sickening want . to kill everyone off & be the only two left , sifting through ashes . father & daughter . his perfect doll , curated under his knowing touch . alone . forever . the thought made him want to vomit his stomach up , empty of it what was left of his pathetic meal . was that truly love ? an emotion to drive one ill . he wanted it to be , dearly . between his quivered breaths & uneasy laughter is his regime’s designs . the endless cogwork of progress & toil , grinding above them in dizzying knots , crunching , soulless , through thin spaces . mechanical daemons . the blood of her kin , seeping . progress , del la norte marques called it . their city . their home .

return to me . you’re the only person i miss . when our bond snapped , i felt you plunge a dagger . you left me , alone , hurt & bleeding . i screamed for you . my hands willed you back to me , wanting to clutch your curls between my fingers & drag you home . up the stairs . to your chambers . locked by the keys strapped to my belt . you would scream & cry . but I wouldn’t mind . i bid you , follow me , as that dagger in my back .

his hair , so long & dangerous , gold spun on a spindle , cascading down the shoulders of his colourful silks . thin fingers , glinting with jewels in the dim , gripping at the bars . he could burn them with his magic ; melt away with a spell . white - knuckled & grinning violence ( or was it . . . happiness ? ) . so close , their bond had almost ignited again . he could feel her , her natural power . the scientist’s notes , hasty , scribbled in shock , had spoken of something . she was more than just an ordinary girl . more than his beloved ward or beautiful doll . that much he could piece together .

SIMAO’S JOURNAL , THE IMPERIAL CAPITAL OF VECTOR , MARQUES ‘ LAB :

she’s more rose than beast . her hair falls around her as petals , her body , a stem . i’ve never seen anything like this before . only in faerie tales , in those illustrations . our forays into the esper world has been successful , allowing the team access to a wide array of specimens to research . but this girl ... it’s unheard of .

the studies will have to continue . head scientist del la norte marques will be leading the remaining studies . i’m afraid i haven’t a clue on what to do in this situation .

i’m scared . what if the espers find a way to overpower us ?

another groan above them . the machinery sounds like some metal serpent , slithering through the empire’s walls .

and now , his hand is reaching . reaching , further , to grasp at her own silks . a necklace , a scarf . to pull her near . his fingers grip at something . one of those things that decorates her & kefka begins yanking her closer . the magic within her . whatever power that had screamed itself to her surface that joyful day , when the bodies charred & broiled in the wicked flames & he applauded her , as if the show had reached its finale . this same magic was there . within her . it never left & perhaps , that was a mere limb of his envy . a small piece of the whole . born with the gift of magic .

i can still feel you , as you move . as you breathe & smile . sometimes . it pulls , like a child at my sleeve . something always reminds me . and it pisses me the fuck off . because you’re out there in this grand , wide world without me .

come back home , dolly . i have cake for you . i have dresses for you . i even have another crown for you .

terra is brought towards the rusted bars . whatever guard had been keeping watch is long-since gone , hiking up the stairs in fear . the words trickle from his painted lips , now smeared , teeth grit in a hateful smile : ❛ the very least you could’ve done is said hello to an old friend , TINA . ❜ and he's laughing . he threw his head back . his hair , a golden curtain , obscuring his mismatched eyes . hiding the beast he had become , the starved hunger to his gaze . all that’s left was sound & smile . ❛ because if you wanna get something outta me , you’ll have to beat it out , dolly ! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA ~ ! ❜

#a challenge i obviously fail lmao #i love you ~#magitekelite #canto xi . the literature ; let the tomes tell their tales .#abuse //#gaslighting //#toxic relation //#obsession //#ask to tag //#YIKES TW #long post //

4 notes · View notes

the-fae-folk · 5 years ago

Note

Are the fae real?

Are the Fae real? It is a difficult question to answer. Many folk believe they are. Today and in the past. They have been worshiped, feared, and longed for. There are thousands of stories, folk tales, myths, and legends that surround them. What would they be if they were real? Would they truly be alien beings so vastly different from our paradigm of reality that they think and even exist in ways and worlds that we cannot fully conceive of? Are they fallen angels trapped between Heaven and Hell as the Christians once feared? Perhaps the spirits of the dead still roaming the world? There are so many stories. And so many of them conflict with one another. Some people claim to have met the Fae Folk. Perhaps they have. Or maybe they only believe they have. It is so difficult for us to know what is certain, for we live in a very uncertain world. We are left with so many questions at every turn that when it comes down to it, we don’t know what to believe. And every culture has stories of spirits and gods and daemons and monsters. It is hardly surprising that so many do believe in such things, when it lies all around them.

We might look to the Faerie folk for thoughts on Time and Love and Beauty. For dreams of worlds beyond our own filled with impossibilities we can hardly envision. For the reminder that there will always be mysteries to seek and adventures to brave. Danger and evil exists in the world along with pain and sorrow at every corner, but even the Faeries have their kindness and love, bringing in the glittering light of hope and joy.

As for myself. I don’t believe in the existence of the Faerie Folk. But I will always keep an open mind. There is so much in this world that we cannot possibly know, and that lies beyond our limited human senses. Who am I to say that such beings as the Fae do not exist for certain? And if they did...if the Fae were speaking with you right here and now....would you even be able to tell?

12 notes · View notes

transgender-daemon-faerie · 1 month ago

Note

Trick or Treat! 🎃(Good to meet ya!)

-- @kingxlinkwrites

Happy Halloween!

This is a scene from an unfinished chapter in my wip. It’s a book I’m writing about a shapeshifting assassin. Rolynn Sarkian is the child of the King of Assassins, and he is bigender. She shifts between male and female the same way he shifts between bodies. Rolynn also is a system, and shares a body with Eliya Valdiserri, his father’s protégée.

The story is on my Ao3, with all the finished chapters so far.

Enjoy!

Facing the mirror, Rolynn stripped down. As a full-powered shifter, she could take on any form. Eliya often did so for missions her father sent them on. It had been like a game to Rolynn when she was small, focusing on her face in the mirror until it changed. Other children wore different clothes to play pretend, Rolynn could wear a different body. She still found some enjoyment in the shift after all these years. She closed her eyes for a moment, picturing the Shift in her mind's eye. She opened her eyes and began. As Rolynn watched, Mara's form melted away. Rolynn's skin got paler, and firm muscles made the skin taught. Chestnut brown hair turned red as Rolynn felt it shrink back to the close-cropped style Rolynn preferred, followed by turquoise eyes turning back to green. Rolynn saw and felt her bones growing and changing shape, getting taller and broader. Once the base of the Shift was done it was time for the finer details. The strong jaw, the slitted eyebrow, the slightly downturned lips, the gleaming canines, the scarred back. Satisfied, Rolynn Sarkian studied himself in the mirror and smiled.

#fae speaks #ask fae #inbox trick or treating #trick or treat #tales from the daemon faerie

1 note · View note

theamazingwhizzo · 6 years ago

Text

Ash and Kit

More I read about Ash and Kit, more I think they are very alike. I read some times that the similarities between Sebastian-Jace and Ash-Kit are too much and I can’t agree more. This is the most important difference and similitudes I thought:

Ash is half shadowhunter (with demon blood from Sebastian) and half faerie (from the Seelie Queen, seelie royalty blood)

And Kit is a shadowhunter and part faerie (from the First Heir what it means Seelie Queen’s and King Arawn’s blood, seelie and unseelie royalty blood).

Because of Sebastian’s daemon blood, Ash is capable of bear some type of rune which looks twister and sinister, like the ones the Endarkened had worn according Emma. Now I can’t find if he can bear shadowhunter runes too, but I think he can. Obviously, Kit can’t bear these sinister runes, just shadowhunter runes.

If we talk about the parallels of their life, there’s some. Both were raised without a mother and with a paternal figure that was not a good example to follow. But Johnny loved Kit, even though he didn’t show it a lot, and the former Unseelie King and Sebastian didn’t Love Ash at all. As Johnny as Sebastian were in bad affairs and Kit and Ash normalized this. After QOAAD both went to live with someone Nephilim, Jem and Tessa/Jace. They both never had a true home, a safe space. Now Kit have it with Tessa, Jem and baby Castairs and we will see if Ash will be okay with Thule!Jace in Forever Fallen.

Both have spells from King’s Arawn, The Fist Heir had spells cast on her to make sure she would be the perfect heir, some of them was dark, before she was born, and this is what Kit inherited. King Arawn did the same to Ash, but in this case he was a child and he didn’t finish it like he did with the First Heir. He also uses his blood to make him like her because he doesn’t have unseelie royal blood. That doesn’t mean now he is unseelie too, just that his powers will be more similarly to the First Heir’s.

We already know Ash blood is special, the King wore his blood around him throat, a vial. He even admitted:

“His blood is unique-Nephilim blood and demoniac blood, mixed with the blood of the fey. I draw power from it, though only a friction of the power Ash could have if you allow me to keep the Black Volume”.

The truth is that we don’t know if Kit’s blood will be special too. Probably yes. King Arawn said royal blood is special. I read a really interesting theory (I don’t remember where, it was a while ago), about the poison Emma and Julian drank in the Seelie court and the vial the demon who pretend to be Annabel had were Ash’s blood. And it has sense, we already know it have special proprieties and Emma’s and Julian’s runes were glowing after drink it. We don’t know everything about what it can do.

And, of course, Ash’s wings. Just before Ash killed Sebastian Emma saw his winds and she said they didn’t look demoniac nor angelic. We don’t know if Kit has it too. Remember in the ending of QoAaD, Kit asked Tessa if he will be growing pointy ears or a tale and Tessa answer him they will find out. We don’t know what will happen. From the shadowhunters wiki:

“Though they mostly resemble human beings, some have extraordinary features such as wings, horns, oddly colored-eyes or skin, much like the marks of warlocks. A common aspect among them are their pointed ears. Faeries commonly incorporate flora and multiple forms of vegetation as part of their ensemble.”

Even if Kit did not have wings (And I wish he won’t, I want them to have they own caractaristic attributes, even thoght it would be cool to see him with Kit), I think he will have some faerie mark, pointed ears is not the only faerie characteristic. The Shadowhunter wiki, again:

“However, the changeling children they bring in mysteriously take on fey attributes and are able to perform some faerie magic, thus bringing fresh strong blood into the faerie lines.”

So, even if you weren’t born with faerie attributes, you can get to have them on some way. I really think he will have it because if he doesn’t, it would be like ignoring his faerie blood. He didn’t have it in TDA can be explain because we would had to discover his linadge in QOAAD.

They are weapons against the nephilims. They created the First Heir so powerful that she could destroy the nephilims. Well, The King planned to use the Black Volume to make Ash a weapon giving him certain powers, but technically he didn’t have the opportunity because he died shortly after, so Ash is not fully a weapon. However, we can’t underestimate him, with black spells or not he’s still very powerful.

Ash and Kit are two faces of the same coin. But, I don't think Kit either Ash will be evil. I think they will correct the errors of their predecessors, they have a second opportunity. Ash is not bad like Sebastian, so he can clean the Morgenstern name and join the shadowhunters.

I really want a friendship between Ash and Kit, everybody waiting for a Sebastian-Jace 2.0 and to be as destructive as Sebastian and Jace of Thule, but end it up they joining they forces and powers, fighting against the antagonist, and proving everyone that they can work together for a good cause.

I really want a friendship between them, because maybe they are the only ones who can understand each other.

#ash morgenstern #kit herondale #kit rook #tda #tda spoilers #TWP #TWP Theories #sebastian #auraline #jace herondale #shadowhunters #qoaad #the wicked powers

182 notes · View notes

sparklecryptid · 5 years ago

Text

more wretched and divine

Nyx hears of the witch from a patron at his bar. Nyx hears of a witch child leaving in the depths of the jungle, hears of a trail of light that will only show itself to those desperate enough to seek the witch’s help.

Nyx hears the tale of how those who come back, come back changed. How they have the grace of beasts and the gift of magic. How there is a tamed wildness in their gaze and how when they smile their teeth seem a bit too sharp.

A bit too beastly.

Nyx hears the tale of the witch child and something in him stirs. Something bright and wild and wanting makes him leave Selena under the watchful eyes of Libertus and descends into the jungle.

He follows the trail of faerie fire into the dark, he follows the lingering red flames deeper and deeper into the jungle and feels the eyes of beasts and daemons on him.

None approach, and when Nyx finds the witch child’s cave there is a boy no older than ten waiting outside.

The boy tilts his head, violet eyes flashing red in the night.

“Oh,” the boy says, “Another of the Red. I hadn’t thought another would come.”

A chill goes down Nyx’s spine. He’s heard the tale of the Red Mage, he’s heard the tale of how The Red had sacrificed everything for their people.

Nyx knows the tale of the Red and how Galahdian’s had their magic, blue and red, sealed away.

Nyx knows and something must show on his face because the witch child smiles.

“You’ve heard the tale,” the child laughs, “You’ve heard the tale and now are wondering if it’s true.” The child’s garnet beads flash in the faerie light and his smile turns amused.

Nyx’s breath catches in his throat as the child conjures light to his palm.

“I assure you, it is.”)

#wretched and divine verse

38 notes · View notes

tachyonpub · 6 years ago

Text

Jane Yolen’s impressive HOW TO FRACTURE A FAIRY TALE wins Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award

The Westchester Library Association announced the 2019 winners of Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award. Both Jane Yolen ‘s HOW TO FRACTURE A FAIRY TALE and Once There Was a Story were recognized.

This award was established to honor Anne Izard, the noted librarian, storyteller and Children’s Services Consultant in Westchester County (NY) who died in 1990. It is hoped the award will highlight and promote distinguished titles published in the field of storytelling and in doing so, bring the many riches of storytelling itself to a much greater public recognition.

The Annotated African-American Folktales (Henry Louis Gates, Jr. & Maria Tatar)

Beauty and the Beast (Maria Tatar)

Brave Red, Smart Frog (Emily Jenkins)

Crane Girl (Curtis Manley)

Daemon Voices (Philip Pullman)

Dancing on Blades (Csenge Zalka)

HOW TO FRACTURE A FAIRY TALE (Jane Yolen)

Manjhi Moves a Mountain (Nancy Churnin)

Norse Myths (Kevin Crossley-Holland)

Norse Mythology (Neil Gaiman)

Once There Was a Story (Jane Yolen)

The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet (Carmen Deedy)

Thank You, Omu (Oge Mora)

Congratulations to all the winners

Photo: Jason Stemple

Gary K. Wolfe at LOCUS praised the collection.

Yolen draws on an impressive variety of other folk and fairy tale traditions – Chinese dragon stories (“One Ox, Two Ox, Three Ox, and the Dragon King”), Greek mythology (“Sun/Flight”, a variation on Icarus), Japanese kitsune stories (“The Fox Wife”), Scottish legends (“The Faery Flag”, “Sule Skerry”), Arthuriana (“The Gwynfahr”), Native American tales (“The Woman Who Loved a Bear”), even vampire lore (the surprisingly tender tale of a revenant mom, “Mama Gone”). The poems which accompany the story comments at the end of the book also offer additional perspectives – sometimes a bit sharper and more directly political – on the themes of the stories. If THE EMERALD CIRCUS provided an extensive overview of Yolen’s dialogue with many of her literary predecessors from Andersen to Baum, HOW TO FRACTURE A FAIRY TALE serves as a useful and timely companion volume, demonstrating an equally astute and critical dialogue with the world’s folk traditions. While nine of these stories were included in the NESFA retrospective Once Upon a Time (She Said) in 2005, and a half dozen were in Sister Emily’s Lightship and Other Stories way back in 2000, these Tachyon volumes are an invaluable reminder of Yolen’s central role in contemporary fantasy, and perhaps an equally invaluable starting point for readers daunted by the sheer volume and variety of her work.

SURLALUNE FAIRY TALES recommends HOW TO FRACTURE A FAIRY TALE.

This collects many of Yolen's previously published fairy tale retellings and includes her notes on the tales, too. Some are short stories, others are poems. A very handy collection of Yolen's short fairy tale works.

For more info on HOW TO FRACTURE A FAIRY TALE, visit the Tachyon page.

For more info on THE EMERALD CIRCUS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover designs by Elizabeth Story

#jane yolen #how to fracture a fairy tale #anne izard storytellers' choice award #gary k wolfe #locus #surlalune fairy tales #the emerald circus

14 notes · View notes

madlysanecatlady · 7 years ago

Text

Maiden’s Kiss

They hadn’t expected to run into such strong daemons in the tight space of the Nebulawood, but the odd spell-slinging creatures seemed well-suited to dodging between the tightly-knit trees. They had almost taken them all out when the incident happened.

‘Noct, it seems Gladio’s been turned into a frog,’ Ignis remarked, surprised. Usually the Shield was a lot more adept at dodging enemy attacks than that.

‘Just great,’ Noctis was out of breath and exasperated. ‘I’ll get him a Maiden’s Kiss in a minute, let me just –’ he broke off with a warp strike to the final daemon, knocking it to the ground where it vanished in a puff of dark, toxic smoke.

Prompto went to collect the frog hopping around the forest floor, squealing as it slimed all over his hands. ‘Eww, gross, Gladio! You’re all slimy and yucky!’

Noctis, laughing, fetched a Maiden’s Kiss and applied it to the frog. Prompto made to let go, but paused when he saw that nothing was happening. He looked up, confused. ‘I thought these things were instant?’

‘Weird,’ Noctis fetched a Remedy. ‘Let’s try this, maybe it’s a different kind of Toad spell.’

The Remedy failed to help as well, by which time Ignis had made his way back towards them after ensuring there were no more daemons creeping out in the cover of the woods. He raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you going to keep him like that or administer an antidote?’

‘We tried,’ Prompto held up the frog, covered in the combination of Maiden’s Kiss and Remedy slopping off its back. ‘It must be a really strong spell or something.’

‘Yeah, we haven’t seen those kinds of daemons before, Specs,’ Noctis’ face was arranged into a worried frown. ‘They were… weird. Like those old faerie tales you used to read me when I was younger about the evil daemon witches.’

‘Maybe they were!’ Prompto suggested excitedly. ‘Maybe that’s why the normal remedies aren’t working! They must have some special magic, like curses that can only be broken by True Love’s Kiss.’

‘Very helpful, Prompto,’ Ignis rolled his eyes. The whole notion was ridiculous. They would merely need to wait out the spell until Gladio returned to normal if their items weren’t going to work. He hoped it wouldn’t take too long; they were still a little far from the nearby haven and Ignis did not like their chances should another group of daemons decide to attack without Gladio’s help.

Prompto held the frog out to Ignis. ‘You have to kiss him, Igs.’

Ignis stiffened, his jaw going slack, betraying his shock. He recovered quickly, but not enough that the other two hadn’t seen it. He coughed. ‘What are you on about, Prompto?’ he tried to sound as politely disinterested as he could.

‘True Love’s Kiss, dummy,’ Prompto said as though it were the most obvious answer in the world. ‘You need to kiss Gladio so he can turn back to normal.’

Ignis blinked. He and Gladio had been subtle, secretive, or at least, he thought they had been. Letting the other two precede them to bed under the pretense of washing up the dishes, they would stay up together by the fire, sharing the precious few intimate moments they were afforded on their journey, a decidedly longer one than they had planned on. He had seen no indication that either Prompto or Noctis had any idea. He coughed again. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘True. Love’s. Kiss,’ Prompto repeated, exasperated. ‘You need to kiss Gladio so he can stop being a frog. That’s how evil witch curses work, right? You and Gladio are in love. So you need to kiss him.’

‘Humour him, Specs,’ Noctis cut in when Ignis looked like he wanted to argue. He looked thoughtful. ‘He might be onto something. Those stories had to come from somewhere, right?’

‘From the rather active imagination of their authors,’ Ignis said stiffly. ‘This is ridiculous. It’s a simple Toad spell. You musn’t have used the remedies correctly.’

‘Maybe it’s not true love after all,’ Prompto’s shoulders drooped slightly. He looked at the frog apologetically. ‘Sorry big guy, I guess he doesn’t love you enough to look past a little slime.’

‘Oh my goodness,’ Ignis huffed and leaned over to press a kiss to the top of the frog’s head. Nothing happened. ‘There, you see? Nothing happened. We just have to wait it out.’

A loud pop sounded from some nearby bushed and Gladio appeared, getting to his feet and brushing leaves out of his hair. He pushed his way out, chuckling, and coming to stand next to Ignis, who had frozen in place with a disgusted look on his face.

‘So who’s this?’ Prompto looked down at the frog in his hands.

‘A random frog,’ Gladio shrugged. ‘There’s a little stream nearby. Put it down, dude. Poor thing’s probably traumatised.’ He looked to Ignis, who still hadn’t moved. ‘And he’s not the only one.’

‘Hey Specs, snap out of it,’ Noctis sounded bored. ‘We gotta get to camp. I’m sleepy.’

‘I think we broke him,’ Prompto said worriedly, waving his hands in front of Ignis’ unmoving face. ‘Hey Igs? Ignis! Come on!’

‘Must be an evil curse,’ Gladio winked at the boys next to him before leaning down to press a kiss to Ignis’ lips, wrapping strong arms around him, smirking against soft lips as he felt Ignis break free from his frozen stance to lean into him. All the strategist needed was something to jolt his brain back into focus. He pulled back. ‘There. True Love’s Kiss saves the day.’

Ignis flushed, releasing a flurry of disjointed reprimands to all three of them. They simply laughed and began walking towards the haven, Gladio dragging Ignis along with a strong arm slung around his shoulders. He leaned over to press a kiss to a reddened cheek. ‘I’m glad to know you’d still love me if I was a frog.’

‘Well, barring all other options,’ Ignis smiled wryly. ‘Although, in the future, I think we’ll stick to applying a Maiden’s Kiss, preferably to the correct frog.’

‘You do you, Iggy, but I think I’d prefer an Ignis Kiss any day.’

#there's no excuse for this at all #i'm not sorry #not even a little #gladnis #true love #fairy tale

36 notes · View notes

ardynoctweek-blog · 7 years ago

Text

Ardynoct Week Master Post

Thank you to everyone who took time out of your busy schedules to make content for Ardynoct Week. It was so great seeing how everyone interpreted the prompts. And also, thank you to my co-mod @ivorydice, who helped reblog entries while I was at work.

I’d like to encourage everyone to take a look through this list and try to leave a comment on as many fics as you can, or to reblog as many artworks as you can. We are a tiny community compared to some of the other ships, so let’s all support each other! 😊

Day 1: Mythology | Touch-Starved | Body Worship | Noct purges the daemons from Ardyn

FICS

The sea that we saw was a desert of snowfall - by ADyingFlower - Noct as Shiva and Ardyn as Ifrit.

The Wings of Fate - by larkawolfgirl - Soul-bond/soul mark AU. Noct purges Ardyn of the daemons... via sex.

Magna Somnus - by jlavisant - In the end, Noct and Ardyn come to an understanding.

This Is the End - by invisibledeity and Verdin - Noctis purges the daemons from Ardyn…. via bloodletting

Sentire - by floatingbuildings - Post-game, Noct is back with the dawn and brings a daemon-free Ardyn with him.

Hurricane - by kimmimaru - Non-con blowjob, featuring broken!Noct.

a pocketful of sugar - Chapter 1 & 2 - by nickofhearts - Noct and Ardyn are betrothed… and also cursed to be in either wolf or crow form respectively during night and day so they can never be together (cw: for beastiality in chapter 2)

shut up and touch me - by lhugy_for_short - Ardyn pays Noct a visit inside the crystal (cw: dub-con)

advanced country - by banditess - Ardyn is a hunter and catches himself a black chocobo (selkie au, but Noct is a chocobo instead of a selkie).

ART

Black & white digital art of Noctis purging the daemons from Ardyn

Ardyn as Hades, Noctis as Persephone

A drawing of Ardyn stroking Noct’s face

Photo manip; Noct & Ardyn are destined to suffer

Noct & Ardyn holding hands as Noct purges him of the scourge

Noct & Ardyn as Appolo and Hyacinth

Noct feels a little frisky after spending 10 years in a crystal (nsfw)

Black & white digital art of Noct holding Ardyn and providing him comfort

Ardyn’s touch + the scourge are addictive (nsfw, cw: dub-con)

Day 2: Kings | Protectiveness | Throne sex | Marriage AU

FICS

crumbling manor - by ADyingFlower - Noct is married off to Ardyn when he’s still a child, and Noct yearns for companionship in Ardyn’s lonely house in Nifleheim (nothing sexual or inappropriate happens between them in the fic)

Kings - by Kircheis - After everything, Noct gets a second chance. He thinks Ardyn deserves one too.

the two kings - by kimmimaru - Ardyn was raised to be a king. Noct proposes there’s room enough for two kings to rule Lucis.

pocketful of sugar - by nickofhearts - Chapter 3 - Noct wakes up in an alternate universe where he’s happily married to Ardyn. | Chapter 4 - Noct is a sex addict who cheats on his husband with Ardyn.

king of darkness, king of light - by lhugy_for_short - Ardyn forces Noct to marry him in exchange for his friends lives, then brainwashes Noct into forgetting about them altogether (cw: dubcon, mind alteration).

In the Beyond - by jeejaschocolate - Canon divergence for the scene where Noct gets pulled into the crystal. Ardyn won’t play the gods’ games anymore.

ART

Noct is forced to endure an unwanted kiss, to keep up appearances of a happy engagement

Ink drawing of two kings, bound by fate

Noct protects Ardyn from a whipping

Noct wearing an amazing half-tuxedo/half-dress for his wedding

Very cute slice-of-life scenes from a mutually-beneficial fake marriage au

Noct and Ardyn wake up and discovered that they got married (nsfw, partial nudity)

Lovely digital art showing the progression of comforting embraces between these two through the years

Ardyn photo-bombs Noct’s selfie

Day 3: Illusion | Enemies to Lovers | Age Difference | Ardyn’s voice is sexy and he knows it

FICS

your best sleep yet - by windycockslap - Noctis is a rich kid/trust funder/college student, Ardyn makes sleep hypnosis videos.

To tame a fennec fox - by ADyingFlower - Little noct discovers a prisoner locked in the citadel, who turns out to be his ‘uncle.’

Untitled - by theplagueofstars - Noct is busy and not paying attention to Ardyn, so Ardyn does it best to get Noct’s attention.

Ardyn’s voice is sexy and he knows it - by Kircheis - Noct gets turned on by ardyn’s singing voice during karaoke

shatter - by kimmimaru - Ardyn torments noct with never-ending visions of finding his friends dead in zegnautus keep, until it breaks him.

Acting Strange - by lhugy_for_short - Ardyn wants to have sex with Noct, but Noct says never again. So Ardyn takes the forms of his best friends to try and trick him into a tryst, but Noct sees through him every time. (humorous)

a pocketful of sugar - chapter 5 - by nickofhearts - Noct starts fucking an older man…. who happens to be the Chancellor of Niflheim. Oops.

the devil’s children - by banditess - Ardyn is a hypnotist and hypnotizes noct into stripping on stage.

ART

Noct calls ardyn’s phone so ardyn can sooth him to sleep with his voice

Noct and Ardyn comparing the size of their hands

A bit of sexual tension during the final battle (sfw)

Ardyn arranges a meeting with the little chosen king when Noct is 5

‘I feel i’ve earned the right to call you Noct’

Day 4: Tease | Fuck or Die | Overstimulated sex | Alpha/Beta/Omega AU

FICS

Strange Company - by trashbinofdestiny - abo/warewolf au, Ardyn returns to the pack that cast him out over twenty years before, with the goal to replace Regis as pack leader. However, his plans change when he sees Regis' son.

Bury Me Tightly Now - by ADyingFlower - abo au, twincest, very dark.

Begging for more - by ardynizuniatrashlord - abo au, Noct goes into heat and Ardyn ‘helps’ him through it (cw: dub-con)

work for it - by lhugbereth - drabble + mood board, Noct makes Ardyn suck his dick (cw: non-con)

Owned - by kimmimaru - abo au,Noct goes into heat in lestallum and ends up being claimed by Ardyn (cw: non-con)

Utile - by floatingbuildings - abo au, Ardyn helps Noct through his first heat.

a pocketful of sugar - chapter 6 - by nickofhearts - Noct turns the tables on Ardyn and chooses the “little death” option over accepting Ardyn’s “help” after being exposed to sex pollen.

ART

Ardyn teases kittyboy!Noct with a fish toy

Ardyn gettin a little handsy with Noct (and Noct loves it)

Ardyn feeling noct up while threatening him with prompto’s gun (nsfw)

Day 5: Scars | Held hostage | Chained/In Chains | Kneeling before the King

An Audience - by trashbinofdestiny - Noct is crowned king and earns himself an audience with the accursed daemon king of old. Lucky him.

the cost of doing business - by marmolita - model au, Where Ardyn blackmails Noct into sleeping with him because he’s holding Prompto’s career hostage (cw: dub-con)

a pocketful of sugar - by nickofhearts Chapter 8: Noct and Ardyn engage in some consensual rape/kidnapping roleplay that ends badly for Ardyn. Chapter 9: Ardyn corrupts a younger Noct and Noct becomes an evil overlord.

dead poem’s still alive - by banditess - In an au where Lucian royalty is born with wings, Ardyn shows Noct the scars from where his were torn away.

world of ruin - by sweaterpawnoctis - Instead of being held captive by the crystal, ardyn keeps noct as his pet instead (cw: non-con, torture)

cradled in love - by eowynsmusings - (established relationship, happily ever after) Noct has never been repulsed by Ardyn’s scars.

Fallen - by kimmimaru - Some delicious throne sex where Ardyn goes down on his fallen king.

kneel before your king - by larkawolfgirl - Noct “punishes” Ardyn by making him give him a blowjob on the throne

the accursed’s one true fucktoy - by larkawolfgirl - Ardyn has The Chosen all to himself and he works diligently to train Noct to suit his needs. (cw: non-con)

ART

Scars

Noct chained to the throne

Noct in chains, laying on the floor at Ardyn’s feet

Noct chained to the crystal above Ardyn’s throne

Noct, chained collarred and gagged

Older noct, chained by the neck and kneeling at Ardyn’s feet

Companion piece to Cradled In Love - Noct wants to prove to his husband that he doesn’t find his scars off-putting

“I warned you not to spill a drop” (nsfw: Noct licking come off Ardyn’s boots)

Day 6: Afterlife | Meeting in dreams | Blindfolded | Oracle!Noct & King!Ardyn AU

FICS

and i meet you here, in the land of dreams - by totentanz - Noctis is eight and dreaming when he meets Ardyn for the first time.

the path between the stars - by banditess - Noct makes a deal with a faerie king.

peace in the beyond - by lhugy_for_short - Though the past can never be altered, the 'beyond' offers both Noctis and Ardyn a chance to come to terms with the lives they've left behind.

a pocketful of sugar - chapters 9 & 10 - by nickofhearts - Noct can read tarot cards, and his predictions can come true. He casts a love spell on Ardyn, which prevents Ardyn from harming him.

the time we spent together - by ADyingFlower - abo au, oracle!Noct & king!Ardyn - Crown Prince Ardyn Lucis Caelum meets Oracle Noctis Sanctus at a cerebration of their beloved patron goddess. It wasn’t love at first sight, or second, or even third. But it was a tale of beginnings all the same, a tale of love and lost in equal measure.

The Oracle of Ramuh - eowynsmusings - When Ardyn over-exerts himself while healing the afflicted, Noctis is there to heal him. But was their meeting just happenstance or is a higher power involved?

ART

Noct and Ardyn meet again in the afterlife

oracle!Noct and King!Ardyn

Day 7: Free Day | “Good Boy.”

FICS

Amor Finalis Litterae - by PoeticShadows - Ardyn sends a love letter to Noct

Homecoming - by kimmimaru - Ardyn makes Noct kill his friends

“Good Boy” - lhugy_for_short - Ardyn threatens Noct with Prompto’s gun on the train (cw: non-con)

Melit - floatingbuildings - Noct and Ardyn are on their honeymoon in galdin quay after a polotically arranged marriage, and it takes a little while for noct to warm up to him. Then he finds out marriage to a hot older guy has its advantages.

a pocketful of sugar - by nickofhearts chapter 13: role reversal chapter 14: cat-whisperer Noct befriends catman!Ardyn chapter 15: noct and catman!Ardyn fuck (cw: beastiality?)

ART

daemon-final-form!Ardyn attacking Noct

Adorable pictures of catboy!Noct and catman!Ardyn

Pokemon AU

If I’ve missed your entry, or you have a late entry, please feel free to respond to this post with the link.

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

#ffxv #noctis lucis caelum #ardyn izunia #ardynoct #ardynoctweek

88 notes · View notes