#the child of moon and stars

[visd3stele]

The child of moon and stars

please read the post here before proceeding

tw: mentions of SA

Chapter 2: The aftermath of one fatefull night

I sloped down on my side of the bunk bed I shared with Anika. The stash I've come back with I let on other capable hands as I made my way to Per Haskell's office. As soon as I got away, I felt more tired than after a night out fighting on the severe streets. A sigh left my throat and I let my eyes close.

"Ah, Morozova," Per has said earlier. "You've decided to show your face, finally."

"Sorry, sir. It was urgent."

"The new weapons, I know. Odd, the order hasn't come from me." The short man eyed me with meaning.

"No, sir. But the Stadwatch received a new shipment tonight and it'd have been a shame to let it waste." I kept my voice even, my silver gaze casted on the wall behind him and not Haskel's face. It helped covering my distaste for the man who called himself the Dregs' leader. Kaz did so much more for the band than Per could ever dream of. Except, the old man had no dreams. No ambitions. He'd gladly leave the things as they are while other bands gain power and land.

"Indeed. I assume you acted on Brekker's behalf?"

The words wouldn't leave my mouth through my clenched teeth. It was all I could do not to grind them together. To confirm it, even if Per already knew the answer, even if Kaz – as his lieutant – had the authority to deal certain orders, felt like betrayal.

"Answer me, Morozova." Hearing the name from his mouth made my fingers itch to curl and gather the shadows around his chair to strangle him. After arriving to Ketterdam, I couldn't use the name I've been known by in Ravka. And I needed one for my contract. So I used the first to come to my tired mind after dreadful nights. The name my father said it's a secret no one must know and the one he and his lover dreamt to call another like me. My ancestry, my legacy, my cursed blessing. Arina Morozova.

When papochka said it, shivers ran down my spine. Even as a young, little, girl I could feel its power. The ancient timbre it brought. The legend come to life. It made me feel powerful, safe, worthy. When Per Haskell spoke it, it sounded like an insult. As if I was beneath him, not in rank, but in simply being. Not something unusual in my experience so far – both as a Grisha and a indentered servant in Ketterdam. But it still irks.

"Did you have a job for me, sir?"

Per watches me closely for a while. Trying to decide wether to end my contract now and then or if I'm too valuable to lose. It's not the first time the old man threatens to send me back in the streets. Probably the main reason I hate him so. The power he has over me still. The way he likes to rub it in my face. I'm not the only one he does it to. Kaz amazes me every day with his self restraint and Inej carries it better than both of us. She hasn't lost her soul in the Barrel and it shows.

"The Wraith is nowhere to be found," he says at last, rolling his shoulder into the backrest of his chair. "Figured Schatten can take her place tonight."

My eyes widened with concern and I forced my body to remain in the same position: chin up, back straight, limbs relaxed at my sides. But fear pushed my arms around my torso, hugging myself in search of comfort. "They're still out?"

Kaz, Jesper and Inej had a meeting with a rival band tonight, the Black Tips, to settle some trespassings. Nothing out of the ordinary and certainly nothing to panic over. Jesper is the best sharpshooter we have – actually, I'm quite confident in saying the Zemeni boy is the best in the whole country. Inej is skilled. Her knives always land true and she can disappear with ease if she needs to. The kind Suli girl doesn't need a savior, those who go against her do.

And Kaz? He's a myth already and not for nothing. He seems to read people minds with the efficacy of his plans. His cane is known as a terrible weapon in the Barrel – and possibly beyond it. Dirtyhands is not someone to play with if you're on the opposite team. But I knew the boy before he climbed to power. I saw him make mistakes and learn from them, I saw him waver in his wits before gaining enough experience. And as much as I trusted him, as much as I trusted Inej and Jesper, my blood froze in my veins.

For tonight wasn't a simple meeting. It would end in a cross fire, at the best expanse. Kaz wanted to use tonight as an opportunity to clear up the waters and reveal Big Bolliger as a traitor. But of course the paranoid little devil wouldn't tell a soul. So what if something went wrong because the other on the mission were clueless?

"Yes, Morozova, that's what I make of it, supposing they didn't deserted us."

I glare at the short man. How dare he doubt the best in the Dregs' lines? "They're not back yet. None of them? What are they doing?" I muttered to myself. Per heard it anyway.

"How am I to know? I can't wait for the mission's report, that's for sure. But enough pleasantaries. You have a job to do."

 When I came back I spoted Jesper losing money he did not have at a gambling stand. "Jesper!" I yelled in relief, startling the sharpshooter.

"Ari," the boy stood up and picked me in a tight hug. Seeing how tall he was, my feet hovered a few centimeters above the floor before he put me down. Taking a better look at my ruffled hair, bruised cheeks and the way I favored leaning on my right side to protect the left leg from too much weight pressured on it, Jesper wrinkled his nose. "You look like crap."

"And might you be an epitome of beauty right now?" Truthfully, the way he carried himself told me the meeting with the Black Tips didn't unfold smoothly.

"I always am," he grinned from ear to ear before worry took over and he studied me more carefully. "But seriously now, are you ok?"

"The regular, I guess," I lifted my shoulders indiferently. "What about you? What happened?"

Jesper's face stiffened. "Big Bolliger's a traitor."

"I know. What I don't know is if there was a fight or not." I looked at him expectantly. He drummed his knuckles over the holders of his beloved twin guns. A flash of anger passed on his features.

"You knew?" A shake of his head. A weak, bitter laugh. "Of course you knew."

"Jesper," I said as gently as I could, hesitating before gripping his arm and rubbing it with my thumb. Trust is the rarest coin in Ketterdam and no matter how many months he worked with us, how used he may get with me and Kaz, the pang remains. "He trusts you. We all do, moy drug. It's just the way he is. Reserved."

"But he told you."

"I wasn't there with you guys, was I?" I wasn't sure what Jesper would make of it. What I even meant. But I hated to see him so hurt. And I couldn't lounge in a long, possibly more harmful explanation. Dirtyhands and Schatten rose together. The two legends are woven into each other, may we like it or not. Jesper only joined the team not that long ago. That would be worse to tell him, right?

The Zemeni boy shot me a toothy smile, slowly coming back into his usual, cheerful self. "Yeah, whatever. About tonight, then, nothing too bad. We're fine."

I nodded, as if my agreement would make it more true. "Kaz and Inej?"

He shrugged. "Not sure. They stayed behind for a bit."

I frowned. Nighttime isn't a nice place to be alone. And despite all of their strength and power, it'd make me feel better if I knew Kaz and Inej were both inside the slat. At least here there are people around to have our backs.

When the door opened I jumped as I turned to search for my friends. But it was only Anika and a few others returning from the streets.

I hid my fists in my sleeves and looked quickly away. But she already spotted me and waved, smiling. Before I could do the same, she dissappeared up the stairs.

Jesper leaned back on the chair, barely stilling his laugh. "So, you and Anika then...?"

"Shut up, Jesper."

It only made him laugh harder. "But seriously Ari, when are you going to tell her you like her?"

"Shut up, Jesper." I don't even know if I actually do, I thought, but didn't voice it. Anika and I weren't close, despite us sharing a bedroom. But something made me wish we were. I'm not sure what, I'm not sure if it's love, curiosity or just an itch of mine – how can I sleep next to a person I know nothing about? What I know is that it's enough to make me both uncomfortable around and away from her. And I don't particulary like that.

"Tsk, tsk, wouldn't have thought you're scared of a crush."

"I'm not scared," I rolled my eyes, breathing normally again and feeling the blush brush off my cheeks. "I don't think it's the right time for it, that's all."

"Why not? We're young and free, now's the time for everything!"

I glared at him viciously. "We're young, but not stupid enough to afford distractions. And we're not free. You're neck deep in debts and I have yet to pay off my own."

Jesper sighed and sat back at the table. "You sound like Kaz when you speak like this. As if allowing yourself to love would stop the money flow."

"It won't," I shrugged, "but it'd be in the way of priorities."

The Zemeni boy shook his head amused. "If you say so...". Then, motioning for me to join him, eyebrows rose in a silent question. "Maybe you'll bring me some luck," he jocked.

"She's a new one," one of the men said, hungry eyes fixed on me.

"Oh, yes," the one holding me on his lap laughed. "Brings me luck, it seems."

"Maybe I can borrow her after this game. You've made enough to buy a new house already, man!"

Shadows came to life on the walls of the Crow Club, stirred by my uneasiness. Waiting for my call, eager to answer and protect me of unseen danger. I relaxed my fingers and hid my trembling hands under my armpits.

"Sorry, Jes. Some other time, yeah?" I move past him then stopped. "Get away sooner rather than later, please. I can't drag you to your bed again after you fall asleep at that table." I threw over my shoulder, jumping over the stairs to my room.

tag list: @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy

[assassin1513]

◾️🤎🖤⚜️Moon Fall⚜️🖤🤎◾️

[euphorictruths]

Dusk Paradise- Varsam Kurnia; 2020

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 214

“I did an oopsie.” 

Clockwork paused in his work, gaze turning from his work towards his ghostling (it didn’t matter if he was an adult, he’d always be his ghostling) who was smiling nervously, avoiding his eyes. 

“Oh?” He kept his tone light, even as he worked on untangling a time knot. Honestly at least Danny was immune to any effect of time, even if he couldn’t look into his timelines in exchange. It came with being the other half of Infinity. 

“Yeeah… you know that corner of the multiverse you told me not to go to because you’re working on some time problems? I might have stumbled into one of the worlds in the corner…” 

He stopped his machinations, fully turning towards Danny- Space, his Core whispered and quivered in utter delight at having an Equal in power- with a raised eyebrow, leaning on his staff and silently telling him to explain. 

Danny poked his fingers together, giving a nervous laugh. “So uh, I was just exploring right? Well me and Ellie, you know how she gets when she can’t wander, and um… I er, we might have messed with some things in the creation of it… I didn’t know it was part of that universe, I swear! It was so far at the fringes and halfway into the Zone and I couldn’t just let a universe die before it began and-”

Oh- Oh! His ghostling (and his grand-ghostlings it sounded like) had claimed his first universe! He could put off these time knots, this was a grand milestone for any Ancient, nevermind such a primordial force as one of theirs.

And this is how a DC world came into being with humans evolving with more avian traits. Like wings. And claws. Look, Dan thought it’d be funny if they gave baby humanity wings and Ellie started rambling about how much farther they could travel if they had them and Danny thought it could be cool. Oh well, time to keep an eye on their itty baby world now…

[maiden-mystic]

[pinkd3mon]

Dedede at the end of revenge of the king

Day 4 of drawing random kirby shitpost for every day of October

[allura-raine]

[cuties-in-codices]

the trinity

in a miscellany manuscript, bavaria, shortly after 1464

source: Getty Museum Collection, Ms. Ludwig XII 8, fol. 52r

[princess-ibri]

King Magnifico Backstory Part 2

(Sorry it took so long. The holiday rush caught up with me, and it hasn't ended yet, so this is probably gonna be a three parter, actually. But here's the link to Part 1 and some other meta that connects to the backstory!)

The young man and his new bride sailed through time and space, through storms and starlight, out into the sea of a new world

Their ship crashed upon the shores of an island, on which stood the remains of a great castle and above which shown a brilliant star, shining as if it were a good omen that here they could build a new home for themselves

And such a home they built. The magic of the young man seemed to swell even greater beneath the light of the star--(the star he did not know was the home of his own fairy godmother)-- and as he and Amaya built their new home, others began to flock to them, as if also drawn there by the star.

The young couple welcomed them, and the young man used his magic to aid them in their dreams in exchange for their help in creating a new kingdom, where he hoped to be able to use his powers to bless those worthy of it--for he still felt the swell of love and happiness and wonder that came from helping to grant the wishes of others, so powerful it felt almost tangible at times.

They called the island Rosas, after the favorite flower of Amaya, and took the rose and the shining star above them as their symbols. Indeed, the star was already engraven on many parts of the now refurbished castle.

And soon enough, with the help of their new friends and subjects and the magic that flowed around them, a beautiful kingdom rose up, with Amaya as Queen, and the young man the people began to call “Magnifico” as King.

As the years passed, King Magnifico granted many wishes, and Rosas grew in prestige and beauty, people from the farthest flung places in the world began to flock to it, seeking its joy and bounty, and the chance to have their wishes granted.

Eventually the kingdom's population grew so great and so quickly that Magnifico--who had learned his lesson on granting wishes indiscriminately--decreed that only those who had lived in Rosas for a year and a day would have their wishes granted, and only then their greatest wish--so as to have time to prove their character and loyalty. Eventually this was raised to three years, then five, and finally all those who were born in Rosas and reached 18 were to have their wish granted, once per month at a grand ceremony.

To help aid and protect his new home, Magnifico studied magics both great and small, dark and light. He had books brought to him from all the lands that came to Rosas, and--though he did not know it at first-- the natural magic that drifted down from Rosas's guardian wishing star helped to aid him in becoming one of the greatest sorcerers in this new world, where magic was not as bountiful as the one he had been born in. One so great he managed to mostly stave off even old age for himself and his beloved queen, so as to keep their kingdom stable and secure

(And perhaps there was something of vanity within this. Having been starved of true affection for so long, Magnifico had became rather susceptible to flattery, and took perhaps more pride in his appearance then was healthy).

But for all his powers, and all his ability to grant the wishes of others, Magnifico found over the years that he was unable to grant the greatest wish shared between him and Amaya--to have a child of their own.

At last, one night, in desperation, remembering the vague story he had heard of his own birth, he wished upon the star above them.

And the star answered.

They named the child Maroula, “Wished for Child, or, Star of the Sea”, as she was born with the mark of a star on her forehead

The couple adored their daughter, as did the whole kingdom. Neither Rosas nor its rulers ever knew greater happiness than in caring for the young princess and watching her grow.

One day though, as young Maroula was playing in the rose garden of the palace, she heard a soft voice calling to her, though she could not see from where.

“Maroula, Maroula, wished-for-child of a wished-for-child. Great will be your power, but great too will be the trials that come to you from it. Would you face them when you are young, or old?”

And the little princess thought, “Far better to get anything bad over with sooner than later. Then, once it's done,I can live happily ever after without worrying about it”

So she answered “When I'm young”

"So be it" said the voice, and faded away...

And yet the years went by without any sign of these promised trials, until Maroula had grown into a beautiful young woman.

The princess has always been close with her father, and over the years he had taught her magic as well, and eventually she became his official apprentice, as well as his heir

Maroula studied hard, and became wonderfully proficient in all manner of spells and sorcery, helping her parents to bless their kingdom and aid in its prosperity

All seemed well, until the eve of the Princess's 18th birthday…

Part 3

[mariasabanahabanabana]

I'm bored and out of ideas, give me some ideas / request are open

(IMAGE TO CALL YOU GUYS ATTENTION)

[bitchenfries]

[assassin1513]

🤍🩶🤍Silverfield🤍🩶🤍

[azoosepted]

im sorry. hindley sheeran be upon ye

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 274

You know what is fun? Baby Ghost Jason. You know what could be even more fun? Ghosts are Dragons. 

Jason? Aware of none of this. 

He was on comms, y’know listening and rolling his eyes at Dickwing, who used his real name, really Dick, he mocks. It’s just a stakeout, nothing new there, honestly boring when he could be blowing something up instead. It should have just been a stakeout. 

Yet there’s something suddenly there, something behind him. Something that causes his hair to stand on end and his comms to spark into static like some sort of horror movie. Something, something with clawed hands with corpse-pale skin tipped in black, stained or dead or something else, tilting his head up and up and up as he’s frozen. 

“A child, out here? Alone?” a voice crackles, hisses, hums, and purrs, somehow all at once, unnatural in its tone. He can’t move, he needs to move, he has to move, but it’s like the space around him has gone cold and dead, like he’s stuck in the Pits once more as claws hold his head and his vision blurs. “Sleep, child. Rest- we’ll be home soon.” 

[dad-sun-and-moon]

Dad AU got two bronze and two silver medals from the poll results, and I just drew this to thank you all for even nominating my silly little au. It means so much that you all love it as much as I love creating it.

Even if I didn’t win, I still count it as a victory. ❤️

[mors-pulchritudo]

I had so much fun making this lol

Calli using her deep voice to fuss at her kids will never not be funny to me

Taglist : @cursed-interdimensional-freaks @tick-tock-goestheclock

Also, all audios used (besides the background music) are from @/trintheweirdo on TikTok! Check her out she’s hilarious