#the heir and the cure

[byoldervine]

I have so many questions about the timeline of this. So Kennedy and Connor are the oldest, but Persephone was the first? And she has another sibling but Eleanor may or may not exist? But she didn't grow up with any siblings? And what's the dreaded fic thing you keep saying about? What the hell happened here?

In terms of the timeline for Byoldervine’s creation, I’ll give you what I can:

• 2018-2020: Kennedy and Connor were conceptualised some time around here, I think? Possibly earlier? They were originally intended to be prison inmates looking for a way to bust out, though I never really had many ideas I could settle on for that so it was scrapped quickly. The characters remained and went through a few variations over time

• March-April 2020: The Dreaded Fic™️ began. Prototypes of Persephone, Alicia, Eleanor, Corrus, Clay and the Guardians emerged here, as well as some inspiration for Angelus. Most of the plot for Unholy War was created here

• June 2021: Started actually writing The Heir and the Cure. Kennedy and Connor finally found their forever story, along with new character Perianth. The story took place in Paracosm and focused on the trio journeying across the land in order to make a cure for Nordsvark’s sickness and save Layni from being Taken

• 2022: Realised I could put Unholy War and The Heir and the Cure into the same universe in order to minimise additional worldbuilding. I called it the Byoldervine series

• December 2022: Started this side blog!

• 2023: Realised I could combine both stories into one book without sacrificing much of anything. The new story was just called Byoldervine

• 2023: Finished daydreaming and plotting and started actually writing. Took me long enough

• April 2024: Over 67K words and counting :)

[friendfromdsmp]

You mentioned sirens in the short story, could you elaborate on that? 👀

I would LOVE to, thanks for the ask!

So one of the locations in the story is called Haffólk, the largest of the islands surrounding the mainland. Haffólk is used as a place of connection and trade between the aquatic-based fantastical creatures and land-based fantastical creatures. This does, however, attract a lot of sirens

Now, sirens aren’t inherently evil or malicious, but the issue is that speech doesn’t work the same way underwater as it does on land. If you talk underwater, it all just sounds gargled and usually incomprehensible. This is the same for merfolk, so speaking Mer tends to work on sensing frequencies and vibrations in the water, and it can take a lot of effort for someone who is used to speaking Mer all their life to adapt to all the different vocal formations required to learn a different language since they’ve effectively just been making any noise at the right pitch or tone all their life

This would all be fine if it wasn’t for the fact that the easiest way to speak Mer is thus through humming and singing…

Sign language forms are growing in popularity among sirens in order to enable them to communicate with those on land who are affected by their singing, but it’s not quite widespread enough yet for people to not still be weary. Other merfolk tend to be immune to the hypnotising effects (though may still feel a pull towards the melody despite being fully capable of resisting) and those that aren’t are able to seek what’s effectively exposure therapy should they find a siren willing to help. That process can take a while and in small, controlled sessions that aren’t exactly replicable in a ‘wild encounter’, for lack of a better word, so typically merfolk without immunities, such as selkies, will send their young in order to have them exposed early in life. It’s kind of like back to back chicken pox parties; expose them early so they’re safe as an adult

A fun fact about siren song, and one relevant to the snippet where I first mentioned the sirens, is that it only works should your sexuality be compatible with the singer. You like girls? Girl sirens will get you. You like guys? Guy sirens will get you. Are you bi or pan? Better watch out for all of them. Ace? You’re basically either a siren’s greatest wish or worst nightmare, depending on the scenario. Basically, if you’re closeted, don’t go to Haffólk, because if a siren shows up and tries to say hi you run the risk of outing yourself… and also drowning, but at that point it doesn’t matter anymore

So yeah, the sirens don’t typically TRY to drown people, it’s just that they’ll see someone and try to say hi or something and then the person comes over and they’re all like “Ooh they’re coming over let’s chat! Wait why aren’t they breathing? I should call for help!” and then… yeah, in their panic they unintentionally prevent you from saving yourself. Sirens aren’t usually the brightest, unfortunately, but they make up for it by being good hunters and they do tend to be friendly. A lot of the time you have a selkie or two effectively lifeguarding around the shore on Haffólk just physically intervening to make sure nobody gets unintentionally friendship drowned

Thanks again for asking, I always enjoy the excuse to ramble about this stuff!

[starrynightsxo]

me when he said the sickness can't also be the cure

[vigilskeep]

?????? What do you mean Anders is all like, "We have a kid now" when Keir gets back from the Fade ??????? Where did he get the nugget?????

[swordmaid]

thalia is so growing on me i love my rich woman who has Problems.. i gave her ice powers for like. the elsa vibes.

[okeydokeylackey]

Doodle December Part 1

A Harry Potter server that I'm in is hosting a series of prompts for December and encouraging the members to either doodle or drabble something relating to the theme. So, these are the ones I've done so far with my OCs!

Magical Creature: Damyan Angelov (Veela Prince)

Timeturner: Casey Selwyn

Patronus: Timeas Snape (Duck)

Divination: Davey Gudgeon

Alohomora: Loki Lestrange and Bennett Channon

Mirror of Erised: Augustus-Timber Sapphirius and Alexandra Scarlett

[rosella-writes]

MAN I wanna write a post or fic about infertility as a theme in Dragon Age but I dunno if I have the fortitude

[thedeadthree]

also i would like to introduce ✨him✨ the heir of the aldmeri dominion who she totally didn’t stab in the eye when she intended to take him out……. and she was ambushed by his guard hidden in invisibility spells and far enough away that detect life didn’t work…….. bc the morag tong sent her on a mission they knew! KNEW she wouldnt walk back from alive as she ruffled too many feathers and they wanted her gone osjzjxjx……… now she has a thorn at her side (affectionate) DEAD on her heels until they cross paths for realsies in markarth sljzjxjx.

the royal pain of vinny himself, caranthir nemfarion aldmeri 🤍

[valaglarios]

sargas ruk is the funniest grineer character imo because he's done/alluded to have done so much Shit for the grineer that has LONG since been forgotten about by DE, if it was ever meaningfully acknowledged at all, and ended up just being relegated to "minor character we'll completely mischaracterize and shoehorn into random events when necessary." i want a glimpse of the alternate reality where the grineer won the gradivus dilemma and ruk ended up being the Major Villain in Every Major Event & Update who Just Won't Die instead of alad

[homunculid]

College AU but I keep the age gap and mild scandal bc it’s kind of quintessential to E’s loser qualities + arc

[byoldervine]

Elven Lore in the Byoldervine Series

So I’ve made a previous post about sirens in my writing, but now I want to discuss a fantasy race that are pretty much a staple of the genre; elves

Like almost every fantasy race within this series - with the exception of Tyrions (effectively angels) and Nexus Beings (effectively demons and other creatures of the afterlife) - elves are found in the realm of Paracosm, within which they have been native to the Kingdom of Zeilona for centuries. All elves have lengthened lifespans, with the average life expectancy being ~300-350 years, as well as a natural ability to heal plant life. They can’t accelerate growth or revive dead plants, but they can perk up droopy plant life or set small branches back onto trees where they fell from. It’s nothing major and oftentimes not particularly useful for much other than maintaining a garden, though it does attract a lot of woodland beings tied to nature to seek out elves when injured

Elves are technically part of the fae, but their membership is sort of… the best way I can explain it is that elves are to the fae what asexuals are to the LGBTQ+ community, if that makes sense? Nobody can seem to find an agreed upon reason why they wouldn’t be part of the fae, but there is a little frowned-upon discourse about elves not ‘counting’? Honestly I can’t find a better way to word it but hopefully I’ve conveyed the vibe. And just to be clear, nothing against asexuals, I’m aroace myself, this is simply an observation I’ve made concerning certain people in and out of the LGBTQ+ community

So what about the elves themselves? Well, for centuries the elves lived in Zeilona in relative peace, but one day the ruler was overthrown and King Agnos the Usurper took the throne. King Agnos certainly had the form of an elf, but there are rumours that he was another species altogether, though there isn’t a prevalent idea of what said species might be. Agnos introduced dark magic to the elves, granting those who swore allegiance to him the power to manipulate shadows and darkness, ashes, he even trained his few prodigies in necromancy. All this created a divide between the elves; some viewed these new abilities as incredible, but others saw it as undignified and immoral

Those who were against Agnos’ dark magic began to refer to the users derogatorily as Dark Elves, while they themselves adopted the term High Elves. Agnos’ rule was cut short after decades of High Elves resisting and eventually forming a rebellion to assassinate Agnos, leaving the Dark Elves - many of whom had never truly been loyal to Agnos in the first place, simply pledging a false allegiance - without their leader’s protection against the High Elves. This day is known in elven history as the Day of High Treason

They went for Agnos’ prodigies next, slaying the necromancers before they could have any hopes of reviving their fallen king. Only one was able to escape this massacre - Eilonwy - with the aid of her lover Ivy, an earth Elemental. By combining their powers of dark magic and florakinesis, they were able to raise an enormous thicket that formed a barrier between the Dark Elves and the High Elves, protecting the former from the latter. Ivy was lost in the battle not long after this, and in her sheer grief Eilonwy was able to use every last measure of her power to merge Ivy’s soul to the thicket, which remains sentient with Ivy’s soul to this day, protecting the Dark Elves from harm by devouring any High Elf that should get too close

The thicket, which had morphed into a weaving, creeping plant with dark magic pulsing dimly through each tendril and vine, became known as the Tainted Ivy, the High Elves using this in further cruelty but the Dark Elves using it to praise the sacrifice Ivy made and the display of the very magic ‘tainting’ the Dark Elves being used in such a selfless manner, proving their power didn’t make them inherently evil

Eilonwy declared the land encompassed within the Tainted Ivy to be a safe haven for the Dark Elves, a land now known as Blackwood, with Eilonwy becoming the first Queen of Blackwood and the Dark Elves. When Eilonwy passed at the end of her long reign, it is said that the Tainted Ivy grew stronger and larger than ever, claiming even more land, and the Dark Elves believed the souls of the two lovers had been reunited at long last

Queen Eilonwy’s descendants continue to rule Blackwood to this day, the current Queen being Wink of Blackwood. The war between Zeilona and Blackwood has continued with little fruition, though in the last few years Queen Wink’s only heir, Princess Kynne, went missing mere days after a High Elf spy was discovered in the palace and executed, leading the Dark Elves to believe that Princess Kynne was kidnapped by the High Elves, who are denying such an accusation. The heightened tensions have escalated the war stances and resparked the centuries-old rivalries between the elven factions. The formal military-esque warriors of the factions, known as the Drow, are on high alert, awaiting the orders of their respective rulers to launch a full-scale attack on their enemy

[friendfromdsmp]

Got a new secondary blog to cover all my writing stuff! I’m going to use @byoldervine to share facts and rambles about a series I’m writing called the Byoldervine series, which includes the story I’ve been sharing here that’s gained a small bit of interest, which I’m currently calling The Heir and the Cure. Feel free to ask any questions you’d like about my writing, I absolutely love sharing!

[cheswirls]

i dont think there was a definite time period for platinum arc bc everything moved so fast so. can we jus say 2 wks?? that puts the entire saga at pushing 3 months which is half the time sun and moon spent trapped in ultra space

[lemonlover1110]

𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Sukuna

[Chapter 1] Offerings

Story Masterlist - Next Chapter →

Pairing: Trueform!Sukuna x f!Reader

*Just want to preface that this is a historical AU but there will be some historical inaccuracies so if you see something odd, don't point it out. Also this is still a curse AU! if that isn't clear with four-armed Sukuna. Anyway I hope you enjoy!! Any general story warnings can be found in the masterlist!

Discord +18 - Twitter - Ko-Fi

Sukuna is missing something, he’s not sure what it is but he knows that he’s bored. He’s bored of everything that once thrilled him, tired of the same routine. But no matter what he does, he feels empty. 

He’s done everything possible to soothe that boredom, which has come to the expense of many lives. It entertained him until it didn’t. Occasionally he does find joy in the horrors that he causes but it doesn’t feel like that’s enough anymore. There’s something that he’s missing, but he’s not quite sure what it is. 

He has everything a man could possibly want– Although he isn’t exactly a man so his wants and needs are obviously different. He isn’t going to be fulfilled by the foolish ideals of happiness that men have. He doesn’t have much of a guide though, therefore he’s lost in how to fix his problem. 

“Uraume.” Sukuna’s voice isn’t all that loud, yet Uraume nearly comes running to fulfill his request. The temple is uncomfortably quiet; everyone is ready to fulfill Sukuna’s every request, and their king does not raise his voice unless adrenaline rushes through him, or he’s upset. No one knows which is the worst of the two. 

“My king.” Uraume kneels down before him. He’s quiet, too embarrassed to even bring up this question. It’s unlike him. Uraume is truly the only person that he respects which is why asking the question is hard for him to actually say. He wouldn’t trust anyone else with it though.

“What do men usually do?” He asks, which is odd for Uraume to hear. Sukuna was a man too, once upon a time. But he doesn’t remember that stage of his life, and he’s sure he wasn’t happy either which is the reason why he’s the monster he is now.

“I’m not sure.” They sound reluctant. “If you could be more clear, I can search for an answer.”

“Get out.” He orders, and they bow again before exiting the room. He wants to be left alone to gather his thoughts. He has all the time in the world to figure himself out, but he wants even more time. He doesn’t want to be bothered now of all times at the very least.

“There’s a woman with an offering.” A servant tells him from the other side of the tatami doors, followed by a shrill cry that makes a smirk come to his lips. That’s his answer.

Sukuna wants a successor. 

“Take it to the servants, answer to her needs.” Sukuna answers, not really caring to listen to any requests. His mind is now preoccupied, detailing his next course of action. He needs to find the perfect woman to carry his heir, which he knows will be a hard task– Perhaps the hardest challenge that Sukuna has come by in all of his years of living.

“Please eat, Haru.” You put the bowl beside the young boy’s mat. You’ve been slowly watching your brother’s health deteriorate, slowly watching his death near. Worst of all, you have been looking for a cure that seems impossible to find because it’s not something that’s affecting anyone important. 

It’s not a disease that’s affecting anybody else, really. It’s not infectious, you quickly found that out. You were glad about it at first, but then you realized that there’s no cure yet. Days pass by, and he gets worse. He refuses to eat anything, and when he does, he can’t keep it down for more than a few hours. His death is imminent.

“I did everything I could to get the right ingredients for your favorite food. Auntie made it extra special for you.” You make sure to tell him, but he can barely move. You kneel down beside him, grabbing his utensils and preparing a bite. “Just one bite, Haru.”

“I’m sleepy.” Is all he manages to mutter, and you feel a pull on your heartstrings. Your hand caresses his arm.

“Just one bite, okay? Then you can sleep all day.” You try your best to convince him. All he does is sleep, and no matter how many hours he sleeps, he wakes up tired. He prompts himself up, and you’re fighting back a smile– It’s barely any progress, if you can even call it that. “Open up.”

There’s a smile on your lips as you bring the food to his mouth, and he begins to chew. He takes the utensils from your hand, grabbing the bowl of food and putting it on his lap. You stand up and tell him, “I’ll get you some water.”

“He’s finally eating something.” You share with your aunt, making sure your voice is low since there isn’t all that much space. Her eyes go to him, and she really wants to say that it’s a sign of him getting better but it really doesn’t mean anything. Sometimes he eats everything that’s made for him, but he throws it back up. 

“I really wish this meant he was getting better… But we both know that he’ll get worse tomorrow.” She responds, and you want to curse her for even mentioning it but you know she’s right. You don’t like hearing it though, you’re helpless. There’s nothing more you can do for Haru, you’re just waiting for the day to come. 

“I really think he can get better.” Your eyes begin to feel with tears, knowing that you don’t even believe yourself. You’ve tried everything you possibly can, but you know that his time nears. You can’t just accept that fact though, he’s your baby brother, you can’t let him go. “Let me get his water.”

“I’ll get it… Think about what the medic said.” Your aunt reminds you of the visit from the physician. One that you’ve forgotten because you refuse to consider his one and only suggestion a possibility. The words flow back to your head,

“Your best bet is the deity up north. You have to bring him an offering, and if he deems it worthy enough, he will cure him.” “But if he thinks it’s beneath him, he’ll kill you.”

You don’t want to risk anything, but lately that seems like your only option. He’s not getting any better, even though you so badly want to say that he is. Throwing up everything he eats is not much improvement than not eating at all. You just have to figure out what is considered an offering worthy for the deity to save him, and to save yourself. 

“I’ll be back, I have to figure something out.” You say, smiling back at your aunt and your little brother. They barely acknowledge you before you leave the house, which you’re thankful for. You just need a moment to gather your thoughts, decide what you’ll do next. 

You need to sort out your offering for the deity, an offering that will hopefully sort out all of your problems.

“My king, there’s a woman with an offering.” It feels like the hundredth time that week in which Sukuna hears that sentence. Humans are greedy beings, and they all fucking need something. It’s unnecessary, purely materialistic– It’s a side of humanity that he appreciates though. How much a human is willing to sacrifice for wealth or the promise of good fortune. Sukuna can’t judge, he's the sole winner in the end.

“Let her in.” He says, and the tatami door slides open. A poor maiden with a pale yellow kimono, and a woven basket in hand. You walk in with your head down, following the strict instructions that were given to you. 

You’re trembling as you kneel down in front of the deity, bowing down to him. You remain bowing for however long he pleases, keeping your eyes shut because there’s tears building up. You have never been this terrified. Willingly putting yourself at death’s door is no easy feat.

“Rise.” He orders, and you straighten your upper body, remaining on your knees. You don’t dare look anywhere past his feet, keeping your eyes low and steady. You know that he’s staring you down, studying you. A smirk on his lips, thinking about how he’s found her. “What do you want?”

“My brother…” Your voice is shaky, and you try your best to compose yourself. You can’t start crying in the middle of it, you’ve gotten this far, he’ll surely kill you if you begin to sob at his feet. “He’s sick. The medic can’t cure him, and he told us you were our only choice.”

He’s not really listening. Something about a brother is all he grasped. He’s more into the way your lips move, and the tears of pure fear that well up in your eyes. He can tell that you really made an effort into your look today, even though you don’t look extravagant. Which for some reason he likes, he doesn’t want an arrogant woman in his chambers, he already has enough of them. He especially doesn’t want one of them carrying his heir.

What really draws him in is that certain look in your eyes. The clear innocence that’s written all over your face. You’re the perfect lily that he can’t wait to tear apart, petal by petal. That finalizes his decision.

“What do you have for me? Open the basket.” He orders, and you do as he says. Regret washes over you as you open it, immediately knowing that it’s not enough. You don’t know what came over you when you had the bright idea of picking it. You unfold the cloth with shaky hands, revealing the gift for him. He’s usually furious with these types of gifts, since they hold no value to him but he wants to hear your reasoning since he has other plans with you, “Why do you come to me with this?”

“Pomegranates aren’t native to the land, and they’re scarce this time of season. I found some while searching for an offering and thought it was a sign.” You explain, and he scoffs. A stupid reason, one that should get you killed. If he wanted fruit, he would send Uraume to get it for him. He guesses it’s creative though, especially when almost every person that walks through the temple is willing to sacrifice a life. But you don’t gain points for creativity, no one ever has.

“Pomegranates? What am I supposed to do with that?” He’s mocking you, and you swallow the lump in your throat. He’s right, what is he supposed to do with a pomegranate? He’s not like you, he’s not just going to eat it. You’re usually smart about this type of thing, but you guess desperation got the best of you this time around, and now you have to pay for the consequences. As to be expected, there’s no answer from you, and he orders, “Look up at me.”

Your eyes slowly move up his body to his face, and you’re in awe at the sight. A mix of emotions flow through your body. He really isn’t a human. You were terrified earlier, but now you’re simply astonished. You never really believed the tales that were told about him since you couldn’t wrap your head around the fact that a being like him could exist. But now he stands before you.

“Do you really think I’ll do anything with the fruit?” His voice sounds serious, but there’s a hint of a smile on his lips. You shake your head which irks him. “You have a voice don’t you? Use it.”

“No, my king. My apologies.” It’s strange, but you sound more confident as you look at him compared to before. It brings some sort of satisfaction to Sukuna since usually people that are allowed to look directly at him can barely communicate.  

“I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself.” He’s thinking about how merciful he is– Which isn’t entirely a lie since Sukuna never gives a second chance. Except you have no idea how you can redeem yourself unless he dismisses you. Little do you know what he’s thinking for you. “I have a proposal for you.”

“A what…?” Your eyebrows perk up as curiosity takes over you. A proposal from a deity, it’ll surely be something that you have yet to hear. 

“Bear my child, and I’ll forgive you.” He says, and you almost fall back. Your ears must be deceiving you, there’s no way that the proposal that you just heard is real. Your eyes are wide open, and you hear him laugh. It must be a joke then. 

“Uraume!” Sukuna yells, wanting it to be clear that he doesn’t want to waste a single second. Not even a second later, and they’re in the room, waiting for their king’s command. “Take the maiden and prepare her for me tonight.”

“Wait– You’re serious?” You dare to ask. You haven’t even agreed, yet he’s getting you ready for tonight, to have a baby with him of all things. “You don’t even know my name, why would you want me to carry your baby?”

“What’s your name then?” He asks, clearly irritated by the question, and you have no choice but to answer. If you don’t, you’re screwed. “There we have it. Take her, Uraume.”

“Wait!” You shout, but Sukuna isn’t going to listen to more of it. Uraume guides you outside, a task that they usually do harsher. At any other time, they’d be dragging you outside but you’re not just anybody. 

You’re the woman that will carry King Sukuna’s heir.

[swordmaid]

do want to explore the shri’iia/thalia dynamic sometimes bc they’re The Soulmates but soulmates as in in every universe they’re bound to meet each other at least once but it doesn’t mean they’ll end up together instantly (sometimes they don’t end up together at all) but I don’t have a firm grasp on thalia’s personality yet but im thinking she has eldest daughter syndrome, and she’s the only child of her father’s first wife and the heir to their noble family, but then she gets afflicted with the wild magic so now she has to go out and find the cure for that because it’s a dangerous thing to have and she can’t risk being surrounded by innocents bc her magic might set off randomly and harm them. so, an absurd sense of responsibility and the need to have everything be properly done the ‘right way’ makes for a very strict and uptight person I think…

[kissingwookiees]

also whether or not finn and alistair have kids depends entirely on whether or not they actually decide to let the hero of ferelden find a cure for the calling