#this got heretical real quick

[666writingcafe]

New Voice Messages (Part Two)

Solomon

"I know you're probably busy helping the brothers, so I completely understand you not answering right away. I've thought about it, and I realized Thirteen does have a point about me not keeping my past a secret from you. It's just that previously, trying to recall those memories brings about a lot of pain, making me inconsolable for several days. *sighs* But I'd much rather you hear it directly from me than from Barbatos or Thirteen. I'll share as much as I can, but please be understanding if I don't tell you everything in one go."

"I was born in a country where magic was thought to be sinister and wrong. It was something to be reviled. All it took was the slightest rumor, and anyone involved was branded a heretic, locked up, and executed. So, needless to say, my parents freaked out when I was born with magical abilities. My entire family would face consequences if word got out, so they told everyone that I had a serious illness and kept me from coming into contact with anyone inside the house. The safest room in the house was the basement, so that became my room for many years. Thirteen actually discovered me in there. She tried comforting me, but since she was wearing traditional reaper attire, her words didn't do much to comfort me."

"Sorry. Needed a moment to recollect myself. I'm okay now. Anyway, as I was growing up, I tried really hard to suppress my own power. But then one day I just couldn't anymore. *pauses* The real reason why I can't go back to my hometown is because it doesn't exist anymore. I destroyed it when I lost control over my magic. The land itself is cursed now. Anyone that steps foot on it is sure to meet a quick, gruesome death. I didn't realize what had happened until I was surrounded by rubble and dead bodies. I ended up collapsing to the ground and sobbing. I knew it wouldn't undo all the destruction, but what else could I do? Barbatos eventually came and took me away to Thirteen's cave, where he made me the guardian of the Fountain of Knowledge and branded me the Witty Sorcerer."

"That's about the general gist of my past. There are some specific details that I don't feel comfortable sharing right now. *pauses again* You remind me a lot of myself when I was younger. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did, MC. If you're not careful, you'll become more dangerous than I ever was at that point in my life. You might actually be able to destroy entire realms, not just one or two towns. Don't let anyone manipulate you into making that decision, not even our angels and demons. You're not a puppet. You have the right to forge your own path and decide your future."

Taglist: @lost-in-time-wanderer, @fuzztacular, @dianedancer18, @sweetbrier2908, @flare-love, @completelyshatteredbrokenmschf, @thunderlightning351, @l3v1chan, @anxious-chick, @5mary5, @expressionless-fr, @tenkobitch, @interconnectedmatrix

[jimsbeetroot]

Can you write a one shot for Corey? The reader is in the studio with Slipknot. Corey takes screams and reader, his girlfriend, loves them. Reader gives him loving looks. The others make fun of it and tease reader. Corey comforts them (hug,...).

February, 2001.

I was unsure as to if you were requesting a smut. I made it none smutty, but comment and I’ll change that real quick! This is not my best writing at all, I’m trying to get back into my groove, though!

The dimly lit studio was alive with the sound of metal, an almost tangible energy crackling in the air. Slipknot was deep into the recording of their latest album, *Iowa*, and Corey was in his element. His voice ranged from guttural screams to melodic growls, filling the room with an intense rawness that only he could deliver. You were in awe. You always were, but at that moment, watching him so in touch with that realness. You almost wanted to shed a tear.

You sat on a worn-out leather couch at the back of the studio, watching him pour his soul into every note. You marveled at the transformation of the man you loved into the suffering, terrifying frontman of Slipknot.

For you, it was a revelation each time you witnessed Corey perform. The power of his voice resonated within you, sending chills down your spine and igniting a fire in your core. You adored him in these moments, wrapped in a mix of awe and desire. It wasn’t just about his voice or the music; it was the passion he exuded, the way he owned every inch of his space, commanding the attention of everyone around him.

The band was in the middle of recording "The Heretic Anthem," a track that pushed the limits of intensity and speed. Your heart raced in time with the furious drumbeats, your pulse mirroring the ferocity of the music. You were utterly captivated, caught in a trance of admiration and something more primal.

You shifted slightly on the couch, unable to tear your eyes away from Corey. His presence was magnetic, drawing you in with every scream and every breath he took between verses. The rest of the band played on, each member a vital part of the chaotic symphony, but for you, Corey was the focus.

As Corey launched into the chorus, your heart swelled with pride. You knew how much this album meant to him, how much of himself he poured into every lyric and every note. *Iowa* was a darker, more intense journey than their debut, a reflection of the struggles and triumphs the band had faced. And at the center of it all was Corey, baring his soul for the world to hear.

But the bandmates, keen observers and expert teasers, couldn’t let the moment pass unnoticed. Between takes, Joey Jordison grinned mischievously and pointed at you. "Looks like someone's got it bad for our scream king over here," he joked, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm. The others joined in, their laughter infectious and loud, echoing off the studio walls.

Mick Thomson leaned over his guitar, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, you should see her face when Corey hits those high notes. Bet the studio isn’t the only place she hears it."

The rest of the band chuckled, their teasing lighthearted but relentless. Paul Gray added, "I think we have a new number-one fan in the room."

Your face flushed a deep crimson, your initial amusement quickly giving way to embarrassment. You tried to laugh it off, but their good-natured ribbing hit a sensitive spot. You didn’t want to be seen as just another fan, caught up in the allure of a rock star. She was there for Corey—the man behind the mask and the music. She was his girl, had been for over two years, and you sure as hell wasn’t planning on leaving either.

Sensing your discomfort, Corey stepped away from the mic and crossed the room with his usual attitude, the teasing giving way to a more sincere energy. He slid onto the couch beside you, draping an arm around your shoulders. The warmth of his presence was immediate and reassuring.

"Hey," he cooed, leaning in close so only you could hear him over the noise of the studio. "Don’t let them get to you. They’re just messing around."

You sighed and looked into his eyes, finding the comfort she needed. “I know,” you replied, voice barely above a whisper. “It’s just...sometimes I feel like they see me as a groupie.”

Corey shook his head, his gaze steady and sincere. “They don’t, trust me. They love you, they’re just- they’re bored and tired and fucking immature.” He gently squeezed your thigh and leant in to kiss your cheek.

Reassured by his words, you felt the tension melt away, replaced by a renewed confidence in her place beside him. You loved Corey, not just as the charismatic lead singer of Slipknot, but as the man who held her close and knew her heart.

The session resumed, Corey back at the mic, his voice a weapon of raw emotion and strength. You watched him again, your heart swelling with pride and affection. The teasing had faded into the background, and all that remained was the music and the man she loved. You were no longer embarrassed, only exhilarated by the unbreakable bond you shared amid the chaos and creativity of the studio.

[conchcreature]

Outlast rant

I can't be the only one that sees a female character that's been in a weird situation for all or a majority of their life and wonder how their periods are dealt with, right? I know people don't like to talk about menstruation or if they do its making jokes but I really wonder how phyllis and marta dealt with their periods.

I could imagine murkoff giving gooseberry a hysterectomy ngl. It would make things easier. Not having to deal with that, since menstruation does have effect on emotion. I wouldn't wanna deal with an horny-er gooseberry once a month for a week (I would but yk what I mean). We all know once the cramps aren't that bad anymore that we start going into "heat". She's already known to have seduced several people so I wouldn't be surprised if murkoff nipped that in the butt real quick. I'm not completely sure if they would give her anything when she did get it though. I feel like it would be the same as prison.

I feel real sorry for marta. She's under the control of a sexist pig and I don't think her being one his favorite changes her treatment during her monthly. Poor baby was probably told to power through it in the name of God and that it would make her a stronger warrior. Since knoth only got medical supplies for himself I doubt any woman at temple gate got sanitary products. As far as we know marta's days consists of her walking around temple gate to insure all the heretics are slain. Poor girl probably had to not only free bleed but also not get to at least relax during the cramps. Someone get her a heating pad, pads and some painkillers for the love of God.

There are so many sad factors about being a woman in horror. Menstruation is only one of them.

[quixtrix]

the significance of blue - a somewhat analysis on the lost temple cult

this analysis is defunct due to wiki retcons! im only keeping this up for archival purposes, please read the updated version here ! the heretic katana skin jus got shown to the general public and the detail that stands out to me the most is the fact that katana's horns are dyed blue. teal blue is the colour motif of the church of the lost eye, and the fact that they go as far as to make members dye their horns for this blue is very interesting! let's get into why I think they do this and more about the church of the true eye :P

for starters, i am an art history nerd, i'm going into uni for an art history related major, and took an art history class. these are my credentials before you tell me im insane (but also i am overanalysing phighting rn so maybe i am insane). pls dont like. kill me for overanalysing actually i jus really like doing this kinda thing lol dont read if you dont wanna hear me yapping

with that being said, in history, blue has been historically associated with wealth and religion. this is due to the fact that blue, specifically cobalt blue, is difficult to mine, and because a deep rich blue such as cobalt blue doesn't have an easy alternative for the colour. the standard of ur for exactly is a symbol of wealth because of the amount of blue that it uses.

on the religion side, or at least in abrahamic religions (i cannot currently remember if hinduism or buddhism treasures blue like that), blue is associated with heaven. obviously because the sky is blue and what not, but also because it represents the spirit of god. this may also be because of the aforementioned difficulty of acquiring blue, but religious figures and buildings use blue a lot, enhancing the association with blue and religion.

this all fits in line with the lost temple, which 1. is a place of wealth 2. the largest religious organisation we've seen in phighting. blue fits them, analysis done and dusted.

wrong. i woulda let this slide if we didn't establish that dying your horns is a way to express oneself in phighting.

look at all the members for me real quick, look at their horns.

yeah i included dollmaker mainly bc it said on the wiki shes in the cult. shes not apart of this analysis tho sorry dollmaker fans.

all various shades of blue! specifically teal and dark blue. whether it be dye or not, it's something noteworthy.

i wanna point out that it's said that medkit and katana both share the same shade of teal. yknow what else that medkit and katana share that's related to the church?

only mention of biological family on med's side btw. also, since he was born with teal horns its smth of note.

and then katana has a brother. this is literally in dialogue.

yknow what's a big thing in the church of the true eye? family. their whole schtick is being a whole big family. honestly, katana might not even have a biological brother if my assumption on how the cult's rankings work.

basically, the highest figure we know in the cult, whether he be the head of it or jus a real high ranking figure, is referred to as 'the father.'

it's not a stretch to assume that the hierarchy within the cult is based off of a family. those who are the lowest are referred to as the acolytes (i assume they are the lowest because the broker refers to them as a whole and not individuals), those who are higher may possibly referred to with more traditional family titles such as 'brother' or 'sister' or even possibly 'mother.' it would make sense given the fact that they're literally big on the family thing. why would you call the whole thing family if you won't do the silly culty thing with the brother and sister thing within the cult do you hate love and joy and fun??? (obviously matches are a different thing entirely, but i feel like outside of the phighters we see, the reputation of being a cult family as opposed to jus some weird ass cult obviously had to come from somewhere. besides, reserving titles such as brother and sister for higher ranking officials would show significance).

i highlight the fact that katana and medkit have the same shade of teal because colour is so significant in the cult. broker, medkit, and katana look to have similar uniforms in terms of build and colour, with katanas being kinda an inverse of broker's. they all seem to work underneath scythe as well, with scythe in a white uniform and more gold, appearing to be more wealthy and have influence in the cult. while she also has teal horns, it's darker than katana and medkit's, and i don't have enough information to gather what that darker shade of teal could really mean.

but regardless, teal horns in the context of the church of the true eye can possibly mean literal familial connection. that's one possibility. we're going through possibilities of the meanings of the colours right now. i say this because medkit would have most likely been fucked if he didn't have the familial connection to the church because from what we've seen, going to another faction is not a real welcome thing to do. and then katana's horns are clearly dyed that specific teal, when he hasn't dyed his horns red at all. he could have had them dyed like broker's darker blue, but they're not.

teal horns could also jus be a cult thing and broker's jus being the lil weirdo he is. but i jus can't let go of the fact that medkit's horns and katana's horns are basically the same colour. it's been bothering me. it's why im here yapping right now. honestly i wish i could also explain why dollmaker or scythe has tealish horns as well, (with the lil bits on both of their horns sticking out!) but i jus don't have enough info on dollmaker.

anyways, since i'm already talking about katana's and medkit's horns, let's talk about that little gold ring on both of their horns.

horn decoration has mostly been seen as, once again, expression, but historically irl jewellery has a lot of significance culturally and religiously. first thing that comes to mind is the stretching of the ear lobes, which is associated with status and religion (think the buddha.) within the world of phighting, we rarely if ever see jewellery on horns outside of the cult. honestly i jus assumed that medkit was cunty but with the large gold piece on heretic katana's horn, it has to have more significance.

also. why are they on the same side. i know that the right side and the left side have meanings within abrahamic religions (eg. muslims not using their left hands to eat or drink because of the devil, 'the right hand of the father' being because the right hand of god is metaphor for his omnipotence) but i don't have enough info for the ring. it could mean that you were accepted as more than an acolyte within the cult, or again, the family tie, but there's jus nothing at the time of writing this that i can figure out. it's a bit frustrating. it could jus mean they're wealthy though

anyways, i think that's all my thoughts on the church of the true eye. i actually have a small idea on who the deity the church worships, but also i feel like that's like theorising who's the in universe jesus christ (because the church unironically can be compared to christianity. i might make another yap sesh on that.) so i didn't go into it in here lol. tell me all ur thoughts nd feelings on this, my askbox is open :P

[rennsdeaddoves]

What if? Pilgrims meet..........The pilgrims,

Rue and the reader just happy to have a modern person to relate to amid all the bullshit, the tripitaka's are happy to have a MAN to diss all the heretics with, the pigs are incel-ing,

Wujing's are happily sharing tea and maybe inviting the girls to SPILL the tea ( isekai'd wujing shows ruejing his ship art book 🙊) and the wukong's..........Loud hissing and cat fight noises 😐

(Does this count as spam??)

(Nah doesn’t count as spam dw)

And I actually think about this more than I’d like to admit….

BUT on god it would be the funniest thing ever. Reader and Rue would instantly just be like “where are you from, remember how shitty the government was?” And rue would pull out her phone cause this is a special occasion and being to play some music she has downloaded for reader. If either Pigsy were to act up (I’d assume isekai’d would with wwmittos Pigsy trying to stop him) Rue would verbally assault him with so much shade he’d have to sit.

The two Tripitaka’s would be in their own little world of meditation and internal screaming at the fact that THERES SIX OF THEM NOW AND TWO WUKONGS!!!! No their not dealing with it. Honestly I think wwmittos Tripitaka would just turn to his counter part and go “rue has this. She can “babysit” as she puts it. Let’s go before we get dragged into this” and they just disappear (because they are cowards!)

The two Sandy’s are having a blast ittw Sandy is telling wwmittos Sandy all about reader and Wukong and wwmittos Sandy is getting so many ideas (cause Rue and Wukong are semi together but it’s very confusing both of them are pinning and too stupid to realize anything at all) so it’s Sandy is helping come up with ideas about how the other can speed things along.

Now the wukongs…. Honestly THEY ARE THE BEST!! As soon as they see each other it’s the spider man meme. Their pointing at each other and pulling out the staff ready to GO. reader and rue get involved real quick reader likely telling ittw wukong that if he can’t get along with the other she will ban him from cuddles or something like that. So now the only way they can duke it out to establish dominance is verbal abuse and wwmittos Wukong has been listen to rue diss kings for MONTHS! So he’s got some really nasty comments thanks to her. But ittw Wukong also has some comments too (rue was not about to let her wukongs ego skyrocket so she shared some of her secrets)

@skittlescripts if ya got anything to add DO IT cause I’m sure you’ve thought about this too lmao

[thequeendomhq]

NAME. Dantalion "Uegg" Althais AGE & BIRTH DATE. Unknown & November 13th GENDER & PRONOUNS. Cis Male & He/Him NATIONALITY. Avalonian SPECIES. Devil FACTION. Vanguard of the Light OCCUPATION. Crusader FACE CLAIM. Nick Sagar

biography

( tw mentions of torture and death )

As a man, his contributions to the world were sinister. He wasn’t evil, simply a survivor who was dealt a bad hand in life. Was it so bad to capitalize on the grief of others? To lie? If they were willing to pay then why was he the villain for taking their money? It didn’t matter that he touted moss water mixtures and powdered beetle moltings as ancient cure-alls when they held the same healing properties as dirt, he was providing hope to the wary who’d otherwise have nothing but despair without him. Didn’t that count for something? These pathways of thought were exactly what kept him able to sell his snake oil to countless despots without shouldering an ounce of guild. However, that shamelessness kept him vulnerable. After a reasonably disgruntled customer tracked him down to the next village over and beat him senseless for selling a bottle of nothing, a mysterious traveler was the one to tend to his wounds and hear his heart’s truest desire. All he wanted was to stop being seen as some evil charlatan by his customers. When asked if he was sure he said yes, and his world immediately burst into searing flames. He could barely hear the stranger’s laughter over his screams, but the sound would stick in his ear even once he’d been entirely consumed by hellfire. What he didn’t realize at the time was that where he was headed, the Abysss, no one would see him as evil at all. The devil who marked him thought it prudent to claim his soul then and there, granting the wish and adding to his army in one fell swoop. 

  It was impossible to know how long he was in the Abyss, the torturous burning never stopped. Ever second of his time there was marred by the eternal laughter in his ear. By the time he managed to drag himself from the trench of hellfire that life he led as a human seemed like some kind of distant dream. His soul had been twisted beyond recognition and he rose to a new hell, one filled with liar, frauds, and heretics like him. His name now was a curse, Uegg, a sinister omen from a dead language. It took much more time for his frenzied mind to understand the game he’d been thrust into, and in a hellscape for some of the lowest dregs in life the game was as brutal as it was addictive. Deception was the rule of law, hold onto the spark of intelligence long enough to trick someone stronger. Never stop climbing up no matter how painful and maddening the journey is, forever. Like the other demons, Uegg played all he could until he witnessed a devil return from the mortal realm. The first thing they did was toss the strongest within his domain back into the trenches of flame. Those who could crawl back out were presented with more favor while those who couldn’t were left to toii all over again. Uegg realized when the devil played this particular game, he was completed engrossed which gave him his idea. The next time the devil left he’d play a trick and escape this trial, and finally gain real power. Uegg’s game began the next time the devil was summoned away.  He got good at catching demons off guard, slitting their throats when their guards were down. Even stronger demons were helpless in the face of a true deceiver. He honed his power constantly until Uegg had acquired rank through force while his devil patron was away, though the fool was too old and pompous to ever acknowledge that. Another took his place with the devil began to toss his strongest into the pits, providing Uegg his chance. He looked spindly and weak, but there was power beneath his skin. He’d garnered it for centuries and once he was sure his overlord was satisfied with his homecoming shake-up, Uegg did the devil in.

  Their battle was quick and brutal, mostly because Uegg took advantage of how little the devil paid attention to him. In the end, it was his cunning that allowed him to surprise the devil with his dissent and from the ashes of that battle rose a new devil to command the legion. Conquering territories and other armies, slaying more devils simply to add to his numbers all while toying with those already under his command. That became Ueggs’ existence in the Abyss. He enjoyed catching wind of plans to usurp him only to let them play out and squash all hope at the last second. He enjoyed sending his armies to war with another for no reason other than he could. Uegg enjoyed being a devil so much that he thought it was silly to want to go to the mortal realm at all. That is until an opportunity presented itself. His predecessor was old and scattered relics to conjure him across the mortal realm, associating false stories with each one and spreading them like wildfire. Those tales became legends over time, and those legends inspired questers to quire them. Some thought they were seeking eternal youth or unlimited power, but each relic was a lie meant to invoke the name of a devil. Uegg heard the call of his former’s name and decided to answer it, passing through the door some naive elvhen unwittingly opened. They hoped to find a way to fix the Laurelin tree but instead found a cackling devil happy to bathe them with his hellfire. They tried everything, including warding with the name they thought was his until all there was left to do was plead. They begged for mercy, an end to the burning, and to have their mistake corrected. So he granted their wish, burning all evidence of their existence and their conjuring. Uegg had new forces to add to his already great numbers and a newfound source of enjoyment. There was something especially amusing about the torment of the faithful. 

  With old tricks in a brand new game, Uegg positioned himself as a charlatan of a different nature. A mysterious traveling miracle worker who restored fields and healed the ill. He always seemed to appear when people were at their most desperate. They’d offer livestock, cloths, or anything as tribute if only he washed away their problems. Uegg would gleefully accept, turning the downtrodden into his darkfriends. He delighted in the torment of humans, they were much more entertaining to harm than demons. Never staying in one place for too long, he travelled for nearly a century deceiving innocents into making wishes over and over, creating a constant supply for his legions in the Abyss. Uegg would spend many years creating darkfriends before he stumbled onto one who helped him unlock a new level to his game. A clergyman desperate for an ear to bend spoke of his desire to see a holy war, creating a spark of cruel inspiration within Uegg’s mind. He’d use the man’s faith as a playpen, sew conflict, and add the faithful and their targets to his legions. Adopting the name Dantalion Althais, he convinced the clergyman to teach him about the One God’s light by lying about the miracles he was capable of. He was thought to be favored by the One God, many in the Vanguard of Light could see as much. With a prayer to the One God Dantalion could cure an ill child or light his sword with a powerful flame of judgement able to smite the undead and any who stand in the way of the One God’s glory. He was strong, a true believer, happy to travel and spread the word and destroy enemies of the Church. The game was too easy. The wish was granted, all he had to do was watch from the sidelines. The pieces fell into place all the while he created more darkfriends from practitioners and Vanguard members alike. He traveled, the King was deposed, and Astoria has been at war ever since. A conflict on that scale created an endless supply of grief, and as he continues to stoke the flames of the holy war within the Vanguard, he’ll grant wishes for any desperate enough to lend him their desires. 

personality

+ Meticulous, Proactive, Charismatic – Sadistic, Vain, Duplicitous

played by zen. est. he/him.

[baitpaintsbadly]

Here we have the new Warsmith and Exalted Champion for my Iron Warriors. The new Warsmith (by LoggyK here) is magnetised to accept his claw, a hammer and a chainsword just for some WYSIWYG and I gave him the crane arm of the metal model just to keep a bit of the spirit alive. The Exalted Champion (By Hellforged Miniatures, cant seem to find them anymore), gave him my spare Warpsmith axe for him to use as the Axe of the Forgemaster. A quick pivot back to the IVth since I’m in a Crusade with them and want them to be ready to go. A smidge of sappiness below the cut. As usual, the models were printed for me by the wonderful @heretic-deb​ over at Forsters Foundry. Cant thank them enough for their continued help!

An end of an era, the metal model did me real well and has a pride of place on my mantle. Genuinely sad that he got outscaled so quick. Iron Within, little guy. Here he is next to his properly scaled self.

[unhingedhearties]

Coming Down From The Top Rope!

Good news for Chris McNally:

The smugness makes this so much better for what's coming next.

"All quick to blame EK (me too, but for different reasons) *just* bc you wanted revenge on ET."

I. LOVE. How Liz is trying to exempt herself. She was righteous because she was yelling at Erin for the right reasons (those reasons being she has a dog and a boyfriend who raises money for MS research and has short hair and totally just wants to kiss every man in existence), unlike those heretics who got mad at the fictional character Erin plays.

It's a shame Writer Janine, who I will always remind you wasted no time making light of a real world massacre when the bodies of the victims were still warm, wrote this because it's a great breakdown of how stupidly wrong Liz is. Too bad she had to ruin it by being a hypocrite. Liz's snarky rude commentary doesn't even come close to how rude and snarky Writer Janine was when she arguing about how she was in the right for calling the Season 10 break up a massacre only hours after an actual massacre took place.

Let's end this on a high note:

OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH!!!

[supercantaloupe]

alright operablr might hate me for this one but i...was not wild about don carlo, tbh. i think it's kind of a mess. before i elaborate i want to stress that a lot of my opinions are taste based and i am not saying that the opera or anyone who likes it are Bad or Wrong, i just don't think it's quite For Me. adding a cut so you can ignore all this if you want

anyway after having seen both nabucco and don carlo within a week of each other (thereby doubling my previous experience with verdi of traviata and otello), i'm starting to feel like, stylistically, early/mid verdi is much more my speed than late verdi. i remember coming away from otello thinking "that was alright" whereas with nabucco and traviata i was thinking "wow that was great!"...after finishing don carlo last night i was just...confused. i feel like i'm missing something.

actually, i definitely am; i've seen people posting about recurring motifs and beautiful arias etc in the music and i definitely missed those. again, late verdi (along with a lot of late romantic music tbh) just Is Not My Thing, i think. and considering how late don carlo is in verdi's output i'm not surprised (very much a post-wagner composition, don carlo is. same with otello). i'm planning on writing a separate post about this so i won't go into much detail here but the music really lacked a lasting memorable-ness for me; what was there was nice, yes, but it didn't feel like anything stood out much. i mean, numbers like the brindisi and amami alfredo in traviata, va pensiero in nabucco, and la donna e mobile in rigoletto -- these all Stand Out, even after only a single listen, but i am not even 12 hours off watching don carlo and i don't think i could hum for you one of its melodies. again, this has a lot to do with personal taste; in general i tend to prefer 18th and early 19th century music styles, and i plan on going into more detail about memorable music in theater in a different post.

and man, the plot is a mess. also, not to apply too modern a lens of story criticism here, but the pacing is all over the place: act ii is, like, twice the length of act i, and act iv is no quick jaunt either, then v is pretty short again. (and really who am i to complain about a 3.5 hour runtime, as a giulio cesare fan, an opera which bumps up against 4? well, at least giulio cesare has a consistent if slow pace...)

it is all over the place. one moment it's a typical operatic romance, then a political intrigue, another it's a gay psychodrama, and then it's about the catholic church. i think this is a feature rather than a bug for some people but it really did not work for me. like it's all well and good watching rodrigo and carlo swearing their loyalty for one another in the most totally heterosexual way possible or making plans to save flanders or deal with carlo's embarrassing crush on his stepmom or whatever, but when the very next scene (with no real warning) is a public parade of heretics for shaming and burning...bit of a tonal whiplash there, i think!

again, taste is a factor here. known sexy oklahoma enjoyer sasha supercantaloupe is no stranger or opponent of tonal whiplash in theater, but when it comes to "no one expects the spanish inquisition!" i think there's a difference between guys with silly outfits and silly accents popping out from behind a corner and a crowd of people dressed in friar habits carrying crosses and torches around onstage...especially to a jewish viewer like me. the plot very much feels like something someone who doesn't like opera would make up to belittle the art form imo: it's like four different things at once all thrown together in a very long, kind of jumbled mess. (i mean, what does eboli even do other than show up, make things Even More Complicated, and then disappear within two acts?)

and...i get the sense that verdi/contemporary audiences might've thought this, too. obviously the fact that it got so many productions that it HAS so many different versions at all shows that people liked it enough to keep performing it -- but there being so many different versions of the opera (disregarding translations), four acts versus five, cut or revised arias, etc, i think also indicates that something about the opera was not working quite right that they kept trying to fix. now i've only seen one version (granted it came highly recommended to me by mutuals, but only one nonetheless) and can't comment on other versions of the opera; maybe another version works better for me, idk. on its own i actually think it's really interesting that there are so many different revisions out there to study -- a real lucky glimpse into the dramaturgical process that you don't normally get to see from shows of the era or earlier. (ask me about hadestown if you want to know more of my thoughts on changes made over the course of a show's development being for better or worse.) but the finished version of the opera (at least the version i saw) is a bit of a mess imo. i definitely think it has its high moments, but i don't think they completely overshadow its lows. comparing it again to otello, which was a much more consistent product in tone and pacing etc. to me, although a bit less interesting overall too.

i feel like i might be disappointing some people by saying all this lol but i have to be honest. don carlo was just not my thing. suffice to say that i think late verdi has absorbed too much wagnerism for my taste, musically and dramatically. maybe i'll rewatch it at some point -- i'd be curious to check it out in french this time -- but i don't expect to be doing that anytime soon, unless a friend or something is watching and really wants me to join (and i can spare four hours...). i can see why y'all like it (well, some of why y'all like it) and i do admit there's some good stuff in there to like. namely the carlo & rodrigo shit. i understand now lol. the opera definitely feels like it's ripe for shitpost/meme content and i am here for that. but i can't say this one is going at the top of my fave shows list. sorry everybody!

[lachievpoststhings]

The Simpsons Season 4: My thoughts

Now, this review took me a while to do. One of the discs was scratched and I had to wait almost 2 weeks for a replacement disc to arrive. Worth the wait though, this season has a great balance of comedy and heart. This season right here is where things REALLY get good! A good chunk of the best gags from the show come from this season, as well as one of may favourite episodes. Speaking of which…

Favourite Episodes:

Kamp Krusty

So good, it was almost considered the plot for the movie but they barely had enough material to fill 22 minutes so 80 would've been an issue.

Mr. Plow

Catchy jingle and funny episode overall (I will always love Adam West's scenes and "It was never wrapped in foil").

Lisa's First Word

Funny but also wholesome and heart warming.

Homer's Triple Bypass

This episode has so much of Dr. Nick that I can't help but love it.

Marge vs. the Monorail

I don't think I need to explain why I love this one. If you've seen it, you'd understand.

Last Exit to Springfield

I dunno why exactly, I just love this one.

Not so Favourite Episode:

Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie

While I do understand Homer's point of view in this episode, his method of punishment seems less like the type of punishment that a child could learn from and set them on the right track and more like the type of punishment that a child could grow up to resent their father for. But hey, that's just my opinion.

Now to go into a little detail about a couple more episodes.

"So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show" is the very first clipshow episode of the show but unlike clipshow episodes that would follow, this one actually ties everything together with a proper story, one that you could actually consider canon.

Some of you might actually know this but "The Front" is actually based on a true story. Three highschoolers wrote a fan episode for the show "Tiny Toons Adventures", sent it into Warner Brothers and it actually got made into an actual episode! That's pretty cool.

Real quick, I want to bring up a question about "Homer the Heretic". So Homer skipped church and stayed home and almost died in a house fire but he was rescued by Ned Flanders. My question is, why wasn't Flanders in church?

Well, that's season 4 wrapped up. Now after season 5, I'm going to take a break from these Simpsons reviews for a little bit.

[mlobsters]

supernatural s14e19 jack in the box (w. eugenie ross-leming, brad buckner)

foreboding episode name. also rolling my eyes again that they decided to do hallucifer 2.0 with jack

sigh i am not really up for mary's wake today. next day. i tried to watch jason kelce's retirement press conference, which was so emotionally taxing, i decided watching this episode would be better. watching someone trying to not cry when their entire body is fighting it is so hard. so hard. i made it a minute before my chest hurt so much i had to stop. anyway.

well i did yell at sam for burning mary's picture, but this the same one but bigger so i guess it was fine. weird choice, but fine.

SAM Hey. Uh, most everybody's headed out, but Bobby's gonna stick around. I thought maybe we could open that scotch Ketch left and hang out, talk about Mom. DEAN "Talk about Mom"? SAM Yeah. DEAN Isn't that what we've been doing?

dean handling it as well as expected

quick sob in the woods to take the edge off so he can go back to being emotionally unavailable for sam. i get it. my personal m.o. is to go silently sob somewhere and then come back and be able to have a cool, calm and collected rational conversation about things. wouldn't recommend that either

SAM But they're real, right? We know that Mom's not sitting on a cloud playing a harp. She's in a good place. Or she's in a great place. She's with Dad. DEAN Hmm. You know what else? There wasn't enough left of her to even try to bring her back.

i have been thinking about that a lot lately. knowing about heaven etc, if it weren't so busted and broken down, what's the big deal if someone dies. especially if they're a "special" case soulmate type so they get another actual human to be blissful with. like the only real-real is on earth, they say, but the alternative sounds awfully compelling

dumah having jack turn a heretic into a pillar of salt, hokay

DUMAH Words can't begin to express how Sam and Dean will feel. Now here is the real test. We need more angels. You're not God. You can't just make them out of thin air. But if a human were predisposed to it, maybe you could take their soul and forge them into one of us.

LOL what. they got duped by lucifer when he said he could make more angels, but i guess they've been working the problem

handy we have this special box ready for eternal torture of archangels and maybe juiced up nephilims? who knows

DEAN No. Well, I mean, I want Zeppelin to get back together. But what I need -- What we need is to stop Jack. Big difference. But here's the deal. We both got to sign off on it. This might be our only shot, and if he even catches a whiff that this is a scam, he's off into the wind. SAM Exactly. And how do you think he's not gonna know something's up? DEAN Because you're gonna be so damn sincere. SAM Me? DEAN Mm-hmm. SAM Why me? DEAN Because you've always been in his corner, all right? You're his go-to guy. Sam, if you reach out, he'll come. If I do it, after what happened to Mom, I could lose it. I will lose it.

how about we cool off, take a minute or week or four, and think about this first. but dean wants to do it literally right now. great.

did not see castiel ganking dumah coming, all righty.

SAM So what do we do now? Just go on with Jack locked up in there forever?

i mean yeah it's reversible but this is the most accelerated plotline ever. like an instant pot to turn jack into lucifer

SAM You know, I never thought it would end like this with Jack. DEAN Sammy, we knew from the beginning it was a long shot with him. SAM Yeah. Yeah, but long shots are kind of our thing.

one day you've got three dads who love you and then you fuck up and they're locking you in a box

DEAN He's locked up, safe. He's in the Ma'lak box. CASTIEL No!

please, we need some pushback on dean about this.

DEAN He agreed to it. Because deep down, I think he knows it's best. CASTIEL No. You're doing what Dumah -- You are manipulating him.

tell him, cas. i hate when they have dean be like this

all right. surprise, surprise. it didn't go well.

i haven't finished an episode this quickly in ages.

[bug-crimes]

stumbles in. i saw the addition to the character questionnaire thing while out and im glad u reblogged it so i remembered it. 1 2 and 5 for Lyric, 7 8 and 10 for Arvidus, 2 3 and 8 for Minna ovo?

!!! wiggles at you!! ty for the ask <33

ask game if anyone else wants to send some stuff my way wink wink wink wink

Lyric

What is the character’s go-to drink order?

Lyric is Not a fan of getting wasted, so if we're talking alcoholic, he's most likely to go for something light on the alcohol! His favourite would be a bit of rum in a black tea of your choice, mixed with some lemon or honey if it fits the flavour.

In general, tea is his go-to if he's feeling like something other than water. For a while, he'd usually just ask for whatever black tea was available (or cheapest), but he's been expanding his horizons lately! He's quite a fan of a raspberry tea Minna has concocted from her garden ^^

2) What is their grooming routine?

He keeps it pretty simple; a long time on the road has cemented the habit of doing the bare minimum, and being able to do it quickly. He used to use a knife for shaving, but after a particularly nasty nick on his neck, he gave in and bought a quality straight razor that he is very particular with caring for. He shaves whenever his stubble gets long enough to bother him (usually every few days) and bathes whenever he feels a bit too nasty to handle. This varies wildly depending on what he's getting up to at the time and how sweaty/bloody/dirty he is. Usually it's at least once a week, though.

His hair is uh... Well. He'll give it a quick comb every day so it doesn't get tangled, but it's only cut out of necessity and he refuses to let someone other than his own knife do the job. Part of his morning routine is putting his hair up in a short ponytail (or, if it's gotten long enough, a tight bun), and he doesn't take it down until he's settling down for the day.

Basically. The TL;DR is that he takes care of the necessities so he's not a complete mess, but he never really learned how to clean up proper, so anything he does know has been taught against his will in his adulthood.

5) What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances?

This depends wildly on what point in his life we're talking about hsdfkj so like. I'm just gonna go with later in his life when he's got his shit more figured out bc I wanna talk about him and eloise hehe

The last time he cried was when they were arguing over a particularly risky move he took without consulting anyone on their latest commission, because even if things had worked out, it was at a great risk to his own life, and eventually, Eloise just. yells at him. That he's always trying to sacrifice himself like some idiot martyr, like he still has something to prove, and isn't it enough to live for us?

And he just. Freezes. Because oh, oh. He can't remember the last time he's tried to live. Something inside him just breaks, and suddenly he's crying, and there's a long, long conversation ahead of them once he gets it out of his system.

Arvidus

7) Describe the shoes they’re wearing.

Leather boots, baby! It's such a hardy material that they're pretty resistant to his powers, and he doesn't have to worry about replacing them all the time. Honestly, they've just gotten comfier with age, and he loves them. They're shorter boots, near his ankles and have thinner, flexible soles so he can feel the ground well. One of the joys of being a catperson is being able to climb things real easy and whatnot, so he likes to wear shoes good for the job!

8) Describe the place where they sleep.

Unless out on the rare adventure, Arvidus will usually sleep at his family's temple! Or, well, that's what he calls it, at least. In reality, it's one that was long abandoned, the grounds crumbling under a cliff eroded too far by the sea. He and a few other heretics make a home there, and have refurbished the place a bit. Though there was certainly enough space to have solo bedrooms if they so wished, the group was quite accustomed to all sleeping in the same room, so Arvidus most often will fall asleep to the sounds of others around him, though never the warmth of another body (he doesn't trust himself to touch others in his sleep). He doesn't really need warmth in all of his body, nor comfort, but he sleeps in a little nest of blankets nonetheless, tucked away in a cozy corner where he can see the room well in the moonlight.

10) What objects do they always carry around with them?

He usually has a small kit of maintenance tools for his prosthetics, as well as smaller scrap parts for quick repairs! They are, unfortunately, needed fairly often. He also will always carry his artifact just above his heart, small enough to wear as a necklace. It never comes off for anything, if he can help it.

Minna

2) What is their grooming routine?

She takes great pride in her hair, and has a lot of products for it! Conditioners, hair oil, various combs, etc etc; she tends to use products specifically made for snakepeople, since their skin can react Weird with stuff that's normally fine for others. She usually opts to style her hair in two braids, although she may opt for something more fancy or simple depending on how she's feeling. She braids her own hair, and really enjoys being able to zone out and focus on a bit of grooming! Her hair doesn't get greasy often, so she doesn't have to wash it very often.

She doesn't fully bathe often, as too much water can be bothersome for her scales. Instead, she washes the skin that needs washing and will spend some time enjoying the humidity of a nice bathhouse! She doesn't have a ton of scales, but the ones she does have are pretty much self-cleaning, as they shed about once a month. She haaates it because it's itchy as all fuck, and one may often catch her mindlessly picking at her scales during this time (and then having to soothe the inevitable irritation it causes).

Dressing herself is one of her favourite parts of the morning, and she likes to take her time with it! Picking out a cute dress for the day and accessories to match is the best therapy! Unfortunately, it's not something that can happen every day (it's gotten expensive trying to take care of bloodstains on her good fabric), but she takes great joy in the days when she can!

3) What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go?

Fabric, accessories, plants, and various weapons make up most of Minna's indulgent purchases! By far the most expensive one is her signature greatsword, as she went all out on getting a weapon that would hopefully last her a lifetime.

8) Describe the place where they sleep.

Depends on the day, as she has her own little home in town, but she also has a bedroom in the guild hall that she'll use whenever she has an early day of training new recruits ahead of her! Either way, she likes lots of blankets and pillows; if one sneaks in on her sleeping, she'll probably be bundled up with only her head peeking out just enough to get air. She likes things cozy and cute, and the softer the mattress, the better! Her own home has a bed large enough to comfortably fit two, and it's a small miracle that she ever manages to get up in the morning, it's so soft n comfy!

[jackrrabbit]

just spike with an so who loves to tempt him- accidentally cutting her finger, scraping her knee, biting her lip a tad to hard all because she wants to see him lose his composure.

babe you're soooo right omg ok. yes. wait lemme think. uhh i'll hit that cw blood kink/vampire shit/purity kink/light sacrilege for ya (also 18+, f!reader, the usual)

it just seems like you're clumsy, right? little pet, always tripping and skinning your knee. scraping raw patches onto your palms. spike smells it, 'course he does, that sweetbitter sting in the air, fresh blood. he smells it like a shark smells dinner. he'll hear you hiss under your breath and see the dots of red prick up under your skin, and he'll feel himself salivating.

you'll wipe the dirt off your hands and when you look up at him, you'll frown. and spike won't realize til later that his face changed. went all vamp on you. he didn't mean to but really, love, you just smell so good.

and oh dear, it keeps happening.

you turn the page in an old book and the edge of the paper slices through the pad of your finger. such an innocuous weapon, and yet your face crinkles up like it actually hurts. humans, really, how do they survive? but maybe it's just you, his precious little doll, always breaking into pieces. you make yourself bleed on paper for fuck's sake. you hold your hand up to check and spike's next to you so he sees the pale streak of the cut before blood wells up underneath.

all dark and shiny. it's just a little but spike can almost taste it, the smell is so rich. he's off the human stuff (butcher's blood only, wifey's orders) and anything less than the best really isn't the same. he's never tasted yours but it must be like...well, there isn't any comparison, is there? blood isn't just food for a vampire. it's life, it's death, it's everything human, everything he wants, everything he wants to destroy, except he never wants it to end...

well, maybe there is a comparison. maybe that's how it feels when he's inside you, when your cunt is squeezing him like a vice, trying to suck him dry, when you're crying and whining and seizing up and shaking underneath him, so close to breaking (not that he'd let you) and yet you're still begging him to fuck me harder, please spike! please!

maybe you could understand. a bit. spike just wants to know how it tastes, just once, just a little taste. he can control himself. just once?

spike opens his mouth to ask but you open yours too and pop your finger in, licking the papercut clean yourself.

he swallows. "imitating the undead now, are we? you know, if you wanted to be a vampire, all you had to do was ask nicely."

"don't be jealous," you say absently, still thumbing through the book even though you should be paying attention, you should see the way spike's looking at you, like he wants to eat you alive, like you're the pure light of the sun and he wants to burn under you.

he is jealous. jealous of the taste of blood in your mouth. jealous that your lips, your tongue, were wrapped around your own finger and not put to more productive use. spike moves a bit behind you, places his hands on the table in front of you on either side of your hips and fits himself to your back. "how's it taste, then, pet?"

"...i don't know. like copper?"

"pearls before swine," spike tells you, all of that arrogance tempered in affection, and now you turn around. he kisses you. feels that shimmer of purifying sunlight prickling where his mouth touches yours, a metaphor for good against evil that would seem nauseatingly poetic if it weren't also true.

but he doesn't taste the blood. and he wants to.

the next time, it's your lip. and you must've known he couldn't help it then, yes? you underneath, back flush against the bedsheets, rocking back and forth when spike fucks into you; your legs on his shoulders, your hands pinned under the weight of his; this place where he feels paradoxically closest to both god and the devil: your bed your body your skin your cunt.

you're whimpering, stuttering out his name the best you can. such a little fighter, you take it so well. "good," he laughs, euphoric, rapturous, the chain around his neck almost touching your bare chest as he leans in to lay his weight down on you. "so loud, love. let me hear you cum on my cock."

and then because you're so terribly disobedient, you pout. turn your head to the side and bite your lip—til it bleeds.

spike's only a few inches from you. that smell. he wants to live inside it, inside you. he's already concentrating on keeping his face human but now it's harder—every instinct in his body (above the belt, at least) is telling him to make you bleed, more more more. taste it taste it. he wants this like he wants you, all of you, wants to be bleached clean in your virtue and stained red in your sin.

but he just needs a little. just that one taste. spike leans in and licks over that stripe of blood dyeing your mouth red and feels it, the searing light of you, closing around him and making him—well, maybe not good, he'll never be good. but he's yours, and he would choose that over paradise.

[vodka-and-ocs]

the ranger had another stupid idea

[pika-ace]

Disney Knowledge Yuu: Masquerade Edition Part 2 (aka Yuu gets Fucking Mad)

Holy shit, things went from 0 to 100 REAL QUICK! Anyway, SPOILERS AHOY!

Rollo: (covers his mouth with a starry handkerchief that looks like Esmerelda's scarf)

Yuu: Oh HEEEEEELL NO, I ain't trusting this kid for a SECOND!

Silver: Why not?

Yuu: Call it a feeling >:/

-----------------

Rollo: There's a festival being held today and you're all welcome to attend... (softly) Ugh, I hate the festival...

Yuu: Oooh, Topsy-Turvy Day!

Rollo: How did you know that was the name??

Yuu: Lucky guess...(softly) and I got my eye on you >8/

-------------------

Noble Bell College: (taking about how Frollo was a Righteous Judge and did nothing wrong)

Yuu: …I hope this place doesn’t believe in God cause I’m about to go FULL HERETIC ON THEIR ASSES

Riddle: Wait STOP-

—————————

Azul: I-I swear the gargoyle just moved!

Yuu: (gets up close) *whispers* Victor...? Are you alive...? :0c

---------------------

Epel: Aww look at these alphabet blocks; A for Apple, B for baby, F for festival

Yuu: *snorts*

Rollo: Evidently the words used to be more complicated; a shame, really

Yuu: (sarcastically) Damn, what a shame that kids can no longer learn the classic alphabet of Abomination, Blasphemy, Contrition, Damnation, and Eternal damnation

Rollo: O_O’

Deuce: …Are you okay…?

—————————

Shopkeeper: (holds up dreamcatcher necklace) It is said when you hold this, the city is yours

Yuu: (rolls eyes) Actually, it’s ‘When you wear this woven band, you hold the city in your hand’

Team Azul: …

Yuu: (sighs) It’s a map of the city -_-

Team Azul: Oooooooh! :0

--------------------

Rollo: These handkerchiefs are smoke bombs; children use them for pranks

Silver: I'll take one for Lilia :)

Yuu: Me too; if Esmerelda could make use of these then I can too

Idia: Huh...?

—————————

Trein: They used these underground river ways to hide people

Riddle: Ah yes, they called it The Palace

Yuu: *coughs* Court of Miracles...

Sebek: What was that?

---------------------

Rollo: This is a town goat; they wander the city

Sebek: DO NOT APPROACH MASTER MALLEUS, GOAT!!

Yuu: Don't yell at Jolly! >:O

---------------------

Jamil: Apparently these curly wooden shavings are the classic hairstyle of this city

Yuu: *thinks for a moment* Oh wow, that's a REALLY obscure easter egg, even I barely remember the Gargoyle song O_O

Malleus: Gargoyle WHAT?

---------------------

Rollo: Don't you hate magic? Isn't it the worst? You understand right?

Yuu: ...If you tell me to choose between you or the fire, I'm gonna throw up >:(

—————————

Festival leader: The Kind Bell Ringer was adopted by the Righteous Judge who saw past his deformities and loved him as his son. Their bond was strong and special and the Bell Ringer used his teacher's lessons to save the city

Yuu: ...(starts towards the stage)

Silver: Where are you going??

Yuu: (rolling up their sleeves) To commit a HATE CRIME >8(

Trein: YUU-

Yuu: THAT IS NOT HOW THE STORY GOES AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT!!! >8(

Ruggie: Holy shit-

---------------------

Rollo: (absorbing the magic with flowers and ready to kill literally everyone)

Yuu: So I was wrong about the racism and the lust, but the genocide was spot on. …Small victories, I guess

-----------------------

((Drama Bonus))

(Yuu spends the whole trip trying to convince the others that Rollo is not to be trusted but no one believes them, and then when shit goes down, Yuu is standing back in no danger while everyone else is fighting)

Deuce: Yuu, help us! We're getting attacked by the flowers!

Yuu: Hmm, okay Deuce. But first, a deep sip from a very tall glass of 'I TOLD YOU SO' >:/ (starts slowly drinking an imaginary glass)

Riddle: YUU!!!!

((This event isn't done yet, so we'll see if I can get more out of it ;3))

[thewriterthatghostedyou]

Shadows and Scars

Chapter 16

Thank you so much for being patient with me! That big test that I was worried about? I passed! I’m so happy that it’s done with and plan on writing more again.

There are no major warnings for this chapter, but we are getting some new characters introduced. 👀

Banner made by maysdigitalarts

Your dreams took a different shape that night. Instead of your journeys across the fold they featured him. Aleksander, General Kirigan, the Darkling, the Black Heretic. They were all the same.

When you had dreamed of him before, they had been hopeful and joyful, but now that you saw him for what he really was, they reflected him. The real him. The whole night, you were plagued with volcra and Aleksander’s confession. You watched again and again as Anya got swept off of the ground by the volcra, her screams haunted you as you felt Aleksander’s arms wrapped around you, stopping you from saving your friend.

You woke up that morning to feel those same arms still wrapped around you. “Good morning my love.” He whispered into the crook of your neck. “As nice as this is, we need to get up.”

You said nothing.

“We have a lot to do today dear.”

You still said nothing.

“You’re aware that me telling you is just a formality?” He ran his hand up your hip.

“Can’t I stay here?” You asked numbly.

He pushed himself up onto his elbow and studied you carefully. “Fine. But just for today. Tomorrow you will officially be inducted to my guard.” You felt your body turn on its own to look at him.

“I’ll be in the other room attending to business.” He said, getting up and donning his kefta. When we finished getting ready, he walked back over to you and pressed a soft kiss to your temple.

You stayed perfectly still as he left the room and let your mind drift.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aleksander’s POV

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As he walked out of his room and over to his desk, Aleksander thought about you. He hadn’t meant for his confession to sound as cruel as it had come out, but of course you had to ignore his well crafted plans and force his hand. To be truthful, the last few days without you had been more painful than he’d thought. Not even his attempts to woo Alina were enough to satisfy him and his mind was constantly circling back to you.

He despised how happy you were without him while he was miserable without you. He could feel your emotions fall into a negative slump the day he went riding with Alina, but thought nothing of it until you stopped coming to see him.

He sat down at his desk with a sigh and looked to the door that separated the war room from his chambers. It had surprised him how your emotions had swirled around inside of him, eventually feeling as much a part of himself as his abilities were.

He tried not to dwell on your sorrow as Feydor came in.

“General, you wanted to see me sir?” He asked, standing at attention.

“Yes, Feydor.” He said, leaning back in his chair lazily. “Tell me, have you worked with a heartrender by the name of Nina Zenik?”

Feydor smiled before answering. “Once, yes. She’s one of the best in the second army.”

“Quite.” Aleks said, occasionally looking at a paper from his desk. “Nina’s been on a priority mission for me and she’s not reported in. If she’s alive, she may need our help.” He looked pointedly at Feydor.

“Knowing Nina, sir, she’s very much alive.” Feydor said confidently.

“I don’t need your conjecture, Feydor.” Aleks said gruffly. It was bad enough that he’d have to start all over with you, but now his best spy was missing? He needed to know the situation in Novokribirsk in order to see how many grisha were still being snatched by the Fjerdans. “I need you to find her for me.”

Feydor gave a quick nod, and Aleks dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “I’ll get right on it moi sovreignyi.”

When he left the room, Aleks gave a tired sigh and started working on the week’s military movements. He shuffled through multiple stacks of paper on his desk before touching something leathery and smooth. His curiosity piqued, he fished it out and saw that it was your journal. He had forgotten that he had one of the maids bring it here for you.

If he was someone else, he probably wouldn’t have looked inside, but he had already crossed too many lines for this small one to matter. He slowly flipped through your notes on the body and admired your drawings, stopping to smile triumphantly at a few sketches of himself even showing up more than once. Perhaps he could salvage his slip with you after all.

His hand froze at one of your pages and he blinked in surprise as Morozova’s stag stared back at him. The lines were darker and more blended then your usual style, and Aleksander realized that you didn’t draw this. He felt a flame being lit in his head as he started to desperately look through the papers on his desk again.

He chuckled happily as he had found what he was looking for. When he had found out that the sun summoner was a mapmaker, he had gone to great lengths in order to obtain one of her maps. Sure enough, the style of the art matched perfectly. Alina had drawn the stag. And now he had a picture he could send out so that he could find it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kaz’s POV

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The map of the Little Palace hit the table with a loud thump as the three unfurled it and studied the layout.

Jesper put his drink down in the corner of the paper, holding it open as the trio studied it for any weak points.

“What about…” Jesper started, pointing to the far right wing.

Inej sighed. “No, look.” She gestured to the guard tower that would spot them immediately.

“Oh.”

“What about this hallway?” She asked, sliding her finger towards the far left of the paper.

“No go. See? Guard tower.” Jesper said slowly, putting his hands on his hips.

Kaz stayed quiet as he studied the map as well, listening to his two partners brainstorm a way in.

“There’s no way in.” Inej said with a shake of her head.

Kaz noticed that she looked at him, waiting for his next move. “And no way out.”

His mind started to whirl around, thinking of how he could sneak himself, Inej, Jesper, AND the conductor inside the impenetrable fortress. Two people could be possible, especially during a time as hectic as the winter fete, but four people sneaking in would certainly be noticed, and he would definitely bet that the darkling had doubled, if not tripled, security since the discovery of the sun summoner.

“Well, I thought this plan might not work.” Arken said smoothly, taking a sip of his drink.

As he finished his thought, Kaz heard a yell from the stage and multiple gasps as there was a loud thud. The three crows turned to look at the commotion and Kaz noted Arken’s smirk as they saw the acrobat who had been performing on the floor with her limbs in an unnatural position. Perhaps the conductor was smarter than he had guessed. Kaz filed the thought away for later, and planned on keeping the mole as far away from the target as possible.

He gave a quick glance to Inej and the tattoo on her wrist, before looking at Jesper. That million Kruger was becoming closer, and after using Arken to slow down the darkling, it’d be theirs for sure.