#tiffany mereign

[razzberrydazz]

Stayed up late and drew my beloved Tiff in that one dress I've seen going around in outfit memes - pink because Tiff likes pink! Tell Tiff she looks pretty uwu

[razzithold]

Tiffany love of my life my queen my scrungly blorbo my queen of looking put together but being on the verge of a breakdown my fun lil projector for all my whims and problems, I popped the fuck off with this drawing of her this morning, went into a stupor and cranked this hella sick art of Tiff out, and I demand people look at her because she is hot okay kapeesh

I may be sleep deprived but I made cool art of my favorite oc because of it so I'm still winning

[razzberrydazz]

Fuck it time to write exposition ramblings about my ocs via tumblr post read more. Starting with my girl Tiffany of course.

The royal portrait gallery, hall of ancestors

The Queen paced up and down the stone flooring in the hall of ancestors, brow furrowed with thought. Her echoing steps carry the weight of her conscience as each portrait on the wall regards her with impassive stares. The eyes follow. Each family portrait, each painting of monarchs past, each near identical face of Tiffany's predecessors judge her with their piercing pink eyes and stoic faces. Looking back at the portrait of her mother, her mother's mother, all the way back to the founder of their family, it's like looking into a cruel mirror of herself.

She knows that it's simply easier to stay stoic and rigid when posing for their family portraits; hours spent sitting or standing there for the painter takes a toll on the body. And yet, when it was her turn to pose for the royal portraitist, Tiff chose a pleasant expression. Though her clothing clung heavy on her body, and her cheeks creaked with pain from holding a grin, and her eyelids grew heavy, she pushed through so that her own portrait in the hall of ancestors would stand out from the rest.

Her footsteps stop in front of her own portrait, that playful gaze from the painting beckoning her to press on. It gives her hope. The paint is still drying, the oils take days and even weeks to fully cure, and so the glint in her portrait's eyes shine with a wetness not seen in the other figures. Seeing that she can still pull a smile onto her face, after all she's been through, it encourages her. There's still hope for the future.

The grim gaze of the dynasty's founder judges her from the other end of the hall. Atlantea, the first of the Mereign line, their universal ancestor, depicted in both painting and wall-spanning mosaic. Much history of their founder has been lost through the ages.

The family jinx, originally a decree from Atlantea that her descendants with her eyes would be worthy to rule, was taken to mean only those that look most like Atlantea should be heir to the throne. And thusly each portrait of monarchs past seem almost like clones of each other. A single stern face with piercing pink eyes has been passed down generation to generation. Practically a family tradition in itself to look like a mirror image of generations past. The things to change over the ages are the fashions and hairstyles, and their family creat warped a little more over each generation.

Staring at the mosaic of Atlantea now, Tiff reaches up to trace the tattoo of the family crest etched into her face. Her own crest misses several elements of the original design. It used to have markings on the chin, on the ears, on the neck. They got their crests as coming of age ceremonies. Their mother - or mother figure - applied the crest to their daughter from memory by referencing their own crest. An intergenerational game of telephone etched in heartstone-laced tattoo ink to each face meant to wear the crown. Tiff will have to do so with her own children one day, when they come of age. They'll need weeks, perhaps months of preparation, to do it properly.

Oh how she wishes she got the chance to do it properly with her own mother. Wishes she had the time to grow up, and have her own mom apply it, after having practiced the technique for months beforehand. But that's not how it happened, is it. No, it had to be rushed. Her mother murdered, assassinated, and only days of preparation made instead of the usual weeks of practice before the crest-giving ceremony. Given not by her mother, not even by a blooded relative, but by her godmother, a dragon, who barely had three days to practice the crest application technique before she was dipping the needle into the glowing blue heartstone ink to press into Tiffany's teenaged face. She forgot the ear elements, the chin, the neck. Only the forehead, cheeks, and nose made it into the design etched into Tiff's face.

Less than a week to prepare, and her godmother Cola pressed the needle too deep. Surely her very muscles under the skin were etched with the radioactive ink as well. The process was very painful, but little Tiff tried her damndest not to cry.

In vain, the tears still fell down her cheeks, but she remained still through the ceremony so as to not ruin the crest. Ink and blue blood ran down her face and mixed with the tears.

Nowhere near old enough for a proper coming of age ceremony, but to take the throne she must have her crest, as tradition demanded. Fruitless contrived traditions started by people who misunderstood their founder's decrees.

It's not like they knew how dangerous the heartstone was at the time, they had no idea what radiation was yet. And now she has chronic migraines and thinning hair to show for it. Taking it as a painkiller was the worst decision in her life, and she's not even the one who made it. Her father told her to take it, claimed it was from the royal physician. It wasn't, after all, but by then it was too late. Glad that bastard's dead and gone. But then why does he still plague her thoughts?

Sigh

Tiffany's wives tell her she dwells on the pain of the past too much. She dwells on the wrongs of the past, or the anxieties of the future, never in the present where she stands. Head stuck in the clouds, and the clouds roil with thunder.

Another set of footsteps enter the hall, echoing towards her. The sound brings her out of her ruminating.

"Tiff dear? Are you brooding in here again?"

Tiff turns to face her knightly wife, and forces a pained smile. It doesn't quite make it to her eyes, that shine just as wetly as the portrait on the wall beside her. Even with the smile in the painting, her eyes look so sad, both in depiction and reality.

"Alas, I have. You know me, always dwelling on the past, holding onto strings better left to fray. I simply wonder, what things would be like if they had gone differently."

"We cannot change what has already happened, not without grave consequences. Time marches forward, and so should we."

Tiff's wife Cassandra steps close to her, and offers a hand to lead her out of the hall of faces and bad memories. With one last glance at the ancient Atlantean mosaic, she takes her hand, and lets herself be led back to more pleasant company than the judgmental faces of her ancestors.

Even without that mosaic's eyes following her, she feels watched by the eyes of her ancestors. Sometimes it feels like Atlantea herself is staring over her shoulder, wishing she could have made a better decision. Perhaps she is, somehow.

Somewhere, Atlantea mutters 'I killed our goddess once, and you dared to bring her back to life. Did you never think to consider why she died in the first place? Some things are better off dead, and yet here you live.'

Somehow Tiff can hear her muttering, in the back of her mind.

[razzberrydazz]

Over here remaking my beloved Tiff's refsheet for the umpteenth time because I'm never satisfied. If I dare to remake it again my partner will jump me from the top rope because they've been begging me to make a ref of a different oc and I've been remaking the same oc's refsheet instead

[razzberrydazz]

Considering my beloved Tiff is veritably a public figure in Atlantis, and also has a reasonable worry of the press slandering her over every little thing, I'm thinking of what some third party articles and tabloids about her might say. What do these third party writers say about their queen's public appearances? Some attempts are included below

"Sea Queen Sighted at the fish market!

Witnesses from the Fishmouth Gazette say they recognized the Queen's face among the customers of the fish market close. In the crowd of families buying their groceries was a regal figure shrouded in a maroon cloak and veil, a vain attempt to hide her identity. Her face is printed on the coins and currency, does she think her public would not recognize her?

The queen appeared to be alone going from shop to shop to inspect the fish herself. Where is her bodyguard? Where are her servants? Does she expect to do the job of the health inspector herself? Is she that reckless with her own life?

Another way the Queen shirks her actual responsibilities to take on others! Look citizens of Atlantis, and see your Queen wasting time playing inspector instead of pushing Bill 9.74 through the Council so that we may once again have affordable groceries to buy! Shoot down those price gouges, your majesty!"

-

"Queen Tiffany spotted in squabble with the Royal Captain!

Yesterday, reporters permitted to tour the Mereign Palace gardens stumbled upon the sight of the Captain of the Royal Guard arguing with the Queen herself! Wives they may be, the Queen's word should be final, even to her spouse!

While the reporters could not make out the meat of the argument, they witnessed a harrowing sight - the Captain brandished her rapier at the Queen! Her Majesty's own wife, threatening her! We at the Sir Mer Magazine say this insult cannot stand! We demand the Captain publicly apologize for her actions, else the Queen properly punish her for the insult!

Our city needs a strong Queen with a strong network to support her, not royal infighting!"

-

"The Queen in another spat with the Council!

This morning at the weekly council meeting with Her Majesty the Queen, what started out as normal debate devolved into shouting match as Queen Tiffany accused the councilmembers of collusion and treasonous activity for not informing her of the summit the Council attended several days before with several big heads of corporation within the city. Seeing as the current debate is on environmental protections and restrictions on the fishing trade in order to improve health factors for the public, it is telling that the council met with the heads of several fisheries without the Queen.

There's our Majesty, looking out for the People, instead of for the Businesses looking to screw us over! Remember to vote for the council re-election this fall if YOU tire of the Council's machinations! Thanks to our reporters at the Atlantis Gazette for updating us on the ongoing news coverage of Council proceedings!"

-

"Queen of Atlantis seen sporting ostentatious new dress! Still wearing mourning gowns!

It's been many years since the death of our beloved and much mourned Queen Larethire II, and yet Theophania III still deigns to dress in colors of mourning for every possible occasion. We at the Flipper Fashion Magazine still have hopes her Majesty will quit the maroons and deep burgundies and opt for a cheerier color, but this season won't be the time it seems! The Royal Stylist obliges the Queen's desire to stay in Mourning, for the newest dress unveiled at her Summer Collection sports many shades of magenta pink maroon and burgundy, offset with a bright yellow corset top and poofy baby pink sleeves! Seems our Royal Stylist is into big sleeves this year, as every collection features even bigger shoulderpads and sleeve padding! Will the Queen be engulfed by her sleeves come winter? Find out come the Winter Collection!"

[razzberrydazz]

More oc meme shitpost hours, based on that Chilchuck dunmeshi meme I've seen going around. Tiffany please stop defaulting to killing yourself as the answer. I don't care that you're functionally immortal it's getting old it wasn't funny the first time and it isn't funny now.

[razzberrydazz]

oc meme time, featuring Tiff my beloved, based off that marcille meme by punkitt

[razzberrydazz]

Various art of my beloved oc Tiff with her wives Cassie and Anya, also guest appearance of her godmother Cola wading in the water of the first pic. Tiffany is fortunate to have such loving supportive wives to help her tackle her many responsibilities as Queen of Atlantis.

[razzberrydazz]

OC posting time, 2018 vs early 2023 Tiffany. I draw noses way better now, I also gave her so much trauma, the trauma makes her tastier to play with! Hard to believe it's been 5 years 😫

[razzithold]

Me drawing my favorite blorbo oc as a Zora from memory counts as a drawing for Mermay. Tiff has Nice Legs so I gave her longer legs than the Zora seem to typically have, as a treat.

[razzberrydazz]

Thinking oc thoughts specifically about Tiff and her kids, her middle child especially, she named her second child after her own mother, calls her Lar for short, and Lar through nature and nurture (or lack thereof) became an amplified echo of Tiff. And Lar swearing up and down in her defiance that she'll be nothing like her mom and throwing fits and being so so stubborn and spiteful, not realizing she's acting like Tiff did at her age.

The generational trauma continuing as Tiff, who was neglected by her mom and ended up an amplified echo of her mother, ends up emotionally neglecting her own children, and her kids end up an echo of herself. Her son Gallie having her petulant brattiness and resentment, Lar having her spitefulness, Sylaise having her extreme self-consciousness and passion for learning, and all of them have Tiff's snobbishness and stubbornness and inherited heart issues.

Tiff recognizing she didn't do a good job as a mom, even with all the help of Cassie and Anya and the litany of tutors they employed, and she regrets much of it. Rulers make bad parents, she rationalizes.

[razzberrydazz]

Wooo it's my character Tiffany's birthday! Popping bottles for my favorite blorbo, my woobiest punching bag, my angstiest angel ✨

Haven't done recent art of her (a travesty!) So have this pic from earlier this year.

[razzithold]

I forever live with the tidbit of knowledge that the modern name Tiffany came from the archaic form Theophania in one way or another and I remember hearing that trivia at least 5 years ago on Tumblr and of course I used that trivia to name one of my favorite OCS Theophania but call herself Tiffany to anyone else. She lives to modern day, you think she's gonna honestly tell the Starbucks barista her name is Theophania? Absolutely the fuck not, the barista is getting Tiff as her name.

[razzberrydazz]

📌Pinned post📌

Call me Razz! He/they, Mid-20s, American.

🔞This blog contains adult-themed content at times, viewer discretion advised 🔞

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I am willing to share VETTED fundraisers, and am willing to do art requests for anyone who provides proof that they have donated to the fundraisers and charities I share.

My art for charity requests post (DM me or otherwise send me proof you've donated to one of the fundraisers included in my masterlist, and I'll do a drawing request for ya. I include some of the fundraisers I want to highlight on my kofi post about it here.)

My shared fundraiser masterlist (uses tag #razz's fundraiser list)

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This blog is not a safe space for bigotry such as transphobia, bio-essentialism, zionism, fascism, or puritanical anti-kink anti-sex work beliefs - get that shit out of here. If I fuck up and say shit that is bigoted, tell me, and I will remove it and apologize. Pro/anti type rhetoric feeds into puritanical prejudice, tribalism, and reductive black and white thinking. Engaging with ragebait content only encourages makers of said content. Censorship is not a scalpel, it is a shotgun, and hurts everyone.

The internet is a breeding ground for negativity, tribalism, and dog-piling, and I try to avoid enabling such behavior as much as I can. Block and move on, or if you genuinely think something violates website TOS, report it.

Only free range cage-free home grown art and writing and voices here! I like my shitposts all organic made by a real person! If I've unknowingly shared 'ai' (ie generative ai plagiarism software) art please let me know and I'll take it down! I'm very against the use of generative ai.

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Fandom, personal tag, and OC related miscellany under the cut.

Fandoms/media I enjoy include but are not limited to:

Dragon Age

Baldur's Gate 3

Dishonored

Elder Scrolls (Specifically Skyrim and ESO)

Dungeons and Dragons and other TTRPGs

Legend of Zelda

Splatoon (2 & 3)

ATLA and Legend of Korra

Soul Eater

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Black Butler (manga)

Gangsta (manga)

Hatsune Miku (Vocaloid)

Hades (1 & 2) by Supergiant Games

Persona series (specifically Persona 5)

Cyberpunk 2077

Don't Starve Together

Frostpunk 1 & 2

The Magnus Archives (podcast)

Wicked (musical)

Sweeney Todd (musical)

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Musical)

Hadestown (musical)

Arcane (TV series)

Hannibal (TV series)

Saw (movie franchise)

DC Comics (Specifically Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Wonder Woman)

My Ao3 (some of it is Explicit🔞)

My Bluesky (also may be Explicit🔞)

My tags

My art - #razz's art, #razzdazz art, #razz draws

My writing - #razz writes, #razz's writing

My rambles - #razz rambles #razz's unsolicited additions

Main OCs (Original Characters)

Tiffany - originally a D&D NPC in my first homebrew campaign (Heart of Atlantis my beloved), then I grew to love her too much to leave her alone.

Tiffany Mereign, ie Tiff, ie Theophania Athaliah Wilhelmina Fen’U-darah Mereign the Third, Queen of Atlantis, formerly Empress of the Atlantean Empire. Sea elf royalty, born on December 27th, took the throne with her father as Regent after the assassination of her mother Larethire II. She fully took the crown and throne in 1139-1140ce after killing her father Elias for his numerous crimes including the discovery that he was responsible for her mother's death.

The D&D campaign Tiff first appeared in took place in 1139-40ce where the player character party helped Tiff revive a dead goddess and use her power to kill the usurper king Elias and end a war that threatened their people. Said goddess cursed Tiff to die a thousand deaths (not by her own hand) before she can finally rest, all because Tiff rejected the offer of ascension to godhood.

Tiff handled her immortality curse... badly, to say the least. At least she met and married her loving supportive wives Cassie and Anya who help her with her chronic pain and substance addictions. Tiff is addicted to a substance known as heartstone, which is magically radioactive, which means Tiff has to wear protective clothing so that she doesn't irradiate everyone around her.

Rana - Ranarox La'Rouge, originally started as a Haunted One Bard/Rogue in a Curse of Strahd campaign, then got repurposed and fleshed out as my Dark Urge/Durge OC for Baldur's Gate 3. Raised in a circus and wooed by every pretty face they see, Rana does everything in their power to fend off the Red that swirls around their vision that brings the Urge to kill. If their eyes turn red and you are within melee range, it is already too late for you to run away.

Rana's 'canon' storyline has them falling in love with Shadowheart and Lae'Zel, finding a way to spare Minthara despite being tortured by her, rediscovering their past as the leader of the Bhaalist cult, and saving their daughter Mala from being sacrificed by Orin the Red. They found Mala (instead of Yenna) wandering around Rivington. Jaheira recognized her first as she had been acting as Mala's foster mother, since Rana had smuggled Mala away years prior to protect her from the cult (Rana was a victim of familial abuse and SA and Mala is a result of said abuse whom Rana vowed to protect from repeating the cycle of abuse). Rediscovering their progeny put them both in danger as Orin stalked the party and stole that which Rana only just got back.

Rana resorted to killing Orin to protect their child, and renounced Bhaal within the heart of his temple. Bhaal stole back their very blood and life force, disowning them. Rana only lives on because Jergal claimed them as his champion, and while the Red is never fully gone, they finally see clearly for the first time. Before disowning their murder god father, Rana's blood was black deathly ichor of the unholy god, but after Jergal claimed them, their blood became red full of life and vigor.

Ina - (Belongs to my friend Poe, I just happen to be obsessed with her and am the leader of Ina's fanclub) Ina the Kobold is a chaos entity, a zealous oath of glory paladin devoted to a deified Hatsune Miku. She came into existence after my friend rolled up a completely randomized character for a D&D game, and quickly speared her way into my heart with her wacky antics and hilarious zeal for murder.

A little known tidbit about Ina is that she's a sleeper agent, Ina is not her full name. Her true name is Ignition, which is the trigger word to temporarily switch her from chaotic stupid kobold to calculated smart dragonborn. Her Ignition alter ego is scarily competent compared to Ina. She was created in a secret magical experiment and hatched from a magically irradiated dragonborn egg. Ignition voluntarily switches back into Ina the minute whatever mission or danger she was dealing with is complete, as Ina takes far less mental energy to exist.

She is made as a contingency plan for Tiffany, so that in the case she as the queen ever goes off the rails and goes against her own morals, Ina will be there to kill her and bring her back to her senses.

Erinyes - My demonsona as it were, a self insert that morphed kind of into their own entity. They're a cheese-loving fury demon called Erin-yes. I often use them as a chaotic mini-me, and a personification of my silliness and rage. Sometimes I'll shove them into things with varied success. In D&D they'd be a tiefling or cambion as a player character, but as an NPC they've appeared as a literal erinyes devil that tried to sell cheese to the players and tormented them at various points.

Claire - My rage-filled mixed-drow religiously traumatized pyromaniac death cleric. She was raised in a cult to a goddess that stole the name of other gods - Adrestia Andraste, the Lady in White, a homebrew drow goddess of death and war and motherly retribution. Claire's drow mother was the high priestess of the Lady, and in order to become the next high priestess, Claire had to kill her mother in a ritual battle.

Claire walked over enchanted coals, was baptized in holy fire, and slayed a dragon to become the next high priestess of the cult; doing so made her fireproof to everything but her own goddess's flames. On her back they etched an intricate tattoo that brands her as her goddess's chosen, which also allows her goddess to cause her searing pain when she does something she doesn't like. A proverbial shock collar.

Claire is bitter and jaded and tries to escape the cult many times, and eventually discovers the truth of her goddess's identity theft and devotes herself to the goddess's sister Lotte (the victim of the identity theft) instead. Lotte is a drow goddess of fate, death, craftsmanship, and magic, and gives Claire the power to mend and tear the weave of magic itself. Claire is a chosen of both goddesses, one willingly, one unwillingly, and her mission is to break her ties to the Lady in White for good.

Frownless - Ah my favorite eldritch edgelord. Frownless, also called The Frownless or Freddie the Frownless or even Thotarella/Thot by my dnd group (an inside joke), is a shapeshifter known as a shadowless - he doesn't cast a shadow on the ground. Shadowless are akin to eldritch changelings that are descendants of fey celestials exiled to a demiplane. They appear as orange-tinged red haired elven people with four yellow eyes.

Frownless in particular is a notable specimen as he got exiled for killing his cousin in a fit of rage, then made a name for himself as an assassin and overall nuisance. He was hired by Tiff's father to kill her but failed miserably and ended up working for her in a weird toxic relationship instead. He tried dropping a chandelier on her and missed. He loves catfishing people since he's a shapeshifter. I love using him as a punching bag. He ends up Tiff's drug dealer at various points and brings out the worst in her.

OT - My old self insert that morphed into their own entity. This one in particular is tied to their dragon age dalish elf iteration as my main Inquisitor Lavellan. OT is a dalish mage Inquisitor and lover of Josephine Montilyet. Originally named Overtaker as a funny play on Undertaker, and then shortened it to OT for brevity, and even made it stand for different names involving the initials O and T. I even used them the first time I ever played D&D in a oneshot where they ended up dying via magic item enchanted to cast power word kill!

I have a lot of OCs but only a few I routinely use, which as of making this post consist of the above. Other OCs include Lyn, Vrei'Dara, Billie, Domi, Inanna, Dela, Johanna, Jorster, Francis, Lotte, Minaeve, Jamboree, Riff, Kestrel, Grimshaw, Veronica, Atlantea, Styx, Judith, and many others.

Others TBA

[edit 10/15/2024] - {I have streamlined this pinned post slightly, added some stuff, removed a few things, but it ultimately says most of the same stuff}

Anyways enjoy my blog I guess? I'm so wordy at times, I know this is a whole ass wall of text to scroll through. You get an appreciative pat on the shoulder for reading through all this.

[razzberrydazz]

The mosaic of Atlantea featured at the end of the hall of ancestors. (ID: A mosaic style digital drawing of Atlantea, a stern-faced sea elf with large finned ears, dark green hair in a bun with long flowing sideburns, a dusty pink dress, and gold arm bracers. In her right hand she holds a glowing trident. She holds her left hand up as if to cast a spell. Rings of light and magic encircle ger head and hands. Dripping from her left hand is a symbol of a forked knife. An arrow-trident and fish symbol hover between her side and trident.)

Fuck it time to write exposition ramblings about my ocs via tumblr post read more. Starting with my girl Tiffany of course.

The royal portrait gallery, hall of ancestors

The Queen paced up and down the stone flooring in the hall of ancestors, brow furrowed with thought. Her echoing steps carry the weight of her conscience as each portrait on the wall regards her with impassive stares. The eyes follow. Each family portrait, each painting of monarchs past, each near identical face of Tiffany's predecessors judge her with their piercing pink eyes and stoic faces. Looking back at the portrait of her mother, her mother's mother, all the way back to the founder of their family, it's like looking into a cruel mirror of herself.

She knows that it's simply easier to stay stoic and rigid when posing for their family portraits; hours spent sitting or standing there for the painter takes a toll on the body. And yet, when it was her turn to pose for the royal portraitist, Tiff chose a pleasant expression. Though her clothing clung heavy on her body, and her cheeks creaked with pain from holding a grin, and her eyelids grew heavy, she pushed through so that her own portrait in the hall of ancestors would stand out from the rest.

Her footsteps stop in front of her own portrait, that playful gaze from the painting beckoning her to press on. It gives her hope. The paint is still drying, the oils take days and even weeks to fully cure, and so the glint in her portrait's eyes shine with a wetness not seen in the other figures. Seeing that she can still pull a smile onto her face, after all she's been through, it encourages her. There's still hope for the future.

The grim gaze of the dynasty's founder judges her from the other end of the hall. Atlantea, the first of the Mereign line, their universal ancestor, depicted in both painting and wall-spanning mosaic. Much history of their founder has been lost through the ages.

The family jinx, originally a decree from Atlantea that her descendants with her eyes would be worthy to rule, was taken to mean only those that look most like Atlantea should be heir to the throne. And thusly each portrait of monarchs past seem almost like clones of each other. A single stern face with piercing pink eyes has been passed down generation to generation. Practically a family tradition in itself to look like a mirror image of generations past. The things to change over the ages are the fashions and hairstyles, and their family creat warped a little more over each generation.

Staring at the mosaic of Atlantea now, Tiff reaches up to trace the tattoo of the family crest etched into her face. Her own crest misses several elements of the original design. It used to have markings on the chin, on the ears, on the neck. They got their crests as coming of age ceremonies. Their mother - or mother figure - applied the crest to their daughter from memory by referencing their own crest. An intergenerational game of telephone etched in heartstone-laced tattoo ink to each face meant to wear the crown. Tiff will have to do so with her own children one day, when they come of age. They'll need weeks, perhaps months of preparation, to do it properly.

Oh how she wishes she got the chance to do it properly with her own mother. Wishes she had the time to grow up, and have her own mom apply it, after having practiced the technique for months beforehand. But that's not how it happened, is it. No, it had to be rushed. Her mother murdered, assassinated, and only days of preparation made instead of the usual weeks of practice before the crest-giving ceremony. Given not by her mother, not even by a blooded relative, but by her godmother, a dragon, who barely had three days to practice the crest application technique before she was dipping the needle into the glowing blue heartstone ink to press into Tiffany's teenaged face. She forgot the ear elements, the chin, the neck. Only the forehead, cheeks, and nose made it into the design etched into Tiff's face.

Less than a week to prepare, and her godmother Cola pressed the needle too deep. Surely her very muscles under the skin were etched with the radioactive ink as well. The process was very painful, but little Tiff tried her damndest not to cry.

In vain, the tears still fell down her cheeks, but she remained still through the ceremony so as to not ruin the crest. Ink and blue blood ran down her face and mixed with the tears.

Nowhere near old enough for a proper coming of age ceremony, but to take the throne she must have her crest, as tradition demanded. Fruitless contrived traditions started by people who misunderstood their founder's decrees.

It's not like they knew how dangerous the heartstone was at the time, they had no idea what radiation was yet. And now she has chronic migraines and thinning hair to show for it. Taking it as a painkiller was the worst decision in her life, and she's not even the one who made it. Her father told her to take it, claimed it was from the royal physician. It wasn't, after all, but by then it was too late. Glad that bastard's dead and gone. But then why does he still plague her thoughts?

Sigh

Tiffany's wives tell her she dwells on the pain of the past too much. She dwells on the wrongs of the past, or the anxieties of the future, never in the present where she stands. Head stuck in the clouds, and the clouds roil with thunder.

Another set of footsteps enter the hall, echoing towards her. The sound brings her out of her ruminating.

"Tiff dear? Are you brooding in here again?"

Tiff turns to face her knightly wife, and forces a pained smile. It doesn't quite make it to her eyes, that shine just as wetly as the portrait on the wall beside her. Even with the smile in the painting, her eyes look so sad, both in depiction and reality.

"Alas, I have. You know me, always dwelling on the past, holding onto strings better left to fray. I simply wonder, what things would be like if they had gone differently."

"We cannot change what has already happened, not without grave consequences. Time marches forward, and so should we."

Tiff's wife Cassandra steps close to her, and offers a hand to lead her out of the hall of faces and bad memories. With one last glance at the ancient Atlantean mosaic, she takes her hand, and lets herself be led back to more pleasant company than the judgmental faces of her ancestors.

Even without that mosaic's eyes following her, she feels watched by the eyes of her ancestors. Sometimes it feels like Atlantea herself is staring over her shoulder, wishing she could have made a better decision. Perhaps she is, somehow.

Somewhere, Atlantea mutters 'I killed our goddess once, and you dared to bring her back to life. Did you never think to consider why she died in the first place? Some things are better off dead, and yet here you live.'

Somehow Tiff can hear her muttering, in the back of her mind.