#unblot

[igniida]

Idia stares silently for a long minute before grabbing a marker from next to his desk and marking something off on the card.

"I don't know who you're trying to fool by saying you're not geeky. Have you seen yourself when you get invested in your fashion, potions and plants? Nerd. And not strong? You're one of the strongest people I know. You always have been, constantly moving forward with hope for the future despite what faces you. That's... That's really strong. Same with cool and knightly! Don't you remember when you broke into the cafeteria with that ring and you were dressed like a damn prince and I could have-" Aw now his face and hair are all pink. He tries to hide it by burying his face in his arms on the desk as he hands the bingo card back.

"I fixed a couple of things." He says voice muffled.

"... BUT WAIT, STARSHINE YOU JUDGE ME???" His head snaps up face and hair still bright pink.

[makovu]

@unblot​ asked: In a surprising turn of events, Leah is quite quiet when she enters the room, making none of her usual ado. Wordlessly she climbs into bed beside Leona, the six year old making a small sniffle as she forcibly tucks herself under her baba's arm.

It's not unusual for her to come here in the middle of the day. Ever since she can remember she's wanted to stay with baba when she feels bad. Being around him always makes her feel better. But this is the first time her sensitive heart has not led her to a wailing tantrum, having little care for Leona's naps. Her hurt is subdued today, a silent stream of tears flowing from her large green eyes.

Leah curls into up into a ball, burying her face in Leona's chest.

"Why can't I be like Nora?" The question is quiet, her broken voice muffled against Leona's chest. "Everyone says she's better than me because she can do magic and I can't. I wanna do magic too. But nothing I do is good enough." Leah sniffles again. "It's not fair. I wanna be good too. Why can't I be good?"

leona can identify his family with his eyes closed — it’s in the sounds of their breaths, in the patterns of their steps, in the differences in their scents. his ears twitch atop his head as the heavy door is pushed open, and he can tell by time she’s only three steps into the room that it’s leah (and he can tell that she’s crying, that truth revealed by a sniffle in her breath).

he lifts his arm slightly as she tucks herself under his arm to curl close to his chest, his arms wrapping around her in a protective embrace. this isn’t one of her usual, childish outbursts brought on by a youthful lack of emotional regulation. this isn’t a tantrum.

this is... leona presses his lips to her hair between her ears, his eyes remaining squeezed shut. he’s not surprised by the words she mumbles into his chest, but that doesn’t make them any easier to hear. one of the girls not developing magic was a fear before they even hatched; it doesn’t run in leona’s family with the same certainty and strength that in runs in malleus’, after all. when lenore’s magic developed, as weak and sloppy as it is in all children, all eyes went to leah to see if she’d follow in her sister’s footsteps.

months passed, and hope turned into upturned noses by the same stagnant court that didn’t want leona here in the first place. it’s another mark against him, and he hoped that was all it would be.

but no. leona knows that some adults don’t care that children are children, and he’s not surprised. angry, yes — it’s something fierce and protective that claws into his chest as he holds leah close to him, and he has to make himself focused on soothing this injury rather than storming off to lash out against those who caused it.

he moves, sitting up to pull the tight ball leah’s become into his lap. “you are good, leah,” he whispers, one arm wrapped securely around her while the hand of the other runs lightly through her hair. “don’t let them make you think otherwise.” her words are familiar. they’re thoughts he had before he was her age and long after; only he had no one he shared them with, and they festered near his heart and hardened him into someone he knows he doesn’t want to see her become.

“i had magic at your age,” he says quietly. “your uncle falena didn’t.” he pauses, trying to make sure his words come out right. comforting doesn’t come naturally to him, and neither does talking about such core emotional experiences. “it didn’t matter. they talked about me the same way they’re talking about you. they made me resent my own brother and feel like nothin’ i did would ever matter.” there’s a distance in his voice alongside the quietness, his green eyes now open to look down at his little girl curled up in his arms. “i think some people just like t’ pit siblings against each other, and the youngest gets the worst of it.”

and it’s clear where it comes from: the oldest child’s the heir, and the youngest is nothing but a backup until the heir produces an heir of their own. it’s simple lineage. leah is the youngest, despite the girls being twins — and despite malleus being deliberate in not naming an heir until the twins decide who will take the responsibility of the crown by choice, birth order aside. to the court it doesn’t matter. to them lenore is the heir apparent and leah’s nothing more than a disappointing, magicless backup in a country based around strong magic.

“it’s not fair. you’re right about that.” he moves his hand from her hair to her chin, gently urging her to look up at him with her tear-filled eyes. “but you’re a bright girl with a bright future ahead of you.” he wipes the tears from one of her cheeks with his thumb. “and lenore loves you and doesn’t think she’s any better than you. i love you. your father loves you.

“mage or not, you’re better than those mean old people will ever be, and you’re gonna do more that matters than they ever have. don’t forget that.”

[ramshacklestar]

@unblot sent || ❝ you’ve got quite the mean streak in you, haven’t you? i’m impressed. ❞ / from malleus

PROMPTS FOR FRENEMIES,  ENEMIES TO LOVERS  AND  REFORMED VILLAINS || No Longer Accepting

Yuu jumped slightly at the sound of Malleus’ voice still riding the adrenaline of just shouting at Ace, Deuce and Grim who had once again taken to fighting over a mundane issue. The three had all ceremonially gotten ‘out of her line of sight before she knocked them all across the head’ as she demanded them do each one baring a face of shock as though Yuu had reached up and slapped every one of them; to be honest she was still thinking about it. What was more of the surprise though is the way she sounded when she was shouting at them to stop fighting for one day her normally soft voice sounding deeper with an added growl ripping through her throat that sounded borderline what one of the students from Savanaclaw sounded like when fully irritated. Since when could she do something like that?

Eyes moving from the slowly getting smaller classmates Yuu glanced up at Malleus; he’s impressed that she could be mean? That’s a rather peculiar thing. “I wasn’t trying to be mean.” Yuu mumbled with a twinge of embarrassment.

Perhaps she’d been in this world for too long if she was resorting to enacting actual violence when usually she’d try and solve issues with her words instead. The possibility of her change also resulting from the multiple overblots she’d already come face to face with rose too, her initial thought to approach with gentility when Riddle blotted resulting in the very wind being knocked out of her. Physically she was no match for anyone at the school, even if she was taller than a couple of them they always had the magical trump over her, but apparently her vicious words served enough to defend her. At least in this instance.

“Tsunotaro…” She started using the nickname given before she actually knew who he was. “Please don’t tell anyone about that, I don’t want to be seen as some sort of problem that needs to be wiped from the school records. And well, I don’t fully understand how I was able to growl like that, it’s not something I’ve ever done before.” Maybe it was a minimal thing to be concerned about, but still if this world was really changing her then she wanted it to be for the better.

[igniida]

"You're either the bravest soul I know or the most foolish one." Idia is almost envious of them. He would never admit it aloud but he was envious of anyone who could have hope in a world that detested such a thing so greatly. Salem was right, the world was cruel, it was hard to have hope. It took more courage then Idia had to have hope. Perhaps that was why Idia enjoyed Salem's company. They had the courage that he lacked.

Not only that but perhaps they were right too. Maybe good things did exist. Video games existed, cats existed, in a way Ortho still existed, Salem existed. There was good in the world at least a few seeds of it left.

But to acknowledge those scant good things would mean to risk having that hope taken from him. Which terrified him more then having no hope at all. It was easier to ignore the good, pretend hope did not exist and that only cruelty existed then risk having more taken from him.

"Just be sure to keep that hope in check. It'll hurt when it comes crashing down." He doesn't mean to be a pessimist. It's simply in his nature. He'd call himself a 'realist' as for him pessimism was reality. And this warning was his way of helping Salem.

He didn't care for many people in fact in a cruel way he found others suffering almost vindicating. As though it reminded him that he was not the only one cursed to live. A truth he was not entirely proud of. But Salem was one of the few he liked, one of the few he did not want to see cursed in the way that he had been.

It's a loaded question for anyone, let alone a creature like Salem who's incapable of love. It's not as simple as asking whether one believes in the existence of beings beyond their sight and comprehension. Love exists everywhere, it's an undeniable truth even if people like Idia want to invalidate its authenticity.

The real question Idia is asking is unspoken, and maybe he doesn't even realize that's what he's asking. Do you believe in love for you?

“  I want to.  ” The words are uttered like a confession, Salem revealing a desperate hope in themself that they haven't fully comprehended yet.

Love does not exist in the hollow vessel their soul has been bound too, only the remains. But maybe if things had been different, maybe if they had survived that night, love could have bloomed within both their aching hearts. Maybe if they could find a cure for their condition they would be able to love again.

In answering Idia's question, Salem has done something they've so earnestly tried to avoid. They've acknowledged the seed of hope that lives within them, foolishly planting it within the infertile soil of their heart. They've reached a point of no return, and now they are forced to inevitably watch that hope wither away before their eyes.

“  The world is so cruel. It's hard to have hope.  ” Salem's words are just as heavy as the question they're responding to. Yet their stoic and impassive demeanor does not change. They meet Idia's eyes with a steady gaze, looking almost resolute in their composure. “  But I want to hope. I want to believe that good things exist.  ”

[alice-angel12x]

What if the twisted wonderland react the MC/Reader have a magical paintbrush just like epic mickey games?

Also this is yuu's paintbrush looks like btw

Yuu! Epic Mickey Twisted Wonderland

Here's a fun art peice I did cause the image was so fun.

Overblot boys (Riddle, Leona, Azul, and Jamil) React to Epic Mickey!Yuu

I remember when I first created Forgotten Wasteland, and how my apprentice made a mess of it all. While I am glad he repaired all the damage he has done, I couldn't trust him to not let his mischievous curiosity get the better of him. So I took up my magical brush and created a helper or a protector. They would keep watch and protect the toons of wasteland. They were an excellent student, they quickly mastered the magic of the brush. If only my other student was this obedient. (Geez Yen Sid, biased much).

Master Yen Sid watched Yuu gently and with a calculated stroke of the bush on the wasteland. The old wise wizard nodded with approval.

"You have done well," Yen Sid said as he gave a pat on Yuu's head.

Yuu smiled softly when they noticed their master holding his hand out, asking for his paintbrush back. They handed the wizards the brush, and suddenly began to dip it into the paint. Where he began to wave the brush in the air, creating something. Something big.

With a final stroke, there before him was a beautiful paintbrush. It was almost Yuu's height, as the wizard handed them the gift.

"Be very careful with this magic. With great strength, comes even greater responsibility. This is not something to play with willy-nilly," Yen Sid said sternly.

"Yes, Master Yen Sid. I promise to use this power for good," Yuu said, trying to contain their excitement.

"I know you will. I can see great things from you," Yen Sid said with a small smile. "Take good care of Wasteland."

If only Yen Sid knew, that his favorite pupil would vanish from under his nose. They would somehow end up in a place called Twisted Wonderland.

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

💗Riddle RoseHeart 💗

Before the blot:

When he first meets Yuu, he doesn't really take them seriously. Since the mirror says they are not a magic user.

He thinks the large paintbrush Yuu carries around is really inconvenient. And Does not look forward to all the potential mess it could bring.

After/during Blot:

Overblot Riddle struggled in the battle with Yuu. The most annoying thing they did was paint his rose bushes Blue, turning them against him.

Turns out Yuu and their magic paintbrush weren't as useless as Riddle assumed.

Yuu's finishing blow was a good whack to the head, dousing Riddle and the ink phantom with a powerful stream of thinner, erasing the blotted ink instantly.

Leaving an unblotted Riddle behind. Though Yuu gave Riddle one last splash of thinner for safe measure.

Leaving a crying drenched mess.

After fixing that, they left all of Heartslybuyal in awe as they watched the thinner in the brush turn to blue paint. And with many strokes of the brush, the unbirthday party was restored.

After that Riddle had a lot more respect for Yuu, and was a lot more curious of what else Yuu could do with their brush.

____________________________________

🦁Leona Kingscholar 🦁

Before Blot:

He could have cared less about this person. He thought they looked ridiculous with their giant brush. On top of that, they were magicless.

However, he did note that this new student smelt strange. Yet he paid them no mind.

After/during Blot:

Leona had a bit of an easier time against Yuu, cause of the howling sandstorm. Making it difficult for Yuu to toss the Thinner on the phantom and the inkblot.

So with the help of the first-year squad, moved upwind and with this. Yuu blasted Leona with a wave of magic Thinner.

The phantom quickly resolved, and Leona could only stare in shock as the Thinner swept him away.

Of course, they made sure to drench Leona in thinner to be sure all the inkblot was gone.

After the whole event, he was strangely enough. interested in going against the Ramshackle team. Even if it wasn't an official match.

He would smirk in interest as Yuu used their magic brush to create a flying broom for themselves. And some Toon as extra players for the team.

____________________________________

Azul Ashengrotto

Before Blot:

He was amused at most, like why would any person carry such a cumbersome thing around.

And they were magicless on top of that. What an odd individual. But for the most part, also didn't pay much attention.

Till the idea of obtaining the Ramshackle dorm. At first the ain't brush was interesting, but he simply assumed that it was some weird decoration.

Yet he did notice Yuu's strange hesitance of water. Specifically the idea of being in water. Azul would happily take advantage of Yuu's fears.

After/during Blot:

This was a frustrating battle for both fighters. Since Azul can keep spewing ink, just as much as Yuu can remove it.

But with the help of allies and friends, Yuu was able to wash away all the ink with their brush and thinner. With a good whack, to bring Azul back to his senses.

Even after the battle, Yuu seemed to refuse to go near the water. A phobia maybe, Azul thought to himself.

Azul is indeed interested in Yuu's power but finds them confusing too. Yuu wants to see the world under the waves, yet refuses to go anywhere near the water.

He tries to ask Jade and Floyd what they know about this student. But not even they could dig anything up about them.

____________________________________

Jamil Viper

Before Blot:

He honestly could care less about them in the start.

He sees them as a perfect pawn to overthrow Kalim. Jamil also notices Yuu's strange fear of water, even if it is in rain form.

But whatever it took to knock Kalim down, he did not care much. Though he did learn some interesting things about them. After using Snake whisper on them.

After/during Blot:

Yuu surprised attacked him, doused him in Thinner, and quickly took him down. Much to Jamil's emmerassement.

Last time he underestimates a person with a giant brush.

During the party in the desert, he saw Yuu sitting in the shade of the trees away from the oasis.

So he sat next to them. "So... Is it true you're made out of paint?"

Part 2, or a focus on one character at a time to have a mini story. (cause I have basically a fan fic Idea in my empty brain)

[crystallizsch]

"The Royal Vizier. That would be me."

"My most abject and humblest apologies."

jamil viper my beloved

(full body versions below the cut + my (rambly) thought process about his outfits. if you’re curious,,,)

as a jamil enjoyer, i'm going to have to admit that i'm personally not a big fan of his overblot design.

but i took a closer look at his outfit AND HELLO????

i'm a sucker for off shoulder outfits and his top half is just that. and the fact that the bottom half is fitted on his top legs and then flows out at the bottom ,,, i'm obsessed 😔

i also just implemented aspects from jasmine's red outfit from the animated movie (the crown and the snake bands on the arms).

(and the cape was kind of a last-minute decision and honestly i'm still unsure about it)

overall, just a lot of inspiration from the overblot design but i simplified it to an extent.

this is essentially just my take if i were to unblot the overblot outfit.

then for this one,,,

i thought that if jamil can pull off a dress, of course he can always pull off a suit.

i'm less happy with this one because i'm not great at doing my own masculine outfits in general ;;;

it's (kind of) inspired by his platinum outfit and then i just used the scarabia dorm colors.

anyways, these ideas hit me with mach speed and i did it in less than a day. and also (shameless plug) this is honestly just a sequel to my initial jamil post.

[utsuboarchive]

@unblot asked: "Don't think I don't see you over there." It's not like Floyd not to make his presence known immediately -- At least not when he's in his more agreeable moods. "You know it's considered rude to lurk in doorways. Come inside and sit down."

It's also not like Azul to express sincere concern & sympathy, so he won't. But what he extends to Floyd is more than he would anyone else without the temptation of a deal to motivate him. / hi 👋

sometimes, when he was in the right mood, he liked to just watch azul as he was doing something. he may not realize it; but when he's alone he makes faces any time he's focusing really hard. the what doesn't really matter to floyd very much, just that it's nice to quietly observe things. content and silent, until of course azul catches him just standing there. leaning in the doorway with a strangely neutral expression.

come inside and sit down-

it's an offer, not a demand-- and floyd responds with a single note. hummed low as he comes into the room, to drop his weight down next to him.

" i'm bored. " he says simply, as he leans some to rest his cheek against the others head with a heavy sigh. but it's more than that isn't it-- he's frustrated because it's more than just boredom. there is a lack of something, and his mood has dipped because of it. and worse still, there is very little he can think to do for it. floyd fidgets with his own fingers, and lets a bit more of his weight lean as he does. satisfied to find that azul allows it, and lets him be. it's grounding in a way, not enough to fix the issue, but just so- that he doesn't grit his teeth anymore.

unprompted

[corvicarum]

@unblot asked: ship bias for wuya and jamil?

wuya bias... phew okay.

floyd/wuya: i could go on about this one forever. in short, wuya has a deeply ingrained complex about being useful to people. bit of a play on the fact wuya is twsted from maleficent's raven. floyd doesn't care. to him, wuya is fun, and silly and has a personality he likes. he keeps floyd interested because of him, not because of what he can or can't do. and man does wuya have a lot of feelings on that. it's just a deeply wholesome, and kinda.... genuine & organic feeling dynamic to me. one of those things where they click from the start, but they let it go where it goes.

trey/wuya: thank blu for this one. honestly? it's one of those slow burns that takes forever to really get going. but the second it starts it snowballs into something sweet, and uncanny, and a little whimsical. there's also something deeply tragic about falling in love with someone you're 100% going to outlive 100 times over...

kalim/wuya: i like these two platonically, and even... to some extent? familial & found family sort of dynamic. wuya does his absolute best to give humans a chance at NRC. he's cautious at first, cynical. but kalim is legit the most genuine, and honest human on the planet. he single handedly convinces wuya that not ALL humans are bad. and it's proof that a little kindness, does acually go a long way.

azul/wuya: kay... hear me out... hhh... they both make deals. different kinds of deals mind you but, they have similar methods. and sorta, in a kinda fucked up opposite to floyer- azul validating wuya and making him feel valuable. be it through the use of his UM or the use of his general array of talents and skills.

vil/wuya: vil is just so pretty augh. wuya sees pretty things and he becomes so enamored by them sometimes. can't be helped. not sure if this would rocket off into long term romance or not. but the aesthetic is deeply pleasing to me.

i don't have a lot of jamil ships tbh. he's really hard for me to ship with romantically due to his desperate need for some personal growth. and the complexities that come with his and kalim's relationship- as well as kalim's family. plus he's a new muse, and i havent had much an opportunity yet to explore his character too deeply...

kalim/jamil: now this? this i pair up platonically. i cannot romantically ship these two AT ALL. but oh my god. can you imagine? if the two of them talked, worked things out? i want this so bad, i want jamil to realize how cruel he was for letting everything out on kalim. that he is at fault in many ways for not being open with him. of course it's hard, since he is seen so disposable and replaceable by kalim's family. but still, in the confines of NRC he has SO much more freedom than he realizes. he let kalim really believe everything was ok for so long. that it's no wonder it reached a point like that during book 4. i wont go on too long about this, but just. please. i need them to work things out, to grow, and part at friends.

ace/jamil: okay this one's... listen. hear me out. not only is the basketball trio very deeply important to me. but i feel like unlike floyd, ace's personality is just barely skirting the line of too much. while also being deeply endearing, and quirky. ace is arrogant, and he's loud, and extremely silly-- but he's also very confident, and determined. and he isn't afraid to speak his mind, or share his opinions. there's also this ... gloomy/sunshine thing going there. it's subtle but... it's enough.

[augment-techs]

Can you imagine the 69 Team meeting and interacting with their successors? (Jason and his team, and Rocky Adam and Aisha) and what they might think of them or how they’d interact with them?

Let us operate under the assumption that, had they all lived, the '69 team would have had to find their way back to each other basically blind. There would be self-protective delusions for Daniel that the mission was a dream or a nightmare; the injuries sustained something that set off PTSD in Jamie like any veteran back from a war they had no part in; the anxiety and adrenaline not as familiar as one would like for Nikolai. But they would find each other again, and become bound together by trauma and a resentment for Zordon that drew like a blind, white little thing under a rock. Grace would be a little more humble with more than just Terona to keep her grounded, and Terona would be impressed upon to speak up for himself and stand up when Grace goes too far.

The new Red Rangers both grate on Grace's nerves and make her feel a little sad. Jason is far more like her when she was raw and angry than she would have liked, but when Rocky came along, the eldest of six with a knack for taking on responsibility while ignoring his own needs... She has to grow into the role of a proper mentor, her own team nudging her in the right direction--one that doesn't involve manipulating Billy into Promethea when he's vulnerable and Zordon is being an idiot. She talks to Jason like an equal, she actually offers to help babysit with Rocky; she is old, and it's weird, but she tries. Jamie has scars, Jamie has twitches and OCD, and the residual heart problems from trying to ignore her problems by descending into an eating disorder that sent her to the hospital one time for each of the teammates that had to stop her from passing out in the street or screamed seeing her cough up blood. Zack is a vibrant after image of what she imagined she might have been once; he makes her nervous and makes her give disconcerting advice on his phone in the middle of the night when his parents are asleep. Adam, contrariwise, seems to be as skittish as she so often found herself. Didn't have the physical scars to explain it, but she trusts him more by simple virtue of his energy exuding hush instead of a laugh or scream. Terona finds it a blessing that his successors are both girls, with good heads on their shoulders--after a fashion. Trini worries him, being an army brat where he had been drafted, not prepared to be in a battle, despite being off on the sidelines of soldiers and leaders since she could waddle; but then she swapped Colors with Jason and their team came back from another planet uninjured and victorious and he let out a sigh of relief. Aisha still makes him fizzy and hesitant, makes his eagle eye focus from afar on the way she sometimes cries while trying to do homework she was way behind on, or freak out over a fight she had with her mother over nothing; so he really had to get used to offering hugs and having to actually give them. Nikolai thinks Billy is an idiot. A brilliant mind, razor sharp, wit for miles, but his social skills and his way of handling relationships that burnt like rotted bridges struck by lightning left a bad taste in his mouth the more the young man came to Promethea to work for Grace. There is lying because you are trying to protect the whole world and the ones you love, and then there is deluding yourself into thinking your silence and sneaking off for one's own comfort is just business as usual. One of the little camera men that followed the Rangers around constantly, to get interviews unblotted and completely honest--unlike most national networks--gained Nikolai's sympathy when it became obvious that the Blue Ranger made him terribly uncomfortable, but still tried to be good. Nikolai's main objective with Billy is to get him out of his head and actually UNDERSTAND other people have feelings. Daniel absolutely adores both Kimberly and Tommy. True, he's only technically responsible for the little pink Ranger that is so small he almost screamed the first time he saw her on the television, but Tommy is troubled and guilty and spent the better part of his life on the streets of New York before he was adopted and arrived in Angel Grove--fellow feeling was bound to bubble up and make him cry "dibs" the first time they all met and Jamie had to muscle him out of just picking the two up and cuddling them. Cuddle their faces off... Yes, he ships them, but who wouldn't?

[poem-today]

A poem by Sir Walter Raleigh

The Passionate Man’s Pilgrimage

[Supposed to be written by one at the point of death]

Give me my scallop shell of quiet,  My staff of faith to walk upon,  My scrip of joy, immortal diet,  My bottle of salvation,  My gown of glory, hope’s true gage,  And thus I’ll take my pilgrimage. 

   Blood must be my body’s balmer,  No other balm will there be given,  Whilst my soul, like a white palmer,  Travels to the land of heaven;  Over the silver mountains,  Where spring the nectar fountains;  And there I’ll kiss  The bowl of bliss,  And drink my eternal fill  On every milken hill.  My soul will be a-dry before,  But after it will ne’er thirst more;  And by the happy blissful way  More peaceful pilgrims I shall see,  That have shook off their gowns of clay,  And go apparelled fresh like me.  I’ll bring them first  To slake their thirst,  And then to taste those nectar suckets,  At the clear wells  Where sweetness dwells,  Drawn up by saints in crystal buckets. 

   And when our bottles and all we  Are fill’d with immortality,  Then the holy paths we’ll travel,  Strew’d with rubies thick as gravel,  Ceilings of diamonds, sapphire floors,  High walls of coral, and pearl bowers. 

   From thence to heaven’s bribeless hall  Where no corrupted voices brawl,  No conscience molten into gold,  Nor forg’d accusers bought and sold,  No cause deferr’d, nor vain-spent journey,  For there Christ is the king’s attorney,  Who pleads for all without degrees,  And he hath angels, but no fees.  When the grand twelve million jury  Of our sins and sinful fury,  ’Gainst our souls black verdicts give,  Christ pleads his death, and then we live.  Be thou my speaker, taintless pleader,  Unblotted lawyer, true proceeder,  Thou movest salvation even for alms,  Not with a bribed lawyer’s palms.  And this is my eternal plea  To him that made heaven, earth, and sea,  Seeing my flesh must die so soon,  And want a head to dine next noon,  Just at the stroke when my veins start and spread,  Set on my soul an everlasting head.  Then am I ready, like a palmer fit,  To tread those blest paths which before I writ.

Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618)

[inventit]

@shotputd : [ CHALLENGE ]

miu's   oft   accustomed   herself   to   her   defensive   display   of   harlotry,   the   veneer   of   sexiness   and   experience   that   she   wears   like   unblotted   lipstick.   and   she's   eager   to   blab   about   her   worldliness,   attempt   to   smear   it   in   others'   faces   like   her   only   form   of   solace   in   such   a   cruel   and   unforgiving   world.   but   to   be   heard   is   to   be   dismissed   :   she's   never   quite   readied   herself   to   have   her   vitriol   challenged   nor   questioned,   only   have   her   words   defenestrated   from   value   or   power.

the   scene   is   set,   rantaro's   fingers   delicately   elevating   her   chin   upwards,   lips   firm   against   hers   —   roseate   hues   painting   a   physiognomy   of   much   unfamiliar   tenderness,   passion.   especially   granted   .   .   .   well,   she's   never   been   kissed   before,   nothing   beyond   a   chaste   peck   on   the   cheek,   nothing   compared   to   the   fervor   of   the   connection   between   the   two.   the   intimacy,   while   aberrant,   was   not   unwelcome,   and   for   as   long   as   the   duration   of   the   buss,   she's   praying   it   is   perpetual.

❝   ahh,   mossballs   .   .   .   where'd'ja   learn   something   like   that   ?   ❞

[makovu]

@unblot​ asked: Leona wakes up to find a small leather bound book he’s never seen before on his bedside table. It’s difficult to tell what sort of book it is at first glance. But upon further inspection, the neat & elegant handwriting within gives the purpose of the book away. It’s a ledger written in Malleus’ own hand. As far as anyone knew the current king of Briar Valley did not keep a journal of any kind. He doesn’t. Which begs the question of what this book is & why has it been left with Leona while Malleus is out for the day.

Should Leona open the ledger & begin reading, he would find it full of mementos & fond memories noted by the fae king. Malleus had even acquired old photographs taken by Silver, Sebek or one of the other servants. However the first page is a letter addressed to Leona. It reads as this.

When I was a child, my upbringing was very isolated. My mother & father passed on before I came into this world, & my grandmother was too occupied with providing for our kingdom to provide for me. In comparison to the early days of my childhood, my time at Night Raven College was rich with companionship. My tutors & caretakers all held me at a distance expected of a royal & his subjects. Only Lilia regarded me with any kind of warmth.

But often there were times when Lilia would travel abroad & leave me behind. Many nights of my early childhood were spent weeping inconsolably into my pillow in my frustration & loneliness. I longed for friendship & companionship more than anything.

Before Silver & Sebek came into this world, my first friend was a prince of a neighboring kingdom. We met under strange circumstances, but at the time he provided me the companionship I so desperately craved. For a brief moment, my loneliness was quelled & I was at peace.

This prince was a rather unpleasant boy, but I wasn’t quite in a position to be picky when it came to my companions. He was ill tempered & stubborn. But despite this I came to enjoy & cherish the time we’d spent together. Even the best of dreams must reach an end. But as we were made to part, I found myself wanting to see him again. The odds were stacked against us, but initially I was quite hopeful.

You made me wait a very long time, Leona. I suppose it’s in your nature to leave people hanging. You’re quite a cruel creature, dearest.

Over a century had passed by the time I crossed paths with my old friend. Time had caused the details of our first encounter to fade away. I had forgotten my friend’s name & face. I’d only remembered our time together & the curse he’d claimed to have. At this point I had convinced myself into believing this prince was not a real person at all.

However, you, Leona Kingscholar, second son of the savanna proved me wrong.

The circumstances in which I discovered the truth were quite ironic. Imagine learning you share a faint history with someone following their attack on your life. I’d learned of your unique magic & a momentous revelation came over me. I’m sure you know the rest of the tale by now.

You & I both know we don’t have much time together left in this world. Not long from now I must be forced to part with you a second time, so soon after losing you the first time. Human life is so fleeting. But I am truly honored that you chose to spend your life with me, my dearest. Spending these years with you was worth a century of waiting in loneliness.

I only ask that you do not wander too far when it comes time for us to part ways. I intend to wait for you in our next life. I am well aware that the centuries to come will possibly be even more lonesome than the time I waited as a child. However I wholeheartedly believe you were worth the wait then, & you will be worth the wait now. So, my love, I beg that you will wait for me as well. I promise to be worth the wait.

Yours eternally,

King Malleus Kingscholar-Draconia

dying is a miserable thing. it’s a slow process for leona, a slow giving - up of his body; he suspects he inherited that from his father along with the face that’s greeted him in every mirror his entire life. in a way, it’s a blessing — he’s prepared, and so is his family. the end won’t be a sudden thing, tearing him away without warning. for that, he’s grateful. but it is difficult, finding himself bedridden in his old age. at least the fae are good with magic and medicine, so it’s a near - painless experience.

he sleeps. he wakes earlier than he did in his youth as most of what he does is sleep. at some point the tiredness became something different. at some point it became less about sleep and more about being.

when he wakes up — early but not early enough to speak to malleus before the king of the valley has to leave for the day — the room is the same as it always is. the windows are open like he likes them to be when there’s no rain. the bed is comfortable. it’s quiet.

but now there’s something on his nightstand that’s never been there. it catches his still - observant attention, and he reaches an aged hand out for it. he slowly opens it, paging through its contents.

it doesn’t take him long to realize what it is, and he hardly feels it as his eyes go misty. it’s full of pictures and proofs of a long life well - lived, of moments remembered and those blurred by time, of family and love and hard work, of malleus — as elegant and unchanging as his handwriting — and of leona — human and showing his age in every picture, even if he hadn’t known it at the time.

it’s far from just himself and malleus. it’s family — their family, in the loosest sense of the word at times. pictures of the girls — the twins — their daughters from birth to the adulthood they’ve blossomed into. locks of hair. family photos. candid moments leona can’t say who took them. salem. idia. their children. there’s himself and falena, their relationship mended so imperfectly. rigid moments of public - facing royal behavior cast in stark contrast to the relaxed moments spent with family and no one else.

time has gone into this, and he wonders at the grief that malleus refuses to show him. they’ve talked, of course. that’s what their life together is now. it’s long, quiet talks and simple affection. it’s recounting the past and mentions of the future leona won’t be there to see. it’s acknowledging the approaching future and accepting that the end is near. he suspects that this is part of their mourning that’s already started.

he only realizes tears have fallen already when he flips to the front page and the note hand - written upon it, and he can’t fight the small smile that graces his expression. it’s like malleus to have so much to say, even if not saying it aloud.

as leona reads, the small smile fades into something somber, and then wide - eyed as realization sets in. it’s a memory long buried of a dream from his childhood — and of the boy he dreamt up.  he doesn’t remember the details. it was too long ago and his life has been too full. he doesn’t remember the details, but a quiet sob shakes in his chest. why couldn’t malleus tell him in person?? old as he is, he’s still prideful and he feels like an emotional idiot crying like this alone in this room. a small laugh bubbles up, weak and ironic and sincere.

he reaches for the nightstand again, hand trembling as he reaches into the drawer to find a pen he knows he has to have thrown in there at some point. carefully, he leaves an addition at the bottom of the note in his own hand:

Nothing could keep me from waiting for you. I’ll wait as long as I have to to be whole with you again.

Leona Draconia Kingscholar

he falls asleep with the ledger on his chest, the pen still in his hand. as well as his answer to the note on the front page, he’s added his own comments and memories alongside the ones written throughout by malleus. some of the ink is smudged and the paper faintly mis - textured where some errant tears landed.

[gwordhres]

@unblot​ asked: 

silver points to the text. “see?”

“ i never said that you were wrong!! ” it’s just that you didn’t have to say it like that.

[stillgrows]

the ramshackle dormitory......... leaves a lot to be desired. it's an old building, and one clearly lacking the regular maintenance schedule the rest of the school grounds appear to keep. he's managed to glean that it sat abandoned save for the ghosts for some time, although how long that period of time was he can only guess based on the thick layers of dust that remain settled in some stubborn places.

it's easy to guess who the blame for ramshackle's state falls on ( and it certainly isn't the lone living, human resident of the place ), but rollo knows there's no point in fussing over those details when it's a simple enough task to take matters into his own hands.

for a moment, the new student doesn't react to yuusei's statement. he simply stares at the room, pan and broom still in-hand. he's scrutinizing the space, although his expression remains mostly impassive besides a deepening furrow in his brow. “the ghosts have keg parties,” rollo repeats finally, and it's a minute more before whatever light shock took over is blinked away. “every tuesday?” doesn't that keep you awake?

" Don't bother-- " The young prefect gestures lazily to the ragged broom and dustpan the other is wielding. It's nice that Rollo wants to tidy up around here- Weird considering, well...everything. But still nice. Even so, the niceness of the sentiment hardly matters when... " The ghosts have their keg parties in here on Tuesday nights. "

Were it not for Yuusei's completely serious expression, it would be easy to surmise that he's joking around. But unfortunately he's not. He's serious and so is the massive mess that turns up every Wednesday morning in the lounge. This is Yuusei's life, and now...he guesses it's Rollo's too.

@stillgrows

[corferox]

@unblot​ ( for mawweus )

     ❝ do you want some ? ❞

[igniida]

@unblot​/Salem also has a friend: “Sorry.” Their touch is a little less gentle than usual as they forcibly pry the small Salem resembling creature from Idia’s shoulder. They’d been looking all over for it all afternoon & assumed it had been hiding in a corner somewhere. Who knew it would find Idia & start clinging to him.

“It’s no problem.” Idia replies trying to hide the disappointment in his tone when Salem removes the smaller version of themselves from him. He usually wasn’t one for being touched anyone who knew anything about him knew that. He hated being grabbed unexpectedly or being climbed on or clung too. But it was different with this little creature, with most little creatures. With this odd thing that resembled so much the one who lingered in his heart he almost didn’t want it to let go. It was why he’d let it follow him, climb him, cling to him through out most of the day. He didn’t know what it was nor what it’s intentions were. But he knew it was cute incredibly cute even and he found himself endeared to it.

However he couldn’t say that, that’d be so embarrassing. He’d truly rather die then admit to something so heartfelt and true as to that feeling. So when Salem takes the creature back he even helps detach it’s little paw like feet from his shoulder. His hands do linger on it, patting it’s head and staying there a moment before he pulls his hand away.

“It’s... It’s umm... Not a problem.” He repeats unsure what to tell his dear friend. Part of him says he can tell them the truth. That if they like they can leave it with him. Or better yet both of them can stay. Yet the thought alone is enough to have him feeling like curling into himself and dying of embarrassment. “Wha-What is it? It’s... It’s super cute. Looks kinda like you. No-not that you’re cute! I mean you are but not in the same way! More like a different way! I-I-I-I’m gonna stop talking.”