#verse: red thread of fate

[dwarfstaralloy]

@wildthiiing | liked for a starter. for mick.

His fingers fumble with the bandage he is wrapping around his wrist. Ray knows he can ask for help, but it seems so stupid that he's gotten hurt, and he doesn't really want to see or hear people's judgement right now. So he struggles on his own, only pausing when he hears footsteps behind him.

[elysian-voices]

Tag Dump 12: Ganondorf

Because Tears of the Kingdom has everyone thirsting for rehydrated Ganondorf, I figured I'd write my own interpretation of the Demon King. This is a headcanon heavy interpretation of Ganondorf based on the first Calamity mentioned in Breath of the Wild and therefore will not follow any plotlines from the upcoming game.

[bittersweetresilience]

author's commentary part one

now that we've reached the end of the fic, i will finally explain the beginning.

i named this piece after 大鱼, a song whose title means big fish. in the fic, jing yuan references void songs twice, which i imagine are the sounds that void song whales make. if you remember, yukong talks about these whales in her visitor dialogue. they swim freely through the stellar seas while their sibling species on the luofu has disappeared into history.

whale songs. dream fish. the call of the void. the language of longing. to me, renjing.

author's imagery only the most important bits

the sky is freedom and departure, and it is jing yuan, eventually. the sea is the dissolution of the self and the thing that will swallow him, and it is yingxing. the lightning is the portent of death, but also the electricity of being in love. the wine is the representation of shared wishes and togetherness and history. the starskiffs are the memorials of the past and the vessels into the empyrean. the fire is desire and destruction. the ink is the color of blade's hair and the sincerity of the letters jing yuan writes. the bandages and the iron are blade and the violence of his existence. the paper birds are the fragility of jing yuan's memories, which cannot be buried. the nightclothes are the vulnerability he will shed in the morning. the string is the red string of fate between renjing, but also the strings that tether jing yuan to the luofu and to his ending. the womb and the egg are the places of rebirth and the representation of returning to the beginning. the sun is the stellaron, and it is jing yuan before the sky and the sea consume him, and it is the end of the dream.

author's commentary part two

below is my translation of the song.

大鱼 big fish

海浪无声将夜幕深深淹没 the waves soundlessly submerge the night 漫过天空尽头的角落 rising over the corners of the edge of the sky 大鱼在梦境的缝隙里游过 the big fish swims in the rifts between dreams 凝望你沉睡的轮廓 watching your sleeping visage

看海天一色 听风起雨落 seeing the sky and the sea in one color, hearing the winds stir and the rain fall 执子手 吹散苍茫茫烟波 holding my son's hand, i blow away the hazy ripples of smoke 大鱼的翅膀 已经太辽阔 the wings of the big fish are already too vast 我松开 时间的绳索 i let go of the thread of time

怕你飞远去 怕你离我而去 afraid you'll fly far away, afraid you'll leave me 更怕你 永远停留在这里 even more afraid you'll stop here forever 每一滴泪水 都向你流淌去 every tear flows toward you 倒流进 天空的海底 flowing backward into the ocean floor of the sky

(...)

看你飞远去 看你离我而去 seeing you fly far away, seeing you leave me 原来你生来就属于天际 so you were born to belong to the sky all along 每一滴泪水 都向你流淌去 every tear flows toward you 倒流回最初的相遇 flowing backward into our first meeting

without this song, this fic wouldn't exist. every part of the two was intimately interwoven. in particular, the line about the thread of time was what made me certain it would be a nonlinear narrative and the mixing of the sky and the sea was the image that created the entire story.

i further drew from the lyrics the most important imagery, the idea of ending on the beginning, and the son's hand as not only yanqing but everyone jing yuan leans on today in order to support himself against the weight of history. i drew the themes of dreams and reality, the dialogue on leaving, and the breathless, surreal atmosphere of melancholy and yearning. but in addition to all of that there is a double meaning in this song to me.

the first time you hear it, you think it's about jing yuan. and it is, of course. everything is about him. he is the holder, the sleeper, the one submerging. but by the last verse, you realize it is also blade, talking to him as he walks into scalegorge waterscape. trying and failing to call him back from within the endless dream.

both of them were born to belong to the sky. only one of them truly died in it.

author's dictionary

rèn, 刃, word for 'Blade' (lit. 'blade's edge') jiāngjūn, 将军, word for 'general' gānbēi, 干杯, word for 'cheers' (lit. 'dry cups') mèngdié, 梦蝶, word for the shortness of life (lit. 'butterfly dream') (this was not said explicitly but alluded to in the first dream) shīfù, 师父, word for 'martial master' bàitáng, 拜堂, word for the act of bowing to the heavens and the earth, the parents, and then each other in marriage (this is what the high-cloud quintet was joking about) yǐnyuè-jūn, 饮月君, word for 'Imbibitor Lunae' (lit. 'moon-drinker') nàihé qiáo, 奈何桥, word for the Bridge of Oblivion where souls drink Meng Po soup to forget the memories of their past life in preparation for reincarnation húlu, 葫芦, word for 'gourd' (this is what bailu uses to dispense medicine) qīng, 卿, word for 'senior official' (this is the honorific jing yuan uses for fu xuan in light of her position as master diviner) xiàngqí, ���棋, word for 'Chinese chess' (this is what starchess is based on, where my vision designates aurumatons as cannons, starskiffs as elephants, and cloud knights as pawns) gē, 哥, word for 'older brother' (this is a casual term of address for older men) shíhuǒ mèngshēn, 石火梦身, word for 'Starfall Reverie' (lit. 'sparks in stone, body in dream')

author's references

all of the xianzhou trailblaze missions. all of the relevant characters' character stories and companion missions. character dialogues. visitor dialogues. battle dialogues. battle mechanics. lightcones. relics. readables. item descriptions. character designs. character messages. the new trailblaze continuance. area maps. chinese voiceovers and their english translations. character trailers. combat guides. animated shorts. possibly more things i'm forgetting to mention. my wealth of insanity.

author's appreciation

wiki editors who came before me. people who upload youtube videos of different dubs of each trailblaze mission. spouses and ssswips. my beloved commenters. the composer of 大鱼. renjing.

[ay0nha]

The Ritual of Chaos | N.K.

SUMMARY: You refused morality just for the sake of being difficult. You made a habit of it. There were reasons habits quickly morphed into vices, something immoral and wicked. You were lethal, the definition of torment. Your silhouette alone was enough to send Nananmi spiraling.

PAIRING: Nanami Kento x f!reader (anti-hero of sorts)

WORD COUNT: 2K

WARNINGS: Introduction to story/reader/plot, higher-ups after reader, Nanami being a softie deep down, description of fighting/related injury, jjk typical things, tad angsty, made-up cursed objects, etc.

A/N: Posting from the drafts. Enjoy.

Nanami tags:

@chimamire-ga @eliuriastwo @moon-taffy @thefutureastronaut @planetahmane @musababy @khaleesihavilliard @vee-ai @killlerqween @nokkoongie @anti-heroism @nanamin94 @hatsunemitskislobotomy @mischiefmanaged71 @darkstudentsaladbakery

“Answer the question.”

The brief and concise statement thrown at you mimicked the ones prior. Your reluctance to answer was anticipated; everyone seated before the Jujutsu higher-ups reacted similarly. But the jury surrounding you didn’t have the same empathy for you.

“The answer is obvious, isn’t it?” You were oddly relaxed in the stiff wooden seat. The eyes on you hadn’t made you nervous but instead energized your subtle rage. “Or is our system that dull? Have you truly failed to see who is behind this?”

“Be mindful; your responses have repercussions.” The Jujutsu Commander warned. His position saved you from a scornful vote against your innocence. Yet, those who looked on weren’t too far off. “Were you or were you not responsible for what happened?”

The framing of your trial was spectacular. All evidence was vindictive, and the story was so perfectly skewed there was no way to worm your way out. Your fate was already sealed.

“You lot ask the wrong questions.” Your laugh was bitter.

“Your admission. Only.” His patience was running thin, and his politeness was only formality, as his tone opposed it entirely.

The truth was a volatile thing. Children were taught that it was essential in life, valued so highly that corrupt justice could manipulate it so finely that you almost believed it yourself. 

Lying, therefore, became a habit. It came naturally as if it was second-hand nature.

The twitch of your lip was poisonous. “Guilty.”

The others murmured at your feigned candor. The whispers were silly, as anonymity never existed for those behind the walls. Every face was bared, burned into your memory by resentment.

—

Your wrists itched. 

It was as if phantom threads tethered you down. When the knots tightened due to resistance, you became a marionette for those who put you in your place. You’d move with talent as a puppet controlled by those ranked above you. 

Your exhaustion created a silly—delusional— image. Your cheeks were rosy with red paint, and your eyes brightened with Pierrot-styled tears. You performed on a stage silently, an alienated observer of the mysteries and shadows of sorcery.

You took on a second life, reciting an alert, troubled, swaying, and deliberately uncertain verse. It didn’t matter if the audience understood; they considered what you said genuine art. Then, when it all ended, the standing ovation wouldn’t bring you joy but the flowers that waited for you. 

It wasn’t until the third time your name was called that you acknowledged its source. 

“Let’s go.” Nanami’s tone was sterile, but you knew he was fighting frustration at your closed eyes. Ignoring his instruction, you languidly rolled your head in his direction to finally acknowledge him.  “The car is outside.”

“Nanami…” You yawned through his name with teasing indifference. Although you were in the office under other pretenses, you would have been content toying with him. “I’ve missed you, you know.” 

It was as if you knew how your words tickled Nanami’s sides. They taunted him with childhood memories that made the tips of his ears heat. However, your words cemented that you siphoned your humor through affection. 

Nanami remained practical; any endearment had to be taken at face value. 

“You look good,” you commented politely as if years had passed. In reality, you saw each other often, but conversation was rarely exchanged past regulation directives. 

Your compliments continued to flow while you met where Ijichi waited. You noted how Nanami filled his suit well, age defining his features in a way most found enviable. There was hope in your voice that Nanami would return the favor to catch up with you. 

Yet, you knew criticism riddled his thoughts. 

Ijichi wasn’t as skilled at hiding his impression of you. He caught your eyes more than once through the mirrors as Nanami highlighted the dangers of the mission. Ijichi looked nervous to be so close to you, as if another one of your mistakes would cost him his life. 

“Ijichi, expect her to accompany us on several missions...” Nanami hadn’t looked up from the case file, but his intuition knew how to calm his coworker “...until I say otherwise.”

“Don’t be afraid to say it, Kento…” You mused coarsely.  “One oversight and mediation doesn’t apply to me…” 

The scenery slowly started to shift from highrises to foliage. The missions on the outskirts were always more discreet. The fresh air was too pure for the deadlier cursed spirits. Their strength had little to latch onto without a dense population to feed on. 

“I’m dangerous, don’t you know?”  You taunted your driver, eye sparkling with amusement. “So they ship me off to the countryside.” 

“We’re still within Tokyo limits.” Ijichi recited, thinking his misplaced comment would be helpful. “Mr. Kento specifically requested that—

“Notice how this never happens to Gojo?” You ignored him deftly. You scoffed tightly, your reprimands still fresh.  “How many buildings has he totaled? And yet, he doesn’t have a babysitter.”

“Twenty-four—” Ijichi’s answer flew out of his mouth before he could stop. You watched him shrink under your glare. “Excuse me, I didn’t—

“Enough. Focus.” In a tired tone, Nananmi reminded you both of your purpose. “The locals believe the church is haunted. Records say an occultist died there a few years ago…” 

Taking advantage of the car’s sway, you moved to see the file. The church was made of dilapidated stone that belonged to centuries prior. It only just started hosting more curses than humans could handle. Analyses were taken, proving that first-year students could handle it well. 

Yet, there was something off.  Nanami always read residuals uniquely. 

The blood looked fresh, scattered, and so beautifully patterned that it was clearly intentional. It swirled hypnotically, challenging anything rational. There was no use in prayers. The gore set the air with dust that could never settle; a blood-warm heat had set into your marrow, never to be forgotten; it had been dragged to your doorstep like a cat bringing in fowl. 

“Shit…” You finger traced the photo of some faint carvings. Your shoulder pushed into Nanami’s, your interest outweighing personal space. “This has to be one of us…”

One of us. Nanami flinched at the thought. It was this thought process that represented the rift you created. This mission was to determine your morality and whether Nanami was wrong to advocate for your reinstatement. 

You refused morality just for the sake of being difficult. You made a habit of it. There were reasons habits quickly morphed into vices, something immoral and wicked. You were lethal, the definition of torment. Your silhouette alone was enough to send Nananmi spiraling. 

However, you weren’t more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing to him. He struggled himself with his decision, he struggled with the blind faith he had in you. This was different, he decided. 

Nanami learned the hard way of earning your loose alliance. The scar you left behind cinched on his side, and sometimes, if he found you lingering in his mind, he swore he felt it ache. Yet, being in your presence seemed to be the closest thing to a remedy.

—

“What do you see?” Nanami’s tone was sterile, but you knew he was fighting frustration at your languidity. 

You felt childish and undermined, but you knew Nanami was following orders. Yet, your core frustration came from being in the countryside. The higher-ups slowly pushed you out of the city with each mission you were attached to. Away from real problems, you were no longer deemed theirs. That distance kept you busy with the unwanted chores of dealing with low-grade curses who were scared of their own shadows. 

The stone walls of the church were icy, and the lack of sunlight nurtured the cold. Nature started reclaiming every pew, and the stained glass became disfigured. Its evidence of abandonment seemed uneventful—normal. 

“Graffiti.” Your response was dull, your attention fragmented by your thoughts. 

Effort was a comical notion.

Sorcery required effort at times, just as breathing did. The icy air that reached the ends of your lungs stung. Yet, each breath was quieter, the effort only coming in the form of physical mechanics of pushing a warm breath back out that the air around you marked.

Although studied meticulously, sorcery’s fundamental trait was its vitality.  It shifted and molded. Evolved.  It made even more concrete things seem like rubber, rejecting electricity with an uncanny ability to mold into shapes unknown. It was the type of thing that could be so exciting to happen just to become something so vague that it no longer held value to it.

“No.” Another wrong answer.  “Look closer.” Nanami urged you, hands tucked away and nodding ahead. “The carvings are in a pattern. Do you recognize it?”

It was an ancient incantation, one whose effectiveness had lessened with time. Most charms were for protective measures, but the spiraled swirl of lettering was fresh. You traced your fingers across the symbols, feeling their lingering heat, only freshly scorched. 

“Cursed user?” Your breath was just shy of being transcribable in the air. 

The temperature was dropping by the second. Something dense settled on your skin as a warning. The cursed energy came from multiple points and was not able to find a convergence point. Instead, its disharmony grated against itself, creating such pressure that its purpose became overt. 

 In hushed tones, you were careful with your words. “Something is trying to get out.”

“Precisely.” Nanami’s voice echoed lightly, as did his footsteps.  “It has been entirely overlooked…” He explained leading you to the heart of the church. “...I’ve been monitoring this place for months—  

“So this is where you disappear to?” You bubbled, Nanami's whereabouts unintentionally drawing a smile out of you. Your laughter started to grow gently. “…and here I thought someone—a man like you, of your stature, would have—well, you know.”

“I don’t follow,” Nanami answered absentmindedly. His focus was still following the etchings and hoping to find any residuals.   

“You value your privacy,” You weighed earnestly. “I don’t blame you for handling your more intimate business away from, well, everything else.” 

Nanami paused. 

After a few heartbeats of hesitation, he caught onto your implications.  There was no reply save for a subtle retexturing of his breath, the gap between inhalations infinitesimally smaller, the length of his exhalations protracted.

It was nearly imperceptible as Nanami fought to smother it. It may have gone unnoticed, mistaken for concentration. However, to an experienced eye, you watched your words ripple an ever-still puddle of emotions.  

With a gentle clear of his throat, Nanami quelled your suspicions. “You’re the only other that knows this exists.” 

“Not even those old conservatives?” You were impressed by his discretion. “Breaking the rules for me, Kento?” 

It was as if you knew how your words tickled Nanami’s sides. They taunted him with childhood memories that made the tips of his ears heat. However, your words cemented that you siphoned your humor through affection. 

Nanami remained practical; any endearment had to be taken at face value. 

“Our visit is to resolve this before they find out.” He ignored you, reaching for his blunt blade. “Now, stand back.”

Cursed energy fluidly surrounded his stature as he conjured his technique.

With sharpened eyes, you took Nanami’s presence in. The suit he wore was filled well.  Even late into the evening, he was always so poised. Professional.  It worked silently, exuding from his presence alone. That magnetism couldn’t be credited to sorcery but to how he evolved, becoming pointed and moving without fault. 

It channeled well into his movements; the swipe of his blade was swift in finding the wall’s weak point. Everything was so well calculated. Nanami remained standing, untouched by the debris that floated around you. 

“Stay close,” He instructed, knowing curses fed off the unanticipated. “Please understand this is for information only.” 

Very little light penetrated the swamp of shadows. That gleam revealed etchings of connected hands. They were conjoined by a thin tongue of brilliant flame that wound around the hands like a red-hot wire.  

You stepped carefully, tracing the path Nanami created for you. He mumbled warnings that always came with the unknown, but his voice slowly warbled into a tune you could barely make out. The walls seemed to pull you in, their dissonance filling your senses. 

“It’s warm…” You noted the oddity, furthering your curiosity. Your fingertips burned against the markings.  “It’s like the cursed energy is…is it? It’s–It’s moving.” 

“It’s growing,” Nanami stated. A feeling of regret bubbled behind his words as if reprimanding himself for thinking aloud.  “These confinements can no longer hold it.”

The continued touch burned. 

You flinched, drawing your hand to your chest. The walls were upset by the action, groaning with age and anger. The sound was sharp and tonal, lacking an echo, its mournful cry resonating with despair. 

“Do you hear that?”  Your question dissipated lamely. Although words were spoken, the sounds around you overlapped, creating a deep and thunderous sense of urgency. 

The noise was luring you into a past that never was. This was the moment before a ship could crash onto the rocks. Your arms felt like lead, weighing down with poisonous consequences. 

The cursed energy pressed into your abdomen from all directions; the air was pushed from your lungs, your ribcage about to crack; your eyes felt forced back into your head; your eardrums swelled, pounding within your skull, and then with a crack like a whip you—   

“Are you alright?” Nanami watched you return to yourself. He called for you, but you were lost under the curse’s lure. It wasn’t until he reached for your palm that you sucked in air. “What happened?”

You felt a needle of pain in your nose like you were near tears. “It’s—crying.”

The missions on the outskirts were always more condensed. The fresh air was too pure for the deadlier cursed spirits. Their strength needed more to latch onto with a dense population to feed on.  This, however, deviated at the core. It was a mistake that relied on the distance to stay hidden. It was an anomaly that should have never been touched. And yet, it found its new prey. 

Nanami’s grip on you tightened with regret. “This was a mistake—

“No, wait…” Your brows furrowed as you pulled away. “There’s something in here,” You continued, hands reaching for the inner wall’s deterioration. The walls became silent, unwilling to guide you any further.  “We need to exorcise this—

“This was to survey only.” Nanami checked his watch, the hands taunting the idea of overtime. A sinking feeling swirled in his chest. “Exorcising an unknown, most likely, unregistered curse is too unpredictable.” 

A quick solution was never appealing when you were capable of unearthing hidden answers. That novelty fed your reputation of being offensively bold. Even now, as you moved through the unknown, you weren’t afraid of the repercussions. 

“Why did you bring me here, then? Huh?” The anger you carried felt foreign. Rarely, if even, had you directed it towards your counterpart. “Pity? To make me feel better about being benched?”

Although you were still present, Nanami watched you flee. Your guard returned stronger, but he didn’t regret his words. Nanami’s eyes were pleading, and you went to chastise him, but you found something distinct there. You didn’t know what to do with it, but to muse a buried thought. 

“You know that’s not—

Years worth of vexation simmered on the surface of your skin. “Save your lecture.”

You weren’t lucky like the others. There wasn’t a defining moment that made you who you were, or something so tragic that its vengeance led to motivation. Your birth was uneventful, your existence logged by a series of numbers, and your childhood consisted of mediocre memories. 

Even now, the memory of arriving at Jujutsu Tech was muddled with an indifference put upon you.  It wasn’t for a lack of enthusiasm but for the way, even there, with its rarity and quaintness, you were ignored so blatantly. 

There was never any demureness in how you spoke out.  You dissected the obvious flaws of the teachers and higher-ups, but your voice wasn’t considered the way others were. Your presence only became perceived insolence. You hadn’t cared about the threats offered, even when you were removed from the curriculum entirely.

The lack of lineage attached to your name and rare technique led to reprimands even in adulthood. Your presence with Nanami was one of them. 

Although not on an official mission, Nanami’s current company was obligatory. Where he went, you were required to shadow: learn from your mistakes and behave like a true first-grade sorcerer.   

After a so-called catastrophe, you were put before the higher-ups. Every grievance was brought forth and judgment determined you were unfit to even advocate for yourself. It was then those imaginary-thin strings wound around your wrists with permanency. 

You pulled at them the further you ignored Nanami’s warnings. 

“This is why you brought me…” You reminded him of your punishment. For you, even this, was to keep an eye on you. “...isn’t it?” 

With Nanami’s cemented frown, his intentions were further concealed. It didn’t have the capacity to speak of the trip’s impulsivity. It ignored the uncharacteristic apprehension that created knots between Nanami’s shoulder blades, new to the sorcerer celebrated for composure. 

It was rash, but the innate desire was clear; Nanami wanted to be behind your reprieve. 

“There are rules and regulations. ” He swallowed any lingering remorse. “They don’t stop for you.”

He mistook his demeanor for bravery, but his true bravery formed by being across from you. The only barrier seemed to be Nanami’s incorruptible moral code, a space where you couldn’t quite freely exist.

“Nanami Kento, the reluctant hero…” You tutted with tender sarcasm. A hand rested above your heart like the elderly read the headline that exploited your name, “...how kind of you to pity a recluse like me.…” 

Your words carried back to Nanami’s core, becoming distant as you furthered into the mess he’d created. The darkness succumbed to your presence, your cursed energy steady as it unknowingly created space for the spirit that lurked. 

Nanami’s lips shaped your name, but all you could hear was a mild ringing, a buzz. Your anger dissipated into a murky haze; the harder you blinked, the more the argument dissipated. Even if you had held onto it, the lump in your throat wouldn’t allow it to exist. 

The longer you lingered with the feeling, the more your surroundings slowly morphed. 

All you could hear was your shaky breaths, and all you could see was a faint familiarity with your surroundings. Even your stumbling steps forward felt practiced. 

“Keep up…” A disharmonious voice called for you. It was airy, like a child filled with excitement. “Hurry!”

The environment was damp, still reflecting the country’s dreariness. It was a good hiding place to play, to sneak, and for you to abuse. But the fog in your mind started to swirl. The colors became deeper, more like shadows that soon transformed into familiar figures. 

The curse’s magnetism was a warning you ignored, causing your pupils to blow large at the burden before you. 

The scene was explicit—nothing could be saved from the carnage. 

There was no use in prayers. The gore set the air with dust that could never settle; a blood-warm heat had set into your marrow, never to be forgotten; it had been dragged to your doorstep like a cat bringing in fowl. 

You recognized your own body from the anguish of your shoulders. Hunched over Nanami’s body as you held him tightly, that lump formed in your throat again. 

The fabricated illusion scratched at subconscious emotions and controlled your movements. Your sentimentality was your weakness. Even your stubbornness couldn’t block the overwhelming flood of anxieties and longing.

You watched yourself stuck in a loop, hand rhythmically gliding across the fabric of his shirt in hopes of softening it. To revive something that was determined to remain still.  Its structure was that of a fever dream, its kaleidoscope quality provoking you to interpret it. 

“Nanami?” You couldn’t tell which version of you spoke. Regardless, his name was like torture. “Nanami—please.”

Your defenses damped, your cursed energy draining the further you succumbed to the hallucination. 

“You can’t leave me—” The wails you let out grated against your skin, unrecognizable as your own. “I can’t do—please, Nanami!”

There was a disillusioned passion you felt. It grounded you within the false reality. Even if your mind wasn’t your own, your body moved with muscle memory. Your cursed energy crawled from your core to your fingertips, using the little amounts to start your technique. 

The blue energy extended like nails. You stalked forward until they met your second self’s back, piercing through your back until you could feel the breeze on the other side.  

The puncture flashed an image, revealing the truth of your damage. The spell you were under broke. The veil was no longer misguiding you. 

“Nanami—” You cursed his name as he grunted in pain. Your hand was warm with his blood. “Fuck. Fuck—” The words tumbled from your quivering lip. You couldn’t think of anything else, repeating the curse. “I’m so sorry—I—

Guilt crawled up your throat when you recognized his hold on your wrist. Nanami’s grip was the only thing keeping your strike from being lethal. Your mouth was dry, shallow breaths passing your lips with a bargaining plea.  

“No, no, no—” Your vocabulary became limited the further you panicked. “Nanami—

Nanami’s breath struggled, but there was determination on his brow. The copper taste took over his tongue; any warning could never make it out in time. 

Your body froze, and you were more aware of your surroundings than your mind. It happened too quickly for you to realize the position you had put yourself in; in a flash, you pushed Nanami to endure the hit from the curse that had forced your hand.

[gravesung-moving]

OK BABY IS COMING TOGETHER!!!!

chiaki. lastname to be determined

fc: yosano suzume

tokyo girlie. not connected to any of the major clans. born to non-sorcerers. albino (a real ravus's ravus) but dyes her hair/brows/lashes black or brown depending on mood. very light-sensitive, wears astigmatism contacts with UV blocking built into them and has to be diligent with skin protection

eyes are slightly different shades — blue/lavender! like i said, a real ravus's ravus. shut up let me indulge ok i like pretty colors 

tokyo jjt verse, teacher verse & general post-grad sorcerer verse!

technique: weaver — sees the 'weave' of cursed energy in the world around her and can pull on the threads to make things happen? something something red string of fate. something something what is reality but a tapestry of woven threads something something. i'll marinate on this idea and come back to it.

lifelong acrobat & dancer — used to use the threads to enhance the way she moved sssllightly beyond what physics would normally allow. will definitely affect her martial arts style! her biggest weakness is low power/raw strength — going to really need to work hard if she wants any of her hits to actually cause damage.

insecure about her big forehead but bangs don't look good on her. the agonies.

manages to kill every plant she owns

still depressed but what sorcerer isn't am i right

has several gymnastics awards from childhood

visuals under the cut!

[familydrivenbyfate]

Seeing Stefan's reaction to the sketches, Skuld couldn't help but smile warmly. Her smile only grew as she felt his lips press a soft kiss on her forehead, and his had caressed her cheek. Brown hues watched the vampire curiously as he set down the drawings, and picked up a bag. How did she not notice that bag before when he came in? Well, to be fair her attention was solely on the man who captured her heart.

Looking down at the other bag she smiled as she looked up at Stefan. "You didn't have to do that! Thank you, you are too sweet!" chimed the blonde as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Oh right!" exclaimed the blonde, as she gave another laugh. "One more moment please!" she chimed, another laugh escaping her lips as she ran back over to the small desk, grabbing a bag that was underneath it. Walking back over to the vampire, she handed him the bag with a bright grin on her face. "Here! I almost forgot! It isn't much, but I got you some things that aren't sketches." explained the blonde, another light laugh escaping her lips.

It wasn't much. There was a small book filled with sketches of her daily life, as well as Stefan, that she had drawn, as well as a new watch, and a fancy pen to go with the leather bound notebook. She figured it may be a little bit cliche, as he was someone who has lived so long, but from what Urd had told her -- a journal wasn't ever a bad thing. Especially for someone who lives longer than most.

Looking into the bag, she happily let out "ooo!"s as she looked at the goodies, wiggling side to side in an excited manner. She then grabbed out one of the boxes of jewelry, opening it up to reveal a beautiful bracelet, which made her jaw drop. Looking at Stefan with wide eyes she gently shook her head. Surely this was far too beautiful and extravagant for someone like her. Someone who wields a bow and arrow. Someone whose hands are calloused from practicing her violin, her bow and arrow, and drawing so much. "This is so beautiful. It is too much for someone like me." she spoke, softly speaking the last part as her hands gently traced the bracelet, tears filling her eyes. She was beginning to feel like her gifts were going to fall so short compared to Stefan's.

stefan watched with an amused smile at the blonde hurried over to a desk and looked through piles of sketches. she always had a way about her that amused him and warmed his heart. even after all of his years on this earth as a vampire, no one made him feel more alive and loved than skuld did. hearing the “aha!” leave her lips, a soft chuckle left stefan’s, his eyes filled with amusement and love towards her.  stefan’s eyes raked over the drawings, smiling brightly at her as he felt his heart warm. leaning in, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, his hand resting on her cheek. “i always feel loved when i’m with you,” he said sweetly, his thumb gently caressing her cheek. “i have missed you more than words can express but…” he gently set the drawing down, careful to not bend them as he picked up a bag and handed it to her. “i got you some things. there’s another bag for your family,” he said, motioning to the other bag on the ground before looking back at her. “but that one is solely yours,” stefan grinned. there were multiple goodies in the bag for skuld but also some beautiful pieces of jewelry he thought she would love.

[esta-elavaris]

I won't list all of my stuff here - just the things that I think are worth shouting about. Organising it all via fandom, with some little sub-categories within those because some of them *cough*James/Theodora*cough* have decided to become ungovernable.

Where to find me: AO3 -- IG -- Goodreads

Catch the Wind-verse:

Catch the Wind - James Norrington/Modern!OC Status: Complete. [400k+ words] AO3 The behemoth that started the absolute sickness in me, and probably where you should start if you want any of the rest of my Norrington stuff to make total sense to you.

When it was completed, I also did a read-through on here talking about some behind-the-scenes type stuff. The tag is here, but it's obviously reverse-chronological order so spoilers abound! I plan on doing this for other fics when they're complete!

Sainted by the Storm - James Norrington/Modern!OC Status: In progress, updated sporadically. AO3 The home for any random snippets of this pairing that I write - there are a few AU chapters here and there, mostly it's flufftober fills, or pieces not long enough to warrant their own story. Wicked Game - James Norrington/Modern!OC Status: In progress. AO3 Semi-sequel to CTW, just a very small smutty series set after the events of the main story. Red Thread of Fate - Theodore Groves/Pirate!OC Status: In progress. AO3 Vague companion piece to CTW, taking place in the background of that story, and then branching into the timespan that follows it - with appearances made by Norrington and the OC I write for him.

Catch the Wind AUs

Fallen Through Time - James Norrington/Modern!OC Status: In progress, on a break. AO3 -- Tumblr An AU of Catch the Wind, exploring what might've happened had Elizabeth Swann been the one to find Theodora when she fell into the world of POTC.

As It Was - Modern!James Norrington/Historical!OC Status: Planning - a teaser can be found on tumblr for now. AO3 Another AU of Catch the Wind, where James Norrington is the modern character, and Theodora Byrne is the "canon" character from POTC who is fated to die.

Here, Where Fire Grows - Boromir/Modern!Amnesiac!OC Status: In progress AO3 Writing Catch the Wind didn't get the "modern girl falls for fictional dead man" trope out of my brain, so I had to inflict another on Boromir - but this time with an amnesiac twist, just for some added fun. Other mini-stories for these two written during flufftober can be found here.

Flufftober '23 The non-Theorrington flufftober fills can be found in this series on AO3, but all of the fills also be found on Tumblr where they have pretty banners to go along with the chapters.

About a Girl Captain Hook [Peter Pan 2003]/OC AO3 Hook sets out to manipulate a former member of The Lost Boys in order to gain the upper hand against Peter Pan…and learns the hard way that it's best not to underestimate one's opponent. Manipulations, trust issues, lots of "falling for you would be the worst possible idea so I won't do that haha...unless 👀" on both sides.

Obscure, Plain, and Little Aemond Targaryen/OC AO3 A Jane Eyre-inspired fic -- probably won't follow the events of the show/book.

Absolution Dracula [Van Helsing 2004]/OC AO3 Set in the modern day, lots of cliché favourites with (hopefully) some added twists to spice things up a bit! Free Cullen Rutherford/F!Inquisitor AO3 Modern!Royalty!AU which will eventually follow the events of the game.

This is the hub that contains all of my post documenting my progress with the challenge I'm setting myself for 2025, in which I'll be aiming to have twelve consecutive 50k word months.

List of ideas for tentative future pairings and fandoms I want to go into can be found here. I'm also always open to suggestions, so don't feel too shy if you want to send me an ask or a message 💜

[dent-de-leon]

“Once upon a time,” sang melodious Elatis, enveloping him in her warm embrace, “There was a happy family.”  

Her honeyed words flowed saccharine sweet; a litany of pretty lies glistening in rose glinted glass. He welcomed her gladly, opening his mind to the Dream—for of all the mages who held his chains, she was by far the closest thing to kindness. 

Mollymauk fell into a deep sleep, dreamed of another world amidst a sea of glistening stars. Warmth, connection, a thousand hearts all beating as one. The faces of his mother and father. His dear sister. His lost brother. The burning light of every departed soul returning to the earth. Singing the cherished verses of childhood plays and ballads, losing himself in the steps of a merry dance. Here he is himself again, whole.

And for the longest time he was content to dream--to forget.

Until he started to become real again, stirred awake in the mages' prison.

The sight that greeted him was an eerily familiar one, the same empty stone walls he'd stared at for months upon months. A domed, high vaulted ceiling that cradled a softly glowing crystal crest, its otherworldly azure light bathing the whole chamber in ethereal radiance. The gentle thrum of whispering minds reverberating all around him, a chorus of disparate voices drowning out the rest of the world--a soft murmur that became a rushing current, a roaring tidal wave, a tempest sea--

It was almost enough to drive him back into the cold embrace of that terrible, clawing Emptiness.

The Dawn Crucible was a temple to the ineffable world of dreams and endless possibility, an archive of countless dreamers' dazzling fantasies and worst nightmares. A research facility dedicated to..."The work," as Elatis echoed gravely again and again, lost in a distant trance, her awestruck crimson eye burning into his flesh. A library built of a thousand sleeping minds.

At the very least, dreams are an escape. Exciting, unpredictable. The prime material plane is monotonously dull in comparison--he opens his eyes in the same luminous chamber, the same cold cell. Back always aching when he rises from the freezing stone floor on shaky feet, the world slowly drifting back into focus. The chains cut into his raw, blistering skin if he wanders too far. And he still carries the mark of every blood red Eye, every aching scar.

He stopped dreaming about escape a long time ago.

And yet, for all its constants, the waking world finally surprised him. Another wizard stood before him, hand pressed to the bars of his cell. Not the philosophers who marked him with their brand, tugged and tore at the threads of Fate that forever bound him. Not the other grand mages of the Convocation, the reigning nobles and wealthy aristocracy of Aeor. The hungry eyes as they bled him dry, all the eager spectators and patrons who reveled in the somnovem's cruel experiments.

When Tealeaf opened his eyes again for the first time--in the longest time--he was met with a strange visitor. His soft, wistful gaze was morosely melancholy. Haunted. Deep dark circles etched under his gentle blue eyes, his pretty face buried in layers of dirt and grime.

Molly could feel the magic stirring in his veins, a rush of warmth and the scent of ashes. Raw and tender in a way none of the Convocation or philosophers ever were. A patch of sunlight in the dead of winter. A feeling he had just the name for.

"Magician."

[liliallowed]

listen. I know it looks like I ignored ask dusttale wishes...

but like. THE SOULS WOULD ALSO KNOW ABOUT RHE LOOP THEY'D ALSO BE A CATALYST MAN! first of all none of them would know dust killed anything because they don't SEE ANYTHING they just see Asgore dying and coming back and time rewinding.

from their perspective they ALL did something similar to this at some point and they just gave up.

much like the red soul that's trapped within the confines of a predetermined ending... be ur good or bad they also had a predetermined death.

but thing is crimson changed it. despite everything they CHANGED the story. DUST changed the script.

with that I think the SOULS would all actually be motivated to die on their own terms aswell.

take back the life that was taken from them. if the red soul carved their name into the world by blood and dust to be remembered then maybe they could also weave a thread of color in a cold unforgiving world they were all trapped in.

pushing against the boundaries of the script.

the souls would be spiteful.

because they've only been tools only been able to effect so little. have so little choice. they refuse. they refuse to let the world's confines press against them and suppress them again.

they would all push back against the code SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE it tells them they can't out of spite!

I think sans would eventually be in possession of the souls not because I'm dissatisfied with ask dusttale but because DUST AND THE SOULS WOULD GO DIRECTLY AGAINST IT.

like how cool is that? for the creators words to be directly written into the nature of the story?

and from what I know... if dust knew someone defined his fate... he would not stand for it.

kinda the whole point he killed everyone no?

and who is this anomaly to define him? who's who to tell him what he can't do?

it's not like he'd do something "out of character" out of sheer spite of the script ...

closures timeline the script is an actual entity that dust and the souls all collectively push back against.

it's intentionally canon divergence.

a canon event going rogue if you will to put it in spider verse terms.

do you really think dust sans would let ask dusttale tell him what he can't do when he's already done the worst thing possible? no! because neither can I! dust will be whatever he wants to do. I like to think killing everyone kinda made him feel... more free? like storywise he's no longer a judge or has a specific "role"

he's broken the old script but trapped himself in a new one.

the law of the executioner. the demon that comes when they call it's name. the erased existence of what used to be. the world replacing gears to function.

all of that is forming a script.

and dust CAN'T break it but the HUMAN SOULS can.

dust doesn't absorb the souls. the souls come TO him out of sheer spite

[recitedemise]

Now, that's a line of thought, indeed. As a wish, to who do you truly belong to tonight? Well, certainly not to him. He hasn't wished for ages.

Wishing is too indulgent for a soul like his.

But seeing you strut up to him now, a flash of surprise, perhaps even frazzling anxiety, creeps up strange and fluttering in the pit of his chest. Gale reasons it's just his muscle, that one that's atrophied egregiously in his most silent of years. Fortunately, he's still sense enough in him to scrounge up the barest modicum of charm. If your ears are truly burning, fortunately, he thinks it's just his vision.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were luring me into a trap where I ply with you praise. Truthfully, the bass might have rattled my more mental faculties more than I'd care to admit, but if I'm not somehow mistaken, this is supposed to work the other way around." After all, asking for one's ego to be pampered and stroked? Who ever wins company with words like that? Evidently, the answer is you if this one's man's stillness isn't declaration enough. Neither turning on his heel nor bolting for the door... He meets your gleaming eyes. You look--familiar. "You were enchanting. Perhaps it isn't like celestial, but it is magical, and I argue what difference is there between one abstract realm from that of another? Were you to ask me, they're both the very height of fantasy. With the power to spellbound and profoundly enthrall, they're more sisters than cousins. You find great passion in your work." The way you'd closed your eyes and lost yourself... Gale's smile twists, realizing. "Oh, you're good at this."

tabloids and a tyrannical father are far from your mind. you are not the blue devil or heir of a wretched family legacy on stage. you have been remade. under the neon moon, you are born from a wish.

whose wish, perhaps you will discover tonight.

you've been in the game now for a couple of years. good fan rapport is vital to maintain. mister superlunary isn't the first to seek you out at the end of a performance. no fan before him have complimented you quite so . . . thoroughly. the tips of your ears burn with color. mister superlunary's fidgeting endears you to speak.

"hey, don't stop there," dressed down from leathers and silk the color of sin, you amble closer in an open-throat shirt and simple denim. the sensuous and indolent devil from stage falls away with every step. your smile shifts towards the whimisical. "what else do you like about me? it'll be hard t' follow-up "celestial.""

[lvnsrn]

isekaijoucho colors album - my thoughts:

This is my second listen of the album... I listened to it yesterday upon release, but was too tired from having just woken up... So now I'm a bit more lucid, and definitely in the right mindset for this album, so here we go.

Breath - I'm crying already, touched to my soul... It's so beautifully majestic. It's hard to think people don't like this side of her, it's certainly different from Creation/Anemone, but there's just something so powerful about this era of Colors/Nemophila…

And return to white - I've loved this song ever since its release. The MV is just amazing, I feel like it encapsulates everything about Isekaijoucho and her "story." The ending Anima pose reference is amazing too... Note the use of the word "color" and also "breath." It's interesting to think of the dying Isekaijoucho as a form of "Anemone" as well. This song encapsulates Isekaijoucho's grief, strength, beauty, passion, magic, and elegance, and sets the tone for the "story" that follows.

A Doll of Lapis - It's hard to not think the songs are connected somehow. An elegant and delicate song, unveiling her complexity behind her doll eyes. Take note of blue being emphasized, but then "my true color is..." and the scene color changing to red. It adds to "Nemophila" being more sinister somehow, especially in combination with "And return to white." Beneath the pure white and the beautiful azure blue, is blood red; fire red; and darkness. That is most surely "Isekaijoucho."

Pandora Call - Possessiveness, control of a world. Once again following the thread and "story," it feels like a song associated with the destruction scenes in "And return to white," with the lyrics talking about destruction/control of a world through love and song. In the MV, the clock also goes backwards. The key word of this song is "world" (sekai as in "Isekaijoucho") and "melody." I can't help but imagine a story in which Anemone and Nemophila were in love, but Anemone's love was "destruction," so she died amidst the fires and blood that her love brought on.

Dimension - The song closest to my heart. There is strength and conviction; a desire to get back what was once lost. In terms of composition, it's simply moving and ethereal in a very "VOCALOID" way. It has a quality to it I adore very much and resonate with strongly. But I never imagined I'd have the song recontextualized, and given further meaning -- given the context of the "story" of this album so far. I imagine, this is after the death of Anemone, Nemophila struggled to find her "fate/meaning" and was lost, but found the things she lost in mourning -- the things that make her, "her." A reclaiming of identity, a rediscovery of the self. In terms of the word "Dimension," it's like Isekaijoucho traveling through "dimensions" to find these things about herself -- fate, conviction, and more. A common theme so far in this album is Isekaijoucho's "truest" self that is hidden away; a story no one knows. It's something that resonates quite personally as well. Key words, I'm unsure of, but perhaps try repetition and fate; also future.

Kimi syousitu sekai (a world where you disappear) - key words: "world"/"sekai" and "future." A notable mention to "sadness/lament" (ureu) -- part of the second verse of "And return to white" (I am lamenting white/watashi wa ureu shiro.) Another song about grief, loss of "another self." Musically, I love the intense rock angle this song takes, I'm glad she gets to do a rock song that's also very distinctly within her "vibes" and energy. In terms of story and MV, we take note of the clocks again; going forward, than backwards like in Pandora Call. But also the dual motif of Isekaijoucho; and the scenery within a church. Imagining this continues the story of Anemone and Nemophila, this is from Nemophila's perspective about the loss, death, and disappearance of Anemone. Notably this song coming right after Dimension is interesting and paints a duality -- "Dimension" talks about not forgetting, but "Kimi syousitu sekai" laments what will be forgotten in the future after death. We also have an implication about a "bad end" for the one that was lost -- alluding to the disaster shown in the MV of "And return to white" and referenced in the lyrics in "Pandora Call." Without Anemone, Nemophila loses a very important aspect of herself; she is "incomplete" but must go on to the future. Another angle we can take the interpretation of "Dimension" is that, since it was released during Anemone era and has Anemone outfit, it's about Anemone's hopes and convictions for the future, to contrast Nemophila's lament and grief as she moves on to the future without Anemone. The most striking line in support of the "Colors storyline" is "you and me, we are the same person." In the MV this shows Nemophila hugging a "shadow Isekaijoucho" who fades away, so we can also connect this to the dark corpse of (who we've assigned to be) Anemone in "And return to white." Overall, amazing song, interesting narrative so far.

Grayscale - Super interesting song and mysterious too. This song feels like a liminal space; like purgatory. Uncertainty, mystery. Unfortunately have to rely on MTL for the lyrics, but some keywords I think are "colors" (black/white/grayscale), and "world/planet." There is also "endroll" which evokes the theatre from "Tomedonaki Hakujou) (from her first album "Creation.") One lyric that intrigues me is "Isekaijoucho wa henzai suru" -- this is the part that repeats as ASMR panning. Trying to look into the meaning of 偏在 henzai, it seems to mean uneven distribution. I'm not sure, but I feel like this is a "corruption" of 配信 haishin = distribution; livestream transmission. It's like she's saying the transmission is broken/corrupted/unbalanced but once again, I'm unsure since my knowledge of Japanese isn't that good. If any imagery is evoked, this makes me think of a TV set which was also in the MV for "Kimi syousitu sekai." In my interpretation, it's like a broken transmission from the "dying world."

Kokoni togeto shiwo (Here lies thorns and death) - SLAVE VVR AND ISEKAIJOUCHO IS AN AMAZING AND UNEXPECTED MATCH....!!! Keywords: color, goddess, and jewel. Musically, this is so fresh and exciting for Isekaijoucho, it's an amazing song! She even sings quite a bit of English here too, and the lyrics are not as difficult as Grayscale to understand through MTL. Now, about the lyrics of the song, it's about love -- love that leads to death; love as a reverence of a goddess; love as a sin through bloodshed and punishment. Once again, evoking the scenery of the previously established "tragedy" in the "story." Jewel/gem is also an important thing to note as a keyword -- potentially referencing "Isekai no Housekitan" from her previous album -- jewel/gem could also be a reference to "past innocence" before the tragedy. Jewels are also alluded to in "A Doll of Lapis" as the color of the doll's eyes -- blue -- but the jewels in this song are either red or colorless -- whether it's blood-red dying the colorless quartz, or the red quartz losing its color. Red is a color associated with the tragedy, destruction, etc. We can connect this song highly to Pandora Call as having similar themings. The goddess is also interesting here, as it seems Nemophila evokes a "goddess" like image in "And return to white," but in this song it seems that it's like the mortal desiring to be goddess-like for the sake of love, but being punished for it somehow.

Nerine's Secrets - A song by Kashii Moimi, formatted as a "(kana name) no (kanji)" sung by SEKAI/Isekaijoucho? Is this... the third song in the series of Erica & Karen? That's what I want to think, anyways. Unfortunately can't find any lyrics transcript yet. In any case, Kashii Moimi always creates such beautiful songs. Key words: eyes, world, colors (rainbow.) It's hard with my limited Japanese knowledge, but I got some imagery/vibes of a night sky (moon and stars), meetings/coming together, and shining light of a rainbow in the lyrics. Unlike Erica & Karen, Nerine has a more hopeful, "kirakira" vibe to the song, while still being distinctly Kashii Moimi in the same style of Erica and Karen -- emphasizing beauty ("karenna"). (Erica is mourning, Karen is inability to accept her own sins.) As to how Nerine connects to the "story" thus far, I'm a bit uncertain to fully tell, but we can connect eyes to Doll of Lapis (eyes made of Lapis, etc etc), and world/colors to a lot of the previously aforementioned songs. As for a detailed analysis on this song's connection to Karen and Erica, I'll leave that for another time once I get a better grasp of the lyrics, and once I'm in the mood for it.

Promise in the Twilight - A banger of a song, I've loved this song since its release too! But in the album placement, following Nerine's Secrets, it's like the starlight/"light" from Nerine's Secrets is the same "light" that she refers to in the opening lyric here: "on that day, we were both enveloped by a faint light." Keywords: light, mayday, colors (green), and justice. On its own, this song wasn't in my top favorite Isekaijoucho songs, but as part of the album? It's transcendent, it's amazing, it's actually PEAK. The song's connections to other songs in the album are absolutely incredible. We already addressed Nerine, so let's talk about the others. Most obviously, this song references the musical motif of "Dimension," and both songs have thematic similarities in their lyrics. "Mayday" also is a lyric in "Grayscale" (so I'll have to retroactively add "Mayday" as a key word in Grayscale too.) The song also references a "god in heaven" so we can also check off "Kokoni togeto shiwo" for the goddess. The "color" here is green -- "proof is colored in green." It is also a rock song utilizing guitars, much like "Kimi syousitu sekai." The epic and grand feeling of the song also is reminiscent of "And return to white;" and the relationship/devotion/vow to "another person" -- love; it's a more hopeful and bright "love" that contrasts from "Pandora Call" and "Kokoni togeto shiwo." In addition, we can add twilight as another color -- "twilight" is an in-between of day and night; like how "Grayscale" is an in-between of black and white. Justice is an interesting keyword here because I don't think it's been referenced in the previous songs at all? But in my interpretation of the story, I think previously the lovers of Anemone and Nemophila met a "bad end/tragedy," but they have a "good end" where things were made "right." That might be the "justice" of the storyline. There's also a line about "cleansing these hands," which I'm going to interpret as being cleansed from the tragedy and sin. I think this song is atonement; and atonement is the justice.

Vermilion - Already the first lyric of the song is literally "twilight." Right after "Promise in the Twilight." Also, it seems "vermilion" was referenced as a color already in "Kokoni togeto shiwo," and is already the name of a color anyways -- red referencing the tragedy. As a Hiiragi Magnetite song, this is bound to be one of my favorites. This album just gets stronger and stronger with each song. Aside from the established color, our key words are twilight, dark, future, apocalypse, dimension. Another special mention to melancholy/ureu. Twilight and Dimension are obvious connections to other songs, but what's more is that those two songs are already connected, and here's another song that's connected to them as well. As well as "Dimension" also being by Hiiragi Magnetite. And how about I bring in "Kimi syousitu sekai" as the connection for the word "future?" I think we already have a sense for what could be meant by dark and apocalypse too – the tragedy, of course. I think much like the contrast and connection between Dimension and Kimi syousitu sekai, I think Promise in the Twilight and Vermilion have a similar connection, and these 4 songs being placed the way they are is no coincidence. First off, their respective colors are opposing – green and red (vermilion.) In this song, Isekaijoucho sings of a desolate future that she foresaw, but still holds on to hope. It feels like the “promise” and hopes were shattered and darkness came. Wounds, the end of life, apocalypse… All the hope that was in the previous song, where did it go? All the hope that’s in the other Hiiragi Magnetite song, “Dimension,” where did it go? And in both Kimi syousitu sekai and this song, the future is bleak; lacking light; losing someone precious to you. And yet, while Kimi syousitu sekai despairs, Vermilion still has some hope. In addition, I think the final lyric of this song is important: “Return to that rightful place.” – Connection to “And return to white.” And “rightful” here can also be TLed as justice – another connection to Promise in the Twilight. Perhaps the color of justice is white? God. Just. These songs are amazing… I love them so much

To You Who Kept On Drawing - Keywords from the lyrics: breath, world/sekai, future, anima, color (white/grayscale/red). The title of this song alone is important because of the lyric in “And return to white” about drawing – “people driven by passion picked up their pens and began to draw.” In general, thematically, this song feels like an answer/resolution song to “And return to white” – both by Kashii Moimi, and parallels can be drawn in their composition; and it just overall feels like a satisfying connection to this entire album and especially And return to white. If you thought the previous songs had a lot of references, wait till you hear what references this song has in its MV and lyrics. First we have a star motif – which connects to Nerine and Twilight, but I also forgot to mention the last time stars were mentioned, that stars also connects to Heart of Sirius from the Creation album. Next, we have gems – Kokoni togeto shiwo and Creation’s Isekai no Housekitan. Next we have a frame of duality in Isekaijoucho’s image – Kimi syousitu sekai. Then, the chorus has spinning which Dimension’s MV also does that, and it’s also referenced lyrically. Partway through the MV, the color turns primarily red – this echoes the “turning to red” in the MVs for And return to white and A Doll of Lapis; and another connection to Kokoni togeto shiwo and Vermilion – red being reinforced as the color of strife, “true self,” and revelations. The MV also turns grayscale for a bit (self explanatory.) Finally the MV ends in a sunrise – which I’d like to think contrasts twilight. As for the lyrics, we’ve already touched on the keywords of breath/world/future/color previously, but I want to talk about anima – this is the title of Isekaijoucho’s live concerts, and is a word for “will of life.” I think using anima in this song specifically is just so powerful and evocative. Lyrically, this song is about love for the world, love for another person as they saved her; not caring if she has sins or scars; not wanting to give up, and holding on to important things like vows, prayers, and bonds. It feels like a sort of “resolution” to all the strife previously. Saving is important in the context of Isekaijoucho, since that is the one thing she wishes to do in the Kamicity lore and also in her other lyrics – she wants to save people, and in turn she is saved by another person – “to you who kept on drawing.” I want to think the implication of “drawing” here is to continue one person’s will and continue the story; continue their emotions. If Isekaijoucho had died in the previous song “Vermilion,” then she is revived/saved by “drawing.” It’s possible that this song is also from the perspective of the dead Anemone from “And return to white,” and it’s the other song that references drawing. I think we need to go back to “And return to white”’s lyrics: Right after “people driven by passion picked up their pens and began to draw,” she sings “I’ll dye my heart white to stop it from breaking” – I think drawing and colors here are deeply connected. To draw is to control colors; and to control colors is to define your outlook on life and express yourself. In the MV, although she stained the entire world in red (tragedy,) she returned it to grayscale, and then a more normal, realistic color of the world; and she’s walking towards a white light. I think I understand why this song is deemed the “leading song” of the album. God damn. I have to lay down for a bit after this… This album just becomes more and more peak the more I analyze it. I also think this song is very important to Isekaijoucho specifically with the theme of drawing/colors because she herself is an illustrator; and the meaning of art/drawing for her, it might be the thing that “saved her life,” which is a sentiment I’m sure many artists of different kinds can relate to – art can save lives.

Formless Thing - This one is more somber compared to all the intensity of the preceding songs. It’s an especially important song because not only are the lyrics written by Isekaijoucho herself, from the MV I think it’s a love letter to her past self and future self. We directly see Anemone here as a duality to Nemophila; when Anemone leaves, Nemophila will still be here to carry on Anemone’s voice. What is meant by “Formless Thing” in terms of the song title, I’m not sure; but “katachinaki mono” can also be translated as “one without a body.” Given the song and MV, I’m inclined to think this “one without a body” is Anemone. Now that Isekaijoucho is Nemophila, Anemone no longer has a body, but she still exists in memories. I think this recontextualizes everything in the album previously about their relationship and dynamic… 

ANGELIC - I didn’t write much for “Formless Thing” itself because I think it’s worth it to analyze Formless Thing and ANGELIC in tandem. Between these two songs we get a direct confirmation: this song is absolutely a love letter to Isekaijoucho’s self; past and future: “because you are me, we share our lives.” First established lyrically in “Kimi syousitu sekai” and re-inforced in “ANGELIC.” ANGELIC also references the ocean, which was seen at the end of “To You Who Kept On Drawing.” Both these songs are about wanting to love; wanting to live; living at “your” side (which is the same person); prayers to the goddess; the moon… also referencing the overall theme of colors and also breath. Previously, I thought there was no better album ender than ARCADIA from Creation, but this entire ending section of “Colors” blows ARCADIA out of the water, I think. An interesting lyric in this song is “Nemesis” which could be referencing the previously established strife/disaster/apocalypse/etc.

Colors - This is such an elegant and beautiful closer to the album; it’s so light and pretty; so expressive and beautiful. I am truly breathtaken and full of emotion.

FINAL VERDICT: Overwhelmed immensely. This album… I have so many thoughts. But it’s truly an amazing album, more amazing than I thought. I will definitely be talking more about this album and the songs in the future. But for now, it’s amazingly interwoven and is a love letter to the entire concept and being of “Isekaijoucho” – the character, the art, the presentation, the singer behind her and her thoughts and emotions and past and future and hopes and just; everything. There’s so much more to say, but for now, I’ll leave it at that. To everyone who made Isekaijoucho possible… Piedpiper, Kashii Moimi, reoenl; samayuzame and orie… and of course, the voice and soul of Isekaijoucho herself… thank you.

[dynastymusesarchive]

under the cut is muses i am anxious to play, but have had no or little interest for threads. if you would like a one sentence starter, please comment on who. i would love you forever!

rand al’thor -wheel of time qui gon jinn-star wars finn-star wars Enid Sinclair-wednesday Sav Bhandari-degrassi Fiona Coyne-degrassi Clare Edwards-degrassi Jake Martin-degrassi Drew Torres-degrassi Terra Harvey-fate the winx saga Bloom Peters-fate the winx saga Magnus Bane-shadowhunters Clary Fray-shadowhunters Alexander Clearmond Diaz-red, white, & royal Henry Stuart Fox -red, white, & royal Five Hargreeves-the umbrella academy Sloane Hargreeves-the umbrella academy Jill Pole-Narnia Eustance Clarence Scrubb-Narnia Esme Frost-Marvel Scott Summers-Marvel Elena Gilbert-TVD Verse Lizzie Saltzman-TVD Verse Dinah Lance-DC Tommy Merlyn-arrowverse/dc Gar Logan-dc Virgil Hawkins-dc Barry Allen-dc tom jones (tom jones 2023) Sebastian de poitiers (reign) Wendy Darling-Peter Pan/Disney Elinor Fairmont-First Kill Juliette Fairmont-First Kill samwise gamgee-lord of the rings

[snowymuses]

Name: Akemi Homura Alias: Magical Girl Homura, Akuma Homura, Homucifer Species: Magical Girl Height:5'1 Age:14 Birthday: February 22nd Gender: Female Orientation: Homosexual Hometown: Tokyo, Japan Occupation:: Student/Magical Girl

Physical appearance:

Homura is a young girl with waist-length black hair and violet eyes. She is nearly always presenting with a stoic expression. She once wore red rimmed glasses, and depending upon the timeline, will wear them again. In her magical girl form, she wears a white, long-sleeve coat with a silver collar over a black, long-sleeve dress. The skirt is silver with white trim. She also wears black leggings with dark-gray diamonds that cover the sides of the legs, and black heels. The coat appears to have a flower-like pattern with 3 “petals,” and has 2 ribbons attached to it.

Personality:

Homura is often considered to be very intelligent, athletic, distant, and cold. Despite her cold attitude towards others, she still very much cares for people she meets and makes friends with but is driven by her desire to save Madoka more than anything else. She cares deeply for her friends, although she finds it difficult to show them aside from fighting and protecting them, either from themselves or from Kyubey and witches. Although she does not easily show signs of remorse, sadness, or pity, it is only because she had grown used to the suffering around her.

Story:

In the original timeline where her journey began, Homura was meek, shy, timid, and had lack of confidence. Due to being in the hospital, she could not perform simple physical tasks. Overwhelmed by her perceived uselessness, she begins questioning her existence and until she begins her fated friendship with Madoka, her feelings do not change. Madoka, alongside Mami Tomoe, shows her the ropes and dangers of becoming a magical girl and notes that Madoka’s own attitude became much healthier with every witch battle.

In her original timeline Homura never made a contract with Kyubey until Madoka died, fighting Walpurgisnacht, and then she made a wish to relive meeting Madoka.

In her second timeline, Homura begins training to use her power as a magical girl and trying to make some bombs as her weapons.

In the cuurent timeline, Homura, now a magical girl, appears friendly to the class as she is introducing herself. She meets up with Mami and Madoka, and they defeat witches together. They all attempt to defeat Walpurgisnacht, but fail. Madoka And Homura are about to die before the former reveals that she has a Grief Seed left, using it on Homura while telling her to save herself from making a contract.

In the series timeline, Homura is first introduced as a new student. She claims that her head is hurting, and asks to go to the nurse, knowing that Madoka is the helper. She talks with Madoka in the hallway about Madoka’s current life, and if she wants to change. Madoka replies that she is happy with the way things are. She does whatever she can to keep Madoka from becoming a magical girl, which will lead to the girl’s death in one way or another.

Verses:

Current timeline: Madoka hasn’t become a magical girl yet, so there is still time to save her. In this timeline, Homura attends school and has attempted to become ingrained in the circle of friends to try and convince her to not become a magical girl. (No tag)

Any previous timeline: Tailored to the thread, this is one of the many times Homura has turned back time to try and save Madoka. (|V: Past Time|)

[chaosmultiverse]

Spooky Season Pinned/Starter Call

Okay shortly, hello I am Kitty/Alex, he/him, 21, disabled, white. I am the mun of this blog. Here is a link to my rules which is required reading before following. And here is a link to my muses page, all muses are accepting threads & asks but not all have tags or bios yet.

RN I am homeless so can only use mobile, chdck out my non-rp blog for nore details and my donation posts @kitty-does-stuff

Now onto the seasonal stuff! This post in short is acting as a starter/ask call for my spooky muses and spooky verses, below the cut I will be listing these spooky things, but if you would like a starter/ask or whatever then reply to this with which muse (& what verse if applicable) you would like and if you are a multi or have a verse you want to rp in please include that in the reply. You can request starters/asks multiple times like this.

Now this isn't the only starter I will put out I hope but this is my catch all & I will try to keep it updated.

Now my spooky stuff, warning tis a little long.

Muses

DC Muses:

Klarion Bleak/Klarion The Witch Boy

Greta Hayes/Secret

Billy Hayes/Harm

Thad Thwane/Inertia (sci-fi & psychological horror, replacing Bart likey to come up)

Eddie Bloomberg/Red Devil

Misty Kilgore

Joseph "Joey" Wilson/Jericho

Mia "Maps" Mizoguchi

John Constantine

Dragon Age:

Cole/Compassion

Kieran

Samson

Magister Rezaren Ammosine

Neb

Lucien Cousland (Noble Origin, Warden Side Verse)

Ellie "Nell" Cousland (Lucien's son, same age group as Kieran)

Graverobber/Robbie (No role OC)

Borderlands:

Inner Krieg & Outer Krieg

Timothy Lawrence/Jack/Handsome Jack

Payday:

Wolf

Henry

"Red" (oc)

Homestuck:

Gamzee Makara

Kurloz Makara

The Grand Highblood

Calliope

Cookie Run:

Alchemist Cookie

Pumpkin Pie Cookie

Black Garlic Cookie

Walnut Cookie

Roguefort Cookie

League Of Legends/Arcane

Jinx/Powder

Jhin

Overwatch:

Siebren de Kuiper/Sigma

ETC:

Anthy Himemiya (Test & request only)

Clavis

Paper Star

The Shancter

Stargazer (oc)

All Horror Muses

All Monster Prom/Monsterfucker muses

All Danganronpa muses

All Owl House muses

All Don't Strave muses

All Death Note Muses

Verses

Universal AUs/Verses:

Plotted 'bad end friend' type aus, depending on the muse they have ended up in a befiting bad fate villainous/victim role. Pre-existing example is my vr-Bart verse where he still thinks he is in a game and doesn't value life due to that.

Vampire aus, depending on the fandom I might have more fleshed out such as for Horror muses or twists to the formual like dc vs vampires inspired for dc vamp verses.

Ghost aus for my canonly dead muses.

Demon au, one muse is a human/witch or whatever, the other a demon. I will say depending on the muse or fandom things might be different, I'll probably end up with multiple demon aus for different fandoms at least.

Selectively post-Zombie aus, I will default to modern day settings unless told otherwise and I will use a Walking dead setup minus the walker name, zombie media would still have existed. I might be low muse or drop these as zombies are a horror I am sensitive to.

DC verses:

DC vs Vampires setup, someone in the super community has been turned into their own brand of vampire with a lot of the classic powers of a vampire and a curse to bring out the worse in a vampire, now the curse is spreading among the super community and to normal people too.

DCeased setup, a zombie-like virus started when technology was infected with a form of The Anti-Life Equation looking at screens was how the first were infected, both supers and civilians, everything is thrown into chaos and those who survived the very beginning now have to survive super powered zombies.

Horror verses:

Reversed role aus, for dbd I think it's obvious how this would work and for others it can be briefly ploted out.

Vampire au, there is a curse with a hunger for blood, it has infected many killers and former human horrors over the years bestowing them common vampire abilities and something special and horrorfyingly their own as a power. There are also humans this curse hungers far more for the blood of, these survivors and would be victims tend to band together as vampire hunters or as ghouls, aka humans who drink a vampire's blood for some weaker forms of their power.

Livevile, the muses have been kidnapped and put in a realm known as livevile, it appears as a small town with everything one could need and which has other horror characters living there. If someone is killed by another then the night will play out as normal but in the morning the dead will return to life. Now the big question is what made this place and why?

Monster Prom

The worst timeline au, this is during the end credits of the Prank Masterz ending of porm, can be canon complient or divite, also characters interduonced later are welcome on my or others side.

Dragon Age

Blighted au, this takes place in a slimmer timeline to the darkspwan dlc of origins where HOF died during the joining and the Blight got much much worse, possibly spreading to the larger world.

Bad timeline au, taking place in the bad timeline seen during the mage siding quest in dai The Herled went missing right before things started getting bad and the world is thrown into horror.

Borderlands verse

A mushroom, able to smemi control the dead and living and bring them to their feet found the body of Tyreen Calypso, who became it's head as a intelligent zombie, now the fungi is spreading among the galaxy as The Raiders try to fight it.

Payday verse

Zombie au, After the death of Bain and failure to defeat Murkywater the gang disposed of the masks and their identities within the Payday Gang, little did they know the virus that killed Bain would have his body rise to take revenge on the world of the living as he is paitent zero of a zombie virus.

Spooky MEMES

Here are some spooky memes to send to any of my muses if you want a ice breaker. Please copy thr whole meme, especially for emojis otherwise I will likely get mixed up with other rp memes:

horror themed sentence starters.

SPOOKY AUTUMN PROMPTS

THINGS TO DO IN AUTUMN: STARTERS

Find My Muse Covered In Blood!

Find Out How My Muse Would Kill Yours

Victorian Horror symbol starters

for the ghosty muses … sentence starters

[bells-of-black-sunday]

@witchcraftandburialdirt asked:

Upon the dock they stood, the nightly tresses of his benefactor seemed to frolic amongst the salt soaked wind, flavored by the very sea whose waves seemed to bow before his beauty, though no pleasure crossed his features as he gazed outwards in the direction of home. Home which now felt so foreign and far as the promise of unfulfilled joy consumed his very being, a bitter fate which he had paid for marked into reality by plank falling onto timber. The gulls' aubade to the morning sun resounded in the man's ears as screams, as if to weep upon the agony of passion below them, a sweet poison coursing within the man's veins which was placed upon him throughout the passage of time-- one where the fury of the field was the only place solace existed. Yet in the silence of the slain and the intimacy inside woven walls, the man found only the whispers of Tarhos' voice; deep and rumbling like thunder over wheat, and yet…so tender in his words. As though each was entreating for the grace and mercy the knight had never received within his life span, a hushed cry meant solely for him. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to imagine the night without that voice, without being held so comfortably, without his blue eyes to stare into and lips to kiss. 

The vision reminded him of the Hell priests would warn of. How could he ever be happy again without having him by his side to hold and cherish?

The paralians were swift to cut the ropes, releasing sails which eagerly caught the tempest within their canvas. Before this time…long ago, those great sails would have been the victory banner of Christ, stitched together with angel's raiments as they were hoisted into the beautiful azure of the morning sky. Yet this covenant of hope was embittered, what would have once brought him joy had burned into ash on his tongue. Freedom and home…did they truly mean anything now with this burning fire within the cavern of his chest which only cried for one thing? One simple, lovely thing that would be ripped from his hands the moment his foot stepped onto that ship. That single movement would throw Tarhos into his past with only a marbled face carved from memory to be his bride. How foolish could one be, to toss a life of sunshine and quiet meadows away if only to be beside one man who brought such brutality and anguish? To stand so close to that which he had longed for, only to now feel half-hearted and bereft about such a blessing; it could never amount to the whispered prayers placed against his neck within the nights' hours.

Not when blood soaked hands cradled his hips as though holding communion, a reverent touch remarked by the essence of fluttering desire brought to life by the breathy refrains which left their lips after each shared kiss. How the Knights' breath and voice filled his spirit with the tolling of death bells and the song of church choirs; a cacophony of dread and brilliance wrapped into a singular man which held his heart tightly–as if ready to feast upon it. By now that carnivorous carnal hunger was less a blanket over them both and moreso a red threaded border which swaddled this newfound emotion. That which vexes all men, what it meant— and how that feeling would doom him, but alas…Tarhos was the one thing he would never repent for. He swallowed the pit of misery in his throat, feeling it build into a slowly filling pool of dread ── He couldn't do it - he wouldn't, and so, his plush lips parted to speak:

“I … I don’t want to go. I want to stay here with you, like this, forever. Even after life.

── Medieval Verse

There was something always so solemn about the coast, it's beautiful blue waves lapping against the pale beaches with hundreds of ships some trading bodies like they were cattle put to auction. He was no stranger to cages like that. Huddled together with other men and women passing disease between each other like the very air they were breathing was caustic to their lungs. The same venom held even now when he knew what the plan was, what the maiden had asked of him so long ago. The ache in his chest wasn't the air this time as much as he would pretend it was. No. Haruko had swiftly become his entire world.

Every scream from the gulls sounded like a murder and the unfurling of sales like the wings of a great beast ready to snatch him from his grasp, but he had no right to demand the other to stay. While the knight knew cages and long roads very well, the maiden knew the sea and the shackles below deck. Passed between lords like a prized canary to sing for their amusement his wings had been clipped every time they grew back. He knew the snarling cornered animal in his tent when they first met far better than most. He was just a bed warmer to the captain, a piece of flesh to keep his rabid dog satisfied and yet... he never touched him.

The silence was deafening, but all he could do was watch. For all his faults he would never force someone to stay near him. Haru was his own person just like he was even if most wouldn't see it that way. He watched the wool of the maiden's dress flutter in the wind and the last call for boarding overtook the gulls screams before the maiden's voice pierced the silence and a wave of relief like he had never known washed over him, "...I want you to stay too." A quiet admission, but relief flooded every word. The knight helped the maiden down from the dock and back into his arms.

If there was divinity he had found it in every fiber that made up the warmth of the man in his arms as if he were the rib plucked from Adam to make Eve. He was everything he never wanted to let go of.

[astralyrical]

*⠀🪷⠀⠀various appearances / outfits of the goddess of music⠀⠀throughout events , eras and verses | will be updated . . .⠀long thread ahead !

#⠀features .⠀main features of the devi that may or may not be subjected to changes depending on the verse ( more descriptions found in the verses docs which are found in the carrd : verses section ) !

cosmetics .⠀⠀⠀usually peachy orange tinted - lips , coral - colored eyeshadow , and red - orange eyeliner . hair length & style .⠀⠀⠀beyond floor - length , hair split into two , the ends slightly curling inwards , bangs parted into three , light stardusted hair . hair colour .⠀⠀⠀platinum blonde fading to green , light golden streaks on each parted bangs . eye colour & its features .⠀⠀⠀turquoise , white inner pupil & black outer pupil , allium shaped pupil , stardusted iris . ( platinum lashes ) .

ear & back wings .⠀⠀multiple feathery wings sprouting at each ‘sides of head && a pair of back wings ‘neath scapulae , both wings are colored in snows and greens , and gilded in gold . additional info .⠀⠀only a set of three plumes move : the lower one hanging , middle one furling sidewards , and top one sprouting upwards . and the rest remains dormant or relaxed .

tattoos .⠀⠀feathery wings ‘pon back ( appears when her real slender back wings becomes hidden ) .

#⠀appearances .⠀the following uses various skins , artworks and medias ( faceclaims ) to depict various appearances and / or outfits ! none of the artworks are mine and will be credited accordingly ; uncredited arts are official .

MAIN VISAGE & APPEARANCE ! ensemble i .⠀⠀dawncaller's concerto : sjade skin . verses & timelines applicable :⠀⠀main verse onmyoji . ancient to modern era ( as true divine form ) . multiverse ( e.g. fate ; as another appearance in the multiverse aside from wandering divine ) tags .⠀⠀everyday , divine , true ethereality , main .

GUISE OUTFIT ! ensemble ii .⠀⠀⠀tune of stars : default skin . verses & timelines applicable .⠀⠀⠀main verse onmyoji . kimetsu no yaiba . inuyasha . other ancient eras ( as guise form ) . tags .⠀⠀⠀everyday , guise , casual . notes . ⠀⠀⠀appearance mainly used during other ancient eras of japan due to the divine beings slowly being reduced to naught but myths and / or distancing themselves from the mortal realm hence it becomes the normality to blend amongst humans . does not show her divine wings !

FORMAL ATTIRE ! ensemble iii .⠀⠀⠀heavenly spiral order : jade prayer skin . verses & timelines applicable .⠀⠀⠀main verse onmyoji . other ancient eras . jade prayer verse . multiverse . tags .⠀⠀⠀formal , banquet , royalty . notes .⠀⠀⠀for heavenly , formal occasions within the celestial palace ( zenken - jō ) & within her tribe’s grounds wherein she acts as the lady of the kinnar clan . main depiction of wings are still attached !

PERFORMANCE OUTFIT ! ensemble iv .⠀⠀⠀celestial musician : apsara outfit . verses & timelines applicable .⠀⠀⠀main verse onmyoji . other ancient eras . multiverse . tags .⠀⠀⠀performance , music , dancing , banquet . notes .⠀⠀⠀for when she takes center stage to perform and entertain during festivities . main depictions of wings are still attached ( however depends , as there will be no wings in sight if she performs in the mortal realm ) !

GENSHIN IMPACT EXCLUSIVE ! ensemble v .⠀⠀music deity : three kingdoms . verses & timelines applicable .⠀⠀⠀genshin impact only ! ( before and during archon war ) tags .⠀⠀⠀divine , goddess , veiled notes .⠀⠀⠀goddess form / appearance of kinnara before and during the archon war ; for more information , direct to carrd .

MULTIVERSAL APPEARANCE ! ensemble vi .⠀⠀o, wandering divine : others . verses & timelines applicable .⠀⠀⠀multiverse . fate . record of ragnarok . granblue fantasy . star rail . tags .⠀⠀⠀everyday , wanderer , veiled , mystic . notes .⠀⠀⠀general visage and appearance for verses listed above and outside the verses in the carrd . main depictions of wings are still attached ! credits .⠀⠀⠀permission granted to use the commissioned art for @mllord01 , please do not use !