#volossya

[raxistaicho]

Have you read Volossya's 'In Which Gilbert is Replaced by an Agarthan' fic? If so, what are your thoughts on it?

I need to, lol. I hear that's very good.

[elissastillstands]

Minthara lives past Moonrise. // On home, requital, and all the things they give to the water.

Rating: Mature Word Count: 14,615 Relationships: Minthara Baenre/Tav, Lae'zel/Shadowheart Additional Tags: The Underdark, Developing Relationship, Introspection, Character Study

Excerpt: The cleric casts Silence on all of them so they can pass into the depths unnoticed. They slip between the stone gates of the Sharran ruins like ghosts and ride the rickety elevator down to the old forge, where crooning water laps at the remnants of the duergar’s docks. From there, they commandeer a ship to cross the lake. Har’oloth’s lakes are bitter with what the water holds, heavy enough with salt that ships float higher on the surface.

Minthara can taste it when they cross into her old home. They only ever venture into its outskirts, the impoverished places which lie tangent to the sun-bleached lands, but the air still turns lively, thick with rot, sweeter than any honeyed dates the surface has ever grown. Her teeth itch and ache with their longing for it.

Link to fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/62735863/chapters/160607641

Thank you to @zoloteh-volossya for the beta!

[quescon]

POLL WIP GAME (CRYPTIC EDITION)

Put the names (or cryptic codenames, if you're like me) of your wips into a 24 hour poll and let your followers loose. By the end of your poll, for each vote you receive, you have to add a sentence (or 15 words, whichever you prefer) to the wip that the vote was for. Results sharing is optional, but fun! Finish you Fucking Fics February be upon ye!

Tagging! *cracks knuckles*

@redroomroaving @acrowsrockcollection @cactusmisslittle @zoloteh-volossya @flipcitrus @librivore42 @beesht @tavyliasin @lemonsrosesandlavender @mikuchan @optiwashere @ineadhyn @threerattsinatrenchcoat and whoever wants to join

[alicelufenia]

ALL RIGHT LISTEN UP IF YOU FOLLOW ME / WE'RE MUTUALS AND YOU EVEN HALF DIG MY VIBE

I need you to start reading A Practical Guide To Evil RIGHT FUCKING NOW

I've only read the prologue and the first chapter and I am now SO MORE ON BOARD than anything I've read this year!

It is like someone traveled back in time and wrote this in 2015 for me in 2024 specifically

Nothing has ever been more entirely My Jam since Wrath Goddess Sing

I'm literally dropping my reading of book 2 of War of the Spider Queen to read this

And there's like SIX BOOKS??? OKAY????? THANK YOU I HAVE MY 2025 READING SORTED NOW

Anyone wants to join me feel free, it's literally all free in a wordpress blog!

Oh and thanks to @zoloteh-volossya for hooking me up, thanks again!!

[thenugking]

find the word game

rules: i'll give you five words. find the word (or closest approximation you can) in your works and post an excerpt. tag others to play and give them new words too! I was tagged by @tacticalgrandma uhhh a couple of weeks ago now but here we are Tagging @eighthdoctor @rinny-rae @zoloteh-volossya and anyone else who wants to play, with the words, "night", "late," "blood", "soft" and "sky"

Here's my words from tacticalgrandma--"kind", "alone", "hurt", "warm", and "lost", from my durge childhood fic, so warning for horrible vibes all round. This family's an abusive nightmare <3

Kind

There is 0 kindness in any of the 13k words I've written for this, but here's nice, since it's a similar vibe. Five year old Kallian's thoughts on their older siblings

“You’re exhausting yourself fussing, Helena,” Sarevok told her, smoothing back her hair. “Get some sleep. Let Orin meet her sister.” He was always nicer than Helena was.

Alone

Kallian at nine years old, aka Baby's First Solo Murder

She crept quietly through the darkened streets, making her way to the house of the halfling family she’d spent so much time watching last year. She knew their schedule, that they’d all be in bed by this hour, that the upstairs room to the left of the front door was the grandfather’s. He’d be the easiest, Kallian decided, elderly and frail and alone. And she hated the halfling family, anyway.

Hurt

Nine year old Orin training herself to talk like a weirdo, I love her soo much <3

“Rivers of viscera--no, no, no, not viscera. Um. Rivers of red… Why does it hurt more this time?”

Warm

Six year old Kallian tries to learn how to care for a one year old since neither of her parents seem particularly fussed about that

“Um, are you hungry? I could go and mash up some potatoes for you?” But that would mean leaving Orin alone, while trying to reach all the kitchen surfaces that were too tall for Kallian, and anyway, didn’t potatoes need to be warm to eat first? 

Lost

Helena "I long to murder these children" Anchev has complaints about Bhaal's golden child

“Don’t I?” Helena snapped. “How is this any different than the time you ruined my make-up kit playing dress-up? Or when you snuck into my room to steal my favourite throwing knife set and then you lost two of the knives and I never got them back. Or--”

[juliakeyoto]

Interesting tags I found while fic surfing (https://archiveofourown.org/works/36285364 )

[dandelion-bride]

Find the Word Game

Rules: I'll give you five words. find the word (or closest approximation you can) in your works and post an excerpt. Tag others to play and give them new words too! Tagged by @volossya with the words "perfume", "haste", "hand", "death", "joy"

Tagging @sybaritick, @lamortwrites, @chocolatecatcupcakecheese with the words "eye", "sing", "need", "laughter", "red"

Tried to pick out more recent fics, but "joy" had a very specific moment for me.

perfume bottled lightning (Mature, 1.4k)

Light fractures the clouds, brightens the whole sky with a moment of clear perception, less than the blink of an eye. The crack comes a few moments after, passing through him, shaking his muscles soft. The scent of rain and wet stone that overpowers the filthy stink of mortal flesh ever surrounding him finds itself perfumed by a queer metallic-bright aroma, one that he will forevermore call 'storm.'

hand and death The Devil That You Don't, chapter 1 (Explicit, 7.4k)

“Tell me a truth about yourself,” [Fennec] asks, between pats of a face towel on her cheeks. [Zefira] swallows. “I am kind.” The killer watches her hold this gentle thought as long as she could, until her fingers lose their grip and it falls from her hands to shatter on the floor. “And sometimes, I am as cruel as cruel can be,” she whispers. Her eyes look up and trace the walls, up and across and down, mapping the edges of the door behind which waited death.

haste and the cycles heal us as well (teen, 1.1k)

In the early afternoon the next day, a wagon brings two unexpected guests. The children run up with haste, in awe of the gleaming feathers and kintsugi skin of the aasimar. Against such brilliance, the more somber cleric is all the more bright in Halsin’s eyes.

joy Blind Spots (Teen, 2.4k)

It irks [Astarion] to think about the last few days as the act of a God - really, this was how two centuries of prayers were going to be answered? He waves a hand at [Zefira], dismissing the thought. "Well, little priest, go ahead and indulge yourself. I won't tell." “My most humble thanks, your honor," she responds to him, a simpering façade that cracks with a grin and snort. She pops the lid and only takes one taste, eyes closed in simple joy. She licks her finger carefully for every last hint before clasping the lid back on. "Just what I needed to keep going." Zefira sighs, and asks him directly. "You're crooked, right?"

thank you 💜

[zoloteh-volossya]

In the aftermath of an AU where Minthara was turned into a drider at Moonrise, she and Tav are offered a deal by the Zhentarim. Prompt fill: "submissive in the way a livestock guardian dog is submissive to the sheep it kills wolves for"

[alexesguerra]

Baba Yaga's Book of Witchcraft: Slavic Magic from the Witch of the Woods Baba Yaga's Book of Witchcraft: Slavic Magic from the Witch of the Woods Contributor(s): Pamita, Madame (Author) Publisher: Llewellyn Publications ISBN: 0738767891 Physical Info: 0.94" H x 9.13" L x 7.4" W (1.5 lbs) 336 pages Table of Contents: Contents Acknowledgments xi Disclaimer xiii Preface xv Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Vyshyvanka: The Magical Stitches 5 Chapter 2: Motanka: The Living Poppet 21 Chapter 3: Domovyk: The Spirit of the House 31 Chapter 4: Rozdorizhzhya: The Crossroads 45 Chapter 5: Lisovyk: The Lord of the Forest 65 Chapter 6: Rusalky: The Spirits of the Lake 77 Chapter 7: Zaklynannya: The Magic Words 93 Chapter 8: Khatynka i Pokut': The Hut and the Altar 105 Chapter 9: Vidma: The Witch 117 Chapter 10: Yizha: The Enchanted Food 129 Chapter 11: Pich: The Oven 149 Chapter 12: Vereteno: The Spindle 157 Chapter 13: Krashanky I Pysanky: The Decorated Eggs 169 Chapter 14: Tkats'kyy Verstat: The Loom 183 Chapter 15: Volossya: The Hair 193 Chapter 16: Stupa: The Mortar and Pestle 207 Chapter 17: Maty Zemlya: Mother Earth 217 Chapter 18: Laznya: The Bathhouse 229 Chapter 19: Zhyva i Mertva Voda: The Waters of Life and Death 243 Chapter 20: Kistky: The Bones 263 Chapter 21: Kolo: The Circle 277 Appendix I: Magical Plants and Their Meanings 281 Appendix II: Magical Color Correspondences 285 Glossary 287 Bibliography 295 Index 305 Madame Pamita is a teacher, candle maker, spellcaster, tarot reader & a Ukrainian diaspora witch. She is the owner of an online spiritual apothecary called Madame Pamita's Parlour of Wonders. She is the host of a YouTube video series, Candle Magic Class & the weekly Magic Q&A Tea Party. Madame Pamita is also the host of the Magic & the Law of Attraction podcast and author of The Book of Candle Magic and Baba Yaga's Book of Witchcraft. "[A] beautiful telling of Ukrainian fairy tales."--Pamela Chen, author of Enchanted Crystal Magic "This book is sure to enchant and amuse you."--Mat Auryn, author of Psychic Witch "Pamita guides you in creating living, breathing, beautiful magic that will change your life."--Nicholas Pearson, author of Flower Essences from the Witch's Garden "The organic approach taken in this book, rooted fully in its cultures of origin, is truly marvelous."--Ivo Dominguez Jr., author of The Four Elements of the Wise "Pamita speaks to the deepest depths of your soul."--Stephanie Rose Bird, author of Sticks, Stones, Roots & Bones "An intimate sharing of myths & magical traditions."--Chas Bogan author of The Secret Keys of Conjure "Pamita shares her spiritual heritage with love and devotion."--Jaime Gironés, author of Llewellyn's Little Book of the Day of the Dead "A welcome glowing coal for my witchy hearth fire."--Lara Veleda Vesta, author of Wild Soul Runes "A deep exploration of Slavic magic."--Annwyn Avalon, author of Water Witchcraft "This book is as beautiful as it is helpful."--J. Allen Cross, author of American Brujería "An expedition into the very heart of magic."--Storm Faerywolf, author of The Witch's Name "Pamita brings old traditions alive and then blends them into modern practices."--Sandra Kynes, author of Tree Magic "The cultural richness that surrounds each ritual makes it unique."--Elhoim Leafar, author of The Magical Art of Crafting Charm Bags "The voice of Baba Yaga is strong and profound."--Phoenix LeFae, author of Witches, Heretics & Warrior Women "If you feel called to spend time in Baba Yaga's hut...your intuition has led you to just the right place."--Tess Whitehurst, author of The Self-Love Superpower "A beautifully crafted & poetic journey."--Patti Wigington, author of Badass Ancestors "[A] delightful-to-read & easy-to-understand guide."--Patricia Robin Woodruff, PhD, author of Woodruff's Guide to Slavic Deities "This outstanding book will help connect you to this wise old woman."--Ainslie MacLeod, author of The Old Soul's Guide Book "Pamita shines new light onto this beloved, mystical figure."--Katrina Rasbold, author of Uncrossing "Pamita effortlessly mixes storytelling, history, folklore, magic & her own personal journey."--Gwion Raven, author of Life Ritualized? "Pamita brings this enchanting tale to life."--Theresa Reed, author of Tarot: No Questions Asked "It has the power to instill a magical mindset in the reader."--Astrea Taylor, author of Air Magic "An essential title that has spoken to my Slavic roots."--Courtney Weber, author of Hekate "[Pamita and I] grew up with Baba Yaga's stories in our ears...We wanted to be her. You can find out why in this book."--Melissa Cynova, author of Kitchen Table Magic "A wealth of magical information."--Erika Buenaflor, author of Cleansing Rites of Curanderismo "A glorious tome dedicated to one of the most quintessential witches."--Laura Tempest Zakroff, author of Anatomy of a Witch "This magnificent book reveals the ancient secrets of Ukrainian magic."--Michelle Welch, author of Spirits Unveiled "Thorough & all-encompassing."--Pleasant Gehman, author of Walking the Tarot Path "This is one of the few books that as I finish, I open the front cover to reread."--Jacki Smith, author of Coventry Magic "You are transported & enchanted by the teachings and folklore."--Marcella Kroll, creator of The Sacred Symbols Oracle Move Swiftly On Your Own Two Feet, for Baba Yaga You Must Meet. Discover ancient and modern Slavic magical practices through stories told by the legendary Baba Yaga herself. Learn about the magic of the sun, moon & stars, as well as the magic of weather, animals, seasons, stones, food, beeswax & more. Each chapter includes a piece of the fairy tale of Vasylyna, comments from Baba Yaga & hands-on tips & techniques from author Madame Pamita. Explore magical activities alongside authentic folktales about the birth of the sun and the land of the blessed ones. Step-by-step instructions show you how to stitch Ukrainian folk embroidery motifs into protective charms, weave wreaths from herbs, make enchanted poppets, and work with the spirits of the forest, the hearth & the sauna. With a bounty of tips and information, this book teaches you to embrace the beauty of these traditional practices & reclaim your personal magic. Contributor Bio: Pamita, Madame Madame Pamita is a teacher, candle maker, spellcaster, tarot reader & a Ukrainian diaspora witch. She is the owner of an online spiritual apothecary called Madame Pamita's Parlour of Wonders. She is the host of a YouTube video series, Candle Magic Class & the weekly Magic Q&A Tea Party. Madame Pamita is also the host of the Magic & the Law of Attraction podcast & author of The Book of Candle Magic and Baba Yaga's Book of Witchcraft.

[bg3fandomcritical-reactive]

Well, the original argument was about how a character needs to be popular in order to generate drama. Yes, the type of fans who instigate drama are also the ones who produce a significant amount of fan works. I also suspect that Gortash has more fanfics than Gale. Additionally, it is a peculiar slippery slope argument; we could begin throwing metrics and platforms at one another. But ultimately, who cares? It’s enough to read through the AO3 popular ships table to understand.

We have actual metrics for this. Gale has more fanfics than Gortash. tumblr.com/zoloteh-volossya/758742188625674240

The original argument still stands. Astarion was not the most romanced in Larian's statistics, but in fandom spaces he has a clear lead in fan content. Popularity in fandom spaces breeds toxicity.

If you interpret refining the scope as "throwing out metrics" you will never be able to point out trends affecting a subset within. Those problems will always remain invisible to you.

.

[raxistaicho]

Red and White

Volossya, a very good friend of mine, pointed this one out!

Red and white are a coloration pair that comes up fairly often in regards to the Church of Seiros; they're the main colors of soldiers belonging to it. But they're also the main colors of both Edelgard and Seiros!

In this, we can see that both are so starkly dominated by a single color it can only be the case that they very deliberately tried to present that image. For Edelgard, a bloody red, and Rhea, a pure as snow white, with the insides of their cape featuring the opposite color.

However, when you consider how Edelgard pointedly wears demonic ram horns, the outfits seem to tell a different story.

Edelgard believes future generations will see her a bloody revolutionary at best, and she dresses the part, but in truth she's a sensitive romantic who wants to create a better world.

Rhea presents the image of a motherly and benevolent holy woman, but the reality is she's short-tempered, stubborn, and always wants things to be done her way, even with Seteth.

Edelgard's outfit portrays a bloody exterior that hides an internal purity, while Rhea's portrays a pure exterior that hides a bloody interior!

[flower-of-knighthood]

The Crest System: An Analysis

A term that is commonly thrown around in Three Houses Discourse is the Crest System, or as I prefer to call it the Aristocrestocracy, a term that originates from Volossya’s Essay. This is because I feel that the term Crest System is inaccurate because it implies an existence of an organised system that affects everyone from commoner to noble, while in actuality the Aristocrestocracy mainly affects the nobility of Fodlan’s nations. Discourse around the topic of Crests typically conflates real world issues such as misogyny, domestic abuse, and plain old lust for power with the Aristocrestocracy.

To begin with, Crests are valued for two properties the first being the obvious power that comes with bearing a minor one, let alone the power of the rare major crests. The second valued property that drives the nobility to its hideous actions in pursuit of Crests is that it serves as a definite proof of the holder’s bloodline, holding a Crest of Seiros in the world of Fodlan is proof to the majority of people that the holder is descended from Wilhelm Paul Hresvelg.  Not having a crest leaves one open to rumours of being an illegitimate child. It’s not any surprise then that the nobility attempts to maximise the presence of crests in their blood line, because the presence of a Crest increases the pedigree of a bloodline.

Two anecdotes that are commonly used as examples of the abuse of crests is the fate of Hanneman’ssister stated in his supports which he states isn’t rare in Adrestia, and the situation with Mercedes in her backstory. It is an unfortunate reality that in real life, there have been cases throughout our own history where females have been forced to have several children in a search for a child that fits the uses of the other partner in the relationship. The situation with Mercedes and her backstory with House Bartels is much rarer than what happened with Hanneman’s sister, probably because inbreeding tends to be kept secret, but they have happened such as with the noble house Habsburg. A brief note on Dorothea before I move on, during the Middle Ages, it was common procedure for illegitimate children of nobility to be thrown out or otherwise disposed of.  Now I’m not saying that Crests have absolutely nothing to do with these atrocities but rather the allure of prestige that Crests offer exacerbates the main problem of misogyny.

The Church of Seiros is said to be mainly responsible for creating the Crest System or Aristocrestocracy because of it’s doctrine claiming that Crests are gifts from the goddess. This is incorrect because as I’ve previously stated the two main allures of Crests are the power that it grants and being a definite proof of one’s bloodline, which as everyone who’s familiar with history knows is quite crucial for nobility.   There are zero examples in Three Houses of abuse of crests that occurs because of their fabricated origin, rather the likelihood is that even in some alternate world where Rhea hadn’t made that lie about the origin of Crests, these atrocities committed for the sake of Crests would still occur because humanity has this tendency to commit the most heinous of atrocities for the sake of power and prestige.  The funny thing that people seem to forget is not only does the book of Seiros command that the power of Crests are not to be abused but the book of Seiros literally has Sothis depart Fodlan because of Crest Abuse.  

People seem to be under the assumption that Edelgard’s system that she wishes to create throughout the entirety of Fodlan would fix the Crest Problem, but one could argue that it would make it worse. The system that Edelgard wishes to implement is a meritocracy, one where the most talented reign over the less, the strong dominating the weak, and here’s the thing Crests are literal superpowers, in terms of physical strength, not even Raphael is capable of competing with Dimitri, and he only has a minor crest. A meritocracy is likely to result in an increase of demands for Crests because they give people a strong advantage over anyone else. Rather the solution for the problem of Crests besides attempting to exterminate crest bearing bloodlines lies in Hanneman’s crestology which should be noted that Rhea and the Church of Seiros approve of.

In conclusion, the impact that Crests have on Fodlan is quite exaggerated, as it mainly affects the nobility, in the cases where it becomes a problem, it is exacerbating already existing issues such as misogyny and abuses of Crests are committed for the sake of the power and prestige that they offer not because of their fabricated origin.

Bibliography

[quescon]

Last Line WIP game

Tagged in by wonderful @tavyliasin

Last line I wrote today was simply

"Excellent choice."

🤣

Tagging @roughlytwentytwofrogs @mikuchan @zoloteh-volossya @cactusmisslittle @beesht and anyone who wants to join

[thenugking]

WIP List Tag Game

tagged by @zoloteh-volossya <3

I have no idea who has multiple WIPs right now, but let me know if you want a tag!

[randomcanbian]

Do you recommend any good Blue Lions fics? I really can't find any good one that catches my interest because most are either just Edelgard bash fics or have the discomfort ship (dmlth)

Anon, you and I are in the same boat 😭 (Also lmfao, D*mileth being a discomfort ship is such a big mood (and thank you for the term ahaha)--love them platonically, but them romantically (if not in a polycule with another girl) makes me break out in hives 🥲)

I tried my best tho! Took me a while to answer this cause I had to take a deep dive into my bookmarks--I tend to gravitate towards Black Eagles / Golden Deer fics because of the risk of Edelgard-bashing from BL fans, so I don't have a lot of AM fics on-hand :(

Disclaimer: I didn't include shippy BL fic one-shots, as I assumed you're looking for recs that would feature more of the crew / things found in AM but not in other routes! But if you're down with those, I do have a bunch of BL/Hegemon!Edelgard x Byleth fics on hand 😂

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

[Post-AM]

1. Our Own Paths by jtav (WIP)

Byleth meant only to rewind time and knock away a dagger. Something goes wrong and Edelgard becomes a half-mad beast. Dimitri begs her to save his sister and Byleth reluctantly agrees. (rcb note: Technically an AU, but eh. Anyway, it's one of my favorites among the fics I've discovered recently. In the author's notes this is what it says: "This is very much AM El with all that implies. But…this is also a story that believes radical reform was necessary by an author whose favorite route is CF" and it's really evident in their fic ehehe. It's an exploration into the trauma and guilt and grief that Edelgard's war sets onto Fodlan--while it may have been ultimately necessary (armed reformation vs "peaceful" reformation which may merely prolong the suffering of the people, if it would even work at all), a righteous cause and the promise of a brighter future still can't wash away the blood that's been shed or the horrors that they've all endured. I also love the conflict that comes up between the Adrestians and El--both parties learning from each other their reasons for the roles in the war...just, really really good stuff :) )

[Alternate Universe Fics]

1. An Eagle Among Lions by AMX004_Qubeley (Completed)

The morning after her and Byleth's wedding, Emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg wakes up in her old bedroom in Garreg Mach to discover that she has brown hair, only one Crest, ten happy and healthy brothers and sisters, and a bad habit of sleeping through her professor's lectures. (rcb note: Let's assume you aren't the same anon as the one who recc'd this to me hehe. Anyway, I gush about this fic here :) )

2. outwit even death by Volossya (WIP)

In which Byleth saves the Edelgards of Silver Snow, Verdant Wind, and Azure Moon by dragging them through time to the beginning of Crimson Flower. Fodlan will never be the same. (rcb note: not really BL, but it has AM!Edelgard at least? Just wanted to recc it, I find it really interesting :) )

3. The Lion and The Lotus by WithPatienceComesPeace (WIP)

The Prince of Faerghus unites with a mysterious Professor from Duscur to uncover the Truth about the Lambert Assassination. (rcb note: The MC is an OC, and the fic follows the Blue Lions, however Byleth is the Black Eagle's Professor. I confess that I've mostly just read the few parts that had Byleth in it, but I did check out some other chapters and they looked quite well-written and interesting! From what I gathered, Duscur is sort of a fantasy!India and that's where the MC is from. The worldbuilding is amazing, altho I don't know what the plot is haha, but I'm certain it's good. I love the MC interacting with Dedue and Dimitri, and the former 2 bonding over the culture and grieving the loss of Duscur together. The MC's interactions with the other BL's great as well, and from what I've read, the author has a great grasp on their characters! Once I'm done with my Byleth-centric binging I actually do plan to go back to this fic and read it in its entirety :) )

[dandelion-bride]

WIP Wednesday

tagged by @lamortwrites - share six sentences, tag six people.

The man raised in the Hells will happily teach her this lesson. Enver grabs her face with both his hands and forces her to look directly up at him. "Not for you, it won't,” he snarls at her, towering over her. “You will always be the cutpurse orphan on the street, Luthor's punching bag, gallows flesh bought and sold. You cannot escape your past, Zefira."  Neither of us can, he does not say.

(he's not getting away with it this time i promise.)

tagging @thenugking @unkledeath @chocolatecatcupcakecheese @zoloteh-volossya @sybaritick @matsunoichimonogatari if you like ty