#will add eagle and unicorn later

[akq96618]

choose your little guys

[folkdevilfables]

⟡ Everything About Umbra ⟡

1k words | original character | lore & worldbuilding

Umbra’s drabble

author’s note: For anyone curious/wanting to do fanart or what have you, I thought I’d go into a little more detail about Umbra and Tenebris. Please note that Umbra (or Zekhan’s demon mimic for that matter) were never made with the thought of their carer being a relationship and any potential interactions with their partner in mind. I will however add a little section at the end about their behavior in such a situation, since I know jes encourages shipping with the OCs and some might be curious.

Design & Lore

First and foremost, Umbra is the Latin word for shadow, matching Tenebris meaning darkness.

Conceptualizing a demon mimic for Tenebris of course means taking his character and lore into account - his relationship with Diavolo, his family history, his occupation, his likes and dislikes, his several truckloads of trauma, noteworthy ties to other cast members coughs Solomon coughs and the like, as well as looking at the established demon mimics and figuring out what criteria most likely led to the choices for the main cast and then going from there.

Gryphons are commonly used in royal or noble crests - lions, eagles, horses/unicorns and bears being some of the other notable choices coming to mind. Being a mythical creature, gryphons are a hybrid between a lion and a bird, though depictions differ and more modern interpretations play more into the lion side than the bird aspects, at least as far as I can tell. Umbra probably falls more so into the former category, looking like a - let’s call it - rather ‘old-fashioned’ or classic gryphon used in heraldry, but more on that later.

15th century etching of a gryphon (top left) vs. a more modern depiction (top right). Royal coat of arms of Queen Elisabeth of Austria with gryphons as crest bearers (bottom).

The creature choice manages to emphasize three very important points when it comes to Tenebris’ character:

Tenebris’ stronger ties to magic than most of the main cast

His connection to Diavolo and their familial relations

The similarities between Tenebris and Solomon

Allow me to elaborate.

Aside from Lucifer and Solomon’s creatures, every other demon mimic looks like a regular animal (Ignoring their colors. And yes, I am ignoring Bella’s horn here as well. Asmo essentially wanted it for the convenience of decoration so I say it doesn’t count), so a mythical creature emphasizes the bigger focus Tenebris has on magic compared to the other characters with him being the Devildom’s archmage.

In terms of Diavolo, their familial bond is shown by the fact that Ryan, Diavolo’s demon mimic took the form of a black lion and Umbra is a hybrid between a lion and a bird. Additionally, both gryphons and lions are used in royal emblems, emphasizing their royal heritage (or in Tenebris’ case, half royal heritage matching Umbra’s status as a lion hybrid if we're working off of the assumption that lions symbolize royalty.)

Tying into both of the points above is Tenebris’ connection to Solomon. Both of them are extremely powerful magic users that heavily focus on their extensive magic studies and have… quite the history. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that their demon mimics are very similar in a lot of aspects. Connor is described as a cat-like creature with wings and rainbow-colored fur (What type of wings exactly Connor has was never specified in the event or the Devilgram) and what is a gryphon but a lion (beeg cat) with wings (and other bird features)? I don’t think anyone would argue with me when I say that demons are inherently more magical than humans - hence why Tenebris got the real deal cat-with-wings with gryphon Umbra and Solomon got the bargain bin neopets version.

The fact that Tenebris’ creature has wings could also be seen as a nod to his sin, Gluttony. It can symbolize the need to 'reach for the stars' or speaking in more accurate terms, 'flying too close to the sun' like Icarus in his pursuit for power and acknowledgement by any means necessary in his younger years.

I honestly don't have too much reasoning in terms of Umbra's gender. Tenebris would work with a male or female demon mimic in my opinion, but since he is on the more feminine/androgynous side himself (his hair and earrings most notably), I chose to go with a male demon mimic in the end.

Physical Description

Umbra looks like a gryphon with deep crimson fur and feathers. He has the head, wings and upper body of a bird and the lower body of a lion. Eye colors for the demon mimics were never specifically mentioned in the event, so I chose to forego them as well - If you need that information for either Umbra or Zekhan’s demon mimic down the line, I implore you to bother jes about that, I already handed all the responsibilities for the two over to her, hehe~

In terms of size, Umbra grows to at least six-and-a-half feet in size (about 2 meters for anyone who uses the only sensible metric system), but it is mentioned in the short ending of the event that this was only the first growth spurt and there are likely more to come.

Personality

In a nutshell, Umbra really is very much like a younger (or just less reserved and depressed) Tenebris - The same crippling need for validation and acknowledgement and undying thirst for knowledge. His enthusiasm for studying never ceases and even if the tasks put in front of him are more difficult or frustrating, Umbra usually stubbornly proceeds to work on them until completion.

(This is a little off topic, but I think the fact that Tenebris is able to give Umbra what he had never gotten from his father might heal or at least soothe his inner child and trauma a little.)

Umbra’s attitude towards romantic partners

In stark contrast to Zekhan’s demon mimic, Umbra has no issues with Tenebris dating or being in an established relationship with someone. The gryphon is mostly interested in his studies, so any significant other wouldn’t really spark any sort of curiosity or intention to get to know them better in him.

If you plan on winning Umbra over, I’d recommend helping Tenebris with his training whenever possible or giving encouragement and feedback to the demon mimic when appropriate. Give it some time and at some point he might go out of his way to come to you to show you what he just learned or for treats/cuddles as well. On the other hand, obstructing their research or trying to have Tenebris for yourself at the expense of said research one too many times is a surefire way to antagonize him.

If you’re dating Tenebris while Umbra is present and don’t want him to despise you, you’ll have to live with the fact that most of the time spent with Tenebris will also necessarily include Umbra (and research by extension).

banner made by me | divider made by @jeschalynn | all rights reserved banner made by @/cafekitsune

Picture Sources: Top Left | Top Right | Bottom

[ficretus]

Theory: Rhodopis as Knightfall, dissecting 2 paragraph story for every detail

Rhodopis has pretty much always been one of the basis of speculation for canonical Knightfall. It was the first proper Knightfall theory I saw. It was short, to the point and mostly made sense. In this post I'd like to dig into Rhodopis theory and look into every detail of the story to see does it make sense as a theory.

First of all, what is common belief regarding Knightfall and Rhodopis:

It's considered to be proto-Cinderella story so it connects her to Cinder. Rhodopis was courtesan that was enslaved twice. she is eventually freed by Kharaxus of Mytilene, brother of poet Sappho, who then marries her. People translate this into Knightfall because just like Rhodopis, Cinder was enslaved twice. Kharaxus becomes Jaune through Sappho and Saphron connection (both lesbians, Saphron lives in Greek themed city, oldest fragments of Sappho's poetry were found on ceramic vase shards which can be connected to Terra being named after terracotta). Kharaxos freeing Rhodopis and marrying her is then read as Knightfall conclusion of the story.

As I said, it's simple interpretation, however, there seem to be some misconceptions about the story.

First to be clear, when people say Rhodopis in context of Knightfall, they mean Herodotus Rhodopis, which I'll use in this post as well. Reason distinction matters is because Herodotus' and Strabo's versions are completely different. In Strabo's version, Rhodopis is woman who's sandal gets stolen by the eagle and brought to pharaoh. He is charmed by her sandal and orders his servants to find the woman who lost her sandal. Eventually they find Rhodopis and they marry. In fact, when people call Rhodopis proto-Cinderella story, this is the version they refer to (locating woman through her shoe shape and marrying monarch are elements they found their way to the mainstream Cinderella stories).

Nowhere is it stated Kharaxus marries Rhodopis. Here is quote from Heredotus version of the story: "Rhodopis came to Egypt to work, brought by Xanthes of Samos, but upon her arrival was freed for a lot of money by Kharaxus of Mytilene, son of Scamandronymus and brother of Sappho the poetess. Thus Rhodopis lived as a free woman in Egypt, where, as she was very alluring, she acquired a lot of money—sufficient for such a Rhodopis, so to speak, but not for such a pyramid." It's not even mentioned he does it out of romantic feelings in Herodotus version, that part is only in later poems by Poseidippos: "Dorikha, your bones are long since dust, and dust the fillet that bound your hair, and the perfume-breathing robe you folded about lovely Kharaxos when, in his arms, you sipped the wine at dawn." She is here refered to as Dorikha, which is asumed to be her real name. This removes major smoking gun from the theory, although I'd argue that even act of freeing her works as pro Knightfall argument.

Rhodes' name could be pro Rhodopis argument due to it's etymology (both derived from greek word for rose) and being the only named character in Cinder's backstory, but it's pretty uncertain. Rhodes could also mean pomegranate in Greek (which could add more to my "Cinder is unicorn" theory since unicorn in image I used is tied to pomegranate tree. By taking down the tree, unicorn is free, just like Cinder thinks she is finally free after killing Madame and Rhodes)

Now that is out the way, I'd like to put tinfoil on and try to dissect the story for any Knightfall parallels.

Both Rhodopis and Cinder get enslaved outside of their homeland. Rhodopis is taken from Thrace, first to island of Samos, then to Naucratis in Egypt. Cinder is taken first to Atlas, then Evernight.

Both use pseudonyms. Fall is heavily implied to be name Cinder gave to herself. Similarly, Rhodopis is professional pseudonym. As stated above, her real name was asumed to be Dorikha by later poets. Even if that's not the case, it would make no sense for her real name to be Rhodopis. She was Thracian, it would make no sense for her to have Greek name in that time period (in 6th century BC Thrace is not Hellenized).

Island of Samos matches Atlas as a setting. First of all, contrast to the rest of the world. Just like Atlas is most developed city of Remnant, Greece stands as shining beacon of civilization above barbarian lands like Thrace. Both are also technically islands, although one of them is floating. However, if we take Samos' etymology (meaning high in Phoenician), it literally becomes "high island" just like Atlas.

Now here is something I refer to as "Aesop connection". One of Rhodopis' fellow slaves while she was on Samos was famous fable writer Aesop. "and a fellow-slave of Aesop the story-writer. For he was owned by Iadmon, too," Why does this matter? If you imagine Cinder as slave of Atlas, who would her fellow slave be? It would be faunus. Does it make sense to connect Aesop to faunus? I'd say yes, after all, Aesop is famous for writing stories mostly about anthropomorphic animals. Aesop is also one of the most famous storytellers in history, and considering RWBY is story about stories, him appearing in some shape or form wouldn't be weird. I mostly bring this up because if writing staff wanted to check Aesop's biography, they'd have to see this paragraph by Herodotus, which is part of Rhodopis story. So this is bit of a counterargument against claiming Rhodopis is too obscure to be inspiration (another being the fact that Rhodopis appears on Cinderella wiki article). Aesop gets different conclusion to his slavery. He is freed and employed as either advisor to wealthy Samian, or as envoy of king Croesus. This is entering speculative territory, but Aesop's conclusion of slavery matches what one would assume to be conclusion to faunus in the story. Working either with wealthy Samian (and as I said before, Samos=Atlas) or with Croesus (famous for being richest man alive and synonym for immense wealth, "as rich as Croesus") both allude to faunus working together with Weiss (although to be fair, any non Jacques Schnee family member works here) and redemeed SDC as equals, ending the long conflict.

Kharaxus spends immense wealth to free Rhodopis, earning him ire back at home, his sister Sappho even writing a poem criticizing him: "Kharaxus, after giving Rhodopis her freedom, returned to Mytilene. He is bitterly attacked by Sappho in one of her poems." I bring this up as bit of a Joan of Arc parallel to "strengthen" Jaune's role as Kharaxus. Joan's involvement with the King was one of the main points of her heresy trial. This is also relatively logical conclusion if we asume Knightfall or even just Jaune redeeming Cinder happens in canon: his friends would definitely be bitter about him bringing her to the group. If we wanna go through Knightfall rabbit hole, then we can speculate Kharaxus paying massive price could be equated to Jaune giving Cinder (or at least letting her take) Relic of Choice (action which would also certainly cause him to be bitterly attacked by his friends), since Kharaxus returns home without Rhodopis.

In conclusion, Rhodopis is short and sweet theory to the fault. Its length and straight forwardness makes it easy to digest, however, it's minimalism and relative obscurity also make it easy to shoot down if you don't already like or believe in Knightfall as potential canon ship.

[zebraslovescupcakestoo]

My BLUSH BLUSH wish list.

For those who likes the game, fan of the game or anything in between, I wanted to share my thoughts and what I wanted from the game in future updates.

Of course this is just MY thoughts, MY imaginations and just MY wish list so if you disagree, that’s OK! You can just leave what you wanted instead in the comments or in my ask box. I am open to what you have to say. So let’s go right into it:

1. Ugly Christmas Sweaters

Yes, I know I’ve posted this here after I made a screen shots of my conversations in the Steam community, but after the debut and full release of the game, we got up to date 2 DLC characters, voice audios, and a Halloween costume bundles. So if they came up with a special Christmas costume bundle, it would make me up for 2020!

In their older sister game predecessor, Crush Crush, all of their dateable girls have the Santa suit options after you max out their lover levels. (10 diamonds each.) Even though they’ve alternated each of their red Santa style suits, they’re pretty much the same.

Don’t get me wrong! They’re beautiful, but almost the same!

So that’s why if we get UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATERS instead, it would be more festive and think of how some would match their characteristics like for example: Imagine Nihm with a cute pastel colored sweater or Ichiban with a horror reference video parody. (Or imagine a certain guy with a Grinch vibe with a ‘Merry go f#k yourself’ ugly sweater.) 

2. A new Diamond Boy bundle!

If you have an account with Crush Crush and you played long enough, you already know that there’s the Darya DLC bundle that gives you diamonds on the first run. (The bundle was 15 US dollars.)

So for this, I hope that the Sad Panda team studio would do the same in this game.

I have a few good ideas about what animal forms it could be before you un-curse them:

-A Pokémon knock off of Cloyster and probably friends with that Narcissistic mermaid on the phone fling. They have pearls that looks fabs!

-A dolphin if an Oyster isn’t ‘Shelling’ enough for you nor the others. Think about a treasure hunting dolphin like Ariel who’s collecting human treasures.

-A raccoon thief inspired by the Sly Cooper video games series. This was on PS2 series and had a remake later but this would be an interesting Easter egg reference. (Maybe add some Arsene Lupin reference to ‘compliment’ the detective phone boy fling.) *Wink wink!*

-I found this interesting when I search this topic but an Owl, specifically white barn owls, with ties of Hindu myth symbol of Wealth and Fortune. I’ll leave the link here if you’re interested, but this is like if Sascha was looking for him before scamming...

-A peacock! Think how back in time when you in one of the banquet Henry the 8th hosted and this was served. This was a symbol of pride and luxury so only rich people can have these.

If you have any alternatives references, please let me know in the comments or ask box if you have an ideal diamond bundle manimal and what’s their story. I would love to know and share!

3. Ideal Animal!!!

We all know how a basic Blush Blush dating game is by now: You found their animal forms, you un-cursed them by dates and they’re back to humans again. (For a good humping DLC d!k pic.) We all see that it can be either a real or a fantasy animal like a rabbit to a dragon. So here’s MY idea of the next animal:

-Marine Manimal options!

I’ve said this previously, but all of the guys so far are land animals. I would understand if it’s a bit hard to do, especially with dating scenes, but if it works, I’ll sing Part Of Your World whenever I want!

My personal options are a Dolphin, Shark, Orcas AKA sea pandas, Octopus, Lobster, Crab and Oyster.

-Bird Manimal!

The only bird species we have there at the time is Kelby as a Rooster.

So for the feathered fans of the bird community, MY personal options would be an Owl, Peacock, Hawk, Eagle, Seagal, Ostridge, a Kiwi (bird) (Yes, they’re called like that in New Zealand.) Duck, Parrot, Toucan, Pidgeon or Dove, Crane or any domestic pet birds.

I would like an honorable mention of a crow or raven but since the first phone fling boy winner is the college student goth Poe, there’s a high chances that’s gonna be our second bird at high predictions. But I could be wrong so we’ll see how this would turn out.

-Insect Manimal!

I know that there will be some that would disagree that ‘ThAT’s Not An ANImal CataGory!’ which I could agree. HOWEVER! Since the game creators broke that rule with fantasy creatures like a Pegasus and a Dragon, I thought maybe we can bend that rule a bit.

MY personal insect options would be a Scorpion, a Spider, a Bee, Butterfly, a ‘manly’ Ladybug inspired by Pixar’s A Bug’s life, Praying Mantis, Cricket inspired by Jiminy Cricket  and a Beetle. 

Imagine the last one inspired by either the rock band ‘The Beatles’ or ‘Beetlejuice.’

-Land Manimals!

So going back to land animals, here’s MY personal options that hasn’t been done yet.

A Raccoon, Squirrel, Elephant, Barn Pig, Zebra, Bat, Mice, Fox, Monkey, Turtle (Which COULD have been in the marine instead, but they’re are some in land forms too!) Koala, Kangaroo, Bear, Frog, Donkey, Buck (Adult Bambi) and Lizard.

I would add an honorable mentions or a domesticated Dog or a Cat breed, but we already have a Wolf and 2 Big Cat Boys on the team with DLC. (A Lion would be a nice option, but only if it’s the magical 3 times the charm!)

-Fantasy Manimal.

I’m not entirely sure cause Pegasus and Dragons are already taken, but would think that maybe just a Horned Unicorn, a Loch Nest creature inspired ‘Animal’ or maybe the Eastern version of the Dragon.

Imagine the last one being true and Scales got a rival!

If you have other suggestions, please share if you want.

4. Ideal Manimal characteristics that hasn’t been done yet.

We have some that has characteristic that defines themselves. Nihm’s a shy, cute guy. Eli’s a Bi pride boy. Dmitri is a Smooth talker adult. Anon’s technology attributes.

So for this category, here’s MY personal ones that hasn’t been done yet.

-A Boxing or Kung Fu fighter type.

-Italian Mafia/Gangster or a Yakuza

-Chef or a Baker

-Artist

-Demon (Unless we get Seth or a different guy.)

-Business men or CEO.

-Soldier or Army Officers. 

-Car/Motor/Boat Racer.

-Thief. (Arene Lupin, Sly the thief raccoon or Joker from P5 references.)

If there’s something else that hasn’t been done or that I haven’t posted it, please share with me what you think.

5. Outfit ideas!

I know this would be like a continuation from point numero uno, but here’s a couple of more.

-Swimming trunks.

-Winter apparels. 

-Onesies Animal wear. (Cuz if we don’t get the Animal Options asides resets...)

-Summer apparels.

-Masquerade attire or wedding tuxedo.

-Pajamas.

If there’s more you wanted, again, please share.

6. MORE INCLUSIVITY IN EVERY FORMS!!!

The reason being is when I saw the reviews on the selected winner from Phone vote fling in Blush Blush.

On one hand, there were people who were happy while the rest... aren’t.

I know we all have different taste of either ‘I like cute boys’ or ‘I want a REAL man!’ but that got me thinking... and maybe if we can see guys in different skin tones or different cultures, that could be a nice inclusivity.

Imagine a Native from Southern America with a poncho or a real buff African who’s passionate with animals.

But what would you think? Let me know if this is a good idea or needs to rethink.

7. New dating places.

Like their counter part, they only have 4 date spots. So here’s a few more that would help change the scenery:

-The Beach.

-Theatre (But only showing the front, not the silhouettes.)

-Revisiting the same zoo and meet their counter parts.

-Ice cream shop or cart near the park.

-Their bedrooms. (plausible having the uncensored DLC alternate versions too...)

If you have a separate dating options, share that with me too!

8. Daily spin the wheel prizes.

Hear me out on this one! You probably seen these on numerous Gaming apps in any form, but if you think about it, this could be a nice change of pace!

In each chances, you can either get a boosters from Jobs or hobbies, Diamonds, exclusive outfits, or time skips.

What’s more, you’d get 1 free spin by daily and maybe get an extra 4 more for like 5 diamonds each. (like phone votes.)

9. Decorate your virtual room.

This is only an optional and unrelated to the game. (much..)

If you’d get the option to decorate your in-game room like plushies, posters, BF jackets that was ‘lend’ to you, you’d wanted IT in RL too!!! Also, it would also boost your intimacy's with your manimal such as love hearts intakes or ‘spend less on items with this!’

And this is all I have suggested for now.

If you have other suggestions on what you wanted in that game or update it, please let me know and we can share it here!

Thank you for taking your time to read this and have a wonderful day!

[emjs-good-out-here]

OC Aesthetics + Associations

I got tagged by @rebelfatebinder to fill this out for some of my OCs! Thanks for the tag! I’ve only done one here, but I’ll probably fill it out for some other characters at a later date, too!

I’ll tag: @undyingembers, @queen-scribbles, @serenbach86, @rannadylin​ and @supergenericteam​, if any of you would like to have a go!

Rules: bold what applies feel free to add options and edit! 

Kitty Briars (VtM:B)

COLORS red. brown. orange. yellow. green. blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. silver. gold. grey. lilac. metallic. matte. royal blue. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green. apple red. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green. cobalt blue.

ELEMENTS fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. sunrise. sunset. dewdrops. magic. BODY   claws. long fingers. fangs. wings. tails. lips. bare feet. freckles. bruises. scars. scratches. wounds. burns. spikes. feathers. webs. sweat. tears. feline. scales. fur. chubby. curvy. short. tall. average height. muscular. lean. piercing. tattoos. lithe. WEAPONS fists. sword. dagger. spear. arrow. hammer. shield. poison. venom. guns. axes. throwing axes. whips. knives. throwing knives. pepper sprays. tasers. machine guns. slingshots. katanas. maces. staffs. wands. powers. magical items. magic. rocks. pyre. teeth/fangs. rifles. words.

MATERIALS gold. silver. platinum. titanium. diamonds. pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. amethyst. metal. iron. rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain. paper. wool. fur. lace. leather. silk. velvet. denim. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. asphalt. brick. marble. dust. glitter. blood. dirt. mud. smoke. ash. shadow. carbonate. rubber. synthetics.

NATURE + WEATHER grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. daisies. tulips. lavender. sunflowers. petals. thorns. seeds. hay. sand. rocks. roots. flowers. ocean. river. meadow. forest. desert. tundra. savanna. rainforest. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach. waves. space. clouds. mountains. poppies. galaxies. stardust. sky. rain. storm. sunny.

ANIMALS + MYTHICAL CREATURES lions. wolves. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. swans. snakes. turtles. bugs. spiders. doves. robins. ducks. vultures. whales. dolphins. fish. octopus. sharks. horses. cats. dogs. rabbits. hares. crows. ravens. mice. lizards. unicorns. pegasus. dragons. rats. livestock. tigers. panthers. deer. foxes. bats. bears. crocodiles + alligators. coyotes. seals + sea lions

FOODS + DRINKS sugar. salt. bitter. candy. bubblegum. wine. champagne. hard liquor. beer. coffee. tea. soda. spices. herbs. apple. orange. lemon. cherry. strawberry. watermelon. vegetables. fruits. meat. fish. pies. desserts. chocolate. cream. caramel. berries. nuts. cinnamon. burgers. burritos. pizza. french fries.

HOBBIES music. art. watercolors. gardening/growing plants. smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching. fighting. writing. composing. cooking. sewing. training. dancing. acting. singing. martial arts. self-defense. electronics. technology. cameras. video cameras. video games.computer. phone. movies. theater.libraries. books. comic books. magazines. cds. records. vinyls. cassettes. piano. violin. guitar. electronic guitar. bass guitar. harmonica. harp. woodwinds. brass. bells. playing cards. poker chips. chess. dice. motorcycle riding. flight. climbing. running. swimming. healing/medicine.

STYLE lingerie. armor. cape. dress. tunic. vest. shirt. sweater. boots. heels. leggings. trousers. jeans. skirt. jewelry. earrings. necklace. bracelet. ring. pendant. hat. crown. circlet. helmet. scarf. brocade. cloaks. corsets. doublet. chest plate. gorget. bracers. belt. sash. coat. jacket. duster. trenchcoat. hood. gloves. socks. masks. cowls. braces. watches. glasses. sunglasses. eye contacts. makeup. ties. uniform.

MISC balloons. bubbles. cityscape. light. dark. candles. war. peace. money. power. clocks. photos. mirrors. pets. kisses. diary. fairy lights. mental health problems. sadness. bittersweet. happiness. optimism. pessimism. loneliness. family. friends. assistants. co-workers. enemies. loyalty. smoking. drugs. kindness. love. hugs. revenge.

[queerspacewhale]

Okay Soo I’m gonna explain my design choice for Aziraphale a little. I made him a cherub but with my own twist. I like to believe religion all steam from the same roots, though diverse and wonderful, I like to think that they are kin.SO Yeah, I took aspects from different mythologies.  I took some inspiration from the chimera as well.  Instead of an eagle I chose a raven with  Diprosopus,to reperst instead of a bull I chose a Markhor(Though I’ve butched the design) and instead of a Lion I have him a snow leopard.

I made his “human” Head resemble a Kirin or Qilin a creature akin to a unicorn in both Japanese and Chinese mythology, dancing black flames upon his crown. Symbolising his connection to fire and my head cannon that he is immune to hellfire.

Now his tail is the fun part, a large black king cobra sways forth behind him. This was actually a gift from Crowley. FIRST I have an idea that there is an angel whose duty is to “give” angels their wings I’ll go into it later but god sends them to give the pair their blessing by giving the pair a piece of the other. c; so Aziraphale got a fang.

I might’ve gotten too lazy to draw his wings I’m sorry!!!

Why??

(I shall add more later my brothers.

Raven 

To represent the duality of his actions, though he attempts to do good he causes harm  and of the duality of knowledge itself, how it can be both good and evil. 

Ravens are clever beasts and (sadly to put it simply because I’m quite tired) in dreamtime stories the crow is black because it got too cocky and played with fire, it’s once white feathers singed black and their voice a crook because of the smoke. 

Snow leopard

Though isolated and rather chunky they are actually the kindest “lovers” in the feline family, seen cuddling and grooming each other after mating.

Aziraphale is resilient yet gentle. He does prefer isolation but he isn’t afraid of a little cuddle. 

Markhor

(Taken from here)

https://einfon.com/nationalsymbols/national-animal-of-pakistan/ 

Pakistan's national animal, “Markhor” is the symbolof bravery and sharp intelligence. They haven't any fear during prey and jump from the peak of the mountain to the base. Also, they kill and eat snakes and after eating their drools are often used to cure snake poison.

xplains itself man.

For now I will say goodnight, I need sleep and I don’t wanna ramble too much, see y’all later my brothers. Also tell me what you think!!  

[hangcdraven-a]

CHARACTER AESTHETICS.

BOLD any which apply to your muse! Remember to REPOST! Feel free to add to the list!

[ COLORS ] red. brown. orange. yellow. green. blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. silver. gold. grey. lilac. metallic. matte. royal blue. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green. apple red. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green. lavender.

[ ELEMENTS ] fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. sunrise. sunset. dewdrops.

[ BODY ] claws. long fingers. fangs. teeth. wings. tails. lips. bare feet. freckles. bruises. canines. scars. scratches. wounds. burns. spikes. feathers. webs. eyes. hands. sweat. tears. feline. chubby. curvy. short. tall. normal height. muscular. slender. trained. piercing. tattoos. strong. weak.

[ WEAPONS ] fists. sword. dagger. spear. scythe. bow and arrow. hammer. shield. poison. guns. axes. throwing axes. whips. knives. throwing knives. pepper sprays. tasers. machine guns. slingshots. katanas. maces. staffs. wands. powers. magical items. magic. rocks.

[ MATERIALS ] gold. silver. platinum. titanium. diamonds. pearls. rubies. sapphires.emeralds. amethyst. metal. iron. rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain. paper. wool. fur. lace. leather. silk. velvet. denim. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. asphalt. brick. marble. dust.glitter. blood. dirt. mud. smoke. ash. shadow. carbonate. rubber. synthetics.

[ NATURE ] grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. daisies. tulips. lavender. petals. thorns. seeds. hay. sand. rocks. roots. flowers. ocean. river. meadow. forest. desert. tundra. savanna. rain forest. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach. waves. space. clouds.mountains.

[ ANIMALS ] lions. wolves. black panther. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. swans. snakes. turtles. ducks. bugs. spiders. birds. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks. horses. cats. dogs. bunnies. praying mantises. crows. ravens. mice. lizards. werewolves. unicorns. pegasus.dragons.

[ FOODS/DRINKS ] sugar. salt. candy. bubblegum. wine. champagne. hard liquor. beer. coffee. tea. spices. herbs. apple. orange. lemon. cherry. strawberry. watermelon. vegetables. fruits. meat. fish. pies. desserts. chocolate. cream. caramel. berries. nuts. cinnamon. burgers. burritos. pizza.

[ HOBBIES ] music. art. watercolors. gardening. smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching. fighting. fencing. riding. writing. composing. cooking. sewing. training. dancing. acting. singing. martial arts. self-defense. electronics. technology. cameras. video cameras. video games. computer. phone. movies. theater. libraries. books. magazines. CDs. records. vinyls. cassettes. piano. violin. cello. guitar. electronic guitar. bass guitar. harmonica. harp. woodwinds. brass. trumpet. flute. drums. bells. playing cards. poker chips. chess. dice. motorcycle riding. eating. climbing. running.

[ STYLE ] lingerie. armor. cape. dress. suit. tunic. vest. shirt. boots. heels. leggings. trousers. jeans. skirt. jewelry. earrings. necklace. bracelet. ring. pendant. hat. crown. circlet. helmet. scarf. neck tie. brocade. cloaks. corsets. doublet. chest plate. gorget. bracers. belt. sash. coat. jacket. hood. gloves. socks. masks. cowls. braces. watches. glasses. sun glasses. visor. eye contacts. makeup.

[ MISC ] balloons. bubbles. cityscape. landscape. light. dark. candles. war. peace. money. power. percussion. clocks. photos. mirrors. pets. diary. fairy lights. madness. sanity. sadness. happiness. optimism. pessimism. loneliness. family. friends. assistants. co-workers. enemies. loyalty. smoking. drugs. kindness. love. hugs.

tagged by: @magicianbound (rip i do this like 3 years later) tagging: anyone who reads this 

[fairymint-archive]

(i got tagged twice, I’ll do another muse later)

REPOST ; DON’T REBLOG. BOLD any which apply to your muse ! Feel free to add to the list !

❖ WHAT ARE YOUR MUSE’S AESTHETICS?

[ COLORS ] red. brown. orange. yellow. green. blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. silver. gold. grey. lilac. metallic. matte. royal blue. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green. apple red. violet. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green. bubblegum pink. sky blue. pale jade.

[ ELEMENTS ] fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. sunrise. sunset. dewdrops.

[ BODY ] claws. long fingers. fangs. teeth. wings. tails. lips. bare feet. neck. shoulders. legs. freckles. bruises. canine. scars. scratches. wounds. burns. fingernails. spikes. feathers. webs. eyes. hands. sweat. tears. feline. chubby. curvy. short. tall. normal height. muscular. piercing. tattoos. athletic. hair. fur.

[ WEAPONS ] fists. legs. sword. dagger. spear. bow & arrow. hammer. shield. poison. guns. axes. throwing axes. whips. knives. throwing knives. pepper sprays. tasers. machine guns. slingshots. katanas. maces. staffs. wands. powers. magical items. magic. rocks. mud balls. claws. teeth. stealth. strategy.

[ MATERIALS ] gold. silver. copper. platinum. titanium. rose gold. diamonds. pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. amethyst. metal. iron. rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain. paper. wool. fur. lace. leather. silk. velvet. denim. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. asphalt. brick. marble. dust. glitter. blood. dirt. mud. smoke. ash. shadow. carbonate. rubber. synthetics. ribbon.

[ NATURE ] grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. daisies. sunflowers. tulips. lavender. petals. seeds. hay. sand. rocks. roots. flowers. fungi. ocean. river. frozen lake. meadow. valley. forest. desert. tundra. savanna. rain forest. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach. waves. space. clouds. mountains. snow. mist. pond.

[ ANIMALS ] lions. wolves. foxes. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. swans. snakes. turtles. ducks. bugs. spiders. birds. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks. horses. cats. dogs. bunnies. penguins. praying mantises. crows. ravens. mice. lizards. werewolves. unicorns. pegasus. dragons. frogs.

[ FOODS/DRINKS ] sugar. salt. candy. bubblegum. wine. champagne. hard liquor. vodka. beer. coffee. sake. tea. spices. herbs. apple. orange. lemon. cherry. strawberry. watermelon. vegetables. fruits. meat. fish. pies. desserts. chocolate. cream. caramel. berries. nuts. cinnamon. burgers. burritos. pizza. ambrosia. eggs. milk. poultry.

[ HOBBIES ] music. art. watercolors. gardening. smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching. fighting. writing. composing. cooking. baking. sewing. training. dancing. acting. singing. martial arts. self-defense. war tactics. electronics. technology. cameras. video cameras. video games. computer. phone. movies. theater. libraries. books. magazines. cds. records. vinyls. cassettes. piano. strings. violin. guitar. electronic guitar. bass guitar. harmonica. harp. woodwinds. brass. flute. bells. exploring. playing cards. poker chips. chess. dice. motorcycle riding. eating. sleeping. climbing. running. jogging. parkour. studying.

[ STYLE ] lingerie. armor. cape. dress. tunic. vest. shirt. dress shirt. boots. ankle boots. heels. leggings. trousers. jeans. skirt. jewelry. earrings. necklace. bracelet. ring. pendant. hat. beanie hat. crown. circlet. helmet. scarf. brocade. cloaks. corsets. doublet. chest plate. gorget. bracers. belt. sash. coat. jacket. hood. gloves. socks. masks. mittens. cowls. braces. watches. glasses. sun glasses. straw hat. visor. eye contacts. makeup. ribbons. sweater. converses. tennis shoes. boxers. briefs. boxer briefs. shorts. cargo. cropped pants. crop top. cuffed pants.

[ MISC ] balloons. bubbles. city scape. light. dark. candles. growth. decay. war. peace. money. power. percussion. clocks. photos. mirrors. pets. diary. journal. fairy lights. madness. sanity. sadness. happiness. optimism. pessimism. loneliness. family. friends. clan. assistants. co-workers. enemies. loyalty. smoking. drugs. kindness. love. hugs. kisses. spring. summer. autumn. winter. farmland. countryside. suburban. village.

[lizzybeth1986]

The Handmaid of History*: Exploring the Coat-of-Arms of Cordonia's Duchies

"An emblem is but a silent parable" - Introduction to Emblemes, by Francis Quakes.

Heraldry is sometimes referred to as an ancient and exact science, a straightforward method of identifying individual people and the communities they live and work in**. It uses a combination of colours, shapes and symbols to represent - in most cases, but not all - a noble house. While heraldry was present in the ancient times (esp in Rome), the system of blazoning arms the way it is done in many English-speaking countries today was developed in the Middle Ages.

Heraldry itself arose from a need to distinguish participants quickly and easily in combat. According to Hugh Stanford London, the writer of Royal Beasts, armorial bearings were essentially military, and the early arms were identified almost as closely with the land as with the man. Later on, these coat of arms would be passed down a family (mostly aristocratic, but a non-aristocrat can make their own heraldic emblem) from generation to generation, such that the noble family would be identified with the emblem itself. Because of its distinctive use of symbols, heraldry is often viewed as "the fusion of fact and fancy, myth and manner, romance and reality. It is an exuberant union of family, art, and history." (Charles Burnett and Mark Dennis in Scotland's Heraldic Heritage: The Lion Rejoicing).

A number of factors go into the making of a Coat-of-Arms for a noble house, which I will briefly highlight as the following: the shape of the shield, and of the smaller shield superimposed (Escutcheon/Inescutcheon), colour (Tincture), patterns (Divisions/Variations of the Field, as well as Ordinaries/Subordinaries), and objects or figures that represent the family (Charges). We do not get to see the Coat-of-Arms for the five duchies we have visited thus far, so I will focus on - and explain in detail - the parts of their heraldry that we do see: the tincture and the charges.

Tinctures

In a broader sense, tincture refers to the limited palette of colours and patterns used in heraldry. It is commonly divided into three categories: metals, colours and furs.

Metals: This refers primarily to the metallic colours used in the coat-of-arms, and can be or (metallic gold/yellow) or argent (metallic silver/white/grey). White and yellow are often seen in heraldry as the 'metal' colours, and yellow has never been used to signify any other tincture besides or.

Colours: These refer to the colours that are non-metallic and are often used to offset and complement the metals. In the early days of heraldry, there were five colours: gules (red), azure (blue), vert (green), sable (black) and purpure (purple). There were two that were eventually acknowledged but not very often used owing to popular belief that they represented some sort of dishonour on the bearer - sanguine/murray (dark red/mulberry) and tennè (orange/dark yellow/tan). In the 20th century, a new colour bleu-celeste (light blue) was added to the list.

It is important to remember the "Rule of Tincture". The most basic rule of tinctures is that "metal should not be put on metal, nor colour on colour". This means that metallic colours cannot be used one over the other, nor can one do the same with two colours. It is said that this rule was implemented for purposes of design and visibility. There are exceptions to this rule, however. Legitimate exceptions include the use of furs, or using those colours in divisions on the coat of arms.

Violations to this rule are often either called armes fausses (false arms) or armes à enquérir (arms of enquiry); that is, any violation is presumed to be intentional, to invite the viewer to ask how it came to pass. According to the International Heraldry website, these exceptions tend to apply "powerful individuals who wish to emphasize that ordinary worldly rules do not apply to them".

Charges

Charges refer to any object or figure that is placed on a heraldic sheild or coat of arms. The emblem or the sigil that represents the House, so to speak. This can include animals, objects in nature, or even geometric shapes (the cross being the most popular). In the case of living beings, the attitude (posture) is equally important. Since a majority of the Cordonian noble houses (with the exception of Krona/Fydelia) use animals, this section will primarily focus on them:

Beasts/Land: This category can include both predatory animals and docile animals. They can be portrayed in a whole range of attitudes: rampant (upright on one hind leg, in a mode of attack), salient (leaping/jumping), passant (walking/running), statant (still and on all fours), sejant (seated with forelegs down and together), dormant (sleeping) - just to name a few. The most frequently seen beast sigil is that of the lion. Mythical creatures can also feature in heraldic sheilds, and the most popular among these include the dragon and the phoenix.

Birds/Avian: Creatures of the air have also been immortalized as sigils in heraldry. They can be found displaying the following attitudes: rising (open wings, about to take flight), displayed (wings outstretched to either side), close (closed wings), volant (in flight) - again, only to name a few. The avian can be shown either from the side or the front. The most frequently seen avian sigil is that of the eagle.

Sea-creatures/Aquatic: This could refer to fish or other creatures that reside in the waters. They are often found displaying the following attitudes: hauriant (vertical with head up), urinant (vertical with head down), naiant (swimming fesswise), embowed (arched, as though it were leaping) - again, to name a few.

Plants: Plants are common in heraldry and figure among the earliest charges. Trees also appear in heraldry; the most frequent tree by far is the oak (drawn with large leaves and acorns), followed by the pine. Apples and bunches of grapes occur very frequently, other fruits less so.

Heraldry in Cordonia

Cordonia is a monarchy, and its people compromise of aristocrats from major and minor noble houses as well as people who do not hold a recognizable rank and are referred to as commonors. The national symbol is established to be the lion, and the national colours are blue-and-gold/silver (while Leo tells us in RoE that silver is the second national colour, many of the royal outfits show it as gold). In Book 3 of The Royal Romance, we learn more about Cordonia and its people - the nobility in particular - due to the Unity Tour.

In each chapter from Chapter 3 onwards, the MC is required to gain the favour of Cordonia's most powerful and influential nobles, because their presence at her wedding will add glamour and glory, and perhaps revive the public's positive opinion of the monarchy. Part of gaining their favour involves showing them that she has done her research and knows their region well, and one of the ways she does this is by wearing their house colours. These diamond-option outfits are usually accessorized with the house sigil.

Many of these sigils are common to many European noble houses, but a few are present as a reference to the Five Kingdoms in The Crown and the Flame, which revolves around the history of Cordonia. In this essay I will be exploring all the sigils we will be shown so far, and theorizing on the sigils of Lythikos and Valtoria. I will not be covering the Cordonian royal seal, King Liam's family crest, because it has already been explored in detail here.

Portavira

(Apologies for this creepy smile that I forgot to crop out. It was 1 in the morning)

Tinctures: Or (gold) and Purpure (purple). Gold is said to represent generosity and elevation of the mind, and purple is said to represent royal majesty, sovereignity and justice. These tinctures were also the colours associated most with Ennan, the coastal capital of the ancient kingdom of Fydoria.

Charges: Purpure, a narwhal naiant or. In both the MC's necklace and Penelope's belt, the narwhal is gold, ergo one can assume this is how it appears in the family crest as well. The narwhal is facing right, or sinister in heraldic terms. The narwhal is said to be the 'unicorn of the sea', and indeed in medieval Europe the narwhal tooth/tusk was often passed off for a 'unicorn horn' and considered to be of inestimable value.

Portavira is primarily a sea port, so it makes sense that they would use an aquatic animal as their sigil. The narwhal is unique to the whale species owing to its massive tusk (which is in fact a tooth). Emmaline and Landon are seen as people who stand out among the crowd of aristocrats owing to their commitment for Portavira and its people, so much so that Drake, the commoner in the court, looks up to them and wants to be like them if he marries the MC. I would imagine that Penelope stands out in court too, primarily because of how her social anxiety changes the way she interacts with people, and her connection to her support animals. The narwhal therefore could also be fitting to Penelope on a symbolic level.

Castelsarreillan

Tinctures: Argent (silver) and sable (black). Silver is said to represent peace and sincerity, and black is said to represent constancy. While Abanthus is more often associated in the books with the Nevrakis family and Olivia, the Castelsarreillan duchy seems to have the same tinctures as them. It is possible that the modern Nevrakis family has different colours at present.

Charges: Sable, an owl with wings displayed argent, as seen from the arm band given to the MC. Kiara's pendant is also silver in colour, but the wings are closed. Since the MC is the one who has the responsibility of winning Kiara's family over by accurately representing their duchy, I will assume that the armband is a more accurate representation of the crest. The Armorial Gold Library website, touted to be "the largest heraldry symbolism library on the Internet” has this to say about the owl being used as a sigil: "Usually shown full-faced or guardant, a hawk-like creature, the owl is the bird of Athena (Minerva), Greek goddess of wisdom and favourite daughter of Zeus. Athena is best known for her embodiment of reason, strength and wisdom and for assisting others on their heroic journey for self-mastery and understanding; since this century's old connection with Athena/Minerva the owl has been used to denote one who is vigilant, prudent and of acute wit."

Kiara is often called the smartest person in the court, and has been praised for her intelligence and skills by everyone from the MC to the very exacting Madeleine (however, they tend to say this only when they need something from her). She is smart, ambitious and knows ten languages. She understands sooner than the others that she might not have a chance with Prince Liam during the social season, and spends the rest of her time building alliances and cementing her place in court.

Her parents Hakim and Joelle are known for their skills as a diplomat and artist respectively, and contribute in significant ways to the betterment of Cordonia. Hakim is so skilled a diplomat that he manages to placate a livid Olivia Nevrakis in a matter of minutes. Joelle shows incredible foresight when she explains why her family and the King Father have very different views of what constitutes progress in Cordonia: "Hakim and I don't just want Cordonia to be stable and peaceful. Those are blessings, naturellement, but our kingdom can do so much more than survive". King Liam speaks of her as the kind of person King Fabian would have approved of. It is possible, therefore, that the owl represents Kiara as she is in the court, and her family's standing in Cordonia.

Krona

Tinctures: Sable (black) and vert (green). Black is usually associated with constancy and green with hope, joy and loyalty in love. Sable is not often used as a metal in heraldry, but certain cases, it takes on that role. Perhaps the fact that this duchy is allowed to place colour on colour (if the Rules of Tinctures applies to Cordonia) is an indication of how powerful the family is.

Charges: In Book 3 Chapter 9, we are told that the house sigil of the Krona duchy/Fydelia county is a tree, but not which tree it is. We do know, from one of the dialogue options that to the people of this estate the tree symbolizes 'life and knowledge'. However, it isn't too hard to figure out which tree graces the House sigil.

Madeleine tells Olivia, when the latter calls her outfit 'ridiculous', that the leaves on her bodice represent a tree native to Fydelia. One look at the Fydelia estate and we can easily catch the presence of pine trees on the carefully manicured lawn, and see the leaves on Madeleine's bodice as very similar to pine leaves. The pine tree itself is the second-most common tree to be found on heraldic sheilds. According to the Armorial Gold Library website, this is what pine trees tend to represent: "The tree of life and humanity. A pine tree in the forest symbolizes long-suffering, steadfast friendships, and enduring fame. According to Virgil, early Romans decorated pine trees with little masks of Bacchus (a fertility god). As the wind blew the masks around, Bacchus was believed to grant fertility to every part of the tree the masks faced. It is said to symbolize immortality, resiliency, longevity, and rebirth."

While Madeleine is often shown to be toxic, twisted and cruel, it must be said that she also shows tremendous resilience in the circumstances she has found herself in. Constantly dubbed a failure by her father, Madeleine picked herself up time and again, and started over, in the belief that each failure would help her eventually attain the title of Queen. When she mourns the way her dreams have been snatched twice, the MC has the option of suggesting that she "find a new means", since it wasn't just the title that was important to her but also the prospect of helping and protecting Cordonia. And that is exactly what she does in accepting the role of press secretary. Through her masterful gestures (such as the "oath of the orchard") she also attains enduring fame as a courtier and politician.

One can also make a connection to Adeleide through the above note on the pine tree's symbolism. After all, Bacchus/Dionysius is also the god of wine, theater and wild revelries, and you can't get more Dionysian in TRR than Adeleide!

However, it gets a little more confusing when we see Adeleide's attire:

The pendent Adeleide wears seems to show us a different tree, the design of which seems a little similar to that of the oak tree in heraldry. As R. Theo Margelony in his article "The Garden in Heraldry: The Great Oak of the Forest" on the Metropolitan Museum of Art website says: "In heraldry, the oak is the tree and the tree is the oak. It’s seen as a symbol of strength and endurance; even its leaves display a tenacity, less easily shed in the fall than the leaves of other trees...A tree without any other description is always assumed to be an oak."

Adeleide's tendency to drink and engage in revelry is often seen as her weakness, but when you scratch the surface she shows an incredible perceptiveness and a will to survive in court on her terms, never once apologizing for being who she is. She is her daughter's only source of support and encouragement, even though her ways of doing it don't always help Madeleine.

It is also important to mention that the only tree mentioned on a large scale in The Crown and the Flame is the Heart Oak tree, which produces wood that looks deceptively like wood, but is as strong as metal. Liam has spoken of at least one occasion of how duplicity comes naturally to Madeleine, and she tends to mask her pain and fear of failure behind a calm, stoic demeanor. Adeleide seems flighty and distracted, but can hold her own against her cousin Regina and daughter Madeleine even though they seem to have stronger personalities.

Two trees have been associated with this duchy: the oak and the pine. There are two ways one could view this:

1. The sigil itself could be just a tree in general (ergo an oak tree), and Madeleine simply wears the pine-tree outfit to independently represent her county Fydelia.

2. The county could have an additional coat of arms, so Adeleide is representing the duchy of Krona with the oak tree pendent, and Madeleide is representing her county's coat of arms with the pine-tree gown.

In closing, I would like us to look back at the option the MC has of correctly interpreting the symbolism of the tree: that it represents life and knowledge. I believe that Adeleide and Madeleine represent extremes of either quality: Adeleide prefers to enjoy every moment of her life, even if it means she is perceived as an embarrassment to her court, house and family, and Madeleine is single-minded in her pursuit of knowledge and duty, to the extent that she forgets to actually live her life.

Ramsford

Tincture: Going by the MC's clothes at Beaumont Bash and Maxwell's squid suit, I would say argent (white, in this case) and azure (blue) or bleu-celeste (light blue). Silver/white is said to represent peace and sincerity, and blue, truth and loyalty. As you can see above, at the Beaumont Bash the MC's attire represents the Beaumont House colours, whether it's the princess gown she wears or the bluebelle (Perhaps why bluebelle was fashioned that way, and why no one really says anything most times if she wears it. She would still be representing her House colours, like the rest of the suitors). And either way, if we convince him Liam matches her with a white jacket with blue flowers and bowtie.

Charges: House Beaumont is the only noble family whose sigil is revealed in Book 1 itself, and perhaps the only one whose mottos we know of (if "something about vendettas and giant squid" counts). This should come as no surprise, considering this is the house that is sponsoring the MC and she is pretty much considered an honorary Beaumont at some point. Moving on to the sigil, the squid in heraldry used to be rarely ever called as such - it is often identified as calamarie. Unlike the polypus (octopus), the calamarie (squid) usually has ten tentacles.

There is no recognizable meaning given to the calamarie, but this quote from 1635 refers to it as the following: "The Calamarie is sometimes called the Sea-clerk, having as it were a knife and a pen. Some call him the Ink-horn-fish." Indeed, calamarie comes from the Latin word calmus, meaning pen, and is also called the "pen-and-ink" fish. Which is what comes to mind when I envision Bertrand, poring over his accounts and worrying about the honour of his family.

The squid is also associated, however, with a sea animal many Choices fans are familiar with: the kraken, and the fact that this is the animal associated with the Beaumonts is proven by Maxwell wearing a Bubbles pendent at Coney Island. A notorious figure in Norwegian and Scandinavian mythology, the mythical Kraken was known particularly for grabbing passing ships and breaking them apart. Henry Lee, in his book Sea Monsters Unmasked, speaks of the kraken as "peculiarly the object of popular wonder and superstitious dread". While it is seen often as being destructive, there are stories that perceive it as also being very peaceful. One such story highlights a bishop mistaking a resting kraken for a huge rock, erecting an altar and performing mass over it, to which the sea monster responded by respectfully waiting till the mass ended before returning to shore.

In The Crown and the Flame, we first encounter a baby kraken at Hex's lab at Lykos Castle, and since it was captured at the Wolf's Mouth one can view it as being native to Abanthus. Affectionately called Bubbles, the baby kraken grows attached to Val and is freed to live in the sea where it belongs just before the battle begins. He is perceived as adorable and harmless (one of the options is for Val to state that she cannot protect him during the battle, and she states that he cannot help her: "what can a little blob like you do against --"). However, when his mother joins him in The Battle of the Bay, flinging ships with her tentacles, Val confesses that she underestimated Bubbles' usefulness.

Perhaps that is why the kraken is so closely associated with House Beaumont, and especially with Maxwell. The story of the kraken in TCaTF reminds us of how the smallest, most underestimated beings can become powerful allies in time. Maxwell is often seen as the flighty, funny wingman in the group, with no perceptible quality or talent, but it is Liam who points out his resourcefulness (in Shanghai) and perceptiveness (in New York before he proposes). The story of the krakens is also a story of family, because Bubble's mother defends the people who rescued Bubbles in battle, and no matter what happens, the Beaumont brothers always stick together and have each others' backs.

--

Above are the duchies whose tinctures and sigils have been confirmed in the books so far. The same cannot be said of two duchies that are very important to the plot: Lythikos and Valtoria. One belongs to the Nevrakis family, the last living heir of which is Duchess Olivia. Valtoria is one of the duchies Liam aims at revitalizing, and now belongs to the MC. We are not given any clear indications of what their coat of arms are, so whatever I write below is mostly guesswork and conjecture, and can be contradictory by canonical information in future chapters.

Lythikos

Original Tinctures: Sable (black) and argent (silver). In TCaTF, Kenna can be seen wearing black-and-silver on two occasions: at the alliance meeting her mother Adriana holds for the rulers of the Five Kingdoms in which she meets her untimely death, and to forge an alliance with the Nevrakis family against Empress Azura of Ducitora. Both are determinant (and the latter requires diamonds), but essentially strategic - in wearing their colours, Kenna is sending a positive message to those allies.

Possible Modern Tinctures: Could be gules (red) and sable (black), or gules (red) and argent (silver). Because Olivia's default outfit is a beaded black gown, it has been assumed for a while that the colours hadn't changed. But given that Castelsarreillan's coat of arms uses these colours, and that Olivia wears red to a Ball where everyone else is wearing their house colours, it is possible to assume that the modern Nevrakis family's coat of arms uses red and black. It would also make her alias in the public - "The Scarlet Duchess" - connected to her family and something that she must have taken pride in before the blackmail note.

Further proof that red could be a colour identified with the modern Nevrakis family, comes in the form of Olivia's aunt Lucretia's outfit. She wears a dark red plain gown and a sapphire necklace encased in silver. The shade Lucretia wears is sometimes considered a separate colour (sanguine/mulberry) in heraldry, on that is not often used because it is rumoured to indicate dishonour on the part of the bearer.

In any case, both gules and sanguine, on a symbolic level, seem to be related to battle: gules represents military strength and magnanimity, and is considered the colour of warriors and martyrs. Sanguine represents one who is patient in battle, yet victorious. Olivia is often associated within the narrative with battle and war motifs, and has shown a clear aptitude for the martial arts and military strategy. One cannot say much about Lucretia this early in the game, but if she is in fact an antagonist in the story and involved in the plot against the crown, "one who is patient in battle" may probably suit her.

If the tinctures of the Nevrakis coat of arms are red and black - not red and silver - and Cordonia follows The Rules of Tincture, then Lythikos will be the second duchy that places colour on colour. It must be noted that the only other duchy that seems to do this is Krona, and both are very powerful, and very influential families.

Charges: The Nevrakis sigil has never been spoken about, either in TCaTF or in TRR, so at this point one can only guess what it could be. There are two conclusions I can derive from her outfit alone:

Sword: Olivia wears sword-shaped earrings, at the ends of which hang rubies shaped like drops of blood. The sword type seems to be the kind that is commonly seen in heraldry: a long straight blade, with a cross handle. If red is indeed one of the Nevrakis colours, then the symbolism of the sword would further give credence to her military skill. According to the Armorial Gold Library website, the sword "symbolizes power, protection, authority, strength, and courage. It is a symbol of knighthood and chivalry...To the Teutonic Knights, swords were the symbols of truth and honour and were bestowed on one of stature".

Olivia's association with battle imagery within the narrative features heavily in the books: sometimes as a running gag, and sometimes as a way to show how contrasting, yet complimentary, is her mindset to that of Liam's. She tells us in book 2 of how the Nevrakis family is known not for being safe but for "crushing our enemies". Sun Tzu's The Art of War is one of her favourite books and she confesses to preferring Wagner or Puccini over Mozart because "they really knew how to compose tragic stories of ill-fated couples or bloodshed". In Book 3, she is an enthusiastic (perhaps a little too much so) supporter of King Liam, often calling those reluctant to support him 'cowards'. At Applewood, it is her suggestion - that people should see their anger and desire for vengeance mirrored in the MC - that proves most effective in winning public approval. Her earrings in this chapter strongly resemble Kenna's short sword, her first weapon, the one she may be perhaps most comfortable with.

Most recently, she impresses Mara with her fighting techniques - whether she wins or loses - and her first response if you consider her gown the best of their group is to confess that she "can't fit a dagger under this dress, but even an inch-long knife to the right pressure point will kill a man". I find this statement particularly intriguing, because in TCaTF Book 1, this is exactly what Kenna has the choice of doing before entering Aurelia, and keeping it with her gives her an edge in the fight against Marco and the Nevrakis soldiers. It is clear that within the narrative, Olivia would definitely work as both a Queen and a military strategist.

Her more aggressive approach tends to act as a good foil to Liam's focus on peace and thriving through the promotion of the arts, therefore highlighting why she would be an apt choice for the role of Queen in case the MC does not marry Liam. The sword, therefore, would be an incredibly apt sigil for her family, and for Olivia herself.

Spider: This is not as obvious as the sword, but if we examine closely the way Olivia's dress is designed, it is possible to interpret the glittering black criss-cross lines on her dress as resembling a spider's web. The Armorial Gold Library website lists the spider as symbolic of "tenacity of purpose, heedfulness, and cunning". Olivia possesses all these qualities in spades, especially the first and the last. She is persistent in her determination to find the truth behind the blackmail in Book 2, and in her belief in and support of Liam in Book 3.

The spider is also an incredibly resourceful animal - as Walt Whitman would put it, this insect launches forth "filament, filament, filament, out of itself/ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them". Similarly, Olivia shows incredible resourcefulness in her investigation, discovering in a very short time who could have been behind the leaked photographs of Liam's bachelor party faster than Drake and Bastien combined.

Another possibility could include the wolf, as reference to the Wolf's Mouth in Abanthus, where Kenna and her allies prepared for the famous Battle of the Bay. The wolf was widely used in Mediaeval heraldry. Though commonly reviled as a livestock predator and man-eater, the wolf was also considered a noble and courageous animal, and frequently appeared on the Arms and crests of numerous noble families. It typically symbolised the rewards of perseverance in long sieges or hard industry.

Valtoria

The problem with attempting to interpret a coat of arms for Valtoria is that we are going in with very little information apart from the fact that the sigil is "avian". Numerous birds and avian creatures grace the coat of arms of noble families, so the possibilities could range from a hawk to the very popular eagle to a dove. Since we have not even seen our estate yet or figured out where or which region in the Five Kingdoms it is, we can't exactly know for certain how accurate our guesses are.

However, we can make a few educated guesses by looking at two outfits in our wardrobe. The first is the diamond outfit for the Costume Ball: which highlights both our House colour and our sigil, and has been proven to be the event where all the major noble houses of Cordonia will dress in accordance to their coat-of-arms. The second is a free outfit that has not been used at any of the events thus far. It is titled "The Lady of the House", comprises of two colours and features a bird, which the description states to be a dove. Alongside using a moniker that speaks of ownership and belonging, this outfit seems to have all the trappings of being representative of the duchy we own.

It is possible, therefore, that Valtoria's house sigil could be one of two birds: the pheonix or the dove. The dress at the Costume Ball has plumage that resembles that of a pheonix, and the pheonix itself has deep ties with Cordonian history. The Lady of the House dress is predominantly white with red designs, and the cape is fastened by a clasp comprising of two doves. One must note that red features in both dresses, ergo red must be viewed as the common factor here.

Phoenix

Tinctures: Presumably gules (red) and or (gold/yellow). As mentioned in the Lythikos section, gules is symbolic of military strength and magnanimity, and is often associated with warriors and martyrs. Or (gold) is said to represent generosity and elevation of the mind. There is a predominant orange tint in both the outfit and the TCaTF bird, and orange is said to be representative of worthy ambition - however, it is a colour not often used in heraldry. These colours are also predominant in the fiery plumage of Dom's phoenix. If Olivia's house colours are red and silver, the MC's red and gold will be indicative of their complementary roles in the past.

Charges: In this case, it would be the mythical bird, the phoenix, that "lives for 500 years, builds its own funeral pyre, is consumed by the flames, and rises anew from the ashes. This bearing symbolizes the rising and setting of the sun, as well as immortality, resurrection, and life after death". In heraldry it is only ever shown in one position: rising with wings displayed from the flames, enveloped in fire. It is usually shaped like an eagle. It represents rebirth, new beginnings, starting over.

In The Crown and the Flame, the phoenix emerges (if one pays diamonds) the moment Dom says his final goodbye to his beloved pet hawk in the spirit world. Having just defeated/been defeated by his shadow, this orb from which the phoenix is born is the final gift his hawk has to give, and is one of Dom's many links to the spirit world. It is from the same spirit world that Dom eventually learns to let go of the idea that Kenna needs him to constantly protect and defend her, and eventually "finds his dragon". Both the pheonix and Dom's dragon form meet and fight against the Abanthus forces together in the Battle of the Bay, and both use fire to destroy their enemies.

The MC has to be 'reborn' especially in two books in the TRR series, each time in a new role. In Book 2, she must emerge from the ashes of her ruined reputation, fighting fire with fire as she confronts the powerful people who have wronged her. When she returns to court, people are amazed that she has the audacity to come back after the scandal, and she wins most of them back, slowly but surely. In Book 3, she has already emerged out of the scandal, triumphant, become a duchess, and must now help Cordonia to rise out of its own ashes and prosper. This symbolism is never more prominent than when the MC is given the option to make a rousing speech, about how ash "enriches the soil" thus allowing the Cordonians in Applewood to hope that they can rise out of these ashes and rebuild their orchard. She is also associated with dragons - especially in Shanghai where Liam compares her the dragon koi. As a symbolic phoenix, then, the MC would represent rebirth, rejuvenation and hope.

Dove

Tinctures: Going by the free gown that references Valtoria, gules (red) and argent (silver/white). Red represents military strength and magnanimity, and silver peace and sincerity. On the surface these two look like they could be contradictory, but I feel striking a balance between the two is what could make its bearer, the MC, a great leader. If the MC's house colours are in fact red and silver/white, Olivia's might be red and black, which would be as complementary as the previous option.

Charges: Possibly gules, a dove volant argent. Based on the clasp one can surmise that the dove is in flight (volant), head raised and wings outstretched. Symbolically it is viewed as "the emblem of temperance, the symbol of innocence, the token of inspiration, and the ensign of peace". If depicted, as it often is, with an olive branch in its bill, it becomes the harbinger of good tidings.

Most of this fits the role the MC has to play in the series to a T. She is viewed as an inspiration, both to her friends and lover (Liam highlights this in the Statue of Liberty diamond scene in Book 2), and if she does things right, to the public at large ("she's the Esther DuPont!" Camillia says in Applewood, in my playthrough). The attack at the Homecoming Ball was organized to instill fear in the Cordonian people and shake their faith in Liam, but her wedding itself is speeded up to ensure people have something to look forward to and maintain peace rather than chaos.

While the doves on the clasp do not have an olive branch, it is clear that this is what the MC is doing with the various noble houses she visits. She is offering an olive branch to them, during a time when they are not sure they can support the monarchy. She learns their ways, observes them, attempts to figure out what they want so she can fulfill it and gain their support. Each parent winds up lending support after seeing her genuine concern for their issues, and her ability to think up creative solutions - in some cases - to resolve them. She is also - again determinant on the player - able to help people get past their differences and work together (Godfrey and Adeleide, Hakim and Constantine). While on a logic standpoint a lot about this Unity Tour is questionable, within the narrative it is clear that it is meant to unite Cordonia in an event where all the major noble houses can put aside their differences and come together, thus forging peace and instilling hope among the people.

Conclusion

Auguste Vachon, in his book A Guide to Heraldry from A Canadian Perspective, describes heraldry thus: "Heraldry constitutes a powerful link between the modern world and medieval times, which continues to fascinate because of its pageantry and ideals. It is an ancient art with its own captivating and mystifying properties, elements which are needed to maintain the effectiveness of any symbol. It is still thriving because it responds in a powerful way to the need for symbols among all humans, individually and collectively."

Cordonia has a rich and illustrious history that dates back to Queen Kenna Rys and her fight to win back Stormholt and unite the Five Kingdoms. Much of this history is shown in the coat of arms of some of Cordonia's major ducal estates, and it is a history they all take pride in. In wearing their colours and learning their sigils, the MC is showing respect to that history, and participating in promoting it.

By becoming a duchess and owning one of Cordonia's oldest duchies, she is now an integral part of that history as well. This is her home. This is her history. And by proudly wearing reminders of it, she is keeping it alive.

* Heraldry has been dubbed as "the handmaid of history" by Archibald Barrington in his book Elements of Heraldry.

**From the Scottish Tartans Authority website.

(Many thanks to @alicars with the help on some of these symbols, particularly the pine tree and the phoenix, and @ladynevrakis for being the resident TCaTF expert xD I will be reblogging my sources, as this post has hit the mobile Tumblr's 100 blocks limit).

[deepfearsrp]

hello everyone! we hope that your week is going well so far, and we’re so excited to share our next site preview with you all: our member groups!

given our hollywood theme and focus on celebrities, deep fears’ member groups are all inspired by constellations. below, you will find six member groups, each made up of a different cluster of personality types the same way that stars in the night sky make up the constellations they were named for. we wanted to give you all a solid mix of traits and aesthetics, so that you don’t feel confined of the rigidity of one personality type per group, and can instead select based on which suits the general vibe of who your character is

so, without further ado, here they are! ✨

AQUILA - THE EAGLE // #e79d79

associated traits

 impatient / sociable / reckless / original / unpredictable  passionate / competitive / sensitive / emotional / bold

associated aesthetics

entire text messages composed of emojis / dozens of carefully curated playlists / the exhaustion that comes from trying to act like nothing actually matters / stacks of self-help books and motivational podcasts / half full cups of coffee left strewn about a kitchen / those frantic few moments before remembering where a car was parked / late night internet stalking even though blue light is bad for the eyes / friendships that span time and space / loyalty that is more a part of the anatomy than the very skeleton / the paranoia of being watched

COLUMBA - THE DOVE // #828ae4

associated traits

observant / impractical / enthusiastic / unassertive / idealistic  / unfocused / easy-going / inconsistent / inspirational / shy 

associated aesthetics

the twinkle of fireflies that can be mistaken for stars during summer nights / the drag of fingertips across granite countertops / a sink full of dishes that will be attended to eventually / half full notebooks from years ago, stored in the back of a closet / silly little trinkets that still decorate a room because they can’t be thrown out / the awkward dance of entering a room full of strangers / licking the spoon to savor the taste / sheet forts made first as a child and then as an adult to keep the monsters at bay / the assured knowledge that everything will be okay even if nothing is / beautiful words read aloud by a soothing voice 

DRACO - THE DRAGON // #a874e4

associated traits

dedicated / manipulative / intelligent / selfish / creative / inflexible / protective / judgmental / resourceful / uptight

associated aesthetics

a book light perched on the edge of the bed for late night reading / the serenity of morning mist settling over the grass / silk sheets that scream of money / the flash in a lover’s eyes / tiny gestures that move mountains / the rhythmic clack of high heels on tile / diamonds draped around a delicate neck / the damaged antique chair that remains in the corner of the room / hands permanently clenched into fists / the heaviness of sleep pushed aside / insatiable restlessness that always beckons

LACERTA - THE LIZARD // #5ce59c

associated traits

imaginative / capricious / insensitive / energetic / confident /  aloof / perfectionist / independent / absent-minded / intuitive 

associated aesthetics

keys thrown onto the counter, right underneath the hook / hurried shopping lists, half complete, written in three different inks / hair whipping around going 95 miles on the freeway / a messy room with everything in a very specific place / the five seconds it takes for any space to become covered in papers / walking away in frustration, only to return moments later / tearing out a sheet of paper and starting over because there was a mistake in pen / the delicate balance of caring too much and caring too little / the persistent thoughts of 3am musings / copies of nietzsche tucked next to a.a. Milne

MONOCEROS - THE UNICORN // #ec73c1

associated traits

independent / flaky / curious / self-absorbed / altruistic / defensive / decisive / argumentative / insightful / oblivious

associated aesthetics

brightly colored syrups that do nothing to a drink but add color / dedication to a specific aesthetic online / the smoke left behind after a fireworks show / teasing touches on the back of the neck / the soothing sound of rushing water over rocks / pink and orange clouds as the sun is sinking below the horizon / birds chirping early in the morning outside bedroom windows / rolling green hills that fade into forests / longing for whimsy that cannot be manufactured / color coordinated closets

PEGASUS - THE WINGED HORSE // #dfd075

associated traits

hard working / stubborn / charming / non-confrontational / fortunate / insecure / approachable / passive-aggressive / caring / controlling

associated aesthetics

dimmed fairy lights draped over a pale wall / seasonal decorations that stay out year round / the drag of soft fabrics across the cheek / the near tangible warmth that comes with holiday baking / mismatched socks thrown haphazardly in a bin / cuddling on the couch in the middle of the afternoon / the dull ache in the spine from standing too long / the iron taste of blood from biting the cheek too hard / the quiet victory of holding a winning poker hand / the buzz of energy that accompanies a new project

[star-spangled-bastard]

What are your oc’s aesthetics?

BOLD any which apply to your oc! Remember to REPOST! Feel free to add to the list!

This one is for Sterling. I may do one of Xenophon later.

[ COLORS ] red. brown. orange. yellow. green. blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. silver. gold.grey. lilac. metallic. matte. royal blue. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green. apple red. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green.

[ ELEMENTS ] fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight.sunrise. sunset. dewdrops. magic.

[ BODY ] claws. long fingers. fangs. teeth. wings. tails. lips. bare feet. freckles. bruises.canine.scars. scratches. wounds. burns. spikes. feathers. webs. eyes. hands. sweat. tears. feline. chubby. curvy. short. tall. normal height. muscular. piercing. tattoos. lithe.

[ WEAPONS ] fists. sword. dagger. spear. arrow. hammer. shield. poison. guns. axes. throwing axes. whips. knives. throwing knives. pepper sprays. tasers. machine guns.slingshots. katanas. maces. staffs. wands. powers. magical items. magic. rocks.mud balls. pyre. teeth.rifles.

[ MATERIALS ] gold. silver. platinum. titanium. diamonds. pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. amethyst. metal. iron. rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain. paper. wool. fur. lace.leather. silk. velvet. denim. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. asphalt. brick. marble. dust. glitter. blood.dirt. mud. smoke. ash. shadow. carbonate. rubber. synthetics.

[ NATURE ] grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. daisies. tulips. lavender. petals. thorns. seeds. hay. sand. rocks. roots. flowers. ocean. river. meadow. forest. desert. tundra. savanna.rainforest. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach. waves. space. clouds.mountains. poppies.

[ ANIMALS ] lions. wolves. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. swans. snakes. turtles. ducks.bugs. spiders. crickets. birds. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks. horses. cats. dogs. bunnies. praying mantises. crows. ravens. mice. lizards. werewolves. unicorns. pegasus. dragons. rats. livestock. foxes.

[ FOODS/DRINKS ] sugar. salt. candy. bubblegum. wine. champagne. hard liquor. beer.coffee. tea. spices. herbs. apple. orange. lemon. cherry.strawberry. watermelon. vegetables. fruits. meat. fish. pies. desserts. chocolate. cream. caramel. berries. nuts. cinnamon. burgers. burritos. pizza. french fries. ambrosia.

[ HOBBIES ] music. art. watercolors. gardening. smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching.fighting. writing. composing. cooking. sewing. training. dancing. acting. singing. martial arts. self-defense. electronics. technology. cameras. video cameras. video games. computer. phone. movies. theater. libraries. books. comic books. magazines. cds. records. vinyls. cassettes. piano. violin. guitar. electronic guitar. bass guitar. harmonica. harp. woodwinds. brass. bells. playing cards. poker chips. chess. dice. motorcycle riding. eating.climbing. running. exploring.

[ STYLE ] lingerie. armor. cape. dress. tunic. vest. shirt. sweater. boots. heels. leggings. trousers. jeans. skirt. jewelry. earrings. necklace. bracelet. ring. pendant. hat. crown. circlet.helmet. scarf. brocade. cloaks. corsets. doublet. chest plate. gorget. bracers. belt.sash.coat. jacket. duster. trenchcoat. hood. gloves. socks. masks. cowls. braces. watches. glasses. sunglasses. visor. eye contacts. makeup. ties. uniform.

[ MISC ] balloons. bubbles. cityscape. light. dark. candles. war. peace. money. power. percussion. clocks. photos. mirrors. pets. kisses. diary. fairy lights. madness. sanity.sadness.happiness. optimism. pessimism. loneliness. family. friends. assistants. co-workers. enemies.loyalty. smoking. drugs. kindness. love. hugs. revenge.

indirectly tagged by @kittyterrific

I’m tagging @ghc and @sciienc

[thelionshoarde]

WiP Tag

@sabraeal tagged me! I may have already had this set up JUST IN CASE you got me 8D

List all the things you’re currently working on in as much or as little detail as you’d like, then tag some friends to see what they’re working on. This can be writing, art, vids, gifsets, fanwork, or original work!

I stuck mostly to things that are, uh, first on my list? And that have more than just sloppy outlines and notes and ideas?? D; I decided to add little excerpts so I’m putting this under a tag cause it, uh, got kind of long! Y_Y (again, this isn’t EVERYTHING, especially: i don’t have all of my 12days fic started, a lot of it is still in my head, but it HASN’T been forgotten, promise!! D; )

12 days of christmas - kaedix; Zen had made the mistake of letting Yuzuri be in control of the decorations -- “We are going to choke on tinsel, I hope you realize,” Obi complained, glaring at him. Zen, for his part, glared back: “If it was going to be a problem you should have warned me. I can’t just take it back! She’ll be furious.” -- and so there was mistletoe everywhere.

12 days of christmas - claudeng; “Wait,” Shirayuki said, two hours later. Rubbing her eyes, she peered blearily at the eagle owl on Isamu’s perch. “Why is Inigo still here? Is something wrong?”

Without looking up from the Prophet, Obi nudged a full glass of orange juice across the table toward her. A plate of pancakes and scrambled eggs and hashbrowns -- Obi’s breakfast special -- waited for her, a warming charm carefully laid over the sumptuous spread.

12 days of christmas - superhappybubbleslove; He tried to act like it was no big deal, but after a week the dead body in the cellar was starting to stink up the place. The muscles in his thighs kept tensing with the urge to move.

12 days of christmas - youseimanami; “That would be cheating,” Shirayuki grumbled, and began to pluck at the mess with her nails. “I’m not going to do that to Ryuu. You’re not going to do that, either, right?”

“Weeellll--”

“Yuzuri,” Shirayuki chastised, wondering if she should try tugging with her teeth. “Don’t you dare! We all agreed our presents would be hand-made by us. Not other people. How do you think -- uh, who do you have again?”

12 days of christmas - vfordii; “It’s just a game, Miss,” he said, tone mocking. “They wouldn’t want it to be over too soon, would they? I’m just catering to the crowd.”

She snapped, “Rubbish.” and pressed harder, drawing a wounded noise from his throat and a widening of his pupils. There, finally. She had his attention. Leaning in close, she said, “What is going on?”

heading for a small disaster, ch3; Shirayuki sat atop her garden wall, the low stone obstruction still high enough that her feet swung above the ground. The fog softened her as well, turning her skin to pearl and her hair to coral, and Obi became a boulder, cold and ancient, to watch her. Though the sun was clamoring for space on the horizon this time still belonged to him. This time, outside her wards, she would not notice him.

Lyrias Center, ch2; Obi winced as the door slammed -- pointedly -- behind him. Standing, he reached one hand up to rub at his shoulder, turning to the three familiar figures watching him. “Well, I do believe I’ve made an enemy -- the administrative kind, which I hear is the most dangerous to have. Mister, will you defend my hapless honor when he demands a duel?”

“What honor?” Mitsuhide asked, deceptively innocent.

magic!cowboy au; That, then, was their second trouble, because nose to tail with the official news came the rumor and gossip where truth could be found: that Raj Shenazard had embarrassed daddy, who owned damned near the entirety of the Tanbarun Territory, and his new posting as Rock Cradle’s sheriff was not for the good of the town, but to punish a boy who was flippant, soft, and a notorious whiner.

back alley; “Still,” Izana mused. “You are much too valuable to be set in a corner, even if I am of a mind to indulge your fantasy. Of course, you could simply take the pharmacist as your mistress -- take the knight, as well, if you like. It wouldn’t be anything our great-uncle Kentarou didn’t do during his brief stay on the throne.”

“Don’t forget great-great-grandmother Ryoko,” Zen said dryly, “she had, what? Five lovers on the side?”

“Twelve, if you believe the rumors.”

soulmate flower tattoo au; It was a good enough con, Obi thought, later, so he started wearing black. His pants were black, and his boots and his shirt and his arm guards, all black to match the leather of his gloves, to match the story of a soulmate dead before he’d ever met them, flowered marks faded to nothing, his scarred skin unblemished. Safer, easier -- people took one look at his attire and assumed.

unicorns of balinor au; “Noble as well as gallant,” Obi grinned, rising from his seated position. He was tall enough to loom, but the way he slouched made him seem less threatening; only Shirayuki knew it for the effect it was, and found little comfort in his deliberate ploy. It only raised the fine hairs along her arms, a wave of gooseflesh, that he would show his belly even as his smile had already bared all his teeth.

He said, “I only wanted to be certain we understood each other.”

Tagging: @claudeng80 @septhi-draw @youseimanami @hidetheremote @raediation

[lonescion-archive]

Aesthetic meme

tagged by: @lyccris tagging: @aghostofachild , @redheadedhatred , @mordxcaithxhuntxr , ((may add more later ;w; ))

((I’m not good at these but LET’S HAVE A GO AT IT))  REPOST ; DON’T REBLOG.

BOLD any which apply to your muse ! Feel free to add to the list !

❖ WHAT ARE YOUR MUSE’S AESTHETICS?

[ COLORS ] red. brown. orange. yellow. green. blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. silver. gold. grey. lilac. metallic. matte. royal blue. brown. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green. apple red. violet. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green. bubblegum pink. sky blue. pale jade.

[ ELEMENTS ] fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. sunrise. sunset. dewdrops.

[ BODY ] claws. long fingers. fangs. teeth. wings. tails. lips. bare feet. neck. shoulders. legs. freckles. bruises. canine. scars. scratches. wounds. burns. fingernails. spikes. feathers. webs. eyes. hands. sweat. tears. feline. chubby. curvy. short. tall. normal height. muscular. piercing. tattoos. athletic. hair. fur.

[ WEAPONS ] fists. legs. sword. dagger. spear. bow & arrow. hammer. crossbow. shield. poison. guns. axes. throwing axes. whips. knives. throwing knives. pepper sprays. tasers. machine guns. slingshots. katanas. maces. staffs. wands. powers. magical items. magic. rocks. mud balls. claws. teeth. stealth. strategy.

[ MATERIALS ] gold. silver. copper. platinum. titanium. rose gold. diamonds. pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. amethyst. metal. iron. rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain.paper. wool.fur. lace. leather. silk. velvet. denim. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. asphalt. brick.marble. dust. glitter. blood. dirt. mud. smoke. ash. shadow. carbonate. rubber. synthetics.ribbon.

[ NATURE ] grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. daisies. sunflowers. tulips. lavender. petals.seeds. hay. sand. rocks. roots. flowers. fungi. ocean. river. frozen lake. meadow. valley. forest. desert. tundra. savanna. rain forest. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach. waves.space. clouds. mountains. snow. mist. pond.

[ ANIMALS ] lions. wolves. foxes. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. swans. snakes. turtles. ducks. bugs. spiders. birds. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks. horses. cats. dogs. bunnies. penguins. praying mantises. crows. ravens. mice. lizards. werewolves. unicorns. pegasus. dragons. frogs.

[ FOODS/DRINKS ] sugar. salt. candy. bubblegum. wine. champagne. hard liquor. vodka. beer. coffee. sake. tea. spices. herbs. apple. orange. lemon. cherry. strawberry. watermelon.vegetables. fruits. meat. fish. pies. desserts. chocolate. cream. caramel. berries. nuts. cinnamon. burgers. burritos. pizza. ambrosia. eggs. milk. poultry.

[ HOBBIES ] music. art. watercolors. gardening. smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching. fighting. writing. composing. cooking. baking. sewing. training. dancing. acting. singing. martial arts. self-defense. war tactics. electronics. technology. cameras. video cameras. video games. computer. phone. movies. theater. libraries. books. magazines. cds. records. vinyls. cassettes. piano. strings. violin. guitar. electronic guitar. bass guitar. harmonica. harp. woodwinds. brass. flute. bells. exploring. playing cards. poker chips. chess. dice. motorcycle riding. eating. sleeping. climbing. running. jogging. parkour. studying.

[ STYLE ] lingerie. armor. cape. dress. tunic. vest. shirt. dress shirt. boots. ankle boots.heels. leggings. trousers. jeans. skirt. jewelry. earrings. necklace. bracelet. ring. pendant.hat. beanie hat. crown. circlet. helmet. scarf. brocade. cloaks. corsets. doublet.chest plate. gorget. bracers. belt. sash. coat. jacket. hood. gloves. socks. masks. mittens. cowls. braces. watches. glasses. sun glasses. straw hat. visor. eye contacts.makeup. ribbons. sweater. converses. tennis shoes. boxers. briefs. boxer briefs. shorts. cargo. cropped pants. crop top. cuffed pants.

[ MISC ] balloons. bubbles. city scape. light. dark. candles. growth. decay. war. peace.money. power. percussion. clocks. photos. mirrors. pets. diary. journal. fairy lights.madness. sanity. sadness. happiness. optimism. pessimism. loneliness. family. friends. clan. assistants. co-workers. enemies. loyalty. smoking. drugs. kindness. love. hugs. kisses. spring. summer. autumn. winter. farmland. countryside. suburban. village.

[otternally-afk]

Sable Singer Aesthetics Meme

[ COLOR ]  red. brown. orange. yellow. green. blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. silver. gold. grey. lilac. metallic. matte.  royal blue. royal purple. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green. apple red. currant purple. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green. magenta. pastels. bubblegum pink. blood red. ivory. sky blue.

[ ELEMENTAL ] fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. day. twilight. midnight. sunrise. sunset. dewdrops. clouds. light. smoke. umbra. penumbra. char. darkness. ash.

[ BODY ]  claws. long fingers. fangs. teeth. wings. tails. lips. bare feet. freckles. bruises. canine. scars. scratches. stripes. markings. fur. ears. wounds. burns. spikes. sweat. tears. feline. permanent wounds. chubby. curvy. short. tall. height. feathers. webs. eyes. hands. muscular. slender. trained. piercings. tattoo. rune. strong. weak. birdlike. shapeshifting. junoesque. svelte. long hair. short hair. dark circles. big. voluptuous. small. prosthetic. experimented. cyborg. halos. horns. wolfish. effeminate. frightening. ethereal. angelic. demonic. metallic. angular. scales. barbs. vertebrae. barbs. tendrils. tentacles. sharp. soft. unusual. shapely. unnatural. disproportionate. spindly. monstrous.  

[ WEAPONRY ]  fists. swords. daggers. spear. scythe. bow and arrow. hammer. shield. poison. guns. axes. throwing axes. whips. knives. throwing knives. pepper sprays. tasers. machine guns. slingshots. katanas. maces. staffs. wands. powers. magical items. magic. rocks. power loader. flamethrower. metal rods. shotguns. needles. prowess. ability. instinct. bloodthirst. supernatural. inhuman. talons. speed. agility. cunning. reflexes. talons. biomech tendrils.

[ MATERIALS ]  gold. silver. platinum. titanium. diamonds. pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. amethyst. amber. metal. iron. rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain. paper. wool. fur. lace. leather. copper. silk. velvet. denim. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. asphalt. brick. marble. dust. glitter. blood. dirt. mud. smoke. ash. shadow. carbonate. rubber. synthetics. yarn. slime. ivory. aether. crystal. dark matter. lapis lazuli. emerald. adamantite. wootz. brass. lamé. guipé. bone. moonstone. metalloids. alloys. ceramic. alabaster. marble. aluminum. bismuth. bronze. polonium. chrome. osmium. sand. feather.

[ NATURE/EVINRONMENT ]  grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. daisies. tulips. holly. lavender. lilies. petals. thorns. sunflowers. seeds. hay. sand. rocks. snow. ice. roots. flowers. ocean. river. lake. meadow. forest. desert. tundra. savanna. rain forest. swamp. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach. waves. space. stars. clouds. mountains. fungi. cliffs. sunlight. moonlight. darkness. wasteland. ruins. void.

[ ANIMALS/CREATURES ] lions. wolves. black panther. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. swans. snakes. turtles. ducks. bugs. roaches. tarantulas. scarabs. spiders. birds. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks. horses. cats. dogs. bunnies. praying mantis. crows. ravens. mice. lizards. frogs. bears. werewolves. unicorns. pegasus. dinosaurs. dragons. felines. foxes. centaurs. antelope. chimeras. demons. angels. parakeets. harpy eagles. seagulls. warblers. birds of paradise. parrots. toucans. orioles. cobras. black mambas. peacocks.

[ FOOD/DRINK ] sugar. salt. water. candy. bubblegum. wine. milk. champagne. hard liquor. beer. coffee. tea. spices. herbs. apple. orange. lemon. cherry. strawberry. watermelon. vegetables. fruits. meat. fish. pies.desserts. chocolate. cream. caramel. berries. nuts. cinnamon. steak. burgers. burritos. pizza. vanilla. cookies. chocolate. tiramisu. cheesecake. sushi. tempura. pasta. garlic. bread. noodles.

[ HOBBIES ] music. art. piercing. watercolors. gardening. knitting. smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching. murder. fighting. fencing. riding. writing. composing. cooking. baking. sewing. training. dancing. acting. singing. story telling. martial arts. self-defense. electronics. technology. cameras. video cameras. tinkering. video games. computer. phone. movies. theater. libraries. books. magazines. poetry. philosophy. cds. records. vinyls. cassettes. piano. organ. violin. cello. guitar. electronic guitar.  bass guitar. harmonica. synthesizers. harp. woodwinds. brass. trumpet. flute. drums. bells. playing cards. poker chips. chess. dice. motorcycle riding. eating. climbing. tree climbing. running. vivisection. reading. learning. lecturing. teaching. murder. torment. tracking. hunting.

[ STYLE ] lingerie. armor. cape. dress. robes. suit. tunic. vest. shirt. boots. heels. leggings. trousers. jeans. skirt. shorts. jewelry. earring. necklace. bracelet. ring. pendant. hat. crown. circlet. helmet. scarf. neck tie. brocade. cloaks. corsets. doublet. chest plate. belt. sash. coat. jacket. hood. gloves. socks. masks. cowls. braces. watches. glasses. sunglasses. visor. eye contacts. makeup. pantyhose. stockings. thigh highs. sleeveless. eyepatch. collar. bangle. torque. gorget. bracers. cuffs. body jewelry. crop tops.

[ MISC ] balloons. bubbles. cityscape. landscape. diligence. light. dark. candles. war. peace. money. power. percussion. clocks. photosmirrors. pets. diary. fairy lights. madness. sanity. sadness. happiness. optimism. pessimism. realism. misanthropy. loneliness. anger. family. synthetic. friends. assistants. co-workers. plushies. enemies. lovers. loyalty. smoking. alcohol. drugs. kindness. love. embracing. magitek. futuristic. ancient. science. voidsent. cruelty. trust. mistrust. strength. doubt. reverence. ferocity. danger. automatons. metallic. allure. value. intelligent. revolutionary. defiant. advanced. engines. naïve. temporary. changing. split personality. paradigm shift. freedom. belief.

Rules: BOLD what applies to your muse. Feel free to add to the list.

Tagged by: lol no one I just wanted to do the thing

BUT I’ll tag friends bc why not: @stiltedtomes, @oukaori

miiiight do this for other characters later but just Sable for now :>