#world building: The Cult Of Wolves

[cult-of-wolves]

Fun Fact: The Astrild ball is held every Valentine’s Day ❣️Majority of city residents attend to socialize and catch up with neighbors.

The event is very popular among residents who are in their late-teens and early 20s because they want to be chosen by Cupid’s spirit 🏹💌

If chosen, a person will be “possessed” to confess their romantic love for someone!

[tybalt-you-saucy-boi]

Let's talk about what Winner's Theory means for the next season of Life SMP, and what we could see depending on who wins Secret Life.

Disclaimer: I know this is just a theory and they don't actually base the new games off of the winners of the previous season, but that's the fun of theorizing.

Etho - Underselling himself, no longer the best at PVP, but with a long legacy of obliterating all competition in death games. Loyal to a fault to his team, with no expectations from them in return. A bit similar to how Scott plays in terms of his alliances, but more likely to be hostile towards others outside of his group. We could see another season similar to Double Life, with game-mechanic incentive to keep your teammates safe at all cost.

Cleo - Similar to Etho, but with a lot more arson. She's also loyal to her team, but if anyone crosses her they will be her biggest target, regardless of a previous alliance. You cannot betray Cleo without life altering consequences. You get one chance and then it's over. I would expect something that will be ruthless and unforgiving if you make the wrong move. Something that feels like stepping on eggshells.

Sidenote: Cleo is the only member of the Divorce Quartet without a win so far, and it would really tickle me if this was her season.

Joel - He's a leader, but also distant from his pack. Only one in his alliance to live outside their walls. First one on yellow. Started a cult. He's with them but he's also with himself. His game is vengeance, for Lizzie, for Jimmy, for Mumbo. His season will be brutal. It will start out brutal and it will end brutally. Players will be picking themselves up from the floor the minute they spawn in. Imagine a season where everyone starts in the Nether. That's Joel's revenge.

Bigb - You thought Cleo was gaslight? This man can pack some fire in his words. And what a season for it! His alliance is pretty much doomed, trying to pull themselves out of the wreckage, but he's got plans that go beyond Skizz and Tango. Right from the get-go with his first task he's marked as the odd one out. He gives out lies like they're candy, and not just for his own preservation, but for FUN. His winner's season will be built on chaos, not knowing where you stand among everyone else, and rewarded for tricking and betraying others. This will be the return of the Boogeyman.

Gem - Big risks, big rewards, bigger fury. The newest member of the series and defying all odds to earn her place in victory, in her season players will face challenges they've never seen before, but will be stronger beyond measure if they come out alive on the other end. Regardless of which life you're on, you'll have just as much chance of winning right up to the end, but the victor must be prepared to risk it all for their spot of glory. This will not be a season to shrink back from and make logical plans before acting. One must have quick feet.

Impulse - Almost the opposite of Gem, Impulse has taken his time, patience is his virtue. He's been so close to winning, but he'll know when the time is right to strike. He'll do whatever it takes, but it will be intentional and planned. I anticipate his season will be one with rough terrain, similar to the big rift in the middle of the Double Life map dividing everyone across a chasm. Reaching other players will be treacherous by foot, but ripe for planning elaborate traps and schemes to secure the win. Most certainly players will need to work hard for it.

Scar - Lone wolves roam free! He's been forced to work for himself alone this season, and so far he's reaped plenty rewards! The next season will give players a motive to work alone, and they will have to build themselves up using their own ingenuity and wits. Making yourself look like an underdog will be vital, stealing will be even more necessary, and the world will be ripe for monopolies. It's a real war out there, and you can't trust anyone.

[victoria-ward420]

Night City, 2077 – The Concrete Jungle

The rain falls in a steady, cold drizzle, catching the neon light of advertisements that flash relentlessly above. The city is alive, but indifferent—cars buzz by on cracked roads, drones fly overhead, and pedestrians walk with eyes down, lost in their own battles. But here, in the heart of the city, is Valentina Rose, a figure who commands attention whether she desires it or not. Her past is as convoluted as the steel and concrete that make up this cybernetic jungle.

Born into the chaotic world of the Valentinos, the city’s largest street gang with a cult-like dedication to their code, Valentina was raised to embrace the culture of family, loyalty, and honor. Her father, a high-ranking member, had big dreams for her, but Valentina had other plans. Her brilliance couldn’t be confined to the streets—no, she was destined for something greater, something sharper.

Arasaka, the corporation that ruled over Night City with an iron grip, had been her ticket out. She climbed through the ranks quickly, using her unmatched intellect and ruthless ambition to become one of their most valuable netrunners. She wore the sleek, high-end suits and dealt in cold, calculated data warfare. For years, she was a queen among sharks, holding her own, mastering the cyberverse with skills few could even fathom. Multiple degrees in finance, engineering, biology—she was the definition of a corporate asset.

But corporations never see people—they only see assets. And when assets become liabilities, they’re discarded like old tech.

One botched job. That’s all it took for Arasaka to throw her to the wolves. A mission went sideways, sabotaged from within, and the failure was pinned squarely on her. Fired. Exiled. Just another disposable asset, discarded by a company that never really valued her.

To make it worse, her boss—no, her lover—the one person she thought she had some semblance of a future with, cut ties with her just as fast. One moment they were sharing drinks in the Afterlife, talking about the next big score; the next, she was blacklisted, shut out of the corporate world she had worked so hard to infiltrate.

Now, she’s a mercenary for hire, navigating the harsh underbelly of Night City, where the lines between man and machine blur, where loyalty is bought with eddies and lost just as fast. But Valentina is no ordinary merc. No, her seductive charm and deadly skills have made her infamous. She doesn’t take just any job—she’s selective, only going after high-profile targets that promise to push her to the limits. Her success rate? 99%. The whispers of the streets speak of her in awe and fear—few have seen her fail, and none have lived to tell the tale.

Her skills are unparalleled. A master netrunner who can breach systems faster than most can blink, wielding viruses like weapons of war. But her proficiency doesn’t stop there. MMA? She can break bones like they’re nothing. Sharp-shooting? Her aim is as precise as any Corpo assassin. Weapon mastery? Few can wield a katana or fire a smart rifle with her finesse. And perhaps most dangerous of all, she’s an expert in human behavior and seduction. She reads people like she reads the net—breaking down their defenses with a smile or a well-placed word.

Tonight – Another Job, Another Dance with Danger

The rainwater splashes up as Valentina walks through the grimy backstreets of Watson, her cybernetic eyes scanning the buildings, the people, always alert. Her deck, a sleek chrome beauty strapped to her back, pulses softly, feeding her constant updates from the net. Messages. Alerts. Data flowing through her like blood.

A new contract had come in hours ago. A high-profile Arasaka executive. The kind of target that could make a merc rich, or get them killed. But this wasn’t just another contract. This was personal.

Arasaka. The same corpo that had discarded her like trash now had a price on the head of one of its own. There’s a certain satisfaction in that. An irony she can’t help but savor.

Her HUD flares to life as her neural link catches an incoming message. A faint shimmer of static runs through her vision before the words appear in glowing text.

“Meet me at Afterlife. We need to talk.”

No name. Just a cryptic handle she recognizes—NightOwl, someone she hasn’t heard from in years. Someone from her past life.

Valentina pauses for a moment under the flashing neon lights of a convenience store. The rain patters against her leather jacket, and the cool mist clings to her skin, but her mind is already calculating. She knows this could be a trap. The streets are full of hunters who’d love to cash in on her head. But it could also be something more—a chance for information, for revenge. The Afterlife isn’t far. A place where the ghosts of Night City’s legends walk, a sanctuary for mercs who survive long enough to make a name.

She taps a quick command into her deck, checking the feeds for any signs of surveillance. No immediate red flags—yet.

Valentina’s dark eyes flicker with cold determination as she makes her decision. She adjusts her katana at her side, tightens the straps on her deck, and begins her walk toward the Afterlife.

The Afterlife – A Den of Shadows

The Afterlife looms before her—an old morgue turned merc bar, now a haven for the best of the best, or the ones who think they are. It’s a place where stories are made, where deals are brokered, and where the wrong move can get you a bullet to the head.

Valentina steps through the heavy doors, her presence causing a ripple through the patrons. She knows what she looks like. Confident. Lethal. Her dark hair falls over her shoulders, a stark contrast to her sleek white jacket and the tattoos that snake down her arms. Eyes follow her, but none dare approach. Not yet.

She makes her way to the bar, every step calculated, purposeful. The bartender, a familiar face, nods in recognition but doesn’t engage in small talk. He knows better. Mercs don’t come here to chat. They come to work.

As she waits for her contact to show, Valentina scans the room with subtle glances. The atmosphere is thick with tension, the air humming with the sounds of hushed conversations and the clinking of glasses. Somewhere in this room, someone knows more about her current contract than they’re letting on.

Moments later, a figure slides into the seat beside her. NightOwl—his once-sharp features now weathered by time and danger. He doesn’t speak at first, just orders a drink, taking his time to settle into the moment. Valentina watches him from the corner of her eye, her mind already dissecting his body language. He’s nervous, but not afrai yet. Finally, he speaks, voice low and guarded. “Valentina, I knew you’d take the job. But there’s more to it than you think. They’re watching you. Arasaka never really lets go.”

She arches an eyebrow, leaning slightly closer, her voice a seductive purr hiding the razor-sharp edge beneath. “Let me guess, you’re here to warn me out of the goodness of your heart?” He smirks, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Hardly. I have my reasons. And if you want to survive this, you’ll need to listen. This isn’t just about taking down some corpo suit. It’s bigger. A lot bigger.”Valentina leans back in her chair, crossing her legs slowly as she considers his words. She can feel the weight of the night pressing in around her, the undercurrents of danger that pulse just beneath the surface.

[worth-this-and-more]

๋࣭⭑⚝ hiii i'm sukanya and welcome to my blog yall!!! ‹𝟹

a small reminder; my blog has detailed posts about legendborn with a lot of spoilers for both the books, so if you haven't read the books yet i would advise you to to not look too closely or you will be spoiled. stay spoiler-free everyone!!

age: 18 (doesn't give you permission to be weird) sexuality: bisexual pronouns: she/her favorite colors: red, black, purple favorite flower: roses my hobbies: reading books, listening to music, reading books while listening to music, learning new stuff because of the aforementioned books, obsessing over fictional characters, cooking, dancing, stargazing at night by sneaking out at 3 am because my parents don't allow me to go at night as i will "catch a cold", slaying my enemies in a brutal show of blood and glory, coding.

fandoms i'm part of: the legendborn cycle, percy jackson, shatter me series, artemis fowl series, lord of the rings, the inheritance games, folk of the air series, sea of ink and gold series, six of crows, a good girl's guide to murder, divergent chronicles, the secrets of immortal nicholas flamel series, harry potter series, fantastic beasts and where to find them, twilight, the mysterious benedict society, married to magic series, miss peregrine's home for peculiar children, the gilded wolves series, royal secrets series, royal secrets series, the splintered series and more

fictional characters i would sell my soul to at a discount the discount being free because i would never make them pay: briana matthews, selwyn emyrs kane, alice chen, juliette ferrars, aaron warner, nazeera ibrahim, kenji kishimoto, jude duarte, cardan greenbriar, inej ghafa, kaz brekker, avery kylie grambs, alexander hawthorne, jest, artemis fowl, holly black, hermione granger, ginny weasley, credric diggory, newt scamander, rosalie cullen, noor pradesh, jacob portman, josh newman, sophie newman, pip fitz-amobi, ravi singh and probably more but you get the point

things i absolutely adore: people becoming so excited when they talk about their favorite things, loving the absolute shit outta my friends, cooking anything and everything for those i love, listening to our shared playlist and explaining in great detail which part of the song is your favorite things i absolutely hate: anyone's opinions that disrespect someone's existence, identity, or interests, people forcing their beliefs and ideals over me, sexist and homophobic jokes in the name of "dark humor", people shitting on my fav book series after they dropped them halfway through, people who listen to jojo siwa

this is a blog for the legendborn cycle, i hope you enjoy your stay here!! i usually post theories or headcanons about the characters, and a few case studies too, all in all you will find a lot of posts about legendborn so here's a masterlist more for my preference than anyone else which i will keep updating time to time;

fanarts by me; -a small fanart for our king; -“But when your entire world is shattering, a little bit of magic is . . . nothing.”

masterlist; -how do the legendborn highschoolers look like while studying -theory/analysis of bree's powers and emotional connection -found family in bloodmarked -my theory to why merlin's succumb to their blood -why do i think bree did not cheat on nick -me crying over faye's speech for bree -my expectations for oathbound -my love for sarah griffiths -questions about silver wall because why not -cestra vs tor analysis because i hate them both -how i imagine they all sound like -bloodmarked hot take -bloodmarked hotter take -shipwars in fandom when there are like 10 of us -my breesel specific playlist -an unnecessarily funny selwyn appreciation post chain -theories about ava and bree -my best friend that i added into our cult fandom -my addition to the theory of consent and root transfer -can merlins build objects other than weapons, like planes?? -theories about rootcraft in oathbound -is sel jealous of valec?? spoiler: he is fumingly jealous -an angry rant about the real motives for spell of eternity -some theories about selwyn and merlins in oathbound -what drinks do the legendborn drink: headcanons -what am i looking forward to in oathbound -detailed blog discussion "is selbree endgame?? with proofs"

feel free to send me asks about anything legendborn-related, and if you just wanna talk we can talk on my sideblog @squirrel-in-the-woods ‹𝟹

random facts about myself because this is my blog anyways: ♡ when i was 8 my pinky finger was unfortunately cut a third, like the tip of it yk, by a door that slammed really fast because of a storm at that time, and my cut off finger was joined by inserting a rod in it. the rod is taken out but now i have a funny pinky finger that does not bend. ♡ i am multilingual, aka i can speak marathi, hindi, english, spanish (i cant get the accent right but rest is okay) and korean (beginner level, just enough that i can understand kdramas mostly without subtitles). ♡ i have a fear of heights despite that i am unusually interested in roller coasters and bungee jumping, however my parents refuse to take me to any of these because i will "fall". ♡ my mother is scared shitless of water, so i once made a joke of how i would love to drown in the ocean and was immediately enrolled in a swimming class and that is how my dreams of dying among the phytoplankton and starfishes were destroyed. ♡ i love all types of fruits but banana tastes boring to me now and i also do not like watermelon for some reason. mango, kiwis, muskmelon, apples, oranges, and pineapple are my absolute fav. ♡ i used to have waist-length hair, very wavy and very thick, it was gorgeous but i hated having to maintain that so i cut it off and got a boycut. after that it has grown to a small dora the explorer length hair and it makes me look really innocent so i like this look.

and ofc you cant forget the lovely moots: @napoftustar @thejudeduarte @you-are-my-king-now-cariad @isthataraccoon @technicallyeldritch @ackerbabezzz @batzswrld @archerons-elain @ficnoire2 @sweetestblacktea @bloodmaarked @okeyisenough @thevoidhasarrived @goosemeggs @gewoonaardig2 @massiveladycat @infamouslyclumsy @literally-mariah @simzmil @tum-naam-sochlo-merese-ni-hora @refreshinglyemodemons @sweetdeerart

༊*·˚hope your day is as pretty as your smile ;)

[aegor-bamfsteel]

Considering all of the nods to Lovecraft, do you think the seat of House Codd on the Iron Islands would basically be a medieval Innsmouth?

For those who may not know, Innsmouth is a fictional seaport town in Massachusetts that appeared in HP Lovecraft’s 1931 story The Shadow Over Innsmouth. Innsmouth was once a thriving town isolated from Newburyport by salt marshes, but hard times forced it to sacrifice citizens to the Deep Ones in exchange for fish and gold; in addition, they also had to mate with the Deep Ones to produce half-human offspring (that would look human until adulthood and then slowly transform into a Deep One) that would eventually settle into the nearby underwater city of Y'ha-nthlei to live forever (they never die except by accident or violence).

We don’t know much about the Codds (not even what island they live on), but there’s not a lot that points to devotion to the Deep Ones or sacrificing others in exchange for gold/fish. A Codd is named Dagon (reference to Innsmouth’s cult god, Father Dagon), but that’s a common ironborn name (there’s two Dagon Greyjoys, a Dagon Ironmaker, and a Dagon Drumm). We know that they have a low reputation, with the men as thieves/cowards and the women reported to commit incest, but that’s the opposite of what the Innsmouthers do (humans mating with Deep Ones to produce terrifying hybrids is usually seen as a metaphor for Lovecraft’s disgust with interracial relationships.)

If there’s any ironborn House that has the most similarities to the people of Innsmouth, it’s House Farwynd of the Lonely Light:

Aeron knew some Farwynds, a queer folk who held lands on the westernmost shores of Great Wyk and the scattered isles beyond, rocks so small that most could support but a single household. Of those, the Lonely Light was the most distant, eight days' sail to the northwest amongst rookeries of seals and sea lions and the boundless grey oceans. The Farwynds there were even queerer than the rest. Some said they were skinchangers, unholy creatures who could take on the forms of sea lions, walruses, even spotted whales, the wolves of the wild sea.

Lord Gylbert began to speak. He told of a wondrous land beyond the Sunset Sea, a land without winter or want, where death had no dominion. "Make me your king, and I shall lead you there," he cried. "We will build ten thousand ships as Nymeria once did and take sail with all our people to the land beyond the sunset. There every man shall be a king and every wife a queen." His eyes, Aeron saw, were now grey, now blue, as changeable as the seas. Mad eyes, he thought, fool's eyes. —AFFC The Drowned Man

A secondary island grouping lies eight days' sail to the northwest in the Sunset Sea. There, seals and sea lions make their rookeries on windswept rocks too small to support even a single household. On the largest rock stands the keep of House Farwynd, named the Lonely Light for the beacon that blazes atop its roof day and night.  Queer things are said of the Farwynds and the smallfolk they rule. Some say they lie with seals to bring forth half-human children, whilst others whisper that they are skinchangers who can take the forms of sea lions, walrus, even spotted whales, the wolves of the western seas.

Strange tales like this are common at the edges of the world, however, and the Lonely Light stands farthest west of all the lands known to us. Many a bold mariner has sailed beyond the light of its beacon over the centuries, seeking the fabled paradise said to lie over the horizon, but the sailors who return (many do not) speak only of boundless grey oceans stretching on and on forever. —TWOIAF The Iron Islands

The Farwynds and their smallfolk are isolated from the even the rest of the ironborn, and are the farthest west of all permanent inhabitants of any known civilization, just like Innsmouth is isolated from the rest of coastal Massachusetts by salt marshes. There’s rumors that they lie with nonhumans to create hybrids, just like the Innsmouth people and the Deep Ones. Gylbert Farwynd has unusual features with his different colored eyes, as the Deep One/human hybrids have features that gradually become less human as they age, including bulging eyes that can’t close. Then there’s this fabled paradise beyond the Sunset Sea that only the Farwynds seem to have seen where nobody dies, and it could be that, just like the Deep One city of Y'ha-nthlei, it’s beneath the water and really only reachable to those who are wargs. The Farwynds are more strange than evil or violent (Gylbert doesn’t suggest they conquer the Sunset Sea Paradise, but flee there like Nymeria; there’s no hint they sacrifice others to appease a Deep One, at least no more than the Drowned Priests), but the isolation, potential nonhuman features, and speaking of a fabled paradise of immortality does seem similar to the people of Innsmouth.

[twinnedpeaks]

ok it’s time for elvira’s yearly reading wrap up! best and worst of 2023:

worst:

the cabin at the end of the world, paul tremblay - disappointing. could have been so good but, alas, was not.

the silent patient, alex michaelides - quite possibly my least favourite of the year. people were telling me how shocking it was and how it had a huge plottwist. this plottwist was predictable from PAGE ONE. please.

the grimoire of grave fates - i remember nothing except being bored.

hide, keirsten white - i hate when horror is bad <3

filth, irvine welsh - okok my second attempt at reading irvine welsh. i liked parts of this book but not enough to even slightly enjoy it as a whole.

finnegans wake, james joyce - i wasn’t sure whether this should go in best or worst honestly. such a huge phenomenon, purely because it’s “unreadable”. i still don’t know how to feel.

best:

12 bytes, jeanette winterson - miss winterson can do no wrong in my eyes. brilliant reflections on technology, written beautifully.

new animal, ella baxter - just SUCH a good time!! great novel on grief and sexuality.

the gilded wolves, roshani chokshi - i’m very picky about my fantasy books, but i fell in love with this trilogy so fast. the characters are incredible and diverse, and finding a canonically autistic character meant a lot to me.

tripping arcadia, kit mayquist - creepy, gorgeous, has not left my mind. i can’t even explain it, it is just an Experience. Go read it.

how to sell a haunted house, grady hendrix - FUN HORROR!! HAUNTED HOUSE!! EVIL PUPPET!!

when we lost our heads, heather o’neill - lesbian marie antoinette historical fiction? yes.

no longer human, osamu dazai - gorgeous tale of existence and misery. loved loved this one.

i who have never known men, jacqueline harpman - heartbreaking and real. one of those books i think everyone should read.

patricia wants to cuddle, samantha allen - lesbians and furry little monsters. weird as fuck and so funny.

penance, eliza clark - reflections on true crime and the rivalries between teenage girls. gruesome and fascinating.

not forever but for now, chuck palahniuk - MY MAN RETURNED!!!! and i am so goddamn grateful. nauseating but stunning. masterpiece as always.

house of hunger, alexis henderson - gothic vampire novel with a touch of haunted house story and eerie lesbians.

sign here, claudia lux - one of the funniest books i’ve read in a LONG time. selling your soul to the devil is basically the same as working for capitalist organizations.

the child thief, gerald brom - HORRIFYING version of peter pan. brom always makes me utterly nauseous and i am ovsessed with him in every way.

the girls, emma cline - 60’s cult vibes, true crime, just a solid piece of literature.

angels before man, rafael nicolas - basically gay bible. 10/10.

silver under nightfall, rin chupeco - poly queer vampires. gritty gore. amazing world building. cannot WAIT for the sequel.

none shall sleep, ellie marney - me? enjoying crime fiction from someone other than karin slaughter or tana french? it IS, apparently, possible.

house of leaves, mark z danielewski - IT IS ABOUT! THE! SYMBOLISM! I WANT TO YELL.

[unclenegan]

NO  SURRENDER:    a  negan  winchester  playlist    (  part  i.  )      listen  here.  (©️)

01.  how’d  you  like  me  now  by  the  heavy.    i’ve  been  a  bad,  bad,  bad,  bad  man    &    i’m  in  deep.    02.  game  of  survival  by  ruelle.    who’s  in  the  shadows?  who’s  ready  to  play?  are  we  the  hunters  or  are  we  the  prey?    03.  everybody  wants  to  rule  the  world  by  lorde.    even  while  we  sleep,  we  will  find  you.    04.  chosen  one  by  valley  of  wolves.    i  know  what  it  takes  to  be  the  king;  be  the  song  everybody  wanna  sing.    05.  the  river  by  blues  saraceno.  evil  comes  if  you  call  my  name.  the  wicked,  they  shall  rise.    06.  running  up  that  hill  by  placebo.    and  if  i  only  could,  make  a  deal  with  god?  i’d  get  him  to  swap  our  places.    07.  unholy  by  sam  smith  ft.  kim  petras.    a  lucky,  lucky  girl;  she  got  married  to  a  boy  like  you.  she’d  kick  you  out  if  she  ever,  ever  knew.    08.  fairly  local  by  twenty-one  pilots.    what  i  shouldn’t  do,  i  will.  they  say  i’m  emotional;  what  i  want  to  save,  i’ll  kill.  is  that  who  i  truly  am?    09.  i  will  not  bow  by  breaking  benjamin.    now  the  dark  begins  to  rise.  save  your  breath,  it’s  far  from  over.  leave  the  lost  and  dead  behind.    10.  feelin’  good  by  muse.    it’s  a  new  dawn,  it’s  a  new  day,  it’s  a  new  life  for  me.    11.  love  song  requiem  by  trading  yesterday.    emily  will  find  a  better  place  to  fall  asleep.  she  belongs  to  fairytales  that  i  could  never  be.    12.  black,  black  heart  by  david  usher.    i’m  on  fire.  i’m  rotting  to  the  core,  i’m  eating  all  your  kings  &  queens.    3.  radioactive  by  imagine  dragons.    welcome  to  the  new  age!    14.  9  crimes  by  damien  rice.    it’s  the  wrong  kind  of  place  to  be  cheating  on  you.  it’s  the  wrong  time,  she’s  pulling  me  through.  it’s  a  small  crime  and  i’ve  got  no  excuse.    15.  don’t  fear  the  reaper  by  blue  oyster  cult.    and  it  was  clear  she  couldn’t  go  on.    16.  empire  by  alpines.    i’m  building  an  empire.  i’m  building  it  with  all  i  know.    17.  everybody  loves  me  by  onerepublic.    head  down,  swinging  to  my  own  sound.    18.  crazy  train  by  ozzy  osbourne.    maybe  it’s  not  too  late  to  learn  how  to  love  and  forget  how  to  hate.    19.  black  by  kari  kimmel.    and  the  demons  all  around  you  waiting  for  you  to  sell  your  soul.

[spookyserenades]

Hi Dana!!! Just wanted to stop by in your asks to let you know that I absolutely love Trouvaille! I can't believe you've been pumping out +20k chapters for this, but I appreciate it a lot (I can't imagine the amount of time you take to work on them). Overall, I really love the concept and world building you've done in only 3 chapters. Especially the originality of adding in the occult/paranormal/supernatural to the story. I find it so interesting, especially now that there's been more interactions and insight into MC's past with the spirits and ghosts.

I guess I'll put in a theory (?) regarding future chapters...? I have a feeling JK and Namjoon are going to be important or instrumental with MC's dive back into the paranormal. Looking at their moonboards gives some hints towards it, too. I feel like JK was either in a cult or grew up in what seems to be the Catholic church (I thought I saw a rosary behind the crucifix). Also, with the ghosty hands and stuff, it just feels like he'll be important. Even in Norse mythology, elks are symbols of protection against physical and spiritual danger. As for Namjoon, we already got a hint that he had known MC's mom before. Plus, his moonboard has so many books about the paranormal/criptids. Idk, the nightmare, thinking his eyes are really familiar, etc. It just seems like there's something to it. (Lowkey, I just keep reminding myself of the: "You have 2 wolves inside of you" meme and laugh when i think of him).

To end off, i guess I love what you're doing with this series!! And I'm so excited to read more whenever you release the chapters! I'd love to be on the taglist for it also, if that isn't a problem. As a last note, Tae and Jin are the best boys!!! Love them so much, but all the guys are great in their own special ways😂 I hope you have a great day/night!!! Much love💜💜

!!! Hi darling!! AHHH you've sent me such a lovely message <3 It makes me so happy that you love Trouvaille! And LOL I love a good lengthy update, there's so much I want to squeeze into each one I find it hard to stop writing sometimes. If I'm having a lot of inspiration, I can usually crank out a chapter in a little over a week... but there have been times where I don't have as much time to work and it can take me about a month! I'm trying to be dutiful with my writing schedule so I can continue to update consistently :) All of my chapters will be at least 20k, though!

YAY I'm really excited that you're enjoying the paranormal/spookier aspects to Trouvaille! I love these kinds of subjects, so writing a BTS fic with these themes have been very... self indulgent? LOL! But it makes me so happy that you and others are interested in it too <3 There will definitely be more ~haunted happenings~ in future updates!!

Which leads me to your awesome theories!! You're right on the money, Jungkook and Namjoon are totally vital to the paranormal aspects of the plot, especially regarding MC's return to her mystical past. I really love your idea that Jungkook may have came from a cult, that's definitely a theory I have not yet heard. As a little hint (actually, it's a big one), I've loosely based Jungkook off of Keanu Reeves' character in the movie Constantine. The Norse mythology fact you've brought up is SO COOL!! I had no idea that's what elks represent, what an awesome synchronicity! Namjoon, true to him IRL, is definitely the bookish part of the operation here... he's read quite a bit about these supernatural subjects, perhaps experienced a thing or two prior to his adoption ;)

SCREAMING at the two wolves thing!! It totally fits him, his character is a bit of an edgelord. I think of those meme pictures of the anthropomorphic wolf tearing off its clothes or moodily staring at a lake LMAO!

Thank you so so much for reading and offering your awesome insights <3 Right now, I update on the 7th and the 20th, but that may be subject to change as I'm taking some summer classes that will be taking up a bit of my time. I'll absolutely add you to the taglist, darling! You're so right, Tae and Jin are the bestest angels... they deserve the world <3 Have a wonderful week yourself, and thank you again for your love and support!!!!

[ngnwnchstr-arch]

*   "   𝐍𝐎   𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑:         A   NEGAN   WINCHESTER   PLAYLIST      (   PART   ONE.   )         𝙻𝙸𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙽   𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴.         (   ©️   )

001.  how'd  you  like  me  now  by  the  heavy.      i’ve  been  a  bad,  bad,  bad,  bad  man    &    i’m  in  deep.        002.  game  of  survival  by  ruelle.      who’s  in  the  shadows?    who’s  ready  to  play?    are  we  the  hunters  or  are  we  the  prey?        003.  everybody  wants  to  rule  the  world  by  lorde.      even  while  we  sleep,    we  will  find  you.        004.  chosen  one  by  valley  of  wolves.      i  know  what  it  takes  to  be  the  king,    be  the  song  everybody  wanna  sing.        005.  the  river  by  blues  saraceno.      evil  comes  if  you  call  my  name;    the  wicked,    they  shall  rise.      006.  running  up  that  hill  by  placebo.      and  if  i  only  could  make  a  deal  with  god,    i’d  get  him  to  swap  our  places.        007.  unholy  by  sam  smith  /  kim  petras.      a  lucky,  lucky  girl,    she  got  married  to  a  boy  like  you.    she’d  kick  you  out  if  she  ever,  ever  knew.        008.  fairly  local  by  twenty  -  one  pilots.      what  i  shouldn't  do,    i  will.    they  say  i’m  emotional;    what  i  want  to  save,    i’ll  kill.    is  that  who  i  truly  am?        009.  i  will  not  bow  by  breaking  benjamin.      now  the  dark  begins  to  rise.    save  your  breath,    it’s  far  from  over.    leave  the  lost  and  dead  behind.        010.  feelin'  good  by  muse.      it’s  a  new  dawn,    it’s  a  new  day,    it’s  a  new  life  for  me.        011.  love  song  requiem  by  trading  yesterday.      emily  will  find  a  better  place  to  fall  asleep.    she  belongs  to  fairytales  that  i  could  never  be.        012.  black  black  heart  by  david  usher.      i’m  on  fire,    i’m  rotting  to  the  core.    i’m  eating  all  your  kings    &    queens.        013.  radioactive  by  imagine  dragons.      welcome  to  the  new  age!        014.  9  crimes  by  damien  rice.      it’s  the  wrong  kind  of  place  to  be  cheating  on  you.    it’s  the  wrong  time,    she’s  pulling  me  through.    it’s  a  small  crime    &    i  got  no  excuse.        015.  (don’t  fear)  the  reaper  by  blue  oyster  cult.      and  it  was  clear  she  couldn’t  go  on.        016.  empire  by  alpines.      i’m  building  an  empire.    i’m  building  it  with  all  i  know.      017.  everybody  loves  me  by  onerepublic.      head  down,    swinging  to  my  own  sound.        018.  crazy  train  by  ozzy  osbourne.      maybe  it’s  not  too  late  to  learn  how  to  love    &    forget  how  to  hate.        019.  black  by  kari  kimmel.      and  the  demons  all  around  you  waiting  for  you  to  sell  your  soul.

[adiabolikpastel]

The question you were asked about what a hypothetical battle between Carnelian and the Makai kings would be like got me thinking.

I imagine it could go like this:

Karl and Burai would be in charge of attacking with magic, obviously they both have great knowledge in very, very ancient and dangerous black magic 💀. I like to imagine that the Wolf clan king and Ajax are much better at melee combat, (plus I have a headcanon about how the Wolf clan members are the strongest demons physically).

Carnelian (as far as I know), can use high level magic and is a vampire over five hundred years old, so he's pretty smart and strong, plus he has a cult at his disposal that do whatever he orders them to do, (for example, in the manga his cult members are in charge of kidnapping demons from other clans, so they must also be strong or be demons themselves as well). This battle of kings would also have to be joined by Carla, as everything seems to point to Carnelian being the creator of the endzeit, so Carla especially has every reason to kill Carnelian, even if that means he has to join his enemies Karlheinz and Burai in the battle...

Meanwhile, Alexander, Shuu, Eberto and Alrick would be facing Carnelian's sons, which are in fact chimeras, since Carnelian experimented on them. Based on my knowledge of the Carnelian Blood characters, here the fight would be close but I think the intellect of both Shuu and Alrick could give them a good edge in the battle. Even Lilly could be there as backup 🗡️.

The rest of the Sakamaki brothers, the Mukami brothers, Shin and Kino (along with the Ghouls), could be fighting Carnelian's elite soldiers - "The Crimson Guard" (which by the way, these characters are canon).

Meanwhile Callista and Yui/MC are in a hostage situation, Calli because she is the future wife of the next Vampire King, and Yui because she is "Eve" and that already makes her too special and important.

I hope this isn't too weird, I just wanted to add my thoughts!

Ah! Not weird at all~ I love it!

Honestly, the best ideas and story progressions on my blog come from others helping me along the way. Working out ideas and flushing them out. So, please, I love talking about these kind of things and building a bigger world.

You are 100% on how the kings operate. I think that Karl and Burai are more of the magical and tactical. While Gottfried and Ajax are the muscle tanks. I totally agree with your head cannon that the wolves would be the strongest physically - they, to me, are the more natural fighters - they give into their instincts more.

I do recall that Carnelian was the one who created the endzeit - that does give Carla cause to join in with the other Lords, as a Lord in his own right. Perhaps this would also be a turning point for him - to take up that mantle.

I did not know they were Chimeras!!! What! I just thought they were demon boys. See, I don't know anything. This keeps getting deeper and deeper. If that is the case, Shu, Reiji, Alexander and Alrick might have to put their minds together while the other siblings fight. @the-sloth-woman I can totally see Lilly joining the fight in Alrick's stead. Having to deal with a cult and an army - both of which I am just learning about - they are going to need all the smarties. The other boys and even Meteo and Evangeline would be leading the fights with those - no question.

Yui would for sure be a hostage, but I don't think Callista would. Callista isn't the type to go down easy, so if she was taken - it was because she was with Yui. If she was with Yui, and captured she would be plotting their escape. I can see her and Yui making it out and running into the boys like "We're here to save you" and Calli just being like "Well you took too long."

[bronanlynch]

once again here is my weekly roundup post of what I'm watching/reading/etc. once again none of this is necessarily a recommendation, except the bits where I talk about my own fic. obviously everyone should read my fic

listening (podcast): nothing new here. continuing with the Wing episodes of Great Gundam Project, which continue to make me want to watch Gundam at all times. also keeping up with Palisade (Friends at the Table), my beloved, I love it when an actual play podcast episode is an extended discussion on spycraft and the changing political landscape, and also watching someone else flip a coin

also, I've listened to less A More Civilized Age recently because I'm less interested in KOTOR now that they're covering that, but I did listen to their episode on the imminently-closing Disney World Starcruiser attraction which. oof. great podcast episode, unsurprising that the ~experience was uhhhhh not worth how many thousands of dollars it costs

listening (music): changed the CD in my car to One-X by Three Days Grace. sorry for almost exclusively listening to music that was used for AMVs in the 2000s.

however! for once I listened to new music, the new Troye Sivan single, Got Me Started. nothing particularly smart to say here, it's fun and catchy and makes me wish it was 2018 and I was back in grad school having a single overpriced drink in a gay bar and failing to psych myself up enough to flirt with anyone

reading: still working my way through Rule of Wolves (truly would be more interesting if Leigh Bardugo did not always shy away from the political marriages that she teases at, at least then the political intrigue would have to actually happen on the page) and Water Outlaws (shout out to my new favorite side character, the nonbinary strategist who wants to overthrow the government).

also read the newest KJ Charles novel, A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel. I always have a lot of fun with her stuff, she understands that life-threatening stakes and also secrets & betrayal are what I personally want in a romance. this one had some very fun intrigue around inheritance & legal loopholes, and also plot-important discussions of religion in Roman Britain. my main complaint isn't even a critique of the book itself, it's just that I as a person have slightly different priorities and I wish one of the main characters had been allowed to stay angry and maybe be more destructive about it. like I'm glad he's happy now that he's had his character development, and I do think it was well done. however. I would've found it personally cathartic if he got to do a few more crimes first

also also, this incredibly scathing academic book review (Was There an Administrative Revolution?, George Zhijian Qiao). it's a delight. I've seen some harsh rebuttals but nothing nearly as much of a masterpiece as this

watching: continuing to watch Elementary, which has its pros (competently-written mystery stories with fun characters) and its cons (can't tell if the copaganda has gotten more blatant this season or if it's just been building up and I'm getting tired of it)

also continuing my long slow journey of watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes. what a show. love an incredibly homoerotic military sci-fi anime about the narrative construction of history. season 3 has been kind of up and down for me, though, I must say. I love the parts about Reinhard being desperate to die in battle against a "worthy opponent," I love Reuental getting accused of treason presumably to foreshadow him actually doing treason at some point, I love Kircheis haunting the narrative, I love the vastly different tone whenever we see Yang being self-aware about history and his friends getting up to shenanigans. however. whenever the Earth Cult is the central focus I'm reminded how much I don't like that plotline. like. Idk. I'm not an expert but I know more well-informed people than me have talked/written about the prevalence of antisemitic conspiracy theory tropes in anime from this era and uh. that sure is present here and I don't care for it

the other thing I watched this week is 1985 horror film Re-Animator. my first note is "oh he's such a little freak I love him" (about the titular guy who reanimates the dead) and that really sums it up I think. is it a good movie? I mean. probably not. but I could write an entire thesis on the themes of procreation vs necromancy and how that subtextually makes the central conflict of the film a love triangle, and sometimes that's what really matters

playing: ran a session of Blades in the Dark while partially out-of-it from the flu shot/covid booster combo. this was the third session of a single score, and by the end of it everyone only had one (1) remaining stress box but somehow no one trauma-ed out while escaping the ancient winged robot/ghost lady whose gambling hall they were robbing (they stole her reality-bending dice that she made out of her own bones)

I've been enjoying Ace Attorney 5 more this week, the second half of 5-3 and the beginning of 5-4 have been a lot of fun. it really is a shame that Robin's gender is handled Like That because otherwise 5-3 would be such a good case. I'm not far enough into 5-4 to say much about it other than that I like it so far but truly my main observation is, if two astronauts were on the launch pad, and one of them killed the other with a knife, would that be fucked up or what?

making: made butternut squash pasta sauce with the rest of the squash left over from last week's muffins. we used this recipe, largely because it involved roasting the squash in the oven instead of standing over a stove waiting for liquid to reduce (substituted oat milk for the half-and-half, it turned out fine and just didn't needed the added pasta water)

here it's on mushroom ravioli, but we also added it to baked mac & cheese to add some more vegetable to that

drinking: sorry that all of this is so aggressively seasonal, unfortunately I love a lot of ~fall flavors~. anyway. shout out to Citizen Cider's Baker's Dozen (cider donut flavored cider). it's not as sweet as other cider donut ciders I've had, since Citizen's stuff tends to be fairly dry, but it still has the cinnamon flavor and it's very tasty

writing: mostly I've been editing the same t4t yurivain fic I've been working on for months, but I'm running out of shareable snippets of that and really I need to just post the damn thing. and I've also written a little bit more of a self-indulgent vibes- & motif-heavy Great Ace Attorney fic so uh. here's this:

They’d been at sea without stopping for a while now, but land was drawing into view once again, if he looked west where the sky was still dark. Maybe his friends, the friends he must’ve had once, were still out there, beyond the sea. Maybe they were looking for him. Maybe they were waiting for him in London. Maybe that was why he needed to go there so badly. Or maybe they were all gone, and he, left behind alone, had business to finish on their behalf before he could rejoin them. The sea slapped against the hull of the ship, and there was the frayed edge of a memory there too, a familiarity with ships, with the sounds that the sea could make, that went back farther than his few months’ employment as a dock worker and a deckhand.

[vendettapandav]

hi!! i've been closely following your readings of the damned fics and i've been loving each and every chapter of them so far!! i have had one question pop up every time i read it, though: how would lisa and father garcia react to john joining the cult? surely, garcia would still go on to try and stop the profane sabbath, right? even if john isn't there to help him? and i'm sure lisa would be worried about him too!!

I’m so glad you’re enjoying the fics!! I’m really pouring all of my heart and my hyperfixative energy into them sjdjdjkd-

Good question! So good it makes me wonder if I accidentally leaked the docs link to my current draft for chapter 2 of The Lovers 🤔

In all seriousness though, their reactions are something I do plan on exploring eventually. One sooner than the other. I’ll try to explain it as best I can without spoiling anything.

Where Garcia is concerned, we’ve seen that he’s a very determined and unrelenting force in his mission to stop the Profane Sabbath and cleanse the world of demons. He’s a lot more steadfast and resistant towards the forces of the UNSPEAKABLE and Gary than John is. Being so much older and having much more experience with conflict has given him a resilience. (Though as we’ve seen with John, even those with the strongest of faith can fall to the forces of the Devil.) He’s also hellbent on saving anyone that he can, as evidence by the whole ordeal with Michael, the desperation to find the twins, and even going as far to follow John into the darkness to help him. Suffice to say, he’s already gone after John once when he sensed something was wrong. Who’s to say he wouldn’t do it again?

And who’s to say he won’t fail again, even if he does so unknowingly?

As for Lisa… Lisa’s tougher than she knows or gives herself credit for. But being tough only gets you so far when you’re living in a den of wolves. She still has a soft heart and a susceptible soul. She might not trust anybody in the building after what she’s experienced with the cult, but she does trust John. He’s her oldest and dearest friend after all! Her first love! The one person she feels she can turn to no matter what and always depend upon, especially now that they’re older and life has only gotten stranger and more complicated. He’s her hero! They’re each other’s rock and safe space. Home is wherever they are together. So finding out he’s joined the cult will certainly give her mixed feelings. Sure, it’s Gary’s Cult… but it’s also John. He could be Charon leading her across the River Styx and Lisa would only ever see him as Moses parting the Red Sea and leading her to the Promised Land.

How that story ends is truly anyone’s guess. :3c

[findopulencerp]

                                    𝖒𝖆𝖍𝖆𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖆 '𝖍𝖆𝖑' 𝖊𝖎𝖘𝖊𝖓

she was born 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 years ago, she is a 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟 who lives in 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐲 in the 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐫𝐭, and is in 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐢 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚. she looks an awful lot like 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐝.

“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”

The Buwan Pack is where Mahalina’s story begins. A multigenerational werewolf pack that stemmed from the Philippines had been a prominent force on the Eastern Hemisphere since the 1800s. Through migration and the passing of time, they have become a multifaceted organization throughout the globe over many centuries. Partnering with various supernatural creatures, to challenge the natural order of things, making it safer for werewolves to integrate in like-minded communities throughout the world. That had been the course of action and mission for their growing, multicultural and blended family through decades past. 

Within the last five decades, the headquarters for the Buwan Pack was moved to New York City. A thriving place with millions of people filtering through annually. It was safe grounds and territory, to build and maintain their power and reach amongst the werewolf network. Only two decades ago did Mahalina’s mother, Amihan, become the alpha of the Buwans. The heiress and first female in the legacy of the familial line to assert herself into this position. It was initially outstanding. However, over time, the power, fame, and notoriety began to converge, shaping the movement of the pack differently. Instead of being inclusive, it was shifting to an exclusive, premier, and self-righteous cult in Hal’s  eyes. 

From the moment she was born, Mahalina was a prized possession of her mother’s collection of fine and precious tokens. The only child to her mother and father, David Eisen, Hal’s entire world was curated and fixed to her mother’s liking. Projecting all her own wishes and desires upon her daughter, she was training and preparing the young werewolf-to-be to carry on the family legacy. The way in which her mother was now course-correcting for her own ambitions. However, despite all of that, Mahalina was still able to break away from the mold thanks to her father. He’d always encouraged her to explore her own interests and hobbies, being the peacekeeper between Hal and her mother progressively over the years. Albeit, a co-conspirator of her mother’s action, David had been an omega in his early twenties after getting attacked while on a hike during a full moon. He was subservient at best, one who had fallen into the trap of his mother’s luring charisma, personality, and propaganda.

However, Hal could see through her mother’s facade in her preteen years. It’s why when she had begun shifting, she did her best to keep the matters private. The last thing she wanted was her mother to pick-up on it and keep her on a leash to control her behaviors and movements. Yet, the best of her intentions, landed her in the most terrifying predicament. She bit someone. This stupid boy from her school who she had been warding off any and all advances to keep him at bay. Yes, she had her fair share of friends and was the social butterfly of their school community, but Mahalina knew that she was just a member of the few wolves who were blending in with these humans. A full moon shift that she was running late too had landed her in the predicament of unintentionally biting this kid. Warning him days later that he had to flee, she mentioned the town of Opulence, a place she heard circulating around in her mother’s office more recently. 

Since then, she’s been trying her best to keep her wolf at bay. Aggressive and dominating in nature, Mahalina has led a life to counteract the beast within that she’s still trying to hone. A role of servitude and becoming a nurse and working as an EMT in New York had helped her process her own guilt and actions years later. However, with her mother’s continued tightened grip on wanting to spread her narrative, Hal finally decided to part ways. Alluding to the fact that she would travel around the country to bring in recruits, she secretly has fled for her own sanity and protection from the Buwan pack in hopes to find a new pace of life for herself. At first, with no true location to go, the thought of Opulence had circled back in her mind. She’s not sure how much of a safe haven this place truly can be, but she’s hoping that she can rewrite her narrative on being a Buwan and an Eisen on her own.

“what power did she attain when settling in opulence?”

The power to intuitively sense and adopt emotions/energy of others. On the spectrum of emotional intelligence. Has always been an empathetic individual, but since being in Opulence, it has heightened immensely. Mahalina has the ability to spontaneously adapt to other's emotions, physical sensations, and psychological perspectives in their bodies. Can be both advantageous and disadvantageous.

this character is…retired

[linuxgamenews]

New Playable Character and More: Unholy Alliance Update for Cult of the Lamb

Unholy Alliance update is due to hit Cult of the Lamb action roguelike game on Linux and Steam Deck via Windows PC. All thanks to the endless creativity of the talented team at Massive Monster. Available on Steam, GOG, and Humble Store with 96% Overwhelmingly Positive reviews. Devolver Direct just released some exciting news for all fans of Cult of the Lamb. Get ready to dive into the new, free Unholy Alliance update, hitting Linux and Steam Deck via Windows PC on August 12. The best part? There's a brand new playable character: the Goat! Summoned by blood and born in corruption, this quirky companion can join the Lamb in local co-op. So, grab a friend and get ready to roam dungeons, beat heretics, and build your cult together. The entire Cult of the Lamb campaign is now playable in local co-op. You and a friend can enjoy special 2-player versions of existing mini-games like Fishing and Knucklebones. Plus, in Unholy Alliance update you can also choose from a selection of weapons, tarot cards, curses, and corrupted relics as your cooperative adventures unfold. Teamwork makes the dream work. The Lamb and Goat can swap weapons, deal extra damage when fighting back to back, and even deliver critical hits when their attacks sync up. But don’t worry if you prefer to go solo – there are also plenty of new powers for lone wolves too.

Cult of the Lamb | Unholy Alliance Teaser Trailer

The Unholy Alliance update doesn’t just stop at co-op. It’s packed with new content: tarot cards, relics, buildings, fleeces, character traits, quests, and secrets to uncover. Whether you’re teaming up or going it alone, there’s a ton of new stuff to explore and enjoy. Crusade through dungeons, slay heretics, build your cult, and seek new powers together. The Cult of the Lamb Unholy Alliance update also brings a fresh twist to your adventures, making every run feel exciting and new. And hey, if you find yourself adventuring solo in this vast, dark plane of existence, don't sweat it. The update is due to have loads of extreas for you too. From new abilities to uncover to fresh challenges to conquer, your solo runs will be anything but boring. Mark your calendars for August 12th, hitting Linux and Steam Deck via Windows PC. So get ready to dive back into the dark, quirky world of Cult of the Lamb. With the Unholy Alliance update, there’s never been a better time to build your cult and conquer the dungeons. The games is available on Steam. But discounted 40% on GOG, and Humble Store. Dropping the price to $14.99 USD / £11.99 / 14,49€.

[somevagrantchild]

Noooo friend. I know you're just being glib, but Lestat's aristocratic background very much does matter! It matters SO MUCH.

There is FAR more to being an aristocrat than money. It's a culture, it's an upbringing, it's customs and manners. Lestat says repeatedly that his "aristocratic bearing" got him places in life that others couldn't. His posture, his body language, his way of speaking. Got him his job as an actor, got him particular attention. He says how the moneyed bourgeoisie tried to emulate this aristocratic je ne sais quoi, but could never quite manage it. Being an aristocrat was the entire reason it was HIS responsibility to kill the wolves, and that plus his manners and affect were the very things that captured Magnus's attention and the whole reason he was chosen to be a vampire in the first place. His beauty/hotness is more than just bone structure and fabulous hair, it was in his attitude, his confidence, his way of facing the world that only someone born into his position could manifest. And not just the aristocratic position, but the impoverished/shamed aristocratic position. Having all the expectations of the ruling class heaped upon his family, but the inability to live up to them because of the lack of money and opportunities shaped his entire upbringing and personality. It's what made his brothers cruel and his mother cold and his father the sniveling old blind man he was burdened to care for. It's what fueled Lestat's darkness, but the privileges of having servants and serfs and subjects also left enough space for his exuberant light to still find a way to shine. If he were that poor and working class, it surely would have all been squashed out of him at a very early age.

And that's all just BEFORE he became a vampire! As a vampire, his aristocratic background was what made him GENTLEMAN death, the new unheard-of species of vampire that blew the minds of the Children of Satan and changed the entire vampiric culture of Paris. None of the other vampires who rejected the cult were gentlemen. Lestat's experience of knowing HOW to be gentry (even if he didn't act that way every day at home) was what gave him the skill and ability to seamlessly enter high society as soon as he had the money from Magnus's treasure to do so. It's why he didn't even think twice about striking out across the world to explore and then to find a place for himself in America, to make that ocean crossing that no vampire had ever been confident enough to try before. Lestat's not bold and confident (just) because he's an impulsive moron. It's bred in him.

He talks in later books about how new young vampires, even in modern times, become vagabonds who don't know how to make/save money or integrate with society. They don't have the background structure to know how to climb in the world and need to be taught. Lestat spent his whole childhood upbringing being taught. His aristocratic education (even if it wasn't an academic education) gave him a huge step up over vampires made from commoners, so that even without a maker or any friends in the world, he was able to in a manner of weeks become the most fabulous vampire the world had ever seen since Marius's days in Venice.

And let's also talk about the most important thing--Louis! The difference between their classes impacted their relationship in a huge way from the very beginning! Even if Anne didn't have the idea for Lestat to be poor nobility when she wrote the first book, I'll bet she realized she had no other choice for him when it came time to create his backstory, because she had already used all the building blocks of it. He talks of Louis's naivete due to his "strange bourgeois faith that God was still God even if he turned his back on us, that damnation and salvation established the boundaries of a small and hopeless world" in contrast to the cynicism and atheism that were the result of his own aristocratic upbringing.

Lestat says, "As for his belief that I was a peasant, well that was understandable. He was, after all, a discriminating and inhibited child of the middle class, aspiring as all the colonial planters did to be a genuine aristocrat even though he had never met one, and I came from a long line of feudal lords who licked their fingers and threw the bones over their shoulders to the dogs as they dined." Upper class aristocracy in reality was different from and a whole lot more than how middle class men like Louis imagined it, that assumption of glamor and propriety. It was darker, messier, meaner than those who fantasized about it liked to believe. Aristocracy was the duty to risk your life alone to kill eight wolves in the snow with medieval weapons because an entire countryside of people depended upon you to survive the winter.

Their differences in upbringing and resultant perspectives on life and the world doesn't just impact Louis and Lestat's relationship, but is also the backbone of the philosophies that provide major themes in the books. Of the darkness, the cynicism, the disillusionment of becoming a vampire for Louis. Like the bourgeois dream of climbing the class ladder to aristocracy, becoming a vampire seems like a very desirable transformation until Louis actually makes it and is faced with the dark reality of what his new role in life must be.

the funniest thing about lestat is he was secretly a member of the gentry!! woaaah!! plot twist!!! except it doesn't really matter at all. they had no money. it doesn't define his perception of himself. it was nothing but a stricture and eventually he left and even that mattered in no material terms to anyone. to the extent he returns to auvergne in like 200 years the vibes are rancid as hell and it has no continuity. it never actually mattered. if it's a lie and he was the groundskeeper it's the same. his existence shed everything human. he's playing with the shadows in the cave

[fairymint]

🎈 How does your muse relate to gender dynamics in their world? Is it different from IRL? (Felix ofc)

Well, this question falls under optional lore since pokemon is a huge fandom; there are followers I have who write escapism and followers who write dark topics.

But there is lore. Basically, world-building wise, bigotry and gender dynamics stem from the 'Alpha Wolves' cult/ideology, spreading historically from Galar the way it would have IRL, minus the guns; instead they weaponized dogs.

Pokemon seems like a place that is ahead of reality in progressiveness, but only by a little- a consequence of probably many things, such as easier travel, the weapons being living creatures, and a culture of love- ask many IRL an adult and many deem life just being unfair, independent- I don't see that streak in this world; aka i don't see bullies getting far/too violent without a team to back them up.

Anyways, Felix is in conflict about gender dynamics as a trans gay man born in the 90s. There's thought patterns, internalized toxicity, that bubbles up and causes him to take caution- I'm leery of strangers IRL that are 'too' nice to me because they might be about to misgender me. I don't wear makeup IRL because i don't pass as male 'enough' and am not comfortable yet. Because he's very small and 'cute' and such, he's not confident that other men will have genuine sexual interest for him- masc4masc gay culture at work, the want to appear more 'adult' and/or earn love. passing as a 'little boy' is both a trans and dwarfism thing;; and just trying to be gender euphoric without being misogynist/transphobic himself.

and, for the sake of my comfort and world building, his transition was fairly quick- i don't really wish to RP 'in-between' states, such as the wait for top surgery, bottom growth, voice dropping, etc.- I've had to drop contact with somebody over clearly preferring him pre-transition, and while i do still relate hard to the nonbinary agenda™️ mid-transition, I'm working on it. I'm not rlly comfortable with they/them due to terfs but i try to be kind/understanding. like, i still have boobs irl and i hate it. i don't trust nsfw themed blogs because the possibility for chaser behaviour ooc is high. consider a lot of that kind of stuff happening offscreen/off the radar. He just sort of reappeared in Alola under a new name and gender- only real exceptions being ORAS and Magikarp Jump with they/them pronouns. But, he's been blessed with very dramatic changes, when some trans guys get Nothing for any one change.

Ideally, he's so comfortable in his masculinity that he likes to be fruity sometimes- but he's still for the time being a bit shy about it, especially compared to my other, more traditionally masculine muses. He's a baby gay growing into his masculinity(/femme queerness), but is recognized as male by society. He's not used to the top energy side of himself; he grew up wanted as a 'bottom'.

IRL wise....i get hit by dysphoria here and there, especially with faceclaims. there's a fine balance between my personal style, looking as young as i do IRL, looking old 'enough'.....and y'know the work involved in finding or drawing shit and fkdgjkd. As well as enough expressions to work with- that's top priority.

facial hair's working wonders for my gender presentation, but I'm waiting for more. I'm waiting for surgery. I'm waiting to be 'There' tbh. my mixed passing is leaning into male.