#Magic Meat March

[bottlehawk]

hs kids' first day on the earth c minecraft survival server

jake: starts digging straight down as soon as he spawns. keeps digging. keeps digging. keeps digging. no one ever sees him again

jane: enters ready to get everyone organized. half the server immediately runs off doing their own thing. stops the remaining crew before they wander off so they can start building a base before it turns to night. gives everyone roles and then has to go afk because she was on her lunch break and is actually playing minecraft on her company computer. comes back hours later and finds the entire server on fire.

karkat: gets a stone hoe and some wheat seeds thrown at him and is told to set up a wheat farm. nods even though he's never played minecraft before and doesn't know how. clicks the ground with the hoe and it seems to do something so he does that for a while. dave comes over and asks him why he's been just plowing the ground in one really long straight line. tells him to fuck off so he does. wishes he hadn't when he realizes he could've asked him for help. figures out that if you click on the ground with the seed it plants it and decides he's actually a minecraft genius and doesn't need anybody's help at all. dusts his hands off proud of the work he's done and then goes to try to find kanaya.

kanaya: is given a stone axe and is told to chop down some wood for the houses. does and gives roxy some stacks and goes to chop down some more wood because she honestly finds it kind of therapeutic. ends up clearing an entire mountain. night comes and mobs start sprouting up and she chops them down too. is surrounded by fields of floating rotten flesh and bones and cursed armor when suddenly she sees flames in the distance near the base. starts marching down there with the grim resolution of an executioner, ready to now start chopping some necks.

terezi: learns how to craft a flint and steel and discovers the magic of fire. laughs maniacally as she starts burning cows she runs into and laughs even more when she discovers they drop cooked meat. wants to find more things to burn. finds a raider's base and the sound of the wood torching up into flames does something to her and she starts setting fire to the entire forest. stumbles across the base. sets fire to one of the buildings. karkat comes over and yells and asks what the fuck she's doing. sets karkat on fire. laughs as she watches him run in circles not knowing how to stop the flames. suddenly gets murked by kanaya who's sneaked up behind her, and continues being hunted down by her as she respawns for the rest of the night.

jade: wanders off and finds a cute little village. decides that she's adopting it now. places some flowers she's picked along the way around to make it look nice and pretty. tames and places some cats around the perimeter and puts some torches nearby to keep away mobs. builds a water fountain in the middle of the town square. waves goodbye to go find some wolves to tame and promises that she'll be back.

dave: builds elaborately detailed dirt penises all over the farm while karkat works and negs him. karkat tells him to fuck off and go do something useful. fucks off accordingly and finds jade's village. raids everything from the chests and all the crops. puts dirt dicks all over the place. kills the cats for string and free exp. kills some sheep and creates beds and pushes some of the villagers inside a shitty little acacia building he made with a sign on it saying "breeding pen". throws some potatoes at them and then blocks up the entrance. turns around and immediately gets blown up by a creeper.

calliope: is the only one given op privileges as she is the only one that everyone can trust to have it. decides she wants to build a big cool glass castle in the sky. has just finished building the base when jade types in chat that whoever destroyed her village is going to pay. types "oh no!!!" in the chat. gets a dm from dave asking her for sanctuary because jade is going to KILL him. remembers that he's made NFTs. sends jade screenshots of the exact incriminating parts in the server log and happily continues building her castle.

rose: has debug screen turned on. immediately crafts several stone axes. runs off to the nearby desert and finds a desert temple and raids it, crafting an iron bucket. fills it with water and goes to a lava pool and builds a nether portal. enters the nether. speed bridges over to a nether fortress and makes a wither skeleton farm and proceeds to grind for ~3-4 hours. collects enough wither skulls. readies her bow and summons the wither and starts using its detonating blasts to mine down for ancient debris.

roxy: tried to convince everybody at the beginning to download 727378282 mods to make the server "more FUN!!". was unsuccessful. gets told to make some houses and beds for the base so she does. looks for other things to do and finds karkat's wheat farm and is flabbergasted. why is it in one long straight line. there isn't even any water. where is the water? tells john to go get her some redstone while she fixes it up so she can automate it.

john: not sure what to do. roxy tells him to start mining for redstone ("its red and shiny lol you wont have to dig that far"). digs straight down into a cave. realizes he forgot to get wood but decides to go on anyway. uses up all his stone pickaxes mining copper because he doesn't know what it is and it looks cool. hits a slime and it divides into more slimes and he freaks out and runs away with two hearts. keeps running and finds a door in the side of the cave wall. opens it. wanders around in a cool maze and then enters a weird room with some yellow and green chest like boxes. suddenly gets attacked by a little bug making a screechy sound and panics and dies.

dirk: rounds up some animals into pens for the base and then busts out a boat and a fishing pole to try to get them a book of mending. is chilling in the middle of the ocean and then sees that dave gets blown up by a creeper in chat. asks if he's okay and if he needs someone to come over. sees that karkat got killed by terezi. sees that terezi got killed by kanaya. asks what is going on. is now rowing back towards base. jade types that her village has been destroyed. jane has logged on and is asking why the entire base is on fire. is crafting buckets and filling them with water. sees that rose got an achievement for summoning the wither. texts her "Dude did you just summon the Wither???". rose ominously replies "I've got it handled." sees john got killed by a silverfish and roxy asking when the hell john found the stronghold. jake gets a cheating death with a totem of undying achievement. proceeds to have a total aneurysm.

#homestuck #john egbert #rose lalonde #dave strider #jade harley #jane crocker #roxy lalonde #jake english #dirk strider #karkat vantas #kanaya maryam #terezi pyrope #calliope #bottlehawk text #they have to restart the server and set ground rules because it goes to shit so fast #there are wars. #long post

[searchingforserendipity25]

The Eagle's Share

Tw: hunting and animal sacrifice.

Inspired by the incredible Fingon&Eagles relationship in Not In Vain by @polutrope!

-

In Barad Eithel celebrations were held in the middle of every bitter winter, a proud chasing away of the bitter frost Fingolfin's people so loathed.

There were dances, sparring games, and great hunts. Lalwen lead a masking ritual, a time of portents and heady magics; Fingolfin-king poured the mead and the wine, and passed to every cupped palm their due bold of miruvor he had brewed all summer, to each were given their due words of praise and courage.

He spoke and shone as once he had amidst the spluttering fires, a small animal in the Darkening calling to himself a hard, a pack to weather the long night within greater warmth.

Well-loved he was, Fingolfin of the Noldor; to him none were truer than the eldest of his sons, whose bowl was ever poured last, that it should be known the king favoured not his own blood unduly.

But Fingon went by himself, on the darkest nights before the lengthening of the days: and did not return until he had slain a great elk-of-the-woods, or a mad-eyed bear mother, and left the upon the highest peak for the eagles and falcons and ravens to feast upon.

Afterwards he joined the feasting, singing and harping as he went, at that hour when a grey light started to gleam dully to the East; and the music changed, the drums quickened into lighter reels, treacherous leaping staff-on-staff dances. He wore ribbons of goldcloth embroidered with copper in his hair, and about his neck necklaces with eagle feathers - long and sleek and just as golden.

The Great Eagles came not among the Eldar then, but to involve themselves in rare and dire matters; but some of them begot lesser creatures among their wild kin, and it was from such a strain that Fingon raised, and tended, and trained many a generation of bold hunting kestrels, amber-eyed falcons - even some rare grave and little-tamed eagles.

In the back of his aiming hand he inked an eagle, wings spread and proud. It had been the way of mourning in the Ice, when one died, and the body could not be buried; Fingolfin's grave never was seen by Fingolfin's heir.

Still the blood-price must be paid. Fingon went, and brought down his greatest beast yet, a woollen mammoth thick enough to feed a company for the march.

He left it to the wise birds of the realm. The blood gleamed red and slick on the snow, the viscera steaming enough to make his mouth water. As ever he gave them his thanks, begged their pity, praised the glory of their free flight, their hungering defiance, even as Morgoth made foul and weak so much of the land and the land's beasts.

Alone under the judging stars he wept, as he had not yet; a great grief was on him, and a will for revenge. Above all he denied Morgoth's design, that would wipe clean the skies and the earth, till all creatures were his servants, and no honor or memory of good deeds remained alive.

The birds came to feed. They fought among themselves at times, as was their way; yet they were solemn in their devouring, determined as they bit the meat out of the bone and bared it.

Their many eyes were in the night of nights a light of their own, ancient; and their cawing and their calling was insistent, even after all had fed - insistent for blood and vengeance, fierce and fierce enough to tear the silence in many halves. It made the white hills and the high firs tremble with urgency; Fingon's voice too rose, at last, and joined their defiance.

In the dark before a slow dawn rose, he started making ready for war.

The feasting changed with Fingolfin's end, ever less a celebration, more the smothering thrill that gathered, storm-like, in the hearts of the Eldar before a battle. His vassals came more often and from further, to deepen their counsels of war under the guise of a common visit, the trading of winter-gifts made anew into a deep renewal of vows.

Through great gates they went, marveling at the strength and beauty of the fortifications of the Noldor, and in the king's great chamber they bent over his left hand in greeting, that Fingon might clasp their necks and touch their cheeks in welcome.

But Maedhros of Himring alone kneeled at his feet and kissed the tattoo through the king's hawking gloves, his own cleaved right arm pressed against his heart.

So it was in Barad Eithel, that valiant realm, before the walls were broken, when the wild wings of Beleriand were revered.

#fingon #maedhros #fingolfin #silm fic #tolkien #silmarillion #eagles of manwe #my fics

[blitheringmcgonagall]

NEVERLY EVER AFTER…

Summary

Lily wants to go to Prince James' ball but has no means of getting there, plus no interest in meeting a pompous git.

Remus has less than zero interest in going to the ball, but it looks like he's going to have to go anyway, despite being a beast.

Prince Sirius has just escaped his step-father's latest assassination attempt. Great. All good.

And Prince James knows he's going to have to turn up to his own ball, and pretend everything is tikety-boo, despite the fact that a curse is due to hit him tonight and send his off to sleep for a hundred years.

All's well then, isn't it??

For the @jilychallenge March 2024 Theme: Fairy Tales

Tales: Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin.

Quote: "As you are so clever, you shall sit with me" from Grimm

Fae creature: Unicorn

Partner: @practicecourts (thank you to my partner 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 for organising this lovely March Jilychallenge 2024 fairytale idea!)

A little gift for @mabelexclamationpoint and @theresthesnitch who love Jily and Wolfstar 🥰

Chapter One: Tickety-Boo

Lily Evans didn’t want to go to the ball to marry some spoilt, conceited, pompous git who probably seriously needed to deflate his head. She wanted to go because she had never been to a ball.

She wanted to see all the spectacular ballgowns; the raffish, over-the-top waistcoats and petticoats; the glamorous high heels on the men, and the ornate powdered wigs and strange makeup; she had heard there was at least one break for food as an energy boost between dances – that they served new things called canapés - savoury biscuits filled with meats or cheeses or caviar or salmon. She craved delicious food.

And perhaps a drink of strong, sweet wine (which she wasn’t supposed to have, ever, but she occasionally managed to steal a glug from one of the bottles her step-sister Petunia jealously guarded).

Mostly, she longed to listen to the enthralling music - an entire orchestra! - and to dance, to sweep across the floor, feeling magical and wild, untethered. Her father had taught her to dance, and she had never forgotten.

Keep reading on Ao3…

#neverly ever after #Lily Evans #Cinderella #Remus Lupin #being both Beauty AND the Beast #Sirius Black #Snow White or well Black #James Potter #Sleeping Beauty #his mother would disagree but anyway #marauders #jily #wolfstar #marauders x fairytale #jilychallenge #🥳🥳🥳 🪄 ✨

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

Spring Equinox / Ostara

Let me preface by saying, even if you don't follow the wheel of the year, utilize the prompt here for whatever holiday you do celebrate, if you do! If you only recognize the equinoxes and solstices as days, use this prompt outline for those!

Next is Ostara, Circa March 20. Different cultures and spiritualities and different witches will celebrate or not celebrate this day. For those of us Pagans who do, here’s a bunch of posts. (None of these are mine, these are simply pages I’ve gathered from Tumblr at large to share here.All credit goes to the individuals who made the posts!)

Ostara Posts on Tumblr

Ostara Sounds/ Music

Ways to Celebrate

About Ostara/ Spring Equinox

Ostara

Spring Equinox/ Ostara

Celebrate

Outside Tumblr Sources

Wikipedia - Ostara & Spring Equinox

Celtic Connection

ThoguhtCo

History

Wild Hunt

These are just from a quick search. Take time to read, not only current writings and musings on the holiday and time of year, but look at historical texts and documentation of the holiday. That is where the truth of the season is.

The Prompt!

Okay! Make a new page, solely for Ostara/ Spring Equinox! 

Write out a description of the holiday. What is it? When is it? How is it traditionally celebrated? Why were things celebrated the way they were? What are the things that this holiday represents and stands for? This is the meat and potatoes of the holiday. Any and all bits of info aside from this are just the seasoning. Mine is a few small paragraphs about the holiday itself. 

Now make some lists. What are the colors used to decorate for this holiday? What are some incense/ oils/ candle scents that are commonly associated with this day? Gemstones? Herbs? Is there a moon phase or particular god/goddess associated with this holiday? What about animals? Flowers? Were there any traditional offerings left out on this holiday? And what foods were made on this day?

What are some of the activities you can do to celebrate this holiday? And what about magic and rituals. Are there any specific kinds of magic to perform on or around this day? Are there any poems or blessings associated with this holiday?

That’s a lot of info, I know. But now for the second part of the holiday prompt!

Make it your own!

Now, given all the information you’ve gathered, make your own small ritual to be performed on Ostara/ the Spring Equinox. To do this, I suggest a scrap paper to brainstorm on. Here’s some things to keep in mind and help write out your ritual. 

What is the theme/ purpose of the ritual? (Healing ritual? Cleansing? Renewal of intentions? Welcoming the light?)

What are the tools you’ll use and what is the purpose/ association it has? (candles, athame/ sacred blade, incense, gemstones etc)

What power(s) are you calling upon for the ritual and why? (elements, deities, sun/ moon, personal power, etc)

How do you set it up? Is there specific placement of the tools? Direction to face when calling the above powers? Do you cast a circle? Or do you simply light a candle and bow your head in a moment of silent prayer/ meditation?

Good Luck and Happy Crafting!

-Mod Hazel

#grimoire #grimoire prompt #2024 grimoire challenge #grimoire challenge #paganism #witchcraft #witchblr #2024 gc #book of shadows #dark academia #occultism #ostara #spring equinox #grimoire prompts #grimoire inspiration #grimoire studies #spiritual #spiritual studies #grimoire study #witch study #pagan study #paganism studies

[laniemae]

I google translated all of the Milgram song names

Undercover: lazy

Weakness: weak meat cannibalism

Umbilical: belly button

Bring it on: should be bought to the table

After pain: depending on the job

Throw down: the answer to that is as follows

This is how to be in love with you: such as the methodology

Half: half a century

Magic: evil deeds

MeMe: me to me to me

HARROW: a boat

All-knowing and all agony: It is full of wisdom and workmanship.

Tear drop: In river fan water more.

Backdraft: fundraising

It’s not my fault: This is not my problem

Triage: try it out and try it out

I love you: what you are looking for

Cat: he was said to be a dog

The purge march: Purification is running

Double: he does two things

Deep cover: It has an internal opening

#milgram #Haruka sakurai #Yuno kashiki #fuuta kajiyama #muu kusunoki #shidou kirisaki #mahiru shiina #kazui mukuhara #amane momose #mikoto kayano #kotoko yuzuriha

[midnightmah07]

Voice claim: Ayane - Kimi ni Todoke

Character info:

Perse is a character whose story intertwines with Idia and Ortho; Perse and Idia's family go way back, ever since the first Shroud who got cursed. Basically, a descendent from Perse made a deal with this Shroud family member to help find a way to get their lover back safely from an overblot, and in exchange they swore that each generation of the Achillea family would serve and help each generation of the Shroud family to research about blot and to take care of Tartarus. In short, Perse is Idia's "servant", for lack of a better word. She doesn't like that, Idia doesn't like that, but it's their relationship and Perse is very insistant on the fact that they are not friends — though they both have been harboring feelings for one another ever since they were kids.

Perse has a very strong personality, she's very sassy and is a bit isolated despite what most people think given her appearance; given her position as an Achillea and the path that's already chosen for her, Perse has difficulty letting loose and actually bringing her walls down to have close friendships and relationships with people. However, she gets more comfortable with the students as her years in NRC go by and gets really close to Cater, weirdly enough; Perse is often seen as unapproachable, but she can be really nice and a good friend once you get to know her.

Fun facts: she has been a fan of Vil ever since she was young and he inspired her to take care of her appearance from a young age — and deep down she aspires to be an actress like him; despite that she is easily annoyed with people who tell her she can't be an Ignihyde student and should be a Pomefiore student instead; she's extremely book and street smart and is a closed gamer, Idia joking he's gonna tell the entire school her little secret one day.

Basic info:

Height: 175cm

Age: 18 years old

Grade: junior (3rd year)

Nicknames: lil' oyster (by Floyd), mademoiselle cachée (apparently means "hidden"; by Rook)

Birthday: March 3rd

Dominant hand: right

Homeland: Island of Woe

Favorite food: pomegranates

Least favorite food: any kind of meat or animal based food (she's vegan)

Best subject: astrology

Club: film research club

Hobby: gaming, gardening

Unique magic: Goddess of Spring - allows Perse to create any sort of plant from her body, but in small quantity only as she can get tired and hungry if she uses this spell too much

Character dynamics:

Idia Shroud: since most of their background was already explained I'll focus more on their actual dynamic. They know a lot about each other, but Perse has always been very insistant on keeping her distance from Idia and Ortho, so before book 6 their relationship was very heavily defined by their family's relationship; after book 6 Perse realizes how easy it would be to lose both Idia and Ortho and decided to be finally honest with her feelings. After that book she becomes more friendly with him, flirting too. Idia has no idea how to handle this shift, often saying how it was way easier when she put that wall between them, but he's somewhat grateful for this change because now he can finally get close to her without remorse; they're gaming buddies, have been ever since they were kids but people at school have no idea of Perse's passion for gaming and she intends to keep it this way, which makes things easy for Idia when he wants to ask her for a favor since he can just threaten to tell the entire school — he would never, but she doesn't need to know that.

Ortho Shroud: both real and humanoid Ortho have always viewed Perse as an older sister, often clinging to her for everything and asking her to play games with him. After book 6, when Perse finally lets down her walls, Ortho feels ecstatic to finally be able to get close to her and to not worry about calling her "big sister" since now she admits she also has always viewed him quite fondly. Simultaneously, Perse is extremely pleased to finally be able to get to know Ortho as a person and not as just a robot his brother created.

Vil Schoenheit: ever since she was young she has admired Vil. As a devoted fan she knows how hard he works for his roles and for his appearance, and he inspired her to work hard to help Idia and Ortho as much as she could by studying and understanding more about magic and blot, — since despite saying the contrary she always cared about them — and obviously, to take care of her appearance. Vil didn't realize she was a fan until Rook put her on the spot once, and she had to admit she at first got into the Film Research Club because of him, but grew to love the world of movies and now aspires to be an actress. He was very pleased when he heard that he had such a good influence on someone and now they're somewhat friends.

Cater Diamond: Cater and Perse are kind of alike, both put walls around themselves to keep people away in order to protect themselves, which only ends up harming them; they got to know each other on their first day at NRC, they saw each other a lot on campus and happened to get closer and become friends. Perse and Cater became really close and were one of the first people to open up to the other, because of that they're basically best friends and know every single thing about the other.

Character references:

Character cards:

Dorm card (Ignihyde)

Lab wear card

Glorious Masquerade card

Platinum Jacket

#💙! perse #twst #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland oc #twst oc #oc x canon

[dulcesiabits]

A lot of my lucas writings feel unshareable just because he's Like That, so I have to carefully curate the things I do choose to post. Anyways, have some snippets! Mild spoilers included, haha.

ii. la cuisine

“You’re bad at this.”

It’s the first thing you’ve said to him all morning, and the sound of your voice sends a pleasurable tremor down his spine. 

Lucas smiles down at the clumpy potatoes in his hands, already reduced to mush from the force of his chopping. It’s difficult to gauge how much of his strength is needed for such delicate tasks. Vegetables turn to pulp. Cakes come out uneven and blackened. His soups turn marshy. He’s gone through several cutting boards just this week alone, often cleaving straight through the wood when he’s not careful. The most he knows how to do is to cut up fruits for you in lopsided shapes, skin still clinging to their flesh. 

You never complain about his sorry attempts at food. You push around the mush he offers you sullenly, averting your gaze from his expectant face. Like a shy cat, you never eat when he’s watching, and you always leave leftovers.

It makes sense; he’s never wielded a kitchen knife before, preferring to buy food at the marche to supplement his nutrition. He could easily do that for you, too. It’s an unforgivable vanity on his part, but Lucas wants to cook for you. He wants you to eat the food he’s made, and to feed you by his own hand. He’s the only one who can take care of you in such a way.

“I’m sorry,” Lucas says to you.

“I don’t know why you’re apologizing,” you mutter.

Your voice is unearthly beautiful. If there was a way to bottle up the sound, he would carry it with him forever. What more could he do to coax you to talk to him? In his excitement, he squeezes the potatoes, and they explode outwards in a shower of mush.

“Oh my,” he says, sighing, shaking his hands. “I’m sorry, my angel. Dinner will take a while longer.”

“... Let me make something.”

“Hm?” Lucas turns, and you’re staring at the floor, bangs covering your eyes. 

“Let me make something,” you repeat. “For dinner.”

“All right,” he says, carefully setting down his knife. You stand slowly, rolling your shoulders, taking careful steps towards the kitchen. You wrinkle your nose at his uneven cubes of meat and half-peeled vegetables, the upturned spice jars.

“What were you making?” you ask.

“Hm? Well, I was just going to cut and fry them up all at once,” he says cheerfully.

“Without a recipe?”

Lucas tilts his head. “Recipe?”

You sigh. “Just… sit down. I’ll make soup for us, or something.”

You snatch the knife from the counter, and pick up a carrot that he had set down while he had mangled the potatoes. With the flat of the blade, you begin scraping away uneven bits of skin that he had missed in his initial attempt. You work deftly, slicing your way through the vegetables, and copping the meat into more even-sided cubes. It’s like magic. Lucas stands at your back, watching the swift movement of your hands, the surety of how you step around his kitchen. 

“Where’s the pot?” you ask.

Lucas swiftly opens a bottom cabinet to pick up a metal pot, placing it on the stove. “Is this good enough?”

You spare a glance, then nod. “Yeah. Can you fill it with water about half way? Turn it on to medium heat, too.”

Lucas flicks on the stove, the flames springing to life, as he meticulously fills the pot with cold water from the sink. When he’s finished, he moves back to your side, where you’re measuring spices with a spoon. Rosemary, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper… 

“What are you doing?” you ask.

“Watching you,” he replies. 

“Why?”

“Because I like seeing how you manage the kitchen,” he says simply, “You’re lovely when you do so.”

You duck your head, hands stilling as you hold up the pepper shaker. “Fine. But don’t stand too close. I can’t focus.”

He backs up a step, and you continue your work. You dump the ingredients into the soup, stirring in spices all the while. In half an hour, the pot is bubbling merrily, and you’re stirring the contents.

For a second, Lucas lets his mind drift. What would it be like to come home to you like this? Would you ever be so comfortable to just relax with him in such a manner? Here you are, cooking in his kitchen. It’s the sort of normalcy he’s never even thought about achieving for himself before. To have you here at all, let alone be able to eat your food, is a blessing. 

You ladle a small bit of soup, bringing it to your mouth to sip. You wrinkle your nose, and then shake a bit more salt into the mixture.

He steps closer, hovering over your shoulder. “May I try some?” he whispers into your ear.

You start, spoon shaking in your hand. Cute. “What?”

“I’d like to try some as well,” he says. 

You stir more vigorously than you need to. “Sure. I guess. Just grab a spoon and–”

“But there’s a spoon right there,” he says innocently.

“Well… I…”

“Is it too much trouble?” he says again. He’s so close that he can feel the warmth of your body, a different sort of heat from the stove in front of you. He can see the swell of your throat, the curve of your cheek, and the flyaway strands of hair that he longs to tuck behind your ear. If he blew a puff of air into your ear, would you forgive him for such childish pranks?

You scoop up a bit of soup, and turn, holding a hand under the spoon as you offer it to him. “Fine. Just take a small sip. It’s hot.”

He leans forward, braid swinging, and sips. There’s a subtle flavor to it, but it’s warm and delicious and it’s your food, so there’s nothing but sincerity in his voice when he says, “It tastes wonderful.”

You abruptly turn around, splashing the spoon back into the pot. “Good. Go sit down. I’m almost done.”

“I want to stay here with you.”

“If you want.” There’s still a trace of wariness in your voice, but the hostility you usually spit at him is gone. When the two of you sit down for dinner later, he feels the heat of your skittish gaze lingering on the crown of his head, but never once looks up to acknowledge it. After all, you would look away if he did, and he wants the moment to last. 

The attention of an angel! That’s something you earn, not something you deserve.

iii. la nuit

It is the selfish part of him that pulls you close to him on nights like this. When the blood has been washed off and the hearts collected, all he wants to do is sink into your embrace. His arm around your waist, your body tucked into the shelter of his body, curving around you. You’re warm, warmer than anything he’s touched before. It’s like holding the sun in his grasp. You always curl in on yourself, fists clenched tightly. 

But there’s nowhere for you to run except into his arms. He’s made sure of that.

You never resist, but you never hold him back when he nuzzles his head on top of yours, pulling you closer to him. Closer, and closer still. Is there a way to pull you into his skin? So you’ll walk alongside him, and never leave? To have you with him forever?

You’re an angel. You’re an angel, and he’s a sinner. His pathetic life, for what little of it is left, is yours. To judge him. To save him. He could tear his own heart and offer it gladly to you, if only to hold you like this for a while longer.

#liya drabbles #virche evermore: error salvation #virche evermore #lucas proust #lucas stans unite!!!!! #when i think about lucas and ordinary domesticity. things he's been denied. well. it does things. to me

[dragonagecompanions]

For author of ASOIAF Inquisitor: Inner Circle reaction to the events at Hardhome?

Cassanda: And so it boils down to this. From the very beginning the Seeker has wondered when the Wall and whatever lives beyond it will have its say and at last it has come. There are so many plots that a less avid reader might struggle to keep them apart, but Cassandra's focused determination -and the tiny war table she keeps in her quarters, outlining the series- means that when the Night King finally reveals himself she can see the whole field converging.

And it is wonderful.

Varric: Look, everyone thinks they can write a book, but most people never will. His greatest work, which garnered enough notoriety that his career was jump started, was more fact than fiction and yet still was a struggle for the first few drafts. He writes novellas and periodicals because, quite frankly, keeping more than one or two story lines going is annoying and splinters focus.

Which means that with everything happening in the Seven Kingdoms somehow the fall of Hardhome should lack the impact that such an important watershed should have-- and yet somehow dancing from sunny Mereen to the icy tundra of Beyond the Wall as the end of the world draws suddenly near loses nothing for the complexity of its surroundings.

He needs to up his game.

Solas: And so the enemies begin to show their faces. From the first moment of this series the rift mage has seen very few of the plot twists coming, and as he settles back in the solitude of his rotunda this is no different. He had suspected that some of what lay beyond the wall was political fear mongering, that the watch were making ready for their own coup. But to see the Night King being his march with the icy truth that death is truly only fodder for more is....mesmerizing. All the schemes of the Seven Kingdoms fall short of this new terror, and yet so few fail to see it growing at their very borders.

He feels a kinship, there.

Blackwall: Jon Snow would have made a proper Warden. It's easy to see the similarities between wights and darkspawn, and the terrible pressure of a man set to meat unearthly foes. The Seven Kingdoms have a blight of their own on the way, make no mistake, and for a brief moment Skyhold's would be warden is ready to take arms with the King of the North whose name is Stark.

Belatedly he will chastise himself for such foolishness, but it will be on his mind for weeks afterwards, how their inquisitor intends to resolve this-- and what the fate of it all will be.

Vivienne: It stinks of Ferelden propaganda at first, and if there had not been so much else written Madame de Fer might have accused their fearless leader of pandering to King Alistair. But from the inquisitors first words in the series something has lurked behind the walls-- and while others may have been drawn in by the Lannisters and their tricks no player of the great game loses sight of an enemy for long and lives to tell of it. The Stark boy's gambit was a good one, but in showing his hand too early he has caught the attention of something far greater-- and with only an alliance with the Wildlings it seems the Starks are set to loose another scion.

It bears watching-- and is worth the effort to make sure their inquisitor has adequate writing time.

Sera: Friggin' dead people not staying dead, little people turning to monsters and all the big people too focused on their pointy chair. Arrows is what it needs, and dragons. The Red Jenny expels many a cookie and arrow on her targets, too antsy to sit and wait to read more-- and bothering their Inquisitor will only delay the process.

Friggin' words.

Iron Bull: Necromancy, why does it always come back to that? 5000 wildings against an army that just uses your fallen against you? And no promise of alliance or even peace with anyone else? Magic at your back and politics at the front? It sounds like the worst of Seheron, and that always makes his horns itch. At least the 'Vints didn't regenerate, though their magic certainly didn't help.

For all his training and his scheming the Ben Hassrath agent never saw the Night King coming so soon, and as Jon Snow flees again the Charger's leader is suddenly starting to wonder if the Seven Kingdoms is expected to survive at all.

And if not, does that bode well, for Thedas?

Dorian: Really, this is a bit beyond his ability to excuse. For the Night King to be able to permanently rouse so many, particularly in a state of constant obediant reanimation, would require massive amounts of power. And even then his thralls would be shambling disorganized things. It seems that this great and terrible ruler of the north has more in common with a plague bearer than any true Necromancer, and that is a benefit. Plagues can be burned out, with enough fire and steel.

No the real threat still lives in Kings Landing-- and Dorian can only hope the younger son of House Lannister can prove his wit and bring the Mother of Dragons home to roost--before his nest is burned alive.

Cullen: Jon Snow was right to retreat, ahead of a more fearsome army and in a bad position. Skyhold's commander knows a losing battle when he sees it, and moving back south of the wall to regroup is a sound military tactic. Without realizing it Cullen has set and reset his own maps to match the fictional war playing out in his mind--both a relief from their own recent retreat, and to watch what is growing in the south.

Josephine: It is horrible, of course, what the Night King is doing, but also so exciting to see the stories that have so far been on the periphery come to the forefront. But while attack is terrible the ambassador is truly relieved that Loboda falls in the attack. Such a crass and violent leader is not a good ally for peace, and his death at the hands of the enemy will certainly motivate the Wildings without the risks that come with assassination.

They are in a bad spot, of course, but she has faith it will be seen through. And quickly-- the suspense is ruining her schedules.

Leliana: She doesn't finish it. Can't, without seeing the fallen of the blight and imagining her warden friends in that same terrible spot. Josie tells her enough to know what is to come, but the spymaster must read enough terrible things in her day-- this need not be one.

-Mod Fereldone

#dragon age inquisition #cassandra pentaghast #solas #warden blackwall #dorian pavus #the iron bull #vivienne de fer #asoiaf #hard home

[rangerofthemojave]

>Be Human a race incapable of using magic without outside means.

>Work extra hard all your life to be able to do dark magic since it is the only way in this god forsake world for humanity to have a semblance of agency.

>Take shit every 5 minutes from your family and citizens of your best friend's kingdom even though you are responsible for saving millions of people from starving, because killing a dear or some shit is evil. Everyone still eats meat though.

>Turns out Callum can just use good magic without all the moral implications of Dark Magic because he mastered himself in his emotional statem

>All those dark mages before? Guess they just didn't wished hard enough. Also, you wasted your life studying for nothing.

>Wake up from the dead to find that your daughter has a quirky elf BF and that she is addicted to smelling his farts.

For real, if I was Viren, I would march right back to the grave 0.002 seconds after waking up.

#the dragon prince #jesus christ #viren #tdp viren

[cerealmonster15]

[background template source!]

hmm yknow what. maybe i was supposed to describe the unique magic in that bottom box. oh well teehee!!!!!

updated references for twst rsa ocs Char and Dañarte!!!!! for now. i'll add them to artfight soon!!! I was gonna do another one for Dañarte's Scarabia Era but I worked on these all week.... so i'll just do that one separately sometime maybe lol. anyway i've posted about these guys a lot as u can see from the tags i gave them on my blog, BUT my main origin post about their soap opera lore is really long and intimidating to read.... I have a shorter lore post here, but JFKSJLDJFKLDS.... finding these templates made nice, more condensed intros for them lol. and I [slightly] updated their looks so they aren't just carbon copies of what the seven dwarf characters are wearing!!!! but i'm bad at clothing design so i didn't really change them much!!!!

also i tried to be careful but my handwriting is Bad so i'll retype the info / talk more under the cut.

First guy: CHAR

Age: 18

Best Subject: Animal Languages

Birthday: March 19

Class: 3-C

Club: Fencing [does rsa have a fencing club. idk. they do now.]

Height: 175 cm

Hobby: Horseback Riding

Homeland: Shaftlands

Likes: Arts & Crafts, Shellfish

Dislikes: Keeping Secrets, Beets

Unique Magic: Unknown [I haven't decided one for him yet, and I may simply make him a late bloomer who hasn't discovered his yet lol]

Extra info:

Favorite Stones: Pink Opal & Chrysoberyl

Older Cousin to Dañarte

Long-lost childhood friend + new love interest to Cater

Source Character: Prince Charming from Cinderella

Second guy: Dañarte*

Age: 17

Best Subject: Ancient Magic

Birthday: February 13

Class: 2-C

Club: Equestrian Club

Height: 182 cm

Hobby: Writing Speeches

Homeland: Shaftlands

Likes: Planning, Grain bowls

Dislikes: Tenderhearted people, Undercooked meat

Unique Magic: Kiss of Frost: He kisses something or someone and temporarily freezes them ICY STYLE!!!!! or something like that. idk it doesn't kill people[???? maybe it could. idk.] but it don't feel good. Perhaps the area of frost can vary as well, like a small smooch spot vs spreading through the whole body? We gotta workshop it a bit more I'll get back to u on that someday. maybe.

Extra info:

Favorite Stone: Apatite

Char's younger cousin

"Love interest" to Cater + later on, Jamil...

Source Character: Hans from Frozen

RSA -> NRC -> Scarabia [He gets expelled and/or leaves RSA for whatever reason, I still haven't come up w/that part LOL... and ends up at NRC post breakup with Cater and gets sorted into Scarabia.]

* Disclaimer bc I feel the need to point out whenever I bring him up about his name lol- Dañarte isn't truly a name, it's just a spanish verb that's like "to hurt you". his character literally spawned from a convo I was having with a friend when I was trying to think of a name for Char, and something I said got autocorrected to Dañarte, and we made jokes about an evil princely character... so he became his own thing and I just kept that as his name lol.

anyway. i like talking about them but i also get shy and embarrassed about it klfjslfjks. also i probs did not draw them to scale bc life is hard. so are colors. i went very basic bc im scared but im trying to remember how colors work again in our year 2024 or whatever. WAHOO FUNNY LITTLE GUYS!!!!

shoutout to op of this template [@unfinished-projects-galore] making me sit here and consider the lives of these boys a lil more w/that bio layout. i was tempted to put summoning as Char's best class but WHAT do they summon. tell me idia what does that MEAN - jk it's probably like how juice bb summons cauldrons lol. I also considered Potionology for Dañarte but I think he'd like stuff like history and all that jazz and older [perhaps FORBIDDEN] ways of doing things.

#twisted wonderland #twst oc #ocs #twst #cereal tries to draw #oc: char #oc: Dañarte #ummm did i have a caterella tag. idr. but they technically spawned from my caterella multiverse so #caterella #was that all the catalogue tagging. i think so. ok im going to go play persona now byebye. #but also. twst oc havers. our kids should hang out 👀 #well maybe char should. Dañarte's a bitch. but i'll make him go on play dates LOL JFDSKLFJKSDLJFLJ ok jkjk. or am i. jsklfjdskljls #ok actually im gonna slap these new refs on artfight and THEN go play persona #unless im at the pic limit then ill deal w/it later #ONLY A FEW MORE MONTHS TIL ARTFIGHT HANG OUT W/ME ON ARTFIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT PLEEEAAAAAAAAAAASE #ok. bye. 🚶

[web-novel-polls]

Cooking a Large Meal Masterpost

Type: Round-Robin Tournament

Submissions - close Jan. 10th, 2024

Tag: #danmei cooking bracket

Main Tournament Masterpost

Start: Sunday, March 17th, 2024

End: Friday, March 29th, 2024

Posting Time: 1 pm CST (UTC-6)

Winner: Bingqiu

Final Standings

Bingqiu 3-0

Moshang 2-1

Wenzhou 1-2

Liu Qi & Bai Chuan 0-3

[Photo ID - a completed Round Robin tournament with three rounds and two matches per round. The first round has two matches - Bingqiu (83.6) vs. Wenzhou (13.8) and Moshang (58.9) vs. Liu Qi & Bai Chuan (31.7). The second round has two matches - Bingqiu (80.3) vs. Moshang (17.1) and Wenzhou (59.7) vs. Liu Qi & Bai Chuan (33.3). The final round matches are Bingqiu (89.1) vs. Liu Qi & Bai Chuan (7.9) and Wenzhou (42.8) vs. Moshang (50.5). /End ID]

[Last Updated: March 30th, 2024]

Completed

Round 1

Bingqiu vs. Wenzhou - Winner: Bingqiu

Moshang vs. Liu Qi x Bai Chuan - Winner: Moshang

Round 2

Bingqiu vs. Moshang - Winner: Bingqiu

Wenzhou vs. Liu Qi x Bai Chuan - Winner: Wenzhou

Round 3

Bingqiu vs. Liu Qi x Bai Chuan - Winner: Bingqiu

Wenzhou vs. Moshang - Winner: Moshang

Character List

[Last Updated: Jan. 8th, 2023]

*Dealer’s Choice

Bingqiu from SVSSS

Characters: Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu (Shen Yuan) 

One of Luo Binghe’s main hooks as a stallion novel protagonist (that gets him a giant harem) is his cooking. It’s so delicious Shen Qingqiu, who wants to avoid “wife plots,” can’t help but have him cook for him. 

Submission:

Luo Binghe's love language is literally cooking! He starts making Shen Qingqiu's meals as a teenager, then makes him three meals a day for the 5 years Shen Qingqiu is dead, and ofc cooks for him regularly after they get together. Binghe's congee might as well be a symbol of their love at this point!

Wenzhou from Faraway Wanderers

Characters: Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu

Submission:

New Year's Celebration chapter my beloved! Anyw yeah Wen Kexing malewifes it up so hard in this one. He cooks a whole feast, he flirts over it ("When one eats, one should eat something handmade by a human being. It has soul and flavor to it, and it might even have love… When you taste it later tonight, you’ll be able to tell”), he puts food into Zhou Zishu's bowl, it's all soooo sweet and domestic!

Moshang from SVSSS 

Characters: Mobei-jun and Shang Qinghua

Submission:

noodles! hand-pulled! he'll make them!!!

Liu Qi and Bai Chuan from The Right Way to Offer a Sacrifice to The River God

Submission: 

Liu Qi x Bai Chuan is a "masterful cook x ultimate foodie" couple. Not only is Liu Qi an amazing cook, his cooking is actually what first draws Bai Chuan to him.  To quote: "Not long later, Liu Qi served up two dishes of home-cooked food. Tomatoes and scrambled egg, vegetables stir-fried with smoked meat, and a large bowl of fish soup."  And then, a few paragraphs later: "Liu Wi once again entered the kitchen and made two bowls of noodles, added in two eggs, and topped it with a few slices of cooked beef."  And then: "Liu Qi rolled his eyes at Bai Chuan's antics and asked, 'What do you still want to eat? Want me to add in another dish of fried prawns?'"   And so on. Bai Chuan, being the river god, brings in all the seafood they want for Li Qi to cook: "With a shake of his sleeves, a heap of seafood that could be found in the river came out from his sleeves, making pitter-patter sounds when they landed on the floor as they were still alive and jumping around energetically. Frantically, Liu Qi called out for him to stop so he could use a small basin to pick up the prawns. The remaining fish and crabs were stored in a bamboo basket for their next meal."   Even better, they split the chores! Bai Chuan uses his river god-powers to act as a magical dishwasher after Liu Qi's done cooking. Peak domestic. What harmony.

Translation Link

#not a poll #danmei cooking bracket #danmei love languages tournament #masterposts #danmei love languages masterposts

[sadnesslaughs]

You’ve slain the beast, but instead of payment the villagers kick you out Enraged, you do what no other mage has done: Resurrect a dragon.

(A response to a writing prompt)

Asimos towered over the village below, standing atop the resurrected dragon that he had recently driven an icy spear through. The dragon’s skeletal body cracking as it idly rocked on the spot, chipped bones still visible around the ribcage where it had been pierced. “It’s a simple rule of nature, really. A person does a service, and they get paid for that service. Since gold won’t leave your greedy hands, I’ll collect your lives as payment instead.”

The villagers did not hear the mage’s words. They were still asleep, curled up in their beds, comforted by the fact that the roaring beast had been slain. If they knew it lurked just outside their village fence line, the villagers’ screams would have been loud enough to wake the neighboring city.

The mage’s staff bounced off the dragon’s head, forcing it to bow, letting him off its back. With a rushed pace, he walked past the sleepy homes, peering through the windows like a monster ready to steal away its latest prey. Sometimes a person would catch sight of him and give an uneasy look, whispering to their family. To those that gave him those uneasy looks, he waved, as if he forgave them for their wrongs. Some waved back, while others only gave a tentative nod.

He had to see them one last time, wanting to remember the faces of those that would soon become an unrecognisable collection of bones and meat. Asimos had big plans for these villagers, prepared to get his money back and then some. No one would ever rob him again, not a bunch of lowly peasants and certainly not the magic guilds that would forbid him from taking any actions against them. For the first time in his forty years, he was free. A free mage with the world at his fingertips.

As he rounded the last home, he stretched his arms out, letting his fingertips tickle the cheap brickwork. “It feels good.” He gave a low whisper, shivering at how seductive that single phrase felt to him. When had he ever felt this free? With the last building behind him, he pushed past the creaking wooden fence on the other side of the village, ready to leave.

“Where ya going?” The villager leader hissed. The mage spun, excited to greet the man who had told him his heroic act was enough of a reward. “We seen ya creeping.”

Asimos’ blue eyes flashed a light white, sending a small mental scan over the village, sensing a group of men hiding behind the building to his left, no doubt with pitchforks at the ready. He gave half a smile, only able to find such a pitiful attempt at an ambush somewhat amusing. “Observing the village where I slayed the mighty beast. Do you need something serf?”

That got the man’s chest puffing. The village leader considering himself above the status of serf, marching forward, only for his chest to sink back down, finding the mage unflinching. Soon the leader was stepping back, faltering as the mage merely waited, losing that half smile.

“Not going to come any closer? Please, if you wish to converse, come closer so we may be face to face. Or, if you aren’t feeling confident enough to do so, get one of your friends to hold your hand.”

The villager leader gasped, stammering for a response. He tried to force a word out, only for the hand of the mage to shoot up. “No need for words. I’m leaving. In an hour, we will all have left this place.”

As his hand lowered, the sound of grunted shouts rang out, men charging from their hiding spot, only to scream as the dragon stormed them from behind. While it was missing its fiery breath, the enormous body of the dragon couldn’t be underestimated, blocking out the starry sky as it rammed through the panicked group.

The mage didn’t look back, not even when he heard the bricks being crunched beneath boned feet. Instead, he smiled, giving a clap as his staff vanished, allowing him to stuff his hands into his pockets. While he could teleport away at any moment, he wanted to enjoy the sound a little longer, wondering if their gold was still as valuable as it had been when he asked for his reward.

When the sounds died down, leaving only the feint sobbing of what remained, he dismissed the dragon, ordering it to return to a pile of bones. Those bones falling in the center of the village, burying the deceased village leader beneath them. “I will surely be a suspect if any mage investigates the matter.” He murmured to himself, licking his bottom lip as the thought crossed his mind. “Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Either I outfox them with my wit, or I keep pursuing the freedom of magic while on the run. No restrictions, no laws against dark spells. Instead, total freedom.”

Making a circle in the dirt with his shoe, he drew a teleportation circle. The circle flashing blue as it connected. Not even looking back at the destruction he caused, he returned to his manor, eager to find out more about this new world of magic that had opened to him.

#short stories #writing #writing prompt #story #writer

[ausetkmt]

Mardi Gras History

The origins of Mardi Gras can be traced to medieval Europe, passing through Rome and Venice in the 17th and 18th centuries to the French House of the Bourbons. From here, the traditional revelry of "Boeuf Gras," or fatted calf, followed France to her colonies.

On March 2, 1699, French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville arrived at a plot of ground 60 miles directly south of New Orleans, and named it "Pointe du Mardi Gras" when his men realized it was the eve of the festive holiday. Bienville also established "Fort Louis de la Louisiane" (which is now Mobile) in 1702. In 1703, the tiny settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile celebrated America's very first Mardi Gras.

In 1704, Mobile established a secret society (Masque de la Mobile), similar to those that form our current Mardi Gras krewes. It lasted until 1709. In 1710, the "Boeuf Gras Society" was formed and paraded from 1711 through 1861. The procession was held with a huge bull's head pushed along on wheels by 16 men. Later, Rex would parade with an actual bull, draped in white and signaling the coming Lenten meat fast. This occurred on Fat Tuesday.

New Orleans was established in 1718 by Bienville. By the 1730s, Mardi Gras was celebrated openly in New Orleans, but not with the parades we know today. In the early 1740s, Louisiana's governor, the Marquis de Vaudreuil, established elegant society balls, which became the model for the New Orleans Mardi Gras balls of today.

The earliest reference to Mardi Gras "Carnival" appears in a 1781 report to the Spanish colonial governing body. That year, the Perseverance Benevolent & Mutual Aid Association was the first of hundreds of clubs and carnival organizations formed in New Orleans.

By the late 1830s, New Orleans held street processions of maskers with carriages and horseback riders to celebrate Mardi Gras. Dazzling gaslight torches, or "flambeaux," lit the way for the krewe's members and lent each event an exciting air of romance and festivity. In 1856, six young Mobile natives formed the Mistick Krewe of Comus, invoking John Milton's hero Comus to represent their organization. Comus brought magic and mystery to New Orleans with dazzling floats (known as tableaux cars) and masked balls. Krewe members remained anonymous.

In 1870, Mardi Gras' second Krewe, the Twelfth Night Revelers, was formed. This is also the first recorded account of Mardi Gras "throws."

Newspapers began to announce Mardi Gras events in advance, and they even printed "Carnival Edition" lithographs of parades' fantastic float designs (after they rolled, of course - themes and floats were always carefully guarded before the procession). At first, these reproductions were small, and details could not be clearly seen. But beginning in 1886 with Proteus' parade "Visions of Other Worlds," these chromolithographs could be produced in full, saturated color, doing justice to the float and costume designs of Carlotta Bonnecase, Charles Briton and B.A. Wikstrom. Each of these designers' work was brought to life by talented Parisian paper-mache' artist Georges Soulie', who for 40 years was responsible for creating all of Carnival's floats and processional outfits.

1872 was the year that a group of businessmen invented a King of Carnival, Rex, to preside over the first daytime parade. To honor the visiting Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff, the businessmen introduced Romanoff's family colors of purple, green and gold as Carnival's official colors. Purple stands for justice; gold for power; and green for faith. This was also the Mardi Gras season that Carnival's improbable anthem, "If Ever I Cease to Love," was cemented, due in part to the Duke's fondness for the tune.

The following year, floats began to be constructed entirely in New Orleans instead of France, culminating with Comus' magnificent "The Missing Links to Darwin's Origin of Species," in which exotic paper-mache' animal costumes served as the basis for Comus to mock both Darwin's theory and local officials, including Governor Henry Warmoth. In 1875, Governor Warmoth signed the "Mardi Gras Act," making Fat Tuesday a legal holiday in Louisiana, which it still is.

Like Comus and the Twelfth Night Revelers, most Mardi Gras krewes today developed from private social clubs with restrictive membership policies. Since all of these parade organizations are completely funded by their members, New Orleanians call it the "Greatest Free Show on Earth!"

#mardi gras history #mardi gras #new orleans #mardi gras season #carnival

[theseventhoffrostfall]

adjacent to the cyborg thing, while I'm not a particular fan of super grimdark stories anyway so I might not be the right guy to talk about it, it seems like a lot of dark fantasy having fairly low magic is rooted in the notion that you lose grimdark edgeboy points if healing magic and the occasional resurrection is a thing. This is, of course, because you can't have a guy with a missing hand and half a face bitterly talk about war bad armies evil the aristocrats use the peasants and discard them yadda yadda I'm so edgy jerkoff session rant if the setting's magic means he can go to a healer and get fixed.

My point is, though, that if you want a harsh and brutal setting, you can actually heighten that with some healing magic. Instead of a peaceful retirement due to injury, or even a long recovery period, you're just healed up and thrown back into the meat-grinder the next day.

Time and time again, hacked apart and bled white and burned to a crisp, then by the afternoon you're marching off to do it again. Occasionally you die outright and are pulled back from your rest to do it again, and your reward for excelling, for growing in skill and power and getting your hands on fancy magic items to become a heroic fantasy badass adventurer type is to just get thrown into worse and worse situations with the helpful guarantee that you're first in line to get healed or resurrected and sent back into the fray. Wars go from few-year flare-ups or longer, more intermittent conflicts into grinding, decades-long conflicts that only end when one side or another is either decapitated or completely exhausted in every respect besides their horribly enduring manpower reserves.

Of course, this also requires dark fantasy writers to actually give a shit about fantasy and write it in such away that the fantastic elements are integral to the story and setting, and not just be sneering smug fucks that hate classic fantasy and anyone who enjoys it and who'd be writing shitty shallow historical fiction instead if they thought there was any market for it.

#worldbuilding #fantasy

[pyropsychiccollector]

Natsu Harem: Fairy GET! 8/14

We're dipping into the delightful second half here~.... (人◕ω◕) You can probably prepare for more references to other girls in the harem by now... You know most of them. (人◕ω◕)

Today's member is... Seilah-chan. Goddess of the Chill Moon. Or Sayla. However you prefer to write it out. ... I'll probably slip into using Sayla, just as a head's up. :3

When did they meet?

This question is... surprisingly tricky. (人◕ω◕) I haven't really talked about this aspect of Natsu's character up until now, but we were bound to get around to it eventually. "Spoiler" alert, but Natsu isn't exactly human... He's technically Etherious. Zeref's greatest creation, his beloved brother reborn... Although to be frank, his origins weren't all that great... As wrapped up in mystery as they are.

Since the series allows me some wiggle room... Let's run with this: For the first while after Natsu was brought back to life, he lived up until young adulthood, mastering his demonic powers. Zeref, of course, was fixated on dying, and Natsu being the bullheaded guy he is... Well, the demonic genes messed with his head. He went berserk like Zeref's other demons, but it was more controlled in Natsu... In END. All he could think about was destruction, especially destroying Zeref, as was ingrained into his very being.

END would go on to round up some of Zeref's most powerful demons. He figured that since he wasn't cutting it on his own in destroying Zeref, some allies would be much appreciated... But END was no fool. Demons don't appreciate being "subjugated", even if it's for the cause that they were all designed for. If they weren't pliable to forming alliances with one another, END asserted his dominance as the greatest among them. He brought Jackal to heel. Tempester. Kyouka. Ezel. Franmalth. Torafuzar. He convinced Keyes to join up... Proved his strength to the proud Mard Geer...

And of course, END won over the femme fatale, Sayla. (人◕ω◕) She had watched him dominate so many demons... Bringing them to form one unit... And Sayla, ah... Pardon the pun, but she was rather horny for END-sama. (人◕ω◕);;;

... Oh yes, they made love. Many, many times. END might have had a one-track mind with destruction, but Sayla certainly brought out a lust in him... Oh yes. (人◕ω◕);;;

Alas, before END could get to the meat of why he established Tartaros, Zeref put his foot down. He saw the mindless destruction and suffering END and Tartaros was creating, and Zeref thought it was counterintuitive to his brother's goal... Not to mention, there was a part of the Black Wizard that was pained at seeing his brother so... evil. So twisted.

Hence, Zeref sealed away Natsu's memories and his demonic powers. Giving him a fresh start yet again, leaving the book that contained Natsu's memories and demonic powers in Mard Geer's care. Natsu still wouldn't listen to him, as a young child... After speaking at length with Igneel, Zeref left Natsu in the dragon's care, hoping that Dragon Slayer magic would bring about a more stable and focused "human being." It made Zeref feel better, watching his brother interact with the other Dragon Slayer children...

Of course, Zeref did nothing about Tartaros. Just let them be as a remnant of END's past... They were given no answers to END's disappearance, and none of them besides Mard Geer discerned why they existed in the first place. Perhaps because he became the keeper of END's book. For her part, Sayla was... devastated with the loss of her END-sama...

But time marched on. Flash forward a few hundred years, and Tartaros formed alliances with Oracion Seis and Grimoire Heart. They were still pretty aimless, save for searching for their Master, END. Eventually they would come into conflict with Fairy Tail... And they would be fatefully reunited with END-sama.

... And they didn't even know it until the war was over.

When did they get closer?

For this question, we'll skim past the Tartaros arc in general. (人◕ω◕) I wouldn't really change much. Tartaros still screwed themselves over, making enemies of Fairy Tail. Especially with the additional members in their midst that have been amassing over time... (人◕ω◕) I suppose you know about Kagura, Simon, and his friends... But more on this later.

The point is, Tartaros really screwed up. ... However... (人◕ω◕) Through a twist of fate, Mard Geer attempts opening END's book once he's defeated, and it gives Natsu some of his memories back. Just enough to know that Tartaros was his guild... And he's not letting Zeref kill Mard Geer or any of them. They're his. And nobody touches what belongs to END. (人◕ω◕) That said, Zeref re-seals Natsu's memories, but agrees to spare Mard Geer and any of the remaining Demon Gates. The Black Wizard just wants to get to that war between him, humanity, and Acnologia.

Mard Geer, Torafuzar, Jackal, Franmalth, and Sayla all survive that war with Fairy Tail. ... And it's not like they can just join up with the fairies, not after everything that happened. But because of what Mard Geer knows, they also agree to still help Natsu destroy Zeref... It's what they were built for. (人◕ω◕) And Sayla in particular, well... She might be stalk- *coughs* tagging along with Natsu during his training trip with the Strauss Siblings while the guild is disbanded. ... Without Natsu knowing, of course. ... It is not stalking. Sayla will eviscerate you if you insult her pride like that. (人◕ω◕);;; She was left in a better state after Erza beatdown Kyouka, so Mira never got to absorb Sayla. ... And, uh. Sayla might or might not be testy about Mira being around END-sama so much... (人◕ω◕);;;;;;;;;;

Regardless! \(人◕ω◕)/ Sayla reintroduces herself to END-sama while the Strauss Siblings aren't around. Sure, he doesn't remember her, doesn't even have the same powers, but that's all immaterial to Sayla. She can tell he's END-sama after being in his presence for prolonged periods, and that means everything to her. Sayla even grows fond of Natsu's... kinder personality. He's destructive still, always itching to fight, but he has so much heart. She can see flashes of END-sama in him... And she's glad that he's become this person. "This" Natsu shows her how to live, and not just to pursue a goal to death. He's not as fond of reading as END-sama... But sometimes, Sayla is lucky enough to rest his head in her lap and read to him. And Natsu rolls with that. (人◕ω◕)

... It does get interesting, though, when the Strauss Siblings inevitably discover her stalk- *coughs* tagging along with them. (人◕ω◕);;; Elfman still isn't happy about being used to make the guild blow up, and Lisanna and Mira don't much like Sayla being so... intimate with Natsu. But Natsu vouches for how she's changed, and she does let Elfman vent on her for a bit... Her actions in Tartaros might not be forgiven, but she's trying to be a better person... despite being a demon.

Mira, though... she's definitely the hardest to win over. (人◕ω◕);;; She repeatedly tries fighting Sayla to exhaustion so that she can absorb the "damned succubus", but Sayla ain't havin' any of that. (人◕ω◕);;;;;;;; Yeah. Mira and Sayla-chan are very fiery rivals. Ahaha. (人◕ω◕);;;

When did friendship turn to something more?

Unsurprisingly, Sayla-chan's feelings have been strong for two of Natsu's "lifetimes". She was devout to END-sama, and though this new Natsu took some getting used to... Put simply, Sayla-chan loves this Natsu even more. Yes, and that is love, not just plain lust. (人◕ω◕) In Alvarez arc, Natsu fights for Sayla's continued life as well... And with August's help, they rewrite her book along with Natsu's. That way, when Zeref is defeated... the only parts of them that "die" are the demonic parts. ... So in a way, Sayla and Natsu are reborn as humans. None of the other demons expressed a desire to keep on living... But Sayla helped spare them anyway, again enlisting August's expertise in rewriting their books. So Mard Geer, Jackal, Franmalth, and Torafuzar all have fresh beginnings. ... As humans. (人◕ω◕) Sayla learned this sense of mercy, compassion, and loyalty from her Natsu, and she wants to enjoy all this new human life has to offer... right by his side.

Natsu still doesn't get his old memories back. But... Sayla still becomes important to him. She really changed for the better, and he does still find her to be very beautiful, even without horns. ... To the annoyance of some people. (人◕ω◕);;;;;;;;;

Sayla-chan did butt heads with Yukino and Sorano in the beginning cuz of their contracts with Celestial Spirits... But once reborn as a human, Sayla-chan became besties with Sorano-chan. ... (人◕ω◕) More on that friendship later. But, uh. Know that they like spoiling Natsu. ... Very, very much. (人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕) Mira-chan's pissed off she can't absorb Sayla anymore... But if you think this will stop her from trying to blow the former demon away, you're very sorely mistaken. Mira-chan grumbles a lot whenever Sayla's around or when she's a topic of discussion. ... Mostly cuz of Sayla continuously asserting herself as Natsu's true first, and all that fanatical devotion to Natsu........

Yes, Mira-chan has many... many... many... words. (人◕ω◕)

#Fairy Tail #seilah #natsu dragneel #Natsu x Seilah #Natsu harem

[fumikomiyasaki]

𝗕𝗜𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

Name: Erena Ryūjin

Based on: Monkey D. Luffy

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿: Non-Binary (She/they)

𝗔𝗴𝗲: 18

𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆: 26th of March

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻: Aries

𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: 153 cm

𝗘𝘆𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿: bright blue

𝗛𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿: Black with Orange gradient

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𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗦

𝗗𝗼𝗿𝗺: Nakaumi

School: @deaths-academy-of-combat​

𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿: second year

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀: 2-A

𝗢𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Dorm Leader

𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯: Gymnastics

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁: Mixed Martial Arts

Homeland: Unknown (kinda drifted across many sea cities)

Sexuality: Asexual Demiromantic

Weapons: Her stretchy arms most of the times but if she is really force to have a weapon... she results to a simple sword.

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𝗙𝗨𝗡 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦:

𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱: ambidexterous

𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱: Meat on the bone, Kebab, just in general anything meat

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱: Its hard to find something she doesn't eat

Likes: the seas, adventures, meeting new people, being known, her straw hat,

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀: swimming ( she can't), unnecessary violence, seagulls,

𝗛𝗼𝗯𝗯𝘆:  Keeping a photobook, tending to ships, photography in general,

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: stretching herself inhumanly so, convincing people of her ideas, getting into trouble, kleptomancy

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬:

Erena as a young girl didn't really have a home... she actually did have parents but got kidnapped by pirates a long time ago... yet despite that, watching them from where she was trapped she was fascinated by what they all did... they wanted to sell her to someone who can have her a as a child worker for a scheme but she broke up in a more unconventional way... however she was still lost on what to do and so tried just to survive with what she had... becoming a poor street thief who tried to get by where she could... however one day this landed her into trouble with a circus, where she got caught sneaking in without paying to see the show and the head clown wanted her to work off her debt... this is where she met Slice... working with him for a while and finding out about her unique magic, which made her a great performer for the circus for a short while with how much she can stretch her arms... however she never wanted to stay a performer... and Slice knew that too... both didn't really have a choice in the end. The town they stayed in got attacked but in the commotion they met Shanaya... who saved them both out of this situation and after Slice lost his mentor in the commotion... both decided to be mentored by her and go along with her for a while... untill eventually they started their dorm.

Erena is despite the hardships very optimistic and always smiling... its hard to get her down, but if she is angry you know something went wrong... Some people would call her reckless when she calls herself moreso fearless... even her confidence is hard to get down, she has no hesitation to walk up to a stranger and strike up a conversation. Its why she became such a good leader of the dorm cause she strikes in first and tries to face any situation headon...

Unique Magic:

A Devils Taste

Similar to her inspiration she can just stretch all of her limbs very long.

#twisted wonderland oc #twst oc #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland ocs #twst #disney twst #twst ocs #twistedwonderland #twistedwonderlandoc #erena ryujin #nakamumi