#local cuisine arcane

[mollysunder]

What If Jinx and Local Cuisine (LC) Were in Cahoots?

A writer for Arcane confirmed that Jinx does have friends that will be revealed next season, and I realized LC might actually fit the bill as one of them.

First, I should explain what kinds of traits make people gravitate towards Jinx.

From the few scenes we see of LC, he actually demonstrates the kind of traits that would make him compatible for Jinx's circle. People in Zaun, from regular chempunks to Inx members admire (and even champions like Sylas) Jinx because she satisfies/inspires their desire for revenge against their oppressors in Piltover. These are people that accept the necessity of violence and choose to go further by reveling in it as a source of catharsis.

What does this have to do with LC? Well the first time we meet LC is at the brothel where he was seen wearing the Wolf's mask. The Wolf is a part of a twin personification of death in Runeterra, known as the Kindred. The Lamb represents quick and painless death and wears a wolf mask, while the Wolf wears a white lamb mask and represents violent and painful death. The Wolf associated with punishment because when you refuse the Lamb's "gift" by resisting death the Wolf will relentlessly hunt down the fying to tear them apart to make them submit.

LC's association with the Wolf, related to violent death, has fueled speculation on his purpose going into season 2. Even if you don't subscribe to the theory that he's related to the princess beheaded by Ambessa and he's on a revenge quest, the show chose to depict him as an entity kills with a violent passion.

If the theory's true why wouldn't LC want to see Piltover burn as much as the Medardas if the theory's true? The princess theory offers solid motivation for why he wouldn't just be targeting the Medardas, but Piltover too. While Noxus is the warmongering expansionist empire that killed the princess, Piltover is the nation that facilitates its survival as vital trading partner to the empire. The advent of the hexgates has likely only improved the efficiency of Noxian warband supply lines. People like the Medardas invest in Piltover to keep themselves wealthy and on top, hell the practically run it now.

A righteous thirst for revenge and no compunction with violence against Piltover makes Jinx and LC potentially birds of a feather. If that's true then LC could theoretically fulfill a critical component for Jinx's operation, information.

For Jinx to pull of even half her exploits she needs an intel source, and LC is the most obvious connection. LC is the only character from Zaun that can regularly move between the two cities on legitimate business to meet his high profile clients like Ambessa without drawing attention. If most of his Piltovan clients act like Ambessa, then they probably talk about sensitive topics at and around him all the time, like the one between Ambessa and Jayce that led to the refinery raid. LC is probably the best source of informal knowledge on ongoing developments in Piltover's highest circles of society.

There's no way Jinx could pull of the heist without prior inside knowledge. The shipment raid and the heist all happened on the same day, Progress Day, within a handful of hours. Jinx would have had to know that there was a hexgem to steal in the first place, because that was a guarded secret. Even the first time she robbed a home in Piltover required an outside party, Ekko, to case the joint for her. Instead of robbing a nice trinket from a great house for Silco as an apology, which she was entirely capable of, instead she KNEW to target the hextech workshop. Jinx knew where the guards would be posted and what abandoned building to set on fire and rig with explosives. Almost like she already had intel on the hexgem and decided to strike when it was convienent.

I'd also like to include the fact that even in the concept art for Jinx's hideout we see Jinx in the zone on her work bench while a mysterious figure comfortably leans into her space.

While the figure has few discernible features that matches with most of Zaun's cast in the show and the concept art, there is one determinable feature. The figure has a sleeve with a red and gold stripe pattern similar to the one LC wears at the brothel.

The mysterious figure also lounges on the rail in a similar fashion to how we the audience were first properly introduced to LC.

Personally, I think it makes sense for Jinx to make friends with figure like LC because not only do the have similar goals, Silco would likely approve of it too. Silco doesn't like Vi or Ekko because they threaten his relationship with Jinx, someone like LC, who doesn't work for him, but is still under his purview won't do that.

And honestly, LC gives the same vibes as Chadd, a violent, organized, and prominent member of the Inx (Jinx followers), just with less hero worship.

Sidenote: Wouldn't it be hilarious if it were the case that the only reason Jimx knew how to break into the Kiramman's home is because LC told her about it. You can bet this dude went on jobs as an escort to atleast one Councilor's party in their home.

#lc is also the only character in the cast outside of caitlyn who has a change of clothes to fut in with zaun and piltover #and caitlyn had to steal them #the only time ambessa kicked lc out was when the conversation was going to be EMOTIONALLY vulnerable between her and Mel #violent intense well dressed dudes flock to jinx's personality #it's a pattern #pretty boy arcane #local cuisine arcane #jinx arcane #arcane #arcane meta

[perfectlywingedsilco]

Slut era Silco 😏

#silco #arcane #local cuisine guy #this is what photoshop was made for

[togetherhearted]

Hi! This was requested by AlienDuck on AO3. Hope you'll enjoy!

MORNING AFTER WITH SILCO,LCB,SALO AND HEIMERDINGER

You knew Silco was an early bird;you were expecting him to be far gone;not even a trace of his perfume or warmth on the space next to you.

This time you found him sleeping soundly, limbs tangled to yours. That was a new but welcomed situation.

You were just about to try to un-tangle you when his grip got stronger -Stay...- He  mumbled -...please-

You shrugged with a content smile and relaxed.

When you opened your eyes, his hands were already on you;working magic on your back. 

-Good morning...- You said before letting a hum out of your lips.

-Morning little lamb. I thought I could give you a massage after yesterday-

You appreciated the gesture since you recalled him not going easy on you. You saw the stars and more that night.

-Thank you...I really needed it- 

-Want me to prepare you breakfast?- He stopped;kissing and napping your neck. You giggled -You're spoiling me!-

-Anything for you-

A wonderful smell reached your nose;waking you up. You could already feel your mouth watering.

-Dear the maid brought us breakfast-

Salo put the tray on the bed and got under the covers.

-You don't have work today?- You took a sip from your cup.

-No, not after what we did last night. I took a day off just to stay with you. I wanted to make sure you were fine-

You almost choke;it wasn't unusual for him to treat you well, but he was so busy, he barely took a day off from work.

-I...thank you- You kissed his cheek and saw his smile. You could never get tired of his rare genuine smiles.

You thought it was impossible to fall for a Yordle but Heimerdinger managed to do the impossible. 

His mannerism ended up stealing your heart and he was a gentleman through and never pushed you to do something that made you uncomfortable.

-My dear?I believe it is time to wake up-

You grumbled and hid your head under the pillow.

You heard the yordle chuckle -As much as I would love for us to spend more time together we both have work to do-

You sighed -Yeah;you're right- You sat on the bed-At least let's have breakfast together?-

He kissed the palm of your hands -Sure. That sounds great-

#arcane #arcane x reader #x reader #league of legends #league of legends x reader #silco #silco x reader #local cuisine boy x reader #local cuisine boy #Heimerdinger #Heimerdinger x reader #salo x reader #salo arcane

[sevikasupremacy]

I want to be in his position SO FUCKING BAD

#arcane #arcane x reader #ambessa medarda x reader #ambessa #ambessa medarda #arcane ambessa #I volunteer to be the next local cuisine

[ponpox]

Ambessa supremacy (I had to put this to the side for a while cus I really disliked it but tonight I threw some shading on it and I'll call it finished)

#ambessa medarda #local cuisine guy #arcane #my art #art tag

[eddawrites]

Remember this guy?

Oh what am I saying, of course you do. There’s not much that we know about him other than that his name might be Miguel, that he’s absolutely getting pegged and that I find his face extra punchable. However, there’s a compelling theory making rounds that he might have an agenda of his own. Concretely, that theory links him to this girl:

And sure enough, when it comes to visage, these two do look similar. The same shade of green eyes and brown hair, pale skin and prominent lips... the girl’s dress even seems to be of the same turquoise colour as his jacket. It’s not too far-fetched to imagine these two being related, other than that one died in Ionia (recently revealed via one of the artists working on the show) and the other is now working as an escort in Piltover, seen wearing the mask of Kindred no less - the twin aspects of death:

Separate, but never parted, Kindred represents the twin essences of death. Lamb’s bow offers a swift release from the mortal realm for those who accept their fate. Wolf hunts down those who run from their end, delivering violent finality within his crushing jaws.

But what I find the most interesting about this tinfoil hat-worthy theory is what it would mean for Ambessa. At this point, she already has a fire catching under her ass, with her rival seemingly dead-set on wiping out her family. Old sins catching up to her and coming to bite her in the ass sounds like yet another layer of drama to pile on top of that already loaded plotline, but it wouldn’t be unlike Arcane to expand upon seemingly minute details and make them plot-relevant later. We’ve seen random items from ep. 1 showing up again during the mad tea party scene in the finale, the reappearance of Huck in ep. 6, as well as the coincidence that the boy who dies at Jayce’s hands in ep. 8 being a child of a moderately important side character.

To further support this theory - if indeed you can support a crack theory - Ambessa is always nursing a glass of wine in her hand and in this particular scene from ep. 9 even comments on its quality, appearing to be less than impressed with it:

91 00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 Noxian wine is bold by comparison. 92 00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 The grapes are hardened by the climate.

That is to say that perhaps the wine is poisoned, if indeed revenge is the dish being served to Ambessa. Local Cuisine seems very upset when Mel slaps the glass out of her mother’s hand and spills the wine, although he could very well just be angry about Mel ruining his pristine white shirt.

But what I personally find compelling is the possibility of parallel arcs in s2 where Ambessa and Jayce (and also Viktor) would have to answer for the lives they took. And Arcane writers do love their parallel arcs. Let’s enumerate some of those parallels:

Caitlyn, Jayce and Heimerdinger are forced to confront the realities of life in the undercity and their own complicity in the exploitation thereof

Jayce and Vi are trying to save Viktor and Jinx respectively

Mel and Jinx are forced to weaponise hextech at the behest of their parent

Viktor and Jinx undergo a transformation that makes them inhuman

Viktor and Jayce accidentally kill an innocent bystander, using a technology they invented to help people

Jayce and Vander are forced to make a deal with “the other side” in order to prevent further loss of life

Vander and Silco are given an ultimatum that involves giving up their adoptive children

Mel and Jinx are forced to choose between their parent and another person

... and many more.

Jayce killing - albeit by accident - a son of a prominent Zaun chembaron certainly doesn’t seem like a throwaway detail that will remain unaddressed. Renni will no doubt want to avenge her son and Jayce will thus be forced to face consequences of his actions, in addition to the trauma of killing a child roughly the same age he had been when he was saved by magic.

What’s more, according to the Council Archives, Renni has a personalised chemtank for her own use, meaning that she has one of these babies all for herself:

Do I smell a possible fight in s2? I do! If Jayce has to take up the hammer again and become his vigilante self of League of Legends lore, this duel might very well be the next step in his journey of embracing the mantle of the Defender of Tomorrow.

Admittedly, Ambessa’s and Jayce’s situations are not at all similar. They might both be heads of state that have taken some drastic measures, but she is a warmonger with many other, more heinous crimes to her name than Jayce’s accidental manslaughter; however, none of the parallels I’ve listed above are one-for-one examples either. There are always differences.

But I digress; what you really should take away from this post is: I think that Local Cuisine is sus. Or perhaps I just hate his face and want someone to rearrange it for him. Or both.

#arcane #arcane theory #arcane thoughts #ambessa medarda #local cuisine #jayce talis #renni #crack theories in this fandom are some of my favourites #local cuisine is sus #you can't change my mind #unless you've already seen s2 #duh

[vimcnight]

Local cuisine as servant #1

I love this one so much he is in my top 3 lmao

#arcane #arcane card game #howl arcane #local cuisine #arcane ambessa #fanart #arcane fanart #procreate #illustration

[sunflowey]

I'm looking side by side picture with Viktor and that local cuisine boy and...they look nothing alike. 💀 The only thing they have in common is the mole being in the same place.

#arcane #lol arcane #arcane viktor #viktor #arcane local cuisine #arcane howl

[mrlazric]

Hold one fucking minute... Local Cuisine was at the brothel that Vi and Caitlyn visited, wasn't he? Hmmm......

#arcane #local cuisine #inch resting

[hellowhyareyouhere]

#local cuisine #arcane netflix #lol arcane #Pretty boy arcane #Howl arcane #Youtube

[togetherhearted]

This was a request on Ao3 and I decided to share it with all of you ♡

SILCO,LCB,SALO, HEIMERDINGER AND CAITLYN TAKING CARE OF THEIR S/O

- What is this green blob? - Silco handed you a glass; whatever that thing was it surely didn't look promising -It's your medicine. asked Singed to prepare one for you-

You took a better look-As much as I appreciate the gesture I think... this is a bit too much? -

Silco gave you a stern look;you sighed -Ok,ok I'll drink it-

You pinched your nose to avoid the disgusting smell and gulped it.

- That... that was terrible; but thanks-

Silco smiled satisfied - Now rest. The medicine will  work soon-

And you hoped so.

- Little Lamb, please come back to bed- He patted the mattress -You can't possibly go back to work in this condition-

You protested and tried to wriggle yourself out his loving embrace, but your head was killing you so you gave up.

Being sick and having him as a lover meant aonly one thing: You were going to be spoiled and if you thought about it; it wasn't a bad situation.

He changed the bed sheets, fluffed your pillow, fed you soup, brought books;anything you desired.

You got a five-star hotel treatment.

He was an absent lover; not that he didn't love you; far from that, but his work kept him away most of the time.

It was another story when you were sick.

A rare occasion but you could witness a more humble and caring Salo, but you couldn't lie to  yourself.  Sick days were the best.

- Love? I brought you soup- You yawned and took the plate pThanks dear.  I appreciate- He flashed you one of his rare genuine smiles.  The room lit up.

Another poor soul that he's forced to stay away from you because of work.

You can bet he leaves Porofessor wit you to keep you company and often when he comes back he finds both of you sleeping soundly under tons of blankets.

One of his favourite things to do for you is making  one of his special tea. It's sweet and heals you in a blink of the eyes.

- Good evening my dearest- He placed the trail on the nightstand next to yours -I made your favourite-

You were the one taking care of her most of the times.

Her work put her in danger and with the crisis with Zaun seeing her bruised was becoming a normal occurrence.

Though, when the roles were reversed Cait never left your side.

She loved to read for you; whenever was a poetry book or a fantasy story;Cait always read to you to lull you to sleep.

- And then the Warlock... - She heard you snoring; the lady smiled and put down the book; snuggling closer to you.

#arcane #arcane x reader #league of legends #league of legends x reader #silco #silco x reader #local cuisine boy x reader #local cuisine boy #Salo #salo x reader #Heimerdinger #Heimerdinger x reader #caitlyn x reader #caitlyn #x reader

[sevikasupremacy]

I’m gonna go join Ambessa in the bathtub now bye—

#I’m down bad #i need her #only me and her #let me be the new local cuisine #give me ONE CHANCE #arcane #ambessa medarda x reader #ambessa x reader #ambessa medarda

[incense-and-nonsense]

Finished watching Arcane last night and I have some thoughts about Ambessa Medara that I need to get out of my system.

What I find fascinating about Ambessa as a character is the fanbase's reception of her: she's a big muscle mommy with a hidden soft side. However, I don't think the show's writers want us to like her and especially don't intend to portray her as an attractive person. The reason I think this is because (aside from her gender) she's a textbook example of a toxic, hypermasculine, alpha-male power fantasy.

Let's elaborate. Only a few minutes after we're introduced to her (having invited herself into her estranged daughter's world in a display of Emotionally-Healthy Parenting TM), she announces that she's off to "sample the local cuisine," gesturing towards a male consort/companion who awaits her.

And then there's this scene:

Here we are shown Ambessa naked in a bath being massaged by the same comparatively small companion we met earlier. The power dynamic in the relationship is clearly one of domination and submission. She's indulgent in her consumption and luxury and lobs criticism after criticism at a visibly uncomfortable Jayce, all while the artwork behind the two reinforces how this exchange will play out: Ambessa holds all the power, while Jayce is on the defensive.

In short, everything about the way Ambessa talks and carries herself is meant to convey one simple message: I am powerful. She never needs to insist on her power--it's self-evident.

On the surface, this seems like an extremely well-written feminist icon. Ambessa is strong and confident, bending to no-one and self-assured. In flashbacks and in her own dialogue, she's presented as someone who is willing to take ruthless and decisive action regardless of other's feelings. She exudes confidence and charisma and never apologizes for the space she takes up in other's lives. Other people exist largely to fulfill her goals and desires. Further, later she reveals that she exiled her daughter Mel because her daughter's more merciful and diplomatic nature weakened Ambessa and her resolve.

In short, Ambessa is the textbook icon of hypermasculine power fantasies enfleshed in a woman.

Thing is though, these traits don't become less toxic when they happen to belong to a woman. Imagine the two scenes above if the character's genders were swapped. Then what we see is a confident, muscled warmonger who establishes his place in the social hierarchy through displays of sexual dominance and belittling those around him. Imagine Caitlyn attempting to discuss the situation in Piltover as a nude, muscled man insults her competence and strides naked over to her in a clear display of power. That's not a character we celebrate; it's a character who makes us feel violated by their very presence. Moreover, it's a character we've all probably seen before a hundred times.

Toxic behavior doesn't stop being toxic when done by a woman instead of a man.

Ambessa is not intended to be a likable character. She manipulates and dehumanizes others (especially sexually), refuses to show mercy, and pushes away those closest to her out of her fear of weakness. She's not an icon of female empowerment. Her character is a commentary on how easy it is to think that feminism means adopting the toxic ways in which men have often exercised power over others. Dehumanization and exploitation aren't behaviors that we should celebrate just because they make a women look strong. Rather, we should re-evaluate what we think strength looks like.

#arcane netflix #arcane #arcane ambessa #ambessa medarda #toxic people #toxic #toxic masculinity #feminism #girlboss

[moonlitcomet]

Cierian culinary culture

Blackwatch

Blackwatch food is strong. Strong smelling, strong flavor, and oftentimes strongly spicy too. Think southern USamerican food kicked up to 100. A common experience for Blackwatch-going tourists is to go to some back-alley Blackwatch restaurant whose food and atmosphere just makes your eyes water and sting. It's usually overpowering to non-residents, but a minor upside is that restaurants in the city usually have atmospheric humidifiers which cause water droplets in the air to bind to the sulfuric compounds that fill the city, instead of irritating your eyes and nose.

Streets with lots of restaurants are either filled with near-inedible levels of strong spice and flavor, or junky ass trash food meant for people who can't afford anything else. Even still, despite how much their food can barely be eaten by tourists, people who live there[and, interestingly, dragons who visit] swear by it being absolutely delicious. It's pretty common for Blackwatch residents who leave the city to try foreign food and view it as bland and flavorless. Blackwatch has, somehow, managed to make a profit out of prepackaged frozen exported foods for this reason.

Fauns

Faun food depends on the faun culture you're interacting with. Ch'chkun fauns, the city ones, have made their city entirely self-sustainable and they're one of the first inventors of lab-grown meat and fruits. Lots of their city is dedicated to layered greenhouses and the only animals they farm are bees and other pollinators. Fauns are typically omnivorous with a preference for plants, but the invention and standardization of lab-grown meat makes it way easier to mass produce food for their extremely population dense city- Ch'chkun City almost has more residents than the three biggest southern cities combined. Lab-grown meat with their methods is more humane and more sustainable than farms.

Fauns in the east, in more rural areas, are usually foragers. This is partially a lifestyle choice and partially an agreement for preservation of the ecosystem- whatever they take will be given back in time, so most of the stuff they eat will be wild fruits, nuts, and wild game they hunt themselves. This is important for the environment too, because fauns will hunt game animals like lagomorphs that otherwise have had most of their natural predators hunted out of the area by settlers and would overpopulate without them.

As for the actual food they make, fauns love grains. Unenchanted rice, oats, wheat, millet, barley, among other grains will make their way into almost every single cultural dish they make. It's cheap, it's easy, and so easy to make delicious with sauces and spices. If you're meeting a faun buddy who's making dinner for you, hope you like grains. If you do, you're in luck, because you're about to have the most bangin' grain dishes you've ever had.

A very popular snack for faun children is flavored puffed millet.

Bahp

Bahp's culinary culture centers around making something that is both delicious and arcane. Many foods in Bahp are enchanted and have magical effects on those eating them, which is a remnant of the days of old when the country knew how to grow enchanted RICE. With such an ability long gone, their focus has shifted to general dishes.

There are restaurants all over the country that specialize in different enchantments for their food - some focus on dishes that power you up, others that make you feel alert and healthy, yet others can temporarily change physical aspects of your body. This culture and cuisine has become especially profitable with the large numbers of duelists that have their humble beginnings here.

With the diversity in their enchantments comes diversity in food. Bahp's culinary culture takes in aspects from all over the world, even from usually "undesirable" food cultures such as Blackwatch and Drustown. Bahp has access to all sorts of locally grown crops and livestock, including exotic livestock such as those raised in Khartes Trichier. This makes it one of the few places on the mainland where you can buy and eat the mild, sweeter cheeses made from khormun milk as well as hirba honey, which is a staple in the enchanted Bahp foods.

Sorcerers

Being herbivores, sorcerers primarily cook with plants and plant matter, including leaves, fruits, nuts, and other crops. They use a lot of unique spices in their dishes, often putting in tons of time and effort to extract flavors from spices through long cooking processes. Cooking techniques typically include boiling, simmering, and frying in pots and woks, as well as cooking over wood fires.

Sorcerer food comes in many flavors, though sweet, sour, and savory dishes are the most common. Sweet & sour foods are a staple in sorcerer culinary arts, with natural sweeteners like milk or honey being used over granulated sugar.

Homemade tea is another popular aspect of Sorcerer culture, with their access to a variety of herbs and spices giving them many options for special tea blends and brews.

Due to how many of their foods use ingredients only grown in Khartes Trichier, it can be difficult to create authentic dishes outside of the sorcerers' land. Imported sorcerer ingredients are rare and expensive, with only cheese and honey being readily available. Many people attempting to make sorcerer-invented dishes end up having to make substitutions, which leads to lower-quality imitations of the originals.

#mine #soul rune cier #long post

[lxstfuleclipse]

【ＦＡＮＤＯＭＳ】

DEVIL MAY CRY ( 1-5 + REBOOT & ANIME )

Dante, Vergil, V, Nero, and Credo.

Nico, Trish, Lady, and Kyrie.

Reboot! Dante, Reboot! Vergil, and Kat.

ARCANE

Vi, Jinx, Sevika, Finn, Ekko, Vander, Silco, and Viktor.

Jayce, Caitlyn, Mel, Ambessa, Local Cuisine/Pretty Boy, Marcus, Grayson.

BAYONETTA

Bayonetta ( Cereza ), Jeanne, Rosa.

Luka Redgrave, Balder, Rodin.

BLOOD OF ZEUS

Heron, Seraphim, Alexia, Kofi, Evios, and Electra

Zeus, Hera, Hermes, Hades, Apollo, Ares, Poseidon.

CASTLEVANIA

Trevor, Sypha, Alucard, Lisa, Captain and Greta.

Dracula, Striga, Morana, Hector, and Isaac.

DAREDEVIL

Matt, Karen, Foggy, Wesley, Frank, and Elektra.

DEVILMAN CRYBABY

Akira, Miki, Miki (o), and Ryo.

DEVILS’ LINE

Anzai, Ishimaru, Hans Lee, Sawazaki, Juliana.

DETROIT BECOME HUMAN

Markus, Connor, Kara, Gavin, Hank, North, Simon.

FINAL FANTASY ( CURRENTLY 7 + 15 )

Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, Barret, Jessie, Biggs, Wedge, Yuffie, Sonon, Zack, Vincent, and Roche.

Rufus, Sephiroth, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Weiss, and Nero The Sable.

Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, Gladiolus, and Cor.

Lunafreya, Ravus, Aranea, Ardyn, Regis, Cindy, and Nyx.

LIFE IS STRANGE ( 1-3 + TELL ME WHY )

Max, Chloe, Rachel, Nathan, Kate, Warren, and Victoria.

Sean, Cassidy, Finn, and Esteban.

Alex, Steph, and Ryan.

Tyler and Alyson.

RESIDENT EVIL ( ALL GAMES + ANIMATED MOVIES )

Leon, Chris, Wesker, Billy, Piers, Carlos, Jake, Ethan, and Luis.

Claire, Jill, Ada, Rebecca, Sherry (RE6, duh), and Sheva.

THE WOLF AMONG US

TREASURE PLANET

Jim, Amelia, Sarah, Doppler, and Silver.

VOLTRON

Lance, Keith, Pidge, Hunk, Shiro, Allura, Matt, Coran.

Lotor, Ulaz.

LEGEND OF KORRA

Korra, Mako, Bolin, and Asami.

Iroh.

STRANGER THINGS

Eddie, Steve, Robin, Nancy, Jonathan, and Argyle.

#blood of zeus x black!reader #castlevania x black!reader #devilman crybaby headcanons #devil may cry x black!reader #arcane x black reader #final fantasy x black reader #life is strange headcanons #resident evil x reader #stranger things x black!reader #the wolf among us x reader #bigby wolf headcanons #bigby wolf x reader #x black!reader

[outeremissary]

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Balthazar and Tristian!

I hope all is well in the once-Stolen Lands! The hardest part of moving back to Cheliax away from Mendev is the distance between my old diplomatic allies turned friends. On this day of love and friendship, I extend my most cheerful of celebrations to you two! Please take it easy today, the kingdom can afford one day of a break, Balthazar. I promise it’s not going to all fall apart. You’re lucky Tristian has the patience of a saint. 

Hopefully these gifts will give you an excuse to step off the throne for a little bit! The wine and cheese is local to Cheliax. Of course, I don’t know how it compares to what you guys produce over there, but I hope it at least is palatable enough for a date night! I’ve also sent along some books on ancient arcane rituals that might interest you - Regill would’ve insisted they be thoroughly examined for anything dangerous… which technically you can do. We won’t tell him. It’s wrapped in the fashion magazines last I picked up from Absalom - I hope I didn’t bend their pages doing so! I remember you also being really into that sort of stuff.  

I also sent along some balm I found when I was there for feathers. I can’t believe how soft it’s made mine, I really just had to pass it along to you too! I know what a huge pain it is to care for them, especially with your wings. Hopefully you find it useful! I’d love to come visit sometime - if you have any other world ending cataclysms, I’m just a Sending away!

-Warm regards, Minovae!"

My dear Minovae,

Though this letter falls into your lap a touch late for me to properly wish you well for the holiday, I can certainly send my hopes that you spent it pleasantly with that husband of yours. Though duty never takes a holiday, I must say you more than earned the rest. I can only hope you enjoyed a long and indulgent vacation for the holiday. Perhaps at the spas you have told me so much about, or maybe enjoying that evergreen Chelaxian theater scene (though I confess I can’t imagine Regill sitting through an opera without making his displeasure quite known). Tristian sends regards as well, and is with me insisting on knowing what I put down. He has doubts about some of the books, Minovae- you will have to reassure him when next you write.

As for us, you needn’t have worried. The toil of the realm is ceaseless, it’s true, but I do still know how to enjoy myself. Spending a day like that bent over petitions and tax documents… if that ever happens, I’ll be the first calling for revolution. No, we didn’t do even a little work on the date, I’m happy to say. Tristian even came back to bed after dawn prayer- the closest to sleeping in I think we manage. It was a fairly quiet affair this year (no travel or shows this time around), but the time in was well spent. I’m sorry to have missed your gifts on the day! I do miss the cuisine of the Inner Sea- the wine and cheese would have been an excellent addition to the evening. You speak far too modestly of your gifts. It will be a long while before anything as fine emerges here.

At any rate, between the fine southern vintage and the news of Absalom, you’ve awoken something of a nostalgia in me. You’re in danger of playing host rather than visitor if this continues. I only half jest- I’ve been playing with the idea of some “diplomatic tour” as excuse for a while now. But I suspect you can tear yourself away from your post somewhat easier than I, and we would be happy to have you again even sans cataclysm. Here- I’ve sent some things along that might tantalize you. That pendant should be a lovely complement to your eyes- though it’s been some time, I should think I remember their color well enough. It was crafted by one of the artisans near Lake Silverstep, who sought to capture the silver-blue of the mountains not only in the frame for the gem but that thread-thin chain as well. What a lovely coincidence that hue is also counted among your scales! The music box is Pitaxian and is from both of us- there have always been renowned instrument crafters in the city, but what a delight to see the songs themselves captured, yes? And speaking of the region… a lovely Sarain white. I’ve no local cheese to send to pair it with, sadly. At times like this I wish that Jubilost were still here. Much as he could be an insufferable ass, if you could sit through his scoffing at your ignorance there really was no one better at finding the right local complement for any vintage (Tristian wishes you to know he strongly objects to my word choice, though he cedes Jubilost could be “somewhat overbearing”). At any rate, the vintage is citrusy, a touch dry, and pairs well with something salty but mild. If you’re near enough to Westcrown, I’ve also heard it works splendidly with oysters.

Yours truly,

Balthazar and Tristian

P.S. The balm really is a marvel. You’ll have to tell me where you got it, as I’m already sure I’ll mourn its absence when it’s gone.

(author's note: I wrote the tags before the letter and now I'm too scared of them to change them whatever's happening down there is happening)

#what a coincidence to mention balms I've been reading a lot about wings lately #*pepe silvia voice* have I told you about the wings we need to talk about the wings let's talk about the wings #did you know that most birds have under their tail a preen gland that produces the oil used for preening? #the oil isn't necessary to waterproof the feathers (their interlock takes care of that) but it helps protect and lubricate them #they're largely dead structures so they can become brittle and if damaged can't be repaired quickly #oil from the preen gland helps to increase their longevity and carry them through between molts #“but emi!” I hear you say. “most winged humanoids don't have tails! surely this is an issue. where is their preen gland” #great question from the audience! I too was thinking about that #minovae spends significant time with protective salves and such for her scales I thought. perhaps such a thing is necessary. #it certainly amused me to imagine how difficult this must make their care and how painfully dependent on assistance one must be #for so much of the wingspan is out of reach! #or of course one could give a winged person a preen gland. relocate it. I couldn't settle on a place that felt right. #but then emerged a third solution #for while most birds have a preen gland “most” is not “all” #and the vast majority of the others (including some birds with large wingspans and slow molts like a number of parrots) #instead produce powder down! #powder down being a type of down feather that breaks down into a powder naturally #and when preened through the feathers adheres to them in a slightly waxy sometimes metallic looking coat #powder down can either grow in big patches on the chest and thighs or be scattered throughout the feathers #and as of the time of writing I /believe/ that can include the wings (although I have to imagine not the most A+ source) #isn't that neat? doesn't remove the need for preening of course but it certainly makes life a little easier to produce your own stuff #at any rate I imagine one might find bird dander inconvenient despite its advantageous properties #and between that and the limitations of production prefer to supplement with artificial products anyway! #really my rule of thumb with the wings is “if realism is funny or interesting they work in realistic ways” #“if not they don't or they meet in the middle wherever it gets interesting” #ask me emithing #balthazar lucienne #balthazar and tristian #minovae arangeir #silversiren1101