#specifically snow white crowns

[blues824]

I Love You, Malleus... But You're Not Mine...

Word Count: 9862 Female Reader Genre: Angst

The dragon fae was torn.

He knew that he would have to be wed to someone soon in order to inherit the crown. 

Also… his grandmother was nagging him to marry someone because she was growing older and she wanted to see her only grandson be married.

The only issue was that no one in Briar Valley really managed to capture his eye nor his heart. They all wanted to be married to him either for his money or power, or to escape their families. 

Actually, some of them did not wish to be married to him and were in love with someone else entirely, and he granted them liberty to marry who they wished.

Malleus was torn. 

So, he went to do what he always did whenever he was torn.

He walked over the bridge and through the woods.

In the woods, he would talk to himself and to the trees and animals. The wintertime meant that there was also snow and ice upon the ground. When that happened, the moonlight would reflect off of the glittery surface of the snow. It offered peace to Malleus to see the view.

Well, now was a better time than any to practice his vows.

He took out the ring that he had in his coat pocket, turning it over and over with his fingers, contemplating.

“With this hand, I will lift your sorrows.”

He lifted his hand, palm up, as though he were actually marrying someone beside him. He stepped forward three times as he said the line.

“Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine.”

There was no real cup, so he just summoned a chalice with his magic and a bottle of wine. He was above the age limit for consuming alcohol in public, so it was alright. He poured the aged liquid into the cup, and then took a sip from the cup. Of course, his bride would then also sip from the cup right after. However, there is no bride as of right then.

“With this candle, I will light your way in darkness”.

He took a twig from a nearby tree and acted as though it were a candle. In the specific spot he was in, there was a tree stump that acted as the podium at an altar. On it was a small piece of bark that he used as the ‘flame’ with which he was to light the candle. 

Then, he set the twig down.

“With this ring, I ask you to be mine.”

In retrospect, the prince was asking himself why he didn’t ponder the curiously skeletal shape of the branch he placed the ring upon. However, it didn't matter, as the wind started whirling around him. Leaves started making a small-scale tornado around the branch on which he placed the ring… until a woman stood in the center.

She was as radiant as she was dead.

Her skin, or rather, where it existed upon her body, was smooth. One of her hands had no skin on it at all and was all bone. In the bodice of her wedding dress, he could see her ribcage. She was wearing a veil over her head, attached to a crown of flowers arranged in a multitude of different shades of blue. Peaking out of the tulip-cut skirt of her wedding dress was her skeletal leg. She was wearing white heels. In her hands, she held a bouquet of blue flowers, similar to her crown.

Understandably, Malleus was entranced but kind of frightened by the corpse he was seeing before him. His flight or fight response had not kicked in yet, not until he heard her whisper two words:

“I do.”

She then reached out towards him and started walking to him. The dragon prince, who had gone even paler than he already was, stayed still.

As she got closer and closer, he saw how the moonlight enhanced your figures, and he felt his heart beating faster. The woman leaned in, to the point where her nose was grazing against his.

“You may kiss the bride.”

Then everything went black.

~~~~~~~~

It took him a while to wake back up, and when he did he was in for it.

“Oh, look! He must have fainted. Are you alright?,” he heard the woman ask as he started to open his eyes.

“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a breather!” A skeleton man said.

“He’s still soft!” A skeleton boy exclaimed while jabbing at the prince’s torso with a stick. Malleus backed up into the bar, unsettled by what was going on around him.

Two skeletons dressed as soldiers clinked their beer steins toasting to the “newlyweds”.

“Newlyweds?” Malleus was quite confused as to what they were talking about. He stood up, trying to take in his surroundings.

“In the woods, you said your vows so perfectly,” she had a dream-like tone in your voice as she showed him the ring he had placed on your bony hand.

“I did, didn’t I?” Further leaning against the bar, he rubs his temples as though he were trying to remember something. Then he heard little legs crawling on the bar itself. 

He turned to see a walking head along with a few cockroaches. His eyes widened in silence as he backed away from the bar.

“Hello, my name is Paul! I am the head waiter, hehehe,”... the head was speaking. “I will be creating your wedding feast!”

All of a sudden, Malleus felt something hit the shoulder she was standing next to. When he turned to see what it was, a maggot was peeking out of her eye…’s socket. Her eye was, in fact, now on the floor.

“Wedding feast?! I am salivating,” the maggot said.

She gasped as she covered your eye socket, clearly embarrassed that it happened. She tried laughing it off, but it was a bit too late.

Now, to be fair, he recognized that he must be in a land of the dead. After all, there were skeletons all around, and his supposed bride was a decaying corpse. However, that did not leave him at peace. He was actually more disturbed when he came to that realization.

He squeezed out from between her and another skeleton and started creeping back in the other direction. He eventually reached the soldier skeletons, and that’s when he saw that one of them was impaled with a sword. He unsheathed it and turned on everyone.

“I need some answers before we proceed with anything. What’s going on here? Where am I? Who are you?”

She stepped forward and started fidgeting with her hands before saying, “It’s kind of a long story.”

“What a story it is…” a voice from the shadows on the stage emerged. “A tale of romance, passion, and a murder most foul.”

“This is gonna be good.” The skeleton who was formerly impaled by the sword Malleus was holding right now spoke, gently taking back the sword.

“Hit it, boys.”

~~~~~~~~

One catchy but macabre musical number later, Malleus understands where he is. A few of the people down here were people he recognized. Old fae folks and humans alike rejoiced with each other, and it was beautiful to see. There was no judgment between the two species, which means a lot of them died prior to the war.

Well, they were dead. There would be no point in harboring resentment towards each other if you’re stuck with each other forever anyway.

Anyways, her story made him angry. How dare that man turn her down?! She was beautiful and kind, and all she wished for was to be a bride. Even though it had only been a day, Malleus found himself drawn to her. In fact, right at this moment, they were walking arm-in-arm to the cliff to gaze over the town.

The sight was beautiful. The moonlight made its appearance again, and the dragon prince breathed in the night air.

“Isn’t it beautiful? It takes my breath away…” The woman let go of his arm and twirled, her veil trailing after her.

“...Well, it would if I had any,” She giggled before sitting down on a bench, patting the seat next to her. He, with gentle steps, made his way and sat down next to her. “Isn’t it romantic?”

“If you wouldn’t mind, I would love to have your name. After all, I do believe a groom should have the name of his bride,” Malleus stated after a moment of silence.

Well, that’s a great way to start a marriage.

“Shh… Shut up!” The woman hit her temples before smiling at him. “It’s Y/N.”

“My name is Malleus Draconia, prince and crowned heir of the Briar Valley.” Her eyes widened in shock at his response.

“Oh, I almost forgot! I have something for you!” She pulled out a box and placed it in his lap with care, taking the required measures so as to not startle him. Not to worry, as he was quite excited about receiving a gift from his… wife? She then whispered something, “It’s a wedding present”.

He lifted the neatly wrapped box up to his ear and shook it gently, seemingly trying to find out what could be inside. The corpse beside him let out a small gasp of shock before recovering with a smile.

Once he unwrapped the bow and opened the box, he saw a bunch of bones… including a skull. Malleus immediately recognized it to be a stray dog that he found in his youth. Growing up isolated meant that he hadn’t many friends, so when a dog made its way to him in the forest, who was he to turn it down?

The lid clasped itself back onto the box out of nowhere and started rumbling in the prince’s lap before falling to the ground. Then it went still before the lid burst open and out jumped a skeletal dog, barking and everything.

“Samson?” Malleus asked, wondering if the dog could hear him. The cadaverous canine jumped into his friend’s lap, excited to be reunited. “Samson! My dog, Samson!”

“I knew you’d be happy to see him.” The woman beside him exclaimed. The prince had nearly forgotten about her presence.

“Who’s my good boy? Sit. Sit, Samson, sit!” At his owner’s command, the dog sat down. 

“Good boy, Samson. Roll over. Roll over!!!” Now, the way that the dog did it was quite unusual. His head remained upright as the rest of the body rolled over.

“Play dead.” The dog let out a whine when Malleus realized his mistake. Both recovered, and Samson jumped into his wife’s lap instead.

“Awww, what a cutie!” She exclaimed.

After a few seconds of quiet between the newlyweds, save for Samson’s panting, Malleus spoke.

“My grandmother did not approve of me keeping a stray. Nor did Lilia,” Malleus trailed off, remembering from his childhood that he hadn’t any friends apart from the staff who were forced to play with him.

“Would she have approved of me?” His bride asked.

“I would very much like to think so, but I wouldn’t know… What if we were to go meet her?” He proposed.

“That sounds wonderful! Where is she buried?” She asked with enthusiasm and excitement in her tone. It pained him to be the bearer of bad news.

“I am afraid that they are still with life, my dearest,” He lowered his head, a bit embarrassed and thus focusing on Samson.

“Hmm… that is a problem…” The corpse bride brought her hand to her chin in thought, wondering how they could get to the Land of the Living.

Then, Samson started barking at you. 

“No, we couldn’t possibly,” Luckily, Malleus was well-versed when it came to speaking with animals, but he did not know who ‘Elder Gutknecht’ was.

“Well, if you put it like that…” She was responding to the dog, as though she was having a full conversation with him.

“Who is ‘Elder Gutknecht’?”

“He is the person everyone goes to when they have matters concerning the living realm. Now come, dear husband,” the woman held her hand out, and the prince took it, and the pair made their way to the Elder’s room.

~~~~~~~~

“Elder Gutknecht? Are you there?”

If I’m being honest, Malleus has no idea who you both are looking for. Samson is trailing behind the two of you, the three of you moving with grace up the stairs. One thing he noticed was that there were books and candles everywhere. He made sure that he didn’t trip over anything nor make anything fall.

“Is anyone home? Hello?”

Unfortunately, Samson did not take those same precautions and made a pile of books fall over, startling what seemed to be a full murder of crows. The lantern that lit up the place started swaying from the force of wind from the birds’ wings. Then, a hand reached up to steady the lantern.

An old skeleton, coughing, a whisper of a beard on his chin, and half of the top of his skull lifting, made his appearance.

“There you are!” Y/N exclaimed.

Placing his glasses on, the presumed Elder Gutknecht spoke, “Huh? Oh, my dear. There you are.”

“I’ve brought my husband, Prince Malleus Draconia.”

“What’s that? Husband?” The Elder scratched his skull, making the lifting plate lift even more.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, sir,” Malleus called out, not sure if the skeleton could hear him.

“I believe the pleasure would be mine, Your Highness. After all, it’s not everyday that you find yourself in the presence of living royalty… especially if you’re dead.”

“Anyways,” Y/N butted in, “We need to go up. Upstairs? To visit the Land of the Living.”

“Land of the Living? Oh, my dear,” The skeleton had a disappointed tone in his voice as he started making his way down the stairs that led up to his podium.

“Please, Elder Gutknecht.” The woman clasped her decaying hands together in hope.

“Now, why go up there, when people are dying to get down here?” The elder responded.

“Sir, I beg you to help. It would mean so much to my wife and I.’ A small gasp of shock made its way out of Y/N’s mouth. For so long… she wanted to hear herself be called a wife.

“I don’t know… It’s just not natural.”

“Please, Elder Gutknecht. Surely there must be something you can do?” Y/N took the old man’s hand in hers and looked into his eyes, pleading.

“Hmm… Let me see what I can do.” Elder Gutknecht patted the back of her hand. “Now, where did I put that book?” He then started looking everywhere; in the cabinet, in the drawer, and he started going through his piles and piles of books. That was, until he checked the bookshelf and found the book he was looking for. “There it is.”

On the way back up to his podium, he grabbed three bottles of things akin to potions as well as a chalice, as per Malleus’s guess. A crow was perched up there already, waiting for his master’s commands.

Elder Gutknecht started flipping through the pages of the book, muttering to himself, before he stopped at a certain page.

“I have it.” Y/N let out a gasp of excitement. “A haunting spell of sorts. Just the thing for these quick trips…”

Leaning to the side closer to her husband, Y/N whispered, “So glad you thought of this.”

“Me too, darling.”

The old man took two of the bottles and poured some of the liquid contents into the chalice before taking some ashes out of what the newly married couple realized was an urn and adding them into the concoction. Then, a feather from the crow was added in, and it dissolved immediately. A little cloud of red smoke popped out of the cup, making the skeletal man cough. He took the chalice in his hand, and it looked like he was going to splash it on the two below before he drank all of it.

“Now, then…” He let out a belch. “Where were we?”

“The haunting spell?”

“Ahhh…” He grasped the crow on his podium by the neck and squeezed its stomach, making an egg pop out. Malleus and Samson flinched while Y/N didn’t seem phased.

“Ah, here we have it. Ready? Just remember: When you want to come back, say ‘hopscotch’.”

Y/N giggled at the childishness of the word, asking, “Hopscotch?” with an amused tone.

“That’s it.” He cracked the egg on the podium, and out of the egg came a gas of some sort.

All of a sudden, the married couple found themselves under the moonlight once again.

~~~~~~~~

Back at the palace, everyone was worried. Some of the servants have been fainting from panic…

The prince had vanished.

Queen Maleficia is very close to sending out the entire military that Briar Valley has to go looking for her grandson. General Lilia is separating the soldiers into groups, and assigning those groups to different parts of the Valley. Sir Sebek and Sir Silver are paired together as leaders of two of those groups, going to make their way into the forest section.

It was very unlike Malleus to just vanish without a trace, so everyone figured that he was taken. It also must be someone stronger than him, as you wouldn’t be able to capture the 5th most powerful mage if you didn’t have magic.

The villagers have also joined the search efforts, but there were folktales spreading about the danse macabre. It was All Hallow’s Eve, and a tale passed down for generations was that Death would come up with the dead and dance. Maybe their prince had joined them?

That was what caused the frenzy to begin with. Everyone knew about that tale, and if Malleus had joined the celebration of the dead, then he wouldn’t be seen until the following year.

Lilia gave the order, and Sebek’s squad and Silver’s squad made their way over the bridge and into the woods to go find the dragon prince.

~~~~~~~~

Y/N took in the glow of the moonlight, tears coming to her eyes as she stared at the moon itself for a few moments.

“I spent so long in the darkness, I’d almost forgotten how beautiful the moonlight is.”

At that moment, a butterfly flew past her face, causing her to giggle at its purity and innocence. Malleus also had a grin as he followed the butterfly with his eyes. However, that is when he realized that the butterfly was just as blue as the flowers upon her crown.

Y/N inhaled deeply, before stepping forward and twirling about in the snow. The trail of her mother’s wedding dress as well as her veil almost floated so delicately and gracefully behind her.

“My lady, might you give me this first dance as my wife?” She stopped when she heard Malleus ask, and a tear fell down her cheek as she nodded. He held out his hand to her and she accepted it, being pulled into his chest.

The two of them would have to thank their dance instructors, Y/N from when she was alive, and Malleus from when he was a boy. Sure, the steps they were doing were rehearsed, but the connection that the two felt was real.

Suddenly, Y/N’s skeletal leg snapped, making her fall. Luckily, the bones were only disconnected at the joint, so she easily snapped it back into place.

“Are you alright?” The dragon prince was understandably alarmed, as his magic could do no good upon a dead person. After all, magic is alive itself.

“I am quite so. It happens quite often,” she giggled, a bit embarrassed. Malleus smiled before they continued their waltz in the snow for a few more moments. Then, they walked hand-in-hand over to where Malleus knew would be the road back.

That is when Malleus had an idea.

“What if you were to stay here and I could bring my grandmother to you? I believe everyone would erupt in a ruckus if they saw me walking with a mystery human woman.”

“Ah, that’s right. I was here before the conflict. That should be fine. I will wait right here.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

And so, with that being said, he set off into the forest, alone, on the path he had traversed many times before, to go bring his grandmother to meet his new wife.

~~~~~~~~

About 20 minutes into the journey, Malleus heard something close by.

“THE PRINCE IS HERE! WE FOUND HIM!” 

The said prince’s neck snapped toward the direction he heard the voice come from. He recognizes the lady’s voice. She was one of the people that his grandmother had set him up with for marriage, and she was one of the ladies who wanted him for his status.

He heard marching, and he saw his former retainers: Silver and Sebek. In seconds, he was face-to-face with them, the lady mentioned before clinging to his arm.

“Your highness, we have been searching for you for hours! Where have you been?” Silver asked, making sure that the surrounding forest was clear and that the lady was in no danger.

Sebek didn’t say anything. He was moved to tears upon the recovery of the prince, his personal hero, who he revered and worshiped.

“I was strolling through the woods, and I got lost.”

“Sire, with all due respect, I didn’t think it was possible you could get lost,” Silver found the prince’s response to be a bit suspicious, but didn’t think to question him further. After all, he had orders from Queen Maleficia herself to bring her grandson back.

“If you wouldn’t mind, Prince Malleus, we must be taking our leave now,” Sebek bowed down as he stated. He then told Silver that he could take him back while he escorted the lady back to her own manor.

However, as Silver began to lead the way, he noticed that he was not being followed. He looked back and saw that Malleus was looking in the direction from where he came. 

Perhaps he did dance with the macabre.

“Your highness?”

Malleus snapped out of his trance before going to follow the knight. This might be an easier way to speak with his grandmother, so he followed Silver. 

~~~~~~~~

This is the voice of your conscience… Listen to what I say:

I have a bad feeling about him. You know he is no…

An all too familiar voice made itself known to you, and you rolled your eyes. You reached up to your ear and hit the side of your head, making Maggot shoot out into the cold snow.

“Go chew someone else’s ear for a while. Malleus has gone to get his grandmother, just like he said,'' To say that you were annoyed would be a tiny bit of an understatement. However, you couldn’t help the feeling of loneliness once again drape an arm about your shoulder. You missed your husband already.

“If I hadn’t just been sitting in it, I would say that you had lost your mind!” 

“I’m sure he has a perfectly good reason… for taking so long.” You crossed your arms in your lap, letting the doubt get into your decaying mind. Maybe Maggot was right.

“Oh, I am sure that he does. Why don’t you go ask him?”

“Alright, I will.” With that, you stood up, and began to follow your husband’s footsteps, picking Maggot up as you went.

~~~~~~~~

Malleus should have expected this. 

His grandmother, Queen Maleficia, had overreacted upon being reunited with her grandson, and locked him away in his room, placing a magical barrier to prevent him from leaving. Not only that, but he had learned that if someone were to find him first, more specifically, the women that the Queen had lined up as his suitresses, they would get his hand in marriage.

One small issue with that: he was a taken man now, and he had no plans in betraying his wife. She was beautiful, a free-spirited person to boot. She knew music and understood the beauty of both human and fae-kind. He was starting to miss her, and while he tried to tell his grandmother, she was not hearing it.

“Oh, Malleus, darling~”

And there was that insufferable voice.

Lady Aerwynn, the lady who had ‘found’ him in the forest originally, was the one set to marry him. She came from a long line of fae nobility, a green flag in his grandmother’s eyes.

To be quite frank, Malleus found her insufferable. She was only looking to gain power and influence, not his love. That’s where he loved his undead bride. She loved him before she even knew his name or title.

“Yes, Lady Aerwynn?”

“Well, soon I am going to be Princess Draconia. But anyways, I was wondering which shade of white would look best with your suit? After all, I need to make a good impression on the people at our wedding!”

“Lady Aerwynn, I need to inform you of something. I already have a bride. I am happily married to someone. Our wedding would be unlawful. If you could go get my grandmother, I can explain everything and you could be free to marry anyone else.”

This seemed to make her upset. Tears started welling up in her eyes as she heard what her ‘fiance’ was saying to her. 

“It’s not true! You just don’t want to marry me! Well, I don’t care! We’re getting married, whether you like it or not!”

All of a sudden, the window burst open. A large draft of wind swept through the room, putting out the candles and the fire within the fireplace. Malleus turned to see his wife, his true wife, on the balcony, fixing her veil out of her face. He had never been so relieved to see her.

~~~~~~~~

“My darling, I just wanted to meet-” Once your veil was out of your face, you were able to see your husband with another woman in his arms. However, you quickly brushed it off as the wrong place at the wrong time.

However, the woman let out a gasp of shock at your appearance.

You reached over and grabbed Malleus’s arm to pull him towards you. You wrapped your arm in his, making sure that the strange living woman knew that he was yours.

“Darling? Who is this?” You asked.

“Who is she?” 

“I’m his wife.” You extended your hand with the wedding ring on it towards her, letting the moonlight reflect off of the glistening golden band.

“Malleus? What is the meaning of this? You’re not going to marry me because you’re married to a corpse?!” Lady Aerwynn was only getting angrier, as were you.

You felt betrayed. You snatched your arm from Malleus and stared menacingly at the woman.

“Hopscotch.” You snatched your husband’s arm before sinking back outside, a murder of crows flying in a circle around you two until you were back in Elder Gutknecht’s room.

~~~~~~~~

“You lied to me! Just to get back to that other woman!” You shoved Malleus away from you, again feeling betrayed. Emotions came punching you in the face, and you were first experiencing anger.

“You don’t understand, my love. She means nothing to me-”

“Oh, really? Am I preventing your marriage to her? Would you rather be married to her?” Tears were threatening to spill as you interrupted Malleus. “You’re married to me! She’s only the other woman!”

You turned around, not wanting to let him see you cry. 

Elder Gutknecht let out a cough before saying, “She’s got a point.”

Through sobs, you were lamenting the early and untimely death of your marriage. “And-And I thought… This was all going so well.” More tears fell. Your eye actually popped out of your skull from the pressure, rolling its way to the dragon prince’s boot.

He bent down and picked it up, giving it a brush against the lapel of his suit so as to clean it up a bit.

“Y/N, darling, you misunderstood everything. I-” He reached out his arm to give you your eye back, and you snatched it quickly.

“It’s my eye, isn’t it?” You popped it back into place.

“No! Your eyes are the most beautiful things I’ve ever had the pleasure of gazing into.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, Prince Malleus Draconia.” “Don’t you see? My grandmother is attempting to wed me with Lady Aerwynn!”

“You should have thought about that before you asked me to marry you.”

“Can’t you see it was a mistake? You were never supp-”

You drowned out the last of the sentence. He thought your marriage to be a mistake. Maybe it was. Maybe Maggot was right, and you were in the wrong. All you wanted was to be a bride, as that dream had been stolen from you before.

Oh, yes. You were to be married to a wealthy fae that you loved so dearly about a century ago. You were one of the human nobility families, but the Wikora family was of lower standing at the time compared to yours. Your parents had forbidden the union for that very reason. Lord Piersym Wikora, to be precise, was the one you were to be married to. He was a mysterious stranger to you, having traveled about to many locations outside of the Briar Valley.

He stole your heartbeat, both literally and figuratively.

You walked off, the memories flooding back as well as the tears. It was time to give up on having a happy marriage, as you figured that matrimony between a dead human and an alive fae could never be compatible.

If only you had heard what he had said.

You were never supposed to see us like that. She wants to ruin my happiness for her own gain.

~~~~~~~~

In a desolate corner in the Land of the Dead, you could be seen sulking. Your veil was hanging upon a random stick of metal sticking out of the ground. You were sitting upon a broken coffin, a bench, if you will. 

“Roses for eternal love.”

You reached into your bouquet and snatched a rose head out, letting it drop to the ground in a messy fashion.

“Lilies for sweetness.”

As with the rose, you grabbed a lily and let it drop to the ground.

Upon seeing the third type of flower, you breathed in shakily before whispering the name.

“Baby’s breath.”

You tossed the bouquet away from you, feeling lost on what you were going to do now that your marriage was in shambles. Samson was with you, whining that his two owners were separated.

“Why so blue?” You looked over to see the Widow, someone who you looked up to as a motherly figure. Her six hind legs were lifted up in the air while her other two legs were acting as arms.

“Maybe he’s right. Maybe it was a mistake.”

Maybe he should have his head examined.

You reached into your ear and pulled out Maggot, holding his tail between your pointer finger and thumb.

“I could do it!” Maggot exclaimed.

“Or maybe he does belong with her, Little Miss Living, with her rosy cheeks and beating heart. Plus, she’s a fae. I’m human.”

A heart can break once it’s done beating, you guess.

~~~~~~~~

“It’s true, Your Majesty! Malleus is married to a dead woman!” Lady Aerwynn looked the worse for wear. Her blonde hair was out of place as well as her dress. She looked a mess, and quite like a delusional patient. “I saw her. A corpse! Standing right here with Malleus.”

“I beg your pardon? My grandson… married to a corpse? Are you sure you don’t have a fever, dear?” Queen Maleficia lifted her hand to the girl’s forehead, checking for any unusual warmth.

Yes, she knew of the danse macabre story. However, she did not believe in it. And she refused to believe that her grandson indulged in frivolous tales and thus ran away… especially since he was an adult in fae terms.

“Come here and let me fetch you a blanket. You seem to be a bit feverish, dear.” Maleficia had a servant fetch a wool blanket as she assigned another servant to make sure that Lady Aerwynn didn’t go outside and worry the citizens even more.

Her Royal Majesty tried using her magic to see if she could locate Malleus through sensory magic, but she came up with nothing. He was not even in Briar Valley, but he couldn’t have made it to another land in that short amount of time, especially since she put that spell on his room. So, she started considering the possibility of the danse macabre.

~~~~~~~~

Malleus had been wandering about for a while in search of Y/N. He wished to hear her voice once again, as he felt his heart aching for her.

Sure, it was only during the night that he had gotten to know her, but his draconic instincts were telling him that she was his beloved, the person he was destined to be with for all of eternity, and not even death could part them.

He turned the corner to a street he had walked on before, following Samson who had your bouquet in his mouth. It was the bar where this entire journey started. Where he got to know what had happened to you.

Upon opening the door, he heard the piano playing. It was finely tuned despite being so old. You were sitting at the bench, both your decaying and skeletal hands dancing on the keys. Malleus walked up quietly, placing the bouquet that Samson had given him onto the top of the coffin-style piano.

“I’m sorry, my love. I just wanted you to know that I have no wish to be with her. I am happy with you, not with her. She wants to ruin our happiness to gain power for herself.”

You said nothing, and you continued playing. You were at the lower end of the piano, playing the deeper notes. Malleus joined you on the bench, turning his body towards the higher notes.

His years of learning the piano would come in handy.

To compliment the melody you were playing, he decided to add a more lighthearted spirit by playing a few notes.

That backfired, as you glanced at him with a look of disdain. You turned back to continue playing, but Malleus responded with the higher-pitched notes again.

You watched with an annoyed look on your face, before finishing off the melody.

However, Malleus started another one. He looked at you as he paused for a few seconds, inviting you to join him. And so you did.

Much like the dance you both shared in the moonlight, you were also in-sync with your piano playing. It turned into an expression of the both of you, lighter notes symbolizing life and deeper notes symbolizing death. The song was a motif for the joining of both life and death.

But, you got carried away, and your skeletal hand broke off and continued playing despite the rest of you as well as the entirety of Malleus stopping. You let out a gasp of shock as your hand started dancing about on the keys by itself, running up Malleus’s arm.

Giggles emitted from the both of you, much like children. The dragon fae took your detached hand in his before handing it over.

“Pardon my enthusiasm.”

“I like your enthusiasm.”

You both leaned in a bit as he reattached your hand to your arm. You looked up and into each other’s eyes before-

“NEW ARRIVAL” The bell started sounding, startling you both.

“Lights up!” 

Everyone started flooding into the bar. Paul and his cockroaches started pouring drinks.

“Hurry up, boys. Vite, Vite! Bonjour! Bienvenue! Drinks for everyone! Another pint, sir?”

“Oh no, just a half.” The man who ordered completely split in half.

Paul whistled at his roaches, having them bring the beer stein over, which ended up knocking him over.

“It is impossible to get good help anymore!”

Ms. Plum started making her way through the crowd of people.

“Welcoming committee, coming through! Coming through! My name’s Plum. Miss Plum.”

Malleus turned to see who had exactly died, and he recognized the man. He was one of the servants tasked with caring for him when he was a youngling. He had always been on the weaker side, having a horrible cough. He was one of the few human servants still remaining in the castle.

His name was Mr. Nimbus, or Nimbus Redrose. He just grew up calling him Mr. Nimbus because of the stories he would tell.

“Mr. Nimbus? Is that you? It’s wonderful to see you again!”

“Your Highness? Why, everyone’s been worried sick! Well, not me anymore!” The man let out a loud laugh before patting the prince on his shoulder. “You shouldn’t worry about me, though. It was about time I passed.”

“Hurry up, boys! Can you not see the gentleman is parched?!” Paul addressed his cockroaches, exasperated at the slow rate of his staff.

“How is Lady Aerwynn?”

“She was purely hysterical from what I could tell. Her Royal Majesty is concerned for her, but she’s more worried about you.”

“Yes, I do feel horrible that I had taken leave without informing anyone of my whereabouts, but my night has gone better than it ever could have. She was truly insufferable.”

A random drunkard of a skeleton threw his arm around Nimbus, stumbling and slurring about, and he said, “Women; you can’t live with them… You can’t live with-” Then he fell down.

“Well, I guess it’s time for you to pick up the pieces and help them to move on.”

“Speaking of picking up the pieces…” The skeleton from before was on the floor in just a heap of bones, making Malleus amused. He would use his magic, but it didn’t work on the dead. So the poor, drunk skeleton was just left there to sober up.

However, your husband had more concerning matters on his mind. He needed to somehow inform his grandmother that he wished to stay in the Land of the Dead with you. With that, he walked off to start contemplating methods.

“Malleus? Where are you going?”

~~~~~~~~

Queen Maleficia rested her forehead in her hand as she sat upon her throne. This whole day had not gone according to plan. 

She was feeling horrible for trying to force her grandson into a marriage that he did not want. However, she wanted to at least give him a push to marry his true love before Lady Aerwynn.

The Wikora family was indeed powerful, as their family came from sprites and faeries directly. Aerwynn Wikora, the daughter’s name, was a faerie herself. She had a way with music that Maleficia found light and airy… much different to the Draconias. However, despite that being her style, her entire family was corrupt. They wanted more power, and they were second only to the Draconia family.

It had frustrated the Wikoras that it had become a trend for the Draconias to pick up human lovers and marry them despite them being taken by death so early. However, as we all know, a dragon must be with their true love in order to truly be happy.

Every so often, a maid would come into the throneroom and update her on Lady Aerwynn’s state. She seemed to be getting a tad better, which was a relief. However, her ramblings set an ounce of doubt in Maleficia’s mind. What if the story of the danse macabre was real? It could be the only explanation.

However, if that were true, then he wouldn’t have turned up in the forest in the first place.

~~~~~~~~

Malleus was walking around once again, as he tended to do when he was in deep thought.

You see, he knew that there was no way he could go back to the living world or else he would be barred from his beloved. But, the Briar Valley would need a king once his grandmother passed the crown onto him. He doesn’t know how well his subjects would take it upon hearing that their Queen is technically dead.

Then, he came across a door that he knew led to the kitchen. He peaked in to see you talking to the head chef, Ms. Plum.

“Oh, Ms. Plum. What am I to do? He just walked off without saying a word. Are all men like this?” You lamented. 

“Well, I’m afraid none of them are very bright. They get something stuck in their heads…” Mrs. Plum began her response before pulling a knife out of the head of her colleague and wiping it clean. Then she continued, “...and you can’t do a thing with them.”

Elder Gutknecht burst into the kitchen with a rather heavy book. It actually seemed to be more than his skeletal weight, and it made Malleus briefly concerned. It was flipped to a certain page, and Maggot resided on top of the page.

“My dear, we have to talk.” The Elder seemed burdened by something, which made the dragon prince worried.

“Let me tell her, please. Let me tell her!” Maggot seemed quite the opposite. Whatever misfortune had happened, he seemed to be fairly excited about it.

“What?” You seemed to have the same fear that was now residing in your husband.

“There is a complication with your marriage.” A gasp made its way out of you, and Malleus was pretty close, but he knew that this was not his moment to pop in yet.

“I don’t understand.”

“The vows are binding only until death do you part”

“What are you saying?” “Death… has already parted you.” Another sound of surprise emitted from you, and your hand flew to your mouth. You started to bite your nails in quick contemplation.

“I don’t think he would leave, but is there something you could do to make the vows binding?”

“There is one thing…”

“Oh, please, please, let me tell her!” Maggot interrupted. The suspense was drawing you and Malleus (who was still outside) towards the elderly man.

“...It requires the greatest sacrifice…”

“Go on, get to the good part~”

“What is it?”

“We have to kill him!”

A moment of silence fell on everyone. It was overwhelming for even the dragon prince to comprehend. 

Is he really willing to give up his life?

“What?”

“Prince Malleus would have to give up the life he had forever. He would need to repeat his vows in the Land of the Living…

…and drink from the Wine of Ages.”

Elder Gutknecht pointed at the page his book was opened to, and it pictured a vial or bottle of something. Your hands clasped themselves over your mouth as you turned away. Your face held a look of disbelief and remorse.

“Poison…”

“This would stop his heart forever. Only then would he be free to give it to you.”

Dropping to the floor, you bowed your head.

“I could never ask him…” A lone tear traveled down your decayed cheek.

“You don’t have to, dearest.” Malleus made his presence known, entering the kitchen finally. He extended his hands to you as he said, “I’d do it in a heartbeat if it meant spending eternity with you, Y/N.”

You looked up in surprise, originally hinted with a bit of mortification. However, upon hearing what he said, the mortification wiped itself away.

“My boy, if you choose this path, you may never return to the world above. Do you understand?” Elder Gutknecht looked at the prince, waiting for his response.

Continuing to look into your eyes as he helped you up, he said, “I do.”

~~~~~~~~

“Gather round. Gather round, everybody! My soon-to-be-official bride and I have decided to wed each other properly, so grab what you can and follow us. We’re moving upstairs for a proper celebration.” Malleus shouted as he held your hand atop the foundation of a statue.

“Upstairs? I didn’t know we had an upstairs!” A lady in the audience exclaimed. Everyone was now buzzing with excitement for the wedding. They rushed off to prepare both the bride and groom.

“Ms. Widow? I was wondering if you could touch up my suit. I want to be looking the best I can for Y/N.” Malleus explained, also beaming with excitement.

“Why, of course!” She let out a loud whistle, and a few different spiders appeared. The feeling of them walking all over was a bit ticklish, but the dragon prince remained as still as he could.

Then, a hush fell over everyone.

The women started singing in a rather calming tone, announcing that the bride was there.

You walked down the stairs, bouquet in hand and your dress trailing behind you. Once again, Malleus had his breath taken away at your beauty. Some of the widows dropped down with your veil, placing it lightly upon your head.

The men joined in the singing as you twirled about.

Maggot was in tears, blowing his nose in a smaller-scale handkerchief. He just couldn’t believe that his dear friend was finally getting married. He was so proud.

Everyone made their way upstairs. There was a large cake following everyone as well that the chefs whipped up. It was extravagant to say the least, but so were the wedding festivities of Briar Valley.

~~~~~~~~

Queen Maleficia was torn.

She sat at the dinner table, accompanied by Silver, Sebek, Lilia, and the Wikora family. A simple soup was served for dinner, as no one could really stomach an extravagant meal. However, the Wikoras were not really appreciative of the dismal dinner.

Lady Aerwynn looked a tad better, some color having returned to her skin. She was not as feverish, but she was not touching her food. Her hair was brushed neatly, courtesy of the servants who were attending her.

That aside, the Queen was wondering how she was going to break the news to the Wikora family that Lady Aerwynn’s engagement to her grandson was invalid as per her orders. 

The entire room was silent, save for the flickering of the fire behind her in the fireplace and the scraping of spoons against the ceramic bowls. 

“Has there been any news about His Royal Highness?” Lord Piersym inquired. He was Lady Aerywynn’s older brother, and even more insufferable.

“I am afraid not. There are a few parties out in the woods searching for him.” Maleficia responded.

Then, the fire turned green. It cast an ominous emerald glow in the room, surprising everyone. They all stayed frozen still, only moving their eyes.

Creeping up behind the Wikoras were what Silver, Sebek, Lilia, and Maleficia recognized as dead bodies and skeletons. The one behind Lord Piersym, their eye accidentally fell out of its socket and landed in his soup.

“There seems to be an eye in my soup,” he stated rather calmly.

That is when poor Lady Aerwynn ran to her wit’s end and started screaming. The knights were also considerably spooked at the happenings, but they came to the realization that their weapons were taken by the walking dead. They were left defenseless, basically.

Her Royal Majesty didn’t seem scared but rather on the defensive. This was living (?) proof that the danse macabre was real. That means her grandson would be back. All the living dead were headed a certain direction, she noticed, after spooking her guests and the knights. 

Lilia also seemed to notice that pattern and started leading her out of the castle and down the roads. A bunch of skeletons were climbing over the palace walls and into the village outside, so the two faes started making their way to a meadow, as that was where everyone was going.

All around them, couples who had lost each other because of death reunited, and it was beautiful. Typically, in Briar Valley, no one remarries once death has parted them from their first partner. Hence why Queen Maleficia has no king consort. So, to see that loved ones were able to see deceased loved ones again was truly magnificent.

After the reunions, they started heading towards the meadow where a wedding seemed to be set up. An altar of both dead and alive flowers (that symbolized death), as well as the typical wedding flowers (like roses, lilies, and baby’s breath, as mentioned before). The feeling of excitement was in the air, and Maleficia had never seen the village bustling with life like this before… pun intended.

Whispers made their way through the crowds of people, both dead and undead. From what Her Royal Majesty and Her Right-Hand Man gathered, His Royal Highness was repeating his wedding vows in the ‘Land of the Living’ to be with his true love.

…Lady Aerwynn was right. Malleus had, in fact, danced with the dead. Now he was going to join them alongside a dead woman he had only just met that night.

The severity of the situation was donning on both faes as they took their seats in front. More whispers of amazement at seeing the Queen as well as the (at their time of life) General as they sat down. 

The two let out a gasp as they saw Malleus teleport to the altar. His suit was a black coat with a green vest. A black button-up resided underneath along with a green tie about his neck. Black dress pants and shoes accompanied the rest of the outfit.

Gasps resounded from the rear of the venue and everyone turned to look. There you stood, your veil hiding your face. Because of its transparency, everyone could still see your face, albeit it was still slightly shrouded from view. You walked slowly down the aisle, as per tradition. There was no question about it: you were beautiful.

Maleficia could tell that you were once a gorgeous human woman. Actually, you seemed very familiar. That dress was one that she had seen before. 

You reached the altar and stood beside your about-to-be husband. At the podium stood a rather old skeleton with a rather large book and a bottle of what was presumed to be wine and an empty chalice. The officiant, the Queen guessed.

“Evening. Dearly beloved… and departed… we are gathered here today to join this man and this corpse in marriage.”

Silence washed over the people attending the ceremony. It was like magic the way that everyone wanted to speak but no one dared utter a word. Malleus gently lifted your veil to reveal your face to everyone, and he swears that he is gazing into your eyes for the first time. The pure amount of love in his eyes could have made your heart begin to beat again.

“Living first.” The old skeleton pointed to Malleus, who turned towards you.

“With this hand, I will lift your sorrows.” Just like he rehearsed, he raised his hand up and you accepted it, and he led you three steps forward. 

“Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine.” He took the empty chalice and lifted it up.

“Now you.” The officiant pointed at you. You realized that you would finally be able to say these vows in however many years since you were set to marry.

“With this hand, I will lift your sorrows.” Just like you had rehearsed many times before, you took a step towards Malleus.

“Your cup will never empty, for I will be…” You opened the bottle and took it into your hand and started pouring the liquid into the chalice that Malleus was holding. But, you paused.

Malleus looked at you expectantly, wanting you to finish the vow so that he may drink the Wine of Ages, wanting to join you eternally in death.

“...I will be…” You came to the realization upon stealing a glance at the crowd. They needed a king once Queen Maleficia gave away the crown. Not just that, but Malleus still had his entire life ahead of him. He was signing it away just for a woman he had only met that night.

“Go on, my dear.” The elderly skeleton prompted. You focused your gaze back on Malleus, who had a hopeful but fearful look in his eyes. However, you did not have that hopeful look in your eyes to match. Malleus realized that.

You take a deep breath in as you go again, “Your cup… will never empty… for I will be…” It’s as though something is prohibiting you from saying the vows in their entirety.

“...I will be your wine.” Malleus finished, going to drink from the chalice. However, before it reached his lips, you put your skeletal hand over it and brought it back down. The dragon prince looked at you in shock, but you looked down to avert his gaze.

“I can’t,” You looked back up at him, tears in your eyes. You were whispering so that no one else could hear you.

“What’s wrong? Speak to me, my love,” He whispered back.

“This is wrong… I was a bride. My dreams were taken from me. And now… I’m taking someone else’s life for my own selfish dreams.” Malleus was about to say something, but you stopped him.

“I love you, Malleus. But you’re not mine to have.”

You both were fragile in this moment as everyone was staring in suspense as to what would happen next. However, someone started clapping in a very slow manner.

“Oh, how touching. I always cry at weddings.” The two of you could recognize that voice from anywhere, and that man started walking down the aisle towards you both.

It was Lord Piersym.

“Our young lovers… together at last. Surely now they can live happily ever after?” The antagonizing tone in his voice did not go unnoticed, and your was-to-be husband put his hand on the other side of your waist and pulled you into him, so as to not leave you vulnerable.

“But you forget… HE IS STILL MY SISTER’S HUSBAND BY ORDER OF THE QUEEN!!! THE WIKORA FAMILY WILL NOT LEAVE EMPTY-HANDED!!!” He screamed. Malleus was about to put an end to this by using his magic, but you stepped out of his grasp.

“You?” You asked. The dragon fae as well as the crowd watched as you walked to the edge of the plateau upon which the altar stood.

“Y/N?” Looks of recognition flashed on both Lord Piersym’s and your faces. 

“You.” Your face turned into one of disgust and hatred.

“But… But I left you!” The man turned as white as a ghost.

“...For dead.” Gasps emitted from everyone in the meadow. It seemed that even the animals that were still active went absolutely silent.

“This woman is obviously delusional! It would do you good to hold your tongue, you filthy human!” He pointed a sword at you, and while you were aware that you could not die twice, Malleus seemed to have forgotten about it. All he processed in his mind was that his mate was in danger. 

“You were set to marry me. You have no right to call me that,” you stated, diction quite clear and distinct.

“Touche, my dear.”

“Now, go away.”

“Oh, I’m leaving. But first! A toast!” He grabbed the chalice out of Malleus’s hand, lifting it in the air and turning towards the audience, who all had either surprised or angry faces, depending on if they were alive or dead.

“To Y/N! Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.” 

Malleus was about to shout and lose his mind over what he had just said to you, but you took a step closer to him and kept a vigilant eye on Lord Piersym. 

“Tell me, my dear…

Can a heart still break once it’s stopped beating?” Venom laced within his voice, he, too, kept a vigilant eye on his surroundings. His words were enough to bring you to the verge of tears.

“Let me at him! Let me at him!” Maggot was furious. He wanted the death of the puny lord to be by his own ‘hands’ with how angry he was at that moment. However, Elder Gutknecht held him back with his finger, along with the rest of the crowd with his other arm.

“Wait! We are amongst the living! We must abide by their rules!” The Elder warned.

“Well said,” Lord Piersym said in response. He then lifted the chalice to his lips, as though to ‘cheers’ what he said. Then, he proceeded to drink all of the wine that was in the cup. He gave it back to Malleus and started making his way to the side and out of the venue.

“...Not anymore~” Maggot said. Well, he wasn’t wrong, as all of a sudden, Piersym Wikora doubled over, gasping for air. He could feel his magic drain from his body and be replaced with something else.

As I have mentioned before, dear reader… magic is alive. At least, the kind of magic that faes, trolls, and others have in the Land of the Living. The kind of magic that was being replaced in Piersym’s body was something unexplainable. It was like a dead magic. No, not dormant, and certainly not like a volcano. But a dead magic.

The lord looked up, and his skin was pale with a blue undertone to match. His heart had stopped. He was now a walking corpse.

“Yep. You’re right. He’s all yours,” With those words, Elder Gutknecht put his arms down and the dead in the crowd started making their way to the, now dead, lord. They dragged him back through the village, back to the Land of the Dead via the fountain in the center.

That left the living as well as you at the altar. The Moon was close to giving way to the Sun. You turned back to Malleus.

“Y/N, I made a promise to you when I proposed to you. I intend to fulfill that promise if you will have me.”

“No, Malleus. You have kept your promise. I loved dancing with you under the moonlight. You’ve set me free. Now I can do the same.”

Right then and there, butterflies started cutting their way out of the bottom of your dress and legs. It was as though you yourself were an image. You began to disappear as the butterflies flew away. 

However, Malleus was not ready to let you go without giving you a farewell gift. He gently pulled your… upper body… closer to him and placed a kiss on your cold lips. A tear escaped from his right eye. Then, you were gone.

~~~~~~~~

Maleficia didn’t know how to feel. However, there was one prominent emotion that made its way to the front of the line, and it was sympathy for her grandson. She stood up from her seat and made her way to Malleus, going to wipe away a tear and say something in encouragement.

“Grandmother, why does it hurt so much?”

“I am afraid, Malleus, that it is the one thing no potion or spell will be able to fix. You will have to recover on your own.”

This took forever, and I was supposed to have it out on Halloween but that clearly did not happen lol.

Thank you for reading! Like, comment, reblog, share, whatever lol.

#divider by cafekitsune #twst #twst x reader #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #disney twst #twst wonderland #malleus #malleus draconia x reader #twst malleus #malleus x reader #malleus draconia #twst malleus draconia x reader #twst malleus draconia #twst malleus x reader

[prince-kallisto]

Diasomnia’s and Pomefiore’s Peacock Imagery (& the ties to Meleanor)

When looking at Diasomnia’s Halloween costume- “the ghost of a long,” I was confused for a while about the peacock feather. But the Halloween events in particular have shown generous amounts of foreshadowing, especially with Diasomnia. If Levan, Malleus’ father, does indeed have some relation to the long (his title being Ryūgan Duke Levan, which may translate to Long-Eyed Duke Levan), then this Halloween costume that Malleus chose himself certainly has its significance.

Anyway, about the peacock feather, in Twisted Wonderland this is usually associated with the Fairest Queen and Pomefiore- undoubtedly because of the Peacock Throne. In Snow White, it’s said that the Evil Queen had a Peacock Throne that represented her extreme vanity. Peacocks have long since been symbols of beauty, elegance, power, royalty- but sometimes also correlated to pride to a sinful degree.

But after poking around a bit with some research, I discovered that the long was often paired the fenghuang, a mythical bird in Chinese mythology, and these two paired together would symbolize marital harmony and everlasting love between husband and wife. The fenghuang in modern times became a feminine entity tied with the empress, and the long a masculine entity tied to the emperor. These creatures were opposites yet harmonious, like the yin and yang respectively.

Much like the long, the fenghuang was said to made up of the parts of various animals- and in more recent mythos, the fenghuang is commonly depicted with the tail of a peacock.

So…I wonder if Malleus unintentionally chose a Halloween costume that represented both of his parents, and symbols of their harmonious marriage. Dragon eggs do require genuine, parental love to hatch, which Meleanor and Levan would’ve undoubtedly gave if fate treated them more kindly. We don’t know much about Levan, but he was described as kind, a scholar, a diplomat, someone who desired peace and unity between humans and Fae. Most of these descriptions are from Lilia, and these are a stark contrast to how he describes Meleanor.

Edit: I mentioned this in a reblog, but Levan potentially being a bird Fae yet tied to a dragon-like figure, and Meleanor being a literal dragon yet tied to the fenghuang and peacock…it’s another case of them being harmonious opposites

I also feel like there is something mysterious tying Pomefiore and Diasomnia specifically. Ray has an incredibly big brain thread about Diasomnia’s and Pomefiore’s connections- please check it out 👀 But I wonder if the symbolism of the peacock and the mixture of pride and nobility is trying to say something more. The peacock imagery is usually tied to Vil, as his spell book is beautifully decorated with peacock imagery, and his recent card seems to have golden claws/or embellishments on his gloves that resemble peacock feathers. His Overblot form has SEVERAL ties to it. The ends of his cape resemble black peacock feathers, and so do his boots and crown.

Interestingly enough, his Overblot form heavily resembles the Virgin Mary. If you’re curious about this resemblance to not only the Virgin Mary but also Meleanor, check out this older theory post of mine as well ^_^ Rook also gets a peacock feather in his hat for his New Years outfit, but the peacock imagery definitely seems more tied to Vil 🤔

Additionally, in a split second shot in the opening, Crowley is seen sitting in what seems to be a Peacock Throne. The throne in Pomefiore is a direct reference to the Evil Queen’s throne, but what’s interesting about Crowley’s throne is that the gemstones are purple, not blue. Either this is lighting being unusually strong, or this is a different chair entirely. It may be his office chair, but unfortunately we haven’t gotten a good look at it yet. Even Crowley’s new furniture in the JP version doesn’t show enough details for his office throne.

I mentioned this briefly in the Virgin Mary theory, but I feel as though that Vil is the closest representation of who Meleanor was. I think this line in his dorm uniform vignette is most striking, as he is like “the Queen reborn, with two striking knights at your side.” The thing is, the Evil Queen didn’t HAVE any knights. Her closest companions were the raven and the hunter. But neither of them were exactly knights, and she thought very little of them in the film. Rook’s chat’s say that the hunter carried out all her orders- although he made many blunders, and said that the raven was more of a pet (contrast to Malleus who says Diablo was a fellow companion who fought alongside Maleficent). But Meleanor DID have “two striking knights” at her side, through the form of Levan and Lilia, her left and right generals.

Additionally, in Book 5, Vil mentions beauty being a power that’s more overwhelming that violence, and can bring people to their knees. And his voicelines show his belief that roses have thorns is part of their charm. I just can’t help but think of the scene in Book 7, where Meleanor literally brings Yuu and crew down to their knees with her magic, thinking them unworthy of even looking at her in the eye. (Credits to Otome Ayui for translation🐦‍⬛)

And Vil’s voicelines show his belief that roses having thorns is part of the charm, and that he interestingly correlates birthdays with the aurora. Meleanor’s castle is called Wild Rose Castle, and ended up covering the castle with her thorns. Additionally, both the aurora and the rose is heavily tied to Sleeping Beauty, with Princess Aurora, and her “peasant” name being Briar Rose. The gift of her beauty even said her lips were as red as the rose. And, well, there’s the whole storyline about Aurora’s sixteenth birthday overall -v-

As I mentioned earlier, I think Vil and Pomefiore represent Meleanor more as the Fae she was- her “tenacity,” as you could put it, being the spirit of Pomefiore. Diasomnia seems to connect to the idea of nobility and the guards/knights that protect the Queen. Even Pomefiore’s imagery, of the peacock, the sword impaling the heart…it feels very representative of what happened to Meleanor. Perhaps the connection between these two dorms makes up the full image of Meleanor (I’m not sure how to describe what I’m saying NSJXJD)? The guards to the Queen, the nobility and dragon Fae of Diasomnia, with the pride, tenacity, and beauty of Pomefiore.

Edit: I somehow forgot about the fenghuang and long symbolism here. Pomefiore’s symbol is the peacock, and Diasomnia’s is the dragon. It really feels as though there’s a connection between them 😭🙏

And back to what a peacock symbolizes, in Chinese culture the peacock is tied to auspicious happiness and prosperity, and serves as a symbol of beauty, nobility, power, and divinity. The feathers could even be talisman to ward of evil spirits. The Fenghuang was also believed to disappear during times of chaos and despair, and would only appear when there was world peace.

In English, the Fenghuang is translated as the “Chinese Phoenix,” although I’ve read that the similarities are superficial. The Phoenix being well known for bursting into flames and being reborn from its own ashes could potentially have significance though- but this trait is not seen in Chinese mythos. Additionally, Christianity associates the peacock with purity and the resurrection of Jesus, so peacock imagery can be seen at burials/tombs.

What fascinates me about this idea of purity and nobility is the surrounding conflicting views of who Meleanor was. The Senate practically turned her into some angelic, fairytale figure (Lian elaborates so beautifully in her post here 🫶) who is dignified and noble. The Senate idolized her to the point that Lilia was too filthy to ever stand beside her- who was a noble dragon. The Silver Owls saw her as a monster, a vain witch to be defeated. Lilia saw her as a spoiled and overly prideful princess, but also cared for her deeply as a person and not just someone to be idolized. He grew up with her, after all, and has been subjected to her antics and mischief for many years. (Translation credits to Otome Ayui 🐦‍⬛)

I think the connections here could heavily tie to other popular theories, like Meleanor being in the Dark Mirror or will be “resurrected” in some way. And you all know me- I think Crowley’s fixation on Pomefiore and the Evil Queen may also be representative of something (*´∀｀*) No matter the theories regarding Crowley, I do think it’s significant that he’s sitting in some peacock throne in the opening. With all these connections to nobility, I wonder if it means Crowley taking on the symbolic or literal position of royalty or power (*'▽'*) He is technically the highest authority so far at NRC, but I just can’t help but feel there’s more significance than meets the eye 🐦‍⬛

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst Diasomnia #twst Pomefiore #twst malleus draconia #twst vil schoenheit #twst meleanor #twst meleanor draconia #twst malleus #twst lilia vanrouge #twst dire crowley #twst theory #twst analysis #kallistopost

[blackhairedjjun]

white peonies

pairing: choi yeonjun x gender neutral reader [reader is called "beautiful" once] | genre / tropes: royalty au, fluff, comfort, yeonjun and reader are engaged | word count: 1.25k | warnings: pet names (darling, love), mentions of classism

summary: the night before your wedding, you - a humble gardener who has won the heart of the crown prince - feel some doubts. fortunately, your husband-to-be is there for you.

author's notes: this is a spin-off to my previous multichapter fic, flowers of every color (specifically it is an epilogue to the good ending). but this can also be read on its own as a standalone oneshot!

(support by reblogging banner by @cafekitsune)

on the night before your wedding, the greenhouse is quiet. there’s no one else here but you, and you’re grateful for the solitude; the gardening staff hired to replace you have all gone to bed, and you can revel in your old life one more time. your fingers brush the petals of the newly bloomed white peonies on the greenhouse table and you smile. they’ve grown beautifully, their snow-white petals bursting out like fireworks, and they’ve been cut and arranged in vases and bouquets just in time to be put into position tomorrow. regret stings at you that you barely tended to them personally.

you’ve been told time and time again that you don’t need to do gardening work anymore now that you’re about to become the prince’s spouse and consort 一 and you’ve been too busy with new duties to do so anyway. still, you miss that old life, and the small garden plot assigned for “royal leisure” isn’t enough.

without even realizing it, you start checking each flower for signs of infestation or infection. you inspect the leaves, the petals, and the cut ends of the stems, searching for holes left by bug bites or parts that have gone mushy and brown. you examine the water inside their vases, making sure they’re clear and free of any debris. and when each cut flower is satisfactorily healthy to you, you move on to the next one; you walk slowly down the long table, examining vase after vase, caring for them as if they were your own. (they’re the flowers for your wedding; in a sense, they are your own.)

the task keeps you busy enough that the tumultous energy swirling in your stomach slows down just a bit. the solitude comforts you; it’s just you and the flowers, away from the prying eyes of the castle, of the royal council, of all the guests who will come flooding in tomorrow...

your inspection is interrupted by a creak in the door. as it opens, you jump back and start a response 一 i just want to look at them before i go, that’s all 一 until the dim greenhouse light illuminates the face of your groom.

your shoulders droop and relief washes over you.

“i thought i’d find you here.” yeonjun makes his way to you and wraps his arms around your waist from behind. he pulls you close and you relax in his hold, though your tumultous feelings haven’t been shaken off completely. he too can feel the hurried rhythm of your pulse.

“why is my darling still awake?” he whines, kissing the crown of your head. “you need to be well-rested for tomorrow...”

“i know, love.” you sigh and turn to face him. “i just needed to get my nerves out.”

“you always come here when you’re nervous. tell me, darling... you can tell me what’s on your mind.”

“i’ve already told you a hundred times, you don’t want to hear it.”

“but i do.” he pushes aside a stray lock of hair from your face and cups your cheek. even now the gesture makes your heart flutter. “i don’t care if you’ve told me a hundred times. if you’re worried, i want you to tell me.”

you’re quiet for a few moments. you turn away from yeonjun and glance at the peonies; even after admitting it to him so many times before, it never feels any less shameful.

“it’s tomorrow... all the dukes and counts and visiting royal families from other kingdoms... they’ll see me, and they...”

you trail off. yeonjun pulls you into a tight embrace, one hand coming up to run through your hair. he knows about this worry all too well after you’ve told him countless times throughout your engagement. he’s heard the gossip making its way through his circles of royalty and nobility. he’s even held several returned invitations from guests who have declined to come or even send a gift.

he’s a prince marrying a commoner 一 his family’s own gardener 一 and breaking tradition. many noble and royal families took the engagement as a personal slight that their own eligible offspring had been overlooked in favor of a common worker. others heard that the prince had turned down a powerful queen’s daughter for a love match and took the queen’s side, hoping to prove their allegiance. still others simply thought that he was being undignified.

but those whispers of disdain have little meaning for yeonjun. he holds you for as long you let him, slotting your face into the crook of his neck until your nerves have settled down.

“i know what you’re going to say,” you whisper into his neck. “you don’t care about any of that, they don’t see me the way you do...”

he chuckles and you can feel his breaths tickling your ear. “then you know that i mean all of it, right?”

“i know. but i still worry, i shouldn’t worry一”

“shhh.” he leaves another kiss on the crown of your head. “if you can’t stop worrying about these things, then at least let me carry the burden with you.”

“you don’t have to...”

“i want to.”

you nod and close your eyes, burying yourself in him; his hold on your waist grows firmer. you are reminded of how lucky you are to know yeonjun, to be in love with him, to be spending the rest of your life with him. the princely crown is a weight he carries with dignity, and the kingly crown he will wear one day is even heavier, yet he is more than willing to carry your own burdens alongside his. he proves it to you right here: instead of going to bed early like he should, he holds you close right before his own wedding — your own wedding — because you matter to him more than any duty.

what he knows is that he can carry his burdens only because you are by his side.

for a few moments you let him hold you, feeling your own heartbeat steady as it syncs with his. the tumult swirling within you doesn’t go away completely, but it does slow down enough that your mind feels clear again.

you give him a quick kiss on his neck right before you pull away. “thank you, jjunie.”

he smiles you see his ears turn red. even after all this time, you still have that effect on him.

yeonjun glances over at the white peonies lined up on the table, waiting to be positioned in the early hours of the morning. he purses his lips and tuts. “the ones you grow are prettier.”

“don’t say that! the new gardeners did a perfectly fine job. i looked at them and they’re all healthy.” your cheeks betray you anyway as they grow warm at his compliment.

“healthy, sure. but prettier? your flowers are almost as beautiful as you.”

now your face is a mess of red. “stop that! you’re making me一 i一”

“you know it’s true, darling.”

you shake your head but slip your hands into his. he gives you a teasing smile, but the redness in his ears hasn’t gone away.

“then will you convince the council to let me do more gardening once we’re married? or at least give me a real garden instead of that tiny plot?”

“oh, i’m already talking them into it.” he steps closer and brushes his nose against yours. “and if they don’t let you have it, then i’ll dig up one myself.”

notes: hehe happy holidays everyone!! i wanna give a special thank you to @doumachi - mey's prince yeonjun thoughts and letting me scream in their inbox inspired me to revisit this old world again and write this. i love prince jjunie so 🥺

bringing back the original taglist: @seosalad @lilplilplilp @yeonboy @pyuae @hyuneyeon @strawbrinkofdeath @yushiu @mazeinthemoon @banggyu0308 @shytubatu @kyaneosprincess @agustdiv1ne @whippedforbeomgyu @justineasian @skywithf1 @wrongbathroom @choizzn @bangchansbae @huskyhunny @catsyoon @flowerbe0m

#txt x reader #yeonjun x reader #txt x you #yeonjun x you #choi yeonjun x reader #kpop x reader #txt imagines #kpop imagines #yeonjun imagines #txt angst #txt fluff #yeonjun fluff #tomorrow x together imagines #txt fic #txt fanfic #bhj: violet's works

[gloomy-prince]

To celebrate RAINBOW!'s release today, I'm going to go over all the daydream references that have been made so far, since it's fun for me to sneak them in 💖 there's a lot of them though, so it's gonna be under the cut!

Episode 1-- Kiki's Delivery Service and E.T.! People focus on the Kiki reference so much that the other seemed to be missed.

Episode 2-- Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion, Sailor Moon. Another one obvious enough to be called out in some comments. It was referenced again in episode 54, where this panel was taken from.

Episode 5-- Marceline, Adventure time. One of the few reference that isn't an outfit specifically, but a character.

Episode 11-- Revolutionary Girl Utena. Not necessarily supposed to be the characters themselves, just the outfits.

Episode 11-- Minako Aino, Sailor Moon. In hindsight, I don't remember why I chose this specific dress to reference and not the maid outfits from Sailor Stars or the fruits maid outfits from the manga... especially since I think the fruits maid outfits are adorable.

Episode 11-- Catra, She-Ra reboot. I kind of regretted this one immediately just because like 80% of the comments on the episode were "CATRA SUIT!!!" as a result...

Episode 18-- Sailor Moon manga. I was always intrigued by the way characters would be dressed in dreamlike/ethereal sequences in the manga, so this reference was a must for me. I went with the version that is a full dress with straps rather than the dresses from other moments in the manga that have no discernible top half.

Episode 30 and 31-- Not a reference to any specific film or character, but just film noir in general. I do remember referencing a female character specifically for this but sadly I couldn't find it again.

Episode 40-- Pomeranian scene, IT Chapter Two. Surely you saw this coming (or maybe not?) I don't think I got the camera angle good enough to really sell this reference, but I couldn't resist it anyways.

Episode 43-- Adult Losers, IT Chapter Two. The only reference besides Marceline that references the characters themselves, since I normally use our other characters for background character purposes. Also one of the only references that isn't a daydream.

Episode 54-- Disney's Snow White and Cinderella. I couldn't decide which to reference, so I ended up leaning mostly into Cinderella, but referenced the Evil Queen's crown as well. Boo's dress is also somewhat referenced from the the live action Cinderella dress instead of the animated version, just because I liked it.

Episode 54-- Treasure Planet and Treasure Planet 2 concept art. Treasure planet is one of my favorite movies, so there was no way I was missing out on referencing it. A few people brought up some wlw pirate webcomic(s?) in the comments of this episode, but the actual reference seemed to be mostly missed. The sash around Boo's waist is also meant to be fabric from her princess dress in the previous panels.

Episode 54-- Revolutionary Girl Utena. Another one I was kind of surprised wasn't called out just because of how iconic the whole clothed shadow/silhouette thing is.

Episode 55-- Saint Tail. I couldn't reference this one as closely as I would have liked since it probably wouldn't have been very readable as a magician's costume to someone who didn't know it, so it mostly references the brooch from the anime and her hat.

Episode 61-- Jane Fonda in Spirits of the Dead. A super random and out there reference, especially to end on, but I liked the outfit so much that I couldn't help it. Maybe Boo used to fall asleep to old movie channels, lol.

That's it, at least for now! We'll have to see what shows up in future episodes~

#rainbow! #rainbow #webcoic #lgbt webcomic #queer webcomic #webtoon #tapas comic

[queensharotto]

Brittle Doughie’s Cookie Run x Reader Masterlist (Part 6: Mid Winter to Early Spring 2024)

A masterlist of @brittle-doughie’s Cookie Run stories organized by month.

Genre Emojis

😞 is for angst, 🎃 is for Halloween, 🎄 is for Christmas, 🍪 is for Cannibalism, 💗 is for Yandere, 💝 is for Valentine’s, 👻 is for Horror, 🎂 is for Birthday, 💚 is for Yandere!White Lily Cookie

The Indents are related to the featured cookies. If there are numerous cookies (Over 10 Cookies Featured), I’ll make a note on that as well. Additionally, I’ll categorize various cookies if they’re associated with a specific hobby, location, food etc.

Also, the ⭐️ will indicate a story featuring one of Brittle’s OCs while ✨ will indicate someone’s interpretation of Y/N Cookie.

Additionally, many people proved art to showcase to Brittle, which will be indicated by this: 🖌️. I will also mention who provided the art.

January 2024 ❄️

• “League of Evil Cookies”

Featuring: Croissant Cookie, Pomegranate Cookie, Lilac Cookie, Kumiho Cookie, White Lily Cookie, Scorpion Cookie, Black Pearl Cookie/White Pearl Cookie and the Gem Mermaid Family

• “Play with Me?”

Featuring: Longan Dragon

• “Forced Connections” ⭐️🖌️

Featuring: Crowned Cupcake Cookie (debut), Y/N Cookie’s Family, Financier Cookie, Kouign-Amann Cookie, Almond Cookie and Cherry Blossom Cookie

Art by runebrave

• “Protective Siblings” ⭐️

Featuring: Tartar Cookie and Nutmeg Cookie

• “Final Days”

Featuring: The Five Beasts and Pure Vanilla Cookie

• “My Cherished Star” 💗

Featuring: Astronaut Cookie

• “Possession of the Abyssal Pearl” 💗

Featuring: Black Pearl Cookie

• “Slumber”

Featuring: Gingerbrave and Friends, Pure Vanilla Cookie and the Faerie Kingdom Cookies

• “Y/N Cookie’s Soulstone”

Description of Y/N Cookie’s Soulstone

• “Slumbering Flower Awakens” 💚

Featuring: White Lily Cookie

• “Imprisoned”

Featuring: The Five Beasts

• “Favorite Gifts”

Featuring: Eternal Sugar Cookie

• “Memories of Sorrow”

Featuring: Primordial Y/N Cookie/Benign Butter Cookie

• “Lots of Questions”

Featuring: Librarian Faerie Cookie

• “Kingdom Interactions”

Featuring: Crimson Coral Cookie, Hollyberry Cookie, Linzer Cookie, Chili Pepper Cookie, Oyster Cookie

• “MASH” 👻

Featuring: The titular entity known as “MASH”

• “Pink Swan”

Featuring: Sugar Swan Cookie

• “Sandwiches”

Featuring: Croissant Cookie, Sandwich Cookie, Timekeeper Cookie, Coffee Candy Cookie and Baguette Cookie

February 2024 💝

• “Trying to Enjoy a Sauna”

Featuring: Orange Cookie, Lemon Cookie, Cotton Candy Cookie, Cappuccino Cookie and Muscle Cookie

• “Reason to Stay”

Featuring: Elder Faerie Cookie

Subsequent art by sei-cookie

• “Envious Ex”

Featuring: Shadow Milk Cookie and Pure Vanilla Cookie

• “Feeling Romantical”

Featuring: Pure Vanilla Cookie, Shadow Milk Cookie and the other beasts

• “Storm Warning” 💗

Featuring: Black Pearl Cookie, Seaweed Cookie, White Pearl Cookie and the Gem Mermaid Family

• “An Obessive Cupcake” ⭐️

Featuring: Crowned Cupcake Cookie

• “Shadow + Butter = Envious Beasts” 🖌️

Featuring: The Five Beasts

Art by ax0lotly

• “Challenge Accepted”

Featuring: Gingerbrave and Friends, Black Raisin Cookie and the Inhabitants of the Golden City

• “Noble Angel vs. The Lying Jester” 🖌️

Featuring: Gingerbrave and Friends, Pure Vanilla Cookie, White Lily Cookie, Shadow Milk Cookie

Art by ax0lotly

• “Snow Filled Fun” 🖌️

Featuring: The Cookies of the Dark Cacao Kingdom

Subsequent Art by sei-cookie, colored ver by me

• “Shadow Milk Melody” ✨🖌️

Featuring: Shadow Milk Cookie, Pure Vanilla Cookie and White Lily Cookie

Art by hugemilkshake

• “A Witch’s Castle”

Featuring: Gingerbrave and Friends

• “Meet Sweet Biscuit Cookie” ✨🖌️

Featuring: The Ancient Cookies and Strawberry Crepe Cookie

Art by sei-cookie, colored ver by me

• “The Golden Goddess’s Greatest Treasure”

Featuring: Golden Cheese Cookie

• “Faerie Friends”

Featuring: The Inhabitants of the Faerie Kingdom and Shadow Milk Cookie

• “Beating Your Dough in the QRTs”

Featuring: Captain Ice Cookie, Shining Glitter Cookie, Coffee Candy Cookie, Black Garlic Cookie, Almond Cookie and String Gummy Cookie

• “Kingdom in Mourning”

Featuring: Numerous Cookies

• “A Cringe Day for Chocolates” 💝

Featuring: Shadow Milk Cookie, Pure Vanilla Cookie, White Lily Cookie, and Dark Enchantress Cookie

• “With Baker’s Love” 💝

Featuring: Yogurt Cream Cookie, Walnut Cookie, Almond Cookie, Strawberry Cream Cookie,

• “Ancient Heroes’ Gifts” 💝

Featuring: The Ancient Cookies

• “Two Sides of Compassion”

The Light of Justice and the Vitrue of Scorn

• “Doll of the Beasts”

Featuring: The Five Beasts

• “Even More Heartbreak 2: Mermaid’s Lament” 😞

Featuring: White Pearl Cookie, Lord Oyster, Mystic Opal Cookie, Abalone Cookie, and Crimson Coral Cookie

• “Watching Over Sleeping Beauty”

Featuring: The Five Beasts

• “Pizza Time 2: Delivery Boogaloo”

Featuring: Pizza Cookie

• “Bake It Till You Make It 2: Tasty Delights” 🍪

Featuring: Crunchy Chip Cookie, Mozzarella Cookie, Pure Vanilla Cookie, Raspberry Cookie, Pastry Cookie, Clover Cookie, and White Lily Cookie

• “The Earthbread Big Seller!” ✨🖌️

Featuring: Numerous Cookies

Art by hugemilkshake (view their Y/N Cookie)

• “Get in Loser, We’re Getting Hitched!”

Featuring: Princess Cookie and Knight Cookie

• “Aiding the Mala Tribe”

Featuring: Purple Yam Cookie, Milk Cookie and Mala Sauce Cookie

• “Let Me Be Your Princess”

Featuring: The Princess Contest Cookies

• “Hidden Truth of the City”

Featuring: The Cookiemals, Wind Archer Cookie, Churro Cookie, Licorice Cookie, and Pomegranate Cookie

• “Deceitful Joke” ✨🖌️

Featuring: Shadow Milk Cookie, Pure Vanilla Cookie and White Lily Cookie

Art by sei-cookie

• “Dawn of the Soggest”

Featuring: Shine Muscat Cookie

• “Meet Freshly Baked Cookie” ✨🖌️

Featuring: Freshly Baked Cookie, Child Cookies and their respective caretakers

Art by sweatinghoneybee

• “The Gist of the Dangerous Exchange”

Featuring: The Choco Chess Twins, Earl Grey Cookie and Gingerbrave

• “Should’ve Been Me”

Featuring: Abyss Monarch Cookie, Mocha Ray Cookie and Lobster Cookie

• “Hold My Hand”

Featuring: Pomegranate Cookie, Licorice Cookie and Affogato Cookie

• “What If: The First” 💗

Featuring: The Five Beasts

• “Beauty of the Abyssal Pearl”

Featuring: Black Pearl Cookie

• “Lights, Camera, Action!”

Featuring: Choco Bar Cookie and Butter Squid Cookie

March 2024 🌱

• “Marriage to Faerie King and the Enraged Beasts” 💗

Featuring: Elder Faerie Cookie and the Five Beasts

• “Lost Voice”

Featuring: The Gem Mermaid Family

• “Missing Stuff”

Featuring: The Time Balance Department Cookies

• “Here in My Kingdom, I Want You Everyday”

Based on Cookie Run Songs

• “The Lily and the Swan’s Embrace”

Featuring: White Lily Cookie and Sugar Swan Cookie

• “Who Broke the Coffee Machine?”

Featuring: The Elementals, Abyss Monarch Cookie and Xylitol Nova Cookie

• “Ingrained” 💗

Featuring: Herb Cookie

• “Clingy Matcha”

Featuring: Matcha Cookie

• “Cherished”

Featuring: White Lily Cookie and the Faerie Kingdom Cookies

• “One Heart for All, All Hearts for One”

Featuring: The Ancient Cookies

• “Wings”

Featuring: Dark Enchantress Cookie

• “Little Bit of Latte”

Featuring: Latte Cookie

• “Loyal Until the End”

Featuring: Caramel Arrow Cookie

• “What is Your Secret?”

Featuring: Butter Roll Cookie

• “A Bunch of Marzipans”

Featuring: Mozzarella Cookie and the Marzipan Cookies

• “Flower from the Other Shore” 💗

Featuring: Cherry Blossom Cookie

• “Dark Enchantress Cookie’s True Intentions”

Featuring: The Five Beasts

• “Welcome Back, Handycookie”

Featuring: Time Balance Department

• “Hiding Y/N, Seeking Beasts”

Featuring: The Five Beasts

• “A Letter? Wonder Who It’s From?”

Featuring: Caramel Choux Cookie and Financier Cookie

• “Rough Play”

Featuring: Rye Cookie

• “We’ve Got Lots in Common”

Featuring: Caramel Choux Cookie

• “Hangouts”

Featuring: Time Balance Department

• “A Friend?”

Featuring: Caramel Choux Cookie

#brittle doughie masterlists #cookie run kingdom #cookie run ovenbreak #yandere cookie run #yandere cookie run kingdom #cookie run x reader #yandere cookie run kingdom x reader #cookie run #crob #crk #cookie run angst

[faeriichaii]

It’s so cold and I’m already over it and crave summer! Could you do lotr/hobbit boys (specifically fili but I’m open to others) with a mermaid!reader who’s just so curious about the land above like Ariel and loves to share her collection of land walker trinkets she found? Thanks muah 🫶

Part of Your World ~ Line of Durin x Mermaid!Reader

A/N: Honestly same, I miss spring and summer :( It just started snowing again and I'm like hello?? It's too cold?? I really really love that idea omg and I'm so happy to get a request for Fili <33!! I just think I will do like the line of Durin kinda thing so each of them get a short story with a mermaid!reader~ Ngl I really struggled to come up with things that the reader could find and what she thinks it could be used for- But in the end I think it turned alright :) I hope you will like the story! Also I'm sorry that Thorins and Kilis are a little bit shorter😔😔

⇢ ˗ˏˋ Warnings: Fluff, fluff and fluff :) ࿐ྂ ⇢ ˗ˏˋ Words: 1.8k (Thorin: 472, Fili: 843, Kili: 545) ࿐ྂ ⇢ ˗ˏˋ Request: Yes (Thank you <33) ࿐ྂ

⇢ ˗ˏˋAmrâlimé ~ My Love ࿐ྂ ⇢ ˗ˏˋ‘lbinê ~ My Jewel ࿐ྂ ⇢ ˗ˏˋHalw Kurdu ~ Sweet Heart ࿐ྂ ⇢ ˗ˏˋGaihith ~ Little Dove ࿐ྂ

Summary: Little mermaid you finds various little trinkets and things in the waters around Erebor and you can't wait to share them with your s/o.

Thorin:

You waved at Balin with a wide smile on your face, as you were walking through the palace to find your soon-to-be-husband. You just came back from a wonderful swim by the riverbank, where you found a little trinket that you can’t wait to show him. You have been enjoying yourself earlier, splashing around and swimming with various different fish, as something very shiny caught your interest. You swam down towards it and carefully pulled it out of the sand. It was a big round silver band, that almost looked like an enormous ring. You smiled down at your find as you returned to the riverbank and let yourself dry off. While waiting for you to completely dry and get your fish tail exchanged for your legs, your eyes focused on the intricate thing in your hands.

The big round thing was formed with immaculate detail, various different flourishes made up the entire silver ring. In the middle of all the silver designs, was a white jewel. The same jewels were also placed a little more on the left, as well as on the right side. A smile spread across your face at the beauty of the item you found. Now you were walking through the castle, mysterious item in hand and trying to find Thorin. You opened the door of the library. Thorins back was facing you, as he looked through several scrolls that were scattered around the table. “Amrâlimé, I have found a new treasure! It is the most beautiful thing I have ever found, but I don’t know what it is used for.” The endearment that passed your lips was the first word Thorin ever taught you. And ever since then, you have been calling him by that. The king stopped working his hands through the scrolls and instead focused all of his attention on you. “What did you find my Queen?”

He approached you, giving you a gentle smile. You put the item in your hands in his outstretched one. Letting one of his thumbs run over the details, he slowly placed it on top of your head. His finger ran over one of the braids he did, until they laid softly against your cheek. “Do you know what it is?” Shaking your head no, you leaned into the touch of his warm palm on your face. “It is a tiara Amrâlimé. It is very similar to the crown I am wearing. And the one you will be wearing very soon.” A smile spread across your lips. Leaning in towards Thorin you gave him a kiss, which he quickly reciprocated. “I think this is one of the most beautiful treasures I have found yet.” At that, the king shook his head, still holding you close to him. “You are the greatest treasure to walk this earth ‘lbinê.”

Fili:

Water dripped down your tail, as you sat on a stone in the middle of the lake. It has been days since you had the chance to take a quick dive into the waters, craving to feel the waves and ripples all over your body as you take a dive. Plus, the constant walking on your newly attained feet and legs was exhausting. You begged and pleaded with Fili to talk his uncle into finding a stream and taking a break close by. After around the tenth time of Fili approaching Thorin, the king had enough and took upon searching for some kind of water source. It didn’t take long until they found a river and decided to put up camp close by. The first thing you did of course was take a swim and now you are perched on top of a stone, combing through your hair with your hands. Letting out a few soft tunes of a song you have learned long ago, your eyes locked onto something that was glistening in the water. Tilting your head, you squinted your eyes at it to take a better look.

Not being able to figure out what it was you decided to jump off of the stone and into the water. Gently flicking your tail around, you quickly approached the unidentified item. Your hair was floating around you as your fingers gently took a hold of the long gold string that was stuck between some stones. Pushing them aside, you freed the item. Tilting your head in curiosity, you gave the item you freed a quick look before breaking through the water and sitting down on the riverbank. Your fingers softly brushed against it. It felt cold and smooth beneath the pads of your fingers. Footsteps approached you, as you sat there with your tail still pacing from side to side in the water, creating some tiny waves.

“I see, I need to redo your braid once you’re out of the water.” Fili said as he sat down beside you, letting his feet also dangle into the water. “Fili look what I have found!” You exclaimed with glee, shoving the string with a gold heart attached to it into his face. His gaze flickered from your capturing eyes to the item in your hand that you proudly held out for him to look at. “Ah, do you know what it is Halw Kurdu?” He asked you with a smile on his lips. “Mhh not yet… I’m still trying to figure it out.” A design of a flower with swirls was etched into the golden heart that hung loose on the chain. “Is it maybe… something for the braids you teach me all the time?” You smile at him while trying to weave the item into your semi dry hair.  A chuckle left Filis lips. “No, it definitely does not belong into your hair. What else could it be?” You pondered for a moment after Fili revealed to you that you were wrong. Seconds pass as you look at the shiny thing in your hand. “Ah! It could be a weapon! Like the slingshot you once showed me!” Taking a pebble that was laying by your side, you put it on the heart and tried to shoot Fili, however the small stone just fell out of your hand and into the water with a little 'plop'.

Laughing heartedly, the man beside you clung onto his stomach, making you pout sadly. After a few seconds he composed himself and stood up. “Don’t worry Amrâlimê, I will show you what this is.” He took the thing from your hands and kneeled behind you. “Lift your hair up for me.” You did what he asked for. His hands snaked to the front of your neck, laying down the golden heart you fished out. “All done.” Fili sat down once more, looking at the golden heart that shone in the sun. You put your fingers over it softly. “It is a necklace. And it really looks beautiful on you.” His gentle smiled made your heart fill with warmth. “I think you can even…” He grabbed onto the locket and opened it. A soft gasp escaped you. “I can store things in this tiny necklace?” You asked him excitedly. Fili put a hand atop of your head, before letting it travel to the back of your neck. “I mean you could store like a drawing of me in there. Or maybe even a tiny drawing of the both of us together.” A smile graced your lips as you wrapped your arms around his neck, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. “I love that idea. And I love you Fili. Thank you for showing me another new thing from your world.” A chuckle left his lips as he gave you a soft peck on the top of your head, his beard tickling you gently. “It’s not just my world anymore. It is our world now Amrâlimê.”

Kili:

Awful sounds were coming from your shared room within the palace. A hollow wooden item was laying on your lap. Four thick silver strings were attached from the bottom of the wood, over to the top of it. Silver round nubs were securely screwed into the strangely formed top, keeping the strings in place. The middle of the wooden box had two flourishes, one on each side. You pulled on one of the strings, realizing that a strange sound came from the item. A bright smile spread over your face, as you pulled on the string once more. Turning the nubs, you noticed that the strings suddenly produced a different sound. You softly giggled as you continued to run your fingers over the strings.

“Gaihith, what is this awful melody?” Kili asks, as he walks into the room, his hands covering his ears. His gaze was locked onto your mesmerizing eyes until he heard that he apparently got closer to the source of his disdain. “So, you are the source for the awful music? And I thought mermaids were supposed to be exceptional when it comes to singing.” You pouted at his words as you lifted the wooden item from your lap. “I went for a swim earlier this morning and I found this in the waters. I thought that maybe if I pull on the strings it opens up or something.” Kili sat down beside you on the bed and gently took the item from your hand. “You really don’t have a clue what this is?” “Well, if I would know what it is, I would probably know how to properly use it now, wouldn’t I?” He chuckled at your snippy remark, laying his hand on your thigh.

“Should I show you what it is?”  You nodded softly, as you got lost in his loving gaze. Kili pulled the item towards his shoulder and lay his head somewhat on top of it. “Did you perhaps also find something else with the violin?” “Violin?” You asked, tilting your head to the side at the strange word. “This is a violin Amrâlimê. Normally you would use a violin bow to properly play any tunes on it.” A soft ‘ah’ escaped your lips. “No, I just found the violin.” Kili nodded at that, stood up and got the violin bow from his own instrument. He once pulled the bow over the silver strings and shuddered at the god-awful sound he just produced. Strumming the instrument, he played a few wonderful sounds.

Your smile widened at the beautiful melodies as you softly hummed to the tune. “Wow this sounds so beautiful Kili! I really love it!” You hugged him tightly, after he finished his little ministration with the instrument. He put the item beside you on the bed and reciprocated the loving embrace. A soft kiss was placed on the top of your head, that made you look up. You returned the gesture by giving him a quick peck on the lips. “We could start performing together. You play the violin and I will sing my mermaid songs to the people of Erebor.” A chuckle left his lips as he put a hand on your cheek and kissed you once more. “I think that is a wonderful idea.”

#thorin oakenshield #thorin x reader #thorn oakenshield x reader #the hobbit #the hobbit imagine #the hobbit x reader #imagine #thorin #thorin imagine #thorin oakenshield imagine #erebor #erebor imagine #the hobbit fanfic #thorin oakenshield x reader #lotr #thorin x you #the hobbit fic #Thorin Oakenshield #Thorin #The hobbit #Thorin x Fem!Reader #Thorin Oakenshield x Fem!Reader #Thorin Oakenshield x You #Thorin Oakenshield x Reader #Request #Thorin x human!reader #fili x reader #fili x female reader #kili x reader #kili durin

[ownedbythescribe]

Liyue | Lost In You

ıllı Synopsis: Lost in your eyes, in your voice, and in your touch. Even with a simple turn, these men are captivated. For them, there is only you.

ıllı Genre: Fluff, Romance, Slight Angst-Comfort

ıllı Notes: Gender Neutral Reader

ıllı Warnings: Use of pet names

ıllı A/N: It’s been so long since I wrote, and this is quite short. I hope I still did them justice. Enjoy!

🍁 BAIZHU — LAGENARIA

Winter was quite heavy this year, an unexpected affliction to the season. Liyue was covered in soft blankets of white in the morning with children playing outside much to their content. In the evening, snow would pelt down harshly, barring anyone from exiting their homes to travel or do work. Quite a predicament for adventurers and herb gatherers who longed to travel at night due to their commissions’ specifications or because certain herbs only bloom once the sun sat down. However, it did not deter you or Baizhu from going nonetheless.

With heavy coats and mittens on your person, you three (Changsheng included) ended up stuck in a cave as you wait for the wintry winds to pass. The road outside was impossible to see, and the thick coats could only handle so much. It was wise to let the snowstorm die down first before trotting the route ahead. While waiting, Changsheng and you fell asleep while Baizhu insisted on staying up to read his patient’s prescriptions. A worried look was plastered on your face, but he assured you that doing this relaxed him. Plus, he wished to see your peaceful face which caused your face to erupt in hundred shades of red.

“Seriously… Don’t worry, I’ll just take a short nap then I’ll be in charge after. Good…night.” You yawned, resting your body close to him. The greenhead smiled softly and pulled the blanket over to your neck. Changsheng hissed a goodnight as well before slithering from his left to your side for warmth. Baizhu lightly chuckled before kissing the crown of your head.

“Rest well, Darling.”

Time passed, and by the time you opened your eyes, dawn was just breaking out. Rising from your position, you turned to the man beside you, and it seemed like he must have fallen halfway through his reading. His notebook laid on his chest, and his eyeglasses were still on. You reached out to take it off and place the blanket on his person instead. Changsheng, who was around your neck, nuzzled on your cheeks and looked at her contractor. She snickered at how ridiculous his position was.

“Tssss, this guy. What a stubborn lover you have, (Y/N). Hayst, hmm, could you take me outside, Dear? The sun would feel wonderful on our skin.” The snake asked. You obliged and went out to meet the new day.

The sun had not fully risen, and the wind was biting as ever, but the rays slowly warmed up your and Changsheng’s skins. It was a nice feeling, and the gorgeous view of the mountain caused you to appreciate Liyue even more.

“I wish Baizhu could see this amazing view. Qiqi would have also loved this. Don’t you think so?” You asked your companion.

“Maybe. This view is nothing new to me, but seeing this with a dear friend makes me think this is the first time I’ve seen it. You really have a strange effect on others, (Y/N).” Changsheng replied, slithering around your stomach, causing you to giggle at how ticklish it felt. You two bathed in the sunlight for a long time before a rustle was heard from behind. You turned your head and saw Baizhu stretching, his hair flowing out like rivers. Not to mention, the ray enhanced his beauty.

‘I can’t believe I have such a hot man for my lover! Thank you, gods, for this blessing!’ You giddily thought. Smiling, you reached out to his arm and pulled him to your position to show the view outside.

“A beauty, right? Next time, maybe in spring, let’s come here again!” You grinned. He nodded and tucked a loose hair in your face before turning to stretch around. What he missed was the way your cheeks flushed at that. Changsheng simply snickered before slithering back to Baizhu who remained oblivious to your predicament.

“What a lovestruck fool. Tssss~ But what can I say, they’re a cute couple. Hehe~”

🍁 XIAO — ALATUS NEMEOSES

“Hmm? Qingyun Peak, Mount Aocang, and Huaguang Forest. The last one should be Mount Hulao for Jueyun Karst. After that, I can head to Luhua Pool!” You cheered, seeing that you were still on schedule with collecting regional specialties around Liyue for your journal.

“What are you doing here?” A cool voice from behind asked.

“Holy sh— Xiao!? You scared the Archons out of me. Please make some noise when you appear.” You heaved out a frightened sigh. He merely gave you a blank look before raising his question again. Blinking, you happily told him about the reason you were in Jueyun Karst.

Adepti and gods alike had lived for hundreds and thousands of years. They trudged through several civilizations with the responsibility to guide and lead. As an interstellar adeptus, it was your duty to guide and protect the people of Liyue at night using the wind and moonlight as your medium. Xiao had been your companion throughout those times. As memorable as it was, time progressed, and those little moments soon began to fade like wind brewing against dandelion flowers. You realized that with the ever-changing world, only by seeing through one’s own eyes and carrying pieces of those moments would they be preserved. Needless to say, memories also carried tragedy in their wake. The grief and loss brought by war still laced the mind, but you had already come to terms with them. Albeit not easily as it took centuries to fully move on.

Zhongli did once say that each being we meet along the way will shine like gold in our memories. He was right. Guizhong, Sky Bracer, Marchosius, and other gods lost to time left an impact on your mind.

“That’s why, I hope that with every piece I collect and put in this little scrapbook of mine, I get to remember the past. Oh, here, do you remember this sketch, Xiao? Hehehe~ I remember pestering a human to create this for me in memories of Menogias.” You recalled, softly smiling at the memories of the Geo General elaborating his design. Bosacius and Alatus barely listened while Bonanus and Indarias were busy picking out their favorites.

Just the thought of them squeezed your heart. The sound of their joyful peals of laughter rang in your ears, and tears immediately formed in your eyes. However, before one could fall, a finger gently wiped it away.

“Their dream of living as mortals may have been deserted, but protecting this very land until their very end was their pride and joy. What they shared with us will be our greatest treasure and this present, we should cherish. I hope that brought you a little comfort.” He voiced, lips turning upwards at the thought of his family wishing for them to see the future for what it was worth. The contented look plastered on his face caused you to break into a smile as well.

‘They’re smiling now. What a relief.’ He thought to himself.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and the page of the scrapbook turned to another item you forgot you placed there. You gently caressed the item like it was a fragile object, which was definitely how it was considering the passage of time. Gently closing it, you turned to Xiao and pulled him down the mountain.

“I’m going to Mount Hulao to get some Qingxin flowers. Come with me.” You urged, pulling him with a grin. Startled, he let himself be dragged to the said place.

“Hey, slow down!”

“Thank you for everything, Xiao!” You shouted as you two fell. He shook his head at your antics before shifting your positions and carrying you in his arms.

“Reckless as always, but it’s because of that that I adore you.” He whispered in your ear, causing you to flush. Words like that were rarely uttered, and they would always make you feel like crystalflies fluttered inside your stomach.

🍁 ZHONGLI — LAPIS DEI

Night in Liyue Harbor remained bustling with people as the day merchants call out to sell the last of their products. Evening shops began to open and local diners started to become full as customers flood their establishments. On such night, the moon shone brightly on her people.

“All right! One more bottle, Master!” You shouted as you swing the empty bottle in your hand with vigor. Cheeks flushed and mind dazed in alcohol, you did not see a slight disappointment (and amusement) dancing in your companion’s eyes.

“Now, now, (Y/N). You might want to slow down on your alcohol. It’s not wise to get drunk when you’ve barely eaten anything.” Zhongli advised, gently taking the cup from your hands while signaling the master for a cup of water instead. You lightly pouted and told him that you ate a few fried vegetables here and there, but he knew better. The plate of the said dish was barely gobbled.

Laying your head on your right hand, your eyes drifted to the harbor below. Flickering lights danced in your eyes, and watching the people shop around joyfully warmed your heart.

“I’m so happy the people of Liyue are thriving well on their own. The Qixing did a good job leading them toward progress. But… do you regret living your post, dear Morax?” You asked, a lilt in your tone.

The refined man sipped his tea calmly before his piercing eyes reached yours. A small smile made its way to his face, a forlorn one that carried resignation. He replied that his ‘death’ might have been abrupt, ending his reign, but it was for Liyue’s sake. It was important for them to be able to stand on their own feet. After all, life was unpredictable and even a god like him could be slain with the right weapon.

“Hmm. I guess you are right. However, I must say, this is a nice change. No wonder Ping decided to live with the mortals.” You joked, stirring the cup in your hand.

Zhongli grabbed a fried lotus when the waiter came in to give your order which was fried squid. You immediately saw the way he recoiled at the dish making you laugh out loud. Taking your chopsticks out, you grabbed one and savored the taste. The seasonings were just right, and they ensured it did not taste fishy.

“Yum~ You’re missing out on these savories, Dearie. They taste absolutely fantastic.” You teased, but you were met with silence. Zhongli, who had his mouth lightly open, was astounded. The endearment you gave him was a first. Usually, you would not call him anything other than Li, Zhongli, Rex, or Stoney.

Glancing back, your eyes squinted at the flush present on his cheeks. Despite how muddled your mind was, the gears still worked, and a chuckle erupted from your lips.

“Li, Dear. Are you flustered because of that? Hayaa… So cute. Maybe, I should call you that just to get that adorable reaction!” You cheekily voiced, liking the unexpected outcome of your words. Unfortunately, you did not notice the way Zhongli stood up and face you until you felt something warm on your lips and the squid disappearing from your mouth.

“I am right. It still tastes awful as I remember, but it was quite bearable coming from you. Oh, Master, another cup of Jasmine Tea please.” He innocently called to the man of the establishment. It was now your turn to blush at his boldness. Immediately, you covered your face with your arms and even tried to hide it by resting your head above the table.

‘This idiot! That was uncalled for!’

Zhongli noticed it and simply chuckled. You were and would always be adorable in his eyes. He wished the master would hasten his brewing though. The squid was too rubbery for his liking.

Please do not copy or repost my stories, but notes and reblogs are always appreciated!

#genshin impact #genshin #genshin x reader #romance #fluff #baizhu #xiao #zhongli #baizhu x reader #xiao x reader #zhongli x reader

[marciabrady]

The Signs as The Physicality of Different Disney Princesses

ARIES: Meg's depth of coloring. Your skin and hair, like hers, might seem almost flat or of one hue, but upon second glance it obviously contains infinite multitudes. You're fascinating to watch, as with the turn of your head, hair that seemed cool brown could reveal various hints of wine red; there are countless ridges around the iris of your eyes, your veins might appear blue one day and green the next, and the undertones of your skin can seemingly vary depending on the lighting and time of year. TAURUS: Mulan's affinity for appearing comfortable and well-rested. Whether you're dressed up to the nines or in sweats, your loved ones always feel at home just by looking at you. The definition of the friend you don't need a social battery for, you can emerge as the main character in any situation, even if you're the most dressed down in the room. GEMINI: Pocahontas's majestic presence, even if in humble clothing. You will literally never have a wardrobe that wears you. People often ask you where you bought that jacket or even how you get your perfume to last, but the secret is that you were just born with that special touch. CANCER: Esmeralda's almost corporeal blend of seductive vulnerability. Your scrappy edge comes across in your "come hither" look, though you also can seemingly hold your own against overzealous admirers. But there's something so genuine and gentle about you that isn't revealed to those with the most money or power- but, rather, those who take the time to get to know you and your heart, sometimes by offering an unexpected act of kindness. LEO: Aurora's trademark hair of sunshine gold. Your Leo Mane is, without a doubt, one of the most distinct descriptors of your physical appearance to the point where, like Aurora, it seems like an element unto itself. Just as Maleficent enlists her raven to survey the countryside for a maid with "hair of sunshine gold," most of your family and friends can identify you from a mile away by your lovely tresses. You likely often get asked if you color your hair or if you follow a specific regimen. Your hair is, without a doubt, your crown. VIRGO: Snow White's tidy nature. Perfectly groomed at all times, you present an impeccable appearance and never skip laundry day. You make the most of anything you're wearing. Most of the times when people buy clothing from catalogs or from how it looks on a mannequin, they assume they can pull it off as well as you- the way it was meant to be worn. LIBRA: Moana's natural beauty. While you can get glammed up with the best of them, you come alive with hair freshly soaked in ocean water, skin that's been deepened and kissed by the sun after long days outside, and a lack of makeup. Your best look is when you're closest to the earth. SCORPIO: Cinderella's inky, sooty lashes. Scorpios, without a doubt, have the most beautiful, mysterious eyes which seemingly reveal the hidden universes they guard from us. Your lashes' fringy frame pulls us in to your depthless hues even deeper. SAGITTARIUS: Jane's deer-like beauty. Like the Tarzan character, you might have a longer or more angular face, but there's an innate softness that belies your natural friendliness. CAPRICORN: Jasmine's dramatically striking appearance. No matter what room you walk into, your beauty takes as many people aback as the words that come from your mouth. AQUARIUS: Ariel's pert chin. There's a delicacy to you that suggests the wide appeal of a "next door" type of beauty, but there's also a defined quality to your features- a fascinating combination of soft and strong. PISCES: Tiana's style and wardrobe. You have an outfit for every occasion and the endless combinations you can curate with your different clothing pieces make for infinite style options.

#disney princess #mine #zodiac signs #marciabrady #zodiac #disney princesses

[inbarfink]

Okay, so that previous post was a bit of a goof but also… kinda not?

I mean, I already did a silly rambly post trying to figure out my thoughts about an Ineffable Husbands Petrigrof AU. And specifically about the idea of how an Aziraphale-as-Simon-as-Ice-King would even work and what he would be obsessed with. By that I mean that books seems like the obvious choice but also that might be too well-suited for Aziraphale? You know, when the whole point of the Magic Crown’s curse is that it made Simon into a totally different person. Like, it’s not like Ice King liked collecting ancient artifacts… or books for that matter. Simon loves books too!

And it’s really just recently that it hit me that I was looking at it from the totally wrong angle! Like, Simon was not just generally inclined towards princesses from the get-go - he became obsessed with princesses and romance because he was missing Betty! That’s like a whole Big Obvious Point in ‘Holly Jolly Secrets’!

So what I need to think about isn’t just the Magic Crown exaggerating and twisting Aziraphale’s general personality and behavior - it’s the Magic Crown exaggerating and twisting Aziraphale’s behaviors and emotions when he feels like he lost Crowley forever. The question here is ‘how would Aziraphale cope with losing Crowley’ and then twisting and exaggerating it until Aziraphale feels like a wholly different person.

(or, well, nearly so. I mean, like I said the chasm of difference between Simon Petrikov and Ice King are a very important thematic point I would like to preserve but also… given as this IS an AU, I would also like every variation of Aziraphale to read as Recognizably Azirapahle on some level. So that means the difference between ‘Ezra Fell’ and ‘Snow Angel’ might not be as extreme as the original Simon and IK but… it should still be a Difference!)

So… well… this might be yet another case where Good Omens S3 would end up being very instructive to an Adventure Time AU. Like, how would Aziraphale act if he thought that he lost Crowley forever? Well, just Wait and See in S3! Buuut… S3 is still a long way away (and also the circumstances between the Ineffable Divorce and what happened with Simon and Betty are very different so whatever happens in S3 might not be a perfect match), so let’s see what I can think up right now…

Does Snow Angel just kidnap random people to try and make them his drinking buddies or take them out to dinner? Does he try to go after, like, ‘bad boys’? Maybe he tries to make Evil folks good with the power of his ‘love’? You know, that’s not what the Aziraphale/Crowley dynamic actually is but it is the misconception Aziraphale seems to have about it sometimes - so it can play into the whole ‘whoops turns out my view of our relationship was totally biased and wrong!’ thing Simon goes through in ‘Fionna and Cake!

Or maybe instead of kidnapping people… Snow Angel is infamous in Ooo for putting himself in perilous situations and looking for some romantic rescue that never quite comes? 

Or maybe Aziraphale’s longing for Crowley makes him fall even more into his hedonistic streak. You know, Crowley loves to tempt him, enjoying Earthly Indulgences together is their most common pastime… If Aziraphale was trying to chase the Feeling that Crowley Made Him Feel while the Magic Crown was also eating away at his sanity and his actual memories of Crowley… maybe the thing he ends up chasing in a futile attempt to fill the hole Crowley has made in his life is just more and more mindless hedonism? (And you can actually bring the Book Hoarding idea back into it, it’s just that Snow Angel would be hoarding a lot more than just books)

Or maybe Aziraphale would go in the total opposite direction, maybe he’ll cope by totally turning his back on Crowley and his questions and their mutual love of life and instead start embracing Heaven-like ideas of coldness and discipline and an incredibly black-and-white, self-righteous and self-centered view of the world? On the one hand it feels very thematically appropriate for the Magic Crown’s effect on Aziraphale to be counterpart to Heaven Propaganda…. But on the other hand, I feel like it kinda leads Snow Angel into being a more Serious type of villain than an Ice King Counterpart should be?

I still need to think which of these options I like best, but I feel like I’m finally going at the right direction for this AU! Right now I am leaning mostly to the hedonism focus, especially as it seems like a good way to balance out the whole thing where Ezra Fell and Snow Angel can have seemingly totally different personalities but also on some level are both recognizably a version of Aziraphale Goodomens?

#adventure time #good omens #ice king #aziraphale x crowley #aziraphale #aziracrow #az fell #gomens #ineffable husbands #atimers #simon petrikov #petrigrof #simon x betty #betty x simon #crowley x aziraphale #crowley x arizaphale #ineffable idiots #ineffable divorce #ineffable spouses #good ineffable omens #azicrow #simon adventure time #at simon #simon at #simon and betty #betty and simon #adventure time simon #adventure time au #the ice king #aziraphale good omens

[peppermintstarsonamintyway]

cacaoviar content from yours truly

woohoo finally finished that cacaoviar fic- believe me when i say i opted to cut it short cause i didn't know where to go (i am not a writer help me)

anyway cacaoviar mini-fic technically for @limboraptor under the cut :thumbsup: (y'all are free to draw stuff about this btw)

It was an early morning in the snow covered, cliffside, kingdom, truthfully a little too early for more than half the kingdom.

Dark Cacao, dressed in his royal kimono, furred cloak over his shoulders and crown discarded for the moment, was of the only few actually awake, a candle on the chabudai he used as his desk, and a cushion beneath his legs where he sat on his knees.

The contents atop the low built table consisted of paperwork and documents, mostly diplomatic things involving other kingdoms, a small ink vial, and the quill in the nobleman's hand.

If you were to ask him, Cacao wouldn't be able to give you a reason as to why he was up so early, mindlessly filling out paperwork. No one was to be visiting him, especially at such an hour of the morning, so it's not like he was just passing the time with paperwork.

Or, at least, he thought no one was supposed to be visiting him.

Turns out his seafaring, not yet boyfriend, boyfriend had different, specifically unannounced, plans.

Cacao was startled from the calm of methodical scratching against paper by the sound of the door to his quarters being forced open, rather unceremoniously too, the screeching of the sliding door against it's frame greatly unpleasant to his ears.

Before Cacao could look up, a familiarly warm hearted, albeit shivering, voice range from the door.

"Cacao!" A snow covered, and slightly frostbitten, Captain Caviar shouted with delight as he barged into the room, tossing aside his coat onto the wooden flooring.

With a soft sigh and warm smile, Cacao rose from his cushion, clasping his hands together as he moved to meet the sailor halfway.

"Caviar." Cacao greeted with a nod, before he brushed some snow off of Caviar's fluffy hair, unable to help himself from toying with the soft dark curls for just a moment. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too!" Caviar grinned widely in return, his hands placed on his hips as he leaned into that small moment of a gentle hand in his hair.

In the back of his mind, Caviar wanted that moment to last a lot longer than just a few seconds, but, he wouldn't admit that. At least not aloud.

"…You're freezing, aren't you?" Cacao suddenly chimed, narrowing his dark purple-ish brown eyes, as he moved to remove his cloak, draping the warm, heavy duty, fabric over the barely covered sailor, gently bundling him up.

"Whaattt?? I'm fine! A little cold never bothered me!"

"You frequent tropical seas more than you do glacial seas, you are more often on a boat than you are on land, and it's six in the morning."

"…Y-Yeah- so what?-"

"Do you truly expect me to believe that you didn't spend half a day tripping and falling through the snow just trying to get here? I'm well aware sea legs don't mix with multiple feet of snow."

"…Okay fine- I might have fallen a few times-"

Caviar crossed his arms, puffing up his cheeks as he snuggled up in the furred cloak, to which Cacao couldn't help but chuckle warmly at the sight of.

Cacao, taking one of Caviar's hands in his own, his own scarred fingers grazing over the callouses of the sailor's, callouses that he found beautiful in their own way, built from years of hardwork protecting his home.

With a small, gentle kiss to the back of the sailor's hand, the nobleman looked up at him through dark, white speckled, eyelashes, and spoke with loving concern. "My dear captain, do I need to remind you that you can't be visiting my kingdom without weather appropriate wear? One of these days, you'll end up catching a cold."

Caviar however, face flushed with bright red blush, looked away from Cacao, covering his face with his free hand.

"Look, I've been trying alright- wearing such heavy clothing just ain't comfortable-" Caviar tried to argue, yet was met with a look that quite clearly said "and yet you're soaking up being in my cloak".

Without even a proper word from Cacao, Caviar continued. "This thing's an exception alright!" The sailor argued, the nobleman giving not but a small laugh at the sailor's attempts to defend himself.

"I suppose, perhaps, I'll have to have something tailored for you then, yes?" Cacao offered, as he turned over Caviar's hand to nuzzle the sailor's palm, gently kissing the rough skin.

"Y-yeah…" Caviar managed to mutter, a rare sight for the sailor to stutter but one that Cacao reveled in nonetheless. "W-whatever floats your boat-"

Suddenly, Caviar stiffened, his face scrunching up, before he sneezed, his body reacting violently, his entire body bouncing a little. Rubbing his nose with his fist, Caviar was quiet for a few moments, Cacao staring at him in surprise.

Before inevitably bursting into a fit of soft laughter, pulling the sailor closer to him. "I believe my point has been further proven." Cacao murmured through his laughter, pressing his face against the sailor's forehead, brushing away some of his fluffy hair to kiss his skin.

The sailor sniffled, rubbing his face with his arm as he grumbled a little, visibly irritated by the fact the cold had gotten to him this time.

"It was just a snee-" Caviar went to retort, but before he could finish, he was cut off by a small yelp as Cacao clasped his hand, tugging him along after him.

Both grew quiet as Caviar stumbled after Cacao, the sailor's expression softening to match the nobleman's. Caviar would have said he was surprised when he noticed they were headed towards Cacao's bedroom, but truthfully he wasn't.

Nestling into the nobleman's bed with him had become a routine for the sailor, especially when making visits like these. It wasn't like anything had happened yet anyways.

So, without complaint, Caviar carefully clipped off any accessories he had and set them on the nearby nightstand after Cacao released his hand, the nobleman going to make the bed and get some tissues for the sailor's nose.

It took a couple minutes, but eventually, Caviar got comfortable.

Wrapped up in Cacao's cloak, with blankets pulled up over his body, and a plush of the nobleman in his arms, Caviar couldn't help but smile softly.

It wasn't long after Caviar got settled that Cacao joined him, carefully climbing under the covers with him, snuggling up to him despite the possibility of getting sick as well…if Caviar was sick.

"…You're a goof ball." Caviar grumbled despite shamelessly resting his head on Cacao's chest, pressing his nose into the slightest bit of skin the kimono couldn't cover.

The nobleman smiled, bringing his hand up to twine his fingers through the curly locks of Caviar's hair. "But I'm your goof ball, aren't I?" Cacao retort, grinning lightly against the sailor's hair.

Caviar released a soft chuff, rolling his eye in a manner that said "shut up and just cuddle", and quiet Cacao did grow. Aside from the faint rumbles that resonated from his chest alongside his beating heart.

It was an ever snowy afternoon in the cliffside kingdom when Caramel Arrow and Crunchy Chip found their king fast asleep with the sailor they'd come to know as his unofficial lover.

Neither cookie said a word, simply smiled softly as they looked between themselves and the sight before them. Eventually, they left after making sure the two were tucked in properly.

A small plushie of a rice cake hound was the only thing left behind that implied the two were ever there.

#cookie run kingdom #cookie run #crk #captain caviar cookie #dark cacao cookie #cacaoviar #i'm surprised i didn't fuck up spelling anything ngl- #anyway enjoy your food cacaoviar community

[rpgsandbox]

Perils & Princesses is an adventure game played with paper and pencils, a few fancy dice, and your collective imaginations. The rules are inspired by a long tradition of pen-and-paper role-playing games, but specifically-designed to be easy to pick up and get you started on an evocative gritty, pretty, magical adventure.

Remember that scene in Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs when our hero runs off into the deep dark forest, narrowly avoiding the pitfalls and horrors within? Or when Dorothy Gale throws a bucket of water in the face of the Wicked Witch? This game is all about the humble moments of heart and heroism of storybook princesses. 

These adventurers rely on  baskets of goodies, trusty hatchets and their hidden talents to help them on their way. The gifts from their Fairy Godmothers help them call upon woodland animals, sing enchanting songs or connect with the elements of nature as they dig deep to survive the perils that await them. 

Get some friends together, create your character and take your band of fairy tale heroes on a  dungeon-crawling, monster-slaying adventure.

If you're a fan of Grimm's Fairy Tales, animated Princess Movies, and Classic Storybooks where plucky heroes use their resolve and wits as they undergo fantastical adventures, then this is your kind of TTRPG. 

The mechanics are rules-light, and focus on simple magic, teamwork and creativity. This game works as a stand-alone but is easily adapted to your own OSR and NSR style games, pre-written adventures, settings and dungeons of all sorts. In the game book you’ll find: • Streamlined system, friendly for newcomers, while still being rich with atmosphere for veterans looking for a new world to explore. • 8 fairy tale character classes with a wide range in fairy tale abilities. Based on the gift given to you by your Fairy Godmother, you could have an enchanting voice, an animal sidekick, or a connection to the elements that helps you thwart the perils that lay ahead.

 • Random tables to generate characters and outfit them with adventuring gear, storybook trinkets and enchanted relics or  quirky weapons.

• Bestiary full of Rot Goblins, Hedge Witches, Dragons, Trolls and Pixies and Unicorns  for GMs to spring upon the princesses. • GM tools to quickly improvise encounters, treasures, NPCs and all the little details to bring your fantastic world to life.

• Intro Adventure "The Rosewood Crown" with a backstory, plot hooks and a dungeon crawl to get your adventure started whether it's a one-shot or a a jumping off point for a larger campaign. Easy to follow instructions help new GMs run a session with only minimal prep. 

Princesses are specific kind of fantasy character. Regardless of gender, they are fairy tale adventurers that rely on emotional resolve and cleverness more than physical strength. Your character can be any gender you choose. 

What ties them all together is that all princesses start with a Gift from their Fairy Godmother. Their Gift and their special abilities grow as they level up in their adventure. Whether it's an enchanting voice, a wild heart, powerful friendship or kitchen magic, each character archetype brings their unique talents to the adventure.

Both the Digital and Print edition of Perils & Princesses are brought to life with whimsical layouts that are part medieval collage, part midcentury storybook, part childhood doodle. This book is full to the brim with 90 pages of hand-drawn illustrations of princesses, monsters and fractured fairy-tale magic.  

Tables full of magical items, spells, mishaps, wild mushrooms, unpredictable potions, enchanted weapons and more help GMs quickly immerse the players in this mystical fairy tale adventure. Quick reference rules will be printed on the interior covers making the book an easy to reference while playing. 

The game book is digest sized (5.5in  x 8.5in) and perfect bound. Final Page count will be approximately 90 pages. Cover stock is 120lb uncoated with a soft paper vintage feel. 

Kickstarter campaign ends: Thu, August 24 2023 2:57 PM BST

Website: [Perils & Princesses]

#RPG #kickstarter #Perils & Princesses #Outrider Creative

[cookieeks-art]

Here’s a little project I worked on last year, but kinda, forgot to post? It’s a fake Red shoes art book spread for Edda! The composition, and art styles used, is mainly based on Snow White first page, and Arthur's second page from the actual art book, including of course the artist featured in them (aka Jeon Mi-jin (전미진) who drew the art that the art on the first page and the drawing to the top right on the second page is based on, Kim Sang-jin (김상진) aka Jin Kim who drew the art that the first drawing and the four lower drawings in the second page are based on, and Choi Minjeong (최민정) who drew the the art that the top middle drawing on the second page is based on.) (I had to use Google translate to get the names in the Latin alphabet, so I apologise if there’s any mistakes, I tried to keep the Korean name order for all the names, with the exception of Jin Kim.) [EDIT: I took a closer look Arthur’s first page today and realised that it served as a bigger inspiration for the first page that I drew then I remembered when first posting this, so shout out to that page as well which have two drawings made by Jeon Mi-jin and Choi Minjeong respectively.]

If you’ve been around for a bit you might also notice that two of the drawings on the second page are redraws of older sketches, which I mostly did as a fun treat for myself, since I find redrawing old art pretty fun. I also took this opportunity to give Harriet’s clothes a small makeover, taking some inspiration from Snow herself, a bit from the shapes of Drottning Kristinas gowns (like the drape around her shoulders and how puffy their arms are, and the general shape of the collar), and most likely from looking at details of other dresses I can’t recall at the moment (I do specifically remember looking up images of historical lace collars to get an idea of how they could look, but I don’t remember if I looked at a specific site or what sites I could have looked at in that case). I tried to keep it relatively simple with some spots for details, but looking at it now I’m not entirely sure how well it would fit the movies vine fashion wise (both Regina’s and Snow’s dresses both feel pretty modern to my amateur eyes looking at the cuts and shapes), then again I guess I can always say that the fashion is different kingdom to kingdom I suppose.

Also small shout out to Kay @the-moonlightknight who was someone who helped years ago to actually put words to Eddas personality back when I had to make a reference sheet for a discords event, which is the reference I went back to and used small parts of when writing the text for the first page.

(ID in alt and under the cut)

[ID:

Two fake Red shoes art-book pages depicting my oc Edda and Harriet (A pale chubby woman, with deep eyebags, brown hair and grey eyes).

The first shows Harriet, dressed in a blue dress with lace and snowflake themed embroidery, wearing a crown and matching necklace, with her hair up in a ponytail, is looking forlornly at the viewer, her hands held before her. Edda, dressed in her casual while fluffy shirt, dark muddy red skirt and bodice, and brown leather boots, is looking to the side with a lopsided smile and holding out her knife. Cookieek is written under both of them. Behind them is a wavy dark red graphic with a pattern of thin leaves. In the bottom right corner is two patterns running side by side, one of simple tight stitches, and a more detailed snowflake inspired embroidery pattern. To the upper right of the page is a block of text titled “Edda & Harriet”, and reading: “Edda is a wise woman in the woods that Arthur stumbles upon after entering Frode kingdom to search for it’s missing princess. Edda is also the identity taken on by said missing Princess Harriet after she was able to leave the castle behind. Her life as a mistreated princess has left her jaded and with a distain for nobility and royalty, but her escape has given her hope for a better life. In leaving the identity as Harriet Edda has made a big change in her way of dress, as well as letting the mask she’d been forced into as a royal slip. She’s determined, eccentric, and considerate, with a hunger for magic knowledge. At first she doesn’t realise she’s falling for Arthur, taken in by his ridiculous yet sensitive personality and his way of smiling, but when she does she’s sure she can’t tell him at risk of making things uncomfortable between them. She doesn’t realise that a lot of the ridiculous things Arthur has done has been to show love for her, and that they are both just as willing to sacrifice themselves for the other.”

The second is a page with drawings of Edda and Harriet. The first is a grey scale drawing Harriet looking mentally exhausted, with a thousand yard stare in a profile view. Second is a head shot of Harriet crying in a blue frilly nightgown as pale hands with long nails grip the sides of her face, tips of light brown hair hovering above her. Third is a drawing of Edda sitting and talking to someone while smiling as if she’s about to laugh. Fourth is a collection of greyscale drawings of Edda making a few expressions, such as: 1, looking intrigued while grinning sinisterly with a shadow over her eyes as she holds her chin, 2, looking in awe of something with shine in her eyes, her hands hovering in front of her, 3, looking embarrassed and startled, a blush across her face and her fist held to her chest, 4, scowling deeply with a dark shadow over her eyes. Cookieek is written under all of the images.

End of ID]

#oc #oc's #fanart #red shoes and the 7 dwarfs #red shoes and the seven dwarfs #edda

[hollowwhisperings]

Heart Stations (KH spec)

after realising how much Foreshadowing and Sneaky Plot Points were lurking about in KH3's "demo" section, i finally remembered that a LOT of KH3 is done in parallel with KH1: which means that ITS "demo" is ALSO subtly plotty!

The first thing I remembered about Sora's heart station in KH1 is it being able to connect DIRECTLY to the heart stations of Princesses.

despite Sora never having met these princesses before.

except... VENTUS has!

the heart stations that Sora visits in the first Heart Dive belong to Snow White, Cinderella & Aurora: the order of their stations is in the same order as Ven's meeting them in BBS. Ventus befriended Cinderella personally, becoming friendly enough with Snow White & Aurora to have [link] attacks based on them (mostly through his friendship to the dwarves & Aurora's non-evil fairy godmothers).

There is also, in KH1's tutorial, a heart station depicting the three "free" princesses: Alice, Jasmine & Kairi. I had forgotten about this one. It's... interesting that, despite SORA being best friends with Kairi, Sora's heart instead connects to the "idea" of these three princesses altogether rather than individually (if only in the background, given the lack of need for a player to have 7 stages in a tutorial rather than 5). Sora knows Kairi personally but only Ventus could have known Alice or Jasmine, even THEN, his meeting them would have been during KHUX (a time he does not remember in BBS but treasures enough to enable his reunion with Chirithy in KH3).

The last heart station Sora visits in KH1's tutorial heart dive is Belle's: Belle is the princess who Sora ultimately ends up reasonating with most, in his heart at least, and she notably takes on the role of "Riku" to Beast's "Sora" in CoM.

it is EXTREMELY odd that Sora, well before Riku's heart gave him Kingdom Key, was able to directly walk from his heart station to those of the Princesses of Heart: Ventus did not have this ability nor any personal connection with Kairi. There are two plausible explanations as to why Sora's heart was ALREADY connected to that of the Princesses, prior to personally meeting them: Ventus might have joined their hearts by his being an 'artificial' Princess of Light courtesy of Xehanort & Vanitas; RIKU was connected to the princesses and, when Riku gave his crown necklace to Sora, Sora inherited that connection.

Ventus: Artificial Princess of Heart?

this theory is technically canon, working with the definition of princesses as "beings whose hearts are made entirely of light". it seems unlikely that this technicality would result in a metaphysical stairway between Sora's heart station and those of the Prinxesses': if it was THAT easy, Xehanort would have noticed the connection while he had Ven all comatose. Ven's heart being sheltered in Sora's MIGHT, however, explain why the heart stations of Snow White & Cinderella & Aurora were so much closer than the other stations (though the Sleeper/Dreaming connection is a stronger factor shared by Sora & these three).

Riku as Kingmaker?

Sora's first keyblade, Kingdom Key, gets him specifically scouted as Special by Donald & Goofy: Kingdom Key has narrative significance to it, tying it to Kingdom Hearts. Kingdom Key was also, originally, an existence dormant in RIKU'S heart: when Riku['s heart] was consumed by darkness in KH1, Sora was able to reach the light within Riku and receive its protection.

the ease with which Sora inherited Riku's keyblade betrays A Lot about Riku's Heart but it ALSO hints that this is not the ONLY example of Riku's Heart being considered interchangeable with Sora's. in later games, Riku and Sora are able to wield each other's keyblades without hesitation and are even capable of merging: other than SoRiku & Sora's Heart Roommates, Aqua is the only instance of someone summoning & wielding another's keyblade.

The keyblade of a deceased Eraqus came to Aqua in her time of need: this makes sense, the keyblade of a teacher coming to protect its student. Eraqus taught Aqua how to call and use a keyblade; Eraqus [knighted] Aqua with this keyblade; Eraqus died with this keyblade, died realising that he had failed his students and that original duty of protecting them.

Sora, meanwhile, began wielding a keyblade because Riku's Heart knew Sora could use it when Riku could not.

So what makes Riku so special, to keyblades and Princesses of Heart specifically?

It seems increasingly likely that Riku is the "Child of Destiny" that Xehanort believed himself to be: Riku's resemblance to Ephemer makes it likely that, just like Xehanort, Riku is his descendant; additionally, the light of Riku's heart was strong enough to catch the attention of both Terra AND Aqua in BBS. Both Terra & Aqua had, by then, met three Princesses of Heart AND lived alongside the artificially-light Ventus: nevertheless, Terra and Aqua only note that Riku's light is "strong" but not in the same way as any heart they'd encountered before.

Riku also, just "incidentally", happens to have had a Crown since infancy (if we quote Sora in CoM but correctly attribute to Riku what he says of Naminé's charm)... that Riku GAVE to SORA, who now wears it as a necklace. A crown necklace that Sora subconsciously gestures to when speaking from "the heart". *insert Necklace Theory here*

so, even before receiving Kingdom Key, Sora had been given a kind of "kingdom's key" through Riku, in symbol & oath.

this leads me to conclude that the CROWN must have connected Sora's heart (which, in DDD, appears a hop skip & a jump away from Riku's) to the Seven Princesses of Heart, the Seven Lights.

which, in turn, leads me to believe that Riku's gift & oath to Sora was significant enough to be recognised as a form of "Coronation": Riku CROWNED Sora, even without knowing it, and did so while meaning it with "all his heart". Riku's Heart recognising & accepting Sora as its "[king?]" (partner? equivalent?) seems to have continued from that Fateful Meteor Shower, throughout Riku's Entire Villain Arc & Redemption, continuing past Sora's failing to exist: Riku has pulled at LEAST two True Love's Sacrifices for Sora, not counting repeats across timelines, just within DDD & KH3. Riku's sacrificing himself has never lasted long enough to learn any repurcussions beyond Sora.exe going offline. SORA'S nonexistence has not significantly affected the integrity of his universe at large, beyond Riku.exe presumably shortcircuiting, which leads me to believe that so long as ONE of the two has a heart where it should be, the potentially disaatrous ramifications of "oh, btw, this one kid's heart has direct access to our universe's suns? should we be worried about that" has been prevented.

(Riku launching himself OUT of said universe to follow Sora? UH. let's just hope Kairi's still in touch with the other Original 7 and can lead the New Lights when it potentially/inevitably becomes necessary?)

Speaking of Kairi...

interestingly, Kairi never really indicates feeling "connected" to Riku.

Kairi feels connected to SORA and HIS heart, something many characters share in common (often very literally). Another product of Riku (& thus Destiny) sharing his role with Sora, when not designating him [his] King absolutely?

Speaking of Kings...

Riku ends up manifesting ANOTHER keyblade, just casually, despite Sora's having Kingdom Key being a Big Deal.

we could dismiss Riku's having Soul Eater in KH1 as "that's Xehanort/Terra/Ansem SoD's heart at work"... but we can't dismiss Riku's STILL having a keyblade post-KH2, Sora wielding the original Kingdom Key while Riku so happens to summon a second keyblade from his heart without any fuss at all??

it is... interesting, that Donald & Goofy never ended up explaining [to the audience] why Kingdom Key SPECIFICALLY was something King Mickey was looking for in the first place.

if it was due to Mickey's searching for the Wayfinder Trio, Donald & Goofy would have been searching for multiple "keyblade WIELDERS" instead of one "KEYBLADE": we can only assume that Xehanort's repeated efforts at starting another ragnarok have sufficiently distracted everyone from Kingdom Key's origins.

I personally find it very heartwarming/plot-foreshadow-y that Kingdom Key has STAYED with Sora, even upon reuniting with a Riku whose heart is at peace again: consciously or otherwise, Riku's heart continues to choose "Sora".

(which, given how likely it is that Riku is the foretold Child of Destiny... means that RIKU'S choosing Sora makes DESTINY choose Sora... for better of for worse, right? plz just let them be married already, Disney: Nomura & Utada have Riku's vows all written and everything)

#kh meta #soriku endgame actually #necklace theory #kingdom hearts #riku is the child of destiny #sora is the child of destiny #riku is the light #princesses of heart #nomura thinks of everything #chikai feels

[smallgodseries]

[image description: A small dark-haired girl with white butterfly wings and a crown of petals and/or feathers stands in a green tunic against an autumnal ground of gold and red leaves, one cupped hand is outstretched as if to catch one of the huge snowflakes which have begun to fall. Does her expression might suggest ambivalence? Resignation? Wisdom? Text reads, “161, Kore ~ the small god of Seasons’ End”]

• • • • •

In her time, she has been a cruel god and a kind god, a beloved god and a feared god.  She is the god of beans in the bread and blood on the snow, of girls in glass coffins and children abandoned in the midnight wood.  She is also the god of kindness and joy, of warm blankets and warm fires and warm cups held between trembling palms.

Every season ends.  Hers is winter.  She stands and she sings, in her crown of candles and tinsel, and she reminds us that the sun will come again.  She is a bright star in a darkened sky, a memory of warmth, and she never ages, and she never dies, and she will never be forgotten, or forgiven, for what she means to us.

She doesn’t remember when they decided that winter should be the ending of the year.  It makes sense, as humans measure things—we’re born young and bright and innocent, we ripen, we age, and then we die, at the end of our lives.  Winter, the dying of the green world of summer, must thus be the ending of the year.  It makes sense.

But she thinks of herself more as a renewal than an ending.  Every year, she is born when the first frost falls, and she walks with us until the clock chimes midnight at an arbitrary line drawn by arbitrary hands across the calendar, and she fades into silence until the time comes again.  She holds no specific holiday.  She holds all the holidays.  She is deeply annoyed by the ongoing attempts to elevate one winter celebration above the others, by the forays into the territories of other gods, other dominions.  Tinsel and golden balls should belong to her, not crop up in the temples of Amaizing Grace or Goldie Afternoon.  Her power is in her liminality, in the fact that she comes and she goes, reliable as the seasons, dependable as the spring.

One day, she will be invoked when the year is new, and she will hate that day, and she will become a cruel god once again, for a moment is only precious when it is brief.  She represents the temporary and the changeable, and she has moved beyond blood on snow, but she can always go back.

She is sweet and she is kind, and she is still a god for all of that, and we should not try her patience so.

• • • • •

Please join Lee Moyer (Icon) and Seanan McGuire (Story) each week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a guide to the many tiny divinities:

WordPress: https://leemoyer.wordpress.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/smallgodseries/

Homepage: http://smallgodseries.com

Mastodon: @[email protected]

#Small Gods #smallgodseries #Seanan McGuire #Lee Moyer #icons and stories

[squaregoals]

I made an Astarion playlist because I am a little more than a little hyperfixated on this game and him.

Astarion, The Pale Elf Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2HsZxHcyCzhRBAHLoJ6LFX

It's a mix of his romance plot, his two endings, songs I feel catch his vibe, and songs I feel like could be sung to him. Oddly it IS in an order but absolutely can be played in shuffle.

((Some highlights from the list)):

White Dove- Koda

I've got a bone to pick/ Somebody showed you all of the horror/ You weren't born with it// You're a silver tongued jackboot thug with/ White skin but you're no white dove/ And you're scared of us 'cause we show you love/ Until there's none of us left to love/ None of us left to love//I had this feeling that you'd betray me/If I gave too much and you took too much

There's so much to say, but this is just Astarion in general. He's true commitment avoidant, got this way because Cazador, and uses the people he's around. This song is a lot of his flaws.

Dr Sunshine is Dead- Will Wood and the Tapeworms

Well, who should I be then, if I'll never be the same?// I will be my sunshine, I will be my moon at night/ Who else could I be, when I can't fucking see?/ I will be my sunshine, I will be my moon at night/ I'm nowhere now, here's no one now to be// And if dreams can come true/ what does that say about nightmares?/ I'll stay awake tonight

This speaks to Astarion's strengths. He is strong willed and will do anything he can in order to succeed and survive, even if it's not something good for him. He'll depend on himself. The lyrics seem tame but that part of the song is so raw and emotional it gets me everytime. It fits him, as a lot of Will Wood songs do.

Good Looking Boy- Suki Waterhouse

You stop for breath and I sped up/Just to impress you// The skyline falls as I try to make sense of it all/ I thought I'd uncovered your secrets, but turns out there's more

This one is singing to him. For those that fell for him and found out he was just using you. Open to either him eventually reciprocating or not, but it reminded me of Act II romance conversations.

Hail To The King- Avenged Sevenfold

Hail to the king/ Hail to the one/ Kneel to the crown, stand in the sun/ Hail to the king// Blood is spilt while holding keys to the throne/ Born again, but it's too late to atone

This one is steeped in Ascended route imagery. Like those lyrics? For real. The obvious, he's in power and can stand literally in the sun and will make people kneel in his victory. But also the last two lines I included, he achieved it through irreversible sacrifice. It's such an easy song to attribute.

Habits (Stay High)- Tove Lo

You're gone, and I gotta stay high all the time/ To keep you off my mind/ High all the time to keep you off my mind// Spend my days locked in a haze/ Trying to forget you, babe, I fall back down/ Gotta stay high all my life to forget I'm missing you

More towards the breaking up with Ascended Astarion route. Not meaning he'd be on drugs, but just trying to distract himself and high with power and conquest to try and ignore the fact he won't move on as easy as he says he can. Also covers some of the constant fear he now lives in, from what the subtext says of he now is more fearful post-ascension than pre.

Oleander- Mother, Mother

And if you leave me/ Rest assured it would kill me// Like an oleander/ White, white leaves/ Of an oleander/ White like me

This one I feel like is after he's really truly fallen for whoever he's with. Him singing to his love interest. Also he's pale white and snow white hair so theme and literally like oleander.

-----+++++++-------

I could go on, because I could seriously write a long character analysis based off each song. But this post is long enough lol.

Will make one for Wyll, and my specific Tav at some point.

#baldurs gate astarion #astarion #character study #astarion character study #spoilers #bg3 spoilers #astarion spoilers #ascended astarion #spawn astarion #astarion acunin #my love #baulders gate 3 #baldur's gate 3

[ilynpilled]

The golden armor, not the white, but no one ever remembers that. Would that I had taken off that damned cloak as well.

When I reach King's Landing I'll have a new hand forged, a golden hand.

Cersei might like that. A golden hand to stroke her golden hair.

I am not myself. He eased himself down until the water reached his chin. “Soiled my white cloak . . . I wore my gold armor that day, but . . ."

“Gold armor?” Her voice sounded far off, faint.

Jaime slid into the offered seat quickly, so Bolton could not see how weak he was. "White is for Starks. I'll drink red like a good Lannister."

She did as he bid her. "The white cloak . . ."

". . . is new, but I'm sure I'll soil it soon enough."

“That wasn't . . . I was about to say that it becomes you.”

When he was done, more than three-quarters of his page still remained to be filled between the gold lion on the crimson shield on top and the blank white shield at the bottom. Ser Gerold Hightower had begun his history, and Ser Barristan Selmy had continued it, but the rest Jaime Lannister would need to write for himself. He could write whatever he chose, henceforth. Whatever he chose . . .

"Robert's beard was black. Mine is gold."

"Gold? Or silver?" Cersei plucked a hair from beneath his chin and held it up. It was grey. "All the color is draining out of you, brother. You've become a ghost of what you were, a pale crippled thing. And so bloodless, always in white." She flicked the hair away. "I prefer you garbed in crimson and gold."

At its head Jaime stood at vigil, his one good hand curled about the hilt of a tall golden greatsword whose point rested on the floor. The hooded cloak he wore was as white as freshly fallen snow, and the scales of his long hauberk were mother-of-pearl chased with gold. Lord Tywin would have wanted him in Lannister gold and crimson, she thought. It always angered him to see Jaime all in white.

Ser Jaime Lannister, all in white, stood beside his father's bier, five fingers curled about the hilt of a golden greatsword.

Fissures had opened in his cheeks, and a foul white fluid was seeping through the joints of his splendid gold-and-crimson armor to pool beneath his body.

Glory wore trappings of Lannister crimson; Honor was barded in Kingsguard white.

His cloak was Lannister crimson, but his surcoat showed the ten purple mullets of his own House arrayed upon a yellow field.

"My lord," the lad asked, "will you be wanting your new hand?"

"Wear it, Jaime," urged Ser Kennos of Kayce. "Wave at the smallfolk and give them a tale to tell their children.”

“I think not." Jaime would not show the crowds a golden lie. Let them see the stump. Let them see the cripple.

Behind the lords came a hundred crossbowmen and three hundred men-at-arms, and crimson flowed from their shoulders as well. In his white cloak and white scale armor, Jaime felt out of place amongst that river of red.

Jaime Lannister wore a doublet of red velvet slashed with cloth-of-gold, and a golden chain studded with black diamonds. He had strapped on his golden hand as well, polished to a fine bright sheen. This was no fit place to wear his whites. His duty awaited him at Riverrun; a darker need had brought him here.

Jaime had thought long and hard about whether to wear his gold armor or his white to this meeting; in the end, he'd chosen a leather jack and a crimson cloak.

For an instant, the deep red clouds that crowned the western hills reminded him of Rhaegar's children, all wrapped up in crimson cloaks.

Seven bloody hells," he started, "who dares—" Then he saw Jaime's white cloak and golden breastplate. His swordpoint dropped. "Lannister?"

quotes specifically focusing on his hand:

“The boy is dead." Jaime had drunk three cups of wine, and his golden hand seemed to be growing heavier and clumsier by the moment.

His golden fingers were curved enough to hook, but could not grasp, so his hold upon the shield was loose. "You were a knight once, ser," Jaime said. "So was I. Let us see what we are now."

“Radiant." Fickle. "Golden." False as fool's gold. Last night he dreamed he'd found her fucking Moon Boy. He'd killed the fool and smashed his sister's teeth to splinters with his golden hand, just as Gregor Clegane had done to poor Pia. In his dreams Jaime always had two hands; one was made of gold, but it worked just like the other.

"Men shall name you Goldenhand from this day forth, my lord," the armorer had assured him the first time he'd fitted it onto Jaime's wrist. He was wrong. I shall be the Kingslayer till I die.

One of them wore the ruins of a crimson cloak, but Jaime hanged him with the rest. It felt good. This was justice. Make a habit of it, Lannister, and one day men might call you Goldenhand after all. Goldenhand the Just. The world grew ever greyer as they drew near to Harrenhal.

The weight of his golden hand had grown irksome. He fumbled at the straps that secured it to his wrist.

Well, what's one more broken vow to the Kingslayer? Just more shit in the bucket. Jaime resolved to be the first man on the battlements. And with this golden hand of mine, most like the first to fall.

Around him he glimpsed the faces of men he'd done his best to kill in the Whispering Wood, where the Freys had fought beneath the direwolf banners of Robb Stark. His golden hand hung heavy at his side.

then the subconscious conclusion:

"Is it?" She smiled sadly. "Count your hands, child."

One. One hand, clasped tight around the sword hilt. Only one. "In my dreams I always have two hands." He raised his right arm and stared uncomprehending at the ugliness of his stump.

I think the narrative that is being told in the color symbolism present in Jaime’s story is the realization that glory has no presence in the man he wants to become. He gradually realizes again the truth of the golden hand covering his stump being a golden lie. It is more an embodiment of his sins, a heavy burden he carries. True honor and change will not be wrapped in gold, and obviously not crimson. But this should not lead to the return of his cynicism, which is how he approaches this early on, and why he wants to delude himself about it. He greys, and he sheds the red and gold color. The white becomes him. The crimson & gold comes back when he does his duty for the horrid Lannister regime, when he sustains loyalty to his family, and emulates his father. Nonetheless, he keeps drawing nearer to the blank white shield at the bottom of his page and distancing himself from the crimson at the top. But maybe the lesson is that he cannot start over like that. Maybe his only choices are not the evil Kingslayer and the glittering Goldenhand the Just. Maybe he should just be Jaime. That white shield is tainted. Our good actions do not wash out the bad. They will exist simultaneously. You will never be the golden heir, the perfect pure white Just Knight. You are a crippled broken man. But that does not mean you cannot choose to continue living and keep pushing to change for the better:

“What else can I do, but die?”

“Live,” she said

Maybe the blank white shield is an impossible ideal not made for him. But what remains if he cannot be crimson, gold, or the pure white?

yet she knew it was him. “Even at a distance, Ser Jaime Lannister was unmistakable. The moonlight had silvered his armor and the gold of his hair, and turned his crimson cloak to black.”

He was always meant to be a grey character. Why don’t we mix that black & white?

#something about the gold of his armor and hair being silvered turning closer to white and his crimson cloak turning black #and it is the moon #the graceful crescent during the night he decided to live #and its as early as agot?:?): #i love being delusional guys #asoiaf #jaime lannister #valyrianscrolls #asoiaf meta #also the ‘Jaime resolved to be the first man on the battlements. And with this golden hand of mine most like the first to fall’ #he is at it again oml #frank reynolds ‘sulclde is badass’ on loop #anyway the build up works very well with the vows of taking the black