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#@ruler-of-all-unicorns
thanatoseyes · 28 days
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So we're in Avernus in my DND campaign and I play Hysteria a purple tiefling, fighter/warlock, my patron being Asmodeus, grand pa pa. We passed this mirror ice wall and my first instinct was to shatter it but I didn't. Instead hysteria was granted a wish. And you know what she wished for? For Asmodeus to be free. It didn't actually work entirely. But it did loosen a few chains and I think she started the apocalypse.
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yanderes-galore · 3 months
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Hi! can I request platonic yandere Luna and Celestia with a reformed antagonist darling who regrets their actions?
Ooo! I like this idea...! Sorry it's short, I ran out of ideas :(
Yandere! Platonic! Princess Luna + Celestia with Reformed! Darling
Pairing: Platonic
Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Overprotective behavior, Slight stalking, Manipulation, Forced companionship.
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I feel this has endless possibilities when it comes to darling.
You could be a tyrannical Alicorn... a possessive dragon... really anything.
You no doubt caused terror and fought the ponies of Equestria one point in time.
But like most villains... you were bested by the Mane Six.
Through them you began to learn more about the value of friendship and alliances based on close bonds.
Eventually with Twilight you go to meet Celestia and Luna.
In your past you may have fought the two princesses.
To complete your reformation you meet with them again beside the Princess of Friendship.
The encounter is awkward at first but eventually it gets better.
In fact... both princesses seem to welcome you with warm greetings.
But something doesn't quite seem right.
For the sake of this concept I'm going to say you used to be a tyrannical ruler (either an alicorn or unicorn) who ruled your kingdom with an iron hoof.
The two princesses knew about you from when you fought long before.
But as they watch you begin to treat your subjects better and with more respect... the two respect you more.
They even grow closer when you talk to them, admitting to them that you were blinded by your rage, greed, and the need to protect your ponies.
To them you are no longer their enemy and bow your head to them.
I feel there's two ways their obsession could go two directions while platonic.
If you were also an alicorn they may see you more like a long lost sibling that they must correct.
After all, Luna is technically a reformed antagonist too.
If you're a unicorn they are more likely to see you like some sort of student that can correct like Sunset Shimmer.
Either way the two princesses definitely try to help you during your reformation.
They are present when you address your subjects at times to get them used to you again.
You often meet with the princesses to take lessons and strengthen your bond with them.
As a result they begin to grow attached once you are reformed.
Now you are a much better leader completely purified from all your negative emotions and thoughts.
You no longer see them as enemies... but allies.
Naturally as most platonic yandere go the two keep an eye on you and are protective of you.
The two are playful with you at times and you're surprised that they see you as a friend.
Celestia has always been forgiving, however.
Luna trusts her judgement.
Most of your time ends up with them and Twilight.
Although it starts transitioning to just them at some point.
The two try to be subtle with their obsession but they are definitely manipulating you the longer you're around them.
They make you feel like they are the only ones who can redeem you.
Soon... maybe you shouldn't even rule over your subjects.
A replacement can be found...
You should just stay with them...
After all... they think you're not reformed fully quite yet.
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regularcitrus · 2 years
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Part 1: Phantom Blood Bridle
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more under the cut!!
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more lil tidbits about this part:
- Hamon is one of the few forms of magic that can be learned by any creature
- Dio is supposed to be more gold than yellow but it’s kinda hard to portray that with horse fur :p
- this and part 2 take place quite a bit before Luna’s return, so most of these characters know about only Celestia when it comes to alicorns (Starry is more knowledgeable about Luna’s existence, being an archeology buff and all)
- Dio is racist and considers himself, a unicorn, superior to pegasi and earth ponies. he’s especially spiteful towards his father for keeping them in poverty, since he believes he naturally belongs at the top of society. it’s also a huge blow to his pride to be taken in by pegasus aristocrats and often takes his frustrations out on Starry
- Dio (correctly) recognizes that Hamon users’ abilities evoke that of Celestia’s (both are related to sunlight), which he takes as a personal challenge to his own “royal” status
- his ultimate goal is to take the throne for himself and be ruler (and maybe keep Equestria in eternal night) but barely makes it to the throne room before being defeated (Celly is aware about the situation as it’s happening but i feel weird having canon mlp characters play an active role in here lmao)
Phantom Blood / Battle Tendency / Stardust Crusaders / Diamond is Unbreakable / Golden Wind / Stone Ocean
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skaikruswan · 2 years
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Hi :D Did you see the latest episode? Morpheus as a cat was amazing! Could you write something about Morpheus interacting as a cat with human reader and / or behaving like a cat, with reader teasing him and enjoying every second of it? Thanks :)
Lord Meowpheus
WC: 2,5 k (I was inspired and had no chill) AO3
Relationship: Morpheus x reader
Notes: Morpheus as a cat, established relationship, a literal cat-and-mouse game, a little spicy at the end.
Dear anon, thanks for your request, this was a blast! I hope you all enjoy.
If you've enjoyed this story, check out this prompt, this story, or the sequel. 
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In the Dreaming, you’ve seen wonderous creatures, enjoying how the limits of your fantasy are pushed every time you explore. Your highlight is still Cain and Abel’s baby gargoyle.
You should visit them, you muse idly as you pass through the main hall of the palace, almost missing the patch of black at the edge of your field of vision. 
You turn around to see a black cat stroll around, and you tilt your head in confusion. It would make sense that the Dreaming is also home to animals, but seeing a cat just walk through the heart of the palace still surprises you. 
“Hey there,” you call out softly, dropping to your knees and extending a hand. The cat turns around and you realize that it might belong in the Dreaming after all. Its eyes are gleaming gold, and as it slowly approaches, you notice that it might be bigger than usual cats. 
The cat carefully nudges its head against your palm, and you marvel at the soft fur as you gently rub the right spot underneath the chin. As you continue, the cat starts to purr, a low noise that puts a smile on your face. 
Far too soon, it takes a step back and you leave it be, knowing that a cat can’t be forced into something while hoping that you will see it again. 
You’re quite certain that people would shake their head in disbelief if they saw you spend your time in your room inside the palace instead of pushing the boundaries of the realm, riding a unicorn, swimming through a rainbow-colored sea, or at least having a date with Morpheus. 
But the King of dreams is busy, and you would never keep him from his duties. So you rest on your canopy bed, knowing from experience that one can sleep in a dream. 
The door is slowly pushed open, and you sit up, expecting Morpheus or Lucienne to enter. Instead, it’s the black cat, meowling once before jumping on the bed. 
“Nice to see you too,” you say, waiting for the cat to approach you. It bumps its head against your hand, sprawled on the blanket, and you raise it to stroke the soft fur. Like before, it immediately starts purring. You’re living the dream as a cat whisperer. 
“That’s kind of you to keep me company,” you say, looking into the deep, mesmerizing gold of its eyes. The cat lies down on your lap, and you let out a surprised giggle before continuing to drag your fingers of its head and back. 
The comfortable weight of the cat on your lap and the soft purring start to lull you into sleep, and you wonder if the cat would be offended if you go for a nap. You scratch it behind the ears, letting out a yawn when suddenly the weight shifts, becoming much heavier. 
Looking down, you stare into the half-lidded eyes of Morpheus, his head resting on your lap where the cat used to be, your fingers gliding through the silky strands of his hair.
You gasp loudly, willing your body to remain seated instead of jumping up. 
“Don’t stop,” Morpheus demands, and you raise one eyebrow at him. You know a secret, a very important secret. Lord Morpheus, Dream of the Endless, king of dreams and ruler of the nightmare realm, likes physical affection. 
You continue, catching a mischievous glint in his eternal blue eyes as he reaches out to link your free hand with his. 
“I didn’t know you could be a cat,” you wonder aloud. 
“I can take on many forms,” he explains, letting out a pleased hum as your thumb trails over the shell of his ear. 
“I assume you can appear as a cat because cats dream too?” you ask, and you feel him nod. 
“Animals dream too, and I visit and cross through their dreams.” 
“Lord Meowpheus, ruler over cats and dreams,” you announce, keeping a stoic mine for one second before cracking, your head tilting down as you laugh. Morpheus now raises one eyebrow at you, giving you one of his small, precious smiles. 
In one fluid move, he arises, all feline grace and reminding you of the former form, while pulling you upright with him. 
“Now, let us walk through your dream.” 
                              ______________________________
You keep on hoping that you would see Meowpheus – you adore that name – again, but it would be odd and weird to ask the ruler of the Dreaming to be a cat for you. 
Maybe you can motivate him somehow. You have half a plan as you walk to Abel and Cain’s cottage. Abel once told you in private that your visits always put Cain in a good mood, resulting in quick and painless deaths for Abel. It had really hammered in the fact that these were biblical figures, the first murderer and the first victim.
“Here to visit us and Goldie?” Cain greets you and you nod. Goldie flies towards you, croaking as it circles around you once before landing in front of you. 
“You’ve grown since my last visit!” you exclaim, earning yourself a loud croak. You drop into the soft grass and let your fingers glide over the scaly skin of his head. 
“Aren’t you the most adorable?” you coo loudly, hoping that somebody else in this realm hears these words. 
“Goldie is our pride and joy,” Abel says, nervously glancing at his brother. You can’t imagine what it must be like to be killed by your own brother for all eternity. You once asked Morpheus if there wasn’t a way to make their lives better. There isn’t. 
You don’t see him coming, but you notice how Cain and Abel’s expressions change as they start bowing. 
“My Lord, what a surprise and honor to see you here,” Cain says. You’re still busy with Goldie, the little gargoyle rubbing its head against your hand. 
“I have found who I am looking for,” he says, and with one last boop on its nose, you stand up. If Morpheus were Meowpheus right now, his tail would be swishing right and left. You remember your friend Sam complaining that she thinks that Mina, her Maine Coon, is destroying furniture on purpose if she doesn’t get enough attention. The picture of Morpheus breaking one of the pots around here is so hilarious that you must bite your lip to stop the giggle trying to escape your lips. 
You say goodbye to Cain, Abel and Goldie and let Morpheus guide you away. 
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You find yourself back inside the confines of your own dream, close to a lush forest. As you turn to marvel at the emerald leaves, you notice the black cat standing next to you. 
“Lord Meowpheus, what an honor,” you bow dramatically, and you find out that even in this form, Morpheus can still roll his eyes at you. 
“Is this not what you wanted?” You startle after hearing Morpheus’ voice inside your head. 
“Relax, my love.” Meowpheus presses himself against your legs, and you take a deep breath. “I am simply communicating with you.” 
“Of course. Stupid of me.” This is still Morpheus. You card a hand through your hair before sitting down. You hope that the Dreaming never stops surprising you. “What do you want to do?” 
“I would like a chase. I haven’t had one in this form in a while,” Morpheus answers, stretching and dragging his claws over the ground. 
“I don’t envy the mice here,” you joke. Sam keeps on complaining about the dead or half-alive presents Mina leaves at her doorstep. Cats are still predators. 
“I would only pursue one particular mouse.” His golden gaze seems to pierce you, and the penny drops. 
“Can I even be a mouse?” you ask, before mentally face-palming yourself. It’s the Dreaming, it’s your dream; anything is possible. 
“Do you want to find out?” The question hangs in the air as an exhilarating mix of excitement, curiosity and a little fear rushes through you. You know that you’re perfectly safe, that Morpheus would never put you in harm’s way. But are you ready to be chased by him? 
“Yes,” you blurt out before you can chicken out. “Yes.” This time you say in with determination, and Morpheus gives you a small nod. 
“Close your eyes.” 
After you open your eyes again, the world has changed and has become much bigger. 
                                    ______________________
Being a mouse isn’t that difficult. You’re relieved that you still can see all the colors, and the tail is less of a problem than anticipated. Moving around on four is even fun. The only real issue is that everything is so big and far away. 
You’re running around under the watchful gaze of Morpheus. He’s lying down, his head resting on top of his paws. Unfortunately, just like the rest of the world, he’s big, a large, frightening menace for a small mouse like you. He doesn’t even need to stand to loom over you. As if he needs another advantage. 
“Ready?” you ask in your mind, knowing that he will hear you. He stands up, suddenly baring his teeth at you and you let out a very mouse-like squeak before realizing that he’s smiling at you. 
It has been decided that you will get a head start to level the playing field. You want to head straight for the forest, hoping that there will be plenty of trees and boscage to hide. If Morpheus can’t reach you, he won’t catch you. 
“My love, run.” His low command makes adrenaline rush through you, and your little body brings you into the forest. You don’t want to stop to see if Morpheus has started chasing you, but the ignorance will drive you insane. Your tiny feet carry you over grass, leaves, mud, and soil as you run past flowers and hedges. You wish you could enjoy the view, but there’s a big cat chasing you, catching up on you sooner rather than later. 
The rustling of leaves to your left catches your attention and you see a big shadow before you know that your time is up. You race towards the narrow, exposed roots of the tree closest to you, hoping that Morpheus can’t follow. 
Your little heart is beating like a drum as you find yourself underground, standing on dry leaves, and you watch a pair of golden eyes narrow. 
“Let us continue,” Morpheus asks, his voice a deep purr inside your mind, and you make one small step towards the exit before stopping. 
“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” you reply, your voice on the edge of taunting and teasing. You stick your tiny tongue at him, only for Morpheus to let out a terrifying growl.
“Come out now and I shall give you chance.” He leaves and if you could sigh as a mouse, you would. While you’re safe here, it’s also boring, and you don’t want to take your chances as a mouse with Morpheus as a disgruntled cat. 
After checking if the coast is clear, you bolt away, not knowing that this is only the first of many times. 
A few times, you managed to run for so long that you started hoping that you had shaken him off, only for Morpheus to reappear. The last time, he had even pounced on you, giving you a heart attack as you saved yourself in the last second by diving into a tree hole. You had taken a very long break in your hideout, with Morpheus taking an ever longer time to coax you out, using honeyed words and his wonderful voice. 
Each time Morpheus would wait in front of your hideout, either lying in wait or moving around, but never letting you out of his sight. 
You’ve been following a small steam of a river, grateful for some sort of orientation in this maze of green and brown. While you’re still not physically exhausted, you’re starting to become tired, but your pride and competitive spirit are keeping you from calling quits. 
Listening for any treacherous noise, you keep your gaze focused straight ahead. You’re skipping over stones and jump onto dry ground. Maybe you’re running through some sort of ravine or dry riverbed? 
Your stomach twists into knots as you realize that you are stuck, a large wall of stone blocking your path. There is no way you can climb or hide. 
You pray that Morpheus is still far away as you turn around to run all the way back. A black cat approaches at a leisurely pace, and you squeak again. 
“Well done, my love.” His praise should put your mind at ease, but it something about his controlled steps and the cold determination in his eyes that makes you want to bolt. 
You’re backed into a corner, your tail pressed against the rigid stone. Morpheus has almost reached you. This is it, your last chance; you will try to run underneath his belly and between his paws, hoping that he doesn’t expect one last, desperate move. 
You wait for the right moment before pushing yourself one last time. Suddenly, your movement is cut short, and you realize that a paw is weighing down on your tail, keeping you from escaping. At least it doesn’t hurt. 
Morpheus is giving you another snarling smile as he lies down, his body trapping you against the wall.
His mouth is coming closer, and you are screaming internally that you’re not in danger, your mind reminding your body that despite being a mouse this close to a cat, you won’t end up as snack. A rough tongue glides over your cheek, connecting with your whiskers. 
“This was terrifying and amazing. Next time, I’ll be the cat and you’ll be the mouse,” you think, making Morpheus chuckle and you melt inside at the sound. 
“Close your eyes.” One moment later, you’re human again, and it feels so good. You’re still pressed against the wall, with Morpheus resting his head on top of yours. 
“Do you know what a cat usually does with a caught mouse, after it played with it?” Morpheus asks, his lips now brushing over the shell of your ear. You can only shake your head, your knees suddenly wobbly as you inhale sharply. 
“It devours it.” Before you can come up with a smart reply, you feel Morpheus press his body against yours, his lips brushing against yours, stealing the air you just inhaled. This is nothing like the soft kisses you usually share, but untamed and raw, with his tongue demanding entrance as his hands roam over you. You open your lips, letting him explore and taste you, grateful for the rough wall behind you as your hands rest on the back of his neck. 
His lips leave yours and you gasp for air, only for Morpheus to trail a path across your jaw, down your neck, until they are resting on your pulse point. You’re clinging to him as you wait for him to go for the kill. 
Nibbling at the soft flesh, he sucks until you know that it will leave a love bite, and you feel him smile against your skin. 
“Thank you, lord cat,” you say breathlessly, your body and mind serene and mushy at the same time. 
“Thank you, dear mouse.”  
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someone-took-lost · 3 months
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the almighty queen of sun and her,,, loyal consort?
queen celestine imperious light of the equestrian western empire has been known as her the source of all power for centuries. her reign as empress expanded over various times and spaces, as she conquered to maintain her power, and establish herself as a rightful ruler. with the help of the idea that her claim to rulership is her divine status.
over the years, celestia has very few times ever taken up a true lover. she’s fallen in love, broken her heart, adopted children and seen them group up into ponies she’s proud of. and perhaps even had a child or two. but one thing that’s always been consistent through her years, is the loss of those she loved most. even her sister over time grew distant to her presence. and this began to break a part of her ,,,
one of her long time lovers in the past, known now as starswirl serenade, grandson of the great starswirl the bearded, was a pony she grew terribly fond of. they’d devoted quite a lot of each other to each of each others presences. and the two could hardly recall a time in which they didn’t miss the feeling of being near the other. they laughed together , joked of his grandfather’s harsh teachings and remarks.
perhaps at some point they’d had formally married, but time always takes its toll. and serenade passed in his sleep from an illness he couldn’t quite shake.
devastated , it was not recalled whether the queen ever took another lover. not for a long time at least. in that time though, there were rumours of a deity taking notice of the goddess, and the two slowly falling in love as they’d perhaps found comfort in each others consistent presences. but as the seasons change, as do the people around us. and this affair became infrequent as well.
though discord was a returning lover that the queen could call upon , they both knew the draconeques was not meant to live a life of settling. he was meant to change with the tide, and as such, he would disappear frequently. and soon enough, even he was gone in the blink of an eye too when his antics became worsened.
and just as she caught her breath, her sister in arms as well vanished from view.
the castle soon became,,, vacant.
as were the halls.
as were the streets.
and it all just felt ,,, so
lonely.
she’d become so lonely.
celestia craved the presence, the warmth and loving appearance of the ponies she held closest in the world. and with all the studies of new magic developing, surely she’d find her answer now. so she began to pour over shelves, delve herself into studies of history and reanimating. and after some years went by, ponies began to notice the appearance of a blue unicorn trotting by the side of the queen herself.
it was an affair that seemed to have happened over night. but the empress had seemingly reawakened a romantic love from a slumber of loneliness. and only months went by before she declared a wedding be held between her and her found sweetheart, starswirl spectacle. a descendant of the mighty wizard.
the event was grand, a celebration that the two could only wish would last forever. a renewed smile from the empress, and a soft grin from the dark unicorn. all the while though, a shadow seemed to lurk in the presence of this unicorn. a shadow that always seemed to have eyes on the pair, that burned a sinking feeling that wouldn’t vanish.
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musenilla · 10 months
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'You were never king.' Felt like drawing some king sombra, ramble on his story belowww,, ___
Once an ambitious and cunning soon-to-be future leader of the crystal empire, turned into one of the most corrupted unicorns in all of Equestria. Sombra was never actually royalty, and the Crystal Empire's beginnings lacked a true hierarchy. However, due to his exceptional talent and mastery of magical arts, the residents noticed his power and decided to consider him as the next in line for the throne, 'King of the Crystal Empire,' under strict monitoring. This continued until he discovered that Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was given the title to rule the entire Crystal Empire once her training was completed. Sombra questioned why she was chosen over him; was it simply because she was an alicorn? Surely, that couldn't be the only reason, although it was what Sombra thought at the time. During his training, Celestia and Sombra were once students together, delving into forbidden magic as it was deemed necessary for future leaders. They supported each other, reminding themselves of the importance of maintaining balance since such magic was forbidden for a reason. It then became evident that Sombra delved further into this magic in secret, a path one should never tread alone. Upon discovering that he used dark magic to manipulate decisions, they stripped him of his royal title and banished him from the Crystal Empire. Nevertheless, the years of training were not in vain, as he turned rogue against the empire after that. In a fateful confrontation, Sombra learned that it was Celestia who had taken Princess Cadence under her wing, making her as a potential future ruler of the Crystal Empire, thanks to Luna. The revelation further fueled Sombra's bitterness and resentment. Celestia attempted to reason with him, seeking to make amends, but his exposure to dark magic had irreparably corrupted him.
Believing that he had been next in line for the throne and feeling betrayed by the influence of an alicorn, Sombra reached his breaking point. His ambitions and sense of entitlement ultimately led him down a path of darkness from which there seemed to be no return.
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Yeah don't know if this would be 100% headcanon but I just needed to get some story out, enjoy!!
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Skizzekai Au Masterpost
Teaser Intro Post
Intro and Premise
Clarification on Skizz and Joel
Character and Group Summary
Second Masterpost with later headcanons because we hit the link limit
A compilation of all asks from the Skizzekai Community AU. Asks below the cut.
More discussion available on the discord!
Canon Asks:
Tango fire magic
Undead ruler Cleo and half-ghost Joe
Formerly-evil demon Impulse
Drowned Gem
Joe used to be human
Death's apprentice Zedaph
Bard Wels
Ice kingdom Iskall
Fae Queen Stress and bodyguard Iskall
Travelling merchants Cub, Scar, and False
Helpful miner TFC
Vampire (?) Mumbo
Cub and Scar are fae
Not-short plant magic Bdubs
Moth fae Pearl
Skizz got his Name taken
Pearl as a former corrupt queen
Skizz might not stay human
Pre-isekai Skizz characterization
Ogre Joel
Former king of Undead Republic, Ren
Formerly human Gem puts a bounty out on Skizz
Pirate False
Grian is weird
Skizz is a magic sponge
Jungle guardian Bdubs
Scar took Skizz's name, Familiar Jellie
7 foot tall Etho, same species as Bdubs
Skizz's magic necklace
Selkie pirate Wels
Construct Etho
Elaboration on Etho and Bdubs
Xisuma and bones
Joel's multiple transformations
Skizz connecting to the world
Xisuma was formerly a puddle of nothing
God of the night Mumbo
Skizz grows wings
Skizz has dragonfly wings
Joe Hills from Nashville, Tennessee
Joel's kingdom
Tango magic cards
NHO jungle guardians
Skizz necklace mechanics
Kaiju size Doc
Cleo's kingdom has underground tunnels
Unicorn Keralis
Impulse's change of sides
Skizz's sleeveless suit
xB is not the lake princess
Grian is like a bug
Nobody knows how Skizz is meant to save the world
Cleo's kingdom has sculk
Skizz keeps a journal
False is hunting Skizz because of Gem's bounty
Changeling-deal Hypno with an artifact to stay human
More Unicorn Keralis details
we have enough humans already!
Skizz embraces his change
Magic system details
Slime guy Jevin
Doc constantly changes
Etho and Bdubs auras
Xisuma shares his bones
Evil in the Ice Kingdom, and Iskall as an energy source
Grian is REALLY weird
The great evil is draining magic
How magic Feels
Details on Hypno's anti-magic artifact
Skizz is fine with being summoned
Skizz wing details
Scar keeps letting Skizz go
Gem backstory and motivations
More Gem details
Gem used to have wings
Skizz's life before summoning
Jevin is made out of magic
Hypno backstory
War of the Watchers book came with Skizz
Alternates:
Goddess Pearl
Juppet
Powerless fae Jellie
Tango was Skizz's best friend in the other world
Hermits have versions in both worlds
Zookeeper Scar
Skizz as an experiment
Joe is the only remaining hero of many
Skizz's summoner is a bone guy
A clearer prophecy
Wels stole False's reflection
xB actually IS the lake princess (joke)
Explosive Etho
Merchant Mumbo
Pearl and Skizz pen pals
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ladywaterfall · 4 months
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I, for one, will never forget that time i wrote a mlp g2 fanfic in which moon shadow stole an ancient powerful necklace which granted the wearer the ability to see into the future from queen silver rain because moon was an orphan with no friends except dainty dove, who was a pegasus/earth pony hybrid and couldn't fly even after her moult (in this fanfic pegasi have fluffy wings until age 12, then they grow into their flight feathers), but then the leader of the orphanage twinkle star (who was also a pegasus/flutter pony hybrid) got hired by queen silver rain to murder dove, but dove escaped and is now hiding in the woods near the pegasus kingdom, but moon doesn't know that and is planning her revenge on the monarchy.
meanwhile, sundance hates her responsibilities as the princess of the earth ponies, along with her brother firefly and her sister crystal, who has always been overlooked by her parents sunsparkle and night star (who dies while trying to stop moon shadow from escaping with the necklace), until light heart commits arson in the castle during the midsummer day tryouts for a new jester (her popular sister trixiebelle was chosen instead of her) and she ans sundance escape through a secret passage which sunsparkle ordered secret tale and merry moments to build before they ran away to the lost library in the middle of the rainbow forest.
Afterwards sundance meets sweet berry (who is melanistic and has really strong magic) in a cottage in the woods and together they go back to the castle, assuming light heart was captured. they sneak into the castle and watch crystal deliver a prophecy about incoming doom, then sunsparkle tells sundance that sweet berry killed her sibling ivy with her magic. they look for light heart in the dungeons, but instead find moon shadow, who drugged all the guards and she knocks sundance unconscious right before light heart showed up. turns out she had been in hiding in a nearby town. they run away from the scene of the crime and decide to go to the lost library, but not before scaring all the royal guards with sweet berry's magic.
they meet merry moments and secret tale at the lost library, who casually tell light heart that she is a hybrid and that trixiebelle is not her real sister. sundance captures moon shadow and makes her give up the necklace that she took from crystal, and she joins their friend group. merry moments suggests that they should go to the flutter kingdom, because she doesn't recognise the necklace and the flutter kingdom is the most mysterious of all the kingdoms. moon shadow leaves to contact her ex girlfriend dainty dove.
sundance, light heart and sweet berry go to the flutter kingdom, where they meet an exiled border guard named morning glory. she says that the flutter kingdom is an opressive dystopia ever since the old rulers mysteriously disappeared and were replaced by the new queen. morning glory disguses light heart and sweet berry as sundance's government officials and they visit the palace while sweet berry has an existencial crisis about killing ivy by accident five years ago. morning glory breaks into the royal library and finds out that she is actually the lost princess of the flutter ponies, but she rejects this responsibility in favour of escaping with light heart to the unicorn kingdom.
light heart meets her sister dainty dove, moon shadow, crystal (who ran away after sunsparkle tried to use her prophecy powers to declare war on the other kingdoms, and copper glow, who is an outcast from society due to not having magic. together they spy on queen silver swirl, and discover that she is stealing the unicorns' magic in order to conquer the world (why is every ruler in this fanfic trying to conquer the world smh) and that crystal is secretly half unicorn, and that the necklace was worthless all along. all the kingdoms go over and have an epic fight, which the main characters stop of course. crystal also turns her mom into a ghost because yes.
i spent half an hour typing this out.
DROP THE LINK-
but fr there's SO MUCH going on here. I love that you did that.
The corruption of ponies in power. arson. mysterious conspiracies. lost princesses. accidental murder?? turning your mom into a ghost. TRULY iconic. absolutely love it.
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roseinyoursaltwater · 17 hours
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My Garroth Ro’Meave Headcannons (MCD)
Gar Gar being an icon <3 he’ll be iconic in my rewrite
• Garroth was clean shaven and his frame was more lean when he was younger in O’Khasis. Garroth’s appearance was held highly as the next royal heir to the throne. But after being Phoenix Drop, he has facial hair and his hair is longer, more curly. His body his more buff. (So Viking, so slay)
• Garroth doesn’t wear his O’Khasis armor, instead as his body changes with age and training, he just keeps the cross on, his picks apart his old armor and has it connected with new armor pieces by a black smith. While he hates his homeland, he doesn’t at the same time.
• Garroth has always been reserved when it comes to speaking or his body language, he does the minimal. This was taught to him in O’Khasis so he looked professional, well-rounded and so he would be taken seriously as a king. Garroth still has this demeanor in Phoenix Drop, but it’s not from pretentious standpoint. He just is much more calm and reserved then his guard counterparts
• While Garroth is good with kids and is very kind, he gets anxious around them. Being with Levin and Malachi makes him scared that he’ll be like his father. Garroth holds lots of guilt about parenting because of how his father treated him and his siblings. So while he may appear calm, Garroth is quite stressed.
• While Garroth is stressed when it comes to parenting, he feels obligated to be a figure of guidance for the youth. He gets heavily attached to people he deems as needing support, in general.
• as a future ruler, he was taught to keep his emotions hidden and buried. So, he still does. You’d have better luck finding ten unicorns then Garroth opening up about anything femoral vulnerable surrounding him
• Garroth’s fighting style is very formal, while he does have the skills a jury member would want to have, Garroths fighting style is unique because it’s how a royal would fight. His swordsmanship was crafted by the best trainers in the royal world, his style is quite eloquent and less harmful toward him since you wouldn’t want a king to die in battle. While he is a selfless individual, his fighting techniques are selfish.
• Garroth loves horses, and Phoenix Drop has very mediocre ones. But that doesn’t matter, Garroth will love them all the same.
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whumpninja · 1 month
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Ask Me About…Medieval Fantasy Whump!
Hear ye, hear ye! By order of His/Their Majesty Jack Ninja, the good people of Whumpcommunityshire shall be bestowed with ye olde medieval fantasy ask game, handcrafted to match this most illustrious genre. Any and all whump blogs are hereby royally invited to reblog! Foresooth and alas, and so on!
Okay, that’s enough of that. Here’s the second game for this project…three days late, but who’s counting? I’m taking suggestions for next week’s- while this Friday’s is decided, after it goes up I’m going to start doing polls to pick the next genre. So if you have an idea, send it in! Major genres only please, don’t get too specific- save that for the custom ask games! Which are still going up. Eventually.
Warning: these are whumpy questions, so they involve some dark content! Torture, weapons, et cetera.
Taglist: @sleepyiswhumping
QUESTIONS FOR WHUMPEE
🥘- what’s your favorite meal in your medieval world? How long has it been since you had it?
👑- what do you think of the current ruler? If you are the current monarch, what do you think of the common folk?
⛓️- have you ever been locked in a dungeon/put in the stocks/undergone medieval torture/some other historical type of punishment?
🦄- have you ever seen a wondrous beast (unicorn, dragon, griffin, etc.)? If you haven’t (or if your world doesn’t have them) which one would you like to see one day?
🧚- have you ever been hurt with magic?
🍻- do you have friends or family still alive? How long has it been since you’ve seen them?
🧜- can you use magic? If not, what would you do if you could?
QUESTIONS FOR WHUMPER
🧪- what’s the worst/your favorite medieval thing you’ve ever done to Whumpee?
🏰- where do you live? A castle? A manor? A townhouse? A shack?
🫅- what class do you fit into in the feudal system? Are you a peasant, a merchant, a member of the clergy, a knight, a noble, or perhaps even royalty?
⚔️- what weapons do you know how to wield?
🔮- what’s your opinion on magic?
🛡️- do you have minions/henchpeople/underlings/an army?
♟️- are you a good strategist?
QUESTIONS FOR CARETAKER
🕯️- how did you rescue/first meet Whumpee?
🧙- do you know any healing magic/spells? If magic doesn’t exist in your world, do you believe in any folk healing practices/old wives’ tales?
🧌- what would you do if you encountered Whumper?
🫖- how do you feel about the rich/the nobility/royalty?
🍞- can you cook? What’s your favorite thing to cook, if you can? If not, what’s your favorite thing to eat? Have you made it for Whumpee yet?
🧝‍♂️- do you have any non-human blood in you? If not, do you know anyone who does? If your world only has humans, what’s your favorite story about mystical creatures?
🏹- do you have any experience with weapons?
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agentrouka-blog · 2 months
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The rulers of Tarth are called "the Evenstar" and "Evenstar" is the famous nickname of Arwen in LOTR. Does this mean that Martin is pointing out Brienne and Jaime as the Arwen and Aragorn of ASOIAF ? Since Brienne will eventually become lady of Tarth after the death of her father Selwyn. But Brienne is also a blonde warrior lady like Eowyn. Should either parallel be seen as meaningful ?
Hi there!
I am not a LOTR expert by any stretch of the imagination, so I wouldn't be able to give you a credible answer on the finer details of that nickname within those books.
(I do, however, doubt that it's meant to imply a parallel between this couple and Jaime and Brienne, mainly because they don't share literally any other parallels with these characters either jointly or separately, that I can think of. Eowyn comes closer, but that doesn't make Jaime any kind of Aragorn.)
An interesting I thing I found after a cursory search is that Arwen got this nickname in reference to the world as they knew it nearing its end. If that's true, then that's rather melancholy, but it would fit with the general theme in ASOIAF of upheaval, endings and renewal, best summed up by Leaf, one of the children of the forest:
The gods gave us long lives but not great numbers, lest we overrun the world as deer will overrun a wood where there are no wolves to hunt them. That was in the dawn of days, when our sun was rising. Now it sinks, and this is our long dwindling. The giants are almost gone as well, they who were our bane and our brothers. The great lions of the western hills have been slain, the unicorns are all but gone, the mammoths down to a few hundred. The direwolves will outlast us all, but their time will come as well. In the world that men have made, there is no room for them, or us." (ADWD, Bran III)
This imagery of the setting sun is matched by the concept of the Evenstar and both of these indicate endings.
Something often overlooked is that Cersei shares this imagery, too.
All hail his lady mother, Cersei of House Lannister, Queen Regent, Light of the West, and Protector of the Realm." (AGOT, Sansa V)
Also in reference to Tywin, her father:
By the time they left Maegor's Holdfast, the sky had turned a deep cobalt blue, though the stars still shone. All but one, Cersei thought. The bright star of the west has fallen, and the nights will be darker now.  (AFFC, Cersei I)
Warden of the West, in the westerlands, the Lannisters in all the glittering golden light are still associated with the finality of the sunset and evening.
The evenstar and the morning star both actually refer to the same thing, though: the planet venus, all depending on its visibility in the night sky. It was also historically referred to as "lucifer", which can be translated as "lightbringer", the name of the sword forged by Azor Ahai, which is a hugely ambivalent tale in the books and resonates with both Dany's dragons and several special swords named in the series. The powerful weapon as a mark of a hero or a knight is a central theme in the series, and GRRM is begging us to look closer at what is truly heroic and what is merely a show of power or conceit.
An interesting twist here is that Brienne's House and island of Tarth is equally ambivalent. Their arms are sun and moon both. And their seat has an interesting predecessor associated with a significant knight.
 The Sapphire Isle, as some call it, is ruled by House Tarth of Evenfall Hall—an old family of Andal descent that boasts of ties to the Durrandons, the Baratheons, and more recently to House Targaryen. Once kings in their own right, the Lords of Tarth still style themselves "the Evenstar," a title that they claim goes back unto the dawn of days. Many of the folk of Tarth, highborn and low alike, claim descent from a legendary hero, Ser Galladon of Morne, who was said to wield a sword called the Just Maid given to him by the Seven themselves. Given the role that the Just Maid plays in Ser Galladon's tale, Maester Hubert, in his Kin of the Stag, has suggested that Galladon of Morne was no rude warrior of the Age of Heroes turned into a knight by singers a thousand years later, but an actual historic figure of more recent times. Hubert also notes that Morne was a royal seat of petty kings on the eastern coast of Tarth until the Storm Kings made them submit, but that its ruins indicate that the site was made by Andals, not First Men. (The World of Ice and Fire - The Stormlands: The Men of the Stormlands)
Evenstar and Evenfall vs. the Morning. Obviously, there's a hidden history there that may be as interesting as the more recent connection of House Tarth to Duncan the Tall, another noted knight. But clearly, we are seeing a tension here between evening and morning. Brienne is the daughter of the Evenstar, but must she be an evenstar herself?
Given Brienne's connections to knighthood, to Galladon whose story she tells in AFFC, it may well be that she herself represents that renewal, a shift from evening to morning. Where the story of Duncan is one of disintegrating ideals, Brienne represents the choice to uphold them. She chooses to take up Duncan's abandoned arms, commissioning to have them painted on her shield:
It was more a picture than a proper coat of arms, and the sight of it took her back through the long years, to the cool dark of her father's armory. She remembered how she'd run her fingertips across the cracked and fading paint, over the green leaves of the tree, and along the path of the falling star. (AFFC, Brienne II)
Which GRRM goes out of his way to associated with finality and endings:
She had made a better job of it than he could ever have hoped for. Even by lantern light, the sunset colors were rich and bright, the tree tall and strong and noble. The falling star was a bright slash of paint across the oaken sky. Yet now that Dunk held it in his hands, it seemed all wrong. The star was falling, what sort of sigil was that? Would he fall just as fast? And sunset heralds night. "I should have stayed with the chalice," he said miserably. "It had wings, at least, to fly away, and Ser Arlan said the cup was full of faith and fellowship and good things to drink. This shield is all painted up like death." "The elm's alive," Pate pointed out. "See how green the leaves are? Summer leaves, for certain.  (The Hedge Knight)
The falling shooting being likened to death is another interesting nod to the comet that lights the sky through much of ACOK. The one that heralded the birth of the dragons. Death.
It is the tree that represents life here. Given this context, Duncan's arms may not be her final arms.
A parallel in terms of imagery, knighthood and even history, may be House Dayne. Much like House Dayne (of Starfall) has an ancient origin and a fancy special sword named Dawn, you could argue that it has fallen from grace, the last "Sword of the Morning" (named so for the star constellation only visible before dawn) having been killed after guarding an imprisoned teenaged girl dying from childbirth. That's not knightly honor. Gerold Dayne is called "Darkstar" and describes himself as "of the night". He does not carry Dawn. Ham-fisted metaphors, no?
This is all my convoluted way of saying that no, I don't think this nickname is meant to tie Brienne and Jaime to Aragorn and Arwen, but rather part of a broader metaphor for disintegration and renewal, especially in association with knighthood, all expressed through Brienne herself.
Brienne, caught between Duncan (evening) and Galladon (morning), represents renewal, life, the way forward.
Jaime lacks this imagery entirely. He's no Aragorn. He's walking into the sunset with the Light of the West.
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wanderingsorcerer · 11 months
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The 72 Demons Of The Ars Goetia
This will be multi parts and in each one we will be going over each branch of them "whoop whoop" let's get cracking
Starting off the 72 demons of the ars goetia are the amalgamation of the Occult Writings from the 15th century. Compiled into one text in the 17th that is where we get what is now known as the Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis or simply The Lesser Key Of Solomon. Due to many translations spelling changes depending on region and personal preference for the author.
Now for the next section The Dukes Of Hell Pt.1 of 2
Amdusias: One of the Dukes of hell. They have 29 legions of demons and spirits under their command. The Duke is depicted as a human with claws instead of hands and feet, the head of a unicorn, and a trumpet showcasing their powerful voice. Amdusias is associated with thunder and many say they hear his voice within storms. They are in charge of the music being played in hell and he is said to play music on command of the conjurer.
His Symbol
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Invoke during more aggressive pursuits and execration magicks. Some Demonolators believe Amdusias, Asmodeus/Asmoday, and Amaymon are the three heads of the three headed Asmodai image from Colin de Plancy’s Dictionnaire Infernal. Amdusias being the more aggressive of the three to be employed during battle and situations requiring an aggressive strategy with military precision
Agares: One of the Dukes of Hell Ruler of the Eastern Zon, is served by 31 legions of demons. He is described as a pale old man riding on the back of a crocodile. He can return runaways and make those who stand still run I.e from a bad situation or in a fight or flight moment. He holds the power to destroy dignities both temporal and supernatural.
His Symbol
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 It is said that you should wear his sigil after the work in question. Seek Agares for wisdom in friendship and to make your garden grow. He also gives advice on financial matters with regard to projects
Valefor: Duke of Hell,Commands 10 legions of demons. He is described as a Lion with the head of a man, or as a Lion with the head of a donkey. He tempts people to steal and is in charge of a good relationship amongst thieves.
His Symbol
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Teaches loyalty and the art of manipulation. Can show you how to charm others and get what you want. Wear Valefor’s seal during rituals to invoke, and afterward to manifest the desired results.
Barbatos: Both and Earl and Duke of Hell, He rules over 30 legions of demons and has 4 kings as his companions to command them. He is described as arriving when the sun is in sagitarry and arriving with his four noble kings and their great troops. He gives the ability to speak with animals big and small and find hidden treasures. He is shown to be omnipotent and is able to hide those in power from their enemies.
His Symbol
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Seek Barbatos to stop magician’s personal wars with one another. Invoke Barbatos to communicate with your familiar if needed. Also invoke to protect your home from hidden attacks.
Gusion: A Strong Duke of Hell who rules over 40 legions of demons. He is depicted as a baboon or as a xenophilia. He is another semi impotent being, can tell all past and future events and knows the answer to life's questions. He also has the ability to reconcile friendships.
His Symbol:
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Gusion is a spirit of divination as well as being a guide in the communication with the shades of the dead. Gusion is also a spirit which instinctually passes on concepts and ideals in honor and dignity. The sorcerer through invoking the spirit would focus on areas of character development and self-perception, that which separates the initiate from the profane and common clay of humanity
Eligos: Great Duke of Hell , rules of 60 legions of demons. Depicted as a good knight carrying a lance , an ensign and a serpent (an ensign is a flag). He discovers hidden things and knows the futures of wars and the fate of soldiers. He attracts the favor of Manny lord's , knights, and important people (politicians).
His Symbol
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Eligos is known to cause love between important people like world leaders// princes - princesses etc.
Zepar: A Great Duke Of Hell and commands 26 legions of inferior spirits. He is depicted a soldier with red clothes and armor. He makes me and woman fall in love and can cause woman to become barren.
His Symbol
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He is used often in sex magic and love spells
Bathin: A Great Duke of Hell, he has 30 legions of demons under his command. He is depicted as a strong man with the tail of a serpent riding a pale horse. He knows the virtues of precious stones and herbs and can bring men suddenly from one country to another.
His symbol
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He helps you with Astral Projection and takes you wherever you want to go.Invoke Bathin before travel for a smooth trip. Also keep his sigil on you. You can invoke Bathin for opportunity to travel as well. Kitchen Witchery will get you further with Bathin than ceremony
Sallos: a Mighty Great Duke of Hell, He has 30 legions of Demons under his command. He is depicted as a Handsome Soldier wearing a crown and riding upon the back of a crocodile. He is said to be a pacifist and causes love between two humans usually a man and a woman.
His symbol
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Sallos is a spirit of lust and desire, whom one may project to bring on with another – and create a flowing inspiration to achieve the union with another. 
Aim:A Great Duke of Hell, rules over 26 legions of demons. Truly a powerful Spirit. He is depicted as a Handsome man with three heads One of serpent, one of a man, and One of a cat. carrying in his hand a lit firebrand with which he sets the requested things on fire.Examples being cities, castles and even churches
His Symbol
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Duke Aim is a very beautiful and incredible Solar Demon.  He is a demon of creativity and one who is incredible for working with the creative energies of the universe.  He can remove creative blocks and open up the flood gates of inspiration.  He can inspire one to uncover ideas for original art projects and embrace the creative nature of their soul.  He is a visionary and innovative when it comes to any artistic venture whether it is fine art, fashion, various crafts or anything that involves creative ventures. 
Always when working with these entities show them great respect and take into considerations that the majority of these are gods from other cultures that have had their meanings shifted over the years to be perceived as demonic. Treat them with kindness and respect and for the most part they will treat you the same. Do your research and learn. Learn more everyday and don't forget to have fun. The occult is a wonderful and beautiful thing and I hope to take you on more journeys with me.
We will continue this next time when we go over the rest of the Dukes of Hell in part 2
Thank you for being here with me and having tea with me on the other side of the Great divide :)
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collapsedsquid · 1 year
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I’ll conclude by returning to a theme I brought up earlier: the shrunken time horizon of the US ruling class. The current motley crew looks nothing like the set who planned the post-World War II order. They emerged from—or recruits were assimilated to—an ethnically and socially homogenous WASP aristocracy who felt themselves above quotidian distractions and rank commercial temptations. Of course, it was all in the interest of long-term accumulation under US guidance, but it was all successfully planned and executed (at least until things started slipping some in the 1970s). Now with the US in a long process of imperial decline, our planning elite seems fragmented and lost. You have Republicans criticizing Biden for not having shot down the Chinese balloon quickly enough, and Democrats acting as if it was an act of heroism. Our rulers don’t act like they have any good idea about coping with the rise of China, except with bellicose and one hopes ineffectual gestures, because God knows, we don’t want bellicose gestures to lead to an actual war.
And we have a capitalist class that has apparently given up on the future—incapable of dealing with the climate crisis, a truly dire threat, but also consuming capital rather than investing it. Net investment—net, that is, of depreciation—by both business and government—has been falling relative to GDP for decades. The vast flow of free money and 0% interest rates from the Federal Reserve has been channeled into an impressive set of bubbles: the most extended valuations of stocks in US history, crypto, unicorns, housing. It used to be normal to have one particular asset lead the way in a speculative orgy, whether it was stocks in the late 1990s or housing in the following decade. Now we’ve got multiple and serial bubbles that have only been partly deflated by the Fed’s tightening moves of the last year. And Wall Street is dearly hoping the central bank will reverse those moves in a few months and resume the cheap money flow. The bond vigilantes of the 1980s and 1990s, always on the lookout for an inflation that needs to be crushed, have largely disappeared.
I’ll give the last word to Etienne Balibar, who has diagnosed the affliction precisely. “We realize now that our ruling class is no longer a bourgeoisie in the historical sense of the word. It does not have a project of intellectual hegemony nor an artistic point of honor. It needs (or so it thinks) only cost-benefit analyses, “cognitive” educational programs, and committees of experts. That is why, with the help of the pandemic and the internet revolution, the same ruling class is preparing the demise of the social sciences, humanities and even the theoretical sciences.” The bourgeoisie no longer has any civilizational project, national or otherwise. Live for today, and if the water rises, they can just move inland. Or to their underground bunkers.
post-nationalism
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Wake Me Up, Let This Be A Dream
(A twist on session 7 of Secret Life)
Years have passed since the beginning of the end. It had all started with mythical creatures appearing out of thin air.  Manticores and griffins appeared in the forests. Selkies, sirens, and sea monsters ruled the seas. Unicorns appeared along with other mythical animals, but these myths were not the downfall of humanity.  Among these creatures, giants resided, ruling above every other creature.
The monstrous humanoids started decimating the human population. At first, few people were killed, as not many giants existed. As giants multiplied, whole communities seemed to disappear after a few giants had passed through the area. Anyone's guess was whether they were eaten, crushed, or disappeared. Countries were falling quickly as the populations were decimated. Granted, giants were still few compared to humans by the time the human population was nearly extinct.
The governments of the world had tried to destroy them with military power, but the most powerful creatures were immune to the bullets and bombs. Any attempt failed, only making the mythical beasts more aggressive. Soon all the remaining governments fell into the hands of giants. They were the rulers of the world now.
When the world first ended, many giants were feral, consuming whole cities of people and destroying everything in their path. But this was short-lived, many gained sense and started communicating and talking with humans. Only a few retained the feral mindset. Some even tried to compromise with the world's governments before resorting to destroying them after the attacks. Many giants decided to settle in small groups and built large houses to live with one another. Many of these groups were secluded to only their members but used trained griffins to send messages to other groups. Soon small societies popped up as giants began bartering and trading for essentials with other groups.
With the new species appearing, the natural world changed around as well. All trees now stood as tall as the great redwoods and continued to grow taller. Besides trees, plants became larger as well. Cites were quickly being overgrown by these new exotic plants. New magical rocks also appear to spring up in canyons and bluffs. Fresh water became scarce and hard to come by with the new creatures. Weather patterns have changed as well. Summer has heated up to exceptional levels. Winter temperatures have plummeted deep into the negatives. Fall and Spring can change instantly from warm sunny days to bone-chilling, frostbiting days. With all the odds stacked against them, nearly all humans have gone extinct, with a few exceptions…
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              A blue-haired human male dashed through the large colorful leaves and bushes, hopping over log-sized twigs that fell from the large tree around him. His blue jacket wrapped tightly around his waist, leaving him in a once-white tee shirt with a blue heart. His jeans were dirty and ripped in several places. In his arms, he carried large bird feathers. An aggravated screech sounded from behind closed him. A creature with an eagle’s head and a lion's body bound through the foliage. Large, feathered wings propelled the creature forward, but the monster was missing several feathers, making it hard to fly.  The guy didn’t even look back as he bolted towards his goal.
Anger chirps and caws continued to chase down the human. The human continued dodging and ducking swipes the massive paws of the exotic beast delivered.  Leading the creature down towards a seemingly dead end, trapped between a couple of saplings and a large, towering boulder. The human spun around to face the angered lionbird. Slowly, it prowled forward, claws flexing as it backed the blue-haired guy into the rock. Just as the creature pounced, the human dived into a small hole dug between the roots of one of the saplings. The guy shouted as he dove, “Now Grian!”
A red sweater-wearing sandy-blond haired man sprang from the top of the rock, holding a crossbow loaded with purple stone-tipped arrows. Firing the arrow, he hit the beast mid-air in the back leg. The fabled icon cried out in fury and pain as electric poison sunk into its body, causing it to bite at the arrow and favor its back leg.
The new human called out, “Cleo it’s poisoned! You can go for the kill!” He shouted.
A red-haired, green-skinned woman with a black stone sword dropped out of the branches of one of the trees, landing square on the creature's back. She used the momentum of the fall to stab the sword deep into the neck of the griffin. The creature screamed as she pulled the sword through its neck and she slid off the side, pulling the blade down with her. She pulled the sword out of the griffin as the wound bubbled and spread. The griffin fell dead a few seconds later due to the poison and wither coursing through its body and the neck wound.
Cleo sheathed her blade and called out, “Scott! You good?”
Said person pulled himself from the hole, brushing himself off, grumbling, “Next time I’m shooting the shot with my bow and Grian is baiting.” He shoved his feathers he grabbed into his backpack and then pulled out a knife. He started removing the feathers of the griffin’s wing.  
Having just slid down from the boulder, Grian squawked in offense. “Hey! I hit it, didn’t I? You should have said something sooner!” He put his hands on his hips. “And you need to be bait Scott, you’re the only one fast enough to outrun those things.” Scott rolled his eyes and grumpily plucked the griffin.
Cleo chimed in as she knelt to assist Scott. “I kinda agree with Scott, Grian.” A smirk played on her lips. “He is a better quick shot than you.” Grian made an offended noise. “But you are right, you are the only one who can outrun them, Scott.” Cleo pointed out.
Scott sighed, “I know but I’m tired of fighting to survive every day.” He gathers up the feathers and turns to his friends' worried expressions. He quickly amends. “I want to live, not just survive. For the last few years, it has been a struggle to stay warm during winter and find food. We were lucky to discover that the new stones made killing these things easy.” He gestures to the dead griffin. He slips on his hoodie and picks up his full pack. Then he began walking towards their home.
Cleo mimicked his actions, throwing on her pack filled with feathers and falling in step with him. “I know we aren’t living a glamorous life like you are used to, but we are alive.” The women comforted him. “After those berries that turned me green, we were glad to be alive. So, let’s be grateful for what we have.” She suggested.
Scott sighed defeated, “You’re right Cleo. Thank you.” He said with a smile.
“Hey! You guys left me!” Grian squawked as he ran up to them, carrying a bunch of fur. The duo looked over at their short friend and giggled a bit.
“Sorry, G. Didn’t mean to, it just got in my head.” Scott apologized as they headed towards their current base.
Together, they walked in relative silence. Occasionally, they will discuss what other preparations they need to get or set up before winter sets in. Taking care to avoid predators, they arrived at their setup at sunset. Even though it would have been an hour’s walk, Scott and Cleo were not taking any chances to be caught by surprise. Whenever they saw something out of place, they hid beneath roots, behind rocks, or under large leaves.  
Their camp was built beneath the roots of one of the many large trees. The roots were tightly woven together making a great defense to keep out predators. There were gaps between the roots allowing entrance from all angles. This was perfect whenever they were chased down by something that could kill them. The gaps allowed sunlight to seep in during the days which was a bonus.
Scott slipped into the knitted roots, followed closely by Grian and Cleo. Inside, a fire pit was dug out in the center, and embers glowed faintly from an early morning fire. A cooking pot rested beside them; remains of breakfast were evident in the pot. Encircling the fire pit were their three sleeping bags and a miscellaneous survival bag. Preserved food, water bottles, and first aid supplies filled the bag in case of an emergency.  A pile of twigs, the size of logs to them, were gathered in the corner of the heaven. Overall, a safe place to live. But life in an apocalyptical world is never that simple.  
After he set his pack down, Scott walked over to the embers, stoking them with a stick, and blew on them to reignite the flames. Mimicking Scott, Cleo sets her bag down and grabs two branches. She brought them over to the fire pit as Scott got a small flame going. While the other two were working with the fire, Grian gathered the material they collected from the griffin and got to work on crafting gear to withstand the winter chill.
The blond started by using the fur he collected. He had enough fur to craft mittens and boots. He used fabled spider thread to stitch it together, and as treads, he used exotic mushroom bits that were comfortable and similar to rubber, so it was waterproof. Next, he moved to creating cloaks. He retrieved the feathers out of Cleo’s and Scott’s bag and laid them out into three groups. Each group is going to be turned into a cloak. He grabbed more spider strings and began stitching them together. Griffin feathers were perfect for cloaks because they were insulating and waterproof.
Once the fire was going, Scott grabbed some ingredients from their food rations and began cooking dinner. He decided to grab some dried boar meat, strange purple peas, green carrots, and light blue leaves that felt frosty to the touch. He grabbed a water bottle after a last-minute thought. He grabbed the pot and poured some of the water in, rubbing the remains of their breakfast into the water to clean it somewhat, and then poured it out. He set the, now clean, pot in the fire, then placed the rest of the water in the pot and tossed in the other ingredients.
While Scott cooked dinner and Grian made the winter gear, Cleo brought up some important topics while taking inventory of their weapons and sharpening them.
She was wiping off her sword with a leaf when she inquired, “We all agree we can’t stay here for the winter, correct?”
Scott hummed as he stirred the stew he was making. “Agreed. The ground will soon freeze here, leaving us vulnerable to hypothermia even with our sleeping bags and gear. It would be better if we could find a tree hole like last year.” Grian piped in.
“Nah, I nearly slipped off the icy bark multiple times.” Pulling his makeshift wooden needle through another stitch, he added, “Though I agree we need to leave. We’re gonna get snowed in here. Plus, there isn’t water for a good two hours from here. We can’t be making that trip constantly.”
Cleo nodded, now sharpening the clean sword. “So what direction are we heading? We can’t go North again. It’s much too dangerous with all the yeti that come from hibernation.” She remembered, causing a shiver to go down the two guys' spines. Both will never forget the near-death encounter with one of their first year.
Grian frowned as he looked up. “We can’t head west either.” The blue-haired male and redhead looked at the blond confused. He explains, “On the news, I remember them saying tar pits have appeared in that direction. I know it’s been ages, but I don’t want to take any chances.”
Scott nodded in agreement. “So southeast it is.” He stated the others agreed with him. “We’ll head out in the morning. We don’t have much time before winter.” He took the soup off the fire, filled three bowls, and passed them out.
They ate in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company. They were quite a rag-tag group of people. An architect, rockstar, and teacher. All very different, but all survivors. After dinner, Scott cleaned up and packed while Cleo prepared their weapons. Grian added the finishing touches to the cloaks. Then all of them settled into their sleeping bags to sleep.
The trio headed southeast early the next morning as the sun rose above the horizon. Scott shouldered his pack, the pot tied onto it as well. His new cloak was tightly wrapped around his shoulders, the morning chill nipping at the bare skin of his face.  Grian trailed beside him, heaving along his pack and the emergency bag. His face was half hidden in the collar of his sweater, holding his cloak tightly to his chest to keep it closed. Cleo took charge, leading the way. On her person, she carried her pack along with extra weapons.
They traveled for nearly two days before they found something interesting. As they headed in their chosen direction, the large forestry began to thin out. What was even odder was that more hostile creatures seemed to thin out as well. Realizing this, the group exchanged glances before continuing onwards. With every step they took, everything began to paint a picture. A large imprint in the dirt, crushed bushes, and tree stumps without a tree present. Flattened bushes and grass seemed to become normal the farther south they when.
Scott was getting bad vibes from the area. He admitted his reluctance to continue going forward with the group. Both Grian and Cleo agreed, but Grian pointed out they didn’t have much of a choice. Winter was coming too fast, and they couldn’t backtrack. They were running low on water and food. Going back would only spell trouble for them. Scott agreed with Grian’s assessment of the issue, so they all continued, but with caution.
The feeling didn’t leave Scott if only increased as they traveled.
It was one of the coldest days of the year when the trio stumbled upon a large wooden wall. They all cautiously advanced towards the structure, not sure what to make of it. On closer inspection, the wall was made of large planks, identical to the wooden fence humans had in their backyards. There was a human-sized hole in one of the nearby planks.
Cleo turned to them, “I’m going in.” Grian quickly grabbed her arm.
“Like you are! We don’t even know what's behind there!” He viciously argued. “It blocked off for a reason.” Cleo spit back.
“But what choice do we have? We can’t go back! If only one of us goes in, the other two can escape.” While Cleo and Grian had a heated discussion, Scott snuck over to the hole.
Crouching down, Scott peeked into the crack, not prepared for what he saw. A house. A ginormous house stood looming over him. He stumbled back in awe and shock, falling onto his butt. Finally, Cleo and Grian took notice and rushed over to him.
“Scott! Are you okay!? What happened? What did you see?” Cleo fretted over him, double-checking him for injuries, as he was the youngest of the group. The red sweater-wearing mischief maker nodded in agreement.
“I-I-” Scott stuttered for a moment as he collected himself, “It was a house. A…a very large house…” Cleo raised an eyebrow with confusion.
“A house? What do you mean Scott? Explain.” She demanded him, picking him up from the floor. Grian stood back, giving the younger boy a stern look.
Swallowing hard, Scott tried to explain. “I think could be a giant den, but it looks just like a normal human house!” Scott grabbed both of his companions’ hands and dragged him over to the niche in the fence. “It’s easier to show than explain.”
They all crouched, the blue-haired boy doing it first, his friends mimicking him quickly. Grian gasped and laughed in disbelief. Cleo muttered a quiet, “No way…”
The house itself was more of a cottage. It was quite small, and the siding was wooden but had some technological advances. The roof was constructed out of stone and wood with a chimney coming out of it. The whole house was painted dark, almost black, purple, and grey, giving a sharp contrast to the bright pink and red of the garden that sat nestled in the space between the fence and the house.
 A bright pink brick path cut through the garden, with red bricks outlining it. Garden beds were sectioned out, the path acting as a barrier. Many plants had blackened and withered; colored leaves scattered around their bases, branches barren. There were a few exemptions,  a still-green pine-like bush, and a few stubborn flowers.   
Standing up, Scott crawled through the gap, tossing his bag through first. Cleo and Grian grabbed him by the ankles. “What do you think you're doing!? Are you nuts!?” Cleo shrieked.
“You can’t possibly be thinking of us going in there, do you?” Grian added, a bit frantic.
Scott kicked away their hands and asked, “What choice do we have? We either go through here to continue our journey,” Scott looks back over his shoulder with a grin, “Or we are set for winter, living off the giants.” Cleo and Grian shared a nervous look before letting the younger boy go.
Scott finished climbing through a brushed himself off, glancing back to see Cleo making the trip next. Grian commented, “I hope you are sure about this Scott.” He quickly army crawled through once Cleo got out.
Scott nodded. “I am sure. We can check it out, if we think it's too dangerous, we can grab some food and water then leave.” He explained his logic.
Cleo slowly nodded, “I see. That makes sense. Giants need mountains of food to survive so it’s only inevitable for them to have food lying around.”
Grian added, “And gallons of water somewhere. Which we need desperately.”
Scott grinned, “Plus, think of how warm it will be?” He pulled his cloak tighter around his body. “The giants will have fires or something to keep their house warm, in turn, we will be warm.”
Cleo sighs, defeated. “Fine. We’ll check it out,” She stressed, “But! If there is any sign of danger, we are leaving.”
Both guys silently celebrated, then picked up their packs, heading into the looming shriveled-up dead plants of the flower bed. Cleo sighed and shook her head, following the two numbskulls to prevent them from causing any trouble.
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              Traveling through the garden was uneventful except for a close call with a sphinx. The trio hid underneath a few loose leaves and waited for it to pass before continuing onto the house. When they reached the side of the house, they quickly discovered a hole in the siding, leading underneath the house. From there, they managed to shimmy up a pipe, cross a support beam, and avoid live red stone wires using some skilled parkour and teamwork to get into the wall of the house.
Cleo and Scott gave one last tug, helping Grian up through the clean-cut hole where the wires lead into and spread throughout the house. The three of them glance around, pausing momentarily to get their bearings. Before they could leave, the vibration of giant footsteps shook the wall they inhabited. Cleo instinctually crouched down, seeming to be getting ready to spring into action at the drop of a hat. Grian froze like a deer in headlights, looking like he was about to leap back down the hole they just arrived through.  Scott felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest, trying to leap out of his chest. He held his breath, stiff as a board till the footsteps faded away. The group collectively breathed a sigh of relief. They quickly gathered their stuff and scurried in the opposite direction of the footsteps.
After traversing the walls, they finally settled into a corridor that seemed to have a lesser giant presence. Grian heavily flopped onto the floor next to his pack, going limp against the board acting as the floor, grumbling, “I hope this was worth it. I’m exhausted and sore.”
Scott looked up at him from digging around in his pack and tried to reassure him. “It’ll get better from here on out. It was just a pain to get in here.” He pulled out his sleeping bag and laid it out on the floor. “We won’t have to move anymore so we can make a proper bed at some point. And once we get a layout of the house, we can find a better space to call home.”
Cleo viciously shushed them, whisper-shouting. “Keep your voice down you two, we don’t want to alert the giants to our position.” She warily eyed the walls around them, like a giant would burst through any second. Scott rolled his eyes but lowered his voice.
“Tomorrow we will explore deeper into the interior of the house, find a water source, and get more food rations. Those are our top priorities.” He pulled out the meager food rations they had left and passed them around to the two. Grian sat up from his sprawled-out position, accepting the food and plan without any comments.
Cleo took the food before hesitantly questioning, “What if one of us gets caught by a giant? Then what?”
The question honestly catches Scott off guard. He always knew it was a possibility in the back of his mind, but he never planned for it to happen to any of them. The blue-haired male pressed his lips together as he contemplated the answer.  Logically, it would be best for the others to escape while they had the chance. But Scott knew deep down neither of them would abandon each other.
He sighs heavily, “Look Cleo, we both know the logical answer, but we also know that we won’t follow through with it.” He gives her a tired smile, feeling Grian observing the conversation silently. “It’s been a long day. Let’s sleep on it and we can discuss it in the morning.”
The redhead huffed but gave an equally tired smile. “Fine, okay yeah. We’ll figure this out when were aren’t dead on our feet and our brains are mush.” The rest of the night they spent in heavy silence.
The small red-sweater fiend fell asleep first, snuggled deep into his sleeping bag, snoring softly. Cleo was quick to follow, her arms tucked under her chin as she lay on her stomach, passed out cold, drool dripping down her chin. The only one still awake was Scott. He tossed and turned for hours, Cleo’s question echoing through his mind. With a frustrated sigh, he got up from his sleeping bag.
The ex-rockstar went to his pack, changing his shirt and slipping on his favorite jean jacket. Then he grabbed his bow and quiver, glancing over to the other two frequently in case they get woken up. As he was about to stand up, he decided to grab his knife as a precaution. He stood up, making a silent promise that he was just going to go on a quick walk and then be right back.
              With a light bounce in his step, Scott set off down the corridor toward where most of the noise seemed to be coming from. Going on walks or runs always cleared his head if he had trouble sleeping. This would be no different.
              The beginning of the corridor was normal, dark, empty, and chilly. He still was alert in case, but it didn’t seem like anything was there.  As he went deeper, he noticed there was a soft glow emitting from farther down the hallway, as well as warmth coming from the source. He bit the inside of his cheek, debating if he should check it out or not. Knowing it was stupid, he continued onward.
              As he approached the light, the wall warmed up, making Scott melt slightly. The heat felt good against his icy skin. Along with the heat, he could hear faint murmurs getting louder, causing him to slow his pace down and be more careful. The murmurs soon turned into voices, that turned into loud booming voices. Soon he recognized that he was heading toward where the inhabitants of the house were. The closer he got, the lighter his footsteps got.  He turned the corner to where the heat and light were the brightest. He was relieved that the way was empty, but he did find a crack in the wall.
Now that he was close enough, he could understand what the giants were saying. Mindful not to make a sound, the blue-haired boy crept closer to the hole in the wall. He crouched down, kneeling beside the opening, preparing himself. He peered out and made an audible gasp at what he saw.
From his position, Scott could tell it was a living room area. A large yellow couch sat in the center of the room in front of the cobblestone fireplace, which had a nice large blazing fire in it, heating the surroundings. The walls were decorated with shelves of pants and paintings. On each end of the couch, lamps powered by red stone sat. A bookshelf filled with books was pressed into one corner of the room. But none of those things caught Scott’s attention.
It was the giants themselves. Two giants sat on the couch, chatting to one another. One seemed to be female and the other male.
The female sat facing towards the wall where Scott was hiding. She had reddish-orange braided hair, with mismatching-colored eyes. One a dark green, the other a bright red. A pair of deer ears and antlers sprung from her head as well. He was wearing a red T-shirt and black overalls. The man sitting beside her laughed at something she said, allowing Scott to see his face.
The guy had a yellow mark, like a scar around one of his reddish-brown eyes. In his brown hair, two yellow demon horns poked out as he moved his head. Glancing at him more, the small human notices a demon tail lazily swaying near the floor. Black spiked bracelets were on both his wrists, as well as a black sleeveless leather jacket resting on him, and a shirt with a yellow “i” underneath it.
Scrambling back, Scott couldn’t believe his eyes. His back hit the other wall harshly, but he couldn’t care less as he tried to get his breathing under control. Tears threatened his eyes as he closed his eyes, his heartbeat deafening in his ears. He grabbed his pants to ground himself. ‘No, no.’ He thinks to himself. ‘Those can’t be them. Gem and Impulse died the day the outbreak happened.’
Covering his mouth, Scott opened his eyes, trying to muffle his sobs, eyes locked to the grainy wooden broad. His body trembled as he remembered it. He wished he could have been there for his bandmates. Movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention. His eyes widened in terror as he noticed Gem look-alike moved slightly to the left…and was certainly looking directly at him.
The teal-haired human scrambled backward, away from the hole, away from the imposters. He clambered to his legs and booked it down the dark corridor. Hot fat tears dripped down his chin as ran, calling himself a coward for not protecting his old friends, practically family. The survivor bumped into several walls; his vision blurred from the water in his eyes. He hardly noticed the chill growing as he ran.  
              He finally slowed down when the tears slowed down, and his cheeks were icy from the cold in the air. Wiping his eyes and then closing them, he took a very deep breath, to calm his racing heart. Once his heart was beating normally, Scott opened his eyes and headed back to Cleo and Grian, convincing himself that he was just tired and imagining his friends.
              When he reached the small camp they had, Scott put his bow gear away then his knife. After putting his gear away, he climbed into his sleeping bag. He glanced at his current friends. Both Grian and Cleo were knocked out cold. Grian was still snoring away, and Cleo had rolled onto her side. He watched his friends sleeping peacefully before relaxing, deciding that he should just focus on the present instead of the past.
With that, Scott got comfortable and drifted off into a deep sleep.
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              During a temporary intermission, Scott stepped out from backstage onto the street for a quick breather. Brushing his hand through his hair, stressing over the night’s events. Gem collapsed suddenly during their last song. Impulse had caught her before her head could hit the floor. They called an intermission even though Gem had woken up a few moments after she passed out, claiming she was fine.
Due to Impulse’s and Scott’s insistence, they got a venue nurse to check her out. Impulse noticed Scott was stressing out by pacing around, so he told the guitar player to go take a breather to calm down. Reluctantly, he listened to the drummer but had him promise to tell him what the doctor said. Said drummer grinned, nodded then shoved him out the door, telling him that everything would be alright.
So here he was now, standing outside a backstage door on the unusually warm September night. Sighing, he headed down the street, pulling up the hood of his blue zip-up hoodie to avoid attention. Drunk concertgoers stumbled out of the bar, laughing, and giggling around him as headed down the street. His original plan was to walk around the block and return backstage to check on Gem.
His walk was doing its job as he slowly started to calm down after turning the first corner. He started to think more rationally now that he was calmer and could face the diagnosis. Turning the corner to the street that would lead him back to the concert, he was met by a gaggle of girls, who recognized him. Resigning himself to his fate, he pulled out a pen and started signing autographs.
Once the girls were taken care of, he made his way back to the alleyway. As he was about to enter backstage, the guitar player was startled by the sounds cracking around him. He spotted cracks growing up the side of the monstrous building. He couldn’t get a clear view from where he stood, but a noticeable dent in the domed roof had started to bugle out. He backpedaled away, knowing he was in a dangerous position, Scott ran for the alley exit.
With a loud crash, debris came raining down from the once-pristine concert hall. The cyanette made it out of the alley just in time as the concert hall's walls collapsed. Dust and screams filled the surrounding area. He spun around, trying to see what was happening, shielding his eyes from the cloud of debris threatening to blind him.  
Coughing harshly, Scott stumbled out of the dust cloud, using his shirt as a mask as he guided other blinded spectators. Once on a clear street, he glanced back towards the concert hall. A sudden terror stuck through him as he spotted something out of a fairy tale. A monstrous giant was standing in the middle of the venue where he and his friends were just playing minutes ago.
The back was facing Scott, a wave of messy hair trailed down the back and it had something growing from its head.  He couldn’t get a good look at the giant before more chaos broke out. The survivors of the building collapse sprinted out of the rubble, covered in dust and dirt.   
Realization struck Scott like a lightning bolt. Gem and Impulse. They were still in there. They could be trapped under the rubble. The first instinct he had was to run back to get Gem and Impulse. He started running towards the venue as people ran away from the giant. Before he had a chance to go farther, a female police officer snagged his shoulder dragging him away as he kicked and fought.
Just as Scott was getting desperate, another giant grew from the rubble. This one grew into a sitting position. Taking advantage of the rock star’s momentary shock, the officer dragged him farther away, pulling him toward the subway tunnels. From there, she ushered him towards a group large group of people who were all survivors of the incident.
She then explained that they would be evacuated when the next train came, this being the fastest and safest way to get them all out without issues. The guitar player tuned her out, staring at the stairs, hoping that any minute his friends would be carried or come walking down them. Many people whispered and murmured, clearly anxious about the situation.
Suddenly the whole station shook, and the fluorescent lights swayed from where they were hung. The officer quickly grabbed her radio, pressing it up to her mouth. The station shook again, some dust falling from the ceiling, making the crowd cry out in fear. The cyanette flinched as a thunderous thump came from above them. She informed the crowd that the giants were on the move.
She looked grim and panicked as she shouted over another footstep that the two were heading towards the station. The cries of the terrified people echoed off the walls of the subway station. Scott’s blood felt like ice in his veins as he felt the ground shake harder, all the oxygen was stuck out of his lungs as panic consumed him.
A cheer and the screeching of wheels knocked him out of the all-consuming panic that overcame him. The subway train pulled into the station, opening all its doors. The crowd quickly swarmed into the small tram. The officer tried to do crowd control, but everyone was in a panic. Scott kept looking over to the stairs, and then to the train. Biting the bullet and praying to Aeor, the teal-haired boy slipped up the stairwell, ignoring the call of the officer, leading to the ground level. The ground around him shook with the weight of the giant as it came closer.
As he reached the top of the stairs, he was met with a startling sight. Buildings were toppled and cars were wrecked. In front of him, the giants were walking together, taking off building tops, seeming looking for something. One of the giants spotted him, making him step backward. His foot slipped on a step, making him fall down the stairs partly.
He groaned, pain echoing through his body. Thunderous hurried footsteps pounded toward him, causing him to force himself up. A loud creaking sound caught Scott’s attention as he glanced up. A part of the office building above him broke off and hurled towards him. He covered his head with his arms and then blacked out. But before, he swore he heard Gem call out his name…
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Scott jolted up in his sleeping bag with a gasp, looking around frantically before realizing where he was. He grabbed his chest, doing quiet breathing exercises before he relaxed fully. Once calmed down, he noted that Cleo and Grian were already up. They both were looking at him with concern from where they stood.
Cleo was the first to speak, “Scott bud, you good?” Her voice echoed the worry in her body language. All he could do was nod as he stood up stiffly. He moved around robotically. She paused in stuffing her pack.
Grian huffed, “Scott, we all know you are not okay. So what’s wrong?” Scott scowled, hating that Grian could see through him. He packed in silence for a few more minutes while his friends patiently waited for him to respond.
He finally sighed, “It was just a memory.” he said softly. “The day the apocalypse started; my bandmates were in the concert hall when it started.” He viewed Cleo’s and Grian's reactions. Cleo looked sympathetic told him and murmured, “Oh Scott…”
Grian had a similar expression. The ex-rockstar simply shook his head. “It’s in the past, no need for sympathy. We all lost someone so it's water under the bridge.” He hefted the pack onto his shoulder. Grian and Cleo shared a concerned look before looking back at him.
Cleo spoke up, “We are here if you ever need to talk Scott, death isn’t something that can be taken lightly.” She walked over and gently patted his shoulder. “We got your back bud.”
Grian came up onto his other side and nodded. “Yeah, if you wanna talk, we're here to listen.” Scott scoffed at them but smiled slightly at their comfort.
“Thank guys, I appreciate it.” He gives each of them a quick hug before stepping back. “Now let's get going, we need to find water and food.” He turns around before they can respond, heading down the path from the night before.
The others quickly caught up to him. The three of them chatted quietly as they walked through the wooden corridors. The farther they traveled, the quieter they became till they were silent. The sound of creatures moving became clearer as they headed towards the giant's living quarters. As Scott examined the walls around them, he realized that they were closing in on where he was spotted last night.
A pit of dread grew in the cyanette’s stomach as the hole from last night seemed bigger last night. Grian slowly approached and grimaced as he stepped in something sticky. He pulled his foot out easily, making Scott breathe a sigh of relief. The dirty blond walked across the sticky spot without trouble. Cloe followed next, then Scott. He glanced out of the hole but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
Traveling deeper into the house, they soon smelled something delicious. They all perked up as they knew they were getting closer to the kitchen. Grian blushed as his stomach rumbled loudly, making Scott and Cleo silently chuckle. With a pep in their step, they sped up, knowing they were close to their goal.
The voices of the giants became clear and loud, letting them know they were in the right place. The trio slowed their pace. Grian looked nervous and anxious. Cleo looked determined, pressing her lips into a thin line. Scott’s blood rushed through his ears, but he felt an odd calm flood his system. He pressed his ear against the wall, curious what the giants were talking about.
“Are you even sure this is gonna work?” A feminine voice asked, skepticism in her voice. A masculine voice replied, “Of course! I made it, didn’t I?” A smug voice answered. “You say that now.” The female voice countered as she seemingly left the room as her voice got farther away.
Scott felt the tension leave his shoulders as the male voice gets farther away as well. He turns to his found family and whispers, “They left, we’re in the clear.” Cloe nodded but said, “Still we need to find a way in and out quickly because we don’t know how long.” Scott nodded in agreement. Grian frowned a bit but nodded as well.
They explored more of the wall, getting increasingly nervous when they thought they found a loose board, but it was glued over or something was blocking the entrance. It was later in the day when they finally found a perfectly round hole in the wall, looking like it was drilled. Cleo was hesitant to use it, but when Scott’s and Grian’s stomachs groaned, along with her own, she relented.
 Grian peeked out first, not seeing anything unusual, he ushered for Cleo and Scott. When Scott stepped out, the breath was knocked out of him. The kitchen around them was so large but beautiful. Flowers were painted along the cabinets; pink trim gave life to the bland wooden counters. A black and white checker floor covered the area below them. But what caught his attention was the paintings hung on the walls. They were landscape paintings, of a beach, a meadow, and a forest. He shook his head, to stop getting distracted.
Looking over, Cleo and Grian seemed to be in awe as well, except they were looking at something else. The guitar player’s jaw dropped as they spotted what they were staring at. On the counter, a large cake sat. Drool pooled in Scott’s mouth as it was decorated with berries and white and pink frosting. Swallowing, Scott also noticed a fruit bowl next to the cake.
Grian took a step towards the cake before Cleo grabbed his shoulder. She whispered to him furiously, “We can’t. It’ll be too noticeable.” Grian whispered back, “Come on, one berry.” He begged. Cleo brazenly shook her head. “No. Too dangerous.” Scott couldn’t help but agree with Cloe’s sentiment.
“The fruit bowl could be good.” He points it out. Cleo looked over to Scott and nodded. “Yeah, that seems more reasonable.” Grian crossed his arms but reluctantly agreed. Scott headed towards the fruit bowl, having to walk around the edge of the cake. Cleo and Grian followed behind him.
They all froze as a quiet click was heard. Scott glanced around trying to find the sort of noise. It was only when he looked down, he realized he had stepped on a mechanical button. He felt the blood drain from his face as he hopped off in a panic, turning to his friends.
“Run! It’s a-“He doesn’t get to finish his sentence as his feet are suddenly pulled out from under him, making him yelp. Two more cries follow as well. He felt himself get pulled unwillingly to a metal circle, his friends joining him shortly after. He looked down at his shoes, his eyes widening in panic. They were coated in metal flakes, making them magnetized.
Realization hit Scott, the sticky stuff. It was glue. And they walked through it. And it was filled with these metal flakes. Cloe was trying to pull herself off the magnet, while Grian struggled violently.  Scott began trying to get his shoes off to escape but giant footsteps made his blood go cold.
Scott’s breathing picked up as the Impulse-looking one entered the kitchen and cheered loudly, making all the humans flinch harshly. “Gem! I caught him! And two others.” Scott covered his ears with the loud voice, tears threatening to escape his eyes. It’s not them. It can’t be.
His breathing picked up as the giant came closer to them. His struggles got more desperate to get his shoes off. A scream rang through his ears, and it took him a moment to realize that it came from him as Impulse-look alike reached for him. The horned giant seemed taken aback by his sudden cry, pausing in his advances. His friends were shouting and yelling at the giant to leave him alone.
The Gem-look-alike came into the room. She walked over and frowned then scolded the horned giant. “You idiot, you’re scaring him. Don’t just try to grab him.” She crouched down and in a very soft voice, “Hey there Scott, can you count to five for me?” The ex-guitarist couldn’t help but close his eyes and picture Gem holding his hand, rubbing circles on his back as he calmed down from a panic attack. He quietly counted to five, taking deep breaths as he did.
Opening his eyes again, he was considerably calmer, but his heart rate spiked as he saw the giant smiling down at him. “There you go. It’s okay, we’re not going to hurt you.” She reassured them. Cleo spit. “Yeah right! And how do you know Scott? Let him alone!” Cloe struggled hard.
Scott croaked, “You can’t be them. They died the day of the outbreak.” Tears rolled down his cheeks as he lay on his back, trapped. Both his friends and giants looked at him. The deer giant frowned, “Oh Scott, no. I am Gem and that still is Impulse. We just look a little different and bigger.”  Gem tried soothing Scott by touching him.
He flinched away from the large hand, sobbing, “Let us go then, please.” He begged, adrenaline and fear blocking out the hunger and thirst he felt. “Please Gem.” Both Gem and Impulse shared an uneasy look before Gem sadly shook her head.
“I’m sorry, but we can’t in good conscious.” She said softly, making Scott’s throat close with terror. “You three look like you are about to drop dead in a day. You are all so skinny and it’s scary.”  She explained, as Impulse carried in a fish tank-looking thing but built for a human.
Scott didn’t have it in him to shout or yell as she gently pried him off the magnet and placed him into the tank. She did this with Grian and Cleo as well. Grian shrieked and tried to bite her as she picked him up. Cleo glared but didn’t do much, not wanting to cause them to get angry.
Gem looked at them sadly. “This will be only temporary.” She comforted. “We just need to humanify the house and get you guys healthy.” Scott glared at her through tear-filled eyes, through gritted teeth he mutters, “I hate you. I hate both of you. You are not them.” Shock then hurt filled Gem’s eye but she replied, “You know you don’t, you just need to get used to us like this.”
Impulse looked hurt as well as he added, “I’m sorry for scaring you all. But it’s true, this is only temporary. I hope you’ll trust us soon as well.” He carried the enclosure over to a table and placed it down gently. The walking made the humans flinch harshly. Impulse apologized softly then turned away. Impulse and Gem left the room after that, saying that they were giving them space to adjust.
Scott bushed his hand through the plush carpet bottom of the tank, glaring at it like it had wronged him. He immediately took off his shoes and chucked them at the glass around them with a frustrated cry. He watched them bounce off the glass onto the floor. He wiped his eyes and examined their temporary home.
There was a little kitchen area in one corner, it had a fridge, sink, and oven. Another was a walled-off room with a door labeled ‘bathroom’. The room the three of them seemed to be in was a living room of some sort, it had a couch, coffee table, and loveseat. Looking over to the last side of the tank, it was also walled off but with two doors. Both were labeled ‘Bedrooms’ in fancy bold letters.
Grian shrieked, “How did they know that we were here!? We were so careful.” He threw up his arms in frustration as he flopped onto the loveseat. Scott’s stomach churned with guilt because he caused this. Cloe scowled at him. “Get off there, we are not entertaining them with thinking we’re comfortable.” Grian huffed, “What’s the point? We might as well take advantage of this situation.”
Scott walked to the miniature kitchen and looked through the cupboards, to get away from the arguing of the other two and through curiosity. He was pleasantly surprised to find that they were filled with grains and dried fruit. He looked in another and found plates, cups, and silverware. He took three cups hesitantly and walked over to the faucet, filling them will water.
Once all three cups were filled, he walked back to the other two, who had stopped arguing when he turned on the water. He handed each of them a cup and said, “Here, we need it. I don’t care if it’s dosed or poisoned, we will die of dehydration if we don’t.” Grian eagerly down his cup, while Cleo cautiously sniffed it before sipping it. Scott slowly drained his cup. The water felt nice on his dry throat.
Cleo finished her cup and sighed. “That helped clear my head.” She looked at Grian. “I’m sorry, I suppose you’re right. We can rest up and regain our energy for a while then we can escape in due time.” She walked to the kitchen, placed her cup in the sink, and grabbed dried fruit for each of them, passing them to Scott and Grian.
Scott nodded and whispered, “I’m sorry, it’s my fault we’re in this mess.” He took a small bite of his fruit. Grian shook his head, swallowing as he did. “Don’t blame yourself, it was bound to happen eventually. We’re just lucky it was your old friends.” Grian happily munched on his dried fruit. Cloe gently hugged him.
“Don’t blame yourself kiddo, we all agreed to go into the house,” Cleo reassured. “So don’t blame this completely on yourself.” Scott sighed and replied, “Okay…” He still felt guilty for not telling them he was seen last night but decided to change the conversation.
Scott walked to one of the rooms and looked back at them. “I’m gonna take a nap. I’m exhausted. Wake me up if they come back.” He said before opening the door and closing the door behind him. The bedroom was simple, a bed and a wardrobe were the only two thing decorating the room.
The cyan-haired boy climbed into the bed and curled up in the sheets. Tears pooled in his eyes as he buried his face into the pillows, hiccupping softly as he thought of how Gem and Impulse could do this to him. Sobs escaped him as he dragged Cleo and Grian into this mess as well. It was all his fault. He soon cried himself to exhaustion, his unconscious consuming him. His last thoughts before he fell unconscious were “I’m sorry everyone.”
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embermoonsworld · 3 months
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Jareth Headcanons
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.Jareth looks like a man of about 30, but he's actually over 2,000.
.Jareth's mother and father were the former rulers of the Underground.
.Jareth is a faery, more specifically a sidhe.
.Jareth created the labyrinth to test mortals for his own amusement ("We immortals suffer from the same dreaded affliction darling: chronic boredom").
.Jareth was worshipped by the pagans as a god of illusions, dreams, fate and magic. Modern pagans still do.
.He was born on Samhain. Actually, the entire holiday was created to celebrate and revere him. Another name for this night is "Goblin Night."
.The pendant he wears is the crest of the royal family.
.The markings around his eyes are actually tattoos, given to every new king. It symbolizes wisdom and insight, to have vision for the future.
.His favorite color is midnight blue.
.Like all fae nobles, he enjoys luxury, music and beauty.
.His hair used to be longer with his bangs fully grown out to match the length of the rest of his hair (just like Legolas). However, he decided to spice things up a bit with his hairdo since it made him look like his father's twin and he wanted his own look.
. He's still unmarried because he believes in marrying for love, not politics. His parents married for love, why shouldn't he?
.His favorite flowers are lilacs- he has vases of them in every room of his palace.
.Jareth doesn't hate his job; he just gets stressed with it from time to time.
. He's famous for throwing the biggest, most lavish balls and parties the underground has ever seen.
He got the moniker "Goblin King" because he specifically chose goblins to aid him in his abduction of wished away children as goblins are master tricksters and thieves.
.Jareth may seem easygoing at first, but he is one of the fiercest warriors his kingdom has ever known. His skills with a sword are a thing of legend, and he's a brilliant tactician and strategist. He once cut off the head of a powerful Fomorian general with one, clean cut.
.Jareth formed and leads the Wild Hunt, whose duty is to hunt down and punish wicked mortals or those who have offended the fae.
.Jareth loves peaches- his favorite fruit. Fix him any dessert that includes peaches and you're instantly in his good favor.
.He can't stand brown-nosers because he finds lack of dignity utterly pathetic.
.He owns ten dragons, eight unicorns, three gryphons, a basilisk and a manticore.
.Crystals help him focus his all-sight, a truly rare fae gift. He can use his power without them but he easily gets headaches due to the information overload.
.He has power over dreams and one of his epithets is "Lord of Dreams."
.He transforms into an owl because an owl represents his soul: mysterious, magical, wise and a dangerous predator when need be.
. He's a fan of Shakespeare.
.He holds the record among the nobles for most mischief made amongst the mortals on Halloween, and he aims to beat his own record each time.
.He goes to Mardi Gras every year.
.Sarah isn't the first mortal girl he's tried to seduce into being his bride.
.Like most of his kin, Jareth has a fondness for human children, especially babies. Few things make him as angry, and inspires his wrath more, as seeing them neglected and abused by cruel parents. This was another reason for the labyrinth's creation- to save children from unworthy guardians.
.Jareth is actually kidding when he tells runners that the wished-away children will be turned into goblins because he loves to see them squirm. In actuality, if they lose, he finds good homes for the children elsewhere, be it in the fae world or the human world. If runners lose, the memories of everyone who knew the children, are erased. The losing runners still remember though, as Jareth believes living forever with that overwhelming guilt is a fitting punishment. They are also magically banned from ever returning to the Underground.
.Because Jareth sometimes finds fae who are willing to take in wished away children, halflings have been born due to them finding fae mates as adults.
.Jareth is fond of the human music genres known as glam rock and pop.
.He can't take a child unless summoned to do so. In the past, changelings could be stolen but they had to put a stop to this practice due to a large number of complaints. He's particularly sad about this limitation because there are so many needy children he'd love to save but is barred from doing. That being said, just because he can't take the children, it doesn't mean he can't give them some form of happiness and gaity in their lives, nor does it mean he can't make the lives of their bastard parents a living hell.
.The entire Underground bows to his whims. He can change and alter its reality as he sees fit. He's so powerful that, if he wanted to, he could conquer the human world in a matter of hours.
. He's been ruling for over 1,000 years.
.He hates wearing crowns cause they cause "crown hair," plus they make his pointy ears itch.
.He once had to spend a whole day listening to two goblin families argue about ownership of an apple tree rooted on the boundary line separating their properties- "I should just bog them all now, the insufferable twits!"
.He loves baths with stardust and diamond-infused water as they make skin glowing and soft as silk.
.He sometimes goes to dive bars in Soho to listen to the bands.
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bloobluebloo · 6 months
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Why Ganondorf is a fairy tale princess
-The most beautiful of all the land, all men and women look upon him
-Magic hands
-Has a special connection with magical creatures (even before becoming Demon King he was out there controlling moldugas)
-Has a magical connection with plant life and organic matter in general
-Friend of all monsters and magical creatures
-Rides a unicorn
-Attempting to overthrow a tyrannical ruler
-Sleeps for thousands of years to wake up to a pure hearted knight fated for him specifically
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