#convinced he's the Rabbit Emperor

[sunshine-scented]

Helloo again, I wanted to thank you for making my last request, i loved it <33 I don't know if it's still accepting requests, if not it's ok you can just ignore it ^^, but if so, I could make a hcs of wukong, macaque and nezha with your wife s/o dragon (again sorry kk i love dragons) pregnant? I imagine dragons are like rabbits and have lots of children, how would they react if your wife wanted more children after she had already given birth to her first child? having nsfw along, sorry if it's too much can just ignore ;w;

Sora!!!! I love these dragon requests so much oh my gosh I'm obsessed!!! (Also, thanks for adding Nezha, now I can finally brainrot about him hehehehehe~)

❀ Dragon Family ❀

: Dragon s/o wants more babies!! Give the big scary dragon her babies!!!!!

: Sun Wukong, Macaque, Nezha x fem!reader

: Fluff and a generous amount of Smut :))

Sun Wukong

• would absolutely agree with you, a hundred percent

• he has so many monkey friends so he's used to taking care of multiple things

• and if it makes his wife happy??? It's already an immediate yes from him

• like, you didn't even have to try to convince him

• he's already planning the names of the babies as you speak

• excited to see more children run around the mountain

• suddenly, he's not so lonely anymore

• sobbing

Wukong carefully set you down on the bed, his lips catching yours in a heated kiss as you wrap your arms on his neck. He trails his hands on your waist and softly starts to grind against you.

You tugged on his hair making him groan and bite your lip as he lets go to stare into your eyes "My beautiful wife" he takes one of your hands and places a chaste kiss on your knuckles "My oh so precious wife"

You giggled at his affectionate behavior making him smile, he leaned in towards your ear biting against your skin, gently pulling it with his teeth making you shiver and moan out his name.

"I'm gonna pump you up with my children yeah? Gonna make you look so full of me, and only me~♡"

Six eared Macaque

• he's a little hesitant to agree with you

• he's not used to taking care of something so...fragile

• and yet you want more??

• that's what he tells himself, yet that look on your face as you ask him over and over again made him double take

• the sight of you kneeling down before him, your hands hugging his waist as you look up at him with those pretty eyes of yours

• heavens, save this poor man

• eventually, he agrees to your requests

• with a small price of all your time tonight~

"Ahn~ Macaque.." you whined as he pinned your hands over your head, his tongue licking your neck and biting your delicate skin against his fangs, a low chuckle was heard from him.

"What's wrong? Isn't this what you asked of me, Darling~?" His suave voice made your knees weak as he picked you up and placed you on the kitchen table, squeezing your thighs and capturing your lips in a sloppy, messy kiss.

He groans at your warmth and how willing you are to give all of your being to him, sends shivers down his spine as he pulls out and stares into your half lidded eyes. He smirked and slapped your thigh, erupting a moan from you

"Shh, quiet now. Our little baby is sleeping, we wouldn't want to wake them up from their precious nap now would we~"

Nezha

• AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

• sorry that's my bad

• anyways, he's similar to Macaque

• he has both the map of the samadhi fire and the jade emperor to protect, both of which isn't an easy job to do as it is

• but you're just so irresistible ♡

• and a huge tease

• surely, you would gladly take responsibility of the absolute mess you made him to be, no?

You started to grind you hips onto his lap, making cute little sounds right beside his ear as you felt him take a breath to try and calm himself down, he's just so adorable

He suddenly grabbed your waist in a tight hold making you gasp as he took the opportunity to shove his tongue inside your mouth in a sloppy wet kiss, you hummed his pleasure as you start to trail your hands onto his chest.

You tugged and pulled on his hair near his scalp making his breath hitch as he pulls away, a string of saliva connecting your mouths "You're playing a dangerous game, (Name)" he breathlessly whispered to you with a furrowed brow.

Yet you licked your lips and started you caress his thigh and leaned in closer to him "I know, I just want to know if you're strong enough to play with me~" you mocked a baby voice on him as he finally snapped, grabbing a fistfull of your hair and pulled your head facing upwards making you moan as he started biting onto your exposed neck.

"Lucky for you, I love a good challenge~"

No I don't have favoritism, what are you even going on about silly

#lmk #monkie kid #lego monkie kid #lmk x reader #monkie kid x reader #lego monkie kid x reader #lmk macaque #lmk macaque x reader #macaque x reader #lmk sun wukong #lmk wukong #lmk sun wukong x reader #lmk wukong x reader #wukong x reader #sun wukong x reader #nezha #lmk nezha #nezha x reader #monkie kid nezha x y/n #lmk nezha x reader

[liamlawsonlesbian]

what book I would give each current formula one driver to introduce them to the joy of reading

an intellectual exercise no one* asked for

Max Verstappen: Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond - if you are nd and have read this book, you may understand me. otherwise just trust me. the impetus for this post

Checo Perez: The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White - this is an excellent read-aloud book for Sergio Jr.'s age, and there is nothing as wonderful as reading a compelling book to a kid you love, imho

Charles Leclerc: The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman - he is on the record as a Potter enjoyer. also, I think he would enjoy having a little animal friend

Carlos Sainz: Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood - okay yes this is partially a joke about the title, but this is a hilarious and wonderful memoir, about weird families and Catholicism, and I think Carlos would enjoy it.

Lando Norris: Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett - in my mind Lando is a little bit like @bright-and-burning but less cool, so this fits. also, the combination of high number of jokes/page + action/mystery seems like a good fit

Oscar Piastri: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie - this book has the kind of mystery that really draws you in, plus I think Oscar would dig the questions about AI it digs into. I choose to believe with zero evidence that he would be interested in the funky gender stuff

Fernando Alonso: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell - look me in the eye and tell me this book wasn't written for Fernando Alonso

Lance Stroll: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - yeah

Lewis Hamilton: Die Trying by Lee Child - Lewis deserves to read mildly trashy thrillers <3 plus there's a Tom Cruise movie

George Russell: Changing My Mind by Zadie Smith - as a proud Brit, George should be reading one of the premiere English authors of the 21st century. her first book of essays is a fun and readable place to start

Yuki Tsunoda: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel - I don't have a Yuki-lore explanation, I just want to give him one of my favorite books

Daniel Ricciardo: The Gunslinger by Steven King - The Dark Tower series is Lord of the Rings-esque in scope but Western-inflected in aesthetic and written by The Horror Guy, I think DR would enjoy

Alex Albon: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee - I say this with so much love in my heart, but Alex wants to be seen as smart. this book is brilliantly written pop science

Logan Sargeant: Bloomability by Sharon Creech - yes this is a book for tween girls, but it's about boarding school in Switzerland, and Sharon Creech is a genius. if I could convince him to read it, I think he would love it

Valtteri Bottas: The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien - what are hobbits if not humanoid moomins?

Zhou Guanyu: Piranesi by Susannah Clarke - a fun, exciting, stylishly written book for a stylish guy

Kevin Magnussen: Watership Down by Richard Adams - rabbit warfare <3

Nico Hulkenberg: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - Hulk SEEMS like a Dad Who Reads Historical Fiction, even if he isn't yet

Pierre Gasly: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - I almost said A Game of Thrones but I don't think that would be good for him. so, Six of Crows. he likes heists!

Esteban Ocon: City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty - a superhero origin story of sorts for Mr. Spiderman

Bonus: Liam Lawson: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir - lesbian from New Zealand. let me have this

*ro asked for it, take it up with them @oscarpiastriwdc

#put the body of this under the cut bc it's embarrassingly long #these books are all originally in english which i know would not be ideal for many of the drivers! but those are the books i know best #do not lose

[humming-fly]

bodyswap but it's just the Creatures Within(tm) switching hosts I wonder how that'd go

well I'm stuck at the airport for a while and could use the thought exercise so let's go with it haha

just for consistency let's assume these pairings take place in the host's universe but with the creatures*tm* abilities, ie. greed gets full control of whatever body he works with while john just gets eyes, ling has his motivating factors of being emperor or w/e regardless of pairing while eddie is a washed up reporter in san fran etc.

Ling + Greed: Canonically work incredibly well together, drift compatible idiots, despite having 0 control of his body ling is still able to get his way in the end and had greed doing him favors within 10 minutes of knowing each other, 10/10 compatibility 10/10 functionality

Ling + Venom: hmmm this one's trickier - right away ling is probably extremely agreeable to murder so long as it's who he wants dead/he gets power out of it, so in that regard they'd get along just fine. I think in terms of personality venom is actually extremely easy to work with with very minimal prodding, like he was ready to betray his entire species within like 24 hours so I think ling could get him on board with his power plotting in no time flat and they'd probably have some fun with it. Longer term they might not last too long together since venom is a romantic at heart so ling might need to pass him off to a more suitable partner down the line, but at least in terms of immediate matchups they'd get on well/would probably eat the emperor or something and have a great time doing it. 6/10 compatibility 8/10 functionality

Ling + John: this one's really funny to me john is so fucked lmao - what really works against john here is the fact that ling doesn't really need his eyes to do anything since he can use the dragon's pulse instead and he's also bizarrely mentally stable so it's unlikely his mind would slip enough for john to grab ahold of anything else, so his ability to make himself valuable is pretty dang limited. John's best bet here is convincing ling that working together could result in some sort of power being made available to him down the line, and just have to hope ling decides that's worth his time more than paying for an exorcism. Given ling was willing to search a random country with nothing more than sand and optimism in his pockets those odds aren’t zero though! Beating up cults and making deals with elder gods is very much in ling’s wheelhouse, I’d say normally messing with those things works out poorly for the person investigating them but ling is god’s favorite so he’ll probably be fine. 4/10 compatibility 7/10 functionality

Ling + Rhaast: I mean it’d be fine let’s be real, if rhaast couldn’t corrupt kayn after X years together then ling will be totally fine. Biggest hurdle is I don’t think scythes are ling’s weapon of choice but he could make it work- realistically he’d probably just gift rhaast to the emperor and hope he’d be an impressive enough boon or that rhaast would kill the emperor for him. Idk as much about how the player characters work in lol but assuming kayn’s blue level up thing is canon I assume ling would have that unlocked and rhaast dead in less than three hours. 2/10 compatibility 3-8/10 functionality depending on if sicko mode is canon or not

Eddie + Greed: so in terms of personality I think they’d either get on very well or hate each other with very little in between haha- I lean more towards the former in that Eddie is a somewhat pathetic wash-up and greed is well versed on that kind of personality via making his living in a dive bar. I don’t think they’d be a good reporter though lol. 5/10 compatibility 3/10 functionality

Eddie + Venom: he’s his right hand arm- man. his confidant. his everything. his best friend. his silly rabbit. 10/10 compatibility 7/10 functionality they’re a train wreck that was made for each other

Eddie + John: so this one does have some interesting promise given Eddie is an investigative reporter and also a little insane/prone to impulsive decisions. With that setup I think they actually have the potential to work pretty well together, it would be fun to see how the cookie would crumble over time haha. 8/10 compatibility 8/10 functionality

Eddie + Rhaast: Eddie picks up the scythe and pawns it 0/10 compatibility 0/10 functionality

Arthur + Greed: okay assuming this is memory wipe greed? Might not be too bad, like they might end up in jail but overall surviving the 1930s is feasible for greed and Arthur is probably decent enough company if things are mellow enough. If this is full memory greed? They go into a bar and never leave it again. 6/10 compatibility 3/10 functionality

Arthur + Venom: extremely funny to imagine this one is fun hahaha - I feel like the “lovecraftian horror setting” is just about perfect for venom I genuinely think the cult-busting by night detective by day crime duo has promise - elder gods are all about tentacles and venom can use that to his advantage to assert dominance. 6/10 compatibility 9/10 functionality

Arthur + John: see this one's funny cause this is the canon pairing but their mileage varies so much by virtue of the fact they are the main characters of a choose-your-own-adventure horror podcast, and thus can never really succeed for longer than a few moments lest their entire reality grind to a screeching halt. that said by this point they're mutual lifelines to one another and I respect the codependence. 8/10 compatibility 6/10 functionality (which is pretty high given their medium)

Arthur + Rhaast: exact same as eddie only instead of pawning it probably ends up taking it to some eldrich historian to find out what's up with it. that said arthur Does have a history of immediately going along with voices in his head so he might be the one guy rhaast could actually take over in which case rip arthur lol - regardless pretty unlikely they'd ever stick together longer than an afternoon, 1/10 compatibility 0/10 functionality

not even gonna bother ranking Kayn pairings since I really don't know enough about that guy (really don't know enough about rhaast either but he's funny enough to include lol)

#wow this took a hot sec didn't it haha #clearly entertaining enough to think about for a bit #this was mostly done at the airport but did have to finish it up at my apartment thus the late posting time lol #reply #haitaksi

[kainereee]

Photographer - The Emperor

Going insane over the new idv tarot design like a very normal person, specifically looking at Joseph.

I'll be looking at meanings from a range of websites though most tend to follow the same message.

General Meaning

This is the card that asserts authority, organizes systems to retain maximum control and is the paternal influence of the Tarot deck, assuring that protection and security are provided to all those playing by the rules.

From this meaning alone it feels like the Emperor is the perfect card for Joseph. Immediately my first thoughts go to his inventions and obsession with the mirror world. The CN translation of his third character day letter sees him call the photo world akin to an "eternal kingdom", which has more hopeful connotation.

Joseph doesn't necessarily have malicious intent. Yes, the things he's done are utterly heinous and would be to any rational person who heard of them, but the bottom line is that both Joseph's hubris and his genuine belief that what he is creating and working towards will help people. Joseph sees living as suffering, but he doesn't see the afterlife as something that can guarantee him happiness either. Because the afterlife is foreign and unknown to the happiness he experienced as a child.

Instead he chooses the camera world. Preservation, something he has created, where everyone can be happy together, trapped together in a beautiful eternity. The photo world is the peaceful world where they will all rest, away from the adversities of life.

So how does this all relate to the Emperor? I like to think that it makes sense that because of how many things in Joseph's life that were out of his control ruined him, in the broader sense he does need (or feels like he needs) a huge sense of control, as much control as possible. The camera world allows him that. He's the master of that world but he does not assert such authority to rub his own ego necessarily, but because he's convinced that people need protecting. That living is suffering, and he's merely doing what's best for all. He is protecting them.

I also want to note it might be important that we are served the Emperor card upright. The reversed position of the card implies a lack of control leading to an abuse of power and unwise decisions. What Joseph does is undeniably an abuse of power objectively, but describing it as just that loses a lot of the nuance behind his actions and motivations. Despite how clearly mentally unstable Joseph is he is in control of what he is aiming to do. Like what the Emperor card represents, he has a burning ambition to achieve his goal no matter what it takes — and we see that from the way he does not falter after all his friends leave him, how it's implied that not even Elliott could stop him even though his words left some impression on him.

Design Notes

Moving on, I'd like to look at the design in more detail in comparison to what the traditional Emperor card looks like.

To get the full picture of the design we can look at the actual heritage of the Tarot card, which read me down a rabbit hole of exploring the history of the Emperor card exclusively. One detail that stuck out to me particularly was the fact Joseph isn't facing the audience in his card. In more contemporary decks the Emperor faces you head on, but Joseph isn't. I'd say this is likely in relation to the Tarot de Marseille characteristics.

By the mid-seventeeth century after Tarot card production had moved to France, the Emperor gained the characteristic of sitting on his throne in profile with his legs crossed.

The position of his legs was staged for maximum effect. Sitting at ease with one leg crossed over the other traditionally signified the highest status person in the room, or someone about to pass a legal judgment.

This doesn't drastically change the meaning of the card itself, but I thought it was a cool detail nonetheless. It feels quite fitting for Joseph ( Judge skin aside ) in the sense that he believes that what he is deciding for people is right, or that he even has the authority to in the first place. It fits well with his arrogance and ultimately all the other decisions that lead him to his self-destruction in a way.

The detail doesn't stop there. The Emperor card changed yet again with the occult tradition.

19th century occultists like Eliphas Levi, Oswald Wirth and Papus retained the Tarot De Marseille image but added their own cosmic interpretation. Particularly They saw the Emperor’s body as a triangle with his legs making a cross. Together these form the symbol for alchemical sulfur and allude to spirit dominating matter ( now where does that sound familiar ... )

What's particularly relevant to Joseph is that Wirth changed the Emperor's legs slightly to be more like the astrological symbol of Jupiter.

Because of the Emperor’s association with the number four and the Hebrew letter Daleth (door or womb) occultists saw the Emperor presiding over the birth of all material things, then ruling the material world as Jupiter. The globe topped by a cross, a traditional symbol of the Emperor’s worldly and spiritual power, was reinterpreted as the astrological sign for Venus, emphasizing the concepts of birth and creation. The Emperor represents the creative fire at the heart of all beings; so he’s also energy trapped in the material world.

So how does this all relate to Joseph? Well as I said this doesn't drastically change the meaning of the card, but there are small details and nuances that you could interpret liken to Joseph. Like how the pose he's sat in originates from when tarot deck production grew in France. On the other hand, the connotations of Jupiter could be the way he did achieve his goal in a way in creating the mirror world — defying the rules of life and death itself. Since the Emperor also represents the creative fire at the heart of all beings it could also be alluded to Joseph's origins as a creative in his journey, and his wish to see something more than the dullness and dread of life.

There is a lot more to the card heritage of the Emperor and other parts I could have mentioned, but I decided to include these as the most relevant. I'll have it referenced in the end if you'd like to check it out!

Now I'll continue my insanity into what the Emperor card means in certain contexts.

Past

In the past position, The Emperor represents a father or other authority figure who laid down the law and set a firm definition of acceptable behavior for you. Perhaps you rebelled against him or his teachings, or maybe they helped to keep you out of harm’s way. If you are in a secure position now, you have The Emperor in this position to thank. But some people do abuse their authority and if you are alone and alienated after being witness to the abuse of authority, this card confirms that the blame is there. Often we are given rule over our world and mess things up ourselves. Other times, the trust that put us in the care of another is at fault when this person goes overboard and so The Emperor represents a tyrant.

Honestly I don't have one set idea of interpretation in regards to Joseph and his story in terms of the past.

The first thing that came to mind was his father. We don't know a lot of things about Joseph's family outside of Claude especially with his relationship with his parents. All I can think of is Joseph's 2021 character day art where there were noticeable cracks over his father and mother in the portraits behind him.

Considering Joseph is hardly in a secure position, it might be implied that something went wrong too with his parents. When he lost Claude he had no other immediate family that we know of aside from them, but until he was of age he still would have been under their care. Was there a certain pressure placed on him as the only remaining son of the Desaulnier family? Did Joseph feel perhaps alienated by his parents who may have tried to move forward much quicker than himself? These are questions that we can't answer yet.

The other "tyrant" of Joseph's past I had in mind could have been the person who lent him those books on the occult when he visited the unnamed manor. I already alluded to such a person bearing similarities to Henry and Dorian in my little ramble after finishing the picture of Dorian Grey. But again, there's nothing to he said for sure.

Present

When The Emperor is in the present position, you have the rule of law before you to guide you on your journey. This card is especially strong in the present position as it gives you an absolute confidence to move toward a goal. This can also represent the influence of another person in your life right now. Are you so enamored of a new friend or lover that you have started following the advice and lifestyle habits of him or her? Have you discovered a new hero in the arts whose work has expanded your consciousness to the point that it is hard to relate to people who have not had a similar reaction to this person’s artistic output? Is there a new teacher in your life who has changed the way you think? Perhaps a new person at work is transforming the way you approach your on-the-job goals. The theme running through all of these possibilities is that one way of seeing the world is coming to dominate the way you experience life.

I've highlighted that last part for reasons that I've already stated in this post. But that line in particular is pretty relevant to Joseph.

Joseph who could not run move on from his grief and instead fell deeper into it. Joseph who could never enjoy life the same without Claude in it and after seeing the horrors that death brings, in his brother's death and the revolutionary war that tore up everything he had ever loved and known. Joseph whose life was dominated by his grief, anger and anguish that pushed away those who might have loved and cared for him — even Elliott, at the very end, could not save him.

Future

The future position is an uncomfortable position for The Emperor. The days and weeks ahead are vague and quite affected by the smallest decisions of the here and now. The Emperor card demands to assert itself. When The Emperor card is here, anticipate a change to come into your life in a bold manner; expectations to conform in the way you carry yourself may be part of this picture. Regardless of the situation, understand that new demands to follow a specific behavioral prescription will be coming your way and coming in the near future. Prepare now to submit, evade or resist.

There's a number of ways you could interpret this and none are strictly right or wrong. A lot of which echoes much of the sentiments of needing control, disliking uncertainty and particularly change in general ...

It could also be interpreted in regards to the trajectory of Joseph's life after Claude's death — what became of his future. We have seen Joseph has gained a habit of self-restraint now — not truly speaking what's on his mind but rather speaking what he needs to achieve a means to an end. He's someone who does feel the weight of peoples' expectations on him and seeks to excel past them, and that particularly becomes evident post the tragedies of his younger years. He changes particularly in the way he carries himself, whether that be influence of his own grief or that new-risen demand as the Desaulnier's surviving son and the pressure he put on himself.

Final Notes

You made it to the end! You must be as crazy as me or smth damn.

Anyways this was an unnecessarily long ramble of me basically saying how perfect this card is for Joseph and his story and I'm sure there's so many other elements I missed out and failed to convey. But this is all for fun! Don't take my words as law.

I kind of want to do some more for a few of my favs so ..

#idv #identity v #joseph desaulnier #identity v photographer #idv photographer #idv joseph #kainalysis #actual mania #as in typing this was a fever dream #i was juet waiting for the cleaninf lady in our dorms to finish #forgive typos or obnoxiously long sentences im a law student

[florallylly]

at the request of absolutely nobody, i present my vaguely fleshed out steddie mummy au 

sources: i still own the mummy on vhs 

there’s a possibility that the whole story of hamunaptra could be tweaked a bit to fit the story of henry creel/vecna/one into imhotep’s story, but the actual nitty gritty doesn’t matter as much as the actual dynamics and relationships between stobin and eddie. the important part is that a man is cursed to be buried alive, immortal but destined to awaken only to take vengeance. 

fast forward and eddie munson ends up drafted into the military. (rick is apart of the french foreign legion stationed in egypt, and i’m not entirely sure how he manages it but eddie munson is apparently a colonel). things happen and eddie finds himself running away from the battlefield, only to stumble upon the ruins of hamunaptra. except they aren’t really ruins and hamunaptra is a myth. so he runs, but when he gets back to the city, alone and half dead, eddie finds that in his rush to leave, he’s grabbed some sort of puzzle box. 

at the same time, one robin buckley has dedicated her life to learning more about ancient egypt. her passion for languages led her down a rabbit hole, and she drags her brother steve to egypt with her for further study. 

robin is set up with a job at a small museum, working as an archivist. unfortunately, it’s a lot more tedious than she anticipated. it would be a lot better if she could work with steve, but forgetting his glasses at home nearly everyday isn’t super helpful when it comes to trying to sort books. 

so what is steve doing in egypt, you may ask? evie’s brother jonathan in the movie literally schlepped around egypt fucking around with his sister and figuring out his next get rich scheme. steve isn’t really the type to open up his own nightclub in shanghai (a la the mummy: tomb of the dragon emperor), but just like jonathan, steve happens to stumble across a cryptex containing a map of the lost city of hamunaptra. 

as an aside: i see steve doing the same minimum wage jobs he did in hawkins, just in egypt. i think it would be funny and makes so much more sense to me than him kind of skulking around for news of possible treasure. (bonus: the party in egypt, and dustin coming up to steve with a “brand new discovery” and it’s eddie’s puzzle box that he’s swiped. (THOUGH NOTE: evie and jonathan’s family is Rich. Rich Loaded. Rich Loaded British. So honestly, he doesn’t even have to work)

either way, when robin opens the cryptex and finds the map, she’s astonished. this is what she’s dreamed of her whole life—being an explorer and discovering lost civilizations. so she gets steve to find out where the puzzle box came from. his search leads them to the prison, where eddie munson is destined for execution. 

the two of them talk to eddie, and eddie tells robin he’s seen hamunaptra in person. he’s been there. he’s walked the same sand that pharaohs had and seen the ruins that no other have laid their hands on. but eddie refuses to tell them the location, but steve convinces (bribes) the warden to let him go. 

so the three of them set off to the city of the dead. 

the details of the trip would make this post way too long, but i’m thinking about dynamics rn… 

eddie is a little standoffish at first, sure that these rich kids won’t be able to handle themselves, and he’ll be stuck carting around two spoiled brats. and robin and steve don’t necessarily trust him. robin is wide eyed and blinded by eddie’s knowledge of hamunaptra, but steve keeps trying to keep her in check. 

at first, eddie thinks steve is cold to him because of some upstairs/downstairs prejudice or big brother protectiveness. and eddie flirts even harder with robin, delighted every time he sees a scowl on steve’s face. even if robin keeps rolling her eyes and ignoring him, he isn’t looking at her anyways. he’s too busy searching steve’s eyes for some spark of disapproval. he doesn’t see that though. he sees worry and concern and fear. and that’s when eddie starts warming up to them. 

#steddie #steve harrington #stobin #eddie munson #robin buckley #the mummy au #okay i could go through the entire trilogy #or i could take the bare bones concept and run with it #tbh i have so many different plotlines for a potential mummy au/crossover with stobin #NOTE the stobin is SO important in this #tbh in terms of plot lines robin is jonathan and steve is evie #but in terms of Character backstory robin is evie and steve is jonathan #bc steve is so much more honed in in canon #while robin IS a bit of comic relief #and sorry but eddie munson rick parallels are insane.... #guy with good intentions and morals gets imprisoned only to be saved by someone he considers the antithesis of himself #falling in love with someone unexpected while on a life threatening mission

[robot-roadtrip-rants]

I read The Iron Within and it sent me down a rabbit hole and by the God-Emperor I will make you suffer with me

So:

Ultramarines Tetrarch Tauro Nicodemus is at Lesser Damatyne when Krendl shows up with an army of traitors to demand that Dantioch hand over the keys to the Schadenhold.

Nicodemus says that Guilliman sent him to recruit Dantioch to the loyalist cause.

He then stays with the future Silver Skulls loyalist Iron Warriors for the year-long siege of the Schadenhold, and escapes with them on the Benthos.

HOWEVER

Dantioch is on Sotha at the start of Unremembered Empire, and Guilliman clearly knows him and knows he's on Sotha.

By the time Unremembered Empire starts, Ultramar has been cut off from the rest of the Imperium for two years by the Ruinstorm. So Dantioch must have arrived before the start of the Ruinstorm

The Ruinstorm began at the end of the Battle of Calth--it was actually conjured up by a Word Bearers ritual during the climax of that battle.

Guilliman doesn't know about the Heresy until the Battle of Calth.

Which leaves me with two questions:

When did Nicodemus leave Ultramar?

When did Dantioch arrive in Ultramar/on Sotha?

(The answer, of course, is "minor plothole, who cares," but no pedantic nerd worth her salt would accept that as an answer.)

A bit of research revealed that Nicodemus actually appears in Know No Fear; a passing mention names him as one of the fighters on Calth. Presumably he made it to the fleet that evacuated the planet just before the warpstorm grew too bad to navigate. Guilliman must have sent him out into the galaxy (without a retinue?) just before he left for Macragge.

But we're still left with the second question. When the hell did Dantioch make it to Ultramar? There's no way he could have arrived before the Ruinstorm reached full force.

After much thought, I think I've figured it out. The Benthos departs from Lesser Damatyne for Macragge and immediately slams into the Ruinstorm. Caught in the storm, they pick up the Pharos's beacon and use it to get to Macragge. However, Warp Fuckery™ deposits the ship in the system shortly before Guilliman heads to Calth for the grand muster. Nicodemus introduces Dantioch to Guilliman and somehow convinces him to take him in. Guilliman sends Dantioch and his buddies to Sotha and the rest is history.

This does mean that for a short period of time, there are two Nicodemuses running around. Guilliman isn't the type to lose track of a high-ranking officer, so why didn't he notice that he had two copies of the same guy? Simple: the original Nicodemus departed for Calth from Saramanth, not from Macragge. When Future Nicodemus shows up with a handful of battered Iron Warriors, he actually has a ready-made excuse for dropping by Macragge: he wants to introduce Dantioch to Guilliman before heading off for Calth. The Epic Convincing Session ensues, Dantioch leaves for Sotha, and Guilliman leaves for Calth. By the time he makes it there, OG Nicodemus is already planetside, so they don't have a chance to talk until the evacuation. At that point, they have much bigger fish to fry, so the inconsistencies in Nicodemus's location isn't discovered.

Here's the thing: Guilliman would have no reason to even bring up Dantioch to OG Nicodemus at Calth. As far as he knows, Dantioch is already safe and sound on Sotha, and Nicodemus played a direct role in the dude's arrival. So Guilliman must have sent Nicodemus out to do Other Stuff. This means that at some point Nicodemus decided to recruit Dantioch on his own, probably after he finished doing the Other Stuff. Nicodemus was lying through his teeth when he told Dantioch that Guilliman sent him. Dude was flying by the seat of his pants the whole time, and he actually pulled it off.

#warhammer 40k #barabas dantioch #tauro nicodemus #roboute guilliman #the iron within #unremembered empire #know no fear #this was a giant waste of time but i regret NOTHING

[tanmono]

GILBERT VON OBSIDIAN MAIN ROUTE....

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

translations are not 100% accurate. expect mistakes.

gilbert's title will be changed to lord, starting from this chapter.

trigger warning: rape mention.

minors and ageless blogs dni.

Gilbert: Now, once again.....if you have something to say, I'm all ears, okay, little rabbit?

In front of me is the emperor who rules over the great nation of Obsidian.

A supreme commander who has enough power to overrun other countries with just that one voice.

(….Though, it's just a title with a big name, he’s still the same Lord Gilbert on the inside.)

Looking up at the throne, there is no need to be overly afraid.

Emma: Then, if I may be so bold as to presume.....

Emma: Why does the emperor push the path of invasion to other countries?

The first thing I wanted to ask was the "Emperor", not Lord Gilbert.

Obsidian has always plotted to expand its territory as a matter of policy.

I don't understand the intention of wanting to continue to invade by trampling on other countries' cultures, ideas, and lives.

Gilbert: The ostensible reason is to protect our own people. Obsidian has a lot of barren area despite its vast land.

Gilbert: There was always a problem of food shortages, and exploitation was necessary to keep the people alive.

Emma:….What's the purpose behind this?

Gilbert: I hate dirty things. // I don't like dirty things.

Gilbert: Deception, corruption and bribery. But the way the continent is structured now, it occurred frequently.

Gilbert: It's not just the Obsidian. You saw traces of corruption in the Rhodolite as well, didn't you?

Emma: Are you talking about the orphanage?

Gilbert: Yes, there was that, but on a grander scale of corruption, like the debauchery of the king, right?

(Debauchery...if he means drowned in women, I guess that fits.)

Gilbert: In order to heal the wounds of his broken heart, he wielded his power by laying hands on many women.

Gilbert:......Do you know the story of Luke's mother?

Emma: No….

Gilbert: His mother was just a maid in the service of the court.

Gilbert: But the king forced himself on her because she looked like the woman he loved.

(…..!)

Gilbert: Heartbroken, she left the court to give birth and raise Luke in secret.

Gilbert: Do you think the king was punished for this? Yes, of course. There was no blame.

Gilbert: He is the most powerful person in Rhodolite..... // He is the supreme authority in Rhodolite.....

Gilbert: Because of that, he had the right to do as he pleased with those below him.

(If the story is true...I can't say anything about the king of my own country.)

(No matter how wise the king he was, this is unforgivable.)

Gilbert: Do you think this story is surprising?

Emma:.....At least, it's not something that happens often.

Gilbert: That’s what it is.

Emma: On what basis....

Gilbert: The result of statistics on the internal affairs of the countries that has been ruled.

(….It's not an emotional story, rather it's a grounded story.)

Gilbert: It's not uncommon to find a royal family with a prodigal habit, and in worse cases, there are countries that enslaved the people.

Gilbert: This great rise is based on authoritarianism. A world ruled by royalty and nobility.

Gilbert: It ingrained in my bones that lowly people should not defy those in power.

Gilbert: Look, You know what I mean, right? Remember when you were chosen as belle?

Gilbert: The report is that...you did not hesitate to slap a man who had been disrespectful to Chevalier.

Gilbert: That's because you quickly decided that you misbehaved with a powerful person, which you would've easily killed.

Gilbert: He was actually pointed at you with a sword, making sure his judgment was correct.

Gilbert: It's funny if you think about it for a minute. How can one be guilty of disrespect?

(I had never thought about it before.)

For me, I have always had the perception that royalty is someone to be respected.

Even when he was disrespectful and pointed his sword at me, I tried to convince him that he was a royalty.

Gilbert: There is no inherent superiority or inferiority between us. As long as we are humans, we should all be the same.

Gilbert: Of course, it may be necessary to have someone who leads socially.

Gilbert: An outstanding person bringing the world together to build a better tomorrow. That's how it should be.

Gilbert: But you see, the current king has a structure in which those with power get involved and act as they please.

Gilbert: Of course, not all of them, right?

The princes of Rhodolite are very different.

Gilbert: Even Silvio and Keith would make good rulers.

Emma: If that’s the case—

Gilbert: The King of Rhodolite was also a reputable ruler in the past.

Emma:…….

Gilbert: People are changeable creatures. There is no such thing as an "absolute".

Gilbert: That's why authoritarianism shouldn't exist in the first place.

Gilbert: There were only a handful of wise kings if you look at the history.

(In other words, Lord Gilbert….)

Gilbert: Because there’s one ruler that knows a lot about deception and corruption...

Gilbert: My "ideal" is to trample upon all the royal families that have spread across the continent, and to free the people from the rule of power.

What I felt from Lord Gilbert was a strong will that resembled a solid wall.

No one can change him nor stop him. I suspect it's something like that.

(A revolution involving not only your own country, but the entire continent...)

(I know this should be a fantasy dream for most people, but not for Lord Gilbert.)

(But, it’s strange.)

Emma:..I feel conflicted about this.

Emma: Lord Gilbert is like a symbol of that power, isn't he?

The way he sits on his throne and looks down at me is exactly the kind of "authority figure" that Lord Gilbert hates.

(Even though he once threatened me with that power...)

Emma: Are you an exception?

Gilbert: Ahaha! No way.

Gilbert: If the powers disappear and a new era comes, I will be the first to become unnecessary.

Gilbert: Then maybe I’ll die?

Emma:…..Uh.

(What…..are you saying.….)

His usual fresh smile shines from his throne.

I couldn't believe my ears, wondering if I had heard wrong.

Gilbert: Because it's obvious of course. I want to wipe out the powers, and it's strange for me to survive.

Gilbert: The Obsidian royal family, in particular, is one of the most evil bloodlines on the continent.

Gilbert: It would be better if the world were destroyed...but if I'm going to die, I'd rather be killed by little rabbit.

Gilbert: That way you'll remember me for the rest of your life, right?

Emma: That's... of course I'm going to refuse!

I shouted without holding back.

Even if it's a joke, it's a bad one.

(Lord Gilbert's ideals are based on the assumption that he will die at the end.)

(Like he thinks nothing of it.)

It would have been better if he still acted like a villain and said, "I'm an exception."

Emma:….Why are you going so far to get rid of those with powers?

Emma: I'm sure Lord Gilbert would have benefited from the power...even to the point of killing himself….

Gilbert: That’s…..

Gilbert: A secret.

(…So it is a secret.)

Gilbert: But I don't think it's a bad deal for you.

Gilbert: Rather, it would be more convenient for you if I died.

(….!)

Gilbert: If only I were gone, Rhodolite wouldn't be trampled, and the world might continue on like this.

Gilbert: Besides, when I die, you'll be released.

Gilbert: You can settle in Obsidian or return to Rhodolite as you wish.

Gilbert: There will be no power to hold you down.

(What is that….)

The front of my eyes turns pure white, and the back of my head burns hot.

Emma:…..Are you serious?

My voice, which spilled out unexpectedly, was lower than usual.

Gilbert: Of course—

Gilbert:...What's wrong?

(What’s wrong…with me?) // (There’s nothing…wrong with me.)

I looked down as my fists trembled.

(No matter how big a villain he is, I never wanted him to die. I wouldn’t even dare to think about it.)

(Lord Gilbert….was not the kind of person who could think of such a thing.)

He may come to think that he is the great irredeemable villain, but—

I am already poisoned by malicious kindness.

And that kindness itself should not have been a lie. // And that kindness itself could not have been false.

It was precisely because I had been exposed to Lord Gilbert's good intentions so many times that I suffered when I was at Rhodolite.

What he just said was an outright denial of that suffering and struggle.

(After acting like he was such a good friend to me...)

(When the time comes, if he wants to be dead, he wants me to kill him?)

(….Don’t be silly.)

I have no right to say anything about Lord Gilbert's ideals.

But I have the right to be upset with those particular words.

Gilbert: I don't get it. I don't see where there was anything to be upset about now….

Emma: Because you don't understand that, you’re telling me my friendship with Lord Gilbert wasn't real!

Emma: If you thought you were the kind of person who would be happy to die, there is something out of your mind!

The voice echoes to destroy the intimidation of the throne room.

In the distance, Lord Gilbert seemed taken aback.

(.......I wish I was evil enough to want to kill him anyway.)

(Ah, this is bad...)

I feel like my vision went blurry.

As I wrinkled my brow and held on, I suddenly felt a breeze behind me.

???: Lord Gilbert!!!

(What the!?)

A man in military uniform pushed the door open to the throne room and walked in.

Without paying attention to me, he went his way to the bottom of the stairs as if he was about to attack Lord Gilbert.

???: You...you left the castle again without saying a word!

???: How much more do you want to shorten your lifespan! Come on, let me check—

???:……

(….Ah, our eyes met.)

The curly-haired man stiffened, and so did I.

A strange silence fell.

Gilbert: Good for you, huh? If you let your mouth slip a little more, today will be the anniversary of your death.

???: Who is she?

Gilbert: The Lady of Rhodolite.

???: Rhodolite is...ah! Wait, does it really exist? Lord Gilbert first—

Gilbert: Hmmm? You want to die that badly?

(…..?)

The man clears his throat deliberately and turns to me.

The salute-like gesture may be Obsidian's way of greetings.

Walter: Emma, correct? I’ve heard rumors about you….I’m Walter. My occupation is—

Gilbert: My entourage, servant, and maid. I'm having an audience, so can you get out?

(......I feel like he’s been deliberately covering his words again right now.)

(How did he know my name in the first place? ….And what rumors?)

(I wonder if Obsidian has…heard the story of Rhodolite.)

As soon as the man finishes his greeting, he points a finger at Lord Gilbert.

It seemed like an obvious act of disrespect, but there was no reproach.

Walter: I'll come later. Listen, please don't run away. Even if you do, I'll let Roderich catch you.

Gilbert: I got it, I got it. I'll act like an adult if I feel like it.

Walter: It's definitely……not if you feel like it!

Gilbert: Yes, yes.

With a strong tone, the man left.

It was like a storm.

Gilbert:.....Well, that just dampened the fun.

With a resounding sigh, Lord Gilbert stands up from his throne.

The audience seems to be over.

(I'm also...not sure I can speak well right now.)

Lord Gilbert descends from the stairs with the sound of his cane.

Even when he came back to my side, I couldn't make eye contact.

Gilbert: Yes. I've only told a few people that I'm the emperor.

Gilbert: You know what I mean….right?

(You’re going to kill me if I say anything.)

I nodded while looking away, and Lord Gilbert took another breath.

Gilbert: I wonder how to make you feel better….

(…..I really don't understand.)

Gilbert: Can you manage if you sleep for a day? By the way, your room has been prepared.

Gilbert: I asked them to make sure the interior is similar to Rhodolite’s, but I hope you like it.

(I can't believe he even has the room prepared for me.)

This is Obsidian. He doesn’t have to isolate me by feeling so close to Rhodolite.

Still, Lord’s Gilbert's poisonous kindness remains the same.

It also pains me to be treated as a guest of honor and not a hostage.

Emma:….That’s the point…..

Gilbert: Hm?

Emma: No….

(I….hate this feeling.)

After dropping Emma off to her room, he returned to his room for the first time in a while to find an unusual silence.

Walter:……

Gilbert: How much longer?

Gilbert laughs as he buttons up his shirt.

But Walter, sitting on the chair across from him, said nothing.

Walter:…….

Gilbert: I'm asking you, so tell me.

Walter:…..Are you really…..

The chair falls over in the spur of the moment as he stands up.

Walter: I beg you, please stop. This country will run without you. That's how we were raised. So..

Gilbert: That doesn't answer my question.

Under the pressure of an absentminded smile, Walter covers his face with his hand.

His fingertips trembled, and his breath shook from the cracks.

Walter:…I don't want to say it.

Gilbert: I see...I was right to return home a little early.

Walter: Hey...seriously, think about that story I've been telling you for a long time. Believe me.

Gilbert: It's not a matter of believing or not believing, it's not necessary in the first place.

Walter: Then what did you bring that woman in for!

Gilbert:….How terrible.

Gilbert: Because I’m a big villain who cannot be saved.

Walter: You…..

A blood-colored, cold gaze pierces Walter, as if to interrupt his fury.

The pressure, which resembled a deadly force, quickly took over the place.

Gilbert: Never speak of it. She is no exception.

Walter: That woman…doesn’t know yet?

Gilbert: I don't intend to tell her at all.

Gilbert: I'm going to rest now. Good night.

Walter:……..

Walter:....I will not give up.

Walter grabs the sturdy-looking bag that was placed on the desk and leaves the room.

Gilbert:…….

Gilbert:….Why…..

Gilbert: I wonder why the little rabbit wasn't so happy/pleased...

Obsidian is synonymous with evil, so much that it has been called a land of deception and corruption.

When it comes to life in the castle, which is the home base, I imagined something brutal.

I was prepared for the fact that I would not be treated well, including being in a vulnerable position, but….

Gilbert: Look, look, little rabbit. How do you like it?

Emma: This is...the kitchen, right?

Gilbert: Yes, a kitchen. Your very own kitchen.

Emma: !?

(Next to the guest room is the kitchen!? Wh-what do you mean...)

Far from being treated badly, I was taken aback to be treated as an opposite, which is too good to be true.

I was dragging on the events of yesterday until just now.

Gilbert: This was the same as the room, I had them prepare it in advance.

Gilbert: Do you know….why I prepared the kitchen?

(I see... that means...)

Emma: You want me to make sweets.

Gilbert: As expected, little rabbit. I’m glad you understand me well.

Gilbert:.........I was really just trying to please you.

Emma:….What?

Gilbert: No, it's nothing.

(I didn't know you liked it enough to prepare a kitchen…)

(I’m an amateur…even though I've only served simple things like cookies.)

Lord Gilbert's smile was so bright that he seemed a different person from the emperor who sat on the throne yesterday.

Gilbert: You are free to use any of the ingredients here.

(Um…Eggs, milk, flour, sugar, fruits, vegetables....that’s quite a lot of variety.)

Emma: I've heard that Obsidian is suffering from food shortages...

Gilbert: It's not like that these days, is it?

Gilbert: Because we have built a supply line and established a stable food production technology in the past 10 years.

(That's right.......Just as Prince Chevalier said.)

━━FLASHBACK━━

Chevalier: Second, I would like to know how much Obsidian's technology has developed.

Chevalier: Obsidian's military engineering technology seems to be quite advanced, but…

Chevalier: I'm sure a lot of those technologies are being applied to other aspects of life.

Chevalier: Rural areas aside, the quality of life in the center may even be different.

Chevalier: Go and see with your own eyes.

━━FLASHBACK ENDS━━

Gilbert: Obsidian has a lot of barren areas despite its vast land.

Lord Gilbert spun his words without hesitation. His eyes were somewhat lively.

Gilbert: If we build a facility that can grow crops regardless of soil, it will take time and effort, but we can't provide food in our own country.

Gilbert: If we can produce food, we can also make the feed necessary for livestocks. So it's not like we're in a food shortage right now.

Gilbert: By the way, most of the food here comes from the castle's research facility.

Gilbert: Those can’t be marketed......but we’re gathering things that are a waste to throw away. // We're scavenging for things that can't be marketed….but are too good to throw away.

Emma: Then, sweets are also the part to eliminate the loss of ingredients.

Gilbert: That's what I mean.

(The way you speak now, like it's your own achievement…)

Emma:…Did Lord Gilbert solve the problem of food shortage?

Gilbert: Of course, it's my job. The supply of food is an important issue, it’s necessary to ensure a minimum standard of living.

Gilbert: Did you think all I did was fight at wars?

Emma:….I’m sorry.

(As expected, the idea was shallow.)

I had the impression that Obsidian was focusing on military affairs and neglecting domestic affairs.

That was just me being shallow, apparently.

Gilbert: Hehe...your image is not wrong either. The Emperor has always had that policy.

Perhaps the "emperor" here was the late former emperor.

Gilbert: He never looked inward, even though he won a lot of countries.

Gilbert: There was almost a lawless area, so Albert and I took the time to maintain it.

Gilbert: Well, the regions are still so corrupted that I feel like I'm only halfway there.

Emma:……

Gilbert: But…..

(Wah….!)

Suddenly he grabbed me by the shoulder and leaned over.

I fell into his cold chest, but he held me.

Gilbert: What? Can’t you read the atmosphere and leave?

(….What…..)

(!?)

When Lord Gilbert calls out to the doorway, the soldiers appear.

Surrounded by one, two, three - maybe ten - soldiers of various genders, my body became tense.

(I didn't notice at all. I wonder if they were waiting for Lord Gilbert outside all the time.)

Soldier 1: I am sorry. Lord Gilbert, the military has asked me to consult with you regarding the budget...

Soldier 2: I also have something I would like to ask Lord Gilbert for advice on lifeline capital investment—

Gilbert: You know, I've said it before. You don't have to rely on my judgment.

(.....What, even though he's an emperor?)

Gilbert: You are professionals in each field whose abilities have been bought.

Gilbert: Since I'm sure you can do it, I gave you full authority. Or what? Do you doubt my eyes?

Soldier 1: You’re wrong! However, Lord Gilbert's opinion is very helpful, so I would like to receive it...

Soldier 2: Please. After all, there is nothing that surpasses Lord Gilbert's sharp eyes!

Gilbert: No. Everyone, you can see that I'm busy, right?

Instead of leaving, he embraced me tighter.

The gazes of the soldiers were clearly perplexed and bewildered.

Emma:….No! Please put your official duties first.

Gilbert: Ehhh….

Emma: In the meantime, I'll make some pastries/sweets, how about that?

Gilbert:...I think I'm the one who's sulking here.

Emma: Lord Gilbert…..

Gilbert: All right, all right. Just for today.

With a deliberate shrug, Lord Gilbert finally moves away from me.

Gilbert: All of you, make it quick. Each of you has two minutes.

Lord Gilbert, who walked into the circle of soldiers, changed the atmosphere.

I could see that the people who gathered were nervous and straightened up.

But that is not a bad thing.

Rather than being ruled out of fear, it seems that they voluntarily respect Lord Gilbert out of admiration.

(....I came to Obsidian and it was clear to me.)

(Lord Gilbert is an emperor who can act for his people.)

Thinking back on the ideals we talked about the other day, about being close to the weak.

While he acts like a big villain in other countries, he appears to be a good emperor in his own country.

(However, there are things that bother me.)

What the soldiers are talking about is the kind of nobles and bureaucrats would bring to Rhodolite.

However, there is no sign of nobility at all in this castle.

(No matter how much Obsidian is the country of military and ore, it's unnatural that there are only soldiers—)

Gilbert: Ah, is that so?

In the end, one soldier after another gathered under Lord Gilbert.

Even if it was two minutes of time per person, it was nighttime by the time all the work was done.

Lord Gilbert, who was extremely agitated by this, took me back to his room with the baked cookies.

He started the tea party in bad manners on the bed.

(Actually, I was surprised that Lord Gilbert's room looked like a library...)

(I have a lot of questions about what kind of books are on the shelves….)

The first question I asked was the wonder that there were no nobles.

Gilbert: It's the same as the former emperor.

Emma: Same…?

Gilbert: Yeah, I killed them.

I felt dizzy.

Emma:...Not only the emperor, but also the nobles?

Gilbert: Of course, I didn't kill them all, okay? I just wanted to clean up the lay and corruption, and there are still many nobles out there.

Gilbert: However, those working in the castle are only talented people selected from a wide range of people, from commoners to nobles.

Gilbert: Almost everyone wears military uniforms in order to eliminate the barrier between nobles and commoners.

Gilbert: I can't say that this castle you are in is perfect even now, but it's nicer than it was a long time ago.

Emma:…….

(I knew it, but life might be the same as dust for Lord Gilbert.)

(So he lost the weight of his life….to the point where he killed people who were less valuable.)

No matter what the reason may be, the act of killing is inherently unforgivable.

Perhaps Lord Gilbert knows this, which is why he is not attached to his own life.

(…..Even though I was calm.)

My heart is pounding again.

I can't taste the cookie in my mouth.

When I lowered my eyes, my chin was scooped by his cold fingers.

Gilbert: Hey, I want you to tell me one thing too…..

 ▸       [  previous / next ]

#ikemen prince #ikepri #ikemen ouji #ikemen prince spoilers #ikepri jp #ikemen gilbert #gilbert von obsidian #ikepri gilbert #ikepri translations #ikemen series #cybird

[antimonyandthyme]

the way I would pay you to write 5 million words of the sebchal vampire au dear GOD

Anon alas I fall short of the might that Georgia K has but IF I ever wrote 5 million words for the sebchal vampire au this is prolly what it’d look like…

Charles has walked the earth through civilizations. He’s older than he can remember. He thinks he saw the pyramids erected. He thinks he’s seen the fall of emperors. Events are blurring in his mind, as are faces. He may have loved once. He doesn’t let himself do so anymore. He understands the pain of forgetting a lover’s countenance, and would not wish that upon his deepest enemies.

Yeah, he still needs blood to survive. He’s adept at breaking into hospitals. A mentor might have called him too soft-hearted before. Dying in the sun is a myth, as are sparkles. The latest vampire fantasy stories always make him chuckle. Humans and their little tales.

To kill time, Charles picks up a hobby every century. After mastering every Chopin etude and Beethoven sonata, Charles decides he needs something new. In Monza he watches some funny looking cars zoom around a funny looking track. Huh.

He meets Sebastian. Oh, he’s fascinating. The man claims to have no interest in Charles, but spends hours giving him tips and helping him adjust. Charles likes listening to him speak. He lets Sebastian win all the challenges Ferrari make them do. Sebastian tries to pretend he doesn’t care. It’s endearing.

He gets careless, wanting so much to impress Sebastian. He gets loose with his tongue. It’s been millennia since he found delight in another’s presence, too aware of the mortality of their tiny, human existences. Seb walks into his motor home one day while Charles has his teeth in a hare’s neck.

Oh, here’s another feeling he hasn’t succumbed to in years. Fear. If Seb were to walk out of his life this instant Charles might just drive a stake through his undying heart. (It would not kill him, it would only hurt.)

Except Seb doesn’t scream. Doesn’t hurl abuse. He sits down and asks Charles for an explanation. Charles tries to encompass thousands of years of wandering into the span of a two hour long conversation. At the end, Seb cradles Charles’ cheek in his hand, says, “You must have been so lonely.”

Charles catches his hand and holds it there. “Not anymore.”

Seb designates himself as Charles’ blood bank. He goes to pet stores and convinces teenagers that he’s raising a family of rabbits. He becomes friendly with a guy named Randy. Here’s another new feeling — jealousy. Seb laughs until he falls over while Charles pouts.

It takes months before Charles can bring himself to feed from Seb. Each time Seb offers, his heart rate spikes and his sweat smells of terror and Charles would rather starve than subject Seb to that. But each time, Seb offers.

Charles takes when he wins his first championship. He takes Seb’s blood, given to him willingly. Takes Seb’s body, makes him moan and whine and beg.

Seb retires and becomes a farmer. A farmer! Charles didn’t think he could love him any more than he already does. He visits in between every race. Seb is his rock, the bookmark that details the centuries.

Years pass and time takes its toll on Seb. The lines around his eyes deepen. Charles remains the same as he always has. It doesn’t matter. Charles loves him all the same. He waits until Seb asks the dreaded question.

Seb does, after his fortieth birthday. Kind and unaccusatory, but still curious. “Why haven’t you changed me?”

Charles hangs his head. Every day he struggles with this desire, this thirst that is greater even than his need for blood. A companion. He’s a monster for even considering the option.

He says, “Because I would die before I subject the one I love to such an existence.”

Seb says, “But I would not be lonely. I would have you.”

Charles shakes his head. After all, Seb is only human. He does not yet understand.

(Anon I’m going to stop here before I drown you in sadness)

#athy texts #fanfic #rpf #sebchal #vampire au

[adleryoung]

What? Don't give me that look. I need a good strong one to get through this next part. Sounds like you want to know about the trial, but you also want to pick up the pace of the story. Fine with me. I didn't find out what happened until much later anyway.

We spent the next 30 hours or so practicing and preparing until the Ixie tailing Ash came back to inform us that the trial would take place at 1 pm right after lunch.

"Ash will set up his Comm-Cup," she continued.

"His what?" I interrupted.

"That's what Ash calleth the Tell-O-Tumbler since he invented it first," the Ixie explained. "He will suspend it in a hidden place, hanging upside-down to keep the string taut so thou canst hear the trial as it happeneth."

The Ixie also informed us that there was a carnival atmosphere in the town. Vendors had come from miles around to hawk their wares, and there were food stalls set up along every street to serve the crowds that were already showing up to witness a genuine witch trial. The inn was full to capacity and people were spending the night in barns, sheds, ditches, wherever they could find a spot.

Burnside and Rebecca headed out bright and early, in disguise and fully glamered to enact my ingenious plan. The rest of the coven were too scared to go, so they stayed behind and I magicked them up some breakfast. As the time of the trial approached, I got out my Mumble-Mug and put it to my ear. Ash may have invented it first, but if I was to be Emperor, I would control the elvish patent office, and naming the thing would be my right.

I heard the trial begin, and relayed the proceedings to my witches, who listened eagerly.

"All rise for the honorable (hah!) Ash Marten," I repeated. There was some shuffling and loud thumping, then someone said "Be seated." I heard Ash say "This is the case of Oonagh O'Woo, charged with witchcraft," followed by murmuring from the crowd. There was some loud banging and Ash yelled "Order! Order!" after which the room settled down. Somebody whom I assume was the Prosecuting Floozy began outlining the case against Oonagh in a strident but almost unintelligible voice. Either the lowfolk didn't train their Floozies in elocution, or they had very different ideas about how to sway a jury.

Then something unexpected happened. I heard shouting, or maybe chanting, very muffled - perhaps outside the courthouse? There was a crash and a scuffle, and more loud banging, with Ash yelling "order" while apparently a fight was taking place in the room. What was going on? Burnside hadn't done her dramatic reveal yet! There was more shouting. Somebody with a booming voice yelled something about "in league with the devil" and then everyone was shouting. There was a loud crack and a scraping noise, then the Mumble-Mug went "POP" and was silent.

"Something's wrong," I groaned as I pulled on the string and continued to hear nothing.

"We should have gone with them," Gretchen exclaimed. "We could have helped."

"How?" Petunia asked.

"I don't know," Gretchen wailed, "but it would have been better than cowering here!"

"I'm okay with cowering," Chloe admitted shakily.

Hours passed. The sun began to go down. The witches and I all looked at each other despondently.

"Well, this is it," I sighed stoically. "My plans have blown up in my face again. I didn't even get a chance to properly set this one in motion. This must be a new record for my failures."

"Don't beat yourself up, My Lord," Gretchen sniffled. "It's not over yet."

"Y-yeah," Chloe piped up. "Maybe, uh, maybe the townspeople were tired of getting pushed around by the rabbits. Them picking on Oonagh, who is a well-loved pillar of the community, was the final straw. Could be they baked a hundred food stalls' worth of pies to show their support for Oonagh. Maybe seeing Burnside glamoured to look like Didelphis was all they needed to convince them that the entire trial was a sham. They rushed into the building to protest. The rabbits tried to shout the townsfolk down and that's when the pies started flying. Maybe the entire town got embroiled in a huge pie fight, and our friends are just too sticky to report in yet! I bet they're laughing and eating pie and washing in the creek right now."

"That's not very likely," Petunia objected.

"In Faerie it might go down like that," I sighed. "But I'm not at home … and from the looks of things, I never will be. You all know I'm a prisoner here, right? I can't leave this stone circle."

"Yeah," Gretchen nodded. "The story goes, you're under some kind of curse."

"That is so cool," Petunia murmured.

"If you don't mind my asking, My Lord," Gretchen continued. "What did you do anyway, to have such a heavy curse placed upon you?"

"Well," I sighed reluctantly. "I sort of - accidentally, mind you - that is, not entirely on purpose, I … well, I kinda … massacred an entire city full of elves."

"That is so COOOOL!!" Petunia exclaimed.

#furry #adventure #elves #story #plot #cartoon #tboay

[rabbitholesitrippedon]

The death of Mark Antony

First i’d like to thank Historia Civilis for this rabbit hole, i’ve been passively following their series on Roman history, and boy is it a trip Check them out:

Julius Caesar is a name I'm sure you’ve heard a hundred times, but names that may not spring to mind so easily are Gaius Octavius, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, and the subject of this story Mark Antony.

Gaius Octavius was, after much colourful “debate” the successor to Julius Ceasar, he’d later take the name Caesar Augustus after being adopted by Julius, and who i’ll be referring to as Octavian. Octavian's most trusted subordinate was Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, a general of much renown, and only important for this story in the fact that he existed, drafted some/most of the battle plans, and followed Octavians orders.

Mark Antony, along with many others, who’d mostly been killed by now, had been part of the plot to kill Ceasar. When sentiment turned on the conspirators they fled, and Antoni fled for Egypt and his then lover Cleopatra. Cleopatra had a strong army, much bargaining power, and might be able to protect Antony from Octavians wrath.

In time, the situation grew dire, Octavian marched from the east towards Egypt while Agrippa marched from the west, through north africa. Antoni tried a great many things to convince Octavian to stand down, sending letters, threats, bribes. Nothing swayed the now emperor.

Antony thought to hold a last stand, he rallied the troops of Egypt, readied a fleet of ships and prepared for the 2 pronged assault. The fleet immediately surrendered, and though Antony tried to defend with ground forces alone, he had neither the numbers, nor the tactical advantage over Octavian and Agrippa.

Despite heavy losses Antony managed to survive and make it inside the walls of Alexandria. Atony had convinced himself that his loss was because of the surrender of his fleet, and the fleet would have only surrendered so quickly if they’d been ordered to. Naturally Antony believed that Cleopatra had betrayed him.

Hearing that Antoni was in a rage, Cleopatra dispatched a servant to speak to Antony. The histories are confused over what exactly happened here, but Antony was convinced that Cleopatra was dead. Either the servant had told Antony such to calm his rage, or the servant had rightly said that Cleopatra was hidden in her own tomb and Antony took it to mean her death.

Regardless how the misunderstanding began, its results are indisputable. Antony, in such sorrow at the loss of his men, his freedom, and now his lover, decided to do what any in his position might be forgiven for doing, though his method may have been flawed.

He demanded his favourite servant come to him, and slay Antony with Antony's own sword, so that none could mistake the act for a murder. The servant made to commit the act, but in the moment of intense emotion, struck the blow on himself instead of on his master, perhaps too stricken to watch his master be slain.

Antony’s love for this servant was laid bare as he cried out for help, trying to get passers by on the street to help the dying servant. By now, news of the incoming army was common knowledge and many were fleeing the city. It’s unsurprising then that none stopped to listen to one distressed man crying about a servant.

Realising his situation Antony drew up his own sword to his chest and struck the blow himself. However, he was not a biologist, and couldn’t have known that the heart lay not right beneath the skin, so when Antony pierced his skin, striking downwards, the sword instead went into his gut. A painful death at the best of times.

Antony crawled and shouted, begging to be killed or saved. Someone must have relayed the scene to Cleopatra who dispatched 2 more servants to retrieve the dying man, for she still loved him, despite his earlier intention to kill her.

Cleopatra, it seems, had expected the armies of Ovtavian and Agrippa to arrive sooner than they did, because before the servants could return with Antony, she’d sprung a mechanism intended to permanently block the door to protect her inside and now none could enter, especially not a gravely injured Antony and her 2 servants.

Eventually Cleopatra and the 2 remaining servants locked in the tomb with her managed to lift Antony up through a small balcony opening on the second floor of the tomb. As Antony lay dying in Cleopatra’s lap, she wailed in sorrow, reportedly scratching at her skin in anguish.

Antony, in his last moments, calmed her and began trying to convince her to reason with Octavian for her own life. Anthony's only request was a drink of wine, before he expired. Cleopatra, as always, was a step ahead of Antony. She’d piled her wealth in the tomb with many flammable materials such that she and her wealth could be destroyed at once if negotiations failed.

In the end, Cleopatra followed her lover into the void, and Octavian had a metaphorical jewel in the form of Egypt joining the empire.

The reason I highlight this story in particular out of the numerous stories of Roman history is because I think it could make a kick ass play. Romeo and Juliette, except with real historical figures. If anyone ever does a “The Death of Antony '' play I will definitely be buying tickets.

#rabbit hole #roman empire #history #romeo and juliet #theatre

[goldfishpudding]

hanguang-jun has got into the wine again 🙄

#mdzs #mdzs fanart #lan wangji #wangxian #drunkji #30 seconds later he's out on the street #robes on backwards #convinced he's the Rabbit Emperor #also yes i know canonically lwj has thin lips #but i saw cql before i read mdzs and well #i don't think i need to explain further lol #gdi yibo #anyway yes #hanguang-jun appreciation #my doodles

[robininthelabyrinth]

Prompt~ hoping you'll like it ♥️

Things between the Nie brothers are not always nice and happy, they fight, just like any other pair of brothers, and sometimes things are said, sometimes these things are heavy and painful. Sometimes they're said in the wrong moment (maybe at the eve of a battle? Sunshot campaign?) and huaisang doesn't know what to do with the broken look his brother gives him before leaving the unclean realm. Because what if he doesn't return? What if the last thing he said to him was how much he hated the man he became?

Labyrinth - ao3

“But I didn’t mean to wish him away!” Nie Huaisang cried out.

“That’s really too bad,” the goblin king said, looking pleasant and humble and charming the way he always did, even in his cape of glittering gold and high-browed hat. “I wish there was something I could do for you, but the rules are the rules. You wished him away, and I took him.”

“Aren’t you supposed to only take babies?” Nie Huaisang demanded.

“Your brother’s enough of a crybaby to count, it’s close enough.”

“It is not!” Nie Huaisang wrung his hands. “You don’t understand, the last thing I said to him was that I hated him! Meng Yao, please!”

“It’s Jin Guangyao,” the goblin king corrected. His smile looked a bit strained. “Listen, do you think I’m happy about this? He’s my sworn brother! I’m only doing what I have to –”

“Oh, save it for Lan Xichen,” Nie Huaisang growled. “Show me the labyrinth already.”

“You’re going to face the labyrinth,” the goblin king said. His voice was very polite, and yet still expressed significant doubt. “You.”

“Yeah, me!”

“You remember that it goes ‘through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered’, right? Not ‘through a nice teacher and a forgiving grading system’?”

“Yeah, well, your father is a fragging aardvark. Let me at the labyrinth already!”

-

“You know what,” Nie Huaisang said thoughtfully. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

The life-sized animated puppet blinked at him. “You – don’t want my help?”

“Nope. I’m good.”

“You haven’t even gotten into the labyrinth yet!”

“It wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t have a chance to get in,” Nie Huaisang said, patting around his sleeve and pulling out a fan. “So I’m just going to walk over and beat at the wall till something happens.”

The puppet followed him, staring blankly. Quite a change from his original apologetic ‘I’m sorry, I’m busy with my own things, I really can’t help you, also it’s too dangerous and you shouldn’t go’ response.

“You were blackmailing me to help you just a moment ago,” the puppet said after a little. “Don’t you need a guide?”

“Listen, I’m bad at memorizing things and I’m a little useless, but I’m not actually dumb,” Nie Huaisang said, fanning himself. “Jin Guangyao is a demon of the mind above all else, and the labyrinth is supposed to be ‘fair’ – which means, more than likely, that the labyrinth is a reflection of the subconscious, specially tailored to each person’s strengths and weaknesses. And that means that you, who sound exactly like Lan Xichen, are almost certainly a set-up sent by Jin Guangyao to ‘reluctantly’ aid me and then betray me.”

“Uh,” Lan Xichen-the-puppet said. “My name’s Hoggle, actually.”

“Whatever makes you feel better, er-ge…A-ha!” Nie Huaisang beamed at the gates that automatically opened. “Perfect!”

-

“Oh, don’t go that way,” the worm said. “Never go that way. And are you sure you don’t want to come in for a cup of tea?”

“No time,” Nie Huaisang said. “Thanks a lot – wait.”

The worm blinked at him.

“You’re a pretty attractive worm, in a slimy sort of way,” Nie Huaisang said, frowning at him.

The worm blinked again. “Why, thanks!”

“No, that’s not what I meant. Is your name Su She, by chance?”

“Definitely not!”

“Mm. Oddly vehement of you. Never mind. Just, quick, could you tell me exactly why do I not want to go that way?”

-

“I don’t suppose straight ahead is an option?”

The hands-faces stared at him.

“I’m just saying, I feel like most of my problems so far have come from the fact that I decided to accept the whole concept of turns. It seems like a mistake.”

“…it’s a labyrinth,” another set of the hands said. “You have to make turns!”

Nie Huaisang shook his head mournfully. “I should’ve brought Baxia or something and just – ZIP. Gone straight through. You know what I mean?”

“I’m dropping you in the oubliette regardless of your decision,” the first set of the hands said. It sounded a bit like Sect Leader Yao. “Just so you know.”

“My life is so hard,” Nie Huaisang sighed. “So hard! Do you know what it’s like to be overlooked by everyone? Do you know how hard I have to work at being this useless?”

“Drop him,” the set of hands that sounded like Sect Leader Ouyang said, and the set of hands that sounded like Sect Leader Yao said, “Yes. Now!”

Down Nie Huaisang went.

-

“I can take you back to the beginning of the labyrinth,” Lan Xichen offered.

“What, and waste all that time? I have a time limit, er-ge!”

“It’s better than being stuck in an oubliette. That’s where they put people to forget about them, you know.”

Nie Huaisang’s eyes filled with tears. “You want to forget me, er-ge? You think I’m useless, don’t you? A good-for-nothing, who’ll never amount to anything –”

“Please don’t cry.”

“ER-GE! WHY DON’T YOU LOVE ME!”

“Please stop crying!”

-

“So what’s the point of you?” Nie Huaisang asked the Wise Man with the Talking Hat.

“Not everyone exists to contribute to your storyline,” the Talking Hat snapped at him. “Some of us’ve got our own problems. Now hand over the candy!”

“Don’t be mean,” the Wise Man said. He had a white cloth over his eyes, and was smiling like he found the hat funny.

“Awww, but daozhang…!”

“Different plotline entirely, I guess,” Nie Huaisang decided. “Probably just here as a foil. Shall we keep going, er-ge?”

“I can’t believe you scammed me to get out of the oubliette,” Lan Xichen mumbled. “I can’t believe…”

-

“Oh, leave him alone, he’s just sensitive!” Nie Huaisang snapped.

“Am not!” the upside-down creature snarled, curled up on itself and trying to hide from all those that had been hitting him. Its fur was a vivid sort of purple. “Go away!”

“Don’t you have some sort of special power to help you here,” Nie Huaisang asked him as he tried to get him down before the goblins came back with weapons. “Rocks, maybe?”

“…lightning?”

“Well then get to it, will you?” Nie Huaisang frowned. “Wait. Lightning, constantly being tormented, terrible at communication, and purple? You’re Jiang Cheng, aren’t you?”

“…maybe.”

“Well then get down faster! I need to copy someone’s notes here!”

-

“Leave me aloooooooone!” Nie Huaisang howled, running away from the measuring snake.

-

“Wow,” Lan Xichen said, holding his cheek. “You kissed me.”

“You saved me from the snakes,” Nie Huaisang said. “Can we focus on how we’re in this awful stinking bog?”

“It’s not that bad!” a voice piped up. “I don’t smell anything!”

Nie Huaisang turned to stare, then pinched the bridge of his nose. “Of course you don’t,” he said. “I bet the total absence of a sense of smell helps when you eat spicy food, Wei-xiong.”

“There’s nothing wrong with spicy food!”

“You’re short,” Nie Huaisang informed the small goblin-like creature with the big grin and the red ribbon in its hair. It looked vaguely fox-like, or possibly like certain large breeds of rabbit.

“Why you..!” Wei Wuxian crossed his furry little paws over his chest. “Just for that, I’m not going to help you.”

“Uh-huh,” Nie Huaisang said. “Really. That’s awful…oh no! A dog!”

Wei Wuxian jumped high into the air. “A dog?! Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan! Save me!”

Much to Nie Huaisang’s surprise, a furry dog immediately darted out of nowhere – only Wei Wuxian didn’t seem afraid of it, but rather hid behind it, teeth chattering.

Truly, Nie Huaisang reflected, the eyes of love are blind.

“I think the ‘dog’ is gone now,” he said. “Your brave and noble Lan Wangji must’ve scared him away.”

Wei Wuxian’s head popped out from behind dog-Wangji. “Well, Lan Zhan is really cool…hey. Are you trying to manipulate me?”

“Is it working?”

“No!”

“So you won’t help me?”

“No!”

“Not even if it means you get to figure out a really tricky puzzle?”

“No – wait. A puzzle?”

“I can’t believe this is going to work,” Lan Xichen muttered from behind Nie Huaisang. “I mean, I can. But also…Wangji…I love you, but you could do so much better than this.”

-

“Ugh,” Nie Huaisang said. “I’m so thirsty.”

“Have some Emperor’s Smile,” Lan Xichen said, offering a jar.

“Amazing,” Nie Huaisang said, accepting it and taking a swing. “I had my doubts, you know, but you’re actually good for something after all, er-ge –”

-

The golden bird was Nie Huaisang’s favorite.

He’d worked so hard to bring it back to his aviary – it couldn’t be forced, he knew; it would play along at first but in the end it would turn on you and bite you. It had to be coaxed with gentleness and kindness, approached indirectly so as not to spook it, convince it that you really did mean well – that you were harmless, that it had no reason to fear you. It was arrogant, too, proud of its shining feathers and ashamed of the brown plumage of its chick days, which still remained visible on its tender underbelly. Ironically, that was Nie Huaisang’s favorite part of it, the soft and gentle part; it might not be as pretty as the gold, but it felt more genuine.

Nie Huaisang smiled as he brushed the beautiful feathers, and the golden bird allowed him. He felt cherished, treasured. So what if he had to hide all the sharp parts of himself to get this close?

It was fine. He didn’t like to be sharp.

He wanted to be soft. Soft and gentle, careless and free, relaxed and without effort, good for nothing –

Wait.

No!

-

“It’s all junk,” Nie Huaisang hissed at the pile of burning fans, tears in his eyes. “I want my da-ge!”

-

“You’re all right!” Wei Wuxian exclaimed, helping pulled Nie Huaisang up.

“Huaisang-xiong,” Jiang Cheng said, looking relieved. “You’re back.”

“We have to go to the temple beyond the Goblin City,” Nie Huaisang said, teeth gritted together. “We have to. I won’t let that bastard…we’re going to go there and throw all his damned tricks right in his face!”

“Just us?” Wei Wuxian asked. “I mean, I’m awesome, Lan Zhan is fantastic, and of course Jiang Cheng is great, too, but…uh…there’s a lot of goblins in the city.”

“We’ll sneak in,” Nie Huaisang said. “He thinks he’s sidelined me entirely – he thinks I’m useless. He won’t be expecting me to get this far.”

“I can get help,” Jiang Cheng said. “I have friends.”

“…not to be rude, Jiang-xiong,” Nie Huaisang said. “But – really?”

-

“You know what,” Nie Huaisang said, eyeing the pile of rocks following Jiang Cheng around, each one painted with a name. One of the names was yellow. Two were in white, with forehead ribbons. “This is fine. I feel like it says something really rude about my empathy for and interest in our junior generation, or lack thereof, but you know what? I don’t care. It’s fine.”

-

“You saved me,” Nie Huaisang said blankly, looking at Lan Xichen, who shrugged, abashed. The remains of the mechanical temple guard were scattered all over. “Over – him?”

“Huaisang –”

“No,” Nie Huaisang said, holding up his hands. “Don’t. Don’t…I don’t want to hear you talk.”

Lan Xichen’s head dropped down and he looked at the ground. “You knew from the beginning what I was like,” he murmured. “I never tried to hide it –”

“I forgive you for being what you are,” Nie Huaisang told him, and Lan Xichen looked up at him, startled and pleased. “I forgive you for not having the backbone to stand up against Jin Guangyao for me – or for da-ge. For being willfully blind for so long, for needing someone else’s proof of his ill-intentions, for always picking him first, for never trusting me…I forgive you, even if you’d never forgive me for the same.”

He dashed away the angry tears in his eyes.

“I just wish this wasn’t a fucking metaphor.”

-

Nie Huaisang left the fighting to the people who knew what to do – Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng, even the rock-juniors – and went to the temple at the center of the city alone.

Some things, he knew, needed to be done alone, even if it was the type of alone when you were surrounded by other people. Even when those other people stood by his side and made him promise that if he needed them, he would only need to call. Some things…

“I want my da-ge back,” he said to the maze of stairs.

“Then go and find him,” Jin Guangyao replied, looking smug, and Nie Huaisang had to go up and down all those fucking stairs, because Jin Guangyao was nothing if not predictable with his trauma, looking all over, looking for –

Looking for pieces.

“It’s just a metaphor,” he whispered to himself, ignoring how tears were streaming down his face. “It’s just – I need to put him back together, it’s fine. I’m not too late – I’m not too late –”

-

Jin Guangyao held Nie Mingjue’s head in his hands, blinded and gagged and bound with talismans, pulled out of whatever oubliette he'd shoved it into to forget about what he'd done. “Beware, Huaisang,” he said, still smiling. Always smiling. “I’ve been generous up until now, but I can be cruel.”

Nie Huaisang laughed, scoffing. “Generous? What have you done for me that’s generous?”

“Everything! Everything you’ve wanted, I’ve done – I cared for you, I gave you attention, I got you out of work, doing your schoolwork for you and coming up with excuses to get you out of saber training. I gave you presents, fans and pretty clothing, and when that brute of a brother of yours tried to take them from you, I rescued you. And then I even managed your sect for you, answered all of your questions, any time you had – Huaisang, I’m exhausted trying to live up to your expectations of me. Isn’t that generous?”

Nie Huaisang bared his teeth. “Half of those are burdens that only fell on me because of you. Why should it matter to me that cleaning up your own mess and satisfying your own guilt is hard? Why should I pay such a price when all I wanted was to be your friend? When all da-ge wanted was to be your friend? How dare you, Meng Yao!”

“Huaisang…” Jin Guangyao shook his head mournfully. “Huaisang, the last step here is to say the words to break the spell. But you were never good at memorization, were you?”

Nie Huaisang bit his lip until he drew blood.

“Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered,” he said. “I have fought my way here to the temple beyond the goblin city –”

“Huaisang, stop! Look at what you’re risking here. You know how everyone loves me – do you think anyone will forgive you for taking me down, for tricking them all? You’ll be all alone!”

I already am, Nie Huaisang thought.

“My will is as strong as yours,” he said. “And my kingdom is as great…”

His voice trailed off.

“I ask for so little,” Jin Guangyao said beseechingly, convincingly, looking just like he always did, like the man who'd been their friend. “Just let me fool you, and you can have anything you want. No responsibilities, no stress, a life of your own. You can even have Lan Xichen, if that’s what you want…”

What’s the last line, Nie Huaisang thought, hating himself for being such a poor student, for cramming things into his mind without any order, for never being able to retain a single drop of it no matter how hard he tried. What is it? Why can’t I ever remember?

“It’d be so easy,” Jin Guangyao crooned. “Much easier than this. Just fear me, love me, believe me, and I’ll be your slave.”

Sharp teeth in a false smile.

Nie Huaisang shook in terror. He couldn’t – his da-ge needed him – he couldn’t be afraid, couldn’t be a coward, couldn’t be good-for-nothing – couldn’t let Jin Guangyao win – couldn’t let him –

That was it.

Nie Huaisang raised his head until his eyes met his enemy’s.

Sensing something wrong, Jin Guangyao’s eternal smile dimmed, and he began to step forward, reaching out, but it was too late.

“You have no power over me,” Nie Huaisang declared, and the world within a world collapsed.

-

Nie Huaisang opened his eyes.

-

Nie Huaisang sat in his desk in the Unclean Realm, trying to amuse himself by trying to figure out what exactly he’d eaten the night before that had given him such bizarre dreams. It was not successful, on account of him being alone.

Alone, just as he had been every night, and every day as well, since the success of his scheme at the Guanyin Temple.

Just as the dream-Jin Guangyao had threatened.

It wasn’t that Nie Huaisang regretted what he had done – the dream was clear enough about that; he’d do it all again in a heartbeat if he had to. But in the dream he’d been working alongside his former friends, with Lan Xichen betraying but then returning to him, with Wei Wuxian dragging Lan Wangji around, with stone-faced Jiang Cheng and the rather interchangeable junior squad behind him…and in his dream, in the end, they’d let him go to take his revenge, telling him that if he needed them for any reason, he could just call.

Just call, and they’d come back to him. Instead of turning from him in disgust, they’d stand by his side…

“Stupid subconscious,” Nie Huaisang mumbled to himself. “What do you expect? That I'd write to them and say ‘for no real reason at all, I find that I rather need you’?”

Silence answered him.

“Well, I do,” he said with a sigh, putting his chin on his hands. “Does that make you happy? I do need you.”

“You do?” Wei Wuxian’s voice rang out, and Nie Huaisang jumped nearly out of his skin. “Well, why didn’t you say so?”

Nie Huaisang turned, staring: it was Wei Wuxian at the door, the human version of him, and of course there was Lan Wangji right before him, and Jiang Cheng, and the (still mostly interchangeable) juniors, and – and even Lan Xichen, who Nie Huaisang was sure had gone into seclusion with no intent to leave.

“What are you doing here?” Nie Huaisang squeaked. And why hadn’t any of his sect disciples warned him?

“We just bullied our way though the door before anyone could stop us,” Wei Wuxian said cheerfully, answering the unspoken question first. “As for the rest – it turns out that I had the strangest dream the other night, really, truly bizarre, and obviously I had to tell Lan Zhan all about it, except it turned out he had a strange dream too.”

Nie Huaisang’s jaw dropped. “But –”

“I felt da-ge’s qi woven into the labyrinth,” Lan Xichen said quietly. “I thought it’d have long ago dissipated or been locked away, but – it was there, in every stone, in every turn. Every obstacle that didn’t really hurt you, every goblin that was more silly than scary…he was there. It was unmistakable.”

Nie Huaisang swallowed. The story of the labyrinth, baby-stealing wish-granting goblin king and all, had been one that Nie Mingjue had told him as a bedtime story, when he'd been a child in need of comfort; he hadn’t thought of it in years before last night. “But…why…?”

“Because Chifeng-zun has a demented sense of humor?” Jiang Cheng suggested, looking irritated.

“Jiujiu means that he hasn’t had that much fun in years, and also that you should throw a party,” Jin Ling said. “You are hosting all three of the sect leaders of all the other Great Sects. Also, why were we rocks?”

“Uh, no idea,” Nie Huaisang said. “Da-ge’s weird sense of humor, no doubt! Anyway, did you say party? I can do a party!”

He rushed out of the room, calling for his servants, calling for them to bring food and wine and tea, and as he did, he looked out of the window – a golden bird was flying away, looking hunted as if something was chasing it, and even as he watched, it crossed the borders of the Unclean Realm and suddenly dissolved into a fizzle of golden dust.

Nie Huaisang put his hand on the stone wall, and felt a familiar echo.

A very familiar echo.

“Oh,” he said, to his servants, feeling somehow simultaneously sheepish and filled with joy. “And while you’re at it, can you bring me my saber? I seem to have – misplaced it…”

#mdzs #nie huaisang #jin guangyao #lan xichen #jiang cheng #wei wuxian #lan wangji #su she #sect leader yao #sect leader ouyang #xiao xingchen #xue yang #my fic #my fics #labyrinth

[sepublic]

We all talk of Kikimora being a smug little shit to Lilith, but considering how quickly she caved in to Luz’s threat at the end of Young Blood, Old Souls;

Imagine if Kikimora was just. Straight-up terrified of Luz after this. This fourteen-year-old human strikes the fear of the Titan into her heart just on sight, she remembers how she could’ve legit been burned to death by this child. And so Kikimora is lethally afraid of Luz, she can talk big about leading a squad against Eda and Lilith and WILL carry out this threat- But as soon as Luz is there, she just instantly freezes up.

It’s even funnier if Kikimora is still just as mocking and condescending as ever to Lilith, who is a fully grown adult with magic that, while weakened, could still be stronger than Luz’s... But as soon as this kid shows up, Kiki just goes all “JeSuS” and recoils in horror.

And Lilith is really jealous and frustrated because Luz manages to terrify and emotionally manhandle Kikimora’s fear and respect from just one encounter, meanwhile Lilith wasted DECADES beneath the little house demon’s thumb, tolerating her passive aggressive shit because of the hierarchy, and all she got from it was having her hairstyle and forehead being repeatedly roasted. Meanwhile Kiki is terrified of being roasted literally by Luz! Even though Lilith is no longer beholden to Kikimora, Kiki still has no fear towards her nor Eda and never will, but that fourteen-year-old who managed to damage even Belos...!

Kikimora sees Luz and is just;

Which is both hilariously ironic and hypocritical. Kikimora is convinced that Luz is lowkey the spawn of Satan, some kind of horrific eldritch beast from another world, warning her Emperor and all others to REALLY watch out for this menace; And Belos is just like, “Relax Kiki she’s fourteen.” Of course he doesn’t bother to mention that Luz STILL would bite Kikimora’s face off regardless of age, so Kiki probably has a point.

It’s like that Killer Rabbit skit from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where Tim the Enchanter is terrified of the bunny and trying to warn everyone about it, but he keeps stumbling over his words because he doesn’t know how to quite accurately describe its horror- So everyone just doubts him and think he’s a chicken who’s exaggerating, but then some smug covenscout strolls up to take on Luz and gets immediately torched.

And then while everyone is screaming and yelling and trying to fight before running, Kikimora is just laughing her ass off in smug vindication as she ditches the others to be wrecked by Luz while she handles the Clawthorne sisters by herself, because even THAT’s better than facing Luz with a whole army!

(And Kikimora is right.)

#the owl house #the owl house kikimora #the owl house luz #Luz noceda #the owl hiuse lilith #lilith clawthorne #the owl house belos #emperor belos #speculation #headcanon

[sinfulskywalker]

An AU where Padme is a Senator in an “arranged” marriage with Vader. Idk he’s obsessed and convinced Palpatine it’s a good idea. She’s 24 and surprised to see he’s 19. Padme can handle this boy and keep it professional, she thinks. Little does she know that she’ll end up pregnant on his lap on the imperial throne calling him Daddy. She’ll be vader’s precious little empress. your thoughts/hc?

This is my drug rn.

Padme getting too cocky with herself rolling her eyes at dinner at this scrawny boy who thinks lifting her fruit and cutting it would woo her, treating her as if she's a small child and not a senator.

Honestly, this boy was a nerf hearder.

Her friends giggle and call Vader "a little cutie" but she thinks he's awkward, reserved and a bit of a show off. As a matter of fact, during the Imperial Games, Vader enlisted himself just to beat everyone else at the competitions, even during the sand dune pod races he claims he hated so much cause he hated sand. Padme is given front row seats as a "gift" from The Chancellor and it's so obvious Anakin is going to win that it's more boring that entertaining.

So why can't she stop staring?

When he tells her he can take on the chancellor and become The Emperor, she doesn't believe him. Two months later she's crowned his Empress, she can't believe it.

Soon, that scrawny kid grows into a handsome man and Padme's senator friends aren't calling Anakin a "cutie" anymore. No. He's rugged, handsome and drop dead gorgeous. For the first time since meeting him, Padme cannot deny her attraction to her husband and soon they go at it like space rabbits. With Anakin's game, it was surprising she wasn't pregnant earlier. And honestly, Padme really likes being pregnant. Anakin is so fussy over her that during the last few weeks, he's refused to leave her side.

"Do you want some Pelle fruit?" Anakin asks her softly, one large hand on her tummy. She nods. "Yes, Daddy." She blinks up at him, knowing exactly what that word does to him.

He smirks down at her, using the Force to cut the fruit. The baby kicks at his hand and the family feels complete at that moment. Not much longer until it's the birth of their expected child.

While Anakin may have grown into a handsome young man from the scrawny blonde Padme thought she could tame, that doesn't stop him from fainting in the medic wing when he's told it's twins Padme has given him.

Perhaps she wasn't wrong in thinking Anakin was a nerfhearder after all.

#star wars #anon #darth vader #padme x anakin #anakin x padme #anakin skywalker #padme amidala

[fires-of-ninjago]

Post-seabound hcs?

Well, I guess it's time to spit some facts!

Kai and Jay having a tough time grieving for Nya, just in very different ways.

Jay knows does what he does best and gets beats himself up for giving her a bunch of reasons why she had to.

He flashes between grief, anger, pain and slightly-unhinged humor.

All that he needs is a good place to vent his loss, but its going to take a storm to discharge...

Kai on the other hand, being the ember that he is, doesn't just go through the stages of grief, he gets worse as he moves through them!

He starts to self destruct at first, but as he dives further down that rabbit hole, he starts to convince himself that there's a way he bring her back!

The worst part, is that he's just bull-headed enough that he might just find a way...but at what cost?

Lloyd feels like he's lost a sister. He would liken it to when Zane sacrificed himself, but wound somehow runs deeper.

She was more like a big sister/mother figure to him, so when he sees Kai hurting, he knows he should feel the same way...but he's just, sort of...numb

Cole is angry. At Nya, Jay, Kai, Zane, Lloyd, Wu and most of all: Himself.

He blames himself for not being there for him like he usually is.

When Kai and then Jay both start talking about finding a way to bring her back, he feels like he's the only voice of reason by saying that she's gone.

Zane is not having a good time, especially after the funeral.

He knows logically that she made the right choice, but his algorithms and humanity are pretty much fighting a war inside of him!

The part of him that says it's okay and they should move on just feels so cold...it reminds him of being the Ice Emperor...

Pixal is probably doing the best out of everyone.

Yeah, she feels like she just lost a sister, but as Samurai-X, she knows that part of her legacy now lives on as apart of her.

She's doing her best to support her family, even if they don't stay together.

#Ninjago #Ninjago Kai #Ninjago Jay #Ninjago Lloyd #Ninjago Cole #Ninjago Zane #Ninjago Pixal #Pixal Borg #Zane Julian #Cole Brookstone #Lloyd Garmadon #Jay Walker #Kai Smith #Ask #Yeah they're hurting

[notapaladin]

Obsidian and Blood, an overview

Do you like fantasy? Do you like mysteries? Do you like Mesoamerican mythology? Do you like ALL OF THOSE THINGS TOGETHER, set against the lush backdrop of Tenochtitlan in 1480? (Or maybe you just want to know more about the series I have been going feral over since August.) Then buckle up, because oh boy have I got a series for you!

*drumroll, please*

OBSIDIAN AND BLOOD, written by Aliette de Bodard (better known for her Xuya and Dominion of the Fallen series)

There are two kinds of people: Those who see the words “Aztec fantasy/murder mysteries set in very well-researched 1480s Tenochtitlan BUT WITH MAGIC, investigated by the HIGH PRIEST OF THE GOD OF DEATH” and immediately ran off to buy them, and those who clearly need convincing. So here I am, shamelessly plugging my new hyperfixation!

Obsidian and Blood consists of three semi-standalone novels and three (free!) prequel short stories, all featuring 30-year-old Acatl as our first-person POV mystery solver. Acatl is not, however, your average historical detective; aside from being set firmly in Tenochtitlan in 1480 with all that implies re. the acceptability of slavery and human sacrifice, he also is the High Priest of Mictlantecuhtli in a universe where the gods regularly meddle in mortal affairs and magic spells are powered largely by rituals and blood—animal, human, or your own. You’d think this would make Acatl really, really good at solving murders, but you’d be wrong. He is the least of the Triple Alliance’s three High Priests, and his god doesn’t come at his servant’s beck and call. Not to mention the other gods, who have their own deadly agendas. That’s not even getting into the people around him, who might be the most dangerous of all. Luckily, he has more allies than he thinks—if he has the strength to actually reach out to them and admit he could use the help!

(He doesn’t need to reach out to his student Teomitl. Teomitl, a confident young warrior of imperial blood, keeps volunteering. This gives Acatl roughly one heart attack per book.)

You will like them if…

I did just say “magic murder mysteries in 1480s Tenochtitlan,” right? It’s real Precolumbian Mexico hours up in here! The history of the Aztec Empire and their Triple Alliance actually forms multiple key plot points throughout the series!

you’re into Aztec history/culture in general

if a DnD fan, you are REALLY into the Raven Queen

you think blood magic is super cool and wish it wasn’t treated as the realm of The Bad Guys

you get incredibly hyped over lesser-known mythologies treated respectfully but also very awesomely (the thing where the Aztecs thought human sacrifice kept the sun in the sky? Yeah, in this universe it is literally true and plot-relevant)

you are big into chaste heroes, lots of snarky asides, highly opinionated narrators who let their own prejudices destroy them, “from an outside perspective this is cosmic horror but for the characters it is a Tuesday,” mysteries with twists you will NOT see coming, and themes of trauma/memories/family legacies

you love reading about dysfunctional family relationships in various states of repair/further destruction

you’ve ever thought “hey this historical mystery is cool but what if there was MAGIC”

you like noir detective stories but want them with magic

you like urban fantasy but want them to have historical settings instead of vaguely modern-day ones

Plot/character summaries below!

SHORT STORIES (prequels to the novels, blurbs by me)

Obsidian Shards

Warriors have been found dead in the town of Colhuacan, obsidian shards embedded in their hearts. Acatl, priest of Mictlantecuhtli, suspects a creature of the Underworld—one he already calls a foe, for it slew his first and last apprentice.

Beneath the Mask

In the Tenochtitlan suburb of Coyoacan, Acatl’s childhood friend Huchimitl begs him to save her only son’s war captive; the man whose sacrifice will make the boy a proper warrior is paralyzed from an unknown curse, unable even to rise from the floor. But who could have cursed him, and is it connected to the mask Huchimitl now wears?

Safe, Child, Safe

A toddler is slowly wasting away, the mark of the Underworld on him, and Acatl is tasked with finding the cause. But no creature of the Underworld kills so slowly, and so Acatl must turn his investigation to the living.

THE BOOKS (blurbs taken directly from the book listings, you don’t HAVE to read them in order but I do recommend it)

Servant of the Underworld

Year One-Knife, Tenochtitlan; the capital of the Mexica Empire. Human sacrifice and the magic of living blood are the only things keeping the sun in the sky and the earth fertile. A Priestess disappears from an empty room drenched in blood. It should be a usual investigation for Acatl, High Priest of the Dead—except that his estranged brother is involved, and the more he digs, the deeper he is drawn into the political and magical intrigues of noblemen, soldiers, and priests—and of the gods themselves...

(Neutemoc: I didn't mean to sleep with her! It was an accident! Acatl: I don't understand. Did you trip?) (Acatl: I don't want a new apprentice! Teomitl: :D? Acatl: ...I will make an exception)

Harbinger of the Storm

The year is Two House, and the Emperor of the Mexica has just died. The protections he afforded the Empire are crumbling, and the way lies wide open to flesh-eating star-demons—and to the return of their creator, a malevolent goddess only held in check by the War God's power. The council should convene to choose a new Emperor, but they are too busy plotting against each other. And then someone starts summoning star-demons within the palace, to kill councilmen...Acatl, High Priest of the Dead, must find the culprit before everything is torn apart.

(Teomitl: I've only had Acatl and Mihmatini for a year, but if anything happens to them I'll kill everyone in this room and then myself) (Quenami: Playing With The Big Boys.mp3)

Master of the House of Darts

The year is Three Rabbit, and the storm is coming. The Mexica Empire now has a new Emperor, but his coronation war has just ended in a failure: the armies have retreated with a paltry forty prisoners of war, not near enough sacrifices to satisfy the gods. Acatl, High Priest for the Dead, has no desire to involve himself yet again in the intrigues of the powerful. However, when one of the prisoners dies of a magical illness, he has little choice but to investigate. For it is only one death, but it will not be the last. As the bodies pile up and the imperial court tears itself apart, dragging Teomitl, Acatl's beloved student, into the eye of the storm, the High Priest for the Dead is going to have to choose whom he can afford to trust; and where, in the end, his loyalties ultimately lie...

(Teomitl: I am no longer Baby I want Power) (Acatl, to Teomitl: What have you got there? Nezahual, gleefully: A coup! Acatl: NO!)

THE MAIN CHARACTERS (in order of appearance)

ACATL “By my face and by my heart, I’ll bring you justice.” High Priest of Mictlantecuhtli, god of death and the underworld. As such, his duties include both the obvious ones of arranging funerals and standing vigils for the dead, and the less obvious ones of investigating magical crimes and keeping the boundaries between the heavens, Earth, and the underworld intact. When Servant of the Underworld begins, he’s only recently been promoted and hates it. Has a strained relationship with his living family, due largely to not having lived up to his (dead) parents’ desires for him to become a warrior like his brother Neutemoc. Bitter, cynical, and grumpy, but devoted to justice and fairness.

Has an official character sheet.

CEYAXOCHITL “Everyone has to grow up and take responsibilities. Even small, humble priests.” Guardian of the Sacred Precinct and wielder of the power of the Duality (Ometeotl), which makes her the sworn protector of the Mexica Empire and its Revered Speaker from all sorts of mainly-magical threats. Somewhat past middle age but still very strong in her magical abilities, and something of an antagonistic mentor to Acatl. (She nominated him for the position of High Priest. He is not appreciative.) Serious and devoted to her duty, with a keen eye for potential in others. Dies in Harbinger of the Storm and you WILL cry.

NEUTEMOC “Priests hide and run away. Warriors don’t.” Acatl’s older brother, a Jaguar Knight with five children and a failing marriage. Resents Acatl for not helping to support their aging parents by becoming a warrior like he did. The central suspect during most of Servant of the Underworld’s plot, though by the end he and Acatl have begun to repair their relationship. He is strict, stern, and bitter, but truly loves his family. (In the case of his younger brother, that love is buried very deep down.)

TEOMITL “If we don’t believe in ourselves, who is going to?” Acatl’s student, an enthusiastic warrior who yearns to prove himself worthy of his power and noble rank, as well as live up to the memory of the mother who died birthing him. During Servant of the Underworld he swears himself to Chalchiuhtlicue, goddess of fresh water and lakes, gaining (among other things) command over the man-eating water monsters called ahuitzotls. He is courting Mihmatini during Harbinger of the Storm; by the time Master of the House of Darts takes place, they are married. He is abrasive and proud, but also honest, loyal, and brave. And very, very ambitious. You will want to punch him several times. This is normal. (Also, I will swear that it's not just my ship-goggles being on too tight that has me thinking his relationship with Acatl is much more weighty and personal than the one he has with his ACTUAL WIFE.)

MIHMATINI “Better laugh, and smile at the flowers and jade. Life is too short to be spent grieving.” Acatl and Neutemoc’s youngest sister, a powerful magic-user who finds herself thrust into the position of Guardian during Harbinger of the Storm. Though she has no great ambitions herself—she mostly just wants to be a mother and raise children—she is ferociously protective of her family and will fight anything that threatens them. Even themselves. (Especially themselves.) Kind, caring, and light-hearted, but her acid tongue and sharp temper are not to be dismissed. "Fuck Around And Find Out" given human form.

ACAMAPICHTLI “We have always endured.” High priest of Tlaloc and a reoccurring thorn in Acatl’s side. Though he’s primarily out for his own gain and has no patience for Acatl’s refusal to play on the field of Imperial politics, they eventually form something like an uneasy truce following the end of Harbinger of the Storm. He is snarky and sardonic, but truly cares for his clergy. During Master of the House of Darts he somehow became one of my favorite characters.

TIZOC "I've always known that priests couldn't be trusted. You have just exceeded my expectations." Teomitl’s older brother, first Master of the House of Darts and then Revered Speaker. (Look, it’s not a spoiler if you can Google it.) He is cowardly, ambitious, and the closest thing this series has to an overarching antagonist. Among other things, tries to have Acatl executed during Harbinger of the Storm. Events at the end of that book only manage to make him measurably worse. "Ah There He Is, That Motherfucker, What A Tool" #1.

QUENAMI “Oh, Acatl. Such lack of tact. You are so unsuited for the Court.” High Priest of Huitzilpochtli, appointed by Tizoc between Servant of the Underworld and Harbinger of the Storm. Comes from a noble family, and is much better at diplomacy and playing politics than he is at magic. When push comes to shove, however, he can display some surprising determination. He is arrogant, scheming, and takes joy in cutting Acatl down, but presumably has some good qualities...somewhere. "Ah There He Is, That Motherfucker, What A Tool" #2.

Maps of the series’ primary setting

Setting Primers

Official Character Index

Glossary

#obsidian and blood #aliette de bodard #aliette bodard #servant of the underworld #acatl #teomitl #mihmatini #obsblood primer