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poetryinsilence · 2 months

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A Wish for Eternity

Astarion x gn!magical!tav

A/n: am I madly in love with this elf? Yes. Do I wish to bring him everything he hoped and dreamed of? Also, yes. Hence, here I am, thinking about what happens after the epilogue, did he search for a way? If you play as a sorcerer or wizard, once you are at a higher level (not in the game), there is a certain spell that could achieve your hopes and dreams. So, what if…? Anyway, happy fluffy valentine's day!

Synopsis: a long journey of travelling through every corner of Faerûn for what seems to be an eternity. Luck sure isn’t on your side in your quest to find a mythical item, a cloak. Rumoured to be special, you are determined to find it, with your nightwalking partner, Astarion. But, fate has other things on its mind.

Word: 2,344

6 months after you reunited heartfelt celebrations with inebriated companions; the night never seems to cease with boundless alcohols and dancing to lively tunes until your feet refuse to leave the ground. Through thick and thin, nonetheless, such an adventure weaved you all together at the stake of Baldur’s gate.

At the right place, at the right time.

In a blink of an eye, another 6 months had gone by. On your quest, you trek through the marsh terrain on your journey and strangle a few swamp things; scorched and burned under the dry heat of the sun and almost meet your fatal death by getting swallowed up inside a giant sandworm; and almost, almost, stepped into the fey realm by no fault of your own. Suppose it wasn’t for a certain trickster. A very lovable trickster, mind you.

The relentless quest to acquire an article of clothing—a rare magical item; enchanted with each woven of threads. A cloak, to be exact, that was once said to have been created by drows of the Underdark. To allow one that’s weak in sunlight to walk freely under the blistering sun.

You first heard about this mystic item from none other than Gale. The wizard was lost in his recent reverie of taking upon the role of teaching, to no surprise. One night, while holed up in his tower, flicking through weathered pages of tomes, when he came across the wonders of this cloak. Intrigued, as he may be, wanting to study the magic behind this unique fabric. After all, a little more knowledge wouldn’t hurt.

But, it seems others require it more than him. Lo and behold, he appears when you think your luck has run out. Seems like Tymora has finally blessed you with a pat on the back, who would say no to divine intervention?

Although this is a solution to your current situation, it all just seems too good to be true. A flimsy piece of garment is your answer? You could swipe a black cloak from the market and enchant it yourself. Though you are well-versed in magic, enchanting items aren’t really your forte. Nor are you of drow descent to know such ways of crafting.

You had your doubts about this cloak, however, you do not doubt the reliability of Gale. If he said such a thing exists, then it must be credible.

Month after month of tracking your journey—based on one rumour that gossamer across Faerûn. With every possible lead, you travelled across the continent of the cityscape to the underworld. This endless journey may be gruesome, but you didn’t do it alone. Your lover, Astarion, walks amongst your shadow. By day, you are his shield protecting him under the blazing sun. At night, he swore as your sword to cut through the lurking dangers of the dark.

The Sun and its Moon.

He is the reason why you’re on this journey in the first place. To bring him the sunlight once more, to breathe in the life of the Pelor over the vast lands that were taken from him when he was still young. But the chances of finding this cloak are getting slimmer by day—like water slipping through the cracks of your hand.

Astarion’s hope is getting dimmer, too. You tried to reassure him that you were certain the both of you were getting close; maybe you were just not looking at the right places.

Of course, he brushes you off with a smile and jokes that he’s not that interested in it because ‘cloaks cramp his style’. He persuades you not to mind it so much. Or, hoping you’d be the mirror reverberating back to him instead. But you can see right through the facade. Pride. Shame. Disappointment. All too familiar.

The guilt is rubbing off on you. When you talked him out of ascension, you believed that it would be the best decision for him. You were no better than the others.

No. This shouldn’t be the answer. If the cloak’s got you nowhere then you just have to look at this situation from a different perspective. Take matters into your own hands, even if danger is on deck. At the very least, you have to try.

You made camp for the night; a quaint spot overlooking the horizon that joins the sky and the sea, with the moon taking stage in a cloudless canvas. The pale elf took charge of the campfire with a stick in his hand to poke the flame. Next to him, you lie down with your hands weaving through the air, connecting the stars together, making a revelation to your own understanding of your magic. It flows through you like the air that you breathe; like calm waters gliding your hands.

This might be the perfect time to ask, though wyverns gnaw at your stomach, you’ve run through this scenario millions of times in your head. You’re prepared, you think.

The lavender and turquoise hue dissipates from your fingertips, you steal a glance in Astarion’s direction and sit up amid his distraction.

“If you’re getting tired, you should sleep first. I’ll join you in a little while.” He chimes out.

His little ritual, you’ve noticed. Whenever the two of you opted to camp in the arms of nature instead of paying for a tavern’s night and listening to drunk patrons shouting till the break of dawn. He would lay with you in your bedroll until you fell asleep, then as quiet as a mouse, he’d get up an hour or two just before sunrise. You’d caught him once, just as curiosity nips at you, slipping out of the tent and finding him sitting in the open field with the blades of grass swaying to its own rhythm. Just watching, waiting. Waiting to catch a glimpse of the sun, as it slowly casts life back to the lands, before the ray decays him. The light sears his skin and cracks like dry paint, biting down the pain as much as possible until he’s bound back to the shadows. Then you’ll find him in bed again like nothing ever happened.

“Astarion?”

“Yes, darling?” He hummed.

“What if…” you hesitated, “what if we stop looking for this cloak?” Your voice wavered at the end of your sentence.

The stick in his hand stopped. You can see it, the thoughts forming in his mind like a potion. Stunned, confusion and a drop of anger concocted in muddy colour. But like a cork on top, he bottled it up when he soon turned to face you, the warm glow lit up his plastic grin.

“Oh, heavens! I forgot about that until you’ve brought it up.” His voice is in a higher octave. A string of vicious mockery disguising his lie, in all honesty, stings more than you think.

“No, that’s not—let me rephrase this. W-what I’m trying to say is, how about we look for a different method?” You asked, hands fidgeting more than usual.

His crimson gaze pierced in you, they engulfed and tangled like flames, wanting to swallow you whole till you’re nothing but a pile of ashes. “Vampirism isn’t an illness or a wound. If a person dies, they could be resurrected. But I’m too far gone beyond the point of living now, darling. There is no other way.” He snarled, snapping his gaze away before he could say something he truly regrets.

“But..there is another way.” Your voice comes out with nothing short of a whisper. Astarion’s shoulders slumped as he perceived your words, now fire in his eyes had extinguished and reflected with the solemn of moonlight.

Hope.

You spring onto your feet and take his hands into yours, thumb gently caressing his skin.

“Don’t give me any hope. 200 years of hoping for hope has tormented me endlessly that I do not want to be part of it again. Please…I do not have the heart to take this…” Astarion whimpered. You can hear the sob suppressed in his throat for the last 200 years as his hands tremble, emotions so vulnerable and unravelled right in front of you that he so desperately tried to hide. It shouldn’t be like this. It breaks your heart to see the man earning his freedom, yet the illusions of shackles are still tying him down.

It is unfair.

You grip his hands tighter to your heart, biting down the tears threatening to spill. “When there’s a will, there is a way,” You smiled. “Astarion Ancunin, what is it that you wish for?”

“What? But—I don’t understand—“ his brows furrow trying to make sense of your words but failing. Yet, he can feel a tingle at the back of his neck. A sign.

“Please, Astarion. Tell me your wish.”

The warning bells in his mind are telling him to run, to end this conversation right here, right now. But the fluttering feeling in his gut is saying ‘This is it. This is the moment you’ve been desperately trying to find’. Now the sparkle in your eyes is drawing him in, things that he had been longing for, and the love you are showing him. The sign he’d desperately prayed to the gods for all these years.

“I wish…” he trailed off, “I wish to walk in the sun again. I wish to see this world in the light that I was created in; I wish to take back the life that was ripped away from me for all these years, in darkness and torment, to have what is rightfully mine.

I wish to live again.”

The soil beneath your feet vibrates and crackles, the fabric of your clothes softly ripples in the air; a lavender beam emerges through and etches your runes, circling a gateway around both of you.

“Then, your wish is my command.”

Statics channelling in the air as you tune yourself to the weave. You can feel it. You can feel it all—the dark musk of ember, the evergreen blades rustle, the crashing of ocean waves. Magic tying deep into the burrows of the Earth willing to your command, feeding brighter into your rune as you hold on to its reins. But, the power of this spell is not without a cost, like gravity dragging you down. Your face breaks into sweat with the force burning in your gut.

“Stop that! You’re killing yourself!” Astarion struggles to break free from your grasp.

“Don’t—I’m almost there!”

A sinking pressure presses in Astarion’s chest; it’s warm, then burns aflame but it does not hurt; the pressure pushes deeper, searing through his organs and scratches at each porous of his rib cage. And then, gone.

The sound of silence.

Your legs give out as you crumble onto the floor, ready for impact. With a swift motion, Astarion catches you in his arms and carefully lays you in his lap. His mouth opens, ready to protest with his snarky remarks but closes it again, brushing away strands of stray hair from your battered face.

You chuckled breathlessly, reaching your hand, heavy as it may, and cupped his face. “Your wish has been granted.”

The sky begins to transition in lilac as dawn breaks, the ocean glimmers on the horizon and songbirds sing their tunes again. The red flaming ball peeked through the crystal water, bringing out the soft glow of orange. As the first ray of light shines, the warmth of it carries. Hungry, delicate, a sign of life.

“I’m…alive.”

A gentle breeze picks up and brushes against his cheek; hot tears spew from the corner of his eyes. So naturally warm. So, very warm. The silvery strands swayed to the rhythm of the wind, and he inhaled deeply, as much as his frail body could hold, the nostalgic scent of sunshine, like a spring afternoon.

Then, an unfamiliar familiar sense came. A thud. And another. Something rattling endlessly at his ribcage threatening to come out and yet staying in its place, a rhythmic humming coursing through his chest to the tips of his fingers. A sound so loud thumping and yet so quiet as a whisper in his ear. A sense of jamais vu.

“You'll always be who you are. No matter what you've become—a vampire or not. I will love you as long as life continues to breathe on these vast lands. And till the end of time."

Astarion squeezes you into a tight hug. He’s trembling in your embrace, and catching you off guard, he bursts into a fit of laughter. Maybe even your first time to hear him laughing with such carefree manner but the heat of his tears travels to your shoulder. Your hand finds its way to his soft locks, petting him as you melt deeper into his touch.

He pulls back, eyes frantically searching your face. “I-I don’t—I can’t—“ he clears his throat, “thank you, my love.”

He cups your cheeks and gravitates towards your lips. Sweet and velvety, your lips curl at his kiss. He pulls away just enough to admire your features; cheeks flushed rosy and eyes bright and confident. Everything about you is love-touched, that after centuries, someone could cut through the world to bring him back into the light.

“Now, are you going to stare at me all morning, or are we going to get some breakfast?” You teased.

“Actually, I was thinking,” Astarion eyes you up and down. Whenever he has some brilliant idea, it’s never a good one. “The tent’s been empty all night, and I think we should, um, keep our bedrolls warm, at least.”

His hand slithers its way under the hem of your shirt, running a hand at your soft curves. You sigh in defeat, knowing you could never say no to his lovable face.

“Fine. I guess breakfast can wait.” You smirk.

Hands flew to the collar of his shirt as you yank him down to your lips. You parted them slightly, an invitation for him to deepen his kiss, teeth included. It might be a long morning, but there are plenty of mornings yet to come.

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 fanfiction #bg3 fanfiction #astarion #astarion fanfic #astarion ancunin #astarion x tav #astarion x reader #⭐️.doc

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baifengxis · 3 months

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endless gifsets of cdrama ladies ★ [65/?]

ZHAO LIYING 赵丽颖 as ZHOU FEI LEGEND OF FEI 有匪 (2020 - 2021)

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ultrone · 17 days

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what music do you think Jackie would listen to…?

very random playlist i know lmaooo i hope it’s at least a bit accurate. i tried to stick to before the 2000s as much as i could 🫡

Gwen Stefani/No Doubt for sure. I feel like she’d specifically love “Cool” by Gwen

I Touch Myself by Divinyls

Crush by Jennifer Paige

Fastlove, Pt. 1 by George Michael

The Cranberries (influenced by Shauna 🤔)

The King of Wishful Thinking by Go West (she got obsessed with it after watching Pretty Woman)

Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer

Back For Good by Take That

Some songs by Fleetwood Mac & Stevie Nicks, like Sable on Blond, I Don't Want to Know, Edge of Seventeen, Only over You…

Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) by Kate Bush

Last Goodbye by Jeff Buckley

Madonna

Waterfalls by TLC

Right Here - Human Nature Radio Mix by SWV

Living On My Own - No More Brothers Radio Mix by Freddie Mercury

I feel like she’d also be lowkey into Country 😭

Shania Twain

Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus

Jolene by Dolly Parton

Amber by 311

Baby, I Love Your Way by Big Mountain

Angel by Shaggy, Rayvon

The Sign by Ace of Base (medicated Lottie got her into it)

Had a hanson phase lmaoooo 🧐

Torn by Natalie Imbruglia

Bitch by Meredith Brooks (she’d sing/yell this one in Shauna’s car)

I Try by Macy Gray

Girlfriend in a Coma by The Smiths

Alanis Morissette

There She Goes by The La’s

Two Princes by Spin Doctors

You Get What You Give by New Radicals

Fast Car by Tracy Chapman (I feel like Shauna would overplay it while driving)

Be My Baby by The Ronettes

Duran Duran

Bon Jovi

Fantasy by Mariah Carey

Genie in a Bottle by Christina Aguilera

Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus

Livin' la Vida Loca by Ricky Martin

Savage Garden

Uptown Girl by Westlife

Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners

Summer Of ‘69 by Bryan Adams

The Power Of Love by Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Hero by Enrique Iglesias

Whitney Houston’s top hits

Let’s Hear It for the Boy by Deniece Williams

Some Aerosmith songs, like Crazy & I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing

The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss) & One by One by Cher

I Love You Always Forever by Donna Lewis

Black or White by Michael Jackson

Accidentally in Love by Counting Crows (from the Shrek 2 soundtrack 😭)

Alone & These Dreams by Heart

I Think We’re Alone Now by Tiffany

More Than a Feeling by Boston

What’s Love Got to Do with It by Tina Turner

Close to Me by The Cure

Blue (Da Ba Dee) by Eiffel 65 ☠️

Endless Love by Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey

Be My Baby & Divine idylle by Vanessa Paradis

Smile by Lily Allen

I’m Gonna Miss You by Milli Vanilli

Conga by Gloria Estefan 🤣

New Kids On The Block

Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds

Queen

Hey Ya! by Outkast

Dreaming Of You by Selena

extra… songs she’d listen to if she spoke spanish or was latina cuz i’m mexican and i’ve been thinkin abt this 🙂‍↕️

Tu Dama De Hierro by Marisela

Belanova, especially Rosa Pastel, Me Pregunto, and Cada que…

Formas de Amor by Calo

Mi Media Naranja by Fey

Bazar & No Controles by Flans

Gracias A Dios by Thalia

La Ventanita by Garibaldi

Ahora Te Puedes Marchar by Luis Miguel

Cuando Calienta El Sol by Luis Miguel

Mírala, Míralo by Alejandra Guzman

Virgen de las Vírgenes by Gloria Trevi

Ni Una Sola Palabra by Paulina Rubio

No Puedo Olvidarme Ti by MDO

La Calle de las Sirenas by Kabah

Enamoradísimo by Mercurio

Veneno by Ragazzi

Dile Que la Amo by Kairo

Hombres G

Oye Mi Amor by Maná

Rica y Apretadita (feat. Anayka) by El General

Moriré by La Factoria

Enloquéceme & Shabadabada by OV7

Timbiriche

Amante Bandido by Miguel Bosé

Alejandro Sanz

#jackie taylor thoughts #yjs thoughts #yellowjackets thoughts #jackie taylor #yellowjackets #jackie taylor headcanons

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captnswilson · 2 years

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Endless list of my favorite bl drama couples → ♡ Shao Fei & Yi Tang from History3: Trapped ♡

#shao fei x yi tang #history 3: trapped #bl drama #bldramaedit #mine #fav bl drama couples

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rose-tinted-vision · 3 months

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Tales from Tianji Manor

Relationships: implied Fang Duobing/Di Feisheng/Li Lianhua

prev/final/read on ao3

He Xiaohui saw this day coming, had been dreading the arrival of this day, inevitable as it was.

There had been countless letters slowly making their way to Tianji Manor once people caught wind of the fact that the Lotus Tower and its master had settled there for the winter, each one of them either seeking Li Lianhua’s advice, insight or help for their matters.

Xiaobao had dismissed them at first, responding to every letter with a polite acknowledgement and apology that Li Lianhua was down for the month with a mysterious illness and hence unable to attend to their matters for a period of time. But despite the polite refusals, letters kept pouring in, eventually amassing in a small corner of her office.

(A glaring reminder that her son and his partners would have to leave eventually. That they could not stay for an indefinite amount of time. That they had to make their own path in the world, too).

He Xiaohui is not foolish enough to think that they would be happy staying for an extended period of time, either.

She knew her own son well enough, and knew that he took after his biological mother.

Xiaobao was a free spirit, and had the same wanderlust in him. Li Lianhua was a wanderer, free as the wind. Di Feisheng had never been one to stay in one place for long. None of them could be tied down-they were each destined to travel the jianghu, with its miles of dazzling scenery that knew no bounds.

So it was no surprise when Xiaobao announced at dinner one night that they would be leaving in a week.

A week, He Xiaohui’s mind blanks. At least she had time to prepare.

—

“Are you sure you have the blankets packed? the herbs? Have you kept the food? Hulijing's items?” He Xiaohui asked, inspecting the bags in A-Fei’s arms, “aren't you one bag short? I packed six bags of food-”

“I have them,” Xiaobao announces from the second floor, where he had been putting away the supplies that she'd prepared for them.

He Xiaohui mentally runs through her list of items: the food, done. Blankets, done. Clothes-

“A-Li! Where are the winter clothes?” She stops the girl on her way back to the Manor, who gasps in realisation, immediately making a break for the Manor.

A-Fei looked a little overwhelmed from all the bustle, the countless servants hurrying to and fro from their Lotus Tower to the Manor, plying them with endless amounts of goods.

“Uh…thank you for your generosity,” Li Lianhua stumbles out of the Lotus Tower hesitantly, “but I don't think we can fit much more in here, Madam He.”

—

They had moved the Lotus Tower to their front gate, the poor horses straining under all the additional weight in the house.

Xiaobao looks around wistfully, his behaviour at odds with how excited he had been earlier at being able to spread his wings after months of rest, though she can see how he reigned it in for her sake.

“Silly boy, it's not as if I won't see you again,” He Xiaohui says gruffly, elbowing Xiaobao as she directs her next words to A-Fei and Xiaohua, “I'll see you every month for dinner, right?”

They nod, either not realising the trap they had just walked into, or not minding that they had agreed to return every month.

It had been livelier with the three oddballs in her Manor, a breath of fresh air to the otherwise stale estate, and she will miss them sorely.

“Take a walk with this old lady, Xiaobao,” she says, following the pebbled path towards their backyard.

“Mother,” Xiaobao starts, half a protest ready on his tongue, but follows her anyway, easily catching up to her in a few strides.

“So eager to leave already?” He Xiaohui tuts in disapproval, “your partners can wait a bit.”

They walk in silence for a bit, her Xiaobao waiting for her to speak.

“You are very lucky, Xiaobao," she pauses by the koi pond, the fishes making for a serene sight as they swim lazily, “to have met not one, but both of your soulmates in this lifetime.”

“But being together with them out there, out in the jianghu where they are widely known will be hard. Especially for A-Fei,” she continues, turning to watch Xiaobao as his initial confusion and indignance morphs into understanding, “don't forsake them when that time comes. I will personally break your legs if you do,”

She shushes Xiaobao's protests with a hand, “I won’t say anything more, every relationship is different. Just-” He Xiaohui pinches Xiaobao’s cheek, “Treat them well, you hear me?”

“Of course,” Xiaobao says solemnly, his eyes misting over as he pulls her into a hug.

—

He Xiaohui, He Xiaofeng, and Zhan Yunfei stand atop the steps to the entrance of Tianji Manor, watching the retreating back of the Lotus Tower.

“Well,” He Xiaofeng declares, clearing her throat, “We will see those brats again in a month. It’s not like they’re leaving forever.”

(“Two of those 'brats' are older than you,” Zhan Yunfei quietly says, side-eyeing her sister).

#We've reached the last chapter!#thank you for reading ⁽⁠⁽⁠ଘ⁠(⁠ ⁠ˊ⁠ᵕ⁠ˋ⁠ ⁠)⁠ଓ⁠⁾⁠⁾#He Xiaohui remains best mum #difanghua #mysterious lotus casebook #difang #fanghua #feihua #rose writes

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courtesons · 5 months

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open to: males (tops/verses/bottoms)

connection: a fellow fey or magical being, a mortal coming to make a deal with/capture/fight him or something else entirely.

Eyes slowly opening as he felt the presence of another in his domain, the fey having been sprawled out among the flowers and endless gorgeous terrain that was his to command. Slowly sitting up, eyes shifting around as if trying to spot his potential new guest or intruder...depending on their reason for being here as he rose to his feet. "Hmm, well, well. Looks like today might be a little more exciting then I had first thought. Wherever you are, come on out. Don't be shy..."

#indie gay rp #indie smut rp #indie kink rp #open starter #gay smut rp

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thanatcsx · 10 months

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@seeingvivianne location: community garden making a comeback this season notes: a mild trigger warning for a reference or two but nothing scary

Death followed some people around like an old friend, lingered in their shadow and followed them in their footprints. Never quite visible but there somewhere in the peripheral, Thanatos didn’t expect to be recognized or known, but Vivianne wasn’t a novice when it came to loss. Oracles weren’t so fortunate, Atropos snapped the strings and what was once taut reverberated through the branches of the Otherworld. Banshees and oracles, clairvoyants and so on and so forth. It was Death’s burden to know those that came and those that went, older than the Inferno, than the Isle, and Elysium itself. Before others dipped their toes in a so-called afterlife that, in truth, was a mortal convention to give hope to what came next. Death was not the suffering of hellfire, neither was it frolicking in fields meant to dull your senses and keep you content. It was not swimming in blessed waters or fighting endless battles, only to die and be reborn again the following day. Death was peace, a quiet end and a return to the order that had birthed the cosmos.

Thanatos was never well-liked, only those too tired of life ever seemed to call him in. A few names came to mind, the anguish of the souls in the fire, those punished by Gods that wanted an easy release. Death chose not to interfere with fate, the Graeae wove as they willed and everyone answered to the aether in the end. His family fought and the squabbled, their affairs made ruins of empires and realms, yet Thanatos was always the name that ended up cursed. Hated in one moment, then revered in the next as those that wished to see themselves or their loved ones spared begged for it. He wasn’t infallible, he’d been tricked by one such wily denizen of this realm before, though the former King now toiled elsewhere - Ulthar’s personal prisoner - but still it was said that Sisyphus remained content. Even in anguish, true rebellion.

There were no gardens in the sands, the Duat and the lightless cave that Death inhabited didn’t welcome vegetation. When Thanatos threaded over mortal soil, he enjoyed the vegetation that this realm invoked, the fey had done so much here, planted the seeds but it were people like Vivianne who’d helped them to grow. All things died, but the time they spent here, however brief, was worthy of some reverence. Plants, animals, even people. While Thanatos’ disposition likely made people think otherwise, he was fond of mortals, their lives were brief but meaningful. They lived and they died over such short spans of time, but over a few measly decades - the equivalent of two or three long blinks for the elves - they were born and they grew and they loved and they built and they fostered bonds of community, family, and friendship. Then they died. Gobbled up by Oztalun or Ulthar’s contraptions Through blood or pain some remained, spirits that Persephone pulled under her wing as she took the place of one that Tiamat and her companions had corrupted so long ago.

This was not the first time Thanatos had stood before an Oracle, or even this Oracle. He’d been there when her mother had thought to sacrifice a chosen infant for the gain of power, he’d been there when that child was abandoned at the feet of a monster, there when she grew to slay the beast that reared her, and he was there when she’d come full circle to destroy the woman who’d have devoured her whole. “You have my condolences.” Thanatos offered, Allegra had been killed in the Otherworld, a dracaenic death with a destroyed heart, “Your mother found peace in the end, because of you.” Into the horizon she’d gone sailing across the sands, her essence among the stars now. “Someday, many years from now, she’ll return. Not the woman who would have killed her own children, but someone new.” A fresh start and a new beginning.

#vivianne #viviannestarter #a treat for a jestie love u lots something serious for once from cat man #suicidal ideation tw #ish not for him but referenced

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counterspelling · 2 years

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Endless ACOFAF

#dimension20edit #d20edit #acofaf #a court of fey and flowers #acofafedit #myedit #endless acofaf #dimension 20 #d20 #d20 spoilers #acofaf spoilers #brennan lee mulligan #kp hob #Oscar Montoya #k.p. hob #Delloso de la Rue

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attorneys-against-court-violence · 9 months

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The Cosmic Turnabout: Viewed!

I got nothing.

No, not because I'm sad. I am, for good juicy narritive reasons, but because of the nature of this case. It's build-up.

Well delivered, well paced, and emotionally potent build-up for what's set up to be a rousing finale for the game. I've said it at least twice before, but the ways it pushes its established cast are captivating to watch in-motion. We've had a few cases to arse about and get familiar with these guys - this is the prelude to when we finally crack them open and see the white-hot cores of who they are.

Athena Cykes: her Space Centre background is firmly established here with her unusual knowlegde, friendly connection to Ponco, and Aura's recognition of her. Tragedy and trauma had been planted in this character from the very first case, expanded on in the third, and given more nuggets here. Her connection to the Blackquills and their shared trait of a very bad thing happening to each leads one to believe they're more intertwined than any would let on.

Apollo Justice: the epitome of "he's going through it" this case. While there isn't as much going on with him as Athena prior to this, he is built as this endless fountain of encouragement and positivity. With the context of his previous game we know he's had his troubles with trust, however. Come Clay's death and his wonderfully depicted grief, we see him pushed to a limit and his trust issues bubble to the surface with his leave of absence.

Simon Blackquill: man oh man is he desperate this case... I'd even say he's frantic. The man is on a deadline to catch the phantom that's been haunting him for 7 years, with his haste to put Starbuck away a result of all this pressure to get this over with NOW. It has to end NOW or he will never find peace with himself. And now Athena - someone he's shown an interest in building up & has a history with - has been accused of the crimes instead. I am DYING to pick apart how he feels on that!

Bobby Fulbright: not quite as dramatic, rather... odd, actually. He has a nice little arc about struggling with his own sense of right and wrong - seeing how Simon has been cowed by ghosts to stray from the just path. Wanting to pull him back and at least to face the fated day with no blood on his hands. And yet... there are a few things that stick out as odd. Why a detective to protect a space launch? Why order Aura to use a less efficient route when aiding the evacuation? Why indeed was he even there???

Phoenix Wright:

Oh, sorry. I uh. Ok, look, Phoenix doesn't do much for me here. He's more akin to his role in his first game; a witness to drama largely outside of his world, a conduit for the player to experience these events without spoiling the surprise by being in Athena's head. Only difference is that he seemingly doesn't have an Edgeworth or Class Trial or Feys to emotionally ground him. Sure there's the Dark Age of Law and the dismal reputation of lawyers - something he's all too familiar with - but it doesn't seem like Dual Destinies is too interested in telling a story about him. Which makes it kind of irritating for him to be in the driver's seat.

Of course... I have to mention this final revelation. With Apollo being full of rage and suspicion on the subject of Clay's death, and Athena being indicted... I think you could guess by this point why he's not working with the WAA as was suggested by her and Phoenix. He knew something. He knew someone else was there. He knew he had to distance himself from that person.

God. Damn it. This case. I'll do my best to stay in quota in the coming days. There are 9 parts for Turnabout for Tomorrow and I'll have 10 days to get through them before the 25th. DEFINITELY won't be continuing tonight, but rest assured I'll try to stay on top!

Deep breath... exhale...

Let's do this!

#dual destinies watchthrough #dual destinies spoilers

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zhoufeis · 2 years

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Just now, you climbed up this snowy mountain alone and risked your life for that Fire Lotus. Do you suddenly value your life now? I think you’re addicted to saving people. Are other people’s life worth more than your own? Rude little brat.

endless gifsets of zhou fei because this fandom doesn’t appreciate her enough • [10/?]

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kingkeerys · 2 years

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50 ways to say goodbye ♛ ben hargreeves 3/4

word count: 7,102 (hELp mE)

pairing(s): sparrow!ben hargreeves/oc, umbrella!ben hargreeves/oc (platonic-ish)

a/n: this is way too long, just enjoy the chapter. sorry for the wait. thanks for the feedback love you all xoxo

← previous chapt.

"I SAY WE CELEBRATE," Fei grinned as they made their way upstairs.

“Champagne?” Ben suggested, still rubbing his stomach.

“You know me so well, brother.”

Everyone seemed to be in high spirits and accepted empty flutes from both Fei and Ben with smiles. Well, Sam’s was more of a grimace and Allison foregoed a glass for an entire bottle all to herself.

Ben retrieved a bottle from their bar – Sam suspected they had an endless supply back there – and popped the cork, pouring everyone a generous amount. They toasted and tossed back their drinks as if they were shots, quickly finishing two and then three glasses until their nerves had worn down to a pleasant buzz.

Slowly but surely, everyone dispersed from the living room, going their own separate ways to wind down for the evening. Sam took her fourth glass of champagne to one of the many tall, intricate windows in the Hargreeves mansion and gazed outside. Her headache was gone, limbs feeling pleasantly heavy and her stomach warm from the alcohol in an almost comforting way.

She watched the fires bloom across the street, licking across buildings and street posts and benches, melting and blackening everything in their wake.

She felt someone approach her from behind and took a light sip from her glass.

“So… we saved the world, huh?” she asked. The person stepped up and stood beside her. “Tell me what world you see out there. What was the point?”

“We’re alive, aren’t we?” Ben asked. “I think that was the point.”

“But is anyone else?”

“I guess we’ll find out.”

She sighed and looked away. “I didn’t think it was going to get this far, that there’d be this much destruction. I’m happy to be alive. I am. But what can we even do now? Where can we go?”

Ben pursed his lips and raised his glass to them, tossing back the rest of his champagne. There was a red flush to his cheeks – he’d probably had more glasses than she did.

“Who’s to say we can’t stay here?” he proposed. She furrowed her brows at him.

“Forever?”

He rolled his eyes. “We aren’t the only ones who survived this. There’s too many people on this Earth for us to be the only ones left on it. The world will rebuild and maybe for the better.”

“Yeah but that will take decades,” she argued. “We’ll be old and in rocking chairs before it’ll look even slightly livable. And that’s if we even make it that long. Do you not see?” she gestured out the window. “We didn’t save anything.”

She left Ben alone at the window, sitting her glass on one of the stray tables in the hallway before making her way upstairs.

She just wanted to sleep and pretend none of this had ever happened.

Sam wasn’t sure if she’d managed to fall asleep or was just dozing when she felt the bed shake beneath her.

She rubbed her eyes before widening them as she watched bottles of perfume and lotion fall from Jayme’s desk across from her. She quickly sat up in the bed and almost fell off of it as she felt a shock wave pulse through the room, sending her flying back against the wall.

She yelped, catching herself on the edge of the bed as she fell back down. Before she had the chance to regain her bearings, she felt a presence blink beside her. A pair of small arms wrapped around her frame, gripped her tight, and pulled her through space with a whoosh.

It felt like her body was being stretched like a rubber band through a hole barely the size of a penny. One second she was in a dark bedroom and the next she was in a bright, open room being sat in an armchair. She blinked quickly and glanced over at Five who let her go.

“Wha…?”

“I have to get Ben, I’ll be back!”

Before she could respond, he blinked out of the room and she fell back against the cushion of the chair with a sigh.

Why couldn’t anything go their way?

Ransacking the closets felt strange to her.

She knew the person the clothes belonged to most likely no longer existed, but it still felt wrong somehow.

Everyone needed a change of clothes, given the fact that most of them hadn’t changed since they arrived in the new timeline. Sam’s jeans had been hanging on by a thread, too many holes and rips for her to count. The Sparrow sweater she’d been given had loose threads falling around the hem, the sleeves and at the neckline. One wrong move and the whole thing would eventually come unraveled.

At Five’s suggestion, she went through the unlocked rooms to find a closet or suitcase that had clothes her size. It took a couple of tries but eventually she found one with clothes that fit her well enough. She considered hopping in the shower to wash the grime off her body, feeling itchy and sweaty, but she decided against it knowing there were bigger things to worry about at the moment than her hygiene.

She threw on a blouse and some fresh jeans – bell bottoms, of all things – and made her way down to the lobby of Hotel Obsidian where Five had blinked her and the rest of her siblings, plus Ben, to.

She found the rest of them congregating in the lounge overlooking the front room of the hotel and climbed the stairs, meeting the hard gaze of Ben who was freshly dressed along with everyone else. She stood off to the side, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You good, Sam?” Diego asked, leaning against the railing across from where she stood. She offered a stiff nod and nothing else.

Five had briefly explained to her that the Kugelblitz was too strong, too concentrated to be contained in Christopher’s little body. The trembling she felt was the Kugelblitz breaking free, swallowing the mansion whole along with every building in the surrounding area with it. It was back to reaping the universe tenfold, wave after wave emitting from its core and destroying everything in its path even quicker than before they’d trapped it.

So basically, a typical Tuesday.

Unfortunately, Ben’s sister Fei had been stuck in the immediate path of the Kugelblitz’s destruction. Five managed to blink to Ben just in time before the entire mansion was engulfed and for that she was thankful.

Despite his unpleasant attitude, she didn’t want to lose him a second time.

Allison was the first to break the silence.

“How is it that we’re still here but the whole of the universe is going down the cosmic shitter?”

“I don’t know,” said Viktor tiredly from one of the armchairs. “Maybe we’re just the last to get flushed.”

“Wasn’t talking to you,” Allison dismissed, not even glancing in Viktor’s direction.

“Maybe you should be more specific then when you ask a question,” Sam snapped back, returning Allison’s glare. She did not have time for Allison’s pettiness.

“Hey,” Luther interjecting, bringing everyone’s attention to him on the couch. “Where’s Klaus?”

“And Dad,” Sloane added with a frown.

“They’ll be here,” Diego assured them.

“What, did they hit traffic or something?” Ben snarked. Sam saw Diego clench his jaw before looking the other way. “Look people, we’re alive because we’re special, right? We’re the only ones who can save the universe.”

“Question, Ben,” Allison gave Sam a pointed look, who smiled sarcastically back. “Didn’t we just do that and fail miserably?”

Diego pointed towards Ben.

“That’s because his plan was stupid.” He stepped forward, ignoring Ben’s unimpressed look. “I’ve got a better one. We go with the large hard-on particle accelerator. You guys do some science,” he gestures towards Five and Sloane, “and we launch the Kugelblitz into outer space.”

Diego appeared proud of himself and Sam’s nose scrunched up.

“Didn’t think I knew that, did you?”

“It’s hadron,” Ben corrected with a sneer. “Not hard-on, you grade-A moron.”

Sam attempted to tune out their bickering, which eventually turned into an argument spoken in two completely different languages that no one was able to follow. Five had to interject, who seemed to be the only person capable of reigning everyone in.

“The universe is disappearing outside. You can keep rearranging the deck chairs of the Titanic if it makes you feel better,” Sam frowned at the analogy. “But the fact remains that we are too late. It’s over. We failed.”

Her stomach felt like lead and the room was so quiet you could hear a pen drop until everyone jumped into action.

“That’s not true,” Luther shook his head.

“It can’t be over over,” Viktor denied.

“Yeah, Five,” said Diego. “We gotta figure this out, man.”

“Okay,” Five lifted his hands impatiently, his tone suggesting he was about to get incredibly sarcastic. “Let’s take a step back and look at the big picture here. Most of us have spent the last 28 days trying to save the world. What exactly have we accomplished?”

He glanced around the room, eyebrows raised expectantly. No one responded.

“Well,” Luther stumbled before his gaze fell onto Sloane. “We made a few friends along the way!”

“Incorrect,” Five interjected immediately. “We accomplished nothing. We made things worse every single time.”

Sam swallowed and crossed her arms tighter across her chest.

“Look, when I went to the Commission, I had a conversation with my 100-year-old self. You know what future me said?” Five’s eyes connected with everyone in the room, ending with Sam who almost didn’t want to hear what he had to say. “My last words were, ‘Don’t save the world.’ Make of that what you will.”

“So your plan,” Lila began, sounding skeptical. “Is to not have a plan at all?”

“Why not?” Five shrugged, appearing casual yet sounding defeated. “Maybe it’s what the universe needs. I say we embrace the apocalypse and see what’s on the other side.”

“What if it’s nothing?” Sloane asked, shrinking against Luther’s side.

Five’s lips thinned. “Then I suppose it’s been nice knowing you all. If you have anything on your bucket lists, I suggest doing them now.”

The room was silent again as everyone soaked in Five’s words. Then Luther spoke up.

“Well…”

Between the knowledge that their days were numbered, the announcement that her brother was engaged to Sloane, and Klaus showing up with their father in tow attempting to change their mind about letting Armageddon commence, she was about ready for a lobotomy.

There was a ceremony and celebration arranged for that evening and everyone aside from their father was invited. Klaus insisted on throwing a bachelor party for Luther after hearing the news, so the boys spent the better part of the afternoon doing whatever it was guys did when preparing for a wedding and apocalypse.

Sam holed herself up in the room she shared with Allison, who thankfully was nowhere to be seen. She passed the time by watching the world fade away outside their window, stare blank and eyes mostly unseeing.

When it came time to get ready for the ceremony itself, everyone had to raid their neighbor’s closets again for appropriate outfits. It took her the better part of an hour to find something even remotely appropriate that would fit her, but eventually she pulled out an emerald green dress with a lace corset that was nice enough for a wedding but plain enough to keep all eyes on the bride.

Not that she expected anyone would be paying much attention to what they wore.

She threw her hair up because she was not of a mindset to do anything very nice with it, and then headed down to the banquet hall to meet everyone else.

Watching her brother get married was odd.

And not just because Klaus was the officiator of the marriage, making it more of a dramatized screenplay than anything else.

For one, she’d never pictured any of her siblings getting married. Well, except for Allison. And if they were to get married, she surely didn’t expect to be present for it. As much as she hated to admit it, her siblings were never very close after the death of Ben. She fully anticipated them having their own separate lives, never to intertwine again for any reason.

And two, as happy as she was to see Luther happy, it was hard to stamp down the jarring reminder that the world was crumbling down around them. This time tomorrow, or the next day, or next week, they wouldn’t even exist. Each time her mind wandered and she let herself smile at the joyful grin on her brother’s face, the ominous cloud of reality quickly settled overhead again and the smile was quick to fade as something heavy settled in her gut.

She wasn’t necessarily afraid to die. She’d long accepted the fact that her and her family were destined to live shorter lives than most just because of who they were. And with the inordinate amount of times they’d managed to bring about the apocalypse, death just sort of lost its shock value.

But there was a sadness to it as well. She was only thirty-years-old and there was a lot about life that was left undiscovered to her given her sheltered upbringing. There were plenty of things she wished she’d been able to do. Like skydive. She wasn’t a big fan of heights, or airplanes, or parachutes… but it was certain now that she’d never be able to do it and something about that just infuriated her.

Once the ‘ceremony’ was complete, their group made their way back inside the hotel to one of the ballrooms that had been set up for the post-wedding celebration. Chet, the front desk clerk and bellhop, was standing behind a DJ table at the dance floor playing what sounded like 60s or 70s jazz music and Sam had to chuckle to herself. Everything about the situation was so absurd, but in the best possible way.

Each person in their family seemed adamant to sit at their own separate tables for dinner. Luther and Sloane were already lost in their own newlywed world and clearly no one was of a mind to tolerate that in close proximity.

Ben had been grumbling about the ridiculousness of the situation ever since they all met up prior to the wedding, beginning with him scowling at how Luther was able to actually find a suit that fit him, and his sourness had not lost its potency since then. He yanked a chair out from a table as far from the happy couple as possible, flopping down into the seat with a scowl.

Diego and Lila seemed comfortable at their own table and Sam was certainly not going to interrupt their privacy, not willing to sit through another argument or disgusting lovesick stares. She couldn’t decide which was worse. Instead, she chose to sit next to Five, being that he was one of the more tolerable siblings she had.

Without greeting her, he popped open a bottle of champagne that he’d stolen the moment they entered the room and took a generous sip straight from the bottle. Sam stared at him.

“Aren’t you going to eat something?” she asked, gesturing to the buffet wafting temptingly from behind them. She couldn’t remember the last time she actually saw him eat something of real sustenance.

“Probably not,” he replied, burping after swallowing such a huge gulp of fizzy alcohol.

“Your stomach is completely empty, Five. That alcohol is going to go straight to your head,” she pestered, for once sounding older than him.

Five toasted her. “That’s the idea.”

She licked her lips and sighed, regretting her choice of company. Then again, she’d probably feel less depressed if she had a buzz.

She eventually grabbed herself a plate as Five continued to become more and more inebriated. She found it a bit amusing watching him as she ate. He loosened up when he had a few and if any of them needed to relax a little, it was Five. The more he drank, the less attention he paid on his surroundings and Sam would dilute his bottle of champagne with water every couple of minutes. It got to the point where he was clearly no longer paying attention to the taste, so if it was slightly less fizzy than before then he was none the wiser.

Even if he could drink them under the table as an adult, he still had the body and tolerance of a young teenager. She wanted him to have a good time, not die of alcohol poisoning.

“Have I told you how much I loved you?” Five slurred on his second full-size (diluted) bottle, swaying a bit in his seat. She quirked her lips in a light smirk.

“Not in the last two decades.”

“Well I do,” he pointed at her. “You’re great. Dad treated you so shitty but you di’nt listen to him. Your powers suck but all of our powers suck,” he outstretched his arms with a big grin. “We’re one big sucky, disappointing family! And we ended the world. Us! Hah!”

“Okay,” she gave him a sardonic smile. “I feel much better, thank you.”

“You’re welcome!” he shouted before falling out of his chair.

She snorted and shook her head as he rolled around on the floor, asking himself why he was laying on the ceiling.

“If the world doesn’t end tonight then you’re going to wish it had in the morning.”

She poured her own glass of wine from one of the many bottles scattered about the room and sipped it, eyes scanning the area. Viktor looked upset and Allison was in the midst of marching out of the room. Sam didn’t want to know what happened there. Luther and Sloane were attempting to share food, or at least it looked like Luther was trying to make that happen, but Sloane wasn’t having it. Klaus gave her a boyish grin and overzealous wave as he pranced away from Ben’s table, setting his sharp gaze on Five who’d finally managed to climb back into his seat and was complaining about how his champagne tasted.

She furrowed her brows at Ben’s slouched form, who appeared to be sulking as he poked his full glass. No doubt he’d finished several prior to that moment. She bit the inside of her cheek, made sure no one was paying any attention to her, and stepped towards his table. She placed her half-empty glass of wine on the table next to him and pulled out a chair. His glassy eyes regarded her with a squint.

“You alright there?” she asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Ben looked like he smelled something funny. “Yes, no thanks to you.”

She gave him an offended look. “Me? What did I do?”

“Your family,” he corrected, head rolling from side to side. “You showed up and ruined everything. You really should win an award for biggest colossal fuck-up of the year.”

She pursed her lips but tilted her head, not denying the accusation.

“This is so stupid,” he continued, scowling out into the room. “This is pointless. The world is going to end and they’re planning their Christmas card photos.”

“Maybe they’re just trying to be happy,” she retorted. “There’s nothing wrong with accepting the truth. They’re in love, let them be in love.”

She took a long drink of her wine. Ben made a face and stared at the table. She gazed at him for a moment.

“You told me that you’ve seen love before,” she played with her fingers for a moment before glancing over at Ben. “That you know what it looks like. Did you have someone once? That you loved?”

Ben blinked slowly and she almost wondered if his drunk-addled mind was able to comprehend what she said. He scrunched up his nose, face contorting into an exaggerated thinking expression before he pursed his lips.

“It was Alphonso,” he finally said. He played with his flute of champagne, watching the bubbles travel from the bottom of the glass to the top almost like they were racing. “Before he looked the way you saw, he knew this girl. She was a fan of us I guess, and she’d been hanging around our house with a group of people. Being Alphonso, he had to introduce himself. She told him he was her favorite.”

“That wasn’t… common, I take it?” she hedged.

Bun huffed a humorless laugh.

“He was always the funny guy. He made people laugh – that was his MO. No one ever really wants to be the funny guy,” he squinted up at her. “You get laughed at enough and you realize it’s all you’re good for so you stick with it, but it’s shit. He pretended to be fine with it but he wasn’t. So when a pretty girl comes onto you, suddenly it’s all you can think about.”

She felt a burst of sympathy for the late brother but didn’t express it out loud.

“So they were together, like officially? Even with your family’s…” what was the right word? “Fame?”

“Yeah, something like that. They went on dates, all that couple-y stuff. But Alphonso got the shit end of the stick. The more his powers manifested, the more we trained, the more disfigured he got. Like a side effect. And that was that, really. He changed but she didn’t change with him.”

She furrowed her brows. “So… she ended it? Just like that? Because he looked different?”

He nodded, puckering his lips. “Yep. Life’s a bitch, huh?”

She noticed his face tended to twist and express more under the influence of alcohol. It was a bit funny, not that she would tell him that.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “Some people only care about what’s on the outside when really it’s the inside that matters.”

“Yeah well, he was better off without her anyway,” she smiled to herself at the snide comment. It was probably one of the few times she’d actually seen him act like a brother. “He got more confident after that. But I saw what it did to him. He had this look on his face,” his eyes rolled up to meet hers. “The one you get on yours whenever you see me. Like you’re constantly being reminded of what you no longer have and it hurts.”

She swallowed thickly before glancing back down at her hands.

“Yeah,” she agreed, voice hoarse. She cleared her throat. “I know what that feels like.”

Ben hummed, twirling his finger around the rim of the glass. He watched the movement, almost mesmerized, and then blurted out, “I miss my brother.”

She glanced back over at him, taken aback.

He almost seemed surprised by his own admission, but his face eventually settled into something more resolute. More sad.

“I miss all of them,” he told her, lips turning downward. “I know we weren’t the Brady Bunch or anything, not perfect like you. But we were us. And now it’s just… me. Alone.”

She had wondered when the dam was going to burst. She couldn’t understand how he’d managed to seem so unaffected by the death of his siblings. She knew the mask he wore was only a front, that he’d trained himself not to show weakness, to be the best. But he couldn’t have not cared. And maybe he thought he didn’t at first, too wrapped up in the universe trying to swallow them whole, too preoccupied with her own family to notice his was no longer there. But now, once the madness had died down, once he got a moment of reprieve, some time to digest and listen to his own thoughts, suddenly he realized. They were gone.

She reached a hand forward and carefully placed it on his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, Ben.”

His eyes shimmered with unshed tears. He clenched his jaw, steeled his expression, and blinked the tears away. She gave a gentle squeeze on his shoulder and he turned to look at the gesture before slowly moving up to her face.

“I’m sorry it had to end this way. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, not even my worst enemy,” her thumb rubbed soothing circles against his shoulder. “But you’re not alone. We’re here and we’re not going to leave you. After all,” her lips quirked into a tiny smile, “we’ve got room for one more.”

Ben had a thoughtful look on his face, eyes skimming hers.

“You said I was nothing like him,” he reminded her. She pulled her hand away. “You said I was a disgrace to his memory.”

She felt the guilt well up inside her, forehead creasing. She had to look away.

“You’re right,” she nodded, squeezing her hands together. “I did say that. But I shouldn’t have. It was uncalled for, you didn’t deserve to hear that,” his eyes gleamed up at her, tickling the side of her face as she stared at her own glass. “It’s true that you’re nothing like him. But that’s okay. You’re not supposed to be. You’re just supposed to be you, whoever you want that to be.”

She chewed on her bottom lip, nails digging into her hands before meeting his gaze again. He had his arms crossed, leaning against the edge of the table, expression unreadable but his eyes were red-rimmed. She had a feeling it was mostly due to the champagne.

“I know what it’s like, feeling like you have to appease everyone. Like you have to excel at everything. I grew up with the same father you did,” her smile twisted into something more sardonic. “I could argue that ours might have been worse, but I don’t know. Nothing was ever good enough for him, no matter what we did. No matter what I did. He always wanted me to go that one step further. It’s exhausting chasing after his approval – I know because I always chased after it, always tried, ran marathons for it, and always fell short. Even today, seeing your version of him, it still bothered me that he didn’t care. That he made sure we weren’t his children because he was so disappointed in what we became.”

She sniffed, clearing her throat. “So I get it – wanting to be the best. I know you wish you were Number One,” Ben looked away at this. “I know you think you deserve it, that you had proven you were better than everyone else. I know that you always try to prove you’re better because your father set such unrealistic expectations for you that you feel you have to be the best or it’s not good enough. But you don’t,” she shook her head, watching his face as he took in her words. “You don’t have to be anything you don’t want to be. It’s not his decision to make. It’s yours.”

Ben’s face crumpled into something of a pout and in that moment he looked about ten years younger – like the Ben she remembered.

“I don’t think I know who I want to be,” he murmured, words slurring. She smiled again, this time a bit wider.

“Then welcome to the family, because none of us really do either.”

“The twerp seems to have the right idea,” Ben mused a few moments later. She followed her gaze over to Five, who was attempting to shoo Klaus away. His drunk demeanor already seemed to be wearing off slightly – something about Klaus must’ve been sobering him up.

She quirked her lips. “Probably.”

The sound of liquid being poured pulled her attention back to the table. Ben filled her glass back up before lifting his glass to her in a toast. She sighed but relented, clinking their glasses together.

“To the end of the fucking world,” Ben toasted and they downed their champagne.

Sam didn’t bother holding herself back, becoming more and more lax as Ben kept refilling her glass until their bottle ran empty. He stole another from the bar (he almost had to fight Five for it) and they were quick to drain it, too.

Sam wasn’t an alcoholic by any means, but once she got started, it was hard to stop. Alcohol seemed to be the only thing that could successfully shut off the reserved side of her brain – the part that was filled with worry, dread, fear. It made her body feel light, weightless, and after being crushed under a world so heavy and dark the past couple of months, she couldn’t get enough of it.

About half an hour later, Sam found herself attempting to support herself against the buffet as she watched her siblings (very badly) dance while Chet operated a fog machine, of all things. With the added benefit of alcohol, everything managed to be ten times funnier than it would be under normal circumstances. She found herself hunched over in laughter, almost stumbling to the ground more than once as she watched Klaus do the robot with Ben dancing goofily around him.

Ben came to stand (sway) next to her as Klaus dragged anyone into his dance routine that he could. They watched him with equally large smiles on their faces. Even in her drunken stupor, Sam realized how much more at ease Ben was with her and her family. It seemed he just needed a little liquid courage to loosen up.

Ben had another bottle in his hand, which he was drinking directly out of this time, and she watched him for a moment. Her eyes glided over his profile, trailing over his smooth, tanned skin and the small indent where the white scar ran down his cheekbone. His lips were widened in a grin, exposing white teeth. His smile was nice.

She’d always known Ben was handsome, but he’d really grown into his features in this timeline with his sharp jawline and defined collarbones. She felt something warm tingle in her stomach.

“Can I ask you something?” she directed to him. Ben turned to give her a bright smile, delightfully drunk.

“Ask awayyy, blondie.”

“That day when I told you about the Kugelblitz and we were talking about the other Ben… what did you mean when you said he probably felt the same way that I felt about him?”

“Well,” he began, loudly placing the bottle on the table behind them. “If you must know. There’s always been something a little familiar about you,” he wiggled his finger in her direction. “You and your annoying, talkative brother—”

“Klaus?”

“Whatever his name is. I didn’t get it at first because all of you were so irritating, but after hearing about the other Ben and how he was basically a copy of me, it kinda started to make sense. What if that version of Ben is connected to me?” he gestured boisterously towards himself.

She blinked owlishly at him.

“I’m not following…” she held up a hand. “Also you’re a copy of him, technically.”

“You guys being familiar to me… I think the other Ben is the reason for that. ‘Cause you guys were close, right? Maybe I’m just…” he waved his hand around, “Vibing with you.”

“I can’t believe you just said ‘vibing’,” she snorted before considering his words. Her lips curved into a sly smile. “So what you’re saying is, I was right when I said I’m growing on you.”

He rolled his eyes but she continued, moving closer to him teasingly, “You like me. You liiiike me.”

“How is it that you’re both irritating and cute as hell?” he countered, though a grin was beginning to form on his lips.

She pouted a bit, cheeks reddening. “You think I’m cute?”

He smirked. “I have no doubt the other Ben thought so.”

“But you aren’t the other Ben,” she gave him a pleased smile. He leaned in as well until their faces were only a few inches apart.

“And I bet you’re terribly upset by that.”

She pursed her lips and tilted her head, as if deep in thought. “I suppose you’re growing on me, too.”

He hummed, dark eyes flickering down to her lips. Their faces were so close at this point that it was almost impossible not to look. She bit the inside of her cheek. Her stomach was doing flips and turns and before she could figure out how to respond to her own body’s reactions, he leaned forward the rest of the way and pressed his lips to hers.

They were soft, as expected, and pleasantly warm. She couldn’t tell if her body was super cold or on fire, but either way she shivered as she pressed her palm against his chest. He stepped closer, bringing a hand up to cup her jaw as his lips moved against hers. She used her other hand to grip his arm, fingers pressing into the sleeves of his nice shirt.

They closed the rest of the gap between them, chest pressed against chest as he wrapped his free arm around her waist. She felt his fingers press into the dip of her lower back, digits gliding along the curve and slope of her spine. Her heart leapt as she felt the wet press of his tongue against her lips.

She sighed against his mouth and let him lead. He would grip a handful of her dress, tangle his fingers in her hair, lick deep into her mouth and all she could do was take whatever he gave her. Their kiss would break with a soft smack, only to have him come back in stronger, his taste and touch filling her senses until all she knew was Ben, Ben, Ben.

All too soon he pulled back a bit, their lips disconnecting with a string of saliva stretching between their bottom lips. He licked it away, the tip of his tongue flicking against her and she gave a soft moan, high-pitched but quiet. He kissed her again, just a press of lips against lips, before trailing down to her jaw and then her neck, where he pressed another kiss against her pulse.

She pulled away to see his face and he lifted his head to look at her, lips red and swollen and glistening. His breathing was uneven and he looked flushed down to his chest, though the smooth skin disappeared infuriatingly beneath the second button of his shirt so she couldn’t be sure.

She couldn’t resist and stole another kiss from him, wanting to mold herself against him and never let go. He bit her lip as she pulled away and she felt like she was going to jump out of her skin.

She licked her lips and opened her mouth to speak, trying to ignore how hoarse her voice was.

“So,” she croaked. “I’m growing on you a lot apparently.”

He bit his lower lip and gave her a heated stare.

“Well, something’s definitely growing.”

It took a moment for the innuendo to fully register in her brain and when it did her eyes widened. He pursed his lips in an attempt to suppress a giggle but then she pulled one of her hands from around his neck to slap his shoulder, hard enough for it to sting, and the giggles spilled from his lips.

Ignoring the heat on her cheeks, she squinted at him. “Are you this much of a dirty flirt when you’re sober?”

Ben gave her an affronted look nonetheless.

“Moi?” he exclaimed. She cackled, falling against his chest. His mouth was open in shock but he was still smiling. “I’m not the one defiling someone in a public setting. Nudity is not acceptable around your siblings, blondie, didn’t your father teach you that?”

As it turned out, her fingers really were working his shirt open one button at a time. She didn’t even realize she was doing it. She pulled her hands away, flushed down to her neck, and tried to ignore the lean chest she’d managed to expose.

“That’s the farthest thing from what my father would teach, Ben,” she chortled before arching a brow. “Did he teach you that?”

“I’m more self-taught when it comes to those things. Want me to show you?”

He laughed again, nearly crumpling against the buffet table as she gave him another open-mouthed stare.

“What, on God’s green Christian earth, is happening here?” Klaus’s voice interrupted Ben’s full body laughter. She turned to see him gesturing towards the space between them, or lack thereof, and then waving his hands wildly. “Separate, separate! Only one marriage is being consummated tonight!”

He yanked Ben away from her, who was still laughing, and the two of them nearly stumbled to the floor. Klaus ended up giggling at Ben’s clumsiness, which caused Sam to start laughing as well to cover up her embarrassment.

“Outside, you freaks!” Klaus shouted once he managed to right Ben, shooing the two of them towards the door.

She didn’t miss the way Klaus forced her to walk in front while him and Ben trailed behind her. They were draped over one another, probably in order to stand up straight. Sam glanced over her shoulder, eyes trailing downward, and… yep… Ben’s chest was about as red as her cheeks were. It made her feel hot all over and she quickly looked away before loudly asking Klaus where they were going.

He verbally directed her out onto the hotel’s large balcony where the ceremony had taken place earlier. The rest of the family aside from Allison were already sitting against or perched on the edge of the balcony. Sam spotted Sloane in her beautiful white gown cuddled up against Luther with his suit jacket draped over her shoulders and she had to smile to herself.

Somehow, despite all their differences, the two of them still managed to look good together.

“Oh no,” Diego called when the three of them came into view, jostling Lila in his lap. “Why’d you bring him out here?”

She knew without asking that he was referring to Ben and she most certainly was not going to be the one to answer him. She made her way towards Viktor, who gave her a careful half smile, and took a seat next to him after smoothing down her dress.

“C’mon,” Klaus whined. “He’s gotten better, I swear. He was swappin’ spit with our dear sister earlier so he’s practically family.”

“He what now?”

“I’m going to throw up.”

Diego and Five turned to squint at her and she gave them a sheepish wave, still riding her drunken haze just enough to not be completely mortified.

“Did he spike your drink?” Luther spoke up next, giving Sam a careful once over. She huffed a laugh until she realized he was serious.

“No!” She quickly denied and Klaus cackled.

“He’s a changed man,” their lanky brother intoned, pressing a hand to his heart. “C’mon, let the boy stay. He’s done no harm. I’m pretty sure their little escapade was one hundred percent consensual.”

“Klaus, please,” Sam rubbed her forehead. She glanced up between her fingers and caught the smirk Ben tossed her way. She shook her head but give a half-grin. It was so Klaus-and-Ben of them that she couldn’t be perturbed for long, enjoying the familiarity of their banter.

“Sickos,” Five droned, words slurring. “All of you are sickos.”

“Come on, big guy,” Klaus pouted, nudging Ben with his hip until he began to pout, as well. They were a powerful duo.

“Alright, alright,” Luther relented, and Klaus’s eyes lit up. “He can stay.”

“I won’t do it tonight since it’s Luther’s wedding night,” Diego announced, giving Ben a half-hearted glare, “but if I remember this conversation tomorrow, I’m kicking your ass.”

“Deal,” Klaus agreed for Ben, who only look mildly disconcerted by the threat.

The two of them made themselves comfortable on the ground in front of Sam and Viktor, Ben once again flashing a secret grin up at Sam with his glossy eyes. She nudged her foot against his lower back in response before glancing up at the sky.

Clouds of fire and smoke were roaring silently overhead, so thick and so vibrant that she felt as though she could reach forward and dip her finger into it. It was both terrifying and beautiful and she felt something sharp sweep through her gut that was quickly tampered out by the pleasant buzzing in her skull.

Now would have been a good time to go, when she didn’t have the ability to feel it. If only the world could end now, as they were, without fear or anticipation or anger.

“This is all I ever wanted,” said Luther after another moment of silence. “Just all of us together. No fighting or trying to save the world. Just… being in the moment.”

“I’m happy for you, Luther,” Sam told him. She gave him a smile when he turned to face her, seemingly surprised. “I know I haven’t told you and it was wrong of me not to. You’re my brother and I love you. If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

The genuine smile she received in return was reward enough, Luther’s eyes sparkling. “Thanks, Sam. Love you, too.”

She felt someone’s head fall back against her knee and she glanced down at Ben, whose hair was in disarray and falling over his forehead as he glanced up at her. Klaus had their arms winded together, tugging the boy as close to himself as he could. There was a cigarette tucked lazily between Ben’s lips (she was sure Klaus had given it to him), smoke floating up and tickling her nose.

He leaned back further, tucking his head and neck against her thigh, exposing part of her leg from beneath her dress and she flushed at the closeness. He turned to rub his cheek against her knee before pulling the cigarette from his lips so he could press them against her skin instead. She didn’t know how to react or what to say so instead she gave a small, hesitant smile.

He winked before moving his gaze to the sky, still resting back against her legs.

She carefully ran her fingers through his hair before looking back up as well, trying to ignore the painful swelling in her chest. Something about the look on his face was sobering to her, causing the tingling in the base of her skull to fade.

She decided she was going to need to be much, much drunker in order to make it through the rest of the night.

#ben hargreeves imagine #the umbrella academy imagine #ben hargreeves #umbrella academy #umbrella academy imagines

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baifengxis · 2 years

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endless gifsets of cdrama ladies ★ [37?]

ZHAO LIYING 赵丽颖 and ZHOU JIE QIONG 周洁琼 as ZHOU FEI and LI YAN LEGEND OF FEI 有匪 (2020 - 2021)

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senatushq · 5 months

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“The pain of being alone… is not an easy one to bear.” - Jacob Moretti

For five years The Great Old Ones and The Outer Gods expanded. Demigods around the world were taken hold of, those who swore fealty to them were subjugated, and those who did not were forced to dig in.

The draconic deity and true goddess of death, Tiamat stood at the helm of the Great Old Ones; The Lord of The Deep awoke from the bottom of the sea, the tides churned with his infernal power and from across the Astral more and more of their forces gathered. The Gods that were felled were not cast into Uthenera, instead their judgement was to be scattered, the will of the Graeae but Thanatos’ hands that happily performed the task.

Pelorus with his radar ability found stragglers, humans were the easiest to track down. Renfield had interfaced with The Eye’s network, their information was at his disposal. Additionally, by putting his tentacles into the minds of the halfbloodeds that were captured, he used their powers freely. Technopathy was the least among them, but amplified to its greatest extreme and the result was the unilateral firing of every significant technological weapon at the world’s disposal. Disarmed and reduced to sticks and stones, humanity had little defence against what would come next. Micah transmuted materials constantly as the earth was blanketed in Elysian gold and Otherworldly substances, Rawlins manufactured them endlessly as Eldritch technology was constructed on the fly, Cloe embedded the endless stream of sentinels with undying fealty and allegiance as the Great Old Ones prepared to war with the Seldarine and outlying pantheons once again. Elessar the syphon, took power directly from the paragons below, slowly draining the mortal realm as he did to power the great cities of the end of the world. Ismael brought the animals of the realm under the command of the Great Old Ones, even the squirrels and especially the horses. Blair created hemokinetic weaponry from her blood and the blood of the other trapped humans, all of which wielded by the automatons of The Great Old Ones.

The fey were the first to fall, captured from the battlefield, the chancellor’s and their subjects were planted beneath the blood orchard that Zahrya was so proud of. A primitive form of ambrosia, The Despair sewed the essence of the Laurelin’s single fruit into the earth and watched as the trees began to shine with an ethereal, golden light. Laer, Zahrya, Robin, Aurora, and Davheira were taken first. Meryasek followed as his once-warder died protecting him once again. Logon, Enfenim, Arakhor, Amadeus, Aegnor, and Levent were captured within the first year. Lia and the others in the years that followed. Stitched into the soil, the blood of the fey was not as effective as the elves, but the golden trees turned silver, as Laurelin faded to Telperion.

Five years down the line, mentally broken apart by Marzia, she worked alongside The Great Old One Renfield to bring Trivia under their control while ensuring she remained fully conscious, the tentacles embedded within Trivia’s mind manipulated her body and her power to their will, a necessity given Trivia’s power but ineffectiveness as a vessel. Trivia’s capture spelled the end of Haven, the safe refuge that had been built by Keket and her small force of rebels was revealed under the weight of Trivia’s significant magic, amplifying Pelorus’ radar abilities even further.

Keket was captured by Narcissus, restrained, and bled constantly for her power by The Despair to fuel their dark magic - her undeath sustained through unnatural means. Across the realm, those who'd fallen rose again to fight for The Great Old Ones. Vivianne, a recently minted spartoi, was also captured, while formalities surrounding possession made free will a product of permitting a Great Old One to take hold, a smaller version of the device used previously to turn off the promethean flame, fabricated by the imprisoned halfbloodeds, was used to erase the former Oracle’s individuality entirely. The ideal vessel for Tiamat’s daughter, Demetria possessed the woman that was once Vivianne. Meryasek was pulled from the ground, a daemonfey chosen as a vessel, Meryasek was broken in the same way as the former Oracle, his body given to Tiamat’s son, Mordukhavar.

Echion, Udaeus, and Hyperenor were sentinels among The Great Old Ones. Narcissus was having an eternal debate with himself as Luna brought forth the absent forces from the Abyss; Harellan controlled the legions of illithids that poured in. An empire of dark allegiance, more powerful than they had ever been before. The Despair's power flooded the depths of the realm and the Otherworld as serpents rose from their graves. Blessed with good fortune by Caio, The Great Old Ones and The Outer Gods could not lose. The Bottle, a great amalgamation of horror, was a mountain of nouns: people, places and things that rolled across the realm simply consuming and adding flesh and bone to its wretched mass of nightmares. Soren the impervious and the paralytic hunted those alongside Komos, the burning star that tore across the realm incinerating cities, monuments, and anything that resembled the former, dying world.

Where Rome once stood, the palace of the dragons and The Great Old Ones rose, Forsaken Rome, towering and gleaming. Above it the flying city of True Death, at the draconic city's core above, the Goddess Tiamat reigned supreme. Demetria served faithfully at her mother’s side alongside Mordukhavar. Starved and disrespected at every turn, Pluto’s magic was restrained by manacles making him undying but mortal in every other way. He served at the feet of the great draconic deities, filing their nails, scrubbing their scales, and picking the necrotic bodies of vampires from their teeth. Tiamat let her children do whatever they wished, the punishments unending and indicative of the wrath of a Dragon Goddess. Lilith planted hopelessness in his mind, in time the original vampire gave up entirely, any fight that remained within him died.

Enraged by everything, Remus gave in to the rampant thoughts of the myriad of monsters that flowed through his veins. Every creature that came across his path only made him stronger, he’d kill everyone, and he’d destroy everything just because he wanted to. Just because of what they’d taken from him. His hide was too strong to be pierced by glass, he couldn’t be affected by anything anymore, every strength compensated for some perceived weakness. The Great Old Ones knew that he could not be killed, and wherever they sent him he could just become stronger. Using Trivia like a puppet, the original witch cast Remus into the furthest depths of the Abyss, The Void: a space of absolute nothingness outside time and space where the First Terror would tumble and fall for eternity.

Found by Pelorus in the Otherworld, the necronomicon had served its purpose and Tiamat had no desire to share in her power with the Great Old One within, betraying it entirely, she had Komos destroy it alongside Tepiltzin. Pythia was captured and brought to Forsaken Rome with the siblings that she’d helped to release from the Inferno. The archfiends were meant to be respected, feared, and revered, now instead they served at the behest of deities once more.

The begrudging generals of Tiamat’s armies: Lucifer, Beelzebub, Pythia, Sathanas, Asmodeus, and Megaera controlled the great legions of demons that patrolled Forsaken Rome and the surrounding countryside. Hunted by Harellan; Tisiphone, Viktor, Virgil, Isla, and Evan were cut down. Soren butchered Uriel, Grayson, and Harlow. Assan killed Hazal, and forced Aren to fight Octavian to the death, killed by the phoenix, Aren was denied an afterlife as his brother consumed his soul like he had Dionaeia's. Pelorus, the great hunter, was responsible for the hunt and capture of countless, among those he killed personally were Jamie, Aurea, and Aelia. Udaeus killed the dopple KJ and Yasmin, Calista, Valentina, and Remi. Narcissus talked Tripp to death while Luna killed both Adrian and Nikolai; Echion cut down Hazal and Sariel while Hyperenor killed Angel and Ariston expeditiously.

The war had broken Anders’ already fragile mind, Dante was killed, Nicolas was torn apart by infinite killer bees, and the Tana Pack had been wiped out; he lost everything. Anders lost the ability to change back into a man, Lycaon and his pack of wild dogs outlasted the rest of the world. Violent and unruly, bloodthirsty and savage. Lucas, a madman, Regina heartbroken and devastated, hateful Otsana, shattered Eric, and ruined Romeo: they’d survived the devastation of The Eye but had been broken by the war instead. Trapped in lycan form, unable to control themselves, Lycaon’s pack was a blight and a scourge. Their bite could poison and weaken even the Great Old Ones, their minds were resistant to magic and united together they were a force to be reckoned with.

Pulled from the field and brought to the Demonweb Pits, Evanuris took the Matron of all Mothers, Nyloth: this war was not the first war to be lost, and The Weaver’s displeasure in Queen Ayi’ig had been evident from the moment that The Handmaiden arrived. But there was one woman that Lloth still favoured, one among countless, a diamond amidst useless coal: Nyloth. It was within that the Matron underwent her dark sacrament, Lloth permitted the drow to feast on her flesh and join her in the Abyss. It was here that they would continue to weave and continue to plan, Lloth’s true intentions impossible to discern from only a few simple strands.

At the fall of the realm, Faerinaal had no interest in remaining for a doomed cause. Perhaps he’d arrived at the Court of Drow too late, but it didn’t matter now, the Founder slipped into the Underdark and would serve his own blade until Lloth called to him once more. An exile among the high elves, Circe had few options now, she was a friend of the fey but she would not suffer the same fate as they. There were many realms within the Otherworld and many paths, the light elf chose to take her chances and left the mortal realm behind, choosing to leave with the refugees.

So, this was the end of the world? It didn’t look like how Lucretia imagined it would, but at least before the big bombs started dropping she’d hoarded enough alcohol to sedate even a dragon for fifteen years. When she’d fallen from the tower she should have stayed dead, she didn’t though. It was there in a broken heap of mangled flesh and bones that she had come back together, Lucretia could still shift and there was a time where the aspect remained solely in the form of a dragon. These Great Old Ones were pretty fucked, she hadn’t seen any of this coming, hadn’t known that all of her friends would die and she’d be left alone here to rot. Her girlfriend was gone, wasn’t that just a bitch? If anyone was looking towards her to play the part of an unlikely hero, then they needed to look again.

It was only after Octavian had killed his one-hundredth druid that he realised there was no point in taking their souls, his power would not increase. Hundreds of traits and too many minds to put straight swam within his own but through the mania the mad phoenix knew that his power was tied indelibly to the necronomicon. He’d destroyed it and destroyed a part of himself in the process, he’d weakened it and weakened himself in the process, but it was out there somewhere. Octavian didn’t want it, he needed it, needed it to feel complete again, and needed it to settle the rampant thoughts that screamed around inside his skull.

Taken into the stars, there were countless places for Yavie and Hayliel to hide. The Blessed were almost all dead now, Lamia was dead, Somniar was dead, and Severon was turned into tree fuel. There was no reason to remain in the mortal realm… Farenduil, Meryasek and Zahrya though… And Yavie supposed Robin too, they were still in danger. Atarniel and Adatiel, Hayliel thought the two of them were okay so he didn’t want to just leave them to die. There wasn’t anything about the mortal realm that was luxurious anymore, so while the two could have drank margaritas at the end of the world, they prepared to save their friends and family instead.

Within the Otherworld, deep within the fallen Court of Drow, the mechs that had defected took to tinkering. They were resistant to magic and could compensate for any divine power thrown at them, for fourteen years they operated beneath Pelorus’ detection, and for fourteen years they grew their forces. Expanding and growing, until one day the Clockwork race of autonomous machines emerged from the Otherworld and immediately began to lay siege across the Otherworld. They built facilities that deprived the Duat from consuming the souls, organic life couldn’t be reconsecrated and as more and more were wiped out by the machines, life began to fade entirely.

Over the course of a single year the Clockwork expanded a great deal, the spellplague had no effect on them, and the machines had evolved to a point where nearly all spells were ineffective. Into the Underdark they grew, they stretched into the mortal realm by hidden ways far below the earth’s mantle. Their great mining facility within the Court of Drow had drilled down into the Paragon itself, it was there that they harvested the creature dry and slaughtered the legions of goblins within.

Organic life in the Otherworld would soon come to an end, without significant opposition, they expanded without any impediments: into what was once the Inferno, and into the empty fields of Elysium, Elysia, and even as far as Hyperborea. In time, all of Faerûn would be theirs and the World Tree would be purged of natural life, the age of the Clockwork had begun.

The Great Old Ones sealed themselves within the mortal realm, it was here that the Clockwork were constantly trying to break through, and it was here that Trivia was made to keep them out.

At the fall of Haven, a new rebellion was born amidst the survivors in the catacombs beneath Forsaken Rome. Under Titania’s leadership, she appointed Melpomene, Mars, Venus, and Juno as her generals. What fey remained were brought into the fold, though the sole survivors of the mortal realm were gathered here. Rainer, Kaan, Sanem, Eoin, Nirvaan, Gaybe, Tamlen, Emory, Nathaniel, Adatiel, Ayla, Felandaris, Ezekiel, Zagreus, Prometheus, Esme, Marisol, Andruil, Cedric, Atarniel, Rhovanor, Serissa, Gael, and Xerxes. Soul survivors that had mostly retained their mental faculties.

Sanem was the Future, a brilliant genius without any living equal. Felandaris’ mastery of shadow magic meant there was very little that the Architect could not accomplish. Tamlen, a celestial elf, was possessed with an unlimited supply of magic, though he’d learned that there were limits to what even he could do. Titania, Melpomene, Juno, Venus, and Mars were resolved to save their people no matter the cost, and as the Architect proposed an idea, they all went to work. A structure fit to hold a primordial God, a vessel powerful enough to contain him, a spell detailed and strong enough to summon him, and enough time to complete all of these things. Five years in Haven fell, and it would be another ten years beneath Forsaken Rome until the rebels’ plan could come to fruition.

Far above Pelorus was always searching, his radar ability alone was difficult to disrupt, but the rebels scavenged the realms for what they could dismantle and find. Prometheus the thief and the trickster, the vampires who lived would take what they could and return it to be repurposed. Emory and Eoin with spells to shield their presence, Marisol there to comfort those that remained at the end of the world. The last of the reapers, her fellow spirits had all either chosen to retire or were captured and forced to; Death had come but still Marisol and Adatiel remained. Kaan, powerless and mortal remained, a cynic at the end of the world.

From the presence of the illithids Rhovanor was able to shield those closest to him, make them all but invisible with his psionic magic. Nirvaan, Tamlen, Xerxes, Rainer, Ayla, Ezekiel, Atarniel, Serissa, Esme, Zagreus, Andruil, Nathaniel, Melpomene, Mars, and Titania were the last warriors at the end of the world. Nothing came without sacrifice so for years the rebels would fight and they would toil, the plan was driven from antiquity, one that had been enacted so many times before. Though, never to this degree. Felandaris’ strategy was a hail mary: Sisyphus had trapped Thanatos in his own chains, and Ulthar had once been tied up in ropes with many knots. There was one God that had been freed that was older than both of these deities combined: Time.

A vessel laid far below the city, abandoned and forgotten in the bowels of necromanteion. Cthonius’ corpse, preserved, lay waiting. Clockwork machines scratched at the boundary to the mortal realm, trying desperately to break through, and within the orchards around Forsaken Rome, the elves were begging to be freed. One final battle to distract The Great Old Ones while they worked, and through Cronus' resurrection they would either bring everyone back, or they would destroy him and the timeline completely. Three things were needed: Keket's freedom, Trivia's freedom, and Cthonius' corpse. And, at long last, the fey would be pulled from the Garden.

ooc info:

Here is a definitive list of the survivors.

Lycans listed in Lycaon's pack are still playable, but they're crazy and trapped in wolf form.

Please use the next ten days to wrap up any character deaths, and finish up any old event threads wherever possible. The world state will be permanently changed as of the 20th. Old threads are still allowed and even encouraged, just be mindful that this will all be over soon.

#senatus.theend #senatus.viii #senatus.event #senatus.plot

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