#nixie of the pond

[softlytowardthesun]

Wich are your favorite fairy tale couples/romances and why?

*cracks knuckles* I'm excited for this one!

It's important to note that not all of these are necessarily "canon" to the story, whatever that nebulous word means in the context of oral traditions. Still, the fun of fairy tales as a genre is the audience participation aspect, allowing you to fill in our own imaginative gaps.

Gold-Tree, her husband, and her wife from "Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree": in this Celtic variant of "Snow White", the handsome prince fills the role that the dwarfs occupy in Grimm. She marries him and temporarily escapes her mother, but the wicked Silver-Tree finds Gold-Tree and poisons her. Thinking her dead, the prince takes another wife, and in a total reversal of "Bluebeard", the second princess walks into the forbidden room where Gold-tree slumbers, finds the thorn, and breaks the spell. The second princess then kills Silver-Tree when she makes her third attempt on Gold-Tree's life, and " prince and his two wives were long alive after this, pleased and peaceful."

The Peasant and the Soldier from "The Grave Mound": A comical story about two poor men who win their fortune through conning the Devil, which ends with them co-habitating and "living in rest and peace...as long as God is pleased to permit". I fell in love with this story after reading the dedicated chapter for it in the terrific academic anthology "Transgressive Tales: Queering the Grimms".

Betushka and the Wood Maiden: Every day at noon, a mysterious and beautiful maiden appears to the farm girl Betushka. They dance together until the sun goes down, and I'm just so moved by how it's described: "Betushka's cheeks burned, her eyes shone. She forgot her spinning, she forgot her goats. All she could do was gaze at her partner who was moving with such grace and lightness that the grass didn't seem to bend under her slender feet." Ultimately, Betushka succumbs to an Orpheus-style moment of weakness that separates them forever. Tragic, but undeniably beautiful.

The Clever Farmgirl and the King: I love a battle of wits where the two parties challenge each other but clearly respect and love one another. You listed this as one of your favorite tale types, and in hindsight, I'm inclined to agree.

Tam Lin and Janet: these two need no introduction. A haunting ballad of love and the transformations that it always entails. (Just please, never the non-consensual variants.) I have to shout out Overly Sarcastic Productions on YouTube for introducing me to this story, and the "Which Fairytale Lady Are You?" quiz, which assigned me Janet. I hope to be as bold and confident as this heroine, in love and in life.

Prince Yousif and Louliyya, Daughter of Morgan: An Egyptian relative of Rapunzel, I love their fierce and undying commitment to each other, and their resilience in the face of the many challenges between them and their happy ending.

The Lady and the Lion from "The Singing, Springing Lark": A "Beauty and the Beast" variant where the heroine knows about the curse from the word go, and they actually live happily in spite of his back-and-forth between his human and lion forms for a while, even having a child together. Of course, circumstances force them apart, and she travels to the Sun, the Moon, the Four Winds, and the Red Sea to get him back. It's a relationship built on honesty, communication, and willingness to sacrifice for one another. When people talk about wanting a fairy tale Prince Charming, this is the guy I picture.

The One-Handed Girl and her Prince: A lovely (if at times gruesome) Swahili story of a woman deprived of everything by her wicked brother, she finds love in a charming prince and they start a family together. When her love is out warring, her wicked brother rears his head and persuades her in-laws to banish her to the wilderness, and tell the prince that she and her baby died. I'm always moved by the makeshift funeral her husband arranges when he hears the wicked brother-turned-royal-advisor's lie, and their reunion at the end.

The couple from "The Nixie of the Pond": When her husband succumbs to a mysterious nixie, the heroine conducts a series of moonlight rituals, offering a comb, a flute, and a spinning wheel to the water spirit in exchange for his safe return. Of course, the nixie doesn't play fair, but they eventually get their hard-earned happy ending, finding each other under the moonlight listening to the same song she used to bargain for his rescue.

Broadening the definition of "fairy tales", I have to include Dorothy and Ozma, Clara / Marie and her Nutcracker, and Ahmed and Pari Banu. There are also stories with pairings that, while I can't honestly say I support, I still find compelling: Shahrazad leading Shahryar through the most intense talk therapy session in world literature, whatever the heck is going on with Velina and Tayzanne, the quasi-erotic dynamic of this proto-Little Red Riding Hood. Plus there's some terrific villain couples I love to hate, like the witch and her lover in "The Tale of the Ensorcelled Prince" (sorry, Burton's translation is all I could find online; if you have the chance, read Yasmine Seale's version of the text).

As you can tell, I've thought about this stuff a lot and I'm eager to talk about it. What are some of the romances and relationships you love / find compelling in fairy tales?

#ask response #ariel seagull wings #fairy tales #1001 nights #nixie of the pond #gold tree and silver tree #the grave mound #the wood maiden #the one handed girl #jack the master and jack the servant #the singing springing lark #tam lin #louliyya daughter of morgan #the farmer's clever daughter

[godzilla-reads]

📖 The Nixie of the Mill-Pond and Other European Stories (A Cautionary Fables & Fairy Tales Book) edited by Kel McDonald and Kate Ashwin

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The third volume of the Cautionary Fables & Fairy Tales graphic novel series is a wild romp through some of Europe’s most famous fables and lesser known favorites, ranging from sly humor to dark fireside tales.

I really enjoyed the book in this series on Asian stories, so I thought I’d give the other books a read. I didn’t enjoy this one as much, a lot of the art was just ok and the stories felt like they went by pretty quick.

The three I enjoyed the best were “Hamelin’s Piper”(Germany) by Jose Pimienta, “Tatterhood”(Norway) by Kate and Shaggy Shanahan, and “Kid Brother”(Russia) by Carla Speed McNeil.

“Hamelin’s Piper” is about a Piper who is not rightfully treated after serving a great act, so he takes vengeance on the ones who mock him.

“Tatterhood” is about two sisters, one a perfect flower of a child, and the other a wild beastly thing. But they love each other and fight trolls!

“Kid Brother” is about a girl whose younger brother gets turned into a goat.

#godzilla reads #the nixie of the mill pond #the nixie of the mill pond and other European stories #a cautionary fables & fairy tales book #book review #cautionary fables and fairytales #graphic novels #fairy tales #folk tales #reading #booklr #bookworm #bookish #book blog

[ipomoea-ae]

Toss a Coin in the Pool, Make thy Wish, o Fool – Un Sou par l'Onde englouti, Faire un Vœu, c'est Folie

Me: I wanna draw something easy… Something quick

Also me:

WHAt abOuT 🤩a merfolk PONdFOlk wITh FOur (4) ArMS???😵‍💫💫

He's tiny, but wily. Don't go calling him a newt!

#fantasy #mermaid #fair folk #treasure #originalcharacter #illustration #newt #digitalart #krita #originalart #nature #frenchartist #pond #water sprite #nixie

[ariel-seagull-wings]

@softlytowardthesun @grimoireoffolkloreandfairytales @thealmightyemprex @the-blue-fairie @themousefromfantasyland @amalthea9

The Nixie of the Mill Pond

(A folk tale collected by the Brothers Grimm where the focus is a love story between a miller's son and a peasant girl, who has to save him from the titular Nixie of the Mill Pond)

There was once upon a time a miller who lived with his wife in great contentment. They had money and land, and their prosperity increased year by year more and more. But ill-luck comes like a thief in the night, as their wealth had increased so did it again decrease, year by year, and at last the miller could hardly call the mill in which he lived, his own. He was in great distress, and when he lay down after his day’s work, found no rest, but tossed about in his bed, full of care. One morning he rose before daybreak and went out into the open air, thinking that perhaps there his heart might become lighter. As he was stepping over the mill-dam the first sunbeam was just breaking forth, and he heard a rippling sound in the pond. He turned round and perceived a beautiful woman, rising slowly out of the water. Her long hair, which she was holding off her shoulders with her soft hands, fell down on both sides, and covered her white body. He soon saw that she was the Nixie of the Mill Pond, and in his fright did not know whether he should run away or stay where he was. But the nix made her sweet voice heard, called him by his name, and asked him why he was so sad? The miller was at first struck dumb, but when he heard her speak so kindly, he took heart, and told her how he had formerly lived in wealth and happiness, but that now he was so poor that he did not know what to do.

“Be easy,” answered the nix, “I will make thee richer and happier than thou hast ever been before, only thou must promise to give me the young thing which has just been born in thy house.”

“What else can that be,” thought the miller, “but a young puppy or kitten?” and he promised her what she desired. The Nixie descended into the water again, and he hurried back to his mill, consoled and in good spirits. He had not yet reached it, when the maid-servant came out of the house, and cried to him to rejoice, for his wife had given birth to a little boy. The miller stood as if struck by lightning; he saw very well that the cunning nix had been aware of it, and had cheated him. Hanging his head, he went up to his wife’s bedside and when she said, “Why dost thou not rejoice over the fine boy?” he told her what had befallen him, and what kind of a promise he had given to the nix.

“Of what use to me are riches and prosperity?” he added, “if I am to lose my child; but what can I do?” Even the relations, who had come thither to wish them joy, did not know what to say. In the meantime prosperity again returned to the miller’s house. All that he undertook succeeded, it was as if presses and coffers filled themselves of their own accord, and as if money multiplied nightly in the cupboards. It was not long before his wealth was greater than it had ever been before. But he could not rejoice over it untroubled, the bargain which he had made with the Nixie tormented his soul. Whenever he passed the Mill Pond, he feared she might ascend and remind him of his debt. He never let the boy himself go near the water.

“Beware,” he said to him, “if thou dost but touch the water, a hand will rise, seize thee, and draw thee down.” But as year after year went by and the nix did not show herself again, the miller began to feel at ease. The boy grew up to be a youth and was apprenticed to a huntsman. When he had learnt everything, and had become an excellent huntsman, the lord of the village took him into his service. In the village lived a beautiful and true-hearted maiden, who pleased the huntsman, and when his master perceived that, he gave him a little house, the two were married, lived peacefully and happily, and loved each other with all their hearts.

One day the huntsman was chasing a roe; and when the animal turned aside from the forest into the open country, he pursued it and at last shot it. He did not notice that he was now in the neighbourhood of the dangerous Mill Pond, and went, after he had disembowelled the stag, to the water, in order to wash his blood-stained hands. Scarcely, however, had he dipped them in than the Nixie ascended, smilingly wound her dripping arms around him, and drew him quickly down under the waves, which closed over him. When it was evening, and the huntsman did not return home, his wife became alarmed. She went out to seek him, and as he had often told her that he had to be on his guard against the snares of the nix, and dared not venture into the neighbourhood of the Mill Pond, she already suspected what had happened.

She hastened to the water, and when she found his hunting-pouch lying on the shore, she could no longer have any doubt of the misfortune. Lamenting her sorrow, and wringing her hands, she called on her beloved by name, but in vain. She hurried across to the other side of the Pond, and called him anew; she reviled the Nixie with harsh words, but no answer followed. The surface of the water remained calm, only the crescent moon stared steadily back at her. The poor woman did not leave the pond. With hasty steps, she paced round and round it, without resting a moment, sometimes in silence, sometimes uttering a loud cry, sometimes softly sobbing. At last her strength came to an end, she sank down to the ground and fell into a heavy sleep. Presently a dream took possession of her.

She was anxiously climbing upwards between great masses of rock; thorns and briars caught her feet, the rain beat in her face, and the wind tossed her long hair about. When she had reached the summit, quite a different sight presented itself to her; the sky was blue, the air soft, the ground sloped gently downwards, and on a green meadow, gay with flowers of every colour, stood a pretty cottage. She went up to it and opened the door; there sat an old woman with white hair, who beckoned to her kindly. At that very moment, the poor woman awoke, day had already dawned, and she at once resolved to act in accordance with her dream. She laboriously climbed the mountain; everything was exactly as she had seen it in the night.

The old woman received her kindly, and pointed out a chair on which she might sit. “Thou must have met with a misfortune,” she said, “since thou hast sought out my lonely cottage.” With tears, the woman related what had befallen her. “Be comforted,” said the old woman, “I will help thee. Here is a golden comb for thee. Tarry till the full moon has risen, then go to the Mill Pond, seat thyself on the shore, and comb thy long black hair with this comb. When thou hast done, lay it down on the bank, and thou wilt see what will happen.”

The woman returned home, but the time till the full moon came, passed slowly. At last the shining disc appeared in the heavens, then she went out to the Mill Pond, sat down and combed her long black hair with the golden comb, and when she had finished, she laid it down at the water’s edge. It was not long before there was a movement in the depths, a wave rose, rolled to the shore, and bore the comb away with it. In not more than the time necessary for the comb to sink to the bottom, the surface of the water parted, and the head of the huntsman arose. He did not speak, but looked at his wife with sorrowful glances. At the same instant, a second wave came rushing up, and covered the man’s head.

All had vanished, the Mill Pond lay peaceful as before, and nothing but the face of the full moon shone on it. Full of sorrow, the woman went back, but again the dream showed her the cottage of the old woman. Next morning she again set out and complained of her woes to the wise woman. The old woman gave her a golden flute, and said, “Tarry till the full moon comes again, then take this flute; play a beautiful air on it, and when thou hast finished, lay it on the sand; then thou wilt see what will happen.” The wife did as the old woman told her. No sooner was the flute lying on the sand than there was a stirring in the depths, and a wave rushed up and bore the flute away with it. Immediately afterwards the water parted, and not only the head of the man, but half of his body also arose. He stretched out his arms longingly towards her, but a second wave came up, covered him, and drew him down again.

“Alas, what does it profit me?” said the unhappy woman, “that I should see my beloved, only to lose him again!” Despair filled her heart anew, but the dream led her a third time to the house of the old woman.

She set out, and the wise woman gave her a golden spinning-wheel, consoled her and said, “All is not yet fulfilled, tarry until the time of the full moon, then take the spinning-wheel, seat thyself on the shore, and spin the spool full, and when thou hast done that, place the spinning-wheel near the water, and thou wilt see what will happen.”

The woman obeyed all she said exactly; as soon as the full moon showed itself, she carried the golden spinning-wheel to the shore, and span industriously until the flax came to an end, and the spool was quite filled with the threads. No sooner was the wheel standing on the shore than there was a more violent movement than before in the depths of the Pond, and a mighty wave rushed up, and bore the wheel away with it. Immediately the head and the whole body of the man rose into the air, in a water-spout. He quickly sprang to the shore, caught his wife by the hand and fled. But they had scarcely gone a very little distance, when the whole Pond rose with a frightful roar, and streamed out over the open country.

The fugitives already saw death before their eyes, when the woman in her terror implored the help of the old woman, and in an instant they were transformed, she into a toad, he into a frog. The flood which had overtaken them could not destroy them, but it tore them apart and carried them far away. When the water had dispersed and they both touched dry land again, they regained their human form, but neither knew where the other was; they found themselves among strange people, who did not know their native land. High mountains and deep valleys lay between them. In order to keep themselves alive, they were both obliged to tend sheep. For many long years they drove their flocks through field and forest and were full of sorrow and longing. When spring had once more broken forth on the earth, they both went out one day with their flocks, and as chance would have it, they drew near each other.

They met in a valley, but did not recognize each other; yet they rejoiced that they were no longer so lonely. Henceforth they each day drove their flocks to the same place; they did not speak much, but they felt comforted. One evening when the full moon was shining in the sky, and the sheep were already at rest, the shepherd pulled the flute out of his pocket, and played on it a beautiful but sorrowful air.

When he had finished he saw that the shepherdess was weeping bitterly. “Why art thou weeping?” he asked. “Alas,” answered she, “thus shone the full moon when I played this air on the flute for the last time, and the head of my beloved rose out of the water.” He looked at her, and it seemed as if a veil fell from his eyes, and he recognized his dear wife, and when she looked at him, and the moon shone in his face she knew him also. They embraced and kissed each other, and no one need ask if they were happy.

#the nixie of the mill pond #fairy tales #folklore #brothers grimm #fantasy #tumblr mutuals #mythology

[joemerl]

Faebruary/Februfairy 2023, Day 28: "Moon"

Toby sat in Everett's computer chair, his feet kicking several inches above the floor. "Hey," he said. "Do your water powers change because of the moon?"

Everett blinked. "Not...that I know of?"

"Oh." He pointed at the screen. "Well, in this fairy tale, there's an evil water fairy who kidnapped a guy, and the guy's wife met this old lady who told her to do stuff on the full moon, and she did it and it got him back."

Everett made a face, looking over his shoulder. "I don't kidnap people," he mumbled. "Anyway, that sounds like the old lady's magic had to do with the moon, not the water fairy's. Right?"

Toby shrugged. "I guess. But the moon affects waterbending on Avatar, so I thought maybe you worked the same."

Everett stared.

"The full moon makes waterbending stronger, not weaker."

Toby threw up his hands. "Well, maybe you work the opposite! I don't know!"

#And Toby's the resident expert on magic. #Faebruary #Februfairy #Fairy #Fairies #Fae #The Fair Folk #Changeling WIP #The Moon #Changeling #Nix #Nixie #Nokk #Water sprite #The Nix in the Mill Pond #The Nixie of the Mill-Pond #Fairy tale #Fairy tales #Fairytale #Fairytales #Avatar the Last Airbender

[muffinlance]

Nixies... exactly how humanoid do you envision them? Because I read "dragonfly nixie" and started to sketch with only a photograph of a dragonfly larvae from my grandpa's pond as reference because no internet connection... and it ended up up as a creature with only vaguely humanoid demeanor lounging on a rock (between me wanting to incorporate at least some anthropomorphised features and wing like draping things it looks more like a cricket to be honest). Second attempt is more humanoid but looks a bit like a hippie fortune-teller with giant sunglasses and a severely swollen face. I get the increasing feeling "dragonfly" didn't refer to the face shape...

I have been picturing them as mermaid-like but with the body transition happening closer to the shoulders. So the wolf-eating nixie was, like, 70% toddler-sized dragonfly nymph transitioning to one last set of human arms (with lovely carapace texturing) topped by a little girl's face draped with wet hair that's half water weeds because combs whomst? and dragonfly eyes. No eyelids. But the most important part is that she is definitely smiling. I'll let you imagine what sort of mouth she is doing so with.

#nixie: crunch munches down to the marrow #Aaron: exits stage left with a reindeer friend #the reindeer friend is always moving slightly faster then him #just in case any predators get any ideas #Aaron can respect that kind of initiative #and absolutely won't teach his reindeer friend the word Hamstrung unless and until it becomes relevant #at which point it's been lovely walking directly behind it #fox's tongue and kirin's bone #sometimes friendship is a mutual pact of Not It

[sophiainspace]

Ten characters of ten fandoms, ten tags.

Thanks to @crestfallercanyon for the tag!

1. Faith Lehane, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

2. Zari Tomaz, Legends of Tomorrow

3. Beckett Mariner, Star Trek: Lower Decks

4. Dana Scully, The X-Files

5. Amy Pond, Doctor Who

6. La’An Noonien-Singh, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

7. Sharon “Athena” Agathon, Battlestar Galactica

8. MacKenzie McHale, Newsroom

9. Harmony Cobel, Severance

10. Ro Laren, Star Trek: The Next Generation

(Hey look, all women! But not enough villains. A nice number of dark-haired morally ambiguous types though. Unsurprisingly.)

Tagging without obligation: @kattahj @nixie-deangel @peppersandcats @simpledontmeanpeachy @joanthangroff @angst-is-love-angst-is-life @purpleyin @sugar-haus @beccaelizabeth315 @firewins919

#tag meme #fanfic and fandom #random stuff

[bradshawsbitch]

the lullaby of mother troll;

masterlist | next chapter

summary; as a child, rhett had heard all about wood wifes, nymphs, nixies and vittror from his mother, as she told the tales that had passed from mouth to mouth throught the passing of time. he had always found water nymphs to be exceptionally fascinating… though his older brother perry assured him there were no such things in real life.

warnings; mentions of alcohol, adult themes in general, complicated emotions, family woes, whimsy.

word count; 2.6K

For as long as man-kind has roamed the earth, they have lived their lives through lore. Through the traveling of stories they live on - tales that prevail through the very lives that conjured them. Some fall into shadow, to be forgotten. Some live on, in an altered version of its older siblings. Creatures and beings, who once held such importance to mankind and their beliefs and superstitions long set aside as whimsy and lore - not to be anchored within the reality of man.

Some tales told to scare, some to comfort, some to nurture, and some to warn. Do not dwell out in the woods, or the vittra will bewitch you and curse your luck. Do not be lured by the sweet music of the water, for the nixie might lure you into the depths of the lake. And do not insult the wood wife with firearms as you enter her domain, for she will smite any man that dare shoot at her. 

These tales are still told to this day, but more so to carry on the history of human creativity, of the faith and beliefs of old. 

Cecelia had told these tales to her sons before bed, her body shifting so she faced her youngest more often than not. For she thought if she ever had to trudge through murky woods to find her heathen of a son again, she might scream out loud. 

The boy in question sat enraptured at the tale his mama told, clear blue eyes glittering like a clear lake on a windless day as Cecelia spoke of trolls, of wood wives, and of nymphs.

“Mama… I like the nymphs, they seem like the nicest ones you’ve told us about so far, right Per’?” her youngest looked to her oldest, and the elder of the two scoffed and rolled his eyes at his brother “You know they’re not real, right?” Perry rolled his eyes again for good measure, as his younger brother looked down, abashed, at his blankie that he held close to his chest. 

Rhett did not know that. His mama told him about them, he didn’t figure mama would lie. She told him not to. The younger boy didn’t tell his brother how much this revelation hurt him, because only yesterday when he had shed tears, his father had brusquely told him to stop.

Rhett so badly wished the nymphs were real. It was why he ran to the lake in the woods so much, to see if he could ever see one. His mother never knew why her son had taken such an interest in the lore around nymphs - sometimes it took her hours to drag her son away from the pond deep in the woods - where he would sit as if patiently waiting for someone. Drawn by the still, glittering waters. 

Some folklore had traveled not only through time, but over the seas as well - touching every  crevice where mankind stepped its foot. Though some were contained to a village, or an area surrounding. In Wabang, Cecelia knew there was one that some of the older townsfolk still believed.

The tale of a woman… the woman who resided within the woods, lakes and mountain ranges. Some called her the wood wife - men who were enchanted by beauty and promise of bountiful hunt back in the 1800’s, some called her the nymph - she who resided in waters and protected the woodland realm and all its creatures. 

She was different from the other tales though, for she would find a life long love - some believed it was her soulmate. She was no immortal being, though she was said to live far longer than any man. Any man who was selected by the nymph were lucky folk, for her love was everlasting - it was said. Some of the older residents of Wabang spoke of the last time she had chosen her one love, many many years ago.

The tall tale was told by a man deep in his drink, something he blamed on having sighted her ethereal being without being her love. He had sighted her with a man, with love in his eyes as she placed flowers in his hair. 

He told all who would listen of her beauty as she looked at her beloved, and how her face had contorted as she noticed him staring - her features twisting something awful - as if she could sense his tainted soul and mind. His dark thoughts and desires. She reflected him, his entire being back to him and he has not gone a day without a strong bottle or two since. 

Time went on, as it does, and soon Rhett was no longer a small boy running to the lake in the woods, his whole body vibrating as he sat patiently watching the wildlife. He felt as if something should be here. Something he was waiting for. When he got older, he did still visit the lake - though his enthusiasm and excitement dimmed, as it does with children who grow up too fast, too hard, and left to learn how to navigate life on their lonesome. 

As he grew older, he would sometimes bring girls into the woods. Never to the lake, no, that didn’t feel right. He usually brought them to the foot of the mountain, hiking skirts up their waists, or bending them over rocks with their boot cut jeans at their ankles. It was never as Perry had described it, Rhett usually thought as he finished. He never felt very satisfied, and sometimes he wouldn’t reach his peak at all, instead making sure his partner reached their high and pretending he did too. He chased it though - wanted to know about that euphoric feeling his friends and older brother had told him about. 

For a long time he figured he just ain’t wired right. He was made for bullridin’, drinkin’, smokin’ and being a dog. Sleeping in his truck on cold Wyoming nights, not wanting to wake his niece or his parents - too tired to hear yet another tirade about ‘being more like his brother’ and ‘learning some damn respect’.

He lit a cigarette on those nights sometimes, inhaling deeply as he looked up to the small glittering stars that dotted the night sky. There was something familiar in their pattern, he’d always felt.

Rhett always felt more right in nature. Always felt more right in the woods, by the lake. He had felt that deep restlessness take hold of him for quite some time now, settling in his chest. Sometimes he wondered if it was eased by going to the lake.

Inhaling the cooler night air on his 23rd birthday, Rhett licked his lips as he thought of how long it had been since he had visited his lake. As he pondered, he brought the side of his thumb to his mouth, picking at the already torn skin there with his teeth, brows furrowed slightly. It had to have been more than a year since he last visited the lake, and even longer since he had had a swim. 

Climbing into his truck, he winced as it roared to life in the still night sky outside of his parents house. He was sure to get an earful for that one in the morning. Perhaps he would have to spend the night by the lake to not disturb his family’s sleep again. The loud engine echoed as he sped across the pastures, only stopping when he reached the edge of the forest, swiftly grabbing a blanket and a flashlight from the trunk of the car and beginning the well traveled path to the lake. 

As soon as his silhouette could no longer be seen from the pasture, a shaky sigh of relief left Rhett’s parted lips. It felt as if the trees around him were humming with delight at his appearance, and he heard the soft hoots of an owl in the distance as he moved slowly through the path he’d worn down for years. Come to think of it, when he was a child, the path was there then too - although hidden beneath vegetation that had overgrown it. 

Following it felt like something he had always done, ever since he could walk. He couldn’t remember when he first found the path or the lake - he only knew the tale his mother told of her fear as she searched for him for hours. 

The pale moonlight illuminated branches and bushes along the path, and soon enough came the familiar clearing, the still water reflecting the light of the moon almost perfectly. For a moment, Rhett stood stock still. The lake still felt familiar and soothing, but now his skin was prickling again - and that sense of waiting for— something, someone overcame him again. Licking his lips, he pushed the faint buzzing to the back of his mind as he slowly reached for the back of his old t-shirt, drawing it down over his head, letting it fall into the grass below him. His boots and belt buckle was next, along with his jeans and boxers, and at last his socks. 

Running his fingers through his long hair, Rhett let his eyes flutter close, chest heaving in a deep breath as he felt the cool summer air caress his naked body. Rolling his shoulders, he could feel the dull ache that lingered there, especially in his left shoulder - the joint crackling as he rolled it backwards. Taking another deep breath, he focused on the feeling of the cold, dewy grass beneath his feet, and how his skin felt beneath his fingertips as he ran them down his chest and abdomen before they rested on the side of his thighs. 

Kneeling by the edge of the lake, Rhett slowly submerged his fingers into the dark waters, swirling them around as he felt the cool sensation surrounding him. Fleetingly he thought to himself that it would probably do wonders for his aching muscles - his inner thighs and abdomen had been killing him since his last bull. Rowdy son of a bitch. 

Exhaling slowly, Rhett placed a strand of hair behind his ear out of habit before standing to his full height to wade into the shallow waters. The chill of the still water soothed him somewhat, his muscles thanking him for lending them this reprieve. The same could not be said for his mind.

Wading out into the waters, he kept going until he was waist deep, letting his head hang as he watched the blurry reflection of the starry skies in the water. Biting his bottom lip, he let himself fully feel the physical ache his mental anguish was causing him. Today had been his birthday. His twenty third year on this god forsaken earth, and sure - birthdays had never been a big deal in the Abbott family, but somewhere he had at least hoped for a smile and a hug, or even a recognition of the day. Ever since Perry’s… incident though, nothing else had been important. Not even him. Especially not him. 

A soft groan broke the silence of the woods, his hands coming up to rub at his face as tears stung mournfully in his closed eyes. Was he being selfish? So much had happened in such little time. Rebecca was gone, Amy was in shambles… Perry was too, and now he had gone and fucked shit up beyond Rhett’s wildest imagination. The Tillersons’ were involving lawyers for the land, and now surely the fucking police would come like bloodhounds in the night. So much had happened - of course no one would be inclined to remember Rhett’s birthday. It wasn’t important. The sting of that realization had Rhett gasping in a breath as the dull ache spread in his chest, indignant hot tears rolling down his dust covered cheeks. 

“Fuck!” he exclaimed loudly into the darkness, letting his head fall back, so that his cerulean eyes were staring up towards the inky skies. Inhaling, he promptly pushed against the sandy bottom of the lake, pushing his body into a half dive that sent him towards the middle of the lake, now fully submerged. He let himself enjoy the weightless feeling as he surged through the water, that weightless feeling only partly soothing the ache his emotional toil had caused him physically. 

Breaking the surface again, he gasped in a deep breath, once again disturbing the peace of the woodland creatures in the vicinity. A bush rustled violently, and Rhett figured he must’ve scared away a poor rabbit with his sudden emergence. Inhaling deeply, he ran a hand down his face to brush the water away, his body turned to where the noise had come from. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could hardly believe he saw correctly. Fleetingly, he thought he’d seen a figure standing where the bush had rustled. Red and white billowing as the figure disappeared behind the treeline. 

Rhett stood frozen in his spot. In all of the years he had come here, he had never once seen even the slightest hint that any other than himself and his mother had ever ventured this far into the woods. It must have been a trick of the light. What light? Or a figment of his lonely imagination. Yes, that was surely it. Shaking his head solemnly, the soaking wet cowboy slowly made his way out of the water, droplets falling around him into the soft grass. He hadn’t thought to bring a towel, only blankets, so he laid one down on the ground, figuring the summer night would have to dry him the best it could. 

Laying down, Rhett had an overwhelming feeling that someone was watching him. It should unnerve him, but the thought only brought him peace - a sense of calm washing over him as he made himself comfortable on the ratty blanket he’d placed down. His eyes fluttered closed, and for the first time in months - sleep found him as quick and as easy as it would if he’d drunk at least half a bottle of whiskey, only, he was stone cold sober. 

That night, his dreams were marred by visions of a woman. A woman dressed in all white, with different faces and names, although in every single dream she was significant. She was the same, the same soul even if her face changed. She always held that look of love on her face, she was always reaching for him - calling for him. He was always just inches from touching her when the dream changed. He wanted to go to her, wanted to wrap himself up in her love and never leave. The last dream before his eyes opened, was of a flash of long, strawberry hair, dancing against the thin white fabric of a flowy dress. 

As he woke, a single word seemed to slip from his lips just when he was in the realm between asleep and awake “Naiad”. A sensation had disturbed his sleep, and as his eyelids fluttered open, the sensation of a warm hand lingered on the side of his face. Reaching up, his own rough hand came in contact with his stubbled cheek - no trace of a touch of another ever being there. Brows knitted together in confusion, Rhett slowly moved his body - ignoring the protests in his limbs as he rested against his elbows as he took in the clearing in the pale morning sun. 

“What the fuck…” was his not so eloquent words on the matter. Shaking his head, he reached for his phone. No missed calls. No texts. It was, however, nearing 6 am and Rhett knew Royal would be needing him for the cattle today. Sighing, he slowly got dressed - giving the lake one last glance before letting his heavy footfalls leave his place of peace - only to rejoin the world in which he felt he had no real say on the matter of his own peace.

chapter two. . .

tagging people who liked the masterlist & mutuals;

@lt-bradshaw @rhettabbotts @buckybarneslvr @wkndwlff @briseisgone @phoenixhalliwell @alebyyrose @mackenziestewart2 @sebsxphia @theharddeck @roleycoleyland

#rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbott x oc #rhett abbott au #rhett abbott fanfiction #outer range fanfiction #rhett abbott x y/n #rhett abbott imagine #my writing

[captain-mj]

Ghost and Soap tying up poor nixie Gaz for the lil guy au. <333 Thank you MJ!

They're roleplaying cnc, so just warning ya

Also, trans Gaz

Ghost held the rope in his hands, watching the water. He knew Gaz knew the safe word, so he wasn't worried about hurting him. For now, he just needed to catch him.

Soap sat by him, flustered, but clearly excited. He kept glancing in the water of the pond and trying to spot Gaz.

Ghost saw him first, thanks to being able to see through the water, and grabbed him. Gaz started to struggle and Soap quickly grabbed his legs. The ropes around his arms might as well be ribbons with how easily Gaz could tear it, but it locked him in place well enough.

They got him on the shore and Ghost hooked the rope under his knees, pulling them so he was forcibly exposed, body dripping water on to the stones underneath them.

"Please." Gaz whimpered, but they didn't pay him any mind. Thanks to the water, they could see what he really looked like. About Ghost's height, webbed fingers and toes, pretty flowy fins framing his face that blended with his hair. And two antennae that looked very pullable.

"You go first, Johnny." Ghost ordered, lighting a cigarette as he watched Soap undress desperately. He fit himself between Gaz's legs and grabbed his waist as he struggled.

"Please, don't. I've never..."

"Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll take care of ya." Soap winked at him and pushed down his underwear so he was completely undressed.

Ghost snapped a picture of them, grinning.

Soap grinned at him before spreading Gaz open. "Pretty. I'll go real slow for you."

Gaz shook his head and whimpered, trying to pull away but the ropes kept him in place.

Soap rutted against him, grinning. "So wet."

"Stop teasing and get on with it." Ghost took another drag, grabbing Gaz by his throat and squeezed gently. Gaz didn't breath that way, but the pressure was nice.

"Sorry, Lt. Just having a little fun." He pushed into Gaz all at once, groaning. "Fucking Christ."

"Told you he'd feel good." Ghost purred, squeezing his throat to keep Gaz still. Gaz was a mess underneath Soap, whimpering and letting out tiny moans as Soap started to fuck into him slowly.

"So goddamn tight." Soap thrust in to him, changing his angles to try and find... There it was.

Gaz wailed as he hit it, starting to thrash. "Please, please, too much. Too much."

"Found his bitch button? Keep hitting it. Want to see if we can make him cum like that." Ghost grabbed Gaz's face, pushing the smoke in his mouth. Soap made sure to hit it every time, thrusting in hard. Gaz was shaking, body twitching as he tried to close his legs.

"Harder." Ghost ordered and Soap thrusting in hard enough to shove Gaz against Ghost with each one.

Ghost tsked his tongue and reached over, grabbing Soap by his hair. He kissed him sloppily and Soap's hips stuttered, getting another wail out of Gaz.

Ghost grabbed Soap by his hips and moved him, basically fucking Gaz with him. He slammed Soap into him over and over again and Gaz started sobbing from the feeling.

Soap collapsed back into Ghost as he was puppeted, watching as his cock disappeared into Gaz over and over again, slick running down until it made a puddle underneath them.

Gaz looked away, face blushing blue as he came, going silent as it rushed through him. His legs shaking hard as more slick ran over Soap's cock.

"See? That wasn't hard, was it Soap?" Ghost bit into his shoulder and Soap bit his lip to keep quiet, spilling into Gaz.

"Fucking Hell. You both made a mess." Ghost purred. "Gonna clean him up before it's my turn?"

Soap shivered and pulled out of his grasp finally. He licked at the slick down Gaz's inner thighs first, feeling Gaz tremble through the after shocks.

Ghost grinned, following Soap's every movement as he dipped his tongue inside Gaz.

"He's sweet." Soap mumbled out. "Lot sweeter than I was expecting."

"Nixies are real treats." Ghost hummed. "Good little fuck toys." He looked over at Gaz. He was still fully dressed besides the mask but he had put on dark eyeliner, knowing they both liked it. It circled both his eyes and dripped down his cheeks.

Gaz flushed and shivered, looking both terrified and painfully aroused. He closed his eyes and whimpered as Soap tongue fought it's way further into him.

"Please. Mercy."

"No." Ghost purred at him and Soap pulled away, wiping his mouth.

"Done, sir. Besides being a little stretched out, he's mint." He trailed his finger along Gaz's hole, watching it twitch and clench at the threat of the intrusion.

Ghost nodded and Soap pulled back. He took Ghost's phone, taking a picture of them together.

"Make sur-"

"Yes, don't get your face in it. I know." Soap smiled cheekily and made sure to get a picture of Gaz's poor cunt as Ghost lined up with him. "You're going to love this."

Ghost wasn't sure which one they were talking to but he didn't need to find out. He sank in and... Fuck. Gaz always felt so tight. So soft too. He wasn't as warm as a person, but Ghost liked the cool sensation. Gaz clenched hard around him, panting hard.

"Too big. You're too..." Gaz whimpered, tears streams down his face. Ghost laughed as he started to roughly grind into him. Gaz's mouth fell open, unable to talk. He was sensitive from the rough treatment and recent orgasm but Ghost held no mercy for him. His gloved hands found his clit and started teasing it cruelly, pulling and rubbing circles into it until Gaz is shaking with another orgasm, pussy clenching around Ghost's cock.

"Damn, Lt. Do you have to be so mean to the little thing?"

"Needs to get used to it." Ghost purred, biting Gaz's ribcage to hear him squeak.

"Too much. Stop touching it." Ghost continued paying tons of attention to his clit, as well as making sure to hit his sweet spot every time. Gaz started to sob from it, body arching. "Please, I can't take anymore."

"You need to learn sweetheart. Having to tap out after just two? Rookie numbers." Soap sank his teeth into Ghost's shoulder, hugging him from behind.

"Next time, we'll bring a vibrator. Maybe keep him tied up to it a while. He'll get used to coming then."

Gaz shook his head but he visibly got wetter, soaking Ghost's pants.

"Kinky little bitch, huh? Soap, should we get one of the wand ones or the bullets?"

"Why not both? One right against that sweet spot and one on his clit, keeping him wet and open for us."

Gaz started to sob again, shaking as he got close to a third one. Ghost spit in his hands to make the friction on his clit a little better, fucking him harder and harder.

Gaz snapped the ropes and tug his fingers into Ghost's shoulder as he came, clenching hard enough that Ghost came right then and there. He shook for a minute, legs locking around Ghost's waist to keep inside him.

Soap grabbed the rags they had grabbed and immediately cleaned up Gaz's face. "You okay, love?"

Gaz hummed, looking dazed. He lazily moved his legs, making Ghost pump into him gently.

"I need to pull out. We need to get you cleaned up."

"Not yet." Gaz gently tugged Soap closer who obliged, kissing along his face. He melted into the ground, body shuddering through the aftershocks.

Ghost put his head on Gaz's shoulder, breathing slowly. He left plenty of room for Soap to continue kissing him lazily.

Eventually, Gaz released him, laying back limply. They cleaned him up and Ghost made sure Soap got dressed, worried he'd catch a cold.

He bundled Gaz up in his coat, scooping him up. "Have fun?"

Gaz nodded lazily, yawning. "Tired now."

"We'll get you home soon, don't worry."

#johnny soap mactavish #simon ghost riley #kyle gaz garrick #soap x ghost x gaz #gaz x ghost x soap #soap x gaz x ghost #gaz x soap x ghost #ghost x gaz x soap #ghost x soap x gaz #nixies #Selkies

[deancasswitchbang]

Variance

Author: Tiamatv Artist: Sketcheun (@sketcheun​) No Major Archive Warnings Tags: Alternate Universe - Creatures and Monsters; Monsters Are Known, Lawyer Castiel, Werecat Dean, Baker Dean, Misunderstandings, Contracts, Self-Worth Issues, Alternate Werecreature Lore, Sweet Dean Winchester

Summary: Castiel might work with kitsune, demons, fae and incubi, but he’s content to be just what he is: reliable, responsible, and wholly human (well, with a few paltry drops of angel blood, or so his workplace pre-screening informed him).  Some might say he’s boring.

(Everyone says he’s boring.)

Saying “Yes” when the cute bakery owner asks him out on a date—for no apparent reason other than that Castiel is there—isn’t reliable or responsible. It’s impulsive.

Letting the cute bakery owner seduce Castiel in the back seat of his ’67Chevy Impala is definitely impulsive.

Preview: The next morning, Castiel’s still so dazed that he almost misses Amy’s cheerful greeting of “Hi, Mr. Novak!” from the firm’s lobby reception desk. In fact, he almost forgets to greet her, and only the awareness that he should, that there’s something that he’s missed in his routine, jars his attention from the memory of Dean’s warmth, the way he guided Castiel back to his car with a hand on the small of Castiel’s back.

“Gathering nixies?” Amy asks when he pauses in his stride across the lobby, and he realizes from the bemusement in her expression that she must have called his name more than once.

“Don’t even joke about that,” Castiel warns. “You know that—”

“I know, I know,” she giggles. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it! The fact that one of your clients cursed his wife with nixies and then tried to claim that the cost of paying the summoner should be included as part of their settlement…”

Yes, there’s a reason why Castiel so rarely handles divorce cases anymore. “Don’t remind me,” he sighs. “How's Jacob?"

One of Amy’s three tails swishes proudly behind her, her smile back at him wide and showing only a hint of canine, even with as broad as her grin is. Amy’s very good at keeping the sharpness of her teeth softened behind her lips. "He's good! Hardly ever gets stuck in his little fox form anymore. Not like that day in court when you were representing us, huh?" she laughs.

The resilience of parents never fails to amaze him. Because frankly, on that day, Castiel was so stressed that he almost wished he had the ability to escape into another form while under stress.

Well, no, that’s not true at all. If Castiel had been born hengeyoukai, like Amy and Jacob Pond, he wouldn’t be himself, and if he’d been infected by lycovirus, he couldn’t be a lawyer.

(When he does occasionally misplace his tongue, he certainly has no excuse as cute as ‘I can’t talk because I just involuntarily turned into a small, nonverbal fox.’ He can just imagine what Judge Monroe would have to say about that.)

POSTING BETWEEN APRIL 23rd AND MAY 6th, 2023!  

#deancasswitchbang #dcsb #dcsb2023 #Variance #Author: Tiamatv #Artist: sketcheun

[ginger-grimm]

Have you ever thought about crossovers between yours and another person's oc? Tell us about them! - 🖤

I certainly have! They have really come and gone, some were further developed and others may have faded a bit over the years but I remember (and miss) them fondly.

@waterloou was one of the first people on here that I've done crossovers with. We had some loose Riverdale and Teen Wolf crossovers when we both still actively created for those shows and I do miss those crossovers haha

@veetlegeuse and I have a very intricate Riverdale crossover where my Teddy and Kippi are very set with her Mabel and Maddox and that is one of my dearest crossovers ever created because they were some of my earliest and most favorite OCs and I miss them a lot.

@luucypevensie and I have crossovers with our Teen Wolf OCs Riley and Laurel because they're secretly opposite personality twinsies. We also joked about Nixie and Felicia being the same opposite personality twinsies. Then we have our Glee OCs Celeste and Thea who are high society gals (well, sometimes, in Celeste's case), Yasmin and my Charlie are diplomatic besties. Our Riverdale OCs Beth and Verena are besties too. There are probably some others I'm forgetting.

@come-along-pond and I don't have any set crossovers but she helps me with all things English for Willa and Minty and she's the stylist of my Descendants OCs.

There might be others I'm forgetting and I'm usually open for crossovers for most of my OCs. Thank you for asking!

#answered

[arrthurpendragon]

Updated Custom Tags h-z (Oct. 22, 2023)

hadley🍫: @supermarine-silvally

heather💜: @happinessismagicc / @heathersocs

io💜: @random-writerings

jay🏩: @rockmacbeth

joss💫: @saiilorstars

july🖤: @julyzaa / @lya-dustin

justine🗡: @mimikoflamemaker

karimac☘️: @karimac

kate🫶🏻: @iron-parkr

kathrin🌻: @june-girl-86

kelsey💜: @ilikemymendarkandfictional

kristi 💙: @dream-beyond-the-fantasy

lavi✨: @shrinkthisviolet

lexie👻: @jump-wings

liv🌺: @bravelittleflower

mabs🦭: @mabonetsamhain

mara👾: @themaradwrites

mare🫧: @jadore-andor

misa🦄: @selfproclaimedunicorn

nicole💚: @bardic-tales

niniane🌓: @ladyniniane

nixie🐲: @nixdragon

nora💙: @noratilney / @mariedemedicis

nova🌠: @thechaoticfanartist

perse💄: @queen--kenobi

poppy🍓: @come-along-pond

rey🌅: @enchanted--roses

sara🦄: @starcrossedjedis

sarah⭐️: @illegalcerebral

soph💌: @raspberrytwilight

stitch⛓️: @techs-stitches

tessa🪐: @juliaswickcrs / @margoshansons

thorn🐧: @thornofarose01

tori📚: @darksideofparis

. . . names can be repeated, just choose a different emoji :)

information post

#sorry if you're getting retagged - i had to split my lists because of so many people - it's a good problem! lol #updated tag lists #custom tags

[godzilla-reads]

🌸 June Reading Wrap-Up 🌸

In June I read 12 books total, bringing my yearly total to 85 books! My top 3 are the starred titles in my list:

🛍️ The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko

🦋 The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill

⭐️ On Being a Bear: Face to Face with Our Wild Sibling by Rémy Marion (trans. David Warriner)

🌊 The Daughters of Ys by M.T. Anderson and Jo Rioux

🤘 Spider-Punk: Battle of the Banned by Cody Ziglar, Justin Mason, and Jim Charalampidis

🧚‍♀️ The Nixie of the Mill-Pond and Other European Stories edited by Kel McDonald and Kate Ashwin

🐲 Dragon’s Blood by Jane Yolen

🏳️‍🌈 The DC Book of Pride: A Celebration of DC’s LGBTQIA+ Characters by Jadzia Axelrod

⭐️ The Fire Within by Chris d’Lacey

⭐️ Fearsome Fairies: Haunting Tales of the Fae edited by Elizabeth Dearnley

👀 In the Watchful City by S. Qiouyi Lu

🐺 Only the End of the World Again by Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell, Troy Nixey, and Matt Hollingsworth

#godzilla reads #June reading wrap up #reading wrap up #books read in June 2023 #books read in June #books read in 2023 #reading #fave books #booklr #book blog #bookish #bookworm #booklover #bibliophile

[pathfinderunlocked]

Cygnal Agathion - CR6 Agathion

A humanoid celestial with the grace and appearance of a swan.

Artwork by HEX_jjung on Twitter.  Apparently someone owns an NFT of this image, which kind of makes me feel like I should make the creature a fey trickster that scams people instead.

There aren’t many stat blocks for agathions.  I wonder how many people who play Pathfinder don’t even know what they are.  An agathion is a type of celestial that lives in the plane of Nirvana, and usually looks like a humanoid with some animal parts, although a few just look like fancy animals.  Each one is themed after a different animal.  There’s already a generic “bird” agathion, but I wanted to make a more specific swan-themed one.  Agathions often take the very goofy-looking combination of an animal’s head on a human’s body, which I tried to avoid with this one.

Cygnal agathions spend their time composing music and practicing dances on the ponds and rivers of Nirvana, trying to make their realm more beautiful even if no one is around to see it.  They memorize these pieces rather than writing them down.  Other agathions almost all see these endeavors as worthwhile, and perceive cygnal agathions as frail artists that must be protected.

This is very much a support and healing creature.  It has basically no way to deal damage on its own, so if it doesn’t have an ally to use Galdrar of Vigor on, it typically surrenders.  The Fey Performance feat lets it expend extra rounds of bardic performance to increase the range of its performances, and it uses this to stay as far from battle as possible.

Wave Shield grants it DR 4/—, which doesn’t stack with its natural DR 10/evil or silver.  Only the highest DR applies against any given attack, so Wave Shield is only useful against evil or silver attacks.  With its arcane sight, a cygnal agathion can attempt a Spellcraft check as a free action to identify whether an enemy’s weapon is magically evil-aligned, and it can attempt a DC 20 Appraise check as a free action to identify a silver weapon, so it usually knows which attacks to use its wave shield against.

Cygnal Agathion - CR 6

This graceful humanoid has large white feathered wings emerging from its shoulders and wrapping its body, and long pure white feathers in place of hair.  White markings, possibly paint, form symbols and patterns on its torso and legs.  The only clothing it wears is a pair of long flowing translucent sleeves.

XP 2,400 NG Medium outsider (agathion, extraplanar, good) Init +6 Senses arcane sight, appraising sight, aura sight, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +13 Aura fast healing aura (5 ft.)

DEFENSE

AC 18, touch 17, flat-footed 11 (+6 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 natural); +2 deflection vs. evil hp 52 (8d10+8); fast healing 2 Fort +3, Ref +12, Will +8; +4 vs. poison; +2 vs. evil DR 5/evil or silver Immune electricity, enchantment and possession vs. evil, petrification Resist cold 10, sonic 10

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 100 ft. (average) Melee unarmed +6 (1d3-2) Special Attacks bardic performance (fascinate, inspire courage, inspire competence), galdrar of recovery, galdrar of vigor Spell-Like Abilities (CL 8th; concentration +15)     Constant—arcane sight, aura sight, protection from evil, water walk     At will—dancing lights, water walk, wave shield     3/day—glitterdust (DC 19), feather fall, fly, good hope     1/day—break enchantment, nixie’s lure (DC 20), sculpt sound (DC 21)

STATISTICS

Str 7, Dex 22, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 14, Cha 24 Base Atk +8; CMB +6; CMD 23 (+25 vs. evil) Feats Dodge, Fey Performance, Flyby Attack, Spell Focus (transmutation) Skills Acrobatics +14, Diplomacy +11, Appraise +14, Bluff +14, Fly +17, Knowledge (nature) +10, Perception +13, Perform (dance) +14, Perform (sing) +14, Spellcraft +11, Survival +6, Swim +9 Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal; speak with animals, truespeech SQ trackless step

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Appraising Sight (Ex) A cygnal agathion can appraise items by sight as a free action.

Bardic Performance (Su) A cygnal agathion has 11 rounds per day of bardic performance (based on its Charisma modifier).  It can begin a bardic performance as either a move or swift action, but maintaining it each round is a free action.  Changing a bardic performance from one effect to another requires the cygnal agathion to stop the previous performance and start a new one as a standard action.  A bardic performance cannot be disrupted, but it ends immediately if the cygnal agathion is prevented from taking a free action to maintain it each round.  A cygnal agathion cannot have more than one bardic performance in effect at one time.

A cygnal agathion can begin a bardic performance as a dance, requiring its allies to see it, or as a song, requiring its allies to hear it.  If blinded, it has a 50% chance to fail a dance, and if deafened, it has a 20% chance to fail a song.  The Fascinate bardic performance uses both a song and a dance, while Inspire Courage and Inspire Competence use either one or the other (the cygnal agathion’s choice).

A cygnal agathion has access to the following bardic performances, treating its bard level as 8 for these performances: Fascinate (DC 21), Inspire Courage (+3), and Inspire Competence (+3).

Create Feather Token (Su) Once per week, as a full-round action, a cygnal agathion can remove a feather from its head and transform it into a swan boat feather token.  This feather token becomes a non-magical feather if not used within one week.

Fast Healing Aura (Su) A cygnal agathion and all creatures adjacent to it (including enemies) gain fast healing 2.

Galdrar of Recovery (Su) While performing a bardic performance, a cygnal agathion can sacrifice 2 rounds of its bardic performance and immediately end its performance as a standard action to heal one willing ally within 60 feet that can perceive its bardic performance for 3d8+8 hit points.  This is a positive energy effect; undead are harmed instead of healed by it.

Galdrar of Vigor (Su) While performing a bardic performance, a cygnal agathion can sacrifice 2 rounds of its bardic performance and immediately end its performance as a standard action to immediately allow one ally within 60 feet that can perceive its performance to take a move or standard action.  If the target takes a move action and uses it to move, it gains a +6 dodge bonus against attacks of opportunity during its movement.

Trackless Step (Ex) A cygnal agathion leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked.  It may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

#D&D #pathfinder 1e #outsider #agathion #good #extraplanar #bard

[rachiebird]

I collaborated with @vannahfanfics​ and @shalia-earante​ for @bnhaFantasyBang on twitter to make some angsty fantasy au Tsuburaba/Tsuyu (I swear there’s a happy end in the sequel!)

This first piece goes along with @shalia-earante​ ‘s fic, so please check it out:

In Every Lifetime by shalia_earante

Tsuburaba Kosei is out hunting for food for his family when he takes a nap by a pond in the woods. When he wakes up, he realizes someone... or something... is watching him. Out of curiosity, he attempts to befriend the creature. He was not expecting to fall in love. But despair looms on the horizon. Children in neighboring villages have gone missing, and something is responsible. Kosei is a normal human. Tsuyu is a nixie. They fall in love, but fate was not on their side in this lifetime.

(Then make sure to also read Vannah’s sequel Athanasia, and check out the art I did for it here!)

#class 1b #tsuburaba kosei #kosei tsuburaba #tsuyu asui #asui tsuyu #tsutsu #bnha fantasy au #blood spatter #rachie draws #fandom event

[coralcatsea]

'In the uk you are never more than 2-3 hours from the sea' That waters cold tho No thank you. Actually my own headcanon was that it's a nixie in the millpond situation When Arthur was to young to know better he made a deal with a water fairy and has been avoiding her ever since He can swim just fine in open ocean or modern concrete pools but he avoids rivers, lakes, ponds or streams It was easier to tell people he couldn't swim than risk being dragged down or admitting he fucked up

I'm so late responding to this, but yeah, that's a neat idea! I like it better than fans assuming he's just not being capable of swimming for some unexplained reason (that canon strip where he drowns was talking about English people in movies, not him, hahaha, it wasn't meant to be taken literally). Although I'd feel bad for him if, hypothetically, he had to avoid the sea/lakes/rivers/etc. since I feel like he'd actually be quite fond of them, especially the sea! Poor guy, having to always make sure he doesn't run into a fairy.

#answered asks #hws england #aph #hws #hetalia