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milswrites · 2 months

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To the stars who listen

~Rhysand X Fem!Reader

Summary: Looking upon the stars for the first time since leaving the mountain, Rhysand makes a wish. Only to be surprised when his dreams are actually answered.

Warnings: Mentions of what happened to Rhys under the mountain. (otherwise the only way I could describe this is as fluffy angst?)

Fic for @starfallweek

Prompt: Character A is a fallen star. Character B finds them.

The world was full of dreamers.

Humans, Fae and Faeries alike. The power of the night sky knew no bounds. All were welcome to look up to the heavens and all were able to wish upon the astral beings to their hearts content.

The stars knew nothing of discrimination, shining for all should they only choose to look up.

They were infinite. Unyielding.

Having centuries of experience when it comes to lighting up the night sky.

A patient guide, a willing listener, a teller of stories.

To Rhysand, stars were just as important as the air he breathed.

Which is why he found himself here, on his first night of freedom after escaping the mountain, sat alone on his balcony at the House of Wind. His violet eyes, dulled after half a century of pain by Amarantha's hand, locked onto the sky above him.

Fifty years.

That was how long the High Lord had been deprived from watching the stars. Fifty long years without their comforting presence to whisper to. Unable to share his dreams, his prayers for the future. Hidden from the golden twinkle which told him they heard him, storing away his wishes, holding them safe until they came true.

So here he was, staring longingly at the night sky. Searching his mind for what he wanted to say. Wondering exactly how he would greet them again.

It was a beautiful night for it.

Not a single cloud hovered overhead. Allowing the stars to shimmer brightly in all their majesty. Rhysand couldn't recall a time where he had ever seen the stars gleam with this intensity.

Heart twinging with hope, he imagined their vivid illumination was for him. That it was their way of saying hello to an old friend they had missed. Their way of showing him they were listening.

So Rhysand spoke.

A soft breath from his lips as he whispered to the brightest star in the sky, the reflection of its almighty glory danced in his soulless eyes.

"I wish I felt like me again."

His own eyes watered at his confession, throat turning dry as his mind never failed to stop playing out the horrors of which he had endured under the mountain. Each blink of his eyes brought along the flashes of deep red hair and rouge painted claws.

Rhysand no longer considered himself a dreamer. Not as long as these nightmares plagued his thoughts.

He was a broken man.

A cracked mirror. Only he couldn't figure out how to piece himself back together again. How to move on from the trauma of his past which had settled in his bones.

So he repeated his wish, his words floating into the cool night air like a prayer. Desperate eyes searching the glowing stars, begging for an answer. Begging for some instruction as to how he could move on, how he could be Rhysand again.

But there was nothing.

The stars were silent.

There was no shimmer of acknowledgment. No sign that they had heard the broken call from the male. They stayed unchanging, staring back at him with no acknowledgement of his wish.

Disheartened, Rhysand cast his bitter eyes to the ground. Cursing himself for being so foolish as to believe that the stories his mother used to tell him held truth.

Perhaps that's all they ever were. Just stars. And Rhysand was just the fool who had hoped that they could be something more.

Sullen, he made to move inside. Disappointment welling in his system at the knowledge that sleep most likely won't come to him. That dark-eyed and exhausted tomorrow, he would have to pretend to his family that all was ok. That he was ok.

For one last time he cast his violet eyes back to the sky in despair. Taking turns to stare at each glistening orb. Forcing himself to look for something he no longer believed was there.

Then, just as he was about to give up and retire to his room, there was a flash from the corner of his eyes.

It was only small, the white light which had crept into his vision. But it was definitely there. A streak across the inky black sky. Breaking the darkness as it barreled over Velaris and towards the forest-cloaked mountain in the distance.

Rhysand was driven by pure instinct.

He leapt from the balcony. Large wings growing from his back until they began to powerfully beat against the gravity pulling him down, carrying him upwards towards the mountain. Towards the mysterious light which was still barreling through the sky, gaining momentum as it was moved downwards. Almost appearing as though if it was falling.

This stirred the male to act faster. To urge his wings to close the difference between himself and the light quicker. Beating them and beating them until a dull ache had settled in his muscles.

But he had to get there.

The white light disappeared between the trees, its intense aura had dimmed to a low glow. It's flickering energy enough for Rhysand to still follow the trail as he flew down to the ground in order to land. Curiously threading in-between the tree's as he made his way towards the source.

His eyes squinted as he neared the fallen light, heart pounding as he was able to make out the shape of a figure from inside the glowing orb.

The ethereal being walked towards him as the brightness dimmed, allowing Rhysand to drop the hand which he had lifted to shield his eyes. Though whilst the orb of light had faded, the skin of this otherworldly being still glowed strongly.

"Who are you?" He questioned weakly, unable to don the mask of an all-powerful High-Lord because he knew whoever this was, whatever they were, he would be no match for them.

"I think you already know the answer to that."

Their voice was soft, angelic, as though the words they were speaking came from the melody of a song. The gentle tone reverberated in the quiet forest, clinging to the air as it failed to fully disappear. Hovering closely by like an inextinguishable echo.

"No. . .no. It's impossible. You're not real" his head shook in disbelief, violet eyes wide in shock. There had to be another explanation to this. To who this strange being was.

"You called, Rhysand. So I came."

"But- but how? Am I dreaming?"

An amused smile crossed her face, soft pink lips lifting into a gracious curve, "Is that what you think this is? A dream?"

His brows furrowed as he considered the star's words.

"No" he concluded, heart sinking at his realization, "This is real. I haven't had a dream in fifty years."

"And why is that?" she questioned, her siren's song attempting to draw the words out from his lips, even though Rhysand had the unsettling feeling that she already knew the answer. That she probably already knew everything about him.

The thought of which churned his stomach in an unpleasant way. Had she been able to see everything that happened under the mountain, even though Rhysand couldn't see her? His rising anxiety over this prospect rendered him unable to speak.

"You've asked me who I am," she started attempting to soothe his rising worries by giving him something else to think about, "But who are you Rhysand? You want to feel like you again so badly? Who is that?"

"I. . . I don't know. I don't know who I am" he cried, searching eyes boring into the star's as if her silver orbs would hold the answer that he's looking for. But they remained untelling, instead they only willed him to continue speaking.

"What I do know. . . Is that I'm not the same man who entered that mountain."

Her unwavering smile remained, its presence pouring through Rhysand, relaxing him until it reached his very soul.

"And why do you have to be?" she asked, moving closer to the male so he could absorb some of her calming energy.

"Because it's what's expected of me?" he meant to say it as a statement, make the point that his court and his family were relying on his council now he had returned, yet his words came out more as a question, seeking truth from the empathetic features of the star.

"Expected of you? From your court? From your friends and family? Or is it just yourself telling you that."

She was right of course. Her piercing eyes already knowing the truth about the male before he did. Yet, where he usually would have found it annoying, there was something rejuvenating at the way she was able to understand him.

At the way she was able to peel apart the layers of his swirling thoughts, unstick the pages of the book who made him who he was. Mend the broken edges and the cracked spine. Her words acting as the hands which where smoothing the pages back to normal.

She turned her face to the sky, eyes casting beyond the overhanging canopy to meet the night sky. Silvery eyes lovingly looking upon her family.

"We never stopped waiting for you Rhysand. Fifty years we looked down to that mountain. Waiting for when the day would come that you returned from its depths."

His heart ached sweetly at the knowledge. A sad smile creeping onto his face at the awareness that the stars had longed for his return.

That whilst he had been trapped within the shadows of the mountain thinking of them, they had kept their eyes on his prison, waiting for him to return.

"You're not broken Rhys" she confided, "You're still the same man who went under the mountain, if not an even stronger one. You stared death in the face and you lived. You're here. Allow yourself to feel the pain. Give yourself the time to heal. There is light on the other side."

"But what if I can't find it?" Rhysand worried, "What if I get lost?"

"You never will. We will guide you Rhys, just as we always have."

She began to glow with more ferocity, Rhysand having to squint his eyes once more from the force of the light she emitted. Fear sparking inside his chest at the realization that she was leaving, that her time here was drawing to a close.

"No, you can't go! I need you!" he begged, doing his best to desperately stare into the light so she knew just how serious he was being.

"I'm always there Rhys. I'll watch over you every night, all you have to do is look up."

By this point the sheer brightness of her presence was too overwhelming, Rhysand having to turn around to avoid being blinded. His violet eyes turned to the ground where they locked onto the shadow of his figure. Onto him. Not the fractured male he had assumed crawled out from the mountain. But Rhysand, High Lord of the night court.

"We're always listening Rhysand, and every dream you send to us shall be answered. All you have to do is ask."

The light behind him vanished. Leaving the male standing in the dark solitude of the forest. But he wasn't alone. He knew that now as he turned his glistening eyes to the night sky.

Lips upturned in a peaceful smile.

"Thank you" He whispered gratefully to the stars.

And Rhysand could have sworn that the stars smiled back.

#acotar #fanfic #acotar imagine #sarah j maas #a court of thorns and roses #rhysand x reader #rhysand imagine #rhysand fanfic #rhysand acotar #rhysand #starfall #starfallweek2024

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adhdbisexualramblings · 6 months

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Regressor FLOWEY headcanons!

-Involuntary and trauma regressor. Enough said.

-He cries a lot. He was an extremely sensitive child, and the extra things he’s gone through (and did himself) don’t make that better.

-It’s not so much regression as it is…acting his age? Flowey doesn’t really ‘act’ like a child at all. When he lets himself do so, he can be more tolerable and sweet. I guess he’s be closer to an age dreamer, then.

-But give him a pacifier and he will slip into a much younger headspace. We’re talking toddler to infant.

-Regression means he doesn’t have to think about RESETs or timelines or anything past the present moment, but he’s also a really big crybaby.

-His regression fluctuates a lot. He could switch from infant to little kid at the flip of a coin. It’s hard to track what headspace he’s fully immersed in.

-The only ‘gear’ he has is a pacifier Papyrus gave him one timeline (which he has subsequently stolen every other timeline). He cherishes it and panics when he loses it. It’s pastel orange with a red race car on the front.

-The only people he’s felt comfortable with were Papyrus, Sans (Papyrus left them alone together one time and they have actually formed positive bonds some timelines) and, later, Frisk (though that’s only on extremely rare occasions when neither of the skeletons are available).

-When he was alone, to shut down his regression - which was often confused with memories and sentimentality - Flowey would just…kill things until it went away.

-Either that, or shoot bullets at whatever he could find that wasn’t a monster.

-He hates when Toriel or Asgore try to do anything with him while he’s regressed. It’s partially because it brings back dangerous memories and partially because neither of them are what he needs or wants most days.

-He can be very quiet and shy one second or fussy and demanding the next. It really depends on who’s taking care of him.

-Can and has sobbed about multiple of his old genocide runs out of the blue.

-Regression is almost like traveling to the past for him, which has a 50/50 chance of ending horribly. He doesn’t understand where his older sibling is or why he’s not being called by his name some days, which freaks him out.

-He’ll respond to ‘Asriel’ absentmindedly.

-Regression is strange to him. It’s like reaching for a memory you know used to be there. He can act as lovey-dovey and sweet as when he was Asriel, but whether that’s genuine is debatable. After he gets back into a more sensible headspace, Flowey wonders about his lack of a SOUL every time. It feels genuine, sure, but why? Memories, going back to a time where he was happy, shouldn’t be enough to alter his physical state. He’s SOULless, and therefore can no longer do things like that properly.

-He has auditory processing disorder and prefers hiding under thick clothing like sweaters if he’s being carried around. It muffles noise.

-Papyrus is his main caregiver. Or Sans, if they’re on good enough terms.

-Flowey despises the very feeling of regression. Every. Time. It just makes him angry when he notices it. Asriel is dead, should be dead. So why is he still just some kid? Why does he still crave what he decided was meaningless RESETs ago?

-When Toriel was sleeping in the RUINS, he would pop out of the floorboards occasionally to watch her or, if he felt particularly uneasy, rest with her in bed.

-Asriel was an extreme people pleaser. He was taught to be kind, which led too often to him being a doormat. Regressed Flowey is similar, and won’t like outwardly saying what he needs.

-Sans once found out Flowey was Asriel one timeline and called him ‘little prince’ when the flower regressed at his house. Flowey has attempted to erase all remnants of that RESET to no avail.

-Sans will also call him little prince/prince by instinct, which Flowey feels mixed about.

-He loves coloring and plush toys. However, the sharp thorns on his vines makes crayons and stuffed animals difficult to grab without hurting them, so he…doesn’t get many opportunities.

-There are times where he regresses for a full day and does nothing but sleep. He’ll fall asleep in the patch of golden flowers and panic when he wakes back up.

-Papyrus understands that his friend doesn’t like being public with his thing-Sans-also-does (Sans is a flip but shh that’s another post), so he tries very hard to take care of Flowey privately when he can. When they were in Snowdin, Flowey would stay in Papyrus’ room.

-Only Papyrus, Frisk (and by extension Chara), and oddly enough Toriel consistently know he regresses. Others have forgotten across SAVEs.

#Wow sad headcanons this time I’m surprised #Undertale agere #Undertale age regression #Flowey Undertale #Age regressor Flowey #Fulfilling my own headcanon needs because no one else will in this economy smh 😔 /lh #age regression headcanons #age regressor headcanons #I NEED a blog for this #agere community

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primojade · 2 years

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𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄.

𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐈𝐈: 𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐍𝐀 𝐈𝐔𝐕𝐀𝐓. ( fortune favours the bold )

𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐄 𝐈.𝐈 : 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐈𝐗𝐈𝐓. ( the teacher said it )

" anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. " - albert einstein.

𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒' 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 | As a veteran AR60 player of Genshin Impact, you pride yourself as someone who knows the ins and outs of Teyvat, even studiously completing Spiral Abyss every reset, and having 100% exploration to some, if not all, of the released regions so far. Everything is fun and enjoyable, especially since Sumeru just recently debuted so you still have a lot to do!

All that ends though, when a mysterious passerby pushes you off the building of your university while playing Genshin. But instead of meeting your inevitable end, you find yourself waking up in the very world you were addicted to!

It's supposed to be a fun dream, right? Something you could laugh at when you wake up? Right?! So, why is that you were back in AR1 with nothing but a dull blade in your inventory?!

…well, at least you still have those 700+ sunsettias and mints, Timmie's fowls…and surprisingly similar game mechanics you used to merely see on the screen before. But what should you do now? Flirt with the Genshin men??? Good lords...

"Welcome to Genshin Impact, Dreamer. Here, we can show you a happier ever after you've never had before…so, ready?"

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 | In which you choose to do the World Quest that requires you to meet Cyno, the General Mahamatra himself that leads to a more confusing and maybe…a bit more hopeful ending?

𝐂𝐖 / 𝐓𝐖 | Cursing, Cyno threatening you, mention of injuries but nothing too graphic, spoilers to Sumeru Archon Quest and maybe spoilers in general shskaha. No beta we die like teppei so you would def see grammatical errors. Let me know if I missed anything <3

𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 | I think this route will probably be my most favorite of them all xD probably because Cyno and Tighnari are here lmao. Reblogs and comments are appreciated!

masterlist | prologue: that love is a fallacy | route 1: argumentum ad hominem | (alternate route) route 1.2: argumentum petitio principii

Try as you might to resist the temptation of primogems, your will is as weak and soulless as your AR1 account. Though you didn’t know if the Wish System here works the same as the one in your game, it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared just in case. Plus, you were really curious to see what the General Mahamantra looked like in real life. Tighnari himself looked so real and so unlike his 3D self, so you choose to accept the World Quest that popped out of nowhere.

Although your caretaker didn’t seem to agree with you in the slightest. “No,” he simply said with a slight frown before tugging you down to the bed when you tried to stand. “You still haven’t fully recovered, you lummox. And you can’t be serious in meeting that man looking…like that.”

The therianthrope then gave a brief glance at your clothes before rolling his eyes. When you looked down, you realised you were still wearing your school uniform. And so unlike how these Sumeru—or even any of the Genshin—characters intricately dressed themselves. You won't even pass as a scholar of Academia even if you say so with your getup!

It was as if Tighnari was telling you 'you would look even more suspicious in the eyes of the General Mahamatra if you meet him as you are now'. But, no! First of all, you are a certified Cyno simp, and second, you need to do the World Quest for Freemogems. You knew Tighnari was worried you might do something stupid to incur the General's ire, but if you remember Cyno’s lore in-game and how between his reputation and his own personality as what others believed greatly differs, you choose to make a gamble.

Tighnari was probably thinking you were some sort of mad scholar that Cyno was hunting or some random madman, but you knew better. Afterall, you were nearly certain Cyno wouldn't hurt you (since you weren't even a Sumeru scholar or anything that broke the rules) so he probably won't bat an eye on you that much. He would be suspicious, yes, but you have to convince them that you mean no harm.

Yeah, that's a plan! You braved yourself, excited at the prospect of meeting one of your favourite characters.

“By the way, Tighnari,” you called him, suddenly remembering something important that you should’ve asked him earlier. “Do you know the….uh, Traveller? The outlander?”

He gave you a puzzled expression. “If you were talking about yourself, then yes, I suppose I know you just now. However, judging from your expression, you were referring to a different person, no?”

You blinked, inching close to him. “I mean, the Traveller! You know…the Honorary Knight of Mondstadt? The Hero of Liyue? Swordfish Captain of Watatsumi Island? First Sage of Buer?...Seriously?!”

“Who in the name of the Seven are you talking about?”

Judging from Tighnari’s genuine confused expression, he really has no idea who you were referring to. Which means…“Holy shit…the game hasn’t started yet,” you almost choked at this realisation.

But if the Mondstadt Archon Quest hasn't really started yet, does this mean that the Traveller was still trapped in their sleep? Or it's possible that Paimon was still teaching them speech at this time? Tighnari himself is already a Forest Watcher, which means that this timeline isn't that far from the start of the game. Right?

Plus, Cyno looked like he's still the General Mahamatra, in contrast to his self-exile during the Sumeru Archon Quest. Meaning, it was possible that he was still loyal to the Academia rules and its Sages, and if he does have his suspicions now regarding the Grand Sage…

Good lord. This would be more difficult to handle.

First things first, you need to meet Cyno and follow the Quest Chain. Hopefully, these random quests that popping in your Quest Menu would lead to something that could help you go back to your world.

Well, who am I kidding? Even Hoyoverse themselves said they don't plan to have an endgame yet. You scoffed.

Anyhow! Onto the Quest!

It was truly a Spartan feat for you to convince Tighnari that yes, you were fine now, and yes, you wanted to go out of this confinement and meet the man of your Quest. He even becomes frighteningly insistent that you stay in bed for a few more hours but eventually, it was all thanks to an NPC Forest Ranger whose name you can't remember calling out to him that gave you the chance to escape by diving through the door.

While Tighmari was certainly faster and physically stronger than you are, your will and determination to get the primogems and meet Cyno is stronger than him.

"What the fu—!?"

But in your careless hurrying, you accidentally trip and literally flew down the remaining steps of Tighnari's hut. You grunted in pain as your elbow grazed down the balustres. When you looked ahead, you saw the tip of someone's toes in front of you.

You slowly looked up, frowning, your eyes met a familiar pair of cold crimson ones. Your stomach did quick flips, and your heart nearly burst out of your chest in surprise. You didn't expect to land pathetically in front of the man you want to see today—literally!

"You…" Cyno started, looking down at you as his red eyes flashing dangerously. "...Who are you?"

"—And I specifically told you to stay in bed, but what did you do? You ran off on your own, got yourself more bruises, and had the wounds I treated to open. You even had the audacity to say you’re alright to my face–”

"Master Tighnari, I think they had enough…"

"Oh? Well, I do think they were pretty enthusiastic about listening to my lectures.”

“Bastard, do I look like I did? Ow!”

Tighnari, who was looking all smug at you, flicked your forehead after he finished tending to your injuries once again. Curse his supersonic hearing even though you were just whispering your complaints under your breath.

Beside you, Collei attempted to calm you down by patting your back. The girl was truly a blessing, and she's been very kind to you the moment she saw you tumbling on the ground from her Master's hut. Additionally, she looks even cuter in person; you almost want to squish her cheeks.

On the other hand, sitting at the far side of the room was the General Mahamatra himself staring intently at you like a guard dog. You tried ignoring the prickles at your skin, the lump forming at your throat at the intense way he was looking. His crimson eyes were scorching deep, as if trying to discern all the secrets you've been hiding from them. And from the way his expression shifted from nonchalance to wariness the moment he saw you, you knew that lying wasn't a safe option.

It wasn't like you were here to cause trouble! Or break rules! You're as confused as them, if not more, so you really have nothing to fear!

"—considering that you were now cheerful enough to dive out on your own accord when I clearly told you not to, I believe it's safe to assume that you don't have any lingering concussion from your fall. Though I suggest you stay for a few more days so I could monitor your condition—unless you want to stay in Bimarstan, that is…are you listening to me, [Name]?"

Your eyes snapped away from Cyno to look at the Forest Watcher, who was looking at you in exasperation. "Wait, I don't have any Mora on me for treatment! Besides, these wounds aren't all that serious, they could heal themselves in time."

Unfortunately, your million Mora was gone along with all of your stuff in Inventory. Damn it.

"Mx. [Name], we don't charge payment to our patients, so don't worry about that!" Collei chipped beside you. "And when it comes to treating others, my Master is one of the best! So, you can trust him, I assure you."

Your smile becomes crooked. "That's not exactly what I'm worried about…"

Tighnari wisely ignored the both of you and turned to Cyno, crossing his arms. "And how about you? To whom do we owe the General Mahamatra a visit?"

Cyno glances at you in a calculating way before looking back at his friend.

"I…uh, could step out for a bit so you guys could talk in private?" You offered, hesitant.

"No need," Cyno immediately declined, for some very odd reason. "I do not intend to keep this a secret anyway, and this peculiar discovery is not part of my job as a Matra—unless it starts to pose a problem to Sumeru as a whole. But for now, any kind of opinion regarding this subject is very much appreciated as much as it was a personal request from me."

"Now, this is weird." Tighnari muttered, sending him a meaningful glance. "Is this about the suspicious domain we discovered in Dharma Forest the other day?"

Your ears perked up. Domain in Dharma Forest? Wait…don't tell me…?

Cyno nodded stiffly. "Yes, I managed to open the domain today. Inside was some kind of mechanism that opens a time trial challenge that requires me to defeat some Eremites. Then, out of sheer curiosity, I tried revitalising the petrified tree inside. It then gave me this…"

Your eyes widened like saucers when you saw what materialised in Cyno's hand. You couldn't believed what you were seeing right now!

"Is this…some kind of flower? Its appearance looked similar to the Fetid Boughs in Withering Zones but…" Tighnari inspected the 'flower' with furrowed brows. "It doesn't have the same effects. It even looked remotely harmless to me."

"Exactly my thoughts." Cyno agreed. "Since you were used to dealing with Withering Zones and this item bears resemblance, I assumed you would know what this is."

The therianthrope shrugged his shoulders. "This is the first time I had seen this kind of…thing, in all honestly, so I have no idea. Have you tried asking the Sages? Surely, they could provide a reliable answer than myself."

After a few moments of silence, the General clearly hesitated, pursing his lips. Tighnari sighed in defeat, but an understanding smile crossed his expression. "Alright, I get it. No need to ask the Sages. This is a…personal business afterall."

"This is an Artifact," you said absentmindedly. "Though I have no idea if this is a four star or a five star artifact…"

No wonder why your Original Resin was 140/160 when you checked it earlier! It's because Cyno unknowingly used it on a Domain without knowing what it truly was.

Collei, who was silently listening to her elders patiently, looked at you in confusion. "...Artifacts? You know what that is, Mx. [Name]?"

Both of the scholars looked at you in interest.

You scracted your neck, debating whether to tell them about the in-game stuff or made something up. Though you quickly ruled out the latter. Lying wouldn't do any good especially since Cyno could easily tell if you do. It would be safer to be on their good graces instead of making them more suspicious of you.

"Uh…well, this is a part of an Artifact set of Gilded Dreams. And this particular piece is known as a Flower of Life, named as Dreaming Steelbloom." You explained, your expression sour as if you swallowed a lemon. You thank the Archons that there were days you were bored and resinless enough to read actual lore inside those artifacts!

"You said this flower is just a piece of a whole set, yes? Which means there are other pieces out there?" Tighnari curiously asked.

You nodded animatedly. "Yeah. There are five pieces each set. The Flower of Life, the Plume of Death, Sands of Eon, Goblet of Eonothem and the Circlet of Logos. They could be found in the same domain as the one you got this from. There are another set of artifacts you can get in that domain, too—the Deepwood Memories."

"And what can these artifacts do, exactly?" Cyno's shoulders tensed, waiting for your answer with a glare. He looked absolutely terrifying as if you didn't answer him truthfully, he would drag you across the desert before he reenacted his punishment for you.

"Oh, um, well…" You nervously blinked and you really tried your best to explain the purpose of artifacts, how they work, and even about their set bonuses. As scholars of the Academia that runs on logic and explanation of stuff, you don't freaking know if they even believed your crap, but at least you were telling the truth?

When you were done, you were extremely out of breath so Collei—bless her soul—kindly gave you a drink to clear your parched throat.

"—But the artifacts domains are absolute trash that runs on pure RNG luck." You muttered angrily, remembering the months you spend on domains crying in frustration just to get trash artifacts. "It would be a miracle to get good stats, and even purer divine intervention for them to roll on what you actually need. Tch."

The three of them shared a look. "I have no idea what an RNG is and what stats are you talking about, but if I guessed correctly with what you said," Tighnari paused, hands on his hips in contemplation. "There are other…artifact domains there are, and not just the one we discovered in Dharma Forest, correct?"

You nodded. "Yeah, but as of now, other artifact domains are located in Mondstadt, Liyue and Inazuma. The other domains I know that were available in Sumeru are the Talent Level-up and Weapon Ascension Domains…though I don't know if they would exist right now."

"What do you mean?" Cyno asked, his eyes narrowing.

Because my Map is not working right now! You cried inwardly, but you just shrugged at him.

"[Name], I'm curious about one thing," Tighnari mused, his ears twitching. "Judging from your expressions, and since Cyno hasn't stopped you yet, you must be telling the truth. But how did you know about all of this artifact stuff in the first place? I'm certain there are no books in the House of Deana about the things you just said, so all of this are new to me, and I could say the same for our General here—which is saying something."

If Cyno himself is not familiar with how these artifacts work, then how did you know? Tighnari seems to ask silently.

"Um," you shifted to your seat uncomfortably, aware of the three pairs of eyes watching your movements like a hawk—or a guard dog. "I…can't tell. At least not yet."

Collei's jaw dropped. "But why?"

"Because the knowledge tied to these artifacts could cause unwanted chaos should it fall in the wrong hands. And I'm sure you, as scholars of Academia, know how dangerous knowledge of the unknown could be, right?" You groaned. "So, please, just until I figure out stuff I need to do, I should keep as much knowledge as possible. But believe me! I really meant no harm!"

Cyno stood up from his seat and approached you, his crimson eyes narrowed into crescents. "You…do realised that once the Academia knew about this, they could force us Matra to interrogate you whether you 'figured out stuff' or not, right? This is a dangerous gamble you were taking, outlander."

At his silent threats, chills run down to your spine and goosebumps rose from your skin. But to his mild surprise, you persevere and decide to meet his cold gaze headon. "You won't do that."

"What makes you say that so confidently? You must be aware of my position in the Academia, and the power I hold." He challenges again.

You shook your head, scoffing. "Yes, but you were doubting the Academia now, right, General? Otherwise you would report that 'suspicious domain' to the Sages instead of going to Tighnari for help. Even more so about asking our opinions, especially me who you barely know."

You realised this earlier. Even though the 'game' timeline hasn't started yet, or at least, the Archon Quest of Sumeru is not yet happening, Cyno had his suspicions about the Academia already. His loyalty was starting to falter (or in better terms, his own sense of justice is being tested by the same people he served), and he wasn't sure if he could still trust them with an unknown discovery, so in his confused state, he had gone to see one of his most trusted confidants—which is this Fennec Fox therianthrope here.

This is where you were confident. Cyno, as his lore in-game said, would only hunt those who rulebreakers of the Academia. And only a few of them were even more worthy of his visit.

Though you weren't quite sure if your knowledge about 'artifacts' would be considered as 'getting his interest'. In any case...

His emotionless eyes looked more of orange than red up-close, and it was beautiful despite them glaring at you.

"Okay, that's enough for you two." Tighnari holds his hands up tiredly and gently pushes Cyno away from scaring you further. "We will not question you for now about the origins of these artifacts, then. Just be aware that Cyno might not feel the same as I do, but rest assured I'll talk to him later." He rolled his eyes.

The young man huffed, crossing his arms before ignoring his remarks. "In any case, we need to investigate these other domains. And you…are coming with us."

"What." You deadpanned.

Tighnari ignored you, too. "I agree. These domains might pose a threat later, so it's much safer to conduct investigation as much as possible as the first ones who discovered them. And we need to prepare a lot of things if the other domains have challenges awaiting for us as well."

"Wait—!"

"It would be best if we split up. It'll save us some time covering all areas in the desert and the rainforest tracking their location." Cyno added thoughtfully, glancing at you. "It's best if I take this person with me. I could keep an eye on them and their actions well enough if were together."

"Hey, stop ignoring me—!"

"Are you seriously planning to drag them across the desert?" Tighnari gave him a disgusted look. "They were better off with me in the rainforest. Besides, they were still injured. They needed to rest first."

"Oi, does my opinion don't matter here at all?"

As the two scholars banter back and forth about who you should go with, the Paimon Menu lit up again. And you saw Quest Complete at The Fox and the Jackal World Quest. Followed by a series of rewards that went tumbling down your Inventory when you checked.

[Username]

(No Signature)

Adventure Rank: 2

Adventure EXP: 20

World Level: 0

OMG! YOU'RE FINALLY OUT OF THE AR1 JAIL! Is this for real?!

But before you could celebrate your apparent victory, a new quest suddenly appeared again. And this time…it was quite different than the others you've seen before.

"Huh…?" Your jaw dropped when you read its contents.

The Fox and the Jackal II

Choose who to Obtain between the Verdant Strider "Tighnari" and Judicator of Secrets "Cyno" to your party. Choose only one.

Quest Chain Rewards: 250 Adventure EXP, 150 Character EXP, 2 Hero's Wit.

You could obtain them to join your party?! Here?! For free?! Is this freaking true?!

How the hell does this game really work now? They're giving out five stars characters like this so easily? Holy shit.

Route 1.1.1: Go with Tighnari to the domains in the rainforest.

Route 1.1.2: Go with Cyno to the domains in the desert.

TAGLIST (open! Send a dm or ask to be added :3) | @xinii , @maehemthemisfit , @abvolat , @crazypriestess , @ghostsaysno , @kittence , @unabashedlyminiaturetyrant , @xiyanin , @toasterinabathtub , @sketcheeee , @fuoon , @luvwukong , @salty-salty , @rosebatsc , @inky8 , @thegeekact , @almighty-raiden-shogunate , @isuckat-avery-thing , @perhapsabitgirlypop , @2cuteforyourlies , @stxrgxzxr , @elsoleil , @tsukkinoyya , @mkaella , @celi-alika , @tiffthescales , @blurr3db3rry , @messyserver , @shadowmist0706 , @chin-chii , @observation-subject-753 , @clovers-anxiety , @shizunxie , @lleoll , @shoujishu , @uwu-panic , @forgotten-blues , @chaneylovesfangirling , @enma-reblogs , @cookielovingalien , @iruiji , @samarill , @definitionofsad , @spynerr , @bigcandlesmolbrain , @universal-rose , @feverish-dove , @inlovewithwaffles ... (if ur username is bolded, it means i cant tagged u :(( maybe its in ur settings? Also lmk if i missed anyone cause im such an idiot sometimes shsh)

#genshin impact #genshin sagau #sagau #tighnari x reader #cyno x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #collei #genshin cyno #genshin tighnari #jaded moments—!#gender neutral reader

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kingsis · 21 days

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Really, which one of us here is the spider, and which the moth?

Even as I'm no kismet creature, I wouldn't be so sure that you're the angel here.

Soulless as I may be, you'll never find me hollow-hearted in any slight way.

Animal that I am: a creature with sunlight scars and starved for a story, dreamer of new joy and cheer.

Though, don't you already know? We all hear that Demons are the ones who suffered exile, leaving their worlds, fallen down.

And we also hear Angels and demons both hail from the same place, and I'm certain we share no hometown.

That being said, I hope you already know your own Fates, and the path that we are surely pulled along, the tapestry that we are sewn into.

Look to the North and see the second wall, look to the West and see the first wall. Look south and see me.

Know I share the name of my home and the name of my nature with an identical place and an identical people far from new.

Your flowery language means nothing to me. Our fates were sealed once you lightners discovered our presence. I'm simply helping it along.

#ask #[suscribe for more]#bleedingbonemarrow

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esteemed-excellency · 3 months

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re: the Red Knight. Hiram appears colder and more detached than usual in Parabola. He's there to fight in the Campaigns and play at the Chessboard, hunt, or participate in a tournament every now and then, and this makes him very goal-oriented. He's available to undertake oneiropomp duties if a dreamer asks for guidance and protection, but he always needs to be alert, and he doesn't adjust his mannerism around others like he would in London. He doesn't care to compensate for his personality and his soullessness if he's not around polite society, he usually does it to make perople feel more at ease around him, but that doesn't mean he always has to care about them. The polycule and his closest friends know this, and they don't mind his seemingly uncaring demeanour. He's courteous and gentlemanly in Parabola too, he just appears to be less invested in social interactions.

His parabolan double is just like him, but with fingerkings possessed eyes. If they're both in full armour, helm included, they're indistinguishable from each other. They both hate it.

Fantasy au: he's a knight errant. No one has any idea about his code of honour or where his loyalties lie. The Red Court is always bad news and he's not to be trusted, even if he's pretty helpful most of the times. Rumour has it, he has a palace somewhere far away, but no one knows what his quest is, if he even has one, or what he's looking for. Some say he's cursed, others say he was bewitched long ago, too long ago, and he's still under a spell. Whatever happened, someone must have given him that red sash.

#this post was prompted by the ocs who would flirt with him in parabola you know who you are ;)#he's enjoying the attention and he would flirt back but unfortunately he's only loyal to one (1) particular bug themed femme #and to a mysterious dashing captain #the deviless would be very fae coded in the au I think #franz if you're reading this i need to know how captain dargor would be in the au #hiram hargrave #hiram lore #the red knight #ok he has a tag now

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logarithmicpanda · 5 months

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I've been looking at the past few years of reviews I've done and I thought I'd compile a list 👀

Crossed out are the ones I wouldn't actually reread lmao, bolded are the ones I kinda want to reread in 2024, in italics the ones I've reread recently

Best books of 2015:

If I Stay

The Well of Ascension

All the Bright Places

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Hero of Ages

The Wrath and the Dawn

Queen of Shadows

Alloy of Law

A Monster Calls

Emperor's Soul

Best books of 2016:

Drrr!!x2

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

Uprooted

Ancillary Justice

Ancillary Sword

The Princess Saves Herself in That One

A Court of Mist and Fury

The Night Circus

Ancillary Mercy

This is Where It Ends

The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince

Equal Rites

Best books of 2017:

Truthwitch

Binti

Binti: Home

The Bone Witch

The Hate You Give

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet

Strange the Dreamer

A Close and Common Orbit

Elantris

The Way of Kings

Wintersong

Soulless

Provenance

Best books of 2018:

The Cruel Prince

Binti: The Night Maskerade

The Fate of the Tearling

The Heart Forger

Starfish

The Poppy War

The Stars are Legion

Spinning Silver

The Queen of Blood

A Very Large Expanse of Sea

My Sister, The Serial Killer

The Fifth Season

Best books of 2019:

Maskerade

House of Many Ways

Alice Isn't Dead

Geekerella

In an Absent Dream

Ninefox Gambit

The Princess and the Fangirl

Summer Bird Blue

Night Flights

The Calculating Stars

Revenant Gun

The Fated Sky

Best books of 2020:

Starless Sea

Velocity Weapon

Upside Down

The Wolf of Oren Yaro

The Midnight Lie

Network Effect

A Song Below Water

Loveless

Piranesi

A Deadly Education

The Winter of the Witch

Witchmark

Legendborn

Watch Over Me

Burning Roses

The Ikessar Falcon

Night Watch

#wrap up #its funny how i strongly stand by most of these #but really dislike some of the others now hahaha #the closer they are to now #the fewer i dislike but idk if it will just take time to dislike them or if i have grown surer of my taste #anyway after 2020 i have specific wrap up posts that already exist so...#reblog later #book recs

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nevadas-night-time-novelist · 3 months

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I’d ask for more stuff for the reader with the employers (other than Audi) but rrrrrfgg. So little content of them

I feel you Anon, but that's cuz there's jack shit info on them. This got longer than intended and tumblr wont let me save anymore to this post, so I'll make another post with Conductor and Deliberator! :]

Stygian x reader

CW: Talks of death/decay

STYGIAN

Arguably the oldest of the four widely known employers, for as long as life has existed, so too has death. Black wisps of smoke curled around his skeletal form, flowing down without pattern or consistency. His few visible features deep set in his face, from his dull pink eyes, to his cheekbones protruding prominently.

His paper thin skin seemed to barely sit on the pink toned bones, looking as if any movement would tear it away, it was something you'd wondered about often when thinking of him.

"Worm." His voice was hollow, a soulless husky rasp with a hint of airiness to it. That was how he referred to everyone he deemed below him, which was everything but his kin.

Being called upon to aid in his work was exciting, yet a heavy burden. Plenty of dead souls passed this realm, and you were part of an exclusive team of judges, dictating where each S-3LF should go. To be reborn, to be banished to purgatory, sentenced to hell, or perhaps the worst fate you'd come to learn of, to be torn asunder into nothing, scattered across the cosmic void.

Sure, purgatory and hell weren't pleasant places, but arguably seemed kinder fates that simply becoming completely undone, as though one had never existed at all...

He snapped his fingers, and you were alone in his office. "Sit." His voice was cold and commanding, yet it always had that tone. Reading him was difficult, always a frigid reception, emotionless to the fullest extent. You obeyed without a word, the chair uncomfortable and worn, unlike the one behind his desk, which was new, plush, and looked a whole lot more comfortable.

His gaunt figure passed by, and a hint of ash mixed with embalming fluids flooded your nose, still incredibly potent despite how often the smell filled your office space.

Narrow hip bones lay neath the skirt of his black floor length toga, a belt of tiny animal skulls rested around his waist. "You are being far too kind to these pathetic bugs. You have yet to submit souls to be cast into The Nothing. Weakness like this shall not be taken lightly."

"I'm sorry, sir." His eyes narrowed.

"These are unworthy beings deserving of erasure, if you can't comply, you'll find yourself joining them into obscurity."

"I'll do better, sir. I vow it."

"As is expected. You are meant to make my job easier. Remember, you are replaceable."

"Understood, sir."

You were suddenly back in your office, leaving Stygian alone in his. He sat at his desk, gritting his teeth. Yes, this little worm was weak, below him, so why couldn't he get you off his mind?

Too kind for their own good, even when he insulted them, berated and tore them apart, they were ever-so polite and always replied formally. His smoke curled around his head, growing thicker as his annoyance grew, filling the room with a black and pink haze.

He was the beast of death, reeling in souls and fixing the afterlife for all, and love and romance weren't really his deal. He was utterly blind to this, doubly so because it was mere mortal that caught his fancy.

He snapped his fingers, and at once a younger fellow Employer appeared in the chair ahead of him. "You really need to stop doing that. I was busy." Dreamer sighed and looked at Stygian. "Why did you call on me, brother?"

Stygian sighed, like a wind blowing through bones. "A mortal being plagues my mind. You deal with these things regularly, what do you propose is wrong with me?"

Dreamer twirled her star earring. "Depends, what thoughts are you thinking?"

"They infest my mind like maggots, writhing in my skin and burrowing deeper. Their face haunts my mind, a ghost trapped in my skull. Tell me Dreamer, tell me, what is wrong?"

Summoning a tea cup, Dreamer sipped thoughtfully. "You're in love."

"What?"

She giggled and rolled her eyes. "This mortal, whoever they are, you're in love with them. Indulge in it, or don't. Do what thou will, tis what thy's best at. But if you do intent to pursue them, do change out of your deathly rags, okay Steeg?" She clapped her hands, and was gone.

In love? HIM? Bullshit, Dreamer was in her own world again. No. He wasn't in love. He needed to kill you, to break you from his mind entirely, to make you cease to exist, to-

A stack of documents landed in his tray, and he groaned, taking the top one off. His eyes instantly went to the bottom, your signature freshly inked. "Perhaps the purple one has a point." He slumped in his chair slightly, casting the paper aside. Auditor could file them himself, he enjoyed that stuff anyway.

Stygian got up, melting into the floor, appearing back in his private quarters. Heading to his wardrobe, he cracked it open, seeing nothing more than old suits, funeral attire, and worn out reaper robes. He groaned and rubbed his eyes, of course his clothing was useless, he rarely took care of his physical form.

He's living death for Maker's sake, why is he fussing about this?!

"Your thoughts are disrupting my flow." Connie was sitting in a chair in Stygian's bedroom.

"Tis a shame we cannot all have coherent thoughts, Conductor." Stygian scowled angrily. "Precisely what are you intending to achieve here?"

Conductor let out a melodic chuckle, his voice smooth like a fine tuned instrument. "You're not yourself. You're... Bothered. And I don't mean your usual gloom filled irritated self." He rested his head on a fist. "And since when do you change your attire but once a century?"

Stygian gritted his sharp teeth. "Well. Fine. Dreamer may have placed..... Strange thoughts in my mind, about... 'Love.' With some mortal of all things." He threw an old suit on the floor. "And that my clothes are RAGS!"

Connie straightened his tie. "She.. Has a point on that second thing." He pulled his baton, twirling it around in his hands, a blue light shooting out and wrapping itself around Stygian, and instantly tall, dark, and depressing was in a new, freshly pressed three piece suit with a pink tie to match his eyes. "Much better."

Stygian tapped his tie, and a skull lapel pin appeared on it.

Again Conductor swirled his baton, and a fat bouquet of white lilies mixed with blood red roses appeared in Stygian's arms. "Mortals are finicky, they enjoy things like that. Now go and demand they accept your offer."

You were seated at your desk still, condemning another old soul to the void. This one had lived so many lives, so many wicked lived. Dissolving them would be a blessing to the world... That was rather cruel, unlike your usual thoughts. Strange...

"Ahem." You spun in your chair, seeing Stygian in a full suit, his misty 'hair' flowing down, streaks of pink inside inky black. "You will attend a restaurant with me tonight. We need to discuss what happened earlier in greater depth."

Stygian wasn't asking, he was commanding. "Y-yes sir." You found yourself questioning his motives, he never spent time with anyone besides his brothers and sister.

His eyes narrowed, reading you back. "Here." He grunted, thrusting his arm out, shoving the bouquet into your face. "I've been informed that your kind... enjoys such gestures."

"What.. is this?" You looked up from your roses and lilies, and spotted soft pink flushing his cheeks, his eyes averted. "Sir?"

"Just get ready." Stygian snapped his fingers, a body hugging lacy black dress, with rhinestones and intricate little patterns embroidered on, and a classy all black suit, equally bejewelled with lace gloves both appeared on your desk. "Hopefully either of those should be to your liking."

You picked out one of the garments and rushed off to the staff toilets, heart racing and hands shaking. This wasn't happening, right? In a second, Stygian's hand would slam on your desk, and he'd bark at you to wake up. Surely he hadn't picked up on your slight attraction to him, right?

It was cringe-worthy, the living embodiment of death making your stomach butterflies flutter wildly. His cold demeanour, his harsh attitude, the puppy-love feeling of him softening these traits for you, it was all a fantasy, right?

Dressing up, you stepped out, and nearly collided with Stygian, who was lingering outside. "You... look nice." He grumbled, covering his mouth. "I figured you could perhaps enhance your appearance further with this."

He held out a box, opening it to show off a beautiful necklace with pink gemstones encrusted in rose gold metal. "A-are you sure about this sir? This doesn't seem like you."

Stygian looked at you finally, smoke swirling around his skull, twirling around your face as he stepped closer. "Don't think I haven't picked up on your signals, mortal. I can hear the way your heart races when you're close to me, I feel the lingering stares that could almost imprint in my form. I've ignored it and pushed it down for as long as I could, mistaking my own affections for resentment.

You wish to entangle yourself with death? Then prove to me you're worthy of it." Your hands grasped his cheeks, passing through his misty form and grabbing a hold of the black bone beneath, pulling it towards your face, feeling his teeth against your lips.

His flames were cool, but his bones were warm, pleasantly heating your hands as you held him, one of his skeletal hands covered yours, the other pulling you closer by your hips.

A lightheaded feeling washed over you, you started to collapse in his arms, but he was quick to support you. As he pulled back, you noticed a white mist flowing from between his teeth.

"Quite literally stealing your breath away." Resting in his arms a moment, his hand rubbed your back to comfort you, the other cradling your head against his chest. "To be in love with a mortal... To my kin it's unheard of. But you're different. You always have been. You vex me, but I crave it."

He slipped the necklace around your neck, and you looked up from the comfort of his skeletal form to his pink eyes. "Does this mean you're not firing me at dinner tonight?" You joked and he closed his eyes and sighed.

"Of course not. How dare you expect me to let such a good thing go."

#madness combat #madcom #stygian #madness combat stygian #madcom stygian #the employers #stygian x reader #madcom reader insert #madness combat reader insert #madness combat x reader #oc dreamer #the conductor #conductor #madness project nexus #x gon deliver to ya #maybe got a bit sloppy but fuck theres nothing to work with with these guys on god!!!

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haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll · 4 months

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Tracklist:

Welcome Back, O' Sleeping Dreamer • Into The Earth • Sun//Eater • Cursed To Die • Soulless Existence • Apotheosis • Wrath • Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames • Pain Remains II: After All I've Done, I'll Disappear • Pain Remains III: In A Sea Of Fire

Spotify ♪ Bandcamp ♪ YouTube

#hyltta-polls #polls #artist: lorna shore #language: english #decade: 2020s #Deathcore #Technical Death Metal #Symphonic Black Metal

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acepalindrome · 6 months

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So, Fashion Dreamer. It’s not as good as I had hoped. It feels a little soulless, it’s very grindy to unlock new eye colors and hairstyles and so on, and I deeply hope they let you search by more than the most barebones options in the filter system (why can’t I search by color? Or style? Why can’t I search for boots or high heels specifically? It’s really annoying to just search ‘shoes’ and then scroll through aaaaall my shoes to find what I want.)

THAT SAID. It’s extremely addictive. I keep trying to put it down and then I unlock a new pattern or palette and I just have to play around with that, and then I run into someone I want to make an outfit for, and then I unlock something else new, and suddenly it’s 3:00 in the afternoon.

The devs have already said there will be updates, so I’m holding out hope for a better filter and more features that might give the game more oomf. Also I’d like to be able to delete items from my box, because sometimes I’ll make something and then unlock a new palette that works even better, so I’ll remake the old thing with new colors and the original is just sitting around collecting dust.

Also i discovered I can make stuff in pride flag colors. So far I’m only really satisfied with my trans items, but im hoping to make better bi/ace stuff once I’ve unlocked more purples.

#fashion dreamer

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nasyrova07 · 5 months

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A year has passed since I posted a first art dedicated to "Soulless Dreamers", I suggest to make this day an anniversary, so happy anniversary!

Credits Deltarune by Toby Fox Soulless dreamers by me

#undertale au #undertale #my oc #nasyrova #soulless dreamers #first anniversary of my au #anniversary art #anniversary of my au #frisk #chara #will #anidev #gaster #antartis #soul

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ibeta · 1 month

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Draft: Mute Queen Sans

Papyrus was getting married.

Sans should be celebrating. He should be congratulating his brother for successfully courting the noble that he’d been courting. He should be running up and down the halls, screaming that his brother was about to get married.

He shouldn’t be overlooking the celebration happening below the balcony of his room, watching as monsters cheered and celebrated and went on their merry way, trekking through the ridiculous puzzles of Hotland to go home or grab more of their friends. He shouldn’t be thinking of an empty house in Snowdin. He shouldn’t be thinking of… thinking of… disappearing.

He was the Queen. He should be down there, mingling with the other monsters – no, his people. They were his people now, even if he hadn’t wanted the crown in the first place. Even if he hadn’t wanted anything to do with this many monsters. He didn’t care for them, but he had to.

He must have cared enough to be chosen.

Undyne had been so ecstatic about Papyrus upcoming marriage that she had invited nearly the whole of the Underground. The crowd looked densely packed, but everyone seemed to enjoy their time, paying their respects to the couple below, who were both laughing together at the head table, even if his brother looked a little nervous.

Laughing without Sans… so happy without him. Wistful memories of his baby bones brother flashed through his mind. They really had no need of him anymore... Papyrus had never needed him in the first place. It was Sans that had been dragging him down, wanting so much of his attention, taking up his time, making his brother pick up after him. It would have been better if he hadn’t existed. Papyrus would have a better life without him. He wouldn’t have to deal with nobles or royalty or any of this nonsense. He would have choices set before him, choices that were better for a loving monster, a kind monster…

Did Papyrus love the monster he wanted to marry?

The Queen was cold, the Queen was soulless (apathetic), and the Queen’s priority focused solely on his personal knight and the prince, Papyrus. The court had caught on that his queenly vow did not extend to the rest of the Underground. They’d realized it too late. They were a decade into this Queen business when the royal scribe had checked the written vows twice.

Fourteen years without a RESET, fourteen years serving as the crown, forty-two chaperoned meetings between Papyrus and his chosen, and two months of silence that no one noticed until the second week.

The Queen did not want to be the queen in the first place. He never wanted to be the Queen. His soul wasn’t that capable of caring for too many people at once. It just wasn’t possible anymore. It took so much time and effort, and it was tiring to care so much. RESETs discouraged him from furthering his relationships – it was useless when all that progress was lost. And he remembered the RESETs only after the Choosing…

Foolish. He’d been so foolish to trust them.

The council set his brother on a path of marriage. Sans was obviously in no hurry to marry, and of course Papyrus was too eager to please. They never went behind Sans’ back on their unsubtle hints to Papyrus to find someone. They waxed poetic about love and bonding, about souls entwined in such a happy union. Papyrus soaked it up like a flower in drought.

Sans had stopped them, but it was too late. They knew exactly what words to say to his brother, the adventurer, the dreamer, the romantic… the one who could love a pet rock even if it wasn’t the last object in the Underground. Papyrus had thought it was something fanciful, something amazing, marriage… It would probably make him feel important. More important.

(It stung. Was Sans’ admiration of him lacking in that respect? Did Sans not worship him enough? Why? Why would Papyrus…? Why…?)

Monsters didn’t bother shying from a courting prince. There had been a ball, and Sans had not done anything to stop it… because it was futile. There was no sense in stopping it. Papyrus looked happy. Papyrus enjoyed it. Sans didn’t find anything wrong with keeping Papyrus happy. Nevertheless, he didn’t sabotage or encourage anything. He didn’t feel comfortable with Papyrus’ decision. He knew how much of a short time courtship was. He knew Papyrus wouldn’t be able to uncover the monster’s pretences in such a short time.

Sans would have preferred that Papyrus courted for years, not months. Then only would be Sans satisfied of his choice. (No one could lie for that long, could they?)

Sans still thought it was a rather silly to hide the identity of the noble being courted. One monster accepted his brother’s courtship, and then accepted a proposal months later. Sans had the two of them chaperoned, careful to make sure his brother was safe, but nothing was amiss with the noble according to the reports.

He watched them once in the end of the third month, just in case.

The guards were right. There was nothing wrong… except Papyrus had proposed, and Sans’ SOUL dimmed even further.

He lost his voice at the same time Papyrus requested a marriage. He couldn’t talk, couldn’t speak his mind. Words felt like heavy planets that couldn’t be expressed. He wanted to say something, anything at all, but the words wouldn’t leave him, and so much fear in his SOUL warned him that anything he would say would be scrutinized. At the same time it made him wonder if, one day, they would just discover his love for Papyrus from the words he would utter.

No one else in the Underground spoke in hands, so Sans continued his queenly duties with words that could be written with magic in the air, something that any monster could do.

Once bonded, Papyrus would forget him. Sans would die of heartbreak. It happened before… happened before he even knew he loved Papyrus, loved him so quietly that it felt like breathing, like finding a place to rest without fear of being overtaken by the waves of nightmares. He was a star in the sky, guiding the way back home. He was hope incarnate, one that had left for a new home at the Surface. Oceans and oceans of water had separated them. Losing Papyrus in that way... it felt more painful than Frisk’s betrayals.

If Sans hadn’t been pushed onto that altar, if it hadn’t glowed and announced his presence so loudly, if it hadn’t just blatantly declared him the new queen with the glowing engravings and the new emblem of monarchy… Maybe he would be Sans, the brother, and not Queen Sans, the monarch. Maybe Papyrus wouldn’t be rushing to get married. It read all his life in one single mistake – a single moment he didn’t know if he should regret – and a mistake that he should never, ever repeat in the next timeline.

He had relived every. Single. MEMORY. He’d felt every pain brought by the repetition of timelines and its branching ends sent his SOUL cracking before the Altar had healed him. It had made him remember the past timelines when he had no memory of it. He had convulsed on the Altar, mind flashing of the thousands and thousands of nightmares, dreams and memories of his life… lives.

The Altar had also nearly killed him. His HP had dropped to the decimals. One more push and he would have died.

Papyrus had been so distraught.

According to the other timelines, he had avoided the Altar for this exact reason. He’d known there was a chance for him to remember things he’d rather not. Any monster that had enough wisdom would be accepted – if living through the timeline counted as experiencing wisdom, then he had a ton of memories.

When the kid had killed Asgore, the monsters rushed to find a monarch to rule them, desperate for someone to guide them. The Altar Rings of Monarchs was an ancient monster creation, one that helped monsters find someone that could guide monsterkind. It was so old that they used it to find the first king and queen of monsters, who were mainly relatives of Asgore or Toriel.

He didn’t know what the Altar saw in him, but he was chosen. It wasn’t like the regular picking, where each monster stepped into the Altar and the one with enough wisdom would be chosen, and if the next one was better, the monster would be chosen and whatever royal mark or item would manifest on the altar for them.

He hadn’t been just chosen. The Altar renewed everything in the kingdom. The castle gained the power to repair itself and rooms could turn to shortcuts on his order. The Delta rune emblems transformed into a symbol of the Hope rune (circled with a thin line and protected surrounded eight arrows pointing outward and eight half-arrows pointing inward). The magic of every monster suddenly became more evident when he tried to find someone, and the Altar conjured him a crown, a dress and some other pieces on the Queen’s side of the marble slab. On the King side, more armour appeared, but none of them fit him. (He locked them up in a chest in his room, figuring it was something an unwanted future spouse would wear.)

Sans glanced down at the little brooch attached to the choker in his hands, turning it around. The new symbol of the kingdom was white, just like the old Delta rune, embossed over a flat cobalt-oxide glass.

The Altar had gone through all this trouble to put a reluctant Queen on the throne.

A knock interrupted his musings. “My Queen?”

He wrote the words outside his door. “you may come in.”

Sans glanced at the door to his balcony and saw the sharp-dressed wolf servant he stole from the kitchens. She wore the same symbol on the front of her apron, and on the clasp of her belt. There were slight stains of yellow on her paws, highly likely from visiting the gardens again. There was evidence of exhaustion on her face, and from the slightly matted fur, he could tell she hadn’t very much sleep.

“It is time, My Queen,” she said. Sans turned away to hide his pensive frown.

“i’ll be there,” he wrote in the air beside him, nodding and dismissing her with a wave of his hand. She left after an elegant curtsey, padding off into the direction of the kitchen.

Sans attached the choker around his neck, covering the scars he’d made in his sleep last night. He walked back into his room, stopping in front of the large mirror by the side of his vanity table, eyelights flickering shortly to his dress before turning away to head towards the celebration.

He only had one practical dress given to him by the Altar. It took him a week to realize that it could change at will – a dress, a suit or his usual blue jacket with the grey hood and pants. It didn’t matter what clothes it could be. It was practical, the perfect clothing for lazybones like him. No need to pick things from his closet, so long as he had his brooch.

His escort knight greeted him by the doorway, a dragon with a wide maw and sharp teeth. The helmet he wore barely covered his skull or horns. Sans nodded to him, and the guard followed a few steps behind, reports of his duty falling from his mouth. The guards were up for rotation, shifts separating nocturnal and diurnal monsters to have a higher efficiency rate.

“My Queen, the guards have shifted rotation as ordered.”

“that’s good,” his magic wrote without inflection. His eyes brushed over the paintings on the wall, covered by little curtains. Painting of the old monarchs hid behind them, and Sans’ painting would join them sooner or later. “are they at his star points?”

“Yes, My Queen.”

“make sure they watch over the star,” Sans ordered, magic still flat and hollow to his vision. Stars, he really needed to get a hold on his font. He waved away the words, writing new ones. “the engagement may be certain, but the wedding is still far away. i don’t want anyone to bother them about it.”

“Yes, My Queen.”

Sans couldn’t drop his chin now. His mannerisms didn’t call for it. “did the guards take a break?”

“Yes, My Queen. We have followed your schedule as instructed.” There was an undertone of awe in his words. “As you have predicted, the lunch breaks have only strengthened our ties with each other.”

“keep it up, then.” Sans wished he could pocket his hands. There was a hidden pocket in his ruffled skirt and it was so tempting to tuck and run, but his Queenly lessons... He didn’t want to make a speech.

They arrived at the double doors that led outside. The guards bowed, and Sans gave them a regal nod and the expected smile of approval. Sans could hear the speaker announcing his arrival.

Queenly etiquette dug itself so finely in his skull that it probably found the void within his SOUL. He tried reverting to his old mannerisms on his own, but it was too ingrained now. His laziness had been refined with more grace, his sloppiness replaced with a keen eye for appropriate style, and his arguably tasteless taste received more taste.

He could tell any monster about shades of fabric without blinking, compare wine without sneezing and eat good food without puking.

“…and His Royal Majesty, the Queen, Sans!”

The guards pushed the door open, and the cheering started with a fanfare. Sans stepped out, fake smile plastered on his face, eyelights larger to make it seem like he was enjoying the celebrations. He was escorted to the podium, and from there Sans noted the guards in position of the nodes he’d told them. On the side was Papyrus’ lower table, where he chatted with his chosen, sweat on his skull like he was scared.

His left eyelight glowed and turned yellow. “citizens of the underground,” his words wrote, a powerful sound of magic reverberating through the air. “i welcome you today to the grand celebration of your prince’s engagement. many of you have wondered of its progress, and i am—” not “—pleased to announce that they have chosen a time in the future to tie their bond.”

A bond… Sans’ SOUL stuttered at the thought. His Papyrus, bonded… Stars… He blinked away the tears that threatened to overwhelm him, grasping his skill of acting as he sighed inaudibly.

The cheering just got louder, heartier. It burned his ears. It hurt his soul. He didn’t like this.

But he had to go on.

He kept up his empty smile, wiping the magic away. “for this, i have gathered all you, our citizens, to share this wonderful news: a wedding will be held a month from now, and everyone will be invited.” The roar of the crowd blasted in the air, dispersing his magic with it. He nodded to the crowd. “i am interested in meeting all of you there. for now, however, along with the your joy in our preparations, i wish you well.”

Sans ducked his head, a queenly bow, and then turned to the side, stepping off the podium with his guards. He really was about to run away, wasn’t he? He tossed his brother a glance and saw a strange expression flash on his brother’s face before he smiled widely and raised his glass.

Sans offered a weak smile and turned away, wishing he could hide under his hood and disappear.

—

The celebration ended at the peak of the night, right as the guards shifted rotation again. Owls had guarded his brother, wings silent and eyesight sharp. He’d gotten snakes in the ranks to detect temperature, though they did mention Papyrus couldn’t be discerned from his surroundings, so they had to stay close.

Sans sat on the chair he’d dragged out his balcony, wiping his tears on the fifth handkerchief from his pile. He sobbed quietly, his discouraging thoughts conjuring things he’d rather not imagine. In the span of fourteen years, he’d never thought he’d be giving Papyrus away, not when he was the ruling monarch of the Underground.

He hadn’t partaken dinner with Papyrus earlier, skipping his meal and trudging back into his room without a word but his excuse of being tired.

He hadn’t seen his brother since the celebration, electing to avoid the happy couple whenever he could, grabbing as many convenient duties as he could. He didn’t have the power to look at them. He was… happy, that Papyrus would be happy… wasn’t he?

A knock on the doors silenced the crickets chirping in the dark, and caused Sans to force out a deep breath. It must be the night guard, coming to check on him. There was a rule to check on him every six hours. It wasn't good to leave the Queen alone for so long, not when his health was already so poor despite his power.

He grabbed a handful of the clothing on his skirt and dried his face. He took a deep breath, threw the handkerchiefs into a shortcut, and then fixed the creases on his dress. When he looked sufficiently presentable, he opened the doors.

It was Undyne.

"Sans."

Sans raised a browridge at her appearance. She was still in her armour, but she had a cloak draped around her shoulders. Her face looked a little dry, but that was probably from her passing by Hotland to get here. What worried him was the pensive expression on her face.

"what's wrong?" he wrote, affecting his natural font with ease.

Undyne glanced from one hallway to the other, and then leaned forward. "I need to speak with you privately."

Sensing something bad had happened, Sans waved her inside and nodded to the guard by the door. "leave us, please. i'll call you when i'm done."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The guard saluted and marched away, but not before throwing Undyne a baffled look. Sans understood his confusion. It wasn't usual for the Captain of Waterfall to visit him in the middle of the night.

Undyne nodded back and then stepped inside. Sans led her to his living room and had her sit down on one of the elegant couches. It was wide enough to have four monster to sit on it. The room was larger than his bedroom, but it felt more spacious than his house in Snowdin. There were old trinkets and draperies in this room from old queens, but it always renewed for every monarch that got chosen. For him, the room had chosen lovely shades of blue and gold. She eyed his room with wide eyes.

"This looks like a big place."

"it has nine rooms," Sans commented in the air with a shrug. Undyne's jaw gaped open. "it's connected to the king's room, too. that one also has nine rooms... but enough about that. why are you here?"

Undyne shut her mouth and then cleared her throat. She looked down and grabbed something from her cloth. "I was going to ask about Papyrus."

Sans dropped onto the other seat and placed his feet on the low table, etiquette gone from his mind. "what about him?" Sans reached out with his Queen magic, looking for his brother. "he's at the courtyard. he always trains at night." And there were snake guards watching him from a great distance.

Undyne didn't say anything else, just watched him with sad eyes.

Sans felt uncomfortable by her stare, but she stayed strong. "undyne?"

"Look," Undyne began with a nervous swallow, "Papyrus has been acting really weird, okay? With you he's been all smiley and really responsible, but I've been assigned to him some month ago and he didn't seem happy with something. And earlier..." she trailed off.

Sans dropped his foot on the floor, magic tense inside him as he leaned forward on his elbows. "tell me everything."

So Undyne continued on, saying that she's noticed that Papyrus wasn't looking happy, that he seemed uncomfortable by something, and that he always seemed happier when he was training than he was at Snowdin, or just besides Sans doing normal things. Papyrus, it seemed, wasn't as comfortable as he acted with royal duties.

"He's always visiting your old house at Snowdin," Undyne snorted. "It's like a vacation house for him."

"i know that," Sans answered with a musing smile. "i go with him when he does. sometimes, i go alone without guards."

"Oh." Undyne frowned. "I mean, that makes sense. You're the only one that sort of doesn't give him eyes for being a Royal."

Sans lowered his sockets on the table and wished he could use his magic to turn some monsters blind. "is there something wrong with that?" Was someone targeting his brother?

"There's been some talk on the lower towns about how Papyrus' engagement was a move you made so you could find your own spouse," Undyne reported with a grim look on her face. "They remember that it wasn't only the Queen's slab that gave you items. The King's side also sent things that didn't fit, so..."

"and they think they're supposed to be the king." The dryness in his voice could rival deserts. "and they want me to chose them." The nerve of those monsters, trying to make him chose one from them. If he could rule peacefully as one monarch, then he would never choose a king.

"Yeah." Undyne placed a box on the table. Sans eyed the green box warily. It was a simple store box from the Capital, so it looked out of place in his room. "Here's my gift, by the way. The weird, bearded dragons in the council said I should give you one. I think it was supposed to be a courtship gift, but you know me. We're buds, so it's a friend-gift."

Sans smiled and grabbed the box, popping it open.

He held in his gasp at the form of the crystal cylinder. Undyne... She couldn't have possibly known...? He looked up at Undyne's expectant face. "this is great!" he wrote. "where did you find it?" How...?

"The Dump, where else?" Undyne grinned and exposed all her sharp teeth. "I grabbed them 'cause it looked all science-y, and Papyrus said you liked the science stuff like Alphys. It reminded me of a picture I saw in the lab."

"thank you." She had no idea... She had no idea at all...

She gave him the most critical part that his machine needed.

—

#fontcest #ibeta writes #ibeta ideas #draft

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