Candlit's Corner

CandlitNights' Fanfic Blog Adult, writer, Darkrai fan. Please watch your language here. :) Visit me at https://archiveofourown.org/users/CandlitNights

[candlitnights]

Introduction

Current Status: On Hiatus due to life issues; see this post for info.

Hello and welcome! You can call me Candlit. I write for the pokémon fandom with fics revolving around Darkrai as a character. I also doodle now and then.

At the magnifying glass on my blog, you'll find a list of the tags I use the most. This will help you navigate my posts easily, whether you're looking for art, ghost gags, or something specific by character or story.

This is a secondary blog dedicated just to the fics I write. Occasionally I’ll repost from others if it has to do with my betas or if it’s a Cressrai post. Anyway, don’t hope for mutual follows from this blog; I can’t do that.

When interacting with me, please refrain from profanity. I personally find it distasteful and I will not post or reblog anything with it here. Also, this is a strictly safe for work space.

My Fics

- When Monsters Dream : A Cresselia/Darkrai fairy tale retelling inspired by Beauty and the Beast as well as Phantom of the Opera. Set in the PMD world. Not EoS Darkrai.

- Darkrai’s Guide to the Care & Keeping of Humans : Found family and accidental child acquisition, Darkrai meets Akari during the events of PLA and joins her team. Cresselia, Arceus, and Giratina.

- Steeped in Shade : A oneshot collection for shorts related to the others. It includes Mallow's origin story as well.

- Mischief & Nightmares: on hiatus.

Ghost Gags / My Betas

"Ghost Gags" are funny little jokes and chat clips from behind the scenes as I write with my two betas. They are tagged as #ghost gags

I have two betas: @ghostovniart and @nanetchi

Go check them out! They're both artists!

The tag for their art on this blog is #my beta drew this!

Character Asks

See this Post for info.

AI Stance & “The Unforgivable Sin”

This is an anti-AI space. I have had my worked scraped before and it has left me devastated and on the verge of stopping writing and pulling down my works before.

I do NOT, now or ever, give anyone permission to feed my writing or either of my betas' artwork into ANY form of AI, be it Chatgpt, Copilot, or anything else! Please do not violate our trust and our consent as artists by taking our work, which we have slaved over for hours and hours of our lives out of love, and giving it to Gen AI for any purpose, such as asking it to give you a new chapter or some such nonsense. It is not acceptable for any reason. If you have a question about my writing, hiatuses, continuations, etc, please just come ask me.

Engagement / Interaction

As a writer, I thrive off of engagement with community. PLEASE consider commenting if you decide to read my work. My motivation is tied to this. If I post an update to largely hear crickets, it usually gives me the impression that readers don’t care much and it depresses me quite a lot, which impacts my motivation and production. Kudos are nice, but they aren’t really engagement. All they let me know is someone stopped by at least just once and said ‘cool’ but didn’t bother to engage further, which is also frustrating. You can see more of my thoughts in this post.

Finally

I hope you enjoy your time here! I really want to connect and have fun with the Darkrai fanbase, so please feel free to drop an ask, comment, and interact any time. It would make my day, to be honest!

Also, I tag everything on this blog based on content and story. You should see recommendations in the search bar.

[candlitnights]

Another status update… (edited since og post)

So guys, I’m just going to be straight with you. I’m not in good shape and I'm in a pretty dark place. This past year and this new year have been hell. Issue after issue with finances keep hitting (car, computer, health, etc) to the point that it’s going to be difficult for me to keep things together for a while.

Two weeks ago, a friend committed suicide.

Toxic issues at work have me tempted to quit, and yet I can’t because money and living in spite of it all. (And for reasons, I can’t leave it for somewhere else yet.)

I have not had the energy to write much for a while, and my mental and emotional state is in shambles right now in general.

As things are, l am going to call a more official hiatus until my life decides to stabilize and depression hopefully eases more. Hopefully once fall comes I can get into a better place.

[candlitnights]

Pink, Girly Bucket

I couldn’t NOT see this as a golden Cressrai opportunity, so I took it.

[johnny-depp-is-loved]

[candlitnights]

Shade & Mallow: Etiquette

Art by @ghostovniart , @ghostbreadovni

One of my awesome betas (@ghostovniart ) gifted this to me back in December! Mallow is training to be a little gentleman by his big brother's example.

(For those unaware, these two are characters in a fic I write called "When Monsters Dream".)

Thanks so much, Ghost!! :DD

[candlitnights]

Fair Warning: I Will Block

If anyone shows up in my notifications with a tumblr generic avatar and blocks other people from seeing their account without following, I’m not going to bother digging. I will simply block you on suspicion for being a bot or someone I don’t want on my blog due to that high level of anonymity. Reason being, I’m protective of my works. Sorry but in these times, that’s just how it’s going to be.

[candlitnights]

Welp. A third account blocked. A 4th was almost blocked. Guys, please put some kind of indication you’re human into your accounts. A profile pic, letting people see you have reblogs, maybe with thought tags, etc. Otherwise, I’m sorry, but you’re gonna be shown the door.

[nanetchi]

Shippy time 😈😈

[adobe-outdesign]

Plza dlc darkrai: 5 minutes without wife 🪦🥀😞👁️‍🗨️

Cresselia just randomly shows up in Lumoise one day, grabs mega Darkrai by its collar(?), and goes "I LEFT YOU ALONE FOR FIVE MINUTES"

[candlitnights]

Mallow the Marshadow

Sometimes Mallow gets some love in the Marshadow tag. Although this is a pretty Darkrai-centric blog, he has been a delight to create and write, so I thought I might make a post specifically about him on this occasion for people who aren't familiar with his story yet.

Mallow first appeared in a story I'm working on called "When Monsters Dream." Since then, I've gone on to expand on his character and more recently wrote an extended origins oneshot along with a few others in "Steeped in Shade". These can be read before 'When Monsters Dream', as they happen chronologically before then.

Some fun facts about him:

1. He and 'wispling' are the same character at different points in time.

2. He's still very young. Think 7-8 years in human mental development.

3. He's mute and speaks with sign language.

4. He lives with a Darkrai who adopted him as a younger brother. They live in a forest on the Air Continent.

5. He's still learning to read and write and he loves being read to. His favorite book is "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate DiCamillo (adapted in the story for the PMD setting).

Anyway, I hope you enjoy him if you choose to read! :)

[askpitchblacknightmare]

(Art portrait by @ghostovniart )

Hello again!

I'm curious... What are your artistic tastes?

Primarily, what kind of music do you like? Do you have a favorite instrument or genre?

What about painting? What do you like to paint?

— Shade the Darkrai

(// basically all of the text in regular size is also written in a response letter! darkrai writes better when it says things out loud. all small text is just darkrai's own comments that it doesn't write down.)

hello again too! good to see you!

seems today's a day for the arts! actually - every day is a day for the arts! this shouldn't be a surprise.

anyway, the music i like...? it's a lot. music loves to change and evolve over time, and so i've got to listen to and grow fond of many genres. classical stuff, rock stuff, million other stuff... it's hard to pick. but i guess, as long as it's got something raw and emotional, i'll like it. i tend to favor music with those feelings a lot.

as for instruments, i play a few of them, and i consider those my favorites.

the first ever instrument i learned was guitar - a distant relative of mine taught me how to play a guitar a long, long time ago. she's incredibly knowledgeable about the arts, and she's half the reason why i do any of it myself! anyway, over time, there ended up being more kinds of guitars, which i caught up on as well. mainly, i've been playing bass guitar these days. it's nice! until you're forced to play it against your will despite the person forcing you to play it is just as adept at the instrument as you are... sigh...

other than those, i do like the drums! it's incredibly simple to learn, especially when you already have a good grip on basic music fundamentals, and also very easy to pour all of your negative emotions into. once, i started punching the drums with my fists, and it... worked alright! might've broken one though... uh, but anyway!

i also tend to play the piano from time to time - but, i've met many who have far more practice and skill at it than me. i don't really care too much to pursue it myself, as well. but it's still a horrifically heart-rending instrument, and that i appreciate it for.

now, about painting...

i like landscapes. weird landscapes. as in, replace-leaves-with-eyes weird... y'know, things like that. maybe they've got specific, personal meanings, or maybe they're just up to interpretation, it just depends on me. the ideas come to me in these surreal dreams, and the first thing i like to do when i wake up is, at the very least, sketch them out. i've worked with anything and everything i can work with. honestly, i've glued real rocks to my canvases before. many say i stop at absolutely nothing to make my vision come to life, haha.

i also do portraits for others from time to time! apparently, there's people who like artists that refuse to draw eyes most of the time. they tend to be either gifts or paid works, so i don't have many on hand right now.

ah, and, please don't tell anyone, but i do send some of my works over to art museums every now and then... under pen names, of course. would hate for the public to have its eyes on me...

what about you, shade? what do you like in art? i'm interested to hear about what you enjoy.

- "Fearbringer", Darkrai

[candlitnights]

(Portraits are graciously provided by @ghostovniart )

Hello again!

Thank you for indulging me with that question—it's a topic close to my heart!

Oh, lovely! A family member taught you? Who was it? (Also, a bass guitar? I’ve never heard of such a thing. We must not have those here yet, but it sounds intriguing!)

I was not quite as fortunate to have a teacher, though my father claims to be the ultimate victim as I gradually taught myself to play various instruments. (I suppose I can agree with him when it came to the violin…) But while I had no specific teacher, I did have access to many books and much time on my hands.

Heh, the drums. I think my father was relieved when I accidentally punctured them with my claws. I never really got back to them after that.

I’ve mostly settled on the piano as my instrument of choice, though I occasionally dabble with strings. Cellos and violins are definite favorites of mine. Between the piano and strings, I feel like I can get the most out of them in terms of evoking emotion. The piano in particular helps me de-stress.

I did attempt a few wind instruments, though they tend to be generally difficult if not impossible to contend with, given my collar always being in the way. The only one I’ve found that I can work well with is the transverse ocarina. Have you played one before? They have such a lovely sound to them, almost like singing.

My favorite genre is classical! I’ve not had many a chance to get out to listen to concerts or musicals in person, but I enjoy them immensely when I do! I have my ways of acquiring the music sheets to try for myself afterwards as well. There are so many beautiful pieces that go with such moving stories.

I also paint to pass the time! Mostly landscapes as well. I typically paint scenes from the forest and the small creek area that runs through it. I can also get a great view of the mountains from my roof. When I’m not doing that, I sometimes paint the sunrise, sunset, or the night sky in general. I should probably branch out a bit more, but I’m still learning the art of painting. I’ve not tried many abstract ideas yet.

Hmm... Attaching real items to a canvas is an interesting idea. I wonder if I could do something like that myself. I certainly have plenty of access to natural materials...

Also, wow, you have pieces in museums? That's amazing! You must be very talented. I'd love to see your work sometime.

I hope you're doing well! Tell Vionne I say hello!

(He has been so kind as to send some letters my way as well! He also mentioned you know quite a few good stories—something about scarecrow for one of them. I quite love books and various tales. Perhaps one of you can relay it to me at some point. I'm sure my little brother would be interested in a new bedtime story if it's suitable.)

Until next time!

Sincerely,

Shade

[candlitnights]

Sketch Sneak Peek

"I haven't slept aallll ddayyyyyyy, help!!! DX "

In which Darkrai comes begging his sister for assistance. Fic referenced is my new mini project, "From the Ice".

I sketched this in like 3-5 mins tops because it popped into my head but I don't have the time to make a more polished version. Go easy on it plz D:

[candlitnights]

Lalala, hello Shade, it's the Vyon again (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠) ! Thankies for the concern once more, but you don't gotta worry 'bout a thing happening to me! Yeah, I'll probably have to tell my brother what I've been doing at some point... especially since there wouldn't be anything he could do about it, anyway!

I can imagine how hard it'd be for you to deal with Mallow in the coming years, but honestly? Just make sure he knows that he has a safe place to come back to, and you shouldn't need to worry too much. That would've been something younger me'd LOVE to have... But I don't wanna dwell in that. I'm happy to see that he likes the Tamato (⁠✿⁠^⁠‿⁠^⁠) I hope that your guest can stomach spicy things too, hehe. (Also, wow, he beat you up? Tell him he's awesome for that!)

Mhm, being incredibly scary at first sight is terrible, I know... As for my brother and illusions, hm... If it's a weird or creepy illusion you first see, that's probably something he's controlling to make you go away for whatever reason. Just seeing him as he is right now is horrifying enough, for most. All you gotta do is get used to seeing that, which could take a good while depending on the person. ... But you know, way back when I first met him, he looked... Well, even Father Giratina would be scared, that's all I can say.

Speaking of Father Giratina (not my actual dad or anything, that's just the title they have here haha)!! I think your description of your father's pretty similar to them. They usually just stay in their dimension, maybe visit some others from time to time... Actually, I sometimes use their dimension for faster travel. That's how I even know them in the first place! But that's just my privilege, most people definitely have never been here. But the knowledge that a place like Father Giratina's home exists is somewhat commonplace in my land; I think the world's grown used to their reappearance nowadays... The stuff that happened in the past, that happened a long, long while ago. I think we've moved on by this point, but I wouldn't know - I wasn't born by then. If anything's happened in your father's history, I can only hope your family can move forward.

I too, love the stories of old and all the like! Pretty recently, I've gotten to know a storyteller who loves that stuff - I'm actually getting him to write down a copy of that ancestor legend for you, cuz I like his interpretation of it best (⁠つ⁠✧⁠ω⁠✧⁠)⁠つ !! There's one other tale he's told that I find pretty amusing, but I have an odd hunch that you wouldn't find it funny like I do. It's basically a love story between... a very sad scarecrow, and a kind maiden. If for whatever reason you're interested, maybe ask my brother for the full story - I'm sure he knows it~

So you suggest our mystery two-legged wolf could be a reclusive Lycanroc...? Eh, I doubt it. Lycanroc aren't native to where this cryptid is. And a Mightyena might be more likely, but looking at the few pictures we have, this guy looks nothing like one. Besides, don't think either of those species walk around with only two legs. Actually, it looks as if one pair of legs was torn off, and yet it still stands as if it had both pairs... Sigh, since the last letter, we've not been able to dig up too much... but we're getting somewhere, maybe.

Good luck in the coming times for you, Shade! I have a feeling you'll need it. (⁠・⁠∀⁠・)

-Vyon

P.S.: I think I've seen that guest of yours... and someone I know wants to send her a letter. Is that fine?

Portraits provided by @nanetchi

Hello again,

How have you been? Is there anything new and interesting happening in your world?

Thankfully I probably shouldn’t have to worry too much about Mallow. Even at such a young age, he’s already so strong. I spar with him several times a week as the weather permits. (I’m afraid of what could happen to my home’s interior should we do so inside). We’ve been working on precision and moderating how much strength he puts behind some of his moves. He’s an eager learner and tends to get carried away. He’s been slowly learning to mimic some of my moves as well, though he’s not quite used to them yet. He’s more of a physical fighter, so my special moves have provided something of a challenge. All that to say, I’m confident that he’ll be competent and ready when the time comes. But I will miss him dearly. I do hope he’ll visit often.

Ah, so when you met Darkrai, you were frightened as well? How did you become better acquainted, if I may ask?

Excellent! I’ll be watching for that then. I do love a good story. Please thank him in advance for me.

Oh, a scarecrow…? Isn’t that… Hah. I see. Perhaps I shall inquire soon. It sounds intriguing.

Hm… Well, then that is a mystery indeed. I don’t know of any other common wolf lines. Lycanroc can stand on two legs in one of its evolved forms, though perhaps they are rare? Other than that, the only other thing I can think of is that maybe it’s a fox that may resemble a wolf, such as Zoroark? Either way, I am invested in hearing more as you dig further!

Thank you, and to you as well!

PS. Certainly. The rain is starting to let up a bit, so I think sending her some mail as well will be fine. (Echo usually uses the distortion world for a shortcut as well, especially when the weather is bad, but that’s rather private information due to the aforementioned complications of my family.) Anyhow, I’ll make sure she gets them if you’d like to send her mail. She’s a lovely bird Pokemon who goes by the name Celeste.

[candlitnights]

Ghost Gag #12 - Impromptu Adoption

When I was brainstorming in my beta chat about planning for the new story's first chapter and where Darkrai finds Akari and the context, Ghost typed this at some point. XD

She also likes to ragebait me about having never watched soooo many classic Disney movies (it hurts my Millenial heart).

[candlitnights]

I Apparently Have No Self Control

I made a new fic. It's going to have shorter chapters and update on a whim, though.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/79291171/chapters/208055766

Fun fact: I imagined this scenario basically a year ago.

Enjoy! Hopefully.

[zappernewmoon]

very early on in their time knowing each other, cresselia thought darkrai SUCKED. like she HATED that boy. and she also really liked him she was really in love in him. enter DENIAL.

darkrai was just scared and confused i think

for those who cant read their little thought bubbles:

C: "WHAT is it doing here. WHY IS IT HERE. I HATE THIS GUY ITS SO WEAK AND PATHETIC AND I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT. GO AWAY. you're making me feel WEIRD feelings that i DON'T GET. GO AWAY GO AWAY GO AWAY"

D: "ah... why is she looking at me like that...? did i do something wrong..?"

go my cressrai slop...

[candlitnights]

Well hi again, Shade! (⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠) T'is I, Vyon, at your mailbox once more!

To address your very clear concerns about my safety: I'm fine!! I'm a capable adult, I have common sense! I'm aware of the mystery dungeon dangers, and I did try to steer clear from them when I first got here... But it is thrilling to take the dangerous routes sometimes, you know? Not that I do, though! Don't tell my brother anything like that, or else he'll kill me!! Ugh, he just feels so awfully overprotective sometimes... (⁠눈⁠‸⁠눈⁠) It's not even like I get that badly hurt when I come over here anyway! (and yes, I personally delivered this letter as well. can't do nothing about that, considering you never notice when I'm outside your house! I'm just that good at being sneaky ╮⁠(⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠)⁠╭) Uh, but that's whatever.

Oh, and by the mercy of Time and Creation, my brother has been replying to you! Even giving helpful advice!? How could that be...!? (⁠╯⁠°⁠□⁠°⁠）⁠╯ But, like, thanks so much, really.

Anywayy, so, you've turned yourself into a spooky story? I've met a ton of people who've done the same (including my brother, coincidentally)! (⁠✷⁠‿⁠✷⁠) Also... "temporarily have the space around my home sort of removed from that plane of existence"!? (⁠@⁠_⁠@⁠) I may have my ties, but I'd never been able to get anyone to do something as sick as that for me! ರ⁠╭⁠╮⁠ರ And those books you mentioned sound sick! "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" does remind me of something, I swear, but... agh, I can't can't quite remember what exactly it reminds me of. I should go pay a visit to my local library, I'm sure I could find those books there! It's a... very large collection of Knowledge, to say the least.

Your younger brother seems like a good kid, my condolences to him. He seems quite young, and I can only hope he'll heal and push forward. I mean, it took me a good long while to get over the stuff I went through all those years ago... Haha. Funny, I'm also my brother's adopted sibling! Guess your brother and I are more similar than you might've thought (⁠・⁠o⁠・⁠) Tell him I like spicy stuff, and that the Pinap was well-enjoyed! Consider the Tamato brought with this letter as a response, it's my own favorite! If you've not tasted one, let's just say they're much spicier, hehe.

And now that's made me a bit curious, soo... you have any other notable family members? Honestly, I don't talk much to my biological parents and stuff. I'm much closer to my brother and all his peers. But there is this one story about my ancestry that's quite popular here! In my world, they say that the start of my species came from the grateful tears of a Dragon Myth of Creation... It's quite a nice legend, though I doubt there's any writings of it in your world. Maybe I'll send a printed copy over to you some other time, if you're interested.

As for stuff I'm looking into... Well, there's this one thing that I'm helping those acquaintances I mentioned in the last letter figure out. It's sightings of a two-legged wolf Pokemon. It's been spotted around snowy areas in the region I stay in, but only as a silhouette among the trees, and nothing more... All the reported sightings came from people who suddenly became incredibly scared for their life, and ended up running away from the wolf, no matter how far they already were. But it doesn't seem like it's actually hurt anyone over the years, and yet there's... nevermind. Just spooky stuff (⁠*⁠﹏⁠*⁠;⁠)

It's great to meet you as well! I wish you the best! ༼⁠ ⁠つ⁠ ⁠◕⁠‿⁠◕⁠ ⁠༽⁠つ

- "Vyon"

P.S.: If you heard a bird or something similar slam into the window this morning, you did not. Okie? Okie.

(Most artwork provided by @nanetchi )

Ah, hello again, Vyon!

Thank you for updating me on that! That is a great relief to hear; you had me quite worried at first. I would advise not keeping secrets from your brother all the same, though. Letting someone know where you're going and when you're coming back can be important if something unexpected and out of your control happens. I'm sure he'd respect your decisions as an adult even if it did worry him.

Admittedly, now that I think on it, that is going to be hard for me once Mallow comes of age. But it is important nonetheless. Growing up not being able to go out for the longest time was...mentally debilitating, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Anyhow, I'm rambling at this point.

I'm glad to hear you were aware of the dangers mystery dungeons can pose at least. As silly as it may sound, some pokémon living in this world aren't even entirely aware.

Well, if you're going to deliver your own letters, feel free to stop in. The doors are kept locked, but if you knock or ring the bell system I have, I should be able to hear it.

It wasn't my intention to make myself the local forest monster... It's just sort of naturally happened over time. I understand your brother has a similar ability to mine in that anyone who sees him is first presented with a frightening illusion? Most people never get past it with me. Only Mallow has—after he punched the living daylights out of me first.

As for the dimensional distortions, I do have...connections... My father is not the most celebrated deity in this world, so I don't typically speak of him. Only Mallow knows and has met him—he sleeps over there when he needs to before returning home to me. But, uh... Yeah. I'm not sure what your world's Giratina is like, but while my father does have bark and some bite, he tends to mind his own matters in the distortion world. I still visit sometimes, but I can't stand to stay long in that realm after a childhood essentially trapped there. That's all I can say of my family for now, though.

I love legends and myths, especially when they hold truth to them. I'd be delighted to hear your ancestry account when you're able to send it along!

That is an intriguing mystery! Let me know when you find out more. Every now and then I hear wolf howls from the forest and mystery dungeon. It's typically the local Lycanroc pack, though at times Mightyena can sound similar when they aren't 'cackling' as much. Perhaps your mystery wolf is a reclusive and introverted Lycanroc as well? That's odd that it's only ever seen alone, though. I wonder if something happened to separate it from its kin. A sad prospect. At any rate, stay safe!

Mallow is overjoyed to hear you like the pinap. He wants me to send a figgy for you this time. And yes, I'm very familiar with the tamato. It's one of Mallow's favorites as well and we cook with it often. As of now, he's run off with it. I have no clue where he went... Maybe trying to share it with our current guest. I'm sure he's savoring it wherever he is.

...I'm going to have to scrub his face, aren't I?

Have a wonderful week ahead of you!

Sincerely, Shade

[candlitnights]

Small Update: 1/29/26

Hello, Candlit here.

I wanted to give a sort of heads up to readers. I’m not going on hiatus or disappearing, but I want to say that I may be slow for a while. I’ll do my best to keep writing when I can, but it might still take me a while to get some chapters for either story up for a bit.

As I mentioned in an earlier sneak peek post, life has been… really rough for a while, so to speak. I have a chronic spinal injury and condition, and lately it’s been acting up so badly that I’ll get migraines for days at a time monthly, and more recently, my lower back and hips have been in so much pain that I haven’t been able to really put too much time into writing as I’d like.

Stress at work and finances have also made things difficult. My computer died and I had to buy a new one; after that, my car started having oil leak issues and then brake issues. Those two things together have really hit my savings hard.

So I’ve been very mentally and physically fatigued for a while. I’m hoping things will get better and settle soon. Until then, please be patient if it takes me a while. I know I’ve been active here in the tumblr, and that’s largely been an escape/distraction for me to cope recently. Anyway, I’ll do my best to get back on track as soon as I can.

Thanks for your patience!