Hey, so I just came across your Villain Quirin au, so sorry if this is a bit out of place. How do you think s3 would go differently? I think Rapunzel might still ask Varian to translate the scroll, but I doubt Quirin would let Varian get any more involved in the black rocks, considering the last time he got trapped in amber.
I don’t really know any of these characters well enough to know if they would go ahead with it anyway, but if they do then it could be very interesting if Varian still gets kidnapped. Cass might not even know that Varian was freed from the amber until she comes for the scroll, since I think the last she would see of him would be before they leave Corona. Varian would’ve also never made the truth serum, so Cass would require some other way to get the information from him. The whole “trying to persuade Cass” scene would probably also go differently, since Varian was never a villain in this au.
Also, slightly unrelated, but do you know of any fics that explore this more? Sorry if this is too long, and I love your art!
-🦉
Tysm for your patience! Sorry it took me so long to get back to you- it really was such a pleasant surprise to get your ask and I knew right away I wanted to draw smth silly to go w/ it!
I'll admit I tend to work in broad strokes w/ AUs vs. having a cohesive/linear plot outlined, but it's fun to think abt how events might unfold and how the diff character's involvement/roles in the plot would shift. I think Rapunzel would still recognize that Varian is the smartest and best qualified person to translate the Demanitus scroll, and she'd still ask for his help. Quirin would reluctantly permit it.
I want to think that the amber incident would be a wake up call for Quirin? He realizes that he can't be a bystander- he and his son are wrapped up in this cosmic plot and living a life free of the moonstone's shadow won't be possible until it reunites with the sundrop; the best thing he can do is a father is to be there for Varian and his friends and try to keep them safe, because their involvement is inevitable.
In an alternate S3 where Quirin was the villain in S1, I also think he becomes an ally again and fills a similar role as Varian did with assisting the mains. Rapunzel freeing Var + Fred apologizing (and hopefully resolving to do better and be more proactive in the future lmao) would cool the worst of his anger and he could turn his sights back to the issue at hand.
Maybe he gives Varian and Rapunzel and co. a lesson on the DK and the moonstone's history, so they know what they're facing? I think it'd be satisfying to have him 'come clean' and reveal all the secrets he kept for so long + ofc I wish they'd explored the lore more. Maybe he gets in contact w/ the rest of the Brotherhood, and summons them to join the fight? He wanted to leave them and his old order in the past, but Varian getting tangled up in the black rocks makes him realize that's not possible, and he recognizes Moon Cass as the threat she is so he calls in the cavalry. I could see him giving Var/Eugene/Lance (and Raps, but I feel like she has her own assets and fighting style) an introductory lesson in swordsmanship and combat, too.
You make some good points abt the smaller differences there'd be if Var got trapped in S1! I wonder how Cass would respond to seeing him again- surprise ofc, but I think that even in her villain arc, beneath the cold facade she'd be happy to see that Varian was alive and free- he was a kid who just wanted to help and prove himself, and losing him was tragic. (Tho it'd probably be followed by a calculating assessment that he's a new player/piece on the board, and Rapunzel is getting stronger and improving her control of the incantations.)
If Cass still kidnapped him, she might not have Var's truth serum to work with, but I can't imagine Quirin wouldn't spearhead the rescue attempt and I think it'd be easy for her to get Var to comply by threatening his dad. I can't imagine Quirin sharing a duet w/ Cass lmao- maybe he could reach out to her from the perspective of a parent, how it'd break his heart to see Varian go down this path, she's so young and has a whole life ahead of her, he knows Corona is flawed but this isn't the way, etc.. Given Cass' tumultuous relationship w/ Cap in S3 I think she'd shut him down, though. (I think having a member of the bhood actively involved in the fight and hunting her would also be a good motivator for seeking out the mindtrap.)
There aren't a ton of fics that I know of that have explored a roleswap with Quirin and Varian in depth-
Looking Through a Window & its sequel, Happy Endings Exist Only in Fairytales are the only ones that really come to mind and even tho they're older I'm still happy to recommend them! Both are from very early in the fandom, with the first one being written before S2 even premiered, so there's no concept of the moonstone, the DK, Hector or Edmund. That said, I think the emotional journey still holds up really well as an envisioning of what Quirin turning against the crown could look like.
I haven't been checking Ao3 much these days, so if anyone knows of any other fics that have been published around this premise more recently, feel free to lmk in the replies!
Hello! I already sent this headcanon before but at 3am so it came out as nonsense so I'm trying again at a reasonable time 💦
I feel like out of all the admins, the survivors would trust shedletsky the most, he's acts alot like..just a guy.
He eats chicken legs, wears just normal clothes, seems pretty chill
Meanwhile the others either wear robes, an official tracksuit? (??) I forget what builderman wears, and all act a bit more serious, or unnervingly (taph, I feel so bad for slandering my boy here 🥀)
When technically if I'm remembering the lore right, (it mightve changed), shedletsky would be the least trustworthy, with creating 1x1 and all, I mean we all know how they treat people near the killers (007, twotime..? Twotime is more just how he generally acts, though.)
I hope it makes more sense than last time, I might send another headcanon with more body to it later 💔 - Owl anon ? If that's not claimed or anything
shedletsky seeming the most trustworthy seems about right tbh, wouldn't trust him near food though. this fuckin guy bru /silly /aff
i read your ask about the songs you use to inspire the octavinelle part of the empyrean au, so i went to listen to the tlm broadway ost and omg ?? the bg of this version of poor unfort. souls is SO goodddd and ! i listened to 'she's in love' and couldn't stop imagining the tweels and a huffy yan azul singing a more villain-y version LOL!! - can i be 🦉 anon pls ?
Gonna use this ask to talk about what songs I liked to listen to while writing some of these acts for Empyrean. I have playlists, but they're like 99% instrumental songs and I won't name them all because there's just too many. However, I will name maybe my top three from each playlist plus the ones that aren't on the playlists.
Also, yes, you can be owl anon.
There's so many good sources of songs, because it's Disney. I've talked about the ones I like for act three in length, but I'll get to it again in a moment.
For act one (Heartslabyul). Usually, I start looking at the original animated movie for songs, but in this case, I'm not the biggest fan of the soundtrack. It's alright, but nothing really fitting for this series or idea-inspiring. For this act, I actually ended up listening to the live-action soundtrack all the time and I placed a few of the songs from it into the playlist for the act.
My top three songs from this act's playlist will probably be
Proposal/Down the Hole - Danny Elfman
Mantis Lords - Kevin Grim
In the House of the Inventor - Luis Humanoide
A song I liked that isn't in the act's playlist is
Alice's Theme - Danny Elfman
For act two (Savanaclaw). I had a few more options here given that there's the original animated movie, the very popular broadway musical, and the live-action. Actually though, while the broadway musical is good, I wasn't the biggest fan of Scar's voice and I didn't like the hyena's songs either. So I mostly stuck with the movies here.
This first song I list in particular is a masterpiece, it helped a lot when I was writing more intense scenes. I would just lose myself when listening to that and writing conflict.
My top three songs from this act's playlist will probably be
Stampede - Hans Zimmer
Life's Not Fair - Hans Zimmer
Burden of Pride - Dave Metzger
This is where I could actually find some similarities between these sung songs and Empyrean. Be Prepared, iconic song, is obviously the big one. After listening to the live-action version, I finally decided it's not bad, it's just not as great and lacks the charm of the original version hence why it's at least worth mentioning. Plus, a few of the added lines it has aren't all that bad. Big fan of the third version listed though, and I don't even like covers all that much.
A song I liked that isn't in the act's playlist are
Grasslands Chant - Ensemble (The Lion King)
Be Prepared - Jeremy Irons / Chiwetel Ejiofor / Man on the Internet
For act three (Octavinelle). I got real lucky here, because there's of course the animated movie, live-action movie, and a broadway musical that gave the villains several songs.
I'll put down the instrumental songs first from the playlist, then the others. One of these, if you know where it's from, is gonna look real out of place but I swear it fits the aesthetic.
My top three songs from this act's playlist will probably be
Let's Hit the Climax - Masami Ueda
Largo alla donzella - HoyoMix
Triton's Kingdom - Alan Menken
God, there are so many other songs that I didn't include in the playlist but I do listen to. I have listed them in length before, but I'll try to keep it a little shorter here. Also, yes, the first time I listed to the protagonist's song a lot and it's here on this list.
A song I liked that isn't in the act's playlist are
Part of Your World - Halle
I Want the Good Times Back - Sherie Rene Scott, Tyler Maynard, Derrick Baskin
Sweet Child - Tyler Maynard, Derrick Baskin
Poor Unfortunate Souls - Pat Carroll / Sherie Rene Scott / Melissa Mccarthy / Rinko Urashima
I Want the Good Times Back (Reprise) - Sherie Rene Scott, Tyler Maynard, Derrick Baskin
For act four (Scarabia). Obviously, I haven't written for it yet, but I do have ideas and concepts and most of a playlist already formed including boss themes if they ever had one. So while I haven't exactly started the real work for it yet, I'll give this peek into what I got so far music-wise.
The first song in particular I immediately added, because when I listened to it for the first time, I could vividly see the whole act play out in my head like a movie. The others are good, but my favorite is that first one. The second one I can sense it'll inspire me for more fast-paced high action scenes. The third one is just a good song.
My top three songs from this act's playlist will probably be
King Deshret and the Three Magi - HoyoMix
Carpet Chase - Alan Menkin
Harvest Dance - Alan Menken
So, I only recently rediscovered the remastered soundtrack for the animated Aladdin movie. Meaning, the above list will likely change. This is one of those movies where each song is a banger, so I won't do the other list.
However, it is worth mentioning that they also have a broadway musical version. One that I was fortunate enough to see once upon a time. I was doing some research and listening to the recorded version of the broadway musical, and it's a banger. You know how Jafar doesn't really have a song to himself in the movie? Just a reprise? Well, in the broadway version, he has the reprise and a full song with the character that's supposed to be Iago.
FUN FACT! I did not know this until doing the research, the same guy who voiced Jafar in the movie also did the broadway cast recording. So it's that much more fitting. Anyways, those two songs are Diamond in the Rough and Prince Ali (Jafar Reprise).
You can't tell me that Laios wouldn't give the best hugs. Maybe he's just a little hesitant until you warm up to it, but afterwards it's the best hug you'd get. 11/10 hug experience.
- 🦉
UGHHHHH HE FUCKING WOUUULD
HES SUCH A HUGGER TO ME. Laios just shows his love physically like this because he gets all like. Overwhelmed and just HAS to hug you. He’s like a white southern mom to me
He also picks you up and does that thing where like he cracks your back (self indulgent because I need that)
reader absolutely sobbing to bird xiao. i mean fucking wailing, man.
our birdie was going about his usual business, peeping around, looking for any possible dangers, maybe bring back a nice acorn. once he’s done, he’ll fly back to us, glad to report — (chirp a few times) — that the area is safe.
but instead of finding you eagerly awaiting him with an outstretched hand, he finds you curled in on yourself, stifling sobs.
he lands on the ground in front of you, worriedly hopping past the squirrels and deer nudging various forest tributes to you. he peeps once, but you don’t respond. he peeps a second time, and this warrants an answer.
you weakly unfurl yourself, willing your head upwards.
xiao now notices the state of your clothes. tattered, dirty, and dampened with what he hopes is just a peculiar blue juice.
he then meets a pair of reddened, glossy eyes. your cheek was scratched, and your now visible hands badly scraped. he chirps in concern, flapping his wings and hopping closer to your face.
that same face scrunches once again, as you curl your head back into your knees. as another sob escapes, you only wordlessly produce a few almonds from your pocket. you only whimpered an apology as a deer laid at your feet.
the almonds were not what he wanted. he did not need an apology for- what? a lack of attention? no, none of that. he only wanted you to be happy. how had he failed you again? he was a disgrace to the adepti, he was surely deserving of avid punishment. perhaps the loss of a finger would serve well. or two, after all, he had been too selfish and ignorant to save you. why was he even aIive? why was he ever even born? such a faiIure should never have been —
his inner monologue was cut off by an offering of a hand instead. you shakily nudged him with your index finger, making him release a squeak.
“hey.. i said i’m fine, right? please eat. you’re always so hungry.”
you sniffled.
“i can find some plants, and-“
but the sobs only continued.
“and fix it..”
your hand went limp as your cries shook your body. you didn’t even bother to weep silently anymore.
the squirrels chittered, the approaching raccoon held a rock in its small hands as an offering. a deer sniffed your head as you curled into fetal position again.
“i didn’t want this- i- i didn’t want to—”
i was just having fun, why did- how did it come this far?-”
a rabbit hopped closer.
“i want to go home. i miss my mom, i miss my dad, i miss their hugs-”
the deer at your feet nudged your leg.
“why can’t i just die aIready?”
xiao squealed, flapping his little wings furiously. he chirped and chirped, trying to bring you back to your senses.
he’d seen this thing time and time again- the form taken by relinquishment. once the thought was spoken, it could only end in misfortune.
he knew this was only a psychological effect, of course. to lose a battle when a small part of you wants to. to become careless and fall asleep on a thinly frozen lake. or, to intentionally cause one’s own end.
but that would not stop him from bringing you charms of good fortune in the following days. talisman to ward off draining spirits, necklaces and bracelets he personally imbued with evil-vanquishing power.
it did not stop him from distancing himself from you, in fear his karmic binds had effected you. that they were having the same effect on you as his siblings- as himself.
he had to protect you.
it was his duty.
-owl anon RAAAHH
i’m sorry this got so long, my thumbs go *taptaptaptap* on my keyboard while i just watch
oh…. you get it.
(under the readmore because my fingers tend to go)
xiao blessing small pebbles with adeptal energy, ignoring how it stings his hands as he wraps it in a leaf. as the one enchanting the stone, he’s granted a small amount of grace, but protection charms always tended to hiss at his karma.
he picks it up with his claws, flapping up and into the skies of liyue. he always brings you small gifts, and he knows you keep them, at least for a little while. he’s not sure if the magic is absorbed into you, if it fades, or if you simply lose them—some small part of him is satisfied at the image of mountain shaper being repelled by a simple stone—but he brings them to you faithfully. you always greet him the same way, and anticipation begins to bubbles under his skin at the thought.
he loves seeing you.
…but not like this.
your tree is more crowded than usual, various small wildlife surrounding you. nothing big, nothing threatening—the deer hesitate at the treeline, huffing and pawing at the ground—but worrying for certain.
he gives his same warning cry he always does, but you don’t step out to greet him. he has to duck beneath the leaves, and he sees you… crying.
he freezes, dropping a few inches in his shock, but quickly recovers.
(he can’t hesitate. he can’t pause. there’s no time for his own problems when you are in pain-)
he lands on your arm, bumping his head to yours and giving you a small chirp.
(please be okay. please be okay. please let the teal grass around you be lighting, or his bird eyes. please.)
another bump. another chirp. he reaches and pulls a leaf from your hair, turning to drop it away, and when he looks back you managed to lift your head.
he can’t stop the way he jumps, flapping to regain his balance at the smear of blue across your face.
“oh… hello there, little friend.”
he can’t even bring himself to be as happy as he normally is at your voice.
you take the wrapped rock from your claws, both you and the leaf unfurling. the blue stone glitters, and you smile slightly. from his new perch on your wrist and your shift in posture, he can’t help but notice more and more tragic details about you.
a slash across your waist, the cloth of your shirt clinging to your skin. the dirt across your skin, the tracks of tears down your cheeks.
“th-“ you cough, and the stone in your hand pulses outside of your view. “thank you, pretty bird.”
some part of him hopes that the stone brings you some joy. that you can absorb some of his magic- hell, he’d enchant it again if he needed to, expending every drop of energy he had of it meant you didn’t have to cry.
but not even the beauty of the earth can mend the tragedy of betrayal.
if anything, you cry more, curling up again in an attempt to hide from the world that wanted you dead. concerned cheeps slip from his beak as easily as the rabbits and birds around you hop closer. none dare to get as close as he, but acorns and river stones and pushed towards you, a ring of offerings surrounding their god.
“sorry,” you stutter, your voice choked, and he wonders why you’re apologizing. “i- i still-“ another sob. xiao feels like crying himself.
(he has no right to be distraught. not when he’s the blade you fear)
“here,” you manage, offering up a shaking handful of crushed almonds. you still have him your food, you still went through the strain and effort of crushing them so he could eat them in this form- even after the adepti had injured you, you still found it in yourself to help him?
(you didn’t know he was an adeptus. he was still lying to you. he hasn’t even taken any serious action, he couldn’t even try and help you when you still helped and cooed over and loved him-)
“do- do you-“ your voice hitched and broke, and he chirped, hopping up your arm. how he wished he could comfort you properly. how he wished he wasn’t a coward, that he could do more. “i know it isn’t enough, i-“ fresh tears welled in your eyes, and he had the feeling the pain ran deeper than your skin. “i’m sorry.”
you were sorry? why? he didn’t need an apology, he- if anything he should apologize. you deserved his offerings and apologies, you deserved his effort- and he couldn’t even give you that. he couldn’t even do what he was meant to, he wasted air with every breath, he spent his time protecting the citizens that hurt you. you shouldn’t be giving you his food, he should be giving you his blade, his armor, his mask, his- his faith.
he didn’t deserve to cry. but when he took a look at his own actions, he couldn’t help but think that he should be the one with blood on his skin, with ragged clothes and heaving breaths.
(he should be dead for what he allowed to happen to you.)
“please eat,” you sobbed, nudging him with the hand holding the almonds. “i can- i’m- you can trust me.”
(you shouldn’t trust him.)
“please…”
he hated seeing you cry. he hated hearing your sobs and knowing he was indirectly part of the cause. he hated that he was too much of a coward to take any serious action, he hated that he still stood besides your enemies, he hated that some of your blood fell on his hands, hated that every ounce of strength he had was one that you didn’t, and it was his fault. at least partially.
(entirely.)
your cries took words, pleads to the wildlife for a world they didn’t know, people and names you begged to carry you from your position.
“i just wanted to have fun.” you should be. you should be dressed in gold with jewelry of silver, you should be smiling and dancing with the ones you had blessed, traveling nations not as a fugitive, but as a god. “i never meant to come here. i never meant to be a problem.”
he hates that he knows you’d be safer in your previous world. he hates it. he hates it. he hates the adepti, he hates the millelith, the knights, the matra, he hates every blade that dared to cross your skin.
(he hates himself. he hates that he’s never done enough. he hates that he’s still so much of a coward he can’t take any action, not even against himself. he should turn his spear on himself, for allowing such heresy.)
you sniffled, harshly wiping at your eyes.
“god, why can’t i just die?”
ice frosted xiao’s veins.
he would understand if you were angry. he would understand if your tears were of frustration, if you beat at the ground instead of your aggressor’s bones, if you wanted to shout and take out your anger on the sky. he’d offer himself for your wrath—at least then he could finally be of service—but for you to wish to offer your life?
for you to be convinced that the death of a god was the only solution for the falsehood of another…
how long had this thought been in your head? how long had you offhandedly thought of letting yourself be captured, be slain, of giving up what you had blessed upon so many? how many times had you debating letting a wound get worse, of allowing infection to rid you of the thorns of this world?
xiao hopped up your arm, cooing sadly and curling into your neck.
he wished he could do more. he wished that he could hold you with human arms, he wished he could give you faith in your own creations, he wished he could whisk you away and take on the world himself, that he could fight on your behalf, that you would remain safe and if anything, he would be the one to die.
“don’t cry,” you said shakily, awkwardly reaching to pet over his wings.
how could he not, when his god had forsaken everything, including themself?
Hi! First, love you your blog! Second, I feel you! I've been waiting for Lackadaisy's plot for awhile for an AU thing I'm working on. It's a long story. Thirdly, can I request headcanons for Rocky Rickaby dating a male owl s/o, please? It's cool, if not!
A/n: hello! here ya go!! this was quite fun to write, I couldn't write much though, since most things have been said in the general headcanons that I made with him, but I tried to write as much as I can for this one! I tried making it reader-centered even though my mind kept reverting back to Stolas every now and then lmao.
Rocky Rickaby x male!owl!reader headcanons!
In a city full of mostly cats of different breeds, though it is not out of the ordinary for there to be people of different animal races, such as the weasel working for Marigold, seeing them is still quite a shocker for many.
That is probably why Rocky couldn’t stop staring at you the first time he saw you. the sheer amount of admiration that was illuminating from his expression was uncanny. It was like a child found his favorite comic book hero at the local mall, you for a moment wondered if he had mistaken you for another much more famous owl he might be a fan of.
Knowing Rocky, he’d most likely try to tease you at first, slowly sliding into flirting territory after a few jabs here and there. he’d compliment your eyes, write a poem or two about the elegance you have, and would try anything he can to impress you.
if you were to date him, there wouldn’t be much of a difference in the relationship he would have with you than he would have with anyone else. Though, he might get flustered much easier around you, especially since you’re most likely much taller than him. Even if not, he still gets flustered easily, since he thinks you’re too beautiful to compare, and the idea of having someone so pretty flirt with him feels unbelievable.
He can and will try to stay awake with you during the entire night, even though he has work again in the morning. He’ll spend as much time with you as he can and if you do not stop him then you’ll see an out-of-his-mind Rocky that you must keep an eye on the entire time or he will nail pieces of meat on the wall.
"Rocky?...why- what are you doing to the walls?...."
Rocky's eyes were pupiled as he tried to swing the hammer and misses the nail. "THEY, are coming. we must prepare."
If you coax him enough to go to bed, you’ll be met with a pouty Rocky who begrudgingly says ‘alright’ as he lays down. He’ll try to stay awake as much as he can even at that moment, trying to make small conversations with you and ignoring the yawns that are slipping from him. If you cuddle with him at some point, he will finally close his eyes and fall into a blissful sleep with a tight grip on you.
Unfortunately, though, you may find yourself waking up every now and then during your morning sleep. He tries his best to be discreet when making breakfast in bed for you, but the daily smell of burning toast is now your alarm clock.
Can and does gloat about having the most magnificent boyfriend. If he’s not excitedly telling Zib what gift he’s made for you for when you wake up he’s acting as if he’s a professional at love and trying to give Freckle dating advice.
May probably ask strange questions, such as if a feather of yours can be used as a pen if gives a bit of ink, or if you eat vermin just like your non-anthropomorphic counterparts. He’s genuinely curious, even though he’s seen many different animals during his time going from one odd job to another, he’s only taken glances at them and never had the chance to speak to one.
Loves hugging you on cold days, especially blizzard ones when he has to stay home with you. the amount of warmth your body gives him makes him feel giddy.
If anyone were to insult you or your appearance, then the next day they’ll find their house either destroyed or burned, and if asked Rocky, he’ll just shake it off and say justice has been served, and who are we to question that?
