Backstory: Before coming to the manor, Tatya was working as a gogo dancer at a bar to pay for her college, which her extremely religious mother refused to help with. One night, she came home, tired and bedraggled from dancing for hours in uncomfortable heels, and found her boyfriend and another girl together. The dancer immediately called her best friend Georgie and demanded a night out at the clubs to get her mind off of it. After an evening of getting drunk and dancing with many people, Georgie insisted on driving Tatya home but ended up getting lost in front of a mysterious manor. Nauseous from the alcohol, emotions, and drive, Tatya ran into the manor to find a bathroom to empty her stomach. Little did she know...
Personality: Tatya is loud in all forms. She is bold, chaotic, and prone to profanity. Definitely not for the faint of heart.
Essence Skin Reveal ♡ The Rite of Farewells .. Within Grief's Hands
‘ THE RITE OF FAREWELLS ’
Nobody grieves the wicked. History only remembers you as a bird found dead outside its birdcage. But, don't you wonder what those birds looked like when they were still alive?
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Hello, and welcome to "The Rite of Farewells" essence skin reveal! I'd like to thank everyone who participated! I had particular fun with this one, since it's been such a long time since I've gotten to do one of these...
And I will admit, I did spoil all participants a bit more than I usually do. You'll see what I mean in a few moments, but first... what everyone came for, right? The skins, the skins! What does each muse look like now, following Lyrith down into the Rite?
( Please note: Not all the original slots were filled. What you see below is what slots I did manage to fill! Should some of the previous slots get filled, I'll update this post. )
──────────────── ESSENCE SKINS ────────────────
S-Tier: Thorn Briar (Leviathan and Lyrith played by: "The Deliverer", Phainon Elysiae, and "The Finality", Mathéo Blanchet // @m1ss-detective )
"I can make you better. I can make you right." - Lyrith
**can be acquired through the Rite of Farewells essence.
"Thorn Briar" is an essence s-tier costume depicting the main antagonist of the Rite of Farewells event, featured in his corrupted divine vessel (1st form; Leviathan) and his true form (2nd form; Lyrith). He is played by Taegan's Mathéo Blanchet (more commonly known as "Finality") and Phainon of Aedes Elysiae, the latter of which is canonically related to the true identity of the original universe Lyrith. In addition to the forms switching every time a special skill in the kit is used, Thorn Briar's Lyrith form comes with a special interactive emote that can be used by both survivors and hunters called "Flower Crown".
Lyrith is the original god of the Rite of Farewells universe, as well as the creator of the white lily flower. However, as he fell from grace and was corrupted by human sin and mortal death, all his white lilies were turned into dead drop roses and dead drop spider lilies. Lyrith's divine vessel would eventually corrupt into Leviathan, with Lyrith's divine consciousness separating from the vessel. (Leviathan is essentially the corrupted empty doll Lyrith left behind.)
With Lyrith's (and Leviathan's) design, I wanted to expand upon his duality as an antagonist, both in physical character design and in character motif. Leviathan's color scheme is mainly black and red, as the outwardly corrupted and stereotypically "evil" counterpart. His motif features a lot of the dead-drop rose plant, as well as the motif of the spider and skeletal remains. He is the outwardly villainous one, detailed with two sets of devil horns and a spade tail. Meanwhile, Lyrith's color scheme is noticeably lighter and more innocence-invoking with mainly white, gold, and blues. Paired with the several types of flowers found in his flower crown and decorating his hair, Lyrith's long hair, long dress, and butterfly accent pieces give off a very young, childlike innocence to his character. The thorn briar wings by Lyrith's sides act as his "tail", capable of moving on Lyrith's command.
Lyrith's outfit is actually based upon his original concept art, which I'll show off down below if you're interested in it! But Lyrith's essence design is actually completely lore-accurate. To make a long story short, Lyrith's dress and flower crown were given to him by a young child named Aeilene over 200,000 years ago. Meanwhile, his staff and the butterfly lining and pearls were all gifts from land dwellers 200,000 years prior to his corruption. Many of these items were corrupted alongside Lyrith and were effectively ruined/changed in the physical plane, but in Lyrith's alternative form on the alternative plan, they are part of Lyrith's consciousness and effectively preserved as a result.
However, despite Lyrith's physical appearance and motifs, Lyrith is very calculating and cold. He is responsible for the many events of the RoF storyline, including the death of the Frostmoon Goddess, the death of the Deliverer (Coronation), and the spiritual fracture of Lunaes (Nocturne Night), just to name a few. He is also responsible for the physical distortion of "Guest" (Without Tomorrow), and is overall a very petty and vengeful creator after his corruption. In fact, Lyrith is SO powerful and deeply connected to the land he had created that his corruption quite literally tore the Isle of the Rite apart and caused the land around it to decay beyond repair.
Leviathan, on the other hand, is the corrupted divine vessel Lyrith's consciousness used to reside in. After Lyrith's consciousness shattered and separated from his physical form, Leviathan formed from the human corruption, inhabiting the empty vessel. It carries out the will of Lyrith's vengeful spirit subconsciously, observing the Isle of the Rite and punishing the humans in his name. Despite this, Lyrith retains no loyalty to his old vessel, even going as far as using the thorny briar to tear it into pieces, effectively killing it.
Exclusive S-Tier Accessory: The Last Lily
The white lily slowly faded out, replaced by the more well-known "dead drop rose". Now, only one white lily remains, preserved within timeless glass.
Lyrith and Leviathan's exclusive s-tier accessory is The Last (Spider/White) Lily, which takes the form of either a red spider lily or a white lily, depending on which form is active. This accessory is also the only accessory that is technically non-canon to the character it is associated with. Technically speaking, it is a representation of their influence through the Isle of the Rite through their respective flowers.
S-Tier: To Where Grief Flies ( Dove played by: The Mechanical Designer, Contract Kuzentsov )
"I will mourn the wicked... even if it kills me." - Dove
** can be acquired through the "Birdcage" package in the shop.
"To Where Grief Flies" is a shop s-tier costume depicting the main protagonist of the Rite of Farewells event. The s-tier costume (alongside the s-tier accessory, "Ode to Love") can be acquired through the "Birdcage" package in the shop. She is played by my own Contract Kuzentsov! She has two forms, although it isn't as drastic as "Thorn Briar" is.
Dove is the current protagonist of the Rite of Farewells universe. She is associated with the Angel Dove, who is commonly known as the griever bird. In the event lore, Dove is a normal girl whose death brought her to the Isle of the Rite, although Dove herself has forgotten this fact. Throughout the event, she is determined to return home. However, as she travels through the Isle's different parts, she meets different people who shape who she becomes by the end of the story.
However, the journey catalyzes and changes during the first death, in which Dove discovers the River of Time and its ferryman, a man named "Guest", as well as the endless timelines of the Rite. Determined to save everyone, Dove willingly travels through the River of Time with "Guest" to enter certain points prior in the timeline in hopes of preventing the others from dying.
Dove's character motif is that of "grief", as in her name. She is extremely emotional and gets attached easily, and grieves people in a way that is self-destructive in its own way. Yet, due to the erosion of the Rite after Lyrith's corruption, Dove's grief is much more powerful than it initially seems, as it can quite literally break the laws of the timelines. She grieves both the dead and the living, and has a deep love for those she's come across. She also has a deep determination to protect those around her, both in the physical and in memorial, believing everyone deserves a chance to be mourned, even if they were "wicked".
Her character design is inspired not just by doves, but also by angels. She is dressed in all whites with a white winged hairpiece, light blues and pinks complementing the light cream/white on her outfit. Her hair is a stark contrast; however, it brings much more attention to her outfit and headpiece. She floats, similar to angels and birds. In her second form, she gains a set of double halos, as well as golden leaves in her hair and a long pink veil. In this form, her eyes are also open, instead of being closed. Something something metaphor about no longer being afraid anymore.
Exclusive S-Tier Accessory: "Ode to Love"
You once told them that you'd always love them, despite the terrible things that happened. That ring is proof of such a pure resolve.
Dove's exclusive s-tier accessory is the "Ode of Love" ring. Canonically, this accessory is the physical manifestation of the love derived from the pain and the grief in her journey. (Contract wears the ring on her finger, no matter if she's equipping the "To Where Grief Flies" costume or a different costume.) It was created by Couture using the powers of "Starborne".
A-Tier: Nocturne Night ( Lunaes played by: Night Watch, "Ithaqua" // @/ask-idv-night-watch -- @m1ss-detective )
"Show me how deeply you can grieve." - ????
**can be acquired through the Rite of Farewells essence.
"Nocture Night" is an essence a-tier costume depicting one of the several characters of the Rite of Farewells. "Nocture Night" depicts Lunaes, a folklore god from the Rite's past, known for guiding lost souls to rest. However, in current times, he takes up the mantle of a lighthouse keeper on the Isle of the Rite. He is played by Taegan's interpretation of Ithaqua, the Night Watch.
Lunaes is technically the only original folklore god who remains alive in the current era. In the event lore, he resides in the most dangerous, darkest, most corrupted and decayed parts of the Rite, utilizing his cleansing fire to keep wanderers in the night safe. He oftentimes keeps to himself, only answering basic questions and keeping everyone at arm's length. It's later revealed that the main cause of his self-imposed isolation is due to his fractures, causing him to spiral out of control and eventually become consumed by it, shattering completely and ceasing to exist as "Lunaes".
As Dove's journey continues, a dark truth about Lunaes is revealed. Lunaes' spirit was fractured by Lyrith during the fall of the Frostmoon Goddess, causing Lunaes to fracture in reality. Because of Lunaes' fractured soul, his lifeline within the timelines foresaw by the River of Time was distorted and corroded. While Dove can save everyone else due to their lifelines remaining intact, Lunaes ended up being someone Dove would be unable to save. In every possible timeline, whether he is killed, kills himself, or is consumed by his own agony and ceases to exist as Lunaes, there is no timeline in which Lunaes survives Dove's journey.
Lunaes' character motif is that of "passion", specifically fiery passion. His main color is blue, due to blue fire typically being recognized as the color of the hottest flame. Additionally, his palette included black and deep greys as well as elements of blue butterflies and the phases of the moon, due to his connection to the Frostmoon and the region of land he resides within being dark and gloomy. His costume starts off as the lightest blue, and as more ciphers are popped, the darker blues slowly appear until the lightest blue is replaced by the darkest blue. He also has dead drop roses in place of his left eye and on his collar, as dead drop roses are the local flower found in the land. Beneath the roses is supposed to be Lunaes' left eye; however, what is underneath the roses in his unshattered state is unknown. (He is, however, canonically only able to see with his right eye, so it's safe to assume that whatever is there isn't a working eye.) In his shattered/consumed state, however, the roses fall off due to Lunaes losing his physical form, revealing a completely white eye in its place, most likely replicating the eye from before Lunaes was fractured by Lyrith.
Lunaes' outfit is mainly designed with his environment in mind. The part of the Rite where he resides is very cold and snows often, as well as always being very dark and having dense fog, meaning I had to design him to traverse through the cold often, as well as giving him a portable light source, and a weapon that doubled as a walking staff. (Lunaes uses his staff to grip onto things, pulling himself up eroded cliffs, and more.) Canonically, Lunaes uses stilts to reach high-up places such as trees, cliffsides, and certain places within the lighthouse. Therefore, Ithaqua's stilts are based on Lunaes' canonical stilts that he keeps inside his lighthouse.
Oh yeah. Due to him having fire as his ability, Lunaes made his coat fire-resistant. Oftentimes, he uses the coat to protect wanderers or guests when something in the forest goes astray, and he needs to burn it away.
Canonically, this man does nothing but die. However, here are the most notable ways he dies through the timelines.
He is consumed by agony and shatters completely, ceasing to exist anymore as Lunaes. This death branches out into two paths, either where he exists as his shattered self and becomes one of the many monsters in the Nocture or where he burns up entirely and ceases to exist altogether as Lunaes or as his shattered self.
He kills himself as he's shattering, preventing him from becoming his shattered self.
He kills himself as Lunaes, Halos, Dream, and Mel in a giant forest fire he created.
He kills himself (mid-shatter) and Dove in a giant forest fire, burning both of them to ash.
He is impaled by either Dove or Dream while he is still Lunaes.
He is poisoned by Dove with Mel's help, but he technically does not "die" in the traditional sense. It's closer to being completely asleep, effectively preventing him from shattering. This death is not reversed by Dove.
Lunaes is one of the only two characters to avoid being killed by Lyrith; however, this is due to Lunaes being out of commission by the time everyone else gets to the point of being killed by Lyrith.
Exclusive A-Tier Accessory: "Ablaze"
There's nothing left to save. It's already been reduced to ash.
Lunaes' exclusive a-tier accessory is his gloves, but specifically his gloves set ablaze. Canonically, you can see how this accessory ties into Lunaes. I hope. However, the more interesting aspect of his gloves is the actual accessory effects, depicted in the doodle to the right side of Lunaes' reference. Basically, the a-tier accessory (when equipped on "Nocture Night") brings Lunaes' shattered form into all of his effects, such as Ithaqua's dash or Ithaqua's wind. When used on non-Lunaes' skins, it just kind of sets Ithaqua on fire, giving all his skills a burning blue flame effect, as well as the carry animation, depicted in the middle upper right.
Basically, when Lunaes uses his skills, he temporarily transforms into his shattered version during the skill's duration before reverting to his regular form. It shows the inevitability of Lunaes' death in a way.
A-Tier: The Frostmoon ( Halos played by: The Keysmith, LeRoy Smith // @manor-tea-time -- @/asystemerror )
"You must understand what it's like to be saved, but unable to save others. Only then does your grief bloom as bright as the Frostmoon itself." - Halos
**can be acquired through the Rite of Farewells essence.
"The Frostmoon" is an essence a-tier costume depicting one of the several characters of the Rite of Farewells. "The Frostmoon" depicts Halos, a folklore god from the Rite's past, known for the worship of the moon and protection of the forest. However, Halos is simply a direct blood descendant of the real Frostmoon Goddess and not truly a folklore god. She is played by Al's IDV OC, LeRoy Smith, the Keysmith.
Despite being called a folklore god, Halos isn't a true folklore god. Rather, she is the direct blood descendant of one. Saved by Lunaes after the Frostmoon fell, Halos dedicated her life to continuing what her ancestor had started, as well as trying to find a way to repay Lunaes for saving her that day. In the event lore, Halos is the first person Dove meets after awakening in the Isle of the Rite, traveling to the main land of the Rite with her. Later, the two girls reunite when Dove has to travel through the land of the Nocturne, the land where Lunaes resides. Taking it upon herself, she guides Dove there. In the original timeline, Halos is killed by Lunaes while protecting Dove and Dream when he shatters for the first time. (It’s unknown what happens to that timeline’s Lunaes, but it’s safe to assume he died.) This death is what strikes Dove and causes her grief to overflow into the River of Time, giving her access to time through her own pain of losing a friend. Due to Dove rewinding time and preventing Lunaes from getting to the point of shattering, Halos original death is overturned, resulting in her surviving her original death node.
Halos’s character motif is that of “peace” or “tranquility”. Her main color, similar to Lunaes, is blue, however while Lunaes’ blues have their origin in destruction, Halos’ blues have their origin in peace and moonlight. Through the storyline, Halos brings those around her a sense of peace and relief, acting as a calming and caring source in the chaos. She Carrie’s a sense of both responsibility and desire concerning those around her, wishing to protect them all the way she was once protected a long time ago.
In a similar fashion, her costume was designed with flowiness and openness to it. Being a comforting and supportive force, I wanted her costume to reflect something more open and visible as compared to Lunaes and Dove, whose clothes hide themselves, making them appear to be more closed off. However, as a pseudo goddess, I wanted Halos to retain an aura of elegance, beauty and importance as well. Therefore, I kind of gave her outfit a lot of layers, a lot of lighter portions and overall sometimes fit of a worshipped and well revered goddess. Which is what she ttttechnically is.
Halos dies a few times through the timelines and nearly dies in others. The deaths and near deaths are as follows:
She is killed by a shattering (but not fully shattered) Lunaes for the first time, protecting Dove and Dream.
She is killed by Lunaes alongside Dream, Mel, and Lunaes himself in a giant forest fire that she is unable to escape from.
She is nearly killed by Lunaes' shattering, but is dragged to safety by Nether. Nether dies instead of Halos.
She is killed by Lyrith's thorn briars.
Exclusive A-Tier Accessory: "Phases"
The Frostmoon blesses your journey. Love will always watch over your growth.
Halos’ exclusive a-tier accessory is the Frostmoon Phases, shortened down to simply “Phases” for convenience. Canonically, it is the physical manifestation of Halos’ unique abilities she gained from the Frostmoon. In addition to having a deer form she can switch between freely, she has control over water. However, her control over water is limited and considerable weaker compared to Nether’s control over her lightning or Lunaes’s control over his cleansing fire.
A-Tier: The Price of Pride ( Mel played by: The Opera Singer, Sean // @/yaboimitzu )
"The price of pride means nothing to me." - Mel
**can be acquired through the Rite of Farewells essence.
"Price of Pride" is an essence a-tier costume depicting one of the several characters of the Rite of Farewells. "Price of Pride" depicts Melbourne, or simply Mel, a survivor of one of the worst societial collapses during Lyrith's corruption. Mel was an academic professor in the past, teaching a class about alchemy and magic research before the collapse. In the current day, however, he spends most of his time by himself, absorbing himself in the pursuit of forbidden knowledge. He is played by Mitzu's IDV OC, Sean, the Opera Singer.
After meeting Lunaes for the first time, Dove travels to the remnants of Startorch Academy in order to seek out old books about the myth of the River of Time. She ends up running into Mel while there, forming a friendship with the prior professor as he shows her around the academy. Mel sees his late wife in Dove, both being curious and sweet souls. Despite this, he holds a certain level of contempt towards her because of this. To him, her presence feels like reopening old wounds. With Mel's guidance, Dove learns more about the history of the Rite and even introduces Mel to things he never knew, such as the River of Time being a real place. Throughout the event lore, the two bond and become closer.
Mel's character trait is that of... well... I mean, you probably could have guessed it, but his character trait is "pride." Although not too outwardly present like some other character traits, Mel is extremely smart and well-informed, and he constantly seeks out more knowledge. Oftentimes, he can come off as cold or uptight and sometimes even prideful (both of himself and his abilities), though in truth, Mel is simply scared of being hurt again emotionally, and closes himself off as a result. The only one he allows himself to feel comfort in is his puppy, Penny. She was named after his late wife, whose name was Penelope.
His outfit, similar to Lunaes, is designed with the environment in mind. Being in a dark, snowy area, Mel is required to dress warmer than most others. Underneath his massive coat, however, a bit of his professorial profession shows through. He wears a white sweater over his brown turtleneck shirt and a green vest with deep grey pants. He presents himself constantly in a clean, neat, put-together manner. His outfit is meant to express structure and reliability, being someone you can trust. Additionally, he's also coordinated his outfit to match with his dog, Penny, giving her a green neckscarf.
Mel has been killed the least amount of times out of everyone, with the exception of Comett.
He is killed once by Lunaes, alongside Halos, Dream, and Lunaes.
He is killed once by Lyrith's thorn briars.
Exclusive A-Tier Accessory: Letters to Nowhere
“My Cecelia, my darling... I miss you every day. Even if we never see each other again, I hope you know I've always appreciated the lease on life you've given me.”
Mel's exclusive a-tier accessory is "Letters to Nowhere", a notebook filled with letters he had written to his late wife following her passing. Canonically, it captures his grief and his journey as he's forced to live without her, as well as giving insight into his day-to-day life. All his letters are addressed to "my Cecelia", since Penelope's favorite flower used to be the Cecelia flower. It's called "letters to nowhere", since he knows that these letters will ultimately never go out, they will never be real, and ultimately, they will always stay by his side until the day they may be able to meet each other again.
A-Tier: Without Tomorrow ( "Guest" played by: The Unknown, Heifu // @/idv-ask-the-unknown -- @klai-16xoxo )
"I've been here before. Why is that?" - "Guest"
**can be acquired through the "See You Tomorrow" package in the shop.
"Without Tomorrow" is a shop a-tier costume depicting the ferryman of the River of Time, a young man named "Guest". "Guest" is later revealed to be the remains of two prior residents of a prior timeline of the Isles of the Rite known as the Isle of Woe. The a-tier costume (alongside the a-tier accessory, "A Real Heart") can be acquired through the "See You Tomorrow" package in the shop. He is played by Klai's OC, Heifu, although he is specifically played by his IDV counterpart, The Unknown.
"Guest" takes the role of the ferryman who escorts Dove across the River of Time as a rare spoken guide. He, similar to his prior timeline counterpart, has amnesia and cannot remember much of his past. He can only traverse upon the River of Time and see where it takes him. He is canonically unable to leave his ferryman boat when he leaves the River of Time. This is later revealed to be because "Guest" does not belong to this timeline, and his physical body is incapable of accepting him on in-time land. If he steps outside of his boat for too long, his physical body starts to decay and cause him intense pain and discomfort. Because the area where the River of Time resides, also known as the Catacombs, resides outside of "time", he can freely traverse it without issue.
Canonically, “Guest” travels with a small hand-sewn doll named “Lily”. Lily was with him when he woke up in the ferryman boat originally, and he feels a strange sense of familiarity towards it and a strange warmth. It’s revealed that Lily is what remains of two people from a previous timeline, someone that Lyrith himself had personally killed and erased from existence permanently for unknown reasons. Both Lily and Guest are different combinations of what little of them escaped intact, combining into one person and one small doll.
“Guest”’s character motif is that of death, as he is made up of the remnants of two prior residents that persisted after their deaths. This is further pushed by the physical presence of red spider lilies on his attire and in/on his skin, since red spider lilies usually signify death in the Isle. Lily’s name also originates from the flower.
“Guest”’s outfit is directly inspired by the two characters he is the remnants of. In addition to that, the human skeleton motif also crossed over into “Guest”’s new design. On multiple parts of his outfit, you can see the different bones in the human skeleton, including the chest, hand, legs and feet. The reds, while a part of the original designs his is based on, also double as the “muscles” overtop the bones. (Although, that’s only somewhat in theory.)
Canonically, "Guest" cannot be killed in any manner, due to not having vital organs.
Exclusive A-Tier Accessory: A Real "Heart"
A "heart" given by someone who no longer exists. The roses are as fresh as the day he tore them out of his chest.
“Guest”’s exclusive a-tier accessory is the heart-shaped dead drop rose bouquet that he inherited from a past life. Originally (in canon), those roses replaced someone’s heart when they didn’t have one. However, when they were ultimately broken and erased from existence, all that was left of them were the scattered roses. In the current day, “Guest” has all the roses preserved in a heart-shaped bouquet.
B-Tier: Star Bakery Owner ( Comett played by: The Baker, Beth Anastazja // @ask-idv-baker -- @/beth-bethar00 )
"Welcome to the Star Bakery! I see you've completed some commission, Miss Grief lady!" - Comett
**can be acquired through the Rite of Farewells essence.
"Star ☆ Bakery Owner" is an essence b-tier depicting one of several characters of the Rite of Farewells. "Star ☆ Bakery Owner" depicts Comett, one of the three owners of the local bakery on the Isle of the Rite, the Star ☆ Bakery. Comett is the owner of the bakery on paper, gaining ownership over it after their guardian, Lilith, disappeared one day. She is played by Bethany's IDV OC, Beth, the Baker.
When Dove goes to the town of Woe for the first time, she enters the Star ☆ Bakery while exploring the town. There, she meets Comett for the first time. Comett and the Star ☆ Bakery acts as something similar to a reputation system afterwards, tracking Dove's progress and how friendly she's become with the town. Canonically, Comett is what pushes Dove forward while on the Isle of the Rite. She is the reason Dove meets many townsfolk, such as Meliodas and Nether. Despite being younger than most (Comett is 15), she's very caring and rather mature. This is attributed to the events that occurred before Dove arrived on the Rite, such as her original guardian going missing, the death of "Coronation", the decline of "Cluttered Stars" health, and more.
Comett's character trait is that of "community". Through the canon story, Comett is one of the few characters who are capable of bringing everyone together. She uses the bakery as a spot for everyone to gather, chat, and overall have a community together. She considers everyone in the town to be family of some kind as well, believing they are each extremely important to her. She also tends to be grateful to those around her, especially Meliodas, for taking it upon himself to care for Annahime after the fall of "Coronation", in which she was seriously injuried in.
Comett's outfit is based on the original outfit of Comett's original counterpart. It takes part inspiration from the original counterpart, but it also takes part inspiration from the kidcore aesthetic, with lots of yellows, pinks, and a giant, puffy coat. I wanted her to look very soft and very cuddly, someone you could get a nice and warm bear hug out of. Heh. Bear hug. Bear. Similar to her sisters, she also wears gloves and a scarf with bells on the ends.
Canonically, Comett dies in several timelines and is critically injured in others. Dove has experienced timelines where Comett is critically injured, but Dove has not experienced any of the timelines where she dies. The timelines in which Comett is critically injured are:
When attacked by Lyrith's thorn briars. She is saved by Nether, who is killed instantly by Lyrith.
When attacked by "Coronation"s corrupt corpse. She is saved by Meliodas, but they're both severely injured in the process.
When she dives into the River Styx to save Dove after she gets pushed in by false "Halos". She nearly drowns, but she manages to get them both to the surface in time.
Exclusive A-Tier Accessory: Star Purse
It's like a Mary Poppins bag, if it were somehow even smaller, and star shaped.
Comett's exclusive a-tier accessory is her star shaped purse. Canonically, it's one of those plush purses with a small pouch inside it. Usually, Comett carries around small items in there, like gummy bears, keys, picks, flashlights, and more. It's similar in concept to the "Mary Poppins bag", where it's deceptively deep.
B-Tier: Verse and Vow ( "Couture" played by: Reverie )
"You can't rewrite the ending if you don't have a feather pen! You can borrow mine!" - "Couture"
**can be acquired through the Rite of Farewells essence.
"Verse and Vow" is an essence b-tier depicting one of several characters of the Rite of Farewells. "Verse and Vow" depicts "Couture", a recent arrival to the town of Woe. She resides in the town as a record keeper. She's played by my IDV OC, Reverie.
"Couture" is one of the many residents of the town of Woe, mainly being a record keeper of sorts. She has a deep interest in the history of the Rite and enjoys traveling around the Rite whenever she's got the chance. However, she can be a little airheaded at times. She believes in the concept of fate, designating it as a "romantic" thing as opposed to scary, frightening, or any of the other ways one might describe the concept of fate. Couture is also capable of breaking the fourth wall, since her main role is that of the storyteller and archivist in the lore. Her true form is that of "the audience", kind of like you guys. Yes, she would talk ships with you guys. She's a dork.
Couture's character trait is that of "romance". To her, she believes every interaction is "fated by the stars" in a way, she believes there is no such thing as a coincidence. She is a hopeless romantic at heart! She believes Dove's dedication to saving everyone is another sign of a "romantic story" and a "love like no other" and wants to do her best in helping Dove achieve it.
Couture's outfit was based upon the dress code on the town of Woe, combined with the colors of romance and love. She sports a similar outfit style to the townsfolk who live there. Her design is meant to blend in and complement everyone else in the town while keeping design elements unique to her specifically.
By the end of the event lore, Couture ceases to exist, having sacrificed herself to utilize "Starborne"s full power to grant everyone a different ending.
Exclusive A-Tier Accessory: “Starborne”
“Thank you for giving me the courage to rewrite this story.”
"Couture"'s exclusive a-tier accessory is her "Starborne" feather pen! Canonically, "Starborne" functions the same way as "As We've Written", in which it's a physical record of the events of the story. Most times, when "Couture" writes, she is seen using her "Starborne" feather pen. It writes in colorful ink.
Canonically, "Starborne" has the power to overwrite the timelines and create new endings, due to being originally created by Lyrith, causing it to have an immense amount of power. So far, the only person capable of using "Starborne" at its full power was its creator, Lyrith. It is also connected directly to the River of Time, which is what gives it the ability to technically turn back time.
B-Tier: Beyond the River ( Nether played by: Castorice Styxia )
"I always wish we had more time to say goodbye. You can't follow me beyond the river." - Nether
**can be acquired through the Rite of Farewells essence.
"Beyond the River" is an essence b-tier depicting one of several characters of the Rite of Farewells. "Beyond the River" depicts Netherite Mei, more commonly referred to as Nether. She was the former royal retainer to "Coronation" in the past; in the current day, she is a gardener and a graveyard attendant. She is played by Castorice of Styxia.
Nether used to be the royal retainer and assigned swordswoman of "Coronation", a young man with ichor for blood. Prior to his death, she spent most of her time by his side, both as his guard and as his friend. However, following his death, she had become displaced and felt lost as to her purpose in life. For her, she had been trained from the first moment she could remember to protect and serve, and now that there is no longer someone for her to serve, she felt a great deal of confusion, sorrow, and generally felt lost. In an effort to cheer her up, Meliodas suggested she keep a garden.
After Dove's arrival, Nether offers her services as a prior retainer. While escorting her between the different areas in the Rite, Nether and Dove become closer, where Nether accidentally lets her confusion about Meliodas slip. They had been friends prior to her friend's death, and even then, she had always felt strangely about him. However, due to both her position and her personal shyness, she never got that level of personal with anyone. Has she unknowingly had a crush on Meliodas for over 2000 years? Yeah!
Nether's character trait is that of "loyalty", but also that of "guilt". Being a loyal retainer and protector, she had dedicated her life to using her gifts to keep those around her safe. Yet, when she fails to keep them safe, she feels an immense sense of guilt. She often believes she has no worth if she cannot protect others, and something without worth and honor has no place in warm circles such as the town of the Woe. However, she knows that if she disappeared one day, it would make everyone sad, especially Annehime, who sees Nether as a motherly figure. She struggles a lot with her self-image and her self-worth, but stays by the side of those she cares about nonetheless.
Nether's outfit is based on her profession as a gardener. She dresses simple and light, but respectful as well. It also draws inspiration from her Japanese heritage, with the kimono sleeve and her footwear. (Additionally, her a-tier accessory also takes inspiration from her heritage, although that headpiece was a gift from her friend "Coronation".) Her color scheme is majorly purple in association with her innate abilities with lightning.
Nether dies a couple of times throughout Dove's journey, each one reversed when Dove reverses the timeline. The most notable times are:
When she fights "Coronation"'s corrupted corpse and wins, but ultimately dies from ichor poisoning her body.
When she sacrifices herself to prevent Comett from getting impaled by Lyrith's thorn briar.
When she sacrifices herself to save Halos from the fire caused by Lunaes' shattering, when the force of the explosion knocks Halos out.
Exclusive A-Tier Accessory: "A Gift From a Friend"
“This gift isn’t for my retainer… but rather for my dear friend and greatest partner, Nether.”
Nether's exclusive a-tier accessory is the hairpiece her friend and the person she used to guard gave her for her birthday. Canonically, it was just a fan headpiece; however, he has added a pair of fake purple flowers that he had come across on one of his solo travels, due to them reminding him of Nether's eyes, as well as two strings of pearls. He had gotten her this gift, as a friend rather than her master/leader because he had genuinely cared about her and wanted her to have something special and truly unique just to her. Nether keeps it inside the box that he had gifted it to her in, in an attempt to preserve it and keep it safe. However, sometimes she does wear it in her hair.
When equipped by Nether, she will wear it in her hair where the large black bow is. When equipped by non-Nether skins, Castorice will wear it on her back instead, usually attached to the bow on her dress.
B-Tier: Daydream ( Meliodas played by: The Gogo Dancer, Tatya Baudelair // @tatya-time -- @/littlegloriosa )
"To hell with unavoidable goodbyes. I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself because you feel guilty." - Meliodas
**can be acquired through the Rite of Farewells essence.
"Daydream" is an essence b-tier depicting one of several characters of the Rite of Farewells. "Daydream" depicts Meliodas, the owner of the Daydream Hotel, a famous large hotel in the town where most of travelers stay at while traveling the Isles of the Rite. He is played by Emma's IDV OC, Tatya Baudelair, the Gogo Dancer.
Meliodas is first introduced when Dove first enters the town of Woe. He offers her a room in his hotel for the night due to her helping Comett with something upon her arrival there without having to be asked to. Eventually, the two of them become friends when Dove offers to help Meliodas with a hotel event, acting as a waiter bringing food to guests' tables. Meliodas later on joins Dove's journey as she prepares to confront the god of the Rite. In response, Lyrith resurrects the old corpse of "Coronation" as a challenge to the townsfolk of the Woe.
Meliodas's character trait is that of "protection". He generally acts like a guardian to those around them and provides safety and protection in any way he can. From running a hotel to offer food and shelter to quite literally taking bullets and getting impaled for people, he's the definition of protective! He wants to see those he cares about safe and sound, and he doesn't really care what happens to him in the process. He cares in a way much deeper and intensive than anyone else.
Meliodas' design is heavily based on his own personality. Flamboyant, strict, yet blasey and chill. He prefers to be free, to be able to move around freely, to captivate presence but not demand it. He's kind of chill, but like... in a hot girl shit kind of way. In the best way possible... he was designed to be completely comfortable in his own skin and unafraid of the world around him. That's why his shirt is open, and he wears a ton of jewelry. He's shiny but not quite flashy... he can control a room, but he doesn't need to command it. Respect makes up his presence, not fame or control, even though he can have it easily. In addition to this, he wears a shoulder pad with a flowing scarf similar to Annahime. He does this out of respect to the Star family, showing a certain level of gentleness and thoughtfulness to those around him. He also has a butterfly-shaped belt buckle out of respect for Nether and her butterfly motif.
He is also one of the only two characters to enter the River Styx, the River of passed on souls, and make it back out alive. He is also the only character to directly prevent someone else from dying in a timeline besides Dove.
Meliodas dies several times during the timeline of the event.
He dies after being impaled through the chest by "Coronation"s corrupt corpse.
He nearly died in the past after pulling Annahime out of the River Styx when she nearly died. However, he survived by his own strength.
He is killed by Nether's Slash of Euythmia alongside Coronation while holding "Coronation" down, sacrificing himself to save the rest of the town of Woe.
When Nether nearly passes from ichor poisoning, Meliodas risks his life again by going into the River Styx to drag her out. (He does not die, due to already having faced the River Styx once before and emerging stronger from it.)
He dies being strangled by Lyrith's thorn briar.
Exclusive A-Tier Accessory: Dango Snack
A soft, chewy, sugary treat. Perfect for shutting assholes up and bribing rowdy children.
Meliodas' exclusive a-tier accessory is a pair of dango snack skewers. Canonically, these dango snacks were handmade by Meliodas himself as treats for Annahime and all the small children on the Woe. He dabbles in cooking and baking on his off-time, and often gives out food to the homeless and the less fortunate. But he's most infamous for the tri-color dango he carries around.
B-Tier: "Your Color" ( "Dream" played by: The Librarian, Elaine Schreiber // @idv-thespians -- @/eucharist-eulogy )
"You can't save everyone. There's no way to. Someone has to die." - "Dream"
**can be acquired through the Rite of Farewells essence.
"Your Color" is an essence b-tier depicting one of several characters of the Rite of Farewells. "Your Color" depicts "Dream", an entity that resides in the town of Woe. She places herself as Dove's main companion throughout the story, and often tries to keep Dove on the right track.
"Dream" is one of the first people Dove meets after awakening in the Rite. She positions herself as Dove's companion when they meet, offering her a tour around the town and introducing her to all the residents of the town. Throughout Dove's journey, she sticks by her side, trying her best to guide her and keep her safe. However, she takes issue with Dove using the River of Time to save everyone (herself included), as she believes that death is inevitable and Dove shouldn't waste her efforts on something that she cannot change. While she only wishes the best for her, she can be cruel and harsh with her word choices.
In truth, "Dream" also shattered a long, long time ago, doing something similar to Dove in the current day and age. She had to pull herself back from the brink of insanity, and is constantly worried about the same thing happening to Dove. Not many people can will themselves back from completely shattering like she had, and even then, you're never quite the same ever again.
"Dream"'s character trait is that of "transcendance". Her entire character revolves around the fact that she has transcended death itself and transformed into an entirely different person. She has grown and changed and quite literally morphed into something beyond human. In a similar fashion, she's transcended the known limits of the natural world, and she's broken the rules in a way that she can't repair. She transcended limits she never wanted to, and now she can't find a way to turn back.
In a similar fashion, "Dream"'s outfit is representative of her changes from a normal human to a shattered being. Her entire premise is something inhumane, something ethereal, something quite literally out of this world. I wanted "Dream" to give off almost... uncanny vibes. She's mysterious, yet she glimmers and glistens. She is dressed in dark colors, yet the purples in her outfit make her stand out in the perfect way. Her outfit is inspired by the deep sea, where the most mysterious and odd creatures are usually found. She invokes a deep-sea fish aesthetic with her colors and the silhouette of her outfit.
Dream canonically dies once in the timeline, as well as once prior to Dove's time. Those are:
When she gets trapped beneath a burning tree during Lunaes' quadurpale kill.
When she shattered originally, the human part of her died and ceased to exist all together. However, she managed to pull herself back together and rebuild herself as the "Dream" we know in the current day.
Exclusive A-Tier Accessory: Stunner Shades
She thinks they make her look cool. The shards keep scratching the lenses though...
"Dream"s exclusive a-tier accessory is her Stunner Shades. Canonically, they are the sunglasses "Dream" used to wear before she had shattered. It's the last thing left of her when she was still human, and she wears them to feel a little closer to the version of herself she lost along the way. She does genuinely believe they do make her look cool and badass.
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And that's everyone's references complete! I'd like to thank everyone who joined off the bat for trusting me enough to lend me their characters and their muses! I had a lot of fun doing this after not doing one for so long. I was afraid I wouldn't do everyone justice, so seeing everyone here is just... such a treat to be honest!
Honestly... I've already done more than I usually do for these essences, but I wanted to really challenge myself with this essence to make something worth remembering! So this time, inspired by my friend Al's Music of the Night essence, I also gave a shot at adding some lore-related accessories!
But, you might wonder what else I did if it wasn't just costumes, accessories, and tier cards? Well... I did say I wanted to try something different, something challenging! Therefore, I present...
───────────── ESSENCE EVENT ASSETS ─────────────
Title Screen: "Thorn Briar" and Phainon
"Welcome to my garden, dear brother. You should stay a while! I'd prefer it if you stayed forever."
I had always wanted to try my hand at one of those Identity V style crossover title screens where there's the essence high-tier and the person who got the high-tier on the same artwork together... this is what my attempt looked like, although its moreso in my style rather than the Identity V artstyle? Anyways, the point IS I tried my hand at it for this essence, and I had a lot of fun with it! (I actually streamed part of my sketching it out <3)
Might try to make more... maybe I will in the future, but for this collection, this is the title screen concept! Been told it might make a cool wallpaper, but someone never got me back on that. (/j)
Loading Screens: Lunaes, Halos, Mel, and "Guest"
What do you see in those blue flames? A friend? A foe? Or something... different?
The other thing I really, really wanted to try my hand at making were those transition/loading screens when you load into a quick/rank match! I figured I'd give it a shot with my 4 a-tier skins, and I had the idea to make them all blue. (And it made for fun lighting practice too!)
I only made 4 of them (again, as a test) to see how it came out, and honestly? Super cute, I enjoyed it a ton. It was nice to be able to draw the a-tiers again after the initial time, too.
Skin Package - Birdcage Poster (Dove)
"I love all my friends! They are what give me the courage to fly free from this birdcage."
This is the package "poster" for Dove's skin, To Where Grief Flies! Every shop skin has one of these posters, and I figured it'd be neat to make one of them myself... or uh, two of them, since I had two "shop" skins! I also included Contract's "Ode to Love" accessory. I thought the idea was cute to have both skin and accessory in the poster.
Skin Package - See You Tomorrow Poster ("Guest")
"See you tomorrow... I've always liked that idea; it's not a farewell, but rather an invitation for more to come. I'll see you tomorrow."
This one is the other "shop" poster, although this one is for "See You Tomorrow"! He ended up being the a-tier who went into the shop, since usually I have at least one a-tier who ends up in the "shop". I wanted to include his roses and whatnot, as well as his boat, so it focuses on "Guest" inside the tunnels on the River of Time! It's a simple poster, but I think it looks nice.
And, if you think about it, now Klai doesn't have to spend all her life savings to get Heifu's costume! She's just gotta sink like... 50 bucks to buy his package from the shop.
Original Concept Designs: Lyrith, Nether, Couture, and Comett
I did mention original designs/concepts, and I have three (four?) of them here! These are the original designs/concepts for Lyrith, Nether, Couture, and Comett!
For Nether and Couture, you can see their full original designs there. Not much really changed? Well, not much for Nether. Couture got a few changes haha.
For Lyrith, you can kind of see his design stayed similar, but he definitely got an upgrade! I fleshed out the dress a ton more and reworked his flower crown more! (I also gave him horns and adjusted the markings on his neck.) Lyrith's original design came from the Halloween Concept I had for 2025, which is why it's a different title there entirely. This entire essence is based on the Rite of Souls AU from my Halloween series, actually. Not sure if you guys knew that.
And then there's Comett. Comett is based on our little pal in the corner there! RoS Tribbie! Similar to Lyrith, Comett got an upgraded design based on the original design there. Replaced the rose with a scarf, gave her a hat instead of the rose headband, adjusted her sweater, etc.
Doodles and Mock-Ups:
And finally, my doodles and my mockup drawings! My doodles are from when I was at work for 7 hours and dying inside haha. That's why the quality is..... honestly kind of low and scribbly. You'll all be pleased to know I've bought a proper sketchbook now, since I quite literally did not have a physical one since August 2025-ish. It's mostly Dove since her design was the one easiest for me to remember at the time (it was right about the time I finished designing her character reference sheet.)
The one on the bottom left is my poster mockups! Originally, I was gonna have the title screen be Contract and Dove, with Dove's second form peering from outside the birdcage, but I ended up going with Lyrith and Phainon instead... but the behind-the-scenes is interesting nonetheless, right? Right. I also have the shop poster mockups for Dove and "Guest". They both had their changes to them, but I overall think they came out super cute.
I also had my mockup for the loading screens. I ended up ignoring that completely KJSNDFKSJEFNDKSJFND.
And the last one I have here was... Leviathan. I don't remember what this sketch was for, to be honest? It coooould have been for the essence poster? I don't know! But, it looks cool. I think? I don't know. Him and that damn bonefish, sassy bitch duo.
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Okay. I'm done, dare I say, after two months of work? I did it! Obviously, I'm not done with it, but I am at a point where... I think I'm happy enough to share everything in full! I'm very, very proud of myself and what I accomplished in time passing! I also like the lore bits I got to add into the text sections for each... outlining the characters and who they are within universe... it really gets you thinking, you know?
I hope everyone else likes it too? I hope everyone else is at least somewhat pleased, god i'm gonna sob if you guys aren't. I might actually die. perish. explode. become one with the confetti.
Kidding, kidding! Or am I?
It's been so long since I've done one of these, I'm at a quite literal loss for words right now. This never happens! Like, ever! Unless you compliment me, but I'm literally incapable of taking a compliment, so I don't think that should count.
Okay! That's it! Hopefully, you guys got some kind of kick out of this! Bye!
Tatya looks down at Bartie with narrowed eyes and puffed out cheeks. “Let’s just say, I’m never taking him on vacation with me again. Sand is not for eating. Tropical fish are not for eating. Historical artifacts are not. For. Eating.”
Wayne did not awake in his comfortable chair as he had both times prior. This time, he was laying with his back upon the snow staring up at the night sky, cold seeping into his skin through his night clothes.
“I know,” he said louder than he ought to, “that I am not alone, spectre. I have met your compatriots already. The ghosts of Christmas Past and Present. You are… What did Allen say? Ah yes. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.”
With this, a skeletal hand appeared above him, half covered in dark cloth, pointing to something.
⋆⁺₊❅.☃︎⋆⁺₊❅.
At this, Wayne stood up to look at whatever figure had arrived this time with so little theatrics. Above him was a ghost with long pink hair and a face which you could see the bone through. The ghost did not look at him either, only kept pointing at something in the distance, cloaked in black and emotionless.
“You are,” Wayne said, “Rather quiet compared to your coworkers.”
The ghost did not reply.
Wayne stood up and brushed the snow off of himself with a sigh. “Well, lead on spirit.”
The ghost did not move.
And so he looked to where the ghost was pointing and came to the striking realization that he had awoken in a graveyard. Snow covered carved stones around him as a chill began to overtake his spine.
“Why are we here, spirit?” Wayne whispered, “This is… The future, yes?”
The ghost still pointed silently.
“Then, I have a guess.” He began to slowly walk in the direction the ghost pointed, the spectre following close behind and slowly lowering their hand.
⋆⁺₊❅.☃︎⋆⁺₊❅.
As they drew closer they came upon a grave. A rather paltry one. In front of a wooden slat was Alden, holding a small patchwork doll that was much worse than the one his daughter had made.
“I… I tried to make one you would like, kiddo. I’m not the best with the needle. Too clumsy.”
Wayne stared as he walked closer and the ghost followed close behind. He did not say anything as his mouth hung ever so slightly open and his brows clenched together.
Alden continued, tears beginning to stream down his face, “But your mom… Your mom is beside herself right now. And I wanted to make sure you had a good Christmas present… Merry Christmas, kiddo. I’m sorry that I couldn’t… That we…” He lowered his head to the wooden grave and cried.
Wayne looked at the spectre. “The child? She died?”
The ghost only stared at him.
“I knew… She was sick. But it could have been treated. It was expensive, sure, but… Alden could never have afforded it, but I could have… I didn’t do it… I should have. I could…”
There was so much to say and yet he was speechless. This child did not deserve death, indeed none did. Wayne’s heart ached in his chest and his own eyes began to tear up.
The ghost showed no sign of a reaction and only pointed in another direction.
⋆⁺₊❅.☃︎⋆⁺₊❅.
“What could be worse? What could you have to show me that would change me beyond this?” Wayne tried to ask, but the ghost was not moved. And so, he began to trudge in the direction of where the The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come pointed.
A funeral. As he drew closer he saw two men lowering a coffin into a grave with drunken abandon as a priest read final rights. No one else was there.
“Poor bastard,” Wayne whispered.
The men dropped the coffin carelessly on the final foot or so and the priest jumped, scolding them.
“Father,” one of them said, “Good man. We are just helping him speed up his journey to Hell. Reaping. Sowing. You know how it is.”
They both laughed and brushed off the dirt and snow as the priest finished the rights.
“The nicest thing that man ever did,” the other man said, “Was die. How kind of him to make his last moments his best. How grand!”
The spectre moved closer as they all grabbed a shovel and Wayne watched in horror as they all withered away like dead leaves in winter, fluttering away in the wind. This left him standing there, alone, with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come and whoever was in the coffin below.
“What an awful scene…” Wayne mumbled. “Who could deserve such a funeral?”
The ghost looked at him, bright red eyes sending fear up through his neck and into his face. The spectre pointed at the gravestone.
“Ah, so you can hear me. I was wondering,” Wayne said as he turned to look at whoever had been so hated in life to be treated with such disrespect in death. The words on his tongue grew to lead, though, as he saw the stone above the grave.
‘WAYNE STRICKLAND’ was carved carelessly into the memorial before him.
“This was my funeral,” he whispered, “No one came… Though, who would. My only family… My niece I am unkind to. My workers, I don’t pay well. I have no friends or love. I am… Alone.”
The ghost did not mock or comfort or say anything. Just lingered and watched.
“Tell me, spectre. Is this future my destiny? Or can it be changed? Am I doomed to be unremembered, even scorned, in death as in life?”
No answer. Again. It was starting to grate on him.
“If… If I am not to be saved, so be it. But the child can be saved. I have the ability to help her. I always did, I see that now, but I can go back to the present and I can begin to act! I understand I was wrong! Please!”
And the ghost was suddenly and quite terribly fast. Their hand shot out at Wayne’s neck and lifted him into the air as he struggled.
“Please!” Was all he could say as he clawed at a hand that lacked flesh.
The ghost looked at him, dead eyes.
And something changed.
The melted wicks upon their shoulders lit with fire and the sound of laughter, maniacal and familiar filled the air. A bell chimed four times.
The ghost smiled. And dropped Wayne into the grave as all went dark.
Wayne awoke in his rocking chair once again, the clock still reading midnight. The fire was even still glowing with soft embers as if no time had passed at all and indeed, maybe it had not.
“These dreams,” he said to himself, though he was uncertain that they were such, “Are far too much for me.”
⋆⁺₊❅.☃︎⋆⁺₊❅.
A loud laugh sounded from his kitchen, one that sounded high and sweet and feminine, like a chiming bell. All of the hairs on the back of Wayne’s neck stood up as he looked towards the door that led to said room, where a bright warm glow was radiating from under the wood. He had not left the lights on, he knew this, and none of his lights were so bright.
With a great, shaky sigh, he stood up and slowly began towards the door. The sound of laughter continued, as did the sound of clinking glasses and pouring wine. The doorknob was warm as he turned it, as if someone had held it just before him.
And when he entered his kitchen, his jaw dropped.
There were piles of cakes and pastries in the center of it all. Frosting, sugar, berries, all of it in a gargantuan pile in the center of the room in the shape of a throne. Upon this throne, sat a woman in heaps of luxurious green and red velvet. Her whole ensemble was dripping with embroidery and furs and holly and upon her head sat a crown of candles, that reminded him of the ghost he had seen only a few moments prior.
She was holding a golden goblet and pouring a very generous helping for herself when he stumbled in. “Oh! Wayne, dear! Hello there! Hello! Merry Christmas, darling! Merry Christmas, babes!”
He stared up at this figure in shock.
“Oh close your jaw. You’ll get wrinkles. At least, you’ll get even more,” the woman laughed, “You knew I was coming, didn’t you? Dear Allen warned you. And the Ghost of Christmas Past was already here! Would you like a drink? Maybe a little snack?”
“Who are you?”
With the grace of a dancer, the spectre crawled down from her throne and stood before the old man with a grin. With great horror he realized that she was incredibly tall, about ten feet or so. Her wine glass was about the size of his head.
She said, “I am the Ghost of Christmas present. I’m here to show you the good times you are missing out on by being such a--”
“Please, spectre. You’re compatriot could not change my mind and neither will you. Leave my home and let me be.”
The ghost still smiled and shook her head, “My dear friend simply laid the groundwork so I could build on it a bit, ya know? Don’t act like you aren’t a little spooked.”
“Leave me be, spirit. I beg of you.”
The ghost waggled her finger. “Ah ah ah! I am here to help you learn the joys of Christmas! And understand the joys you have been denying other people! By the time I’m through with you, you will be loving life! Or at least liking it… Or at least not making everyone around you hate being alive, you know?”
⋆⁺₊❅.☃︎⋆⁺₊❅.
Before Wayne could respond to such a sentiment, the ghost reached into her goblet and threw her hand in the air, causing a rain of glitter to fall down upon the pair like snow. He tried to bat the sparkles away, sneezing and coughing a bit, but when he opened his eyes he was, once again, somewhere new.
He was at some sort of gathering with many people in their best attire. A lovely woman played piano in the corner of the room, some sort of holiday song while everyone danced and laughed and drank. Everyone smiled.
“Where am I now, spectre?” he paused, “Or, I suppose you cannot tell me, like the last ghost.”
“Oh I know! I always know where the party is, silly! Look around! Look nice and hard!”
Wayne huffed and looked around, only to startle at the sound of a glass being hit with a fork. At the center of the ballroom stood his niece. She held up the wine glass with a smile and everyone in the room paused their merriment to look at her.
“Hello, my dear friends! I will leave you to your dancing and drinking in just a moment, but first! I would like to make a toast.”
The entirety of the room raised their glasses as well as she delicately cleared her throat.
“To Christmas! To the darkest of times being over soon! To friends and family! And to my Uncle Wayne, who could not make it to today’s feast.”
At the mention of Wayne multiple glasses were put back on tables, no longer raised and multiple grumbles filled the room. The ghost cackled as she took one of the unattended glasses and took a drink for herself.
Therese took their disdain well, only chuckling lightly. “I know. I know. However, Wayne is my dear uncle. He is family! And Christmas is all about family.”
A partygoer, who Wayne did not recognize snorted and called out, “He’s a self righteous asshole.”
Wayne sneered at them, even though they couldn’t see him.
His niece put her hand to her heart and continued. “You must understand, my dear friends. My mother, bless her soul, left this world as I came into it on a Christmas night not too dissimilar to this one… Part of me wonders if that is why old Wayne is so cold. I want to believe that, maybe one day his heart will mend and I will be able to see what my mother saw in him.”
Wayne’s shoulders slumped. He had not given the girl the time of day, not in the many years since she had been born. She had always been nothing but a reminder of the dearest loved one he had lost.
“She’s awfully nice to you,” the ghost said, “and you’re not so nice to her. Imagine what May would say…”
“I… may have been unfair to Therese. I understand this, at the very least.”
The ghost clapped her hands and laughed. “Oh! Well isn’t that something! Let’s keep the good times rolling then, yeah? To another party!” She reached into the punch bowl and pulled out yet another hand of sparkling green glitter that covered the world in light.
⋆⁺₊❅.☃︎⋆⁺₊❅.
When the last of the magic had rained down onto the ground, Wayne found himself standing in a much, much smaller room. It reminded him of his childhood home, barely livable, yet extremely lived in.
In the center of the hovel stood two figures, a small girl (who was chiefly focused on sewing some sort of toy) and Alden.
The little girl had long blonde hair and a sweet smile. She seemed to favor one leg over the other, but did not bother using a crutch as she sat.
“Aw,” said the ghost, who was now much smaller so as to fit into such a small room, “Cute kid.”
“I… I did not know Alden had a child.”
“Have you ever asked?”
“...No.” Wayne admitted. Neither did he know that his employee was living in such conditions. Sure, the old man had often docked Alden’s pay for menial things, but it would have been enough for any man to live.
“Almost done with the goose!” Alden called out to his daughter and laughed, “It looks a bit… Alien, but I think it will do! I had to get a really skinny one if we were going to afford a goose this year but I don’t hate it! It’ll be enough food for the three of us!”
“I’m sure it will be great, father,” the girl said as she held up her stuffed doll. “Yes! I fixed him!”
“Look at you, kiddo! Before you know it, you’ll be the world’s best sewer!”
“Do you mean seamstress, father?”
“Yes! That’s the word!” He laughed as he pulled out the goose from the stone oven. It looked perhaps a little burnt, and it was indeed a very skinny goose. Wayne cringed at the memories of living in such a manner.
The ghost leaned on his shoulder and shook her head. “Don’t turn up your nose now, rich boy. That was you once upon a time.”
“That is why I disdain it.”
“You pay him. You’re the reason he lives like this.” The ghost studied her nails and drank from her goblet.
He turned to her with a scrunched nose. “If he wastes his money on menial things, that is a commentary on his character not mine.”
“Menial things?” The ghost raised her eyebrow. “Do you see any trinkets or baubles throughout this house? Finery? Rugs? Drapes? Fine china? Hell, good vodka?”
Wayne looked about but could not find anything that did not seem to be made (and quite poorly at that) by hand. “He,” Wayne huffed, “is probably gambling it all away then, as my father did.”
“I don’t think so. Look harder.” She grabbed his face and forced him to look at the little girl, who was making her plush doll toddle about.
Her cheeks were oddly gaunt for someone so young and her eyes sagged a bit. She looked tired. Little hands, which were happy to play, were shaking with weakness and she hunched ever so slightly in her chair.
She was ill. Gravely so.
“Poor child…” Wayne whispered.
“Medicine is expensive. They can only rarely get treatment and without the proper care,” the ghost shook her head, “She’s getting worse.”
As if hearing the grave prophecy the ghost whispered in the ear of the old man, the little girl began to cough. It was a dreadful cough, like she was drowning on land. Her father ran over to her side, his normally smiling face stricken with sudden panic as he held her.
“Just… Just breathe, kiddo,” Alden whispered.
“She can’t, you fool,” Wayne said with despair dripping off of his words like condensation. He turned to the ghost in desperation and asked, “How long does she have, if she is not being treated?”
“I don’t know. The future is not my domain. I only know the present is grim. You are not without the power to make it better,” she crossed her arms.
He looked at the ground, shame finally beginning to grab hold in his soul.
“Come,” said the ghost, “His wife will be home soon and she is not a fan of yours, no matter how much Alden defends you.”
“He defends me?” Wayne asked, incredulously as he followed her out into the snowy streets and the house disappeared behind them.
Now, standing in a snowy street that lacked any houses, the ghost turned to him with calm eyes. “In the present, yes. I do not know if he will continue to do so in the future. That is not for me to know.”
He sighed and pushed his hair out of his face. “The girl is already sick. I cannot change my past actions, spectre.”
“You can change what you do from here on out, though,” she said as she reached up to pull a candle off of her crown. “You can make the present filled with joy and love. The present is yours Wayne. The future is yet to come. The past is unchangeable, but the present is where change happens. Remember this, silly mortal.”
She dropped the candle onto her robes, which immediately lit up into flames. Wayne stumbled back as fire engulfed her dress as she laughed.
“Good luck, babes! Remember what I told you!” She began to dance about as the fire drew up higher and higher and licked her face as her eyes glowed gold with embers. “And Wayne dear! Good luck with the next spectre! Real doozy that one!”
Light filled Wayne’s eyes as she giggled and all went dark.
Wayne awoke in his old sitting chair by the fire with a great start. He laughed, “What a nightmare. Allen coming back from the dead? Hilarious.”
The old man looked at the grandfather clock and realized midnight was nigh and part of him, a very small and frightful part of him, looked about for some spectre. “Oh how silly,” he said, “I am such a fool.”
⋆⁺₊❅.☃︎⋆⁺₊❅.
He turned to the embers that were smoldering in the fireplace and stood up to begin to look for a log to stoke the flames again. As he walked towards the firepoker a single ember jumped up from the ashes and began to grow. It fluttered upwards and out into the room as it became unnaturally large. Wayne could not help but stare.
And from that ember a face began to form, as well as a neck, then shoulders. And soon, before Wayne stood a figure in all white and gold with holly around their lapel. A large candle snuffer sat on their head, which was wreathed in what could have been hair, but glowed a soft golden light just as it had when it was an ember.
Wayne said, “I must still be dreaming.”
“You knew I was coming,” a voice echoed about the room, but the figure's mouth did not move. “I don’t know why you are acting so surprised.” They raised their eyebrows.
He looked at them from his place by the fireplace. “You ought to leave.”
“No, I don’t think so. We don’t have time to argue, Wayne. Stand up and let’s go.”
“Who are you?”
“I am the Ghost of Christmas Past. I feel like that’s self explanatory.”
Wayne did not respond and the ghost huffed. At least, they looked like it, there was no sound.
They continued, “To understand how it ended up this way, we need to figure out how things were. All of the Christmases before, or at least the important ones. So, come on.” They gently stamped their foot upon the ground and great glowing roots began to crawl out of the floor and surround the two. Wayne tried to run, but he tripped upon the wood and fell.
⋆⁺₊❅.☃︎⋆⁺₊❅.
He landed in soft snow.
As he dusted the snow off of his eyelashes and sat up he recognized where he was and it was not, in fact, his living room. He was in front of his home, but not the grand home he lived in now. It was the one he grew up in when he was small.
“What is this?” he asked the spectre, his face turning red in anger.
“It is not my past, Wayne. I wouldn’t know.” They replied calmly as they leaned upon the fragile wood of the house. “But I do like this place more than your current one. It’s more of a home. I wonder what makes this so much more comforting.”
Before Wayne could answer the front door swung open to see May Strickland. His little sister. Alive. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold and she was smiling brightly. Her clothes were covered in patches, barely held together but on her head was a new pair of earmuffs Wayne had managed to buy her with the money he had saved up.
“Wayne!” she cried and began to run towards him.
He reached out to her, but she simply ran through him as if he were mist.
The ghost shook their head. “They can’t see you. You can’t touch them, either.”
“I gathered that,” Wayne snapped.
He turned to look at where his sister had run to and found himself. A younger, happier version of himself embracing his sister with a smile. His face had smudges of lamp oil and his hair was a mess, but he was so happy.
“I got you a gift,” May said to his younger self.
“May, I told you--”
“No, please don’t worry! Look, I made it!” She handed him a fabric doll. The stitching was weak and messy but young Wayne held it tightly to his chest.
“I love it, May. Merry Christmas.”
She laughed. “Merry Christmas.”
The Ghost of Christmas Past leaned over Wayne’s shoulder as he watched and once it was over, looked at him curiously. “She seems nice. And she likes Christmas. So did you, it seems.”
“She died,” Wayne sneered, “five years later. On Christmas day. Giving birth to my niece.”
The ghost nodded and stepped back. All was quiet for a moment as they looked at the figures laughing and fading in the distance. “There must be some Christmas you remember fondly. Let’s see…”
⋆⁺₊❅.☃︎⋆⁺₊❅.
And the roots began to grow up from the ground again. This time, Wayne’s head was not buried in the snow and he was able to watch as the wood covered the landscape like creeping vines, morphing and molding them into something new, releasing them when they were perfect. As the glowing roots receded, the pair were left standing in the middle of a party, a Christmas party with holly and drinks and fancy outfits.
“Ohhhhh,” for the first time the spirit’s mouth moved upwards into a teasing smile, “interesting.”
Wayne looked around to see what they could possibly be referring to and froze as he saw himself, still much younger dancing. Within his arms was another young man with fluffy red hair and smiling green eyes.
“Who is that?” the ghost whispered in his ear.
Wayne cleared his throat. “Um. Jamie. We were good friends.”
“Good friends. Sure.”
Jamie laughed as Wayne twirled him around and “accidentally” stumbled into the poor man's chest. “Oh goodness!” Jaime laughed. “Maybe I’ve had too much to drink!”
His younger self blushed and shook his head. “You haven’t had anything to drink at all.”
“Hmmmm. Interesting. Are you sure I don’t smell like alcohol?”
“Not at all.”
“Really?” Jaime leaned in until they were nose to nose and whispered, “Are you sure?”
A cackle surrounded them as the spectre laughed, “Friends! Really good ones, I bet!”
Wayne sighed. “We were… Something more, yes. But it didn’t last.”
“Why?”
Wayne did not respond and the ghost, seeing an opportunity, covered the world in roots again as the scene changed into that of an office. Allen sat not far from a younger Wayne, counting coins and laughing.
“My good friend,” he laughed, “what an excellent Christmas Eve this has turned out to be.”
Wayne watched as his younger self nodded politely, despite the heavy bags under his eyes. “Yes, sir.”
The older Strickland turned to the ghost and whispered, as if he could be heard, “This was before Allen decided to make me a business partner. He had me working like a dog.”
“Clearly. Christmas Eve? Wouldn’t that time be better spent with… Jaime?” The ghost mused as they looked at the clock, where evening was promptly displayed in number form.
As if summoned by his name, the red head entered the store. His soft eyes were pulled down in defeat, which Wayne had not remembered. He had, apparently, been too busy looking at the calculations on the paper in front of him to notice.
“Wayne, dear,” Jaime said, “ it’s getting late.”
“Sorry, I’m busy.”
Allen looked up and pursed his lips to avoid smiling. “I will leave you two alone. Enjoy lovebirds!”
Jaime only stepped closer to his love. “I brought mistletoe,” he tried, “you know what that means.”
“I’ll be with you in a moment.”
“Stop saying that. Stop pushing me away, Wayne. Please. We haven’t talked in so long. It’s Christmas Eve. We should be drinking cocoa or making snowmen.”
The young Wayne looked up at him and said, “We aren’t children anymore, Jaime. Please, I have work to do.”
The old man felt his heart wither. He had not remembered being so cruel and he looked at the spectre for some kind hint that maybe this was all a trick. That he had not said these things. But he knew it to be so.
Jaime tried one last time. “But I love Christmas,” he said quietly.
“We may celebrate next year.”
The ghost cringed and looked at the old man with disappointment. “Even if you hated Christmas, he didn’t. That wasn’t…”
“But I didn’t hate Christmas. Not then at least. I just wanted to have enough money to be worthy of him. We couldn’t live a life of poverty. I had lived a life like that and it is painful, spectre. I could not subject him to that.”
“And yet subjected him to loneliness instead?”
Wayne had nothing to say as he watched Jaime turn his back on his younger self and walk towards Allen’s desk and drop a ring upon it.
The ghost raised an eyebrow “A ring? You were engaged?!”
“No! No… He was going to propose. He left it with my paycheck and I didn’t find out until the end of the day…”
“Brutal.” The ghost said as they reached down and picked up what seemed to be a sort of bow out of nowhere. It glowed orange and yellow and red, just like the sun. Just like the ghost. And as an arrow appeared in the ghost's hand they looked sharply at Wayne.
“What are you doing?” he said.
They smiled. “You have seen the past. My role here is done.” As quick as lightning they fired off a shot into Wayne’s foot.
He cried out as red hot pain filled his leg.
“Yes. The past can hurt. I understand. But you must learn from it.” Another arrow into the other foot.
“What are you doing?” He cried out.
They knocked their final arrow and leveled it between Wayne’s eyes and smiled. “Now you must see the present. Say hi for me.”
A/N: Howdy Hey! Half way through! I’m not entirely in love with the ~rhythm~ of this piece this time put I can deal. Please enjoy and see you next time with some Tatya funsies!!!
After his long day of work, Wayne went home to his large house, where he lived very much alone. He sat by his fire with tea and brandy, a good book in his lap that he wasn’t bothering to read.
“Christmas…” he muttered. “Enough of that…”
And the room fell cold. The old man looked over to his fire to see it still roaring, yet now wreathed in frost. He rubbed his eyes in confusion and when he opened them again, the ice was gone.
“I must have had too much brandy,” he said as he stood up slowly to tend to the fire. His old bones shivered as he walked. The fire seemed to offer no warmth as he grabbed the poker and leaned over it.
⋆⁺₊❅.☃︎⋆⁺₊❅.
Suddenly, the flames grew immensely.
They engulfed the entirety of the fireplace, licking the sides of the wall. Wayne stumbled backwards and fell onto his back as he tried to scramble away. The flames only grew higher and the sound of rattling chains filled the room.
“Wayne,” a ghostly voice called, “Wayne Strickland.”
“Who is there?!” He looked around the room, which was now freezing cold despite the raging fire.
The sound of metal upon metal grew louder. “Wayne. Wayne Strickland.”
“Please! Leave me alone! I have done nothing!” He got to his knees to beg at whatever force was calling to him.
And despite the fire's presence the corners of the room began to be engulfed in frost. The chandelier. The door. His cup of brandy. They all had fractals of ice covering them like lace.
And from the flames, a face emerged. Bright gold eyes like coins stared at Wayne with malice and regret. Connected to the face was a neck and then shoulders and then arms that were clawing out onto the floor.
And the figure was terribly familiar.
“Allen,” Wayne whispered, “Oh god. You’re dead. You are supposed to be dead.”
“I am!” the ghost cried out. “Oh, great death did come for me with shadowed eyes and cold hands! I am long dead! Long dead!” The chains scraped against the floor as Allen swung his arms outwards.
Death had made the man no less dramatic.
Wayne cried out, “I must be dreaming!”
“Do not be a fool, Strickland! I have risen out of my cold suffering with the blessing of the beyond to warn you, old friend! Your heart is cold and shriveled and weak! It is chained like I am now!” The ghost pulled on the chains around him but they did not budge.
“Please, spirit! Allen Crowell! My friend! Leave me be! I have done no wrong!”
“You lie! Oh! How you lie!” The spirit flung himself towards Wayne as he groaned. “You have grown greedy and cruel and forgotten the true spirit of Christmas!”
Wayne paused before a moment as he stared up at the deathly visage of his long dead friend. “Ah… I must be dreaming! That’s what it is. The brandy must have given me the strangest of dreams…”
“You fool!” Allen cried out. “I have come from the cold embrace of death to help you, so that you might have a chance and I may be freed of just a few of these horrible chains! Oh these chains! Each weigh as much as my sins in life! They are so terribly heavy, Wayne!”
But, Wayne, despite being terribly frightened, had already decided that it was all just a nightmare. He stood up and began to walk away, but was quickly wrapped up in icy metal.
Allen floated closer so that he may loom over the old man. His gold eyes like two furious and wicked suns beating down upon the weary. “Tonight, dear friend. You will be visited by three spectres. The ghosts of Christmas past, present, and yet to come will arrive in all their glory and show you the truth! Your truth! And should you not see the error of your ways before the light of Christmas Day, beware! You will end up in the cold grip of iron in death, just as I did.”
And a great flurry filled the room and Wayne cried out in fear.
“The first ghost,” Allen continued, “Will appear to you upon the first stroke of midnight… Be ready, old friend…”
A fuzzy feeling fills the air as that festive time of year once again comes around. From the harmonious noise of carols echoing down the street, to the ever so sweet tastes of handmade goodie, not to mention the joy of finding the perfect gift for a friend! Oh! Its all too hard not to get caught up into the merriment of it all, isn't it?
But oh? What's this?
It seems someone isn't as thrilled to be apart of such activities this year...
⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆
-Collab Details-
Hello!! Happy Holidays everyone! Its crazy to think that soon this is gonna be the second Christmas this blog has seen. Time flies by so quickly, doesn't it? It makes me feel so reminicant and happy.
Anyways, this essance is a little special in comparison to the other 2 I have made. Why? Well, this one will have a fully written retelling of a Christmas Carol made for it done by the lovely @littlegloriosa! Thats right - a silly holiday fic featuring some of your favorite goobers!
The upload schedule will be twice per week after this post goes live! So keep an eye out for installments in the story under the following tag:
Note: Character Art will unlock as the story progresses! If you volunteered a lad, and don't see finished art of them here, don't panic! They will be revealed at some point before the 24th.
If you wish to see them before hand though, feel welcome to ask for their sheets via DMs or Anon :]
⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆
And now some words from Emma! Take it away pookums!
AHEM!!!! I write stuff. Please enjoy. :3
"Christmas is approaching, but Wayne isn’t feeling it. Everything is ba humbug! Unfortunately everyone around him loves the holidays. It would take a miracle to get him on the same page, though. Or maybe a few friendly ghosts…"
