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tarot-archives · 12 days

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Can I get a uhhhhhh laios with a guy/gn reader who has an equally autistic special interest in general biology and ecosystems that would 100% encompass monsters as well? Asking for a friend that just happens to be me (stg idk if I wanna smooch laios or be him tbh lmao)

an: though i haven’t written for an autistic yn, i’ll try to make it realistic. if i’d done something wrong, please tell me. i focused more on general dungeon ecology for y/n.

if marcille is studying about dungeon ecosystems while laios is more interested in monsters you would be the best of both worlds.

there’s just something thrilling about dungeon ecology, how it all interacts, every thing that fall under it and so on and so forth.

you’re a tall-man researcher, using every bit of your time to find out more about dungeons, and not just the ones in melini. it would have been good to join the magic academy, but since you don’t posses any talent for magic, you can’t enter.

it made you sad since they had a dungeon making class.

nevertheless, it won’t stomp your dreams of researching! you’ve read and copied countless of books you can get your hands on. eventually you settled in meleni where a newly discovered dungeon was found.

your room was filled with countless of journals, trinkets from dungeons and volumes of books you read many time before.

and on your first dungeon party, you were very ecstatic. too bad you had to leave because they’d only go to the easier upper floors. you wanted to head to the lowest level after all!

and that’s where you meet up with the touden party!

you will love marcille’s vast dungeon knowledge. she would love to teach you new things. much to chilchuck’s dismay, you have boosted her ego. endless praises for marcille and simply doting around her because she’s filled with knowledge.

“ah, long lifespans are so great. i’d spend all my life dedicating to dungeon ecology if i could” -y/n after every lecture apparently.

then monster facts with laios will be endless. he lent you his dungeon food guide and you surprisingly have a copy too! you took notes from the things he had written in the margin. much to chilchuck’s demise (again) both you and laios keep on talking and he can’t sleep :((

“eating monsters? can’t say i have thought about it, but do you ever think about their nutritional values? the high level of mana concentration must vary from non-dungeon born same species! This needed to be compared and studied!” -y/n when laios introduced his monster eating thoughts.

toshiro will have another person to ask about his life in the east. but he likes how you keep more time to yourself writing in the journals. he finds your drawing to be artistic. after seeing your difficulties with papers, toshiro will teach you about yotsume toji—a book binding process from his country. he’s happy to see you using it after he taught you.

though you won’t talk with namari much, you admire he strength as a dwarf. she keeps her past to herself, which you at least respect. but you’d talk about the different weapons used and other things she did as a blacksmith. her knowledge on materials is very handy. you write about the different dungeon materials on your journal along with the best weapons against monsters.

chilchuck, our lock expert, and the most unknown member of your party… you admire his knowledge on traps and have written about his experiences with various dungeon traps and ways of disarming them.

falin, she joins you as you ask questions to marcille or laios. she listens to you talk about your dungeon experiences and she tells you about her’s. you let her read the journals you made along the way.

On the day falin was eaten by the dragon, your journal wasn’t transported with you. So now, you join laios to rescue his sister and to save you journals!!

Request? Open!

#laios touden x reader #dungeon meshi x reader #laios x reader #torta talks

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aventxsha · 3 months

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❛ 𝐌𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐒

achy / rosy, amata figlia

@achy-boo

ashee, una novità di gioia

@bfajax

amana, figlia del drago

@yourlocalintrovertt

lumi, luce ritrovata

@thalliian

en, la sola e unica

@sugurus-moon

kimi, josh

@kimchi-b

medea, ritornata dalla morte

@writerig

mimi, baciata dal sole

@acherins

nae, il mistero che adoro

@naenaex0xx

nora / diia, supporto fino alla fine

@sweetlyvibe

phoenix, il migliore

@thenomadicphoenix

rose, colei che ritornò

@roseadleyn

syah, eternamente adorata

@myearts-uwu

yog / yotsume, gemello nel cuore

@yoghurtsan

#「 🥀 」 𝐀𝐌𝐗𝐓𝐎． navigation

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jujumin-translates · 5 months

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Sakuya Sakuma | [SSR] An Oni Protecting The People | Spirit・Snow Demon - Part 3

Izumi: (He asked me to come backstage, but…)

Sakuya: Ah, Director!

Izumi: It’s almost time for you to start getting ready, isn’t it?

Sakuya: It is. But I had something I wanted to tell you in person first…

Sakuya: Um, thank you for going to the test of courage with me.

Sakuya: I wanted to tell you now because I thought it was a great experience, even more so than rehearsals were. Please look forward to the performance!

Izumi: Sakuya-kun… Yeah, I’ll be waiting for your part to come up.

Sakuya: Yeah!

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Izumi: (They said it’s supposed to be a long performance, and the amount of work that went into it was incredible. But it’s all going by so fast with the first and second parts really drawing me in…)

Izumi: (Part three is where everyone comes in. The setting shifts to the north on a day with heavy snowfall--.)

Kannagi: (Great snow demons, please… please protect us from the yotsume.”

People of the Village: “Great snow demons, please help us.”

Setsuna: “--Scatter, yotsume. This is land under my divine protection.”

*Wind blows*

Yostume: “GYAAH…!”

Village Person A: “! Look, the yotsume are retreating!”

Village Person B: “The great snow demons protected us…!”

Setsuna: “...”

Izumi: (Peace returns and the people embrace each other in relief. However, Setsuna, the snow demon, is unable to touch the warmth, and is left feeling isolated and lonely.)

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Izumi: (Then a few years later--.)

Child A: “Is there really such thing as the great spirits?”

Kannagi: “Yes. This village is protected by the great snow demons.”

Child A: “Are they onis? That’s scary~.”

Kannagi: “They may have the forms of onis, but they’re not scary. The great snow demons are very kind spirits.”

Child A: “...Have you seen them before?”

Kannagi: “No. But according to the legends… they’re very kind-hearted spirits.”

Setsuna: “...”

Village Person A: “Oh, Setsuna, great timing. It looks like my wife made some stew for you. So come by later if you want.”

Setsuna: “Wah, thank you so much as always! I’ll come by later when I’m done with my errands.”

Village Person B: “Are you headed somewhere?”

Setsuna: “I heard that one of the elders outside of the village had injured his hip and can’t move, so I thought I’d go and check on him.”

Village Person B: “You’re so kind, Setsuna.”

Setsuna: “No, it’s nothing… I just want the people of this village to be happy.”

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Yukiji: “Is that the demon that protects the northern village? Eventually, he’s going to…

Hosoyuki: “The sin of doing what is forbidden is strong. The day will soon come when the humans will condemn our clan of snow demons, at the least.”

Yukiji: “Is that so, Hosoyuki? …That’d be unfortunate.”

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Izumi: (And then comes one midwinter day--. The day finally comes for Setsuna, who has been interacting with the people of the village as usual.)

Child A: “Waah! It’s snow…!”

*Wind blows*

Setsuna: “Eh…!? No…!”

Village Person A: “Ahh! Those horns…! You’re a demon!”

Setsuna: “No, that’s… it’s not…!”

Village Person B: “Hurry and get the children inside! There’s a demon out here!”

Setsuna: “Ah… Ahhgh…”

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Yukiji: “...So the day has finally come.”

Hosoyuki: “We are the most feared of all the spirits.”

Hosoyuki: “Because he’s broken the law of not being seen, no prayers will be offered for Setsuna. We can only wait for him to fade away.”

Izumi: (On days with heavy snowfall, snow demons revert back to their original demon forms.)

Izumi: (That’s why youkai come to devastate the human villages on days with bad weather.)

Izumi: (When Setsuna’s identity is revealed, he’s unable to protect the people from the youkai and the village falls into chaos--.)

Setsuna: “This mess is all my fault…! I can’t believe that because of my weakness, I’m unable to protect the people I love when they need me the most…!”

Yukiji: “--What are you doing?”

Setsuna: “!”

Yukiji: “The law has been broken and we’re destined to disappear. However, there is still something we can do.”

Hosoyuki: “Kannagi and the people of the village have prayed for us all this time, so we can risk our lives to return the favor.”

Child A: “Great snow demons, please protect us…!”

Setsuna: “...Right. This village is an irreplaceable place that I’ve been protecting.”

Setsuna: “I’m much more afraid of losing everyone than I am of disappearing.”

Setsuna: “That’s why… I’ll protect everyone with all my strength!”

*Wind blows*

Kannagi: “This presence…! It’s you, great snow demons!”

Village Person A: “Great snow demons? That guy…”

Setsuna: “I’m sorry that I’ve kept this from you all this time.”

Setsuna: “It was so lonely to see everyone being with each other… so I did what was forbidden to be able to touch that warmth, even if it was just for a little bit.”

Hosoyuki: “We are the ones who must not touch the humans. However, now that we’ve seen ourselves reflected in your eyes, we…”

Yukiji: “It’s outrageous not to use our power to appear in the land protected by other spirits.”

Izumi: (Now each having broken the rule, the snow demons ponder their fate of disappearing. But the people of the village are different.)

Kannagi: “Thank you for always protecting us, great snow demons.”

Kannagi: “This is the first time I’ve seen you, I never knew you were such beautiful spirits.”

Child A: “Great snow demons, we prayed for you and you came to protect us. Thank you as always.”

Setsuna: “I… thank you too.”

Izumi: (This marked the beginning of the gradual fading out of the laws of the spirits and the spirits began to interact with the humans--.)

*Applause*

Izumi: (Sakuya-kun’s smile at the end was so soft and warm at the end. It was really nice.)

Izumi: (Pushing through your fears to help others… It looks like the test of courage helped, just like he said.)

[ ⇠ Previous Part ]

#a3!#a3! translation #sakuya sakuma #taichi nanao #tsumugi tsukioka #// WAILING AND SOBBING HIS LITTLE FANGS ARE SO #you can kinda see them if you look real close at the last pic

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goldengalanthus · 2 months

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something else i made for the Seecret Exchange event. a comic

explanation under the see more cut. Yotsume God ending 12 spoilers

basically here, in her dream, ending 12 Mai met in game Mai, the one players control

#digital art #fanart #paint tool sai #yotsume god #yotsume god spoilers #sahara mai

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tired-reader-writer · 1 year

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And here we have Ranna, my OC!

They're Tahamenay's child, her lost daughter, and I picked her mother's distinctive palette for several reasons— one: to make it impossible to not clock her right away as Tahamenay's child, two: to metaphorically flip birds at Andragoras, and three: because I found it very pretty.

Her first outfit, I've been having this one in my head for a long long time, I think ever since I began this AU character design sheet thing— wait no it was actually when I was designing Kashi, weirdly enough. I already had a vague idea of the silhouette and layers involved by then, though it was still very plain and blank because I hadn't assigned all that much symbolism to her... yet.

For this one, I thought that I wanted a sort of dusk, sunset sort of vibe going on, I recently got to play the remake of my favorite game: Yotsume God. And the entire aesthetic of that game, set at dusk, as if the world was awash in flames, all the red hues, it stuck with me. So I plucked some colours off of the screenshots I took and stuck them on this one— plus the dark colours made me think of Hilmes.

There are accents of yellow/gold (though rather dull) to hint at their secret royal lineage, unbeknownst to themself. Those are scorpion tails on her coat— I was running out of energy that day and could not make myself draw the entire animal. So tail it is. As for why scorpion, Ranna likes bugs and what people would consider creepy crawlies a lot, plus the symbolism:

“The symbolism of the scorpion means so many things including intelligence, independence, solitude, passion, protection, and transformation, to different tribes.”

“It is widely known that scorpions have deadly venom that can kill humans.”

“The scorpion’s stinger is used as a weapon for hunting, defense, and protection. They also represent that one has the power to protect oneself.

Scorpion bites may be poisonous, but Scorpion symbolism acts as a spirit guide that teaches you to recognize your tendencies and know how to manage them to work in your favor. It also teaches us to be brave and stand up against failure, turn our weaknesses into strengths, learn from our past mistakes, transform our pain and negativity into positivity, and identify our true identity.”

Generally, scorpions represent the following:

• Ability to protect other people by chasing off negative impacts and influences.

• Ability to protect oneself through fighting oneself or others.

• Powerful transformation

• Success and dream

• Independence, personal drive, and rebirth

• Mastery and self-control

• A sharp mind and intelligence

• Solitude

• Determination and willpower

• Pent-up emotions

• Aggressive behavior or feeling

• Utmost self-confidence

Ranna is quite the independent sort of person, she has control issues that stem from being expected to conform to ridiculous standards by her former caretakers (in hopes that one day she might be allowed to return to the royal court, and even if not, land a good marriage)— from her perspective her parents were trying to make her walk this path (marriage) that she's not crazy about, and a path that produces much misery and traps victims, at that. Abusive spouses, women in general don't seem to have much power and independence in Pars as far as I know, this all fed into their rebellious and independent streak. On top of that, she's been witnessing the numerous injustices of society, namely the classism and the slavery. Even after she ran away and came to live with the clan at a very young age, the clan is made of runaway slaves, abuse victims, so on and so forth, people who have endured society's bullshit and like Ranna themself sought sanctuary and freedom. That definitely radicalized her so to speak, and gave rise to this... protectiveness of themself, their agency, the clan, and a collection of pent-up emotions, mostly negative, that she takes out on people she dislikes. Ranna is very brutal and aggressive with people they hate, they like to poke and prod and rile them up so that she can feel in-control. Hilmes does his utmost to avoid them as a result.

As for the identify [their] true identity part, Ranna sneaks off to Ecbatana to scratch the itch of the urge to find out what her birth parents are like and why they abandoned them, so yeah.

The necklace with the pistachio pendant is... gotta admit, it is kinda the stretch of the century but bear with me!!

We're going on a journey in this post too, and that's a... I don't have a name for this journey but let's— let's call this Aphrodite journey.

But Egg, you may exclaim, what's pistachios gotta do with Aphrodite of all things?

I know. That's why I said this is the stretch of the century.

Buckle up, buddies.

The first reason why I chose pistachios was this:

“Pistachio forests in the eastern, southern and southeastern districts – 26,000 km2 (10,000 sq mi)”

They're present in the Alborz mountain range too, of course, but why is the southeastern part of Iran (the country Pars is based on) significant in particular?

Well, look no further than this map. (EDIT: This fan map was made by tumblr user chatmant! Thank you @daryun for telling me!)

As ArSen fans will know, Tahamenay was originally from the Principality of Badakhshan, located southeast of Pars— before Osroes came in and conquered the area. I wanted to include a nod to her mother's origins and whatnot.

Pistachios are supposedly dubbed “green gold”, or just “the emerald”, and harvest if I am correct starts in September.

Tahamenay's child was born in the ninth month, which I know doesn't mean it corresponds to modern September but hush. I'm just gonna roll with it to retain my sanity for now.

Keep an eye on the emerald part. This is where the stretch begins.

“Emerald symbolism encompasses not only royalty but also wit, eloquence, and foresight. "The Jewel of Kings" also serves as the May birthstone. Whatever its supposed mystical properties, this gem has long been regarded as a superior jewel. Rare and beautiful, emerald's stunning green color has also brought it an honored status amongst cultures worldwide.”

Royalty for their lineage, and well, Ranna's quite very crafty and cunning.

“A revealer of truths, emerald reputedly could cut through all illusions and spells, including the truth or falsity of a lover's oath.”

The circumstances surrounding her identity, plus their brutal honesty with the people she dislikes. She is honest with people she likes too but... they take delight in tearing down the worldview and personal truths of the ones she hates.

“Western traditions connect emeralds more frequently with the planet Venus. Perhaps the story from Greek and Roman mythology of Venus emerging from the sea makes a difference here. For followers of Western astrology, the "sea green" color of emerald may make a better match with the goddess's namesake planet.”

I took one look at Venus and decided to think about Aphrodite instead, since that's the one I'm more familiar with.

“Aphrodite is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation.

Aphrodite has been featured in Western art as a symbol of female beauty and has appeared in numerous works of Western literature.”

Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty, and of seduction as well. While Ranna is squarely not interested in seducing anybody save a certain bandit girl (and their idea of “seducing” said bandit girl involves a lot less sexytimes, thank fuck, and a whole lot more bloody murder, adrenaline-charged heists, and general chaos and shenanigans anyways) but, as Ranna inherited Tahamenay's looks, and Tahamenay was met with a trauma conga line of misfortune no thanks to her beauty, and was accused of seducing many men.

Also Aphrodite, from what I know, is an agent of chaos lol, which Ranna also is.

Also also, Aphrodite's origin myth involves her washing ashore from the sea, and Badakhshan is in contact with the sea, and I headcanon that Tahamenay was from somewhere along the coastline.

Also, Aphrodite had a lot of epithets which range from Genetyllis meaning “Mother” (which I link with Tahamenay) to Areia meaning “warlike”:

“Across the Greek world, she was known under epithets such as Melainis "Black One", Skotia "Dark One", Androphonos "Killer of Men", Anosia "Unholy", and Tymborychos "Gravedigger", all of which indicate her darker, more violent nature.”

And as people who's seen me talk about Ranna, this girl is... a Terror™ among terrors.

And that's how I ended up linking pistachios to Aphrodite.

Onto the second outfit, I went for foxy colours since I ended up not putting actual foxes on her clothes.

Why foxes? Well...

“Fox symbolism and meaning include cleverness, independence, playfulness and mischievousness, beauty, protection, and good luck.”

“The animal is taken to be the incarnation of cunning, slyness, perfidy, and even wickedness.”

Characteristics that Ranna embodies, plus in the manga Tahamenay was referred to as “that sharp-eyed vixen”. Another nod to their mother!

Also, clawed gloves. Me likes.

What are the purple flowers on her clothes? Why the purple sash? Oh, this is one I've been holding for A VERY LONG TIME.

So a while ago, I had the idea of associating either Ranna or Arslan with saffron/saffron flowers— saffron is precious, and the flowers bloom in autumn. One would be associated with saffron, and the other would be associated with “autumn crocus/meadow saffron” which is actually not saffron at all and instead is poisonous, even.

Pretty neat plan, except I kept going back and forth on who would be which flower. Because on one hand Ranna is secret royalty and it'd make sense for her to be associated with the expensive and precious saffron, Arslan the fake saffron, but on the other hand I ended up linking venom/poison and Ranna (the scorpion, poisoned weaponry), and Arslan ended up embodying a lot of saffron symbolism...

So I decided, fuck it, imma just leave it ambiguous. Figure this shit out yourselves 😭 That's also why I left out the saffron threads/ the styles and stamens of this ambiguous flower, because true crocuses have three stamens and three styles, while colchicums have six stamens and one style. The meadow saffron I talked about? Iirc it's a colchicum, not a true crocus.

“Saffron is harvested from the saffron crocus, scientific name Crocus sativus. This is a different plant entirely from the autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale), also known somewhat confusingly as meadow saffron.

“Colchicum autumnale, commonly known as autumn crocus, meadow saffron, or naked ladies, is a toxic autumn-blooming flowering plant that resembles the true crocuses, but is a member of the plant family Colchicaceae, unlike the true crocuses, which belong to the family Iridaceae. The name "naked ladies" is because the flowers emerge from the ground long before the leaves appear. Despite the vernacular name of "meadow saffron", this plant is not the source of saffron, which is obtained from the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus – and that plant, too, is sometimes called "autumn crocus".”

“Crocus sativus, commonly known as saffron crocus or autumn crocus, is a species of flowering plant in the iris family Iridaceae. A cormous autumn-flowering cultivated perennial, unknown in the wild, it is best known for the culinary use of its floral stigmas as the spice saffron.”

“The sativus has a long history in the world, and as such has gathered much symbolism and meaning alongside itself. Some of the more common associations are feelings of happiness and joy, with a gift of saffron being a way to send positive vibes and energy to another. It is thought to relate to the emotions of youth as well, and childlike wonder. It was commonly used in roman households as a perfume for guests as they entered the abode. The name crocus sativus is thought to originate from the Greek god Krokus, who upon his death became the flower, as well as the Arabic word “zafaran,” which means yellow.”

And the symbolism of individual colours of crocuses (not limited to saffron crocuses):

“Purple, the traditional color of royalty, is tied to gracefulness, dignity, and personal success. It’s great for symbolize someone’s recent accomplishments or to celebrate their many years of service or partnership. Darker shades in particular have a strong association with the wisdom of experience. It represents success, pride and dignity. This flower color is also a symbol of royalty and nobility.

White, the purest and most versatile flower color of them all. A bouquet of Crocuses in this color can indicate a humble approach or wishes of condolences for someone in grief. This color is commonly associated with funerals in some cultures, but it’s also used for weddings due to its ties to purity and elegance in others. White Crocus flower is a symbol of purity, truth and innocence. This flower is usually used as wedding decoration.

The yellow Crocus flower is a symbol of cheerfulness and joy.”

Hold onto these crocus colour stuff. They'll become relevant again in Arslan's sheet. Or really, the entire crocus/saffron section of this post.

How long has this thing become?

“It is most commonly associated with spring, renewal, and rebirth due to its growth during the winter or early spring.

Autumn blooming Crocuses may inspire some artists and writers to use it as a symbol of hope in the face of loss or death instead. These varieties can be some of the last flowers to bloom, making them a reminder of the spring to come.”

“By the middle of October, saffron flowers begin to blossom, and this blooming lasts for about three weeks.

Crocus sativus are grown from bulbs known as corms. Crocus corms are best planted in September, then will flower a couple of months later

September is best for planting in warmer locations (zones 7-10). Saffron Crocus can be planting in the ground or in containers in these warmer zones. Saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus) blooms in fall.”

“Saffron flowers symbolize rebirth, joy, innocence and new beginnings. It is also a symbol of youthfulness as it is the first flower to bloom in the spring. In ancient Rome, the crocus was a symbol of love.”

“The Crocus flower generally represents youth, innocence, rebirth, cheerfulness, pleasure, gladness and joy.”

“While crocus do have that well-known association with being the first blooms of the new year, they aren’t necessarily just a spring flower. In fact, some croci (both croci and crocuses are acceptable plurals) bloom late in the autumn. So, while it’s true that the crocus is a symbol of rebirth from the darkest times, it’s also applicable as a symbol and omen of enduring and thriving life. You, like the crocus, can be renewed in spite in the coldness and darkness of the depths of winter.”

“Depending on the exact species and variety, Crocus plants can bloom in the spring, autumn, or winter.”

If you're seeing lots of snippets about how they bloom in different seasons, it's because I was getting very annoyed at the sheer confusion I suffered during research, people will just conflate saffron crocuses and regular-ass crocuses, leading to stuff that says “saffron flowers bloom in spring!” and the repeated information about spring-blooming crocuses.

I'm so tired. Get your facts straight, people!

Also, almost forgot to mention, her foxy colours here of course can be attributed to the saffron route as well, if you choose to associate her with saffron and not meadow saffron.

And Tahamenay is shown having purple on her:

And who can ignore the centipede?

“Centipedes are the ultimate "creepy crawlies." Their many-legged bodies are more often the subject of horror than fascination.”

She horrifies a lot of people. And they also cause fascination too, and of course they're absolutely smitten by centipedes.

“Centipedes and millipedes are multi-legged predatory arthropods which live in a variety of different terrestrial habitats. These bugs are found in almost every region of the planet, including, even, the Arctic Circle.”

“Centipedes live in soil, under rocks and dead wood, and inside logs. Because they live in dirt, centipedes are often associated with death and decay. Due to its preference for hidden places, the centipede is sometimes associated with the afterlife or the "Underworld." This association sometimes connects centipedes to occult forces and taboo subjects.”

Ranna rolls around in dirt, explores the woods and mountains and is not in the slightest afraid of getting dirty. They're “dead” to Andragoras and nonexistent to the rest of the court, and their existence or the talk about it or their identity can be regarded as “taboo”. It's not like Tahamenay can talk about this to anyone, after all.

“The centipede’s unusual anatomy connects it with speed and dexterity. The centipede’s venomous bite associates these fearsome arthropods with both sickness and medicine.”

“Both centipede and millipede are symbols of good luck, energy, and healing. In addition, it is said that centipedes are among the only things that dragons fear. So, centipedes represent the power and ferocity that even the smallest of creatures can embody. Finally, perhaps the strongest association with centipedes is fear itself. Centipedes represent anxieties, phobias both rational and irrational, and nightmares. Because of this, centipedes can also represent the courageous act of confronting one’s fears.”

“The Irish Banshee was often depicted as an older woman surrounded by creepy crawlers such as spiders and centipedes. The cry of the Banshee is thought to be a harbinger of death.”

Lots of scary ominous stuff going on here, and Ranna is the one who'd eventually cause Andragoras' death, but not without Tahamenay's contribution, of course :3

Then we have their ceremonial dance attire. Follows the general template, with a few tweaks.

Her sash is a warmer red than Kazai's.

The star symbols on the skirt part also resemble suns, hinting at her royal lineage.

Purple for Tahamenay.

A lot more yellow/gold, again for the royal lineage thing.

The necklace is a chaotic collection of colours, which yeah represents her own chaos.

They just seem like the type to frequently go barefoot regardless of the occasion.

Also, as you may have noticed, Ranna has one or both arms free of the sleeves of the outermost layer in two of the outfits, and that's to show how she cares little about decorum and stuff, such as wearing a garment “properly”.

That's all. It's 3:25am, I started drafting this thing immediately after I finished drawing a couple hours ago, which also I finished this tonight out of an adrenaline rush because I have to return to classes tomorrow.

I hate my life.

I'm gonna immediately head to sleep, I can already tell I won't get enough. Bye! Hope y'all enjoyed this!

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #heroic legend of arslan #wolfpack au #winds of wolfsong #ranna (oc)#arslan senki oc #rotten egg's shitty art #the character design sheet saga #me: gonna type this one up real quick and then I'll go to bed!#this post: you fool. you absolute buffoon.#Tahamenay #I almost don't want to know how long this post ended up being #I'M SORRY #long post #just in case

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harleyquilt · 1 year

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The Fire That Burns Us All - Chapter 8

Summary: Kaneki finds himself awake in a strange place, and to his side is a ghoul waiting to interrogate him...

Words: 2622~

Notes: I apologise for the long wait between updates, time no longer exists to me beyond the extent of essay deadline :')

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Tatara watched the distant lights of the city glow against the dark night sky, the wind blowing against his long coat. He glanced away and turned his head slightly to one side, Eto appearing from the shadows behind him. She leaned forward with her hands behind her back, the floppy ears on her hood falling forward.

“Quite the view.” She says. He can hear the smile in her voice. “From here, everything looks so distant, so far away.” She hums as she walks ahead of him and balances herself on the edge of the nearby ledge. “I’m particularly fond of this view myself.”

“We have received news that the Kirishima siblings, along with Yotsume, have captured and are now harbouring the CCG agent Ken Kaneki.” Tatara informed her, his voice monotone.

“Is that so?” She continued to walk along the ledge, her arms spread out as she teetered side to side. “Impressive.”

“They have decided not to tell us anything yet. I suspect that they have no intentions of doing so in the near future.”

“That is a shame.”

Tatara was quiet for a moment as Eto sat herself down. He stepped forward, Eto’s legs swinging back and forth over the ledge. “What would you recommend us to do?”

“The Kirishima siblings, huh…” Eto murmured to herself, tilting her head back. “Let’s wait for now.”

“Is Ken Kaneki not an important asset to you?”

Eto nods and reaches her hand out, her fingers spread apart. “Of course. But he found himself in this mess. I would like to hope that he’ll find himself back out. I want to wait and watch first.”

“And the others? What of their disloyalty?”

Eto giggled, her hand wavering over the distant Tokyo. She clasps her hand shut, as if stealing away the view of the city.

“All in due time, dear. All in due time.”

. . .

Lifting his hand, Kaneki felt a pang of pain erupt from his bruised wrist, and through squinted eyes, he saw that his hand had been handcuffed to his bed. He blinked a few times and looked to his side, seeing a masked figure sitting with their arms and legs crossed. They wore a white rabbit mask - a mask he quickly recognised, with some reluctant bitterness. His jaw clenched and he narrowed his eyes, mustering his lacking strength to try to break free from the handcuffs. It rattled loudly against the bed and Kaneki’s arm fell limp to his side. He tutted to himself, looking back at the ghoul.

“RC suppressant?” He guessed, his words slurred together. Breathing in, he could detect some traces of the suppressant’s pungent smell, and he grimaced as the ghoul uncrossed their legs and leaned forward.

“You’re powerless here.” Their voice, though low, was distinctly feminine. It had an unrecognisable harshness that laced their words with unbridled hate. Still, Kaneki could not deny the painful familiarity in hearing their voice again. “And no one is going to find you here.”

“Are you sure about that?” He gave the ghoul a half-hearted smirk, his voice wavering as he spoke. His entire body ached and he could feel burning bile rise up his throat, his mouth unbearably dry. “Let’s not waste time here.” He struggled to swallow the bile back down, wincing between his words. “What do you want?”

“What makes you think we want anything?” She scoffed. Narrowing his eyes, he glared back at the two black eyes on their mask.

“Why else would you keep me alive?”

They stood, then, and turned towards the door behind them, nudging it shut with their foot. They turned back around and slowly walked towards him, and when they were beside his bed again, they knelt down, their masked face inches away from his. Their hand slammed down against his face, and gripping his hair with their fist, they lifted up his hand and rammed it back down against the hard mattress. They continued to push down against his head, adding a painful pressure to his now pounding headache. He could almost hear the cracking of his skull against his bruised ears.

“Because you don’t deserve to die that easily.” They hissed, their nails digging into his scalp. “Because I’m going to make you feel the same pain and torment you’ve afflicted onto so many ghouls before now. Because you deserve to feel that pain before finally being slaughtered, like the pig you are.”

Pushing down against him, they released him from their clutch and stood back up with a deep breath. Kaneki let out a shaking breath between clenched teeth, his head still pulsating with a painful ache. The ghoul seemed to be muttering to themselves and they tilted their head back, breathing out a deep sigh.

“But before that,” they continued, looking back down. “You’re going to help us kill the Reaper.”

“Reaper?” Kaneki scoffed. “Do you mean Arima Kishou?”

“I don’t care what we call him. We want him dead.”

“I’m sure most ghouls do.” He laughed weakly. “What makes you so special?”

“We have you.”

Kaneki decided to hold his tongue and lowered his eyes, tugging his hand against the handcuff. It was a mockery, seeing himself chained up like this again, the lingering stench of the suppressant and the dimness of the room adding to the sting that came with his memories. He looked back at his captor, his heartbeat thudding loudly in his ears.

“And how will you use me to get to him? I’m nothing more than a subordinate to him.” He challenged. “I’m expendable.”

“Wrong. You’re his right-hand man.” They asserted, crossing their arms. “You have the rare opportunity to get close to him. We will be using that to our advantage.”

“Ha,” Kaneki laughed with a blunt sarcasm. “You assume too much.”

“And you underestimate us. Like you all do, like you always have done. I suggest that you cooperate. Unless you want to understand what real pain feels like.”

They turned to leave then, elaborating no further on their future plans with him. Kaneki felt it was wise to keep it at that and to let the ghoul leave for now. And yet, seeing their back turn to him, the searing anger that continued to rise up inside him burst out with his next words.

“Does it feel good knowing that you’ve played me like an idiot? To manipulate me the way you did?” His voice was tinged with burning spite as he spat out his words. “Kirishima-san.”

The ghoul paused, their hand on the doorknob, and they lowered their head, their shoulders hunched. They gripped the doorknob tightly before releasing it and they turned back around, a hand on one hip. A moment of silence passed between them before they reached up and tugged off their mask, revealing the face of the waitress that had served him a delicious coffee only a few days ago.

“It was worth a try.” She muttered to herself, tossing the mask aside. Her once bright and wide eyes now glared at him, her lips pursed, and her brows knitted together in a demeaning scowl. “Yes, I did trick you. I used you, and once you give me what I want, I’ll throw you away, like the worthless piece of trash you are.” She bit her lip, shutting her eyes. “You mean nothing to me. Satisfied?”

Kaneki watched her with a widened stare. It hadn’t surprised him to know that it was Kirishima who had been the ghoul to apprehend him, to realise that she had been tricking him with her sweet smiles and comforting lies. He had recognised her voice almost immediately, and was thrown off by her familiar fragrance. And still, a part of him had hoped that she would dismiss his words and leave her identity hidden behind the thin veil of her mask. It was not a comfort he deserved, he knew that, but even so, there was a selfish voice buried deep inside him that continued to speak out, like the petulant child that he was.

However, seeing her speak with words of sincere malice, and seeing the hatred on the face he previously admired for its gentle beauty - these constant betrayals continued to slash away at his fragile pride. It would have been better if she had simply killed him and spared him the torment of this continuous humiliation. He faced the ceiling then and squeezed his eyes shut with a frown, his hands clenched into fists. He took a shaking breath and opened his eyes again, which were now glazed over as he stared blankly at the grey concrete above him.

Touka was about to leave again when Kaneki called out once more, his voice firm and cold. “I’ll help you.”

“What?” Touka scoffed with some disbelief.

“I’ll help you defeat Arima Kishou. The White Reaper. I’ll help you.”

Touka watched him for a moment, clearly taken aback by his words. He caught her eye and stared unwaveringly, his gaze sinking into hers. She tilted her chin up and clenched her jaw. “Why should I believe you?”

“Because…” His lips were parted, his chest unmoving, as if he was being held by an invisible hand that was slowly choking away the air from his lungs.

“Because I want to kill him.”

. . .

Touka splashed a handful of cold water across her face and gasped, gripping the sides of the sink. The cold water droplets slowly rolled down her clammy skin and she licked her dry lips, her head lowered and her eyes peering up at her reflection. Her hair fell across her face and she brushed it back behind her ear, remembering the look of pained realisation that had crossed over Kaneki’s grey, sunken eyes. He had looked so weak and defeated, and it brought her no joy recalling it now.

“Damn it.” Touka cursed under her breath and pushed herself back from the sink, rubbing her face. “Get it together.”

She had hardly touched him and his resolve seemingly crumpled after a few harsh words from her lips. It was far too easy - she had steeled herself with the resolve to push against him harder for information concerning Arima Kishou. And now Kaneki was telling her that he, too, wants to kill him. It seemed ridiculous, thinking about it, and she found herself suddenly overwhelmed by this disconcerting progression. It was hard to believe that Kaneki was in any way sincere. She was certain that he was lying to ease her into a false sense of calm. Still, seeing his withering expression and hearing the strain in his voice as he spoke, it was difficult to not feel some level of sincerity in his words. If he was indeed prepared to kill Arima himself, it would be a tremendous advantage. It was just not an advantage she could believe in. How could she, knowing the kind of person that he was?

What kind of person was Kaneki, the Black Reaper of the CCG, Arima’s protege? She denied this curious thought again and again, but it continued to linger in her mind each time she encountered him. He was cruel, pragmatic, and a merciless hunter of ghouls. But when he was with her, the kind waitress, he was awkward, sentimental, and nervous. It was a bizarre contrast and it had initially disturbed her seeing how easy it was to draw out that side of him. It was his own fault, she would remind herself, even when he stared back at her, silently pleading that she had not tricked him into thinking she was something she was not. It was necessary, she told herself in moments of doubt, but even then, a part of her was disgusted by her underhanded methods.

It was made all the worse when she remembered the human that Kaneki might have been back in Anteiku - a soft, naive human whose timidity kept him hidden from the eyes of others, and the tragic scene of him being pulled along by the alluring ghoul, Rize, who played with his heart to gain his trust. If Kaneki really was that human she remembered serving so long ago…no, there were too many questions Touka could not answer with speculation alone. Still, it pained her to think that her silhouette was beginning to resemble the likes of Rize. A manic sadist who enjoyed the deception that came with the hunt. Was that who she was becoming, now?

It was ridiculous, really; she was a part of the nefarious Aogiri, working under leaders whose actions are tainted with the blood of others, ghouls and humans alike. They leave behind a pile of corpses wherever they go, with careless disregard for the ‘morals’ and ‘ethics’ that humans always define themselves with. Touka relied on this power, their ability to do whatever it takes, to accomplish her own goals. But it was not a power she relished, and if she could help it, she wanted to avoid the bloody footsteps of her peers. She found no joyous power in torture and sadism, and she was glad she didn’t. And yet, what she was doing now - slowly breaking someone down for the sake of her own whims and desires - she was surely skirting the boundaries of her own morality.

Ghouls don’t need morality. Ayato would tell her, though maybe not as proudly as he once had done.

We don’t need to hurt him more than what is necessary. She imagined Hinami telling her with some reluctance. She never did enjoy asserting her own opinion when it came to making these important decisions.

What’s important is that you follow what you think is the right path. Yomo would say, frustrating her even more with his predictable moral ambiguity.

“I don’t know what’s right.” She leaned against the bathroom wall and slid down to the floor, reaching for the necklace under her shirt. “Why am I doing this?”

Her voice trailed off as she clutched onto her parents’ ring, the warm metal digging into her cold hand. If her parents were still alive…if they were still alive, everything would have been different. Touka and Ayato would attend school during the day and then spend time with her parents in the evening, sharing with them the new things they’ve learnt and exploring the future together as a family. It was so simple, and yet it was all she ever wanted. But even something as simple as that was made seemingly impossible for a family of ghouls. It was just so unfair, so needlessly unfair, and she couldn’t fathom why this dream of hers had been cruelly ripped away from her hands, like it was nothing more than a worthless piece of trash.

Why had Arima Kishou been there that day? Why were they punished for being alive? These thoughts swirled in Touka’s throbbing mind until she slammed her fist back against the wall, leaving behind a small, cracked dent. With her anger, she found some motivation to continue onwards, and as she stood back up, she tucked her necklace back under her collar. Thinking back to her conflicted feelings surrounding Kaneki, she reached for the door and frowned, deciding what her next step should be.

Even if she has to abandon the person she once was, who she believed herself to be, she was going to make Arima pay for robbing her of that choice. She will not be abandoning her revenge now and she will not allow herself to buckle under the weight of her own conscience. Otherwise, all the pain she and the others have gone through, the lives that have been taken at the whims of others and the futures destroyed by this violent persecution of innocents - it would have all been for nothing.

#touken #kanetou #kaneki x touka #my writing #fanfic

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