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mydearlybeloathed · 19 days

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Can we get a pert 3 of hindsight/foresight? They were just too perfect to not ask

𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄𝐒

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: finals approach at new rome university, but the restful break turns out to be the opposite after a little... realization.

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: leo valdez x erischild!fem!reader

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1.3k

𝐚/𝐧: ask and ye shall recieve! someday im def going to go back and edit the first two parts, maybe add onto the first one, but for right now here's what comes after foresight!

masterlist

The baristas at the local coffeeshop had grown used your presence, and took to ignoring your frantic study sessions spent in the corner of the little shop. You hadn’t had to stand to order more coffee in weeks—they felt your stare and happily brought you more, leaving you to your notes.

You were so grateful for their encouragement as finals closed in, although Reyna couldn’t say the same.

She closed in like a hawk on a studious little mouse, disapproval written all over her face as she came up to your table and pushed your mug away from your reaching hand. You straightened up and shot her a glare, already knowing exactly who dared to disturb you.

“Reyna,” you grunted, as if you were facing some long-term enemy. She rolled her eyes and sat down acrosf from you.

“Y/N.” She parted the sea of notes to better face you. “You know I respect you.”

“Ah, yes, here’s the but.”

Reyna emphasized, “But you’re worrying several of your friends—me included.”

You attempted to avert your eyes by fiddling with your pencil. “I need to keep studying.”

“Then change your scenery. Drink some water. Or, dare I say it, take a break.” In all her coolness, Reyna was pleading with you now, genuinely concerned with how exhausted you were.

“You know I can’t,” you murmured as you met her gaze head on. “I need to pass, or this was all for nothing.”

If you couldn’t pass finals, then all the grit and bearing would be for nothing. All your doubts would be right. You couldn’t let that happen, no matter how much sleep it cost. New Rome University was your last chance at making something of yourself, and by the gods you would not let it slip through.

“Thank you for your concern,” you said sincerely. “But I’ll be fine. Just need to get through next week.”

She pressed her tongue to her cheek whilst you proceeded to ignore her and go back to studying. Reyna was never one to give up so easily, especially not with your health on the line. Luckily, she had one more card up her sleeve.

“Leo said the same thing, you know.” Your eyes darted up from your notes, and Reyna knew she had you in her trap. “Honestly, he looked worse off than you. I didn’t know somebody could have eyebags as bad as his. Of course, he was chugging energy drinks, not coffee.”

Your hands stilled at your sides, thoughtful now. A few more moments passed like that, with Reyna fighting off a smirk and you rolling the image of a suffering Leo around your mind. “Where is he?”

“Somewhere in his dorm,” she replied, standing. “I’m sure he wouldn’t be opposed to a distraction. Not if its you.”

Somewhere between realizing her trick and wodnering just what she meant by that, you started packing up your things, much to the baristas’ shock. Reyna shock them a smirk as she slipped outside.

Minutes later you were trudging through New Rome, eyes on the ground as you took the practices route to the University, right up to the familiar boys dormitory built up on the far side of campus. You shoved open the doors and came face to face with a few students hanging around the lobby. Venus kids, if you remembered right.

“You seen Leo?” you asked, noting how your tone was deeper than usual. Maybe you did need sleep.

One of the girls among them hummed. “I think I saw him out on the patio.”

Thanking them quickly, you beelined back out the door, rounding the building and laying eyes on the marble octagon situated in the distance, surrounded by cool green grass. And on the picnic table at its center was a boy hunched over a series of books, just as you had been in the coffeeshop.

You slung your backpack to one shoulder as you approached, hopping up onto the marble and grinning when Leo startled. He blinked up at you, trying so very hard to seem awake, but you saw right through it.

“You look like shit,” you teased as you slid into the seat across from him, tossing your bag aside.

He scoffed with a roll of his eyes even as he forced down a yawn. “Yeah, yeah. Back at you.”

You tilted your head, still smiling, and lazily reached to tug his books away. Leo huffed and tried to claw them back, letting them slip in the end. You caught his eye then. “Wanna head inside? We can watch a movie.”

Leo sat back and passed a hand over his curls. “Did Reyna send you?”

“She all but kicked me out of the coffeeshop,” you mused.

“Out of Ambrosas?” he exclaimed, brows vaulted. “How will you ever survive?”

You took a moment to examine the many red bull cans scattered around. “Says the man who’s heart is bound to explode.”

“Touche.” Leo tried to return to his books, but he took a look around and felt his eyes crossing from overuse. “What movie?”

“The Hobbit?” you offered. Leo lit up slightly, his hands itching to toss all his things in his bag.

“... Okay, but just the first one.”

As expected, you didn’t stop at just the first one, and as the credits rolled on the third movie, you glanced over at the window of Leo’s dorm to find the moon strung up in the sky. The pair of you were alone, wrapped up in blankets atop Leo’s bed. His roommate, some Apollo legacy called Sam, ahd taken one stpe inside before he scoffed and headed right back out. It was very weird.

It definitely had nothing to do with the fact that you and Leo were not only bundled in blankets, but also wrapped around one another, his head rested on your collarbone as his arms hugged your middle.

On that thought…

You peered down at him, swiping away some of his curls to find his eyes fallen shut, soft breathes leaving him. A smile graced your lips as you settled further down under the covers. His roommate’s behavior really was odd, but at least it left you and Leo alone.

In his room.

In his bed.

Together.

The thought left you all warm and you found yourself curling around him as the threat of sleep grew larger by the second. Sam was just being weird, you dismissed.

Just a minute had gone by when Leo rustled slightly, his hand grazing your skin as your shirt rode up and—oh.

Oh.

That’s probably why Sam left in a hurry. Heat creeped up your face and it had nothing to do with the human heater at your side. But why would Sam ever think that? You and Leo were only just friends, nothing more, nothing less than good ol’ buddies—

Your face was flaming at this point. Oh. Oh no no no.

Leo sleeped soundly and awoke pleasantly, ready to begin a day of studying hopefully by your side, only to find you ducking your head into the covers of his bed with a prolonged groan. You flopped around a bit longer, avoiding his eye and touch, and mumbled something about getting breakfast. He followed you out of bed, watching as you stumbled for his bathroom where you kept a spare toothbrush handy.

“Weird,” he murmured, not noticing how you squeaked when he shut the bathroom door behind him and joined you at the sink.

You were clinging to sanity. This was just what you needed. Finals just a week away, and you still had feelings for Leo Valdez! Running hand over your face, you glanced up to find him offering you your toothbrush, his own stuck out of his mouth. You took it wordlessly, ignoring how wonderfully cute he was.

You needed to make some calls, preferably before you combusted into flames.

#pjo hoo toa #pjo #hoo x reader #pjoverse #rick riordan #leo valdez x reader #annabeth chase #percabeth #hazel levesque #leo valdez #heroes of olympus #heroes of olympus x reader #platonic x reader #reyna #leo #reyna avila ramirez arellano

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lllluffyvert · 2 months

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“Land ho!” Shouts Usopp from his perch in the crow’s nest of the Going Merry, his telescopic goggles focused on the silhouette of the mountainous island that slowly materializes on the horizon.

“Sweet!” Luffy jumps up, his card game with Chopper momentarily forgotten as he bounds over to the ship’s bow and hops atop the sheep’s head, leaning dangerously far over in an effort to spot the island. “Can we go, Nami?!”

“You’re the captain,” Nami reminds him without looking up from her book. “You don’t need my permission.”

“Oh, right.” Luffy flashes a toothy grin and looks up to the sniper in the crow’s nest with a hand on his hat to hold it in place. “Which direction, Usopp?”

“Starboard side, Captain!”

“Alright!” Luffy eyes dance with excitement at the opportunity for exploration. “Zoro!” He calls, stirring the swordsman from his morning nap. “Turn the rudder starboard!”

“Aye, Captain.” Zoro stands, stretches, and follows orders, turning the ship and they set sail for the island’s coast.

“Good timing,” Sanji says, taking a seat across from Nami, the lit cigarette in between his teeth glowing red until he exhales a puff of white smoke. “We’re running low on food.”

“We’re out of food?!” Luffy looks horrified at the thought.

“We will be,” the cook says calmly, leveling their captain with a hard stare. “If someone keeps stealing from the reserves.”

Luffy’s eyes drop to the floor, effectively scolded. “I needed a midnight snack,” he mumbles.

Usopp, who had climbed down from the lookout to join them on the lower deck, snickers alongside Chopper until Sanji turns to them with the same icy glare. “You two are just as bad,” he chastises.

“Who cares?” Zoro says, joining the conversation from the upper deck. Sanji flips him off and he returns the gesture with a cheeky grin. “We can just go hunting.”

“Ooh, I’ll go with Zoro!” Luffy immediately volunteers, to nobody’s surprise. His expression is beaming as he looks to Zoro, who returns his smile with a wink.

Luffy’s freckled cheeks take on a rosy hue in response, and he pulls the brim of his straw hat down just enough to hide his face, but Zoro has already caught a glimpse of the uncharacteristic reaction. It causes his heart to skip a beat and for some odd reason, he wants to jump over the guardrail, pull Luffy’s hat back, and get a good look at his face.

His pulse quickens as he thinks of what it would take to elicit that type of reaction again. Something as simple as a wink, it seems, but he wonders what else he could do; he wants to test the waters, toe the line and see just how far he could go. His thoughts quickly begin to spiral into dangerous territory, and he shakes his head in an attempt to clear it, but the image of that pretty pink blush splashed across his captain’s cheeks is burned into his brain, and fuck if he wasn’t going to do something about it.

As they near the island, the mountains that make up its ecology seem to grow taller, their snowy peaks reaching high to disappear above the clouds. The weather changes from warm, spring temperatures to the chill of late fall, and a light mist from recent rain covers the rocky shores where they anchor the ship. A forest of evergreens towering a hundred feet into the air stretches along the island’s perimeter a dozen yards back from the beach.

“Amazing,” Luffy breathes, a hand on his hat and eyes wide with wonder.

“The terrain here…” Robin’s soft voice garners the attention of the rest of the crew. She looks up to the mountains and thoughtfully taps a long, delicate finger to her chin. “I wouldn’t be surprised to find hot springs.”

“A hot spring?!” Nami gasps, clapping her hands in elation before turning to face the rest of the crew with a fire in her eyes. “Alright,” she says, immediately taking charge, “Usopp, Chopper, and Sanji, you three search the island.”

“Of course, sweet Nami!” Sanji croons. Usopp and Chopper groan. Nami ignores all three of them.

“Luffy,” she continues, “You and Zoro can hunt since we need the supplies, but be on the lookout and report to me if you find a hot spring.”

“Who died and made you captain?” Zoro mutters with a roll of his eyes.

“What was that, Zoro?” Nami’s voice is sickeningly sweet, an indication of impending danger in the form of her fist to his head.

“We’ll let you know if we find one!” Luffy says before she can take a swing. He’s a ball of barely contained energy, practically oozing with impatience to explore. “Let’s go, Zoro!”

He stretches his right arm towards the tree line and wraps his left securely around Zoro’s torso, and the swordsman’s face blanches as he recognizes the position, realizing what Luffy’s about to do.

“Don’t you fucking dare–”

His words are cut short as Luffy catapults them forward into the forest, just barely avoiding a collision with one especially massive tree, its trunk nearly twice the width of the Going Merry.

“I hate when you do that,” Zoro grumbles once their feet are back on solid ground and he’s regained his balance. He glares at Luffy, who irritatingly pays him no mind.

“Amazing,” Luffy says again, tilting his head back and marveling at the enormity of the trees that surround them. He spins in a circle, trying to take it all in and trips over a root protruding from the ground, falling backwards into Zoro, who catches him, his expression miffed.

Luffy meets his gaze and a sunny smile splits across his freckled face, and any annoyance Zoro feels is instantly abated in the way only his captain could manage. He can’t help but to smile back, and there it is - that lovely shade of rouge that slowly creeps its way up Luffy’s neck to the apples of his cheeks. Zoro wants to call it out, to say something, to touch his face and feel the heat of his skin, but Luffy straightens and takes off running into the woods before he has a chance to do any of those things.

“Whoever finds the most food is the better pirate!” He taunts, and disappears into the trees.

Zoro remains frozen to the spot. The idea of his captain blushing over him sends his heartbeat into overdrive. He thinks of kissing Luffy, wonders how red his face would turn then, imagines how he might hide behind his hat, shy in a way Zoro has never seen him before, in a way that drives him crazy just to think about.

Zoro wouldn’t let him hide; he wants to see the effect he could have, needs to see his captain come apart under his touch, his lips, his tongue, his -

Fuck.

Zoro’s boots finally unstick themselves from the ground. He unsheaths his swords, and lets the forest swallow him up.

An unknown amount of time passes. The dense foliage above filters little to no sunlight, making it hard to tell, but the shadows have deepened and the temperature is a few degrees colder, so Zoro assumes it’s near dusk.

He drags a few enormous wild boar behind him and marks the trees as he walks, looking for any indication of where he might be but all his surroundings look the same. He wouldn’t say he’s lost, but he may have been turned around a few times.

He walks another few dozen yards until he hears footsteps crashing towards him, the familiar sound of sandals slapping the ground and Luffy emerges from the bushes to his right, covered from head to toe in dirt, sweat, and blood from a myriad of minor cuts and scrapes. His expression brightens at the sight of his first mate.

“Zoro!” He says cheerfully, “I was looking for you!”

Zoro cocks a brow. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Giant snake,” Luffy flashes a triumphant grin. He looks at the boars behind Zoro and his smile grows wider, eyes twinkling even in the dark of the woods around them. “And it’s way bigger than those little things. I win!”

“You got one snake and I have four of these,” Zoro retorts, but he’s grinning right back. “I think I win.”

“No way!” Luffy laughs, and Zoro briefly wonders if he’s always been that pretty. “C’mon,” Luffy says, interrupting his thoughts by taking his hand and heading back in the direction he came. “I’m ready for dinner! I wonder what Sanji will make from these. Grilled pork sounds delicious.” He’s practically drooling, and his stomach growls on que.

Hunger pangs in Zoro’s own stomach, but all his focus is on the warmth of Luffy’s hand in his own, his heart skipping a beat as he intertwines their fingers, and he wishes he could see Luffy’s face, wonders if his cheeks might be stained a bright red when he squeezes his hand, but the sun has dipped below the horizon and the only light is from a few dimly twinkling stars.

Luffy skips happily alongside Zoro, humming a jaunty little tune until they reach an open field where the carcass of a massive white snake lies still on a bed of tall grass.

“Told you I won,” Luffy chirps, beaming proudly over his catch. He drops Zoro’s hand to grasp the snake by the tail and drag it behind him as they walk back towards the beach, and Zoro immediately misses the contact, feeling colder without it and subtly moving closer to Luffy as they trek across the field, until their shoulders bump with every other step.

As they near the coastline, he catches Luffy peeking up at him from underneath the brim of his hat, and he desperately wants to drop everything, pull him into his arms, push his hat back and kiss him, but they’ve reached where the forest meets the rocky shore, and he can see the rest of the crew gathered around a blazing bonfire just a few yards further ahead. Luffy spots them at the same moment and excitedly bounds over to join them, lugging the snake over towards where Sanji has begun dinner preparations.

“You’re back!” Chopper exclaims, the first to spot them.

“Finally,” Usopp says, looking haggard, “I’m starving.”

“Me too,” Luffy heartily agrees, dropping his spoils. “Sanji, I want grilled pork, and rice, and fruit, and a little bit of vegetables is fine, but I want roasted snake with gravy, and–”

“Je sais, je sais,” Sanji interjects with a grin, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his hands a blur as he expertly chops a pile of vegetables and throws a combination of spices and herbs in a large bowl. “Just another moment, Capitaine, and I’ll have a fine meal ready for you.”

“I think you two should take a bath before you eat,” Nami says, looking them up and down with mild disgust. She’s seated beside Robin in front of the blaze, both of them sharing the fluffy blanket wrapped around their shoulders. Her red hair is damp, and her skin a freshly scrubbed pink. “Usopp found the hot spring,” she tells them, a contented expression softening her features and she sighs happily. “It was just amazing.”

“But I want to eat,” Luffy pouts, “I’m really hungry, I don’t think I can last much longer!”

“You’ll be just fine,” Nami chides with a roll of her eyes, “Dinner will be ready by the time you get back. Here.” She stands, picks up a basket and shoves it into Zoro’s arms. “This isn’t free,” she says, poking a finger to his chest, her lips curling into a rakish smile. “I’ll add it to your tab. Fifty-thousand berries!”

“Greedy fucking witch,” Zoro mutters, looking down at the basket’s contents. A change of clothes for Luffy and himself, a rounded bar of sweet-smelling soap, and an unmarked glass bottle of an unidentifiable liquid.

“Shampoo,” Nami answers his unspoken question. “It goes in your hair.”

“I know how to use it,” Zoro retorts, then softer, says, “Thanks, Nami.”

She smiles at him and returns to her seat, pulling the blanket tighter around her person and resting her head on Robin’s shoulder. “Path is marked, hurry and wash up.”

Zoro obediently starts walking in the direction Nami indicated with Luffy trudging behind him, dragging his feet and mumbling about starving to death. Zoro bites back a laugh, slowing his step until Luffy catches up and they walk side by side along the trail.

“What’s in the basket?” Luffy asks, curiosity momentarily distracting him from his hunger.

“Soap and such,” Zoro responds simply.

“Smells nice,” Luffy says. Zoro hums in reply. He was sticky with sweat and grime from mucking about in the forest for hours, and a long soak in near-boiling water sounded like heaven. Especially if Luffy were to join him. He pictures his captain’s freckled face, flushed a pretty pink from the heat and his bare, sun-kissed skin slick with floral scented suds, and – Jesus. He quickly derails that train of thought before it causes a noticeable effect.

Within a few minutes of walking, they reach the hot spring - a large, steaming pool of water surrounded by moss-covered stones, sequestered behind a curtain of low-hanging branches and snaking vines illuminated by a single, oil-burning torch.

“Sweet!” Luffy says, and immediately he begins to strip, tossing aside his dirty clothes and slipping into the pool with a blissful sigh. Zoro follows suit, stepping over to the opposite end of the spring and feels all the tension in his muscles fade away as he sinks down into the hot water. He closes his eyes and leans back against the pool’s edge, listening to the cacophony of crickets, frogs, and other nightly creatures around them.

He hears the sound of sloshing water and cracks one eye open to find Luffy approaching his end of the pool. He stops when he sees Zoro looking at him, smiling rather bashfully as his cheeks are painted in that familiar shade of crimson.

“C’mere,” Zoro beckons him closer and when he’s within arm’s reach, he pulls him in, turning him around so that his back is against his chest. He reaches behind for the basket and pulls out the bottle of shampoo, pops the lid and pours a dollop into the palm of his hand before tossing it back into the basket. He rubs his hands together until he has a decent lather, and combs his fingers through Luffy’s curls, messaging his fingers into his scalp and gently scrubbing away the sweat and grime. Luffy melts under his touch, going completely still and silent but for the occasional contented hmm or ahh.

The sounds Luffy is making are nearly Zoro’s undoing, and so he turns them around, slipping an arm around Luffy’s shoulders and dipping him backwards, using his other hand to cup the water and rinse the suds from his hair. He’s close, so close he could count the freckles dotted across his captain’s nose.

“Can I wash Zoro’s hair?” Luffy asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Whatever you want,” Zoro murmurs, his lips ghosting against Luffy’s and aching to kiss him. Instead, he straightens and slides both arms around his captain’s waist, holding him flush against his chest as Luffy pours too much shampoo into his hands.

“Oops,” he mumbles, biting his lip and reaching up to lather Zoro’s hair, his face scrunched in concentration as awkward fingers scrub lightly into his scalp. Zoro chuckles quietly, leaning in and pressing a light kiss to his forehead, breathing in the floral scent of his hair. It’s intoxicating - the taste of his soapy skin, the warmth of his body against his own, his clean smell. Zoro’s hands move of their own accord, sliding down from Luffy’s waist to grab his hips under the water, pulling him impossibly closer, tilting his head and kissing him, and fuck, it’s so much better than he imagined. Luffy’s lips are so soft, and he allows Zoro to slip his tongue between them, tentatively poking his own into Zoro’s mouth and giggling when Zoro sucks on it.

“That feels weird,” he says, and his cheeks are cherry red as he wraps his arms around Zoro’s neck.

“Get used to it,” Zoro says, smiling against the skin of Luffy’s neck before he bites down gently, licking over the dents left by his teeth and kissing a trail up to Luffy’s jaw, his cheek, across his nose. Luffy squirms against him, all quiet sighs and breathy moans under Zoro’s attentive mouth, his fingers in Zoro’s hair and tugging at the roots.

Zoro groans and he lifts Luffy up just so, guiding his captain to wrap his legs around his waist, and he considers how easy it would be to just slip it in, but he’s content to take it slow for now, his hands squeezing Luffy’s thighs and his tongue behind Luffy’s teeth.

“Zoro,” Luffy says his name with such adoration, Zoro can hardly think straight.

“Yes, Captain?”

“I want to take another bath together before we leave this island.”

Zoro laughs breathlessly. “Aye, Captain.”

#one piece #roronoa zoro #monkey d luffy #zolu #nami #vinsmoke sanji #Usopp #tony tony chopper #nico robin #my fic #guys I just love them and want them to be happy together forever

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tarot-junkie · 8 months

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-firstly. These readings have been and were always hypothetical in my opinion. ALWAYS. Everyone interprets the data differently. I remember getting into an argument where someone said he would or will propose and I said BULLSHIT bc of a pentacles card 🫠. Admittedly…Way too in my head to interpret it without bias on REGULAR readings for evans. Whoops. My bad. Yikes. Frankly I looked at some of those readings incorrectly. //

I remember a while ago you said that the tower moment would most likely be for the fandom not for Chris and that has stuck with me ever since. You most definitely hit the nail on the head with that one

That’s the one thing I can agree on maybe getting right. And to be fair, the switch flipped for me when another friend read about his FS last year. It was a different take than most - Something about how she/FS had an idealized version of who he was and even SHE had to change her perception a bit. The tower showed up in her reading, “what will she think about him” or something along those lines. So then I wondered aloud if it was always about the fans and how they perceived of “Chris evans” LLC. And the image was the tower. And seeing it over and over wasn’t about HIM changing.

Consider the stark contrast between who he is/appears to be, and how most people have been like 👀 about the whole thing. It’s jarring for those who have invested a lot. (Sounds dramatic but) has shaken some foundations.

I don’t always ascribe to the “he needed to be fixed and heal himself and THEN will be rewarded with her” schtick bc that’s not how things always work. If you KNOW him personally, you might be able to argue that- but as it stands currently, we can only quote Kneepads (People) re: how he “feels” according to a SOURCE 🫠 and say that “that is accurate.”

Someone used the word shambolic yesterday and it really represents my feelings on this whole nonsense. (Chaotic, disorganized, MISMANAGED). These dumb plays ….what some people would just say “ugh you’re blowing it out of proportion,” really just make it seem like some people sat around in a room and came up with ALL OF THE DUMB ideas on what to do to release this. And they can’t sell it because they’re not that good at faking story lines.

I’m not saying all of it is PR. The public side of it is ABSOLUTELY PR. The timing, the cardboard cutout nature of all of it. I’m just saying if they came up with the idea of “let’s walk thru Central Park” then it becomes a whole mess of a sprint and it’s awkward af. If they take a pic of them kissing it looks like he’s making out with her mouth-chin character. Which is weird. They can’t sell it bc they’re faking a side of it for the public. Not the whole thing. Just the public part. That’s why I said at one point, maybe it’s real and they bungled the shit out of it bc they are awkward.

I also got the vibe some of this shit was for spite, so whatever clever blogs have said he likes watching it all burn…. I think back to some public questions we’ve discussed “Is she going to the premiere?” NO. Then she goes and it’s a dumb circus. Make sure she’s spotted looking “hot.” Is he ever going to do BOSTON Con? NO, his anxiety is too bad. And then he books TWO this year. And so on. And so forth. LSA kept saying “STOP SAYING THIS, it’ll happen!!” 😂😂😂😂

So. I think we need to just be all Justin Bieber and never say never. All the people like “ohhh they won’t last” 😬🤷🏻‍♀️😂 suffice it to say….old dude is doing tf he wants.

YIPPIE. HOORAY.

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alchemy-arts-bookstore · 2 months

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Dark Wood Tarot - by Sasha Graham, art by Abigail Larson

II – High Priestess I’ve decided with this one to start summarizing what the book says, rather than quoting directly from it so much. (To avoid any copyright issues.)

Description: The card is mostly tones of soft green. A forest with a full moon in the background, two large trees on either side of the image have the letters ‘D’ and ‘W’ on them, for Dark Wood. A young woman with flowing brown hair stands between them. She wears a gauzy, flowing green gown and a crescent moon necklace, and holds a scroll that says ‘tarot.’ The ground beneath her has subtle ripples, as if she is standing in water.

My thoughts: It’s interesting that the image is primarily in soft greens and grays; the eye goes right to the full moon, then the tan and brown of the woman’s face and hair, then the scroll. She’s looking straight out of the image at the viewer, smiling, as if she’s happy to see you and speak to you. She has opened the scroll and is offering it so that the word ‘tarot’ can be read, as if she’s ready to start teaching you about it. The full moon is right over her head, so that she can take in its power; the branches in the background almost seem to suggest antlers, with the way they’re positioned.

What the book says: (edited) The High Priestess holds a scroll and silently unrolls it. The word ‘tarot’ appears. This is the book of your life, containing every possibility, every imaginable outcome. It is ever changing and all encompassing. The High Priestess is the blueprint of your soul… she is everything you were, are, and will be. The two trees - the dual polarities of the material world - dark and light, etc. About the High Priestess: her secret is silence. Silence is the space of manifestation. Her dress dissolves into water because she is the source of all waters found in the tarot deck; she is the water that sustained you and made you who you are. The full moon reflects the cyclical nature of the seasons and your life. She is the space beyond word, image and sound.

Silence. Secrets. Darkness. Evolution of the soul. Activated intuition. Lunar cycles. Inner knowledge.

#alchemy arts inc #dark wood tarot #sasha graham #abigail larson #the high priestess #tarot studies

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sg-artem · 1 year

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Artem’s Enduring Light SSR [Shrouded Daybreak]

Video Translation and Line Translation from Jin Yamashina

First, If you don't like spoilers, this is not the place for you. I will be ranting about this card and all its spoiler-worthiness. Secondly, thank you, Jin, for translating this card so that I could read it a year earlier and sob my eyes out earlier than global. Thirdly, I would like to thank Hoyoverse for having the guts to give us angst cards after so long. It was actually full-on angst for the last half, and if you ignore the after-story, it ends without comfort.

“We’re moving as partners, and share the codename “Cloudbreak.”

The first thing to point out is that I can't believe their codename is Cloudbreak. If you don't know, Artem and Rosa visit Cloudbreak Temple together in Entwined Fate SSR. They also revisited the temple in Paired Blessing, so it's a pretty special place for both of them. The fact that they share the codename cloudbreak just does things to me that I can't explain. THEY CHOSE A PLACE OF SO MUCH SIGNIFICANCE TO BE THEIR CODENAME TOGETHER. Like they might know it but I DO SO DISksjdjS. It's not even just a codename for one of them. It's the fact that they share and have the same codename that just does things to my heart. HOW ARE THESE TWO PARTNERS JUST FKEHFIEIBIEBF so adorable.

“Load, reload, and shoot. I’ve taught you all of these personally, yet you can always surpass me.”

Secondly, as you can see from the image above, Rosa is holding a gun. We're not in the angsty part yet. However, just like in their dating verse, Artem teaches Rosa how to use a gun again in the pretense that she'll need it when she becomes an agent like him. It's just so heart-melting to see all these references from their dating verse in this AU. You can really see how every detail was thought of to make it as sentimental and heart-wrenching as possible.

“Y/N, have you really though it through?”

Next, this freaking ARTEM WING always has the most incredible love languages. Always letting us have the final decision. He has no choice, but we are always the ones with the choice. Reading the card made me realize just how thoughtful this man really is. He didn't enroll Rosa into the organization because he wanted her to think about it with a clearer head. Not just because he saved her but because it is what she wanted in the end. CRIESS THIS MAN, HOW CAN I NOT LOVE YOU. Always double checking if we're sure and, in the end, making us really think through the decision because he doesn't want us to live in regret BHJFHKJFOJSIO. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MY CHOICE, YOU LOVELY MAN. Just like how Artem saved Rosa, she will always choose to save him.

“Then proudly stand by your side someday in the future.”

And then there's our dear Rosa. How can I not love how the MC is portrayed. All her feelings and thoughts are what I want to achieve as well. Her desire to save Artem and her selfish thoughts just stay by his side. THIS DAMN COUPLE HUHUHUHU. There continues to be parallelism between their dating verse on how one of Rosa's goals is to stand by Artem's side as partners. THIS MAN ALREADY VIEWS YOU AS HIS WORLD, BUT YOU STILL WANT TO WORK HARDER, HUHUUHU. It's not even the fact that she works hard, but even if she doesn't, Artem continues to accept her and reassure her that how she is right now is enough. She doesn't need to change for him, yet he still loves her very much.

“Then, I’ll choose to let you live.”

“Leave. Don’t look back.... You aren’t allowed to look back.”

AND THEN THE SCENE WHERE ARTEM WAS READY TO SACRIFICE HIS LIFE FOR HER, OH MY GOSH. My heart was pounding so hard at the thought of these two apart. Rosa slowly understood that she never was on probation and how Artem kept questioning her motives to stay. Once again, Artem was giving her a choice. She can live as an ordinary citizen or help the organization with its cause. CRIEESSS. He doesn't want her to be shackled by the weight of responsibility if she doesn't choose to bear it. Even if it would mean her sacrifice and their separation. He still gives her the right to choose what she wants. THESE TWO I CANNOT WITH THEM, MY POOR HEART. I was sobbing my eyes out for these panels. The freaking illustration didn't help because, my gosh, I have never seen Artem Wing look so coldly in my direction before.

Also, another parallelism with Chapter 6 of the main story now. Remember how Artem and Rosa were in those glass containers. How Artem was ready to sacrifice his life so that you could escape safely. He wasn't even sure if she would return, but the fact that he saw you leave safely and he was on the brink of death just killed me. This man, your selflessness will be the death of me. This is why I just love you so much dfkshfkhfkd

“Do you... want a present this year? I’ve wrapped them all, they are hidden at home.” “I wanted to give you some right of choice and a chance of reconsiderations.”

THIS FREAKING LINE JUST KILLED ME. Artem's talking like he isn't going to make it, and he's like saying his final lines to you, oh my gosh. THIS MAN!! Even in his last moments, he thinks about how Rosa can still escape and how it's okay that she's mad at him for betraying her with the organization stuff. The heart-wrenching situation. Also, even in his final moments, he's talking about if she makes it out alive and he doesn't, she still has the CHOICE of not joining. THIS MAN AND HIS CONSIDERATION FJBSFDHHSH. It made the scene so much more angsty, and my gosh, I will never be the same ever again. CRIESSS ARTEM WING!!

“Mrs. Mrs. Wing”

“Mrs. Wing. Mr. Wing.”

LASTLY, THIS GOSHDAMMING AFTER SCENE!! Not the after story but the after scene where Rosa is supposed to have lost consciousness. I can't believe they went back to the time in the car before all the events. Firstly, the fact that he notices her distress and immediately stops the car when she starts crying fkhdskfhks. He just cups her face and wipes her tears like in the romantic scenes you see in movies. (well, he could have hugged her, but that's just my preference HAHAHHAHA) ALSO, MR. WING AND MRS. WING. THEY WERE PRACTICING CALLING EACH OTHER THESE NICKNAMES. I CAN'T. This just absolutely broke my heart. If we think that them dying next to one another, and in their afterlife, this is what they call each other CRIESSSS. The fact that these two will never be separated, even in their deaths, will be my demise. HUHUHUHU

That is all for me, fkhdskhd. Also, can I just point out that Zhao Lu's voice acting was so freaking good??? He nailed all the emotions and the angst 10000% better with voice acting like my God. And the background music, mwuah, it was chef's kiss so good. Also, all the antagonists voiced lines were so good as well. They had the best lines and all the tones that made me want to hate them so much. Overall, it was such a good card, and I'm so excited for this to come to global next year and to hear the other dubs voice it as well AHHHH. Thank you, bye!

Video Translation from Jin Yamashina

#artem wing #tot spoilers #tot cn #tears of themis spoilers #tears of themis #artem wing spoilers #zuo ran #zuoran #WHY ARE THEY LIKE THIS #MY HEART WILL NEVER BE THE SAME

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elithemiar-blog · 9 months

Text

Phoenix Rising Chap 1 Rewrite

Chapter 1: Rebellion

The bright blue screens of the monitors in front of Agent N had seared into his bright green eyes, swiping away the brown strands allowed him a moment of reprieve from the minor headache forming from the glare. The screens themselves shifted on an automatic path, swiveling as the motion of others caught its attention as per the code. His hazy eyes tracked the three figures on a march down the hall, passing some doors to the investigative power labs on the far side before coming across another hallway at the very end of the corridor.

He notes down the times to review the image, and immediately turning to a separate program to rewind the feed and stall the image. The kid, no more than 16 with nearly storm grey hair and tattered suit, barely conscious as he is dragged between two other agents. He hopes they are done with him for the night, his eyes squeeze shut as his fist tightened on the outer shell of the mouse, only releasing his strength when he heard the creaking of the cheap plastic.

Eyes, now open, travel up to the bland ceiling above him, even with the lights off he could still see the white walls in this madhouse of a facility. He's sure the boy will no longer even trust the color, a shade that many others would see as innocence now shows how easily that can change. Even now, he can't even stand his own suit, a requirement even if he's not in the field.

A knock at the door, startled him to hide the program running on the opposite screen, the saved image and video being hidden behind the card access spreadsheet. The door opens and in comes his co-worker who had reported him from months previously, the corner of his lips dropped as he sneered back. His shoulders tensed, rising higher to his ear as his legs shifted to be able to move just in case. "What do you want?" the attitude he tries so hard to keep contained around his Superior, slipped out at the end of his question. Revealing exactly what he felt with this visit.

The visitor shut the door quietly behind him. "Just checking on you, as per my orders." He leaned back against the door, arms crossed and a heal up on the steel enterance. "Something of which you couldn't even bother to do."

Agent N's brows furrowed, "You don't come here unless you actually want something beyond gloating."

"I do like the reminder that this organization does favor honesty." he leaned over to peak around to the monitors, "Anything interesting?"

"Nothing more than usual." he glanced back, double checking that there is no damning evidence against him again.

"Monitors are top of the line, they can search even beyond where this building rests."

"Is there something you want or not, Agent Fucker?"

Anger seared through, the superior taking a sudden step forward that had Agent N removing himself from the chair and stepping away until his lower back touched the edge of the desk.

"It's Agent Delta, show some respect!" taking more steps until he towered over the hunched form of his ex-superior, then grinned at the show of submission. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to young Bethany, would you?"

Agent N's eyes blasted wide open, "What?"

"Heard she has a dance recital next week. Or maybe your six-month old son?" he leaned back onto his heals, turning around to glance back over his shoulder, waiting for a reaction as he could see the muscles under the suit flexing. "Your wife still working those long night shifts? Isn't that the reason why you asked for more day shifts?"

Body straightening, and a fire in his eyes, darkening the bright grass green to that of a hunter's, Agent N took a solid two steps forward. "Leave them alone." he hissed, throat physically rumbling on the last word. "Your issue is with me, not them."

Agent Delta opened the steel door, the heavy material squeaking out the hinges, "Then, remember, we are always watching."

After the door shut, all the fight that he had for against his superior dropped him back in the chair. His elbows resting on his knees as he held his head in his hands, remembering everything that had happened. Months ago that lead him to his newest position with even longer hours, taking the vital time to be with his family away onto this terrifying project of theirs.

Leaning back on his chair, he sought out one of the very last image of the boy they now had in their grasps. This image, a stark difference to the current one, snow white hair and bright toxic green eyes that glowed. It had been a while since he last saw the boy, but even longer since he had seen his eyes glowing full of life. His skin tanner than what it currently is, and the fresh, clean suit that held the symbol that is now ripped away from him.

It's currently framed in the scientific research lab, hung on the wall like some trophy.

Phantom. His brain supplied the name, the hope that Amity had right before his disappearance, only breaking upon the significant lack of the boy, the kid, during the last ghost fight. As if the other residents of the realms knew that something wasn't right, but despite their own characteristics of property damage, they still just scared people, then left not even a window broken.

Something he learned when he'd been trying to build a case against his own bosses.

His stomach rumbled, but he ignored it, trying to wait for a time until the majority of other agents weren't in the lounge.

He wishes to be in his own lounge, reading a book to his daughter as his wife attempts to feed their stubborn infant through a bottle. Bethany, talented in dance, and too observant for her own good, changed her parent's view of the ghost boy, when she noticed the changes of the eye color. Something so obvious that screamed wrong that he and his wife wanted to smack each other's past self.

They had at one point supported the hunters, but after some very sweet convincing from Bethany, they absolutely wanted to rebel against that. It's what lead to his current position of employment. He still wishes there was something he could do.

Checking back down at his watch, he realized that he'd been in his head for an hour. Meaning he now had an extra hour of paperwork that had to be done. Grabbing his own key card, he left the security room and down the hallway, keeping his gaze lowered or blatantly ignoring other people. They all knew what he tried to do.

Sitting at a corner table in the employee lounge, back against the wall and coffee in hand he tears through the ham and cheese sandwich. Some sustenance is better than nothing.

"A little later than what your usually eating at?" a lithe woman sat down opposite of him, yet she'd been ignored. "What, is five AM too early for you now?"

Agent N continued to ignore her, eyes instead straying to the ruby inlaid ring on her right ring finger.

"Oh, this?" she asked, posing with the ring once she noticed where his gaze traveled to. "Just something I managed to put together. Did you know the kid doesn't like the color red for some reason? Well you know, just the gem."

"Agent E, isn't there somewhere else you are wanted?" he finally asked, the bags under his eyes he could feel dropping more.

"Nah! I've be relieved of my duties for a week." the small smile didn't even reach her eyes. "Whatever that means."

He swallowed his last bite on a thought, "What did you do?"

"What makes you think I did anything?" she tapped twice on the table, nails no longer than her fingertips allowed.

"If you made a discovery, they'll be investigating it themselves."

"There's no report of a discovery, same old thing with testing bloody samples and seeing how they react with common chemicals."

"Common?"

"The boy's blood turns red when in a oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide chamber for twenty-four hours." her hand carded through her hair from the middle of her scalp to the side of her hair, the near black strands parting over to the side. "It was an observation so I assumed there was no reason to record it."

For the second time that day in less than twelve hours, he swears his heart freezes for a full three seconds, "What?"

"I know, right? The ones that run this place have nearly no common chemistry knowledge, it's what we're here for."

"We shouldn't be talking about this here." he stood, quickly walking away to put his cup on the conveyer belt.

Agent E followed closely behind, some eyes following as they paced through the hallway and back to Agent N's assigned security station. "You know, I could just give you the report for it."

"Get in the room." he strained, only relaxing more once the door was closed and locked. "Human blood from Phantom?"

Agent E took his chair as she watched the man pace some more, mumbling out expletives, yet she rolled her eyes. "I can see why your plans months ago failed. You easily anger and you are far too obvious."

"What did you do with the sample?" he asked, nearly too quick.

"Destroyed it, by the time I even thought of testing the sample for a possible identity, it'd been about an hour later."

"Good," he nodded once, seeing her confused frown, "Good." moving towards the monitors, he double clicked on another program, "Every test you did gets automatically recorded." he moved aside to let her see.

Every test that she had done for the past three years could be seen by date and time. In live view, she could see the updates, even by room and who was doing what. "Wait, you shouldn't even have this. You should only have the card access."

Agent N cringed down.

"That's how you managed to get a clear through."

"I do have the ability to manually schedule tests, a fail-safe if the power ever gets cut."

Agent E stared, "Could you do it again?"

He raised a brow in response, "Do you want me to get into trouble again?"

"It'd be worth it." she mumbled, "But we do it better."

He snapped his head to her, "We?"

"I--There's--" she moved to the laptop on the side, pulling up the emails.

"What are you doing?"

"You haven't noticed the changes in ranks and positions?" she sent a coded message to the IT guys down a floor. "There's been four changes in the security team. Last month."

"That doesn't mean anything."

She huffed a short chuckle, "Your attempt came with a price, everyone who wants to cut the project started to make subtle changes. Two of our IT guys have been dropping the security hoping someone would get through."

He blinked back, "You're saying that in a way that someone has."

She nodded once, "There's a reason you've been sentenced to watch the internal security feeds. The guy on the external feeds is running at super speed to make sure nothing gets out that we don't want noticed yet."

"All feeds get sent to the master receiver that checks for abnormalities, Agent S is interfering."

"All but the Master Security Station are interfering. When we get Phantom out, it has to start through security." Agent E stated, "Ever since you had been demoted, we've been making round-a-bout plans."

"Manually entering access codes and tests isn't gonna be enough, I learned that the hard way."

"You're right, it isn't enough, but it'll have to be." she turned back around to the laptop screen, she moved away to show the grainy image. "Agent S had gotten an approved security camera that he has full responsibility for."

"How'd he pull that?"

"Higher-ups didn't want to spend the money."

"Of course." he leaned back, the grainy image clearing until he could see the beret and PDA. "That's…"

"Rumors speculate that Phantom had some human helpers." she pointed, "That is Tucker Foley."

"Who are the others?"

"We don't know. The IT guys are working on a way to connect to them, we have some researchers who are also going through--manually--to figure out who the others are. They did find something." Agent E pulled up some information. "IT created this false messenger. It hides any messages sent by a code through the network and is then revealed by those who have the application to decipher it."

"Does Mister Foley have this?"

"No, but they've been trying to send it to him every time he connects."

"Playing a dangerous game getting so close to the facility."

"Which is why we have luck on our side."

Agent N moved closer to the files upon files of information that this team had been working on. "Daniel Fenton?" he muttered, eyes widening as he read. "Did his parents know?"

"Don't know. Doesn't matter. What can you do with the manual access?"

He thought about it, "I can manually access the emergency tunnel, make it seem like the monthly test, which also puts my station in direct line. Beyond that? Are you sure you want to include the kids?"

"No." she sighed, "I'd rather they stay out of this, but they may be the only ones who can get through. A drugged teenager and a ghost at the same time, we remove the suppressors and they'll be a fight. His team, his friends, should snap him out of it."

"Problem," he raised his finger into the air, "Those suppressors aren't controlled by IT, that's the Master Control Room."

Agent E, paused at that, "How do we even…"

"Ask IT if we can do a power overload."

"Power overload will shut down the entire building."

"We do that when the kids are in the emergency tunnels, by doing the overload slowly it will give the Master Control Room something to focus on, which can get one of the IT guys to slip in and accidentally shut off the suppressors."

She messaged the group that exact idea.

Closer to that end of the week, where they prayed that the kids haven't been scared away from the direct contact that Agent S had been able to pull, thanks to Agent N's very brief manual over-ride of the internal cameras and glitching that IT had to handle, Tucker Foley finally accepted the fake messenger.

Now they had very annoyed IT guys glaring at both Security Station officers as they dispersed themselves in the employee lounge. They all chose to get some lunch as Agent E, dropped down next to the investigative agents that had ransacked her office.

They could see her stilled shoulders, as she falsified a chuckle, but it abruptly stopped as a file slid over to her. Her face paled, freshly tanned skinned lightening as her hand raised to cover her mouth.

Agent N, after getting to know her, knew that she was trying to remind herself to hold back cursing. Worries consumed him as the agents got up and left the room, yet she didn't move. Pulling out his phone, he sees that he's not the only one to take notice as there were several questions. Her reply made his blood freeze.

Her mother, they threatened her only other living relative on this side of the world.

He had to make a call, standing abruptly, he forced himself to slow back to his station. He breathed, anger searing into his veins that threatened to stop his heart. Opening a drawer he retrieves his personal phone and without even checking the time he calls his wife.

"Honey, now isn't the time." she breathed deep, a breaking of a fragile object in the distance can be heard.

"Phantom."

"What?"

"Phantom is in the clutches of the Ghost Investigation Ward, practically torturing him, some of us are planning to get him out, but they keep threatening our families." he hurriedly explained, choking near the end as his throat tightened up at him.

"I have to take this." she had to have left the crowded area and turned to somewhere quiet, it wasn't as noisy. "Okay, deep breath. What about Phantom?"

"The Guys in White. I work for them and eight months ago they captured Phantom at some point. I only found out four months ago." he slowed down, each word being harder and harder to admit.

"Nicholas." she gasped. "You said some of you are trying to get him out?"

"Yeah. We each found out something, and they are threatening our families, they're threatening you to keep us silent. I can be terminated for mentioning anything."

"Than why are you telling me?"

"So you don't believe any of the bullshit they spew." he knew his wife doesn't like swearing. "I'm going through with it, I just need your support, please."

"If you ever think I wouldn't support you on something you believe in, I haven't married the same man." she sniffled.

"I just--just had to check." he whispered. "I love you."

Agent S came rushing in the moment that he ended the call, "Agent N?"

"It's Nicholas, or Nick if you like."

"I had Agent E, or Emily that is, to call her mother and explain."

"We going through?"

"They're here early, we just need another four hours to set everything up. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get Phantom free."

"The smoothest we do this the more likely we'll all survive."

#dpxdc #dpxarrow #this is my quality writing #it's so much better than 2015 me #srsly everything needs updated #there's a giw arc now #danni is staying longer #there's so much more conflict #danny is more oblivious this time

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tathrin · 11 months

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since you're a huge LOTR fan, I wonder if you've heard about the new LOTR MTG set and if so what you think of it. As an MTG fan who never got into the books or movies, I love it

Oh my gods HAVE I?!!! (The answer is extremely yes.) I work at a comic book store, and we carry Magic cards, so it's going to be quite a struggle for me to be surrounded by them and not purchase any, despite the fact that I've never played MTG and have absolutely no prospects of playing it either. (Although I did play the knock-off LotR Magic-ish card game that came out back when the movies did and loved it, tbf.)

My thoughts are: I freaking LOVE the parts of it that are awesome, such as of course the most awesome of all:

AHHHHH that's so good I want it as a painting ahhhhhhhh!

Look at him, look at his sword, he's amazing it's immaculate:

AMAZING I SAY!!!

But the problem with the amazing parts? Is that they make the lackluster parts stand-out all the more.

And unfortunately a lot of it is lackluster. Not bad; just...mediocre. Admittedly perhaps my expectations got WAY too high when I saw the wedding card first, but...well, what can I say? That's the first thing I saw, and it was FUCKING AMAZING, so my expectations were raised way too high for most of the rest of the perfectly-serviceable-but-not-novel-or-exciting images to measure up to.

And then there are a few that are downright bad.

Like Legolas, who is inexplicably wearing Last Alliance-ish plate armor? Despite being explicitly described as not wearing armor, except for when he borrows mail from the Rohirrim?

Yeah. That's not a Wood-elf from Mirkwood, buddy, that's just a Generic High Fantasy Elf. At best he could be Elladan or Elrohir I guess, but Legolas? Legolas of Mirkwood? Yeah, no.

(Also if we're going for diverse LotR designs, why is it that all the elves still seem to be white? *All the elves I've seen so far. Hopefully this will change as more cards get revealed. I'm perfectly happy with Arwen the way she is in the above image, for the record; she's described as being pale and dark-haired and she looks exquisite up there. 10/10 on the Wedding Card, no notes! But I'm hoping that this isn't going to end up being a case where the "immortal, wisest, and fairest of all beings" species remains wholly white because that's...not great.)

Anyway most of the other cards I've seen look fine, but no better than fine; very much Standard Generic Designs. Less disappointing than the bizarre design for Legolas up there, but nowhere near even half as awesome as Aragorn and Arwen.

And then...well. What is this supposed to be?

Jaskier and Daenerys, maybe? wtf? I genuinely didn't even know who they were until I saw the caption with their names, that's how bad this design is. Why have they turned Faramir into some little bland doofus boy? How the fuck is their hair supposed to mingle in the wind when his is so short? He looks like a child, and there is not a single muscle in her arm, she looks like an airbrushed barbie. For that matter, where is the splint and bandage on her arm? Her left arm? That arm is broken what are you doing? Did you miss that bit with the Witch King??? Was this one even painted by someone who read the book, or is it maybe an image that was done for something totally different that they just went "ehh good enough" and slapped it into this deck instead of making something new and specific for these two? I am SO disgruntled.

That's the worst of them that I've seen so far, thankfully. But you have to admit that it is pretty bad, I think.

So, in summation: I'm still overall excited (admittedly this is bolstered in part just because racists are hella mad about it, and that always makes me happy) but I really wish that they had put the same level of care and attention into the design of all of it that they did in a few of the more stand-out pieces.

Because I probably won't end up buying any of it, unless as more cards get revealed the ratio between awesome-and-blah changes significantly. Because the ones that are good are very very good but the rest of them are just...meh.

And that's so disappointing when they could all be awesome.

#me #rants #mtg: lotr #magic #games #lotr

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upstartcrow1564 · 2 years

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If you’re one of those folks who lets others tell them what to do (btw: no judgment of anybody about this; I’ve got a lifetime’s worth of experience hearing A – Z of other people’s opinions about what I should and shouldn’t do), today is a day to shut the door on all that and practice doing your own thing. Be weird. Be different. Be the one who isn’t following the path of the Elders. Be the one without the titles, the medals, the ceremonial jewelry and garb. Be you and face who you are without all that. What is your inner voice telling you to do? What does your innate wisdom say? When the changes come, let your voice be the one that comes out of your mouth in response. [Image shows 2. The Priestess: Sanctuary of Isis card from the Spirit Keeper’s Tarot deck, Revelation Edition 1 a priestess stands between two ornate columns; a pomegranate, the crescent moon, and a camel are at her feet, all except the camel partially submerged in water; she wears a cloak of feathers and a headdress of the goddess Innana - the Norse rune Laguz, the Astronaut charm, the Zebra charm, the Stork charm, the Emperor charm, the Eagle Landing charm, and the Yellow Die Rolled to 6.] #tarot #oracle #runes #charms #vitki #volva #disir #ancestress #seer #tarotreading #tarotreadersofinstagram #tarotcards #dailytarot #tarotadvice #divination #divinersofinstagram #charmcasting #SpiritKeepersTarotRevelation #TheMusesDarling #witchesofinstagram #BeYourself https://www.instagram.com/p/CifcGHyrm2o/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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akiiyamashun · 2 years

Note

Okamura kept a hand on her stomach as she walked toward her husband's office. Amid the hum of wartime preparations and daily calls for money, soldiers, and horses, the Queen's Head of the Household had started to notice she was gaining weight. She dismissed it at first. The stress of recent events, the strange spells of sickness she seemed to have suffered lately, her inclination to feel hungrier and eat more . . . there were several potential explanations as to why she was this bloated. Okamura waved it away with tight dresses and the choice to ignore her newfound condition. After all, they were all far too busy. It wasn't until her belly gradually firmed ( leading to her being forced to finally change into a looser gown this morning ) that Okamura started to wonder.

She nodded to the armed servant that opened Akiyama's door and announced her. Okamura left her own guards outside, hands balling into her flowing skirt to lift it over the threshold. Beau reached her husband ( a new husband, but an old love ) significantly faster. The lion went out of his way to be a nuisance, shoving his head into Akiyama's legs and demanding passage under the diplomat's desk and chair instead of going around. Okamura laughed softly as she approached. In a way, she was glad Beau's antics had kept Akiyama in his seat.

Okamura stopped at Akiyama's side. She drew him against her middle gently, fingers carding through his dark locks. Painted lips smiled down at him affectionately.

"I have something I need to tell you," she said quietly. "I had . . . suspicions about my health after you left this morning. So, I cancelled my dealings today and went to see the old women at the medical academy who are wise about these things." Okamura laced her hands behind his shoulders, giving him more room to look at her if he wished. "I'm . . . pregnant, Shun. They say I'm early still, but with how I've grown - it's likely two. Twins."

Okamura's smile deepened at the thought of him with little ones running after him. Playing with Beau. Hanging onto her dresses. With any other individual, images of such domesticity ( and the role of motherhood at all ) would have turned her stomach in disgust. However, he was different ; he soothed her ferocious heart like the warmth of a pleasant fire she could always return to. She loved him, loved that he had never dreamed of trimming her claws even when they were little and she spoke back to him defiantly, loved that he embraced her no matter how plain or dressed up she was. Because they were his, she could carry and love these children ( and any others to come ). Wild things like her with hearts of gold like his, she hoped.

"If Her Majesty does pull you to go with the campaign, you will return home to a family of three instead of one," Okamura teased. "The old women believe I have five or six months left."

unscripted asks . always accepting

It was unexpected to some, perhaps, how much Akiyama’s workload had increased following the deflagration of the open war between the Kingdom of Solaris and Koutetsujima. In a way, it would seem that diplomatic efforts had failed and that no other pathway was left but the one of brute force and hard power through confrontation - and yet, the concerns of most of the other countries in the realm flooded his desk with daily missives, most notably from his own homeland.

It was strange - born and raised in Akari but living for so long abroad, Akiyama struggled to sometimes remember he was no local citizen; just a foreigner, like many that would undoubtedly come through the borders after being displaced by war. And yet, his work was not preparatory for that crisis - he was managing the anxieties and fears of other rulers who did not see Solaris emerging as a new power with any benevolence.

After all, balance in the region had been precariously maintained thanks to a long-standing tradition of neutrality and self-preservation, often enforced by the reigning Solarian queens. Melissa had disrupted that, despite Akiyama’s counsel time and time again - but whatever little correspondence arrived from the battlefield were bitter pills to swallow; as impulsive as the current monarch was... Her right was in the right place.

All he could do to help was to ensure his own king would feel the same - and keeping the balance of the rest of the world intact was draining him more than he anticipated, because Akiyama only realized he was no longer alone among his quills, maps and paper when Beau found him, asking for attention as if his step-father had no other chores. It made the man smile, at any rate - to be promoted from favorite chew toy to an acceptable provider of treats and caresses was a welcome change.

But Akiyama’s focus evidently shifted to his wife shortly thereafter, even if one of his hands remained over Beau’s mane, absentmindedly playing with the soft fur and feeling all the tiredness from the past hours evaporate from merely gazing at Okamura. A romantic, many labeled him - and he was powerless to fight that claim; he really did feel like the stars themselves had manifested in a room whenever the blonde walked in.

The diplomat leaned easily into her touch, but the smile on his face started to gradually reduce as she narrated her journey during that morning. The idea that she was unwell and needing the assistance of the medics almost had him reaching for the blonde with frantic concern, but at the last part of the news, he went visibly still. However, that absence of movement was short lived - his jaw dropped next, eyes wide and hands indeed seeking Okamura, clinging to the fabric of her dress.

“Pregnant? With my children?” Akiyama asked, only to hear the words he had said himself and laugh, shaking his head; of course they were his - they had been each other’s first (and last, he hoped) loves. There was no one else, save from some old folklore or myth from Solaris, that could get his wife pregnant. The idea was so incredibly... Delightful. Akiyama Shun had always insisted and persisted with Okamura because he wanted her for more than just the occasional kiss or the hidden affair in some room - he wished to marry her, make the woman the happiest of them all on the planet, to have a numerous and beautiful family with her.

He had no idea they would be successful this early... But they hadn’t been wasting any time in trying following their nuptials, he supposed.

“Azumi... My love, I’m so happy for you - for us!”, he said at last, bringing the woman close with the hands that remained on her, his face just on the right level to meet her belly and gently kiss it, the gesture more symbolic than anything. The diplomat had no doubt that she would make a great mother - and he would endeavor to be the best father he could. Akiyama had not been blessed with that type of overflowing affection and community at his ancestral home, but he craved it. This was their chance - to make a family as they saw fit, free of the shackles of whatever Akarian tradition would have them do.

At the last words of his wife, however, Akiyama looked up - there was no way he would be pulled into the conflict, he imagined; he was not a national, and Melissa surely wouldn’t want her best friend and stand-in ruler to be alone during such an important period of her life, even more so by local religion. “I am not leaving your side, Azumi - I will move this office into our chambers if needed, but I will be there for each and every step. Her Majesty is off with that scoundrel, and that already limits my choices severely,” he complained, his ever-present distrust of Dojima Daigo a constant of his recent advice for the crown, “The wise women will grow tired of my face and voice, I am sure.”

He grinned then - and gently steered Okamura a step back so he had room to leave the chair, coming to his full height. He didn’t tower significantly over the blonde - but he nevertheless bowed his head to meet her for a kiss half-way, the touch gentle, sweet and also a promise: he meant each and every word. He would be her guiding light in the absence of her best friend and inseparable companion.

“I love you, Azumi - as well as our children,” he added, resting his forehead against hers for a moment and enjoying their proximity for as long as Beau would allow it, “We will be so happy together - I can feel it.”

#iii. answered #rosegoldandsequins #dyn. (okamura - the goddess)#v: once upon a time #when I think he cannot be possibly more devoted to her #he just proves me wrong :)

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twistedtummies2 · 2 years

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Artists in Wonderland - Number 5

Welcome to Artists in Wonderland! Running till the 4th of July, I’m counting down My Top 10 Favorite Illustrators for “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland!” We’ve officially entered the Top 5! The Lewis Carroll stories of Alice are as immortal as they are odd, and many great artists have handled them in different ways. This countdown will pay homage to just a few of them. Our 5th Place illustrator gives us a truly three-dimensional interpretation. Today’s artist is Nancy Wiley!

Nancy Wiley is a “figurative artist.” She started out as a painter, specializing in impressionistic and expressionistic artwork. However, over time, she began to adopt an interest in dollmaking. These were not children’s toys, however: Wiley’s dolls were made of the finest materials, and were intended to be for display use, primarily. In 2009, Wiley wanted to combine elements of her artistic loves to work on a children’s book. Ever since she was a child, she had loved the “Alice” stories - she even owned a copy of Carroll’s original manuscript, which we’ll get to later in the countdown - and so, she decided she would produce her own illustrated copy of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” illustrated using dolls. Wiley’s illustrations were done the way books like the “I Spy” series are handled: she created a series of different dolls, hand-painted and hand-made, and then photographed them on miniature hand-painted sets to create the images for the story. Almost everything, if not everything, shown in the pictures is physically created, with little special effects via Photoshop or other techniques used to bring the magic of Wonderland to life. For instance, to simulate Alice’s shifting sizes, Wiley actually painted several dolls of Alice to allow for her to be tiny in some pictures, and a giant in others. Smoke was created using tufts of cotton. Bendable wires were used to allow characters to have wind-blown hair or garments. What I love about Wiley’s book, above all else, is the absolute piece of craftsmanship it is, from cover to cover. She not only lovingly illustrates nearly every page of the book, depicting virtually every character of note in the story throughout, but treats things with a cinematic sense of movement and action. These dolls rarely seem truly static, and she even creates them with changing expressions to allow them to emote more impressively. The book ITSELF is lavishly constructed, with the binding and colors used to simulate an old gift book of the Golden Age of Illustration. Even the pages are designed to look like they are stained with age. The designs for the characters are wonderful: Wiley sticks true to the ideals posited by earlier artists, but brings something unique to each character, as well. The Duchess, for instance, has an array of different headdresses, each more ridiculous than the last, to symbolize her eccentric vanity and changing moods. The Mad Hatter wears a hat that resembles a cross between a top hat and an upside-down teapot. The Queen of Hearts has two faces, representing the two halves of an actual playing card. All of them are whimsical, wild, and wonderful; these Wonderlandians never really feel as threatening as in some others, but they’re so imaginatively made, they stand out for their sheer creativity. I absolutely adore this edition: I love the artistry found on literally every single page, I love its use of color, and I love the uniqueness of the artistic style that has allowed it to exist. UNFORTUNATELY, this book is now somewhat hard to get ahold of. It used to be available on Wiley’s personal website for a relatively low cost; if you bought it, you could even get her autograph on the inside cover. In fact, you could even buy replicas of the dolls for the some of the characters in the story, although they were much more costly. However, Wiley has recently completely reconfigured her website, and it seems the book is no longer purchasable there. It seems to be available off-and-on via Amazon, but the prices tend to vary. This is, in short, something of a collector’s item: if you can find it for a reasonable price, by all means, pick it up. It is simply one of the most beautiful, one-of-a-kind Wonderlands you’ll ever find.

Come back down the rabbit hole tomorrow as we move onto my 4th favorite! Don’t be late! ;)

#countdown #list #favorites #best #top 10 #alice in wonderland #4th of july specials #alice's adventures in wonderland #lewis carroll #literature #art #illustration #illustrators #artists #nancy wiley #number 5 #artists in wonderland

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kaibutsushidousha · 2 years

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Cat, Ghost, and Revolution Sunday (Sagrada Reset 1) - Chapter 3: Sunday’s conclusion (part 3)

[INDEX]

As soon as they left the cafeteria, Tsushima went his own way.

Kei and Haruki followed Murase, as she demanded.

Haruki quietly whispered, "Is this a good idea?". Kei replied they'll run away if she got any close to the river. He was joking, but his wish to run away was real. He didn't care who had the MacGuffin.

Murase stopped at a small crossroad with no traffic lights.

"Do you already know how I'm going to locate Yoshii Ryouji?"

Kei mimicked her ability's command call.

"Hand, what's between you and Yoshii Ryouji."

Using her ability with this command, she touches walls. If a hole opens on it, Yoshii is in that direction.

Murase was a little startled.

"How do you know?"

"I saw you in action before the Reset."

(Her ability activated with a command as arbitrary as "people who lie to me". Anything she says goes.)

The wall holes Tomoki mentioned moved in one direction. They started in Kawarasaka and moved closer to Mt. Tsukube, where Unknown Caller assaulted Minami. Unknown Caller was picking up his phone on the first Saturday, but after the Reset, he was unavailable since Thursday. And the only people involved in the case who retained their memories through the Reset were Kei and Murase. Connecting the dots, the logical conclusion was that the wall holes were evidence left of Murase searching for Unknown Caller.

Extrapolating from this, it's possible to surmise that Murase caused an incident that forced Unknown Caller to abandon his information-gathering environment, driving him into attacking Minami. Minami Mirai died after the Reset but not before it. It happened because Murase Youka intervened with her pre-Reset memories. A simple answer. Far simpler than the death two years before it. Kei still didn't understand what chain of changes caused the girl's death.

"I'll admit you might have some value."

Murase whispered to herself, then used the same command Kei called before.

"Right hand, what's between me and Yoshii Ryouji."

She touched the walls in all directions around her. A hole opened on the wall to the north.

"This way.", she said. Her frown had a hint of pride.

(I'm impressed. I saw it coming, but seeing it live hits differently. Her ability is unfairly versatile. She called it "invincible" before, and that was a really childish remark, but it wasn't entirely unconvincing. There was no denying how useful it is.)

Murase walked in the hole's direction. Kei and Haruki kept following behind.

Murase spoke, still facing forward.

"Tell me the whole story."

"What story?"

"What did you do to the Bureau?"

"Nothing really, just made an unreasonable demand some years ago. I got a group of people to defy the Bureau and it ultimately didn't work."

Kei didn't feel good talking about that time. He took the chance to ask his own question.

"Tsushima recommended you relied on my experience, so are you trying to do the same?"

After some silent steps, Murase eventually answered with a quiet voice.

"I am. I want to change the way the Bureau works."

Once she opened her mouth, she couldn't stop.

"I can't stand the Bureau. This is the only place in the world with abilities. There are so many issues we can solve if we play our cards right, and yet all they do is watch. How am I supposed to just accept that? It doesn't make sense for me not to use an ability that's rightfully mine. Everyone should be doing everything in their power to be happy."

Kei nodded. He strongly agreed with her words. He thought the same thing ever since he learned about abilities, and the girl's death two years priors didn't change that. Every time he ordered Haruki to Reset, he feared the accidents he could cause but believed he could save more people than he harmed. It was a conceited belief. Much like a wish to be god. An attempt to prove his point that abilities can bring happiness.

"Asai, you hate the Bureau, don't you? Then why don't you join me?", said Murase.

(That's an unexpected proposal. My image of Murase was a bit far from the truth.)

"My ability is not that handy."

"But the Reset is powerful. Besides, if I'm going to use the Reset, it's best to have you around."

Kei checked Haruki's face. Unsurprisingly, she only looked at him without a hint of interest. If Kei supported Murase, she'd agree with him. If Kei rejected Murase, she'd agree with him.

"What's your method? How do you want to change the Bureau?"

"Anything goes. You know my ability is invincible. I can cancel any ability and erase anything. I just need to wish for it. I can just break in from the front door and no one in the Bureau will be able to beat me."

"Then what do you need my help for?"

"I technically don't, but unexpected situations can happen. It's very convenient to be able to retry. All you need to do is Reset if I fail."

(Murase's ability is indeed powerful, but it's not omnipotent. The Bureau should know all about it, so if they let her roam about freely, that means they don't see her as much of a threat. The Bureau must have a plan set to deal with her ability.)

Murase continued.

"Let's bring the Bureau down together. Then rebuild it from scratch. We'll make a new Bureau that lets people use their abilities more efficiently."

"I see."

(That told me a lot. There are no mysteries left in Murase Youka. One ability aside, there's nothing unusual about this girl. She's quite brave and proactive. Strong-willed, ambitious, and very simple-minded. Perhaps she would have been more kind-hearted if she had a less useful ability. She'd have been the kind of girl who agreed with how the Bureau works. Her current self is a go-to example for someone arguing that abilities need to be strictly regulated, not used to improve the user's life.)

Murase stopped walking and turn around.

"Join me."

She glared at Kei with serious eyes, much different from the ones she had by the river.

Kei also stopped and asked Haruki.

"What do we do?"

She didn't hesitate in her answer.

"That's not for me to decide."

Kei internally sighed so no one would notice it, but he imagined Haruki could tell. Nothing suggested she did, but he felt like she did.

Kei already had an answer, but he didn't want to say it, so he spoke only "Let me think about it."

Murase's mouth twisted with displeasure. That was her default expression. Kei wanted to see a genuine smile on her face but knew how daunting of a challenge that would be.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The scene of Murase stopping at a crossroad and touching a wall repeated itself many more times. The direction where Unknown Caller was never changed. It was the direction to his house. Murase knew his address. This confirmed to Kei that she went there Wednesday at 3 PM. She eventually stopped in front of a 4 story apartment building.

"It's here. Yoshii Ryouji lives in the 408."

(An apartment on a corner of the highest floor. It's like he's trying to get as far away from the ground as he can.)

Kei went to the door and pressed the interphone. He immediately got an answer from a man's voice.

"It's Asai."

"Wait a sec."

He could hear frantic footsteps in the apartment.

Eventually, the door slowly opened, realizing a smell of rubbing alcohol.

He was greeted by an awfully skinny man. No meat on his bones. His shirt was completely white. He wore thin rubber gloves.

He looked at Kei and smiled.

"Hey, I haven't seen you in a long time. Perhaps my whole life."

He spoke in the same fixed rhythm he did on the phone, but this time without the robotic woman's voice. His voice was slightly shrill, which was enough to change his impression completely.

Unknown Caller. Or Yoshii Ryouji. Either name is fine, but Kei still preferred to call him Unknown Caller. He quickly ran his eyes on the trio, and his gaze stopped at Murase.

"Now you're not a new face. You've been here 3 days ago."

"So what?"

"'So what?'. The audacity. Things have been awful for me since you snapped all those cables, you know? I can't use my phone or my internet. That's a life-or-death matter to me. I lost my source of energy. Think for a second, can you live without eating?"

Murase gave an annoyed reply.

"Shut up. It's your own fault."

Unknown Caller raised his arms with a cartoonish expression of surprise.

"What? My fault? It can't be. I never in my whole life did anything to earn someone's grudge. It must be a misunderstanding. Or it was my alternate self from another dimension."

"You didn't disclose the information I wanted. If you wanna keep the information away from me, I just have to steal your means of communication and keep it away from you too."

"What I didn't tell you, I didn't tell Kei either. I've played it fair on both sides."

"I can't believe a word of this. Besides, I've caught you not playing fair once already."

Wednesday, after the first Reset, Murase Youka searched for Unknown Caller and found his apartment. She wanted information on the MacGuffin and the Resets, but couldn't get what she wanted, so she took his means of communication away, oblivious to the consequences of her actions.

Murase forced herself into a more subdued tone.

"Whatever. Hand me the MacGuffin."

"MacGuffin? Never heard of it."

"I'll cut the cables again."

Murase touched the wall as she spoke. That was enough to erase it. If she finds the phone and internet lines and cut them, the wall will come back to normal 5 minutes later, adding a step of extra work to reconnect them.

Unknown Caller gave her a panicked answer, with his expression still as cartoonishly exaggerated as always.

"Wait. I was lying. I know about the MacGuffin. See? I confessed. I was the fool here. Will you forgive me now?"

"I won't hurt if you just give me the MacGuffin."

"I don't have it, I swear."

"Then you won't mind if I test you."

Murase extended her hand to Unknown Caller's face.

"If you lie to me, you'll lose your head. Can I touch you?"

Unknown Caller was so frightened it took a lot of effort for him to open his mouth. Even so, he looked Murase straight in the eyes as he spoke.

"Go ahead. I'm not lying."

Haruki whispered.

"Should we let her?"

(It should be fine, but we're not getting anywhere like this.)

Kei split them apart.

"Unknown Caller is telling the truth. The MacGuffin is not here."

"What makes you say that?"

Murase watched Kei, suspicious. But more dramatically than that, Unknown Caller went pale. His face was more frightened than ever.

"Kei."

He didn't say anything more than Kei's name, but it sounded like a plead. Kei took it as a hint that he wasn't wrong and continued. "Unknown Caller probably only helped someone steal the MacGuffin."

"Then who on earth has it?"

Unknown Caller said Kei's name again, more intensely than the last time.

Kei shook his head.

"I don't know who did it. It could have been anyone. Since Unknown Caller created a situation where no one would be around the MacGuffin, even Haruki or I could have taken it."

(Unknown Caller intentionally created a scenario that wouldn't narrow down the suspect list. But that was pointless. Murase Youka's ability doesn't demand detective work. It won't be hard for her to search for the culprit the same way she found this house. I need to settle things here before the problem gets too big for my hands. It's what Unknown Caller also wants.)

"But the culprit could have dropped the MacGuffin somewhere. And someone else could have picked it up."

Kei looked at Unknown Caller.

"And he could know who picked it up."

(This approach is a bit on the violent side, but it should work. It's probably where Tsushima wanted all parties to compromise. That's fine by me, I just want all this MacGuffin dispute to wrap up peacefully.)

"You know.", said Kei. No question mark at the end of the sentence.

Unknown Caller laughed.

"I don't. But maybe that girl did."

Murase didn't know who he was talking about. Haruki wasn't interested. Kei just wanted to go home but knew he needed to see things through.

"Then call her and check."

"Give me a moment. You can sit down anywhere."

"May I come in?"

He answered the question with a serious tone.

"Yes, I have a lot of cleaning alcohol."

Murase didn't want to enter. Kei asked Haruki to wait outside as well and she agreed.

Unknown Caller pulled Kei inside.

His apartment didn't look like it was inhabited. All the room had was a table with a computer, and multiple telephones. Also, piles of fresh shirts and sheets packed in transparent bags. All of them clean white. There were two cardboard boxes on the corner, one for mineral water and one for disinfectant alcohol. The floor didn't have a speck of dust on it. The apartment didn't even have a bed, as he hated the thought of dust piling up under it.

Kei sat on the wooden floor.

Unknown Caller took off his thin rubber gloves and put on an identical pair. He then opened his fridge, the only part of the apartment that suggested a person lived in it. It was filled entirely with mineral water bottles. Nothing else.

"Have one."

He handed Kei a bottle. Kei accepted, thanked, opened, and took a big gulp. It was comfortably cold but didn't taste like anything.

"Quite a minimalistic place you have.", said Kei.

"I know. Gorgeous, right?", answered Unknown Caller. "People say the sky is at its prettiest when there isn't a cloud on it."

"They also say the bouquets with the most colors are the prettiest."

"But they'll scream when they see a bug on the leaves, right? I can only call flowers pretty when they're plastic."

He picked up a telephone. The person on the other side answered soon after he dialed the numbers.

"Hi. I just have one quick question. Did you pick up the MacGuffin? It looks like a black pebble."

Kei took another gulp of water and thought about the man that could only live in an apartment like this. Kei couldn't imagine what he was like even while seeing the man right before him. Even applying all his knowledge about OCD, he couldn't derive any meaning from it. But the room matched his mental image of Unknown Caller, a person he liked.

After a short phone call, Unknown Caller smiled.

"She picked up the MacGuffin, as we guessed. She's coming to bring it here."

"That's great to hear."

Kei answered, and followed up with his own question.

"Hey, Unknown Caller, for how long have you been without food?"

The man smiled.

"Not counting water?"

"Yes, not counting water."

"I'm not sure. Maybe 4, or 5 years? It's not a big deal to me. Can you believe I used to eat ice cream before?"

"Why ice cream?"

"You know. Germs don't proliferate inside the freezer."

"Then you can still eat it. Want me to buy you some?"

"I won't stop you from eating it."

"Let's share it. Aren't we friends?"

"We are, but no is no. Don't you remember how sticky that thing gets when it melts?"

"Just eat it before it melts."

"That doesn't stop it from still melting. Imagining that goo inside of your belly makes you want to peel your skin off and take the bowels off to wash, doesn't it?"

"Not for me, it doesn't. Do you really feel that way?"

"No, but only because I got blood flowing inside me. When I remember how much blood would spill all over the place if peeled my skin off, I lose the courage to do it. I'd be just exchanging a sticky liquid for another."

"You can tolerate having blood inside your body?"

"I can't, actually. One day, I went to a donation post and asked the syringe lady to take all the blood off me. She's got furious and I don't know why."

"I believe most doctors don't want to kill people."

Kei and Unknown Caller's conversation continued for a while. Kei noticed his mood gradually improving. Something was soothing and comforting about his conversation.

"Hey, if you're hungry, you can take information from me.", said Kei, cautiously waiting for a reaction.

Unknown Caller shook his head.

"No, I'm good. I took a lot from Tsushima the other day."

"How much do you know?"

(About the pre-Reset events.)

"Probably everything you told him. He doesn't hide this kind of thing."

Unknown Caller took out a fresh sheet, spread it on the floor, and laid down.

"I did something horrible, huh, Kei?"

"Did you really?"

"Yeah."

"If you say so."

"Thanks for agreeing."

Kei also decided to lay down on the wooden floor. His line of sight shifted to the sky outside of the idea. Coincidentally enough, there were no clouds on it.

He could remember his first talk with Unknown Caller on the phone.

He said "Let's talk with the cleanest words we know. Take everything impure away from this conversation. We exchange all of our thoughts one by one and get to understand each other one step at a time. It'll take time, but we'll eventually be able to have transparent conversations.".

(Is this the kind of conversation he meant? Was there anything impure in what we said?)

Their conversation continued for some time without pause. Kei chose the most transparent words he could. He started considering the thought that he really was friends with Unknown Caller.

#sagrada reset #cat ghost and revolution sunday #murase youka #asai kei #haruki misora #unknown caller

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lemomentfatal · 2 years

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October 14, 2022, 3.33 pm

The mediator who picks up the phone seems happy, almost amused, that I am calling. We ask each other how things are. She tells me that there are quite a lot of people in the exhibition. She approaches a visitor and asks whether they would like to “talk to the artist”, and as if to convince the person, she adds: “She is very nice”.

After a short silence, a soft voice greets me, a woman's voice I suppose. I introduce my project, why I am calling. She tells me that she is not a very talkative person, but that she is willing to talk to me. In negotiating the duration of the call, we remain a little vague; she tells me that she would like to see the exhibition, but that she has no exact time limit. When I tell her that French is not my mother tongue, she asks me where I am from, and I introduce myself: I say that I am 35 years old, and that I am an artist who, in general, does not make enough money to, as they say in French, live from my art, and that I often work in other jobs “on the side”. She asks me in what other fields I have worked, if I have been a teacher.

She just turned 60 this year, and she has had several jobs in her life. She started out with ceramics, when she was young. She lived in Provence then. Later, she came back to the city to study art history. At the Pompidou Centre, she saw an exhibition with digital images that really made an impression on her, Les Immatériaux. It was the first time she had seen anything like that, in the 1980s. She met an interior designer, who worked with computers, and she began to work with drawing on computer, it became her profession. She worked for different people. Her interest was in the computer image. She drew, and that was her job. Then she learned to make websites, but it was difficult because she did not have the usual profile of people who do that. In the end, she had a job burnout. She went back to Provence, the circle has closed, she says, she is now in the process of renovating a humid old house to set up a ceramics workshop.

She does not see a contradiction between ceramics and digital images. She once held a ceramics workshop for children; they made computer mice in clay, to see how a mouse moves. She thinks it is possible to connect the two worlds. I am touched by her generosity. I feel like the conversation is going fast, I feel unprepared. Yet she seems to be answering my questions, before I have asked them. She says that after the lockdown, it was like a breath of fresh air to be able to see exhibitions again. It has happened to her a dozen of times that an exhibition touches her, art is vital for her, these are overwhelming experiences. She remembers the first time. She came from a disadvantaged background, she did not go to art museums with her family. A teacher had taken her class to see an expressionist exhibition by the painter Chaïm Soutine, she was 6-7 years old, there were large paintings of meat, slaughtered cattle, strong colours, she was very touched by that exhibition.

I asked her if she would like me to guide her towards my drawings. I tell her that I have always found it strange as an artist not to be there, not to know what is going in the exhibition. She walks a little, I ask her to stand in front of the space. I ask her if there are people looking at the drawings, she tells me that there is a group with a guide approaching, but they change direction; she is alone in the space. She reads my name on the title card, suddenly it sounds foreign to me, but I confirm, that is me. I do not know her name.

I thank her for taking the time to talk with me. She tells me that she has answered me very sincerely. I forget to give her the address of the website, where she could read this text. It is as if the end of the conversation goes too fast, she asks me if she can pass the phone on to the mediator, I hear her walking, the mediator takes the phone back, then hangs up.

#english

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lys1 · 3 years

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Congratulations! You waited so patiently <3 This is another Asra x fem!reader for you. NSFW. 5218 words.

Playing With Potions

—————

The late spring morning air was warming up to be a balmy 75 degrees. You had your skirt pulled down and up, tucked in the back of the waistband, forming makeshift shorts. The shop was somewhat quiet, yet the din from the streets made its nimble way through the open windows.

You descend the ladder to the box of ingredients you were unpacking. They had come in the previous evening and Asra had promptly asked you to “organize them later”. Of course you said yes, the two of you shared this shop after all, and the work that came with it.

Asra himself was bustling behind the counter, sweeping the wooden floors free of the dust and fallen ingredients. He stops momentarily to pick up his cup of tea and take a long sip. The jasmine tea's steam billows into his face as he sighs with content pleasure.

The floorboards creak as you step down and Asra looks over at you, gaze soft. "How's the supplies look, dear?" He asks curiously, returning the cup to it’s coaster.

"Ah," you muse, counting the small containers in your hands. "Looks like we will be all set on lizard toes for a while, I think our supply captain read 1000 instead of 100." You can't help but chuckle, it couldn't be helped, at least you wouldn’t have to order more for a while.

Asra's eyes open a little wider, "oh my." He laughs, "I suppose we won’t". He sets his broom to rest against the counter and bare feet pad over to you, his deep-purple eyes examining the products.

You feel his hand settle on your waist subconsciously; a side effect of being close to one another. You breathe in lightly, smelling the sweet scent of coconut and honied biscuits wash over you. Asra's breakfast choice was apparent.

"Mm," you say, turning so the two of you were face to face. "You smell delicious."

Asra smiles, box in his hand now a little less important. "Care for a taste?" He teases, eyes falling to your parted lips. He sets his lizard toes aside and joins his other hand at your waist. You look up at him through your eyelashes and nod.

He is a mere millimeter from sealing the gap between you when the bell of the shop jingles merrily.

"Ah jeez," you huff good in good nature. "I forgot we have jobs and responsibilities."

Asra laughs at your obvious disappointment and steals a small peck. "Unfortunately, we have to eat somehow." He then turns away and walks back to the counter to greet the customer.

The man is short and has a little round face. He looks extraordinarily nervous, and this catches your attention. Yours and Asra's shop is well known in the city and the townsfolk trust their magicians. You hadn't seen anyone come in here looking so nervous, and maybe even a little embarrassed.

"What can I do for you, sir?" Asra asks charmingly, resuming his position behind the counter. Briefly you let yourself admire how nice he looks, comfortable in his shop and expertise, before turning back to the box you were supposed to be dealing with. Not, however, letting your ears miss the conversation.

"I," the man starts, already fumbling with his words. "I, well look. I need help." He finishes plainly, nervously clutching his shirt between his pudgy hands.

Asra smiles kindly, "many do." He says, tilting his head and examining his new client. "Are you here for a card reading? Need to get some answers?"

The man groans as though he is already exhausted with the conversation. "No, I already know what I need. I have the answers. I've heard about this place. The ways you can help people. I live an hour out of the market and I made this trip just to see you."

"We're flattered, for sure." Asra says calmly, you can hear slight annoyance in his tone from all the ambiguity. The visitor is none the wiser though. "To help you though," Asra continues. "I'll need to know what you need."

"Alright I need a potion," the man finally reveals. "One that will help me... with performance." His cheeks are redder than a bell pepper in the sun.

Asra raises a white eyebrow, "performance? Are you an actor?"

"No!" The man's voice came out in a strangled whisper, obviously trying to keep it down. You roll your eyes, chancing a glance over your shoulder. The shop floor wasn't that big, of course you were going to hear everything.

"No," he said again, this time a little more composed. "What I mean is... my sex life performance." The truth comes out. Your visitor wipes his forehead with a dirty rag from his pocket. "My wife and I well.. we've hit a slump," he explains. "And I've heard of potions that can help with that kind of thing. Stuff that will completely change the game." His eyes are shining now, imaging life post-performance potion.

Asra looks uncertain at best. "I see," he starts, shooting you a glance. "That.. does exists. But it takes awhile to make. And the price isn't cheap either."

You shove the last of the crow feathers into their designated drawer while listening. You have never heard of such a potion, but you were also still learning. Asra sounds a little unsure though.

"Price isn't an issue," the man sounds desperate. "I'll pay anything."

Asra sighs, he feels bad for the man wringing his hands before him, practically crying for a cure. "Alright," he finally concedes. "I'll make it, but you'll have to come back in the morning. This kind of thing takes all evening to brew."

Your customer nods vigorously, "I can wait." He says. "Tomorrow morning, yes! I'll be here!" His excitement apparent, he bows a few times while backing out of the door, tripping over his own feet.

The door closes with a sharp bang and the bell rings furiously. Asra blows air out of his mouth so that itf ruffles the curls between his eyes.

"Well," he says after a moment. "A sex performance enhancing potion was not what I was expecting to make today." He rubs his temples, eyes closed and looking thoughtful.

You grin at him from the shelf as you pick up the empty shipping box and rest it on your hip. "That's quite the name, I've never heard of a potion like that."

Asra laughs and opens his beautiful eyes to look at you. "Yes, you'll have to forgive me for not teaching you that kind of magic, it's not the.. safest." He ends uncertainly. "I don't even know how this guy found out about it. It's not talked about much amongst us magicians.. and it's certainly not a common one."

Immediately more questions than your mouth can keep up with flood your brain. "So how did you find out about it? And why isn't it safe?" You ask the two more important ones, eyes following Asra as he finds a piece of paper and quill to use.

He dips his quill in the register's ink well and starts scratching down what you presumed to be ingredients. "I've been studying magic for years, my love." He says simply, "and before you ask, no I haven't used it on myself." He looks up at you, mischief dancing in his pretty eyes. "I'd like to think my sex game is up to par." He adds innocently, licking his lips seductively when your ears tinge pink.

You brush imaginary dirt off your shirt sleeves and huff. "I suppose it's pretty good." You mumble. It almost feels like a lie to just describe it as "pretty good" but Asra doesn't need you to stroke his ego right now. You do that enough falling to pieces beneath him every night.

Asra is well aware of your attempt to keep him humble and laughs lightly. "And to answer your other question," he says, turning back to his ingredient list, "messing with ones body like this can be dangerous. You have to be very precise."

You nod as he explains, it makes sense.

Potions are always brewed in pots over a magic fire so you put yourself to work, removing a medium sized iron pot from a hook on the wall and carrying it to a fire stand. Asra is busy himself, opening various drawers and adding seemingly random ingredients to a basket he has looped over his arm. Iris petals, newt eyeball, and some shimmering gold flakes. You smile watching him, your gorgeous magician; smart and able.

In no time at all Asra has a bubbling pot of sweet smelling liquid stirring before him. You stand beside him, observing curiously.

"Why are you wearing gloves?" You ask, taking note of the large leather gloves that clad all the way up your lover's forearm.

Asra continues to stir and looks over at you, happy to hear your eagerness to learn. "I can't risk even a drop of this touching my skin. It's so strong, and will immediately absorb into anyone's skin, leaving them..." He shakes his head and trails off, amused. "That's why it has to brew so long, to burn off some of the potency."

Your mouth opens in amazement, taken aback by the idea. This is the real deal you decide, stepping back a couple inches in precaution. After watching the potion bubble for a couple more minutes you stretch and grab the watering can sitting by the floor of the door.

"I'm going to water the plants," you inform Asra, waving your hand briefly until the can is full of cool, crisp water. Gods knows there are at least three dozen inside and outside of the shop.

Asra is humming in confirmation that he heard you as you open the shop door to the plants hanging outside. You don't get very far before you're blindsided by a streak of purple darting through your legs.

Escape!

"Faust?!" You yelp, dancing around the squirming snake as she winds her way under and into the open shop. A loud, booming bark makes you jump again. This time a large hound dog is rounding the tight corner from the side street and barreling full speed towards you.

All hell breaks loose. The water can is up in the air, crashing wildly into the side of the building. You are thrown back onto the dusty floor and a mass of fur and teeth race past you, paying no mind to your yelling.

Help!

Faust is racing around the floor, narrowly avoiding the jaws of the angry dog she seemed to have aggravated. There's a large crash from inside and you cringe, hearing bottles break and wood crunch. You look back, scared at what you might find.

The shop is a disaster, papers strewn, vials broken, and potion pot toppled. Asra is groaning on the floor, obviously doing no better than the rest. You glance at him worriedly, taking quick notice of the potion he had been making spilled everywhere, even on him.

You snap your fingers and the dog's growl, who was cornering Faust by the bookshelf, turns into a whimper as you lift him up with your magic. "I'm sorry pooch," you sigh, "but we can't have you eating our friend." With a wave of your wrist the hound is out the door and down the street in an instant. The hinges creak and bell rings as the door is once again closed to outside.

Thank you!

Faust wriggles happily, red eyes glowing in relief. You guess she got up to some trouble with the local fauna. She slithers up the stairs quickly, leaving you to look around at the ruined shop.

"Ah, fuck," Asra's words cut through your thoughts like a knife. He's laying flat on the floor, chest heaving as though he just ran a marathon. Sweat glistens on his tan skin, covering him from head to toe.

You step over the broken bottles and kneel at his side. "My love?" You ask, unsure of what to do. It was obvious what had happened, it didn't take an expert. The potion that was supposed to be for your customer was now soaked into Asra's glowing skin.

Asra opens his eyes and you swallow hard. You know that look, and it nearly makes you start trembling where you sit. Lust is prevalent, clouding Asra's eyes until they're a dark amethyst color.

"You-" you start to speak but are cut off by Asra sitting up abruptly. His face is close to yours and his breath washes over your lips, hot and wanton. He looks positively desperate, just the sight of you sitting before him doing wonders.

"Please," Asra's voice comes out low and husky, he watches your chest rise and fall quickly as a result. "Can I please have you, right now."

You could almost call him asking like that soft and innocent, if it wasn't for the raw, hungry look he was giving you. His eyes were traveling everywhere across your body, leaving an invisible line that you could almost feel burning into your skin. Your lips parted and you let out a soft gasp, the power that kind of look had over you was astonishing. You shifted your legs under you subtly, feeling the result of the hot atmosphere low in your stomach.

"Tsk, tsk," you had to tease for a moment. "Closing the shop at midday for some fucking?" You reach up and cup Asra's cheek, feigning uncertainty. His skin on your fingertips burns white hot and you have to hide your amazement.

Asra's eyes narrow, he knew you too well. With a quick flick of his wrist you hear the deadbolt on the door slide into place. It's only a second later and both of his hands have found a place on either side of your hips.

"Why do you torment me?" he asks, pulling you close so your legs straddle him. "Can't you see I'm getting enough of that from this damn mistake of a potion?" His words are almost shaky, as though he can barely speak anymore. He presses his hips up to meet yours, and a soft sigh escapes his lips as he finally gets a little friction.

You dig your nails into his shoulders and gasp, the feeling of Asra so obviously in need is enough to make anyone go wild.

You can't resist grinding down lightly and Asra's eyes practically roll back at the sensation. "How can I say no to such a pretty face," you whisper, completely in love with his reaction.

That was enough for Asra and without added words he gathers you up in his strong arms and lifts you both. Your head falls back pleasurably when his lips find your neck. It only takes a few quick steps on his part to bring the two of you into the plush back room.

The purple cushions lining the cozy futon sink in gently as your back hits the mattress. The room has a slight pleasing haze as sandalwood incense burns at the table. The smell washes over your senses and a new wave of sensuality comes over the room.

Asra's hands hold you firmly as his lips continue to press lovingly into your skin. He hovers over you, one leg pressed between your legs, causing your hips to involuntarily move along his thigh.

"I need you out of these clothes," Asra groans, lips being stopped at your chest where your shirt has suddenly become a hindrance. He's already tugging at the hem, untucking the loose fabric from your waistband. You raise yourself to your elbows and help him pull the shirt over your head. At once it is thrown over Asra's shoulder and his eyes are set on your bare skin, drinking in the sight of his lover.

You smile at his admiration and lay back again, stretching your arms above your head and arching your back. You feel his hands on your stomach, traveling up to rest on your breasts. Your skin prickles with desire, flesh lighting on fire from his ministrations.

"How did I get so lucky," he breathes out, looking down at you with a look filled with love and passion. He rests the tips of his fingers on your nipples and swirls them lightly, leaving you to twist in torturous pleasure beneath his touch. "Everything about you is beautiful." Asra continues to flatter, lowering his head so his curls tickle your stomach. He licks a long line from the dip of your hip up to the valley between your breasts.

After a few moments of tasting your supple skin he moves his hands to the top of your skirt and tugs. You lift your hips in compliance and the fabric slides down your legs easily. Asra licks his lips as your body is finally fully presented to him.

"I could feast on you," he announces, voice lowered with need. "And I wouldn't go hungry in a lifetime." These words he whispers into your inner thigh, they tickle your skin softly.

You watch with bated breath as the man before you adores his lover. It's hard to keep your moans controlled as you feel his sinfully good tongue lick you in a way that can only be described as ecstasy.

Asra shifts into a more comfortable position, lying on his stomach and he brings your legs to lay comfortably over his shoulders. You shudder as you feel his hot breath flutter over your dripping slit. He doesn't waste anymore time and lowers his face to enjoy you.

Your thighs squeeze his head lightly as your body arches in response. Asra is devouring you as though you were a feast and it was the only meal he is to have in a lifetime. He grips your legs tightly to keep you from moving and covers your slit with his mouth, sucking for a moment on the tight nub at the top. He groans happily into your skin before moving down to lick your hole.

"Oh please, yes," you run your trembling hand through his hair and raise your hips up to meet his greedy mouth. He laps short, quick strokes first, stimulating you into madness.

After a moment he slows his tongue down to swirl languidly, looking up at you. You make eye contact and groan at the erotic scene of him eating you out. "That mouth of yours is too skilled for its own good," you whisper, fingers digging into his scalp, trying desperately to savor every swipe of his tongue.

Asra smiles against your folds. "I live to make you feel good, my dear." He says, pausing a moment. "You intoxicate me. Your smell, your taste. I couldn't get enough even if I had all the time in the world." He presses his lips on each one of your thighs with hot, open mouth kisses.

You blush at his words, feeling amazing under his praise. "Come here," you command softly, pulling on Asra's hair lightly to guide him back up your body. He kisses every inch of skin he passes before finally reaching your lips.

"Mm," he hums, taking your face in his hands. "But these lips, are like the finest honey in Vesuvia." He lifts your head so your mouths meet. It's a hot and feverish kiss, full of staggering amounts of love.

You press your body into his and relish in the feeling of kissing Asra. Your mouths are opened to one another and your tongues meet in fiery unison. While you enjoy the kiss you allow your hands to roam. Your fingers find his shirt buttons and you start to undo them as best you can, only a little distracted. It takes just a minute and you sigh happily into his mouth when you finally remove the annoying clothing.

You part a moment to admire the divinity of his body; prostrated before you. He was calling himself the lucky one, but you could probably make a pretty good argument for it being the other way around. He looked absolutely glorious in the hazy glow of the room.

As you reach for the waistband of his pants and rest your fingers playfully on the skin above it Asra breaks out in goosebumps at the fluttering feel of your touch.

"Ah," he breaths out, raising himself to his knees and closing his eyes. Clearly, he's enjoying the attention finally being on him.

"You are the one with the potion affecting them." You say, drawing a line from one hip to another. "It'd almost be criminal to ignore you for any longer." Your eyes fall to the bulge straining under Asra's pants, just begging to be free. A smile plays across your lips as his breaths quickens significantly.

"I.. wouldn't complain." He finally manages to say in a strained tone.

You smile, maybe a little too satisfied, and hook your fingers under the band. "I know." You chuckle, pulling. The trousers catch a moment on Asra's hardened length before slipping down to his knees. You take time to admire the sight before you, licking your lips. Asra is panting slightly, looking down at you lustfully as your eyes graze over him.

He grabs your head on either side and looks into your eyes. "Please," is all he can croak out.

You swallow thickly and you feel yourself dampen even more at his begging words. “I’d like nothing more" you say; need dripping heavily from your words. You lean forward and kiss the tip of his leaking slit lightly. Asra's body shivers with pleasure when your soft lips meet his aching shaft.

You take a breath before closing your mouth around his tip. Your cheeks hollow and you suck in deeply, enjoying the small sounds of pleasure emitting from Asra's lips. He groans even deeper as you finally swallow down his whole length, tip sliding down the back of your throat.

"Ah fuck, baby," he stutters through gritted teeth, fingers threading through your hair. He thrusts into your mouth without hesitation, reveling in the way you feel around him. The pace is fast and vicious, leaving no time for extra room for breathing.

You choke back your gasps and feel the involuntary tears prick at the corners or your eyes. Your hands fall to your sides as you let Asra use your mouth how he pleased. Licentious noises ring around the room as he sinks his member into your mouth relentlessly, moaning at each stroke and the salacious feelings that come over him.

His grip tightens in your hair as he pounds into your face. You open your mouth as widely as you can and take him in, ignoring the slight pain of labored breathing. The feeling of being used so mercilessly is intoxicating, and you close your eyes, enjoying the pleasure that overtakes you.

With a loud pop he pulls out of your drooling mouth, leaving you to be the one groaning in disappointment.

"I'm sorry love," he huffs dazedly, need heavy on his features. "But if I don't stop this now I'm cumming in your mouth."

"That doesn't sound so bad," you complain, sticking your tongue out so Asra can view how much you want it. His eyes darken considerably and he looks ready to break.

He takes a breath in sharply, steadying himself before holding your face gently in his hand. "As much as I want you fuck your face, that pussy of yours I know is dripping for me and I have to comply." He chuckles, running his thumb along your lip.

You whimper at his words, practically climaxing at the suggestion. You meet his eyes in a needy manner and nod. "Oh, Asra," you start, already seeing excitement flit across his face at the mention of his name. "I want you more than I can even describe to you."

To this Asra inhales sharply, thumb still hooked in your mouth. "Tell me how you want me," he says, barely able to contain his own desire.

"I want you to fuck me from behind," you begin, knowing exactly how to please his ears. "I'm going to cry and moan, and beg you for relief but you will know better." His eyes widen in ecstasy but you continue anyway. "I want you to give everything you can to me, without holding back."

Asra seems to snap right in front of you. His features immediately seem to plead for consolation. "You'll get what you ask for." He growls, fingers tightening in your mouth. You lick his thumb seductively and the action throws him over the edge.

Asra's hands fly to your waist and hold you firmly, you're flipped over; ass to the heavens greeting him. He swallows at the sight and digs both palms into the flesh, enjoying the feeling immensely. "So needy and ready for me," he groans, finger finding your entrance and slipping in easily. You gulp at the warmth of having fingers enter you. Asra is unrelenting and curls them cruelly against your walls.

"Just fuck me already!" You cry, unable to hide your desires anymore. You hear Asra laugh behind you, yet despite this you know he is dying to sink himself into you.

"Alright, alright." He concedes, taking your hips in his hands. "If you insist."

You feel his tip slide against your slit and shudder, craving the feeling of him inside you. It doesn't take more than a moment before you feel him start to enter you. You lay your head down, turning your face so you can watch Asra take you from behind.

His lips are parted in a silent moan as he relishes in the feeling of your walls around him. You sigh softly as he fully sheaths himself in you, a small tremor passing over your body from the pleasure. One moment, two moments pass as you both bask in the feeling of being connected.

"Give me your hands," he commands, slowly sliding in and out of you, giving no care to his agonizingly slow pace. Soft gasps are falling from your lips as you try to register his request.

Carefully, you cross your arms behind your back. It's no use to keep the blush at bay as you take in the dirty scene. Your face is pressed to the pillows, unable to move much as Asra takes your wrists and pins them to your back. Your ass is raised in the air to meet his rhythmic thrusting.

Asra grips one of your thighs with a free hand and quickens the pace a little. Your eyes shut tightly as your body responds. You can feel his tip hit deep inside of you with each snap of his hips. It's unrelenting and you have to catch yourself from begging for more.

You feel the fingers around your wrist tighten a bit as Asra's breathing speeds up behind you. You know that he's set on giving you as much painfully slow torture as he can manage himself, but you also know that potion is working against him. There's nothing he wants more than to let go and pound you into the mattress.

"Baby," you choke out, words bouncing along with your bodies. "I know you want to fuck me so good right now." Your voice is deep with seduction. "Please just fill me up like I know you want to." You finish your plea, watching his face with satisfaction. His eyes are darkened with desire. He takes just a few more strokes before slowly to a stop inside you.

"You asked for it," he warns. He only takes a moment to let go of your wrists and flips your body so you're facing him. He cages you in on either side and licks his lips as he stares into your eyes. His hungry mouth meets yours in a kiss full of fire. You can melt into it for only a second before you feel him grab your hips and pull you flush against him; Your cries drowned by his lips as he sets an erratic pace, skin meeting with loud slaps.

"Fucking hell," he groans, still kissing you between words. "You feel like heaven on earth. You're so hot, and I can feel your insides squeezing me." He explains, hot breath falling over your face. Your cheeks burn at his descriptions.

You loop your arms around his neck and press your chest into his. Your skin meets, shining with sweat and burning from love. Asra presses back, savoring the feeling of your nipples brushing against his.

You start to feel that familiar blossom of unreleased pleasure pool in your lower stomach. Asra's shaft is hitting you just right, sending jolts of satisfaction right to your core.

"Oh-" you stop and whine pleasantly when he shifts angles. "Fuck. Please yes, don't stop!" Your arms drop and nails dip into his biceps and you grit your teeth from the hot delight searing through your body.

"I couldn't even If i wanted to," Asra answers, words strained as his grasp on himself starts to crumble. His breath is leaving his lips in short pants now and you can almost see the resolve to hold on slip away before your eyes.

He falls into you, wrapping his arms tightly around your waist and thrusts into you with all of the strength he can muster. You bury your face in his neck and take hold of his hair. You can feel Asra's body shuddering to not let go.

You bring your lips to his ear and bite his lobe. "Won't you come for me sweetheart? Please empty yourself in me." You whisper.

Asra takes in a sharp breath and you hear him choke at your words. They were enough to push him over the edge and he rams into you with a low, strangled cry.

Your head falls back and your mouth opens in a silent scream as Asra lets himself go in you. Your legs shake violently of their own accord as you feel your orgasm wash over you, leaving your body in euphoric fire.

Asra's lips immediately find yours as you ride out your orgasms together. You kiss him passionately, all of your senses in overdrive. His kisses are soft, and sweet, a clear declaration of his love. Happiness rushes in like a flood as you enjoy the afterglow. After a minute Asra removes himself from you and joins you in laying down, sides still heaving from the activities.

"My dear, how I love you." He says with a smile, running his fingers in slow, soft circles on your stomach.

You turn on your side and look into his eyes. He looked content, and his cheeks were dimpled from his growing grin.

"I love you too," you return, hand falling into his. His skin was still warm. The two of you lay there for a while, out of breath and simply enjoying the presence of one another.

Eventually, Asra sits up and looks down at you with humor in his eyes. "Well, I think I can tell our buyer that we did an extensive review of his product and it does, in fact, work."

Your face breaks into a smile and you laugh at Asra's words. "Oh goodie, I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear all about it."

#the arcana game #asra alnazar #the arcana #asra lemon #asra smut #asra x reader #asra x female reader #writing #fanfic #arcana smut #arcana #arcana fanfic #asra fanfic

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softmafia · 2 years

Text

Deal With The Reaper

Warnings: fem y/n, nsfw, hair-pulling, loss of virginity, rough sex, drooling, passing out

A/n: I’ve cleaned up my blog a bit and I want to do something different now, lol, I want to try using cute little boarders and have a fancy Hisoka-themed layout. And I’m going to be honest I haven’t been trying with my one shots and hcs lately, I’m honestly so scared of loosing mutuals or just people to talk to in general that I’ve been forcing myself to make these half-assed fics and repeats of headcanons that I’ve already done.. but I’m going to change that!! When I started this account I made it only to write for Hisoka, and that’s what I plan on doing from now on! I’m always going to loose mutuals or friends anyway lol, it’s the internet and everyone eventually goes their separate ways. ;-;

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Hisoka knelt behind the bushes, hiding in the darkness as he watched his prey from the shadows. He licked his lips, the image of her from his position was just perfect.. her figure, her bust, she was the picture of divine beauty herself. He quietly swallowed at the dryness of his own throat, his body shuddered in how taboo this was.. watching the woman he longed to fuck from the bushes.. He then watched as four vicious looking men came walking in front of her, making his expression drop and his brows furrow. Who were these men?!

One of them, big, muscular, and littered with scars punched his own palm, growling at Y/n, who didn’t look at all phased despite her position.. these people literally towered over her, when they stood their shadows engulfed her in the darkness of the night, even when they were quite a long distance from each other. “We don’t take to kindly to people ambushing our missions, little lady.” The giant man growled. Who were these men? If they were about to touch Hisoka’s Y/n.. they had another thing coming, he held a card tightly between his two fingers.

Y/n, however, actually.. almost looked bored.. she sighed and checked her nails, one hand on her hip which tilted to the side, “I didn’t know you guys had a mission there.” She said, looking back up at the ringleader of the men before her, “It was a fluke. S’Not my fault you showed up to the same place I was letting off steam.” She had been out last night and felt the urge to kill something.. and it was very strong, she didn’t know why but it’s not the first time her bloodlust took control of her. Although she probably should’ve listened when the men told her the first time that they were here for a job. Whoopsies. She couldn’t go back now.

Hisoka raised a brow, intrigued but.. still cautious around these brutes. Yes, he loved to watch Y/n fight, but he would be damned if he let any man other than him get a hit on her before he did. He would fight Y/n some day, and he would be the first to defeat her.. the thought made him so aroused.

The large man raised a hand, giving the goons behind him the signal to attack. Hisoka tensed for a moment, about to jump out but the second after the men lunged at her, all of them fell dead to the ground, and Y/n was still standing in the same place as she was, but instead her hand was coated with blood. Their blood. Hisoka slouched, placing a hand over his mouth as his eyes observantly examined the scene, Ooh you’re so quick~! He shivered in arousal, Good for you~ they weren’t worthy opponents for you, darling~ it’s better to just kill them right away~!

As Y/n walked away from the bloody scene without a word, Hisoka remained in the shadows, crouched behind the bushes and shuffling his cards slowly, licking his lips when he pulled out the iconic queen of hearts.

She was the one.

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Y/n dried off her hair, and looked over her shoulder at the blood that was still swirling down the drain, she sighed and knew that it was definitely going to leave a stain on the tiles. She brushed her hair out, and then blow dried, unaware that her bedroom window was being opened in the other room, and a mysterious magician was crawling through it. Y/n wrapped a towel around her waist and walked out of her bathroom, walking into her bedroom to get some put on some clothes to wear to bed. She wasn’t alerted the man sitting on the edge of her bed at first, shuffling his cards,

“Hey.” She said casually. Hisoka looked up at her his eyes were wide for a moment, but he then smiled, “Hey~” he replied back.

Y/n went silent again for a moment as she dropped her towel and slipped on her tank top and panties, but then shrieked, finally looking at Hisoka with fear and shock evident on her face. She grabbed the towel and held it over her body, “What the fuck?!” She shouted. Laughing, Hisoka crossed one leg over the other, “Did I surprise you~?” He cooed, magically making his cards disappear so he could rest his chin on his palm. Growling, Y/n reached into her dresser and threw one of her bras at him, hitting him in the face, “Get out!!” She huffed, more annoyed at this clown than scared, honestly.

This wasn’t the first time he did this.

Hisoka grabbed the strap of the bra and gently peeled it off of his face, smiling and admiring it in the light of the lamp before magicking it out of his hands, and into Y/n’s instead. She gasped in slight confusion, looking down to see that she was holding the bra she just threw.. growling, she tossed it on the ground and marched on over to Hisoka. She looked down at him, and his shit eating grin, Y/n frowned and snaked her hand behind his head, grabbing a fist full of his red locks and yanking his head back, making his neck crane only slightly, cringing when she heard a silent moan escape his silver lips. She loomed over him further and glared into his striking eyes, “Leave.” She growled firmly.

Hisoka pouted, his eyes narrowing at her, “Ooh? But I’ve just arrived~” he licked his lips, to which she let go of his hair and stepped away. Rolling her eyes, Y/n crossed her arms and tilted her hip to the side, “Ok, what do you want this time?! And no.. I’m not going to let you sit in my room all night again.” Yeah, Hisoka would do that a lot, she didn’t know why. Sometimes she wouldn’t even be home, or in the same room as him, he would just sit there in her little beanbag alone in her room and shuffle his cards. He was a weird man, he always kept to himself and ever explained what he was doing, especially weird things like that. Having Hisoka around when she was out for a job had its benefits though, if she needed a change of clothes she could just call him up.

The mutual-ship they had was rather.. strange. They weren’t close friends with each other, but they weren’t strangers either.

“Well..~” Hisoka looked down, and then looked up again, shamelessly glancing at her breasts as he did so. The cold air made them hard, and visible through her already tight tank top. The color of her nipples slightly showed through the cloth as well, so perfectly tinted and puffy. He then looked at her eyes innocently as if he wasn’t just ogling. Y/n definitely noticed, and scoffed, but didn’t want to put in the effort of hiding herself because of him, “You’re such a pervert.” Her words made him let out a short laugh, he put his hand over his mouth. “I wanted to ask you something~” he looked up at her, his legs uncrossed and spread as he sat.

Sighing, Y/n kneeled down on the floor, sitting between Hisoka’s legs now as she looked up at him, “Hm?” Was all she replied with, simple, but showed that she was interested, something Hisoka favored. Smiling, he gently held his hand out and stroked Y/n’s cheek with the back of his palm, “Would you like to make a deal~?”

Y/n made a face when she felt his rough skin stroke her cheek, but was intrigued by the talk of a “deal” nonetheless, she placed her arms on her knees, “What’s the deal?” She asked, raising a brow at him. “Hmm~ you’re a 200th floor fighter right~? I want to challenge you to a match~” he cooed, then leaned down, moving closer towards her until he was leaned next to her ear, “If you win.. I’ll leave you alone, if I win.. then you have to sleep with me~” As the sick words left his lips, Y/n shuddered, her eyes widened. “It’s not a one time thing.. whenever I like, you should be in bed with me~” he added, sending even more chills down her spine.

Y/n didn’t exactly want Hisoka to “Leave her alone”.. but she also didn’t want to sleep with him. She chewed on her bottom lip, then opened her mouth to speak, “Can I change the-”

“No you can’t.” Hisoka said, interrupting her before she even got to finish as he leaned back again, looking down at her and waiting for her answer.

Frowning, Y/n decided to offer a change anyway, “I don’t want you to leave me alone. At least stop eating all of my food and leaving the TV on while I’m gone?” She huffed, Hisoka was a really good ally to have, not only was he strong, but he had a “great” reputation, something that would send powerful rivals cowering away once they heard she associated with the man. Hisoka’s face softened in surprise for a moment, she.. didn’t want him to leave her be? Hmm.. usually people would die to have a chance at that, but she.. still wanted him around her? He decided not to dwell further on that, simply chuckling as he nodded, “Alright fine, if you win I’ll stop scavenging your fridge and messing with you television~” he booped her nose with a card that he magically flicked between his fingers.

Ok.. Y/n could deal with that now, she looked up at him and smiled, “Ok, you got a deal!” She said confidently, to which Hisoka smirked.

━━━━━♥♠♣♦━━━━━

Y/n winced in pain, popping her arm back into place as she sat in the arena locker room, watching the replay on the TV hanging from the wall. She grimaced as the voice of the announcer sounding out Hisoka’s victory replayed through her head as she watched how he sucker-punched her. She shook her head, that match lasted for hours, she fought with all of the strength she had but Hisoka still came out on top. To be fair, the level of their powers were almost nearly identical, it took a lot to be able to overpower the other, whenever they fought nobody knew who would win..

But now she had to fucking sleep with him.

She sighed, beginning to walk out of the locker room so she could hook up with Hisoka. Although, when she opened the door she was met with a familiar broad chest, and when she looked up, his smirk. He held his arm out for her to hold onto like they were a couple from the 60s, “Off we go, yeah~?” He said with a warm smile that masked his perverted desires. Y/n closed her eyes for a quick moment, but then curled her arm around Hisoka’s bicep, sighing as she walked through the halls with him. No matter how hard she tried to avoid the stares of people who looked at them oddly, she could still feel their burning gazes on her skin, and it made her feel even more ridiculous.

After what seemed like forever, they were in Hisoka’s suite. She had never really been inside one of these places before, but honestly this place looked.. brand new? Like Hisoka had only just opened this room, but she knew he stayed her as a home, having been here once or twice, usually she came just to visit, or to steal some of his food for payback. “Wow.. you really have not customized the place at all.” She snorted, finally releasing his arm and stepping forward a bit. “I find decorating a place I hardly ever stay at quite.. useless.” Hisoka chuckled from behind her, his eyes trailing down her body as a tongue flicked over his lips. He suddenly grabbed her hips, and started leading her to the bedroom, “We want our first time to be special, right~?” He cooed, letting her go once they were in his room.

Y/n frowned and crawled onto the bed, looking back at Hisoka, sitting on all fours with her back arched, but was completely oblivious to the sensuality of her position, “Don’t do something crazy, ok?” She mumbled, glaring at him over her shoulder. Hisoka licked his lips, watching how her shorts squeezed beautifully around the lips of her cunt as she stood there in that position. As soon as she realized what she was doing, her eyes widened and her face went red; however, before she could slam her hips down and cease from exposing herself further to Hisoka, his hands went to her hips, firmly squeezing them in his grasp, and then he started peeling down her shorts, “These clothes are restricting~” he chuckled.

Rolling her eyes, Y/n decided to help him by taking off her shirt, and then her panties once he managed to pull her shorts off. Y/n flipped around, grabbing the hem of Hisoka’s crop top, and then pulling it over his head, then beginning to unwrap the gauze around his waist and wrists. “My, my~ you seem rather eager~!” Hisoka laughed boisterously, making the woman under him roll her eyes, she leaned forward again and started undoing his belt, and pulling it off of his pants, “Eager for you to shut up.” She playfully stuck her tongue out at him. Giggling, Hisoka lifted her up by the shoulders and threw her back until her head was next to the pillows, he took his shoes off and unzipped his trousers, he was now looming over her on the bed. Y/n gulped as she looked up at him, honestly.. he was so attractive, of course she noticed that before but now that she was naked and under him, she was kind of glad that she lost this bet. Her eyes then shifted to his cock, she gasped at just how massive it was, holy hell, he managed to protect that thing in all of his fights?! She looked back up at him again, only to be met with an even more sinister smirk, “I love your little look of surprise~” he cooed, and before she could even get a word in, his cock was inside of her.

“Aagghh~!!” Y/n squealed, her breath hitched, her eyes screwed shut and she gripped the sheets beside of her, “Holy fuck~!!” She choked out, lifting her legs up and looking down, he was inside of her, and he was stretching her ou so well.. truth be told, she was a virgin; but he didn’t need to know that. “Ah..~ one of my favorite things~” Hisoka laughed, “A little virgin~” how did he know?! Y/n looked up at him, pouting, “What?!” She frowned. He laughed again, in that same sadistic, yet charming tone, he licked his lips again, “Mmh~ I’m a very perceptive man~” he cooed, his hands rubbing up and down her waist, moaning at the feeling of her soft, squishy skin, “Its like a sixth sense~ I can practically smell the virginity on a little girl~” his words made her cringe, and also sent a shiver down her spine. Y/n’s reaction entertained him greatly, “Hehe~ and because you’re dangerously tight, darling~” he giggled, booping her nose, “I’m afraid I might loose circulation~!”

She rolled her eyes, but before she could get a quick quip in, she was flipped over and her face was mashed against the pillows, she let out a muffled yell at Hisoka grabbed the back of her head tightly, tugging at her hair while keeping her down. Guttural grunts escaped his lips, one hand was holding onto her hair tightly, and the other was holding her hips up, giving him the leverage to plow into her. “I can feel your little cunt loosening up with every move I make~” he leaned down to growl into her ear, “It’s so good~” he shivered, she could hear the twisted smile in his words. “Oh my god..~” Y/n moaned out, her eyes rolling far back into her head. She screamed again when he bunched her hair up in his fist, getting a good hold and pulling on her, making her neck crane back all the way until she was looking at him, he was upside down in her vision, “AHHHHH~!!!” She squealed in pain and pleasure, she never knew how arousing getting her hair pulled would feel.. and she wanted more. Strained and gargled noises escaped her lips as Hisoka plowed into her like she was nothing but a rubber doll, the shameful sounds of their wet skin slapping filled her ears.

“Ooh~! Look at you..~ I have you drooling like a little baby~!” He teased, taking his free hand to wipe away the drool at her chin with his thumb, then bringing it up to his mouth to lick, “Oooh~ what a divine taste~” her saliva still had that metallic, bloody tang to it from their fight moments ago, and it only made him even more aroused. “H-Hiso..gAAHHH~!!” Y/n squealed, her breasts bounced wildly as he thrusted roughly, her nipples grazed against the surface of the pillow, “Oh fuccckkk~!!!” She groaned. The angle at which he held her head was giving her a major headache.. and also ached at her neck as well, “Hiso..~ Hisoka, please.. h-hurts~” she choked out, her eyes squeezing shut, each time she tried to pull back, his grip on her hair would get tighter, and he would pull back harder.

Although soon the pain faded into pleasure once again when her body shook with an orgasm, she squealed and the dam broke inside of her, as soon as Hisoka’s pelvis met her ass again, and the tip of his large cock hit her cervix, he had her cumming in seconds. Everything became a blur in that moment for her, the sounds of her screams were muffled, and Hisoka’s rough thrusts, grunts and groans became faded as well. The last thing she felt before she passed out was Hisoka’s thick sperm filling her velvet walls, and then filling her womb with sweet nectar.

━━━━━♥♠♣♦━━━━━

The pain in her scalp and neck was what woke up Y/n, she groaned and sat up, rubbing the back of her neck and wincing, it hurt to look up, and it hurt to turn her head. She instantly felt another weight in the bed beside of her, Y/n had to twist her entire body to see who was there. It was Hisoka.. sound asleep. How long had she been out? Her hair was wet, and her body smelled clean, plus the smell of shower water lingered in the air, did he give her a bath while she was conked out?! That was so sweet.. but so weird at the same time.

Sighing, Y/n laid back down, seeing that it was nighttime, she wrapped an arm over Hisoka’s back and admired his soft expression in his slumber, the lights outside from the city reflected off of his skin, making him look even more handsome than he already was.. his soft red hair fallen against his forehead, and his arm that was covering half of his face so he could hug the pillow under him. Hisoka reminded Y/n of a painting of Lucifer, inside; Hisoka was evil, but on the outside he was devilishly attractive and charming..

Y/n’s eyelids eventually grew heavy again, her fingers raked through Hisoka’s hair until she fell asleep snuggled up beside of him.

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redrobin-detective · 3 years

Text

because I could not stop for death

because I could not stop for death / he kindly stopped for me / the carriage held but just ourselves / and immortality ~ Emily Dickinson

Danny Fenton was dying, properly this time.

Somehow, in the back of his head and in his worst nightmares, he knew it would end this way: bleeding on the floor of his parents’ lab where it had all began. He was so hot he felt like his skin was on fire, blood and ectoplasm were dripping all over him and his lungs and heart were working overtime to try in vain to keep him alive a moment longer. He’d imagined at the time that there would be more screaming but death, in the end, was turning out to be a quiet little affair. A lonely table set for one.

“Danny, Danny come on, you-you gotta slow down your breathing, just relax, for me, please,” Sam moaned, more than making up for his lack of noise. She was shaking and touching him all over, his chest, his face, his hair. Normally she jumped right into action but she had to know, deep down, that there was nothing she could do. All that was left was to watch her panic and cry, it wasn’t his favorite image.

“Vlad!” He heard Tucker scream cry into the phone, “please it’s Tucker, Danny’s dying I think. The Fentons had some new invention, something about his core, please we don’t know what to do!”

Ugh Vlad, he was probably going to be so happy Danny was on his way out. He wasn’t looking much forward to his last images being his archenemy gloating. Tucker hung up and reached down to grasp Danny’s hand so hard it hurt. “Don’t worry dude, Vlad’s coming. He knows so much about you half ghosts that you’ll be fixed up on no time.” Right, Danny was already dead. If calling Vlad, feeling like he did something, helped Tucker move on then he’d deal with it.

Danny tilted his head to the side where Sam’s fingernails were carding through his hair. It was getting harder to see with the blood pouring out of his eyes but he looked at her, and tried to memorize her face. He’d never been able to tell her how much he loved her, that any day spent with her was a blessing. Tucker too, his best bro and a part of his soul. His best friends in the whole wide world, through thick and thin. God, he was going to miss them.

“Glurk,” he said, trying to convey those feeling but the fluids in his mouth and airway made it impossible. “Blerh.”

“Shh shh shh,” Sam soothed, “it’s okay, don’t try to talk.”

“Daniel!” He heard Vlad’s voice shriek as he materialized in front of the portal. Sam and Tucker were violently pushed out the way. Danny wanted to be angry at his loved ones being taken away in his final moments but anger was for the living, he barely had the energy to breathe. This death was too long and too short all at once. He made eye contact with Vlad who all at once lost the frantic edge to his tone and and instead knelt on the floor. “Oh my dear boy. What did they do to you?”

“What is going on?” Sam demanded, shoving her way back in. Danny was glad, he could see again like this. “Why aren’t you doing something!”

“There’s nothing to be done,” Vlad said in a flat, monotone, he picked up one of Danny’s hands and patted it gently. “His core is dying, it’s like a ghost’s heart. It contains their very essence, it is from which everything they are comes from. If Jack and Maddie somehow disrupted it then there’s nothing anyone can do to save him.”

“But he’s human too,” Tucker defended, grabbing Danny’s other hand. His human warm skin burned but the contact felt so good, he twitched his fingers closer to his friend’s. “He-he doesn’t need a core, he’s already got a heart. So, so he doesn’t have powers, we can do normal again.”

“You-” Vlad hissed before taking a calming breath. “The accident that made Daniel like this irreparably altered him. His core was as much a part of keeping him alive as his other organs, without it, his body is shutting down.” Vlad turned down to look Danny in the eye and saw true, genuine grief in those hateful red eyes.

“I cannot imagine the agony you are going through, I’m so sorry. I’d say it will be over soon but,” a hitch that sounded almost like a sob if it was coming from anyone other than Vlad. “But you’ve hovered on the edge of death for years, son, and you’ve always been such a fighter. You have minutes at most but those minutes are an eternity when you’re suffering.”

Sam and Tucker’s sobbing blended together in the background, Vlad was saying something with a miserable, stunned expression. The swirling of the portal in the background seemed louder than anything, louder than his heart beat pounding and pounding as it ran it’s last race.

“Daniel, Danny,” he focused his eyes back on Vlad who had a stubborn, unhappy set to his brow. “Do you want me to make the pain stop? An ectoblast to your chest will end your life instantly.”

“Don’t you dare touch him,” Sam shrieked, coming back into view and looking like she was trying to fight Vlad off. “You do anything to him and I’ll kill you!” Tucker just sat and stared at him, like he too was trying memorize Danny’s face.

“It’s a mercy, Samantha or do you want his last moments on earth to be drowning on the blood in his lungs.”

“Sam, he has a point. I don’t- I don’t think we can fix this.”

“No! No we always fix things, I’ll do it myself if I have to!”

Danny’s vision was starting to go, more black than anything else. He closed his eyes and readied himself for the inevitable.

“Time Out,” Danny opened his eyes and found he was no longer in pain. He was standing up and apart from where he’d previously been lying. Sam had her hands in Vlad’s face and the older hybrid was snarling something at her. Tucker was midmotion trying to stand up, presumably to get Sam but the three of them were frozen in the moment. Danny turned and found Clockwork floating, looking very out of place in his parents lab. “Good evening, Danny.”

“You that short on cash that you work part time as a grim reaper?” Danny quipped out of habit. He looked down at his body and grimaced a bit, that wasn’t a pretty sight. No doubt traumatizing for Tucker and Sam. God how were they going to explain this to his parents? “Gonna ferry me across the River Styx? I don’t have two pennies but I think I have a bloodied $10 on me.”

“You’re core is dying and you have 17 seconds left in this world before all your organs give out and finish the process you began when you turned on your parent’s ghost portal,” Clockwork explained as he changed into child form.

“O-okay,” Danny said shakily, trying to be brave even when he was so, so scared. He was going out whether he wanted it or not but he refused to leave crying. “Nice of you to come say goodbye then but, uh but unless you have something to say then you should let me go back. No one knows better than me that you can’t outrun death. Thanks but I’m uh I’m ready.”

Clockwork stared at him for a bit, not sure how long, time was weird like this but he changed forms a few times. “You’re quite the remarkable young man, Danny Fenton.”

“Uh thanks,” Danny added, once more looking at his body which had, according to Clockwork, a 17 second expiration date. “What’s going to happen? Am I going to become a ghost? Does heaven or hell exist for someone like me?”

“I don’t get to decide what happens, I merely see options,” Clockwork stated easily, taking his time. “If you die naturally you’ll become ghost, a mere shadow of who you are now and one who would fade fairly quickly. You don’t have strong enough anger or regrets to tie you in the real world for long.” Not great but okay he supposed, hell for his friends and family though. “You could let Plasmius deliver his mercy kill, destroying what’s left of your ghost core and ensuring you do not come back.” Better, probably won’t help the Fruitloop’s instability but he can’t save everyone.

“That one comes with it’s own caveat but I’ll get to that in a moment,” Clockwork explained. “There is a third option where you get up off the floor and walk away.” Danny blinked then looked back at his body which certainly wasn’t walking anywhere but into a plush casket. Clockwork opened his hands and the Ghost King’s Crown materialized in his hands. “If you accept your claim to the King’s Cown, it will revitalize your core and your life would be saved.”

Danny blinked.

“By sealing Pariah Dark, you won by proxy and established a legitimate claim to the throne. The Zone has been without a king for millennia, most have forgotten the old rules. Those who remembered were not too keen on a half-ghost child assuming leadership and kept you in the dark. If Plasmius ends your life then your claim transfers over to him, which he is aware of. It had been his plan all along to trick you into defeating Pariah so he could steal the Crown from you at a later date, a much easier opponent.”

Danny’s mind was overloaded with information, he didn’t know what to focus on first. He stared at his 17 seconds from death face and tried to process it all. Crown? Claim? Vlad?

“Of course,” Clockwork tutted, “he didn’t plan on your dying and in such a gruesome fashion. If he kills you and takes your claim, he would spend his remaining years ruling the Ghost Zone in a just, controlled fashion for your memory. He destroys all the stable portals and keeps the ghost and human worlds separate.” Clockwork became and old man and titled his head, “it’s not a bad timeline, all things considered.”

“And if I take it?” Danny asked quietly.

“You’re compassionate, brave and motivated, you have all the makings of a revolutionary king,” Clockwork smiled. “The Zone would experience and unprecedented era of peace, there would be positive interactions between human and ghosts for the first time since life and death split into two. Your name would spoken with reverence for the rest of time.”

“But I don’t want to be king,” Danny frowned.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Clockwork stated. “Which is why I am giving you the choice. If you pass peacefully there will be no one to claim the Crown and life will continue on, ghost attacks and all. If Plasmius kills you, he becomes an effective but unmemorable king. If you take the Crown, you can get the chance to tell Sam and Tucker how much you love them.”

Danny rubbed at his face, he didn’t want to die but he’d be sealing away his entire future with a move like this. He didn’t even know if the Crown would let him go with death, maybe he’d die and be stuck as the Ghost King until his core finally gave out lord in who knows how long. Eternity was an awful long time to carry such a responsibility. He couldn’t bring himself to ask, too afraid of the answer.

“Is there ever a timeline I became an astronaut?” He asked instead. Clockwork hummed, seemingly unsurprised by Danny’s non-sequitur.

“Yes, in one of the few universes where you never walked into the portal. You never go into space what with human politics putting a halt on the programs but you work for NASA. You leave Amity Park at 17 and don’t come back save for your parents’ dual funeral.” He paused and Danny felt read down to his very bones, “from the moment you became half ghost you were always heading for this moment. The circumstances varied but it always came down to you and the Crown. Time is straining to continue, to see how this drama plays out. Will you accept it and all the joy and grief that comes with it?”

Danny looked over at Vlad, still mid-sneer but there was a scared desperation in his face. He and Vlad sniped at each other all the time but Danny didn’t really hate him and he didn’t think Vlad did either. Leaving him alone, plus making him be king was a heavy burden to put on his enemy.

Sam and Tuck probably wouldn’t recover from this, he’d put them through so much already but he just knew that they’d never be the same. Could he do that to them? Take the easy way out and leave them to suffer? Mom and Dad didn’t deserve to come home to a dead son, the truth would come out and they’d never forgive themselves. Jazz certainly wouldn’t, she was 2 states over at University but he could already hear her angry, grief-stricken screams.

Death, death was quiet. It was quiet and merciful and sad, but it was also easy. And Danny Fenton had never once taken the easy route. He reached out and took and the crown before shakily placing it on his head. He gasped, throwing his head back as his core swelled, taking up residence once more right next to his heart. Clockwork smiled, looking like the cat who ate the canary.

“The Crown of Fire, pardon me the Crown changes with each core, the Crown of Ice is now yours as is the Zone. Your reign begins now but so too does the rest of your life. People are waiting for you. Time in.” Danny slammed back into awareness on the floor of his parents’ lab, the floor he’d almost died on twice.

He sat up as cold radiated off his body, causing frost to crawl down his arms and along the floor. Sam, Tucker and Vlad, who’d been frozen up until now, jumped back to life. There was a new, familiar weight on his head that he didn’t dare acknowledge.

He squeezed his eyes shut and said a silent goodbye to a quiet, normal life. It wouldn’t be all bad, he could be happy like this but the Crown still felt like a iron manacle around his neck. But he got used to the ghost powers, he could get used to this too. Maybe one day he won’t look at the stars and say ‘what if?’

“Danny!” Sam shouted, throwing herself into his arms soon followed by Tucker. Their warm weight, their relieved sobs, their shaky breaths in his air, now this was something worth living for. He squeezed them tightly.

“But how dude, you were at death’s door!” Tucker asked, still not letting go.

“You accepted the Crown,” Vlad said evenly, “I wasn’t aware you even knew about your claim. Who told you?”

“You don’t know everything, Vlad,” Danny sighed, sitting himself upright. Ugh his shirt was covered in blood and ectoplasm. He needed to trash these clothes before his parents freaked. And find a way to hide the floating ice crown on his head.

“Even an old man can be surprised every now and again,” Vlad said wearily. He stood up to his full height before startling Danny by dipping down to one knee. “Then allow me to be the first to welcome my new king and wish him well.”

“I thought you wanted this,” Danny questioned.

“I do, I did,” Vlad said, unusually off balance. “To be quite honest, I’m not sure how to feel about it but, right now, I’m just immeasurably happy you’re alive, little badger. Now I best be off, enjoy your kingdom, my liege, I’ll be sure to come bother you some time soon.” Vlad disappeared in a swirl of pink leaving just him, Sam and Tucker still clinging to him.

Danny may have a kingdom, a job he didn’t want and his whole life decided in a spur of the moment choice, but he also had something very important. He squeezed his friends tightly.

“I love you guys, thank you for being my friends even though I have the worst ideas for activities. Dying? On a Sunday night? How lame is that?” Sam laughed, a bit hysterical but it was real and it made Danny feel weightless.

“Don’t do that again, buddy,” Tucker breathed into his shoulder. “So you gonna explain what just happened and why you’re apparently the Ghost King or something?”

“Yeah, yeah I will but let’s get changed first. Mom and Dad will be home soon and I think I’m going to need to have a conversation with them about my new job.”

#danny phantom #i was watching forever phantom and said 'i should kill danny' and then i fucking didn't #im obsessed with ghost king danny as end game #Im not sure this is the route I would want to go but I want him to end up woth tje crown #its bitter sweet bc its a *lifelong (possibly afterlife) commitment that he didnt get a choice in #he will be happy and he will be a good king but it wasnt his choice and he'll always regret it a little #i love clockwork but he's a bit shady and will always work in favor of the timeline #anyway happy fucking sunday bitches #have some homemade angst #also i typed this directly in tumblr and almost hit the power screen on my computer instead of backspace #god was trying to stop me from publishing but i overcame #Only did one quick edit Im too tired to care anymore #lmk if you want it on ao3

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