#i.e. snowdrop

[mikareo]

⌗ SNOWDROP ₊ ˖ ་. nagi seishiro x fem reader (5.4k)

⊹ ⠀⠀ it's the end of the world and he's possibly the most unprepared person alive…perhaps he can rely on the pretty girl with perfect aim who just so happened to save his life at the very last second. he’s never been in love but maybe this love could last…so long as the both of you stay alive.

contains; resident evil inspired, badass agent!reader, helpless civilian!nagi, zombie apocalypse, guns, knives, blood, gore, swearing, angst, fluffy flirting, love at first sight, major character death, reo cameo!!!!, cannibalism (zombies) author's note; this fic destroyed my sanity, but i hope u like it! there are parts that are so unserious asjkl just trust me that it's a good read and pt2 is gonna be fucking crazy

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ videogame au milestone collab masterlist !

This can’t be happening. There’s no way this is actually fucking happening right now. 

He’s sprinting at full speed, his laces are barely tied, and the smoke in the air is surely clogging his lungs into a blackened pulp of nothingness. To be quite frank, Nagi would rather have those poisoned lungs than discover whatever the hell happened to his neighbors down the hall…because damn they look like they’re in some rough shape. With their sunken eyes, flaking skin, and very obvious urge to suddenly turn to cannibalism, that’s not really his vibe…but that’s a falling telephone pole! Holy shit that’s a falling telephone pole coming straight his way in 3…2…1. JUMP!

Whew, that was a close one. Good thing he’s tall!

The shift in humanity didn’t exactly happen overnight. It was actually just twenty minutes ago when his peace was so rudely interrupted. There he was, snuggled up in his gaming chair with a fresh bag of Cool Ranch Doritos opened and ready to meet his belly, when he finally beat the last level of his new favorite game; only to discover that those screams of terror and fear…yea those weren’t coming from his PC and his living room window is now a pile of ash. Nagi doesn’t think he’s ever seen so much red and yellow in his life, all of it becoming one big blur of flames that he somehow jumped through and landed on the street below— thankfully he lives on the ground floor, otherwise his body would join his couch in a pile of broken limbs. Damn, this is all such a hassle.

No one would be able to guess what it was that caused this chaos…okay, actually it’s not too out of this world; just a commercial jet falling from the sky with a monstrous thing (??) crawling out of the window onto the streets of Tokyo, whilst an oddly green gas dilutes the air.

Yeah, not too crazy— but just crazy enough to make even Nagi Seishiro, laziest man on earth, leave the comfort of his homely apartment to find his neighborhood in complete and utter chaos. He even saw his delivery man devouring the convenience store owner that always gives him an extra bonus off his nightly midnight snack. Man, he loved that guy. That’s a sight that’ll make him shudder for years to come; assuming he can stay alive for the next however many hours and days this newfound apocalypse is going to take.

Nagi thinks it’s been nearly an hour since he started running and he didn’t even know he had this much stamina in him. Maybe he’s secretly a superhuman or another one of the monsters the city has been consumed by— or perhaps his adrenaline rush is nearly infinite since he’s never utilized it in his entire life. He’s not sure of the logistics. He failed high school biology…and chemistry…and physics. There’s a reason why he turned to gaming and shied away from college. This thrill and rush isn’t meant for him. He’s a couch potato that wants to do nothing but rot and enjoy the satisfying ding Twitch gives him whenever he receives a new sub. His generation needs instant gratification…and right now? Well, he’s in desperate need of some water. 

Hesitantly, Nagi rounds into the glass doors of the nearest and safest looking building he happens to see— which is luckily a convenience store similar to the one near his apartment. He’s more than surprised when the automatic doors open in a pinch and he’s able to enter with no difficulty. The store is somehow in little disarray, with its grocery items on the shelves in their rightful spots and few sparse bags of chips laying on the tile floor. However, what is in disarray is the pharmacy section. There are drugstore pills scattered everywhere. He can’t even tell what kind of medications were being scavenged in a clear panic for medical amenities, and highly doubts that whoever was searching for supplies was able to get any with the state the back of the store is in. The font on the labels is so small that Nagi, the man who stares at a screen all day, can’t decipher what they say; and he’s assuming that whoever was in here is long dead and gone. But then again…

…he’s never been the kind of guy who’s always right.

“I come in peace!” His voice is two octaves higher than it normally is. If this were a choir audition, he’d absolutely ace it. “I swear I just came for some water! Please don’t kill me, zombie, please!”

Both of his eyes are shut whilst he awaits his inevitable demise, assuming that the unknown presence in the room likely has an appetite for human organs. There were so many things he wanted to do with his life…like ride a hot air balloon? Actually, that would be really hot if he were that close to the sun. Surf in the Caribbean? Ew, he could get bit by a crab. Get a girlfriend? He can’t complain about that one, that would be very very nice. 

Oh no, he’s already getting eaten…he can practically hear her imaginary laughter already.

“Really? Those are your last words?”

Zombies can talk?

Nagi fearfully inches one eye open to see the most gorgeous person he thinks he’s seen in his entire life. Sure, you look a little disheveled— with your soaked hair and dirt-crusted skin— but to him, you look like something out of his imagination. The female protagonist that he could only dream about campaigning with in a first-person-shooter game, and would later search for a worthy poster to stick on his wall. If love at first sight is real, then this is definitely it. The only issue? Your barrel is pointing straight at his face.

“You’re going to shoot me?” He exclaims, scrambling to back up but ultimately tripping on his own laces and landing on his ass. “Ah shit, that hurts.”

Elegantly, you rush to his side. “You have injuries?” With eyes scanning over every inch of his body, there’s genuine concern dripping from your tongue like honey. Your voice is like a melody, oh man. Nagi thinks he’s a goner— not because he could be eaten by zombies, but because he feels like he’d jump in front of a moving bus to protect you. Pfft, and some protection he’s doing, embarrassing himself like this…

“Nope, nothing’s hurt…” he mumbles, sitting up with an attempted nonchalant look on his face. “...only my ego.”

A small smile reveals itself before him and your eyes crinkle as you let out a little laugh, and instantly he’s almost more obsessed with you. It’s as if you’re some higher being that he was blessed to see on his final day on earth, with golden rays radiating from your skin and big irises that he could drown in. Perhaps if it weren’t the end of the world, the two of you could’ve walked to this store together— holding hands and speaking softly about your shared interests and passions— and he could make you laugh a million times and more…now that he’s really thinking about it, you’re the first girl he’s made laugh probably ever and he really wishes there wasn’t a menacing zombie apocalypse getting in the way of his beautiful fantasy. 

“I’m assuming you’re alone?” You stand up, looking down at him. 

Alone as in single or…

“You don’t have any family that you escaped with?”

…okay not alone as in single. Got it.

“It’s just me,” Nagi stands to his feet and is loving your shocked reaction to his towering height. “My family’s overseas right now, so I think they’re alright. I mean, I hope they’re alright. I don’t have any service to reach them, right now. My phone is down.”

You nod, reaching in your bag for something he can’t quite see. What he can see, though, is the massive shotgun strapped to your back and three large cartridges hanging from your belt— somehow you’re able to carry all that and four grenades, two handguns, and six rolls of bandages in that pack of yours, which you lay out for him so lovingly on the floor. 

“Take what you need.” Oh hell, what has he gotten himself into?

As he backs up cautiously, realization dawns upon your face. “You’ve never done this before have you?” 

“Is living through a zombie apocalypse a common experience?” His mouth is agape. “Yeah, sorry…can’t say this isn’t the first time for me.”

A sigh slips from your lips and you gather your things, packing everything into your bag except for a standard handgun. Nagi can feel his heartbeat picking up as you take three steps closer to him. One. Two. Three. He wishes you’d chosen to take a fourth— that way you’d be nose to nose, he’d get to see your beauty up close, and then memorize the curves and features of your face— which he’d surely never forget as he’d think about them morning, night, and day. He’d love to fantasize about you for hours but you have other plans, dropping said standard handgun into his palms. 

“Just aim for the head, okay?” 

Um. No. Not okay. 

“I don’t really shoot real guns…” he rambles, attempting to get rid of the deadly weapon you’ve so casually given him. “I’m more of a lover, y’know? Talk things out instead of shooting things in between their eyes? I like digital zombies! Yeah, those guys are chill…love ‘em so much…please take this away from me.”

You shake your head, already on your way out of the door. “Nope, you’re coming with me.”

“Why?” If this were a video game, there’d be a massive exclamation point flashing above his head, along with a grave that he could crawl into instead of joining you on this suicide mission. Being six feet under sounds pretty nice right about now…but he’s sure that the look you’re giving him is more deadly than any threat outside. “I don’t think I’m going to be much help to you.”

“Nagi, is it?” You clarify, to which he nods. “There are only two choices right now, and I know we just met but I’d rather you live than die. You’re tall. Your height is going to give you a range advantage when we’re out there, and I can already tell that you have great spatial awareness…not many people would’ve noticed me in the shadows. You know this area far better than I do, and sure, you’ve never held a gun before, but you’ve got to fight to live.”

As your voice continues in a soft-spoken tone, he’s mesmerized. “I want you to live, and I’m going to make sure you do.”

He can feel himself nodding along to your words— his heart getting lighter by the second, perhaps out of adrenaline but he’s going to believe it’s love. He needs something to look forward to when this is all over, if this is ever over, and that something is the image of you and him on a date. With you looking stunning in your favorite outfit and him hopefully looking better than he does right now…clear skies with the cicadas shushing themselves so he doesn’t miss a single thing you say…enough money in his bank account to cover anything and everything you wish for…and the biggest bouquet of your favorite flowers that he can find. What are your favorite flowers?

“Can I ask you something before I say yes?” Nagi’s voice is sweet, seemingly comforting you as your shoulders drop from their automated offensive stance. You look a little curious, likely assuming that he’s going to ask you some tips on how to shoot a gun— which he probably should if he’s being honest with himself, but that’s an issue that isn’t as important as his current curiosity. “Do you have a favorite flower?” 

With teeth shining at him, he’s blinded by the overwhelming beauty you send his way and for the second time, he makes you laugh. 

“My favorite flower? You’re so strange.” Overcome with a fit of giggles, he thinks that this is your first time laughing at something a man said as well. “Why do you need to know that? Are you asking me out or something?”

“I am.” He states bluntly and your cheeks flush red. 

There’s a minute of silence between the two of you and each second is more excruciating than the last. With a heavy clock ticking in his ear, telling him that he’s made a fool of himself as the hand inches more and more to the left; he’s counting down his probable rejection as he’s just shot his shot in the middle of the end of the world. What a stupid decision. He knows his timing could be better— could be a lot better actually— and there’s a part of him that regrets even attempting…but none of that matters, because you’re smiling.

Maybe he makes you just as nervous as you make him…

“Okay Nagi,” you grin and adjust the shotgun strap across your chest. “If we both survive this, I promise I’ll go out with you…but I have some high expectations. I want the most expensive flower arrangement money can buy.” 

“And what kind of flowers are you wishing for, gorgeous?” His voice is a sexy whisper, and Nagi didn’t even know he could be so seductive.

You jokingly roll your eyes at the pet name and toss him one of your inactive grenades, which he catches with ease, urging him to follow you into the chaos— but not before you give him the answer he so desperately desires.

“Snowdrops.”

There are two things that Nagi has realized in the past thirty minutes. 

1.) He’s a lot more athletic than he thought he was. 

Running for a half an hour straight is something that he never imagined himself doing— especially considering that he’s never stepped one foot into a gym in his entire life. What he originally thought to be clumsiness, turns out to be raw strength untouched. You were right to assume that his lengthy limbs would do him some justice in the fight for his life, and he’s thankful for his towering height as he’s blocked falling debris from smacking you atop the head nearly five times now; though, he did miss a flying sneaker that happened to nail you straight in the nose. He’s trying his best, give him a break. 

2.) You might be a figment of his imagination. 

Sure, this idea is likely false as he definitely felt your weight when you were sent flying from a stray hand grenade and landed on top of him, but you just seem so perfect. Getting to know you has been a dream come to life— though making conversation while running for his life isn’t the easiest feat, he’s managing. Some of the things you’ve told him do seem to be made up, though. For instance, you were the culprit behind the plane crash and while he’d love to picture a sunsetting sky with the two of you floating in the breeze, you’re not going to be piloting that jet. However, he has to give you a break because he’s never flown anything other than pixelated aircrafts, especially aircrafts that contain a deadly monster oozing toxic gas that turns people into zombies. Yeah, he couldn’t quite believe that either.

“On your left!” The sound of your voice snaps him back into focus and he realizes there are four zombified citizens barreling your way. “I could use some help here!”

You definitely don’t need his help. For God’s sake you have a shotgun the size of your leg that’s already mowed down three of them and Nagi’s just barely getting used to the sound of the bang. So far he’s pretty much been useless if not for letting you know what’s coming up in the distance, and also being the absolute last resort solution— which is rare, but oh shit it’s happening right now! You’re out of shells! How exactly does he fire this thing again?

Shakily, he attempts to point his handgun in the direction of the lone zombie bounding towards you. “Deep breaths, Nagi! Focus and aim!” Your words of encouragement are appreciated, but ultimately useless as he desperately starts stray shooting. 

“Fucking aim!” You’re losing your patience for him so fast, to which he tries his best to calm down and breathe.

In and out.

His heart rate begins to slow.

Breathe and concentrate. 

His eyes become unclouded by his anxiety, and his vision clears. 

Lock on.

He has a mark on the target. 

With his pistol’s aim assist shining against the zombie’s forehead, he confidently fires a single bullet. It soars through the air, squealing in its flight, and he lets out a sigh of relief…a sigh that he exhaled far too early.

Aw shit, he missed. 

You grunt, bracing yourself against his bullet that ricochets off of the nearby telephone pole and grazes your right arm. He has a clear view of the scarlet blood dripping down your elbow and onto the pavement, and his heart feels heavy. He’s so fucking useless that he’s injuring you. Nagi doesn’t think it’s even possible to be worse at flirting than him; he can’t imagine that there are many guys who are accidentally shooting the girl they like, yet here he is. 

Thankfully, you being the badass agent you are, you’ve managed to reload your eleven shells of ammo in the time it took for him to fire one bullet— and you easily dissolve the zombie to bits and pieces. 

“Your aim can use a little work.” You snort, brushing your fingers against the small wound.

He rips the sleeve of his t-shirt off and attempts to wrap it around your arm. This is what you’re supposed to do, right? The only training he’s had in the medical field is from that one surgeon simulator game he played in middle school, and to be completely honest, it was a pretty good game! However, he’s definitely doing something wrong because you place your hand over his and show him how to properly treat an open wound. Normally, Nagi would be embarrassed that he’s failing so miserably right now— but honestly, the only thing on his mind is how this is the first time you’ve held his hand. He can’t tell if there are butterflies in his stomach or if the smell of blood is triggering vomit. Hopefully the former.

It’s no surprise that your perceptive self notices his focus on your intertwined hands, to which you take the lead and insist on pushing forward. “As romantic as this is, we should find some shelter before we get eaten in the midst of making out.” 

Oh?

“You want to make out with me?” 

Oof that slap hurt. His priorities clearly don’t align with yours.

“Okay, okay.” Nagi holds his hands up in surrender before you can smack his chest for a second time, and he’s finally able to notice your surroundings. Since when was the Mikage Buildingright behind you? Hm…the imminent fear of death must have distracted him. “My best friend’s family owns this tower here. I promise it’s safe.”

Your gaze narrows at the wall of glass windows that are seemingly spotless. There isn’t a single crack, faulty line, or zombie-sized hole that’s visible to the naked eye and he feels a little swell of pride for Reo’s family. Yeah, that’s right! My best friend’s parent’s architects are great at making buildings! It finally seems like he’s had his first good idea of the night, and Nagi couldn’t be more proud. Progress is progress (even if he shot you in the process)! 

“It looks good.” You nod in approval and begin cautiously making your way towards the doors.

While following closely behind, he watches your back and ensures that there’s no one on your trail; which isn’t difficult in the slightest. Most of the civilians have died by now and you’ve already cleared every undead in the area…without his help. He doesn’t know how he managed to be so lucky that he ended up with you, but he’s grateful for every second— and now that you’re finally in his familiar territory, he can finally show you what he’s worth. 

“There’s an elevator up these steps.” Nagi leads you up the grand staircase, remembering how he lazily trotted down it yesterday after Reo tried, once again, to convince him to join his football club. “I think it’ll work, I know they have emergency systems and everything.”

“I don’t know, Nagi…” your voice trails off, something amiss about it. “I just have a weird feeling about this place.”

“I promise Reo’s family’s going to take care of us, they’re the best.” He deflects your concerns, trusting that his friend will pull through and have some crazy solution to save the world. There’s never been a time where he couldn't count on Reo and as soon as you reach the top of these steps, you’ll agree. The text he sent out asking for help is almost delivered, just a few more seconds and that blue line will slide all the way to the right and Reo will be right down the elevator as soon as possible. 3…2…1…sent! There! You’ll both be saved!

But if Reo’s on the top floor in his room…why did his ringtone ding just meters away?

There’s a corpse laying in front of the elevator doors, mangled and bruised. How did Nagi not notice it before? Was he too distracted thinking of his closest and only friend he’s ever had? No way. The security team must have destroyed all of the zombies in the building already, he’s sure Reo and the others are fine— but why does that body look so familiar?

No.

It can’t be him. 

Three steps away. 

There’s got to be some kind of mistake here. A prank right?

Two steps away. 

He can’t be dead. His best friend can’t be dead!

One. 

“No…” With his voice trembling, he stands over his best friend’s body. Reo’s violet hair is drenched in blood, seemingly resembling the color of a plum rather than the typical lavender hue. If it were a normal day, Nagi would laugh at the awful color— telling his partner in crime that the shade didn’t suit him in the slightest and Reo would laugh in annoyance, aiming a ball straight for the taller boy’s head…but this isn’t a normal day. This is the end of the world; and that beautiful lavender flower that Nagi associated with his teammate is wilting. It’s dying. It’s dead along with the heartbeat within it. Reo is dead. 

“Nagi. I need you to step back slowly.” He spins to see you with your barrel aimed at Reo’s corpse, but he can’t seem to move. It’s almost as if he’s been stunned, frozen in place with frostbite cementing his legs to the granite floors, and mouth encased in ice. He’s so overwhelmed that he can’t even open his mouth to give you a warning that there’s something moving behind you. Why can’t he speak? He needs to tell you! However, right when his teeth quiet their jitter, you’re tackled to the ground with a loud pummel. 

Immediately, gunshots ring out in the grand hall. You’re firing in every direction in an attempt to blast off your opponent, but this zombie is particularly agile and you don’t have much room to move with your large shotgun…looking back in retrospect, giving Nagi your only handgun wasn’t the greatest idea.

“C’mon!” Repeatedly, you call out to him, but he remains paralyzed in fear. “Stop being useless!”

He watches as you struggle to wrestle off the infected woman, grunting and groaning with every punch you deal to its face. The skin on her cheeks is almost a greyish shade, discolored and decaying with a potent smell that burns his nostrils. It’s hard to tell who’s who under the blanket of shadows she’s trapped you under, but occasionally he catches a glimpse of golden eyes that tell him the zombie is still alive. 

Somehow, with your almost supernatural raw strength, you’re able to hook your thighs around the zombie’s neck— pinning it down to the pearly floors and trapping it beneath your weight. It claws and cries out, desperately trying to escape your grasp, and Nagi almost feels bad for it. Just a few hours ago, this woman had a life. A real life that she likely looked forward to living every day; and now she’s nothing but a brainless carnivore with cannibalistic intentions. She could’ve been a mother. There could be a little boy out there missing her and waiting for her to come home, tell him that he’s safe, and that everything is going to be alright. When was the last time Nagi talked to his own mother? Why does he deserve to live and this woman doesn’t? Why is he so special that he was saved, while the rest of Tokyo was left to rot? 

It isn’t fair. 

None of it is fair.

He doesn’t deserve to live. He doesn’t deserve to be here. 

He’s taken his life for granted from the moment he learned to walk. Why should you be wasting your time trying to get him to safety when he’s nothing more than absolutely useless? He needs to help.

He needs to be brave…

…but he misses his chance once more. 

Letting out a wailing scream, you muster up enough energy to crush the woman’s head between your thighs, and Nagi is splattered with blood and guts. He doesn’t know how you’re so strong— it’s almost eerie in a way— but he’s more concerned with the state of your well-being. The look of exhaustion in your eyes acts as a glaring sun against his icy posture, and his feet are thawed from the floor, rushing towards you in mere seconds. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he kneels on the ground before you and cups your face closely, “Hey— hey, don’t close your eyes. I’m right here. Please stay awake.” Nagi doesn’t think his voice has ever been so gentle nor has he ever felt this kind of worry for a girl before. Sure, he hasn’t known you for long, but he knows he can’t go on without you. You’re a team and a team sticks together. You can’t die right here! He’s not going to allow that!— but before he can lift you up like the knight in shining armour he wishes he could be, there’s a faint rustling behind him…a familiar rustling. Nagi knows that sound. He knows those movements. He’s heard them a million times and he’d be able to recognize them even in the midst of Shibuya Crossing in the busy hours. 

Where did Reo’s body go?

Perhaps it dissolved or maybe it was kicked aside in the midst of your fight. 

That has to be it, right? Where else could he be?

Nagi’s confusion is understandable. He’s thinking rationally given the circumstances and his heartbeat is somewhat steady. The mass of his body hovers over yours in a protective stance, like a dragon guarding a princess, and for once he appears to be confident. However, that confidence has been set aflame. He can feel his blood racing, burning through his veins in fear and distress, and he wishes he could simply rip his vitals from his skin to destroy the wretched emotions. The sight before him is something out of a horror movie…a horror movie where Nagi is the main character. 

“Oh fuck.” 

Reo leaps out of the shadows before Nagi can even react. 

There’s a blur of hands and feet, hitting and kicking at each other, and the snow haired boy never knew he was this agile. Reo is clearly doing his best to hit Nagi’s vital arteries; to which he’s blocking each attack with his forearms. This is chaos. He doesn't even have a second to think for himself and consider the possibility of blasting Reo’s head off with his handgun. He can’t do that…this is his best friend! 

As Nagi’s leg lines up to knock him off his feet, Reo lunges down and grabs a hold of it. In a panic, he attempts to shake his friend off— wiggling his leg up and down whilst reaching for his combat knife in his back pocket— and slices the skin in between Reo’s forearm and bicep…which is ultimately ineffective. Oh, shit he just got angrier! Growling, zombie-fied Reo clasps his hands around Nagi’s waist, lifting him off the ground with ease and throwing him into the elevator doors. The sound of his body slamming against the metal slab rings out, echoing in the grand foyer and deafening Nagi’s left ear. His breathing is heavy and he feels like he can’t get a single ounce of air in his lungs. Everything seems to be blurry, foggy with mist covering his irises as he attempts to see what’s right in front of him. 

A carnivorous Reo…

…and an unconscious you.

It’s clear to him what’s going on. There are two outcomes to this horrific situation and whatever decision Nagi makes is going to impact the rest of his life. 

1.) Let you go and join the afterlife with his best friend. 

2.) Save you and never see his best friend again. 

His heart is at war within himself. One side fighting for Reo, the boy he’s known for so long. The boy he’s laughed and cried with. The boy who knows everything about him. The boy who believed in him when no one else did…until you came along. 

Just the thought of seeing your lifeless eyes, bloodied body, and severed limbs flips a switch inside him— and Nagi finally comes to realize what’s happening. This isn’t Reo. This shell of a man with a monstrous hunger isn’t his best friend. Reo is a ghost now. He doesn’t exist anymore and now his body is being possessed by the undead, or whatever zombies are. He can miss his friend all he wants, but that doesn’t change the fact that the thing creeping towards you is nothing but a stranger who knows all of Nagi’s secrets. 

It’s time for him to fight to live. 

As he swiftly stands and tackles Reo to the floor, a wave of memories flash before Nagi’s eyes. 

The moment he first heard Reo’s voice. It was light and friendly. He had used a tone that Nagi hadn’t ever heard before, and although he had no interest in playing soccer, he still wanted to impress the popular boy— not because he wanted a higher status or a girlfriend, but because he knew this stranger needed a friend…and he really needed a friend, too. 

His palms grip Reo’s throat, ripping him off of your body.

The first time Reo laughed at something he said. It wasn’t intended to be funny, but the plum-haired boy couldn’t help but burst into a fit of giggles and Nagi found himself laughing as well. Sitting in the school courtyard, side-by-side with crumbling onigiri falling from their mouths, there’s no doubt that they looked like two elementary schoolers finding humor in something obscurely immature— but despite that, it’s one of his fondest memories. 

Reo struggles against Nagi’s weight, pinned to the floor with nowhere to run.

When he’d first shown him his concerningly large collection of video games, Reo hadn’t batted an eye. In fact, the very next day, Nagi received a friend request from him. Which seemed like a small act at the time, until he found out that Reo had gone to the tech store and purchased an entire PC set up just so he could be the Player 2 to Nagi’s Player 1. They were partners in both the real and virtual world— an unstoppable pair that won more tournaments as time went on— and Nagi will never clean out his xbox inventory filled with their trophies. 

His finger grazes the trigger.

This is it. 

No more memories.

It’s time to say goodbye.

In movies, when the protagonist has to kill their loved one, a single tear rolls down their cheek. 

For Nagi, his face drowns in his cries. 

“I’m sorry.” 

He’s gone.

“I love you.”

Reo’s body dissolves into ash…

…then dust…

…then nothing. 

“I’m so sorry.”

PART TWO COMING IN THE NEAR FUTURE (i’m a slow writer pls forgive me)

⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⊹₊｡ reblogs are greatly appreciated! ˚₊⊹

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[greenwitchcrafts]

March 2024 witch guide

Full moon: March 25th

New moon: March 10th

Sabbats: Ostara-March 19th

March Worm Moon

Known as: Crow Moon, Eagle Moon, Goose Moon, Hrethmonath, Lenting moon, Lentzinmanoth, Moon of Snowblind, Moon of Winds, Plow Moon, Sap Moon, Seed Moon, Sore Eyes Moon, Storm Moon, Sugar Moon & Wind Strong Moon

Element: Water

Zodiac: Pisces & Aries

Nature spirits: Air & water spirits & Mer-people

Deities: Artemis, Astarte, Athena, Cybele, Isis, Luna & Minerva

Animals: Boar, cougar & hedgehog

Birds: Sea crow & sea eagle

Trees: Alder, dogwood & honeysuckle

Herbs: Apple blossom, broom, high John root, Irish moss, pennyroyal, wood betony & yellow dock

Flowers: Daffodil, jonquil & violet

Scents: Apple blossom & honeysuckle

Stones: Aquamarine, bloodstone, jasper, opal &topaz

Colors: Pale-green, red, violet, yellow & white

Energy:  Balance, beginnings, dream work, energy breaking into the open, exploring, fertility, inner development, karma, prosperity, spirituality, success & truth seeking

For many years, it was thought that the name "Worm Moon" referred to the earthworms that appear as the soil warms in spring. This invites robins and other birds to feed—a true sign of spring.

However, more research revealed another explanation. In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver visited the Naudowessie (Dakota) and other Native American tribes and wrote that the name Worm Moon refers to a different sort of “worm”—beetle larvae—which begin to emerge from the thawing bark of trees and other winter hideouts at this time.

March’s full Moon often plays a role in religion, specifically in Christianity, this Moon is known as the Lenten Moon if it is the last full Moon of the winter season (i.e., if it occurs before the spring equinox) or as the Paschal Full Moon if it is the first full Moon of spring (i.e., if it occurs after the spring equinox).

Ostara

Known as: Alban Eiler, Lady Day & Spring/Vernal equinox

Season: Spring

Symbols: 8-spoked wheel, butterflies, chicks, decorated baskets, eggs, feathers, jellybeans, lambs, rabbits, seeds, shamrocks, spring flowers & sunwheels

Colors: Green, indigo, light blue, pastels, pink, red & yellow

Oils/Incense: African violet, florals, ginger, jasmine, lotus, magnolia, rose, sage & strawberry

Animals: Cormorant, hare, hawk, rabbit, sheep, sparrow & swallow

Mythical: Dragon & Unicorn

Stones: Amethyst, aquamarine, bloodstone, moonstone, red jasper & rose quartz

Food: Dairy foods, eggs(hard boiled), fruits, honey, honey cakes, leafy greens, vegetables, pine nuts, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, sprouts & waffles

Herbs/Plants: Acorn, cinquefoil, dogwood, ginger, Irish moss, olive, strawberry & woodruff

Flowers: Celandine, crocus, daffodil, dandelion, Easter lily,  jasmine gorse, honeysuckle, hyssop, iris, jonquil, linden, narcissus, peony, snowdrop, tansy & violet

Goddesses: Aphrodite, Ariadne, Artemis, Athena, Coatlicue, Cybele,Demeter, Diana, Eos, Eostre, Flora, Gaia, Hera, Idunn, Iris, Ishtar, Juno, Minerva, Persephone, Venus & Vesta

Gods: Adonis, Attis, Celi, Cernunnos, Coel, Dagda, Dalon ap Landu, Dumuzi, Green Man, Lord of the Greenwood, Mithras, Odin, Osiris, Ovis & Pan

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Agriculture, balance, beauty, fertility, growth, life, love & rebirth/renewal

Spellwork: Air magick, fertility, new beginnings & water magick

Activities:

• Go on a hike/walk & look for signs of spring

• Add Ostara symbols to decorate your altar space

• Plant vegetable &/or flower seedlings

• Decorate eggs with bright colors

• Set your intentions for the weeks/months ahead

• Start a new class or hobby

• Create eggshell candles

• Make plans & new routines for the future

• Participate in rituals & ceremonies that connect you with energy & the life force of nature

• Have a feast with your friends &/family with sprouts & leafy greens

• Bake hot cross buns or lavender/lemon flavored treats

• Clean & de-clutter your home

• Try a re-birthing/ renewing ritual

• Bring fresh flowers or plants into into the home

• Host a spring & floral themed tea party

• Make egg based food dishes & desserts

This holiday marks the Spring Equinox, which happens before March 19-22. It is the second of three spring celebrations (the midpoint between Imbolc and Beltane)  during which light & darkness are again in balance, with light on the rise. It is a time of new beginnings & of life emerging further from the grips of winter.

There is much debate regarding the origins of Ostara due to the lack of primary sources about this sabbat. One theory is the name of Ostara came from the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre. Another theory is that Eostre is more of a localized goddess in Kent County, England. Despite the questions of her origins, Eostre is associated with modern-day Pagan traditions of Ostara.

There is no evidence that the ancient Greeks or Romans celebrated Ostara, although they did celebrate their own spring festivals, such as the Roman festival of Floralia & the Greek festival of Anthesteria. It was a time to honor the returning sun, fertility & rebirth.

Related festivals:

• Nowruz- March 19th

Nowruz marks the first day of spring & renewal of nature. It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox. It is also celebrated as the beginning of the new year by people all around the world for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East & other regions.

It promotes values of peace & solidarity between generations & within families as well as reconciliation & neighbourliness. Nowruz plays a significant role in strengthening the ties among peoples based on mutual respect & the ideals of peace and good neighbourliness. 

Traditional customs of Nowruz include fire & water, ritual dances, gift exchanges, reciting poetry, symbolic objects & more; these customs differ between the diverse peoples & countries that celebrate the festival.

• Holi- March 25th

Holi is a popular & significant Hindu festival celebrated as the The festival of colors, Love &Spring. It commemorates eternal and divine love of the deities Radha & Krishna. Additionally, the day signifies the triumph of good over evil, as it celebratess the victory of Vishnu as Narasimha over Hiranyakashipu. Holi originated & is predominantly celebrated in the Indian subcontinent, but has also spread to other regions of Asia & parts of the Western world through the Indian diaspora.

Holi also celebrates the arrival of Spring in India, the end of winter & the blossoming of love. It is also an invocation for a good spring harvest season. It lasts for a night & a day, starting on the evening of the Purnima (full moon day) falling on the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna, which falls around the middle of March in the Gregorian calendar.

• Easter- March 31st

also called Pascha or Resurrection Sunday is a Christian festival & cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD. It is the culmination of the Passion of Jesus Christ, preceded by Lent (or Great Lent), a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, & penance.

Easter traditions vary across the Christian world & include sunrise services or late-night vigils, exclamations & exchanges of Paschal greetings, flowering the cross & the decoration and the communal breaking of Easter eggs (a symbol of the empty tomb) among many others. The Easter lily is a symbol of the resurrection in Western Christianity traditionally decorates the chancel area of churches on this day & for the rest of Eastertide. Additional customs that have become associated with Easter & are observed by both Christians & some non-Christians include Easter parades, communal dancing, the Easter Bunny & egg hunting.

Other Celebrations:

• Festival of Luna- March 31st

Is a feast day honoring the Goddess Luna who is seen as the divine embodiment of the Moon.

The Temple of Luna was a temple on the Aventine Hill in Rome, dedicated to Luna, the moon goddess. Its dedication was celebrated on March 31st, thus the celebration.

According to Tacitus, it was built by king Servius Tullius. However, the first confirmed reference to a temple to Luna dates to 182 BC & refers to one of its doors being knocked off its posts by a miraculous blast of air & shot into the back of the Temple of Ceres. That account probably places the temple at the north end of the hill, just above porta Trigemina. The temple was struck by lightning around the time of the death of Cinna, as was the temple of Ceres. After the destruction of Corinth, Lucius Mummius Achaicus dedicated some of his spoils from the city to this temple. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD & not rebuilt.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

#correspondences #sabbat #wheel of the year #ostara #Worm Moon #witch community #witchblr #wiccablr #paganblr #witchcraft #witches of tumblr #tumblr witch community #tumblr witches #full moon #witch guide #witch tips #traditional witchcraft #spellbook #grimoire #book of shadows #beginner witch #baby witch #full moon magick #witchcore #GreenWitchcrafts #pagan #wicca #witch #witchy tumblr #spells

[7-pines]

top 10 things to put into aging barrels

Cactus honey <- Bee house <- Cactus (flower)

Large gesha coffee <- Keg <- Large gesha coffee bean

Goat cheese wheel <- Cheese press <- Large goat milk

Large salted quail egg <- Mason jar <- Large quail egg

Gesha coffee <- Keg <- Gesha coffee bean

Melon juice <- Keg <- Melon (fruit)

Goat cheese <- Cheese press <- Goat milk

Fairy rose honey <- Bee house <- Fairy rose (flower)

Pineapple juice <- Keg <- Pineapple (fruit)

Salted quail egg <- Mason jar <- Quail egg

Calculated without factoring buy prices into this. While animals are expensive, they don't ever stop producing. Ranking based on profit per hour (i.e. how much per hour you make while while these are in their respective artisanal machines).

Since the top 10 largely answers what animal products to prioritize (though I will say, white truffle oil and large llama yarn beat out cactus mead on their own), moving onto other categories of things to prepare for aging barrels. For everything here, make the flowers into honey via bee houses, fruits into juice via kegs and vegetables into pickles via mason jars.

Best Spring Crop: Snowdrop (Rank C, 45g seeds)

Best Summer Crop: Melon (Rank E, 130g seeds)

Best Fall Crop: Cactus (Rank B, 300g seeds)

Best Winter Crop: Snowdrop (Rank C, 45g seeds)

Best Seedling: Lychee... but it's ranked 38 (way below everything else here)

Best Saplings in order of profit:

Durian (spring)

Peach (summer)

Apple (fall)

Alternatives: Cauliflower (Rank F, 70g seeds) during Spring. Fairy Rose (Rank C), Lily (Rank D) and Rice (Rank F) (put this one in the keg) for Fall.

#coral island #coral island spoilers #coral island numbers

[corkcitylibraries]

Cork City Libraries Sustainability Blog | Sow…Let’s Grow!

As the summer draws to a close and the nights grow longer and darker, there is still plenty to be done in the garden as we tidy away the remnants of the summer bounty and prepare for winter.

If you think however, that the dawn of September means the death of the growing season then let me change your mind by outlining four plants, all of which can be sown in September and all of which we have in stock in the Hollyhill Seed Library, that is chicory, coriander, calendula, and phacelia.

We have two types of chicory seeds currently in Hollyhill Library i.e. ‘Palla rosa’ and ‘di Castelfranco’, both of which can be planted from April up until late August/early September. The baby leaves can be used in salads and the fully grown leaves can be used in stir fries.

Coriander is a wonderful herb to have at the ready and can be sown from April all the way through until October. Coriander doesn’t actually like full sun and is partial to bolt (flower prematurely) when exposed to long periods of hot weather so planting seeds at this time of year means that this can be avoided.

Calendula is another wonderful plant to have in the garden. It is an incredibly useful plant and can be used to make tinctures, ointments and washes to treat burns, bruises and cuts. It can be planted from March to May for a floral display in late summer and in September and October for an early flowering. Simply scatter the seeds over some well raked soil and keep moist. Calendula seeds can also be collected and saved for next year, and they will self-seed so no need to replant year after year.

Phacelia, which has wonderful purple flowers, can be sown all the way from March through to September and if you are fortunate enough to have a large garden, can be used as a green manure.

September is also the time of year for planting spring flowering bulbs, such as daffodils, crocus, muscaria, snowdrops, and hyacinths to name but a few. These are well worth planting as they come back again and again and bring swathes of colour to the garden when all around is so grey and miserable. If you have a cottage style garden, throwing the bulbs in the air and planting them where they land, can contribute to a lovely natural feel.

Hollyhill Library hosted a seed saving talk with Ellie Donovan during Heritage Week. Ellie spoke about the importance of saving seeds, not just as a way of saving money, but as a way to preserve Irish heritage varieties for the future, ensuring that the Irish ecosystem remains healthy and full of biodiversity. Some specific seeds that she mentioned during the talk included aquilegia or granny’s bonnet which I’ve mentioned before on this blog, fennel which is a fantastic herb, and I cannot walk by one without snapping a bit off and eating it, Martock beans which I had never heard of, and sweet chestnut.

Regardless of what seed you are collecting; the most important thing to do is make sure that they are dry – do not collect on rainy days and do not allow them to get damp while you are storing them as they will become mouldy and unusable.

Ellie kindly allowed us to take some of her saved seeds after her talk and I decided on the Martock beans. What intrigued me was, aside from this being a very old bean variety (there is evidence to suggest that these beans were grown by Neolithic people – 12,000 years ago!) the bean pods grow upwards instead of down. They are also quite a small variety, usually growing around 4ft tall and producing a hefty crop, Ellie said she counted 80 pods on one of her plants. So, I intend to plant these out next February and see what happens. Stay tuned!

#corkcitylibraries #sustainability #gardening

[copper-dragon-in-disguise]

66. favorite flower(s)?

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

87. your greatest fear?

hello!!!

66. favorite flower(s)?

snowdrops, buttercups, morning glories, and violets.

76. what's your favorite potato food?

this was a very hard question, but either perogies or home fries or twice baked potatoes or baked potatoes specifically from the pennsylvania farm show (the line for them was at least half an hour long, and it was worth it every single time). or some other thing I'm completely forgetting.

87. your greatest fear?

sometimes it's people, sometimes it's heights. a lot of the time it's both, which is really inconvenient on airplanes and elevators.

#asks #cnnamonrolls #ask games #thank you for the ask!!!

[bramblekiss]

All questions ending in the number six?

ooh thank u!

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

hmm i like goth and pastel the best probably :))

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

legs curled up, hugging a cushion/pillow

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

picnics!

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

hmm don't know i was on the internet at a very young age so just general 00s memes, idk their names.

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

👀

56. favourite tradition?

can't think of many rn, i guess i quite like the tradition of memorising and reciting a burns poem for burns day that is nice.

66. favourite flowers?

i love forget me nots and snowdrops! also magnolia blossoms and queen of the night but we do not get them here :))

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

roast potatoes are good,,, so are mashed potatoes... baked potatoes can rot,,, and chips r very good especially from a fish and chip shop.

86. cookies or cupcakes?

cookies c:

96. desktop background?

pretty picture of a wolf! ^^

thank u very much for askin! <3

#answered

[lys-lilac]

The symbolism of Snowdrops and Kalmia

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well.

So, I realized that I had never shared the heart of Kasumi’s story, i.e. the symbolism behind snowdrop flowers. And while I am at it, let’s figure out the complete meaning behind Kalmia’s name too ^^

Shall we start?

Kalmia

As the story mentioned, Kasumi named Kalmia. Penguin station is the name of the cafe, which has penguin as a mascot. Now, why the name Kalmia to this cute furball?

Better known as Mountain Laurel due to the plant’s habit of growing in rocky, inaccessible, steep, and high elevation areas, Kalmia is named to a group of 7 flowers primitive to North America. 

They are the state flower of Pennsylvania, and are admired for its beauty, and its serene colors. What I think is, Kasumi might have understood this common initial lettering. Penguin Station, Penguin, Pennsylvania... 

That’s why he might have chosen Pennsylvania to pick out one name from it.

Based on the colors, they symbolise different things.

White, which symbolizes purity, recovery, loss, memory, and healing.

Pink, which symbolizes warmth, affection, friendship, the early stages of love, and youth.

It’s a great way to show a person you’re proud of them for succeeding despite difficult circumstances. Besides, penguins also symbolise resilience, for being able to survive in adverse climate. Which makes perfect sense, since each of the EICU member had gone through difficult pasts, and made it to where they are now. Kalmia is a perfect source to remind them of their brave steps in adversities.  

Despite such beautiful meanings, these flowers are toxic. One can only admire its beauty from afar, or with safety measures.

So basically, it’s two birds with one stone. Just like this flower is the life of Pennsylvania, Kal is the heart of the Penguin Station. Along with that, she likes to waddle with anyone from EICU, except for Kasumi, hence the irony, unapproachable to others. :’)

I admire how every little thing surrounding them has a symbol of their perseverance, and bravery to fight any situation that is tossed to them.

Snowdrop

Moving on to the flower that has a direct connection to Kasumi, Snowdrop. 

Beloved for its delicate beauty, the snowdrop flower has long been a sign that winter is almost over.

They are also named the birthflower of January. (which is again a great thing, as both Kasumi’s and my birthday fall on January.)

Snowdrop flowers hold deep meaning. Usually, as a spring flower, it is seen as a symbol of rebirth and the ability to overcome challenges in life. It can serve as a delicate reminder that we can all do great things in life – if only we set our minds to it. There is nothing that can make you fail if you have the drive to succeed! And Kasumi proves this too. Desperate to save lives, and protect the one he loves with all his heart, he stands at the top and is the example that nothing is impossible.

These tender white bulbs also symbolise modesty, purity, which is just another way to describe Kasumi.

Again, these flowers look really hardy, but they need extreme care to grow. Just like the man who appears to be cold, but has the most fragile heart.

~

That’s it. I am so happy to be able to decipher the meaning behind these hidden puzzles. Medical Science and Literature sure is amazing!

Bonus: 

Yui: Kal, we found the meaning behind your beautiful name!

Yui: Hm, am I forgetting something...?

#romance md #toshiki kasumi #romance md: always on call #pen station #kalmia penguin #voltage inc #Love 365: Find Your Story #100シーンの恋+ #100恋+ #スタットコール救命恋愛24時 #霞俊希 #Lys's thoughts #flower symbolisms #snowdrop #kalmia #Err... no fine Dr. Kasumi alright?

[scribicronus-v02]

Amphibia: Buttery Drabbles -- Marcy and the Boonchuys III

Tag list: @karamelys, @popcornbee, @borkthemork, @themissakat, @cute-as-buttons, @maritasdump, @the-chaotic-lesbian, @antiableists-marcywu, @cynthiacoven, @slymanner, @space-lynn, @camomile-t, @calamity-unlocked-main, @detentiontrack, @milliegraveyard, @skibs-scribbles, @pyroclastic727, @eeveearoace, @goodartitude, @yourpersonaltimebomb

As expected, the third and final installment of the Marcy and the Boonchuys trilogy. This is a little more uplifting than A Mother’s Concern though I find it just as emotionally powerful in its own right.

Special shoutouts go to @mira-blue because flowers, obvi. I actually did some amateurish research (i.e.: googling and looking up the most comprehensive website) into flower meanings. If I recall, she was quite impressed with my selections and the meanings behind them.

Without further ado...

Marcy slowly stirred awake. She didn't even remember falling back asleep. It felt like she was waking up from some cathartic dream...

Marcy and the Boonchuys III -- A Father’s Support

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

She was hugging Anne's mother as if she were a lifeline and crying against her. She apologized over and over again as she cried on Anne's mom's shirt.

“I'm so sorry,” she half-whispered as she sobbed. I'm so sorry, Missus Boonchuy. I'm so sorry for everything.”

Anne's mother combed her hand through Marcy's hair. “I know, sweetie,” she said, kissing the girl's forehead. “I know...”

As she took a breath, she realized that it wasn't a dream. She felt just as tired now as she did then.

I can't believe I cried like that in front of Anne's mom, she thought, embarrassed.

She looked around and noticed something was different. There was a large flower arrangement sitting on the stand next to her bed.

White tulips...Galanthus Nivalis...Anemones...Yellow roses...White hyacinth...Irises...

She looked down from the flower arrangement to see an envelope on top of a flat white box. She slowly picked up the envelope, her name the only thing adorning it in expertly written calligraphy in navy blue ink. She turned it around and noticed that it wasn't sealed so she slipped the folded sheet of paper out of the envelope.

Marcy,

Anne and Theresa told me everything. I also talked with your sister, and I have a greater understanding regarding all that has happened to you, Anne and Sasha.

Ally gave me the package to give to you. Me, well, I think my thumb says it all.

-- Arthit Boonchuy

Her brow creased in thought as she folded up the paper and slipped it back into the envelope. She picked up the white box, which surprised her with the weight for its size, and opened it.

Inside in white stuffing was her handheld console, the left side blue, the right side red, the screen polished as if it was just bought. When she lifted it out of the box, there was a single tiny cartridge on top of a post-it note. She picked up the cartridge.

Vagabondia Chronicles.

Tears immediately came to her eyes and she gave a single crying laugh. She looked back at the box and at the post-it note.

Sorry I couldn't come. A little scared to be portal-hopping, especially after that one game with portals. Promise I will come soon! I love you!

-- Ally

She laugh-cried again and shook her head. Ally always knew what to say to make me feel better, she thought. She put the handheld back in the box but left it open, her gaze going back to the flower arrangement. She couldn't make any sense of what Anne's father meant.

As she stared at the flower arrangement again, everything came back in a torrent of thought.

Galanthus Nivalis...Snowdrops...Flowers of rebirth, flowers of sympathy.

Coronaria...Yellow and blue anemones...Symbol of spring. Yellow means optimism, blue symbolizes trust.

White hyacinth...It symbolizes praying for someone.

Iris...It represents hope.

White tulips...They represent forgiveness.

She felt a tightness in her chest as the tears returned in full force. She wiped them away with the back of her hand.

“Thank you, Mister Boonchuy,” she whispered to herself. “Thank you so much.”

#amphibia #amphibia fic #butter #scribi writes

[dangermousie]

The thing that bothers me the most about the snowdrop controversy is how many people seem to think cancelling the drama is an appropriate response? I agree there are valid criticisms to be made, and that anyone can feel how ever they want to about this drama. But automatically jumping to censor it two episodes (or even before airing) seems extreme and is kind of worrying, tbh.

Yeah. As someone who grew up with legal, serious censorship, I have a knee-jerk appalled reaction to this.

It's one thing to not watch this, write about why it's bad, hell even pressure sponsors by boycotting their products unless they pull out and thus the drama's financial support falls apart and it has to fold. Those are all totally fine imo.

But a petition for to the government? For people objecting on the grounds this drama is glorifying a censor-happy regime and unhappy that it's been made with Chinese (i.e., another country with pervasive censorship) money to demand their government do exactly what the governments they are unhappy would do, is darkly ironic.

I think the drama itself is fairly meh and I am no particular fan of anyone in the cast (I don't dislike them either, I am just benignly indifferent) so I don't really have any emotional investment in the drama. But the cries for censorship are not a thing I like.

#asks

[queercelticcronewitch]

Imbolc

Imbolc

Imbloc (Candlemass, Imblog, Imbole) - February 2nd

Pronounced: EE-Molc

Incense: Rosemary, Frankincense, Myrrh, Cinnamon

Decorations: Corn Dolly, Besom, Spring Flowers

Colours: White, Orange, Red

This holiday is also known as Candlemas, or Brigid's (pronounced BREED) Day. One of the 4 Celtic "Fire Festivals. Commemorates the changing of the Goddess from the Crone to the Maiden. Celebrates the first signs of Spring. Also called "Imbolc" (the old Celtic name).

This is the seasonal change where the first signs of spring and the return of the sun are noted, i.e. the first sprouting of leaves, the sprouting of the Crocus flowers etc. In other words, it is the festival commemorating the successful passing of winter and the beginning of the agricultural year. This Festival also marks the transition point of the threefold Goddess energies from those of Crone to Maiden.

It is the day that we celebrate the passing of Winter and make way for Spring. It is the day we honour the rebirth of the Sun and we may visualize the baby sun nursing from the Goddess's breast. It is also a day of celebrating the Celtic Goddess Brigid. Brigid is the Goddess of Poetry, Healing, Smithcraft, and Midwifery. If you can make it with your hands, Brigid rules it. She is a triple Goddess, so we honour her in all her aspects. This is a time for communing with her, and tending the lighting of her sacred flame. At this time of year, Wiccans will light multiple candles, white for Brigid, for the god usually yellow or red, to remind us of the passing of winter and the entrance into spring, the time of the Sun. This is a good time for initiations, be they into covens or self-initiations.

Imbolc (February 2) marks the recovery of the Goddess after giving birth to the God. The lengthening periods of light awaken Her. The God is a young, lusty boy, but His power is felt in the longer days. The warmth fertilizes the Earth (the Goddess), and causes seeds to germinate and sprout. And so the earliest beginnings of Spring occur.

This is a Sabbat of purification after the shut-in life of Winter, through the renewing power of the Sun. It is also a festival of light and of fertility, once marked in Europe with huge blazes, torches and fire in every form. Fire here represents our own illumination and inspiration as much as light and warmth. Imbolc is also known as Feast of Torches, Oimelc, Lupercalia, Feast of Pan, Snowdrop Festival, Feast of the Waxing Light, Brighid's Day, and probably by many other names. Some female Witches follow the old Scandinavian custom of wearing crowns of lit candles, but many more carry tapers during their invocations.

IMBOLC LORE

It is traditional upon Imbolc, at sunset or just after ritual, to light every lamp in the house - if only for a few moments. Or, light candles in each room in honour of the Sun’s rebirth. Alternately, light a kerosene lamp with a red chimney and place this in a prominent part of the home or in a window.

If snow lies on the ground outside, walk in it for a moment, recalling the warmth of summer. With your projective hand, trace an image of the Sun on the snow.

Foods appropriate to eat on this day include those from the dairy, since Imbolc marks the festival of calving. Sour cream dishes are fine. Spicy and full-bodied foods in honour of the Sun are equally attuned. Curries and all dishes made with peppers, onions, leeks, shallots, garlic or chives are appropriate. Spiced wines and dishes containing raisins - all foods symbolic of the Sun - are also traditional.

Imbolc - CandlemassRitual for Imbolc/Candlemas

Supplies: Symbol of the season, such as a white flower, snow in a crystal container, also needed, an orange candle anointed with cinnamon, frankincense or rosemary oil (unlit), red candle to represent the elements, and your ritual supplies.

Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the Circle.

Invoke the Goddess and God.

Say such words as the following:

"This is the time of the feast of torches,

When every lamp blazes and shines

To welcome the rebirth of the God.

I/we celebrate the Goddess,

I/we celebrate the God;

All the Earth celebrates

Beneath its mantle of sleep."

Light the orange taper from the red candle on the altar. Slowly walk the circle clockwise, bearing the candle before you. Say these or similar words:

"All the land is wrapped in winter.

The air is chilled and

Frost envelopes the Earth.

But Lord of the Sun,

Horned One of animals and wild places,

Unseen you have been reborn

Of the gracious Mother Goddess,

Lady of all fertility.

Hail Great God!

Hail and welcome!"

Stop before the altar, holding aloft the candle. Gaze at its flame. Visualize your life blossoming with creativity, with renewed energy and strength.

If you need to look into the future or past, now is an ideal time.

Works of magic, if necessary, may follow.

Celebrate the Simple Feast.

Thank the Goddess and God.

Release the Circle.

#imbolc

[mikareo]

halluu

i love your snowdrop nagi sm i wanna know if there's gunna be a pt.2 😭😭

uhhhmmm soooo this is all i have written so far,, but i promise i’ll work on it asap once i get back to campus n get back into a scholarly writing mood 😭😭

snowangel excerpt

His body is aching, eyes drooping, and heart dropping further into an abyss as he gains yet another headshot with his nearly empty handgun. With the amount of time he’d spent barricading the entrance with wooden planks and metal trash bins, he’d assumed that the building would be zombie free. What a foolish assumption. Before he was able to take two steps inside, he was ambushed with a hoard of seven— and somehow managed to obliterate them all whilst holding you up with his left arm. Nagi is completely exhausted; mentally and physically after having killed his closest friend in the entire world and potentially losing you in the process.

Please wake up. If he could just see your eyes one more time, he’d know everything is going to be okay. Please.

He’s done everything he can do for you; albeit, isn’t much but it’s something at the very least. Your bandages aren’t perfectly wrapped and they consist of salvaged material he found on his way here, but they’re covering your wounds. The bleeding has thankfully stopped in the last fifteen minutes and your breaths are calming down at a normal rate. All he can do now is patiently wait for some sort of sign that you’ll awaken, with his hand holding yours and eyes shut tight in fear…

…until he feels a comforting squeeze.

“You look so brave.” you murmur as your lids flutter open and closed.

A laugh bubbles from the bottom of his throat; though it isn’t a joyful one. The sound originates from his gut, escaping his lips in a bundle of pain and desperation while his arms squeeze you tighter than humanly possible. You're so delirious that it seems you don’t notice how suffocating his grip is and you do your best to hug him back— Nagi wishes to relish in this embrace for the rest of his remaining time alive, but even he knows that that isn’t possible. It’s the little moments that he’s always taken for granted that he appreciates so much more now. He understands focusing on the details hidden to the naked eye and memorizes every curve and crevice of your face so he’ll never forget how beautiful you look alive.

#ty for enjoying it 😽 #amogus ඞා #i.e. snowdrop

[loneberry]

A Rose for Red Rosa: On the Corpse of Rosa Luxemburg

A response to a prompt from Brandon Shimoda:

3. Briefly describe a grave you have visited of a person to whom you are not related (i.e. a poet, writer, artist, activist, elder, historical figure, friend). For example, describe one thing that you saw there.

🌹 a red rose for Red Rosa 🌹 Memorial to Rosa Luxemburg at the Lichtenstein Bridge over the Landwehr Canal on the edge of Berlin’s Tiergarten Park, where Rosa’s body was thrown into the canal on the night of January 15, 1919. It was not her grave. A grave is a site where the energies generated by ritual acts hover, where the living can’t help but gather to practice a kind of sociality that pays no heed to the border between life and death. What is this need for the emblazoned name to mark the void left in the wake of the departed? Psychoanalysts will tell you, the mind does not know negatives. 

*

Rosa Luxemburg was a communist revolutionary, a Polish-born German (secular) Jew also known for her piercing analysis of the relationship between capitalism, colonialism, and war, which she described in her masterwork The Accumulation of Capital. Her haters will tell you she was too hasty in her attempt to launch a revolution in Germany, that she didn’t understand Volume II of Marx’s Capital, that the underconsumptionist theory of crisis leads you to crude Keynesianism. Her defenders will tell you she was a martyr who uncovered capitalism’s drive toward territorial expansion and prophesied the rise of Nazism in a pamphlet that argued: “Bourgeois society stands at the crossroads, either transition to Socialism or regression into Barbarism.” (Are we at the same crossroads now? The question terrifies me.)

She was one of “history’s vanquished”—a revolutionary spark snuffed out by the proto-Nazi Freikorps at the behest of Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader and German Chancellor Friedrich Ebert. 

*

The corpse of Red Rosa does not rest in the grave that bears her name. We know this because the corpse they pulled out of the Landwehr Canal and buried under her name “did not agree with the anatomical peculiarities of Luxemburg's body”—she had congenital hip dysplasia, a condition that caused her legs to be of different lengths. She walked with a limp and had a gold tooth. She was shot in the head before she was tossed into the canal 101 years ago. When the canal thawed, a waterlogged corpse was fished out of the water and buried under her name. How could the forensic examiners have possibly mistaken the even-legged corpse for hers? Fritz Strassmann, one of the examiners, had even written the definitive textbook on performing autopsies. 

*

Do not read about what happens to a waterlogged corpse. (Which I did, when I learned, one week ago, that my ex-girlfriend’s corpse was fished out of the Connecticut River. Her body had to be identified by her dental records.)

*

Rosa once wrote: “My tombstone may have only two syllables on it: ‘tsvee tsvee’ (zwi zwi). That’s the call of the tomtits, and I can imitate it so well that they come running here right away. It’s usually a clear, fine sound, as sparkling as a steel needle. But imagine! For some days now there’s been a very small warble in this tsvee-tsvee, a tiny chest-note. And do you know what that means? That is the first rustling of the coming spring.” 

Instead, her tombstone unceremoniously reads: “murdered Jan 15, 1919.”

If only a grave of onomatopoeias could be erected for dear Rosa! Tsvee tsvee. Her senses were heightened by the isolation she endured as a political prisoner. A head full of chirps and brain blooms. It wasn’t just the song of the tomtits she loved, but everything that signaled the coming of spring: most of all the flowers. Of all the flowers, she loved the snowdrop most. During her intermittent stints in prison she found comfort in studying botany and assembling her herbarium. Her friends would bring her plant specimens. She would put them in her herbarium, marking down both their German and Latin names, occasionally making errors that autodidacts are prone to making (like mispronouncing a word because you’ve only ever read it in a book). 

From Rosa Luxemburg’s herbarium Can the revolutionary also be a lay botanist? What is the disjunction between the avatar of the revolutionary and their sensuous mode of inhabiting the world? And why was I surprised that someone who was so perspicacious on matters of political economy could harbor such an intense love of flowers?

*

While passing through Berlin for a poetry reading I went to a memorial for Rosa Luxemburg beneath the Lichtenstein Bridge, where her body had been dumped into the canal. All I saw: the rifle butt to the head, the fear, the shot, the splash. The scene ricocheted across a century and exploded in my brain as shrapnel. I had brought a red rose with me. I threw the petals into the water and wept.

*

We still don’t know what happened to the corpse of Rosa.

“rumors had long been circulating at the Charité that the body of Red Rosa never actually left the hospital”

In the cellar of the hospital’s medical history museum, a preserved corpse—missing its head, feet and hands—was discovered by forensic pathologist Michael Tsokos around a decade ago. It dated to the period when Rosa was executed and showed signs of being waterlogged. Tests concluded that the corpse belonged to a woman who died between age 40 and 50 (Rosa was 47 when she was murdered) and had legs of different lengths.

The torso “had been kept on display in the pathology department of Charité Hospital as a classic example of a water corpse or ‘floater’ until 2007.”

It was used to teach medical students about a natural mummification process where the fat of the corpse is transformed into adipocere or “grave wax.”

Submerged in an anaerobic environment, the corpse undergoes a chemical process that turns it into a lump of soap.

Was the soap-torso Rosa’s? In the absence of definitive proof, it was interred at an unknown location. 

(Full post curated by Brandon: https://future-feed.net/the-afterlife-part-4-the-ancestors-reside-in-the-answers-themselves) 

#Rosa Luxemburg #communist corpses #corpses #death #flowers #revolutionary hagiography #Red Rosa #communism

[imaginarydragonling]

Ten and t(h)en again

Tagged by @mygeekcorner​ Thanks love! 😘

1. Did you grow up around animals? How about your life now? Yes! I’ve always had a pet or two growing up. My dad’s family has always kept dogs, but when we lived in an apartment, we had hamsters, fish, rabbits, and the odd bird or two 😅 I haven’t had a pet of my own since I moved out for college though 😢 It’s my primary life goal to own a pet next :p

2. What arbitrary personality thing do you identify with? Astrology, hogwarts houses, mbti etc Hmm... I have none that I actively think about. I’ve always been a strong introvert though, so that’s the one that has stuck.

3. Do you take compliments well? I think so? :D

4. Favourite mythological creature from your culture?

DRAGONS!!!

5. Do you think your internet-personality is a good representation of how you are IRL? No... Not sure... Everyone says I’m super nice on the internet...>.< I try to be as nice irl, but I think social awkwardness/shyness get in the way irl... 

6. Are you the person who sings along to intros or skip them completely? I’m pretty bad with lyrics, so hum along? :D

7. What’s an assumption people seem to have about you? Are they right? Hmm... I don’t know 🤔 Mostly cuz I don’t remember any assumptions about myself I might have been told 😅 If you drop me an ask with an assumption you have about me, I can tell you if you’re right or not? :D

8. Are you able to keep plants alive? No.

9. What old fandom thing do you miss? I’m pretty new to fandom relatively speaking I think 😅 but I’m enjoying it so far!

10. Tell me somethig good that’s happened to you in 2020 I got a new job!!! 🥳

10 new questions for anyone who wants to do them!

How has your week been? 

What’s a food/drink you’re craving right now?

Who was the last person you interacted with on tumblr and what would you like them to know?

What’s a favourite fanwork you’ve created/consumed?

What is your favourite type of AU?

What’s a dream vacation for you?

What’s a mundane superpower you wish you had? (i.e. I wish I had a green thumb and could keep plants alive T__T)

If you could go back and talk to yourself 1/5/10 years ago, what would you say to yourself?

If money was not an issue, what kind of job would you like to have?

What’s a goal that you have in 2020?

Tagging @frenchibi @witharthurkirkland @narcissuspseudonarcissus @wintersblight @nightofviolet @sonnets-and-snowdrops @iguanastevens @greygerbil @sprosslee @stylinbreeze60 and anyone else who feels chatty and wants to do this! No pressure to do if either! :D 

#tagged #tag game #ten and t(h)en again

[satonthelotuspier]

I’m a bit under the weather rn and unable to get out of bed. Using the time to do some work on the NieLan fic (8k in, getting there, ish?) between feeling sorry for myself, and I haven’t put anything out for a while. Therefore, have the SFT - Safe for Tumblr (but still a little spicy) part of the XiCheng cat ears fic that took over my brain based loosely on this post here. Full version (when I’ve finished it, it is not this day though) will go on AO3. Contains sexual language.

Jiang Cheng realised he’d fucked up when he saw the presents on the dining table.

Well, at first he didn’t, at first he ran through the list of birthdays, wedding anniversaries, friends who were expectant and so forth in his head and came up completely blank.

Then the date clicked in his brain.

February 14th.

Fuck.

He had forgotten Valentines day. And the worst thing was he knew Lan Xichen wouldn’t mind. He was too fucking laid back, too accepting of Jiang Cheng’s failings as a boyfriend, or, even worse, he had such low expectations of Jiang Cheng to begin with.

Had he heard Jiang Cheng come in?

Snowdrop hadn’t raised a fuss and run to him, so maybe they were out on a walk, or in the garden, and Jiang Cheng could sneak back out and head straight to the mall.

Even the thought of dealing with the mass of humanity out valentines shopping for their significant other’s was the lesser of evils when measured against Lan Xichen’s happiness.

He had just turned to walk back to the door and try and slip out when the excited barking and scritch of toenails on the wooden floor announced he’d been made.

Snowdrop barrelled through the house and over to Jiang Cheng to announce how pleased she was he had returned, followed by Lan Xichen who wrapped him up in a hug and placed a gentle kiss against his lips.

“Wanyin” he murmured, “Welcome back, we missed you”

“I only left yesterday morning” Jiang Cheng couldn’t help replying.

“And I missed you since yesterday morning” thank goodness Lan Xichen wasn’t sensitive about Jiang Cheng’s inability to accept tenderness without returning sarcasm.

“OK, needy much?” Jiang Cheng was answered this time with another kiss.

He was released eventually, and Snowdrop wanted another turn at his attention, which he was glad to give her, to avoid the inevitable evidence of his huge fuck up getting out.

Once Snowdrop was sated he could ignore Lan Xichen and the situation no longer; at least he had thought so but the other had retreated to the kitchen to make a request for dinner from the chef.

Honestly Jiang Cheng still wasn’t used to having staff, not that he did, they were definitely Lan Xichen’s.

Just like the majority of this house.

Jiang Cheng had eventually given in to Lan Xichen on the issue of living arrangements, the other arguing it was stupid to resent his money and for them to live below their means just for the sake of Jiang Cheng’s pride. But Jiang Cheng had forced the other to have a contract drawn up which had stipulated if, for whatever reason (i.e. Lan Xichen’s reaching his limit with Jiang Cheng) they broke up Jiang Cheng would only walk away with what he had put into the cost of their house, which was almost negligible in comparison. Lan Xichen had told him he felt uncomfortable with the stipulation but of course had had no other option but to agree, especially when Jiang Cheng told him it was the only way he’d feel any measure of comfort with the arrangement.

                                                            ***

The presents weren’t touched upon again until much later that evening. Lan Xichen had disappeared briefly with their empty wine glasses and reappeared with the two boxes in his hands.

Jiang Cheng swallowed nervously. He was about to make his grovelling apology when one of the boxes was placed on his lap.

“Happy Valentines” Lan Xichen told him and watched expectantly. Jiang Cheng opened the box to find it contained expensive spicy chocolates.

Something the Jiangs would devour but would be anathema to the Lans more ascetic palate.

Jiang Cheng forgot his guilt for a moment in his excitement.

“Oh my God, how did you find out about these? Wei Wuxian has been drooling over these for months in group chat” Jiang Cheng exclaimed; he was about to break into them when he thought better of it.

“I have my ways” was all Lan Xichen would reveal on the subject.

“I’m going to love trying them, and rubbing Wei Wuxian’s face in it. Thank you” he actually leaned over to press a kiss against Lan Xichen’s lips, and the other beamed like he’d been offered a blowjob rather than just one, freely given, kiss. Which, considering his complete and utter failure to prepare for the most romantic holiday of the year was about all he had to offer the other in return.

The thought sobered him and he was about to apologise when again Lan Xichen forestalled it by dropping the other parcel in his lap.

Lan Xichen actually looked a little giddy, and it made Jiang Cheng forget his own incompetence for the second time in virtually as many minutes; he pulled the lid off the box.

And his soul left his body.

He genuinely didn’t know where to put his eyes; he was fucking sure he’d never be able to look Lan Xichen in the face again.

As soon as he thought it his eyes snapped up, “Y-you got me cat ears? For Valentines Day? Do you want your legs breaking?”

“Don’t be silly, I got me cat ears. And you missed the cute little paw-print choker” Lan Xichen pointed helpfully into the bottom of the box. “I thought you might struggle to have a gift arranged with attending your seminar, so I took the liberty of helping out. I thought you might like to...” he gestured at Jiang Cheng.

Had his eyes bulged? He felt like his eyes bulged.

This manipulative little shit though.

“Are you insane, do you crave death?”

There was a delicate shrug, “I thought you’d look very cute, is all. I understand if you don’t want to” despite his claimed understanding, Lan Xichen managed to sound pouty; but the box was put aside and wasn’t mentioned again by him.

                                                           ***

“You’re a fucking idiot” Jiang Cheng told himself later, as he stood in front of the vanity mirror in the bathroom.

Lan Xichen had taken a call from his uncle about bank business and Jiang Cheng had used the opportunity to grab the forgotten gift box and sequester himself in the en suite.

Was he really going to allow himself to be manipulated into this?

He was sure the embarrassment would make him squirm for years to come if he did.

He looked down at the cat ear headband in his hands, then back at the mirror.

He was more than a little tempted to just throw them straight into the bin, but the soft, sulky look on Lan Xichen’s face earlier had tickled his sense of guilt. Of course the other looked gorgeous even in his petulance, and he wasn’t by nature a sullen creature, so Jiang Cheng was fully aware it was all skin deep for the purpose of manoeuvring him into giving in and wearing the cursed objects; unfortunately his body was unable to build up the immunity required to protect against Lan Xichen.

He supposed he should just be thankful there was no butt-plug tail…

He let out a long, heartfelt sigh, placed the ears to one side and reached for the choker.

                                                             ***

He supposed the sexier thing to do would have been to strip naked, or at least take his t-shirt off, but he was fucked if he was going to make it even more embarrassing for himself. Therefore he was still fully clothed in his dark jeans and white v-neck t-shirt when he heard Lan Xichen enter the bedroom.

He wavered at the bathroom door for several seconds, his face a beacon of flushed self-consciousness.

He knew if he left it any longer he’d bottle it, and it would render the most embarrassing part of actually putting the accessories on and seeing himself in the mirror, moot, so he sucked in a quick, steadying breath and walked out into the bedroom.

He definitely couldn’t meet Lan Xichen’s gaze now though.

He looked determinedly at the floor as Lan Xichen turned to him.

He heard the sucked in breath, “Wanyin” the other’s voice was delighted and he expected to be crowded by Lan Xichen; either hugged or kissed. Instead he heard the double click of a mobile taking pictures.

His temper overtook his embarrassment, his eyes flared as they rose to take in Lan Xichen holding his phone.

He leapt forward, intending to take the mobile off Lan Xichen with a snarled; “You asshole”

Lan Xichen was so much faster though, and quicker than Jiang Cheng could react he caught Jiang Cheng’s wrists and used his attacking momentum to overbalance him and send them both down to the mattress. Jiang Cheng’s wrists were pinned to the bed and the offending mobile had vanished out of sight.

“You can delete the pictures later, I promise” Lan Xichen said as he looked down into Jiang Cheng’s incensed face.

“Why not now, asshole?” he swore he wasn’t going to give the other the satisfaction of pulling on his wrists, but he couldn’t help it and he ended up trying to twist his body beneath Lan Xichen; who of course greatly enjoyed the friction.

“Because I quite like you where you are right now, A-Cheng. Such a hissing, spitting kitten” Lan Xichen mocked, keeping out of biting range, but Jiang Cheng had begun to calm down as soon as he realised Lan Xichen had enacted the whole scenario to make him forget his embarrassment.

“Such a spoiled little prince, manoeuvring to get his own way all the time” Jiang Cheng snapped up at Lan Xichen, whose eyes shone with amusement.

“Let me show you the benefit of being with a spoiled prince who always gets his own way then; if I petted you nicely, would you purr for me?”

“So fucking shameless. How thick is your face that you can spout such rubbish constantly?”

“It’s a good thing we don’t both have a thin face, A-Cheng” Lan Xichen took a chance and leaned down to nuzzle at Jiang Cheng’s jawline; when the other didn’t react negatively he followed it’s line with a trail of gentle kisses, before capturing Jiang Cheng’s mouth, his own firm and possessive.

#Jiang Family AU #excerpt #XiCheng #told you JC would talk himself around to it in about an hour rather than disappoint LXC

[puppy-wc-designs]

i’m bringing this blog back mfs-

u h hi, i’m puppy, you might know me from my main @niightear. as my url may suggest (it doesn’t right now tho soflksjfls), i like snowdrop! she’s my fave,,,

um i want this blog to mainly function on a request system. request a cat and i’ll draw them at somepoint! i also think i’ll try to do emoji designs and other such things (i.e. name designs; you send me a cat name and i’ll design them, or hypokits; you send me a ship and i’ll draw/describe their kits), so feel free to send sets of three emojis and i’ll make a cat based on them, or a cat name to draw, or a ship to draw kits for!

#pinned post #puppy rambles #yowling #(that's my tag for rambling now i guess)

[copper-dragon-in-disguise]

Hi! I'd like to send in 20 and 66 for the ask game.

Hi! Thanks for the ask!

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

On my phone, totally. Easier to spellcheck, and also I write faster on there.

66. favorite flower(s)?

I've never really thought about this before, but I think...

Snowdrops.

like these. the ones that show up right after the snow melts.

#ask game #ihaveneverhadaclue