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whispereons · 3 months

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Oracle!Reader Part 22

Masterlist - Part 1, Part 21, Part 23

Warnings: Sagau Imposter au reader with lots of gore and stuff. Minors are warned but not prohibited.

“What a shrewd mortal you are.” The snake hisses as she travels down Baizhu’s arm to face you better. The V-shaped tongue does little to hide the ivory fangs hidden in her maw.

“I appreciate the compliment, but I suggest you reserve your judgment for the main topics of our discussion.”

“Arrogant too, I see!” An amused scoff leaves Changsheng at your bold words, all while Baizhu’s smile remains unchanging. After shutting the door behind him, he keeps his arm perched for Changsheng before sitting on the small stool near the bed.

“It seems you’re feeling much better now than last night. Are you experiencing any pain or discomfort?”

“None at all.” You lie politely. Getting tied down here any longer than the decided discharge time would be a hassle.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that.” Baizhu trails off to write something down on the paper he’s holding as Changsheng decides to start the discussion. Despite her small body, she speaks with the same pride the Adepti held.

“We are already well aware of your body’s abnormalities. But in order for us to get a proper grasp of the scar tissue culture, you’ll need to answer some personal questions.”

Smiling without a hint of unease, you respond as you sit up to face them. “Seems you’re quite interested in me. Or should I say suspicious?”

A swift denial is what you expect. Maybe a truthful answer showcasing her confidence could happen too.

“Does a human who would rather hide their face, rather than accept the consequences of being bare, have any right to question my curiosity?”

Snakes are known to be sly for a reason. Baizhu’s slight upturned eyes at Changsheng’s words only solidify that belief further.

“I guess it was a dumb question.” You shrug, the subtle jab rolling off you with ease. “I am quite popular, I strongly doubt that you've had a patient quite like me.”

Your teeth are bared in a grin at Changsheng, fully aware of what the display means to the animal.

She merely hmph’s at you before turning her head to the side as Baizhu cuts in amicably.

“Depending on what I discover in this sample, your words may be true Y/N. Why not first explain how you are the Creator’s oracle?”

Lips pursing as your eyes travel to the side of the room, your finger taps rhythmically on your chin. Wondering, contemplating on how you should answer.

At your silence, Changsheng’s eyes narrow as if she's frowning, while Baizhu’s smile turns almost sympathetic.

“I wouldn't pry into this matter as your physician, but as being an adventurer is your official occupation, I felt the need to question this Oracle one. Quite a few jobs connected to The Creator tend to manifest some otherwise unseen conditions.”

If one looked at it on the surface, they would see a concerned doctor looking to take all situations in accouint. But all you see is an ill person investigating a promising lead.

Baizhu’s quest for immortality was always closely connected to the Adepti, and you just had to be outed by a disciple of one.

“It's not like that child was the only one to refer to you as such. Why would an Oracle even hide such basic information from trusted acolytes like ourselves?”

Changsheng’s tone is scathing, and her question is sarcastic. The hot and cold of the pair’s demeanor and words were easy to recognize.

The kind of tactic they were trying to pull on you was the classic ‘good cop, bad cop’ schtick.

Baizhu’s honeyed words were to coax the information from someone nervous and fearful, while Changsheng’s harshness was meant to pressure and intimidate someone into spilling.

Something this dubious in a medical setting shouldn't exist. At least not yet, anyway. Most medical malpractice from eras in the past were born from discrimination, religious propaganda and general inexperience of the human anatomy and physiology.

It sure as hell shouldn't work on any sane adult, let alone from someone like Baizhu who is widely trusted but also suspected.

But then you think back on the kind of people that exist in Teyvat. The strange practices seen as normal, the terrifying yet mesmerizing creatures that roam, and your cult…

Yeah, more than one person must have bent to their will. While you doubt it was done with any bad intention. The fact of the matter is that Baizhu could have removed your mask, but clearly didn't. It still wasn't right.

Then again, why should you care? As long as you keep yourself in check to not reveal any more than necessary, then you were satisfied with that.

No need to play hero in a world that can't see past someone's physical features. The heart you once had that urged you to try and change to become a better person has already been burned away.

“Well, this is classified information, but I do have approval to explain my unique circumstances in these kinds of cases.”

Your smile is sheepish as you tilt your head and avoid their matching piercing gaze. As if you caved into their words and finally came clean.

“I suppose you can say that being an adventurer is my day job, as my true mission is to uncover the truths behind cult members and acolytes alike on their devotion to the Holy One.”

Baizhu’s smile widens, just a smidge at your words. Changsheng is not nearly as impressed and hisses out her first question.

“And how does that justify the matching scars along your body to the Almighty?”

Just how did Changsheng get to say such brutal questions without being frowned upon? Probably because she's a talking snake.

Many adults in this world probably find it unimaginable and fear her, thinking she's on the level of an Adepti. Others may view her as almost unreal and much like a doll to be played with, downplaying her words and sharp intellect like a child.

You just find her as surreal as a dream; Almost detached in a way from the sheer absurdity of a talking snake. It's only thanks to your knowledge from when you were a player that you can see her for herself.

Smiling, you reply to her question with a carefully constructed answer. Admittedly, this question was always one you were afraid of encountering.

“This body belongs to The Creator, and The Creator alone. When I was first summoned by the Almighty and commanded of my mission, they desired to mark me in a way that no one could deny as a connection to them. I chose to be scarred in the same fashion as them.”

A wide smile, almost manic in nature, stretches across your mouth. Calloused fingers intertwined before covering your lips as if to coyly hide.

“And what better way is there? A subtle yet bold imprinting of the Creator’s hold over me. A way to experience the suffering our poor God must have gone through to be branded like that.”

Words spoken colorfully are nearly purred before you're left with uncontrollable giggles. You finally calm down with a dreamy sigh as you look at the contracted partners.

Baizhu and Changsheng are silent throughout your whole act. The only movement made was them sharing a glance.

And there is only one emotion you can see bloom so vividly in their exchanged eyes.

Discomfort.

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

It's safe to say that neither of them asked any more questions about the matter. Changsheng basically fled the room to “bask in the sun on the windowsill in the hall rather than stay with a human like that.”

You don't take any offense to it. In fact, you're overjoyed that your act worked. The only way to stop them from coming to the natural question of: “Does this mean their face is also like the Creator’s?” was to stop them from wanting to think on that train of thought.

It's exactly why you've been so careful to not let your body be so exposed. At least in regard to your torso, as scars on limbs are much easier to disregard.

Acting as a fanatic really was one of the best and easiest ways to throw off suspicion. No one really tries to dig for anything from a crazy person. After all, they have no sensible rhyme or reason to their actions.

It, of course, came with its own risks. Doing it too much will make people think that you’re actually insane rather than just unstable and will never trust you. And even the act itself can only work in certain situations with the right people, or else everything will fall apart.

That’s why you only use it when you see no other choice like now. Both Baizhu and Changsheng are under confidentiality agreements to not speak about you as a patient and considering the normal behavior for believers, your actions shouldn’t be too taboo.

Just a tad bit surprising.

The feather-light tap on your shoulder pulled you out of your thoughts as you look at the ever-present smile on the doctor. Baizhu sits back down on the stool once he’s sure he has your attention before speaking.

“Since you’ve explained more than enough about your background, we can move on to taking a culture sample of the scar tissue.” Your eyes roam the room for any tools needed for the procedure, and furrow when you fail to find any.

“At least that’s what I would say if I didn’t take it during the initial treatment.” If Baizhu wasn’t such a good doctor, you would ask if his license was revoked yet. This sure as hell doesn’t sound legal.

Annoyance must have been clear on your face as Baizhu leans a little closer to respond calmly. “I can assure you that this is very normal and practiced by many physicians. I just felt the need to tell you, as we agreed to you receiving a form of compensation.”

His eyes slither down your body to linger on where he must have taken the sample. “It would have been a hassle for us both if I waited till now to take it. I would have had to cut your skin after it healed so nicely, meaning you would be at risk for an infection.”

Baizhu may not be acting as obviously as a fanatic as you were earlier, but he was making you wildly uncomfortable. It’s a struggle to keep your body from tensing up under his growing gaze.

“So what did you choose as compensation? Last time we spoke about this, I don’t believe you had a set answer yet.”

With your mind reorienting back to how you can gain from this situation, you request your choice confidently.

“I want the strongest knock-out drug or sedation or whatever other name it goes by that you have. Something that can’t be obtained over the counter. Something that borders on being illegal.”

Was it strange to request this? It seems so, judging by Baizhu’s smile dropping as his eyebrows pinch together in what could be confused as worry.

But it’s a necessity to you.

Yelan and Shenhe couldn’t be dealt with due to the strength imbalance. That would take months, if not years, for you to get to a level where you can fight them one on one without using every means possible to win. Other acolytes exist that were even better than them, some that weren’t even human.

As the environment and tools in your disposal were much different and limited compared to when you were on Earth, you needed something more on the trap side. Having that weird, almost instant knowledge of weapons, elemental energy and rare bursts of power was the most you could ask for in combat. But it would be best to avoid combat if you can.

This drug would be the perfect way to.

“There are plenty of sleeping aids available over the counter. Why not choose from them rather than get a prescription for one from me?”

Baizhu is more than well aware of why you are requesting this, as he specifically addresses it as a mere ‘sleeping aid’. Whether he’s worried about you or for you doesn’t matter.

“I’m not questioning and probing for more answers as to how my tissue sample is so connected to your research. So you shouldn’t be trying to question mine, either.”

His whole face seems to light up at your swift and defensive response. “You have nothing to worry about, my dear.”

A smooth chuckle leaves him as he leans down to whisper into your ear from where you sit on the bed. “I’ll get you exactly what you desire and with any luck, my research will make leaps and bounds of progress.”

Goosebumps are raised across your skin as he stands back up straight. The square-framed glasses almost hiding the slitted golden eyes that try to devour you glint from the sunlight streaming in.

Baizhu leaves and you can finally breathe.

—----------------------

Time passes by slowly and with little options to cure your boredom, you find yourself engrossed in deciding which of Teyvat’s many delicacies you want to try. Last time you cooked on Beidou’s ship, the cooking laws followed the same logic as it did when you played the game.

It was one of the few perks you had from being the Creator. You had to make it count.

Even if it was just to distract yourself from overthinking the upcoming meeting with Ningguang.

It’s the wind’s echoing of the footsteps gradually getting louder that pull you out of the screen and back into the present. With a satisfying stretch, you sit up properly and yell a “Come in!” when a knock rings out.

Different shades of blue hair can be seen entering as Xingqiu strolls in with Chongyun behind him.

You greet them first with a toothy smile and lazy wave. “It's been a while since we last saw each other. Glad to see you both made it back here safely.”

Tension immediately leaves Xingqiu’s shoulders at your words, as Chongyun moves past him to take a hold of your shoulders.

“How could you be so reckless?!” His hair is slicked back, giving you a clear view of his pinched brows and lips bitten raw.

“The Adepti aren't beings to mess with, you could have really died!” Did he think the Adepti were responsible for your injuries? It would be the only logical conclusion, since Yelan chasing you was definitely a secret operation and Shenhe was just by chance.

“I shouldn't have let the confusing mess sweep me along, making me blindly listen to you. Maybe then you wouldn't have gotten this seriously hurt.”

He's hot, you blandly take note as his fingers dig into the clothing. It even seeped through your clothing, but you can't bring yourself to push him off.

Not when he's trying to hide how they shake as if he's the one shivering in a snowstorm.

“Why did you push us to leave with the victims? You and Xingqiu are eloquent enough to have convinced them to let you come back with us! How could you push us away?!”

… Was he trying to blame you? Briefly looking away from the frosty yet heated gaze of Chongyun, you glance at Xingqiu. His head is turned away, and he makes no effort to stop or step in.

“If you just let us help you rather than pushing us away, everything could have been avoided!” What the hell? “I should have just ran back when we were still close enough. Then you wouldn't have been so severely hurt.”

The constant whiplash of Chongyun’s words and emotions confused you. Grabbing his hands, you pry him off and pushed him away.

“I don't understand what you're trying to tell me. Okay, maybe better choices could have been made, but what's the point in dwelling on them now?” There's an annoyed bite to your tone that slips out.

Like gasoline to a fire, Chongyun explodes on you.

“What's the point?! The point is that you nearly died due to something that could have been prevented if we just thought a little harder! What if you died? What would you do then? Nothing! Because it'd be too late!”

His face is red as he yells, and his words feel like a forgotten consciousness crawling back to you. Infesting you with the long forgotten fear of what death had in store for you.

“So what?! That's for me to deal with, not you! If I die then, I die and if I live, then I live.” There's an ugly smile on your face that twists into a snarl. “You don't need to feel responsible for what happened, okay? So don't try to berate me and stew on what is already done.”

Jitters run through Chongyun’s body as he breathes loudly and takes a step forward-Only to get stopped by Xingqiu grabbing his arm.

“Stop it Chongyun. That's enough, your yang spirit is out of control and making you hotheaded.”

“But they-”

“Enough.” Xingqiu’s voice is firm as his grip visibly tightens around the joint. “Cool off inside the room or outside. It's your choice.”

Chongyun glares at Xingqiu before ripping his hand away and stomping to the corner. It's only with the distance that you can see how his fingers tremble worse than an addict.

The popsicle he pulls out is shoved into his throat as sweat visibly sticks to his skin and his haggard breathing becomes visible.

Maybe you should feel sympathetic, but all you can hear is his anger and accusations in your ears.

“Y/N…” Xingqiu’s voice calls out, and you finally get to see his face and take note of the slight red rim around his eyes.

He's been crying, you realize, and what makes it worse is how uncomfortable you feel at the sight.

“Chongyun was definitely in the wrong for getting so mad and starting the fight with you.” He glances over at the Cryo user, who refuses to look at either of you.

You can spot faint bite marks dotting his fingernails.

“But it's not completely his fault either. He-We’ve been worried ever since we arrived at Liyue and never found you. We tried to-”

“That still doesn't make sense. Just why get so worked up over me missing a few days. I'm an adult, I'll be fine. Hell, I am fine!”

You're agitated and on edge, but for the life of you, you can't tell why. A small part of you, the sensible part of your brain, is already whispering that you're going too far, but you shut it down.

“Why even get mad at me about this? Why not the Adepti?!” Xingqiu’s silent stare at you is like needles prickling your skin.

The annoyance, frustration and confusion are what you cling to at this moment.

“Is it because they're firm believers of the Creator? Is it because you can't trust me as an Oracle?! Or is it because-”

“IT’S BECAUSE WE CARE!” Chongyun bellows out from his spot, whipping around to face you once more.

He takes long strides to you and reaches out his hands to touch you, to grab you-

But stops abruptly at your poorly hidden flinch. His expression morphs into something less fiery, with more hesitancy in his actions.

You let his hands awkwardly rest once again on your shoulders. But instead of the heat you experienced before, his fingers are cool but not cold.

“We were worried because we care about you.” Chongyun doesn't look the same as before. You decide to blame his hairstyle for that.

“I'm sorry for getting so worked up.” He starts slowly, his grip loosening with each word he utters. “I took the anger I had against myself on you, and I'm sorry for that.”

It's foreign to have them worry over your safety. To truly get this emotional over the thought of you dying.

But when you think back to your words and how you reacted in this whole argument, embarrassment creeps in.

“I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have snapped so easily and accused you guys of strange things.”

Yun Jin’s betrayal may have bothered you more than you realized. Not that you were unfamiliar with betrayal, but you didn't expect that a traditionally ‘good’ character would be so quick to sway.

The more you think about it, the more shame you feel.

“While I'm glad you both have made up for the high stress argument, I'm afraid we have more serious matters to discuss.”

Xingqiu’s words alert you both back into the present as he smoothly separates you from Chongyun.

“Ah, that's right, I almost forgot…” Chongyun mumbles to himself, only making you more confused on what the issue was.

“I'm not sure how, but the Qixing knew that you were the main party responsible for saving the kidnapped victims even before you arrived here in this state.”

What?

The surprise must have been clear on your face as Xingqiu repeated his words and explained with more detail.

“Ganyu did arrive and focus the spotlight on her, but the Qixing immediately poked holes in it. The most adamant was the Yuheng.”

How would your incident with the Geovishap hatchling make Keqing believe you would save the children and not be the one to kidnap them?

The guild wouldn't disclose that information. It was literally stated on the contract Khan signed due to the seriousness of the commission. The breech in the confidentiality contract would be enough to warrant a lawsuit or legal action, they wouldn't risk it.

Did you talk to any guards about the case when searching for information? Anyone notable enough to report to Keqing?

It was no use, you couldn't remember all the details due to how long it's been since then.

“We thought that maybe you had already talked to her, so we brushed it off, but it got worse when we tried to go find you.”

Xingqiu gestures animatedly as he speaks. “Not only were there almost double the guards around the main entrances and exits, but I noticed at least four guards following me in the days leading up to your appearance.”

“We were repeatedly stopped from leaving and even when we tried leaving through unconventional ways, they still found us.” Chongyun finishes as he recounts the events.

“Only once were we able to leave the city in the dead of night, and it was the Yuheng herself that stopped us. She said that since we brought the victims back, she had reason to keep us in the city until further notice.”

Xingqiu scowls as he remembers the memory before cursing. “One hell of a convenient ass excuse.”

Chongyun finishes their story as he opens the curtain slightly and gestures to you to look out with him.

“This morning we both received letters saying we were free to leave now. It was just a few minutes later that we heard about you being brought here. And what do we see when we came to visit the first time?”

Following Chongyun’s line of sight, your breath catches at the sight of a Millelith guard hiding in a shaded area under a golden leaf tree.

“There’s even more in buildings and outside the window view.” Xingqiu adds as he takes the other side beside you.

Knuckles clutching the window sill tightly, you forcibly breathe in and out. Thoughts of just how long they've been watching you, what they could have done, and what they could have seen whirls around your brain.

All those Crystalflies, weasel thieves and the conversations you exchanged were now at risk of being exposed. With your heart thumping painfully loud in your chest, you wonder: What could they have already reported?

What was all your work in keeping out of the Qixing’s sight for? Ganyu didn't have much power, Keqing is set against you, Yun Jin betrayed you, Beidou’s gone and Ningguang already tried to off you with Yelan.

What did you possibly have left?

The two hands that lay on you startle but also ground you back to the present. Smooth skin and icy fingers draw your eyes to switch between the two vision holders.

“It'll be okay, Y/N. If they truly wanted to kill you, then they wouldn't have let you rest easily here.”

“It's true, Ningguang once poisoned the water supply that specifically went to certain patients in a different clinic.”

And now you feel like shit again. It's not like you could trust Baizhu-you weren't even completely sure whether he intentionally hid the existence of the guards!

At your visible dampened mood, Chongyun lightly kicks Xingqiu’s shin, who only hisses at the pain before retaliating.

Watching them childishly fight like this is fun, a simple and small pleasure that you savor after all the bad news and confusing mysteries.

That's right. You weren't alone. Not totally, at least.

It was painful to think about how your plan to avoid and leisurely please the Qixing failed, but it wasn't all over. Xingqiu and Chongyun thoroughly proved themselves on whose side they were on.

And if push came to shove, you could agree to marry Zhongli and let him deal with your problems.

“Don't worry too much, you two.” At your sudden but cryptic words, both of them stop and look at you.

Smiling serenely despite the turbulence your heart was suffering through, you give a vague explanation.

“I already have a scheduled meeting with Ningguang. I'll either be praised by the masses as the oracle I am, or show up in a casket at the Wangsheng’s Funeral Parlor.”

Ending it with a sneaky grin, you press a finger to your lips. “I'm aiming for the third option of getting minor recognition before hitchhiking to Mondstadt.”

Rewriting this crap since TUMBLR KICKED ME OUT. I copy the ending that I wrote and only one word of it actually saved for me to paste. I wanna strangle this website. But anyway, got back from vacation, slept, unpacked and finished setting up everything properly after my editor finished. Just rechecked and turns out Tumblr also removed all the italics and bold which I had to re-add, how NICE I did manage to get a whole nice length chapter finished while I was away but I'm saving that for later as school is starting. I wanna have it there and post it in a while when I'm swamped while trying to get my school in order. So. Looking. Forward. To. It. :) I finished reading a few previous chapters to keep everything on track and wow. Y/N used to be so happy and hopeful lol. I would ask what happened but I’M what happened. It was still really fun to reread the adventure with Ayato. Perhaps it wasn’t obvious but Baizhu didn’t completely fall for the fanatic act. Changsheng trust her own judgement too much to look past the surface unless the person is visibly mysterious or pulling away. That’s why Baizhu could act the way he does despite the initial discomfort he felt (which was not faked) Taglist: Open as always!

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584 notes · View notes

akazzzaa · 5 months

Note

Gyutaro, Akaza, Muzan, Rui and Kokushibo reaction when Y/N says "I was born with a sick body, I die with a sick body" (it's not a fatal disease, only Reader has a lot of them that stay forever and don't can be cured)

Thank you for your ask! I enjoyed writing this! I was going to write head cannons but I accidently wrote a mini story lol

I understand that the illness is not fatal but reader is human and will die eventually I hope this clears confusion about somethings i've written : ))

Summary- Reader is ill a lot and tells them, "I was born with a sick body, I die with a sick body" Their reaction.

Genre- Angst

Warnings- Mentions of blood/ turning into a demon/ illness

Muzan

"I was born with a sick body," Y/N confessed, her voice barely more than a whisper, "and I will die with a sick body."

Muzan's expression remained impassive as he regarded Y/N. He had known about her condition from the moment they had first met, and he had grown fond of her, even though his affection for anyone was a rare occurrence. Y/N had brought a unique warmth into his otherwise cold existence.

Y/N continued, "But I don't want to die, Muzan. I want to live, to be with you forever."

Muzan's eyes narrowed, and a wicked grin crept across his face as he considered Y/N words. The thought of granting her eternal life, and ensuring that they would be together for all time, was tantalizing.

With a swift, predatory movement, Muzan closed the distance between himself and Y/N, his fingers brushing against her fragile skin. His voice, as smooth as silk but laced with a dangerous undertone, rumbled, "Are you sure, Y/N? Once I make you a demon, there's no turning back. You will lose your humanity, and you will become a demon, just like me."

Y/N nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. "I don't care, Muzan. I want to be with you, no matter the cost''

Muzan, whose very existence was built on manipulation and cruelty, found himself conflicted. For the first time in centuries, he felt a strange emotion welling up within him—an emotion he could scarcely identify as love. He leaned in and pressed his lips against Y/N forehead, leaving a mark that would burn like a brand.

In a voice filled with dark promise, Muzan murmured, "Very well, Y/N. I will grant your wish, but remember this: Once you become a demon, there's no turning back. You will belong to me for all eternity."

Y/N nodded, her heart filled with a mix of fear and devotion.

Kokushibo

Kokushibo had done everything in his power to find a cure for her, but his relentless quest had taken a toll on him, leading him deeper into darkness. Desperation weighed heavily upon him as he knelt by her bedside, his eyes filled with anguish.

"I was born with a sick body," she whispered, her voice barely more than a fragile breath, "I die with a sick body."

Kokushibo's heart ached at her words. He had exhausted every possible means to heal her, and the realization that he might lose her was unbearable. Kokushibo's hand trembled as he reached out to touch her frail fingers. "No," he pleaded, "I cannot bear to see you suffer any longer, my love. There must be a way to save you, to make you immortal, to grant you the strength and health you deserve."

Tears welled up in his eyes, and with a mixture of sorrow and determination, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. A chilling aura enveloped them both as he poured his demonic blood into her weakened body, desperately seeking a way to transform her into a demon.

The transformation began to take place. Her once fragile form contorted, her skin paling further, and her eyes now gleaming with a demonic hue. She gasped, the pain and agony of the transformation evident on her face. Kokushibo watched in a mixture of hope and despair as her body changed, an aura of darkness replacing the fragility that had marked her human existence.

Akaza

Y/N closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her thoughts. She took a deep breath and finally spoke the words that had been haunting her for so long. "I was born with a sick body, Akaza," she confessed. "I will die with a sick body."

Akaza's grip on her hand tightened, and his eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow. He drew her close, wrapping his strong arms around her delicate frame. "Y/N, no matter what, I love you," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I don't care about the state of your body. We will face this together, as long as we have, and cherish the time we have left."

As the moonlight bathed the two lovers in its gentle glow, Y/N was overcome with a mixture of relief and gratitude. She never thought she could be loved so deeply by a demon, and in that moment, she knew she had made the right choice in sharing her secret with Akaza. But just as they held each other, an unexpected surge of emotions coursed through Akaza. His demon instincts, usually well-contained, took over in an uncontrollable burst of rage and grief.

Y/N gasped, startled by the sudden change in Akaza. She realized that he had reacted this way not out of anger but out of love and despair. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her. Tears welled up in Akaza's golden eyes as he held Y/N close. "I won't let you go," he vowed, "I'll do whatever it takes to keep you by my side, for as long as we have."

Gyutaro

"Gyutaro," she whispered softly, her voice trembling, "I was born with a sick body, and I will die with a sick body."

Gyutaro's expression softened, a rarity for the bloodthirsty demon. He had known about her condition, but hearing her speak these words pierced his heart like a sword. He turned to her, his eyes reflecting an unusual tenderness, and said, "I don't care about your illness, my love. I only care about being with you."

Unbeknownst to them, Muzan Kibutsuji, had been watching their love story unfold. Muzan, always seeking to create powerful demons, saw an opportunity to turn Y/N into one. He couldn't resist the chance to corrupt the innocence and love that Gyutaro and Y/N shared.

Muzan, using his powers, infiltrated Gyutaro mind and corrupted Y/N's body. She began to transform into a demon, her once-kind eyes turning crimson, and her gentle smile now twisted into a sinister grin.

The night Gyutaro discovered Y/N's transformation was a nightmare he could never forget. He walked into their home to find Y/N in her demonic state, her eyes filled with malice and hunger. She lunged at him with inhuman speed, her fangs bared and claws extended.

Rui (platonic- he views you as family)

In a dimly lit room, the air was heavy with an unsettling tension. Rui, sat on a throne carved from his webs. His eyes gleamed with curiosity and intrigue as a fragile, pale-skinned human stood before him, her voice trembling with vulnerability.

"I was born with a sick body," the human confessed, her voice barely above a whisper, "and I die with a sick body."

Rui's sharp ears perked up. He had heard countless pleas and confessions over the last two decades, but there was something different about this one. The human's words were not a request for power or salvation, but a raw, unfiltered statement of their own fate.

Rui's expression softened, a rare hint of empathy flickering in his eyes. He understood how you felt for some reason. Intrigued by the human's plight, Rui rose from his throne and approached her. His presence seemed to envelop the room as he reached out a hand, his touch both cold and comforting. "I can offer you a chance," he whispered, his eyes locking onto the human's gaze. "I can make you a part of my family, a demon in your own right. With my power, you will no longer suffer alone, and you will have the strength to face your fate."

The human hesitated for a moment, fear and hope warring within her heart. In that moment, she realized she had nothing left to lose and everything to gain. With a trembling nod, she accepted Rui's offer, and the transformation began.

#demon slayer #kny #kny x reader #akaza x reader #muzan x reader #muzan kibutsuji #akaza #kokushibo x reader #kokushibo #gyutaro #gyutaro x reader #rui #rui x reader

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mochinomnoms · 6 months

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A Floral Inconvenience

You came into Twisted Wonderland with nothing but the clothes on your back, a literally fiery cat, and an immune system not conditioned to handle the foreign antibodies in the air, earth, or water. It was honestly a miracle that you hadn’t caught some sort of incurable disease, probably because most diseases here required magical output to survive, like plants and water. You weren’t immune to your own feelings though, and magical disease and illnesses have a funny way of adapting themselves to their potential host. It was then that you found yourself prepared for springtime hay fever and allergies, after all pollen was pollen no matter where you were at. What was unexpected, and thus not prepared for, was the disease known as hanahaki, or the flower sickness. Long ago, there existed a family of mages that lived in a small mountain village deep within a jungle that was established by a family of mages. The family protected their village with fantastical and magical abilities, each unique and extraordinary as generation from generation grew. One of those mages, the Flower Bride, had the ability to grow a magnificent array of flora with just the wave of her hand! Flor de mayo, jacarandas, figs and vines all made their home with the Flower Bride. She had a heart so full of feelings, love for her home, family, and her beloved, of course, that her very emotions affected how dazzling those blooms were. The Flower Bride then decided that others should be able to demonstrate their love in the same beauteous display as she did: after all, who wouldn’t want their love developing into only the most lovely blooms? As such, hanahaki was born. Some see it was a blessing, a push, an opportunity for one to confront their feelings. It’s a realization that what they’re feeling is indeed true, the type of love that can only be achieved in fairytales. Others saw it as an inconvenience: after all, sometimes it just wasn’t the right time to confess your love, or they’d be coughing up petals mid-speech, kind of annoying honestly. Yet the sickness would continue until they acknowledge their feelings, the love died down, or it became a chronic illness. Officially dubbed hanahaki by researchers in the East, the disease was also referred to as the flower sickness, being twitterpated, and sometimes even the lovesick florae by the general population. The most commonly afflicted persons fit into two categories: the positively, without a doubt, enamored sort, the twitterpated or lovesick sort of folk. Or, they were the kind to bury their feelings deep deep down and just one day die. It wasn’t unique to any singular species either. It had adapted to afflict humans, beastmen, and even merfolk. Why, not even fae were immune despite their natural immunity to magical disease. Really, it shouldn’t have been any surprise that the emotionally stunted students of Night Raven College would be prime targets for their own bout of hanahaki.

An event to christen the creation of my blog! Please feel free to request or use for your own!

Requests Close 10/20/2023

Rules

Anyone can use this event and prompts on their own blog! Tag me in so I can read all your stories!

This event will be for TWST on my end, others are free to use for whatever they'd like!

All request will be up to 2000+ words, with a max of 3 characters per request.

Chose up one prompt for each character and indicate if you want romantic or platonic. You can also indicate if you want fluff, hurt/comfort, suggestive, etc.

No NSFW for this event (on my end at least, everyone else go nuts)

Reader will default to gender-neutral unless asked otherwise

Dialogue Prompts

“Why is your trash can full of flower petals? Are you secretly a botanist, or is there something you're not telling me?”

“So, I hear you've been coughing up daisies lately. Got any plans to enter the flower business?”

“You know you have it bad when you start sneezing petals every time your crush walks by. At least it's a colorful allergy!”

“I can't believe you're faking a cough just to get some attention. And you're using fake flowers for the petals? That's commitment!”

“I think the local florist is in love with me. Their shop is making a killing off my Hanahaki. Do you think they'll give me a discount?”

“You've got to stop sending secret admirer bouquets to yourself. The delivery guy is starting to think you have a dozen secret admirers.”

“I've heard of wearing your heart on your sleeve, but wearing petals in your hair is a whole new level of fashion statement.”

“I have a steady, loving partner. you on the other hand have a left hand and a sunflower cough.”

“Why'd I have to get a nose full of lilies? I'm allergic, this is so unfair.”

“You think with all the lavender on my head I could make my own syrup out of it?”

“No, I've been practicing my sleight of hand! Watch as I make a bouquet of tulips magically appear—ACK!”

“No, I haven't been growing marigolds out of my ass. Why would you even ask that?!”

“Here, your favorite flower! Hmm? Where'd I get them? Uh, I just found them, around…”

“I'd rather have the thorniest, pesticide ridden roses grow in my mouth before I'd ever admit having any sort of affection for them!”

“Sooo, are you gonna apologize for puking dahlias all over my breakfast?”

“I've never heard of a flower sickness, are you talking about seasonal allergies?”

“Look, even if confessing would let me get rid of the poppies, I'd rather not. Maybe I'll just learn how to make poppy seed muffins or something.”

“Is this normal here?” “Only for the emotionally unavailable folk.” “Ah, so it is.”

“Dude, are your freckles turning into baby's breath?” “AHH!”

“Aren't lotus flowers really good for your skin? Babeeey, I'm set for life—” “NOT WHEN THEY'RE GROWING OUT OF YOUR EARS!”

“Look, I care for you and want you to get laid, but imagine all the money we'd save on tea if you kept growing chamomile from your head.”

“Blehhhg…” “You know I always knew I'd be holding your hair back as you puked your stomach out at a party, I thought it be from the alcohol though, not flowers.”

“You know, some people pay a lot of money for Hanahaki bouquets, have you considered—OW! It was just a suggestion!”

“I'm so happy that you confessed first.” “Why?” “If I had to dig out another hydrangea petal from my teeth, I was gonna lose it.”

“Man, sunflowers have got to be the worst to be puking up.” “Nah man, it's roses and their thorns! They scrap up all up your gums, my dentist bill after was ridiculous!”

🌸 a floral inconvenience masterlist 🌸

gardenias & peonies: silver x f!reader – #13

stargazer lilies: sebek zigvolt x f!reader – #5

dahlias; zinnias & cosmos: ruggie bucchi, trey clover, [separate] x gn!reader - #15, #1

teonanácatl mushrooms: jade leech x gn!reader - #18

lavender roses: floyd leech x gn!reader - #14

lavender: azul ashengrotto x gn!reader - #18

marigold: vil schoenheit, platonic!ace trappola x gn!reader - #7 & #12

blue hydrangeas: idia shroud x f!reader - #24

baby's breath & red roses: riddle rosehearts x f!reader - #14 & #19 [QUEUED]

amaryllis: lilia vanrouge x gn!reader - #1 [PENDING]

carnations: leona kingscholar x gn!reader - #18 [PENDING]

asters; purple hydrangeas: ace trappola, jamil viper [spearate] x gn!reader - #22, #24 [PENDING]

gerbera daisies: trey clover x gn!reader - #3 [PENDING]

orange poppies & water lilies: azul ashengrotto x gn!reader - #17 [PENDING]

sunflowers: jack howl x gn!reader - #8 [PENDING]

chrysanthemums: jamil viper x gn! reader - #1 [PENDING]

green roses: malleus draconia x gn!reader - #13 & #14 [PENDING]

pink poppies & cala lilies: jamil viper x gn!reader - #17 & #22 [PENDING]

sunflowers: leona kingscholar x f!reader - #8 [PENDING]

BONUS:

azaleas, cornflowers, & white roses: ace trappola, deuce space [poly] x gn! reader - #6, #3, & #22 [PENDING]

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst prompts #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #a floral inconvenience #writing prompts #hanahaki au #mochi masterlist

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art-that-fucks-you-up-tournament · 8 months

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SET FOUR - ROUND ONE - MATCH SEVEN

"Statue of Vincent and Theo van Gogh" (1963-1964 - Ossip Zadkine) / "Jeanne d’Arc écoutant les voix (Joan of Arc Listening to the Voices)" (1876 - Eugène-Romain Thirion)

STATUE OF VINCENT AND THEO VAN GOGH: i'll let geoff dyer (from his book of collected essays and reviews, titled 'otherwise known as the human condition') explain why i love it so much: “It is not immediately obvious which of Zadkine’s figures is Vincent and which is Theo. Like all who relieve the suffering of others, Theo—in a process that is the exact opposite of a blood transfusion—has taken some of Vincent’s pain into himself. Soon, however, it becomes obvious that while the sky weighs heavily on both figures, one, Vincent, feels gravity as a force so terrible it can drag men beneath the earth. From this moment on you are held by the pathos and beauty of what Zadkine depicts: despair that is inconsolable, comfort that is endless. One figure says, “I can never feel better,” the other, “I will hold you until you are better.” (@carryingpitchers)

JEANNE D'ARC ÉCOUTANT LES VOIS (JOAN OF ARC LISTENING TO THE VOICES): The expression on her face, oof. I see a somber realization of what she has been tasked with and what it will most likely mean (@unbelievable-screaming-moth)

("Statue of Vincent and Theo Van Gogh" is a 2.5 m (8.2 ft) high bronze statue by Ossip Zadkine. It is located close to the Van Gogh church, and near the house where Vincent and Theo were born.

"Jeanne d’Arc écoutant les voix" (Joan of Arc listening to the Voices) is an oil on canvas painting by Eugène-Romain Thirion. It measures 225cm x 163cm (88.5 x 64 in) and is located in the Church of Notre-Dame in Chatou.)

#art that fucks you up tournament #polls #atfyu polls #id in alt text #please click through and read the inscription on the van gogh statues #cw eye contact

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cupids-chamber · 1 year

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— "HOW THEY MEET THEIR TARA/HOW THEY KNOW IT'S YOU" (DORM LEADERS) & TARA AU

What are the conditions in where they know it's you, how they feel.. What are their next moves?..

A/N: I haven't seen any other creator make this particular au, so I made it, it's basically the au of an manwha I read! (Though I have changed multiple details, and will continue adding my own twist) If you have questions/requests about this au, feel free to ask me!

GENDER NEUTRAL READER WARNINGS: Slight yandere themes (Implied in some parts)

Astarol, a God's perfect creation.. a demigod of sorts, they were blessed with everything a human being could desire, and lived among mortals.. yet they had one fatal flaw..

Astarol's were cursed to fall for a Tara, otherwise known as human's, it all started when the very first Astarol fell for a demon, causing them to be kicked out of heaven, as they had been tainted in God's eyes..

They say when an Astarol first locks eyes with their Tara they'd know immediately, as if their entire world is standing in front of them... However, this was heavily one-sided.. as a Tara would never truly feel the same way.

Vil's biggest pride was his elegance, and sheer perfection, it didn't take much for him to get what he desired, being an Astarol he was blessed at birth, with riches and power beyond one's wildest imagination.

He had met his Tara in his mid 20's, the moment he locked eyes with you', he was aware that you were his.. the gesture didn't last long as you looked away without much care.. it irked him on the contrary, most would glance his way for prolonged periods of time, hoping he'd notice them.. yet you seemed not to care in the slightest!

The way his gaze lingered on you, as you walked away without much care, exiting the gardens... he almost forgot he was in public! He was attending Marchioness Elodie's tea party.. he hoped no one noticed him losing his composure.

On that note, he should find out who you were.. he wanted to see you again- No.. he needed to see you again.. it felt odd, something had changed..

Riddle grew up quite humbler then the average Astarol, sure he had everything within arms reach.. Yet his mother prevented him from doing so.. he wasn't particularly attached to anything, in the slightest.

He had come to enjoy sweets and whatnot, once he of course gained freedom, after his mothers.. rather miserable end.

Riddle's mind was quite elsewhere, he never imagined the thought of finding his Tara, something many questioned him for.. he had someone predestined just for him. And yet he didn't care for it.

Being closed off it was rare to see Riddle going out and meeting others, staying within his closed circle of friends he had made during his childhood, and a handful of others he had met along the way in his journey's, and business endeavors.

During a Business party, Riddle found himself out in the balcony, catching a breather, something he'd often do in crowded events such as this. He took a deep breath, taking another sip of the alcohol free beverage he had picked up.. God knew how bad he was with alcohol.. That's when he looked down, and saw you...

Your eyes locked for but a moment, yet he couldn't comprehend how he felt.. his world felt full.. and colorful.. so sweet.. like a tart, on a summer day.. He couldn't look away.. watching you till you disappeared from view. That's when he knew.. that you were his.. and he didn't plan on letting you go.

Malleus was a prince of a highly respected family and a Astarol, he was praised from left to right, yet was viewed unapproachable. It came as no surprise as he was a standoff-ish person, and preferred staying in a close knit group of friends.

However, he did make an effort in attending certain events and socializing, after all he had an image to maintain.. And he planned to keep it intact..

That's when he saw you!... dancing with someone else.. the ball was crowded yet by accident the two of locked eyes, and his gaze continued lingering on your form, he felt as if he had just seen his entire world, right in front of him.. stolen from him..

His gaze turned towards your partner.. his stern yet soft gaze turned into a glare, as he dug holes to the person's back.. He had hoped his concerns were for nothing..

Calling his aide to do a background check on you.. even if that thing was of any value to you... who would refuse the words of the future king..

Leona was the second child of a wealthy kingdom.. however, unlike his brother.. he was an Astarol.. A fact, he'd prefer keeping hidden, yet his pride refuted such an idea.

He watched the crowds from a distance, staying cooped up within his palace.. he preferred to rest in and never entertained the idea of attending every single social gathering he was invited too. His days were quite peaceful for an Astarol.. except for the day's his nephew would barge into his home as if it was his own.. Clinging onto him, as if he was a magnet.

Unluckily, as Leona had gotten older and received his own title, land, and wealth.. he was required to attend more and more events.. be it for conventional reasons, or to maintain a certain relationship between families..

It was at one of these many events that Leona had first laid eyes on you, it was the national founding day and the nobles were as lively as ever. Approaching the prince ever so often.. to be brutally honest, he couldn't care in the slightest.. wishing that he could go home..

He prayed that some sort of interesting event would happen today, something that could have kept him entertained.. and it did.. He locked eyes with you for but a brief moment, as you entered the palace, late as ever..

He grinned, were you stunned by his beauty? Taking aback by his looks by any chance.. 'Hey!?!?! Why were you looking away?'

Azul prided his title as a Astarol, he had wealth beyond anyone's imagination, and connections with many outside his continent. He had lived quite luxuriously, and it would seem as if he could care less about his Tara, but that was a very wrong assumption.. Azul wanted nothing more but to meet his Tara.

Someone who was meant for him, predestined to be with him. The thought filled him up with joy, he spent many sleepless nights wondering of the day he'd come to meet you face to face.. He wondered how it felt like, meeting your Tara..

Azul, was a closed off and hard to reach person.. It was difficult to book and appointment with him, and you'd have to be lucky, powerful, wealthy, or even have extremely good connections, to even dream of attending one of his events.. Except for the yearly charity event that the Ashengrotto family holds every year, which was open to everyone, all other events held by the family were private, grand yet held for only the most prestigious and elite in society.

Azul often hoped that at one of these events, or even the charity event, will be where he first meets you.. Yet his hopes were in vain.. Floyd had forced the poor Astarol to attend the opening of the new opera house with him, and at then he locked eyes with you, you were in the crowd with who he assumed was your immediate family or friends.

The moment was brief and you quickly turned another way, breaking contact.. but it was enough time for the lovesick Astarol to know who you were....

Idia was born into a highly prestigious family.. and he was an Astarol no less! Surely, he'd be a prideful and full of confidence- Well it's not like Idia wasn't confident.. He just preferred the idea of not-mixing with humans.

He viewed himself as a worthy being, quite above others.. he didn't even think of his Tara to be quite honest.. For a Tara is known to be the biggest curse to an Astarol.. or so he's overheard from the staff.

He grew up with high intelligence, and was viewed with respect.. He had access to all the luxuries one would crave for, and continued making a name for himself, with his many inventions that he had created over the past years. Publicly, he was loved, as all Astarol's are, yet he rarely made contact with the outside world, he preferred locking himself away in his study, creating various new devices to help with everyone's day to day life. Truly a genius of the time..

Yet like all noble's, Idia had to make an appearance in Royal banquets.. and some other events too, where he tried his best avoiding full crowds and staying out of the limelight... but.. while Idia planned his not-so graceful escape from the crowds, he met face to face with you.. locking eyes..

Something in him changed at that very moment.. He watched as you.. a human quickly excused yourself and left him without much care, his gaze lingered onto your form... He expected to be acknowledged.. rarely if not never was he NOT acknowledged.. He was an Astarol.. And a famous figure.. Why weren't you acknowledging him? Don't you realize what you are??

At that very moment Idia failed to remember an important fact.. how only Astarol's knew who their Tara was.. not the other way around..

Kalim was born with wealth beyond one's wildest dreams, and his parents had taught him all about his duties as an heir.. and an Astarol... He grew up witnessing how in love his parents truly were, and how he hoped his relationship would be similar if not exact to the one his parent's had.. Their love was so indefinitely perfect and sweet.. Kalim couldn't have preferred anything else..

Kalim grew up with everything.. he wanted or needed.. if he so much as looked at a item with interest, he'd receive it. And he carried that mindset well into adulthood... even when it game to friendships. No one ever brought up his behavior and wrongs.. Making him all the more oblivious to the wrongs he might've done.. And no one would tell him about his wrongs, his power was overwhelming to the normal human beings who craved nothing more but peace.

Kalim threw luxurious parties, often... his spending of course came with a limit, he had set up personally.. making sure he spent within the limits he had set.. After all, though he had flaws.. he was still taught and grew up learning to be a responsible heir.. despite his imperfections when carrying out tasks.

At one of these over the top parties, he had met you.. locking eyes almost instantly.. he couldn't help but get lost in your gaze, even when you had walked away.. paying no mind to the figure who fell hopelessly for you.. at that very moment...

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tactax-art · 1 year

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Gorgon!Gaz for the #tactax mwii creatures au

Unlike the myths a gorgon can't turn a being to literal stone, but their unprotected gaze will induce a stunned state in most species, though how, effectiveness, and duration vary by species, indivudal susceptibility, and the level of focus a gorgon is putting into freezing their target.

This also applies at reduced effectiveness to recordings and remote viewing. Glasses and mirrors offer no protection. (For example, Humans tend to get stunned by a fear response for minutes to hours. Alb may become hypnotised by the dream-like colorshift of the eyes for as long as they maintain eyecontact.)

To protect those around them specialised glasses and contactlenses have been developed, though minor responses to those easily susceptible are still common.

A gorgon can freely choose the snakes that accompany them which influences their bodies skin, scale pattern and color. These snakes move indepentently from the gorgon, but can be suggested. A gorgon cannot directly access the snakes' senses, but the snakes' observations are intuitively known to the gorgon, giving them a vast amount of information about their surroundings, and a reputation for having 'eyes in the back of their heads'.

Gaz chooses drab, venomous snakes on missions, but prefers snakes with high iridicense otherwise.

Gorgons have exceptional and directional sense of smell (forked tongue + jacobson's organ), sense of vibration, good vision, and hooked teeth or fangs. Gorgons are naturally crepuscular, obligate carnivores (but may snack and supplement as preferred/needed), and cannot thermoregulate for extended amount of times in extreme conditions without assistance. They do not have hair, only skin and scales. Most needs and 'fine tuning' is influenced by the snakes chosen.

#tactax mwii creatures au #cod mwii #cod mw2 #kyle gaz garrick #cod gaz #kyle garrick #i havent colored like this before so that was an experiment #hence the messiness #but i like it #ghost gets hangry after lookign at gaz #its like holding a steak in front of a lion and then it turns out it was never real #soap is completely unaffected - but likes the colors so it seems like he is lol #still not set on price sorry yall #headwraps are probably really popular with gorgons #snakes on average like small warm safe spaces - and they cant wiggle in your way everywhere

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ramzawrites · 2 years

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Birthday Confession - Reader x Rise!Leonardo

FEM

Pairings: Leonardo/Reader

Characters included: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo

Warnings: n/a

Series: No

Summary: Leo realizes he has a huge crush on Y/N and when she invites him and his family home for her birthday he plans to finally confess

Word count: 7245

Authors Note: I was struggling a bit at times when writing it but I did have fun, I hope I noticed most mistakes while editing it!! I didn’t plan to end up writing this exclusively from Leo’s perspective but here we are haha

Request: Hi Ram! 😄 Can I request a fluffy long oneshot with prompts: “And I love, I love, I love you.” and [a gentle “I love you too whispered after a soft kiss, followed immediately by a stronger kiss] about Rottmnt Leo attempts to confess his romantic feelings to shy!fem!human! reader and he end up super flustered, but it’s okay because she thinks it’s cute? Hint: She has romantic feelings for Rottmnt Leo too! I live for flustered Leo! 💕 Please?? ~🍓 (she)

Leonardo Hamato, otherwise known as Neon Leon. The face man of the group at first and later the leader of the Mad Dogs. He is charming, confident, skilled, and so incredibly talented. None were faster than him and with his portal magic he was basically unstoppable. Some, mostly he himself, might say he was even invincible!

He had no weaknesses! Not if you asked him at least. If you asked his family though they would say things like that he was too cocky, egocentric, sometimes stupid, short sighted or something like that but those are only minor flaws! You might even call them quirks! If anything, they were like spices that just enhanced the whole package deal that was Leo.

Well, that was how he thought about himself for the longest time. That changed though.

You see, he had a bit of a condition. A condition that made his heartbeat so fast behind his plastron that he was sure that it would break out of his body. Something that made him break out in a nervous sweat and made his stomach tingle.

Yes, it’s true. Leonardo had a crush and a big one at that.

The face man had finally met his match. Somehow the charismatic turtle found his match in the incredibly shy Y/N. Even he was a bit confused how that happened.

When the turtles first met her, she was so shy she couldn’t look them in the eyes without breaking out into an embarrassed blush and trying to hide behind her hands. It took them around six months to finally make her comfortable enough around them that she would look them into their eyes properly.

The first time Leo properly realized his true feeling towards Y/N was when she finally managed to look into Leo’s eyes properly for a longer time besides the fleeting glances. He was so in awe as she seemed to stare into his very being with her beautiful, gorgeous eyes that was accompanied by her usual embarrassed blush that he completely missed what she was trying to tell him.

Leo gulped and when Y/N suddenly averted her eyes again, lightly scratching her pink cheek, he couldn’t help but think how soft her skin looked. How delicate her hand looked as it brushed along her jaw. What he wouldn’t do to hold her hand in his, feeling the warmth of her skin on his cold one.

Wait, what? What were those thoughts? This hasn’t happened before. Seeing how he was a cold-blooded creature it was only natural he would want to hold something warm, right? It was the first time he had this thought about another person though.

Oh, pizza supreme, right, he was talking to her, he needs to answer fast! He could feel the heat rising along his neck into his face.

Trying to save the little bit of dignity he had, he put on his cocky smile “Uh. Yeah, um.” He lost the fight before he even realized. The words died on his tongue. It was nice knowing you all, but this would be the end of Leonardo Hamato, it’s been real.

If he wasn’t blushing already, he had to be by now. His face was positively burning at this point, which was weird because, again, he was a cold-blooded creature.

But to his surprise Y/N giggled, staring at her hands as she repeated herself “Uh, Leo? I- I was asking you, uhm, if you wanted to come to my home for my birthday? I invited the others as well. April and Casey will, uh, will also be there so… I thought it be nice to celebrate at my place?”

Oh!

His heart was jumping around in his chest as he nodded, not fully trusting his voice yet, he cleared his throat “Yeah! For sure! Sounds great, of course I’ll be there as well. I get to celebrate your birthday and get a chance to snoop around in your place? Sounds like fun.” If Leo could, he would pick the words right back out of the air and stuff them back down his throat. He tried to lighten up the awkward situation but ended up saying whatever this was.

Y/N couldn’t help but roll her eyes at his little joke, something she seemed to have adopted from his brothers to deal with his wonderful humor despite her shyness “I know. It’s, uh, the first time I’m inviting you guys over so I kind of expect you guys to… do… that. Yes. It’s also my way of thanking you guys for being my friends! It’s difficult for me to open up and all that so April had the idea that I could invite you guys over. That way you guys will see how I live and, I don’t know, get to know me better? Ah, now that I say that out loud it sounds so weird!”

She immediately slapped her hands on her face, groaning. Probably mentally beating herself up.

Leo couldn’t help but smirk, it was a nice sentiment, and it melted his heart. Ever since he knew her, he knows that she has been struggling a lot with her shyness. To be fair she has gotten way better, before she could barely even stutter out a word but now over the course of six months the guys had managed to make her feel more comfortable around them. She cracked jokes, was okay to hang out with them and even came up with things to do together. It was honestly a great feeling knowing she worked hard to overcome her own problems just so she could be closer with the mutant family.

They all made sure that she knew, that, sure while all of them are pretty much extroverted and wild, she still fit in all of that and was now a part of their little family. No matter what she might be thinking, she belonged with them, and they wouldn’t let her go that easily now.

“That sounds like a great idea.” Leo suddenly spoke. He made sure to sound as confident and genuine as possible. It must have worked since Y/N peaked out between her fingers.

Time to double down and squash her worries.

“I’m sure we all will have a great time and don’t worry too much, Y/N. Please don’t force yourself to do anything though, we love you the way you are. We won’t be going anywhere so there will be plenty of time to get to know each other. I mean, telling you the truth, I have trouble opening up as well, so while our reasons might differ, I can at least sympathize with you.” He really didn’t mean to add the last sentence but there it was, out in the air, just like that and it was shockingly the honest truth.

It felt like a clumsy attempt to cheer her up, but it did result in Y/N releasing her hands from her face and in exchange gave Leo a soft smile, her eyes darting back to his own “Yeah. You’re right. I appreciate this, Leo. Thank you.”

Leo gave her a confident nod, his thoughts darting all over the place, but one thing was certain. He loved her genuine smile, and he made a mental note to ensure to see it as often as possible. How it still took him days after this to realize that he had a full-on crush on Y/N he now couldn’t understand.

Probably for the fact that it was the first time this has happened. This whole crush situation. Hence also the reason why he was so incredibly bad at dealing with it.

Whenever Y/N was in the lair he made sure to stay close or at least steal glances at her. It frankly felt weird when he couldn’t keep an eye on her. He would ask her a ton of times if she wanted something to drink, maybe another pizza? Some snacks? If Y/N wanted some proper food, he could probably make Mikey cook something nice up. Was the lair cold? Maybe a blanket would be nice, he could just in case grab his own from his own room if one wasn’t enough! He probably also had a hoodie or a jacket laying around she could borrow.

In Leo’s mind he was just being a mindful friend who was trying to make his shy friend feel comfortable because he knew she would probably feel bad asking for things. His brothers though soon noticed that something else was going on.

The teasing officially begun when they all sat down to think about what to gift Y/N for her birthday. It was the first time they got invited over to her so all of them were excited to see her place.

“I really wanna draw something for Y/N but since I haven’t seen her home yet, I’m scared it wouldn’t fit in anywhere.” Mikey sighed, he made himself comfy on one of the beanbags.

Raph patted Mikey’s head like he tends to do when he tried to console him “There, there. Honestly, I don’t think Y/N would care much. I’m sure she would find a nice place for your art. You know how happy she gets when you show off your art to her.”

Another sigh escaped Mikey’s lips “Yeah but like can you imagine if I actually managed to draw a picture with colors that fit perfectly into her home though! It would feel even more personal!”

“Oh, little brother of mine, what Y/N needs is a new phone, clearly.” Donnie piped up, a proud smile on his face. He seemed to be sure he had the best idea.

And sadly Leo had to admit that it really wasn’t a bad idea. Her old phone was basically dying every 5 minutes and had to be charged constantly. She once complained about it since it was her only safe haven she had when she was outside alone surrounded by strangers. Putting on headphones so no one would approach her and playing games on her phone to block out the people and her own worries.

“So, what? You will make her a new phone?” Leo asked.

Donnie nodded enthusiastically “Obviously! I will ensure to give her an upgraded phone that will have a powerful battery and will be safe to any kind of virus and malware out there. I might even add some extra features to help her in her every day. I want to see you guys’ top that!”

On one hand this was a really thoughtful gift, on the other hand of course to Donnie this was mostly about who got Y/N the best gift.

That was when suddenly a worrying thought entered Leo’s mind “Uh, Donnie. No crazy extra’s, just a normal phone. Please. I don’t want another Shelldon situation going on, or that lovely time you gifted us these gadgets.”

“Scoff!” Donnie said angrily, placing his hand theatrically on his plastron where his heart was” I can’t believe you would insinuate that I’d repeat that kind of mistake!”

When all three of his brothers just narrowed their eyes at the purple turtle, he had to admit defeat and hung his head down “Alright, alright, I got it. A normal phone it is. That is, a normal phone with a powerful battery and a ton of space to run a lot of games! I will make sure it’ll be able to run even the more powerful ones!”

“That will be more than enough Don, you can show off your abilities another time, but this should be more than plenty.” Raph put on his big brother voice to ensure that Donnie didn’t plan anything crazy.

Now it was Leo’s time to sigh “Great. Einstein here is gifting Y/N a phone and I have no idea what to do. It should definitely be something personal though. Something from the heart and stuff.” He mumbled the last part and was sure no one heard it, yet he could see Raph raise his eyebrow.

Suddenly Mikey gasped, his eyes lit up “Oh my gosh! I just had the perfect idea on what I can gift Y/N! Donnie! I wanna make a case for the new phone! That way I can gift her a personalized art piece and it’ll protect the phone!”

Even Donnie’s eye lit up at that. If Leo had to guess it was probably due to the fact it was a way to protect his precious invention.

“Oh, what? You guys work together on the gift? I wanna get in on it as well!” Raph exclaimed, raising his arms into the air to emphasize his point. A pout making its way on his face.

Leo moved next to his big brother, nodding along “Yeah! What he said! What about us!”

Donnie just shrugged, he didn’t care either way while Mikey placed one finger against his chin, deep in thought “I mean… Hm. Oh! You guys could make her like phone charms! You know these charms that hang off the phone on a string! I’m sure I have some stuff in my room you guys can use to make one!”

This was… actually not a bad idea. Trust Mikey to find a creative, personal, and heartfelt gift idea.

Yet, to Mikey this might seem like a no brainer but both Leo and Raph looked at each other a bit unsure. Oh, Leo was sure he’d make the perfect charm, of course, but Raph was another story. He could get a bit frustrated when it came to make intricate little things. Yeah, he wasn’t doubting his own abilities at all.

Almost as if Mikey could read their thoughts he added “Ah, don’t worry. It’s easy! Besides if it’s not perfect it shows off more character and as long as it from you guys and you did your best you know Y/N will love it no matter what. If all else fails though I’m here to help you both.”

Mikey had a huge grin on his face. He rarely had the chance to share one of his interests with his brothers like this. Sure, as little tots they spend time to draw together but that that changed over time and now whenever he offered to draw or do something else creative together, they often refused.

He also relished the fact that he got to show and teach something to his older brothers instead the usual other way around.

Anyway that is how they all ended up piggybacking off of Donnie’s gift and why Leo and Raph were currently sitting in the living room surrounded by string, glue, clay, paints and a lot of beads. All courtesy of Mikey of course.

Raph was currently trying to put some red beds on a green string, his eyes were almost cross eyed as he stared on the single small bead in between his big fingers while his other hand tried to hold the string steady. His brows were narrowed, creating the famous Raph crease on his forehead.

Leo on the other hand was just absentmindedly rolling around a piece of white clay between the palms of his hands. It’s been ages since Leo did anything like it. They used to all craft together to make their dad a gift, mostly whenever they wanted something from him but still, it was still a gift from the heart.

What could he make for Y/N? A little sword would be cool right? Like one of his swords? No, that wouldn’t work, right? I mean that’s more of a thing that he’d enjoy. But he was mostly thinking of it as a lucky charm! His swords are kind of his lucky charms after all. They keep him alive and let him do some really cool mystic stuff.

But a lucky charm for Y/N, huh? Would he be able to make a mini version of himself with clay?

As soon as this thought entered his brain, he immediately felt the, at this point, familiar feeling of a blush spreading across his face. With a sudden gasp to get more cold air in, he shook his head trying to shake off the blush and his embarrassment.

He totally forgot that Raph was sitting in front of him. He let out an amused snort as he stared at his younger brother. His hands still in the air in the motion of trying to put on the bead on the string. When Raph’s smile just widened with a knowing look in his eyes Leo couldn’t help himself but let out an annoyed huff.

Turning his head away he tried to act as casual as possible, suddenly the small clay ball in his hands was incredibly interesting “What?”

Raph let his hands fall back down into his lap, a soft chuckle escaped him “So, Leo. Are you planning on telling her on her birthday?”

Panic rose in Leo’s chest, it suddenly felt like there was cold sweat coating his body “Wuh- What? I don’t know what you can possibly mean, Raphael.” Ah yes, this clay ball is actually really interesting! These creases and cracks in the material are horrible though, he definitely had to get those out. Can’t make a charm out of it if it’s all cracked and stuff.

Seriously what could Raph possibly mean? Tell whom what? What was there to tell anyone? There wasn’t anything to be told!

When Leo dared to finally take a look at his brother, his brother immediately took his chance to flick Leo on his forehead.

“Ouch! What was that for!”

“Leo has a crush on Y/N!” he sang, actually, the snapping turtle fully belted this out.

Embarrassment and fear washed over Leo, he dropped the clay and jumped onto his brother, wrapping his hands around his snout to make him shut up “No! No! Raph, nuh uh! Nope. Nada. Non. No!”

Crush? Ridiculous! But even if he had he didn’t need to yell it out into the whole lair for the others to hear! Donnie would be insufferable, Mikey would probably try to Dr. Feelings him and please for the love of everything he didn’t want their dad to hear about this!

This was a hypothetical though. Yep.

It really was no trouble for Raph to pry Leo off his face, grabbing him by the top of his shell to move him away from him “Then why are you getting so worked up?”

Leo tried to answer but when he opened his mouth nothing came out but a high-pitched whine. He couldn’t defend himself! Why couldn’t he defend himself? Damn, Raph! Damn him!

Was it so obvious he had a soft spot for their shy friend that it made Raph believe he had a crush on her? A crush, hah, that’s ridiculous.

Sure, he keeps thinking about her. Keeps wishing to hold her in his arms, trace his fingers through her hair and he keeps thinking about fun things he could show her or how to spend time with her. After whenever she was around things just seemed to be better! Of course he wanted to spend his time with her if he felt like that around her, it’s only natural!

His hands flew up to his warm face with a smack.

Oh god he did have a crush!

Oh wow, he had a crush!

He had a crush on Y/N.

Leo had to finally give in and accept the fact that he did have a crush, which must have shown in his body language because suddenly there was a large hand on his shell in a supporting manner.

“Heh, can’t believe it took you this long to realize.”

This pulled Leo back to earth and he peaked one of his eyes out behind his hands to look at Raph “What does that mean?”

“Bro.” Raph begun, his voice flat “Literally all of us noticed that you are crushing hard on Y/N. It’s honestly a miracle that she hasn’t realized it yet.”

“What? Was I that obvious?” Leo screeched out. How?! Also why was breathing suddenly so hard! And everything was warm and this tingly feeling in his stomach doesn’t help at all!

Raph snorted “Uh, yeah. Very much so. Even Donnie knew what was going on and he doesn’t care about emotions.”

“And Y/N really doesn’t know?!” he was now nervously squashing the clay ball onto the ground.

“According to April she doesn’t know at all. Honestly, it’s been really funny seeing both of you so clueless.”

Raph would not mention that the three brothers plus April had secret bets on who would confess to whom first and when. That would stay with him and the other three.

It took a while and a lot of confidence for Leo to finally ask “How did you know?”

Raph just raised his eyebrow at that, as if this was a self-explanatory question “For one, we are your brothers. We literally grew up with you. And also, it was super obvious because whenever Y/N is around you hover around her not leaving your eyes of off her if you can. You keep staring at her with those eyes and that stupid smile, of course we noticed.”

“Ah.”

“So, will you confess on her birthday all dramatic like?”

“What? No! I wouldn’t- why should I!”

“Because she cares for you too. She is literally the most comfortable with you around. Come on! You defeated the Shredder, you can say three words to your crush!”

Y/N was the most comfortable around him? Well, when she came to visit, she did tend to approach Leo the most and the two liked to chill together. Their chat on their phones was littered with memes and inside jokes but also conversations where one would listen to the other and offer their best advice or just a listening ear.

Talking with her about anything, really, was just so easy.

But while Leo appreciated the pep talk from Raph he wasn’t so sure if confessing was a smart move.

“What if… What if she doesn’t feel that way and I destroy our friendship.”

“No, you won’t! Besides I doubt you could keep those emotion in for whatever how long. Now, stop stalling and let’s continue working on Y/N’s gift or you will really have to swoop her off her feet on her birthday if you want to compete with our gifts!”

Stalling? Raph was the one who began teasing him!

And yet he was right, he should finally work on that charm. Come on, it was just a simple charm for his crush. No biggie! But how is he supposed to work now after this whole conversation?!

So, cool, his family realized before him he had a crush and Raph seems to be really sure he should confess to Y/N. To be fair, he trusted Y/N enough to know that even if she didn’t feel the same way, she would still be his friend, but things would still change right? He is just a mutant turtle, okay yeah, he is a rad mutant turtle, but still, not a human.

Yet there was this spark of hope in him. What if she did feel the same way? The thought made his heart race. He could take her out to dates, actually he could teleport around and take her out for incredible dates! What if he asked her for places she always wanted to visit and try to figure out how to teleport over there. Then again, he also wouldn’t mind just staying home, spending time together. Just anything with her would be good for him. Would she feel the same way?

Maybe he really should try telling her. He could continue on living and waiting for the crush to disappear just for the sake of their friendship but the overwhelming beautiful emotions he got from imagining what could happen if she felt the same way?

Well, it sure felt like a risk worth taking.

With new confidence and a plan in his head, he now finally begun sculpting something out of the clay. A little mini-Leo and a small little sword on a blue string.

The mini-Leo was, let’s just say the green paint with the blue for the mask definitely helped to identify what it was and the mini sword, was a sword yes, but Mikey assured him that it would be obvious and happily helped him to put the finishing touches on the little sculptures.

Leo couldn’t help but think that Y/N’s birthday arrived way too fast. The days before her birthday he began fretting over what he would say to her, debating once again if he really should but something in him, maybe it was his own Mind-Raph, told him he needed to do it.

To help himself prepare he begun reading stupid romantic novels, immediately skipping to the confession scene. He even watched romcoms in his room in secret. Wrote down a whole speech on what to say to Y/N but when he and his brothers stood on the fire escape staircase at the side of Y/N’s building, he could already tell that all of this preparation was for nothing.

Mikey was beaming, he was probably the most excited of the group to see Y/N’s place, hence why he was the one who knocked on her window. Raph and Donnie were waiting next to Mikey, trying to take a peek inside while Leo stood behind them. He was busy trying to calm his beating heart and put on his usual smug smile on.

Come on! He is the face man! It should be easy to slip into a persona to navigate this situation! It’s one of his many talents after all!

Before he could continue overthinking this further, the window finally opened, and his brothers eagerly entered the apartment. Leo followed closely behind.

Once inside Leo finally spotted Y/N. She had a big smile on her face as she ushered the group into the living room.

The living room was covered in warm colors. There were a ton of pillows on the sofa and all sorts of knick-knack on basically all available surfaces. A lot of printed out pictures were littered along the walls, showing pictures of herself, her family, April and what Leo assumed were other friends.

Of course, Y/N was also dressed up for her own birthday, but his heart skipped a beat when he noticed that her outfit was in a blue color scheme. Aw man, this was unfair! He was already blushing, and he hasn’t even said a word yet to her! How was he supposed to say these three magical words to her! He couldn’t! He will probably die of a heart attack!

“I hope it wasn’t any trouble getting over here!” Y/N greeted them cheerily.

Raph didn’t waste a moment to envelop Y/N in a bone crushing hug, lifting her off her feet “It was no trouble at all! Happy Birthday!”

“Aw, thanks, big guy!” She laughed, returning his hug as well as she could.

As soon as Raph let her down, Mikey was the next to throw his own hug at her and yelled out a “Happy Birthday!” her way as well, jumping excitedly with her into the air.

Donnie gave Y/N a somewhat theatrical bow, opting out of a hug, and said his own Happy Birthday. Y/N returned his action with a warm smile and a big “Thank you, Donnie.” She knew Donnie wasn’t one for physical affection. She always seemed to know how to best react and interact with all four of them. Yeah, she was great like that.

Now it was Leo’s turn. A hug, right? He hugged her before. Just a hug for his friend for her birthday! He just hoped he wouldn’t be shaking or that she could hear how his heart was beating like crazy inside his chest.

Trying to act like usual, he threw his arms around her and pressed his warm cheek against her head, lightly swaying with her in his arms “Happy Birthday, Sunshine!”

When she wrapped her arms around his back and pressed herself further into him, he was sure he was dying. Oh god, he could only imagine the looks his brothers were currently giving him. He is sure if Y/N would leave right now they’d tease him forever.

Leo was the first to let go, suddenly very aware of the nervous sweat on the palms of his hands “Well, your home looks comfy.”

Nice. Good one. Good job, Leo. Master in small talk.

Y/N chuckled shyly “Oh, um, thanks.”

Never has he been happier that Donnie cut in, shoving him away from the Birthday Girl, holding out a little package wrapped in purple wrapping paper.

Y/N’s eyes widened at the realization of what this was “Oh, you shouldn’t have!”

But Donnie just gave her deadpan look “It’s your birthday! Of course!”

“Yeah!” Mikey added in “Birthdays are there so your friends can show you, their appreciation! And we wanna show you that we appreciate you! Now, don’t worry about it and open it!”

“Wait, let me grab April and Casey and maybe some slices of cake fir-“she began but Mikey, Donnie and Raph interrupted her.

“Just open it!”

Tentatively she grabbed the small package and begun unwrapping it, soon holding a, of course, purple cell phone. This time her eyes seemed to grow into the size of plates “What?! A phone?! Are- Are you sure?!”

This was Donnie’s time to shine. With a smug look on his face, he began to explain “Well you complained about your own phone all the time, so I, as the genius inventor that I am, can’t have my friend suffering like this. This phone has a battery life that will last you for days, you can download all kinds of games and I even loaded some of my own favorite games on it already.”

It was clear that Donnie wanted to keep on going into the details of the technology, but Mikey interrupted him “Yeah, so, now that you opened this up, we can give you, our gifts!”

At this point Y/N was utterly flabbergasted “There is more?! Guys, that’s- that’s too much!”

But Mikey waved her off, instead he gave her his own orange wrapped gift. She opened it and in her hands was now a multicolored phone case specifically made for the phone Donnie made her. It looked like someone splashed blue, red, orange and purple on the case. It was also littered with little drawings like turtles, pizza and more. It was chaotic but beautiful. Y/N didn’t hesitate to immediately put it on her new phone, cradling it close to her chest.

“And now for me and Leo here.” Raph spoke up “We both made something for you as well.”

She opened Raph’s gift first, showing off his little charm. Green string that was covered in red beads and other cute little beads like glittery stars. A cute little cat hung off the end of the string. Mikey helped a lot with that.

Next was Leo’s, who shakily gave her his own gift. When she opened it, she let out a little gasp at seeing the mini-Leo. Holding it close to her face to take a better look at it.

Worried that this gift might come over as more egocentric than he meant he jumped in “Well, uh, I- I wanted to make you a little lucky charm.” He cleared his throat, cursing his nervousness “It’s my way to say that, um, I’ve got your back! Yeah! I’ve got enough luck to share so I’m sharing with you!”

Yeah, sure this is one way to phrase it.

Leo definitely noticed the knowing looks of his brothers.

When Y/N looked back up, her eyes were glossy, for a moment Leo thought he screwed everything up but then she held the gifts against her chest, talking to the whole group now “This is the best birthday I ever had. This is all so thoughtful and amazing. I’m- I’m so lucky to know you guys.”

“Aw, we are glad you love it!” Mikey smiled.

Somehow Leo suddenly felt less nervous at this response from Y/N. These gifts were definite proof that the four cared about her and she must have understood the underlying meaning of their gifts for this reaction.

Does she also sense the hidden meaning behind his gift?

Y/N wiped her eyes and took a deep breath, her ever present blush on her face “Want to get some cake? Baked it, uh, baked it myself. I hope it’s good.”

This caught Mikey’s attention “Oh! You made it yourself! Let chef Mikey try it, I’m sure it’s amazing, Y/N!”

With that he followed Y/N who was leading the group through her apartment into her kitchen where they met April and Casey, both happily munching on some cake.

Casey noticed the phone with the charms, that Y/N was still cradling against her chest, and asked, very loudly, where that came from.

Y/N explained happily that it was a gift from all the four turtles which resulted in April to point her fork at Donnie talking about a “Donnie-Blocker” or something. Leo had to admit he wasn’t paying too much attention. He was still drawn to Y/N who was holding on to the phone with he charms as if it would disappear any second. Realistically he knew it was a great gift, but he didn’t realize that Y/N would love it that much.

It made him happy to see her genuine, dreamy smile again.

Yet, Y/N suddenly pocketed her new phone and instead moved to place a piece of the cake onto a plate with a fork, with the plate in hand she made her way towards Leo. Uh oh, she was walking over to him! Leo! Stop staring! Look like you were listening to the conversation! Maybe chuckle! Yeah, they are all loveable idiots, there are always chuckle-able situations.

He couldn’t make himself chuckle though. No, he was still looking at Y/N who approached him, softly pressing the plate towards his plastron.

“Not hungry?”

He didn’t immediately grab a piece of the cake since he was so nervous. Now that he thought about it, he hasn’t eaten much in the last few days. Did she think he didn’t want to try her cake? The cake she made herself? For this party?

With way more gusto than he meant to Leo grabbed the plate and fork and begun shoveling the cake into his mouth. The cake was soft, sweet, and really, really good! It could definitely rival Mikey’s baking skills! Another talent of hers, he made a mental note of that, so he could bring up her baking skills whenever she begun doubting herself again.

Y/N must have noticed Leo’s eyes widen because she suddenly looked at her feet, her blush darkening “Uh, it’s alright?”

“Alright?! It’s fantastic, Sunshine. You did an amazing job.”

She let out a deep breath, almost as if she was holding one in as she waited for his reaction. Knowing her she probably was. Yeah, at this point Leo knew some of her mannerism, how could he not with the way he made sure she was doing alright all the time. Okay and also, he just can’t take his eyes off of her in general.

Seeing her just made him happy, okay?

This whole crush thing will be the death of him. Rarely was he this worried about anything.

How was he even supposed to go about this whole confession thing? Just go “Hey, Y/N can I talk to you in private?” and just confess? Just like that?

“Oh? Uh y-yeah we can talk if, if you want. We can go to the liv-living room the others are busy here.”

Wait, what?

Did he just imagine this? But Y/N approached the door out of the kitchen, towards the living room.

Wait a minute. What just- Huh?

Did he actually ask the question out loud? Did he?! Pizza supreme he is such a horrible idiot. What is he supposed to do! Can he somehow bail? And leave Y/N hanging? No, he couldn’t.

Before he could properly process what was happening his feet began moving on their own. Step by step he followed his crush back into the living room. With every step it felt like his heart began beating louder. He had to really make sure to control his breathing or he was sure he would be dizzy by now. His throat and mouth suddenly felt so dry.

Y/N entered the living room and stood in the middle of it, looking at Leo with a bashful expression. There was curiosity but also worry etched into her face. Oh no, Leo couldn’t stand seeing her worried.

Taking in a shaky breath Leo, placed the plate, which he was still clutching like a lifeline, on the coffee table and he slowly approached Y/N. Looking down at her. He could tell she tried her best to look into his face, but her eyes began darting around all over the place.

Leo opened his mouth to start speaking but the words were lost on him. His thoughts were just filled with everything he loved about her. Her beauty, her character, her everything, really.

Y/N moved her hand to her own bicep, slightly rubbing along her arm “Yeah, so, uhm, here we are.” Here voice was weak and shaking. She was nervous as well.

“Yeah.” He whispered out. His face was so hot it reminded him of the time he ate some poison from Meatsweats and random body parts felt like they were on fire. Well, they kind of were but that’s not the point right now! This wasn’t the time to get distracted!

“I wanted to tell you something?” why did it sound like a question? Why did he make it sound like a question?

Wincing at his own stupidity he just stared at Y/N, waiting for her confused expression but instead she just nodded. Her way to give him the go ahead.

If he could only properly think but at this point, he could hear his own heartbeat in his ears, and it was getting really difficult to stay concentrated.

Okay, take a deep breath, Leo. Just three words. You practiced this. You can do this. No matter what Y/N felt she was an amazing enough person that she wouldn’t judge him.

Leo took a deep breath through his nose and let it out through his mouth, closing his eyes during this process in hopes of sorting his thoughts. Opening his eyes again, he met with Y/N’s.

“Y/N you are… amazing. Uh. Ever since we met, I’ve been enjoying my time I’ve spent with you. You are the first person I really began opening up to.” He let out a soft chuckle “Honestly sometimes it scares me how easy it is to just talk to you. I’m just so amazed by how attentive you are. Not only can you ease my worry but also that of my brothers. Man, you notice before any of us when one of our brothers is going through something and I just love seeing you interact with them. It makes me happy to know we have you around and that we can rely on you.”

As he continued Y/N kept looking up at him, her blush darkened even more, and he couldn’t stop but notice as her mouth slightly opened. Was it shock? Was this bad?

“You are always here for us. You’ve been there for me after bad fights, whenever I have nightmares and I get worried about being the new leader of the Mad Dogs, that’s why, uh, I made you that charm. You’ve been my lucky charm, Y/N, so I was hoping I could be yours because- because…”

Three words. Three words.

That was when Y/N suddenly grabbed Leo’s hands and held them firmly between her warm fingers. Her touch was so careful, almost as if she would scare him away with this action. Leo’s breath hitched.

Taking another deep breath, he moved one of his hands out between her hands and before she could recoil in embarrassment, he made sure to clasp it on top of her. Lightly squeezing her hand.

“Uh, yeah, um, like I said you are amazing, and I love- I love- I love you!”

Leo couldn’t help but squeeze his eyes shut as he exclaimed the last part. It was out! He said it! No regrets now! He expected for Y/N to maybe pull her hands away, stomp out of the room and never talk to him again or something like that but instead he could feel her tighten her grip on his hand.

Tentatively he opened one of his eyes to see her closer than before. Her breath fanning his snout as she smiled softly at him. Leo couldn’t help but involuntarily lick his own lips and take a glance at her rosy lips. Well, she hasn’t run off, but she isn’t saying anything either!

“Please don’t feel forced to- Mmph!” Leo wanted to tell her that she shouldn’t feel forced to return his feelings and that it was okay to reject him but suddenly she pressed her soft lips against his.

He was in complete shock. There he stood. Finally confessing his feeling to his crush in honestly a disaster of a confession and in return she kissed him! She kissed him!

Y/N moved away from him, an almost cheeky grin on her face, as she studied his stunned expression.

Leo.exe has (officially) stopped working.

He must have looked ridiculous because Y/N let out a giggle. She moved one of her hands to the side of his face, softly moving her thumb across his blushing cheek. With an involuntary hum Leo leaned into her touch.

“I love you too.” She finally whispered.

It felt like his heart exploded in a feeling of excitement, euphoria, happiness. Whatever you wanted to call this emotion it enveloped his whole being with her own confession.

Leo immediately crashed his own lips against hers again. Her soft ones moving against his as they melted into each other. Y/N wrapped her arms slowly around his neck, her finger slowly tracing at the back of his head while his arms found their way around her waist, pulling her flush against him.

When the two finally had to break the kiss for the sad fact that both needed oxygen to live, Leo took the chance to just take a look at Y/N.

Y/N loved him! She kissed him! She returned his feelings and yet he didn’t seem to fully process what was happening.

Oh god, he was kissing her! He was kissing her!

Y/N’s hand came back down to slowly trace one finger along his cheekbone. Leo couldn’t help but bite down on his own lip in embarrassment, knowing very well that his own cheeks must be so bright right now.

Not that Y/N looked different but that was a beautiful look on her, a look he could never get enough.

She softly chuckled “You are adorable, Leonardo.”

Oh, she did this on purpose! There is no way she didn’t know what it was doing to him and when she subtly raised her eyebrow, oh yeah, she knew. If he wasn’t still all mushy brained from the planned but still sudden confession, he’d try to say something witty, so, instead he leaned back down pecking Y/N’s blushy cheeks before pressing his lips back down on hers.

#rottmnt #rottmnt reader insert #rottmnt leo x reader #rottmnt x reader #leonardo x reader #tmnt reader insert #tmnt x reader insert

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colinmkl · 3 months

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Kamen Rider NRV Lore Dump!

Manticore

Manticore LLC is a major medical technology company. Publicly, they are most known for their artificial organs and limb prosthesis as well as several other medical devices and equipment used in hospitals worldwide. Less widely publicized are their numerous military contracts, developing cutting edge medical treatment technologies but also advanced weapons, drones, and other offensive hardware.

Nanoderm

The scientific breakthrough that lead Manticore to dominate in the field of med-tech is the invention of micro-sensors that are capable of reading brain signals in the nervous system and translating them into data a computer can interpret with absolute precision. These microscopic sensors can be integrated into programmable nanomachines that interlock in a mesh that forms durable skin-like material called Nanoderm. If an exposed section of human tissue is covered in Nanoderm and then allowed to heal, the Nanoderm will become integrated with the tissue like a layer of natural skin. Any impulses or signals sent by the brain to that part of the body will be received by the Nanoderm and translated into data. That data can then be read as motor commands by a Manticore prosthesis. Basic prosthesis models can receive this data via magnetic nodes embedded in the surface of the Nanoderm but more advanced models, capable of finer dexterity/expanded functionality, require a “bone spike,” a rod-like data plug that interfaces with a port in the Nanoderm area that is connected to more advanced sensors. The socket and sensor hardware is imbedded in the body through a surgical procedure.

The catch with the Nanoderm system is it must be applied to the body before the exposed tissue heals over and the exposed nerve endings have a chance to close off, or in other words, while the wound is “fresh”, otherwise the healed tissue must be cut away and a fresh wound made. This means that in emergency situations a patient or their next of kin must make a snap decision to undergo the expensive Nanoderm compatibility surgery as part of their emergency treatment. Of course some insurance plans will cover some or all of this cost. Additionally Manticore has deals with some insurance providers that the surgery come standard with higher end coverage plans, forgoing the need for patient consent. Manticore has exclusive patent rights to the Nanoderm system, meaning once you are Nanoderm compatible, you are locked into the Manticore ecosystem of prosthesis and devices. Additionally your devises can only be serviced by Manticore certified technicians and only Manticore doctors are trained in Nanoderm patient care.

Remote Command (RC)

Manticore is a sprawling corporation with many secrets. One such secret is the Remote Command program. A project Manticore has been working on behind closed doors, the Remote Command program involves research into sending brain signals over great distances without a physical connection between the sensor and the receiving devise. With RC a person could control a prosthetic arm in another part of the world as though it were part of their body. This is achieved by broadcasting the impulses across a proprietary electromagnetic wave length to the receiving nodes. The signal travels point to point and back again at light speed. The potential RC has for the future of drone warfare is staggering, not to mention the potential for profit.

Sensitive as this information is, there’s another layer. All Nanoderm currently in use by people around the world is capable of receiving Remote Command. With the right inputs it can reshape its self, self-replicate, and even, under certain conditions, send signals back to the user’s brain, causing brain damage or, theoretically, controlling them. Whether this functionality of Nanoderm was an intentional feature or not is unknown to anyone currently employed at Manticore but the company has no pans currently to use the Nanoderm in this way. What is known, however, is that if this function ever becomes public knowledge it would be disastrous for Manticore, not to mention the chaos that would ensue if a bad actor were to exploit this function for malicious purposes.

Manticore Special Security (Spec-Sec)

Manticore LLC has secrets, and it has enemies. To protect its secrets, combat its enemies, address the threats to public safety those things pose, (and protect its corporate interests), Manticore formed the Manticore Special Security Division. More than just your standard private security outfit, Spec-Sec is a fully equipped task force and strike force designed to identify, target, track, confront, and nullify any threat to the company and its assets. Thanks to Manticore’s history of generous donations and good standing with local police forces, the Spec-Sec Division is able to operate with a certain degree of discretion, allowing them to carry out operations without interference from police or the legal system. Lead by Special Security Director Sloane, her hand-picked crack team of Special Officers have carried out dozens of high risk operations with ruthless efficacy and, so-far, minimal casualties. Spec-Sec utilizes the most cutting edge technology and weaponry Manticore has, often before it’s even close to market ready. In some cases necessity dictates that Spec-Sec operations serve as ad hoc field tests for experimental equipment.

Core Drivers, Data Boosters, and the Kamen Rider program

The Core Driver is a piece of technology that was developed as part of research into the use of Nanoderm to enhance a soldier’s physical performance on the battlefield. The concept was to temporarily cover the user’s entire body in a layer of Nanoderm mesh that could respond to the signals from the user’s brain in such a way that would increase their strength, speed, perception, and reflexes. The solution was the Core Driver, a device that would house the billions of Nanoderm nanomachines and serve as the computational core for the whole mesh network. Along with the Core Driver was the Data Booster, a flash drive-like device shaped like a syringe. The data booster contained the information that told the nanomachines to deploy from the Core Driver and cover the user. Additionally the Booster came with its own payload of nanomachines that, when the plunger of the syringe was depressed, would also be deployed through the Core Diver and take the form of armor and weapons. Basically, a user need only insert the Data Booster into the Core Diver, clearly speak a voice authentication phrase, and depress the plunger and they would instantly be wearing a powerful yet flexible armored body suit. The project was called the “Kamen Rider program” after the masked visage of the user’s armored faceplate (“Kamen” being the Japanese word for “mask”).

The Project had its drawbacks, however. For one a user would need to already be Nanoderm compatible for the suit to work at all, meaning, practically speaking, the user would need to be an amputee, and the prospect of convincing soldiers to sacrifice a limb to use the Driver was deemed a “hard sell” and the idea of a approaching a freshly maimed soldier with the offer of further combat, well, that wouldn’t be a good look either. The second and most important drawback was the simple fact that the Kamen Rider program was far, FAR too expensive to be profitable, and the thousands of man hours it took to produce just one Core Driver meant mass producing them to sell by the battalion, as Manticore had planned, was simply out of the question.

The Kamen Rider Program was not completely abandoned, however. The first completed Core Driver, designation SVR (Special Versatility Rider model or “Sever” colloquially) is currently coded to Director Sloane of Spec-Sec, who happens to be a double transfemeral amputee. With the Director’s input, the device and the suit itself have been modified heavily over its years of use. It now features the ability for additional Data Boosters to be employed, loaded with weapons and tools in the form of appendages that attach to highly advanced versions of Bone Spike sockets on the suit at the amputation sites of the Rider’s body. The nerve signal enhancing properties of the suit allows the Rider to manipulate these complex, non-human-like appendages with a natural ease and minimal adjustment period.

A second Core Driver has just recently been put to use in the field at Spec-Sec. The first Kamen Rider designed from the ground up with Spec-Sec modifications. Designation NRV (Neo Rider Variant or “Nerve” colloquially) is encoded to the Division’s newest member, Special Officer Nat Agbayani. A right shoulder disarticulation amputee, he was promoted to the Special Security Division from the internship program in the research wing by the COO of Manticore himself… wait what? That can’t be right…

The existence of any other Core Drivers, in use or otherwise, is classified.

Thanks for reading

#art #my art #my text #sketch #lore #oc lore #kamen rider #kamen rider nrv #kamen rider oc #sci fi #original character #nat krnrv #sloane krnrv #medical tw #surgery tw #tokusastu

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thewildsophia · 8 months

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3Below//Krel Tarron x Depressed!Reader

A/N: Re-watching 3Below has reignited my love for Krel. There also aren't any Krel x depression out there so fuck it ima do it myself. For these headcanons, I imagine the reader to have Major Depressive Disorder as opposed to any other kind of depression bc that's what I have. Enjoy!

TW: S//H, S//I, Adult Language

Another warning will be placed before sections containing the above.

Words: 2485

"Read More Link” placed due to length.

Krel Tarron x S/O w/Major Depressive Disorder

At first, Krel would not understand. That is, he wouldn’t pick up on the fact that you have depression.

His knowledge of human sociology and behaviors is very limited when he and his sister first land on Earth. However, even after he’s spent months here he still struggles to understand and pick up on social cues.

So even though you exhibit very obvious signs of depression — i.e. lack of energy/appetite, excessive sleeping, and loss of enjoyment in activities — Krel doesn’t suspect anything inherently wrong with you. He thinks that your personality is just different from your other human counterparts.

And to be fair, for as long as he’s known you, you’ve always acted this way (because you were depressed-).

You would definitely have to tell him you’re depressed because otherwise, he would never figure it out. You ended up telling him during a period of lucidity where you didn’t feel too bad and were conscious of his lack of understanding of your behavior.

As you tell him, Krel stares at you intently, committing everything you're telling him to memory.

Now he really doesn’t understand.

This whole time he thought you just have a different temperament from the other humans at your school, but in reality, you were suffering from a serious illness that he had no idea you had.

Tbh, Krel’s not ok for a few days after you tell him. For a brief moment, he’s angry that you didn’t tell him sooner, but he quickly understands why and his anger dissolves into sadness. He feels so terrible about not picking up on the fact that you’re constantly in pain and that he’s done nothing to help you.

Krel spends the next few days after you told him researching all about depression and other similar mental illnesses. He’s honestly a little fascinated by how many illnesses there are lmao. It’s just that on Akaridia-5, there aren’t illnesses like that, so he’s happy to learn something new (even if it’s not under more favorable conditions).

Krel has a lot of questions about your flavor of depression for when you’re mentally ready to answer such questions.

Tbh, he’s a little insensitive with some of his questions, but that’s just because he doesn’t know any better. Correct him (politely) and he’ll make sure to be nicer with his questions.

Not much changes dynamic-wise; Krel’s still your loving boyfriend, the same way that you’re still his loving significant other.

He does make it a habit to compliment you every time he sees you. Whether it be a compliment about your looks, your school work, or even something as small as “I’m happy to see you today,” he really tries to boost your confidence in hopes that you feel better about yourself.

He also tries to be around you more often, both to make sure you’re ok and to show you that he’s there for you.

Krel becomes better at predicting when you’re about to enter a depressive episode. Having been around you for so long and now knowing what the warning signs are, he’s very good at guessing when you’re entering certain episodes (sometimes even before you know. Scary, huh?)

When you enter depressive episodes, Krel does everything he can to make sure he’s there for you, both physically and mentally. He will hold you close to him with all four of his arms while he listens carefully to what is troubling you.

Krel still doesn’t quite understand the emotions involved in depression. Like many other people, he believed that it was just constant sadness, but the more he read and spoke with you about the matter, the more complex it all became. Sadness, despair, emptiness, fear, anger, jealousy, all emotions that he’s never really felt in full. Not to mention other even more nuanced emotions such as paranoia and shame that he’s actually never felt at all.

Krel is also very good at helping you through mood swings. He’s come to understand that all humans fluctuate between many different emotions, sometimes in a short period of time. He knows when you want him close to you and knows when you want space.

If you are someone who is very mature with how you explain how you’re feeling, -- like telling someone you’re mad at them, why you’re mad, and that you want space to cool off/talk with them about it -- Krel has an easier time responding to you. He’s much less likely to misinterpret your feelings and what you want.

Krel actually learned how to vocalize his own emotions from you whenever he’s distressed or upset which definitely opened you two up for a much more healthy form of communication.

He just struggles with emotions in general, but he makes the effort to understand for you :)

TW: S//H, S//I

If Krel ever gets even a hint that you’re hurting yourself, his mental walls would fall and he’d collapse in on himself.

If there is someone who is threatening or hurting you, he, his sister, and Varvatos can easily get rid of them. If you are sick, he can help treat you until you are better. Even if you do something as small as scraping your knee, he can be there to put a bandage over it.

But yourself? He can’t protect you from yourself. He doesn’t know what to do and that scares him so much.

After what happened with his parents, he is very grateful for the lives of those he loves as he understands just how easily they can be taken away from him. He is afraid that one day you will be gone and all that will remain is him.

Krel would have found out about your self-harm either on his own or someone tipping him off about it. You just didn’t have it in you to tell him yourself.

Krel then begins to really try and learn human medicine. He would spend hours reading medical articles, watching first-aid videos, and taking copious notes about everything he learns, even if it grosses him out a bit (organic organisms were never really something he was interested in before).

He tries to come up with other things you can do when you feel like hurting yourself; Drawing/coloring, writing, reading, playing games, anything that will distract you. He’s always sending you ideas especially when he’s not with you and knows how you’re feeling.

And to both of your credits, your self-harm does lessen in both severity and quantity. But unfortunately, it doesn’t always help since old habits die hard.

Krel is there in an instant to help you when you relapse assuming you tell him you need help. Even if you decide not to tell him immediately and care for yourself that day/night, Krel almost always finds out sometime after and worries over you about it.

His hours spent learning first aid pay off when goes to treat your wounds; Cuts, burns, bruises, bites, you’re convinced that Krel can treat any minor injury. And you’re grateful for that.

Krel is thorough about disinfecting any open wounds with hydrogen peroxide or Neosporin over burns and is incredibly gentle when wrapping them in gauze. He likes to check on them every few days as well to make sure they’re healing correctly.

He holds you close to him afterward -- all four arms wrapped around you and face pressed into your neck/shoulder -- and begs you not to leave him. At first, you’re confused thinking he meant, like, break up with him. It isn’t until you give it more thought that you realize that he doesn’t want to leave him through death.

If you ever express feelings of guilt -- whether verbal or through body language -- Krel quickly dismisses them from your mind by telling you how he wants to help you and how much he loves you. That he wouldn’t bother doing all of this if he didn’t see anything of substance in you.

If you ever express a desire to die, -- whether through suicide or some freak accident -- Krel will look cool on the outside but on the inside, he will be panicking. As hard as he may try, Krel could never understand why you want to die.

Even if you explain it to Krel -- Everyone and everything that troubles you and the awful guilt you constantly feel by just being alive -- he believes that there is always a reasonable and achievable solution to your problems. It’s not that he’s trying to downplay your problems or your emotions, he’s just naturally more of a rational thinker even under stress.

But even though he doesn’t understand the emotions themselves, he does understand that human emotions can elicit other undesirable responses and thoughts.

Krel will constantly tell you how much he loves you and that he doesn’t know what he’d do with himself if you were dead.

He does what he can to push those thoughts from your head.

As written earlier, Krel likes to spend time with you in person. Not just because he loves you sm but also because it makes it easier to keep an eye on you and intervene when necessary.

Def says something along the lines of, “I’m happy you’re alive.” And the first time he said that you cried so hard he thought he insulted you lmao. You had to explain to him that you weren’t insulted but relieved and overjoyed.

Krel is not the most emotionally intelligent person out there, but he tries to be and is willing to understand them for you.

When you had shown up at school with a busted lip, bloody and bruised knuckles, and a dull gash on your cheek, Krel freaked the fuck out. The moment he spotted you walking to your locker from his own locker he was all over you.

“What happened?” Krel cried while gently taking your face into one of his hands while the other went to grab your hand.

“It’s nothing,” You mutter, pulling your face out of his grasp and taking a step back. Krel scoffed, looking almost offended while saying,

“Nothing? Nothing did that to you?”

“I just-” You start, raising your hands up in defense before dropping them at your sides, “I got in a fight with Steve. It was over something stupid. We’ve known each other for most of our lives; I just worry about him.” You cross your arms to hold onto yourself and look anywhere Krel isn’t. Krel moved his head so that it was in your line of vision, forcing you to meet his eyes.

“I take it you don’t want to talk about it?” He asked. You nod ‘yes,’ and Krel frowns.

“I won’t push you then, but I really want to get you treated,” He says, taking a step closer to you. You stay where you are and allow him to hold your hands.

“Later, I’ll be fine for now,” You say while bringing up one of his hands to kiss the top of it, “You can have Aja or even Mother patch me up after school.”

Krel looks at your knuckle hesitantly before agreeing, trusting that you truly would be fine until after the school day.

The moment the last bell rang he made a beeline to find you and ran you to his house as quickly as possible. The two of you were the only ones home when you got there, so Krel wasted no time in having one of the blanks retrieve a first aid kit. Once given to him, Krel attempts to treat your injuries but fails pretty miserably.

You end up showing him how to clean and wrap different kinds of cuts and bruises. It’s when you’re in the middle of cleaning your knuckles in the sink that Krel says something that makes your stomach drop.

“Mother, can you scan Y/N for any more injuries, please?”

“Wha-Mother! You don’t have to do that!” You shout panicked and covered your arms in a vain attempt to conceal your other injuries.

“Numerous other injuries found upon Y/N in the upper arm, forearm, and thigh regions. Approximately 27 cuts to the epidermis and 3, 1st-degree burns found.”

“What!?” Krel turned around so fast to face you, you swear you saw his electric blue hair whip from the air, “Where?! I demand you show me!”

“No!” You cry back panicked, hands gripping the side of the sink behind you. Krel scowls and grows before shouting,

“Mother, show me a hologram of where the injuries are on Y/N!”

“My King-in-waiting, It would seem that I have breached a highly sensitive topic on behalf of Y/N. I believe it best that they discuss it with you themself.” Mother responds. Krel sighs, his upper right hand running through his hair.

“Y/N,” He starts, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m really worried.” He carefully walks over to you but leaves a foot of space between the two of you.

“Will you please show me where you’re hurt?” He asks quietly. Your eyes begin to burn with tears and your mouth opens to explain yourself before shutting quickly with a ‘clank’ of your teeth. Unable to speak, you place your hands into his lower ones, palms up, and nod your head. Gently, Krel’s other hands push your long sleeves higher up your arms, and he’s baffled at the numerous cuts he sees littering your arms. There were many different colors, thicknesses, lengths, and stages of healing -- some were a day old while others were weeks old. He ran his thumb over one of the older ones.

“Wha…” Krel stutters, eyes dancing over your arms, “What are these? What-Who did this?” His eyes flicker up to yours.

Your jaw twitches -- wanting to speak but unable to -- and you pull one of your hands away from his to point to yourself. Krel’s eyebrows furrow.

“I-I don’t understand,” He whispers, his own eyes beginning to water, “I want to understand.”

“I did this,” You mumble out, pulling your other hand away from his, “I am…ashamed.” Tears begin to fall and you scrub gently at your eyes to dry them.

“You-You did this?” Krel asks, confused and stunned, “You willingly hurt yourself? Why?”

You heave out a few breaths trying to figure out how to relay your emotions to him. While difficult to say, you manage to squeeze out three words.

“I hate-” You stammer, “I hate myself.”

And Krel is immediately embracing you.

“I love you,” He says, cupping your face in his upper hands and staring into your eyes with his other two around your waist, “I love you so much. Please don’t ever say you hate yourself.”

Gently, he kisses your forehead, your cheek, and then your lips.

The two of you are left a sobbing mess of tender skin and emotion in the kitchen for Varvatos and Aja to find later when they arrive home.

#3below #tales of arcadia #toa #toa 3below #krel tarron #krel tarron x reader #krel #krel x reader #aja tarron #varvatos vex #toa x reader #3below x reader #tales of arcadia x reader #thewildsophia writes

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luxlightly · 3 months

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A song I imagine a very specific Gabv1el scene with. At a junkyard. Ignore any impossibilities and inaccuracies with the feasibility of this song being played by only two people. They're an angel and a blood robot they can do whatever they want. _

"Ah! A piano! And in good condition! How surprising. Certainly not in tune, but otherwise remarkably intact." V1 mimed playing, then pointed at Gabriel with a head tilt. "Yes, I play. I play a variety of instruments. I'm probably best known for my horn --hush-- but you've seen yourself I'm also quiet adept on the organ --hush-- as well as the harp, the lyre, basically all percussion. It's a little difficult trying to play a wind instrument with the helmet but, besides that, I'm at least proficient with all human instruments."

Gabriel tapped out a few notes. "Oof. Definitely needs to be tuned." V1 pointed at the piano and then to Gabriel, excitedly. "Hm? You'd like me to play something?" V1 pointed between itself and Gabriel. "You'd like us both to play something? You play?" Gabriel asked, baffled. V1 pointed at the piano again and shook it's head. "Not the piano. Something else?" A nod. V1 then held up a single finger, indicating to wait, then ran off into the junkyard. Gabriel carefully opened the back of the piano. A few missing hammer pads but nothing he couldn't fix. Between that and tuning it, it would give V1 time to find whatever it was looking for. He wondered what kind of instrument a Machine could play. -- "...So...it seems as though you've found some springs, a cash register, an old typewriter and...I think that might have been an accordion at some point? A sword--wait that's my sword! Give that back!" V1 clutched Justice to its chest, shaking its head. Gabriel huffed. "I gotta be honest, aside from my sword this...looks like a lot of random trash. Um...Machine, do you...know what a instrument is?" V1 glared, nodding. "Alright! Alright!" Gabriel said, holding up his hands, placatingly. He sat down at the piano, putting his fingers to the keys. "Well, I guess I'll start out with a melody and you can join in on your...trash...whenever you feel the spirit move you. Or, you know, whatever. He went for something upbeat. Bouncy and complicated enough to keep it interesting for his practiced fingers but with plenty of room for accompaniment. V1 perked up in apparent surprise. "Don't look so shocked!" Gabriel laughed. "I can play more than hymns and classical pieces, you know." After a few bars, having seemed to get a good enough idea of the tune, the Machine joined in. Gabriel let out a small, delighted gasp. Using all of it's 4 arms, as well as one of its feet, V1 slid metal against metal, sprung springs, pressed keys, and swung Justice in a strange, delightful cacophony of percussion that mixed beautifully with the melody. Gabriel laughed and leaned more into his playing. With each layer of complexity he added, the Machine followed in turn, using its foot to operate the bellows of the accordion while its arms continued their whimsical percussion. In perfect synchrony, they pushed forward, then backed away, built up, then leaned off. So incredibly different than the practiced, perfect hymns of heaven. And so much more fun. By the time he bang out the last few chords, Gabriel was practically out of breath. "I stand woefully and wholly corrected," he said, with a laugh. "You play beautifully. My apologies for ever doubting it." V1 bowed, exaggeratedly. "We'll have to play together again, sometime." V1 nodded, giving 4 thumbs up. "Now give me back my sword."

#ultrakill #v1 ultrakill #gabriel ultrakill #gabv1el #ficlet #dernier vol #raphael beau #music #SoundCloud

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wraith-caller · 2 months

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D, Hunter of the Dead, or Darian, is easy for a lot of people to hate. He’s rigid, allied with the Golden Order, and a hunter of the undead, who may be in need of mercies which the Order isn't interested in providing. I often see him written off as sort of bigoted, callous, an asshole, and given little in the way of nuance that is afforded to (almost all of) the rest of the cast of complicated characters we encounter. So I’d like to try to tease out those shades of grey, highlight the very human tragedy of his backstory, as well as make a few (hopefully interesting) observations about his parallels with both Fia and Morgott.

🚨🚨SPOILERS AHEAD🚨🚨

I. A quick recap

Players can first meet Darian near Summonwater, where he warns us about the Tibia Mariner and Those Who Live in Death. If we harvest the Mariner’s deathroot and return to him, he’ll offer to show us to the Bestial Sanctum and ask us to take his place as Gurranq’s servant. He will move to the Roundtable Hold and gives us a little info on who he is, who he serves, his bitterness towards Rogier, and will teach us incantations which are especially effective against the undead. We can summon him for help in two fights: one against a Mariner in eastern Liurnia, and another against a Black Knife Assassin in the Black Knife Catacombs. If you’ve kept up with Fia’s quest, she’ll ask you to bring the Weathered Dagger to its original owner. Interacting with Darian while having this item will result in him wondering where you got it, offering to take it off your hands, and thanking you for it. Next time you come to the Roundtable, he’ll be dead, presumably killed by the Fia’s Mist spell.

II. The allure of acceptance in an otherwise hostile world

As with most characters, we’re given very little info about who Darian and Devin were or where they’re coming from. Info from the Inseparable Sword tells us:

The inseparable twins found solace in the Golden Order, the only institution not to revile them as accursed beings.

The reason for the harsh treatment appears to be related to their strange nature. The twins share a single soul between them, living otherwise as distinct, autonomous persons. Per the Twinned Set:

The two known as D are inseparable twins. They are of two bodies and two minds, but one single soul.

Elden Ring is full of curses and shunned beings, so it’s not all that surprising that the world saw these kids with their weird spiritual situation and just weren’t having it. What is surprising at first glance is that the Golden Order, who are generally experts at reviling aberrant lifeforms, are the ones to accept them. But it makes some sense. Marika birthed not one, but two sets of cursed twins. And of course, Marika and Radagon have a very similar condition. In the fight within the Erdtree, we see them as one singular body, shifting between two aspects. It likely wasn’t always this way, and they were probably two distinct beings at some point, like Darian and Devin. Aside from how impractical it'd be to ask us to believe that no one noticed these two high profile rulers were never active at the same time, the wording of some of Marika’s echos indicates the two were not sharing a single body at some point:

O Radagon, leal hound of the Golden Order. Thou'rt yet to become me. Thou'rt yet to become a god. Let us be shattered, both. Mine other self.

All of this is to say, Marika and Radagon’s nature may have at one point been exactly like the D twins: a single soul shared between two bodies. This is further teased at by the fact that we receive the Inner Order gesture from Devin, and the Outer Order after listening to Marika’s words in a church. While the placement of these gestures was likely much more about illustrating the difference in blind faith versus an examined one, given Marika’s dialog there, it’s certainly interesting that we are given these paired gestures by these two characters. It’s not common knowledge to people of the Lands Between that Marika and Radagon are the same, but perhaps enough people in the upper echelons of the Order know this so as to recognize the similarity, and thus accept Darian and Devin.

It's clear why the Golden Order might make an exception for the D twins. It also conveniently sets the stage for some very fanatical devotion. It’s easy to write off fanatics. After all, they’re, well, fanatical. They’re rigid, unchanging, uninterested in adapting to new information which sheds any unflattering light on their new group. We’re all quite susceptible to this, our propensity towards tribalism once being a valuable trait which helped us to survive in our species’ infancy. The D twins get this kind of cranked up to 11 because they suffered a lifetime of being not just unwanted, but actively despised by everyone. They’re reviled for something they have no control over. We don’t know anything about their life as children, but it wouldn’t be surprising to learn they were abandoned by their parents if all institutions saw them as reviled. It could be that their parents were also adherents of the Golden Order, but given that they are Tarnished, and that the Inseparable Sword description specifies that they found solace rather than took solace or similar wording, it reads as though they may have only really had each other until the Order took them in.

What does something like that do to a person, especially if they lived with such cruelty as children? The need to belong is fundamental to our being, and shunning on a societal level like this would be pretty devastating. And it isn’t just one society that’s repulsed by you – it is every society except one. While the Golden Order has done horrible things, that becomes a lot harder to focus on when the hands that have committed those wrongs are the first to ever be extended to you in kindness. It’s hardly surprising then that Darian doesn’t just serve the Order, but has woven it into his identity. He doesn’t have any interests to share with us outside of his dedication to the Golden Order, like Rogier with his desire to be a scholar. He was given a purpose by the only people to show him acceptance, and he will pursue it doggedly.

III. Morgott and Darian – “Thy kind are all of a piece”

I mentioned before that the Order may have been accepting of the D twins due to Marika’s own 2 sets of twins. Malenia and Miquella have no significant similarities to Darian and Devin. And while Mohg shares a sense of instability with Devin, they don’t have much more in common beyond their cursed nature. Darian and Morgott, however, share a handful of interesting parallels.

They’re both reviled and rejected due to the circumstances of their birth. Cursed through no fault of their own, both were likely abandoned for it and kept from participating in society. Both serve the Golden Order fervently, with Morgott presiding over Leyndell as king while Darian hunts the dead on their behalf. In spite of being mistreated for what they are, they both perpetuate that mistreatment onto others like them. Morgott keeps the Merchants imprisoned, and leaves the Omens to wallow in the sewers. Darian hunts Those Who Live in Death while refusing to accept Rogier’s discovery that they are a result of a flaw in the very thing Darian has devoted himself to.

And both have a less than stable twin brother, one they never mention but for whom we might be able to reasonably assume they care about all the same as they were both likely each other’s only companion for much of their lives. When naming all of his siblings as traitors, Morgott notably leaves out Mohg from his condemnations. Darian, if killed by the player, begs his brother’s forgiveness, and keeps his very existence under wraps, with only Rogier appearing to know of Devin. Of further note, Morgott and Darian walk above ground, under the light of the Erdtree, while both Mohg and Devin live beneath the earth, in the endless night of the Eternal Cities.

IV. Rogier – “Such adaptability is more important now than ever...”

Besides Gurranq, the only other person we hear much about from Darian is Rogier. The dialog these two give about each other indicates that they meant a lot to each other before their fallout. I touched on it in my post about Rogier, but in essence, while Rogier appears composed and maybe even a bit wistful about their old days, Darian seems to stew and fume with resentment. He talks about Rogier as someone who used to be all of these positive things, but that he gave it up when he fell from the righteous path and took up with Those Who Live in Death, ultimately becoming a victim of them.

Yet in spite of their apparent split, we still catch Darian helping Rogier out with his research. He tells Rogier about the markings he found in Summonwater, and he fights a Black Knife Assassin in order to help us bring the knife print back to Rogier. There’s a strange little back and forth between them and I can’t help but read it as Darian navigating an internal conflict he’s not all that familiar with. After all, he’s unlikely to have had a friend like Rogier before, given how he was hated by everyone. So he’s even more unprepared to deal with losing that singular positive relationship he had with another person who wasn’t his own brother, or ordained to accept him. So he struggles, both resenting Rogier for his sacrilegious discoveries and maybe regretting parting ways to begin with. It has him fuming one moment then bringing back peace offerings the next.

They’re a classic case of opposites attracting, and the polarity between the refusal/acceptance of change was their downfall. Rogier encountered new information, was able to integrate that into his reality, made the challenging admission that he’d been doing wrong, and tried to fix it. Darian listened, but simply shut it down. It’s easy to write it off as bigotry, fanaticism, or whatever else – Fia indicates that the undead are unjustly persecuted by the Order, and Rogier tells us they aren’t malicious but rather unfortunate bystanders. Darian is too rigid in his beliefs to accept change, especially a change so radical as this. And he’d have to admit that he and Rogier may have been perpetuating an injustice in their brutal treatment of Those Who Live in Death.

I think there’s another pretty important factor in this which is often overlooked in discussions of Darian’s inability to adapt to the idea of a flawed Golden Order. And that’s in how much of his self-worth, his self-esteem, is going to inevitably be tied to the only people in the world to accept him and his brother as being fit for life. He wasn’t just exiled from his home after witnessing Grace like Fia or Roderika, he was reviled by everyone from day one. As I’ve said before, this leaves an indelible mark on a person, and such extreme shunning and forced isolation from society are a form of psychological torture. This is bound to leave a person with some trauma and maladaptive traits, and one that is relevant here is Darian’s inability to handle the Golden Order being mistaken about something so personal. This isn’t some mild administrative mistake, or even a major miscalculation in a war. It is a mistake about who is accursed and who isn’t, who is fit for society and who isn’t. And if they’re mistaken about the dead, who else are they mistaken about?

Normal people who have normal lives have a hard enough time accepting change. And those normal people have an even harder time taking in that change if it conflicts with some belief they already hold dear. So for someone like Darian, a change like this is not some trivial adjustment. It could be world-shattering for him, and would take loads of effort to accept, an effort he’d then have to make entirely on his own since his initial reaction was to flee from the conflict that brought it on altogether. He left Rogier, unable to handle this revelation, finding it easier to deny it altogether than accept it. And that in itself must tell us how painful this new truth would be for him – as someone viewed as accursed by all societies outside of the Order, Rogier very well could have been his only friend. Darian was willing to sever that link in an effort to preserve the reality where he has acceptance and a place in society. It is a very human reaction, and one that I feel deserves a little bit of reflecting on when we consider Darian and his motivations. This isn’t a standard case of someone being a stubborn ass because they can’t admit they made a mistake. This is something akin to cult indoctrination, when a traumatized person’s identity is far too wrapped up in people who told them that they are good, and that it’s everyone else who doesn’t love them.

V. Fia and Darian as caregivers

These two have more in common than you might think initially, since they’re positioned on opposite ends of the spectrum in the matter of death. While Fia seeks to uplift the dead, Darian would terminate them. One reviles the Order while the other reveres it. But both know very well what it is to be an outcast. Fia is exiled from her home after seeing Grace, and upon her arrival to the Lands Between is seen by some as “vulgar”. It’s her first taste of receiving the kind of scorn Darian would’ve known all his life.

But she still finds it in herself to care for others. And I would argue that Darian does too. Fia seeks to bear the hatred and disgust others have for the dead, to protect them from persecution. She has a gentle bearing that invites us to let our guard down around her, is soft spoken, steady, and calm. Darian shares a similarly placid disposition for the most part. Where Fia wants to protect the dead, Darian seeks to protect others from them. While he hunts the dead for the perfection of the Order, he clearly cares about the people the dead inflict themselves on. Upon first encountering him in Limgrave, we overhear him speaking to one such victim of Those Who Live in Death, saying:

I'm sorry, I cannot give you your proper rites... But at least you did not join Those Who Live in Death. Your soul will return to the Erdtree, in time.

He gives what comfort he can to this person, admitting that it isn’t much. And he does his best to warn us away from the village, trying to keep us from harm. When we return with the deathroot, he names us a comrade. Contrast this with Tanith or Varre, who ask us to kill for them to prove our allegiance. Darian does the opposite, telling us to leave the dead alone lest we fall victim, chastises us as foolish for taking such a risk to get the root anyway, and then invites us to serve Gurranq. He’s uninterested in pressuring or forcing us to join him, much less in having us bloody our hands for his own approval.

In his cut dialog for the Dreambrew quest, his thoughts go not to his own personal enjoyment of the drink we offer him, but to the victims of the dead. He says:

Alcohol, to make a libation? A fine idea. The Lands Between brim with the dead. If a drink can serve even as a small rite of remembrance, that is enough.

And then there’s probably the most blatant symbolism of this caring nature seen in the form of his armor and his posture with it. He literally holds his other half protectively in his idle stance, cradling the head of his twin as he is clutched by this smaller, frailer form. Even in death, repositioning the camera beneath him shows him shielding the bust as if to protect it from Fia’s fatal attack on him.

I often see Darian characterized as cold because of his distaste for the undead. But all of these little things about him add up to me as someone who is more concerned with being conscientious and caring of the living.

VI. Conclusion

I don't anticipate changing many minds about Darian. This is a pretty niche corner of an already niche fandom, after all, and it's super tempting to pick sides in search of which group in the game is right or wrong, which is going to pave the best way forward. Most characters in the game are doing something less than moral in an effort to advance an agenda, whether their own or that of who they serve. But at the same time, they usually have interesting and sympathetic motivations pushing them towards those goals. Fia murders Darian and never tells us her true goals until we find her with Godwyn, never letting us know that we were assisting her in killing someone, maybe even a friend, when she handed us that dagger. But she does all this in an effort to protect those she sees as persecuted. Darian is the one persecuting that group, but he does it as someone who has seen the violence the dead inflict on the living, as someone who has lived the very same persecution, as a servant to the only people to ever stay that persecution for him the way Fia would for the dead. This game is not interested in giving us neatly delineated good guys and bad guys for the most part, which is what makes their stories so compelling even when we're only given a few breadcrumbs. But it's also why it's strikes me as a bit short-sighted to write any one of them off as wholly irredeemable.

#d hunter of the dead #darian elden ring #elden ring meta #heres to hoping i dont get hate mail for this one friends!! 🍻#lol who am i kidding there are 3 ppl in this world who would read a 3000 word essay about d hunter of the dead #but we dont choose our hyperfixations do we...#wraith meta

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sabrinathepolytheist · 8 months

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Do you have to follow ancient tradition to be an Hellenic Polytheist?

Hello! Welcome to my very first official passion blog post! I hope you enjoy reading it and do let me know what you think! <3

I would like to start right off the bat and say that Hellenism, otherwise known as Hellenic Polytheism, can be a very vast topic to explore, and even with the depth that I provide in this post, I don't think I will ever be able to convey everything correctly. It is also important to note that this post is mostly theoretical, and philosophical in nature. My sources you may ask? Well, that's just it, my sources are the many things I have read, and learned over the past year about being a Hellenist. I cannot provide a direct source to what I know as to me it is now common knowledge.

I will go ahead and say that I do not represent the entirety of the community who worships these gods. I am just one person, and this post and my blog is just my perspective on our shared spirituality. I don't know everything, and frankly, I am sure neither do you, dear reader. Let us all remember a remarkable quite by Socrates;

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing" - Socrates

This post will discuss the following:

A general definition of what a Hellenic Polytheist is.

A description of what ancient traditions and customs were like.

How ancient tradition, and customs can change to accommodate our modern era

Do you have to practice ancient tradition to be considered a Hellenic Polytheist?

What is a Hellenic Polytheist?

To answer this question simply, an Hellenic Polytheist is a individual who practices Hellenism - the ancient Greek religion. A Hellenic Polytheist simply believes in the gods of Greece as being the divine powers over the universe itself. One who is not familiar with these gods may know their names from just pure happenstance. Their names consist of; Zeus, Hera, Apollon, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, Athena, Dionysus, Poseidon, Demeter, and last but certainly never least, Hestia. Yet, there are countless of other gods, daemons, heroes, titans, and primordials that fall into the pantheon of the Greek gods. However, some Hellenist only worship a handful of gods, or all the gods, or just primordials, or perhaps just titians, and some even worship only one of the gods. The range of gods that you worship in Hellenism can vary from person to person, just as it varied from city to city in ancient times. Interestingly enough, Hellenism even has an element of animism to it.

A great example would be the many personified deities the Greeks had. Thanatos - the personification of death, and Hypnos - the personification of sleep, are just the tip of the iceberg when talking about personified deities. Another example of animism in Hellenism, would be the many nymphs whom are believed to frolic around in the forests, seas, rivers, and more. Both personified deities, and nymphs seem to be powers whom encompass the human condition, or nature itself. Mother Gaia is another example, whom is seen as mother nature, or the earth herself in some views.

What did ancient tradition look like?

What about the tradition behind the worship of these gods? Well in traditional Hellenism, there were structures in place that would determine if you were ready to approach the gods in worship. Typically, in ancient Hellenic tradition one would have to rid themselves of any "Miasma" or otherwise known as "spiritual dirtiness" before ever approaching the gods for worship or prayer. The concept of Miasma is not to be confused with the Christian concept of "sin", rather Miasma was seen as a spiritual fifth, often acquired by being among the dead - this included being in the presence of blood, death, illnesses, or fighting in a war. Some claim that Miasma can also come from sexual acts. With Miasma being such a feared thing in ancient times, purification became an essential part to the practice.

When addressing the gods after a purification of Miasma was completed, one would then commence in ritual, or prayer to the gods. Most often the first and last prayer of the ritual was given to Hestia - the goddess of the hearth and home. It was believed that Hestia was the center of the home, and without her fire burning within the home, the home would surly parish. Of course, a home does not have to be a building, it could also be a family, or a group of people you are close with. Most often after addressing and giving to Hestia, libations would then be poured to other gods.

Libations where an essential part of ancient Hellenic practice, and they were often the only type of offering given to the gods by some. For some, Hellenism is not Hellenism without the offering of libations. Libations were poured liquids. The liquids would consist of water, or wine most often. It was said that libations poured to the gods should not be drank, but instead poured into the ground to return the liquid to the gods. After all you offered the liquid to the gods, it is technically now theirs.

There were likely many other types of offerings given to the gods in ancient times. In fact, some have excavated votive offerings to the gods that were buried in the ground. There is so-so-so much more that goes into ancient Hellenic practice, however, I cannot go through them all here, as that would literally require me to write a book. Goodness, even the customs, and ancient traditions are a huge mouthful to explain - this is just the very tip of the iceberg.

How ancient tradition, and customs can change to accommodate our modern era

One might say that the ancient tradition never changed and will never change. However, is that really the case? How could it be? Everything changes at some point, right? Well, it depends on who you ask really. Re-constructionists (Recons) of the ancient Hellenic practice would argue that one should practice the exact way that the ancients practiced the tradition. The thing is this is a very hard thing to replicate to full accuracy in the modern day. There are people out there who have tried to replicate an ancient ritual to the gods to an absolute spitting-image. The problem? They still had to substitute items into the ritual because they simply didn't have access to the items that the ancients used for their honorings. So even Recons must stray away from tradition.

Revivalists are more lenient and would tell you to take what vibes with you and leave what doesn't vibe with you (for the most part). A revivalist is more likely to accept the fact we live in modern times, and our world is modernized, and because of this, we can honor the gods in modernized ways, as we see fit, so long as we remain respectful of the gods. The practice is modernized, but the gods are still ancient.

Other worshipers of the Greek gods may not even identify as Hellenists, and may be eclectic Witches, or Neo-pagans. This goes to show that Hellenism - the tradition, isn't what connects you to the gods. What connects you to the gods, is in fact - well, you! Yes, you have the ability to connect to the gods just as you are now.

In our modern world, it can be hard to cling to the past. This is why recons may be annoyed with revivalists, or Neo-pagans. Recons tend to have a harder time accepting the modernization of ancient practices, while revivalists, and other groups do not have this issue (again for the most part). A thing we must realize is, change is inevitable. Even the physical planet we live on itself has morphed its shape with tectonic movements countless times. The seasons too, are a great example of change. Everything goes through changes and phases. The sooner we take note of this the happier we will all be.

Do you have to practice ancient tradition to be considered a Hellenic Polytheist?

I must reveal for those who are concerned that I am not a Re-constructionist, although I am to a slight degree, I am mostly a revivalist. You could even consider me to be a hybrid; a Recon-Revivalist. it is my personal belief that tradition is only secondary to divine relationship and communication. You do not have to stress about performing an ancient ritual to absolute perfection in order to have a connection to the gods. To me, Hellenism is about the gods, and how you connect with them. In ancient times there would be communal rituals and cleansings of miasma, that multitudes of people would be able to participate as well as city-wide festival celebrations, and worship rituals. These people were capable of honoring the gods in the same environment, so it is no shock that they would have similar ways of worship to each other.

However, we live in a modern world, and we are modern people. While ancient tradition provides a much needed insight into the way the ancients went about worshiping their gods, and I do think it is only respectful that one would at least consider trying to do worship the way the ancients would have conducted it, that doesn't make it the end all be all for what Hellenism is. Think about the vast amount of philosophers, and philosophical wisdoms, and ideas passed down from the ancients. Not a single one of them thought about Hellenism, or the gods in the exact same way (to my knowledge). Due to this, we can come to realize that philosophical thinking is not something limited to the ancients. Everyone can think about life philosophically and come to see what they truly believe about themselves and about the world.

So, do I have a personal philosophy? Well, yes, but I would say as I learn, and grow myself, it can change as time goes on. I would say I have a tendency to take things from many different ancient philosophers. For example, I agree with Sallustius that the gods are pure good and are never the cause of unrest and heartache in our lives. That said, there are also many other things I believe in that are not of ancient context. I believe that true Hellenism in the modern day is most easily experienced in the eyes of the individual. In ancient times it was a communal tradition, now days it is harder to do so, and because of this it is much easier to be a solitary Hellenist rather than a Hellenist that is a part of a community. Not many of us have local temples to our gods, and that is a valid and real thing to understand. Our homes are our temples now.

I know the idea of straying away from strict ancient tradition may put some individuals off from my blog. However, I am willing to take that risk in order to be able to provide a safe place for fellow Hellenists to gather and read my blog; a blog written from the hands and mind of a Hellenic polytheist, for the eyes of other Hellenic Polytheists, or aspiring ones.

Conclusion - Do you need to practice ancient tradition?

So, in closing, to answer the question each and every one of you have been waiting for; no, you do not have to practice ancient tradition to be an Hellenic Polytheist. Just do you, stop batting around the thoughts and opinions of a million other people in your head, and get up, walk to your alter(s), and just pray. Connect with the gods, speak with the gods, grow a relationship with them. This is true Hellenism in my eyes. The relationship that you have with one or more of the gods is priceless, and it is something no human being could ever take away from you. So, cherish that relationship. Of course, this view could be seen as subjective, and that's okay, people deserve to think what they wish, but this will not change my personal viewpoint.

Above all respect each other's practices. A hardcore re-constructionist, and a more lenient revivalist are one in that when we consider that they worship the same gods. Neither of these groups should be viewed as any less of a Hellenic Polytheist either. We must learn to co-exist with one another without getting into arguments. Arguments only lead to a bad situation for each party involved. So, to settle this dispute, if at all possible, perhaps recons could be more lenient and accepting of revivalists and their more modernized traditions, and revivalists could perhaps explore parts of ancient tradition do resonate with their practice and incorporate those parts of ancient practice into their own.

I personally do find it important to consider ancient ways of practice when starting out your path, as the last thing we want to end up doing is appropriating a culture - that would be a no-no. That stated, I do also feel it is completely valid if one wishes to stray a bit away from tradition. Do you like offering libations? Yes? Good for you! Own it, it's your practice. Say you don't enjoy giving libations due to the possible inconvenience of having to return the liquid to the earth, or maybe you do not like that you can't consume the liquid offered to the Chthonic gods according to tradition. That's A-okay. You don't have to do libations, you can simply offer votive offerings like stones, rocks, crystals, anything physical really. Perhaps devotionals are more your speed. Good! Write a song, or a poem, or a story in honor of the gods and offer that work to them.

Whatever you are doing, you are doing it for you. You aren't doing it for anyone else but you. So, understand, especially those new to Hellenic Polytheism, that when I say it is okay to stray from tradition, that it is absolutely okay. Individual practice is individual practice, and it is very sacred to the individual, and no one can tell you how to do your individual practice. Don't listen to the people who try to control your practice for you. There is no way you can do your own personal practice wrong. The only way to go with your own practice is up.

-Sabrina the Polytheist

Thank you all for reading! If you wish to learn more about Hellenism, or perhaps start learning about Hellenism, here are some sources that I would recommend:

Hellenic Polytheism : Household Worship by Labrys https://www.amazon.com/Hellenic-Polytheism-Household-Worship-1/dp/1503121887/ref=sr_1_1?crid=UVH9MRG9RL5K&keywords=hellenic+polytheism+household+worship&qid=1691612186&sprefix=%2Caps%2C299&sr=8-1 (This is a stable in the Hellenic Polytheist community, this book tells you in detail how ancient tradition was conducted in the home: can be found on Amazon for $14.00 USD!)

https://www.theoi.com/ (A site to learn about the many gods of the Hellenic pantheon, as well as to read up on myths)

https://hellenicfaith.com/ (This site showcases a multitude of information about ancient tradition, philosophy, and worldviews)

Pic the Pagan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQmVTgvWkXrbdod_Ni1XFUw (is a well-known Hellenic Polytheist content creator, he creates short form V-log style videos that are very insightful, I do recommend you check him out).

#hellenic polytheism #hellenic worship #hellenic pagan #hellenic polythiest #hellenic pantheon #sabrinathepolytheist #pagan #Hellenism #philosophy #hellenic community #hellenic devotion #hellenic gods #hellenic paganism #hellenic polytheist #hellenic reconstructionism #helpol

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