#amulet of avarice au

[alexatheris-44]

Shard of Envy

(Darksiders, Against Creation AU)

—

Summary: In search of a means to gain greater power, a bold plan comes to be: a bargain struck with a Deadly Sin.

> Experimented with a format~ just something fast and fun to drop more lore uwu

vvvv Start reading below the Gif :D vvvv

He visits Avarice. Avarice takes one look at him and jeers.

“You know greed, but in no way of use to me. You hoard life.”

“Nothing else worth keeping.”

“Begone with you then.”

He visits Wrath. Wrath takes a step and bellows in intimidation, but he is unfazed. The colossus of turmoil regards him with disgust.

“There is a bloodlust in you, one born and one made. You fight and know of hate, but nothing of wrath.”

“Will you answer my question, or must we fight?”

“You are not worth the stain under my boot, away with you!”

He visits Sloth. Though fatigue crawls ever nearer, he refuses the offered seat. Sloth rises from his doze and rolls his eyes.

“Must everything be so ceaselessly active? Can you not once know rest?”

“I’ll rest when there’s no life left to spare me.”

“You tire me. Be away.”

He visits Lust. Lust attempts to beguile him in their promises, but frustration drops their mask.

“You know lust, but not a lust for anything. Your carnal desire is for but one man, and still you refuse the taste.”

“You are not him. Be lucky I don’t take your head for this.”

“A being who wants for nothing means nothing to me. Begone.”

He visits Gluttony. Starved and tired of his journey to now, he stands still among piles of tantalizing corpses. Rather than buckling, he calls out.

“Even if I were to die otherwise, I’d not eat of your filth.”

A horrid flower of teeth opens maw to spit curse upon him, the illusion washed away.

“You are small. There’s nothing to you worth even the bone to pick from my teeth. Leave!”

He visits Pride, who looks at him as if his existence defiles her own.

“You know of pride in your power and form, but hold no pride in either.”

“It’s not pride, it’s fact. This form gives me strength, but nothing I wouldn’t toss aside for another if given the chance.”

“You ought to feel shame in your existence. Disappear from my sight before I mar my blade with your life.”

Finally, Envy reveals herself to him. Though the weakest of the Seven Sins, and thought to be the first usually uncovered, Envy evaded his find until now.

“My my, who are you to know an envy so strong, your life is consumed by it?”

“There’s nothing that could be offered that would sate my sin. Even if I were born to a proper body, I’d always envy the next. I come with proposal for a trade.”

Envy sneers at his sight, though from the power his presence feeds her, curiosity brings intrigue.

”You are governed. You are owned. What could you or your master have to offer that I would even consider offering my time?”

The man’s soul spins a tired smile; his love had been right, to no real surprise.

“A place to sow the seeds of your influence, to reap new power unlike what you know now. A new people, born without sin, but easy to mold.”

Envy ponders his offer, claws clicking against the wood of her staff. Beaded eyes pierce for a free answer, but the four windows to his soul remain curtained. Thus, the Sin relents.

“And in return?”

“The trinket you use to steal power from your kin.”

A shrill hiss of offense, the crone backs up but not away. In a gnarled clutch, she holds her greatest treasure.

“My amulet? It is mine!”

“We need only a shard. The smaller the better.”

He makes no move to take it from her, and the world knows only patience as his exhaustion creeps. Still, he stands tall and strong, and the hag again relents.

“Where is this new Kingdom for us to conquer?”

The man hovers his hand near the offered shard, a mere fingernail as if torn from his own digits. But it will be enough, and soon he will be home.

“Earth.”

—

Upon his return, Anathem expected to have roughly ten minutes to himself before he’d be cornered. He only got about five.

The Reaper was all over the Abomination nearly the moment his fiery eyes caught him, and had he carried anything it would’ve made quick acquaintance with the ground.

“Told you, I’m fine.” It’s hard to miss the fatigue in his voice as Death continues his search for wounds, imperfections, or flaws on Anathem’s body, cold fingers as scrutinizing as his gaze. His touch at first is rough, but comes to soften as he finds increasing amounts of nothing.

“You were sent to face the Seven Deadly Sins,” he starts with mirth to his rasp, “—and return to me without a scratch. When will you ever cease to amaze?”

Though he continues his reading of the Abomination’s patchwork flesh, his body leans in evermore, that his inspection turns to caress. As his unmasked visage comes near enough to brush chin to skin, Anathem raises his chitinous palm to a wide bare chest.

“I’m in no humour to entertain,” Anathem breathes lightly, for as much as his body wants for the titan’s embrace he equally knows he’s not much longer for a conscious mind. His other claws offer the shard he’d travelled so long to acquire, but finds it gently dismissed in the Reaper’s holding of his hand.

“Nor am I to be entertained.” Death's answer is in kind, assuring that his affections are of no advance. His aged forehead finds his partner’s at the base of his slender horns. A moment of quiet passes as he searches for the right words, sealing his eyes in peace so he may breathe in Anathem’s scent and bathe in his presence.

“…I so loathe being long without decent company…”

The words break a tired smile across the Abomination’s lips, the tension dropping from his shoulders as he leans weight against Death.

“Careful, Reaper. Don’t tell me you’ve turned soft in my absence.”

A warning growl rumbles the Nephilim’s throat, despite more of his being moving to encircle Anathem.

“Don’t push me…”

A light chuckle dances Anathem’s tongue as he brushes cheek against cheek, coming to rest his brow in the inviting neck of his terrifying lover. For Death he would bear the weight of all Creation’s sin, even if it was in the Reaper’s own ambition that he knew them all by name and creed.

”I missed you too.”

-x-

[kursed-curtain]

Too Good To Be True

(Thank you to @goddessoftechnology for this lovely AU concept! We've been sandboxing and I really wanted a nice way to introduce the AU proper)

---_ _+_ _--

Being king was a lot more than what he saw on the surface, watching King Edward's silent rule. It was a lot more than just sitting there and being the yes-no man for an entire kingdom. It was having to adjust to an entirely new lifestyle, one he wasn't born into, one he just earned instead of inherited.

Maybe he wasn't cut out for the job.

After lessons, Graham liked to take a stroll to walk off the feelings of inadequacy. After the incident, though, he didn't walk as much outside anymore. He took to touring the castle, which was just as vast and unexplored as any other part of the kingdom.

He found himself in a storage room, one of many, covered floor to ceiling in boxes and bookshelves. He covered his nose with his cowl to avoid breathing in the dust that blanketed the place. 

He humored himself, pondering if there was any book in here that could tell him how to actually do his job without fumbling like the mess he was. One book he picked up off the shelves sent a soot cloud billowing his way, he had to fan it away using the cover. The book was full of unrelated junk, anyways. He rummaged through the boxes, trying to find something that piqued his interest. Usually he was good at finding a use for seemingly useless objects - then again, he didn't do much adventuring anymore. 

Amidst dust and darkness, a glimmer of silver caught his eye. He dug through scraps of uncleaned furniture until he found it - a necklace. Attached to it was a pendant, a dull slate blue gemstone, lined with metal cut to a point. He ran his finger on the side of the silver, amazed by how finely crafted it was, until he pricked his finger against the tip. 

Graham dropped the necklace back in the box, cushioning the fall. His finger bled, dripping onto the gem and probably staining it. He turned to run and get a bandage, before anybody caught him messing around in the storage room, when he heard a faint calling.

"Thank you for accessing the Library of Avaria. Our knowledge is-"

Graham yelped. Where was that coming from? If it was an intruder, he couldn't report one in this part of the castle, nobody came back here. His eyes started around the room for the source of the voice.

"You are stressed. Your stress comes from emotional strain and unease from an adverse situation. We offer many solutions such as breathing exercises, would you like to try one now?"

Graham noticed a new rosy glint coming from the necklace. He picked up the now stark cobalt blue amulet. 

He tapped at the gem, addressing the pendant, despite how ridiculous it seemed, "Um, hello? Are you talking to me?"

"You are currently accessing the trial run session of the Library of Avaria. For full access to the library, please place the chain around your neck. For any questions, simply ask."

"Oh, hm…" There was too much to ask, he didn't know where to begin. "...Well, what exactly do you do?"

"Our library's extensive knowledge has helped many become their best selves. Many have used the amulet to become scholars or doctors, all the top in their field." The amulet paused, possibly thinking, if magic necklaces had the capacity to think. "We sense you are struggling with adjusting to a new life as well as imposter syndrome. The library allows you to speed up and skip these processes altogether."

That sounds… like exactly what he needs right now.

"That's great, though I'm not exactly sure how you can help me with all that."

"For full access to the library, please place the chain around your neck."

It's a little too good to be true…

"Are there any downsides to this?

"Trial run expiring, For full access to the library, please place the chain around your neck."

"I'm just-"

"Please place the chain around your neck."

Graham unclipped the chain and hastily put on the necklace. He exhaled. The amulet glowed with satisfaction.

"Thank you for using the Amulet of Avarice. Please settle as we begin the transfer."

[kursed-curtain]

-- The mind is a thread and we shall stretch it until it breaks.

Reblog with a random sentence from your wip.

[kursed-curtain]

In a bit of a situation (and full of spite)

-+-+-

Needed a warmup doodle and my given writing prompt was blorbo. Which blorbo? Uhhhh The Lad ever.

I'll tag @goddessoftechnology cuz most of these AUs are yours (and my brainrot)

[kursed-curtain]

"Why get stuck doing one thing when you could do... Everything??"

-+-

A jack of all trades, master of none, except she's not even really good at one.

She came to me when I fell asleep in the middle of sandboxing and realized oh! I should expand upon this part of the fic! It would benefit me! And expanding upon the fic meant making a nobility oc to help with plot :D

(She also doesn't have a name rn, tho tbh she probably has like multiple family names. I'm taking suggestions!)

[kursed-curtain]

For My Sake (And Mine Alone)

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

Warnings for blood, self-harm, ableism, and internalized ableism. I hate this amulet so much.

--_ _+_ _--

Experimenting with the amulet's capabilities was an adventure Graham could explore easily from the privacy of his own office. Multitasking was a feature he learned about early on, letting the amulet take control for filing paperwork while he focused on researching the Library.

From what he learned, the Library of Avaria held a vast knowledge of everything that existed. Just ask a question and it can bring up multiple sources on the topic. The thing is, most normal libraries didn't also have the ability to bring up the current status of other people. Graham saw the ability as a cool sort of way to read minds, even when the amulet insisted it was simply reading out statistics.

As Graham worked, he heard a ping in the back of his mind. "What would you like to set your goal to?" The amulet asked, "Setting a goal helps the Library find the right resources and can keep you as the user on track."

Graham scratched his head. "I don't know, I just want to be a good king."

"Setting your goal to 'be a good king.' Here are some suggestions as to where to start."

_+_

"The Library makes note of how you often will subconsciously flick at yourself with your feather quill."

Graham stopped himself, noticing how the feather was brushed against his chin. An awkward way of writing, sure. However, he just did it to occupy himself. It helped him focus, it got the jitters out - as his family would often say, mostly to others who would ask. Nobody pointed it out during his time in Daventry, therefore it was normal.

The Library spoke otherwise.

"Compared to the rest of the kingdom, this behavior is considered abnormal. Compiling other examples of similar occurrences - chewing at your nails, picking at the wrists of your bracers, kicking your feet - these are actions that may seem off-putting and hinder your goal of being a good king."

Well, if that's the case, he could just... Stop, right? He could stop it just like any other habit of his. Graham had already worked off his habit of overthinking everything he would say - Amaya even commented on his new confidence when he went to pick up the order. If he could stop that, he could stop acting weird.

Graham continued looking through the Library. Then he felt his hand freeze up. He swore he initiated autopilot, why had he stopped? 

"The Library reminds you of how you flick at yourself with your feather quill. This will hinder your goal of being a good king."

He swore he stopped flicking the pen a few minutes ago… yet here was the feather resting under his chin.

"We suggest removing the feather. Would you like to prioritize terminating this habit in your learning plan?"

He felt so stupid, not being able to stop by himself. He should feel smarter, in fact, with the limitless intelligence of the Library at his fingertips. Graham tensed up, then sighed.

"Yes, of course."

_+_

As part of the goal plan the amulet had created, Graham set up an event to meet with the nobles of neighboring kingdoms. This would help him build connections, plus he didn't have to stay cooped up in a meeting room.

He sat down on his throne, shifting his position in his seat.

"Remember to reset yourself."

Of course. He checked his posture, adjusted his legs, and placed his arms on the armrests. He ran his finger along the grooves in the armrest's carving.

"You are in the process of removing this habit. Remember to stay alert."

He switched to clenching the carving instead. Still, steady, focused. 

While waiting for people to be let in, Graham looked around the room. He glanced at No.1, and the amulet read off his status.

"Royal Guard No.1 is concerned about the event's success."

Well, with Graham assisted by the amulet, No.1 wouldn't have to worry. Graham would be guided smoothly through the whole process, and soon Daventry would have many more allies than before.

The castle gates were opened. Ambassadors, lords, ladies, and every noble in-between marched into the throne room. No.1 and No.2 alternated introducing the guests - Graham made it a point that the Library recorded all of this, and thankfully it was already multiple steps ahead of him.

When every guest had settled, the amulet provided him with an opening speech. A bit of personalized writing, fine-tuned to absolute perfection. Graham could be nothing less. The speech went by in such a blur that he barely remembered what he spoke about - which did not help when he was asked about the speech. No matter, the amulet gave him every answer. He never fumbled a single conversation.

The only thing that bothered him, and continued to bother him for a majority of the event, was that the Library insisted on reading off every statistic for any person he looked at. Typically he could ignore it - multitasking was made easy - however, this time there was more than one or two people to look at. 

The worst part was that the descriptions overlapped, and Graham couldn't stop them. It was all "Lady Harrington has good opinions-" before the Library started another "The Duke of Rotham likes the-" until he couldn't take it anymore. 

Graham yelled out, a cry of "Distress!" turning the room silent. He squeezed his eyes shut, so the amulet couldn't find another person to read off of. He pushed past stunned nobility, storming out of the throne room and into his own bedroom.

Graham slammed the door behind him. He growled, "Stop talking, shut up, shut up!"  

"If you would like to gain a stronger connection to the Library of Avaria, you may increase the refill requirement."

He didn't hesitate, he just wanted to be back out there before suspicion grew further. Rubbing at the blade to prepare himself, he stabbed the pendant into his arm. Lightheadedness was nothing, he should focus on his reputation.

"Connection strengthened. You can now regulate when status is read."

Graham weakly nodded, resting against the footboard of the bed. He searched the Library in his mind.

"Find me something to help with this headache." He snapped.

Information whizzed past until the amulet found results. "Here are some remedies for a headache. A few can be found in the Hobblepots' shop. Additional sources have been found to help with healing from major blood loss."

Perfect. He'd look for all of that once the event had ended. As he got up from the bed, the door clicked open and a guard stepped inside.

"I just wanted to check in on you, sire," Piped up No.3, "You called out in distress and left unannounced. The visitors are worried."

Graham waved his hand in dismissal. "Tell them that I'm fine. Bring back the band, it'll help lighten the mood again. I'll be back soon."

No.3 nodded, then returned to the throne room. Graham groaned, looking down at the blood-soaked amulet in his hands. For now, for once, he could be in control. He wouldn't ruin himself, not again.

_+_

"Royal Guard No.1 is worried."

The guards were still sweeping up the throne room from last night's event. Graham had a quick meeting with No.1 earlier today, so this was out of the blue.

"He didn't sound worried when I talked with him. What's wrong?"

"He is concerned about this 'sudden change in your demeanor.' He says you aren't 'acting like yourself.'" 

Strange. Graham didn't notice any change. He's assertive, he's focused, he's everything a good king should be.

"Royal Guard No.1 is the only result for 'people who don't think you are acting like yourself.' This indicates that he is an outlier, and should not be counted."

That made sense. Graham shouldn't let one person determine what made him a good king. No.1 didn't have infinite knowledge, so he clearly didn't know what he was doing.

With that being said… What gave anybody the right to say what Graham had to be? Nobody else in the kingdom had the amulet, nobody else could know anything about everything at the blink of an eye. He was the king, and the king has the final word.

All he needed was himself, his own power, and no one else.

[kursed-curtain]

Newfound Strength

First chapter can be found here!

--_ _+_ _--

"Thank you for using the Amulet of Avarice. Please settle as we begin the transfer."

"Transfer? What transf-"

A pang hit him like a hammer, weighing down his head. Graham fell back into one of the crates. 

Then, the information started to stream in. Words and images filled his vision and sent him reeling. They were intelligible, sure, words that he knew. However, the sheer amount of information was too hard to comprehend - and yet his mind somehow processed it. 

It took effort and agony to even think about anything else other than the knowledge stream. He resorted to holding his head, tugging at his hair, and straining out, "Help, please! Make it stop!"

A voice spoke over the flood of knowledge. "For safety reasons, the transfer process can not be suspended. Doing so risks breaking the library's connection and damaging the mental thread of the user."

He pounded his head with his fist - trying to reach the library currently inside his mind. "Slow down! Do something!" he cried.

On command, the whizzing data steadied, moving into his peripherals. Pictures still flashed, but now only in the corners of his eyes. Graham took a moment to catch his breath. Maybe this necklace wasn't such a good idea. He reached to unclip the necklace, only to find that the clip was gone. He panicked, scrambling to pull the chain over his head. The slight clinking and tightening chains hinted that the necklace was shrinking. He let go before it could strangle him.

"The amulet is equipped with safety measures as to prevent theft or misplacement."

He couldn't get rid of this thing, even if he tried. Risking strangulation was not on his to-do list for today. 

Speaking of his to-do list, that reminded him - he should be getting back with Amaya before sundown. He looked down at the pendant. Graham couldn't take off the necklace, but he could simply ignore it until he had more free time. He tucked the amulet inside his cowl, then made his way toward town.

_+_

One thing Graham learned from his short walk into town was that ignoring the library was not easy. Every single thing he looked at would prompt a detail dump from the library - and it always sounded like it was reading off a dictionary definition, plain and straightforward. He reached town without a single moment of silence.

The day was almost over, yet there was still more work to be done. Amaya heard the jingle of the door and greeted him, though she was still turned around working on something.

"Oh, hope I'm not interrupting anything," Graham stammered.

"Nah, you're fine," Amaya dusted off her hands and ambled towards the counter, "Just making some adjustments to the crumbler - She's got a big workload tomorrow. Anyways, what're you here for?"

"Just, uh…" Graham sifted through his cape pockets.

"The request is in the bottom left, two rows up."

Graham muttered an apathetic "Thanks." before turning back to Amaya. "It's a request for more guard armor. I think it says all the details on the parchment?"

Amaya scanned it over, nodding to herself as she read. "I bet I can get this to you in about a week or so. Though I'm just wondering…"

"Wondering… what?"

"Just thinking about why you wouldn't just send a guard over here to make the order."

Oh, that's right, a king isn't supposed to leave the castle for simple dirty work. Though, if he said that, Amaya would know he didn't know what he was doing. He couldn't instill doubt in the people of the kingdom.

Graham fumbled a little, then blurted, "Maybe I just wanted to connect with the townsfolk a bit more?"

"...Maybe?"

Stars, that was terrible. 

Amaya shrugged. "Well, whatever works for you, I guess."

Graham waved goodbye, then turned on his heel back to the castle. He had embarrassed himself again. He gripped the pendant and looked at it. The thing hadn't even helped him like it said it would. What a waste of-

"Amaya Blackstone has wavering opinions on you."

Wait…

"She believes you have potential. However, she views your delivery as too 'soft.' Would you like me to modify your learning priorities?"

"What learning… modify them to what?"

"You can prioritize assertiveness in your knowledge plan. This will improve the opinions of Amaya Blackstone."

If there was something that could prevent him from making a fool of himself, he was quick to act on it. "Okay, then sure."

"Here are some resources to assist you."

His vision filled with documents and infographics, blinding him. He couldn't see the road in front of him. He caught himself before he tripped over a root. "Please don't shove things in my face," He groaned. Graham rubbed his eyes and the visions left.

"Tone is an important factor in being assertive. Try minimalizing politeness while keeping civility."

A bit pushy, but he assumed it was for his own good. "...Don't shove things in my face?"

"Your questioning inflection decreases your confidence. Try an aggressive tone."

Graham and the amulet went back and forth, the amulet correcting him on small details it noticed. He reached the castle with a different, self-assured stride. 

"Okay, how about…" Graham cleared his throat. "Back off! How dare you shove that into my face!" 

"You have greatly improved your assertiveness. Put it into practice and others' opinions of you will improve."

The thought of taking off the amulet was in the back of his mind by now. Maybe he could keep the amulet on for just a little while longer.

[kursed-curtain]

[kursed-curtain]

Endless Possibilities

First entry here, previous one here!

I dunno if I should tag @goddessoftechnology in this but technically this was their idea so~ deserves all the credit I can give!

Also, fair warning, a bit of these fics includes minor mentions of blood and self-harm (? Maybe?) so tread with caution.

--_ _+_ _--

"Your plate is already in front of you. All you have to do is set the table based on where you assume the silverware goes."

No.1 stepped back, letting Graham look over the cutlery. Today's lesson was on formal table setting. Completely different from how dinner is set up at home, No.1 made sure to inform. He didn't mean to undermine, however No.1's head was occupied by doubts and worry. He knew training a new king from the ground up would be hard work, but he underestimated how much 'hard' would play a part.

Graham squinted at the pile of tupperware, then grabbed the butter knife and inspected it.

"Remember that there is no pressure to get it all right, this is simply a pretest to help me understand what you know." No.1 reminded him.

Graham blankly glanced at No.1, then started placing the utensils. His eyes looked glazed over, presumably lost in thought. He finished in only a few minutes.

No.1 looked over his shoulder. "You're confident in your choices already? Alright, let me check your answers."

As No.1 mentally checked off each bit of silverware, his eyes grew wider and wider, till his checking came to a halt. Thankfully the helmet obscured his face, because he looked utterly dumbfounded. Every placement was correct, even down to the most measly fork. No.1 stifled a bewildered chuckle. "Your Majesty, either you have quite the luck with guessing, or you genuinely know your table setting."

Graham gave a sheepish grin. "Oh, I just got… did a little bit of late-night studying."

"Well then, I'm impressed. That studying paid off."

No.1 picked up the large spoon on the far right. What else did Graham know? "Alright then, what would this be called?"

Graham paused, then spouted, "That's the soup spoon."

No.1 nodded. "And… which fork would you use first?"

Picking up the fork to his far left, Graham explained, "You'd use the fork furthest from the plate, so in this case it's the salad fork."

"Correct again! Why, I don't think I need to teach you about place setting. You're already on your way to becoming quite the noble."

Graham kicked his feet, beaming. Not the most kingly of responses, however Graham deserved it. After all, with how Graham had put everything to heart, that studying must have been tiring.

_+_

They left the dining room and ended the lesson early. No.1 needed to write up a new lesson plan anyways, so Graham got his first bit of extra free time. Graham took out the pendant and rubbed the gem with his thumb. It really was brimming with unending knowledge. Filled with a new vigour from his success, he wondered just what else the amulet could do. Maybe he could finally knock out those unfinished addendums. 

He passed by a window that led out to the training grounds. The idea sparked in his head - he could try wielding a sword again, maybe this time he wouldn't get pinned down and give up like yesterday.

He picked up a training sword and waited for instructions. 

"When holding a sword, grip the handle with your dominant hand and place it just below the hilt."

Of course, of course. He adjusted his positioning as such.

The sound of clanking boots approached from behind him. Graham didn't need to turn around to know it was No.2 - the amulet told him so.

"Good afternoon, sire. Say, aren't you supposed to be doing a lesson with No.1?"

Graham smiled, "He called it off early, so now I have the time to practice sword fighting!"

No.2 hummed, intrigued. "'Called it off early,' huh? Strange, he doesn't usually do that. I'll have to talk to him about that later," he muttered. 

Graham's heart skipped a beat, he couldn't have No.2 finding out about his amulet - that he cheated. He stayed silent, though, to avoid suspicion. No.2 perked up. "Hey, you said you were practicing sword fighting. Care for a sparring match?"

Graham eagerly nodded. The two moved into their positions. Graham received a ping in the back of his mind.

"Your foot is off, you should shift it slightly inwards." Graham corrected.

"You should not correct your opponent, as you do not want them to overshadow you."

A bit late for that reminder. No.2 tilted his head. "Shouldn't I be the one correcting you?" He quipped. Despite his doubts, No.2 still adjusted his form.

Graham glanced down at the glowing blue of the pendant, waiting for instructions.

"Would you like to switch to autopilot?"

Autopilot, huh? Well, he wasn't confident enough in his moves. Maybe he could watch the amulet's technique, adjust his own strategy as such. Graham nodded.

No.2 must have seen Graham's nod as an indicator of readiness, because No.2 rushed in before Graham could look back up again. Graham reflexively closed his eyes, but the sword never came to contact. Graham opened his eyes to see that his own sword had blocked No.2's. No.2 chuckled, amused by Graham's skill. He's been practicing, alright.

They clashed, flying about the battlefield as if in a dance. Graham never could have moved with this level of confidence, of complete and utter focus before. The library did absolute wonders, and the amulet had an inhumanly fast reaction time. Graham swore he saw No.2's shock as Graham sensed him sneaking up from behind.

Then Graham noticed how he was starting to falter. Grip on his sword turning loose and shaky again.

"Returning control to user…"

Graham stopped in the middle of the field, disoriented. No.2 rushed at him, knocking Graham's sword out of his hand and juggling it into No.2's. Easy win.

No.2 put out his hand. "You lasted longer than usual. I think that deserves at least some recognition. Good job, lad."

Graham shook No.2's hand, though still rattled by what just happened. No.2 waved to him, returning back to work, leaving Graham to sit on the steps and interrogate the amulet.

"Why did I get back control before the fight was over? I wasn't… don't you know I'm not good with swords?"

"In order to maintain a safe connection to the Library, the Amulet must be refueled at recurring intervals."

Wait, refueled? Refueled with what?

"Please cut a vein and place the tip of the pendant into the blood. Only a small amount is needed."

Blood… his blood. Gross, but if that's what it took to keep his new knowledge and confidence, Graham could spare just a little. 

He took the pendant and ran the side of it along his finger. Like a blade, it sliced with ease. Blood seeped out of the wound, and Graham noticed how the pendant seemed to suck it up, absorbing it into the gem. It glowed bright blue once more.

"Would you like to continue your sword fighting practice?"

Graham shook his head. No, he had other plans. He wanted to see what else this amulet was capable of. What else could he do? Or perhaps, what couldn't he do?

[kursed-curtain]

Asks have limited character space so you're about to get. Lots. Since you've got fewer fics, let's dual wield au/art and fic when possible, starting with: 1. My favorite fic/au of yours: all your designs for fight club are stunning to look at and so creative, but I very much enjoy that Amulet fic in terms of both art and concept. It's well written, full of interesting possibilities, and has heartbreak lurking in the corners. A joy!

Ahh thanku!

Love when my ideas get substantially bigger than I thought they would be, since most au concepts are one-off things I don't do a lot for lol. Amulet of Avarice and Fight Club fall under the same category of 'things that were supposed to be one-off funsies concepts but turned into immense brainrot and now they won't leave my head' :)

I need to do more Amulent but I am~ still reworking the plot :p for a rewrite

[kursed-curtain]

~Description Drabbles 1~

(A thing I started cuz I got bored and wanted to do some description writing cuz I love those)

-+=+-

(Apparently I can't find that one description I did of Icarus' vest, so here's me writing it again but different and from memory!)

(oh yeah and maybe spoilers for fight club au audgsjdghssg sorri)

Along with the new name came a new outfit. Something to finally replace those now-muddied party clothes and tattered tunic.

His handler tossed a balled-up fabric over his shoulder. Catching it and unfurling the ball revealed that it was a spare tunic. Short-sleeved, draped down mid-thigh, cloth yellowed in the dim candlelight, yet overall the perfect material for fighting in. 

"Boss also wanted to give you this." Chastain turned around, holding up a cropped, leather vest. The material was still thin, though, only thick and hard around the shoulders. Icarus followed the notches in the shoulder and down the back, transitioning into patching and patterning along the shoulder blades. Fabric of a lighter tint compared to the vest, stained with grease just like the rest of this place. From a distance they almost looked like feathers. There was a special kind of craftsmanship that Icarus could appreciate. He didn't know how, or why, he just did.

Chastain crossed his arms and smirked. "Like your new wings, Icarus?"

-+-

There were moments where he almost felt entranced, floating out of his own body, stuck staring at that amulet.

Royal cobalt blue. Fitting, for what he had been using it for. The shine illuminated his eyes in an almost inhuman way. It was both sharp to the sight and to the touch, with the silver knife-like metal that lined the gem like a crown.

The amulet typically called him out in situations like this, where he'd lose control to the simplest of things. And yet, in these moments, the amulet stayed silent, only the glow pulsating in the darkness of the room. Rhythmic, lulling, it practically encouraged this behavior.

Of course, the thought was outrageous. A pendant, a rock, couldn't be alive. Yet it seemed to speak, it seemed to breath, 

And it could feed.