#But then there are thorns. They symbolize violence or violent tendencies

[sl33pyst4r5]

Yeah, they deserve that. No thorns, only roses.

(I started drawing this right after I saw those tags, so thanks for the idea @ashyronfire)

[hereisleo]

Circle VII: Violence

The Second Babylon

w/ k.hj & reader ft. ateez

g/ demon!au, mystery, suspense

a.n/ after more than three weeks of dry spell, i present you the finale

t.w/ blood, slight gore, violence, death, murder, guns and fire

recommended playlist:

by shoji meguro -

a new world fool

“Rise.”

You stand from your kneeling posture at the command and your eyes meet the burning red of the King. Hongjoong breaks into a smirk, “I told you, ‘You’ll seek us out yourself,’ and here you are.” He leaves his throne, the seven other commanders remain seated, boots soundless against the red carpet. His fingers caress your cheek before digging into your face in a vice-like grip. He leans forward, nose almost brushing against your, the vicious growl rumbling in his throat roots you to the palace floor, “I should punish you for your insubordination.”

He beckons Fraud to approach. The lightning bearer towers over you. The crackle of electricity raises the temperature in the throne room, shadows shift to its taunt. “Let it be remembered, you don’t disobey me.” The last thing you know is the blinding white-hot pain as lightning strikes the consciousness out you.

To say your shoulder is not moving properly is an understatement. The burns have knitted itself to normal skin as Yeosang sits by your bedside, his bed, waiting for you to rouse. You wake up to his finger gently tracing patterns on your arm. You reach for his hand and he lets you hold them. “You could have dodged it,” He refers to the bolt of lightning. “You’re fast enough.” Sure you are. They probably don’t expect you to sit there and take it. You release his hand and feel your shoulder. Uneven surface tells you the bolt scarred your skin in fern-like patterns. Lichtenberg scars. Most disappear in a few days but yours are here to stay.

The fireplace roars to life, black fire licks the unburnt woods. A summoning call from the King and all are expected to answer. Yeosang helps you off the bed, every fibre of your being protests but you trudge on, out of the chamber into the hallway. Yeosang keeps a hand on the small of your back, a precaution should you stumble. Rounding the corner, you find Mingi and Yunho coming out of their chambers. Mingi smirks and nods at you, already up and walking after been directly struck by his lightning. Yunho pats your head and walks behind you and Yeosang. Seonghwa almost purrs when he sees you while San and Wooyoung whistle in amazement. Jongho says nothing but the respect in his eyes are enough.

Red on red. Red staining the gold. Red on the skin. Red dripping of the sharp nails. The throne room is a bloody macabre. Hongjoong stands in the middle of bodily carnage, limbs here and there, and there’s a heart fluttering its final beats in his hand. He turns around and smiles, canines elongated and stained, “I let them breach security.” Familiar badges you used to carry every day lay drenched on the plush carpet. Your eyes glance over the bodies if there’s one body in particular amongst the raiding party. He offers the heart in rhetoric fashion, “Anyone hungry?”

Seonghwa is the first to approach the embodiment of Violence. “Famished, Joong,” he whispers, wiping away the stray splash of blood from the King’s cheek, he has no qualms licking off the blood of his finger. Hongjoong seems to preen at the action. “We’re going. Time to get rid of the thorns from the rose.” He tosses the heart away and it stops short by your boots. His finger points at you, eyes blazing as bright as the blood staining his skin, “They demanded you. I applaud them for their bravery but no one takes what is mine.” No one makes demand to the King.

The shadows curl and snap, opening the void pathway to the Living Plane. The brim of their hats cast a shadow over their eyes, charcoal webs of veins protrude right below the skin, red irises more prominent than ever. Their black coats billow behind them, one by one, the commanders enter the void and melt into the shadows. Hongjoong waits for you with his palm open. You hold his hand, soiled and sticky yet soft. He raises them to his mouth, lips brushing against your knuckles.

“Lay waste to them.”

A siege is what this is. The precinct is surrounded by a wall of black fire, Seonghwa’s mouth curls into a menacing dragon-like grin. You could hear the tinkling of wind chimes in your mind as the wind picks up, your coat whipping in the wind and hat following the direction of the air currents, Yunho is nearby. The fire grows unceasingly. You’ve seen the sight before. The Great Fire of Rome, London, Chicago and many other accounts recorded in history. Wooyoung and Yeosang work on driving the officers outside into a frenzy. San taking them out with ease. They’re turning the Living Plane’s symbol of security into their playground. One of them alone could raze a city yet here they are playing. You could feel pinpricks of electricity tickling your skin, funny how it’s not painful anymore after being submerged in the River Styx. “Shall I get rid of the mutt for you?” Mingi whispers, his cheek pressing against yours and you follow his line of sight. “I’ll take care of it.” Mingi barks a laugh, “Have a blast, little one!”

Jongho’s miasmic presence alone in the bullpen is enough to make the officers kneel. You pass by him and he tips the brim of his hat in greetings, ever so polite. The building shudders, splinters and ashes rain down. Compromised structural integrity. He’s trying to cave the building from the inside, burying the people underneath. The protection runes inscribed to the structure prevent him from bringing the building down. “Need a hand, Jongho?” You call out teasingly, he scoffs and a rune cracks under the suffocating gravity. Guess not. This place is never designed to handle nine commanders of hell at the same time. The scenario never even crossed the mind.

Hongjoong stands beside you, more blood covers the expanse of his skin, he coat soaking the red liquid that’s not his. You wipe the stain from the corner of his mouth, he must have feasted before finding you. In front is the entrance to a secret passageway. Every employee in the Anomaly Department signs a vow of silence regarding the passage. Not at a single word to anyone. Not to be open until there’s an unprecedented attack. The intricately weaved runes are glowing white at the threats yet Hongjoong chuckles, “Pathetic.” The world is always evolving and so does power. The runes are outdated, no one checks it for who knows how many years. Hongjoong blasts the wall into pieces, all it takes is a punch. He’s not a king for nothing. The thrumming of his miasma flow is intoxicating, you could feel it latching, igniting violent tendencies inside. The embodiment of Treachery and the detective mix a savage concoction.

Runes litter the walls and floors as you descend the stairs, Hongjoong close behind you. You wonder how many media coverage is on the other side of the ring of fire. All thoughts are vanquished from mind when you come face to face with a stone door. How far deep into the underground is this? The miasmic energy leaking from the stone is akin to the one you feel in the underworld. “Ley lines,” Hongjoong says behind you. “The runes are pathetic but they’re smart enough to make an escape route close to Limbo.” He steps in front of you, a slew of phrases in a dead language spills from his tongue. The door rumbles open without a fight. No traps activated. You always forget that he’s been on this world longer than any supernatural beings. The first supernatural inhabitant to walk the Earth.

Familiar voices reach your ears. You smile. Oh, how the end of the beginning has come to fruition. The taste of fear on tip of your tongue is delicious. They have no time to cross into Limbo nor did they expect the final defence to be breached. “Detective?” A gentle call of your old title melts you from Hongjoong’s shadow. The reds of your eyes drilling into your partner’s, ex-partner. Guns are pointed at you. The Captain’s frightened face brings a grin to your mouth and the Junior Detective flinch. The grin is short of feral. “Detective, please come back. I know you’re in there,” the pleading of the Junior Detective makes you coo, eyes desperate and the service weapon unsteady in trembling hands.

You approach the Junior Detective, hands raise in the air at the attempt of an nonthreatening advance. “Stop right there!” The Captain yell. “How could you betray us like this?!” Hongjoong clicks his tongue and in a second, he has the Captain against the wall, hand tight around her neck. The Junior Detective whips his attention toward the King of hell, gun trained to his head. That’s not going to kill Hongjoong. “Betray you? Oh no, no. You took Treachery from me, Captain. No one steals from me,” animalistic growls emerge from his throat, nails growing sharper. You could see scarlet beads pooling at the divots where his claws dig into the delicate skin.

Placing a hand on the service weapon, you coax the Junior Detective to lower the gun. Without missing a beat, Hongjoong tears open her throat. The stone wall is splattered red and blood rains on the King. You watch the Captain chokes in her own blood before going cold. Screams of anguish ring throughout the tunnel, gun clattering away. Your partner slumps against you, dragging you to the wet ground. Tear streams down the Junior Detective’s cheeks, heaving and inconsolable. Hongjoong laughs and laughs, doubling over and clutching his stomach as if what went down is the most hilarious comedy show he has ever seen in a while. It probably is, the last time you have seen him laughs this hard was during the assassination of Julius Caesar.

You hum and nuzzle into the sobbing Junior Detective in your arms. “Mingi was right, I should have done it properly,” you whisper. Your old partner’s breath hitches, “What do you mean?” You plant a kiss on the corner of your partner’s mouth, “The Kiss of Judas.” And you let go of the horrified Junior Detective, the cogs in the brain turning to process your words. The tunnel rumbles as the crashing of explosions outside continues. It’s going to collapse.

Chunks of rocks drizzle down. Hongjoong offers his arm for you to link and you do so. “Fabulous show, Treachery! Time for the curtain call! We have a feast waiting for us,” he praises, eyes shaping into crescent moons. Walking toward the stone door, the melodious dead language spills from his mouth. You turn your head to see the Junior Detective rooted to the ground as more and more debris falls. You smile one last time and wave, farther away with each step. Classic Hongjoong. Death by stoning. Never forgive and never forget. The door shuts and the tumbling of boulders chorus inside.

“Goodbye, partner.”

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[yami-rang]

Tokyo Ghoul and Trump cards

So the other day I mentioned to someone here on tumblr that trump cards have a lot of symbolism too and explained some tiny bits and pieces here and there. But trump cards don't only have a symbolic meaning as is, they also serve as birth cards. Unlike the zodiac though, they don't make use of certain periods of the year, but rather specific days throughout the year (for example Ace of Spades - which was my favourite card since I was a kid - is the birth card for these dates: January 13, February 11, March 9, April 7, May 5, June 3 and July 1). With each card comes a specific meaning that gives the general meaning or basic treats of your character. Think of it as being an Ace of Spades is the same as being a Leo. But just like with the Zodiac, there are other cards tied to the various planets that influence your character or certain aspects of your life. Most likely this type of card predates tarot cards, who might have evolved from them.

Just like in my post about the tarot card birth cards I'm just going to write a bit about Kaneki and this time about Hide and Touka. Unlike the tarot cards, trump cards only require the birth day and month, so this is gonna be more accurate (and boy is it accurate for our main character!). If you wanna learn more about the symbolism etc., just google "trump card symbolism" or "playing cards symbolism" or check your local library for the book "What's your card?" by Arne Lein. Feel free to ask me about any other character too!

I wonder if Ishida-sensei has any knowledge of any of these, considering his knowledge of tarot cards. Also fun fact: our calendar is hidden in the deck

52 cards in the deck and 52 weeks in the year.

5+2 = 7 for the seven days in a week.

7 days X 52 weeks is 364 days. Add the Joker's value this again totals 365.25 days of the year.

13 weeks for each of the 4 seasons represented by 13 cards for each of the 4 suits.

13 New Moons per solar year.

Add 13 together (1+3), and you arrive back at the number 4, just as there are 4 seasons in a year and 4 suits in a deck of cards.

Multiply 4 X 13 and we get 52 (cards) again.

Kaneki Ken

December 20th - Jack of Hearts The Hearts suit represents emotions, love, home, heart, but also things like vulnerability. It also represents spring and water and how you love. All Jacks represent the person next in line of the crown. The Jack of Hearts is also sometimes called the "Christ card", because it's placed in the center of every spread, creating the center of a cross. Until adulthood the Jack of Hearts has to deal with many sacrifices, be it love, health, education or cherisched things and people. They have a tendency to develop a martyr complex. Their path is full of thorns, but they do draw their power from love and they must embrace this fact to be able to live a good life. The Jack of Hearts is a fixed card, which means they have no escape route on their path and must stick to it until they learn to love unconditionally and master their emotions. They are often escapists, who can make it difficult dealing with them. As a rule though, they are kindhearted, friendly and cooperative people, constantly battling the the darker forces of life.

Nagachika Hideyoshi

June 10th - 7 of Diamonds The Diamonds suit stands for security, values, responsibility, but also judgement. It's also tied to autumn and fire and what you value (They really are a personification of yin and yang lol). Sevens are symbolized by worry, they have a tendency to desire and can bring around worry or even jelaousy and violence. However if they learn how to get around obstacles, instead of trying to go through them, they become symbols of victory. The Seven of Diamonds symbolizes a conflict between spirit and matter. It's a card of power and accomplishment. The lives of these people seem to follow cycles of five or seven years, with the changes being often sudden and violent. They have a great love of "home", but they might have to wait for it, as their early life is filled with many changes ("Let's go home already" anyone?). The Seven of Diamonds is a swing card, this means it exchanges it's position with the 9 of Heart every other year, symbolizing a challenge in balancing love with money.

Kirishima Touka

July 1st - Ace of Spades The Spades suit is the symbol of acceptance, transformation, wisdom, health and environment. It's also a symbol of winter and earth and how you live. Aces generally stand for "I am", they are cards of desire and hope. If they manage to turn the desire for themselves into a desire for all, their card turns into that of an altruist. The Ace of Spades is traditionally considered a symbol of death, but it may also hold the key to the mystery of life. Often they loose sight of this and channel themselves into labour, thinking they can solve everything through trying hard enough or even questionable schemes. This card proposes a life full of challenges and hardships, but embracing it's spiritual wisdom can help along the way. The Ace of Spades is often tempted to indulge in despair. This can be overcome with discipline and a vision, possibly even making them an inspiration to others. Their soul card is the Seven of Hearts, challenging their jelaousy and feelings of betrayal. They need to lower their expectations of their loved ones if they want to overcome this challenge.