#Swords and Sandals 4

[brvans]

Care for You (Mizu x F!reader)

warnings: mentions of blood, wounds, and violence, soft sex, fingering (r! receiving)

a/n: wow. it's been a minute since i've truly sat down and wrote something. i'm absolutely obsessed with BES and mizu, i haven't felt so passionate about something since TLOU. this is my adaptation of what seems to be the most cliche scenario in this fandom so far: reader finding an injured mizu. i'm a bit rusty when it comes to writing so any and all feedback is welcome and appreciated, follows and notes as well. i have more ideas for works surrounding mizu (including a brothel fic muahahaha) so keep your eyes peeled for my posts :))

The sound of your sandals shuffling against the ground and your heavy pants were the only noises that pierced the otherwise quiet night. The moon, stars, and faint glow of your home in the distance were your only source of light as you trekked up the hill where the soft orange hue was coming from. The walk up this specific hill usually caused you no trouble, having done it dozens of times; however, this time was a tad bit different. Why? The limp, unconscious body that was currently draped over your shoulder.

Earlier in the evening you had heard a commotion down at the lake below the hill your home rested on. It was normal for stragglers, crooks, and opium addicts to travel through this part of Japan and mixing those groups of people usually ended up in some sort of fight. You had paid no mind to the noise, continuing with your cleaning. It wasn’t until you realized you needed more water for your tea that you made your way down the hill. As you reached the shore and saw the mess in front of you your stomach lurched.

Four bodies laid lifeless in front of you on the sand. From what you could tell they all had various stab and slash wounds across their bodies. Fifteen feet away from the tattered bodies lay another smaller one clad in baggy black trousers and stockings, a dark blue haori, and white scarf around his neck with a brown straw hat, round glasses with an orange tinted lens, and a sword, the telltale sign of a samurai on the ground beside him.

 From where you stood you could see his chest still moving as he tried to shallowly breathe in oxygen from the air surrounding his struggling body. That brings you to where you are now, struggling up a damn hill trying to save this unknown samurai’s life. Was he responsible for the four bodies you had pushed into the lake? It didn’t matter to you; you weren’t one to judge in a world where it was kill or be killed.

You push the door to your house open and lay the injured stranger onto your mat near the fire. You start to boil water to disinfect whatever wounds he had and open a drawer to grab a needle and thread just in case stitches were needed. They very much were. You quickly realized the source of what seemed like never-ending blood on the top half of his body as you stripped the bloodstained clothing away. A gash about 4 inches long and deeper than you’d like it to be starting towards the base of his ribcage, skin around it starting to turn a yellowish color. It almost distracted you from the way the stranger was wearing chest wraps. Almost.

You frowned looking down at the shallow breathing of the samurai’s chest. Why would he need chest wraps? You thought, fingers brushing over the once white cloth now stained. Unless? You slowly started to undo the bindings, telling yourself you needed to anyways to properly clean the wound. As the cloth unraveled in your hands your small suspicion was confirmed. Two small breasts sat atop the chest of the slender samurai that laid before you, nipples hardening as they became exposed to the air. Your eyebrows raised, head tilting slightly to the side. A female samurai? How? Questions began to fill your mind as you started to clean the wound, gently washing it with the now hot water. It was unheard of for a woman to even touch a sword as it was said to make the blade impure. Where had this woman gotten her sword? Who did she get taught by? Clearly from the mess on the beach she knew her way around a fight.

You finished cleaning and stitching the larger wound and got to work on disinfecting the smaller cuts and scrapes on the upper half of her body. Once you were satisfied with your work, you began removing the woman’s trousers and stockings, revealing another deep gash running from the top of her knee down to her shin. Sighing you started the same process as her chest and prepared yourself for the unknown amount of time you would be caring for this mysterious female samurai.

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It took three days for the samurai to fully regain her consciousness. In those days you had changed the dressings on her wounds, forced broth and water down her throat for some form of sustenance, and carefully studied her whenever you found the chance to. You noticed small things others would easily miss. The way her face seemed like it was always in a permanent frown, her subtly toned muscles from what had to be from years of training, how her calloused hands would twitch in her sleep, stress being the cause of it you had concluded after watching her for a good hour whilst you sipped on your tea, and how insanely handsome she was. Wait what? Handsome? That thought scared you so much that you had refused to watch her for the remainder of the evening besides checking her wounds thoroughly before you went to bed. But you couldn’t ignore those thoughts that plagued your head as your touch lingered for more time than it should’ve.

You were sat cross-legged waiting for your tea to steep when you heard a thud from behind you. Quickly turning around to find what the source of the noise was, you were met with the samurai staring back at you, blue eyes shining in the dimly lit space. And oh, were they blue. You had never seen or known something could be as piercingly blue as the eyes that met yours.

“Who are you? Where am I?” The samurai demanded in a gravelly voice that sent a shiver up your spine. You couldn’t bring yourself to answer right away, mouth slightly agape with shock at the stranger who had, just minutes ago, been passed out. “I asked you a question, now answer it.” She said sternly after a beat of silence between the two of you.

You blinked, raising an eyebrow and rising to your feet. “Well that’s no way to talk to someone who saved your life now is it?”

The woman, stern frown never leaving her features, quickly looked around the room taking in her surroundings. She then looked down at herself, usual blue haori missing and replaced with a softer red one. You hadn’t wanted to leave her bare in the middle of your home and opted to dress her in one of yours while you worked on scrubbing the stains out of hers.

You saw her tentatively try to move, and the flash of pain the appeared on her face for just a second didn’t go unnoticed by you. She pursed her lips and looked back up at you. “Thank you for stitching me up, but I would rather not stay a hostage here any longer. I have more important places to be.”

Your eyes widen and you scoff. “Hostage? Are you fucking serious? By all means you can leave, makes my life ten times easier if you do.” You were lying, you quite enjoyed caring for the handsome samurai, but you would never admit that to her. At least not now. “Good luck walking on that knee by the way, I’m sure it won’t be any trouble for you though.”

You crossed your arms and leaned against the wall as the blue-eyed woman looked you up and down once more before attempting to get up. After a few minutes she was standing, hand against the top of the fireplace to keep her from falling over. You could see her chest rising and falling quickly from the struggle of just standing. She looked back over at you, still leaning with your arms crossed. “Where are my belongings?”

“On the table to your right.” You responded, eyes never leaving hers. You watched her glance over to the table. It was about five feet away; it should’ve been no problem for her to walk over and grab her things. Should’ve. It took her almost ten minutes to reach the edge of the table, her injured leg making it difficult to have a full range of motion. She opted to shuffle inch by inch over to the edge. By the time she got there she was out of breath, looking down at her hands placed on the wood in front of her. You hadn’t moved at all, the only change being your expression shifting from annoyance to amusement as you watched the fit samurai struggle.

After a moment she let out a shaky breath. You saw her knuckles tighten as if she was having an internal battle with herself. “Can you help me back to the mat?” She asked so quietly you almost missed it. You pushed yourself off the wall and walked over to where she stood, taking notice in the way her legs were shaking from lack of use over the past three days. She refused to look at you as you placed her arm over your shoulders and helped guide her back to the mat on the floor. “Thank you.” She muttered.

You looked at her, worry spreading across your features. “Of course. I’m here for anything you need. Consider me your personal caretaker.” You joked. “Although, a good caretaker should know her patients name.” Your words hung in the air for a moment before she responded.

“Mizu.”

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It had been three weeks since Mizu had introduced herself to you. She didn’t talk much about her personal life, which you respected, instead filling the silence between the two of you with your own stories from your childhood. In that time her leg wound had been healing considerably quick, mostly due to the bedrest you ordered her to stay on. The only time she was allowed to move her legs was when she needed to relieve herself or when you would do small stretches with her to keep her blood flow moving. After some time, she was able to get up and walk for short periods of time on her own. The only problem with her quick recovery in her leg was the fact that her chest wound had hardly any progress to it.

Since Mizu couldn’t walk for some time, she exerted all her energy to her upper half, much to your dismay. She would sit up on the mat doing stretches on her arms and shoulders, sometimes raising them so far up you were afraid a stitch was going to pop. It did.

Mizu had been practicing arm movements with her sword, stating that “If I want to achieve my goals, my skills must always be honed and sharp.” Bullshit you thought. She just wanted to aggravate you. How could you tell? The small smirk that would grace her lips whenever she went to pick up her sword, even after you told her it was dangerous, and she could hurt herself anymore. Alas, she was a stubborn woman and it’s how you ended up rushing inside from chopping wood after hearing a sharp yelp from inside your home.

She sat on her mat, one hand clutching the spot above her wound while the other reached for the needle and thread you always kept close by. Once you realized she was going to try to stitch herself back up you rushed over to snatch the needle from her hands and straddle her lap, careful of the wound on her knee. She looked startled for a moment before her whole face turned a deep shade of red once she realized the position you both were in. You had a faint blush as well as you plucked the thread from her hand as well.

“I’m not letting you stitch yourself. You’re going to make your injury worse.” You said looking down at her. She looked up at you with those damn blue eyes you could get lost in for ages, cheeks still red but an amused expression on her face.

“You don’t think I know how to stitch myself up?”

You laughed awkwardly. “Well, no. I just…you just…you just popped a stitch by doing something I told you not to do! How can I be sure you’ll do it correctly?!” Mizu laughed. A sound so beautiful you were sure it would play through your mind for months to come. “I guess you have a point. C’mon then doc, fix me up.” She smirked. You felt your face grow even hotter.

Still straddling her you pushed her robe off her shoulders revealing her chest wraps with blood from the reopened wound soaking through them. You gulped. To stitch her back up you’d have to remove her bindings. And this time she was awake. And would definitely take notice in the way your eyes would roam her chest. Sensing your hesitation, she smiled looking up at you. “What? It’s not like you haven’t seen them before, obviously you have, or I wouldn’t have stitches here.” She was teasing you, you realized. “Here I’ll make it easier for you.” Her hand reached around to begin to undo her wraps. You sat there dumbfounded as they fell to the floor and her breasts were exposed to you once again.

“You just gonna stare sweetheart or are you gonna patch me up?” Mizu’s teasing question broke you out of your trance as you swallowed thickly and got to work on restitching her wound. You felt her piercing gaze on you the entire time and did your best to try and ignore the warm feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Later that night after the excitement of the day you sat sipping on your tea while Mizu slept next to the fire. You couldn’t stop thinking about her. Those beautiful blue eyes, the way her lips turned up into a smirk whenever it seemed you were flustered, and the sound of her laugh plagued you. You hadn’t felt like this in a long time.

Suddenly Mizu woke with a gasp, shooting up from the mat. You turned to her startled as you took in her appearance. Eyes wide with fear, chest heaving up and down, and her hands gripping tightly onto her blanket. “Nightmare?” You asked softly as to not startle her even more than she was. She just nodded as she looked at you, eyes bright in the darkness.

You softly rose to your feet, padded over to where was sat up, and sat down next to her. Her eyes had never left your figure as you made your way to her. You looked down at the blanket, then back up to her asking a silent question.

Slowly she lifted the blanket up and laid back down, giving you room to scoot in next to her. You wrapped your arms around her and brought her closer to your chest in the most intimate position the both of you had ever been in. You had never slept as well as you did that night.

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It had been four days since Mizu’s nightmare, and every night since then you two had slept together, arms wrapped around each other. The dynamic between you had changed drastically, lingering touches and glances to each other becoming a new normal.

Tonight was no different to the past few. You lay facing Mizu while her back was turned to the fire, tracing circles into her rough and calloused hands. The silence was comfortable, but you chose to break it in that moment.

“When do you think you’ll leave?” A flash of hurt ran across Mizu’s face.

“I can leave whenever you want me to, I think I’m healed enough by now. Would you like me to leave tomorrow?” Your heart clenched at the sadness in her voice. You didn’t want that at all.

“No,” you whispered. “I don’t want you to leave me. Ever.” Her eyes softened, moving closer to you she brushed her nose against yours.

“Then I won’t.”

Your lips met her soft ones in a searing kiss, one that knocked the air right out of your lungs. You let out at soft noise as she titled her head, running her tongue across your bottom lip to deepen the kiss and ask for permission to enter. You parted your mouth for her, tongues running against each other as she rolled on top of you, straddling your hips. Her fingers ran down your sides and under your top, tips of them brushing the underside of your breasts as you pushed your chest up into her, silently asking for more.

She pulled away from the kiss, a trail of spit the only thing keeping you connected, and smiled. “I’m going to need you to tell me you want more. Tell me you want it and I’ll stay.”

You moaned at her words. “Yes! Mizu please I want it, I need you.” She leaned down to kiss you once those words left your lips, fingers moving up to circle and pinch your hardened nipples. You let out a gasp into Mizu’s mouth at the sensation and she smiled into you, moving her head to trail kisses down your face to your neck, sucking a purple mark just below your ear.

You raised your arms over your head as she stripped you of your top, eyes lingering on your now bare breasts. “Beautiful.” Was all she said. You let out a whimper at her words. She kissed down your shoulders to your breasts and licked a long stripe up your nipple, the sensation causing you to moan and buck your hips up into hers. As she continued her assault on your breasts, her hand traveled lower down your stomach and slipped her hand into your trousers to run a finger through your slick folds.

You were a moaning, withering mess below her at this point. Between her mouth on your tits and her finger slowly brushing against your clit, you weren’t sure how much more you could take. “Please Mizu. I need you, please.” You begged, grinding your hips up into her hand hoping she got the message. She did. Slowly she pushed her middle finger into your wet heat, savoring the noise that left your lips as she did. Experimentally she curled her finger, finding that spongy spot at the front of your walls.

It wasn’t enough for you. “More, I need more.” You whimpered. Smiling against your breast, she pushed another finger in, thrusting at a quicker pace. You were close, she could tell by the way your pussy clenched around her digits. You just needed one last thing to push you over the edge. Removing her mouth from your nipple, she brought her forehead against yours admiring the way your mouth was slightly agape and the furrow between your brows.

“Open your eyes. You’re to look at me when you cum.”

At her words and her thumb suddenly circling your clit matching the pace at which she thrust, your eyes shot open meeting her icy blue ones, the last thread keeping you from falling snapping.

“‘m gonna cum Mizu, fuck m’ gonna fuckfuck-“ You were sent over the edge, cunt clenching and gushing around her fingers while your back arched off the mat, eyes never leaving hers as she guided and talked you through it.

As you caught your breath, chest heaving, she peppered soft kisses all over your face causing you to giggle breathlessly. She smiled down at you as you looked up at her still panting. “Give me a second, let me return the favor.” She leaned down capturing your lips once again as she removed her fingers from your core, wiping the slick on her pants and rolling to lay next to you. She pulled you into her chest and nuzzled her nose into your hair.

“You’ve taken care of me these last few weeks, let me take care of you. We have all the time in the world, I promise I’m not going anywhere.”

And Mizu always kept her promises.

[flukysims]

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[the-mortuary-witch]

HERMES

WHO IS HE?

Hermes is a Greek god who is known as the messenger of the gods, the god of travelers, and the god of commerce. In Greek mythology, Hermes is a son of Zeus and the nymph Maia, and he is often depicted as a swift and clever god who is able to move quickly and silently. As the messenger of the gods, Hermes is responsible for transporting messages and news between the gods and mortals, and he is also known as the god of thieves and cunning. Hermes is often portrayed as a young and athletic figure, with curly hair and a mischievous or sly expression.

BASIC INFO:

Appearance: Hermes is often depicted as a graceful and athletic figure. He is typically portrayed as young and handsome, with curly hair and a mischievous or sly expression. He is often shown wearing a traveller's hat or cap and winged sandals, which enable him to move quickly and silently. He also often carries a caduceus, a staff entwined with two snakes, which is a symbol of his role as a messenger of the gods.

Personality: he is known for his quick wit, cleverness, and mischievous nature. He is often portrayed as a god of communication, travel, and commerce, and he is known for being able to move quickly and silently. Hermes is also known for his love of pranks and tricks, and he is often depicted as a god of thieves and cunning. Despite his playful side, Hermes is also considered to be a wise and understanding god, and he is often depicted as a god of wisdom and knowledge.

Symbols: caduceus, shepherds pipes, travellers hat, lyre, rooster, talaria, winged helmet, tortoise, and satchel or pouch Talaria, and petasos

God of: messenger of the Gods, heraldry, omens, poetry and fables, trade, travel, boundaries, thieves, education, psychopomp, wealth, luck, roadways, animal husbandry, sleep, language, and known as the divine trickster

Culture: Greek

Plants: palm tree, crocus flower, Greek strawberry trees, hydrangeas, chrysanthemum, almond tree, iris, and marjoram

Crystals: alexandrit, amethyst, smoky quartz, hematite, agate, orange quartz, amber, citrine, peridot, quartz, malachite, ruby, bloodstone, and orange topaz

Animals: hummingbirds, tortoise, hare, cattle, hawk, goat, fish, ram, snake, and rooster

Incense: frankincense, myrrh, saffron, and dragon’s blood

Practices: travel protection, luck and prosperity magick, setting boundaries, chaos magick, and insight

Colours: gold, red, silver, copper, yellow, orange, grey, light blue, and green

Number: 4

Zodiac: Gemini

Tarot: Judgment, The Magician, The Fool, The Hierophant, The Hermit, The Star, and Suit of Swords

Planet: Mercury

Days: Wednesday, April Fools Day, 4th of every month, Hermea, Noumenia, Pompaia, Heliogenna, Anthesteria (maybe), Asklepia (maybe), Olympeia (maybe), Bendideia (maybe), Panathenaia (maybe), Eleusinia (maybe), Zeus Epoptes (maybe), Genesios (maybe), and Theseia (maybe)

Parents: Zeus and Maia

Siblings: N/A

Partners: Aphrodite, Brimo, Daeira, Peitho, Persephone, Penelopeia, and Palaestra

Children: Evander, Pan, Hermaphroditus, Abderus or Abderos, Autolycus, Eudoros, Angelia, Myrtilus, Palaestra, Aethalides (Argonaut), Arabius, Bounos or Bunus, Cephalus, Cydon, Pharis, Polybus, Prylis, and Saon or Samon

MISC:

• Winged sandals: according to Greek mythology, Hermes had a pair of winged sandals that he used to fly around the world.

• Caduceus: the caduceus is a staff with two snakes wrapped around it, and it is a symbol of Hermes and his role as a messenger.

• Thieves and tricksters: Hermes was often associated with thieves and tricksters, reflecting his role as a god of cunning and wit.

• Commerce and trade: he was also associated with commerce and trade, and was often invoked for success in business or financial endeavors.

• Messages and communication: Hermes was the god of messages and communication, and he was often invoked for help in sending or receiving important information.

• Travel and transportation: as a messenger and a god of travel, Hermes was often associated with the sea, rivers, and roads, and was invoked for protection and safe passage.

• Poetry and arts: Hermes was also associated with the arts, particularly music and writing, and was said to have created the first lyre, which he gave to Apollo.

• Magic and witchcraft: he was often associated with magic and witchcraft, and was believed to possess some magical powers himself.

FACTS ABOUT HERMES:

• One of the more popular myths of Hermes is the myth of him stealing Apollo’s cattle as a baby. Hermes was freshly born, escaped his crib and stole his half-brother’s herd of cattle. In order to avoid getting caught, Hermes plays some devious and clever tricks, though the tricks he plays depends on the myth-teller. At some point on his journey with the cattle he finds a tortoise whose shell he turns into the very first lyre. Inevitably he gets caught by Apollo but the sun god is so charmed by the lyre that he allows Hermes to keep the cattle or at least forgives him.

• Not only this myth, but others depict him as a trickster who enjoys a good prank.

• Hermes was known to be the patron god of Arcadia as he was born in Mount Cyllene in Arcadia according to Homer.

• Hermes is also a psychopomp, a traveler between the realms of the living and dead who aides souls headed to the Underworld.

• He was notably charming, even as a baby, considered a darling of the gods where many of the deities in the pantheon would teach or entertain young Hermes.

• Hermes was said to have invented wrestling and racing.

• He is often depicted as both young and old, as a mediator between god and man, and as a dream bringer. It’s possible that this ties into his involvement as an initiator for young adulthood.

• The Hermea were festivals held in honor of Hermes.

• Hermes’ staff or wand, the caduceus (staff with two snakes wound around it), is often mistaken for the Rod of Asclepius (staff with one snake wound around it).

• Inventor of fire: Hermes is credited with inventing fire, which he used to cook the stolen cattle.

• Protector of flocks: Hermes is also known to protect shepherds and their flocks, ensuring their safety and fertility.

• He likes rock music because of its high energy, energy drinks (especially red bull and original monster), elephants, yellow things, bergamot, dogwood, and vanilla.

HOW TO INVOKE HERMES:

Create a dedicated space on your altar or in your home for Hermes, with objects associated with him, such as the caduceus, winged sandals, or a statue of the god. Make offerings to Hermes, such as incense, food, or small trinkets. Set aside time each day to connect with Hermes through meditation, prayer, or journaling, and ask for his guidance or assistance. Take up activities that are associated with Hermes, such as writing, traveling, or communicating.

PRAYER FOR HERMES:

Great and wise Hermes, messenger of the gods, I call upon you to be with me now. Guide me on my journey, and fill me with your wisdom and wit. Help me to communicate clearly and effectively, and to approach each new challenge with confidence and ease.

Hail Lord Hermes, swift as the wind, cunning as a fox, and wise as the stars.I open myself to your presence and await your guidance. So mote it be.

SIGNS THAT HERMES IS CALLING YOU:

• A strong desire to learn, especially in the areas of communication, travel, or creative expression.

• Increased synchronicities or occurrences of things that are related to Hermes, such as twinning (seeing identical numbers), winged sandals, the caduceus, or the symbol for Mercury.

• A feeling of being inspired or compelled to take action, particularly in a situation that requires quick thinking or communication.

• Recurrent dreams or visions involving Hermes or objects associated with him, such as winged sandals or the caduceus.

• Sudden onset of good luck or fortunate opportunities, especially in areas related to communication or travel.

• An increased sense of curiosity or playful energy, such as a desire to explore new places or learn new skills.

• A feeling of being guided or protected, as if a benevolent presence is watching over you.

• An increased sense of intuition or insight, as if Hermes is guiding your thinking or decision-making.

OFFERINGS:

• Rocks, specifically stacked rocks from the roadside.

• Koumara.

• Petasos (winged helmet).

• Talaria (winged sandals).

• Naturally shed feathers.

• Animal skins.

• Silver or golden objects.

• Food and drinks: white or red wine, olive oil, water, citrus fruit, honey, strawberries, milk, chocolate, wheat, lemons, almonds, cinnamon, coffee/energy drinks (especially red bull and original monster), candy, ramune, foreign foods, candies, or drinks, cheeses, shepherds pie, mutton, pork, beef, eggs, cookie dough ice-cream, blackberries, apricots, chamomile tea, beer, pineapple, bread, and milk mixed with honey.

• Statues/depictions of him.

• Herbs: cinnamon, feverfew, mint, dill, mustard, parsley, angelica, poppy seed, and coriander.

• Souvenirs/objects from trips.

• Incense: frankincense, myrrh, saffron, and dragon’s blood.

• Zodiac or astrology related items.

• Souvenirs from your trips.

• Coins and money (unique or foreign).

• Silver/yellow/orange/red candles.

• Stamps.

• Turtle shaped objects.

• Sunglasses.

• Depictions/imagery of cattle’s, turtles, rams, hawks, hares, rooster, guard dogs, and snakes.

• Dice.

• Maps.

• Flowers: crocus flower, hydrangeas, and chrysanthemum.

• Wands.

• Musical instruments.

• Rock or indie music.

• Foreign items.

DEVOTIONAL ACTS:

• Write poetry.

• Play pranks, I won’t advocate for harsh pranks, personally, but he is known as a trickster so do with that what you will.

• Travel, he is the patron god of travellers.

• Watch a funny show or movie.

• Watch travel videos.

• Play or watch sports, he is known as a god of athletics and during his festival days people would play sports.

• Pray to him.

• Go to the gym or otherwise exercise, he has been cited as the patron deity of gyms.

• Learn astrology.

• Learn about agriculture and animal husbandry.

• Practice public speaking.

• Write His stories, poems, or jokes.

• Donate to homeless shelters.

• Honour the dead.

• Honour his children and his companions.

• Build a cairn, DO NOT STACK ROCKS IN NATURE as it disrupts the natural environment! However, feel free to build one on your porch or in your house with rocks you may already have.

• Watch a comedy special.

• Write letters and send them.

• Learning how to make drinks (wine, alcoholic mixed drinks, juices, etc).

• Traveling.

• Celebrate Hermea, I was unable to find a set date-range for these festivals. Some suggested around the beginning of August, possibly due to his conflation with the Irish god Lugh’s holiday Lughnasadh; others suggested May 15 due to the Roman god Mercury’s holiday Mercuralia. That said, he was known to be worshipped during other holidays in Greek tradition alongside other deities.

• Write stories.

• Exploring areas.

• Working.

• Making a money bowl.

• If able, learn a new language, if unable to do that listen to music in a foreign language or watch a movie or show in a foreign language.

• Learn about the Underworld and His role as a psychopomp.

• The story of Him stealing Apollon’s cattle always makes me laugh, so if you’re feeling down maybe read about that or watch a video about it.

• Eat food from a foreign country or watch cooking videos with recipes from foreign countries.

• Make a bucket list of places you’d like to travel (doesn’t necessarily have to be other countries. It can be within your own country or in your own state, or maybe there’s places in your own town/city you haven’t checked out yet that you’d like to go see).

• Learn some geography.

• Listen to or make a devotional playlist for Him.

• Play some board games or card games or dice games

• Learning how to send letters and packages.

• Stand up comedy and memes.

• Roller skating.

[isabeauwolf]

Merman Law x reader 2

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

Part 2: Warning

The next morning, you wake up bright and early and go to the shore again. Watching the sunrise, closing your eyes, soaking in the suns warmth as you wore a pair of light blue shorts that stop at you midnight and a bright pink, stripped tank top that ties at the back and golden gladiator sandals. Breathing in the fresh sea salted air into your lungs, then returned to the port where The Thousand Sunny had docks to resupply.

Of course, knowing Luffy he wanted to celebrate.

You boarded the ship and sat down in the grass, underneath Bellemere's Tangerine trees and relaxing. Waiting for the rest of the crew to awaken, knowing Sanji would be making everyone a light breakfast after nursing their hangovers. Ace, Luffy, Sabo, and Zoro no doubt, drank way too much last night. Stubborn men decided to accept Nami's challenge to a drinking contest, Clearly Zoro didn't learn his lesson back in Whiskey Peak. You giggled to yourself.

------

Law stood from the highest point of the dock, stormy silvers watching his female and the ship she boarded on sailing further and further away. This unbearable pain and ache hit his chest, forcing his stoic mask to crack, his lips falling into a deep frown, pressing his beloved white and black spotted hat further on his head and covering his eyes. Wait, his inner voice called, wishing you could hear him. Don't leave. Stay. His grip on Kikoku tightened, knuckles turning white. His soul called out to you since last night, ignoring the call hurt, but he needed to endure it.

Bepo, Penguin and Shachi were close behind, their hearts went out towards their Captain.

"Cap?" Penguin stepped forward, breaking Law out of his moody and tense behavior as he came back to the present.

"What it is, Pen?" Law replied, his eyes never left The Thousand Sunny. He'd hoped you had listened to his warming, but you didn't. Law trusted Bepo's navigating skills, the polar bear mink said something in the horizon didn't feel right, a storm was coming, something big.

Law knew it was risky, but he couldn't stand by and do nothing. Using devil fruit, he snuck onboard The Sunny and silently made his way towards you and whispered his warning, "Don't go out to sea. It's not safe."

Without another word, he quickly left, replacing his presents with one of the fallen tangerines.

That had been nearly an hour ago.

Clicking his tongue, Law had made up his mind. "Shachi, Pen, Bepo." He ordered, tone commanding.

All three stood attention, straightening and give a salute.

"Aye aye, Captain!" Bepo answered. "Are we going to followed them?"

"A stealth mission!" Shachi commented, his excitement growing.

"Gonna steal the girl, Cap?" Pen asks, smirking. "Or kiss the girl?" He snickered.

Law peaked over his shoulder, gritting his teeth. "It's too early for that, Pen."

Penguin and Shachi glanced at each other, raising a brow and shrugged. "Whatever you say, Cap." Nodding along together.

Law's jaw grinded hard, a tick mark forming on the top of his head. "Would you two like to be stuck on cleaning duty for the next month while we are at sea?" The merman asks, voice cold, a warning glare meeting his childhood friends widened eyes.

"Nope." Shachi answered first, he whispered. "Did you hear the wind picking up? Or that crazy idea?"

"No, bud." Penguin shook his head hard. "I heard nothin'."

"Good." Law nodded his head curtly, handing Kikoku to Bepo for safe keeping as he began to strip with haste. "I'll follow them. You guys and the rest of the crew follow below on The Tang." His eyes flashing gold as his scales appeared along is arm as he started to shift and stripping his clothes faster. He needed to go, needed to reach you, now, now.

Law didn't care about his nudity as he left his clothes, sword and spotted cap with Bepo, storming towards the cliffs edge, watching the tides and waiting for the perfect moment to jump.

"Cap, where will the rendezvous point be, if you and your little songbird are trapped in the storm?" Pen asks.

"Our nest." Law quickly answered as he jumped.

-----

You swear you heard a man's voice.

"Don't go out to sea. It's not safe."

You peaked over the railing and saw nobody. "Hello?" Brows furrowed in confusion. "Is someone out there?"

It was strange. The voice was masculine and low, smooth. It was oddly comforting.

It had been an hour sense then.

You hesitated and glanced at the sky. This strange feeling of dread kept building as your heart rate increased. You swallowed thickly as you told yourself to remain calm, twisting your body around, looking for any sign of danger. "Hey, Nami?"

The orange haired woman hummed at you.

"What was the weather forecast for today?" You reached out and gently shook her shoulder, lowering your gaze to your friend.

"Sunny." Her brown eyes meet your own. "Why-" Suddenly, she felt it. Nami raised to her feet quickly, her brows furrowed as she tilted her head back, staring at the clouds and sky. "All hands on deck!" She hollered, checking her log pose.

The blue sky was clear, a bit of wind. The ocean was beautiful and calm.

Suddenly, the air around the ship was changing. No, it shifted. Ominous.

Everyone scattered, following Nami's orders.

You peaked behind you. Your eyes widened as your breath caught in your throat. A monstrous tsunami was forming and rising high above as The Thousand Sunny turned, sky blackening as pitch, the solid wall of sea water escalating higher and higher as your heart slammed hard within your chest.

"Everyone hold on!" Franky called steering at the helm.

"Tie the lifelines!" Sanji ordered, handing each of you a lifeline to tie your body bodies onto the mass.

You reached for the rope when the deck was flooded with sea water, soaking everyone, hitting Luffy, Robin and Chopper. Weakening them as they held into the mass.

Zoro stretched his hand out for you to take. "Y/n!" He yelled over the raging wind, his one good eye meeting you own. "Grab my hand. You aren't tied off yet! C'mon!"

You nodded and ran toward the green haired swordsman, when you lost your balance, falling hard onto the deck, yelping in pain and you quickly ignored it and reached towards Zoro again.

Another even bigger wave hit as the tsunami engulfed the ship.

You were launched forward. "Oh, shit!" You screamed, missing Zoro's hand by a hair, past everyone who tried to reach you, watching in horror and struggling to untie their lifelines to reach you.

Franky reached his robot hand and his mini arm out to try and grab ahold of your tank top as you stretched your arm. It wasn't enough. Rolling and tumbling, fast and hard as you were thrown overboard. "Lu!" You cried in panic, stomach dropping as you landed hard into the cold, unforgiving, wet abyss and watery depths below.

Zoro, Sanji and the rest of the crew called your name.

Luffy panicked, weakly reaching out towards you. "Y/n!" His onyx orbs were wide with fear. "Y/n!" Inwardly cursing when his devil fruit failed him when he needed it most. "Dammit!" He roared, trying to get free, using his teeth to weakly gnaw at the thick ropes. 

Usopp yelling from the crow's nest, "Y/n overboard!" Pulling his goggles over his eyes, zooming in to refocus and trying to find you.

Every muscle inside your body wanted you to resurface quickly, instincts screaming for survival as your own body weight betrayed you. Causing you to become stuck within the blackness and power of the ocean itself.

The waves were merciless.

You swam toward the surface, hearing your crewmates calling you as you struggled to keep your head above the water only for wave and wave crashing into you harder and quicker than you could take another mouthful of air. Is this how I die? You though, closing your eyes, I wanted to go on more adventures with my friends. Closing your eyes hard, the stinging burned hurt more as your tears blended with the tears salt water. Hug Luffy, Ace and Sabo, or Grandpa again. You were pulled under again. I wanted to hear that voice again. Why you were thinking about that mystery man's voice you didn't know. You didn't know who he was. Why he wanted to help you? Why hadn't he shown you his face?

You were scared, cold, and alone. You wondered, if this was karma or your destiny to die at sea, which you loved and adored so much? You were a pirate. The sea was in your blood. Were you a weakling? Too weak to have the middle initial D in your name? Unworthy compared Luffy, Ace and Grandpa or your father?

You opened your eyes, blinking as your tried to save you mouthful of air, then you saw something moving towards you. Swimming faster towards you, the glint of something shiny reflection off the water.

You thought perhaps you were hallucinating.

The most stunning eyes you'd ever seen were staring at you, the color of liquid silver.

No, it was a man.

A very handsome man.

It was hard to tell, everything was blurry and haze, dark.

Was he death or the ferryman to take you into the afterlife? So, is this really the end? You frowned, growing unconscious as you couldn't hold your breath any longer, opening your mouth, bubbles bubbling and vanished.

The man reached for you, his hand gently cupping your jaw and tilting your head back as he kissed you, his silver orbs flashed into a bright golden color that traveled down his black tattoos, glowing the same shade. The jolly Roger and heart shaped patterns stole your focus as you closed your eyes.

This man was giving you air. Yet kissing you.

His hand felt strong yet gentle, caressing you.

The man's free arm wrapped tight around you, holding you prisoner within his arms. When he leaned back, giving you a smug grin. "You didn't heed my warning." His tone was amused. "Such a stubborn, little songstress."

You held your breath and kept your eyes closed. His voice sounded familiar. Then it hit you. It was him! The man's voice you heard. Your blush deepened as you felt your heartbeat pounding hard within your chest. Your surprise must have been read on your face, he laughed. It was light and filled with humor, yet low and deep.

"Come, we must wait out the storm." He informed you, pulling you closer to his strong, warm and hard chest. "Keep your eyes closed or you'll irritate your eyes more," he advised.

Instead of swimming up, the mysterious stranger dragged or swam you away from your friends and The Thousand Sunny.

Wait? That's the wrong way! You started to struggle against him. You couldn't see, but it felt as if you were upside down? What the fuck?!

He stopped and pressed your head further into his chest, "Don't worry." He whispered in your ear, soothing your fears and reassuring you. "I'll return you to them."

Having no other choice, but to trust your savior or drown. You pressed your cheek harder into this man's chest. Was he a man? He wouldn't be talking underwater and holding his breath for so long, if he was human. It couldn't have been a devil fruit. He wouldn't be able to swim, if he did.

The only logical thing that came to mind was that your savior wasn't human. You had seen all kinds of people throughout the Grandline. If he wanted to kill you, he would have done it by now. He wouldn't have held you so gently, if he did, right? God, I hope I'm right. You clung tighter onto your savior, wrapping your arms and legs around him, clinging hard onto him like a koala or a monkey, feeling yourself frown. His heartbeat was strong, thundering and drumming against your ear.

---- End of Part 2 ----

Part 1: Songstress and The Doctor

Part 3: Nest

Part 4: Rest

Part 5: The Heart Pirates

Part 6: Doctor's Orders

Part 7: Duty and Heart

Songs I listened to while writing: Inuyasha OST 1 - Longing, Mozart - Requiem for a Dream (remix)

Tag list: @m0sigma7 @angelblueflame @pandora-writes-one-piece @short-honey-badger @supreme-burrito @fanaticsnail @turtletaubwrites @cherry-queens-blog @fairymama624 @mrstraffy @kira-scarllet @strawheart-pirate @azuragalaxya @kira-scarllet @the-ginger-draws @cericebelle @emlikesfl0w3rs @aceismyloveforever @mrstrafalgardwater24 @imsnk-ow @thekatisspooky @lycoriscrow @lunulatalux @physics-of-one-piece @honeyshiddendesire

[imimprisoned]

Hermes: Messenger of the Gods, God of Boundaries, Roads, Travelers, Merchants, Thieves, Athletes, Shepards, Commerce, Speed, Cunning, Language, Oratory, and Wit.

Offerings include:

1. foreign foods

2. souvenirs/objects from trips

3. white or red wine

4. stuff you like from other cultures

5. silver objects

6. statues/depictions of Him

7. honey

8. written stories, letters or messages

9. postcards

10. crystals/gemstones like amethyst, quartz, smokey quartz, orange topaz

11. olive oil

12. incense scents like frankincense, lavender or myrrh

13. maps

14. flowers like crocus, hydrangea or chrysanthemum

15. coins or money

16. zodiac or astrology related items

17. turtle-shaped objects

18. caduceus

19. petasos (winged helmet)

20. talaria (winged sandals)

21. naturally shed feathers

22. strawberries

23. depictions/imagery of cattle, turtles, rams, hawks, hares, roster, guard dogs, snakes

24. silver/yellow/light blue/purple candles

Prayers to Hermes:

Swift Hermes, provider of fair fortune, who travels freely among the worlds.

In pennies found, in laughter and delight, in messages trifling and essential, in unexpected twists of our life's plan, with these you touch us, genial son of Zeus.

Hermes, guide of souls, light-hearted one, swift as thought; you know the depth of impulse, quick-witted god of those who live by luck.

We thank you for the path unworn, for cleverness, for gifts unearned, for change unbidden.

Excellent Hermes, we praise and honor you.

2. Keen-minded Hermes, light fingered one, light footed one, quick and cunning, bright and merry, ever watchful, ever agile, ever sharp of wit. The wings at your feet carry you to any landing-place, in any realm; wearing the cap of Aidoneus, you tarry, unseen by mortal men. Wielder of the golden sword, player on the shepherds pipe, god of herdsmen, god of thieves, god of cities and of pastures, rustic and urbane, you walk the line between contradictions. Hermes of the borderland, Hermes of the threshold, god of the uncertain, consistent and contrary, you stand in the doorway, you stand at the edge; the knife-sharp boundary between two worlds is yours.

Hermes, child of rich-tressed Maia and thundering Zeus, Ithank you for your many gifts, I praise your might.

3. Hermes of the ready wit and the lightning smile, Wing-footed one who carries the words of the gods,

Compassionate one who guides the newly-dead to the hall of Hades and fair Persephone, Quick-thinking one who takes interest in the world and works of mankind, whose hand we see in a run of luck and a clever scheme, I call to vou.

Hermes, bearer of the herald's staff, your gifts

are great.

You guard our homes with constancy and care,

You grant to us a portion of your own craft and wile,

You join with us when we revel and are merry, You stand with us when we are far from home, alone.

You are ever with us, O Hermes;

He who holds in hand the good of men, I honor you

4. Swift Hermes,

Provider of fair fortune.

He who guides travellers,

He who treasures wit and humor, I reach out to you.

Grant me peace,

Grant me protection, And I shall give you My devotion.

5. May Hermes bless you with safe travels, and protect you from theives.

[scribeofmorpheus]

Veilguard AMA - Spoilers

Directly from John and Corinne, here are some responses I thought were most relevant and/or interesting threads for building upon the lore of DA going forward and any hope of seeing "dead" characters return

Spoilers below!

Firstly and most important to my Solavellan heart! Fade prison [vague] answers.

Evanuris may return as "shells of their former selves" but albeit with their bodies--and possibly memories--intact (looking at you Dirthamen with a sword in your back!)

2. More lore and "definitely a political answer" about the fact we will likely not get another World of Thedas book ("I can't promise anything" means--we don't have the resources--higher-ups don't see the cost payoff as of yet--maybe with more fan uproar) Don't hold out hope.

3. Southern Thedas--yeah, not looking good for us Southern Thedas lovers (seems we just have to accept it's a blank slate now). BUT THERE MIGHT BE ROOM FOR ANCILLIARY MEDIA TO TACKLE THE SOUTH!

4. There's desires/aspirations to possibly incorporate Blood Mage as a class again.

5. WORST ONE YET! NO DLC! We get what we get...

6. Sandal, my beloved, I fear we may not see you again... not much confidence in this answer. But I'm glad someone asked about him. God I miss him!

7. Choices may matter in the future--again!

8. Thankfully, they are not going the "Executors were being everything route" but they are still placing themselves in the predictable corner of "big bad may have orchestrated events throughout the ages"... which [sigh] but I will keep optimistic.

9. HONOURABLE MENTION (Thedas is moving from "doomed by the narrative" to possibly "simple quest and adventurer routes"?? Descaling the stakes by that much means [hopefully] more closer to home/personal stories like Hawke's, but that also means the loss of such sweet, sweet world altering lore!)

[LINK]

[indie-ttrpg-of-the-week]

I was listening to Confessions of a Rotten Girl while writing this, Romans were the original Fujoshis when you think about it

Genre: Swords and Sandals fantasy, Mythological Fantasy

Touchstones:Hades, Xena, Jason and the Argonauts

What is this game?: Agon is a Tabletop RPG focused around emulating roman mythology

How's the gameplay?: Agon uses the Paragon engine, meaning characters stats are assigned die instead of modifiers, characters also have "Name die", which add bonuses or banes depending on someone's epithets and names, for example if "Shadow-Wise Xentropa" is gonna sneak around, they roll not only their d8 of Craft and Reason, but also an extra D6 due to their epithet applying to the situation, characters can also call upon favors of the gods to further help, but this requires to be in good standing with the squabbling and petty deities, characters also accumulate GLORY which increases the power of their name, adding extra bonuses when Epithets apply

What's the setting (If any) like?: Agon is set in the world of ancient roman myth, but you could probably do any sword and sandals style setting you wish in the game

What's the tone?: Heroic! Characters are flawed like the heroes of old, but they're powerful, and they fight mighty beasts for glory

Session length: 4 hours or so is usually enough time

Number of Players: 4-6 players is a recommended amount

Malleability: Agon's core systems are purposely generic to be modded into other games, but the game by itself is fit mostly to Sword and Sandals campaigns

Resources: Agon has a printable character sheet but not much else

Agon is a great game with a setting often explored but not in the world of TTRPGs, check it out!

[pinknipszz]

adagio for strings 2/4

↷ ˊ- true form!ryomen sukuna x f!reader

< previous | next >

"i'm not a crook!"

' - wc: 3.7k

you look more yūrei than human with how you stagger down the winding path, your breaths short and quick and shaky. the moon looks at you like how a mother would when her child is up to no good. she hides behind thick clouds to obscure her light in an effort to keep you from reigning carnage, but you move. to hell with the moon, you think, squinting your eyes to make out the dark shapes ahead. i don’t need a mother to guide me, much less the fucking moon.

you drag your feet across sharp stones hardly wincing, like a crippled animal on broken legs. the weight of your weapon is the only friend you have left, and you swallow the noise that crawls up your throat. you don’t know what it might’ve been. maybe a scream or even a sob, but it doesn’t matter now that the village is close. your eyes adjust to the darkness and you recognize the water well, the stone steps, the statues of yokai that are supposed to protect from natural disasters. you nearly bark a laugh at the irony.

is this what it takes to become a ghost story? you soak in the silence as you limp. in a hundred years or so, you think that farmers will warn their children about playing outside after dark, lest they want to be stolen by a pauper turned vengeful by those who damned her. it feeds your delirium and takes your mind off the ashes. this is only fair. an eye for an eye. considering the years of verbal and physical torment, you find this generous. mosquitoes swarm your space when you stumble over the steps of the first house.

it’s a humble thing, nothing impressive about it, belonging to either a cowherd or a farmer, but there are no sandals or scattered tools on the porch to confirm. after a quick assessment of the surroundings, you slip through a crack between the sliding doors. this’ll work, i’ll make it work. the inside is just as bland upon entering. you scoff, disappointed. there are no pots or paintings or portraits to take, no trophies to collect, but you find grass cushions around a low table for eating. tell-tale signs of life. they encourage you to move.

it doesn’t take much time to find a room, the only room, at the end of the sandalwood hall. you press your ear against the door, heart hammering in your chest, and wait for a few seconds. it remains silent. you pull back to stand face-to-face with the thin paper. a serpentine tongue flits across cracked lips. you don’t know what you’ll see inside. maybe a man and his wife, perhaps a family, sleeping soundly in proper, padded mattresses. they are probably dreaming about silly things, like conquering demons with sharp teeth or becoming the next shogun. 

hot jealousy swirls in the pit of your gut. it bends and snaps unnaturally, dragging its claws along the walls to tear apart your innards. dreaming of silly things is such a fucking privilege. you are more than happy to rip it from them.

but your hand never touches the wooden frame, held back by a ubiquitous force. cicadas whine for you. you blink with a bit of clarity and, for the first time in a while, think twice. your anger comes down to a slow simmer, diluted by a cold wave of realization. you don’t know what you’ll see inside. it repeats like a mantra in your head. you are thin and weak and don’t know how to fight. the words don’t feel like yours, but you listen. a man might draw his sword and strike you down. a woman might scream her head off. what then? the hand around your hatchet loosens its grip.

it repeats, you don’t know what you’ll see inside. 

your jaw is tight when you turn away, refusing to waste your chance on a bunch of strangers, before leaving as quietly as you came. realistically, you aren’t capable of fighting more than one person at a time. adrenaline has a timer that you don’t want to test. plus, there are people more deserving of death, like the kamo women. you consider it but decide that they’re not worth the effort. their esteemed estate sits at the top of the hill, and you’ll likely succumb to exhaustion before reaching it. the female seller is also out of the question; you don’t even know where she lives.

your best bet at revenge is the butcher, knowing that his house is tucked behind some trees down the street. you hesitate a little though. he is strong and powerful with burly arms that can snap brittle necks like yours, surely from experience. he is a challenge far greater than climbing a thousand steps for two women who know nothing about fighting. at least then, the playing field is even. but you remember how scared he was, and how his cowardice ran so deep that he had cried to a clan to get rid of you instead of doing it himself.

dried leaves crunch where you step. a grasshopper jumps away disturbed. that is one thing you hold over his head, it seems, one thing that makes you stronger than a man of muscle.

the walk is short. you reach it in just under five minutes minus the limping. you know that he earns more money than a cowherd and a farmer combined, if the size of his house is anything to go by. he must also be smarter because the door doesn’t budge when you try to slide it open, almost as if he anticipated your imminent arrival. but death doesn’t come knocking politely, and neither should you. you remember how you joked about squeezing through a hole in the back wall, rumored to have been from a strike meant for his prostitute wife. you’ll use it tonight to deliver the punchline.

you round the house and find the secret entrance. it’s boarded so poorly, almost as if he had just filled it with a couple of large rocks from the river and called it a day without bothering to take extra precautions. it takes the same amount of effort to pull them down with sanguine-wrought claws. luckily, the hole is large enough for a person to slip through, and you silently thank his wife, keeping your hatchet close. you hope she’s doing well wherever she is. you haven’t seen her at the market since the rumors have stopped, but you’re not overly concerned. she wasn’t kind to you either.

immediately you notice the air is different inside, almost stagnant. it’s colder too. hairs behind your neck stand on end, but you don’t let it deter you.

you explore the home with light steps. every once in a while, tatami floors creak underneath your feet. you freeze when they do and wait for frantic movements, but there’s none. you take a moment to calm yourself before continuing. in the kitchen, you find the butcher’s most prized possession: his cleaver. it rests on the wooden table abandoned by its owner. you approach to trace the metal. it’s cool to the touch and still sharp despite all of the flesh that it has cut through. this must have cost a fortune, you think. metals are hard to come by.

it would be a valuable thing to have by your side. it’d scare both people and animals more than a rusty hatchet with a weather-stained handle, and you’d never have to live in fear until the day it also deteriorates, but you don’t think that will happen for a long, long time. it’ll serve a message to the rest of them too. you’ll get to spend your final days eating peaches and melons offered out of fear, before being taken by the shogun’s army for a necessary execution. your fingers tingle. i’ll teach myself how to use you, and you reach for the foul weapon.

but your spine straightens at the sound of shuffling from somewhere deep in the house. it’s faint. horribly so, but you hear it. blood rushes to your head. you turn around half-expecting to see something behind you, but the space is empty. the shuffling continues, only this time a little louder, coming from the eastern hall with a single bedroom at the end. the butcher, you breathe shakily, forgetting the cleaver. it must be the butcher. he’s awake. you are tempted to run out of the house, tail tucked between your legs, but you swallow your fear. this bastard is the reason you’re sleeping without a roof tonight. 

you exit the kitchen and walk towards the room, your weapon ready. the shuffling grows louder, more frantic.  you focus your energy on standing upright, eyes burning from the effort to make out the darkness of the hallway. your hand glides along the wall for guidance, dust collecting at your fingertips. you only stop when you feel the familiar wooden frame of a door. when you hesitate for the nth time, the cold air curls around you with its tendrils, urging you forward. it whispers incoherent things. unable to resist temptation, you slide it open with one swift movement.

you think you’re ready for the butcher. you expect to find him twisting back and forth on his futon, or practicing his secret swordsmanship with ungraceful feet, or maybe even pacing the room like all men do. you’ve already thought of a million ways to catch him off-guard, and one of them might have worked if it'd actually been the butcher in the room, but nothing could have prepared you for this. there’s a large mass that’s darker than darkness, hunched in the far left corner, morphing between shapes as if it can’t decide between looking human or plant or animal.

you refuse to take your eyes off of it, like a sick audience for a sick show. the creature contorts unnaturally, bending this way and that before groaning a loud, horrible sound. it bounces off the walls in powerful waves that strain your ears. hissing, you don’t think twice before stepping back, but it’s already too late when tatami floors creak under your feet. immediately it silences, changing form in a blink. it is thinner and taller, closer to a corpse than anything, with features still indistinguishable in the dark. your mouth goes dry.

“what the hell—” it lunges forward. you fail to dodge.

the force of the fall rattles your bones, pushing out the air in your lungs. there is a resounding thud from where your hatchet falls. you aren’t given a chance to recover before it digs its long, black nails into your shoulders, drawing liquid copper, and claws at your flesh. the air is metallic on your tongue when you screech in pain. the creature shakes in turn, mimicking a laugh, and pushes against the lower half of your body to render it useless. you’ve only ever felt like this once in your life, when you had sleep paralysis as a child. the old sensation is ingrained in your memory, and it resurfaces only now. 

a coil snaps in your chest. “get off me!” you scream, thrashing violently. your hands curl into fists that jab at its sides. the creature doesn’t take a definite shape. you might as well be hitting air, but your efforts aren’t entirely futile. it recoils just enough for you to twist to your side and frantically search for your hatchet. when you see it in the far end of the hall, just a few arms-length away, you scramble towards it in desperation. but the creature is relentless. it grabs your ankle and pulls hard, dragging you further into the dark. no. no no no. you fight the paralysis that threatens to consume you, and with one final burst of strength, you kick.

you aren’t exactly sure why the creature lets go, wailing as if it came into contact with hot coal, but you don’t have time to ogle at how it presses itself against the wall in fear. you push yourself back on your feet and wobble quickly towards your weapon. when it’s back in your possession, you hold it tight until your knuckles turn stark white. this time you have no intentions of dropping it. your lungs burn when you breathe, and you’re sure you injured something, but you don’t dwell on it for too long. adrenaline has a timer.

you bare your teeth when the creature approaches. you’re ready to raise the hatchet. you remember the laws of nature when it lunges again, and you dodge. the strongest survive and forget the weak, who are branded for death the second they leave the womb. it runs through your veins like forbidden ichor. those gnarled hands shoot forward with inhuman speed, intent to kill, but you move just in time. you need to be the strongest in the room to win. the creature’s strikes wildly, its steps unpredictable. you cough blood at a particularly hard hit to your side. you need to be the strongest.

the creature falls forwards when you slash its legs. taking advantage of its vulnerable position, you rush forward and watch as it scrambles for footing, before you pull the hatchet up high. it looks at you then. though it lacks a proper face you think that it’s trying to mimic human emotion. you don’t know what it wants to evoke within you, but you hope it knows that it’s useless when you look back without a hint of remorse. the hatchet hits the juncture between its neck and shoulders, digs deep into black, warping mass, and comes off clean from the other side.

you watch it dissipate into nothing as if it was never there. the silence is nearly deafening. i did it. i killed it. your feet move before you could process what just happened, or what you just killed. the world blurs around you. when you pass the kitchen and catch a glimpse of the cleaver, you remember the butcher. he feels like a distant memory. you doubt he’s even alive anymore if the creature had been here the entire time. when you step out, the cool air hugs you tight. it’s still dark. you wonder if any time has passed at all.

when you reach the bottom step, you collapse forward and get a mouthful of dirt. adrenaline leaves your system before you get a chance to say goodbye, replaced instead with bone-deep exhaustion. your body remains glued to the ground as it succumbs to the exertion, fading in and out of consciousness. you dropped your hatchet again, you realize through the haze. you summon enough strength to prod at the space beside you. you swipe left and right, up and down. nothing. your vision blurs with unshed tears.

the pain is unbearable, gripping you like a vice and unwilling to go. even breathing is a difficulty on its own, with each inhale accompanied by a sharp pain in your chest. you know the injury is lethal. you wonder who will find your body first in the morning. maybe a child or a seller. you wonder if they’ll celebrate your death with sake or fresh meat before dumping your body into the river. maybe they won’t want to waste anything at all, so they’ll leave you here to rot and go about their day. before you could enjoy your pity party, a gruff voice cuts through the silence.  “pathetic. that thing was hardly a curse.”

you blink, startled. a few tears fall and mix with the dirt. you don’t dare to look. 

“what happened to that spirit of yours? don’t tell me you’ve given up. get up.” it’s harsher now, like the sound of sharpening two swords.

what else is there to lose?. you force two arms under you, shakily planting your hands to push your upper body off the ground. you find a pair of feet, attached to two strong legs, a solid waist and—

your eyes widen in horror, and for the first time in your life you see a real monster. he possesses four— four— arms, two of which hold weapons you do not recognize, a second pair crossed over his chest. all four of his eyes watching you with disgusting amusement. he reeks of arrogance and condescension, etched in the grooves of his hideous face and the criminal tattoos worn with pride. you don’t know what kind of expression you’re wearing, but he laughs at it so loudly that you wonder how no one has woken up yet.

no, not again. your breaths turn rapid, eyes full blown and wild. i can’t do this again. this guy is different from the one in the house. i can’t— you could only imagine what he sees. a woman with sunken cheeks and torn skin, dressed in dirt and bloodied, battered garbs, lying on the brink of death. you come to think that he’s here to finish you off. at least one of you is enjoying themselves. “there you go,” he purrs, smiling sharp with pointed teeth stained red. “you nearly had me worried. it’d be a shame if you died already.”

you want to scream with what little voice you have left, but it only comes out in short, pained grunts. the monster notices this. carelessly, he throws his weapons behind him to crouch in front of you. he abandons them so easily that you wonder how he thinks of himself so highly that he can fight without them. he’s still massive from this angle, and your neck hurts from the effort to crane up at him. he props a now-free hand on his knee and rests his chin on its palm. “sounds painful,” he drawls, dripping with feigned concern. “need some help?” you simply stare.

“did you forget how to speak?” you think for a moment before shaking your head. “then speak.”

“i c-can’t,” you nearly punch the words out of you. 

a heavy sigh blows over you as he massages the bridge of his nose, grumbling something under his breath. the situation is almost comical. you can’t discern between his anger and disappointment. they blend so well together that you think he only feels both simultaneously, one unable to exist without the other. you aren’t surprised if that’s the case. everything about the monster came in pairs. two arms, two faces. of course he’d feel double the hatred over you. you just don’t understand why he hasn’t killed you yet. a creature like him doesn’t look like he’s capable of patience.

“you know,” his eyes narrow to thin slits. “you cause a lot of trouble in these parts. you’re like a fucking spawner, creating a bunch of pitiful curses.” so he’s not going to help you. the monster leans in to grab your face with one hand, squeezing your cheeks tight until your lips pucker. it feels like he’s trying to shatter your jaw with how much pressure he uses. “bet you don’t even know what curses are.” you don’t, but the word is familiar. you think that he catches the glint of recognition in your eyes, because his smile turns devilish.

“it’s a shame that you’re ugly,” he continues, humming to himself as he turns your head left and right. “you barely got any fat on you. you’re giving me close to nothing to work with.” fear shoots down your spine at his words, suddenly realizing the full extent of your vulnerable position. you think he notices that too because he simply chuckles and offers no clarification. his large hand crawls up the side of your face before tangling itself into your matted hair. he pulls back harshly and you wince.

“tell you what. i’ll give you food, water, and a bed if you make a deal with me.” his promise is vile. he takes advantage of your silence knowing full well that you’re unable to ask for its conditions. 

but still, you weigh your options. there is nothing left for you here in this small village. no family or friends to remember, no home to turn to. you were never liked by the residents either, and you doubt you ever will be no matter what you do. plus, people will think that you have something to do with the butcher’s disappearance. although you were supposed to, you’d still be falsely accused for a kill that wasn’t yours, which you still think is highly unfair. you’d be doing everyone a favor if you disappear anyways.

so you look at him with the last bits of your bravery and nod. he grins fiercely, pleased with your decision. 

“uraume,” he says. your eyes widen when a familiar figure materializes from nothing. the monk-child, who you saw at the market, the one that gave you your first pomelo. when they stand side-by-side over your collapsed form, something in your mind clicks. this four-armed freak is what leaves the village so restless. when sellers and ladies aren’t complaining about you, they talk about him. the “cursed object.” you still don’t know what that means. uraume’s expression is just as unreadable when they study you for the nth time. 

“prepare a room at the temple, and cook twice as much for dinner,” he orders, his eyes raking over you. his companion, who you’re starting to believe is his servant, bows their head and mutters a humble “yes sir” before dissolving into air. you gape, eyes are fixated on where they stood. the monster merely chuckles at your ignorance. his grip on your hair loosens, and he pushes your head back into the dirt, surely leaving a mold of your face for the sellers to marvel over the next morning.

you don’t know about the other hands hovering over your back, expelling enough energy to seep through your robes, past your flesh, and into your bones. “you don’t understand now, but you will soon,” his voice is hypnotizing, bleeding through the static in your ears. you feel your ribs click back into place, and you taste earth when you gasp. “i’ll make you an expert in curses.” 

exhaustion finally pulls you into its arms. it is your last embrace for a long, long time.

(masterlist) | listen to adagio for strings!

[zagreuses-art]

The fine Rank and File (or at least the rank) of the Ankh Morpork city watch! I've been figuring out my designs for them, and I wanted to put them in a lineup to see how they look beside one another. makes you realize how ridiculous the height difference between some of them is

[ID: three digital drawings of the Watch members, against a police lineup background with height marks and an ankh morpork city watch watermark and logo. The featured members are in order of height: Detritus, Dorfl, Carrot, Angua. then Reg Shoe, Visit, Colon, and Vimes. finally, Nobby, Cheery, Buggy Swires and Wee Mad Arthur. they are all wearing variations on the watch uniform of brass colored armor, chainmaille, leather boots or sandals, and a skirt of studded leather straps. end ID]

more detailed description of the designs under the cut

First drawing: standing at over 8 feet is Dorfl. He is a grey-green troll with a very muscled top heavy build, patches of moss on his skin, and angular features. He is wearing oversized armor with pauldrons, one with sergeant's stripes painted on it, and scale mail underneath. the Piece Maker (a siege weapon crossbow) is strapped to his back. second, standing at 7 foot 4 inches is Dorfl, a reddish Golem made out of patchwork clay, with a overall gingerbread man look, and glowing red eyes. he is only wearing a breastplate, and he has his sergeant's stripes painted on his arm. Third at 6 foot 6 inches is Carrot. He is a redheaded white human, with a sturdy build, round face, and a cheerful smile. he has a captains pip pin in the collar of his shirt and his armor is visibly shinier than all the other's. fourth at 6 foot 2 inches is Angua. she is a white human with lots of very light blonde hair and slightly pointed ears. Her armor has straps at the shoulder rather than being one piece, and she is wearing her badge on a collar. (end of first drawing)

Second drawing: first, standing at 6 ish feet is Reg Shoe. He is a green zombie with a hunched posture and several missing chunks and lines of stitching visible, most noticeably the right half of his mouth has no lips, exposing his teeth. he wearing a tattered and patched flow-y white shirt under his armor, which is also the strap style, and there is a red ribbon in his long-ish dirty blonde hair. second at 5 foot 9 inches is constable Visit. He is a brown skinned human, with slicked back 80's business guy hair and a slightly strained smile. He is wearing a very crisp white shirt under his armor as well as khaki pants and a Omnian turtle necklace. he is clutching a bundle of pamphlets. Third at 5 foot 6 inches is Colon. He is a white human with a heavy-set build, a mustache, and a large bald spot. his armor has sculpted muscles in it and he is wearing sandals. Fourth at barely 5 foot 4 inches is Vimes. He is a white human with messy greying brown hair, and a five o-clock shadow, he looks a bit like house era Hugh Laurie. along with his armor he is wearing a red cloak and a sword. (end of second drawing)

Third Drawing: First, standing at 4 foot nothing, is Nobby Nobbs. he is a white-ish human with vitiligo spots, several suspiciously red or green patches of skin, and very scruffy black hair and a five o-clock shadow. he is smoking a cigarette and has several dog ends behind his ear. he has managed to tarnish his armor. second, at 3 foot 4 inches is Cheery. She is a white dwarf with a stocky build, blonde hair and a blond, braided beard. she has some burns on her arms, ears, and forehead, and is missing her eyebrows. she has a full lentgh leather skirt rather than pants. third, at 7 inches is Buggy Swires. he is a brown skinned Gnome, with grey hair and pointed ears. he is not wearing armor, but instead a rain cloak. next to him is his pigeon, which carries his badge and is a foot tall. Finally, at 4 inches, is Wee Mad Arthur. he is a blue nac mac feegle with red hair. he is in a watch uniform with a kilt, and is carrying his badge like a shield on his back, unlike the others he has a dynamic aggressive stance, rather than standing straight up. (end of third picture)

background of all drawings: a lineup height marker background, with the initials AM (ankh) CW and the city seal in the top right corner. the city seal is two hippos on a shield, with a tower between them. they are in shades of copper or bronze, as is the overall color palate of the drawings. (end of ID)

[socra-time]

Naruto Episode Comments, Ep. 1-20

(Context: I know a lot of the character’s names and some of the big plot points, but I’m going in blind otherwise)

Ep 1:

-Naruto is kinda annoying but also he’s just a lil gremlin and I can respect that

-I kinda love Iruka. Also he’s hot.

-”Clone jutsu? That’s my worst jutsu!” says Naruto, known for his Shadow Clone jutsu

-there’s just something so charming about the old anime style (but also some of the expressions are so goofy)

-HOLY SHIT IRUKA IS A REAL ONE

-I don’t trust the Hokage. I don’t really have a concrete reason for this yet, but his vibes are off

-oooh Irukaaaaa you’re so sexy for not being an asshole to the traumatized child

-oh I guess Shadow Clone jutsu is different from regular clones so disregard my earlier comment

-honestly this was a better first episode than I was expecting. I’m sold!

Ep 2:

-Naruto continues to be a lil gremlin

-Naruto pls for the love of god stop using your stupid ass “sexy jutsu”

-the Hokage really has had enough of these little kids and honestly I can’t even blame him

-I love the voice of Konohamaru’s trainer (I’m watching dub btw), it’s so pompous

-I love the ninja sandals. I want a pair.

-I like that Naruto’s voice actually sounds childish. It’s a tad bit grating sometimes but I think I’ll get used to it quickly

-STOP IT WITH THE SEXY JUTSU

-STOPPPPPP

-anyways #KonohamaruForHokage

Ep 3:

-again, the ninja sandals are so fucking drippy

-Ino wtf is up with your outfit. Why is half of it bandages

-the amount of sheer passive-aggressiveness in these 12 year old girls-

-Naruto has a crush on Sakura at first???? I didn’t know that lol

-Sasuke does not give a singular shit about anything other than his brooding and tbh I didn’t expect anything less

-Sakura’s little inner monologue is so feral lmao

-I don’t like Sasuke’s voice so far. It’s monotone, but not in an edgy way, just in a kinda dull way? Also he doesn’t really sound like a kid

-no hate to Shikamaru but his ponytail looks painful. My scalp hurts just looking at it

-oh my god not Sakura ragging on Naruto for being an orphan-

-lmao the amount of fucking drama with this team of kids is crazy

-why are the Hokage and Kakashi just casually breaking into Naruto’s home to look around

-rip Naruto’s bowels

Ep 4:

-I was not expecting Kakashi to sound like that but I’m kinda here for it actually

-oh I can already tell I’m gonna hate how the female characters are written in this show. Sakura honey I’m so sorry

-I know Sasuke’s got trauma or whatever but god he’s so fucking edgy. “I hate most things and I don’t like anything” bitch just say your favorite food or something

-oh my god Naruto is so tiny compared to Kakashi

-ok I already see why people love Kakashi so much

Ep 5:

-Kakashi is raining hell down on these children and I’m so here for it

-Kakashi is so COOL

-fucking “HEADHUNTER JUTSU” is the most metal name for a jutsu

-“you think like little kids” says Kakashi to the 12 year olds

-Kakashi really didn’t need to give his “you failed” monologue while pinning Sasuke to the ground. Bro was just doing it to assert dominance lmao

-I know that Sasuke’s reasoning for sharing is logical and not because he cares about Naruto, but I like that he offers his food to Naruto first

-aw the squad is starting to squad just a teeny tiny bit

Ep 6:

-booooo Naruto is a cat hater :(

-I love that Naruto is shorter than Sakura

-I like that we get some worldbuilding early on (also I’m a sucker for a good map so the scene explaining the different regions was cool)

-okay Sasuke is a badass

-Kakashi is also a badass but I already knew that

-I love how chill Kakashi is about literally everything

Ep 7:

-Kakashi is so over the bridge builder guy’s bullshit

-I do wish there was more of a sense of scale regarding how far apart the different locations are, since I have no idea how far away from Konoha the Land of Waves actually is

-okay I was NOT expecting Zabuza to fucking THROW HIS GIANT CLOUD STRIFE SWORD LIKE A BOOMERANG???

-Zabuza 🤝 Kakashi

not wearing their headbands correctly

-I like Zabuza’s voice

-the sharingan doesn’t make that much sense to me in terms of how it works but I’ll just chalk it up to anime logic

EP 8:

-oh the Water Prison jutsu is kinda terrifying to think about

-I can’t get over Zabuza’s fuckin armwarmer thingies

-ah yes gotta love the choppy old anime fight animation

-between Kakashi and Zabuza, Sasuke really cannot get a break from being pinned to the ground

-the demon wind shuriken is so sick-looking

-okay good on Naruto and Sasuke for working together but couldn’t they have given Sakura something to do

Ep 9:

-binging this makes the flashbacks at the beginning of episodes very annoying

-oh Kakashi is fucking PISSED

-shoutout to whoever animated all the hand signs for the jutsus holy shit

-yeah Kakashi would be so annoying to fight ngl

-Sakura is constantly calling Naruto out on his bullshit and that’s the kind of hater behavior I’m here for

-the soundtrack is hitting different this episode

-wow Naruto really saw another kid kill a man and got immediate imposter syndrome lmao

Ep 10:

-I like Haku’s painted nails

-aw Kakashi is actually a really encouraging teacher

-how is Naruto so bad with chakra control and yet was able to master Shadow Clone jutsu????

-Kakashi casually defying gravity to walk up a tree with his crutches was actually kinda hilarious to me for some reason

-I’m still not sold on Sasuke’s voice. There are moments when it’s fine but otherwise it’s just so stiff

-YAY FOR SAKURA GETTING A WIN OVER THE BOYS

-aw Naruto encouraging Sakura was cute (even though he was salty about her beating him)

-I like the difference that’s set up between having a lot of chakra (like Naruto) versus good chakra control (like Sakura)- hopefully this means people are going to go about how they train and fight differently

-Naruto asking Sakura for advice and asking her not to tell Sasuke anything was actually kinda endearing lol

Ep 11:

-dumb question maybe but if Gato is so against the bridge being built and he has the resources to hire a bunch of goons, why doesn’t he just bomb the bridge or something

-ah yes Sakura discovers poverty

-Sasuke is slowly growing on me. He’s very awkward

-Sakura I’m so sorry you have to deal with those two idiots as teammates

-holy fuck Inari’s backstory with Kaiza was darker than I thought it would be

-also rip Kaiza you were a real one

Ep 12:

-lmao not Naruto thinking Haku is prettier than Sakura fjfhshhajasisa-

-aw Sasuke helping Naruto walk home after training was nice, there’s definitely very slight development happening in their relationship as rivals

-Kakashi’s talk with Inari was a really nice moment

Ep 13:

-I like the way Haku talks. It’s very impassive and mysterious

-I’m always a fan of when the MC inspires literally everyone around them and Naruto is no exception

-Haku’s painted nails continue to slay (also I realized his toenails are painted too)

-the needles Haku fights with are really cool-looking but also seem really impractical

-YEAHHHHH NARUTO TIME

-aw Kakashi is proud of his kids

-goddamn Haku is so cool

Ep 14:

-I’m only thinking about this now but did Naruto never wonder why he had a big seal on his stomach

-literally half this episode was recap which was kinda annoying

-Naruto I love you but you’re so stupid

Ep 15:

-I really wish they gave Sakura more to do in this fight. I get that Kakashi’s the only one who can take Zabuza and that we need to see Naruto and Sasuke fighting together, but Sakura is kinda just standing there the whole time

-Haku needs to go to therapy ASAP

-I’m still confused about how Kakashi’s sharingan works tbh

Ep 16:

-aw yeah baby Sasuke sharingan time

-aw yeahhhh Sasuke saving Naruto

-god fucking dammit I think Sasuke is my favorite Team 7 member and I hate that for me

-oh boy Naruto is about to go apeshit

-also there is no way in hell anyone watching this actually believed Sasuke died

Ep 17:

-geez the animation quality really went up this episode

-yeah Haku’s backstory is just as tragic as I thought it would be but also Jesus Christ his relationship with Zabuza is so fucked up

-I’m very curious as to why Kakashi has the sharingan if it’s a bloodline trait of the Uchiha clan (and also why he only has it in one eye)

-Kakashi summoning fucking dogs was so random but also hell yeah doggies

-andddd Kakashi’s a lightningbender? I thought the sharingan was his main thing but apparently not

-Haku PLEASE go to therapy

Ep 18:

-this show’s soundtrack has actually been so good so far

-so like was Naruto actually gonna kill Haku before Haku stopped him

-oh FUCK rip Haku (also first real-time death of the series!)

-Kakashi closing Haku’s eyes and saving his body was nice, you can tell that he feels bad about him dying even though he was on Zabuza’s side

-also they didn’t hold back on the blood, goddamn

-I like that the bridge builder seems to have a bit of a soft spot for Sakura since she’s been with him the most

Ep 19:

-Gato is literally so fucking disgusting I need him dead ASAP

-Kakashi wrangling Naruto back from attacking Gato was kinda funny

-ah yes the big Shonen Protagonist Speech™ from Naruto

-Zabuza’s last hurrah was fucking epic, I really like how his and Haku’s story ended (also the line “where he’s going, I cannot follow” about Zabuza joining Haku in the afterlife was metal). I like that Zabuza got a last moment of humanization

-aw Naruto is such a wholesome, determined lil guy

-oh Naruto is gonna be so insufferable when he finds out the bridge is named after him

Ep 20:

-HELL YEAH CHUNIN EXAM TIMEEEE IM SO EXCITED

-wow Naruto is really out here fantasizing about being Sasuke’s knight in shining armor

-Sasuke is a cocky little shit but also he’s technically right about Naruto and Sakura being “worse” than him

-so far Sakura’s biggest fight has been her beating up fuckin Konohamaru

-SAND SIBLINGS SPOTTED!!!

-I don’t like Temari’s voice

[adachimoe]

origins & notes for the 2nd year gang's weapon names in p4

uhh there's probably a bunch i missed lol

protag-kun:

he has a lot of swords a western person has probably heard of it in other games (like the zweihander and bastard sword) and katanas (for example the "midare hamon" refers to the crazy wave pattern on the edge of the katana), but some of them are also specific

musashishinai: more-or-less same thing as the bamboo sword the protag has during the crossdressing contest

98 gunto: a sword used by the army

shichiseiken / seven star sword: said to be a sword with gold bits that form the big dipper, hence the "seven stars"

tajikarao sword: referring to ame no tajikarao. i think he's revered as like... a god of physical strength, as he's the one who pried open amaterasu's cave?

futsu no mitama: a sword said to be wielded by japan's first emperor, also used by takemikazuchi (kanji's 1st persona)

tsubaki otoshi: i believe this was considered a sign of bad luck...? refers to how a tsubaki / camellia flower falls to the ground as a whole flower, instead of petal by petal.

blade of totsuka: the sword that izanagi used to beat the crap out of his fire child (kagutsuchi) after kagutsuchi's flames burnt izanami to death during childbirth

yosuke:

a lot of his are named after japanese short swords: for example, a kozuka is a small sword attached to a bigger sword's sheath, kaiken (meaning "sword inside of your breast pocket") is a small sword one might carry inside of their breast pocket similar to carrying a pocket knife for self-defense, a santou or yamagatana is like a hatchet you'd carry around doing mountain and forestry work, etc

a lot of his also have ninja (or "this feels related to ninja stuff i guess") references: hattori, fuuma kotaro, basho (matsuo basho), flying kato (danzo kato), rappa, the various kunai, kashin koji (not a ninja but a "magician")

yashio'ori dagger: this one is a reference to yosuke's 2nd persona, susanoo. as the legend goes, susanoo defeated yamata no orochi by getting orochi drunk with some alcohol he brewed ahead of time. this alcohol is referred to as "yashioori (no) sake".

yashima: this is kind of an ancient-y term for the "eight islands" of japan. which islands count as the 8 seems to vary based on which myth you're reading lol. (in modern days, we'd only count it as 4...? i think)

ohorinomikoto: i think this was supposed to "hoori no mikoto". the weapon effect decreases how much fire damage you take. it's named and referencing hoori, who's dad thought his wife was not uwu pure when they fucked since she got pregnant with his child like Immediately, so he lit her maternity hut on fire. anyway, hoori and mom (konohanasakuya, yukiko's 1st persona) lived. they had null fire equipped i guess.

malakh: i assume this is supposed to be hebrew word for angel.

chie:

adios shoes and nice shoes: parodies of adidas and nike (adios is probably obvious, not sure if nice is too lol)

kehaya: named after taima no kehaya, a japanese figure who was known for his kicks

bishamonten and furinkazan: these are banners/slogans used by uesugi kenshin and takeda shingen. maybe chie is a sengoku gal.

she also has easily identifiable norse names (sleipnir, vidar, mjollnir)

moses sandals: in jp these are called the miracle of moses instead. i would believe that chie can part the sea by kicking it.

yukiko:

tesseb: this one is really funny imo lol... the japanese is 鉄扇 which would be pronounced "tessen" and means an iron fan. if you notice, on an english keyboard, "b" and "n" are right next to each other, so...

hanachirusato and yume no ukihashi: these are both chapters in the tale of genji, and they are also used as score names in the traditional fan throwing game, tosenkyo.

disco fan: the weapon model is a fluffy/feathery fan, and the jp name is "juli fan". those fluffy/feathery fans are nicknamed "juli fans" in jp because of the disco club "juliana's" in tokyo. i think disco fan is a great loc.

suzaku feather: despite its name in english, the japanese name is kujaku, referring to a peacock.

kachofugetsu: a japanese phrase/concept about nature. each character = "flowers, birds, wind, and moon".

yukiko has a variety of fans named after foreign words: courtesia, adoracion, secreto, pieta. i'm not 100% sure about this, but i have read that these were all names of japanese race horses who were active in ~2005-2006, so there is a possibility that whoever named her weapons was a race horse enjoyer? an uma musume player ahead of their time... sounds like a coincidence after poking around

[satoshi-mochida]

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time digital pre-orders now available for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, and PC - Gematsu

Digital pre-orders for social slow-life RPG FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time are now available for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 via PlayStation Store, Xbox Series via Microsoft Store, and PC via Steam, publisher LEVEL-5 and developer LEVEL-5 Osaka Office announced. Switch pre-orders have not yet opened, and LEVEL-5 has not announced an opening date.

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time is available for pre-order in the following two editions:

Standard Edition ($59.99 / £49.99 / €59.99 / ¥7,678)

A copy of the game

Pre-Order Bonus: “Adventurer’s Pack” – This special bundle includes the Flutter Charm, an accessory that boosts your experience gains, plus nine types of useful consumable items to help you on your journey!

Digital Deluxe Edition ($69.99 / £57.99 / €69.99 / ¥8,778)

A copy of the game

Early / advance access beginning May 18

Exclusive Mount: Mini Napdragon

-Exclusive Napdragon Weapons – Napdragon Sword, Napdragon Claymore, Napdragon Bow, Napdragon Staff

-Iconic Outfit Pack

Yuelia – Ethereal Girl’s Dress, Ethereal Girl’s Sandals

Edward – Archaeologist’s Hat, Archaeologist’s Coat, Archaeologist’s Boots

Trip Trip’s Helmet

-Pre-Order Bonus: “Adventurer’s Pack” – This special bundle includes the Flutter Charm, an accessory that boosts your experience gains, plus nine types of useful consumable items to help you on your journey!

In Japan, physical editions will also be available for PlayStation 5 and Switch, which are available for pre-order via retailers such as Play-Asia.

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time is due out for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam on May 21. It will support English, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, French, Italian, German, and Spanish language options. Read more about the game here.

[mitsuristoleme]

The Odds Is Gone

Written for @kentopedia ‘s collab event- Love Through The Ages

I present to you my take on the tragic love story of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII! Except picture Sanemi as Antony and Reader as Cleopatra!

cw: 2.4k words, historical au, fem!Cleopatra!Reader, Mark Antony!Sanemi, angst, smut, praise kink if you squint, they banter just a little bit, mention of Sanemi cheating on his wife, suicide, this one is beta read yall!!!, 18+ minors dni (i swear if i see a minor/ ageless blog interact i will block you)

a/n: The amount of rewriting and research i put into this fic is so fucking unreal i kid you not. I switched between 4 POVs and so MANY plot points to cover or leave out, it made me lose my mind. Also I feel like I need to mention that I hit 2k words right when Sanemi says “I love you” for the first time. So. Do with that what you will. Also this is my first time writing smut, and also angst, please go easy on me.

A hugeeeeee thank you to @forest-hashira for helping me out. Without them, this fic would probably not be what it is. Go show them some love (threat)

This fic switches between the narrative and a bunch of flashback scenes. The flashback scenes are all in italics and I've put in dividers between each one, just so there's no confusion in what's going on.

Caesar intended to keep you as a trophy.

You let out a prideful scoff, sandals clacking loudly as you strode towards the medical wing of your palace. 

Did the man truly think he could bring you, Cleopatra VII of Egypt, as a fucking war trophy, to show off to all of Rome? 

You paused in front of the ornate door, your heart urging you forward, yet your feet frozen in place. 

The door swung open, interrupting your silent debate with your own body. As if the Gods themselves would not force a decision this cruel on you. 

The chief doctor’s eyes widened slightly as she took in your presence. She recovered her composure quick enough, bowing low in respect. 

“My Lady,” she greeted, “I was just about to send a message to you. I suppose the Gods would rather I tell you in person.”

“Kocho,” you dipped your head in acknowledgement.

“Lord Shinazugawa’s body has been embalmed and it is ready for whenever you decide to hold the ritual for his entombment.”

You nodded.

You suspected she would have to do this exact charade with someone else if you carried through with what you were planning. 

“You’re dismissed for the day, Kocho.”

“But My Lady-“ 

Your gaze softened as you met your friend’s worried eyes. 

She seemed to hesitate as she asked, “Are you alright, My Lady?”

“I am, Shinobu,” you nodded reassuringly, “Truly. Thank you for everything. I will come find you later. I would like to see him. In solitude, please.” 

She bowed and left, but not before throwing a worried glance over her shoulder. 

You waited until she had vanished down the corridor to throw open the gold embossed doors to the medical wing. 

As you shut the doors behind you, your gaze landed on him. Sanemi Shinazugawa. Roman Consul. Triumvir of the Second Triumvirate. Mighty warrior. Your lover. Your ‘Nemi.

As you stepped closer, the wound on his chest, where he had stabbed himself with his sword, was glaringly obvious on his alabaster skin. 

You had seen him with scars, memorised every inch of the ones on his chest, his face and his arms. You never thought there would be one that would lead to him, lying lifeless in front of you. 

He did not seem dead. Only as though he was sleeping, as he did every night beside you. He seemed as though any moment, he would wake from his seemingly peaceful slumber and land his adoring lilac gaze on you, his lips curving into that beautiful smile.

Oh, what wouldn’t you sacrifice to have his eyes on you again. You would take every bit of disdain he may have towards you for your betrayals during battle, for faking your death. You would give everything just to have him back.

Every nerve in your body screamed to rudely interrupt his sleep and demand his affection, his hands over your body and his lips on yours. 

But you couldn’t. 

Your lover had taken his life two days ago. He had impaled himself on his own blade because he thought you were dead. 

He had bled out in your arms, on the floor of your chambers as you had wept in regret and heartache. 

Sanemi was dead. And it was all your fault.

“He has vowed to kill you himself, My Lady,” your messenger said.

You couldn’t blame him. Not really. If you’re being truthful, you understand the impetus.

So why did hearing your lover’s declaration (could you even call him that anymore?) coming from your messenger’s mouth feel like a knife being driven into your heart?

The thought that the very man who would spend hours whispering sweet nothings into your ear, making silly jokes that made you double over laughing, the man who made you feel like just a normal woman instead of an Empress equated to a Goddess, had now taken it upon himself to bring about your demise, was agony to your heart.

You took a deep breath, steeling yourself, ever the picture of grace and composure to your subjects.

“Tell him I have committed suicide.” 

“My- My Lady?”

“You heard me.

You had sent the damned message to protect your life.

But what of your heart?

Your heart that he’d held in his hands. 

The same hands that had held his sword as he fell upon it. The same hands that had held yours, bloodied and broken, but still warm. The same hands that had wiped away your tears as they fell, smearing blood over your face as he whispered his final confession of love towards you, smiling the way he always did.

“We shall meet in another life, my love,” he’d rasped before his hand went limp against your cheek and his body lifeless in your arms.

“SANEMI!”

You lunged forward to grab him from your guards with a piercing cry.

His mouth quivered into a wobbly smile as you clutched onto his broken form with a fierce protectiveness. Or was it a grimace? You sank to the floor, unable to support his weight any longer, resting his back against your raised thigh, holding him by his waist and supporting his head.

You shot a look towards your chamber doors, your guards taking the unspoken order to leave you alone.

“Well hello, dearest,” your lover’s weak voice said, drawing your attention back to him, “It would appear that you’ve lied to me once more.”

How this man found the gall to tease you, even on his deathbed, was admirable.

“Gods, I love you,” you whispered, running your hand along his stubble. It must have grown out during the time you’d been apart. 

He coughed, blood making its way out his mouth, as he clutched at his chest with an agonised groan. As his coughing fit subsided, he grinned at you, showing off his now blood stained teeth, “I love you too.”

You pressed down on his wound the way Shinobu had taught you, looking at him worriedly.

“I shall call for Kocho. You require medical att-”

Sanemi pressed a bloodied hand against your mouth, stopping you from continuing.

“No,” he whispered, “I’m afraid this is where it ends for me. I have decided it does. I fell on my sword because I couldn’t bear to live in a world without you in it. I shall not go back on my decision now.”

You shook your head, eyes pooling with tears, “Yes, but I am here, you fool. I am alive and you must stay with me. How am I to live without you?”

He took a shuddering breath, raising his hand to gently wipe your tears off your face. The metallic sting of iron hit your nose as his hand smeared his blood across your cheeks. His actions did nothing to soothe you, only making you sob more, hugging him tighter to your chest.

You cupped his face and watched as his own tears fell, rivulets of salty water, carving their way through the crusted red near the corner of his mouth. 

“I love you,” he said, his voice shaky, his hand never having left its task of wiping your tears away. “I love you so much, it hurts more than stabbing myself in my chest.”

Another pained exhale. 

“We shall meet in another life, my love,” he rasped, his hand slipping off your cheek and his head lolling back against your leg.

You hugged his body close to you, sobbing against his shoulder, knowing that his fingers would never comfortingly run through your hair again, that he’d wiped your tears off your face for the last time.

“I miss you ‘Nemi,” you murmured, ghosting your fingers across his now clean face. The memory of his features crusted over with blood had made your mind its home, Sanemi’s final moments coming back to you in your nightmares. 

The night of his death, you had refused to part with his body, laying in bed with his cold corpse, desperately praying to Isis to bring him back. To Ra to give you back the man you loved. 

But such is fate. 

The next morning you woke, feeling horrible, still in your royal robes, your eyes puffy from crying, Sanemi still dead, and Caesar’s declaration to take you as prisoner looming over your head.

An idea formed in your head, a way to escape the loss of your dignity and to be reunited with your lover.

“More,” you near sobbed between kisses, “Sanemi, please, I need more.”

His hands were running over your body, trailing over your sides, grabbing at the fat of your thighs, tweaking your nipple, leaving a trail of blazing need behind his touch. He was everywhere. Except where you needed him and it was driving you crazy.

You could feel his achingly hard dick pressing into your stomach. Just above where you wanted it.

Gods, this man was going to make you go insane.

You let out an almost embarrassingly loud moan into his mouth when his finger brushed against your clit, bucking your hips up, seeking more of his touch. 

“Desperate are we, Your Majesty?” he teased, relenting his attack on your lips to trail hot open mouthed kisses down the column of your throat, stopping to suck at your breast, and continuing further down, before suddenly pulling away.

A light smirk played at his lips at your despondent whine. He leaned down, grabbing your wrists and pinning them above your head, hovering his lips above yours.

His lilac gaze darted between your eyes and your lips, “If only Egypt could see the little whore their almighty queen becomes for a filthy Roman, hmm?” 

“If only your wife could see you fucking the Queen of Egypt, hmm?” you bit back, relishing in the way his eyes widened, the scar on his nose crinkling as he grinned at you.

His hand wandered down to rest between your thighs, parting your folds to rub slow circles around your clit, cocky grin never leaving his face. “Don’t you worry, My Queen. I know just what you want.” He brushed his lips along the shell of your ear, before whispering, “And I am going to give it to you.”

With that, he lined himself up with your dripping cunt and gently pushed in, inch- by- inch, drawing it out, making your eyes roll back into your head from the delicious stretch. 

“Alright there?” Sanemi’s voice forced you to open your eyes to meet his concerned gaze. 

Always one to take consent before he obliterated you. 

Letting out a pleased hum, you reach up to thread your fingers through his hair, pulling him closer to kiss him, your tongue moving languidly against his. “Move, ‘Nemi. Please. I can’t take it anymore.”

“Shh I got you, pretty,” he soothes, pulling his hips back, thrusting back into your pulsing heat, eliciting a wanton moan from your lips. 

He set the pace almost torturously slow, his cock moving in and out of your wet heat with sharp calculated thrusts, kissing your cervix every time he sank into you. 

He shifted slightly, pulling your torso up before settling a pillow he’d taken from the currently unused side of the bed under your lower back, gently setting you back. The change in position had your hips propped up, giving Sanemi a lot more leverage over the speed and depth of his thrusts. 

He gave his hips an experimental roll, his lips curling into a self satisfied smirk when you moaned, your fingers digging into his forearm. 

“So- so deep-“ you gasped.

“Am I now?” he groans as he picks up the pace. “C-can’t help it, darling. This sweet cunt is just sucking me in. Gods, you’re so warm- So wet for me. All f’me, huh?”

“Mh-Mhmm- Only for you, Sanemi, only you,” you whined, your walls clamping around him. Your hands found their way to his back, fingernails digging into the battle hardened skin as you clutched onto him, as he feverishly pounded into you.

“I love you,” Sanemi whispered reverently. “Dear Gods, I love you so much.”

Tears rolling down your cheek snapped you out of your reverie. 

The night he’d said 'I love you' for the first time. 

You’d spent the rest of the night tenderly making love, whispering hushed confessions of love to each other. 

He would never say the words to you again. 

Gods, how you missed him. 

You moved aside your robes to reveal the wicker basket hanging next to your leg. Your hands were shaky as you freed it from the rope tying it to the  inside of your robes.

Setting the sealed basket down on the floor, you turned to your dead lover, running a gentle hand along his jaw, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to his forehead. 

“We shall meet once more, my dearest. In another life, you shall be mine for longer. And I shall cherish your smile with the fire of a thousand suns. Thank you. Our time was short, but precious all the same. I love you.”

You opened the basket, revealing the hissing asp. Smiling, you held your hand out towards the poisonous reptile, allowing it to slither onto your arm. 

You shivered at the coldness of the snake’s skin against the warmth of yours, a pained exhale forcing its way out of you when you felt the fangs pierce through the skin of your forearm. 

By no means were the effects to be immediate, you had done enough research to know that. 

You sat on the floor, next to where Sanemi’s embalmed body lay, for the longest hour of your life, watching the flesh of your forearm begin to bruise and swell up, stinging painfully. All the while you pondered if you should get up and find Shinobu. Make up some excuse about the bite. 

Would your people not consider you a coward should you go through with this?

But was it not a bigger disgrace to be paraded around as a trophy of war? 

No. You would not turn back on your decision. Just as Sanemi had not.

Consumed by the urge to see the face of your lover one last time, you pulled yourself off the floor with great effort, only for a wave of intense nausea to hit you, causing you to double over as you vomited your guts out.

Your legs trembled before giving in under your weight. You vaguely registered your ankle twisting, surely causing a sprain, as your senses dulled. Black spots danced around your vision and your mouth started dribbling foam.

The last thing you heard was a panicked shout of “MY LADY!” before giving in to the warm embrace of death.

tagging: @forest-hashira and @wifeyana

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dividers by @/saradika

[liviavanrouge]

Sibling Sunshine's Covers

Season 1 Cover: The Beginning

Karla: *Sits with her legs and arms crossed, wearing a crop top hoodie and ripped jean shorts, white sneakers with mud stains on her feet. A frown on her face*

Darius: *Stands leaning against the chair, wearing a white shirt with a black and gray jacket over the top alongside black sweatpants and black sneakers on his feet*

Livia: *Smiles sitting in the chair between the two, wearing a white sundress, her hair in pigtails and sandal's on her feet*

Season 2 Cover: Becoming Family

Karla: *Grins widely, standing back to back with Darius, wearing a white button up shirt with a vest over the top alongside black slacks, white flats on her feet*

Darius: *Smiles slightly standing back to back with his sister, holding his flute, wearing a white button up shirt with a shawl wrapped around his shoulders alongside similar black slacks, black boots on his feet*

Season 3 Cover: Karla Pov

Karla: *Holds a book in her hands, wearing a bright green dress with golden trimming, her hair just past her shoulders, a wide smile on her face*

Milo: *Smiles down at her, his arm wrapped around her waist, flowers in his other hand, wearing a knight in training outfit*

Darius: *Stands behind a pillar with crossed arms, smirking as he watched the two, wearing a white shirt with a hoodie over the top*

Season 4 Cover: Found Family

Karla: *Grins widely the beach visible behind her, wearing a dark green sundress with silver trimmings that made out the shapes of rose flowers, her hair cut back to being just past her ears*

Darius: *Smiles widely, holding up the peace sign, wearing a white button up with a vest over the top decorated with silver trimmings, his dreads out of their usual ponytail style*

Milo: *Smiles slightly, standing behind Karla, his hand on her waist, wearing a button up shirt with two buttons unbuttoned, a sword strapped to the pants on his gray slacks*

Livia: *Smiles slightly, her expression soft, wearing a bright yellow sundress, her hair tied up in pigtails*

Silver: *Smiles, his arms crossed over his chest, wearing a white tunic and black slacks, his sword strapped to his belt and hair tied back in a mini ponytail*

Zela: *Smiles widely, her hair tied up in a ponytail, wearing a dark blue sundress with a red ribbon around the waist*

@queen-of-twisted

[chrislaplante]

BRONTE'S COMFORT LIST

comfort food(s): pizza, tortas “ahoga perros”, corn “at-home-street-style”, nachos, chicken nuggets, beef taquitos, lentils, etc.

comfort drink(s): honestly? water. lol horchata and coca cola.

comfort movie(s): the exorcist, the terminator, the exorcism of emily rose, split, drive, foxfire, brainscan, constantine, candyman, the rocky films, the ip man films, the star wars (eps 1-6 & rogue one) films, school of rock, donnie darko, 8 mile, the crow, gus van sant’s last days, jeepers creepers, awake, secret window, pet sematary (1&2), rosemary’s baby, my soul to take, child’s play, psycho, the texas chainsaw massacre (remake), jaws, scream, the craft, the lost boys, edward scissorhands, beetlejuice, the matrix, american werewolf in london, the cabinet of dr caligari, zodiac, red dragon, rambo/first blood, insidious (1,2&5), the Halloween franchise, the Friday the 13th franchise, the a nightmare on elm street franchise (with remake), the evil dead (& remake), gremlins, ghostbusters (1&2), silent night deadly night, the amityville horror, my friend dahmer, murder by numbers, sinister, twister, twisted nerve, natural born killers, behind the mask, the sixth sense, Alice in wonderland, peter pan, dumbo, bambi, the land before time, the sword in the stone, the aristocats, the beauty and the beast, etc.

comfort show(s): bob’s burgers, dexter, sons of anarchy, 21 jump street, renegade, stephen king’s rose red, salem’s lot, american horror story (first two seasons), tales from the crypt, daria, catfish, the twilight zone, criminal minds, the x files, the green hornet, etc.

comfort clothing: ripped jeans, baggy (oversized) tees, baggy (oversized) hoodies, cargo pants and shorts, plaid button-ups, sweatpants (joggers), overall pants, long socks, sneakers, combat boots, trench coats, “grandpa” or “80s dad” sweaters, bunny slippers, sandals with socks, the occasional dress or romper, etc.

comfort song(s): what’s up (4 non blondes), stan (eminem), vampires will never hurt you (mcr), darkside (bring me the horizon), disgusting semla (morbid), one (metallica), the hunger (distillers), burn (the cure), oye mi amor (mana), afuera (caifanes), jeremy (pearl jam), numb (linkin park), nightcall (kavinsky), etc.

comfort book(s): red dragon, the wasp factory, frankenstein, damien echols’ autobiography, darkly dreaming dexter, joyland (sk), into the wild, the jedi quest book series, the i am not a serial killer book series, the crow (comic), the exorcist, salem’s lot, drive, constantine (film novelization), hellblazer (comics), per yngve ohlin (clem petit-huguenin), lots of old dh darth vader comic runs, etc.

comfort game(s): battleship, guess who, perfection, operation, ouija, “baseball” (card game), checkers, chinese checkers, puzzles, dark lore, the golden ticket, duck hunt, hog.warts legacy, etc.

stolen from: @walkeddeath. framing: @k4rlsson, @freakarus, @strigoix / @miercolaes, @morb1dg1rl, @wastrels, @liraspins, @likeorpheus, @stringmastery, @hangtenn, @nuks, @andtheylive, @absentpublic, @00sgoth, @punkzombie, @popularmxnster, @mrdelroy, @allevils, @getslashed, @bloodykneestm, @helvehte, @helltoraise, @facepeeled, @cheekypriest, @v011d, @roznrot, @poisonedfire, @butscrewmefirst, @notimminent, @sweets1n, @daensuse, @horrorface, + you.

[tylermileslockett]

Theseus #2 (the Journey to Athens and the Six Labors)

king Aegeus stops over to visit king Pitheus who, understanding the prophecy, offers his own daughter, Aethra, and after getting the king drunk, the two lay together. The same night, Aethra is visited by Athena in a dream who instructs the princess to visit the oceanside to pray for blessings. Here Poseidon appears and couples with her. Thus, Aethra is impregnated by both a king and a god, so the child has dual paternity.

When the child, Theseus, comes of age, he is instructed to remove a huge boulder to inherit his kingly father’s sword and sandals, and journey to Athens to claim his rightful princely birthright. The journey is long and arduous, fraught with death and danger, and Theseus proves his heroic worth by performing six labors, defeating evil villains who wish him harm by using their own evil techniques against them.

1.)         First, Theseus defeats the brigand Periphetes, the bronze club wielder, and lame legged, like his father, Hephaestus.

2.)         Next, he kills Pityocamptes, who would tie his victims to two bowed pine trees, releasing them and tearing the victims apart.

3.)         Third, he overcomes a creature; the Crommyonian Sow

4.)         Fourth, he outwits Sciron, who would push victims off a cliff to be eaten by a giant turtle.

5.)         Fifth he faces Cercyon at the holy sight of Eleusis, who challenged passers to wrestling matches. Theseus uses untold power and technique to achieve victory; and is thus credited as the originator of the sport of wrestling.

6.)         Sixth, he overcomes Procrustes, who had two beds in his home, one too short and one too long. IF the guest was too short, Procrustes would stretch him through torture to fit, or if the guest was too tall, the villain would chop off the guest’s feet.

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