#The Iris oracle

[motherofqups]

Weights & Measures, Chapter 26

Every Time I Reach For You, You Slip Through My Fingers

[cosmic-ghost-hermit]

Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t but always be open to new experiences. ALSOOOO join my divination discord!!!! Link in bio

Pile 1

Crystal: Moss Agate

Song: Timeless by Jon Bellion

God/Goddess: Hermes

Astrology: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces

Vibes: 🌸🌿💖💚🪲🌷🪷🥝🍑🍣📗🧠🧚🏼🩲👛🦚🍐🍉🍡🎀🐷🪴👚👅🧑🏼‍🎤

Hi, pile 1! What makes you extraordinary is your mind. You are extremely intelligent. You are fantastic at looking at a situation and seeing the secrets that lay in wait. You see past the smoke and mirrors to the important matters easily. It’s not something many people like about you unfortunately. You catch a whiff of their dirty laundry before they even tell you about it’s existence. Which can be kind of scary to experience if you aren’t used to it. However, this weeds out the people who can’t handle your intellect. It removed the people who are jealous of you or who would lie to you or try to manipulate you. You are a purifier. You are a lie detector. You are also extraordinary because you are a defender. You use your knowledge to help the people you care about. You arm them with information. You equipt them with communication skills they didn’t have before. Your heart center is very strong which tells me you are fiercely loving and want the best for all your friends. You always keep your promises. I also see you are very understanding. Pile one even though you can lift the facade of most people, when you do it is never something you bring judgement into unless it is necessary. You might see someones anxiety in the way they chew on their nails. You meet those conclusions with kindness and grace. If others had your skills they wouldn’t use it the way you do. You are such a kind soul. Pile one you are extraordinary no matter what others say about you. Just because they can’t control you it doesn’t mean you are what they say you are.

Pile 2

Crystal: Sunstone

Song: Bad Reputation by Avril Lavigne

God/Goddess: Hades, Persephone

Astrology: Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn

Vibes: 🤎✒️🎓⌛️♠️🕶️🫚🥐🪵🦫🐌🧳🐻🕰️🪜🧸🐗🖤🦇🕷️🦅🪨🕸️🧋🏹🪮🗝️🎱🎻🐶🎮🦽⚰️🚬🏉🪑🏴‍☠️♣️

Hello, pile two! You are extraordinary because you are unconventional. I see that you are very fashionable in an alternative way. You have a crow like energy to you. You collect interesting things and keep them in line of sight. There is this depth to you that is absolutely fascinating. Sometimes that depth can scare people because they haven’t been through all that you have experienced. The depth you hold isn’t always obvious. It sits right underneath the surface. You don’t offer your depth to those who don’t ask. You don’t offer your depth to those you believe don’t deserve you. Even so, you are brave, bold and never look for permission to do what you please. I would see you on the street and would whisper “Ohmygods that person is so fucking cool do you see them??!?!?!?!” You also have a voice that stands out from the crowd. You can project your voice in a powerful way that rings in peoples ears even after you have left the scene. Your words linger on their minds. What you said sticks with those people and will never leave them. They can hear the wisdom dripping from each syllable and they understand there is experience behind what you say but can’t quite pinpoint what you lived through. You have worked hard for your place in life and there is a richness that you resonate even if you aren’t wealthy. You take no shit. The universe loves that about you, baby. You don’t let your heartbreak keep you down. You might have had hard times but that has never and will never define who you are. Holy fuck you are so cool.

Pile 3

Crystal: Howlite

Song: Renaissance Girl by alybob

God/Goddess: Iris, Artemis, Apollo

Astrology: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius

Vibes:🩵🐭🤍🌨️🫐⏱️💙🦢💎🛁🍙🧿🪬✈️🧊🍭🛼🏳️‍⚧️🥶🦋🐻‍❄️🦕🧢👟🥽🥼🗣️🛬🗽💦🐚🐁🪼❄️🌊☁️🐰🎧🎹🌎⚗️

Hey, pile three! You are extraordinary because you haven’t been invented yet. All you were is gone. All you are is yet to be born. You get to decide. I see you may have recently discovered you are changing into someone new before your eyes. You didn’t even notice for a while. You were charging into life with little thought to how you wanted it to go. You perception has been twisted and you have a new angle to look at now. You are extraordinary because you could become anything. You could become an activist, an painter, a musician, a model, an engineer, a programer, a runner or anything you can imagine. You are a dream. I’m kind of jealous at how raw your energy is. You are iron ore that has yet to be melted down and molded into what you were meant to be. The richness of your soil could nurious any plant or tree. You are the star that is transforming into a supernova. Wow. You are such a lovely and beautiful soft energy pile 3. Your energy is like delicate piano with a soft bassline. You are full unlimited potential. I’m sure hearing this might not be what you expected at all. You might not even really like this answer if I’m honest. Please understand that I see you have come out of an act. Who you were is nothing compared to who you will be. You masked your truest self for a long time and now you are moving into new power beyond your old self’s dreams. If past you met current you they would be strangers to one another. My advice moving forward is to explore yourself. Carefully map out your new self. Voyage to your new interests with excitement because you will be crafted from stardust, my friend. The world can’t wait to meet them.

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

What is this? The year of DC pregnancies or something?

Wally and Linda are pregnant with their third child. It has been teased that Iris and Barry are pregnant with their twins. And now it's basically been confirmed that Selina and Bruce are either currently expecting Helena Wayne and don't know it yet or will be within the year.

Honestly at this point I'm not expecting the 'big lore changing event' in Nightwing #100 to be a Dick/Babs wedding. It's probably a pregnancy reveal. Because apparently everyone is pregnant.

[arcanusarchieves-if]

Are we going to meet Alistair and Lena in game??? Are they apart of the Circle?

They were apart of the Circle but you’ll only see them in flashbacks during the game. They died during the first war.

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

For the list of ten characters ask, what about Eris, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Iris, Dionysus, Hades, Hebe, Poseidon, Athena, and Artemis? I thought it would probably be a good idea to stick with mythology for this ask. Only if you want to of course! Take care and don't feel obligated to answer.

:D hello there

It's never a bother to participate in an ask game! I just may take some time to respond <3

let's get started then, shall we?

(also i don't drink tea so it's just drink lol)

(also wow this was a bit harder than I thought it would be lmao XD)

Eris

Slap

Push down the stairs

straight up. no mercy. girl take a CHILL PILL PLEASE

Hephaestus

Drink with

now HERE'S a chill one. name one bad thing he's done.

that's right. you can't. Stan Hephaestus!

Aphrodite

Slap

Drink with

At times, Aphrodite deserves a good slap. But she's also a good conversationalist...<3

Iris

Drink with

i like rainbows, she seems pretty chill. i'd like a chat with her <3

also gay rights is a win :)

Dionysus

Party with

THIS IS THE PARTY GOD WHAT ELSE WOULD WE DO WITH HIM?

Hades

Invade the dreams of

squints what's going on inside that head of his? also i have a death wish lmao

Hebe

Drink with

Another chill person to chat with! Although we will be avoiding the topic of her husband (Heracles) because I don't like him hehe

Poseidon

ummm.....no answer??? i wouldn't do any of the options with him. Not because I don't like him, i just don't vibe with them with him lol XD

Athena

Drink with

a nice chat over some books. also owls.

Artemis

Take a nap with

No invasion of personal space, just'll be nice to nap with the Hunters. 100% safe.

also there are wolves i would like to nap on. That is THE DREAM. so floofy... <3

The only option I didn't use was marry, because none of these people appeal to me for marriage XD

I am doing a lot of drinking for this lmao don't worry it's not alcohol i'm not into that :)

[yourhearthboundfairygodkin]

A message from Spirit this vernal equinox . . .

It is time to detach from mundane issues, which is a necessary step for spiritual transformation. Once negativity and self-doubt are removed, positivity, empowerment, and hope can flow. When we nourish our good intentions, we can watch them flower.

Clear quartz provides mental clarity; carnelian combats feelings of inadequacy; chrysocolla increases wisdom. Mugwort assists with luck, protection and vitality. Iris encourages hope, trust, and wisdom.

Deck credits: Crystal Wisdom Healing Oracle by Judy Hall; Eternal Crystals by Jade-Sky; Herbcrafter’s Tarot

[citrusreadstoa]

Reading The Hidden Oracle: Chapter 26 (SPOILERS)

"After Woodstock, I stuck around, started a pottery studio." Chiron: Rhea has not been seen in millennia... Rhea: *upstate doing pottery*

"I burned my apodesmos and got liberated." APODESMOS (n.): a woolen undergarment that bore a basic resemblance to the design of modern bras. Worn by Minoan women, though women in the rest of the Greek world at the time did not use undergarments. I figure Rhea must mean this figuratively.

"She's a messenger of the gods, right? Along with Hermes and that other groovy liberated chick... Joan of Arc?" I think you mean Fleecy. She takes most of Iris's messages now.

"Wanted to make themselves gods." Oh, gods.

"I wanted to ask Rhea who his two compatriots were in the Triumvirate, but I decided I could not bear the information at present." APOLLO! You need to know this! You can bear it! Just ask her! We could probably save at least half a book's worth of questing if you just got this information now!

"When Lizzy Stanton and I hosted the first women's rights convention in Woodstock--" "I think you mean Seneca Falls?" I'm proud of myself for remembering this from history class. Elizabeth Cady Stanton worked with Susan B. Anthony to get rights for both women and African Americans. Stanton wrote some paper about women's rights that I can't recall now. (Declaration of Sentiments, upon further research) No, Rhea, Jimi Hendrix was not involved. "Then who set that guitar on fire?" I don't know.

"Oh, he's already found the gates" So that's why the Beast is luring Meg and Apollo into the Woods (now capitalized since the geyser guys have branded it an officially named location). They want them to open the way into the prophecy grove.

"The emperors will suffocate our future and divide up the world." First of all: now we've got clarification that all three in the Triumvirate are Roman emperors. Second of all: great. I was like, "They're just a corporation. Yeah, they're bad, but this is a big step down in stakes compared to the last two series." Guess not. They started out mortal and the still want to overthrow the gods. With the amount of rebellions against the Olympians in the past decade alone, I'd be tempted to just let this one happen. It doesn't sound like they want to wipe out all human life unlike the other two, Gaea and Kronos. Anyway, I didn't realize just becoming a god was an option. Pogchamp.

"some kind of attack on your camp . . . Like, even worse than napalm." Is there something worse than napalm that would plausibly be used in a children's book? Idk, a nuke?? Is Camp Half-Blood gonna get nuked?

[amphigories]

wonders & mysteries of recent days

[cheemken]

DUDE YOUVE WATCHED THE OWL HOUSE?? IVE BEEN OBSESSED WITH THAT SHOW SINCE MY FRIEND FORCED ME TO WATCH THE GROM FIGHT

I actually wanted to explain all the covens and wild witches to you but I felt it would be to much so I just opted for something similar, which was Harry Potter

But yeah, Belos!Diantha 👀👀 Would that mean Iris or Hau is The Golden Guard/Hunter?

Which covens are everyone in? Is anyone a wild witch? And what about after Belos is overthrown and people are allowed to specialize in more than one magic?

OH SHIT ARE THE CHAMPIONS THE COVEN HEADS??

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP YOU KNOW THE OWL HOUSE TOO OMFS THIS GOT ME EXCITED CNMXNDMD HAHAHAHA

Omf okay so so cjdmdbdj

Ough idk like,,,, the thought of Diantha being like Belos is sooooo jdmxbjd like damn, villain Diantha is just soooooo🥴🤭 you get me?? Just the most manipulative piece of shit to walk the earth and the Boiling Isles ncmdbd

Augustine is the Golden Guard in this ofc ouo, but like, in this au, he wasn't like,, as young as Hunter, an adult yknow but like around his 20s at most, and he's not even the original Augustine bc yeah, he's a Grimwalker like Hunter. The real Augustine has been dead for so long, and that was the reason for Diantha's hatred towards humans (yeah it's the opposite in this au)

But anyways, in my lil toh au, Iris is like Luz, the Unova kids are her friends in the Boiling Isles, so ofc Bianca is Amity– hahahah

Drayden is Eda and Axew is King, and they're a family your honour, but ofc Drayden knows the dangers of Iris being in the Boiling Isles, as their empress, Diantha, fucking hates humans and all the humans who got to the Boiling Isles back then were executed by the empress. Ofc that didn't calm Iris down at all, and she lost the portal back to the human world, so she's kinda stuck there until she can make another portal

And like,,, idk,,, maybe Iris did get caught and Drayden payed the price, but Iris up and saved him too, like in that one episode of toh hahah and just jcmdnd oughhhh Diantha and Iris fight😭😭

Do you see my vision tho cbdmnd ough low-key deranged Diantha but she's just so fucking calm most of the time, and like Belos I wanna say she was kinda cursed too, bc she was so desperate to bring Augustine back that she tried everything, only for those spells and glyphs to take a huge toll on both her mind and body. Until ofc, she found out abt grimwalkers, and she failed, a lot of times, time and time and time again she watched her brother die over and over and over again, until the most recent one, the one Iris and her friends encountered, he was perfect. Of all the grimwalkers, he looked just like you, Augustine. So of course, I named him after you.

BUT YEAH CHAMPIONS AS COVEN HEADS CJMDBCMD and maybe the Kalos E4 too hahahah

So we have (excluding the Emperor's/Empress' Coven ofc)

Lance - Abomination

Steven - Construction

Wallace - Bard

Cynthia - Potions

Hau - Healing

Leon - Beast Keeping

Geeta - Oracle

Malva - Illusionist

Siebold - Plant

I added in Malva and Siebold bc why not, I wanna say they're also Dia's childhood friends in this and were the ones to help her find out abt the grimwalkers to bring Augustine back

As for the Unova kids

Iris - Beast Keeping, Oracle

Hilbert - Construction, Beast Keeping

Hilda - Potions, Abomination

Bianca - Healing, Plant

Cheren - Oracle, Illusionist, Abomination

N - Abomination, Illusionist, Beast Keeping

While writing that tho I had another thought like imagine cbmdnd imagine if Diantha and Augustine were raised by a human, Drasna way back then. Drasna was the first human to ever visit the Boiling Isles and ofc Diantha found her and looked up to her and just jcmdnd ough Drasna raising Augustine and Dia, she was even the one to figure out abt the glyphs and taught the kids that. Then smth happened, another human found the portal to the Boiling Isles, his name was Lysandre, Augustine loved him. The two became close and hey it was going so well yknow, until Lysandre betrayed them.

He killed off Augustine, going on how a witch— a demon— shouldn't even exist, and then killed Drasna for betraying her kind. Diantha went home that day w Lysandre all bloodied while setting fire on Drasna's body, Augustine was lying lifeless on the floor. In her rage, Diantha attacked him, killing him too, promising herself that no more will humans torment them, no more will humans be welcome within the Boiling Isle, she promised herself she'll kill them all if she has to.

And god that really fucked her up yknow, bc Drasna was human, but in her mind Drasna wasn't like the rest, she was good, she was kind, treated them like they were her own children, but maybe.. Drasna was treated differently by the rest of the humans too. And that thought pissed Diantha off. So hey, she collected Drasna's ashes, still within the castle, within a secret chamber, somewhere no one would find. Drasna is safe, that's all that matters to her. Augustine tho... She knows she can fix him. She'll get her brother back, and she did. And she promised herself nothing would happen to him again.

Now imagine her being so dead set on killing Iris, that fear and paranoia never left Diantha, and seeing Iris again triggered that fear again, triggered that hatred, seeing Iris being close to witches, acting all friendly, it reminded her so much of Lysandre. So she decided, she'll make the portal herself, she'll kill everyone in the human world, she'll make sure every human would feel the same pain she felt when they took everything from her. And she's going to start with Iris.

[the-time-lord-oracle]

The Adventure of a Lifetime. Originally posted to Fanfiction in 2022. Series 3 & 4 rewrite. OC: Iris Pangbourne, face claim: Kate Winslet. Thanks to Maethorial Artemis for making the cover for me.

The Adventure of a Lifetime Chapter 1: Human Nature, a doctor who fanfic | FanFiction

[motherofqups]

Weights & Measures Chapter 27

You Should've Known That This Was Gonna End In Tears

[herbariumcaelestis]

🌺💜🌿 #Iris, oh iris! Your blooms are so fair, your roots so strong. In my #magical work, you are a steadfast ally. The petals of your flower hold the secrets of intuition and wisdom, while the earthy fragrance of your root grounds and centers me. Your vibrant colors of purple and blue represent the third eye and throat chakras, aiding in psychic communication and clear vision. White flowers represent clarity and purity. From sachets to teas, your #magic knows no bounds. So gather your blooms and dig up your roots, and let the magic of iris work through you. ⁠ ⁠ Pictured is the acrylic original draft of the iris card for my #oracle deck project:)⁠ ⁠ Have you ever used iris in your #spells? Share your experiences with me in the comments! 🧙‍♀️✨🔮🌿🌸 ⁠ ⁠ #magicofiris #herbalmagic #wisdom #intuition #spells #witchcraft ⁠ #botanicalart #botanicalillustration #pagan #witchesofinstagram #witchy #witchythings⁠ #divination #tarotreading #oracledeck https://www.instagram.com/p/CpxHaEnNXDt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[pinkiemachine]

DC Group Photo!

Who should I add next? :)

From left to right, all set at specific ages in the timeline, it’s:

Mera, Aquaman, Lorena Marquez (Aquagirl 2), Garth (Aqualad), Tula (Aquagirl 1), Kaldur’ahm (Aqualad 2) Yara Flor, Artemis of Bana-Mighdall, Wonder Woman, Wonder Girl, Olympia (in the comics, Wonder Girl 2), Nubia, Martian Manhunter, Miss Martian, Connor Kent (Superboy 1), Jonathan Kent (Superboy 2), Krypto the dog, Superman, Lois Lane, Supergirl, Wildfire, Red Robin, Starfire, Spoiler, Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, Oracle, Catwoman, Batman, Robin, Beacon (in the comics, The Signal), Impulse (yeah yeah, I know, he’s grown up some), The Flash, Iris West, Dawn and Donnie Allen (The Tornado Twins), Wally West, and Artemis.

Updated version here 👇

[ahllohehn]

I know this has probably been asked for, so if it has, ignore this.

However, the rp blogs (etho, bdubs, scott, Joel, grian, Jimmy and skizz so far) are going to go suit shopping, and I particularly would like to see at least some sketches of that.

I especially would love to see what bdubs makes etho try on, and.i have no doubt Scott will choose some for etho too.

Don't feel rushed and this is just a silly request, so if you don't feel like you'd enjoy doing this, then don't, however I do know you have the dubs one, and I think it could be something fun.

Love the art, keep up the good work (don't burn yourself out tho)

I heard they brought Gem along.

Character Tags: @thatgayflowerboy @askhatoskizz @camphermithater @boatboynr1 @boatboynr2 @askhermesgrian @asktheshreeper @gem-the-oracle

about au au tag discord

"Ichi, why do they have phones?! They're demigods."

If the gods can keep up with the times and disguise their businesses in with the mortal world, why can't Iris find a way to get phones made on her powers (delusional)

[khaire-traveler]

Random Greek Deity Facts

- Artemis has been associated with horses in the past.

- Ares has associations with owls.

- There are ancient gravestones with reliefs on them that historians still cannot tell if the art is of Dionysus or Jesus.

- It is common for historians to struggle identifying if a statue is of Artemis or Apollo because they often look so much alike.

- Hephaestus is a god of fire.

- Maia, the Mother of Hermes, was thought to assist in raising both Dionysus and Hephaestus.

- Hypnos is said to live in a massive cave, sleeping with thousands of his sons.

- Rather than blood, Greek gods are said to have something called Ichor running through their veins; no one is quite sure what "Ichor" actually is.

- Both Apollo and Artemis are deities of light; it is not just Apollo. Along with this, it is believed Leto may also be a goddess of light.

- It is commonly believed that the hyacinth flower is not actually the flower Hyacinthus was infamously transformed into; most sources seem to agree that it was likely either an iris or a larkspur.

- At one point in the Dionysiaca, Dionysus wages a war against India. The goddess Rhea is said to have gathered troops for him, and Zeus was said to have been the one to task Dionysus with going to war in order to allow him to join the gods on Mount Olympus.

- Demeter's chariot is pulled by two giant winged serpents; she has literal dragons pulling her around, and no one is talking about it.

- The Python was a child of Gaia, and before Apollo took up the Oracle in Delphi, there was actually an Oracle with Gaia in that location.

- The twins Castor and Pollux, who made up the Gemini constellation, were commonly worshipped throughout ancient Greece under the title of the "Dioscuri" or "Dioskouroi".

- Also regarding the Dioskouroi, the name "Castor" ("Kastor") may translate to "Beaver".

- The famous epithet "Paean" of Apollo was also listed on an ancient Mycenaean tablet that listed the names of separate deities. It is, therefore, possible that Paean was once a separate god who later became associated/merged with both Apollo and his son Ascelpius.

- Besides being an epithet, a Paean was also a type of devotional chant/song that was sung in honor of Apollo. Some ancient sources claim that the event of singing a Paean could actually be quite loud, involving clouds of stomping/banging and movement.

- The masculine version of Hekate's name, "Hekatos", was an epithet for the god Apollo; both names can be translated to "worker from afar".

- The first record of the more "traditional" view of a werewolf comes from the Greek myth about King Lycaon, when Zeus transformed into a wolf for ten years as punishment for tricking the gods into consuming human flesh (yes, you read that right).

- In the myths, Zeus and Hermes have a lovely Father-Son bonding trip of destroying an entire village (except for one home) for not showing either of the disguised gods hospitality as poor travellers.

- Both Apollo and Zeus were seen as gods who purified "blood-guilt" - a condition which was caused by the killing of another person and required immense purification.

- Cerberus is described as a fully sentient being who can communicate as other immensely powerful children of Gaia could, meaning he is akin to the gods in terms of intelligence rather than being like an overgrown dog.

- Hermes is said to be the inventor of offerings, specifically animal sacrifices.

- One origin of the Pegasus was Poseidon and Medusa doing the devil's tango.

- There is a tale that claims Hermes to be the one who granted Aesop his knowledge of fables.

- According to some ancient sources, Cerberus has as many as fifty heads, a mane of snakes, the claws of a lion, and a snake tail.

- Iris was not only the goddess of rainbows but was also the personal messenger of Hera and was prominently featured in The Iliad delivering many messages on behalf of the Olympian gods.

- Eros has been depicted as the child of Aphrodite and Ares, the child of Ouranos and Aphrodite, the child of solely Aphrodite, the child of Poros and Penia, the child of Ouranos and Gaia, the child of Zephyrus and Iris, and a primordial being who simply came into being. So, where did Eros actually come from? Your guess is as good as any.

----

That's all for now! Let me know if y'all enjoyed these and would like more. 🧡

----

|| Sources ||

- Theoi.com (of course)

- The Iliad by Homer

- Theogony by Hesiod

- The Dionysiaca by Nonnus

- Information from various museum trips in Athens and Delphi, Greece (sorry, I don't remember the exact sources 💀)

[whispereons]

Oracle!Reader Part 24

Masterlist - Part 1, Part 23, Part 25

Warning! My AU is yandere and can involve gore. Sensitive topics appear in this series. This chapter is a bit bloody but not that bad.

In all honesty, you never expected to be the one to say ‘no’ to a proposal. Love wasn't something you frequently chased, and being a heartbreaker was even farther from your mind.

Maybe that's why you laughed so merrily at Zhongli’s face when you rejected him.

Then again, he wasn't proposing his heart, nor his love. Morax, Rex Lapis, or rather  Zhongli was offering an alliance of mutual benefit.

“What's your reasoning for rejecting my proposal? I may not marry you as the Geo Archon, but I'm not undesirable as I am now.”

He takes a moment to think as his fingers taps on his chin. The way the diamond of his iris shrinks and the slight grimace on his face raises a red flag in your mind. 

“You aren’t rejecting me solely due to the fact that I’m not operating as this country’s Archon are you?”

.

.

.

The smile on your face becomes tight as your hand shakes with the unmeasurable amount of effort to not flip him off right there. Just what did you do that could have caused such a stupid reasoning to come from his usually smart mouth?

“What the fuck made you think that I even gave a shit about you being an Archon?” Well maybe you couldn’t hold your tongue, but granted you didn’t really need to either.

The man bristles, but ultimately doesn’t answer your question, choosing to instead repeat the first question. “Why are you rejecting my proposal, then?”

“Because you don’t love me.”

“I could learn to love you.”

“But that goes against the terms and conditions of what a marriage is supposed to consist of.”

This brings Zhongli to a halt as he stews on your answer. With a smaller voice, he continues, “The legalities of our marriage would be decided on what vows we utter during the ceremony.”

“Not according to the Creator.” It’s like saying ‘no you’ in an argument, especially with how Zhongli’s face contorts into clear annoyance. 

“With what proof do you claim that as the truth? Nothing in any scriptures on Teyvat says that.” He seems to realize what answer you’ll give him even before you open your mouth by sighing.

“Because I’m the Oracle.” The self-satisfied smirk on your face is clear as you step closer to poke his chest. “Unless you’re suddenly going to claim that I’m wrong? Should we cut off another limb? Maybe your pitiful rat-tail as an ornament to decorate it.”

He pushes you away by your head, the material of your mask is cool under his fingers as you let him push you back with a laugh. He tsks at your antics and smoothly replies.

“Have you finished laughing? There’s no need to pick at my appearance when I wouldn’t do the same to you, whenever you would have shown me your face once we wed.”

Light laughter calms down into a brief hum as you take in his words. It’s all just a well-timed cover-up for the internal panic that you had at realizing that marrying him would mean being forced to reveal yourself one way or another.

“Fair point. Do you really want a serious answer from me anyway?” The swift conversation turn doesn’t go unnoticed by Zhongli, but he concedes by answering.

“Yes. Your reasoning may bring me more information on the Creator’s personal beliefs, or even aspects of humanity that I failed to learn firsthand yet.”

“Like rejection?” The smart-ass reply is met with an unimpressed stare as he comments. “Humorous, but not incorrect.”

“I wasn’t completely joking when I said that it’s mostly due to the Creator. Marriage in Liyue at least is mostly decided by the parents.” Your chapped lips become a bit more manageable to speak with as you lick them. “I don’t remember mine, and the closest thing you have to a parent is the Creator themselves, or maybe Teyvat?” Which was a weird thought, but you couldn’t really be sure how to view it.

“Therefore your marriage, or at the very least, my marriage, considering that I was personally sent on a mission by them, should be under the Creator’s control and only theirs. My opinion on it shouldn’t matter.” This was how you remembered China’s history worked, so Liyue hypothetically should have a similar system.

Zhongli’s frown deepens at your answer as you shrug your shoulders. As if you didn’t just make this whole answer up so that you can avoid marrying the ticking time bomb that wouldn’t hesitate to murder you in a split second.

Sure, there was increasing evidence that your acolytes gained this weirdly strong attachment to you, but you weren’t betting your entire life on it. The moment the mask was gone, your life was going to follow it.

“Then it seems I can do nothing but accept your teaching. Thank you for enlightening me on a topic that I was unaware about. Can I chalk this up to something you learned about from the scriptures written in Cloud Ret-”

He cuts himself off as he looks down at the bustling streets below the balcony. “Xianyun’s old abode? The one’s written in indecipherable language?”

Damn, you really forgot about Cloud Retainer’s humansona. Just thinking about accidentally running into her during your visit to Madam Ping makes you irritated in advance.

“No, there are other scriptures that the Creator led me to when I was exploring.” You didn’t want Zhongli trying to trace it back to Cloud Retainers introvert cave. In fact, it was more entertaining to visualize Zhongli searching every nook and cranny of Liyue’s vast lands for said ‘scriptures’.

The sun hits your eyes directly from its position as you try to guess the time. It had to be at least 3:30 at this point, right? Just how much time did you have to see Madam Ping before the dinner with Ningguang?

Who were you even kidding, you didn’t know how to tell the time by the sun. You’ll have to ask someone once you finish rejecting Zhongli.

Noticing your far off gaze and attention no longer on him, Zhongli let the petty, unexplainable indignation at the action simmer as he forcefully turned your body to face the door.

“I believe I’ve taken up more than enough of your time. You’d best be on your way to whatever task may be next on your schedule today.”

Now you feel pretty bad about spacing out like that. “Sorry Zhongli, I was just trying to figure out the time-” Your words seemed to go ignored as he pushed you out the doorway.

“Don’t bother worrying.” Is his brief response. The touch and pressure of his hands is firm and reliable in a way you can’t fully describe, before they’re removed swiftly as if he was burned. “Instead, you can focus on relaying your gratitude the next time we meet.”

Before you can question the strange sentence, the door is already slammed shut in your face. The whiplash of his actions settles as you stare at the wood in bewilderment. Instinctive, your feet lead you back down the stairs as you toss Zhongli’s sudden attitude and words in your mind.

Surely you weren’t that rude? You’ve done and said much worse things to him after all. Replaying your conversation yielded no new revelations, so with a sense of unease, you decide to take his push for your departure as his weird version of sulking.

What he expected you to thank him for wasn’t something you were going to worry about now. The sun shines on you, making the mask a bit warmer against your skin as you exit the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. 

If he didn’t bother explaining what you should be thanking him for, then it must be something either very big or very noticeable. Walking past where the balcony was, you look up and can only spot the empty chairs and simple table.

Time will tell, you suppose.

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

You aren’t completely sure how you expected your meeting with Madam Ping to go, but being stuck inside the temple with your neck being examined carefully by the older woman wasn’t a possibility you had in mind.

“Um, Madam Ping, I’m quite sure Xianyun’s claw marks aren’t there anymore. They’ve long healed at this point.”

“Child, you shouldn’t brush off injuries left by the Adepti so easily. Many can leave varying, strange and frankly annoying effects that can permanently alter your body if not taken care of.”

Sighing, you use your right arm to sip the tea Ping generously made for you, as your left arm was also being examined for any amber fragments from Mountain Shaper.

“You really don’t have to worry. Dr. Baizhu was the one who healed me up, so there’s nothing off about my body.” Ping relents and lets you fix your clothing as she steps away.

It was honestly surprising when she first spotted you and immediately apologized for her Adepti companion's actions. Yaoyao and Shuyu, Xianyun’s youngest disciple, were quick to be corralled away as Madam Ping brought you to one of the smaller rooms for examination.

“It must be an illuminated bird quality to be somewhat violent toward me. Maybe when I meet Xiao, I’ll get an injury from him too.” The joke slips out easily, but when Ping sighs and shakes her head in disapproval, you’re quick to shut your mouth.

“That would be even worse, as the karmic debt can be accidentally seeped into your wound that way.” Each sentence Ping says is clear worry, so you can’t be too annoyed at the slight nagging.

“Even still, I hope you have it in your heart to pray that the Creator forgive my headstrong and stubborn companions.” And here’s the catch. “I’m afraid it hasn’t been long since any of them have been trying this hard to understand humans on a personal level, so they tend to revert into their more proud egos when faced with the unexpected.”

There it was, all the excuses. You were really hoping Ping wouldn’t be the kind enabler that asks the victim to forgive the assaulter under the guise of some excuse. You’ve dealt with more than enough back on earth when bullies actually had abuse and other fucked up shit going on at home. 

Likewise, you weren’t about to put up with it from some ‘illuminated beings’ that had more than enough years to learn how not to be judgmental sad sacks of shi-

“I’ll still properly scold them for you, but it’s the Creator’s opinion that I’m truly concerned about.” Would you get in trouble for punching her? Probably. Yanfei is close with her and the best lawyer in existence.

It wasn’t worth it, you told yourself. It wasn’t worth it to argue with Ping about whether it was okay for the Adepti to hurt you or anyone else, solely depending on how connected they were to the Creator. It absolutely wasn’t worth it to point out how the Adepti’s lack of control over their emotions and harsh judgements couldn’t just be scolded away. And that they definitely weren’t allowed to get away with unneeded violence simply because they’re stubborn.

The building tension as Ping continued to ramble and your death grip on your pants was broken by Yanfei walking in while looking off to the side.

“Granny, I heard you came - Oh. Hello there!”  Yanfei’s casual greeting had you melting back into the oracle position as you smile calmly at Yanfei. 

“Hey, nice to meet you. I was just talking with-” You’re cut off by Ping moving to stand in front of Yanfei and begin to explain and introduce you. Including the fact that the other Adepti attacked you and that you were the oracle.

Well, it’s better than you retelling the story. It’s better to let others lie for you, especially considering the close relations. It’s not like Ping’s way of speaking was fast or overwhelming, it just felt like you would be wrong for whatever reason if you tried interfering.

Doesn’t stop the surge of annoyance, though.

Deciding to just leave as soon as possible and not get into a fist fight with a hidden Adeptus, you move off the bed and walk closer to the duo. Without much trouble, you’re able to slip past them until a hand tugs your wrist quickly before releasing it.

“Sorry, but I just wanted to introduce myself to you before you leave. My name is Yanfei. I'm the top legal advisor in Liyue.” A business card is handed to you as she speaks.

Accepting it, you examine the card to not be rude before stuffing it into your bag. While you’ll probably forget about it, it’s not bad to have it in case you visit Fontaine. Or if things with Ninggnuang get into legal territory.

What actually got your attention was how Yanfei went through the trouble of cutting off Ping to speak personally to you. Could this be the first Adepti related character to treat you with respect as a normal person?

The fact that you’re amazed by basic human decency is pretty fucking sad. The difference in treatment between her and Ganyu despite both of them being half-adeptus is staggering.

“Thank you. Just as Madam Ping explained, my name is Y/N, and I’m an Oracle for the Creator.” At least the old woman didn’t butt in yet. “Yaoyao visited me yesterday to meet her. I just didn’t expect to meet you here as well.”

“You suit your position rather well.” Her head tilts slightly to the side, making the Mora decorations jingle. “Although I haven’t met you before, just by your appearance alone I can guess that you’re either-” A finger is raised. “A - you’re not from here. Or B - you don’t have a traditional job.” The second finger joins the first as she takes in your appearance in completion.

“I would put inhuman beings or vision holders on the list, but your aura is completely that of a human, but also not one of a vision holder. In a way, you remind me of the traveler.”

“It does make sense.” You reply with a noncommittal shrug. “The traveler was the first Acolyte, and I’m the first Oracle, so there’s bound to be some uncanny similarities between us.” 

Madam Ping wistfully sighs at the mention of the traveler. “Ah yes, the Hero of Liyue. I was able to gift them that teapot, but what a shame that I don’t have another one to spare for you, esteemed Oracle.”

And here comes the half-praise, half-demeaning words that’s meant to belittle you into feeling worthless while giving meager praise to make her sound generous. 

“There would be no need to, since I intend on enjoying our God’s creations rather than hiding away from it in an Adeptal piece of machinery.” A wide grin adorns your face with canines clear to see, but your voice is as excited as a child’s with innocence clear.

Those that hear you would assume nothing but ignorance at fault, but the ones that can see how your eyes dimly gleam with mockery would think otherwise.

Isn’t it so good that Yanfei is by your side while Ping is in front of you?

The words clearly hit a nerve, as Ping’s smile drops into a horribly wrinkled frown. Yanfei’s teal eyes look between you two with a smile that dissolves into a confused furrow of her brows.

“My apologies, child, I was unaware that you were so deprived of empathy for others that you can reduce the hard work of the Creator’s chosen protectors of this land into a symbol of defilement.” The last few words are scathing as her face contorts into a gruesome mess of sagging skin.

“Granny, I understand why you’re mad but-” Yanfei takes a step forward, but is cut off by Ping raising her hand while stepping closer to you.

“I can now understand why Shenhe, that poor pitiful child, was so conflicted about her emotions toward you. I may not understand why the Creator chose a human of your breed to have that holy position, but I can only pray that this journey teaches you a lesson concerning those that you have wronged in this way.”

“Granny!” Yanfei yells in shock as she moves between you two, “How could you say something like that to them? You’re not only insulting them, you’re also insulting the Creator!” 

She turns around to face you as she shots a grimace behind her at the fuming hag. “I am so sorry about this, you should probably go now.” 

Nodding with a sad expression, you speak in a confused tone. “I-I understand. It was nice meeting you and Madam Ping. I hope we can talk again sometime.” Twisting open the doorknob and pushing it open, you sneak one last peek into the room.

Yanfei has her back to you as she yells on a whisper level. Ping doesn’t look all that pleased until her eyes stray to yours. The smugness practically rolls off you in waves as she scorns at you with disgust. 

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

It was official.

You were lost.

Looking at the doors and people walking around you, you tried to remember what path you took with Ping. But each door looked the same, with different people rushing in and out.

None of them even had time to talk to you as they wheeled out screaming and bleeding people from room to room. You got glimpses of dressings pressed haphazardly on wounds as you continued walking.

Surely you still had enough time until Ningguang’s dinner?

Trying not to freak out over the time, you continue marching throughout the seemingly endless hallways and avoid bumping into the doctors, nurses and more that rush around you. Eventually you arrive at an area of the building that looks a bit calmer.

You spot a woman wearing a dress looking similar to a work uniform and decide to ask her for directions leading out of the temple. You’re about to call out to her when she opens a door and enters it while cheerfully calling out.

“Thank you so much for all the help despite your busy schedule!” She continues to walk in, giving a half-hearted push to close it. 

Sneakily, you plant your foot right at the hinge of it, making it stop before it actually closes. A sense of déjà vu nags you as you stand outside the room with your head resting against the wall. You close your eyes to listen to the conversation.

“It’s no trouble at all, Daiyu. I always enjoy volunteering to help those who offer sacrifices to the Creator here.” There’s a light tilt to the voice while remaining sturdy, a good indicator that the speaker is who you think it is.

“Even so, as the Yuheng of Liyue, you still have many duties. Much more than you did when you first began to help out all those years ago…” The anxious woman is met with a brief chuckle.

“As I’ve said before, Daiyu, you can call me Keqing during these times. I’m not here as the Yuheng, but as a servant of our God to learn more.” The faint click of heels can be heard as drawers of what you assume are bandages are opened.

“Well, have you finally come to a conclusion? You know about whether self-mutilation is an ‘overdone’ and an ‘inferior’ way of worshiping the Creator?” The question is met with brief silence before Keqing responds.

“I’ve already made up my mind around the same time as Rex Lapis’s death. Self-mutilation isn’t exactly wrong per se, but it should not be our main way of worship. Our bodies were painstakingly crafted by the Creator’s hands and should not be abused. It’s why I’ve strived to keep myself in perfect shape.”

A sigh can be heard with an almost bitter note.

“But humans can not regrow lost limbs. Thus, I do not believe self-mutilation is the best way for humanity to worship the gods. Blood offerings and even human offerings of other criminals can be done, but I believe that self-mutilation should be left for extreme sins and for the Adepti to present.”

With eyes trained to the blood-stained floorboards beneath your feet, you push yourself off the wall. It seemed you weren’t going to gain any useful information from here. 

“The public won’t accept that kind of view that goes against what we’ve been taught for thousands of years. Then again, that never stopped you before - Aw, damn it! There’s barely any medical supplies here, too.”

The tapping of your feet walking away is concealed by the clicking of heels.

“There’s nothing left? Ugh, probably Ningguang again. She’s always doing this stuff.”

But perhaps you should have stayed just a bit longer. 

“The Tianquan?! Oh, please don’t let her know what I said! I quite like my job!”

“Relax, Daiyu, she wouldn’t care about your complaints even if she did hear them.”

“Then why are you frowning like that?”

You never know what you might hear.

“It’s just a bit strange to me. Not long ago she was doing all sorts of planning with an annoyed expression, but this morning she was pleased. She must have either taken care of whatever was bothering her or hatched the perfect, foolproof plan for it.”

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

Thankfully, you did manage to find your way back to the first floor. (When did you even walk up the stairs?) Most of the people there were rather calm, with incense and prayer rooms decorating this floor. 

The smell was of cinnamon and something with a strong woody scent. The one’s in the prayer rooms had healed scars exposed, either doing a full floor bow or at least on their knees.

If they had them, at least.

It was a gruesome sight if you were to be honest. Some had skin raw red from what looked like boil scars, others with self-inflicted writing carved into their skin. Words like; ‘Holy One’, ‘Savior’, and the most popular one of all: ‘Beloved Creator’ were in some way permanently branding their skin.

The wind blew from a certain hallway, as if Teyvat was trying to finally lend you a hand in leaving this temple of smoke and blood. Taking long strides past the rooms that muttered and screamed at varying levels and intervals, you see a set of wide doors.

WHAM

The whir of a sliding door before it slams into the doorway is all you hear before a hand is wrapped firmly around your wrist and pulling you into the dark room. Your breath is knocked out of you as the soles of your shoes search for purchase.

Your hands reach up to where you were grabbed to dig into the scalp of your assailant before you both fall to the ground from the struggle. 

“Let go of me!” You grit out as the slender fingers continue trying to pin you down. A feminine grunt of pain is heard as you finally manage to push her away, making your assaulter hit the wall.

Like hell! You weren’t just going to leave after being attacked for no fucking reason. Rushing forward, you pin the person against the wall as your eyes adjust to the dark room. Silvery hair can be seen in a tangle between your fingertips as you hold her wrists against the wall.

“Shenhe, what the fuck were you thinking? Are you still pissed at me? I thought we cleared it all up.” With a mix of anger, disbelief and pure confusion, you stare at her face as her features slowly become more defined.

“I just wanted to see you again…” The kicked puppy look is not suiting the bloody bandages wrapped around her left eye. Or what used to be her eye. “I didn’t hurt you this time.”

“Dragging an unsuspecting person into a dark room isn't not hostile either, Shenhe.” She simply stares at you in silence, as if she’s incompetent enough to not understand your words. “We almost fought to our deaths last time we met. How am I not supposed to assume that you’re trying to hurt me?”

Shenhe’s head drops a little bit as her mouth opens and closes repeatedly with no success. After giving her a moment, you sigh with a hint of annoyance and let go of her. “I have to get going, Shenhe. I'm not going to sit and wait forever.”

“I’m sorry.” You glance back down at Shenhe as she sits on her knees with her hands clenched tightly on her thighs. “I’m sorry for hunting you down so insistently while framing you as someone who wronged me on a personal level.”

Could you really accept this apology when you did stab her first for killing those Hilichurls you were friends with? Then again, they did give you liquor while Shenhe convinced herself that you were an evil entity. “Thanks for the apology, but that still doesn’t change much. I spent days in Bubu Pharmacy trying not to die from all the shit you and Yelan put me through.”

“I already heard about it and saw the vivid details of your healing progress while I waited outside your window that day.” Those words alone had you whipping your head around to her as your jaw dropped.

“Shenhe, what the hell!?” She staggers back to her feet with a worrying sway before taking mute steps towards your shocked form.

“A good partner is one who is attentive and keeps detailed track of their lover's affairs and health, correct?” Trying to wrap your head around the twisted logic she presents you with, you bury your face in your hands.

“Yes, but not in the context of our relationship.” You stress as your arm automatically reaches out to stop her from swaying to the ground. With your hand firmly on her arm, you continue to speak. “I know that you don’t really use that word often considering Xianyun’s teachings, but it’s pretty fucking important.”

A sole iridescent blinks lazily at you before her whole body weight is pressing down on you. It’s less of a hug and more like a ‘glomp’. Deciding to hold her by her waist to prevent being crushed by the pure muscle mass that made up her body, her forehead rests on your shoulder.

It’s burning. Definitely unusual for a Cryo vision holder.

“Shenhe? Shenhe can you hear me?” You ask as her glazed over eye stares into yours with no recognition seen in them. Swinging your head around, you finally spot a blood stained coat off to the side.

“C’mon, Shenhe, just work with me a bit to get you back to bed.” You spit out as you carry more of her weight to avoid dragging her on the floor. Thankfully, she helps out by wrapping her legs around your body and despite the slight constriction, you still manage to carry her back to bed.

Dropping her on the bed, you carefully fix her up. Brushing her hair out of her face, pulling the covers back over body, and adjusting the surrounding bandages around her injured eye to fit snugly. 

She did apologize after all, it would be cruel of you to leave a person with a fever and probably an infection a mess on a bed. 

That didn’t mean you were going to stay and nurse her back to health. Ningguang was probably at the restaurant at this point, and you weren’t going to be late for it.

Turning around, you take a quiet step toward the exit until a hand wraps frantically around your wrist.

“You forgive me, right?” Heavy breathing fills the room as her sweaty skin clings to the little contact she has with you. “I apologized sincerely, I’ll do it again if I must.” A trembling eye stares into your soul as her voice breaks. “Please…”

You stare down at the disciple with an unreadable expression until a smile breaks out onto your face. Shenhe’s grip loosens as hope begins to light up. Your other hand gently removes her fingers from your wrist before you whisper.

“Why don’t you sleep on it, Shenhe?”

Her eyes slide shut from pure exhaustion as you walk away and exit the room. After taking note of the room number, you resume your short walk to the exit. A nurse is nearby and just as you pull one of the wide doors open, you lean in to whisper a brief message.

The door closes shut behind you as the nurse rushes away. With careful footsteps, you walk leisurely toward the Xinyue Kiosk. The burning stares of civilians and soldiers alike are rolled off you in waves.

It was pointless to fight with the puppets when the puppet master invited you to meet her.

A feel like this part took forever. It's just the beginning of my spring break before I have another quiz and exam. So my break is just more studying, wonderful. My editor didn't need to do much considering the small size but I also feel like this wasn't the best of my work. I did write piece by piece every few nights when I got back home dead tired. I really can't wait for this semester to end…. But I'm also really excited to get started on the dinner with Ningguang! Taglist is always open!

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