#avarita ✧ one.

[exproelia]

@avarita

It is with a noticeable furrow of her brow that she meets the gaze of the stranger, the blonde squinting in suspicion for a moment... Before she realizes just what exactly she's doing. Clearly apologetic, Cynthia is quick to realize her mistake as she offers the other a small wave of reassurance along with a sheepish smile.

❝ I'm sorry! You just... Reminded me of someone, ❞ the warrior starts with her apology, chuckling in embarrassment. As soon as she locked eyes with him, she could feel the stigmata-- the stitches holding her abdomen and guts inside-- almost cutting her with pain. Memories, no matter how distant they may be, will always remain dormant in her mind, it seems.

❝ In any case...! I hope my nostalgia hasn't caused you any discomfort, ❞

[graveskept]

┆ ┆ It’s cold. But Andrew is not -- has never been -- afraid of the cold; it is within the stony walls of that godforsaken church where he lived and spent so many of his days where he grew accustomed to the frigid air. Still, he covers himself in a jacket and begins to walk down the narrow alleyways towards where he’d heard there were churches. Surely, if there were so many different religions, he would be able to find a place of worship that held his same values.

Andrew’s shoulders hunch forward and he stops, almost stepping on a small, innocent looking flower. He plucks it, and brings it to his nose to smell and remembers about irises and graveyard flowers. A sigh escapes him, and he feels eyes on the back on his head which causes him to straighten his posture. Already on edge, he tenses more.

❝ Who... who’s there?  ❞

@avarita​ ✧ starter call.

[secondsonaym]

I did OC-Tober this month! I had people in my kofi server suggest OCs to draw throughout the month, and I drew one a day! Here's all the relevant entries.

Vinny (Day 1) | Stolas (Day 2)

Mammon-Avarita (Day 3) | Avari (Day 9)

Jazz (Day 14) | Zeke (Day 16)

Star [Original Story AU] (Day 20) | Zagan (Day 24)

Anbre (Day 26) | DeeDee (Day 28)

Miranda Skellington, Walpurgisnacht, Deckard, Treatie, Waru (Day 31)

[kozeriaii]

@avarita​​

it’s dark, in the alleyway - and more importantly, abandoned. it takes all his strength not to stumble into it, taking deep breaths as he tries to let the pain pass.

he’s gone through far worse, knows what burning alive feels like, and how much it hurts to have your heart ripped out - so this should be nothing.

and yet, even as he lowers himself onto ground, he has to repress a shudder from the pain. it’s a chilly night, but the pain inside burns hot, and every slight movement only serves to aggravate it.

the flowers never had this much of an effect on him - but then he’d overheard a conversation about past regrets, and like a curse, the strong urge to make his own contribution struck him. 

he had many of his own, after all.

in the beginning, it had been manageable, but then the thoughts never went away, and only became more prevalent - hence, his current state.

propped up against one of the walls, he’s still to the point where his chest no longer moves, giving up on the pretense of breathing as he focuses on riding out this wave. 

how long he does this for, he loses track, only brought back to his senses when he hears footsteps heading his way. it’s too much to hope he’ll go unnoticed, since they seem to stop nearby.

“if you’re here to play good samaritan - go do it somewhere you’re actually wanted.” 

[bxsiliisk]

@avarita​

It takes him a minute---actually, he’s grateful he’s had some help in balancing. You’d think Romanus would be great at balancing perfectly on ice (you know being able to control and manipulate ice and all), but alas he is awful. 

“Aesop, I have no idea what I would have done without your help.” Romanus is NOT ready to let go of Aesop’s hand though and holds on tightly. “I feel I’ll fall right back down if I let go. Uh, give me one moment.” Let him get his bearing first. 

[beefydnd]

Drug Den

Drug Den maps I made for my 1920's mafia campaign, one of the maps made for our Spider Bite arc.

After being given a magical amulet that seemed to transmit their location like a beacon, the party were tasked to keep the amulet on their person for 24 hours in order to gain entry into the ranks of the Chessmen Mafia. As they went about their day after receiving the amulet, called a "Spider Bite", the party found themselves swarmed by rival gangs from across New Avarita, seeking the amulet for some unknown reason. As the party fought one gang after another, they found themselves scrambling for shelter, even in the home of the drug cook they shook down the other day.

[pigeon-problems]

learning how to laugh

[annachumsblog]

Hell Imperial Family ( I need a separate one for Charlie and her fam cuz that takes too fucking long )

. Charlie is actually 2000 years old aka looks 20 years old. Her birthday was on 29th July

. Lucifer's birthday was on Halloween. Lilith's birthday was on 21st January.

. Charlie grew up helping to babysit 27 younger cousins (all are the offsprings of the 6 other Kings of Hell )

. In the 16th century, the Hell Imperial Family are involved with the whole Doctor Faustus melodrama ( read the Tragedy of Doctor Faustus the summary is also fine ).

. Beezlebub ( King of the Gluttony Ring ) was involved with the whole Lord of the Flies madness ( read it - it's a horror book )

. Leviathan was one of the sea monsters Sinbad and his crew had to combat against during their voyages of the 7 seas in Sinbad the Sailor.

. Belphegor was actually The Sandman who Manipulates people's nightmares and a terrifying shadow demon capable of sand Manipulation and a master of shapeshifting.

. Andromeda ( Mephistopheles/Satan's wife ) was the Lady Death in HH verse.

. The numbers of kids these Kings of Hell have

Mammon and Zinfandel ( sexy milf harlequin demon) : 4 ( 4 Temperaments )

Beezlebub and Vespa ( bee demon ): 5 ( Gluttony/Fly Bee Quintuplets )

Leviathan and Thalassa (siren operatic demon ) : 3 ( Ocean Trio )

Mephistopheles/Satan and Andromeda : 7 ( 7 Deadly Sins )

Asmodeus/Ozzie and Seraphina ( sultry jazzy kitsune demon ): 6 ( Lust 6 )

Belphegor and Vasilisa ( phoenix harpy demon ) : 2 ( Sloth Twins )

. The Ocean Trio ( Oceania - 15 cent. old , Medora - 13 cent. old and Perseus - 10 cent. old ) are THEATRE KIDS THEATRE KIDS.

. The 7 Deasly Sins are crazy pop/hip hop DJ crazes and also trend setting influencers. ( Salazar and Avarita - 18 cent. old, Icarus -16 cent. old, Desdemona - 14 cent. old, Luxarja and Augustus - 12 cent. old, Sombra - 10 cent. old )

. The Lust 6 love gossiping, shipping random demons, giving makeovers and watching telenovelas. ( Voltaire - 16 cent. old, Evgenia and Eurydice - 14 cent. old, Lysander and Lorcan - 12 cent. old, Galatea - 9 cent. old )

. The Gluttony Quintuplets ( Iago, Nikya, Raymonda, Monoststos and Cressida -all 12 centuries old ) rock the heavy metal aesthetic.

. The 4 Temperaments ( Aeolus - 16 centuries old, Tempest, Rodolphous - both 14 cent. old and Delphini - 12 cent. old) are crazy clown demons. A running Gag is that they often make circus style entrances.

. The Sloth twins (Odysseus and Ophelia - 12 centuries old )can manipulate sand, shadow AND fire ( a combo of their parents' powers ) and LOVE sleeping.

. ALL of the Hell Imperial Parents got PTSDs on how to came to Hell in the first place.

. Yeah let's just say Charlie's friends and allies all have crazy times babysitting Charlie's cousins lol.

. BUT EVERHONE IN CHARLIE'S FAM IS CRAZY POWERFUL ( MORE ON THE NEXT POST )

. Lucifer has 6 older brothers in Heaven and he came from a toxic family and he and Lilith rage quit Hell after Lilith left Adam and 1/3 of Heaven' Angel's joined him. Yeah......that is why Lucifer disapproves of Charlie with the hotel idea ( he still does care for her and helps with political and diplomatic matters when needed )

[whatissleepeven]

I -

I can't stop thinking about it -

About what, you ask?

An Obey Me! and Fate/Grand Order crossover

(Warning: Long post ahead!)

Either the bois get summoned to Chaldea or they're able to summon Servants themselves

(...I'm leaning towards the first)

The tomfoolery! The shenanigans!

Imagine: Humanity's Last Master (aka you) ends up summoning them as they trek through Rome with Mash and the Servants they already summoned

They set up the summoning circle, but one minor mistake is made and the summoning glow looks a bit darker than usual and BOOM

"S-...Senpai...is this normal?"

You have no idea what's normal or not, I mean you're time travelling to save your people for fucks sake -

"Servant of the Rider Class. My True Name is Lucifer. Do not expect me to cater to your every whim."

...Wait he's a what now??

They were not supposed to have this whole "Class" thing designated to them (it's not how demonic summoning works he swears), and yet they do for some reason

(You can tell I had fun thinking of their Classes)

The introductions are...cold, to say the least

"Saber Class Servant, and none other than The Great Mammon, Avatar of Greed! I got better things to be doing, so don't go calling me whenever ya want, got it?!"

"Lancer Class...Leviathan. I have an mmorpg raid coming up, so I can't stick around."

"Berserker Class. My name is Satan. What? Are you surprised that I seem calm for a Berserker? It's quite alright; I get that reaction often enough. A word of advice: Be careful what you wish for."

"My name is Asmodeus, but you can call me Asmo darling! I'm a Caster, which is good. I can't mess up the work done on my nails and hair!"

"Hm...Oh? Sorry, I was thinking about lunch. Servant Class: Ruler. I'm Beelzebub, but most people call me Beel. Do you have any snacks on you?"

"Servant Class: Avenger. My name is Belphegor, but I doubt you'll be alive long enough to remember that. I won't do your dirty work for you, human."

You are just...done at that point. You are literally carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders and their attitudes are not helping

"Yeah, yeah, here's the gist: there's a war going on and we're trying to save the planet. The future's been incinerated, and it's our job to fix what went wrong. I don't have time for your uncooperation; get on board."

(Mash is worried for your mental health)

It takes some time, but they do manage to open up to you

The main catalyst for this is when they heard you talking to Robin Hood, who was summoned in France

"Say, Master...I gotta ask: Why are you doing this?"

You pause what you're doing, shooting him an incredulous look. "You mean saving the world?" You ask in return.

He shrugs, tilting his head forward in a slight nod. "Yeah. There's other people who could do this, aren't there?"

"There isn't." The brothers hear you say firmly. Beel almost went in because he wanted a snack, but the others held him back; the conversation had peaked their interest, and they wanted to hear what you had to say.

"Robin..." Your voice comes out strained, as if you were barely holding yourself together. "I watched innocent people die in front of me. Good people. The world outside is gone. I can't even go see my family, because they're dead. I'm not expecting you to understand, but it hurts so bad that somedays I don't feel like getting up. If I die, it's all over; humanity's done. I'll never be able to see my family's smiles again, I'll never be able to hear their laughter; I'll...I'll never be able to go back home.

"So, instead of asking why I'm doing this, you should be asking "How far are you willing to go?" instead."

Robin is silent for a while. Mammon shifts on his feet. The Green Archer finally speaks, somber but curious tone filling the air. "And? What's the verdict, Master?"

Your voice has a tone of finality to it that shoots them back to the past, back towards the Celestial War. It's final, but it's tired. "Whatever it takes."

(And, so, the brothers come to understand and even sympathize with your situation a little bit. You had to fight for the sake of others without rest, you were a leader, you were a savior, but most of all...you were alone. And something about that didn't sit right with them.)

They would fit in perfectly with Chaldea's dynamics, actually

Mammon has a gold sword he lovingly calls Goldie (yes it changes into his beloved credit card)

His Noble Phantasm is literally him raising his sword and mountains of Grimm burying his opponents from the sky as he cackles out:

"Don't worry, I'll take all that money off ya hands!"

Or, in a proud declaration:

"My sword is my love, and my love is my sin. I'll take all that you have on ya! STULTUS IN AVARITA!!"

(Translates (from Google) to "Greed of the Fool")

(It also gives you an increased drop rate in materials)

Leviathan's weapon is his trident

He's surprised that he wasn't summoned as a Rider, once he got used to the "Class" thing (which was fairly quick, he's seen an anime like this before). I mean, he has a giant snake named Henry 1.0 and Lothan that he would've loved to fight side by side with

He usually doesn't fight, but he proves to be invaluable in Okeanos since he has knowledge on war strategies at sea

His Noble Phantasm is a bit strange, but endearing (sad). He rushes forward with his trident glowing, saying either:

"I can't get the latest Ruri-chan merch because you blew up the world...I won't forgive you. I can't forgive you!"

Or, in a somber tone:

"Even though it's fun, a gamer's life becomes stifling if you keep playing by yourself. I hope you're watching, (Y/N)! EX SOLA INVIDIA!!"

(Translates (from Google) to "Envy of the Lonely")

(Chance of Death increases with Overcharge, and it hits a single enemy)

Satan? Even though he's a Berserker, he behaves more like a Caster (initially)

He's holding a book that shoots out beams of pure energy at his opponents

His Noble Phantasm is...more violent

"Ah, so you've decided to call upon my Noble Phantasm...don't blame me if it's too much for you."

Or, he begins in a deathly calm voice:

"I am me; that's all I need to be. I know this, so why...? Why does this happen? TELL ME! "

He discards his books altogether, grabbing a single enemy with his bare hands and ripping them to shreds.

Asmo’s skill is charming his enemy, which confuses most people since you’d think it’d be his Noble Phantasm

Instead, it boosts his allies’ attacks and NP by 30%

“Don’t get too hurt out there~!”

Beel’s Noble Phantasm heals all allies and increases their attack

“We can’t fight on an empty stomach.”

(Once he hits his last Ascension, your party gets the added bonus of him attacking a single enemy with a lance. All other Ascensions has him using his fists for attacks.)

Belphie’s Noble Phantasm is almost as violent as Satan’s, and yes...he chokes out a single enemy out (rip MC)

“HA! You think I’d work with the likes of you, a lowly human? Get out of my sight.”

It’s Instant Death, unless Evasion or Invincibility is activated

Lucifer’s pride is a bit wounded. He’s a Rider, of all things??

(...He eventually gets used to it though)

His Noble Phantasm is him literally mounting Cerberus and raising his spear towards the heavens, looking as radiant as the days before the Fall

“It seems drastic times call for drastic measures. Cerberus, I trust you to handle things here.”

And Cerberus runs forth, either chomping the enemy in two or breathing fire at them and turning them into ash. (It hits everyone)

Satan and Jekyll hang out a lot because, well...they’re a lot alike

Mammon can and will do stupid shit with the Cu Squad and you cannot change my mind

One time he teamed up with Cascu to steal the other Cu’s spears (Mammon wanted to sell them on Akuzon), and well...half of Chaldea is still in repair to this day

Merlin of all Servants is the one to look after Belphie and Beel

They usually hang out in the garden Robin tends to, Asterios occasionally joining them while bringing both food and Euryale

Asmo frequently visits Medea, dragging Medusa into their group

(Dantes grows fond of Beel overtime, I mean Beel is just so pure there’s no way you couldn’t like him)

Lucifer and EMIYA butt heads at first, but they end up becoming friends despite that

Lucifer admires EMIYA’s skill to keep up with Servants who have a black hole for a stomach, and EMIYA admires Lucifer’s skill to round up his brothers effortlessly when the need to arises (or so he thinks, because he does not know about the Hate Lucifer Club which is run by Satan and Belphie).

Levi and Fran have a pure kind of friendship that must be protected at all costs

He shows her new animes and games, and even though she’s confused most of the time she never fails to listen to his ramblings, nodding whenit was appropriate

BONUS: Undateables (+ Luke)!

Solomon’s situation is...peculiar.

He’s not a Servant, but he behaves like one??

(He’s actually a mage that helps you on your journey to save humanity)

Unlike Da Vinci, he’s able to accompany you to the Singularities (free of charge, too!)

Once he sees the other Solomon, all he says is “I see...interesting.”

(Ngl he probably figured out everything by the time you all went to Okeanos)

Asmo also drags him into his group (consisting of Medea and Medusa), offering to paint his nails as they talk about anything and everything

Simeon is a Lancer and you can’t change my mind

He’s more of a buffer for your team, like Asmo. His skills are primarily healing, and his NP saps the health of an opponent while healing someone other than himself with that health (he cannot heal himself)

He gets along great with Karna!! The two are so nice and kind that it hurts to look at them both for too long

Solomon tells him about the gossip Asmo has on the other Servants. He always listens with an amused look on his face.

Luke is a smol Caster, but he will not hesitate to break your kneecaps

He, too, is a buffer for your team

“I’ll defend you from those demons, (Y/N)!”

His Noble Phantasm heals all allies, restoring their health by 20%

He bakes with Fsn Cu at night, having Proto Cu and Robin Hood try out his sweets. Beel is there 10/10 times, eating any failures or rejects

Diavolo is Ruler Class because he is literally the Ruler of Hell

Surprisingly (to you, at first), he’s the one who always asks to accompany you. He’s very open and considerate, wanting to help wherever and whenever he can

“The Human Realm is essential if we are to establish harmony between the three Realms. Without it there...angels and demons would fight each other for eternity.”

He tells you about his ideas for an exchange program and you offer him input

His Noble Phantasm is applying Invincibility to two allies for 3 turns after dealing heavy damage to a single enemy (cannot apply Invincibility to himself)

He likes to talk with Caster Gil and Archer Gil about their past, going to Ko Gil on occasion. He helps look after the child Servants, and he can often be found reading bedtime stories to them

(Everyone was scared of him at first once they found out who he was, so he usually held off revealing his True Identity)

Barbatos, at first glance, seems like an Archer...but in reality is an Assassin

(HE CONTROLS TIME FOR F*S SAKE)

His Noble Phantasm, depending on the enemy selected, can revive a fallen ally and add them to the Sub Team

(This is only if the enemy that killed the ally is selected)

This stuns him for 3 turns no matter what

He likes to chat with the Tamamo that helps EMIYA in the kitchen. How the two are communicating without issues is up to anyone’s guess

[ivegotthefanficinme]

The Princess and the Butler 2

Chapter 2

John Constantine X Reader

A Highcastle Abbey AU

Summary: She has a troubled history and both her parents are dead. Adopted by Mrs. Logue of Highcastle Abbey she hasn’t left its grounds since she was small. A new butler by the name of Mr. John Constantine is hired and everything starts to change. Quickly betrothed to a man she does’t know. But something dark is coming for her soul… What is it about her past that makes hell want to rise up and greet her? Will she be able to save herself? Will John Constantine, the Hellblazer himself, be able to save the woman he would go to hell and back for? Or will everything they have ever known crumble around them?

Warnings: Demons… heart melting fluff… *Slow Burn*

Words: 2.2K

Links: Chapter 1    Chapter 2(Here)   Chapter 3          Masterlist

“Mr. Constantine, she’s waking up!”

Your eyes flutter open to find the face of your ladies maid, Genevive, leaning over you. 

“Are you feeling alright, ma’am?” she asks.

You nod, waving her off as you remove the cool cloth that had been placed on your forehead.

“Mr. Constantine should be in momentarily with some tea,” Genevive says as she gathers up the bowl of water and cloth before stepping out of your room. 

You just lay there trying to process what had happened, trying to process the dream you had… not to mention the fact that you have been betrothed to a man that you are certain is a demon. 

You jump as the door of your room opens and closes.

“How are you feeling, love? You nearly had quite a fall. You are lucky I was behind you to keep you from busting your head.”

Mr. Constantine sets down the tea tray on the bedside table.

“Mr…” you stop yourself, “John, thank you, truly. I will feel much better after some tea to help get my strength back up.”

“You gave us all quite a scare, love,” he says, “May I?” He motions to the edge of the bed.

You give him a nod and he perches himself near your legs.

“You seemed a bit shaken up before you even went down to the parlor…”

“I just had a nightmare that’s all. And… well, I was not expecting Mrs. Logue to be so sudden about marrying me off. She has never spoken to me about it. I know nothing about this… man she wants me to marry,” you sigh.

John nods solemnly in understanding.

“Do you… were you able to learn anything about him? What is he like?”

He frowns, “Not much, I’m sorry love.”

You flop back onto the bed, “Oh what am I going to do? This is nothing like what I had planned for myself.”

John silently reaches out, taking your hand in his. He holds it delicately as he places his other gloved hand on top of yours. You can feel the warmth of his strong hands soaking through the pristine white of his gloves. As the heat soaks into your hand it reminds you of warming your hands by a fire. The heat feels good and calming as it travels up your arm and into your chest. It feels like it swirls around your heart for a moment before it travels on to the rest of your body. It warms you up from your toes all the way to your cheeks and the tips of your ears as they turn pink with blush. 

This firey warmth reminds you of your dream, how he had flames leaping from his fingertips, but this doesn’t scare you, in fact, the warmth finally settles in your stomach, like a good glass of whiskey.

“I gather that you want to marry for love, not for status?” John asks.

You nod as you get up the courage to lace your fingers in his. 

“I’m afraid, John.” You look away from him in shame, “I’m afraid of what my life will look like… I’m afraid of being married but so lonely. I am afraid that I will lose myself.”

He shakes his head, tightening his grip on your hand as he grins, “Do not be afraid, love. Good ole Johnny will be with ya every step of the way.”

Your heart flutters at this as you return his smile. A sudden knock at the door startles the two of you from the intimate moment.

John clears his throat, releases your hand and jumps to his feet, returning to his role of the stoic butler.

“Come in,” you sigh.

In walks Mrs. Logue with a stern frown set on her face.

“Are you alright dear? You gave us all quite a fright.”

You nod, “I am quite alright, I had not been expecting to be introduced to a suitor with no warning.”

“His arrival was a bit unexpected. I planned on telling you tonight at supper and he was to come to visit day after tomorrow.”

You frown pursing your lips together. “I do not like the idea of this. Am I supposed to marry him no matter how I feel about him?”

Mrs. Logue sighs, “You will learn to love him… or at least tolerate him. He is a duke, this would be wonderful for your status as well as for Highcastle.”

“My status? Is my status all that matters? What about what I want?”

She just shakes her head, “You must marry at some point, Y/N, just like Astra must.” She turns to leave, speaking over her shoulder, “Mr. Animae is waiting for you downstairs. He would like to go on a stroll through the gardens. Make sure you have a chaperone, would you dear?”

The door closes and you groan. 

“It’ll be alright, love,” John says. 

You turn to look at him pleadingly, “Would you please be my chaperone? You can at least make my excuses when I’ve had enough.”

He nods, “Now drink some tea and get your strength back.”

***

“Ms. Y/N may I present to you Duke Edex Animae of Avarita,” John says as he motions to the man. 

You pause for a moment on your way down the stairs, taking in the man’s appearance. Although he is finely dressed in a black suit with gold cufflinks and a gold chain from his pocket watch hanging from his jacket, his skin is oh so pale in comparison to his dark eyes, hair, and clothing. 

He bows deeply, almost too deeply. As you move to stand in front of him he leans in slightly, “May I?”

You give a short nod and he presses a kiss on one cheek and then the other. You shiver as he takes your hand setting it on his elbow to lead you out into the gardens.

His lips were cold and chapped, and his hands were just as freezing and clammy, making you long for John’s warmth.

As you walk in silence with John following a short distance behind you your mind suddenly jumps from his hands to his lips. You wonder if his lips are just as warm as his hands. Closing your eyes briefly you imagine him trailing burning kisses along your throat.

You try to shake these thoughts from your head. It is terribly inappropriate for you to be thinking of Mr. Constantine, the butler, like this.

“Ms. Y/N? Ms. Y/N?”

“Hmm?” You glance at Mr. Animae.

“Your gardens are beautiful,” he says.

You try not to wrinkle your nose as his breath wafts over you, it smells putrid, like something rotting in his stomach.

“Oh yes, thank you.”

“I was so excited to receive Mrs. Logue’s invitation. She described your beauty but her words pale in comparison to the sight before me.”

You give him a small smile as everything in you tells you to run, run away as far as you can.

“Honestly, I don’t know much about you yet, my dear, but I think you would make a beautiful bride,” the Duke says. He suddenly releases your arm and plucks a rose from the bush. 

He turns around and you shiver under his cold gaze. Poking the stem through your bun he smiles, only succeeding in making you feel even more uncomfortable.

You see drops of blood on his fingertips, he sucks them and grins. You turn away grimicing, looking to John. 

“Help,” you mouth. 

“Although we should learn a bit more about each other, I think we should be married soon, as soon as possible.”

You turn back to the Duke.

“I see… well there is much to be planned for a wedding,” you respond.

Suddenly John steps closer, glancing to the setting sun, “It is getting late, I think it’s time for Ms. Y/N to get some rest. She has had quite the day.”

You nod, “I am feeling a bit faint, Mr. Constantine, would you kindly escort me back to my room?”

He nods, playing along, “You do look rather pale.”

The Duke looks between the two of you, a glint of suspicion in his eyes.

Suddenly, the Duke’s footmen comes running into the gardens. 

Just like the Duke his skin is pale, with dark eyes and hair. Mr. Animae turns away for a moment to address the footman.

John takes his chance and leans over whispering lowly in your ear, “When he turns back pretend to faint again. I’ll catch you and carry you back to your room.”

You give him a slight nod in return.

Mr. Animae turns back to you, “Are you sure you are ready for the day to be over? The night can be so long.”

“Well…” you drawl, taking a step forward you let your knees crumple underneath you.

You close your eyes as you let yourself fall limply. You feel John’s warm hands wrap around your waist. “Oh!” you gasp.

Mr. Anime inhales sharply, “Yes, I do think she should return to her rooms. Hand her this way, I can take her if you will lead the way.”

John huffs as he lifts you into his arms. It takes everything in you to not react in disgust to this statement, instead you weakly wrap your arms around his neck and bury your face in his chest. 

“That would be quite inappropriate. Please attend to your footman and your duties as duke. I will make sure Ms. Y/N returns to her room safely,” John says. 

You feel John turn, but you don’t pay much attention, mesmerized by how his hands and arms feel wrapped around you. As the sun set the air had cooled dramatically, but the warmth radiating from his chest kept the chill at bay. 

You continue to cling to him as he steps into the house.

“We are well enough away from him now, however, I will just take you upstairs, in case we run across any of the other staff, just to keep up appearances,” he whispers. 

Nodding against his long-tailed evening coat, you take in his scent, your eyes fluttering shut at the smell of smoke, food, and a tint of sherry that must have been served when Mr. Animae arrived. 

“How do you fair?” John suddenly whispers.

“This has been… a day full of twists and turns. I certainly was not expecting Mr. Animae,” you reply.

John arrives at the door of your room, twisting the handle of the door with ease, he pushes it open and carries you inside.

After setting you down on the bed, he turns to make his leave.

“John, close the door please?”

He shuts the door and turns back around with one eyebrow raised, silently questioning you. 

You sigh as you stand from the bed, moving to the window. Now the moon has risen and the stars shine brightly in the dark sky. 

“Do you… do you get a strange feeling from Mr. Animae?”

John moves to join you at the window. 

“He is certainly the strangest Duke I’ve yet to meet, love,” he says. 

You frown, turning to look at him, “I cannot marry that man. There is something so very… offputting about him.”

Turning away from the window you slide your shawl off your shoulders. Attempting to pull your stormy gray frock off, you huff in annoyance at your inability to unhook the eyelets along your back.

“Here, love, let me.”

Suddenly John’s warm hands are on you again, his pristine white gloves still cover the fingertips that trail along your shoulder before unfastening your frock.

“I’d rather not call for Genevive, she would ask far too many questions about the goings on of today.”

“Easy to understand, love.”

Your frock slips off your shoulders as John moved on to unlace the back of your corset. As it loosens you suck in a relieved breath, happy to be able to take deep breaths again. 

“Will you require anything else, Ms.?”

You shake your head as John steps away from you starting to head back to the door.

“I…” you suddenly set your hand on his shoulder, “I cannot marry him… Johnny please, you have to help me.”

He turns, smirking at you with a look in his eyes you had never seen before, confidence possibly to the point of cockiness. You had expected him to be surprised by your instigation of contact, but instead, it was just cockiness and amusement. 

“Oh trust me love, there is no need to worry.”

And with that, he slips out of your room.

To be continued...

Did you know? --- Facts I learned while researching for this chapter:

Butlers did not always wear gloves, some frowned upon it because it made them look like footmen instead of an esteemed butler. (But for the purposes of this story our wonderful, and slightly mysterious Mr. Constantine does wear gloves).

During this time (about 1913) high-class rich folk would often drink quite a lot of wine, sherry, champagne, whiskey, and scotch. 

Yes, women were still wearing corsets in 1913, the bra or ‘brassiere’ was not invented (technically patented) until November 3, 1914 by Mary Phelps Jacobs.

Tags (Just comment and let me know if you wanted to be added to the tag list for this story of to my permanent tag list!)

@theregalrogue​ @with-the-words-all-wrong​ @thecaptainsgingersnap​

A/N: Sorry it took me a little longer than expected to get this chapter done, there was a bit more research I had to do than I had been anticipating, but that’s okay! I learned lots in the process. ..... did anyone catch that Latin? Maybe some foreshadowing.....? Thank you all for reading!

Chapter 3

[hasmashdoneanythingwrong]

Beast IV, The Beast of Comparison. In many ways, a representation of Envy.

Envy and Greed have long been intertwined. Indeed, one could say that while they can be separated, in the end the two will be companions.

So really, it’s fitting that a Beast that can be described best with these two deadly sins be defeated not with bloodshed and violence, but the two cardinal virtues in opposition: Kindness and Charity, Understanding... and Self-Sacrifice. Humanitas and Caritas, to Invidia and Avarita.

When one sees only humanity’s worst, they forget that the best, or sometimes even just better, has to exist somewhere. Otherwise, there’d be nothing for the worst to be worse than.

[swankymcgilligan]

Axel and the Master of Masters

Warning: KH3 spoilers obviously

Axel/Lea is 100% connected to the Master of Masters in some way. 

I was rewatching the Back Cover scenes after finishing KH3 and I noticed something. Axel and the MoM have interesting lines that mirror each other in regards to two people who represent the same sin.  

Example 1: Invi and Saix - Envy

Invi obviously represents envy (Invidia), and I think Mr. “I was jealous” Saix can easily be said to also represent envy. MoM tells Invi that she needs to keep up while Axel tells Saix that he couldn’t keep up. 

Another interesting thing is that during the Case of Invi the MoM basically tells her that her role will be to spy on everyone. This made me think of the scene in 358/2 Days where Saix demands to know what Xion had been doing and Axel responds that he wasn’t spying on her. MoM also talks about how it can be difficult to deal with change during the same scene, which was a recurring theme between Axel and Saix during Days

Example 2: Aced and Demyx - Sloth

Aced (Acedia) and Demyx both represent sloth here. Demyx is pretty notoriously lazy. This whole scene in Days was basically Roxas just roasting Demyx for being a lazy ass. MoM tells Aced to give him credit while Axel tells Roxas to give Demyx credit. Not much else to say here.

Example 3: Master of Masters and Xehanort - Pride

We don’t know the MoM’s official name yet but I think it’s safe to assume that it’ll be some variation of superbia, or pride. I think it’s pretty obvious why Xehanort represents pride. MoM asks if he doesn’t count while Axel remarks that Xehanort doesn’t count. Another interesting thing to note is that Axel mentions Braig right after mentioning Xehanort, while MoM is addressing Luxu, who we now know IS Braig/Xigbar.

Example 4: Gula and Roxas - Gluttony

Considering that the only thing Roxas could think to do with his day off was eat ice cream, and his infamous parting line to Xion, I think he fits as gluttony pretty well.

This one isn’t a “line” but it’s an interesting parallel still. The MoM and Axel reach out for Gula and Roxas as they walk away and then slowly let their arms fall. I guess the difference here is that Gula eventually turns back towards the MoM while Roxas never turns back towards Axel.

Another interesting thing about the Case of Gula is that MoM assigns him the role of finding and stopping the traitor. While in Days/CoM Axel was the one assigned to find and eliminate the traitors. So I guess it’s like a role reversal where Roxas was the one to find the traitor instead?

Example 5: Ava and Xion - Greed

I wasn’t as sure about this one at first because I couldn’t think of how Xion would represent greed (Avarita). But then I realized that greed could be the desire to horde or gain a large amount of anything, doesn’t necessarily have to be money. What did Xion develop a desire to gain by the end of Days? Memories. Her “greed” is for memories (and Roxas’s power). 

The interesting thing about these two lines is that they’re practically a direct question and response. Q: “What do you need me to do?”  A: “Well, what do you want to do?” A further parallel is how Ava faithfully carries out the MoM’s mission while in Days Axel scolds Xion for not carrying out her mission when she comes to Castle Oblivion.

Another cool thing is how Gula and Ava vaguely resemble Ven and Kairi, who are the people Roxas and Xion got their appearances from. Gula and Ava are also noted to be very close to each other. 

I just thought all these “mirror parallels” seem like more than a coincidence. Almost like Axel is a mirror that reflects the Master of Masters

It makes me wonder if maybe Xion isn’t the only puppet in the Sea Salt Trio

[kcystotheheart]

Actor AU: A chance in the spotlight {Headcanons}

Muses who will be part of this AU. 

Alexander/Xander - Vanitas Nathalie - Naminé Isabelle - Ava/Avarita Desiree - Invi Isaiah- Ira Hiroki - Riku Amaya - Xion Fuyumi - Fuu Sebastian - Ephemer Lee - Axel/Lea Lukas - Young!Eraqus Kasumi - Riku’s mom Hana - Sora’s mom

I will be probably posting separate headcanons for each character when i get the chance. But here’s what I got for now under the read more.

♥︎☯︎ Hiroki and Fuyumi are actually cousins. Hiroki had no idea that Fuyumi had been called in to play a bully character for the second movie until the day they were actually filming and he actually yelled out while they were filming. ‘THAT’S MY COUSIN.’ They of course had to cut that out because Fuyumi broke character as she laughed so hard she had to sit down until her face wasn’t red anymore.

❁☯︎♥︎ Kasumi is actually Fuyumi’s mom, and was talking with Hiroki when they asked if she could be Riku’s mother for a possible spin-off that never actually ended up happening. But they loved her and decided she could be an extra in some of the shots when they needed her.

✿♠︎ Hana was roped into voicing Sora’s mom when she was scolding one of the boys after they knocked over the snack table in the break room. She is actually one of the make-up artists and had been looking for Xander to help him get ready for his scene

♠︎❦ Xander and Lukas are brothers. Xander had been in a video call with the producers since they were telling him he got the part when Lukas came to ask what the yelling was about and decided they wanted to cast him for another role they had in mind since he had the right face for it.

♘✩*~ Isaiah is Sebastian’s uncle, the two actually look quite alike aside from their eyes. Their natural hair colours are actually black so the two of them usually are in hair in make up for a bit so they can get their eyebrows bleached and coloured as well as properly wigged.

✧⭐︎Isabelle and Nathalie are actually twins, even though they say they aren’t. Although it’s pretty easy to tell them apart since Isabelle actually has short hair and likes to dye it vibrant colours while Nathalie has naturally pale blonde hair. Their eyes are different as well with Isabelle having grey and Nathalie having pale blue.

⚖︎Desiree honestly had no idea she had gotten the part of Foreteller Invi until she was called in for the day of the shoot. She originally thought that she was called in because they were going to tell her she hadn’t gotten the part. But Isabelle may have ruined the surprise ever so slightly because she couldn’t keep quit.

☀︎Lee had been actually trying out for another role when he was told that he was casted for the part of Axel/Lea. He quite literally fell out of his chair, after all he couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t thought he was good enough for the role but surprise suprise he had managed to land it after all even though he hadn’t auditioned for it.

♟Amaya had actually been who they had casted for Kairi when she was younger, but hadn’t gotten the role for the second movie since she had decided to take a bit of a break, but had gotten the opportunity to star in some of their other movies and decided she liked ‘Xion’s character.

[vanities-redemption]

⭐️⭐️ (for Ava/Avarita because i'm curious)

For each “⭐️” I get, I’ll write a headcanon about our muses.

Vanitas is wary to talk about himself with Ava/Avarita. Once he finally does recognize her through Ventus’s memories, he wants her to realize that he is no longer Ventus, that he is his own person. Vanitas has not been Ventus for a long time now and he doesn’t wish to be defined by the blond. 

He is the first one to introduce Sea Salt and Rocky Road ice cream to Ava/Avarita.

[thisiscomics]

Hey! You! Yes! You! Do you find yourself reading this third volume of Casanova and wondering what the hell is going on? Well, you should have read the other books, you fool! It’s not a hard concept to grasp.....

Luckily, Charles Dickens is here to help! Or not help that much...

The out-there tone of the book means this one panel interjection is perfectly normal- when you’re bouncing around realities like Jerry Cornelius on all the amphetamines ever, why can’t you have a vague recap by the author of Great Expectations? Normal in Casanova terms means ‘highly entertaining and also funny. Except when it’s sad. Or serious.’ Like Charles Dickens, then.

From Casanova: Avarita, by Matt Fraction, Gabriel Bá, Cris Peter & Dustin Harbin

[beefydnd]

Avarita setting map for my 1920's campaign. One of the Havens of the world of Espoir, Avarita is a place of new beginnings and tragic ends, of wealth and poverty, of luck and misfortune in equal measure. Its greatest asset is the massive city-state of New Avarita, a city in the midst of its own brand of "roaring twenties", where firbolg flappers take Taxi Crabs over to the theatre to see an Illusiographic film, where dragonborn mafiosos wielding tommy guns hold down magic shoppes with powerful magical artifacts from before the world was cursed, and where no matter what they tell you, you should never feed the pigeons!