#how to know if a jinn is in your house

[sully-s]

Batman Quest To Get A Birkin Bag

Ok so I have a very indulgent, SuperBats head fanfic that keeps me company on days that I forget to charge my earphones while walking my dog and to bore my wonderfully accommodating friends over dinner.

Long story short it’s a character study about Clark after his death. Doomsday kills him becuase we do not subscribe to Synder movies in this household.

Mostly its about Bruce grieving and reflecting on his ten+ year marriage with the man of steel with a large helping of the Justice League members bonding and finally getting to know Bruce and in turn Clark. (Kal never really got to say specifics about his life because Bruce wanted to keep his identity secret therefore a lot of Clark's life was private.)

For most of the fic Clark’s dead. But I'm one for angst with a happy ending so he comes back. How he comes back I have all kinds of versions but I just want to share this really silly one that I’m slightly obsessed with.

It’s about two years after Clark died. Currently, Bruce and Hal are off-world for a two-month mission. Shortly after they leave the League are battling some sorcerer who's in possession of a Jinn. During the battle two of the three wishes are used and at the end it's Flash who gets to use the last one.

He wishes for Clark to be revived back to life.

Jinn says he can't do that

Flash thinks of course just like in Aladdin you can't bring the dead back, make someone fall in love or wish for more wishes.

The Jinn is like how dare you think that's not within my power of course I can bring back the dead, I can't bring back Superman because Clark's not dead. he's just in his grave too weak to break out of his grave due to the lack of sunlight.

Flash hears this and immediately rushes over to dig up Kal.

The next month and a half are all about Clark adjusting to the changes over the last three years (Like having a new kid at the manor: Tim) Meeting new members (Green Arrow, Martian Man Hunter), and really bonding with his teammates ect.

While waiting for Bruce's return Clark asks Barry what he'd like.

Barry is confused

Clark clarifies that Barry was able to bring back one of Bruce's loved ones “to life.“ That’s never happened and for a man like Bruce who loves deeply for his family he going to be very grateful and he will not take “I’m just glad I could help” for an answer. So Barry needs to think of something or Batman will.

Barry doesn't know what to ask for but knows that Bruce is rich. He figures this would be a great time to get that designer bag that Iris always wanted but they could never justify ever buying. (Listen I don’t know if Iris is a designer girly but in this fic she really just likes this one bag.)

So Bruce and Hal get back and after the big celebration party, the JL held for Clark and Bruce's reunion. Bruce approaches Barry thanks him and asks if there’s anything he can do.

Thinking Barry is going to ask for a house, pull some strings with his Brucie persona so he can better his life at his job or status. Maybe ask for Bruce to fund or set up a wellness program for people in Central City.

But Barry is just like: Uh well Iris has always liked this bag.

And Bruce is thinking Really Barry You brought the love of my life back to life I’d move mountains (without Clark’s help) for you and you want some designer bag for your wife?

Bruce: Do you have a picture?

And as soon as Barry shows him the bag Bruce knows moving mountains would be so much easier.

The bag Barry wants to get is a Birkin Bag.

Now if you know anything about Birkin bags 1. they’re stupid expensive. 2. If you can afford one that doesn't mean you get to buy one. Hermes the company that makes them has this irate practice that you have to work up a good relationship with the store and the sales associates in said store to even get the privilege to buy a Birkin (usually by buying a ton of other Hermes products you don’t want.) Sometimes you buy half the store but if you’re not a high-profile client or they don't like your image they just brush you off and postpone your chance to ”buy” a Birkin. And if you do all of the above prerequisites You don't even get to pick the bag they "give" you one. Want a pink colorway? Sorry here's lime green you're welcome.

Now Barry has no knowledge of any of this and just thinks a Birkin is just some overpriced bag. The problem is Iris only likes this one colorway ( Size 35cm, Red Alligator Exterior, Gold hardware, Yellow Slik interior ect.)

This is going to be near impossible.

But In Bruce's mind, Flash did the impossible in bringing back Clark (Bruce thinks Clark was wished back to life because that's the story everyone is sticking to. Because the emotional trauma of letting Bruce know that Clark was alive the whole time rotting away in a grave for 2 years is not on anyone’s todo list.) So he will get this bag Even if it kills him. He's the goddamn Batman.

And all this lead up is to what I'm actually obsessed with

I just love the idea that Bruce is running around Brucie-ing it up to try to get in Hermes' good graces but his image of being a drunk playboy is activity stopping him from buying any bag.

He calls up the Daily Planet and starts setting up all these puff PR-boosting articles to up his image. Which starts rumors becuase Burce Wayne doesn’t do interviews so why now?

Gotham elite catches wind that Burcie Wayne wants a Birkin richest man in America can't get one. So they all start getting Birkins. They ware them to his galas, just to troll Burcie. The elite jump on the waitlist inflating the list to stupid long. Hermes starts to wear the exclusivity of Brucie Wayne as a sign of good taste and prestige. Bruce searches the second-hand market and can't find the colorway Iris's wants.

Bruce goes undercover as a worker for a local Hermes store to become his own sales associate just so he can get around the prejudices of Bruce Wayne image and start racking up a sales history. (He just selling and buying to himself lol.)

So Bruce is playing a luxury salesman using his background of old money and Alfred’s butlering to woo potential buyers. Working his first retail job ever. Having to suck up to management so he can plead his case about Bruce Wayne. Using his access to get informed on what bags are currently available, who’s on the waitlist, where they rank, and criteria on how and what moves you up the list ect.

After months and becoming the number one salesman, he makes his case to allow Brucie Wayne to buy a bag.

It’s declined.

So he switches tactics.

He just makes a new cover as a recently won lottery winner looking to burn cash and wants to burn it with Hermes. And starts a new sale history. Using all of his knowledge and intel about what gets you on the waiting list.

He gets stonewalled a few times by former co-workers that he gets around by blackmailing them with gossip and infractions he witnessed or was told In confidence when he was a fellow sales associate.

Finally, his lottery winner persona is put on a waitlist. The only problem is he’s at the very bottom.

So what does he do?

He suties up As Batman and starts intimidating all those who are higher on the list than his lottery winner cover rocketing him up the list.

He hits a roadblock when he tries to scrace a woman on the list who doesn’t believe he’s actually Batman becuase “Why would Batman even want with a Birkin?”

Which leads to an escalation that gets him an earful from Superman who’s called to the scene by said woman whos terrified after Batman strings her upside down over the edge of her high-rise penthouse.

Clark offers to buy the bag becuase who wouldn’t want that kinda of PR endorsement?

Which Bruce vittamently refuses becuase it would cheapen the gift.

Finally, after a week of terrorizing wait-listers, his lottery winner persona is “given“ the opportunity to buy a bag.

But disaster strikes when that lucky break he thought he got because he was next on the list was actually bad luck becuase the person was bumped off becuase they bought the bag that Bruce had painfully calculated to purchase which was the only bag that would be made in the next 3 years that has the colorway that Iris wanted.

So Bruce tracks down and comforts the buyer in the dead of night as Batman. The buyer freaks out and says they didn't even want this colorway and really wanted a Caranery yellow ostrich skin colorway and if he could get her that one she'd trade for it.

This leads Bruce to play matchmaker for a series of buyers that have Birken Bags they don't love and would trade for their dream bag. And after months of fetch questing and matching sad Birken owners around the world with their dream bags Bruce he pulls it off. He finally gets a Canary, yellow ostrich skin colorway Birkin bag trades it for Iris’s dream bag. Only to find out it was ruined in a car crash that was caused by an alien invasion 2 months before that the JL had a particularly nasty time with and it was Bruce’s Batmobile that was thrown into her parked car.

The bag is a mess the zipper borken, missing hardware, leather scratched. But Bruce so done with everything accepts the trade and takes it back to the cave. Where he proceeds to 3D scan the bag then composite a CAD model and starts to collect all the raw components of the bag himself.

Getting only the best materials (much better than what Hermes was using) Talking to Killer Corc on how to find the best alligator pelts. Flying to India to personally pick out the red dye for the color. Mining the gold for the hardware from an asteroid that was threatening the Watchtower.

After he has everything Bruce proceeds to by hand construct an exact replica of Iris's dream bag. Essentially making the most over-budgeted fake to exist. Where he finally gives it to Barry (who has no inkling of the time and effort Bruce has put into this side project that has taken the better part of a whole year) who jokes in saying “Oh wow takes 12 months to run to the store huh?”

[rooksamoris]

💞 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐃𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐒.

💞 — in which jamil realizes that no matter how hard he avoid the oasis, the thirst will not disappear till it is quenched.

💞 — jamil viper x reader

💞 — warnings: hurt/comfort type fic. some descriptions of gore to emphasize yearning (the arabs be dramatic, what can i say)

💞 — 1.7k words. inspired by "sawwah" the song by abdel halim hafez. you should listen to it while reading tbh. first in a series of me assigning old school arabic songs to various characters. and yes, arabic speaking jamil is back. the translations are italicized with the arabic, and i changed some lyrics to fit third person, instead of first.

Wa ana mashi fil bilad, sawwah.

And I walk through countries, a vagabond.

Jamil had a job. He was bound to eternal servitude to the Al-Asim family—practically property to Bait (house/clan) Al-Asim. He had a job, and yet he spent his nights away in his mind, wandering like a vagabond. Purposeless, jobless. 

All those nights toiling in the kitchen of Scarabia made him forget purpose and work were different things. He would never call working for that spoiled boy his purpose. He was made for more—to be praised, to rule and command. He deserved more. Jamil deserved more than having to push away his moon, his qamar (moon). 

You were like an oasis in the desert expanse that he called his mind, and yet he walked away from you. He walked away when he desperately needed a sip. When he desperately needed rest and dates from your palm.

“Qad jinint? (Have you become crazed?) I have too many things to deal with. And you’d be better off without the burden of my title. Imshi (Go on/walk off).”

Jamil saw it. He saw the way your expression faltered, the softest twitch in your brow, the smallest tremble of your lips. It was cruel, he knew it, and it hurt him to say it. But in the end, he knew there was nothing else he could say. There must have been a better way to delicately reject your confessions, and yet he took the harshest route. Jamil plucked the dates from your palm and trampled over them.

He hurt himself by doing so, denying himself the one thing he desperately wanted. In the end, it was simple. Mishwar baeed, wa hu gareeh. His life was a long journey that only injured him. He did not want it to injure you as well.

Still, his charcoal eyes would seek you out. He would still ask Kalim about you, wanting to know how the distance was affecting you. Did you become a vagabond as he did? Were you avoiding oases?

Did you ask about the brown-skinned boy who broke your heart? He just wanted to be reassured—tamainu (reassure him)—that his qamar was doing alright. Wa in la’akum habibi, salamuli alai, he wanted to tell Kalim. If you see my love, wish them peace from me.

He would never ask you himself, nor did he get the chance to since you would scurry off whenever he passed by. The one place he could not avoid you was the kitchen of Scarabia, his domain, during one of Kalim’s parties. You were hiding away from the madness, and he had been trying to hide away from you. It was the same spot in which you cooked with him, listened to him, and were eventually rejected by him.

Jamil froze after walking in, and you turned your head up from your phone once you saw him, “I’m sorry,” you said, pushing yourself off of the counter and heading for the other door. You could not face him, not after that rejection. Not after he told you that your feelings were that of a crazed djinni (genie/jinn).

He shook his head and walked to the stove top, turning it on, “Stay. I’ll make chai,” he muttered. He did not even look at you.

You still wanted to leave, but instead, you just nodded. Honestly, you were a fool for the man, for that long dark brown hair which he braided so perfectly, and his aquiline nose which you desperately wanted to trace your finger along, “I don’t want to trouble you—”

“It’s no trouble. It gives me an excuse to get away from Kalim.”

You swallowed and nodded.

The silence was horrifically uncomfortable. The only sounds in the kitchen were the boiling water in the kettle and the sound that the mortar and pestle made while Jamil began to grind the herbs for the tea. Chai, cloves, cardamom—he added cinnamon this time. The scent always made everything more cozy.

Ya qamar, ya nasini. Oh moon who forgets me. Jamil hoped you would have gotten over your feelings for him and forgotten about the rejection, but he could tell it stung. The way you looked around the kitchen proved that enough. He poured the evaporated milk into the tea, let it simmer with the racing of his heart, and then poured both of you cups. He was gentle as he set your cup in front of you, unlike the savagery that he handled your heart with. 

Jamil leaned against the island, his eyes trailing over your face, “Are you—”

“I’m fine,” you blurted, holding the cup of tea. Waseitak, waseiya, ya shahid aleiya, “I promised you—you heard. You saw,” you elaborated, “I’m fine.” Tekilu ala beiyak. You could have told him of the state you were in after the rejection, but you opted for lies veiled by a fake grin.

He understood. He did not let you see past his veil either, “I see.” 

“The tea is great.”

“Thanks.”

There it was, another uncomfortable silence. His eyes said it all, though. Had you looked close enough, you would have seen how they ached to sacrifice themselves for you. He wished his worries for you would leave him alone—he would have gouged his eyes out just to make the aching in his heart disappear. It was curling in on itself, threatening to burst with the violence of a desert storm, sand filled his lungs, suffocating him. The weeks felt like years, and he was just a nomad in the night.

“I didn’t mean what I said,” he set his cup down.

You immediately frowned and put your teacup down as well, scared you would drop in, “You don’t get to say that now,” you mumbled.

Jamil nodded in agreement. It was cruel, rejecting you so harshly just to turn around and claim he did not mean any of it. Especially when he still did find you crazy for loving him as ardently as you claimed, “It’s wrong. I know,” he said, looking away from you and to the door where all the commotion was. The music was muffled by the shut doors, making the kitchen feel like an entirely different building, “But I… I feel the same.”

That was another lie. He did not just feel the same, Jamil longed for you. He yearned, his heart ached and his veins begged to be torn out for your sake. Every cell in his body called for your name, his hands begged to grasp your waist, kiss your neck—his hands which artfully painted henna, wished they could trace every curve and every dip on your body.

“Jamil…” you trailed off.

He merely shook his head, “It is because I feel the same that I must reject you. You—you have so much more waiting in your life without me. My suffering should not be yours,” he said, and he said it as if it were the law of the universe. He was a vagabond eternally bound to avoid the oases because the oases were not meant for him. They were meant for Kalim Al-Asim.

Despite all that, he did not push you away when you cupped his face. He did not protest as he drowned. He did not thrash, he did not fight. His body did as it wished, leaning into your hands, “Ya qamar… you are making this more difficult than it needs to be,” he muttered, the disdain dying before it could embrace the quiet air of the kitchen.

You frowned at him—sevens, he wanted to kiss that mouth of yours—and your brows furrowed, “Let me, Jamil. Just let me,” you said. What did you want him to let you do? You had no clue, or perhaps it was just too broad to describe.

Nawarli, wararili, seitak al-habayeb.

Enlighten and show me the path to the beloveds.

He was so weak when it came to you. Before he knew it, his hands were at the small of your back, pulling you closer and forcing you to arch against him as his lips met yours in a fierce kiss. He sighed into your mouth, his tongue slipping in when you gasped in surprise.

Jamil needed you even closer. His hands made their way down to your hips, his thumbs slipping under the hem of your shirt to feel your skin. It was just as nice as he dreamed it would be. What made it all the better was how you kissed him back.

One of your hands gripped his shirt, right at his chest, right above his cruel racing heart, and the other held the back of his head. The quietest of whimpers escaped you as he bit your bottom lip, causing him to groan. 

He pressed you against the counter, causing your hand to slip from his chest and move to hold onto the surface behind you. You kissed him till you could not breathe, “Ja—Jamil,” you stammered when your lips parted from his. 

Greedily, he went in and kissed you some more. Jamil had taken a sip, and now he wanted it all. He only pulled away when your hands pressed against his chest to push him away. His eyes widened and his hands fell back to his sides. He pulled the hood down to hide his face from you as he turned his head, “Sorry,” he muttered.

“It’s—It’s fine,” you replied, fixing your clothes and hair, “Are we…” you let the question hang like a date on a palm tree.

He nodded, “If you’ll still have me,” he replied. What he wanted to do was get on his knees and beg you to use your lips to end his suffering—beg that you use those hands to pull the sand out of his chest.

“Of course, I’d still have you, Jamil,” 

Your words were like a soothing balm. It was the salve that you spread over his burns, over his scars, and over the bruises that his yearning created, “Okay,” he said, and it was all he could manage to say for now. 

He picked up the kettle of tea and poured you some more. No matter what he did, he could not run away from you, his purpose. You forced the vagabond to stop and pulled the title right off of him, before pushing him into the waters of the oasis.

“We have some ma’amoul (semolina biscuit stuffed with date filling),” he says, after some silence.

[livesworthlivingau]

Behind the Vale 16

Spoilers for ISAT/Two Hats!

Also got a cameo this time around! Readers of the Sifstem AU will likely recognize it~.

"Nille? Where are you going?" [You call out, noticing she had left your side and started walking towards the tree line off the path.]

"Oh... I don't know really, something was just, calling to me I guess?" [Nille said somewhat absentmindedly, still walking towards the thicket before her. You start after her once she vanishes into the woods.]

"N-Nille?!" [Oh stars, why is she the one vanishing now? Doesn't she know that's our job? You grumble to yourself and chase after. You start to notice a strange feeling as you grow closer... familiar yet unpleasant.]

"Vale! Over here!" [You hear her shout in the distance, passing through several trunks and bushes before finally stumbling into an opening beside her. You grumble even more and brush the leaves off yourself... then you notice the favor tree in front of you, and an odd stranger sitting at it's base. It sat in the exact same pose you used to... It perked up as it noticed you.]

"Huh? Oh! Oh oh hello!! Hello hello! Are you traveling too? I think I'm traveling. But I like this tree so I decided to stop! For now, at least."

[It spoke strangely, polite, deliberate, but also very scattered. It had hair like the night sky, a sea of black with white dots. Constellation lines dotted across it's face.]

"Yeah, we're looking for the saviors, my little sibling's been travelling with them." [Nille explains while you remain a step or two back. You stare cautiously at this stranger and the odd sensation they keep radiating.]

"Saviors? Saviors saviors. . . . Oh! Saviors! Of Vaugarde! Oh yes I remember them, or, a them, anyway. Were they the same saviors? No, there's only one set of saviors isn't there! Haha, silly me. Oh! You must have been walking a while, want to take a break? This tree is very good for taking breaks under."

"That sounds nice! Are you okay though? You seem a bit... discombobulated?"

"I really think we should be heading along actually, busy day and all!" [You try to excuse yourselves, almost dragging Nille away before she elbows you in the side.]

"Don't be rude, Vale!"

"Oh! Yes, sorry! I'm just a bit of a forgetfull mess, haha! Vale's the name? I like it! You should sit down and relax, it really is a nice tree, y'know. Oh! And what's your name!"

[You don't know what compels you, but you suddenly find yourself taking a seat opposite them.]

"Wh-How did you blinding do that?!"

"What are you going on about?! I'm so sorry about them, I'm Nille, what's your name?" [She says, taking a seat beside you, still giving you a confused and annoyed look.]

"Do wha- oh! It's quite alright, I'm Jinn! It's a great pleasure to meet you both!! You're looking for the saviors, right? Yes you said that, it was. . . Oh! You're looking for that kiddo Bonnie right?"

[Nille lights up at the mention of Bonnie.]

"Yeah! I guess the resemblance is pretty obvious, have you met them?!" [You continue to stare cautiously at this stranger, everything about it gave you pause... especially somehow knowing 'its' pronouns inherently now that you think about it.]

"Yes? No? I think so! Forgive me, my memory is hazy, haha. Oh! I do remember they are an amazing chef!! Who were they traveling with, again?"

[Nille looks to you expectantly, to which you roll your eyes and comply.]

"There's the fighter, the researcher, the house maiden, and the traveler." [You say with your arms crossed. Nille gives you another annoyed look.]

"You know you can use real names, right?"

"Oh! Oh of course! Haha of course you would know that. I think. I think?. . . . Names. . No middle name. . . No last name. . ."

"Wh-What did you just say?!"

"Yes, names, names, it was, was. . . Something, someth- Oh! Siffrin! That was it, yes! Oh! I'm remembering now, thank you! How could I forget! Oh dear, Vale, I'm so terribly sorry, it took me so long to recognize you! It really is a pretty name, you know. Picking out a third new name for yourself? Well it's just so. . . Vaugardian of you!"

"SHUT UP!! WHO ARE YOU?! HOW DO YOU KNOW ALL OF THIS?!" [You shout as you jump to your feet, you try to summon your dagger, but you don't seem to have access to it anymore...]

"Vale, what the crab's gotten into you?!"

"IT KNOWS SOMETHING! IT KNOWS AND IT'S PUTTING ON THIS STUPID ACT!!"

"Oh Vale! Please, stop yelling. I'm trying to piece my own sentences back together and it's really not helping. And I'm sorry, Pétronille, for causing such a scene."

[You grab at your throat as you try to scream once more, though nothing comes out. You start to panic which only makes you wish to shout more.]

"... I don't think I told you my full name..."

"You didn't? Oh! Oh of course you didn't! I have so much to remember I forget that I don't remember! Ah, no, it's coming back to me, I am sorry. My name is Jinn! But, well, that's just a name. A name I like to go by. Most who know me know me as Keaoholo'oko'a. Sorry if that causes a headache, by the way."

[The word cuts through you like a knife. It doesn't hurt but it takes all the fight out of you. You slump back down to sitting and stare in awe at the 'stranger'.]

"Y-You're... oh stars..."

"Uhhh... What?" [Nille winces some as the word affects her a bit more negatively, shaking off the light pain.]

"Yes, stars indeed. I know it might be strange for me to say, but, truly I have as bad a memory for such things as you do. It's wonderful to finally meet you, in honesty, I was building up the courage. Although, I don't think I planned on meeting you per-chance like this."

"C-Courage?... Y-You were afraid to meet me?..."

"Okay someone's gotta explain to me what's going on. Who is this, Vale?"

"This is... uhhh... The Universe?..." [The words fall out of your mouth in disbelief, you could hardly believe it yourself.]

"... Riiiight..."

"Oh! Yes! Vaugardians do not know of my existance do they. A shame, the culture exchange used to be so vibrant! What a thing to see. . . Truly, Change can be so welcoming and nice. . . Hmm. . . How to explain. . . I would ask Vale too but, I'm not sure they would be much better."

"I am. . . Hmm. Everything that ever was and ever will be, everything in the night sky, the stars, and all of ones willpower and desier. Such as your Change God is a manifestation of entropy and change, I am that of all that currently is. Oh, oh I am really remembering things now."

"... Why do I actually believe that?"

"Because it's the truth, Now about you being scared to meet me?" [You ask almost excitedly. The universe had crabbed us over plenty in the past, and now it was scared of us?]

"A-ah, yes, well. . . . . . I'm sorry."

[As the sincere apology escapes its lips, you want to feel smug. You want to rub it in its face. You want to scream and smack them for everything they put you through... Yet that all just melts away, hugging yourself after a moment.]

"... I can assume what it is you're apologizing for, but honestly I'd really like to hear you say it..."

"R-right. . . I'm sorry, for being a terrible guide. A terrible god. I am to lead you, lead you all. To teach you, to help you grow as a person. I am the shepherd and you, and all from our home, are to follow."

"In return, I grant your wishes. If I do my job right, then such wishes will be trivial and easy things. Things that will not cause grief. But, I have failed. And three time's now a wish has nearly ended it all."

"... That... That means a lot to hear from you... Thank you. And hey, that last wish didn't turn out so bad, all things considered~!"

"You mean the one that crabbing killed you, Vale?!"

"Oh it's not like that's anything new for me~." [Nille seems unimpressed by your response.]

"I couldn't mess this one up! If I did I'd never live it down!! Do you like the new face? I can't claim credit for it, but, I do hope you don't feel. . . Wrong?"

"I couldn't be happier with it~."

"Definitely beats that torch light you were sporting before." [She chuckles out, causing you to smirk a bit.]

"Well that face served it's purpose anyway. Much as the one I'm wearing is now. . . . What do you plan to do, Vale? When you meet them again? Or do you plan on avoiding them forever."

"... I don't want to keep avoiding them, but I don't know what I'm going to do." [You admit, looking away rather ashamedly.]

"Perhaps, if you talk to your new companion about your deeper situation, she could help."

"Is it talking about your first two wishes?" [Nille asked, cautiously placing a hand on your shoulder. You allow her but still look away as you respond.]

"I'd rather we just leave that all in the past..."

"You and I both know it's going to come up. Wasn't the whole lesson of that misadventure to talk to those important to you?"

"Oh come on, you have to admit I'm miles ahead of how I was even just a couple weeks ago!"

"Wait... You're telling me they were worse than this?"

"Impossibly so! I truly am proud of how far they've come, but yes. They were much, much worse. I thought you would have talked to at least one of your companions before hitting the triple digits, but. . ."

[Nille grips your shoulder a bit tighter at that, though you only wish to escape this moment even more.]

"Those days are finally over, I'd greatly appreciate if we just move on..."

"Of course, of course. I am sorry. I will not push you to explain such things, although, it will come up in your future. It's up to you how it will."

[You just sit in uncomfortable silence, waiting for the topic to change. Nille takes the hint and sighs.]

"Well, if you're not gonna talk about it, then lets just move on. I don't suppose you can help me find Bonnie?"

"Hmmmmmmm well I coooould~ if you ask right. That's the issue with my existence, I'm bound by simple things. Changey is lazy, yes, but if they want to give you a gift they can just, do it. I have to wait for, well, the proper paperwork, in essence."

"Well that sounds easy eno-"

"NO! I'm sorry Nille, but you're not making a wish!" [You find yourself back on your feet, you leapt out of your seat before realizing it with your protest. She looks to you in shock and confusion.]

"Well why the crab not?! I need to find Bonnie and we're just going in circles at this point!"

"Wishes aren't just something to play with... I don't want you getting mixed up in all of this, you've seen how they can go..."

". . . I will admit, my ability to properly grant such things have only deteriorated since our home. . . Well, well I was proud I was able to grant your latest one correctly."

"Gruesome methods notwithstanding, it did turn out well in the end I guess... Alright, it's decided then~." [You say with your chipper mask slipping back on. You get up and start to look around the base of the tree.]

"What's decided? What are you doing?"

"Looking for a leaf, to make your wish~!"

"Wishing ritual, Pétronille, they are quite important for the craft. I imagine Vale can show you how. . . . I'll do my best not to. . . Ruin it."

"No, I'm taking this burden, I don't want Nille taking any risk over this."

"You don't gotta protect me Vale, I can handle myself."

"Well too bad, it's not happening and that's final~." [You tease with a confident grin. She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, but does nothing more to object.]

"Now, any suggestions on the exact wording, Jinn?"

". . . Be true to what you want, try not to let other thought cloud what you truly want. Be honest. I. . . Cannot give much more than that. The intent and emotion behind the words matter as much as the words itself."

[You nod, finding a leaf that reminds you the most of Nille. You clear your mind before whispering softly into it thrice.]

"I wish for Nille to find Bonnie safe, sound, and soon." [You then fold it delicately and drop it at Jinn's feet.]

"You didn't need to do that... but thanks, Vay..."

"Anytime, Nille~."

". . . . . You are a very kind soul, Vale. You had both best be off, you'll see what I have for you soon enough. Oh! And before I forget, Pétronille. You are a wonderful sister, and Boniface cares for you very much. I'm glad I finally got to meet you after Changey got all gushy about you a while ago~"

"W-Wait, Ch-changey?... A-As in...." [Nille stammers out, looking like she just saw a ghost nearly.]

"Changey! Change god! Your god! The earings aren't for show, dear. They're just the absolute cutest. And with how brave you were when your home was frozen, to save your little sibling, oh it must have struck a chord."

[You only now realize it's wearing a pair of bonding earrings, one shaped like a star, and one shaped like the change symbol. Nille whispers to herself giddily.]

"Holy crab the change god was watching!!!"

"Well, it's been a surprising pleasure but I think that's enough god stuff for today!" [You remark, starting to push Nille along before anything else happens on this insane day.]

"I can use my own legs, Vale!"

"Good luck out there! If you need me, well, you know what to do~."

Thanks so much to @vulpixisananimal for helping me plan/write this out and Jinn's lines! Absolutely adore how all this went!~

[goodnightmemes]

DUNE: PART TWO (2024) SENTENCE STARTERS

❛ This world is beyond cruelty. ❜

❛ Never stand with your back towards the open. How many times do I have to tell you that, huh? ❜

❛ Don’t worry. I’m taking you somewhere they will never find us. ❜

❛ You fought well… once you woke up. ❜

❛ He thinks you’re spies. ❜

❛ Your faith is playing tricks on you. ❜

❛ I’m ready to pledge my life for him. ❜

❛ Your father didn’t believe in revenge. ❜

❛ Don’t mock him. He deserves our respect. He’s a good fighter. ❜

❛ Never give your water away, not even for the dead. ❜

❛ It’s an honor, isn’t it? I think you should feel honored. ❜

❛ Well, it was a choice between this or death, so, you know, forgive me if I’m not flattered. ❜

❛ You want to control people, you tell them a messiah will come. Then they’ll wait for centuries. ❜

❛ That was no miracle! ❜

❛ I’m not here to lead. I’m here to learn your ways. Let me fight beside you. That’s all I’m asking. ❜

❛ You will see! The beauty and the horror! ❜

❛ Oh! Don’t ever, ever listen to the jinn. ❜

❛ He’s not like the other strangers. He’s sincere. ❜

❛ You know, I’m the only one who believes you’re gonna make it until summer? Everyone else thinks you won’t make it two weeks. ❜

❛ What? Stop looking at me like that. ❜

❛ We must convert the non-believers one by one. We need to start with the weaker ones. The vulnerable ones. The ones who fear us. ❜

❛ Who taught you to fight like that? ❜

❛ We can stop them together, bury them in the sand where they belong. ❜

❛ Then I’ll die, maybe you will too. But the others will keep going. And they won’t stop. ❜

❛ Where you’re from, does water really fall from the sky? ❜

❛ Your blood comes from Dukes and Great Houses. We don’t have that here. Here, we’re equal, men and women alike. What we do, we do for the benefit of all. ❜

❛ Well, I’d very much like to be equal to you. ❜

❛ It’s been a while since you’ve had one of those nightmares. Tell me, what was it about? ❜

❛ You’ve been exposed to spice for a long time. It can create weird dreams. ❜

❛ Don’t try to impress anyone. You are brave. We all know that. Be simple. Be direct. Nothing fancy. ❜

❛ I won’t shame you. I understand. ❜

❛ The way they look at you. They worship you now. ❜

❛ I’m no messiah. ❜

❛ She says you’re blinded by love, and she reminds you that you must reserve your hand for the most strategic alliance. ❜

❛ Do you not think I also feel the weight of the prophecy? ❜

❛ They deserve to be led by one of their own. ❜

❛ Repression only makes a religion flourish. ❜

❛ You underestimate the power of faith. ❜

❛ Prophets get stronger when they die. ❜

❛ You’d be a formidable empress. ❜

❛ Then what hope is there? ❜

❛ Hope? We don’t hope, we plan. ❜

❛ The question is, can we control him? And I intend to find out. ❜

❛ I won’t die like a fool. Kill me now. ❜

❛ No fear. These fights are all for show. ❜

❛ Show me who you are. ❜

❛ This morning you were a playboy, feared and envied, but tonight you’re a hero. ❜

❛ You’re following me. ❜

❛ You’re not allowed in this section. How did you get past the guards? ❜

❛ I remember now. I dreamed about you last night. ❜

❛ Come to me. Kneel. ❜

❛ I recognized your footsteps, old man. ❜

❛ When our resources are limited…fear is all we have. ❜

❛ Well, what are you waiting for? With thousands of these guys, you could take control of the entire planet. ❜

❛ They used to be friends. Now they’re followers. ❜

❛ You have the power to avenge your father, and you’re afraid to use it? ❜

❛ I can foresee things. If I go South, all my visions lead to horror. ❜

❛ Billions of corpses scattered across the galaxy. All dying because of me. ❜

❛ No need to be a prophet to see what’s ahead. ❜

❛ Your path leads to war. You know that. ❜

❛ So, war is coming. What will you do when you feel its breath upon your neck? ❜

❛ He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it. ❜

❛ You promised me you didn’t want power. ❜

❛ No matter what I do, you still don’t trust me. ❜

❛ My allegiance is to you. I’m doing this for all of us. Do you believe me? ❜

❛ It’s right under everybody’s noses. Not clever. ❜

❛ That’s the idea. Nobody would ever look in there because it’s obvious. ❜

❛ Nothing can live there without faith. ❜

❛ I want to go on the ground. Prepare my troops. ❜

❛ You humiliated our family. You humiliated me. ❜

❛ Embarrass our family one more time… it will be the last. ❜

❛ It is a good time to cross blades with me. I am weak. I am an easy kill. ❜

❛ I don’t care what you believe. I believe. ❜

❛ I’ll stay behind and cover your retreat. ❜

❛ You see only fragments. You cannot see the future without seeing the past. ❜

❛ To unlock your mind, you need to drink the Water of Life… and you will see everything. ❜

❛ A good hunter always climbs the highest dune before his hunt. He needs to see… as far as he can see. ❜

❛ The world has made choices for us. ❜

❛ You will never lose me. Not as long as you stay who you are. ❜

❛ You are not prepared for what is to come. ❜

❛ You’ll now learn the truth about our family. And it will hurt you to the core. ❜

❛ His vital signs are so low, they can’t be detected. But he’s alive. ❜

❛ You might not believe in the prophecy, but you’re a part of it. ❜

❛ You’re the poison. You and your lies. Why would you do this? ❜

❛ The visions are clear now. I see possible futures. All at once. ❜

❛ Our enemies are all around us. And in so many futures, they prevail. But I do see a way. ❜

❛You can stop this. Do you hear me? You have the power to stop this.

❛ This prophecy is how they enslave us! ❜

❛ You think I’m stupid enough to deprive myself of the best of us? Do you smash a knife before battle? ❜

❛ There is no one in this room who can stand against me! ❜

❛ This could be the moment you’ve been praying for all your life. ❜

❛ But there is one way your family can remain in power and, through you, the continuation of our stewardship. One. Way. Are you prepared? ❜

❛ You’ve been preparing me my whole life. ❜

❛ Long live the fighters! ❜

❛ I swear to you, I wasn’t aware of any of this. ❜

❛ You die like an animal. ❜

❛ Look who’s back from the dead. ❜

❛ I want you to know… I will love you as long as I breathe. ❜

❛ They may be curious to hear my side of the story, don’t you think? ❜

❛ Consider what you’re about to do. ❜

❛ You’ll be lucky to keep your head. ❜

❛ I’ll take the hand of your daughter. She will remain safe. And we will rule together over the Empire. ❜

❛ Do you know why I killed him? Because he was a man who believed in the rules of the heart. But the heart is not meant to rule. ❜

❛ Stand or choose your champion. ❜

❛ Do not stain your hands on this animal. Let me deal with him. ❜

❛ Why does he take such risks? ❜

❛ Well, you wouldn’t be the first relative I’ve killed. ❜

❛ May thy knife chip and shatter. ❜

❛ You have fought well. ❜

❛ You should’ve believed. You chose the wrong side.❜

❛ You, of all people, should know. There are no sides. ❜

❛ Spare my father now and I will be your willing bride. The throne will be yours. ❜

❛ They refuse to honor your ascendancy. ❜

❛ Lead them to Paradise. ❜

[theykilledmydadtournament]

Submissions list

Please let me know if there are any spelling mistakes so I can fix them before sorting them into polls!

Yuugo (The Promised Neverland)

Ned Stark (Game of Thrones) II

Quentin Lance (Arrow (CW))

Darth Vader (Star Wars)

Minato (Naruto)

Henry Allen (The Flash (CW))

Jonathan Kent (Smallville (tv)) I

Nate Ford (Leverage (tv franchise))

Richard Gilmore (Gilmore Girls (tv franchise))

Angelo Sorento (Switched at Birth (tv))

Mufasa (the Lion King) II

Jack Pearson (This is Us)

James (the Princess and the Frog)

King Agnarr (Frozen)

Stoic the Vast/Stoick the Vast (How to Train Your Dragon franchise) I

Lee Abott (A Quiet Place)

Iron Man/Tony Stark (MCU) IIII

Solomon Lauter (Nerdy Prudes Must Die)

Ben (Barnyard)

George Washington (Hamilton (the stage musical))

Silco (Arcane)

lt col Henry Blake (M*A*S*H)

Qui-Gon Jinn (SW: The Phantom Menace)

Captain Max Howard (Astral Chain)

Matthew Cuthbert (Anne of Green Gables)

Bobby Nash (9-1-1) IIIII IIII

Bobby Singer (Supernatural) IIIII

Newt (The Maze Runner by James Dashner)

Lee Scoresby (His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman)

yukichi fukuzawa (bungo stray dogs!!)

Maes Hughes (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood) I

Uncle Ben Parker (Marvel's Spiderman)

Jeralt (Fire Emblem: Three Houses) II

Lucien (The Jewel Series by Amy Ewing)

Optimus Prime (Transformers (G1)) I

Tom (he doesn't have a last name idk) (One Piece)

Joel Miller (The last of us) IIII

Edward Newgate (AKA Whitebeard) (One Piece) III

Vandham (Xenoblade Chronicles 2)

Thors Snorresson (Vinland Saga) I

Donquixote Rosinante (One Piece) IIIII I

Arthur Lestor (Malevolent (podcast))

keith scott (one tree hill)

mitch leery (dawson's creek)

fred andrews (riverdale)

paul hennessy (8 simple rules)

bill compton (true blood)

opie winston (sons of anarchy)

Lee Everett (Telltale’s The Walking Dead) I

Sir Pentious (Hazbin Hotel) I

Monk Gyatso (Avatar the Last Airbender) I

Vesemir (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (specifically this video game, not the books or show))

Richard "Pubba" Fox (Sweet Tooth)

Kunishige Rokuhira (Kagurabachi)

Gill (Wings of Fire)

gojou satoru/Satoru Gojou (jujutsu kaisen) I

getou suguru (jujutsu kaisen)

Sigurd (Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War)

Gregory Edgeworth (Ace Attorney franchise)

Oda Sakunosuke (Bungou Stray Dogs)

Nanami Kento (Jujutsu Kaisen)

David Anderson (Mass Effect Trilogy) I

King Vegeta (Dragon Ball (Z/Super))

Agent Coulson (Agents of Shield)

Dean Winchester (Supernatural)

Jason Gideon (Criminal Minds)

Ethan Winters (Resident Evil 7 and 8)

Harry Mason (Silent Hill 1 and 3)

Otto Octavius (Spider-Man 2)

Sivasubramanian Chandrasegarampillai (Dr. Chandra) (Space odyssey (the tag is #2001 a space odyssey, or #2001 aso)) I

Hank Anderson (Detroit: Become Human)

Artis Artesian (Trials & Trebuchets)

Obi Wan Kenobi (Star Wars)

Agent North Dakota (Red vs Blue)

Seok-Woo (Train to Busan)

Denji's Father (Chainsaw Man)

David Ashur (Of the Devil)

Odin Borson, king of Asgard (Thor movies)

Neal Cassidy (Once Upon A Time)

Rumplestiltskin (Once Upon A Time)

Whizzer Brown (Falsettos musical)

Atul (Spiritfarer)

Captain James "Jim" Boyd (Anne's House of Dreams)

Uncle Monty (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

[nadiajustbe]

After the defeat of the Witch of the Waste, Lettie travels.

And it's not like Ben's invitation to be her teacher was useless: he was rather nice about it and had a rather interesting, unique tactics and lectures to tell — even more obscure than ms. Fairfax honey charms. He used to talk about stuff called "molecular physics" and "basics of natural chemistry" quite often, even though Lettie didn't really caught the sense of it (terms sounded pretty alien), Ben was good at explaining.

It wasn't that Wizard Suliman was a bad mentor that pursued her to travel, but more of an understanding that world has so much to offer to her, so much magic to show. As If being stuck in the hat shop, and then being destined to stuck in Cesari's all the same, Lettie had forgotten how huge and full everything around her really is.

And she wants to study all of it. Let these weird people on the street talk that such a desire for knowledge is not suitable for a beautiful lady like her, that's she's supposed to get a husband and at least ten kids until is too late (and she never really quite understood what that "late" was supposed to be, but suspected it will come pretty soon), Lettie didn't care.

She was a Hatter, after all. Being a Hatter meant to take an opportunity with your bare hands and never, ever care about the wishpers in the shadows.

She visits Strangia — the here didn't seem to like magic very much, engaging with military and weapons more than anything else, but one or two small groups along the road showed her an ancient cipher, based on the old magic of the mountains (and also cooked her some national meat soup with a really long name Lettie wrote down in a piece of paper and then lost near the canyons. As a treat)

She visits Sultanes of Rapshut — a really interesting, wide and hot territory, the magic of wich was rather isolated and unique. She leared the difference between "jinn" and "genie", along with the fact that the first one was a nightmare to meet, and the second one was a blessing to acquire. She learned about flying carpets and magical lamps, even though no one really got one for her so she could try them out.

She visits High Norland — a city, smaller than a half of Porthaven only. The only powerful wizard of the land seemed to be locked in his huge, purely magical house for a while now, and it was extremely hard to even ask for a meeting. Lettie tried, for about a hundred times, but the only thing she could get so far was a whole lot of books and encyclopaedias from the local library. She left a note and took all of the books she could fit in her small backpack, promising to come here again.

She visits Montalbino — more of a village than a country, honestly. The only witch, living in the land, locked really worried and panicked about the fact of Lettie even discovering her existence, and so Lettie had to go fast, in order not to worry nice-looking lady. She still got one or two advices about strengthening the hiding spells, though.

She also writers letters. A lot of them. Mostly because Lettie wants to be in touch with all the local gossips, but also because she misses home as much as she loves seeing the world. She also asks to write her back, with results in her backpack being stuck with letters up to the very top, with not much to squeeze in.

Lettie knows about Howl and Sophie arguing about wallpaper in Morgan's future room, recieving weekly updates on this matter. Turned out Howl wanted to add there something called "planes" and Sophie thought it was, with no better word, a total bullshit. They argued about this for about a week, coming to new colour almost every day, before realising the baby will leave in their bedroom for about next five years.

Michael writes mostly about Martha and Martha writes only about Michael — and that's how she knows the exact day of both of them in a great detail. That's also how Lettie knows that Howl and Sophie do not argue all the time, as they leave some parts about them, too. Latest small peak from Michael included small note about Sophie and Howl kissing near the fireplace and Calcifer complaining that "his eyes are not supposed to see this"

She argues with Howl for some time, except he himself writes to her rarely — which is a good news, because his handwriting is impossible to read anyway. They keep arguing back and forth through Sophie's letter, before she finally announces she's not gonna take a role of a mailman anymore.

Ben's letter are always short and practical, yet really polite. Lettie shares some of her observations with him and he sents a whole essay about how it aligns with "astronomical rules of Earth", whatever it means. She replies with a reminder to fead a cat that lived near their (temporarily shared) home, and he (typically) replies that Justin has already taken care of it. (And the guy doesn't even lives near the area)

And Lettie loves it. Lettie loves being a witch. Lettie loves being known. Lettie loves being loud and reckless and pushy and smart and curious...all of it. Lettie loves collecting small gifts for every single of her friends and family and DO NOT mentioned it in the letter. She loves when people listen to her, she loves when she can listen to people. Lettie loves Sophie's tidy scribbles and Howl's nightmarish writing — he tried to write her once, after all. Lettie loves discovering, sharing and owning. Lettie loves being free.

Lettie loves being herself, after all.

(concept from dear and beloved friend @your-queen-shuri)

[asma-al-husna]

Allah calls Himself Al-Mujeeb, the one who responds, the answerer of prayers, on one occasion in the Quran. He is the One who responds to needs, answers prayers and He is the One who penetrates each obstacle in order to respond!

Mujeeb comes from the root jeem-waw-baa, which points to three main meanings. The first meaning is to answer, reply, respond, and accept. The second main meaning is to cut, pierce, or penetrate and the third is to have a dialogue or conference.

This root appears 43 times in the Quran in five derived forms. Examples of these forms are ujeebu (“I respond”), jaboo (“carved out”), istajaaboo (“respond”) and jawaabaa (“(the) answer”).

Al-Mujeeb Himself says: … Indeed, my Lord is near and responsive [Quran, 11:61] and … [We are] the best of responders.[Quran, 37:75]

Responding to Each Request with Ease

The name Al-Mujeeb is related in meaning to Al-Hakeem(The All-Wise), Al-‘Aleem (The All-Knowing), As-Samee’(The All-Hearing), Al-Baseer (The All-Seeing), Al-Wahhaab (The Giver of Gifts) and Al-Kareem. He responds to our requests in a way that displays His ultimate wisdom and knowledge. While we call out to Him He is All-Hearing and All-Seeing and He often gives us more than we deserve or even ask. He is the Most Generous.

His amazing power and wisdom in responding to our requests is demonstrated in this part of a beautiful hadith qudsi:
… O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have, any more that a needle decreases the sea if put into it.. [Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah]

How Can You Live By This Name?

1.      Respond to the call of Al-Mujeeb.
Al-Mujeeb says: When my servants ask thee concerning Me I am indeed close (to them); I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me; let them also with a will listen to My call and believe in Me; that they may walk in the right way. (Quran 2:186) Your share in this Name is that you are responsive to the commandments of Al-Mujeeb!

2.      Know the art of asking.
Ask for His forgiveness before you ask for anything, as was the formula of the Prophet Yunus ‘alayhi sallam when he desperately needed his supplication to be answered to be saved from the belly of the whale. Ask Al-Mujeeb for everything (halal) you wish in the Hereafter but also in this world. He loves it that you ask Him for everything you need in your deen and dunya (worldy matters). Ask him for clothing, a house to live in, food, drink, guidance, success etc.

3.      Think good of Al-Mujeeb.
Al-Mujeeb does not disappoint a believer who calls upon Him, however don’t be hasty as His delay is not His denial. The answer to your dua’ might come in a different form or time you wanted or expected. Made under the right circumstances – such as not earning haram income when asking Him or asking Him for something haram, like cutting of family ties – Al-Mujeeb responds to your dua, postpones it or prevents something bad from happening.

4.      Practise four powerful Quranic supplications for four powerful responses.
Al-Mujeeb relates to you the responses He gave after being supplicated to in different types of hardship. So whenever you are in a similar situation, apply the same dua’ and have faith in the response of Al-Mujeeb!

When you feel sad, say: There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers. [Quran, 21:87] The response: So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers. [Quran, 21:88]

When you feel scared say: Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs. [Quran, 3:173] The response: So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. [Quran, 3:174]

When you are ill say: Indeed, adversity has touched me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful[Quran, 21:83] The response: So We responded to him and removed what afflicted him of adversity. And We gave him [back] his family and the like thereof with them as mercy from Us and a reminder for the worshippers [of Allah]. [Quran, 21:84]

When you feel hurt by other people say: I entrust my affair to Allah. Indeed, Allah is Seeing of [His] servants (Quran 40:44) The response: So Allah protected him from the evils they plotted, and the people of Pharaoh were enveloped by the worst of punishment. [Quran, 40:45]

5. Do good to strive for your prayers being answered.Do as many good deeds as you can, check yourself in having a balance of hope as well as fear and be humble and not arrogant in your relationship with Allah and in your dealings with others. Al-Mujeeb says about responding to the request of Zakariyyah: Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds and supplicate Us in hope and fear, and they were to Us humbly submissive. (Quran 21:89-90)6. Respond to the servants of Al-Mujeeb.Be of those who don’t just respond to the plight of those in need but of those who also actively look themselves for those who are in need of support. Have an active attitude in relation to the requests of the environment you live in and of the Ummah as a whole!

Wallahu ta’alaa ‘alem.O Allah, Al-Mujeeb, we know that You are the answerer and fulfiller of prayers. Guide us to respond to Your call and be responsive to those in need and make us call upon and supplicate to you in the best manner. Don’t let our prayers be unanswered and adorn us with certainty in Your response, ameen!

[yaeggravate]

Theory: Kaeya's Mom is a Scion of Nabu Malikata

you know it's funny how we've gotten zero information about the other half of kaeya's family… unless??

warning: slight crack

Kaeya: According to the merchant I bought it from, mysterious spirits called Jinn often live in lamps like this, and this lamp in particular once housed a very powerful Jinni.

in kaeya's hangout, we are gifted a mysterious lamp. kaeya says the merchant who sold it to him claims it once housed a powerful jinni. this lamp is called Mysterious Lamp of Fate Ordained. (remember this.) kaeya then explains what the jinn are as if he just discovered brand new information which is odd because kaeya has told klee a story about a jinni trapped in a lamp before.

aforementioned story is a reference to the story of The Fisherman and the Jinni from One Thousand and One Nights and also to the in-game book The Shepard and the Magic Bottle, a four star quest item that permanently stays in your inventory.

both stories concern a jinni being freed from a magic bottle upon which they grant three wishes. curiously, kaeya uses the last wish of the in-real-life story instead of the game's. in his version, the jinni gets trapped, in the book of the game, the jinni stays freed.

Kaeya: He said to the Jinni, "Wait, how could your massive body fit inside such a small bottle? I won't ever believe it unless I see with my own eyes!" The Jinni became angry, and said, "Mwahaha. Foolish boy, you dare question my powers!?" The Jinni then returned inside the bottle and the boy swiftly sealed it shut.

The Shepard and the Jinni The young man hesitated for a moment, and asked the last question. "What's it like to live in a bottle?" Seemingly having never heard of such a question before, the spirit was slightly surprised before she answered slowly.

strangely enough, it's not the first time kaeya has been connected to lamps. in the furniture description for Trusty Portable Lamp he went around telling children that the souls of fireflies are trapped inside lamps.

No thanks to the Cavalry Captain's jests, a rather morbid children's tale exists in Mondstadt concerning these lamps. The nuns have had to explain to the kids that no, these lanterns do not contain the imprisoned souls of fireflies.

furthermore, his ascension material is The Spirit Locket of Boreas. probably just another coincidence but nothing can ever be taken for granted when it involves this guy. perhaps all of these strange associations with imprisoned spirits is foreshadowing something bigger, who knows.

still, in the context of his hangout, kaeya's gift being a lamp is actually pretty random compared to gifts of other companions.

so i started thinking, the play and the intaglio showed us his ties to the alberich clan while the other routes showed his ties to mondstadt so it stands to reason that we should have hints towards the unknown maternal side of his family right? could this be the lamp?

before we dive into crack territory let me explain what the jinn are first. they're spirits born from night-blue water lilies that were nourished by nabu malikata's blood. jinn can take the appearance of blobs like dori's spirit or that of humans, and they can even reproduce with them as seen with everyone's most behated lamp, liloupar.

we have no idea how kaeya seemingly dodged the curse but what if he was blessed by a jinni? maybe someone made a contract with a jinni and this is how he's able to age normally. it could even be connected to his lucky coin that can land on any side he wishes. if guoba can be a stove god, it's not too far-fetched to think the coin could house some kind of spirit.

Kaeya: Of course, this whole arrangement hinges on a preexisting amount of trust between the two of us. I can't just get any strange coins to listen to me.

also, liloupar said something interesting about jinn being able to take someone's pain away from them:

Jeht: Can Jinn feel pain too? Liloupar: The Jinn have little need for a vessel, and even less need for senses. But should we begin to connect with others… Then we will take from them their pain… Even should we not comprehend the source of it.

who knows, perhaps this could even extend to a curse.

moving on to the good stuff:

these tcg cards show an unknown woman wearing the Vourukasha's Glow artifact set that is associated with nabu malikata. her outfit resembles nilou's outfit, which is modeled after nabu malikata's, but is noticeably lacking the horns nabu malikata was said to have.

the description for this card is Scions of Khvarena, which means that this lady is most likely just a follower or heir of nabu malikata.

(however, columbina, who is very likely to be a seelie survivor like nabu malikata, has bits of dark pink hair and is also lacking the horns, meaning we can't exactly determine that this woman isn't nabu malikata.)

in any case, the loading screen for khvarena is also called Scions of the Khvarena and it tells us something interesting: that khvarena can dwell inside humans.

Scions of the Khvarena Thanks to the nourishment of the Amrita, the Khvarena split apart to manifest countless forms. Some can find themselves dwelling within individual humans, while others might develop an awareness of their own…

khvarena are spirits that can purify abyssal corruption. they were created by nabu malikata. another interesting bit of trivia is that khvarena used to be localized as Soul Light.

taking a gander here but what if this lady and other human heirs of the khvarena are people who have the khvarena inside of them? i have actually speculated about this before that kaeya's mother might have had khvarena inside of her which ended up neutralizing or suppressing kaeya's curse.

you see, khvarena can reverse the effects of the abyss. and it was said that the oasis could cure all ills. though i should add, it probably isn't very effective on khaenri'ahns who are already cursed, as we've seen with dainsleif who was actually there recovering at the amrita pool but is still zombified.

(khvarena is green energy, and what i found curious is that the lamp kaeya gives you actually emits green smoke when you touch it. kaeya's favorite drink is death after noon, which is green due to the absinthe within. in literature, absinthe is known as The Green Fairy...)

to me, the most intriguing part is that khvarena is based on khvarenah, the divine royal glory.

Khvarenah is an Avestan word for a Zoroastrian concept literally denoting "glory" or "splendour" but understood as a divine mystical force or power projected upon and aiding the appointed. The neuter noun thus also connotes "(divine) royal glory", reflecting the perceived divine empowerment of kings. The term also carries a secondary meaning of "(good) fortune"; those who possess it are able to complete their mission or function.

when you read this, does it not remind you of kaeya's character? we all know by now that kaeya is associated with nobility/royalty, and good fortune (with his lucky coin and some of his dialogue).

Mona: Kaeya Alberich? He's a Pavo Ocellus. Destined for greatness and grandeur… and to hide ugly realities behind a layer of charm and elegance. He believes he has made a clean break with his past, but one day fate will catch up with him. When it does, he will have a major decision to make.

we don't know what kaeya's name is derived from, but it could be from the legendary Kayanians, who were also said to possess khvarenah!

anyway, back to the scions, i think it's possible that the following tribes are the scions of khvarena.

The matriarchs of the Tanit, Uzza, Shimti, and other tribes besides all refer to themselves as "Daughters of the Flower Goddess."

the Flower Goddess is nabu malikata who also calls the khvarena daughter of flowers, meaning these tribes are very likely to be the scions.

"My Khvarena, daughter of flowers…"

and like the lady on the card, matriarch babel of the tanit tribe has light pink hair.

(though, as a reminder, unbeknownst to her, babel was not actually born into the tanit tribe so we can't use her as a reference as she most likely did not have the blessing of khvarena, which is what i suspect is the reason she had to use poor JEHT.)

unfortunately, there's zero information about the other two tribes but shimti caught my eye here.

Ashima was a West Semitic goddess of fate related to the Akkadian goddess Shimti ("fate"), who was a goddess in her own right but also a title of other goddesses such as Damkina and Ishtar. 

shimti means fate!!!

FATE!!

mysterious lamp of fate ordained!!!!

peacock accessories, gold accents and dead mom sidebraid!!!!

Traveler: I never knew you could inherit eye patches. Kaeya: My! (Traveler), how could you not know such common knowledge! This is no different from children inheriting their hairstyle from their parents!

kaeya last name shimti REAL you heard it here first-

ok you can laugh now but wouldn't it be nice if kaeya's mom turned out to be a pretty pink haired lady who is a descendent of nabu malikata? i think it would be nice 😌.

[y2ashlee]

Barbatos x Female! Reader

A/n: since I’m lazy you guys are dating in this.

The human _______ was very confused at Demonology and next week she had an exam so she was study, well trying to study that is with all the noise in the house it wasn’t helping. Basically, Mammon stole something of Asmo’s and then Asmo found it in Levi’s room and accused him and Mammon stole something from Levi again and then Satan caught him. And Beel was in the kitchen eating while Belphie was laying in the hallway asleep and Lucifer wasn’t home so basically there was no peace and quite in the house and they all came to her so they could get her on their side. “I’m not getting in the middle of this..” she said and grabbed her textbooks and put them in her bag. “Bye.” She said leaving the house and in reality she was just going to sit outside and try to study until Lucifer came home. The brothers continued their loud agreements. She sighed and sat on the front stairs and got out her books. “_____, what are you doing outside?” She jumped and looked up seeing Lucifer. “Their arguing and I can’t study..” she says sighing. He sighs along with her. “Sorry, Barbatos guess I’ll have to handle this, apologies.” Lucifer said and walked inside. “Hello, ______.” Barbatos said. “Hello, Barbatos how are you?” She asked. “I’m well thank you for asking. What are you doing here?” He asks referring to the textbooks. “Well I’ve got a Demonology test next week and I’m trying to study but obviously with all the noise and distractions in the house it’s hard.” She sighed. “Did you ask, Satan to help you?” Barbatos asked. “He’s part of the noise and distractions.” She said. “Well you could have asked me.” Barbatos said. “I’m always up to help you if you need it.” She smiled. “Really thank you, Barbatos, but I better let Lucifer know.” She said. “Yes, he will worry where you are if not.” He said. She nods and messages Lucifer. “Ok we can go now.” She said putting her things in her bag. “Then let’s go.” He smiles at her.

Time skip cause I’m lazy and didn’t think of anything before hand so I’m making this up as I go~

“Now to help you study I came up with a sort of game where if you get a question right you get a treat.” Barbatos said bringing out some biscuits. “Now I have a question ready, what is a Jinni?” He said as he sat down on his bed and gesturing her to sit on the desk chair. “It’s an Angel right and it’s used in the Islam language if I remember?” She said thinking for a moment. “That is correct, _____ dear, you may have a biscuit.” He smiled slightly. She gently took one of the small biscuits and bit into it. “Mm these are amazing~!” She said smiling. “Thank you now on to the next question. What is an Amir?” He said watching her take another bite of his biscuit. “Hmm, it’s an angel that lives among humans?” She said questioning her answer. “Correct, you may have another.” He said looking at her text books and notes. “As much as I love your biscuits I think if I eat to many I’ll probably vomit.” She say finishing her first biscuit. “Well we could make things more interesting? If that’s what you want~” he said smirking slightly at her. “What do you mean about that?” She asked. “Well how about for every correct answer you get I’ll take off one piece of clothing, but for every question you get wrong, you have to take off a piece of clothing.” He said with a grin. She blushed but nodded. “I-okay, at least I can vomit then.” She chuckles. He nods. “That would probably be for the best, but feel to have some biscuits regardless. But now onto more questions, what is a Shaithan?” He asked going through her notes. “It’s a rebellious Jinn?” She said going over her words. “Yes indeed but they are also malicious.” He said. “Oh yes I usually forget that.” She said going over the fact in her mind. “Well since you got one right I’ll take of my gloves, let’s could them as one.” Barbatos said and slipped his gloves off and placed them on his bedside table. “Next question, What is the name of a stronger type of Jinn that tries to steal information from heaven called?” He asked. “I believe that’s a If- no it’s a Marid, an Ifrit is the most powerful Jinn.” She said with confidence. “You are correct with both, well done and for that you get a to for one~” he said as he stood up and unbuttoning his blazer and sliding it off before hanging it up then he takes off his cummerbund and drops it to the floor. “Next question..”

This went on for quite a while until the human _______ was still mostly clothed the only thing she had to take off were her shoes and socks and her school blazer while Barbatos was only in his trouser’s. “I think this will have to be our last question as it seems to be getting late. “Oh you’re right.” She said looking at the time. “Now, what is a Hatif?” He asks looking at her watching every body movement she made. “A Hatif is a name for a specific demon that strangled children.” She says not confident with the answer. “Sadly you are incorrect, a Hatif is a mysterious phenomenon which can only be heard but never seen.” She sighs remembering it. “But if you can name what the strangling demon is I’ll let you go~” he says grinning. She blushed and thought. “Is it a Ghul?” He shakes his head. “A Ghul is generally evil but lives in the desert, a Qarinah is what you were after.” She nods. “I better get those memorised before the test.” He nodded. “Well since you got them wrong I can’t let you go now since you owe me two pieces of clothing that need to be removed~” he says and walks over to her kissing her neck seductively. “I know, I know.” She said and unbuttoned her blouse and slid it off as it draped over the back of the chair. She then stood up and was about to take off her skirt but he stopped her. “Why not take of your bra?” He says sliding in behind her and gently kneeing the back of her leg and her legs gave out as he sat down and guided her onto his lap. She blushed darkly and covering her mouth with her fist. “I-I didn’t like you wanted that..” she trails off. He smiles and unclips her bar and slides it off her shoulders and it tumbles to the ground. He places his hand gently on her breasts and gently massages them kneading them like dough his thumbs gently rubbing her nipples as she bites her lip gently her face got from her blush. “I-I thought you needed to go somewhere.” She squeaks out. “No, I just wanted to do something else is all.” He said kissing her neck and leaving small bruises on her skin. She sighed at the feeling of his touch to be this close to him felt wonderful. “Let’s move this to the bed, wouldn’t want you sliding off.” He said standing up and carrying her over to his bed and placed her down gently before reaching over to his beside table. “I hope you don’t mind if we use some...utensils~” he asked remerging in his draw. “I don’t mind but please nothing painful.” She says. “Okay dear as long as you consent.” He said pulling out a blind fold a length of cloth. He wrapped the lace around her wrists gently and tied it to the top of his bed frame and then placed the blindfold over her eyes.

“Is this okay, _____ my dear?” Barbatos asks and draped his fingers down her body to the waistband of her skirt. She nodded. “Y-yes.” She said and gasped as he felt him slide her skirt down her legs before she heard it drop to the floor. He licked his lips as kiss lent down and kissed her skin above the waistband of her underwear before he slowly slid them down and tosses them aside. He gently caressed her outer walls feeling her shudder against him made him bite his lip as he continued to move his finger between her outer walls slowly going faster as his arousal grew. She moaned softly at the feeling hearing him lick his lips and the sounds that came from her downstairs. “Aah~” she gasped her eyes closing under the blindfold as she gripped the cloth gently. He smiled and pulled away from her. She felt him get off the bed and heard something drop. “Just a moment my dear~” he said stepping out of his trousers and underwear before putting on some protection. He sighed at the cool feeling of the condom on his cock as he climbed back onto the bed and placed his member outside her walls. “Are you ready?” He asked his voice low and smooth. She nodded and gulped bracing for the feeling of him entering her. He slowly slipped his cock through her walls hearing her uncomfortable breaths. She bit her lip gently as he pulled out a little and slowly pushed back in as he repeated the slow movements. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was keeping as he continued. She sighed as the pain started to dwindle little by little and the pleasure finally started as he picked up his pace grinding his hips into hers trading to find her pleasure spots. He pulled her legs closer to him and placed one on his hip as he went deeper into her core. “Barb-!” She said as she felt him rubbing gently on her clit she curls her toes feeling the pleasure get to her. He grins as he bucks his hips deeper into hers.

“_-______!” Barbatos groans as he feels his cock tremble and he shudders and he continues gripping the blankets underneath his hand as he came but he didn’t stop as he continued to ride out his high hopping he could make her reach hers. He puts her leg on his shoulder as he grinds deeper into her her moans slowly getting louder and cutting off half way before her walls finally clench around him her orgasm arriving as she moaned his named lowly. “Barbatos~!” She says her eyes closing and her body shuddering. He shudders once more as he came once more. He breathes heavily as he slowly slows down before pulling out of her and disposing of the waste. He breathes heavily. “Are you alright my dear.” He asks undoing the cloth and taking off her blindfold. “Y-yes, but I don’t think I’ll be able to walk home for awhile.” She says feeling embarrassed. “That’s okay, you can stay here with me. I’ll let, Lucifer know.” He said and kissed her forehead and he gently raised her up and placed her under the bed sheets and blanket before getting his phone and messaging Lucifer.

Barbatos: _____ will be staying here for the night, she feel asleep while studying.

Lucifer: That is fine just make sure she gets rest as well.

Barbatos: Will do.

Meanwhile in Diavolo’s room~

“I’m so glad, Barbatos got me into listening to these audiobooks before bed.” He said to Little D and took off his headphones and placed them on his bedside table. “A-ah, yes so glad, my lord...” Little D said as he curled up at the end of Diavolo’s bed knowing that he was the only one who heard those noises. “Goodnight, Little D.” Diavolo said as he slid into bed and got comfortable after turning off his lamp. “Goodnight, my Lord!” Said Little D. Now all throughout the Demon Lord’s castle everything was silent even the mince. Barbatos smiled and slid into bed and kissed ______’s bare shoulder. “Goodnight.” He said knowing that she was already asleep.

~~~

Hope you enjoyed. I struggled with writing for Barbatos as everyone only writes about him being into bdsm and whatnot.

[tennessoui]

for the prompt

“You always this quiet?”

for KUWKS? ♥️♥️♥️ love you

hello !! and welcome to the return of KUWSK! this is more of a teasing 1k because i think i'm going to try and put this ficlet as an expanded chapter up on ao3 soon! this takes place a few weeks after chapter 9, the ficlet where they get engaged

(1k)

(Early December, Five Years, a Few Months, and a Few Weeks after the Skywalkers Move In)

There is a very loud bang, followed by a very loud crash. Anakin stirs awake with a grumble, comforted only by the fact that he can hear his fiancé do the same on the other side of the bed.

“Your turn,” he mutters, turning over onto his side.

“S not,” Obi-Wan replies, and the mattress shifts slightly as he turns over himself—conveniently taking half the covers back and winding them around his own body as if it’s not late December and fucking frigid. “Yours.”

Anakin swats at him ineffectively, barely grazing his back. His eyes slit open to read the blurry digital number of the alarm clock on his nightstand. It’s five in the morning. “Get up,” he mumbles, reaching back again to push at his fiancé. “Investigate.”

“I cannae find my glasses,” the asshole says, even though Anakin knows he hasn’t even tried to look for them. “‘M blind without them, you know that.”

There’s another loud sound. Something has definitely fallen. It’s December 17th, much too early for Santa. “What if it’s your father arriving early for Christmas?” Anakin asks, rubbing his face against his pillow. “You know if I have to talk with your father before at least three cups of coffee, it’s going to end in tears.”

“Don’t care,” Obi-Wan murmurs, shifting more. He’s probably curling into a nice little ball of sleepy warmth right now, the fucker. “Go make nice with your father in law.”

“Not married yet,” Anakin reminds him. “‘S your turn to make nice with him.”

“Mm,” his fiancé says, which could mean anything. “But what if it’s a home intruder?”

“Your house,” Anakin points out, trying to steal back some of the covers. He’s starting to shiver. “‘Sides you have all those scary looking tattoos. Intimidating.”

“Mm,” his favorite bastard says. “But you fucked me so well last night that I couldn’t possibly walk, let alone defend the castle.” The word castle is split in two by a yawn. “Wouldn’t be very intimidating to a burglar if I can’t walk without a limp, he’d laugh me out of house and home.”

Anakin kicks at him, but the older man doesn’t even acknowledge his act of almost-marital abuse. He’s quite sure they’re both fully awake at this point, which makes him want to push Obi-Wan out of bed because it’s his fucking turn and it’s very cold and he’s stolen all the blankets.

As if somehow sensing exactly how close Anakin is to unspeakable violence, Obi-Wan rolls over and ghosts a hand down his back before allowing his fingers to simply rest against his spine. “Anakin love,” Obi-Wan mumbles, inching forward until he’s pressed against Anakin’s back. “Won’t you go make sure no one has broken into our house or hurt our children? I would, but you’ve rendered me so terribly incapable of walking after we made love last night.”

Anakin is going to marry an absolute dick. He pushes himself up into a sitting position and glares over his shoulder at his asshole of a fiancé. “That’s not always going to work, you know,” Anakin says waspishly as he forces himself to swing his legs off the mattress, glaring over his shoulder.

Obi-Wan’s eyes are closed as he stretches out more into the warmth of the bed, a sleepy, self-satisfied smile curling the edges of his lips.

“See if I let you bottom next time,” Anakin mutters as he pulls on a pair of joggers over his briefs. No need to give either a potential burglar or Qui-Gon Jinn an accidental eye full.

“Mm,” Obi-Wan says, rolling into Anakin’s warm spot like a goddamn cat that got the fucking cream. “I look forward to it.”

Anakin grumbles and keeps grumbling, especially when he hits his shin on his bedside table trying to find his shoes.

Obi-Wan shushes him and turns over.

“I’m going to murder you if the burglar doesn’t get to it first,” Anakin hisses in a low voice. 

Obi-Wan begins to snore.

Of all the assholes in the world, Anakin had to go and fall in love with the smarmiest, which is really just his luck.

But he is in love with him, so he tries to be quiet as he exits the bedroom and crosses the long hall from the master bedroom to the living room. 

There’s light spilling out from the kitchen into the dining room, casting flickering shadows on the back of the couch.

Two very, very familiar voices echo through the empty space now that the bedroom door isn’t blocking the noise. Anakin pinches the bridge of his nose and counts to ten. He’d almost have preferred Obi-Wan’s father. At least he can yell at Qui-Gon Jinn without feeling bad.

He rounds the couch and walks through the empty dining room, suddenly incredibly grateful he’d put on joggers.

In the artificial light of the kitchen mixed with the pre-dawn light, his children are fighting over a metal bowl filled almost to the brim with some sort of sticky, white, amorphous blob monster in early stages of propagation. 

“Give it,” Leia snaps, fingers curling into the mixture itself. “You’re too short!”

“You’re just as short!” Luke snarls back, face red and covered with flour. “Stop it!”

“You stop it!”

“No! It was my idea!”

“No, it wasn’t!”

“Yes it was!”

The metal mixing bowl clangs against the wooden cabinet as the twins swing it around. 

Anakin leans against the doorway of the kitchen and observes his little angels in their natural habitat.

“Luke! Let go!” Leia cries, and Luke shouts back, wordless with rage.

“So,” Anakin says in his sternest voice, even as he remains leant against the doorway, ankles crossed. At the sound of his voice, both little faces whip towards him, expressions frozen in guilty terror. A bit of sarcasm slips into his tone, though he’s sure it goes over his nine year olds’ heads. He cocks his eyebrow just like Obi-Wan does. “You always this quiet?” 

[fandom-blackhole]

🕷🕸Happy Halloween 🎃 🕯

Rules-

-Asks can be submitted from Oct 26 - Nov 5 (Edit: Halloween week just went from 0 to I'm skrewed so I am leaving these open longer and will answer them if I have time this week but will probably get to them next week...sorry :/)

-The asks have to revolve around Halloween in some way, whether its in cannon celebration/activity or it's like a monster AU

-If you use a prompt/idea from below, you are allowed to use multiple prompts for one request

-There is no limit to how many requests you can send, but if you send alot all at once I may skip to someone else's and come back to yours so everyone gets theirs answered and its not just a block of one person

-All genres welcome fluff, smut, angst, ect. (just know I am in a mosterfucking mood so those are very welcome atm)

-No minors please and thank you

-Lastly, I am a busy person so my answers may be a little slow and I do hold the right to turn down a request (not that I think this will happen but I just wanna put it out there just in case <3)

Below the cut are a few prompt lists incase you wanna send an ask but don't know what to send <3

Halloween/Fall Activities-

Pumpkin carving

Scary movie marathon

Going to a haunted house

Halloween party

Drinking hot coco/apple cider by a fire

Going apple picking

Going to a pumpkin patch

Doing Corn Maze

Making couple's costumes

Making caramel apples

Baking together

Decorating for Halloween

Trick-or-Treating

Want an activity that's not listed? send it in! I probably just forgot to add it lol

Monster/Hybrid ideas-

Ghosts

Selkies

Werewolves

Vampires

Dragons

Demons

Angel

Monster under the bed/in the closet

Hell hound

Gargoyle

Harpy

Jinn

Orc

Banshee

Succubus/Incubus

Siren/Mermaid

Fae

Nymph

God/Goddess

Witch

Shape Shifter

Cyclops

Satyr

Naga

Doll/Mannequin/ Statue

Headless horseman

Arachne

Gorgon

Goblin

again, I definitely missed some, if you don't see it listed here you are more than welcome to still request it!

Scenarios/AUs-

Apocalypse

Little Red Riding Hood

Trick-or-Treating with your kids/siblings

One of you got cursed

One of you is a ghost trapped in a house and falls for the living person

Sacrifice to a higher being/monster

Human x Hybrid/Monster

Stumbling upon monster's secret hidden home

Corrupting a priest/nun

Priestess/Priest x God/Goddess

One person dies and turns into a ghost that haunts the other person

Finding a cat/dog and taking it home but oops its not a dog/cat

Researcher x Monster being researched

Prince/Princess saved from tower by monster/hybrid!knight

Angel x Demon

Or any other scenario/AU you've got!!

[reconstructwriter]

Neighbors

The apartment was a good price for its level here in Coruscant. Rent to own. You don't see anything wrong with the foundation or the piping or the paint to indicate expensive trouble. Most of the neighbors seem fine. It’s right next to the Jedi Temple and its weird wizard monks. But the price…

You move in and nothing happens. You've heard all manner of rumors about the Jedi but the only encounter you have is a normal, neighborly delivery of home-made treats. Everything is amazing, do the Jedi put crack in all their food or something?

Half a year later there's a plumbing issue. It behaves itself only when somebody else comes by. You’re at wits ends. They’re your neighbors, that means they should help you out right? So you go to one of the temple guards.

Umm excuse me, my house, my apartment there's something wrong with the plumbing but no one seems to figure out what it is or believe me. Can you check on it? The Temple Guard might as well be made of stone. But minutes later another Jedi comes.

She does indeed check the problem and fix it. It would have cost you who knows how much. You insist on feeding her. Afterwards you take meals to the Temple for a week. They really did save you a lot of money and it's neighborly.

When Qui-Gon Jinn's death appears on the news, you give your condolences. And your gratitude they stopped that awful Naboo invasion. The Trade Federation is awful. But the new chancellor sounds like he will do right thing and kick them out of the Senate.

He never does.

When the war comes, you give the Jedi some good luck victory herbs you grew in your kitchen and thank them for their service. And find out they were drafted into that service. The one you meet would much rather negotiate for peace. You’re sorry.

The Jedi grow weary. You bring them what you can and help what you can. So does everyone in your building. The Jedi are constantly injured, tired, and the war only grows worse. Others say they're warmongers. You and yours post the truth on the holo net.

The truth doesn't seem to matter to anyone else, even when the Jedi defend Coruscant itself and everyone near the Temple takes shelter during the invasion. You help deliver things to their Infirmary, to the Jedi and the clones there. They are too kind for war.

One night you wake to screams. To blaster fire. You grab your pepper spray in one hand and a hammer in the other and peek out your apartment door. The temple is on fire. Awful sounds within. You should help them. That is neighborly. You are afraid.

You finally work up the courage to get to the door. There is no familiar guard. You knock very quietly. No one answers. You swallow and nudge the door open. “Hello,” you whisper “Are you alright?” You can only hear more screams and shots.

Finally a Jedi appears. They look awful. They beg you to help the little ones in their arms. “I’ll be right back,” they assure as you take the little ones. They lied. They never come back. You learn about the treason later, but that's not possible. And even if it is…

They didn’t deserve THIS.

The new emperor moves in. The wiser of your neighbors move out. You hide the little ones and feed them. When the clones come looking for Jedi you lie. The laws pass and the neighborly aid you give becomes illegal. They’re so young. You hope they’ll be okay.

Some people didn't want to be around the Jedi temple. No one really wanted to be around Palpatine’s palace. Not even his cronies. You are caught because you can't get anything for your place and you can't afford to move.

There is something wrong with the emperor's palace. It's haunted they say. He does unnatural things there. You can feel the cold coming from that place. You don't dare welcome them with food. They don’t bring you any. Some nights you still hear screams

one night you swear you see the ghost of a temple guard, several burned holes in them, blood dribbling down their robes. The ghost looks at you at points away. You can't afford to move but you go anyway. Afterward you learned the building and inhabitants were…confiscated.

[jack-of-crowns]

@flashfictionfridayofficial

'To Gather Paradise' by @jack-of-crowns

Their forms are silhouettes here in the Shadow beyond the farthest boundaries, three Jinn magi backlit by the bright incandescence of nascent stars, three vessels of dark energy bourne upon the mnemonic currents of spacetime who are come to unwind the warp and woof of an inevitable tapestry.

The eldest extends herself in somatic patterns, her consciousness splayed wide, upswept as the branches of the sharpened thorns of reality that hedge them in. Mistress and apprentices; each lesson pierces her more deeply than either of them, for she has tasted the bitter fruit of her past many timelines now; she knows that eventuality brings her only the comforts of having played that role again, but to the uncharted courses of the children...

"Lane, recite," Qeral commands, voice thundering as a breaking wave through the quantum foam as the incantation of intentionality begins to manifest.

"The One Whom is All effaces what He wills and establishes what He wills, and with Him is the Mother of the Book." Lane's shadow lengthens as her spoken syllables acquire resonance and echo.

Mile's essence contracts in a deep fana. "Forgive me, Yüce Büyücü, but does not the natural expansion of the multiverse already create new spacetime? Why do we seek to intervene?"

Qeral laughs harshly, cataphracts of standing anger dashing over jagged crescendos of what cannot be undone. "Was our exile by The Eleven natural, Mile? Perhaps our next field lesson takes us back to Sheol, and -" She composes herself, adding "- and your question is valid. Yes, the multiverse expands, but it expands under the unblinking gaze of our so-called illuminated kin in accordance with their unyielding will, who shape reality into predictable patterns, easy to control. We create...alternatives. Observe."

The sama begins, an ecstatic whirl of antiquarks and fermions, of dark matter and Shadow in an intricate weave. The motion and sound of collapsing probability fields reverberate; the tableau of reality beyond them shimmers, and all six dimensions of spacetime fold into a construct of ineffable beauty. "This," Qeral says softly, "is an Empty House."

"How...how does one even attempt to operate this," Lane muses, her Shadow-self flickering in consternation. "I thought pure Chaos was a theory."

"And, is this...thing even ethical?" Mile chimes in sternly. "Aren't we also guilty of superimposition?"

Qeral drifts motionless for several moments; casting spells of this magnitude unaided are taxing. "Remember that I was there." The apprentices are silent, knowing their place. "I was there when we fell. All that was beautiful to be found in the darkness, cast out from every probable future and consigned to be nothing more than the stuff of superstition and fear-mongering. No, children, this is not a sigil of superimposition. This is liberation."

"Come, feel the fibrations of true freedom."

Qeral draws the apprentices within the flows of her own essence, for their unprepared consciousnesses would otherwise be overwhelmed by sheer sonsuz. Even so, they can not help but be dizzied by the onrush of potential, the vertigo of unrestrained choice as the three explore the impossible geometries of the Empty House. Within its chambers lie the branes of every possible future, every road not taken, every choice yet to be made.

They are at once and at one with each other; their interconnectedness expressing itself in desire, desire manifesting as seeds bringing forth the fruits of what else and what if. Instead of the proto-nebula before them birthing hot suns destined to fuel the fiery judgments of the Luminarians, their mingled selves are stirring the elements of reality, weaving it into ever-branching filaments of a cosmic web.

- The darklines? They must be! -

- The past of what never became, yes -

- And of all those unrealized yesterdays? -

- They are only realities as yet unchosen, -

- And the darklines are never-ending paths, -

- From possible pasts to improbable futures. -

- Infinite lanes, and each an unchartable course!

- Infinite miles, and neither starting point nor stop! -

- And all shall be all; everywhen and nowhere. -

They are all as children now, imaginations playing in a garden of delights, rewriting the pages of history's hellscapes with their limitless volumes of hope. Where the architects of authoritarianism seek to build dead ends of self-fulfilling apocalypses, there an Empty House shall stand, creating intersections of refuge and salvation. Manifold gardens all along the darklines will blossom in the cold of the cosmic voids, and the magi of the Nightshade Jinn will go forth to gather Paradise with shadowed hands.

[liam-neesons-best-girl]

At the Table {Qui-Gon Jinn x Reader}

Warning: fat! reader, f!reader, angst, mentions of food (not an eating disorder but about weight), slightly suggestive at the end, family dynamic with Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin

approx: 800 words

You love making dinner for Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Anakin after a long day of training. They barge in the house like ravenous wolves ready to feast.

You gladly prepare a hardy meal for them because they work so hard to protect the galaxy and because of the love they share with you.

Qui-Gon can't help but look at you with adoration in his eyes as you lean over the table to set a spot for everyone and sees your belly pudge smush against the stained wood and your tits threaten to spill out of your apron.

You instruct the boys to take their seats and they listen, except for Qui-Gon. Your boyfriend will slither up behind you as you are trying to bring the platters of food to the table, showering you with kisses.

"Everything looks and smells amazing, doesn't boys," Qui-Gon compliments.

"Absolutely," Anakin and Obi-Wan say in unison.

"Oh yeah, and the food seem great too," he whispers just to you, being cheeky to tease you.

"Eat up," you say, scooping out large portions of the brisket, green beans, and mashed potatoes first to Qui-Gon who sat at the head of the table, then to the eager padawans siting across from each other.

As the boys chow down Qui-Gon sees you tending to everyone other than yourself, just nursing a glass of water with no desire to get a plate of your own.

Today was just one of those days where you were feeling self-conscious about your size. Usually you are happy with your shape but after folding your laundry this morning you saw some of your clothes had shrunk, making you feel like a ginormous freak.

You took it upon yourself to keep busy for the rest of the day, avoiding any thoughts about food and just taking care of everyone else to get your mind in a happier place.

Qui-Gon caught your attention and asked you to come over to him, pulling you onto his lap, one of his favorite signs of affection.

"Here, have some of your delicious cooking," he'll say with a smile as he offers you a bite from his fork.

"Thank you but this food is for you, I'll eat when you boys have finished," you say meekly, playing with the hem of his tunic, Obi-Wan and Anakin are oblivious to you and Qui-Gon as they devour their first of many helpings.

He furrows his brow, leaning in to whisper for only you to hear, "why aren't you eating with us. Are you feeling alright?" Qui-Gon gives you his complete attention, ready to run to the drug store for Tylenol or to draw you a bath -- what ever you needed to feel better.

His hands rest instinctually on your lower stomach as he searches for any indicator in your eyes to what the matter is.

"I'm okay, its just that you and the boys need it more, and I can do with out any more gaining," you say will adverting your eye contact with him, knowing you may cry if you look at his concerned face.

"Can we be excused?" Obi-Wan asks on behalf of both boys who are full and ready to do their evening chores.

You can't trust your voice to answer without a crack. Qui-Gon takes this as a hint to your troubles and decides on his plan of action.

"Yes, just bring your dishes to the kitchen, please," Qui-Gon says, clearing the room for just the two of you.

"You know, I love you as you are. There is no reason to be down on yourself."

"I-I just feel like you deserve more, you deserve someone stronger, someone better," you hiccup out with uneven tears.

He swipe them away with his thumb, cradling your head to be facing his.

"Starlight, you are the strongest woman I know. Please never feel like you aren't enough for me. You are everything to me. Can I show you how much?" he says with a shy smile.

"what do you mean," you say as you slowly begin to look up at him, sniffles subsiding.

"Let me take you upstairs and worship you like the goddess you are. Clearly I need to more often so you don't forget how perfect you are," he suggests with the tug of his brow.

"But what about dinner? Your food will get cold," you say not wanting to waste the food you worked so hard to make.

"Come to think of it, I think I am hungry for something else. Maybe a little dessert," he says connecting his lips to yours with absurdly loud smooching sounds that makes you warm and giggly, letting your insecurities fade into the night.

[irisnkrichronos]

The End Poem

I've wanted to make this post for years now.

My name is Iris, I've been raised in an environment full of hate. My father was a neofascist as I was growing up, when I was 2 he went to a "Forza Nuova" rally to which some people protested by throwing eggs at everyone. Father was and still is kind of a xenophobe, he's racist, and he's sexist, heavily. Throughout 2016 my parents had a lot of discussions, and as they did I sunk my time deeper and deeper into Minecraft Xbox One edition. They were fighting, on the brink of divorce, living in separate houses, and all I had was Minecraft. A game that I experienced fully offline and alone. From 2010 when I first played it on my 360 to this day, Minecraft has been by my side more than any friend, relative or pet. It shaped me. It made me who I am.

And this brings us to what I really wanted to talk about...

This is a deeply personal post and I expect the maximum level of respect from all of you. Soundtrack: https://nyaambxr.bandcamp.com/track/biome-fest-2

I consider myself an atheist, yet I've always felt that things happen for a reason, like if there was something pulling the string, some kind of universal intention. I believe The End Poem to have some kind of intrinsic power over people, I do not consider its contents to have literal meaning, it is like a parable. It's text written for a block game. Of course it's not meant to have any special spiritual meaning, right? Hell, the author got the text for it through a shroom trip! There's different levels of believing in the poem, I'll start off with stuff most of us can get behind. You can read The End Poem for yourself at https://archive.org/details/the-end-poem-release The gist of it is that two supernatural entities manifest themselves as text on a screen at the end of the long dream of Minecraft.

I will now start quoting and dissecting the poem. I will highlight the lime entity in bold text and the cyan entity in normal text.

Does it know that we love it? That the universe is kind?

Sometimes, through the noise of its thoughts, it hears the universe, yes.

But there are times it is sad, in the long dream. It creates worlds that have no summer, and it shivers under a black sun, and it takes its sad creation for reality.

To cure it of sorrow would destroy it. The sorrow is part of its own private task. We cannot interfere.

These entities talk about how the player has played in worlds of their own creation that caused them pain and suffering, we can interpret this to mean the existence of any kind of evil in the universe.

They go on and say that the sorrow is part of the player's growth and story, that it is an essential part of life, and that a life without suffering cannot possibly exist without totally obliterating the properties that make the player themselves. As we read the poem we understand that the player is one with the universe, that everything that exists is the universe. We learn that the pain the player fights is something that comes from within, that the player is love.

In the order these facts are presented we're told that the player is the universe, that the universe loves the player and that the player is love.

This means that the player's life purpose is to love, to spread love, to love itself, to love everything and everyone. That's the philosophical message of the poem.

Let's get to the theological part.

Who are we? Once we were called the spirit of the mountain. Father sun, mother moon. Ancestral spirits, animal spirits. Jinn. Ghosts. The green man. Then gods, demons. Angels. Poltergeists. Aliens, extraterrestrials. Leptons, quarks. The words change. We do not change.

We are the universe. We are everything you think isn’t you. You are looking at us now, through your skin and your eyes. And why does the universe touch your skin, and throw light on you? To see you, player. To know you. And to be known. I shall tell you a story.

This tells us two things: - The entities we are reading are supernatural, they are the rest of the universe. - The universe functions to grow and nurture the player.

In a certain sense, what this overall means is that we are our own. We're our galaxies, our lives, our planets, our stories, music, foods, smells. We're on earth to live, for purposes unknown, told to us through:

Sometimes I do not care. Sometimes I wish to tell them, this world you take for truth is merely ⊢⊣⊩⊣⊣ and ⊣⊮⊭⊬⊪, I wish to tell them that they are ⊩⊬⊬⊨⊥ in the ⊮⊤⊨⊫⊣. They see so little of reality, in their long dream.

This means that reality itself is a dream, made to grow each and every single player, that the hardships are a test made to grow us, that's what it means to be a player, to play the game of life, to grind, to pass the hardships, to slay the bosses.

In this sense, everything happens for growth, every single person is of immense value, a value that is enriched only by loving others and experiencing as much of the universe as possible.

These last two behaviours are common in most religions and personal beliefs of people, it's like if they were innate desires of mankind, to live life and improve life for others, to wish for nothing but happiness. What I've said so far can be confirmed with the last 3 lines:

And the game was over and the player woke up from the dream. And the player began a new dream. And the player dreamed again, dreamed better. And the player was the universe. And the player was love. You are the player. Wake up.

Thank you for reading. I believe I've never been so vulnerable before. This... this is my religion I think... Sometimes the notes that are not played matter just as much as the ones that are being played. If loving is what makes someone a good player, that must mean hate is the wrong way to live life, no matter what or who you hate. This aligns with the fact that hate is the easiest and weakest feeling to have. It's the innate reaction when presented with something we cannot relate to or do not understand. Hating is easy, loving hurts. To love is to make yourself vulnerable. Nobody likes to be vulnerable. Loving is innate. Hatred is something humans learn. On that note, by love I mean interpersonal affection: Romance is something humans learn too

Kids do not discriminate until someone in their life shows bias and they appropriate that behaviour. Humans started hating when concepts like money, ownership of territory and or things, monogamy and such arose.

Humans are inherently social, yet those conflicts that split us are also defining of humanity. We all wish for a better world and the poem implies it is not possible to eradicate hate, but that we must make our best effort to tolerate life, only through restraint and love. One thing I seem to have glossed over is, the entities that speak to you imply that they are the universe, that you are the universe, that they are not separate from you, that you are talking to itself. I am currently correcting myself explaining myself the poem I told myself if we go through this line of thinking.

Everything is you, everything means literally everything, even everyone.

[dont-touch-my-soup]

Those who share our broken hearts

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CW: A lot of grief, survivor's guilt

A face swam into Jinn’s vision. Eyes green like the sea pierced into him. His vision was blurry. Every breath pinched his lungs and the room didn't stop spinning around him. He curled his legs against his chest like a shield but the dizziness was getting worse with every movement. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to his knees.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he said again and again until a hand touched his shoulder. He winced and lifted his head to look at her but her face was still calm as far as he could see.

“It’s okay,” a woman said in a low voice, gently brushing the hair out of his face. “You are safe here.” 

The pain slowly ebbed away but Jinn’s insides were still shaking and he was still fighting against the nausea clawing at his stomach. He blinked against the white dots in his vision. The woman waited patiently without moving. Her dark hair was braided and pinned up. It looked like a weird combination of Tharlian and Varsennan hair styles. 

“Are you injured?” the woman asked. 

The simple question was enough to vault him back to the theatre. Kell’s eyes staring at him with so much panic, his chest heaving in a desperate attempt to survive. There had been so much blood. He hadn’t dared to touch him. And now he’d never touch him again. 

Jinns lungs burned and he took in a shuddered breath. Then another. He wasn't sure if it was getting easier or harder. He clawed his trembling hands into the fabric at his legs.

He felt a hand on his head. He winced, but the hand didn’t hurt him. It gently combed through his hair, brushed over his scalp as if it was searching for something. Jinn didn’t move. He was still trying to breathe. Finally the woman’s fingers reached his neck and after a few seconds they let go of him. 

Jinn slowly looked up and blinked against the tears in his eyes. The woman was still kneeling right in front of him and there was something in her eyes that looked like concern. 

“So you’re Tharlian but you prefer talking in Varsennan?” she asked and only then Jinn realised she had switched languages. 

He suddenly felt so small. He dropped his gaze. He couldn’t even speak his own mother tongue. 

“I’m sorry," he stammered, tears burning in his eyes. "I promise, I’m leaving right away. I just need to talk to Ariadne Vasara. Is she … Is she here?”

The woman sat back. “You don’t have to leave,” she said slowly. “How about I’ll get you a bath and something to eat until Ariadne wakes up?”

Jinn stared at her, unsure of what to do. “But … are you sure she won’t be angry if you waste food on me?”

Something sharp flashed in her eyes and Jinn froze. His heart sank. He didn’t dare to move.

“We are happy to share everything we have with you,” she said. “Can you stand up on your own?”

Jinn nodded, but his legs felt numb as he pulled himself up. He hoped he wouldn’t stumble and fall. The woman was already waiting when he was finally on his feet. He followed her down the hallway. His shoes shuffled quietly over the woodfloor and left wet prints behind. His feet were so cold. He wanted to apologise, but the woman was faster. “I’m Callie by the way. And who are you?”

Jinn turned around again and tried to catch up with her. It took him a moment to understand the question and find the right answer. 

“Jinn,” he said, his voice almost lost in the hallway. 

“All right, Jinn. You look like you spent your night in the roadside ditch. You must be freezing, huh?”

Jinn didn’t know what answer she expected. He was still thinking about it when she continued: “Good thing I already prepared a bath. It’s probably hot enough.”

He followed her into a bathroom and was met with a warm and wet steam of air. A flowery scent was in the air and reminded Jinn of the small garden behind his parent’s house. Now there was no one there anymore to water the plants.

“I hope you like lavender,” Callie said. She walked through the room, collecting towels and other things, but he was distracted by the huge bathtub dominating the room. It looked nothing like the bathrooms in the theatre. It looked warm and inviting and safe ...

“This is for you,” she interupted his thoughts and put the towels down on a small table. “Take your time and if you need anything else just call for me, okay?” Her gaze slid over him. “In the meantime I’m going to get you a new set of clothes. Any preferences?”

It took him a moment to realise she’d asked him a question and finally he shook his head.

Then she left and closed the door and he was alone. For a long moment he stared at the door, expecting her to come back and tell him it was all a mistake or a test or a joke and then she would throw him out of the house. But nothing like that happened.

He didn’t understand what was happening. Her kindness felt like a trap. He wished she had just taken him to Ariadne. He wished it was already over. And now he was here in this too fine bathroom with too soft towels and too warm water. 

If she knew what kind of message he was carrying, she wouldn’t have prepared a bath for him. If she knew what he had done, she wouldn’t have been that nice. Maybe he should have told her. But he had to tell Ariadne in person. 

Maybe that’s why she wanted him to take a bath. He was reeking and leaving puddles wherever he stepped. Of course she didn’t want him to walk through their pretty house like this. Of course she didn’t want him to talk to Ariadne like this. 

Slowly he stepped closer to the tub. The water had a purple tint and the smell of lavender calmed him down.

He hesitated before he touched the surface. It still felt like a trick. This wasn’t made for him. He wasn’t supposed to be here and he was most definitely not supposed to touch it. He took a shuddering breath. Slowly he moved his fingertips toward the water surface until the water licked over his fingers. It was almost too hot at his still freezing skin and it took a while until he could submerge his whole hand. 

In the end it didn’t matter. She had told him to get a bath and he had learned long ago it was better to follow orders and so he slowly slipped out of his shoes. He hadn’t realised how dirty they were. Their original colour was barely recognisable by now. He didn’t look too closely. The floor under his bare feet almost felt warm and for a moment he got lost in the sensation before he continued to pull off his clothes. 

He didn’t want to make anything else dirty so he let his clothes fall to the floor until they formed a sad pile on the floor. 

Getting into the tub felt like stepping into boiling soup but Jinn was glad as the water burned away the coldness in his bones and the dirt on his skin. His muscles slowly started to relax. And then suddenly he started to cry. 

***

Quietly Jinn walked through the hallway. The clothes Callie had put down in front of the bathroom door were a little too big on him but they were dry and soft and warm and better than everything Jinn had worn the last few months. 

His heart was racing as he searched for Callie. She had told him to find her in the kitchen but she must have forgotten to show him the kitchen in the first place. Or maybe Jinn had missed it. 

In the distance he heard the faint sound of voices and he froze. They were coming closer. He wasn’t sure what to do. Standing in the hallway felt wrong but turning around wasn’t an option either. He was still frozen when two women turned around the corner. 

“Jinn,” a voice said and Jinn recognised Ariadne’s voice immediately. His knees started to tremble and his heart sank. 

Did she remember him? 

They came closer and closer and the knot of grief and panic in Jinn’s stomach grew with every step. 

“Jinn,” Ariadne said again, softer this time. She hadn’t changed, except that her belly was gone. She must have had her child already. 

Jinn still didn’t know what to do. He had never thought that far. He had always planned on getting to Ariadne but he hadn’t planned any further and now she looked at him, still so far away as if she feared he’d run off. Jinn dug his trembling fingers into his sleeves and swallowed against the knot in his throat. He had to say something. That’s why he was here. His tongue moved before he could think about it twice. 

“Thank you for your kindness,” he said and bowed shortly. He knew immediately it had been the wrong thing to do. Bowing was something Varsennan did. Suddenly he felt like drowning all over again. Who was he? What was he? Maybe he didn’t deserve to be Tharlian anymore. Tears burned in his eyes but he didn’t allow himself to cry. “I’m sorry,” he said. His tongue was numb and his voice shook so hard he wasn't sure Ariadne would understand him. “I just came here to tell you about your brother. I … You deserve to know ...”

“So he was at the theatre all along?” Ariadne asked. Her eyes moved over him carefully.

Jinn looked down. He swallowed hard, fighting for words. He’d done this wrong. He’d done all of it wrong. “He … I’m sorry … He’s dead. He died so I could get a-away … it’s … it’s my fault and I know I shouldn’t have come here … I shouldn’t have … but I thought you should know what happened ...”

Time stopped and he saw the shock in her eyes. And then the shock turned to pain. “The whole time he was …” she said in a voice so small. He could almost feel her thoughts click into place. 

He was trembling so hard he wasn’t sure it would ever stop. He lowered his gaze, unsure of what to do now that he’d told Ariadne. Would she call back the soldiers? He couldn’t imagine her doing that but maybe it was better to leave before he found out the hard way. 

“I’m sorry,” Jinn said again, his voice so small he barely heard it himself. 

Ariadne stepped closer and Jinn froze just as she wrapped him in an embrace. 

“It’s not your fault,” she said and her voice wobbled as if she was about to cry. 

For a moment Jinn couldn’t move, couldn’t think. What was happening? Wasn’t she angry with him? But then again, she was Kell’s sister. If she was only half as kind as Kell had been Jinn would be safe.

“I didn’t … He was … Everything went so fast,” Jinn said. The words came out chopped and breathless. And then he couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. 

He was shaking so hard he couldn’t feel his legs anymore. He felt like falling and He didn’t remember falling and then suddenly he was kneeling on the ground, Ariadne’s arms still around him.

“It’s not your fault,” Ariadne said again, rocking him like a child. 

“How do you know?” Jinn whimpered. “You don’t even know what happened.”

Ariadne let go of him. “Then tell me what happened," she said.

Jinn took a shaky breath. His mind was a mess and he wasn't sure what to say. The only words he could think about were "I'm sorry" and his mind repeated them again and again, pushing away every other thought.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"You two were planning to escape?" Ariadne asked.

Jinn nodded, then shook his head. “Kell ... he wanted me to escape. He ... I think he’d planned it for a long time. And part of his plan had been to distract Oryn and everyone else by singing ... by singing a song in Tharlian," Jinn said. Tears ran down his face.

"He sang in Tharlian to the entire audience?" Ariadne asked. She was kneeling right in front of him.

Jinn nodded.

"Such a Kell thing to do," Ariadne said with a sad smile. She wiped at her eyes with her sleeve.

"Oryn must have been angry."

"I didn't see him but I knew he would … he would punish him," Jinn said quietly. "He … he did so many things but this time … Kell had made him look like a fool on a whole stage and I knew he would be furious. He would … he would … When I found him he … he was on the floor, bleeding … I don’t know what happened. I think someone stabbed him ...“ His voice wobbled and Ariadne wrapped him into another embrace.

He could still see the blood. Nobody could survive losing that much blood."

“He saved my life,” Jinn gasped between sobs. “And I …”

“It’s okay,” Ariadne said. Her hug tightened and he buried his head in her shoulder. Ariadne’s hand stroked soothingly over his back and Jinn felt like a fraud. Kell should be here now with his sister, his family. Not him. 

***

Jinn’s sobs were so raw Ariadne’s heart tightened with every sound. He desperately clung to her as he fell apart.

Ariadne knew Kell was dead but right now all she felt was numbness. She knew once she was alone she would weep and scream but right now she couldn’t even cry. She wasn’t ready to mourn her brother yet. She wasn’t ready to even think about it. 

How had Kell ended up in the theatre? What had happened to him? If she had been a little quicker, could she have saved him? The questions kept getting louder and louder in her mind. She didn’t think Jinn would be able to answer any of them. Especially not right now. He looked worse than the last time she’d seen him. Worn out and more like a ghost than a human being. His body was shaken by quiet sobs now and she waited until they had quieted down too. 

She gently stroked away his tears even though new ones immediately came after. He blinked at her, his eyes red with grief and exhaustion. 

“You can stay here as long as you like,” she said. “We’ll figure this out bit by bit but for now you should get some sleep. You look exhausted.”

Jinn nodded weakly as he pulled himself away. His eyes had a drift away look and she wasn’t sure if he really had understood what she’d told him. 

***

Ariadne barely made it to the kitchen when Arjun caught up to her. He didn’t even ask when he saw her face. She fell into his open arms and wept. 

He hugged her so firmly as if he was scared she’d disappear into thin air. 

“He’s dead,” she finally managed and his hug tightened even more. 

“I always thought … We were so close …” A sob broke from her and she could feel another one bubbling up in her chest. “I have to feed Quinn,” she pressed out. “And I have to make some tea and …” She wanted to move but Arjun kept hold of her wrist. “Ari, I can take care of that. You don’t have to do everything alone. Talk to me.” 

His fingers slid down until he loosely held her hand. “Please don’t shut me out,” he whispered.

Ariadne swallowed. “I don’t even know what I am supposed to feel. I haven’t seen him in years.” Tears rolled down her face. “I never got to say goodbye.”

Arjun wrapped her in another hug as she wept for the brother she had lost so long ago. 

________________

Thank you for reading! @whumpzone @jo-doe-seeking-inspo @whump-cravings @tears-and-lilies @imagination1reality0 @suspicious-whumping-egg @i-can-even-burn-salad @siren-of-agony @villainsvictim (please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed!)  

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