Breathe

Cod - Nikto x GN!Reader

SYNOPSIS : Nikto drinks blood like a starved beast.

WARNINGS : NSFW - 18+. Beware, this is kind of unhinged. Canon-typical violence, blood (Reader has periods - emphasis on period blood), Nikto (a warning in himself), blood/period kink (?), poetic smut, fluff.

Author’s Note : I have no idea why I keep using poetic sentences whenever I try to write smut, but hey. Guess its just how I am. A filthy romantic at heart.

I do not give anyone permission to re-publish, re-use and/or translate my work, be it here or on any other platform.

Nikto licks blood off his fingers on the daily like a starved beast, savouring a taste he knows will never fully satiate his hunger.

It does not matter if the crimson nectar is his or not ; he keeps engraving its flavour deep into his mind. It leaves a warm, metallic feeling in the back of his throat - one similar to the one lining the surface of the gun that was repeatedly shoved past his teeth after its bullets were lodged in-between his ribs, the thick ropes circling his wrists harvesting his own, personal flavour directly from his veins.

Both life and death flow past his tongue, carving countless nightmares in the few hours of sleep weighing heavy on his subconscious - dragging a never ending series of shuddering breaths up his oesophagus whenever he wakes.

He can never escape them, for reality is just as bitter as his dreams. So he drowns it it blood, gunpowder and alcohol, turning away from the shredded screams coming from his reflection in the mirror.

Until that moment.

Your face is pulled into a grimace as you tell him about the way one of your stupid coworkers shamelessly blabbered about how dirty he thinks period blood is, filling your head with somber thoughts at the idea that yours is quickly approaching.

You don’t see how his eyes light up when they fall upon the date circled in red on the calendar of your phone.

And it is only when his lips meet your bleeding walls for the first time, lapping at the tears running down the inside of your thighs with a newfound reverence blossoming on his tongue, that the spectre in his head finally goes silent.

You look like divine absolution, he thinks, watching with rapt attention as moans flow from your lips like a holy river. Lust fills his mind, body and soul as he wonders if edging you further would allow him to taste the stars running through your veins. Would the world end up falling apart with you ?

The thought of the Earth shattering like glass against the echo of your climax fuels the fire burning in his stomach.

So he keeps staining his mouth red with your blood and slick. War-torn hands hold your legs still around his head as his fingers pull at your flesh, moulding it to his will - and he growls loudly against your core, the waves of a supernova bursting through your entire body as a new orgasm shakes the very foundations of your universe.

Is it the third ? The fourth ? The fifth ? You stopped counting a few seconds after his mouth first latched on the sacred flower blooming between your legs, too lost in the song of your own pleasure.

Nikto doesn’t need anything more to find his own release. He then crashes on top of you as you both fall from your high, lips sharing the last remnants of your erratic, scorching breaths.

He lays there for the rest of the night, lulled to sleep by the steady rhythm of your heartbeat - your divinity dancing on the back of his tongue.

The constellations lining your mind call out to him as he sleeps, flickering with the promise of finally carrying him away from the ruins of his heart. They light up his bones from below the thorns, and he would gladly sacrifice what is left of himself if it meant you could cradle them against your breast.

The warm softness of your skin soothes the pain still lingering in his scars, and he subconsciously cages your bare form in his arms as he drifts to the world of dreams.

He can finally breathe.

Card Set Hanakotoba

Recently I was discussing with my lovely friend @istoleyourboat about the meanings behind the flowers in this new card set, and I felt the urge to chronicle them somewhere! I thought you guys might get a kick out of it, too, so this seemed as good a place as any to put it.

So without further ado...

1. Hanako-kun - Queen of the Night

The Queen of the Night (月下美人) is a cactus flower that blooms just once a year for a single night. Because of this, the most heavily associated meanings with the flower are "transient beauty", "fleeting love," and "the urge to see someone just once."

The short-lived life of this flower feels quite fitting for our ghosty boy! I also like how the flower looks both beautiful and unsettling...all around a fantastic choice by AidaIro.

2. Nene Yashiro - Strawberry Blossoms

If you have paid attention to the Hanakotoba in TBHK before, then Nene being associated with strawberries should be nothing new to you. Regardless, the prevalent Hanakotoba for Strawberry Blossoms (イチゴ) are "love," "innocence," and "you make me happy."

The "you make me happy" one makes me want to kick my feet around and squeal a little. Isn't that cute!? I also feel the strawberry is especially fitting for Nene because it seems like something she would grow in her Gardening Club.

3. Kou - Clivia

Otherwise known by the names Bush Lily or Natal Lily, the Hanakotoba for Clivia (君子蘭) are "sincere," "noble" and "good-hearted."

I think this all fits very nicely with our resident good boy Kou, hm?

4. Teru - Bird of Paradise

The Bird of Paradise (ストレリチア) symbolizes "faithfulness," "magnificence," "a bright future" and "superficial love."

Even at a glance this flower really pops out at you, making it a great fit for the ever-impressive Teru. I really, really love this choice!!

5. Sakura - Hellebore

Otherwise known as the Christmas Rose, the Hellebore (クリスマスローズ) represents "reminiscence," "never forget me" and "notice my woes."

The way this beautiful flower seems to cast its head down makes it look almost sad. I suppose that's why it has such pitiful meanings associated with it!

6. Natsuhiko - King Protea

King Protea (キングプロテア), also known as the Sugarbush, symbolizes "strength," "courage," "resilience," and "a king's quality."

If you notice, Natsuhiko always has a little crown-shaped tuft hidden in his hair, so AidaIro associating Natsuhiko with a flower that references royalty pleases me. There's still a lot of mystery surrounding him, but we can at least confirm that Natsuhiko is, indeed, strong and resilient.

7. Akane - Ivy

The plain, non-flowering ivy stands out in stark contrast to the other plants here, but that's because the hanakotoba for it is just that good. Ivy (ヘデラ) means "everlasting love," "I take this feeling to the afterlife," "faithfulness", and "marriage."

Like, if that doesn't scream Akane, I don't know what does.

8. Aoi - Hydrangea

Again, if you've been paying attention to Hanakotoba in the series, this will not be the first time you've seen Aoi paired with hydrangea. Regardless, hydrangea (アジサイ) represents "enduring love," "mystique," and "fickleness."

The hydrangea is also associated with rejection, more specifically the coldness of a person who rejects the romantic advances of another. It's just such a perfect Aoi flower, there's no wonder AidaIro is so attached to it.

💐🌸🌼🌻🌷🌹🥀🌺

Thank you for reading till the end! And I urge you to look up these flowers yourself and see if you can find any meaning to them I may have missed. You might find something brilliant that I completely overlooked!

My brain does weird things. Anyways, I think Love would steal Liebling’s seed (assuming she didn’t throw it out) and plant it for her. That just seems like a very Love thing to do.

This is really dubiously canon... Love had sticky fingers and her luck finally runs out, or does it?

You stare at the sprout pushing its way out of the dirt in your little terracotta pot. You spritz it with water, and watch the leaves curl happily. Like fingers.

"Hey Si?" You call over your shoulder. You've made some... well you hesitate to call them bad, but questionable decisions in your life. Usually your luck carries you through, but you think it may be running out on this particular gamble.

Simon hums from the couch, half listening as he sketches the monarch wing you'd found into your journal. You don't know if this is really worth his attention. You don't really know what it is. You sort of... stole it.

"Is it stealing if it was technically trash?" You ask, without really thinking. Simon's sketching stops, and he turns to look over the back of the couch.

"What did you steal?"

"Weird seed the bestie didn't want." You poke one of the leaves, letting it wrap around your finger. That gets Simon's attention. He's quick to get off the couch and over to you, pulling your finger out of the plant's grip.

"Christ Love, is that what you've been nursing all week?" Simon looks over your hand with concern, you nod until he kisses your palm giving it the all clear.

"What is it?" You poke Simon's cheek to get your hand back. He lets you go to pick up the pot and inspect the new growth.

"No clue," he tells you, "did, uh- shit-"

"Lieb."

"Works well enough," Simon pokes at the plant, watching the leaves move, "Did she tell you want it was?" You shake your head. He pinches a leaf between his fingers, inspecting it. "Doesn't look dangerous."

"Then I'll keep watering it." Simon shakes his head but settled the pot back on the windowsill.

"We'll keep an eye on it."

"We?" Simon flashes you half a smile, you return it in full force, "I love when we do stupid stuff together."

-

You don't know how long it's supposed to take flowers to grow, or even how they're supposed to grow, but it feels like this is going really weird.

You stare at the giant flower bud that's blossomed in your little terracotta pot. It sort of reminds you of a cabbage. It feels like a rose when you pet it, the petals under your fingers silky and soft. You don't know quite what to do with it. Simon sets a cup of tea next to your head where you're resting it against the windowsill.

"Looking good Love," You hum at the kiss he presses against the top of your head, "How's the cabbage?"

"She's fine, still overgrown and weird." You sit up, grabbing your mug and letting Simon take over the daily plant inspection.

"Doesn't look deadly yet."

"Yet."

"Yet," he agrees. You both sip your morning cup and stare at your poor decision making skills.

"You haven't put any magic in it to make it big." You confirm for the thousandth time.

"Not a drop, gardener must've dreamt this up." He reminds you, also for the thousandth time.

"Maybe we can enter it in a gardening fair or-"

Simon yanks you away from the bud as the petals quiver and bloom. You're very quickly put behind your very tense partner, forced to look around him at whatever is going on. You've never seen a flower open up that fast, but you think gravity must be doing the lions share of work. The actual rose is huge, far bigger than the bud would've suggested, and heavy enough to finally break the little pot it had been growing in.

Simon is faster than you, grabbing the flower as it's weight causes it to tumble off the windowsill. You tense, your breath caught as you wait for him to do anything, move any muscle.

"What? What is it?" You whisper after too long a moment without a breath.

"I don't-" He mumbles, catching the end of his sentence behind his teeth so he can curse, "Shit."

You peak over his shoulder, hoping you won't see your weird plant smashed to bits. Instead you stare down at a baby. The smallest thing you've ever seen cradled gently in Simon's arms, blinking big brown eyes and white lashes up at both of you. Your heart swells.

"Holy shit," you breath, watching it yawn and wiggle in its rose petal wrap. It's perfect little nose scrunches with the motion and you need a second to adjust to how cute that is. "Did we do that?" You press closer against Simon's back, and reach to stroke your fingers over the downy hair on the baby's head, "I mean she's got your eyes, it's gotta be-"

"I don't know," Simon mumbles.

"Well what are we supposed to-"

"I don't know!" He snaps, and you finally look at him. At the absolutely confusion and concern dripping from his eyes and rolling down his cheeks. You've never seen him cry before, well not like this at least.

"Give her to me," You tell him, sitting back and holding your arms out, he looks unsure. "Please Simon," you soften the ask, pulling a tether so he knows you're sure. He's so careful, if a little clumsy. You have to adjust his hold as he's passing the infant to you and it seems like he's watching the way you shift her in your arms for his own reference later. You hold the baby close against your chest, feeling that strange comfortable purr rise in your throat as she blinks her big eyes closed.

"What the fuck do we do?" Simon whisper yells at you.

"Call Soap right the fuck now and text Lieb that I'm gonna fucking kill her," you coo at the dozing baby in your arms. Simon nod and scrambles to find both your phones.

Alkaid's Destiny's Call Endings

A transcript of each ending can be found below.

ASTRONOMER ENDING

Ever since he was a child, Alkaid has always harbored a profound fascination with the heavens above. Gazing into the sky, he could sense the endlessness of the world beyond the curtain of the sky.

When he grew up, he bought a small telescope, which shortened the distance between him and the sky. Through it, he could see beautiful stars traveling along mysterious tracks in space.

Eventually, Alkaid's unwavering passion led him down the path of becoming an astronomer. Countless complexities created a cascade of numbers, constructing a ladder that propelled him toward the stars.

There, he watched the birth and death of the stars as if he was watching the blossoming and withering of a flower.

FLORIST ENDING

After reaching the age of 18, Alkaid became the owner of a flower shop. He named his store "Aurora," a name he held dear, even though its profound significance remained a secret, intertwined with the threads of destiny.

He looks after the white roses, lilies, and daisies in his floral shop. He treats these delicate flowers as cherished companions, joyfully passing them into the hands of those who appreciate them properly.

"Do you have 319 white roses in stock?"*

"I'm afraid we don't at the moment. But you can leave your contact details and I'll call you to pick them up in three days."

"Okay. Thank you." The girl nods and leaves her contact information.

Alkaid takes the note and repeats her name under his breath - "Can I call you... Miss [MC Name]?

*March 19th is Alkaid's birthday.

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER ENDING

Alkaid has visited countless places.

To him, the world contains both perils and marvels. In his eyes, the allure of a place grows exponentially with its danger and inaccessibility.

Fearless and resolute, Alkaid willingly embraces risk to experience the world on a personal level. He captures these extraordinary locations through the lens of his camera, cherishing them as souvenirs.

The sight of snow-capped mountains always leaves him awestruck. As Alkaid sets up his equipment, a girl walks into his camera frame. With a canvas in her hand, she trips over and falls down in the snow.

"It's too dangerous to traverse this mountain on your own," Alkaid says as he runs over to help the girl.

RACE CAR DRIVER ENDING

As the race car reaches its maximum speed, a whirlwind ensues. The boundary between life and death is so close, and fate can be heard screaming.

Alkaid can't say for sure why he fell in love with this feeling. It only lasts for an instant, but still leaves him in deep fascination.

When the car reaches the finish line, Alkaid's soul finally finds solace. Mr. McGrath, the "Best Driver of the Year", smiles gently as he received a starry candy bouquet.

"Congratulations, Alkaid!"

Alkaid looks at the girl. Again, he feels the thrilling sensation he'd just experienced. But this time, it faintly whirls around his heart.

He asks the girl, "May I have your name?"

"My name is [MC Name]," she replies.

PSYCHOLOGIST ENDING

Alkaid first became interested in psychology because he wanted to understand himself and other human beings.

Later on, he discovered that the world is a vast ocean where everyone is surrounded by water. People affect and are affected by each other. There is no shame in misfortune and feeling emotions. Reconciliation is a long process. Emotions, just like many things in the world, are contagious.

Although, ever since he became a psychologist, Alkaid thinks he's adapted very well.

"Next, please."

PILOT ENDING

Countless choices in life often originate from fortuitous encounters. Yet, this choices often carry a sense of destiny.

Planes mimic the graceful flight of birds as they ascend into the heavens. Bound by the pull of gravity, they persistently strive to soar higher and higher.

Whenever he soars into the sky and glides over the horizon, and whenever he sees a glimpse of the glow at the end of the world, Alkaid is reminded of one afternoon from many years ago.

Through torrents of rain and storms, he unfurls his wings, determined to fly into the heavens and safeguard the land beneath him.

list of aus i think fit soapghost perfectly and want to read but am too lazy/busy/whatever to write

parent ghost x teacher soap. ghost leaves the military after his nephew ends up orphaned, and ends up falling in love with his teacher, who is very dramatic and very lovely and oh god hes so cute

another alternative is where they are BOTH parents. ghost who took in his nephew, and soap who ended up with a kid one way or another. their kids end up loving eachother, so they have to keep interacting - a bit of forced proximity where they end up falling for one another

tattoo artist soap x flower shop owner ghost. soap who works across the street and works every day to see this highly tattooed and gruff man work in the flower shop. he goes in at least once a week to buy flowers (and talk to simon, of course, it's just an excuse). simon who thinks soap is annoying to begin with but begins to fall in love with him, but also WHY is he buying so many flowers?? hello??

alternatively, tattoo artist soap x piercer ghost. no i will not be elaborating (ghost with piercings is so real to me)

au where the 141 has to disband for various reasons and each member goes their own way. they try to keep in contact but life ends up getting in the way. price brings in the 141 to reunite after so many years apart, and both simon and johnny have to cope with their feelings reigniting - are they ready to let each other go after so long? probably not!

physical therapist ghost x injured soap after las almas. price has insisted he sees a physical therapist for his arm. soap initially complains until he meets the man - and now he's head over heels. when his injury begins to heal, he has to find a way to work up the courage to ask simon out (and possibly fake still being injured in order to work that courage up, hehe)

firefighter ghost x an extremely unlucky soap. a soap whos a civilian that always ends up accidentally in danger - car crash? yep. house fire? yep. it's all worthwhile when he finds the firefighter extremely handsome, even underneath that facemask... maybe he brings cookies over to the fire station, a snack to show his gratitude, and things blossom from there

medic soap x soldier ghost. soap who's there to - physically - help simon heal through his injuries several times throughout his life, after roba, then after various missions, etc. both of them end up falling in love with one another after a long amount of time... a good mixture of fluff and angst

bartender ghost x military soap. ghost who works in a bar most frequented by the military bc of its close proximity to base, and soap, who should be an annoyance, but he really does enjoy his presence the more they get to know one another.

famous soap x bodyguard ghost. im sure this has been done but oh what a good trope. fans keep theorizing over the mysterious skull man whos always at soaps side, who soap keeps smiling all fondly over. ghost whos gruff abt this dramatic man to begin with but ends up falling head over heels in love with him.

nextdoor neighbour au where soap and ghost, you guessed it, live next to eachother. maybe ghost is agoraphobic, he struggles with leaving the house - maybe he's a writer, so he never really has to - and soap moves in, runs into him a few times, and is determined to get to know him. fluff - and some angst - ensues

chance first meeting au where soap has a dog who's normally very good, but for some reason today is insisting on running up to the cute jogger he normally sees run through the park. it's love at first sight when the jogger - ghost - crouches down and offers him a treat, because apparently he keeps a whole pocket of treats just in case he sees any animals who want them. they end up running into eachother near enough every day, and begin to fall for eachother.

Whenever you have time what type of dates do you think emperor zhongli would take the empress on

No rush and make sure your taking care of your self 

This is such a wholesome ask annon TT

ahhh Emperor Zhongli makes me so soft UWU

❧ I would assume that because the reader is from a foreign land, you would have to learn about the language and script one way or another. Lucky for you the emperor is far too excited when you expressed a desire to learn about the culture more. So obviously he takes it upon himself to tutor you. Teaching you the styles of calligraphy and the nuances of his language. He's unbelievably patient, guiding your hand with his own to teach you the script, sneaking in some cheesy proses about love. He would even take you out stargazing on nights with clear skies, mapping out constellations with his hands and re-telling their stories like he had lived it himself.

❧ He is such a patron of literature, he could spend hours reading you epics and ballads. Of course, it would go both ways, the emperor loves to listen to you talk about your own culture. Spending nights talking about the strange and wonderful stories from your mythology and history. Because everything about you fills him with pure wonder.

❧ During festivals, Once the palace rituals for the lantern rite are over, he would even sneak you out to watch the local theatre at Qingce village. (Even if it's against the will of his paranoid general). Softly translating dialogues you don't understand, loving how you lose yourself in the story. He would even help you hold the jueyun chilies you gathered for the ride back to the palace, even if they ruin his pockets.

❧ Zhongli also loves to take you around on walks. Dressed In layman clothes in matching top knots, passing under the guise of just another village couple. There's always a sense of calm that the emperor feels walking around the harbor, listening to the sounds of the city as it wraps up another busy day. And he has yearned all his life to share that kind of peace with someone.

❧ So he would take you around the harbor sharing candied oranges just as they light the evening lanterns. It makes most people look over their shoulders at the oddly attractive couple, but you won't really notice, you'd be too mired in your own world.

❧ If it's plum blossom season, he would take you to the royal garden, maybe he would even dedicate one to you if you like it too much. He would ask for tea and mooncakes to be bought to the garden as you two laze around the blossoms playing board games. Although by the end you chucked the pure-gold board piece at him for cheating at the game and then shamelessly denying it.

❧ Taking baths together; I mean obviously, the royal palace has its own hot springs. Bearing the title of the emperor, even if he is always surrounded by people, it still gets lonely at times. So moments like these are what make him feel very loved. He would place you between his legs, against his chest as he gently washes your back and shoulders. Most of the time he can't help but pepper kisses down your neck (0////0). It makes all the stress of the day melt, washing away the ache he feels from sitting on the throne all day long. It is even better when you are washing his long hair and idly braiding it with small flowers. The dragon in him loves this grooming. It's very intimate, but not really sexual. It makes him want to let down his guard as your company makes him feel safe.

Hakuoki Ginsei Harada Story

The Last Generation was absolutely perfect.

this story was originally published in B’s Log 2020年5月.

also my head hurts like hell for some reason right now so i won't be editing this until later.

Hakuoki Ginsei B’s Log 2020年5月 Harada Short Story “Yayoi (弥生)” [meaning the 3rd month]

Translation by KumoriYami

A sweet scent hit my nose.

Each time my lips touched the wine cup, the peach tree reflected in the liquid's surface gently swayed.

I breathed in the warm, comfortable temperature of my heated throat and let out a hazy breath that smelled of sake into the corridor.

"Is the peach blossom festival today. There aren't many festivals that are estranged/so far away from us."

"The Shinsengumi, it's a place completely full of men."

"Ah, I think they're all guys who don't care about the origin of the Peach Blossom Festival. Shinpachi said that it's a festival for tasting peaches in the hopes of extending life."

"Speaking of which, Heisuke confidently said that it's also Momotaro's birthday."

Watching Chizuru, I chuckled and slowly narrowed my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Chizuru. Although there's such a festival, we can't even have dolls decorated/a doll can't even be dressed up.”

"No, it's not… please don't mind me. I live here as a man."

….I often think that this girl is a bit too down on herself/suppresses herself too much.

Of course, it was none other than us who forced her to live as a man…so, [if] she complained like a young woman, she wouldn't be punished.

"…All right. Don't move, Chizuru."

Suddenly I thought of something. I looked around and picked up a branch with a flower blooming on its tip.

Then while looking at Chizuru's face, I tried to gently tried to weave it into her smooth hair.

"Since you can't leave, how about this? Treat it like a peach blossom hairpin…"

"......"

"What's wrong, is it too casual, are you unsatisfied?"

"…No, there's not such thing… Although I'm very happy, if I wear this accessory though, I won't seem like a woman…"

Don't worry so much.

Chizuru spoke with an adorable expression, and blushed in panic.

"There's no other way around it. So be it."

"Ah..."

"It's true that you'll stand out by yourself, but if I can do the same as you. It looks like we're just fooling around, right?"

Well, if Shinpachi and the others see me right now, they'd laugh at me.

"...Thank you, Harada-san. You can even make the atmosphere feel more festive here."

"Haha，it's just for the festive atmosphere. In return, can you pour me another cup of sake?"

"Okay… Ah, there's only a bit left…"

When Chizuru, who smiled like a blossoming flower poured the sake, the petals of her hairpin softly fell, and created small ripples on the surface of the sake.

"So-Sorry. I'll pour you another drink right away…"

"It's okay, it's interesting like this."

I looked at the petal floating on the liquid's surface.

...Since ancient times, peach blossoms have been used to ward off evil spirits and exorcise demons.

"...If only it were useful."

Because then the oni and evil insects targeting her beautifully scatter/disperse.

I prayed for that sort fo thing while gazing at the petal swirling on the liquid's surface.

---end---

in referencing the sake, the tl i have used the word that's usually used for 'water' which can also mean 'liquid'.

So what is this 144,000? Who are they? I don’t actually think there’s a single answer to this but I do believe I’ve found one of them. Since the Bible, and the book of the Unveiling especially, speaks in symbol and allegory it’s only fair to say there are many possibilities to it’s real meaning. I’d say that the orthodox “understanding” of the book is the one that’s most incorrect. We’ll get into more of that later.

So let’s get to it. Most folks have heard of Chakras. If you haven’t, I strongly encourage you to do some homework. They’re basically where the universal life force energy plugs into your body. Whirling vortices of energy at specific vibrations are channeled into your vital systems via these nerve centers. When there’s a blockage, disease manifests. It’s really fascinating stuff. Anyway, these energy centers are represented by different stages of the lotus flower, which is itself a symbol of purity of the body. Here are the chakras and their corresponding lotus blossoms:

Making reference to the 144000 sealed men whose speaks in the Revelation (Apocalypse), this number is that of the election, 12, carried to its paroxysm: 12 x 12 x 1000, where 1000 is a coefficient of the immensity. In others words, this number indicates that all the elects, without exception, are kept under the protection of God.

Bible

Number of sealed or elected of all the tribes of Israel, marked of the seal of God. (Rv 7,1)

General

The 144000 petals of the main chakra or coronal (located to the summit of the cranium) represent the 144000 rays of light originated from all the seven chakras, or centers of energy of the body, deployed and balanced, or again the 144000 vibrations of the divine Creation which travel in the cosmos and that are source of life.

In the Gospel of Barnabe, chapter 17, it is written: "144000 prophets that God sent to the world, have spoken obscurely; but after me will come the splendor of all prophets and saint; he will illuminate the darkness of whole what have told the prophets, because it is the messenger of God". Some have seen in this passage an allusion to Muhammad, "The Seal of prophets" (Koran XXX, 40).

When we add the number of petals of the five inferior psychic centers, we obtain a total of 48 petals. By adding 96 petals of the frontal center (the place of the third eye where the small number must receive its divine mark), we obtain the number 144, symbol of the perfect and expressed spiritual work, that is to say of the marriage between the soul and the personality. If now we multiply 144 by the thousand petals of the coronal center, we obtain 144000, the number of the elects, who will be all these that will have waked up in them the seven stars or spiritual and psychic centers.

John Phaure advances two mathematics divisions which, according to him, are very revealing. As numbers he uses the 144000 servants of God "marked to the front", the number of the Beast, 666 and 216, a fundamental cyclic and cabalistic number (tenth of the one Era: 2160 / 10) that he interprets as one of figures of the Christ:

144 000 / 216 = 666 with a rest of 144

144 000 / 666 = 216 with a rest of 144

These results express according to him that the 144000 "marked" as servants of God before the advent the Antichrist are here the object of the eschatologic combat between the Christ and his Adversary. From this combat leaves "the rest": 144, those who will be the Elects of the celestial Jerusalem". He points out moreover than 666 + 144 = 810, numerical value of the Greek word Parakletos, the Paraclete. Thus the Holy Spirit espressed at the end of time "will be the 'glorificater' of the Creation".

By using the pyramidal inch, the external volume of the tomb of the Room of the King in the Great Pyramid gives 144000 cubic inches. The pyramidal inch measures 25.303 mm. By using this unit of measure, the pyramid would have a height of 5800 inches and a volume of 160 billion cubic inches, giving all numbers without decimal.

The external recovery of the Great Pyramid would be made of 144000 stones.

Occurrence

The number 144000 is used 3 times in the Bible.

-Thank you Paul

Hi hi pando!!,congrats on 100!,If its ok I would like to request Yellow pansies and Primroses with a by the gardens theme with azul?,go wild ;0!

Yellow pansies ~ “they love me, they love me not. they love me, they love me n—” “what are you doing?” “GAH!”

Primroses ~ “i loaf you very much” “oh my god” “you’re a berry kind person” “no, stop” “there’s so mushroom in my heart for you” “ENOUGH WITH THE PUNS—“

~azul ashengrotto x gender neutral reader~

hi anon!! tysm for requesting~ i did indeed go wild with this one lol i accidentally made it longer than i originally planned but oh well. i hope you like it ♡

♡Blossom Grove Prompt Event♡

♡love you lots♡

“They love me, they love me not,” a voice belonging to none other than the Octavinelle dorm leader played throughout the prosperous garden of NRC as he plucked the petals off a flower one by one, uttering the same hopeful words over and over again.

Squatting above a lively bed of blooming flowers, Azul was seen crouched down on his knees, fully questioning his current life choices. What he had been doing in this, albeit quite serene, garden he was much too embarrassed to admit. The lavish octopus was conflicted, to say the least. Conflicted on whether or not your lingering gazes towards him during your visits at Mostro Lounge held any unsaid meanings. Conflicted on whether or not your sugar-coated words were designed to lure him in like a bee attracted to pollen. Conflicted by the way your smiles seemingly grew tremendously larger the instant he walked into the same room. Had he only been imagining it? Had he finally fallen off the deep end of the ocean just as Floyd had said he would? 

All of these uncertainties had accumulated and boiled within the boy, leading to his now compromised position kneeling before a vibrant flower bed, picking at petals despite having no faith for this system of pure luck. Earlier that day, he had heard from Jade that humans and other beings on land had a custom of using petals to determine if someone had reciprocated their romantic feelings. Like some sort of personal fortune telling, one might say. However, only a pompous idiot would be foolish enough to think that plucking at flower petals would direct them to the true feelings of their beloved. The whole ordeal was illogical and simply preposterous. Laughable, even.

So why was he now there in the gardens, hovering above a pile of flowers, doing the exact same thing he deemed as absurd?!

“They love me, they love me not,” Azul mumbled, reaching out to caress another velvet-like petal before tugging it off from its place on the beautiful plant.

“They love me, they love me n—”

“Hey, Azul!” a familiar voice the second year knew all too well startled Azul at the hollering of his own name. “Oh, uh— What are you doing holding that flower like that?”

The young man clumsily leaped up in surprise. “GAH! (Y-y/n)! What a pleasant surprise!” Azul said as he attempted to adjust his crooked glasses resting on his face after they had fallen down as a result of his anxious manner. “I was just… admiring the scenery in this garden, you see. It is quite beautiful, don’t you think?”

“Ah, yes, I suppose it is.”

Azul flashed you with a quick smile, creating a much more relaxed aura around him. “But that is no matter. What is it you wish to discuss with me? You ran here with a certain eagerness to your step, so I can only assume it is fairly important.”

“Oh, um… I just wanted to say that I like you. In a romantic way, of course,” you declared as you peered directly into his widened eyes that stared at you in shock.

Pardon?

Continuing on with your confession, you conveniently stepped closer to Azul’s hesitant form. “You know, I’ve been trying to drop a lot of hints to you over these past couple of weeks about my feelings for you, but I guess you just never caught on? Well, anyways, it took some brutal convincing from an annoyed Grim and a little courage for me to run and look for you to tell you outright as soon as possible.”

Azul, clueless and confused, shot you a look of disbelief as he failed to comprehend what you had just told him. Were you… confessing to him right now? “Hold on for a moment,” he spoke as he lifted up his hand to prevent you from speaking more. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“What? You need me to spell it out for you using bad puns or something?” you deadpanned at your crush’s dense nature.

“Well, not necessarily—”

Ignoring Azul’s ojections, however, you began to speak complete nonsense in an entertaining attempt at wooing the Octavinelle housewarden. “I loaf you very much.”

“Oh, Great Seven…” Azul sighed in concern.

“You’re a berry kind person.”

“No, stop.”

“Oh! Here’s one I think Jade would appreciate!” you clapped your hands together with pride for your genius idea. “There’s so mushroom in my heart for you~”

“ENOUGH WITH THE PUNS, PREFECT—”

Amused by his irritated reaction, you released a bellowing laugh coming from deep within your stomach as it echoed throughout the peaceful garden. “You get it now?”

Azul stood still in his place on the ground, appearing to be considerably dazed by your peculiar way of displaying your affections. “I believe so…”

“Hehe, good.”

a/n: i wrote most of this with one braincell operating at 1am anyways azul's hair looks so floofy i wanna touch it and give it a lil noogie~

wondering what does gojo and readers cottage look like🧐 ive been wanting to build it in the sims lol but i keep forgetting to ask.. i would like to know like basic details if thats okay 😊😊 and ofc i will send in a little tour when im done!!! ty for reading (take ur time no pressure btw:p )

OH MY GOOD LORD I LOVE YOU

so

picture quaint, adorable, almost fairytale cottage - old exposed stone and shutters. the home is their escape, where they don’t have to be the gojos, the six eyes or the dryad, they’re just them. where yuuji isn’t Sukuna’s vessel, or megumi is the ten shadows potential heir of the zenin clan or nobara isn’t the one trying to hold things together, where shoko can show how much she cares and nanami can switch off, where akio can be a baby.

they bought it after they had the kids living with them for 18 months and the staff quarters apartment on the school grounds wasn’t quite big enough for them anymore.

the interior is a moshposh of everything, the kids art, readers flowers and trinkets from missions and random things gojo decided he liked. if you asked them they would say their vibe was whimsical, cottagecore whateverwedecidewelikecore. lots of blue, green, lamps instead of overhead lights, knitted throw blankets and fuzzy cushions beside tons of books and mugs for satoru’s signature homemade hot chocolate and cuddles. it’s not a huge home - not the mansion where Satoru grew up with over 20 bedrooms totally unoccupied. it’s got 5 bedrooms, the master bedroom with its en-suite, Megumi’s room, Tsumiki’s room, a spare room which became Akio’s nursery and the current guest room. there’s a library (it’s an office, but it’s so full of books it might as well be a library, a kitchen with a dining table at the window for family meals and a living room perfect for nights as a family. there’s 3 bathrooms. the main one, the master en-suite and one between megumi and tsumiki’s room. the exterior is covered in plants (aided with a little cursed energy) and the garden is a winding pathway of vegetable patches and flowerbeds shaded by willows and cherry blossoms. the property is bordered by a sweet fence and at the very end of the garden is a babbling stream.

i May have just described my dream home but pay that no mind - here are the photo’s i used for inspo when i was writing anything at the cottage <3

I love this request - thank you so much for asking - worldbuilding is like my favourite thing ever!!! and omg pls show me when you have made it i think seeing it in sims will be the highlight of my life

He Taught Me how to Float

Excerpt from Chapter 8

It always came as a shock to others that late summer was Elain’s favorite time of year. She adored spring with its blooming beauty, its budding flowers a living epitaph to winter’s death. But late summer was when life was at its most lush. Most blossoms had faded into magnificent green leaves and the Sun lived in everything. 

As a child before fortunes were lost, she and her sisters would go down to a lake near their estate and swim for hours. She enjoyed the way sounds moved slowly underwater, their muffled mumblings composing a lulling quiet. She would dive to the bottom only to propel herself off its muddy floor to enjoy how weightless she felt, and pretend that she could breathe water and live. When she grew tired of diving to the bottom, she floated on her back and let her fingers play with the tops of water lilies.

Water was eternal, and everything felt eternal at the end of summer. 

But like so many things the Cauldron touched, swimming had been ruined. She struggled to find her breath when she found herself in large bodies of water, and her once fluid limbs now thrashed with panic. Even in the face of her deathly fear, the desire to live remained. 

So each day that summer, she went down to the Sidra to try and work up the courage to swim, and each day she failed to do anything more than wade at its banks. 

“Found you.”

“Oh!”

Elain feigned annoyance while Azriel triumphantly slid Truth-Teller back into its sheath. In a rare turn of events, each member of their family was busy, so she and Az stole a few precious moments to spend the afternoon at the Townhouse. Elain tried to suppress her elation that those opportunities seemed to present themselves more often these days.

“Ever consider I let you win?” she taunted. She slipped off her shoes and placed them on the veranda before walking into the garden, and as she passed, Az raised a brow.

“How generous of you to let me win all the time.”

Her feet greeted the solid, bare Earth, so different than the sinking sand that moved when she trembled at the banks of a lake shore. Maybe if she convinced herself the lake shore was solid ground, she could work up the courage to wade a little deeper.

“Plotting your victory already?” Az joked, but his face softened when she didn’t blink away the worry in her eyes.

“Have you ever been afraid of something you used to love?” She relished how honestly she could speak to him, no pretenses ever proceeded her worries. He looked down at the flowers, then slowly raised his gaze to meet her eyes. 

“I have.”

Was he thinking of Mor? She knew they had some sort of lingering, complicated relationship. When Feyre told her the particulars over tea one afternoon, Elain was quite shocked. Perhaps she truly had been that despondent in her depression when she first arrived at Velaris, for she never noticed. Now, he barely seemed to watch or yearn for Mor when he and the stunning blonde were in the same room. 

“I used to love to swim. Now, I- I can’t even get in above my knees.” His hazel eyes filled with sorrow as an understanding passed between them: her time in the Cauldron left her afraid of the water. 

Azriel merely extended his hand to Elain, who apprehensively took it, and the rich scent of cedar and mist filled her nose while his shadows consumed them. When they dissipated, she gazed upon the brilliant Sidra and basked in a cool breeze that ghosted her skin. 

“Oh! It's beautiful today! I-” She turned around to see him take off his linen shirt, and she felt like the world’s biggest fool while she gawked at his glorious form. 

She had a clue he was just as handsome underneath his leathers as he was in them, but to see his torso decorated with such rippling muscles, a product of years spent as a warrior, the beautiful tattoos that adorned his tanned skin, that tantalizing trail of sparse dark hair that went lower and lower, suddenly she felt a very different heat than the sun on her skin. 

“You’re going to want to take this off,” Az smirked and lightly pulled on the sleeve of her dress as he passed. 

She appreciated his politeness, but she often forgot he could be such a scoundrel. He splashed when entered the Sidra while his muscular arms pulled him out into deeper waters. He disappeared underwater, and when he resurfaced, she admired his broad chest as he raised his arms to smooth his wet hair back. 

Gods have mercy. 

She tried her very best not to stare as she pulled off her dress to reveal her undergarments. She could have sworn he went still, but the moment passed as quickly as it came, and he started to swim back to her as she worked up the courage to wade in up to her knees. 

Elain was wholly embarrassed when she felt herself shaking in the water. 

“Hey, look into my eyes.” Her shudders continued, but she only saw two hazel irises staring at her in all their brilliance. 

“I’ve got you,” he whispered over and over again as his arms wrapped around her waist, and he gently pulled her out with him into the water. She hung her arms around his neck and hooked her legs around his torso, and her body grew calmer as his hands firmly held onto her lower back. They were cheek to cheek, her nose in the crook of his neck, and she subtly breathed him in to let his stoic strength soothe her worries. He brought his lips up to her ear and spoke softly while he pulled them further away from the shore. 

“Did you know that I didn’t learn to fly until I was older?” She shook her head.

“It was considered an embarrassment for an Illyrian to learn so late. For my kind, it's considered a fate worse than death. So I knew I had to learn or die trying.” Her chattering ceased as her body began to adjust to the chill of the water. 

“Each day I’d go to a rock that overlooked a lake, and throw myself off, hoping it would scare me into flying. So, I became a better swimmer by accident.” His hand held the back of her head and stroked it over and over until she relaxed into his arms. 

“But after I hit the water, what I truly loved to do was float on my back, and watch the sky. I’ll still do it when I come back from long missions to ease the muscles in my wings.”

“I used to do that when I was younger. Something about breathing while being submerged in water is so calming to me,” she admitted as her breaths slowed. 

He slowly unwound her legs from his torso to lay her back gently. She closed her eyes and felt the sounds of summer still as her ears went under the water, suddenly filled with the sound of her heartbeat echoing throughout her body. After a few moments, she opened her eyes, her gaze focused on his long black eyelashes painted with water droplets. He grabbed her hand, to intertwine their fingers, as he too moved to float on his back. 

They stayed like this for a few moments, until she felt something soft and silky cradle her, allowing her to fully relax into its support. He blushed slightly, but she merely sighed, and let the weight of her body fully rest on his outstretched wing.

Only months later, when Elain overheard a lewd joke from Feyre did she learn Illyrians were highly protective of their wings, amongst other things. 

In the chilly frost of a January snow, she realized the implication of his actions meant his affections ran very deep. To let his whole wing hold her entire body in the water? She clung to that notion for months as she kept hope alive after that disastrous Solstice.

She learned to swim again, but Azriel taught her how to float.

~ A Court of Bones in Bloom A03

that was actually one of star catchers conflicts by the way, she wanted a spectacular sacrificial hero death like her mother's and like minfilia's and like ysayle's and like haurchefant's and like papalymo's and (the list goes on), at some length she thought she was meant to already be dead were it not for their sacrifices + so she had incurred some tremendous unspeakable debt from the universe that she had no way of ever possibly repaying and by endwalker was like the decaying nucleus of a star trundling toward some inevitable demise but that there she would find her validity in having survived this off the backs of other people because she could hit the mark of fulfilling some grand heroic aim unquestionably by giving everything and dying for it and they could say all those great sacrifices for her sake were in the very least so that she could die bombastically and conclusively fulfilling her duty in this rather than have to live on ever dragging on the uncertainty of if she had given enough. so when i read that questline translation and it opened with 'if you think the flower that blossoms at the very end of its life is beautiful, even a little, then i tell you this: please survive' i was like JAW DROP.

Happy Saturday, Clue Crew! I want to talk about the art displayed, next to Nancy Drew’s bed (as seen in Alibi in Ashes). I’ve already discussed (in a previous post) how Alphonse Mucha is featured, quite prominently, in several of the ND games. At a glance, one might think the three, framed posters, on the yellow wall, are his work. However, they were done by a contemporary of Mucha, named Paul Berthon. Like Mucha, Berthon worked in the Art Nouveau style, which is why it is easy confuse their pieces!

Paul Berthon…was a French artist who produced primarily posters and lithographs… Berthon studied as a painter in Villefranche-sur-Saône before moving to Paris… His study of the decorative arts influenced his print making, influencing the strong lines and natural details that guided his art. The vast majority of Berthon's lithographed posters did not include advertisements and were meant to stand on their own.

The piece on the far left, of Nancy’s wall, is a print named The Salon de Cent (Salon of the One Hundred). If you are unfamiliar what “the Salon” is, in reference to art history, it was:

…the official art exhibition of the French Academy of Fine Arts (Academie des Beaux-Arts) in Paris. First held in 1667, its name stems from its location at the Salon Carre in the Louvre. For almost 150 years…the Salon was the most prestigious annual or biannual art event in the world.

The aforementioned print, was advertising Salon des Cent, which was a commercial art exhibition in Paris, based at 31 Rue Bonaparte.

The Salon sold color posters, prints and reproductions of artwork to the general public at reasonable prices. The Salon held exhibitions until 1900. Many of the posters advertising Salon des Cent exhibitions have themselves become collectors’ items.

The middle poster of Nancy’s Art Nouveau collection, is another advertisement, for violin lessons (Leçons de Violin).

The last poster of the trio is L’Ermitage.

L’Ermitage was a monthly, literary review that was published in Paris, France between 1890 and 1907.

The publication came under new management in 1896 during which time the literary review was reorganized. Subjects included in the magazine expanded beyond poetry and plays to also include that of the visual arts. With the expansion of subjects, the editors decided to commission Art Nouveau illustrations to grace the covers…

Art Nouveau reflects the ideals and desires of Paris at the end of the nineteenth century, which include happiness and indulgence in life and beauty without all the turmoil and problems of the newly industrialized world. In this piece, Berthon uses a woman with long, flowing hair and flowers as a symbol of beauty and purity. The print consists of just four colors in addition to the black ink.

L’Ermitage was included in the Les Maitre de L’Affiches series, or Masters of the Poster. This series was originally offered as a subscription for collectors, in which a different poster was mailed out monthly and which could be bound together at the end of the year. L’Ermitage was mailed out in 1900 as plate 227 of the series. These posters were greatly appealing due to their smaller, more manageable size, and the high quality of printing materials. The original larger posters usually had to be rolled up to store and were printed with a lesser quality ink.

A lithograph copy of L’Ermitage is currently on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles, California, the United States.

That does it, for the posters, on the yellow wall! But you’ll notice a canvas, prettily centered over Nancy’s bed. This is the very recognizable Almond Blossom, by the one and only, Vincent van Gogh.

You’ll see that the piece, in ASH, is a mirrored image, of van Gogh’s original. I can only assume this was done for copyright purposes, but that’s just conjecture.

Vincent loved nature. Blossoming trees, like in the painting Almond Blossom, were one of his favourite subjects to paint. He painted a number of variations on the theme: ranging from a small flowering sprig in a glass to lavishly blossoming trees.

Almond trees flower early in spring. The tree therefore marks the arrival of spring and the start of new life. And that was very appropriate in this case, as Vincent didn’t paint this work for just any old reason…

The painting was a gift for Vincent’s newborn nephew. The boy was born on 31 January 1890, and Theo and his wife Jo named him Vincent, after his uncle. Van Gogh was delighted to hear the news: ‘It does me, too, more good and gives me more pleasure than I could express in words’.

The painting became a treasured possession as soon as Vincent presented it to Theo and Jo as a gift. At first, it hung prominently above the piano in Theo and Jo’s living room. Later, once Jo had moved to Bussum following Theo’s death, the work hung in her and her son Vincent’s bedroom.

Following the death of Vincent and Theo, all of Vincent’s paintings passed into Jo’s hands. She sold a number of works during her lifetime, but Almond Blossom was so precious to Jo and her son that it was never to be sold. And that’s why to this very day, it is on display at the Van Gogh Museum.

For Van Gogh, painting Almond Blossom signified a new start. At the time, he had already been at an asylum in Saint-Rémy for almost ten months. Due to an attack of his illness, Vincent had not worked for weeks. He was now allowed back outside to paint, surrounded by nature.

Vincent worked hard, but that cost him dearly. Once he had completed the painting at the end of February, he had an attack that lasted for two months; his longest ever crisis. Once he had recovered, a new disappointment awaited: Vincent had missed his beloved flowering season.

‘If I’d been able to continue working, […] I would have done others of the trees in blossom. Now the trees in blossom are almost finished, […] I have no luck’.

Vincent chose an unusual perspective for Almond Blossom. He painted the branches from below and very close up. It is as if you are lying on your back on the grass, looking up at the branches above you, so that you can no longer see the entire tree. Vincent had seen this approach in Japanese printmaking and was inspired by it. These prints often zoom in on details from nature, and the image was sometimes cropped.

The subject itself also feels very Japanese, as blossom played a significant role in Japanese printmaking.

There you have it! I hope this information helps you appreciate ASH and Nancy’s room, a little more. I know I really appreciate the art, featured in the Nancy Drew games. I think it’s part of why I went into art history, to begin with! I owe a lot, to these games.

That is all. Happy scrolling.

Hello, I’m fairly new (you have a lot of talent, you make wonderful art) but I just saw your post about your grandma. I’m very sorry for your loss. Grief is a very difficult thing and can be very confusing when you lose someone you had a bad relationship with. I was once in such a situation too. I don’t know how it was with your grandma, but I hated that person so much. And when they left… I missed them and I didn’t understand why. After all the things they did… after everything they caused… I still cared about them. I even felt guilty. How could I care about someone like that? I used to get angry at myself every time I grieved, every time I cried. Don’t make my mistake. When we lose someone, no matter how they influenced our lives, there’s an impact. After all, they were still a part of my life, a part of my world. They were a loved one. A member of my family. It changes a lot. And after all, I knew deep down, they still had some good in their heart. After everything… they didn’t deserve to die. And maybe, the thing I missed most was the relationship I wished I had with them.

It was very hard for me to move on. To let go. And I think this is mostly because I didn’t understand that I needed to forgive them. I kept holding on to this pent up feeling of hatred. This anger. But I should have forgiven them for everything they had done. Because forgiveness doesn’t excuse their behaviour. It most certainly doesn’t justify it. It doesn’t mean what they did was okay. Forgiveness is taking the knife out of your own back and not using it to hurt anyone else. Forgive them not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace. You deserve to be able to let go. Forgiveness prevents their behaviour from destroying your heart. If you haven’t already, I think you should think about this.

And in the end, we shouldn’t see death as a bad thing, as when someone passes away, it creates another beautiful life. Like flowers dying in the winter, making place for beautiful flowers to blossom in the spring. That is, the merry-go-round of life. 

I hope you have someone to help you through these difficult times. And remind yourself that it is okay to grieve. It just shows that you have a good heart. I don’t know how it is for you right now but I hope I helped at least a little bit. Take care!

Oh and, life has many different chapters. Don’t let one bad chapter close the book.

-Sorry for the long text and all-

Thank you for this ask. i rlly needed to read it, especially abt the knife metaphor. I didnt live with my grandma as close as my other family members were but I still grew up with her, and her image is everywhere in my family (literally, my grandpa's genes are basically nonexistent). so its really hard to process how to grieve for someone you had a bad relationship with. her death esp impacted my parents and aunts, and there's a certain tension between them now.

for me, Im still learning to forgive and learn how to live without her, but rn its the guilt of not building a happier relationship with her im angry about because after all this time, she is still my grandma. this doesnt mean it justifies the horrible shit she said and done (and shes over 90!), but i feel like i can't make peace with myself when we heard that she finally passed. so thank u for your reassurance through this message. grief is truly hard

I love your Genshin lore takes, any interesting hcs/AUs/lore bits you'd like to share? Also, amazing art!

AA!!!!

That makes me so happy to hear actually??? THank you???? I love getting to ramble about genshin or stuff I'm into i'm just often too shy asldfkaslfalsgsdgdsdgsg so thank you!!!!! ;;v;; AND THANKS I'M GLAD YOU LIKE MY ART TOO!!!!!! ;;v;; <3 <3 <3 OOOoooh HMMM, I've been more into TWST and Trigun Recently so let me dig up my braincells to think about it dfLSJFLSDJGLSDGD Throwing stuff below the cut cause this could get LONG

Well on the subject of Itto, I headcanon him being 6'6 ft tall... Why??? Because it makes his voiceline about everybody shorter than him being a child really funny. 🤣 Also because he beeg and you can't convince me otherwise SDLFJSDLJGSLDGSD OOOOH Okay this one is very much a headcanon i have for pure self indulgence: So my two genshin blorbos of main focus are Zhongli and Diluc right? I like to headcanon that, at some point after Diluc was nearly killed by the harbingers, he collapsed somewhere near Liyue harbor (His injuries probably weren't directly related to the Harbinger ones, tho it depends on the amount of time it's taken between That incident and him being in Liyue, I think I came up with this idea LONG before i really understood a lot of what Diluc actually did away from home xD) he's found and carried to Liyue, where he's tended to, probably by Baizhu cause I love Baizhu, and recovers. Its here he's visited by Zhongli. Zhongli knew Crepus. Not super well! They weren't besties or nothin, but Crepus would be in Liyue, and Zhongli would be in Liyue, both of them having some level of prestige, Zhongli through his job and Crepus through his Titles, ended up meeting. They would talk and of course that means Zhongli heard about Diluc. Beyond that even, Zhongli was probably vaguely aware of Diluc's existence just from the fact that Crepus is a Ragnvindr, which means gossip/news on his family spreads potentially across the globe. (And maybe Zhongli checked in once in a while out of honor to a dear friend he hadn't seen in five hundred years...) ANYWAYS. Zhongli introduces himself and mentions he knew Crepus. A grieving Diluc probably asks for more information without really knowing if he wants more info or not. Its through this that Zhongli learns of Crepus's passing, and Diluc being less well put together from his injuries, ends up confessing to having hurt Kaeya. He despairs of ever being able to make up for it, to which Zhongli is surprisingly quiet and attentive before finally speaking up: "...Life is short, like the flower, it blooms for a season, blossoms in all its color and beauty, and then it shrivels away on the winds, nothing left of it but the Sweetness of memory." He pauses. "If you care about your brother, than return to him, confess your wrong doings, and don't let the burden of you mistakes carry until such a time as the ability to do something about them is force-ably taken away from your hands." The mans smile is soft, but sad. Not in a pitying way, and not in a way that is even directed at Diluc, if anything, he seems thousands of miles away. "There are fewer burdens, and fewer regrets, that can weigh heavier." This of course creates a fun dynamic to play around with if Lumine or other events drag Diluc to Liyue later >:D As for AU's I can give you two I've dwelled on!: Number one is an Inazuma rewrite, but I bring in a party of my chosing. I started this one before I played the game, so I didn't exaclty understand what went down in the INazuma plot, but Man I was having fun so xD THe party of choice in this case was Zhongli, Diluc, Thoma, and of course Lumine. I had fun with this idea because it allowed Zhongli and Diluc to function in the plot, and Thoma would be WAAAAY more involved as well. I didn't iron out Loads of details, but I wanted there to be a big confrontation between Lumine and Zhongli based off the fact that Azhdaha's quest happened before Inazuma, and before that was uh. THe reveal of Khaenri'ah. Needless to say Lumine's not exactly feeling the greatest about Zhongli. But she considers him a friend, or at least wants too. Zhongli is dealing with the sting of a pre-inazuma plot confrontation from Lumine, where she confessed that she'd have a hard time trusting him if he kept keeping secrets and he couldn't explain himself.

The two of them were planned to get into a huge fight that ALMOST gets physical. But Diluc stops them (Something something he knows making the mistake of attacking someone you love out of fear and broken trust 🙃) This ends up splitting the party for a while, Diluc going off with Zhongli, and Thoma staying with Lumine. Ultimately I wanted this to end with Zhongli getting to have a bit Showdown with Raiden Shogun, essentially kinda getting to brute force his way into her grief. I always loved the idea of the woman who can't move on from grief talking with the man who has suffered so much grief but still lives, this would kinda allow that, it would also allow for Zhongli to be a little bit of a father figure to Ei in her frustrations and grief. Also it would be hilarious if Inazuma kinda knew Rex Lapis was alive... but he kinda saved all their butts, so nobody's going to out him xD This would essentially spiral into a lot of canon divergence plots and development for the cast of characters that's just, not in canon? But man I still think it'd be so fun :D Also Diluc and Ei eventually become friends through this adsflJSFLSJDLGJSLDGJSDGSDG. I think they could help each other :) The SECOND AU is one where, Diluc, on his journey, ends up getting stuck in Inazuma before he can get home. So diluc is visionless, Has the Delusion, and is not in good health. Itto ends up finding him passed out on a beach, drags him back to Granny Oni's, and his gang nurse him back to health all while assuming Diluc was a victim of the Vision hunt decree (i think the vision hunt decree is pretty recent in canon?? This would be an AU where the timeline got bumped up, probably Raiden starts off a lot slower with the vision hunts, only taking a few of them once in a great while to further "eternity" Until she spirals bad enough to start taking them all.... IDK its rough but workable maybe xD) THis AU is mostly for letting Itto bully Diluc into loving himself among other things xD and the angst of it taking even longer for Diluc and Kaeya to reunite...... WHich i would defo make them reunite when Lumine comes over to finally end the Vision hunt decree soooooooooo >:3 Diluc ends up getting adopted by the Arataki gang, by EVERY member, and he's not happy about it (He is, he's just a freaking tsundere)

𓅨 As Dawn Breaks: Chapter Seven

As Dawn Breaks: Mother Night and Father Time, after having sired seven Endless to personify life in the known universe, create Earth and human life begins. One last Endless is created: Dawn, the personification of illumination and hope, the beginning of a new day and a chance for happiness and improvement. A love will span thousands of millennia, breaking with every sunrise and renewing hope come sunset. Yet, even the personification of hope can lose the very notion of her existence from the sting of a broken heart.

Warnings: Reader Speaks in Riddles (Annoying Desire).

To Note: Dream/Morpheus x Endless!FemaleReader(Dawn), This Involves Themes That Are Not For Everyone.

Word Count: ~2.0k

Previous | Masterlist | Next

You were stretched out in a bed of soft leaves, Morpheus next to you cradling your body, as you both stared up at the night sky of your realm. You both had made love repeatedly until Morpheus cut you off in favor of cradling your body. As chivalrous as he was in trying not treat you like a delicate flower that might wilt at the first sign of trouble… he had put an end to your coupling for fear of injuring you. You were stronger than that, vastly stronger actually. Hardly breakable, your power could rival even Morpheus’s. But he insisted and who were you to deny the Endless his wishes to hold your body within his arms?

Besides, it felt quite nice. The stars glimmering overhead this night were bright and iridescent, the crickets sang their summer tune, and the fireflies glowed periodically through the air.

Rotating your head to the left, you looked at Morpheus’s face while your fingers played with the hand gently resting on your stomach. You loved staring at his face. Morpheus had beautiful cheekbones, long eyelashes that framed his gorgeous starlit eyes, and obsidian hair that was the darkest of blacks you had ever seen. Mother Night and Father Time had done an exquisite job molding him from the nebulas of space. Drawing from the brightest novas and the darkest of black holes, Dream of the Endless was the star that guided hopes and illuminated dreams.

“You’re staring,” Morpheus murmured, keeping his eyes closed but shifting the arm that cradled you to his side, that hand teased the skin of your hip, imprinting his touch. You hummed in agreement and traced your fingers across his chest until silver blue eyes opened and met yours.

“Unabashedly, my Dream,” You responded huskily, your vocal cords well used this night. “Or am I not allowed to appreciate my guiding star?” A midnight eyebrow rose in amusement.

“I doubt that you of all beings need a guiding star,” He returned, noticing the way the moonlight illuminated your skin and the starlight made your eyes glow. “If anything, it is hope that guides, not dreams.” You went to counter his words when a few almond blossoms fluttered down onto your bodies. Morpheus pulled one from your hair.

“Ah, apologies,” You whispered, clearing the petals that had fallen onto his chest and hair. “The almond trees are nearing their fruiting cycle.” As you explained that, something hit your forehead. You blinked in surprise and Morpheus frowned slightly. He reached for your hair and pulled a green fruit from your locks. “…like that one… but its a little early I should think.”

“You have many almond trees in this particular garden,” Morpheus noted, twirling the stone fruit between his long fingers. You propped yourself up onto your elbow and and smiled.

“I happen to be partial to them.” You admitted, your mouth watering at the thought of eating the fresh fruit. Morpheus could see how much you adored the stone fruit and your lips looked far too tempting not to feed you one. So tearing a part of the flesh from the center of the fruit, Morpheus lifted it to your lips. Your surprise only lasted for a few seconds before you parted your lips and let him feed you the little piece of fruit. You closed your eyes and softly moaned, relishing the gentle taste of the fresh fruit.

“I think you are more than partial, my Hope,” Morpheus’s commented, his fingertips lingering on your chin. Your eyes flickered back open and you felt your cheeks burn. Morpheus chuckled and gave your chin once last brush with his thumb before feeding you the next piece. You happily accepted.

“You know I can feed myself,” You whispered softly, lavishing in the gentle touches of your lover. Morpheus hummed in return, this time tracing the soft lines of your lips with envy.

“But why should I deprive myself of the honor?” He countered suavely, enjoying every moment he had to lavish you the way he wished he could every moment of his Endless life. He could feel the way heat gathered beneath your skin, feel the way your essence all but purred at the idea of being taken care of by it’s mystical partner. When all that remained was the heart of the fruit, you paused at his offering. Morpheus raised an eyebrow.

“Will you not have a taste, my Dream?” You spoke against the last piece of the fallen fruit. “Surely you do not mean to have me be the greedy one.” Morpheus’s lips twitched.

“I shall have my taste after you’ve finished the fruits of your labor, my love.” Morpheus spoke, his fingertips delicately coaxing your lips open to accept the last bit of the almond fruit. You moaned as you took it, your tongue catching his fingertips. While you consumed the last morsel of the almond trees offering, Morpheus ran his fingertips along the edge of your lips. He was envious of the fruit making such serendipitous noises from you. Upon seeing your eyes looking back into his, Morpheus raised his eyes brow once more and stroked your jaw. “And how was it?”

“Tart,” You breathed out, your eyes staring into Morpheus’s eyes with a rather naughty look. You licked your lower lip. “You really missed out, you know.”

“Have I?” Morpheus countered, his lips twitching into a smirk shortly before he leaned down and pressed his lips against yours. At firsts lips traced the delicate softness of your lower lip, tongue flicking across the sensitive flesh to taste any lingering flavor from the fruit. You shuddered out a small breath and parted your lips for more than just teases. Morpheus gave you what you wanted. He swept into your mouth, kissing you slowly with a coaxing tongue that pulled yours in for a dance. You had been right, the fruit did taste tart, but your natural sweetness tamed the puckering sourness. You were quickly feeling warm all over again, the lips tugging on yours filling you with blissfulness. Morpheus gave your lips one last, lingering kiss before pressing his forehead against yours. “Our time is coming to an end, my Hope.”

You nodded in reluctant agreement, your hand reaching up to brush over his strong jaw. Your night of passion had to come to an end, regardless of how you and Morpheus felt about it. Morpheus nuzzled your face, holding you tight.

“Close your eyes, my love, I shall stay with you until you fall into dreams.” Morpheus promised, his lips fluttering across your cheeks. You had no need to sleep, but had fallen into the habit to feel closer to Morpheus. Walking among the dreamers filled the hole in your being, so as Morpheus stroked your hair and ran his fingers along your back, you drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

Pleased that you were locked in a blissful dream, Morpheus gathered you in his arms and lifted you free from the nest you and he had occupied during your time together. As he carried your sleeping body back you your private chambers, he redressed himself and you, watching as gossamer fabric slid across your marked skin and covered your beautiful body from his eyes. Placing you gently on your bed of feathers and vines, Morpheus watched as the plants in your room conformed around your body, cradling your body as if you were a newborn. He stayed in your room, tenderly observing  you in peaceful sleep for as long as he dared. It wasn’t long enough. It never was. It never would be. Bending over you, he pressed his lips against your forehead and stroked your hair once last time.

“Sweet dreams, my Hope.”

You were helping one of the villages weave reed baskets for the harvest season. The crops had done unusually well this year and with the current stock, it was going to take far too long to harvest all of the rice paddies without extra hands… and with extra hands meant a need for extra baskets. Your fingers worked quickly as you hummed along with the dryads. As you tied off the end of the strands you had just finished, you felt a ripple of energy as someone entered your realm.

“Apologies, ladies,” You spoke out, drawing back from the basket in front of you. “I have a guest I must attend to.” The dryads dipped their heads to you while you rose to your feet and concentrated on traveling to the guest gardens. Appearing in a swirl of petals and stardust, you padded forward to see Desire brushing their fingers through one of your nepeta cataria plants. They were all but nuzzling the little leaves and blooms. Lips twitching into a smile, you stepped forwards. “Welcome, Desire.”

Golden eyes opened and shifted to yours, and their lips stretched into a wide side. You received a flash of white teeth.

“Hello dearest sister-mine,” They purred, golden eyes glittering mischievously. Your arched your eyebrow and inclined your head.

“To what do I owe this visit, dear Desire?” You softly questions, knowing that they of all the Endless certainly acted on whims, but they didn’t do something such as visiting another Endless’s realm on such as whimsical decision. They were always scheming something to occupy their time, to entertain their devious creation.

“What? Am I not allowed to visit my beloved baby sister?” Desire cooed, faking a look of hurt. Your eyebrow rose higher.

“I am not your sister. I am a counterpart in the entity of personas designed to represent the most powerful natural forces. Now tell me, are you here for a social call, or to stoke the burning star?” You queried, lips twitching and eyes wiser than your age.

“Oh you always take the fun away, Dawn.” They sighed dramatically, placing their perfectly manicured fingers on their expanse of bare chest.

“My sincerest apologies,” You replied, not the least apologetic for your words. You gestured to a nearby cobbled walkway. “Shall we walk?” Desire’s eyebrows cocked momentarily and they happily joined your side in walking down the path. Your feet took you on an automatic path, one that you knew Desire would appreciate given their likes. “Speak what you design, Desire.”

“A little bird told me that our beloved Dream has been spending more time here in your gardens.” Desire answered, unapologetically going right in for the kill. You expected nothing less from them.

“Hopes and dreams intertwine on a cosmic scale,” You explained, running your fingers along a wall of towering silver vine. The little white blooms stroked your palm and fingers, eager for attention. “We are nothing without each other and through separation there is emptiness. Surely by now you understand that in the vastness of space we are carried by each other through the star and moon dust of our creators.”

“An entirely serious and cerebral answer from you, naturally,” Desire sighed out. “But surely even you feel your own wants, your own desires. Not even you are above such tempt of dreams.” You eyed Desire who was clearly fishing out a confirmation of your intimacies with Morpheus. “Or are you going to let the darkness swallow you up all for the sake of duty?” You let out a small chuckle.

“I will always love the light for it showers me in its divine creation and coaxes life from soil.” You answered, thinking about your words carefully. “But not all beauty blossoms from the glare of a sun, some prefer the gentle caress of darkness.” Desire chuckled and rolled their eyes at you.

“You speak in riddles, sister mine… I think Dream has rubbed off on you,” Their eyes sparkled more and eyed your appearance. “Or rubbed on you in other places…” You didn’t take their bait, knowing exactly what they were insinuating. Desire was mischievous and devious, but entirely predictable.

“The moon only glows when kissed by the sun.” At your simple reply, Desire rolled their eyes and slipped their arm through yours.

“Well then, if you wish to continue to speak in bore, you might as well show me something of yours that will keep my attention while you prattle.” Your lips twitched in triumph as you began to lead the older Endless to the garden of catnip. Surely then, they would be much to distracted to think of questioning you on your relations with Morpheus.

Date Published: 2/6/23

Last Edit: 2/6/23

Previous | Masterlist | Next