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love-that-we-were-in · 2 months

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pretty as a vine (sweet as a grape)

pairing: luke castellan x reader summary: luke castellan might be everyone's favorite councilor over the summer. he might be a little too sweet for you in the fall. word count: 1.7k warnings: none

authors note: thank you to @wlntrsldler for letting me steal this concept from you even if making luke a real tried and true loser was a struggle. hope y'all enjoy!!

It was rare to see Camp Half-Blood’s golden boy without his signature smile on his face; always ready to help, always ready to please.

You’d only had a handful of conversations with Luke Castellan, passing words in the height of hectic summer heat. Most of them in the middle of the night, when all the campers should be tucked away in the cabins, but you’d take the brief moments of quiet to wander the grounds with a lit cigarette hanging off your lips.

Luke would approach you every time, always the same way, a pink flush on his cheeks and a quiet, timid voice telling you that he had to enforce the rules, that he had to send you back to your cabin because it was past curfew.

You’d roll your eyes, lick your lips, wave the smoke obscuring your view of him away playfully and promise to head back after this one. He’d nod and walk away, and you’d pretend not to notice his silhouette hidden behind one of the trees, not quite obscured enough by the lack of lighting to go wholly unnoticed, waiting for you to make your way back to where you’re supposed to be.

He was sweet, too sweet, sometimes. Making sure you were safe, that nothing bad would happen to you even after taking his supposed leave. It was cute, really, how he acted around you underneath the starlight, always so nervous and flustered, like he’d never seen a woman before. You supposed, confined to the parameters of camp for so many years, he really hadn’t seen many of them.

It’s something you carry with you this year, watching as summer fades into fall, how camp suddenly empties. You’re not sure what to make of it, how still everything seems now, how the usual noise dampens into almost nothing and you itch for the hurriedness of July to return.

You’re lucky, really, to have spent so long exploring the world beyond camp, seeing what growing up had to offer as if it were normal. A lot of the kids you see now, they haven’t experienced a half of what you have, trading high school for battling dragons at someone else’s request, and it shows each year like clockwork.

If you’re honest, hidden behind the treeline near the lake, camp makes you uneasy like this. Less busy, less extreme - walking the thin line between a place to train and a place to live - and it has you more on edge than before. It could be that you’ve grown accustomed to the bustle of the Boston streets. It might just be that Luke has been hiding just beyond view since you lit your cigarette.

“I know, I know,” you say when he finally approaches. He stumbles, familiar flush blotching the skin of his neck, climbing the tips of his ears. “Just let me finish this one.”

He nods and you wait for him to walk away, follow his usual path back into the forest. He doesn’t, standing on the damp grass nearby without saying a word, and you look at him again.

You’re used to seeing Luke Castellan in different forms - it’s part of how he lives. Nervous and unsure and so confident with a sword that it’s a little insane that he’s the same person during training as is standing in front of you now.

He’s got this little dip to his shoulders, fingers tapping against his own thigh as you stare at him. His curls are slightly longer than when summer started, curling around his ears and resting just above his brows. He’s got a sweatshirt on, dark green and oversized, and his teeth sink into his bottom lip the longer you take to look away.

“You can head back,” you say eventually, flicking ash to the ground at your feet. “I promise to be good and go straight to bed.”

It’s not meant to be anything, merely an assurance. But there’s this way Luke reacts to it, how his fingers stop tapping in favor of clenching his first, how he breathes deeper for a few breaths, how he swallows around nothing, that ignites something under your skin. Makes you want to push that little bit further.

“You really need to stop coming out after curfew,” he mumbles in the end, tucking his hands into the front pocket of his sweater. It’s soft and a little warm and you wonder if it’s the humidity or Luke himself that’s responsible. “I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

“You’re sweet, Castellan,” you crush the butt of your cigarette out, brushing past him to start the trek back to your cabin. “It’s kind of adorable.”

You hear him suck in a breath. You don’t hear his footsteps directly behind you as you walk through the foliage. You kind of wish you’d turned around to see the blush rise on his cheeks.

Maybe you will next time.

Next time doesn’t come for weeks. It gives you space to observe Luke now, when he’s being pulled in fewer directions, when there’s lower expectations. You learn that neither of those things exist where Luke is concerned; that he has this inability to not be helpful, to not put himself forward when no one else will. He somehow takes up more responsibilities as fall gets underway, smiling wide when you know you’d be stretched thin.

It’s admirable, to a point, and you want to know how he does it.

A few years ago, you convinced yourself Luke was only on when the sun shone brightest. Watching him demonstrate a throw to a young Athena kid, you think he might be the sun itself.

“Nice arm,” is what you greet him with when the little girl runs off, ball in hand. He pauses his hands where they rest on the fabric of his pants, still slightly bent at the knees from helping and lips parted as he glances up at you. “She seemed happy.”

“She just needed some help with the technique.”

He shrugs and stands to actually face you.

Mid-afternoon at camp has never really sat well with you. Always slower, sun burning and campers left to fill their own time before dinner. You’ve never really known what to do with it; Luke squints at the grounds before you as if he’s searching for who needs him next.

“Do you ever take a break?” Is what you say when the silence drags on for too long.

Luke blinks, lips parting. A group of Hephaestus kids laugh from down by the lake. You wait.

“I go to bed at midnight.”

“And what time do you wake up?” You kick at the grass below your feet, taking in how Luke stumbles for an answer, brown eyes darting each way as if it’ll fall from the sky.

“The apollo kids really love watching the sunrise,” he chokes out in the end, digging his hands into his pockets. You wonder if he thinks it makes his nerves less obvious. “It’s a really nice sunrise.”

“Come watch it with me tomorrow.”

You say it partly for the reaction itself. That same quick breath Luke takes each time you say something that shocks him, the red tint to his cheeks, the tip of his nose, the harsh movement of his adams’ apple. You kind of also really want to see how Luke Castellan changes between day and night - if it’s a version of him you just haven’t read yet.

You don’t mention that you’ll have to force yourself out of bed, unused to early rising.

He nods, three quick nods like he thinks you’ll take it back if he’s not enthusiastic enough.

You smile then. “I’ll see you later, Luke.”

He meets you where he usually does, further north than anyone tends to go at any hour, let alone this early. There’s less hesitation to his steps than a few nights ago, your invitation dangling between you both something like a promise.

“I’m not gonna bite,” you say when he stops just short of the rock you’ve claimed. You glance over at where he’s just feet away, bright orange camp tee peeking out from his grey hoodie. “It’s too early for that.”

“Oh.”

There’s some shuffling before Luke is perching himself on the stone next to you. He’s close enough to touch from here, the makeshift seat just barely big enough for two people to share, and you take in how he tucks his hands into his pockets, makes himself take up as little room as possible.

Outside of his swordsmanship, you’ve never seen Luke take up much space at all.

“This is nice,” he says eventually, the sun starting to peer over the lake.

There’s something almost beautiful about what the sunrise does for him, you realise. Neither of you have moved, Luke’s gaze still locked on the horizon, but you’ve transferred your attention to him. You’ve seen the lake enough times. You’ve never seen Luke Castellan’s chest rising and falling with each steady breath, or the way his eyes turn a little gold when the sun hits them just right. How he relaxes in the autumn chill.

“You’re really pretty, Luke.”

It slips past your lips before it fully forms in your mind. His head snaps to the side, cheeks flushing and lips parted. You hadn’t meant to say it, too caught up in the slow start to the morning, but it’s out there and you don’t want to take it back.

“Such a pretty boy,” you mutter, shaking your head.

“I-“ Luke starts, before clearing his throat. You see his hands twitch in his pockets. “What?”

You twist on the rock underneath you, lifting your legs so they’re crossed, knees brushing the edge of Luke’s thigh. His eyes drop at the movement.

This should feel weird at camp. You’d fallen into the habit of flirting back in Boston, something to fill the gaps and score you a cigarette when you really needed help to get them. Never like this though - like the moment was delicate and its shattering was solely in your hands.

The ability to shatter Luke Castellan, Camp Half-Blood’s golden boy, rests on your shoulders in an early sunrise.

When his breath hitches as you push yourself closer, you think you’d like to watch him shatter in the sunlight.

Pretty doesn’t even come close when it happens.

#luke castellan #luke castellan x reader #percy jackson and the olympians #luke castellan x you #🖊️ abi writes…

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nyxvamps · 5 months

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Dionysus Children:

so, im not really basing this off of specifically the books, movie, musical, or tv show. its kinda a mix of all of them and vibes mostly. (personally i really like jason mantzoukas as him tho)

so, it doesn’t matter which dionysus you picture in your head, the child will almost always look like the other parent. but they always have dark curly hair (all different curl types included) and his purple eyes. as well as his resting default/resting faces. which is usually a small amused smirk or like they’re wishing death upon you and your future children.

the amount of passive aggressive sass that can ooze out of these kids is insane. it’s usually the type of sarcasm that you don’t realize was sarcasm until the conversation has already changed.

or it’s very blatant that they want you to know they’re being sarcastic.

they’re the type of people who dress for comfort but when it’s time to dress up, they dress up. they pull out an outfit they’ve been planning for months in advance. on par with the aphrodite cabin.

they’re the type of people (even if they don’t like to party) the party heats up as soon as they show up.

Let’s get into some powers:

they can turn people insane. ya know, mess with their mind and forcibly make different mental illnesses appear and develop. it’s easier if you already have the gene for certain illnesses and disorders so they don’t have to create it from nothing. this power takes a lot of energy if they want it to last more than a few seconds.

they can also ease (but not get rid of) certain illnesses and disorders. this takes even more energy. this is important because, in the past, his children have used these powers for selfish reasons so if they do something stupid, they need to live with the consequences. (dionysus will usually fix whatever his children have done but he lets them suffer in their mistakes first.)

you know how in some horror games there’s a sanity meter and when your sanity goes down your vision starts blurring, the room shakes, your hearing is staticy, you start hallucinating. they can do this. they need initial eye contact but after that, as long as they have eyes on you, they can keep it up.

they are so good at acting. some of it is just acting clueless so others believe them when they say they don’t know what’s happening or they didn’t know a prank was being planned. some of it is that they are able to just, put themselves into another mindset and lie flawlessly.

they have the ability to grow and manipulate plants. mostly plants that can be used in wine so grapes, strawberries, etc. this includes vines and ivy.

thanks for reading, if you have any ideas, feel free to comment.

#pjo #pjo headcanons #pjo au #pjo headcanon #godly parents #percy jackson #dionysus cabin #children of dionysus

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dailyadventureprompts · 9 months

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Deity: Litirenn, He who Guides the Vine

Days of bread and wine, are only by design/ Every petal worked, every spirit corked, every silver shined/ Every furnace lit, every lamb and spit, every silver shined/ -Only by Design, From Devil's Carnival: Alleluia!

It is hard work averting famine, a toil through seasons of gruelling weather to ensure the next harvest fares a little better than the last. To turn a scattering of seeds from errant prairie grasses into life sustaining bread is a generations long labour, but it is holy and there is no god that holds it more holy than Litirenn, Steward of Tilled Earth.

Born from a union between a god of growing things and a god of craft, Litirenn's sphere of influence has expanded over time from simple cultivation to any who wish to understand and then improve on nature's designs: Herbalists, natural philosophers, alchemists, biomancers, and those that would remake themselves seeking an inner truth.

Few temples are kept for him, but one can often find the Steward's marks worked in over the doorways of granaries, mills, and wine cellars, or sketched in the margins of a hand bound folio of research notes.

Adventure Hooks:

The grain harvest is coming in, which means the local brigands will be circling like buzzards and the village needs the party to act as bodyguards to ensure their livelihood seven samurai style. The brigands in question however are not outlaws but soldiers of the local warlord, who is currently in dispute with the village over how much grain they owe him for protection.

The village witch is in quite a fix after cultivating a new verity of foreign flower looking to make inadvertently attracting all sorts of weird magical insects to his cottage. The infestation has deprived him of his house, the town of herbal remedies, and the party of cheap healing potions. Something must be done about it.

Seeking to catalogue, preserve, and most of all taste every variety of apple ever grown on the material plane, an eccentric gnomish orchardist has broken into the elfqueen's private gardens and stolen a fruit from a silver tree placed there by the Archheart themselves. The queen's agents would like this handled delicately, not only because the gnome managed her infiltration by seducing the queen (who's quite broken up about it) but also disruption of the tree may juuuuuust have triggered a calamitous prophecy.

Signs: Plants fruiting out of season with abundant growth and fantastical properties, visions of how things came to be made. The appearance of frogs, butterflies, and other creatures that go through a metamorphosis.

Symbols: A vine laden trellis, though alchemical aspects often use the symbol of a snake coiled among grapes.

Titles: Steward of Tilled Earth, He who Guides the Vine, The Cultivator,

#deity #divinity: nature #divinity: harvest #seeking healing #bandits #thief #alchemist #Litirenn #dnd #dungeons and dragons #d&d #ttprg #pathfinder

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wystericwoes · 1 month

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Doomed pt. 5

Warnings: Cursing, fighting and descriptions of gore + violence.

(Sorry this took so long)

Sukuna watched intensely through the window, a fist under his chin and robes loosely adjourned.

He stared As you picked a flower up and took it from the vine, sliding it into your loose hanging sleeve. Looking around making sure no one saw as a child would after stealing candy.

He wondered what you were going to do with it. Put in your hair? A vase? His mind wondered. Why act as if it’s a deceitful act that one could get in trouble for when you could do whatever you wanted?

“Lord Sukuna?”

Uraume approached him from behind, head lowered. His gaze was unwavering as he continued to stare at you.

He grunted in response.

“The councilmans here to see you.”

“Tell him I'm busy.”

“It's important.”

“He can wait.”

She gulped. Hating that she had to be the news bearer.

“He… demands an audience.”

He tightened his fist.

“I'm afraid word got out. And now all your allies are beginning to talk. Not attending this meeting would only make things worse.”

“Tch.”

He turned around to face her, her head remained bowed.

“Where is he?”

That night dinner was quieter than usual.

He didn't eat, you hardly saw him eat anymore. He simply watched atop pillows, one fist under his jaw as you indulged. You were no longer intimidated by him when he was like this, pissed.

“What happened?”

You asked.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t do that with me Sukuna.”

You said as you lifted a bite of food to your mouth.

He scoffed and turned his head away pouting like a kid.

“Something political?”

He was never able to lie to you.

"Snotty pissboys who call themselves leaders who I have to upkeep diplomatic relations with."

His jaw ticked and fists tightened, the air growing thicker with tension. You decided not to press any further.

“Are you going to be okay or would like some help?”

He looked back at you, you had slid down your robe revealing your shoulder.

He grinned.

“I always want your help.”

Before Ryomen Sukuna was what he is today, he was a man.

A man who had made a mistake, falling in love.

He was a few things actually.

A man, a sorcerer, a killer, and a ruler.

But you held him back from his true potential. There were certain lines he would not cross as he progressed his reign of terror.

He maintained an air of ruthlessness and a reputation of brutality. It's how he amassed power, no one threatened to cross his merciless path. Rumors of him killing a handmaid for bringing him his tea late, or killing a high-ranking nobleman with a hairpin because his footman offended him. These tales were what kept him on his throne.

But as long as you lived, he would never be able to cross the threshold of true power. Because you gave him morals, and morals were limitations.

As of right now he was simply a king among men, a powerful sorcerer.

He desired to be a god, but that simply wasn't possible.

For what god cares for a human?

That human was what he lived for, and what he worked for.

Uraume and Sukunas inner circle despised you. They watched as the man who was on the rise to godhood was stumped by a non-sorcerer of no exceptional lineage or wealth. But they knew that you held more power over them than any of them combined- Killing you was not an option. You were untouchable, and an unmovable obstacle.

Even with your kindness you were a hindrance to them. They saw what you truly were.

An inconvenience, A weakness.

They had to stand by as he gawked at you and adorned you with jewels and silks, hand fed you grapes like a servant. Like he couldn’t snap your throat in an instant.

Disgusting.

And all the sex? fucking annoying.

He would have a warlord waiting in the conference room as you were shamelessly copulating in the springs.

People started to talk. About the ruthless leader Ryomen Sukuna and his only concubine.

The one that he spoiled, the one that he daunted around and let speak freely at his side during important meetings and gatherings.

Concubine. You could never forget that's what you are to most people, and you didn't. But it doesn't matter, because at the end of the day, you're the one who he’ll kill for. You knew that everyone either hated you or loved you, was either jealous or resentful.

Now usually, fellow people in power wouldn’t care about any usual whore. But you seemed to linger. Always be by his side and be the only one he had- and while the servants of his residence didn’t dare to say anything in fear of his retaliation, his allies and their servants had no such obligation. And once they left his grand estate, people talked.

You walked with an air of power, after a while you stopped caring about all the talk and rumors- because that's all it was. Talk. At the end of the day, they would treat you kindly with a warm smile as you walked by.

To a few who liked you, they admired you as the olive branch and as the light in his life. the one who stepped in with a moral objection before he killed or punished someone who likely didn't deserve his wrathful hand.

A sweet love story, and the last shred of his humanity. But to most, a mistake. To his inner Jujutsu circle, a hindrance.

Some nights you could touch him in all the right ways to get him to open up, you were on top, you left the hickeys.

Your face was buried in his neck, he never made any noise. Just moved. Maybe a grunt. You felt his hips rut against you as you traced the outline of his hard cock through his thin white robes.

Times like this at his most vulnerable was when you pried.

“Sukuna?”

He hummed against your head.

You placed your chin on his chest and looked up at him.

“Why don’t you marry me?”

His breath hitched slightly. But his face remained unmoving.

“You know I'd say yes.”

You pouted into him

“You’re cute.” He growled.

“I'm sexy. Not cute. And would be excellent as a spouse.”

You pressed yourself against him, slouching down as if in defeat.

“You are. We’re already together though, is this not enough?”

You sighed and turned around, facing upwards next to him.

“I just want it to be official. I'm tired of hiding behind doors. You're the strongest right? So why do you worry?”

He could lie and say politics. But he always found himself physically unable to.

“I've never been married before.”

“Neither have I, that's why we should do it together!” You whined as you nuzzled into his neck and threw an arm across his broad chest. One of his stronger ones wrapping around your back.

He chuckled into you. The truth was, a lot of reasons. He didn't want you to have the pressure that came as the married person to a powerful lord such as Sukuna when you were so young, and he also didn't want people to know about you. If he becomes married you become more of a target. Rather than your existence outside his home being whispers of a side piece, the ring on his finger would be an immediate show of “I have a weakness.”

You could get kidnapped, enslaved, assaulted, killed-

His fists tightened.

But also rather selfishly, he couldn't bare the thought of accepting himself as a romantic. A wedding ceremony and honeymoon is all too intimate for one such as himself, he's supposed to be revered and invoke terror.

You placed a soft hand across his own, easing the tension.

“I just want everyone to know you’re mine.”

“That I'm yours? What about you?”

“They already know who I belong to”. You said with a sly smile, moving down your kimono donning several hickeys and bites.

You moved so you were sitting on his lap, he sat up and looked up at you with half-lidded eyes.

“I want you to do what it takes to become the strongest so we can get married and you won't worry.”

You placed your hands on his chest and rubbed circles across his toned muscles.

He wasn't just scared of the enemy though; he was scared of losing himself. If he had no restraints, if he was away from his chain of reason and humanity- he couldn't hide the monster you suppressed. and the thought of him losing himself to madness didn't scare him- rather it stressed him out. The uncertainty of it all, the darkness he had been able to hide behind your shining light.

You laid down on him again and his arms instinctively found solace around you.

“Do you know what it would take for me to do this?”

“I do.”

“I’d be gone more. I might change.”

“Life is short, don’t waste it all on me.”

“It’s not a waste if it’s with you.”

You hummed in contentment as you nuzzled into his neck and closed your eyes.

"I know you'll never hurt me."

He exhaled a long sigh unfurrowing his brows. You were his humanity, so as long as he had you, it would be fine.

Right?

To gain power he needed to fight, which meant longer trips. But with your blessing he persisted, even if time away from you was torture.

“Protect them with your life or I'll ruin yours.”

Was the threat he gave to everyone as he left you alone.

He hated it. Absolutely fucking despised it Whether he was gone for two days or two months.

And he quickly learned how to take that rage and loneliness and warp it into his new growing obsession- power.

A name had begun to spring around Japan, as the man who never lost.

Rumors sprung of a monster terrorizing the region in which he reigned, and the ones outside of it.

Each time he came back to you he had to remind himself who he was, with your saccharine kisses, delicate touches, and careless whispers. Such a stark contrast to the pure filth and violence he was subjugating himself to.

But each time he left you, a piece of him stayed behind.

You never cared for the details of what he was doing, ignorance was bliss after all.

Until he came home with blood on his hands.

“Sukuna…”

You had gone in to kiss him, and you brought his hand up to your face. But that was when you noticed it.

“It’s not mine, don’t worry.” he said reassuringly, as if that was somehow better.

You stuffed it down. He’s a good man who loves you- he would never hurt you.

It was like a raging fire inching closer to you, but so long as you couldn't feel it, you could keep looking away.

You were looking around for him, trying to find his company as you carried your feet across the estate.

“Sukunaa!” You sang.

He came out from a corridor and closed it behind him.

“I was just thinking about…!”

Scarlet was scattered across his body as if he had been painted like a fine canvas.

You froze. A surge of fresh anxiety hit your veins as your eyes wandered down to the bottom of the door, what was behind it?

“Y/n”

He grabbed you by the waist and pulled you into him- his eyes were dead.

This was not your Sukuna.

You tried pushing him away, but he didn't let up. Instead his grip tightened.

“Did you know that your handmaid liked you? They were going to confess to you.”

He whispered.

“Stop…”

“To think that i’ve let myself fall from such grace that everyone has forgotten who you belong too.”

“Sukuna…”

You were not unfamiliar with bouts of jealousy. Of rough nights of fucking and hands on your neck. But in his eyes, there was always love, always sensual and caring underneath those layers of grit and abrasion. Extensive and precise control over his actions so as to not truly irreparably damage you. An air of caution and attention to detail to see if you were okay.

His grip was bruising, nails piercing the skin as rivulets of blood graced your skin.

He feverishly kissed you, shoving his tongue past your teeth in an aggressive movement.

You whimpered into him trying to leave, but each time you resisted he squeezed harder. He clogged your airways with his persistence and left you in shock. Pain began to violently spread where his grip was held.

He eventually pulled away as you stayed breathless and panting.

“Sukuna you're scaring m-”

“Don’t go in there. I can’t help you if you do.”

He cut you off as he released you and signaled for the nearest servant for them to clean the mess. Then he walked away.

Your eyes flickered to the cracked door behind him, terror coursing through your veins as you wondered what was inside.

The bruise on your hip blossomed shades of yellow and purple sharing an eerie resemblance to the blue lotuses in the garden.

You sat as hot tears glazed your face as the nurse dabbed your wound clean.

Small crescent-shaped abrasions graced across your hues of painted skin, artistic in a way.

The maid cleaning your wounds said nothing as you cried. too scared of what would happen if she dared utter a word.

She wrapped your wound in a cotton bandage, and instructed you to rest.

You leaned back admiring the hardwood walls and paintings, tears eventually ceasing as you lay alone, and cried alone.

The next few months it only got worse. He would be gone for even longer periods, and he limited your access to the outside world. At first, you could go with an escort, but now only him. And he was never there.

You started to write letters. To him, while he was gone, but you never gave them to him. Writing helped you clear your head.

But who you were writing to wasn't the man who was alive today, it was the one who you knew before you sent him off to become the strongest.

Sukuna,

I hope this letter finds you well. Because I, selfishly, am not. I am scared. I am irrefutably alone. Things are dimming and becoming gray, I find myself terrified in your presence, and terribly lonesome in your absence. I am in purgatory. Unable to move, or breathe, I can't even find the words to…

You sniffled as you dipped the pen back into its ink holder and slid into a cold bed.

You spent that night sobbing. At first quietly, but then you could no longer hold back the choked sobs that echoed through your shared bedroom.

You had to make a decision.

And so, you hid the final letter and packed your things.

And left within the dead of night.

A monstrous roar echoed through the decorated walls.

He violently worked his way through the entire estate, ripping doors and dropping ceramics.

“What did I say?!”

His voice almost echoed, filling the halls and invoking terror.

Anyone unfortunate enough to be met in his path was either yelled at, mauled, or both.

A trail of corpses and pools of crimson met his feet as he stormed through the halls.

“I gave everyone ONE job. And none of you know where they went?!”

Uraume ran up behind him and hovered a hand over his shoulder.

“Lord Sukuna! Perhaps this is a good thing.”

He turned around to face her, and with his silence, she continued.

“Now we can focus on your reign! You can inst-”

She was knocked to the ground.

“Mind your place.”

She put a hand over her face as blood gushed from her nose,

“I'll deal with you later.”

His words were toxic, malicious and deep,

“L-Lord sukuna!”

A lady wearing nurses' robes bowed on the ground.

“I may have information!" her voice shook.

“Well? Tell me!” He shouted

She got up and shuffled over to your room. Sukuna following close behind.

She slid the door open and the sight shocked him.

Your clothes were strewn across the floor, as well as papers, ink, and personal belongings.

You must've left distressed.

Without hesitation she went over to the corner where your writing station was, and popped open a loose floorboard, revealing dozens of letters. All were addressed to Sukuna.

She handed them over to him as she bowed her head to the ground.

He grabbed them and began rampantly flipping through as his face fell. He sat down on the shared bed, and he hung onto every word, every affirmation, and every syllable.

He brought his head up, a fury in his eyes.

“Pack my things.”

The nurse nodded and scurried away.

He had a death induced grip on the papers, crinkling and tearing under his hold.

He set off at night, alone.

“I will find you even if I must sacrifice each living soul and cast myself to hell.”

He made a vow to himself.

He stormed through each village and town slaughtering every person he saw after he asked his question.

No one knew what he was talking about, even after he killed their families. Some people would lie, but he could tell- resulting in their death as well.

His newfound senses and strength had allowed him to know the general direction in which you went, but not specifically where you were.

He pillaged through Japan on a vicious spree of mass genocide. Bodies strewn out like constellations across what was once green grass.

Men, women, children, babies. All were just sacks of useless weak flesh that stood in the way.

He would cross the occasional Jujutsu sorcerer, but he didn’t even care.

They all bleed the same.

He had worked his way through the night, until it was sunrise. And he didn’t sleep, he continued his rampage.

Throughout the next two days, an utter massacre as one of the most tragic events befell Japan. The countryside's peaceful silence was marked with grotesque screams, crop fields and farms now watered by blood. Corpses stacked into mounds of death.

Until he finally reached his destination. It had been days, but he knew he was there.

He could smell you.

A small clearing in the forest, with a small village no larger a population than 40 people.

He had warped into a beast, not quite physically yet, but the toll of murder to this degree puts a mark on one’s soul.

A specific hut with smoke arising from it similar to your cooking, the door creaked open.

You were sipping on tea, and talking with a member of the family that had offered you shelter, tending to the food- when the door creaked open.

The shaded figure bore dead soulless eyes, blood of varying stages of exposure, sharp teeth, and a cruel face.

“I found you.”

Your eyes shot open, and your heart began to beat faster as he approached.

“Excuse me! Sir? You ca-“

The sentence was interrupted and followed by a brief momentary silence, carried out by his body collapsing, missing a head.

Some of the blood splattered on your cheek.

“S..sukuna….”

You squeaked out with bloodshot eyes.

You backed yourself against the wall as he drew closer.

“Stop it please…”

He loomed over you, casting a deep shadow until he got down on his knees to be closer to you.

“You’ve got blood on your face.”

He brought a stained thumb to your cheek and wiped the blood from your soft skin.

“Let’s go home. I’ll discipline you later.”

He tried pulling you up by your wrist but you resisted.

“I’m not going!”

He picked you up with a fluid movement and threw you over his shoulder. You kicked, but it was for nothing. You had no effect on him.

He started walking out of the house as you saw the remains of the one who once offered you headless at your captors feet.

Tears began to form in your eyes as you saw the form get smaller and smaller.

You really did try and resist, you did. You pushed and shoved and clawed, but he ignored you as if you weren’t even there.

“Why are you doing this...?”

Your voice was weak.

He stayed quiet. Simply looking forward as he walked.

“I don’t like who you are anymore... I don’t feel safe.”

He stopped.

“Who’s idea was it for me to travel and get stronger?”

You jumped

“I didn’t know that it meant this!”

“Oh please. What did you think I was doing? Dancing? How else does one become powerful? You aren’t that stupid are you?”

He was right. You knew he was a killer, you had just denied it to yourself to live in your happy bubble. Tears continued to stream down your face.

You eventually fell limp and tired from the energy and exhaust, giving up for now.

He set you down at a tree as he began collecting firewood.

“Stay.”

Sukuna stayed close as he gathered sticks and logs nearby.

You shivered as night fell. Leaning against a lonesome tree and hugging yourself tightly, trying to choke back your sobs. Your situation dawning on you cruelly like a whip.

Hearing the sounds of footsteps approaching you, you turned around to see Sukuna shirtless as he held his robe over you.

“Take it.”

With a shaky hand you held onto it, and he helped drape it over you.

He put the final sticks in the pile, and you watched as he created a fire from his own hand, you were much too tired to even question how he could do that. And lit the log.

He made himself comfortable in the grass as his eyes met yours. You flinched upon the contact.

“I thought you died.”

He said in a gravelly voice. One that resonates through your entire body.

“I- I’m sorry…”

He tilted his head to the side.

“You’re not allowed outside again after this understand?”

You furrowed your brows and frowned, looking away.

You didn’t understand how he was remaining so casual, talking to you as if he didn’t just kidnap you and murder people.

You buried yourself in the familiar scent of his clothes. They were musty, but it was all you had.

Comforting yourself with him from him.

“Answer me.”

“Okay…”

“Okay what?”

“I understand.”

“Now go to sleep.”

“I can’t when you’re watching me.”

You wiped your eyes and sniffled, trying not to think about the situation.

“I don’t care.”

You desperately tried to sleep. To close your eyes and forget the day. But then you would feel the monstrous breathing behind you.

You swear he's a little taller than the last time you saw him.

Eventually as the night passed, the crackle of the fire lulled you into something close enough to sleep. When your breaths were slowed, he inched closer to you, laying down behind you.

The blaze of the dying fire dwindled and failed to distract you from your own thoughts. You slowly turned to face the beast behind you to see him asleep, audibly letting out a breath you didn't know you were holding.

The warmth he emitted was solace. And his peaceful face hid the killer within.

Maybe you could lie to yourself long enough to make this work, maybe you could pretend it was all okay.

You clenched your eyes and shook the thought away.

It’ll all be better in the morning.

His eyelids fluttered open, rays of light peeking behind the blinds to reveal your sleeping form breathing rhythmically in short paces.

He knew he shouldn’t be indulging in this.

But something about the attention filled a hole in him he never thought he needed filled.

He was always enough for himself.

It was only temporary he thought, as he sat up and eased out of bed.

Walking to the bathroom to brush his teeth and shower, as quietly as he could.

This really wasn’t like him. But he had just gotten so used to your unfamiliarity, to your sporadic actions and intangible remarks.

Even after over a month of living together, he still hadn’t aired out the mystery of you. He decided for the first time to just let it be for a while, let it sit- because things were too good the way they were right now.

One of you would start cooking or making tea and coffee, then twenty minutes later like clockwork the other would begrudgingly dredge in the kitchen with tired eyes and messy hair, sitting in a chair and accepting whatever plate of food or beverage was slid their way.

This morning, he was feeling particularly lazy and decided to order food. Something he knew you would have no objection to, considering the last time he cooked you called it “the nastiest tasting excuse for shit food” you had ever tasted.

Truth was it wasn’t terrible. And your attempts at cooking weren’t much better. But it felt nice practicing together.

He pulled out his phone and began putting in the food as he plopped himself down on the couch. kicking his feet up on the coffee table.

He could hear your disinclined footsteps from the other side of the big yet humble house make its way over to you.

“For someone so rich I really wish you had a guest bedroom. You snore.”

“That’s a pretty interesting way of thanking me for letting you live here for free.”

You drank a glass of water and made your way over to the couch, sitting down next to him before abruptly collapsing and falling your head into his lap.

“I can't live in my apartment remember?”

“What are you feeling for breakfast, sugary or savory?”

“Sugary.”

You rolled over to be facing upwards, staring at the bleak and perfectly eggshell white ceiling.

“A person after my own heart.”

He finished sending in the order as he set his phone down and also kicked his head up.

“Why is your house so boring? It wouldn’t kill you to paint it pink or something.”

“Pink? Really?”

“Sorry, blue.”

You looked over at his upwards facing chin, admiring his features until he looked down at you, causing you to avert your gaze.

“It’s rude to stare.”

You simply huffed and sat upright.

“You’re insufferable.”

“You love it.”

“I’m gonna go take a shower.”

You stood up and scampered away avoiding his remark as he shouted at you.

“Don’t slip and fall!”

You really shouldn’t be getting used to it. But this routine was so comfortable to you now. And for both of you, served a purpose outside yourselves. A selfishly selfless act.

For you, the safety and regiment you so desperately needed to ground yourself after all the change and trauma you had witnessed in the last month. Being with Gojo was a slow addiction. you tell yourself you can quit anytime, but realize too late that you can’t live without it.

For him, the wild and crazy circumstances of the whole thing made it too delicious to quit. The sheer absurdity of it all for him- you being an exception. It was a stronger but fleeting high.

You had been making impeccable progress, as far as he was concerned. Which was good, because there was so much banking on your success. So much more than you knew.

You dreamt about him again. All these memories keep resurfacing that you never had. You suddenly developed an interest in ancient Japan and Jujutsu society, taking in any history about it that you could.

Physically, you still had a long way to go before you reached your full potential, but you were trying.

You hadn’t been on a mission in several weeks, learning only the basics such as how to wield a weapon and concentrating cursed energy at will. But seemingly everyday it gets a little easier.

You let the hot water roll over your body, an act almost cleansing in the physical and spiritual sense. The steam awakens your senses, and you rest easy knowing when you get out food will be waiting for you in the kitchen. That all things are as they should be for the time being.

The weather is slowly getting colder, as fall creeps its way over summer. Leading you to wear warmer clothing, a long sleeve and pants. You step out into the kitchen drying the remnants of water in your hair using your mostly damp towel, the smell of food hitting your nose.

“This is the real reason why I stick around Satoru.”

“Really? Nothing else?”

You didn't even entertain him as you ripped open the bags filled with stacks of delectable goodness.

Adjacent to you he got two plates out and utensils, the both of you began setting your plates.

“Oh and also, you have a mission tomorrow.”

You halted your movements abruptly, slowly turning your head to his unbothered disposition.

“And you just thought to tell me?”

Venom laced your words.

“I didn't want you to be mad at me! you get scary.”

You took a deep breath and spoke behind gritted teeth.

“Okay. Care to tell me more?”

Aggressively shoving food on your plate, he stepped a couple paces farther from you.

“There's been reports of a higher ranked curse going around, weird stuff keeps happening, people dying, mutilation, blah blah. You’ll be accompanied by a pro this time rather than just babysitting.”

“Alright. And will my life be in danger? Are you hiding the details from me again, so I have no idea what I'm walking into?”

“Nope! Not this time.”

He walked away with his plate of food and sat on the couch.

“Are there any other details you'd like to disclose before I find out the truth?”

“Not particularly.”

He said before a big bite.

You very annoyingly sat down as far away from him as possible.

“I better not find out you're lying to me.”

“Just watch a pro at work, that’s all you gotta do.”

“Do I at least get a weapon?”

The first thing you notice about Nanami is his deliberate ability to make any situation feel more or less stressful.

His face bore little to no reactions, his posture stiff and correct, his voice commanding.

He made a lasting impression.

The second thing you noticed was that he was also handsome. Not pretty like Gojo or cute like Yuuji, but handsome.

You trudged through the tunnel of a dark sewer. You had to remain strong. As difficult as it had been to accept over the last weeks, this was going to be your life now.

You honestly didn’t know what to expect.

“You’ve been misinformed I assume.”

He broke the silence.

“Probably. I have a terrible teacher.”

“Sounds in character for him. What all do you know of the situation?”

“Basically nothing.”

You felt that feeling again, of being in the dark. Quite literally and metaphorically.

“Itadori and I have done most of the leg work already, the hunt for this transfigurer and tracking its location.”

“Transfigurer?”

“I suppose I should prepare your for what you are about to see. If at all it becomes stressful I understand if you want to leave.”

He took your affirming nod and silence as a means to continue his explanation.

“This curse can alter one’s physical shape into anything it desires. It’s a truly grotesque and disgusting power. Which is why I take urgency to exorcise it.”

“By ones physical shape do you mean…?”

“Humans.”

You felt a tightness well in your throat.

“You’re new to this, and if I’m being frank this assignment was not the best to be one of your first. But I suppose this is a good way to throw you into the field and begin developing your tolerance.”

Tolerance? You wondered what he meant.

As honest as he was, you knew he was hiding information from you.

“Nanami, I have a question.”

He continued in silence, your sign to continue.

“Is Satoru hiding something from me?”

He pushed his glasses up and came to a stop.

“It’s not my place to say.”

That made your stomach drop.

“I will tell you this, no single functional mind could comprehend that man’s intentions.”

He continued walking. A shared silence as you felt torn between not wanting to pry, and desperately needing to know more.

“Whenever we find what we’re looking for, I want you to stay a consistent 20 paces behind me at all time. If you get in the way it could compromise your safety as well as mine.”

You simply nodded. Far too on edge to properly respond.

You weren’t going to question his authority, especially when his confidence made you feel at ease. Usually being commanded on what to would have made you livid, but now you could do nothing but listen. It was mostly silence.

You just kept trudging the seemingly endless tunnel on edge until something happened.

“H-e…lp m…e…”

A distorted and raspy voice was heard beyond in the darkness.

You froze. Immediately following Nanami’s rule and slowly easing yourself several feet behind him.

And you’re glad you did, when what you saw made you feel dizzy.

A creature with four legs and deep purple skin, eyes on opposite side of its head an no neck.

Without any hesitation or time to process, Nanami sliced across its chest and with a single blow, killed it. It’s body falling limp at his feet as he continued walking.

You attempted to remain calm. Seeing as how he was, you were scared of what he may think if you freaked out, you couldn’t imagine burdening him during a serious moment and messing things up.

“Those are what I was talking about, transfigured bodies.”

“That was once a…”

You walked by it, footing unsteady, giving one last fleeting glance at the cadaver.

“Now you see why we need to eliminate this curse.”

Sudden emotion over took you as you continued walking, remembering its eyes. Human eyes.

You shook your head. Choosing to not care in the moment.

That cycle repeated. A monster crosses your path, Nanami slashes it, and you continue down the endless paths of dim tunnels.

You weren’t exactly a master at this or anything relating, but it didn’t take a genius to notice your comrades growing irritation.

“Are you okay?” You muttered

“I only wish this curse would show itself. Even if these are disfigured and beyond help, killing humans leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

“Oh Good Good!”

A different voice approached from the darkness; a sudden gut-wrenching feeling overcame.

“I was really worried someone strong would show up. But you two should be easy to experiment on!”

Nanami seemed unbothered. Pushing his glasses upwards. They stood in an uneasy silence for a moment. Just a moment.

And before you knew it a series of blows were exchanged faster than your eyes could keep up with. You didn’t even see who attacked first.

All you could do was try and stay out of his way.

The curse suddenly slid back several feet. Wide eyed.

“Was that some kind of cursed technique? I should’ve blocked it.”

“What do you mean some kind? I don’t appreciate questions that are left to interpretation”

“Oh good, seems you don’t mind talking!”

“That depends on who I’m talking to.”

“Guess I’m special then huh?”

This curse oozed a certain arrogance which reminded you eerily of Gojo.

You stopped breathing when he pointed to you.

“And who’s that then?”

Nanami stepped further in front of you to block his view. You were honestly shocked he could see you; you were so far back in the darkness that you could barely even tell what was going on.

“That doesn’t concern you.”

“Emotional support? I guess your job does get pretty tricky huh? Humans can’t handle much.”

“They're my colleague.”

He tapped his foot on the ground, seemingly thinking something.

“Hey what do you think came first? The body, or the soul?”

You both had a confused look.

“Y’know like chicken and the egg? Is the soul inside the body, or is the body outside the soul?”

“The former.”

He was tense. You didn’t like the air around you; the whole situation was awkward. You had been looking at curses as non-human things to ease the guilt and trauma, but to know that they could talk and be coherent, sent you someplace dark.

“Wrong. The soul always exists before the body.”

Nanami looked like he could care less.

“It’s the source of my power. I transform the shape of my soul; it’s not healing or shapeshifting like many believe.”

Out of nowhere a creature summoned at his hand.

“I make humans small and store them, it’s pretty hard Y’know?”

You watched as Nanami checked his watch and muttered something under his breath.

“An ordinary person dies after being transfigured. I wonder what will happen to you jujutsu sorcerers…”

So much had happened you struggled to make sense of any of it. You no longer knew how much time had passed. You would have guessed fifteen minutes- but knew it was probably longer.

They were ruthless. The punches, the kicks, the blocking and dodging. You felt too appalled to do anything and too interested to look away.

Somehow this felt familiar to you. Watching it all was like replaying a movie you had seen when you were a young child. Details blurred and specifics unknown, but a certain naturalness came with it once you saw it again.

“I'm now officially working overtime.”

Nanami eased his tie, and a sudden shift was felt in the air.

“So, you have a way to get stronger from fighting past a certain time huh? You’re not half bad.”

He sported a sickening smile through the entire ordeal. One that made your insides curl.

You watched as the ground beneath Nanami shifted beneath him and lifting him up, another deformed body had been conjured and was serving as an impromptu ledge. He crouched and wiped his thumb across a crying face.

“I’ve mastered transfiguring souls without killing them. Try not to feel too bad.”

“I don’t let personal feelings affect my work.”

It all suddenly hit you. He changes the shape of people into grotesque… things. And all the while they stay fully conscious and feeling.

“You’re such a terrible liar! About this and your ‘colleague’.”

A strong sense of justice took over you.

“So, you just transform people into whatever you want? Just because you look like a freak doesn’t mean everyone else does too!”

A sudden sense of Deja Vu came over you, remembering when your fear left your body in place of anger when you were fighting that special grade curse. You were no longer yourself, just your emotions.

Nanami looked back at you shocked, and judging by the curses face, he was as well.

“Well I’ll be damned. The cheer section has some voice. What rank are you? I hardly defected any cursed energy from you before. I thought you weren’t even a sorcerer!”

“I don’t have a rank.”

Nanami sighed. Clearly annoyed at the fighting and provoking.

“You should get one soon so we can have a proper fight. I’m really looking forward to seeing what would happen to that deformed soul of yours once I get a hold of it.”

You went to open your mouth.

“That’s enough.”

Nanami butted in before you two could insult each other again.

“And what about you my blonde-haired friend? What’s your rank.”

“Grade 1.”

“So, you’re strong huh? Perfect for experimentation. Both of you make a fine pair. First, I just have to get rid of the bodyguard!”

Suddenly, the hand of the curse slammed against Nanami's stomach, flat-palmed. They stood still for a brief moment.

It felt like time stopped.

Did he kill him? Was something going to happen? What would happen if Nanami died? You can’t fight this guy by yourself!

Panic started to set in, and you had to fight every natural instinct telling you to run away.

“Looks like your soul is being subconsciously protected by cursed energy. But that’s no worry, another 2-3 times you’ll no longer be human!”

As much as you hated this helpless feeling, you were learning a lot.

Learning how weak and ignorant you were, and how strong you could be. Nanami was inspiring, unlike Gojo who flaunted strength and barely delivered, Nanami showed and didn’t boast. He simply acted, strength just coming to him, and it suited him well.

“Y’know you’re getting kind of boring.”

He looked back to you.

You felt a breeze hit your face, followed by a hand on your shoulder.

He was behind you.

“You’re much more interesting.”

Nanami gritted his teeth and ran back to you quickly, with a face that could only be described as something between concern and fear. He aimed a critical hit, but his blade was met with nothing, causing him to stumble forward but gracefully compose himself.

The curse was far behind him.

Your knees buckled. You didn’t even see him move, he was well over thirty feet away and he suddenly appeared behind you- you felt your throat tighten and your lungs fail to collect air as the shock subsided.

Your heart started racing, your hands clenched, and face flushed.

“Well I’ll be damned! Nothing happened when I touched you either!”

Suddenly, Nanami lunged at the curse, swinging his weapon to which the curse dodged.

He shouted at you.

“Hey! Are you aware of your unique soul?”

You figured it was best to not engage at all. Swallowing a nervous lump in your throat.

“Your fight is with me, leave them alone.”

“Why bring them along then? It doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that their soul is in a different shape, does it?”

“A different shape?”

You muttered out.

“Yeah! I’ve never seen anything like it. You two are sure an unforgettable pair. I really wonder what would happen if my cursed technique worked on you.”

“Y/n.”

Nanami's voice cleared the space of your spiraling thoughts.

“Leave.”

You hesitated for a second, before turning around and letting your feet carry out as fast as you could, back where you came in from. You heard fighting and struggling behind you as you disappeared into the dark, not daring to turn around.

When you reached the entrance, you nearly vomited.

You held your stomach and doubled over, supporting yourself on some near railing, the events finally settling in.

Everything seemed to be delayed in these slowly turning familiar terrifying circumstances.

You were panting and shaking- trying desperately to compose yourself.

“Y/n?”

You slowly turned your head up trying not to hurl as the images and phrases repeated in your head.

It was Yuuji, accompanied by a black-haired teen you hadn’t seen before.

“Are you okay?”

He looked so concerned.

“Y-yeah. Just…”

You felt bile build up in your throat, moving a hand over your mouth and the other to hold up your pointer finger in a ‘one second’ motion.

The boys looked at each other awkwardly.

“Just... adapting.”

“I get it. It was hard for me too, in the beginning.”

A still silence sat for a moment.

“Wanna come with us? we could sit down somewhere and maybe get you a drink or something?”

You slowly nodded your head yes.

The darker-haired boy didn’t seem to talk at all as you and a Yuuji conversed, maybe he was just shy. You didn't care enough at the moment to ask questions though.

The three of you sat on concrete steps overlooking a river, holding sodas.

“They were people once. And when I finally found that out, I just couldn’t hold back this feeling of dread.”

“Yeah. I felt the same way.”

“How do you do it? Keep it together? You both lived normal lives then suddenly had to throw it all away for monsters and magic.”

“You don’t have a choice. These things, they’re true evil. They’re not people, and they only exist to kill. And I guess, knowing that they exist and that I can do something about it is better than not doing anything at all.”

You sat on that. This was a chance for you to better the world, to make a change.

“I guess I never thought about it like that.”

“And Y’know, you don’t get any awards or medals or credit or anything. No ordinary person will ever know what you do for them, but you have a community to share that with. It’s not like Spider-Man where he goes home every day and has to pretend everything is normal. You have friends who are like you!"

“Did you just compare Jujutsu society to Spider-man?”

“It works doesn’t it!” He flashed you a smile that made you feel better.

It does.

“I just don’t think I’m ready. Ready to fight… monsters or anything.”

“Not many people are. I guess I’m an exception because I want to help people more than anything. You just got to find that motivation!”

What motivates you?

You wanted to help people. But not as passionately as Yuuji did. You weren’t angry enough to take it out on curses like Gojo suggested, and you weren’t calculated like Nanami where you could treat this like a day-to-day job.

So why even do this? Self-defense?

Your head perked up.

“Answers.”

Yuuji turned his head over at you in confusion.

“Huh?”

“I want answers.” Your fist tightened.

“I have to go, thank you.”

Yuuji and the other boy stared at you as you walked off.

You stormed inside the home after unlocking the front door.

You took off your shoes and walked past Gojo on the couch. You didn’t utter a single word to him.

“So, how’d it go?”

“Tell me the truth.”

“I asked you a question first.”

He joked, but quickly his smile dropped as he saw the seething expression on your face.

“I want answers, Satoru. No more half truths or bullshit.”

With a blank expression he stood up, walking over to you.

“What do you want to know?”

#jjk #jjk fanfic #jujutsu kaisen #fanfic #jjk x reader #jujutsukaisen fanfiction #sukuna #sukuna x reader #ryomen x reader #ryomen sukuna #sukuna ryomen #jujutsu kaisen sukuna #gojo satoru #gojo x reader #jjk imagines

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vxlentinescookies · 12 days

Note

This is a sequel of the previous Dark Cacao one were they fought and everything

Things have calmed down now, the awkward moment has open space for some time, peace and some further talks

But Dark Cacao has come into term with a little something

He likes Reader Cookie: (use any pronouns) are/is strong, resourceful, agile and very skilled, he could see so much potential, and it's a surprise to find someone who not only knows their way in a fight, but ALSO can match HIM

He wants to ask her out, the issue is: how!?

He was not a single clue, time to ask his soldiers for advise I guess?

Maybe even contact hollyberry?

(To resume, this is Dark Cacao finally knowing he likes Reader Cookie, asks others for advise to ask them out and fails miserably, but Reader Cookie is so amazed at the brave [though failed] attempt that decides to give the idea of a date a try)

→ ❛Between the sword and your opponent, pt. 2❜

→ Pairing ; Dark Cacao Cookie x Reader → Quote ; ❛❛It surely didnt go according to plan but, to say Hollyberry, who had been listening intently from behind one of the pillars, wasnt satisfied, would be an understatement.❜❜ → Genre ; Drama , Romance → A/N ; This was very fun hahah, pt 1 is here!

Its been a good few days after the incident, the one where you shamelessly flirted with Dark Cacao in the middle of a fight. To say the king hadnt been thinking about it was… an understatement, he had thought about it, quite a lot. It had leaked into his daily like like the growing vines of grapes, and in return, they were twisting and shaping around his brain like a deadly respite. This, paired with the following talks you both had about the help the kingdom of Rose Champagne wanted to offer to the kingdom of Cacao, and the inevitable flirting that came with your personality, Dark Cacao seemed to inevitably start falling in love. It was a force of nature he didnt expect, that he didnt take in consideration, but as time passed, he realized that these feelings were ever present, and that there was no way he could keep them hidden.

Love, for Dark Cacao, was something he had long since given up on. He no longer seeked it, and he no longer expected it, especially after the falling out with his previous wife and the loss of his son, that he still deep down loved dearly, he no longer felt he had a place in the grounds of love, therefore, he simply stayed on his own place, allowing himself to be moved by the currents of life while focusing on the current moments with his kingdom, his subjects, and the war ever present with Dark Enchantress Cookie.

Thats perhaps what made this moment the more jarring to him, to be flirted with after he felt unlovable, after he felt undeserving of being loved—And then, the fact that his heart was starting to beat with fervor and energy yet again, for someone he once hurt unintentionally… It put his mind and heart at a standstill, confused as to how to proceed, confused as to what to do exactly.

“Damn, sounds like you’re deep in the trenches of love, old friend” Hollyberry would tell them once Dark Cacao sought them out for help, after all, out of all his comrades, the hollyberrian was the most capable when it cames to matters of love.

“Sigh, Im just, confused as what to do… I’ve given up on love a long time ago…” He said, looking down for a few moments, before turning back at her.

His hands were tainted with blood, and his mind haunted by the warriors long lost in the wars the cacao kingdom had been part of, not to mention the small guilt that followed him for having fallen in the trap that was Affogato’s tricks. He sighed yet again, because then there was you, someone hurt unintentionally by his hand, even if he was under the tricks of the snake, he still felt like he owed his people something.

“Oh c’mon, rid yourself of that long face, Dark Cacao!” Hollyberry would snap him of his thoughts, as she’d laugh heartily “Its clear what you must do, you must act upon your emotions!”

“Act… Upon my emotions?” He felt like he stayed in square one, unable to think of what exact way to move thorough this new challenge. “Right, but, how exactly?”

“You speak as if you hadnt been in a marriage once!” She spoke yet again, frowning for a moment before patting his back lively, and perhaps a bit too strongly “Fret not! What you must do, is confess and ask her out on a date! Dosent that sound logical?”

Right, a date… If only he wasnt rusty in these themes, perhaps the idea would’ve seemed more appetizing, but as it stood, he was confused and didnt know exactly what to do or say. Hollyberry, noticing this, would just sigh and shake her head, she thought Pure Vanilla was THE challenge in the ancient’s groups when it came to love, but Dark Cacao? Now he was winning second place.

You had been resting in your quarters, quietly taking a nap when it happened, a soldier knocking on your door causing you to wake up startled, and once the door opened, you would look confused at the soldier in question, looking at you with seriousness as he spoke the words sent by his majesty. He was requesting your presence in the throne room, words that left you dumbfounded as you brushed hair out of your face before nodding. You didnt put much thought about it, as you dressed to come see Dark Cacao in the throne room.

Walking towards the castle suddenly felt colder than usual, and your steps felt heavier, as if you were expecting something bad to happen, but thinking about it, the worse that could happen would be Dark Cacao shaming you and sending you back after your constant flirting… which didnt seem to be the case, if anything it did seem quite… out of character? The king didnt seem to be that fazed by your flirting, so… But on the other side, you could be expecting the end of the trip as he declared that all was well, and that the Cacao Kingdom would continue relations with the Rose Champagne Kingdom… Not really out of character and far more viable… still, if it were to be the case, why were you hesitating? Why were you feeling so heavy? Confused, you simply approached the door before stopping.

Were you, were you falling in love? No, there was no way, there was simply no way that you were falling in love with the King of the Cacao Kingdom, was it…?

“Your majesty, I’ve arrived…” You spoke as you finally took a step inside, bowing in front of the king, before he’d dismiss the other cookies in the room, letting you both alone in the room. “Is there, something you wished to discuss with me?”

“Yes, ahem… (y/n) cookie, there are some matters I must get to… involving you”

You lifted an eyebrow as he spoke, his nervousness apparent as he left the throne and walked towards you. Each step felt dangerous yet filled with a certain sense of unknown that scared you in some way. Yet you persisted, until he was right in front of you.

“Will… Ahem… Will you go on a date with me?”

“Huh?”

Now it was your turn to be taken aback. You stared at him dumbfounded as you felt all your worries and fears fade away into the dark. He looked at you curiously and you simply coughed before looking at him, smiling.

“... S-Sure, I dont mind!”

“You dont have to if you dont want to…”

“No-No, I do want to! Lets go on a date!”

It surely didnt go according to plan but, to say Hollyberry, who had been listening intently from behind one of the pillars, wasnt satisfied, would be an understatement.

#🌙;moonlit dreams #dark cacao cookie x reader #cookie run x reader #cookie run kingdom x reader #crk x reader

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keicordelle · 5 months

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Chiluc Fluff ✧✧゜

"Doesn't that bother you, to have your hair all tangled up like that?"

Diluc twisted in the bed, further tangling the red snarl that twisted under his back and caught in his armpits. Childe beside him watched him with bright eyes, one hand pillowed under his cheek and his own mop of ginger curls a cowlicked mess. Diluc fought down the smile that rose -- it was too early in the morning for teasing. "No," he answered simply, though he did reach behind himself to tug it free. Childe's eyes traced the movement, stroking like a palm along his tricep and over the fiery hair in the hollow of his arm. "I'm used to it."

Childe's eyes flicked back up to his. "But wouldn't it be less annoying if you tied it back or something? You do it during the day anyway."

Diluc shrugged -- or at least made his best intimation of one while lying on his side in bed. "It tugs on my scalp if I keep it tied up that long. Besides, I thought you liked it down. You're the one who's always telling me to let it loose." The growing collection of hair ties Childe had stashed somewhere was testament enough to that.

"Well, yes," Childe hedged. "I just thought maybe I could braid it for you. I bet you'd look good in a braid. I could weave flowers in it, or grapes! I bet a grape vine would weave perfectly through your hair."

Diluc arched a brow, opting to ignore the second half of his foolishness to ask the more surprising question. "You know how to braid?"

"What do you take me for?" he asked in mock-affront. "I'm the best big brother in all of Teyvat. Of course I know how to braid hair! I even learned a bunch of fancy styles. My sisters loved it. It was-- nice. To get to do that together. It's been a while since I've seen them."

Diluc watched him for a moment, a longing of a different sort passing over his face. He could understand that. It had been years since he and Kaeya-- Well. It had been years since there'd been someone around to braid his hair. "Alright," he relented. Childe perked up, his worries forgotten, or at least shoved into that little box in the back of his mind that Diluc knew he carried. He had one just the same, and he shoved his own ancient memories in it to focus on the man sharing his bed, his eyes alight like an eager puppy. "I guess it wouldn't be so bad to tie it up at night."

Childe smiled at him, warm and contented. The expression sent tingles through Diluc's chest. Who knew he could be so sweet?

Until he opened his damned mouth and ruined it.

"Plus then I won't have to wake up with your hair in my mouth anymore!" Childe finally admitted with a grin.

Diluc laughed. "Ah, now the truth comes out!"

#genshin impact #chiluc #i dont usually do writing warm ups but sometimes you just gotta sit down and spit out some chiluc fluff before you can do anything else #diluc x childe #diluc #childe #diluc ragnvindr #tartaglia #diluchi #genshin #my writing #~k

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apollomes-supremacy · 2 years

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LO Dionysus design 🍇🎭

This will be a long post since Dionysus isn’t a character yet so I had to create him from 0.

The beginning of Dionysus’ introduction started on EP 93 (with Semele, Dionysus’ mother), but it has been more than 100 episodes and we got absolutely nothing from that plot, which is bad considering that other gods get involved in the og myth (Zeus, Hera and Hermes, mainly), but none of them (before and after the time skip) display any knowledge or memory of the event, especially Zeus, who is the one who accidentally kills Semele in the first place.

I already talked about it here, but im 100% sure that the child mentioned in episode 218 is Dionysus. He should be 10 yo right now and he’s the only character (vaguely) introduced who is around that age. Not to mention, Dionysus does have some connections with the Underworld. My main theory is that he will be adopted by HxP and will remain a child for the rest of the series (probably skipping the majority of Dionysus’ myths). And that’s honestly such a waste of potential. So I decided to give my take on him if he was in LO, like the redesigns I did with many other characters.

Design

My main inspo was 60′s and 70′s Hippie fashion, with a lot of patterns, accessories (crystals, evil eyes, beads, rings, etc), loose clothes and a more lazy/cozy look. He’s two shades of purple that split his face, which is meant to represent his duality as the god of parties and joy & god of wrathful madness. Hermes gave him nymph ears to use as a disguise when he was young, but he doesnt want to change them back because he grew up and feels comfortable with them. He has a very androgynous/feminine look, which leads to a lot of people thinking he’s an actual nymph.

In his true form (which can come out voluntarily, but usually happens when the god gets so mad that they are unable to control themselves) he can get really big. Leafs and grapes sprout everywhere, he gets another pair of arms made of plants’ stems and his eyes go full neon green.

Story

His story is very similar to the og myths, with just some small differences. He is born from Zeus’ thighs and goes to live with Demeter and Persephone as one of their nymphs to escape Hera’s wrath. There he starts to question a lot about himself, like his gender and his origins (he doesn’t know he is not an actual nymph), and when puberty hits, his body and his powers go crazy. Its also around that time when he meets and falls in love with Ampelos (and you know how that story ends).

When the wine he creates starts growing in popularity and Dionysus starts getting worshipped by some cities, Zeus decides that there’s no reason to hide him from Hera anymore, so he brings Dionysus to Olympus and reveals the truth, inviting him to become an Olympian. Dionysus says yes without thinking twice, so he moves in and starts to get prepared for his ceremony and his new life.

But there’s a problem. The Olympus lifestyle is way too different from Dionysus’. People are sophisticated, modern and even mean-spirited, while he is the complete opposite. It’s hard for him to fit in and he just wants to go home with the nymphs and satyrs, and he eventually does... illegally.

Personality & relationships

Dionysus is very outgoing and funny. He’s kind to everyone around him (not discriminating against nymphs, satyrs or mortals), but he can get very emotional very fast. He gets easily annoyed, which will prob just result in some unwanted vines around the house and a grumpy look, but the moment he gets mad is when everything falls apart (wrath form). Anger issues + no control over powers = no good.

He sees Demeter as a mother and Persephone and the nymphs as older sisters, while Silenus and the other satyrs served as fathers. His favorite brother is Hermes who kept an eye on him during his entire childhood and still cares deeply for him. He also has an interesting relationship with Apollo, he is very scared and intimidated by him (I understand why lol) but wants to start a friendship. Except for the fact that Apollo already has a soft spot for him, Dionysus is just oblivious to it. Ares is also scary and kinda mean, but he likes Dionysus and cares for him. He’s very indifferent towards Zeus, Hera hates him (he hates her too) and everyone else is pretty neutral, considering he doesnt know a lot of people outside of the nymphs and satyrs.

Powers

Dionysus is a fertility god (which in this universe doesnt mean that much), this means he has powers over vegetation (like Demeter) and mortals’ desires (like Aphrodite). Being the god of madness also means that he can make people so mad to the point of committing atrocities and completely losing their minds. In his true form, simply looking at him can lower your sanity. He also has the powers all the other gods have, like changing forms, cursing and blessing people, being summoned by mortals, etc.

That’s all I have the energy to write rn. I tried to replicate the LO art style, and honestly I really liked the result! Hope you guys liked it too <3

(Also, Dionysus would be around his 20′s when the story takes place. He is Pansexual and is still confused about his gender but he’s fine with any pronouns).

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mugentakeda · 3 months

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as soon as ursa registered that the person that just stepped into the garden was a messenger dressed in white, she knew her nephew was dead.

he'd only departed for ba sing se a few weeks ago. she'd gotten one hawk from him while he was still on his way to the faraway city- passionate descriptions about the beautiful earth kingdom terrain and scenery, his nervousness and dread, how much he already missed the kids and her and home.

she already knew he didn't want to go. just a month shy of 600 days did lu ten manage to hold off on joining his father in his divine quest, to get the capital of the earth kingdom to finally surrender. holding strong to his decision, despite pressure and badgering from every direction. ursa never cared. she knew ozai cared, firelord azulon cared, the whole council and nobility cared- but ursa has always cursed the council and nobility anyway. she knows her nephew's heart is true and hardworking even if he's not the most open about his patriotism, and knows that he's always been stubborn and independent. spirits, if she was a prince, she isn't sure that she'd want to spend her first big military venture in her father's shadow either. iroh had respected his son's wishes without a fight, just like ursa knew her honorable brother-in-law would, and left for ba sing se alone. that should've been the end of that.

azula told her (rather sourly) that the strange navy fellow that lu ten had been peers with while training under admiral jeong jeong managed to convince him otherwise. how, her daughter wasn't sure, and wasn't pleased. ursa had asked lu ten about it not much later, easily confessing to her nephew that she heard through the lychee-grape vine that he'd changed his mind about ba sing se- but he'd been cagey and evasive, and offered no real explanation. the evening later, he promptly announced at dinner that he'd be departing from the fire nation in the next couple days to join his father. and looked like he wanted to vomit afterwards, as firelord azulon put a weathered hand on his shoulder and shook him with satisfaction. she waited up late that night, praying he'd sneak to her chambers, so they could discuss the matter in whispers. but he never showed.

ursa had found him early the next morning, before agni even peeked over the horizon, tending to his beloved jogekama yari.

he sat up straight at the sound of her footsteps on the tile, and sighed heavily. as usual, lu ten knew it was his aunt without looking (unbeknownst to ursa, over the previous years, he'd been memorizing the sound of everyone in the family's footsteps. that way, he could mentally prepare himself for the interaction- lest the footsteps belong to ozai.).

I don't feel like being interrogated right now, auntie, he'd muttered. the young prince didn't sound angry, but terribly drained, and terribly defeated. the days where she could take one look at him and know exactly what was going through his head were long gone, sadly.

i'm sorry, she'd replied sadly. I just wanted to make sure you were truly alright. because… well, ever since I married your uncle….

his face pinched and he looked back down at his spear in silence. the hot morning air was heavy with foreboding. the rest went unspoken, as such things usually do in this suffocating palace they both call home. I think of you as my own.

she'd watched him grow up. she'd been there when his voice dropped, when he started growing sideburns, when he came home from shu jing armed with a mighty staff and bursting in pride, when the first sparks of lightning erupted from his hands and he made history. lu ten had been the only one to check in on her after she gave birth to zuko, and then the same with azula. he held them in his arms before ozai did. he'd been the one to choose azula's wet nurse when ursa was too sickened and depressed to eat well enough to breastfeed her baby girl. he was the one present for azula's first words and first steps- which is all now a secret between them that he's literally taken to the grave. her children's big brother in spirit, ursa's little brother and son from another mother.

the hands clutching the scroll tremble in despair and rage. what will happen now? her only teammate is gone. the one person in the whole world that truly went out of his way to look out for her and hers is gone. i'm not strong enough to hold him off on my own, my nephew, she thinks.

ursa bites the inside of her cheek until it bleeds to quell the tears welling up. you won't ever see him again. you're going to have to get used to living without him. he's never coming home. his father didn't keep him safe. it's over.

#dai li lu ten au #<-kinda. I just wanna emphasize how close lu ten and ursa were. it has a lot to do with how I characterize him lol #alicias writing stuff

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queerfics · 2 months

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too sweet (slightly nsfw drabble) - yara greyjoy x f! reader

Summary: a lyric-inspired drabble about being Yara's crewmate and lover <3

Word Counting: 952

Warnings: slight nsfw

You know you're bright as the morning,

On mornings like this one, Yara loves being on land.

If you had been on a boat and not in her chambers, Yara would've woken hours before this, planning and preparing and delegating for the day to come. She would've missed the warmth of the sunshine wrapping your embraced bodies even closer, and she wouldn't have been able to crawl back into your arms.

Although the sea is her home, she is always happy to retire within your presence, relieving herself of her duties for just a morning or so.

As soft as the rain,

You're Ironborn, just as Yara is, yet she wishes you weren't.

Your recklessness kills her inside just as much as it turns her on. The way you dive head first into danger leaves her heart and her core throbbing, face growing hot for mixed reasons.

You've always been competent in battle, and you've taken down just as many (if not more) men than her. You've always followed closely behind her, watching her back and being the difference between her seeing the sun or not many more times than she could count.

Yara tries not to let herself get too comfortable with your capability, as every time she does, you return to her in shambles, coughing up your own blood with the remains of another person on your hands and sword. Every time, she shakes you, screams at you, curses you and herself, and she's reminded of the anchor she's dropped in you and how vulnerable it makes her.

Despite this, despite the way she slaps you and yells and acts as if she herself is dying, you always laugh up at her through pained winces. You let her carry you back to safety, let her stitch you up yourself and frighten away anyone with actual training, let her soothe her storm through you.

Pretty as a vine,

You stomp around the Black Wind like you were born to take on the water. You look just as roughed up, just as dirty and just as unkempt as any other crewmate on board, but Yara can't help but find the way you wear it particularly easy on the eye.

To any man, the dirty beneath your fingernails is disgusting, but Yara saw the way you lifted barrels over your shoulder like they were nothing. Your hair is unwashed now, but Yara knows what you look like when it's just the two of you naked in a sparkling lake. Your hands are rough, but Yara has seen you scale entire masts without any support, and gods does that stir something within her.

As sweet as a grape.

Yara's never been a huge fan of wine. She'd much rather prefer a bitter or hearty drink, but your dripping cunt is an exception.

It's a delicacy she'd greedily swallow, taking every drop you'd give her until your thighs are shaking around her head and you're clawing at her back and begging for relief.

If you can sit in a barrel, maybe I'll wait until that day.

And gods below, if you could just wait long enough for her to claim that throne, long enough for her to make things right and make things possible, Yara would marry you in a heartbeat, forsake every other lover in the entire world for you if you would take her as your own.

Not as any salt wife, either, but as a rock wife, binding herself to you for the rest of her days.

She'd hammer some iron into a ring for you herself and wear a matching one around her neck. She'd carve your name into the hilt of her sword, carry a lock of your hair inside her armor, have you braid her hair before a reaving only for her to return with the updo still in place.

If you could wait, she would carry you with her until the rest of her days.

I take my whiskey neat,

You've never complained to her about the way she eyes other women when she's drunk. It's never been in your nature to say anything, but she can always feel your cold stare. If it weren't for the booze, it would eat her alive, the way she can feel your territorial nature radiating from across entire buildings and ships, so she drowns herself in liquor and cider until she's free from the burden of attachment, until she's too fucked out of it to remember her own name. All the while, you never say a word.

You sip your ale, watching her from across the room with narrowed eyes, letting her flirt and fondle and fuck to her heart's desire. And at the end of the night, when Yara's had her fill, when she's washed out the suffocation of having feelings, you guide her back to her quarter's and wait for sobriety to revive her of empathy.

My coffee black and my bed at three,

It's almost routine at this point, the way you slide next to her on the deck and hand her a cup of something invigorating. Your watches are always immediately after hers, yet you have always sat with her throughout her entire shift, and you never complain when she retires early before a long day.

Yara always accepts the cup gratefully, sipping on it and sighing. She would pinch the bridge of her nose and you would wrap your arm around her, letting her head fall to your shoulder. At this time of night, all of the men are asleep, and in between your exhausted banter, the waves and gentle rocking of the boat lure you two into your peaceful rhythm.

You're too sweet for me.

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rapidhighway · 1 year

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knuckles farm is my everythiiingg tell me abt what he grows :)

Well I like to think of what my family grows or used to grow when I was little ^^ I'm sure a big part of all the crops are fields and gardens that had probably overgrown, that Knuckles found when exploring Angel Island. There could be potatoes, beetroot, cauliflower. They all could be different types than you find on the continent, maybe ancient ones that you can't find anywhere else, or native to Angel Island's climate, maybe some completely new ones. I dream of drawing Knuckles in a greenhouse!! He could grow tomatoes, cucumbers, maybe some peppers. I don't think a greenhouse would survive this long with no one around so maybe Sonic and Tails could help him build it, or rebuild some old one. It's very important that there are grapes! I used to have grapes where they would climb up from the ground in the backyard and surround the balcony and I would sit there and just eat them so I think he deserves the same. Maybe in whatever house he has on the island there could be a grape vine that climbs to his window. An entire grapevine would be cool but I don't know much about that.. I think what's also important are sunflowers. Knuckles gives me a grandma with a farm vibes and that image can't be complete without him eating an entire sunflower daily, he'd much on those seeds like crazy!

Of course there's chao fruit, lots of it probably grows wild but there could be some very old orchards or something like that. There could also be some vegetables that are completely unknown and only grow on the island

He would probably learn how to grow some of them from various texts left by his tribe, and the others would have to be trial and error until he figures it out. Maybe he would accidentally kill some vegetables until he got off the island and he would see someone growing them in their yard or something and he would ask about that.

#i also like the idea of currant #i don't really like currant that much but my grandparents had a field and my sister and i would pick them every summer #i think that would be a nice image :) id love to draw it someday #knuckles the echidna #sonic the hedgehog #sonic #there's probably lots and lots of different vegetables and fruits he could have #that i dont remember xdd #i also love to think of him getting to try new veggies when he's off the island and then trying to grow them when he's back home #AGH #I LOOOVB HIM #I think he needs to be friends with silver just so they can grow plants together pleasssseeee #hmmm hiii now i'm going to think about that lat part Knuckles can get off the island and get ADVICE #yeah he can ask someone about how to grow a pepper or something and he doesn't have to just try and kill them over and over again until it #works somehow #AAAGAUHUREEORUFFUEUVJFER #HELP #i love farmer Knuckles he's my baby I think of him constantly

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chrysanthemumgames · 1 year

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Hello! I love your game! I always liked reading about antiquity, and this game is such a lovely way to have some fun with Greek myths. Your writing is wonderful: the pacing is nice, the language is very eloquent, and the characters are charming—considering that it is only a WIP, you've done such an amazing job! I don't think I've even noticed any bugs or typos! This is brilliant!

I loved the moment when Hades and the MC greet Hera, and if you play as "on the more socially-graceful side" Persephone, Hera recognises it and comments on how your character "rather effectively covers [Hades'] weaknesses." And then later, the game also says: "You can manage well enough with it, and you think your participation probably smooths out what might have otherwise been a few minor bumps in things." I really like the idea that a charming consort doesn't clash with Hades, but sort of complements and completes him, that your differences don't impede your coregency but strengthen it (personally, I'd love to become a proper Marie-Antoinette, a charming social butterfly overshadowing my socially awkward husband, lol, but never mind that).

Also, I am so excited to see what will come out of the possibility of starting your own cult! With a temple, too! Oh! I really hope we'd get to interact with our followers more, solving their problems, sure, but also just having fun, you know? I mean, having more of a "Cult of Dionysus" rather than "Eleusinian Mysteries". Because, so far it sort of feels like we don't play as much as "Demetra's child" but rather as "customisable Persephone". I love Dionysus, and I think it would be great if we had a choice to lean more towards Dionysus than Persephone. Because as it is now, most (if not all) details, in choices and in flavour text, relate much more to Persephone, like being a deity of spring (and not harvest, fruits, or vine) or having a very plant-based magic (and not something more chaotic and unhinged). Which is to be expected, of course, and I'm not saying that something should be different, this is literally the premise of the game, I understand that, but I think it would be cool to have a chance to choose something more Dionysus-related, perhaps in later chapters. I mean, like, for example:

1) when Charon asks: "What would you like out of your time here?" to be able to answer something like "just to have fun" or "throw a party";

2) or when Pyri asks: "What do you do?" have choices like "theatre", "dancing", or "playing music and singing" (I think this kind of falls into the "exploring the arts" category, so I'm not saying there should be an extra choice as such but rather perhaps just a little mention of theatre and music in the following flavour text?);

3) or when the game says: "In between the work of getting your garden established, you find that over the next few weeks you have a fair bit of free time to spend as you like" choose to do something more chaotic? Boisterous? Wild? Like, get really wasted? Have a party with some souls? Organise a theatre performance? The present choices are totally fine, but they all do seem quite... tame. But perhaps in the future, we get to do something more rowdy? Unhinged even?

4) or have an option to decorate your head with grapes and ivy;

5) or be able to grow grapes in your garden? We can, of course, grow berries, fruits, and vegetables, so, again, I'm not saying there should be an extra choice, but perhaps just a bit of additional flavour text?

But again, this is just some backseat comments; feel free to ignore them! The main thing that I wanted to say is that your WIP is beautiful, and I really hope you won't abandon it! I am so very excited to see it finished! And I'm sorry this turned out to be so long! It's OK if you just leave it unanswered!

Hi there!

I'm really glad you're enjoying FoA; I have to admit that there are typos, though, so I'll call myself lucky that you haven't found any. ^^;

As to your suggestions, definitely reasonable of you to notice that the Dionysus-flavored options are not yet as prominent. One of the things I have slated for my eventual big editing phase is putting more of those in; some of them may even look like yours, as you've spotted quite a few places where they might fit.

Generally, the move to more revelry/wine/overall unhingedness is meant to be a move, rather than something the PC can be equally at the beginning alongside the spring/life/plant stuff, so there won't be loads of opportunities for it right off the bat, but I do want to add more as the story progresses, and I've admittedly been kind of neglecting that so far. Fair point. :)

#ask #kind non anons #punte

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turtlesandfrogs · 1 year

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So one of the Things I'm Trying To Do is to develop a less adversarial approach to dealing with invasive species.

Partially because losing to a plant is kinda embarrassing.

But also because of the readings and talks from people with a different perspective, which ends up making a lot of sense (especially the part where you ask why is this species thriving here instead of a native species? Or what can we learn from this species, which has been a pain in our behinds?)

And also because even with only a quarter acre to take care of, since I have more than full-time employment, I'm losing the war on hedge bindweed (see how silly that sounds?).

And bindweed is the major problem left- I've gotten Himalayan blackberries, English Ivy, and Vinca all subdued. So anyway, I was doing some more reading, and some more observations,

So here's what I've put together:

Bindweed excels at taking over disturbed areas (like when I dug out all the Himalayan blackberry crowns...)

Bindweed loves full sun.

Bindweed does not thrive in deep shade, and in fact in a Doug Fir forest I was recently weeding (yes, really. Mostly taking out Vinca minor and some non-native grasses), it was barely holding on. Weak, flimsy little vines that were a mere two feet long.

Add to this that our region has been getting heatwave after heatwave, and I would like to have a shady-ass yard to help mitigate that, and I've got an idea.

What if, in the areas that don't already have trees planted, I build a hexagonal grid of trellises to grow hardy kiwis, fuzzy kiwis, and grapes on? What if I just make my entire yard be extremely shady, while only doing what disturbance is necessary to keep the kiwis and grapes free from bindweed? Or rather, ensure that the kiwis and grapes will eventually win the race?

On top of that, some of my favorite native species do very well in deep shade, so I could have this ceiling of fruiting vines with a carpet of wood sorrel, false lily of the valley, bleeding hearts, etc below. That just sounds lovely.

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mask131 · 4 months

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The myth of Dionysos (8)

And to conclude this long overview of the mythical figure of Dionysos, here is the remaining parts of Félix Guirand's analysis/recap of the deity.

III/ Birth and childhood of Dionysos

After the earth was fertilized by the benevolent water of the sky, it needs to suffer the dry burning of the sun. Only then will theplants reach maturity, only then fruits grow – and only then will the grapes appear on the vine. This seems to be the deeper meaning of the myth of Semele, usually said to be the mother of Dionysos. Daughter of Cadmos, the king of Thebes, Semele attracted the attention of Zeus, who seduced her and made love to her – the god frequently visited her within her father’s palace. One day however, Semele followed a pernicious advice given by Hera disguised as the princess’ nurse: she begged Zeus to appear before her in his full Olympian glory. However she could not stand the intense and burning light of the divine form of her lover, and the fires that surrounded Zeus’ true shape burned her alive. The child within her belly only survived thanks to a miraculous thick ivy that had wrapped itself around the palace’s columns, and that shielded with its green leaves the unborn baby from the divine flames. Zeus took the baby, that was not yet fully formed, and placed it in his own thigh so he could finish growing. When the birth was due, Zeus (with the help of Eileithyia) removed the young Dionysos from his thigh – and this is why ever since he was called “Dithyrambos”. Zeus then gave his son to Ino, Semele’s sister, who lived in Orchomenos with her husband Athamas.

This was the most common tradition, but other tales recall how, when Cadmos learned of his daughter’s pregnancy, he locked her in a wooden chest that was thrown into the sea. The floating chest want to the seashore of Brasies, in the Peloponnese: when it was opened, Semele was dead, but the child was alive, and it was taken by Ino. Still filled with jealousy, Hera continued her vengeance by turning Ino and Athamas mad. Zeus saved his son once again by turning him into a young goat, and he gave the order to Hermes to carry Dionysos to the nymphs of Nysa. Where was Nysa? Was it a mountain of Thrace? It is impossible to pinpoint the exact location of Nysa, because every region of Greece where the cult of Dionysos settled claimed to have their own Nysa.

Dionysos spent his childhood on the legendary mountain of Nysa, taken care of by nymphs whose efforts were rewarded later on, as they became the constellations known as the Hyades. The Muses were also said to have helped with Dionysos’ education – and so did the Satyrs, the Silenes (Seleinoi) and the Maenads. Finally, in Euboea, it was said that Hermes had entrusted Dionysos to Macris, a daughter of Aristaeus that fed the young child with honey. Crowned with laurel and ivy, the oung god spent his time exploring the mountains and the forests surrounded by nymphs that laughed and screamed happily. The old Silenus also taught Dionysos how to be virtuous person, and gave him a great love for the concept of glory. When he became an adult, Dionysos discovered the fruit of the vine, and how from these grapes he could make wine. He visibly first used it without any kind of moderation, as the legend says he was struck with madness by Hera – but it was only a temporary derangement. In order to be cursed from his insanity, Dionysos went to the oracle of Dodona – on his way there he had to cross a swamp on the back of a donkey. To reward this animal, he gave him the power to speak. Once his mind was healed, Dionysos started travelling throughout the world to teach mortals the art of winemaking. Numerous fabulous adventures happened to him as he went from country to country.

V/ The travels of Dionysos

Coming down from the mountains of Thrace, he crossed Boeotia and entered the Attic land. There he was welcomed by king Icarios, to whom he offered his grapevine. Icarios carelessly offered wine to his shepherds who, upon feeling the effects of drunkenness, believed they had been poisoned, and killed Icarios in revenge. Her daughter, Erigone, searched for her father and thanks to her dog Maira discovered his grave. Despaired, she hanged herself on a nearby tree. Dionysos, to punish this tragedy, cursed all the women of the Attic region with a furious madness – meanwhile Icarios was brought to heaven with his daughter and the faithful she-dog, where they became constellations. Received in Aetolia by the king of Calydon, Oeneus, Dionysos had sex with his host’s wife, Althaea. To reward Oeneus for pretending this never happened, the dog offered him the very first grapevine, and from the one-night union of Dionysos and Althaea was born Deianira. In Laconia, Dionysos was received by king Dion, who had three daughters. Dionysos was in love with the youngest, Carya, but the oldest two tried to prevent their romance by warning their father about it. Dionysos punished them first by making them mad, then by turning them into rocks. As for Carya, she was turned into a walnut-tree.

After continental Greece, Dionysos visited the islands. It was during these travels that, as he walked by the seashore, he was kidnapped by Tyrrhenian pirates who imprisoned him on their ship. Mistaking him for the son of a king, they hoped to get a ransom from him. But in vain they tried to tie him up with ropes: they kept falling to the ground, and the knots unmade themselves. One man, feeling Dionysos’ divinity, became scared and encouraged his companions to set their prisoner free, only for his crewmates to refuse. Then a series of miracles happened: a strong wine started pouring from the ship, vine grew onto the sail, and a dark ivy surrounded the mast. The god himself became a terrifying lion, and the terrified sailors threw themselves into the sea, where they were turned into dolphins. Only the man that had tried to set him free was spared by Dionysos. Finding himself on the island of Naxos, Dionysos saw a young woman asleep. It was Ariadne, the daughter of king Minos, that Theseus had brought back with him from Crete but had just abandoned. When she woke up, noticing Theseus’ absence, Ariadne fell into a violent despair – but Dionysos comforted her, and soon after, he married her officially. All the gods were guests to the wedding, and they covered the couple with gifts: Ariadne gave Dionysos three sons, Oenopion, Evanthes and Staphylos. The Homeric tradition, however, gave a different record of this tale: in the Homeric texts, Ariadne was killed by Artemis as a young woman, and Dionysos only married her after her death. A grave of Ariadne could be found in Naxos, where the Homeric tale was commemorated through dual celebrations: one was a sad celebration about crying for Ariadne’s death, another was joyful and centered around her wedding to Dionysos.

The travels and adventures of Dionysos did not limit themselves to the Greek world. Followed by satyrs and maenads, he went to Phrygia where he saw Cybele, and the goddess initiated him to her mysteris. He then went to Cappadocia, where he banished the Amazons from Ephesus, and to Syria, where he fought against Damascos – for having destroyed the grapevines planted by the god, Damascos was flayed alive. Dionysos then went to Liba, where he met Aphrodite and Adonis (even making love to Adonis’ daughter Beroe). After ruling for some times over the Caucasian Iberia, Dionysos followed his journey to the East, crossed the Tiger river on an actual tiger sent by Zeus, he united the two shores of the Euphrates by a rope made of vine and ivy branches, and he went as far as India where he brought civilization. He was also seen in Egypt as a guest of king Proteus ; and in Libya, as the one who helped Ammon regain his throne, usurped by Kronos and the Titans.

After those glorious expeditions Dionysos returned to Greece – but he wasn’t the rough god that came from the mountains of Boeotia. No, after having lived in Asia, Dionysos became an effeminate figure: he was now a graceful teenager wearing a long dress in a Lydian style. His cult had now orgiastic rites borrowed from Phrygia. And so, when he returned to Greece he was met with mistrust and doubt, sometimes with outright hostility. Most noticeably, when he returned to Thrace, its king, Lycurgus, declared himself the enemy of Dionysos. Forced to flee, the god found shelter with Thetis in the depths of the sea. However Lycurgus had imprisoned the Bacchants, the followers of the god. Dionysos cursed the land with sterility in retaliation, and removed Lycurgus’ sanity: the king ended up killing his own son by believing he was cutting a grapevine. Peace only returned to Thrace when Lycurgus, by order of an oracle, was trampled to death by horses on the Pangion mountain. Dionysos was not received better by Pentheus, the king of Thebes, who imprisoned the god in his jail. Dionysos easily set himself free, and he cursed with insanity Pentheus’ mother, Agave, as well as all the other women of Thebes. Transformed in Maenads, they went to the Citheron mountain to perform Dionysian orgies. Pentheus, who had followed them, was ripped to pieces by his own mother. This terrible tragedy became the subject of Euripides’ play “The Bacchants”. A similar adventure happened to the inhabitants of Argos, who had also refused to recognize Dionysos’ divinity: their women, possessed by an insane fury, ripped to shreds and then devoured their own children. Among the many punishments inflicted by the gods, the most famous is the one of the daughters of Minyas, king of Orchomenos. They were three sisters: Alcithoe, Leucippe and Arsppe. Since they refused to participate in Dionysos’ celebrations, the god appeared before them under the shape of a maiden, and he tried to convince them in a sweet and soft way. Failing, the god turned successively into a bull, a lion and a panther. Terrified, the Minyads were literaly scared out of their wits, becoming insane with fear – one of them, Leucippe, even killed with her bare hands her own son. The three sisters ended up transformed in nocturnals animals.

Now, no one would dare challenge or refute Dionysos’ divinity, and no one would dare prevent his worship from spreading. The god completed his glorious career by going into the Underworld to rescue his mother Semele. He then renamed her Thyone, and brought her with him to Olympus among the Immortals. The place through which Dionysos returned from the Underworld was supposedly located in Troezen, within the temple of Artemis Soteira. According to the tradition of Agos, Dionysos has rather learned the road to the Underworld thanks to the help of a man of Argos called Polymnos, and returned to the world of the living through the Alcyon sea. Within Olympus, Dionysos also took part in the war of the gods against the giants: the braying of the donkey he was riding terrified the Giants, and the god killed with his thyrsus a Giant either named Eurytos or Rhatos.

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