Cursed to Stone

@chrisrin’s gem au is consuming the life series fandom and I am not exempt. Enjoy a corrupted Tango

[image ID: a drawing of the aforementioned corrupted Tango. He is a wingless dragon-like creature that stands on all fours with claws on his forelegs and paws on his hind legs. He has a body shape somewhat similar to that of a wolf or a tiger, with broad shoulders and a big chest that tapers sharply just before the hind legs. He has bull-like horns on top of his head. His mouth has jagged edges comprised of sharp triangles meant to mimic big spooky fangs. He has overlapping diamond scales along his back, sides, hind legs, and tail. His tail is modeled after a pangolin, and is long and thick in width, but almost flat. Flying out/off of his mouth and neck are bright flames. He’s mostly red and orange with dark grey shoulders, scales, and horns. He’s got stylized stripes and spots all over him, but especially on his sides/ribs and arms. The scales along his spine and on his tail have single stripes on their inner edges, fading from dark red near his shoulders, down to orange, yellow, and then white at the top of his tail. /End ID]

Bonus rambling about my design Thoughts because I want to:

Honestly most of it is just looking at an animal and thinking “yeah that has Tango energy”; notably:

Pangolin (tail + scales)

Tiger (general body shape + stripes (and lil paws!!)

Bull (horns)

I also thought about adding some armadillo lizard in there? Because again,, the vibes - but honestly that’s pretty well covered with the pangolin lol

Most of his markings are also meant to mimic chrisrin’s design! I pretty much just slapped some extra stuff on top for the corruption, since carnelian can have little veins and spots in it sometimes. I honestly didn’t look at references for super long so they’re not super accurate to what those look like in the actual gemstone but whatever. They look cool. Also I gave him freckles because I can and they’re cute.

I changed the colors because, tbh, they clashed with the fire I drew LMAO. But! Also carnelian can be very orange and corruption changes the colors of gems sometimes anyway (if I remember right, at least).

I tried to mimic the au art style to an extent but I have never been good an mimicking styles lol so it didn’t exactly turn out. I don’t think it’s too far off though! Especially in the design itself. The big ol’ chompers is definitely su energy

Hestia Deep Divs

Herbs • Chaste trees, Rosemary, Parsley, Basil, Sorrel, vanilla, Cinnamon, coriander, Marjoram, Mint, Lemon balm, cloves, clary sage, Allspice, Angelica, Coriander, poppy seed, chamomile, Angelica, Bay, garlic, mint, peppermint, pepper, marjoram, The lavender, the chaste tree, the datura, the California poppy, the goldenrod, the hollyhock, the yarrow, the purple coneflower, all white flowers, Lavender, White roses, angel’s trumpet, goldenrod, hollyhock, and yarrow, pine, Wildflowers & sunflowers, raspberry leaves, sage, pearly everlasting, yellow rose

Animals• pigs, donkeys, one-year-old cows, a Crane. 

Zodiac & scared number  • unknown, I cannot find out what month she was born on, or the day. But I would associate numbers 1, and 6 because she is the oldest and the youngest (and etc, but who even likes my rambles?)

Colors •Gold, yellow, orange, red,  White, Gold, Lavender, light purple, black, silver, and dark red

Crystal•Carnelian, Garnet, Goldstone, Calcite, Topaz, garnet, amethyst, lapis lazuli, green tourmaline, Vanadinite, Quartz, gold, silver, and brass, Amber colored crystals, citrine, clear quartz, sunstone.

Symbols• a kettle, the hearth (fireplace), torch, candle

Jewelry you can wear in their honor• friendship bracelets 

Diety of• the virgin goddess of the home and hearth fire, cooking of meals, and sacrificial food for feasts, architecture, domesticity, family, and the state, and sacrificial flame

Patron of where the families ate and congregated, hospitality, family.

Offerings• give her prayer beads that remind you of her that are not Christian (or make one, which is better), wooden beads, Oil Lamps, Seven Day Candles (because they burn for 7 days), LED Candles, A Candle that reminds you of home, White or red candles, Apple juice, cider, Wine, Baked goods, keys to the home (preferably not stolen(looking at Hermes devotees))), Small kitchen antiques/objects,  pottery/cups/bowls, artwork of homey things, a meal, your favorite things, poetry, books, items you made, fall-themed stuff, spring-themed stuff, First/last foods & libations from a meal, Candles/flame, Honey, Pork, Cakes or Cookies made to look like one of Her symbols,), Keeping a candle/hearth fire or lamp constantly burning, Pictures of homes you want to live in one day, pictures of homes you have lived in, Pictures of architecture that you like, Teacups, teaspoons, tea towels, Childhood memories (ex- stuffed toys, baby clothes, old photos), Homegrown herbs, Toys or art of donkeys and pigs, Leaves or blooms from a chaste tree, Tea light candles (real or fake), Your favorite poetry or poetry you have written for Her, Your favorite books, Stories you have written, Art of flames, fire, candles, Garmets that you have made such as clothing, blankets, beanies, Homemade lotions, bath bombs, shower gel, bubble bath (You can ask Her to bless them then use them she probably won't say no), Beeswax products, honey, olive oil, pumpkin pie 

Devotional• Pick up rubbish in communal areas, Offer the first or last bites/portions of food your to her, Cooking/baking for yourself or others, Having a candle lit whenever possible (electric or real), playing a video of a fire place, Volunteerring at homeless or DV shelters, donating to homeless or DV shelters,  Setting healthy boundaries with friends and family, reading about Tea/Coffee magick, Getting involved with your local community, Advocating for policies you believe will better the community Allowing yourself to rest,  Do a chore you've been putting off for a long time, organize to hang out with some loved ones, Veil or bind your hair, Wear something red or orange, Make a devotional playlist for her, make a Pinterest board or a mood board for her, Learn about kitchen witchery, Cook a meal in her name, Clean the House, Put together a puzzle, Eat popcorn and watch a movie, do Knitting, read about knitting, donate yarn and

knitting supply’s, prepare food for family, make the table before eating, garden, Harvest berries, pick flowers, Donate to food charity/drives, Support people who lost their homes to natural disasters, Welcoming others into your home, Keeping the peace (especially in the home), Donations of time & money to Habitat for Humanity, Do little (or big) acts of kindness, If you have a fireplace light it for Her or build Her altar around it, Meditate next to a fire, Read poetry or a book, play a playlist for Her and play it while you clean or cooks, Clean your house/room and keep it nice and tidy, Take a cooking or baking class, Collect recipes and keep a recipe book, Host celebrations at your home, Remember your ancestors and learn more about them, Spend time with your pets, Take care of yourself and your mental and physical health (Your body is a home for you),  Take a hot bath, eat some ice cream, chill at home for a day, Pray to Her( ex- for protection, inspiration, happiness, guidance, and help getting rid of negative entities in the home, peace in the home, good food, an abundance of food, independence), help to start/tending to the hearth, work on having strong family bonds, Open your curtains and let the sunlight warm the room, Make a potful of tea and keep it in a large thermos, Watch movies that make you feel nostalgic and cozy, Say goodnight and good morning to her, Get an electric blanket and feel the warmth connect you to her, Cuddle a stuffed animal, Make a blog/journal filled with cozy homely things, Keep a few locally baked goodies nearby for when you need them, String up fairy lights and use them as your only light source, Whisper prayers and devotional pieces before you go to sleep, Use a Himalayan salt lamp to connect to feeling of a fire, Invest in little things (ex- pillowcases, photos, curtains) that make your room feel welcoming and peaceful, Make a little bottle filled with herbs and crystals and other things that remind you of her, Listen to music that makes your soul happy and your heart content, Take care of yourself (ex- Brush your hair, use a wet cloth on your face), Keep a tealight on you, Clean one small area of your house, Savor a hot drink, Do small, unnoticed acts of kindness, Always greet animals (both big and small), Do anything by candlelight,  Wear colors you associate with her, Practice your patience (both external and internal), Be a listening ear or shoulder to cry on for those who need it, Make compromises when it is healthiest for both parties, always have a lighter or matches, Listen to music that reminds you of her, Spend time tending to your body, Leave a big tip the next time you have a chance, Practice kindness in all areas of your life (including driving), Take a hot bath or shower with no time limit, Decorate a space, Build a fire, Compliment people (both strangers and loloved ones), Donate something (ex-clothes, money, or your time), Look at photos and embrace the happy nostalgia, Wear makeup or jewelry that reminds you of her, Wake up early to see the sunrise - or watch the sunset, Watch/read about acts of kindness to be inspired, wear prayer beads that are for her, go to a high school reunion, do a family reunion, do budgeting in her honor, do meal planning, set healthy boundaries, have a household notebook, do seasonal cleaning, try home remedies,As you light your gas stove, say a prayer to Hestia, Spend quiet quality time at home, Gather your family (including your chosen family) for a festive candlelit meal, Commit to spending more time with children and old people.

Ephithets•Äídios - eternal, Aïdius – See Äídios., Basileia - See Vasíleia, Bulaea - See Voulaia., Chloömorphus – See Khlöómorphos, Daughter of lovely-haired Rǽa, Khlöómorphos - verdan, Polýmorphos - multi-formed, Polyolbus – See Polýolvos, Polýolvos - rich in blessings, Potheinotáti - beloved, Prutaneia – See Prytaneia, Prytanei, Vasíleia - queen, Voulaia - of the council, Prytaneia -”of the Prytanis.” 

Equivalents• Vesta (Roman), loki (Norse), Brigid (Celtic), Hathor (Egyptian)

Signs they are reaching out• having a strong urge to Vail in her honor, seeing her animals and symbols in your dreams, and seeing her imagery a lot, everything at home suddenly going well.

Vows/omans• that she “would be a maiden all her days”

Morals• morally light/pure

Courting• None 

Past lovers/crushes• None

Personality• She avoids drama, and is generous, but her temper is volcanic in nature, she is slow to anger, but when she gets angry her rage is a force of nature. She is modest, tranquil, and industrious

Home• Mount Olympus 

Mortal or immortal • immortal 

Fact• Historically she is supposed to be the first deity offered to in a ritual due to being the goddess of fire, she's the oldest Olympian, She is spat out last by Kronos so she is also the youngest, she shares her seat with Diyonisus, she did not give it up, she receives a share of every sacrifice/prayer to the gods, and she is commonly seen alongside with Hermes, I would recommend putting their alters close together.

Element• fire 

Curses• a bad family life, food being burnt, having not enough food, being turned away at restaurants, being homeless, your house catching on fire 

Blessings• all domestic happiness and blessings

Roots• Greek mythology….and she was raised in her father's stomach, and at the first years of theogony era.

Friends• all of the gods, but most notably Hermes, but is not friends with Priapus, she dislikes him (he tried to rape her.) 

Parentage• Cronus and Rhea

Siblings• Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, Demeter, Hera 

Pet• she has no pets.

Children • she has no children.

Appearance in astral or gen• she was typically represented wearing a veil and robe. In some images, she held a flowering branch or kettle as well.

Festivals • None, at every feast and meal a liberation was made to her name first and last, but I associate Thanksgiving with her, but her Roman counter part Vesta has 1-15 June of each year, an then another festival celebrated on 8-9 July.  Hestia is also mentioned on 8 June. But a neo-pagan sets aside 26 December – 22 January as a month devoted to Hestia.

Status• Virgin theoi goddess.

What disrespects her turning away people at your home (she is a goddess of hospitality and it was seen as disrespectful to her to do so.)

Planet• unknown 

Her Tarot cards• the Temperance, the fourteenth Major Arcana card.

Remind me of• Hot cocoa, and Thanksgiving. 

Scents/Inscene • Lavender, Rose, spring water,  rain, Pumpkin, Apple pie, cinnamon, fall leaves, Chamomile, Myrrh, Frankincense, Iris, Angelica, Peony, Angelica, iris, Sandalwood 

My opinion • I like her, but I'm scared of her too. (what a shocker!) 

Prayers• 

Historical-

Holy Queen of Sanctity, we hymn you, Hestia, whose abiding realm is Olympus and the middle point of earth and the Delphic laurel tree! You dance around Apollo’s towering temple rejoicing both in the tripod’s mantic voices and when Apollo sounds the seven strings of his golden phorminx and, with you, sings the praises of the feasting gods. We salute you, daughter of Kronos and Rhea, who alone brings firelight to the sacred altars of the gods; Hestia, reward our prayer, grant wealth obtained in honesty; then we shall always, dance around your glistening throne.

For the lost -

Blessed Hestia, the first and the last, and the always flame. May your light burn bright and strong, May your prayers be those of respect and love, May you guide the lost, And give to those who have nothing. I give thanks to you, Hestia, for all that you have done And continue to do.

For people with intrusive thoughts -

I ask Hestia, the kind goddess, to help those who feel down. May they find comfort and peace inside of their homes and inside their own minds. Protect them for their destructive thoughts, and be the safe place they need so much

A prayer for homeles—

In Hestia’s name, may you always have a home and a roof over your head. May you always be comfortable and warm with a full belly. May you always be in good spirits and good company, never knowing the pervading loneliness that envelopes the soul.

Morning 

Blessed Hestia, Fill this home with your light and bounty, As the day fills it with golden sunshine.

Evening

Glorious Hestia, Let your hearth fire warm this house, As night draws her shadowed cloak over it now.

Blessings of the kitchen-

Hestia bless my little kitchen, I love it’s every nook And bless me as I do my work, Wash pots and pans and cook. May the meals that I prepare, Be seasoned from above, With thy blessings and thy grace, But most of all thy love

Links/websites/sources •

ts-witchy-archive, constantly-disheveled, saryoak, eldritchhorror06, https://twelfthremedy.tumblr.com/post/625205765818515456/hestia-offerings/amp, https://www.tumblr.com/honeyandhestia/179727039352/offerings-to-hestiahttps://twelfthremedy.tumblr.com/post/625205765818515456/hestia-offerings/amphttps://www.tumblr.com/honeyandhestia/179727039352/offerings-to-hestiahttps://www.learnreligions.com/hestia-greek-goddess-of-the-hearth-2561993#:~:text=Keep%20a%20candle%20dedicated%20to,prayers%2C%20songs%2C%20or%20hymns.https://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Hestia.html#:~:text=In%20myth%20Hestia%20was%20the,youngest%20of%20the%20six%20Kronides.https://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Hestia.htmlhttps://greekmythology.fandom.com/wiki/Hestia#google_vignettehttps://greekmythology.fandom.com/wiki/Hestiahttps://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/goddesses/hestia/https://www.hellenicgods.org/festivals-of-hellenismos---eortai https://hestiasservant.wordpress.com/2018/05/27/honoring-hestia-a-festival-every-day/https://www.elissos.com/the-family-goddess-hestia-mother-of-all-gods/#:~:text=The%20birth%20of%20Hestia%20dates,to%20his%20throne%2C%20his%20children.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhea_(mythology)#:~:text=According%20to%20Hesiod%2C%20Rhea%20had,and%20Zeus%20in%20that%20order.https://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/comments/14sy8cj/is_hestia_reaching_out_to_me/https://mythopedia.com/topics/hestia

http://persephoneandhecate.blogspot.com/2011/06/exploring-archetypes-hestia.html?m=1https://www.tumblr.com/honeyandhestia/170063420188/bedridden-devotion-to-hestiahttps://honeyandhestia.tumblr.com/post/170063420188/bedridden-devotion-to-hestiahttps://www.tumblr.com/heatherwitch/160613514230/hestiavesta https://constantly-disheveled.tumblr.com/post/156636591525/can-a-hearth-fire-just-be-a-candle-that-you-lighthttps://www.tumblr.com/honeyandhestia/169551188078/devotional-activities-for-hestiahttps://www.tumblr.com/honeyandhestia/167758105763/jar-to-help-me-connect-to-hestia-chamomilehttps://www.tumblr.com/honeyandhestia/171225676313/burn-herbs-and-spices-as-an-offering-to-hestia-i https://www.tumblr.com/honeyandhestia/183383795283/what-kind-of-crystals-would-yall-associate-with https://www.tumblr.com/honeyandhestia/171208375440/a-historical-prayer-to-hestiahttps://www.tumblr.com/honeyandhestia/169394109439/i-ask-hestia-the-kind-goddess-to-help-those-who https://www.tumblr.com/honeyandhestia/166938581678/if-youre-still-doing-prayer-requests-may-you-be https://www.tumblr.com/honeyandhestia/178225408393/lady-hestia-goddess-of-comfort-and-warmth-to https://www.tumblr.com/honeyandhestia/183772520921/a-little-kitchen-prayer-for-hestia https://www.hellenicgods.org/festivals-of-hellenismos---eortai

Yandere Senjuro Rengoku Gemstone Prompts.

[Romatic! Aged Up AU!]

Art not mine...

Alexandrite- what brings the yandere the most joy?

It depends on if it's their earlier days Pre-Kyojuro's death or post. If it is before his death, Senjuro's favorite thing was to spend his time watching you train, eat, and goof off with him and/or his big brother. His favorite thing is your smile. If it is post Mugen Train Arc... His favorite thing is you playing along with his delusions. Aka, call him Kyojuro, tell him you're proud that he gave up on being a Demon Slayer so he could spend time with his wife and father. Never ever ever bring up the reality that he isn't Kyojuro and Kyojuro is dead, Ever.

Angelite- how calm is the yandere and what aggravates them?

Senjuro is a worshiper type yandere and very calm due to this.

However, after Kyojuro Dies he spirls down into a slew of delusions. He changes from your calm and very manageable yandere to an overly protective and possessive yandere solely due to his delusions. As everyone is trying to yank him from his created happy world.

In this happy little fantasy world he created. He is Kyojuro, and he fell in love with his tsugoku Y/N. However after realizing that while they're in the Demon Slayer Corp they couldn't be together the two of them decided to retire early get married and begin there own family while watching over his alcoholic father. Where is Senjuro in his own little delusions? Good question! Bringing up Senjuro usually will cause him to spiral into aggression and confusion.

Aventurine- does the yandere's plans run smoothly or are there obstacles that get in the way?

Hahaha hahaha yeah no. His entire plan was completely uprooted and completely altered/removed once Kyojuro died. His whole plan was to watch from the side-lines as his brother, whom he put on this god level pedestal, marry and have children with a woman he also put on that same level of pedestal. So once his brother died, his psych was afraid of losing two gods instead of just one. It began with him being consciously aware that he wasn't actually Kyojuro and only acting like him to keep you from leaving him. But it delved deeper. Until where it is now...

Black Tourmaline- does the yandere want to protect darling or harm them?

Senjuro wants more than anything to protect you but he knows he isn't going to be able to with him not being able to do Flame Breathing nor wield a sword like his brother could. 'Kyojuro' is the same wanting to protect you from everything in the world. But the difference is that 'Kyojuro' is strong enough to do so. [How is this possible physically? Well it was inside him all along. The real Kyojuro would almost be proud.] 'Kyojuro' isn't above corporal punishments. Keep bring up Senjuro or keep trying to pull him from his delusions and expect to be bent over his lap and spanked with his belt.

Blue Lace Agate- how truthful is the yandere?

To a man who doesn't even know where the real world begins and his fantasies end I don't know if he is able to be truthful. Simply because he doesn't know what is truthful. However 'Kyojuro' will always tell you how he feels about every little microscopic thing. The scary bits of his identity crisis is that he swears up and down to having memories he physically can't have [because the didnt exist]. Such as remembering when his mother went through Kankagari and she had problems with bloody noeses.

Carnelian- how does the yandere deal with their darlings strong will?

Which ones is stronger his delusions or her will? If it's the later he might not know what to do and go to his father for advice. Who honestly has no idea what his son is talking about and blow him off. He might try to reach out to the 'other' Hashira's for advice but none of them humor the crazy ramblings of the young man. After no one offering him advice he might whip out his hidden trump card drugs. When 'Kyojuro' was Senjuro he took care of any wounds his brother would get as well as taking care of his own. He also took multiple months of Kakushi/EMT training courses. In a drugged out state Y/N definitely won't put up as much of a fight about 'Kyojuro''s presence.

Charoite- how does the yandere learn more about darling?

Senjuro just asks. "Y/N, I am going to begin cooking lunch for you and brother what is your favorite foods?" "Hey, Y/N, What Is your favorite color? I'm just curious is all... no reason!" "Y/N-san, do you have any siblings? I'm just curious I'm sorry!"

The worst part of it is that before Kyojuro's Death he was very blind to his brothers strangeness/noesiness. "Senjuro is annoying you with questions you say? I apologize my brother is a naturally curious boy I'm sure he ment no harm."

How does 'Kyojuro' know so much about you? "A husband should know his wife like the back of his hand." Honsetly he doesn't even know...

Chrysoprase- how does the yandere deal with heartbreak?

He is delusional! De-lu-sion-allll!!! You can't reject him because your rejection won't sink in, and he will probably spank you for attempts to reject his reality. "A wife shouldn't speak like that to her husband." If you run away from him... he'll blanket burrito and scream for hours until his vocal cords are destroyed. Then he'll hit the bottle... but he is doinging because in his delusional reality, you were killed by a demon... he would say he is ashamed he a former Hashira allowed a Demon to take his darling wife from him. So no, he isn't going back to being Senjuro just because you're gone... if he saw you after he had already come to the conclusion you were dead. He would just start screaming and holding his head as he was trying to contemplate how this would have happened. He would either come to the conclusion that you are a ghost and he had to join you in the afterlife. Or the conclusion that you are a Demon, he would report it to the Slayer Corps, then commit Seppuku because as a hashira, he let his wife become a demon. who wouldn't even come out to investigate because they see Senjuro as the boy who cried wolf. If you got sick and died... and he watched you die he would just like the other scenario to become an alcoholic. If you two have children... you might notice that he is reliving his life through his son...

Diamond- what does the yandere want from their ideal darling?

Her Obedience. Her Love. Her Loyalty. Her Devotion. Her Smile.

Emerald- how does the yandere show their love?

His love language is physical affection and verbal affection. He also is big into gift giving but he doesn't have the former Hashira pension that his father has or brother would have. He doesn't really question why he doesn't have the money he thinks he should have because he assumes that due to his early retirement dequalified him for it.

Garnet- what is the yandere's ideal future with darling?

He wants the American Dream. He believes he is a retired hero who deserves an obedience and beautiful loving wife and two children.

Kunzite- is the yandere's motivations love, lust or something else?

Love and Delusions.

Lapis Lazuli- is the yandere controling or manipulative?

He is as controlling as one would expect from a man from the 1912/1920's. He doesn't mean to be manipulative... he's too Delusional for that...

Moonstone- are there things that the yandere will hide from darling at all costs?

So... don't judge him, but... when Kyojuro first died, Senjuro began eating and feeding you his ashes... also, the gem in your wedding ring is actually him.... oh, and that glass Olisbos he uses on you when you're being sexually punished. Yeah, that's actually.... /he even made a tasteless joke about it. While spanking you he puts the Olisbos in your womanhood while saying, "No no no y/n Kyojuro isn't gone. Actually he's closer to you than he's ever been."

Opal- what makes the yandere tick?

Calling him Senjuro. Telling him he isn't Kyojuro. That Kyojuro is gone. You don't love him. He'd get angry and spank you.

Sapphire- does the yandere believe that they are the one that darling should praise or do the believe that darling deserves theirs?

Senjuro is a worshiper. But 'Kyojuro' wants to be praised not worshipped. But like head pats and snuggles. He wants you to thank him for giving up his position as Hashira to br with you.

Rhodonite- does the yandere want kids and would they force darling into having them?

Absolutely! At least Two. Would upsettedly settle with one but wants two or more. As for force... that's complicated. Because it is the 1912/1920's. And common idea is that a wife is the property of her husband. So yeah he does force himself on you but no he doesn't see it as a bad thing because it's what wife's do for their husband's. Also he is naming his son Senjuro. No matter if you give birth to a Male or a Female...

Unakite- does the yandere have a point of no return or will they eventually realize how dire the consequences of their actions?

See the heartbroken response.

Hello! You mentioned about your arknights friend-ships?? Please please share!

Hooooooo boy, this is going to be a Long One. Even before I got the Lingering Echoes brainrot (and believe me, there will be plenty of Ebenholz and Czerny in here), my main source of creative interaction with the game was to imagine how my many operators interacted. So a lot of the friendships here are inspired by my own team comps!

Gonna' put this under a readmore...

Vigna & Zima: The Vanguard Besties! They bash in heads, then hang out together to talk music and such, helping each other pretend they are both Normal Teen Girls.

Similarly, Utage & Angelina & Every Other Teen: Utage and Angelina have unofficially decided that they're in charge of helping the other teen on RI lead somewhat normal lives. They're the Cool Older Sisters who check in on everyone, lead events like movie nights and slumber parties, etc. They also have plenty of Girl Talk nights themselves!

Amiya & Beeswax: Sometimes, Amiya needs to unwind and empathize with someone who is a solid foundation of Calm And Chill. This is when she hangs out with Beeswax, both of them unwinding while they catch up.

The Lappland Protection Squad (Lappland and every high-block character): Anyone who blocks enemies for Lappland to slice and dice on the battlefield gets a shirt. It started as a jest to fluster Bison, but then Lappland just...kept doing it. Now nearly every Defender and a few high-block Guards like Gaviel all have a "Lappland Protection Squad" shirt. Some of them even wear it around the landship, which genuinely makes Lappland happy.

Hellagur & Dusk: Somehow, these old souls have reached an understanding, and Hellagur can approach Dusk with the perfect mix of respect and authority. Aka he is one of the few who can actually drag Dusk out of her room for nearly any reason. He's given her candy, and she's offhandedly given him a painting that he's quietly hung in his room.

Czerny & Lumen: This mostly crops up because @cherrygrudge and I keep RPing them in games together, so now they are Universally Pals. Czerny's drive inspires Lumen, while Lumen keeps Czerny in-check health-wise, and both are fair confidantes when the other is feeling low. Lumen has also figured out a few massages to help with Czerny's Oripathy-related backaches, bless his soul.

Czerny & Exusiai: Another friendship inspired by a friend, this one being discussed in-depth with @annierosaart. These two actually see through each other's masks of bravado on the battlefield, so they can actually open up and talk about their deeper feelings with each other. Usually while drinking. They drink together a fair bit if the other cannot find another drinking partner.

Ebenholz & Stainless & RockRock & Surtr: Stainless is the extrovert who drags the introverts along on adventures and gets them to all hang out. They especially like going to rock shows together, sometimes supervising the teen operators like Vigna while out. (Also, Stainless and Ebenholz are both trans and bond over this, I do not make the rules).

Sesa & Mr. Nothing: Once these two start talking, they do not stop and no one can understand them. Are their eccentricities feeding into each other, or are they trying to one-up each other...?

Czerny & Rope: I've rambled about this elsewhere, but both come from rough and poor backgrounds, and I think them bonding over this (and how honestly tough it is to recover and accept help) would be neat to see.

Ebenholz & Rosmontis & Ifrit: The "Mad Science Brain Bastards" trio, who while seeming to clash on the outside actually balance each other well on the inside. Ebenholz especially keeps an eye out on the girls and is helping teach them music to better control their Arts, but they keep him grounded too. If one is havibg a bad brain day, expect the other two to crop up and help posthaste.

Carnelian & Nightmare: Carnelian actually gets along with both beings, and it seems to help Nightmare to actually have a friend of her own. Everyone else watches warily to hope Carnelian will continue to be a *positive* influence...

Archetto & Bagpipe: They talk about dreams and farming, among other things, you can catch them in the greenhouse sometimes, working on crops and singing, or sharing a drink after hours.

La Pluma & Pallas: La Pluma looks after Pallas whenever the Minoan Hero is drinking at her bar, and is also one to actually ask about Pallas's many stories, which Pallas appreciates.

Pallas & Hellagur: Also old war hero drinking buddies, though Hellagur is actually a good influence who keeps Pallas from getting too deep in the cups.

Ebenholz & Texas: Inspired by a ficlet by @catgirlcrisis, but these two would have A Lot to talk about...or just be happy to vibe without saying anything at all, especially while their louder companions are up to Antics.

Czerny & Blitz: Czerny is helping teach Blitz about the differences between Leithanien and German culture (and they are...also drinking buddies). Blitz also keeps sharing Earth songs with Czerny to see if the composer can "help him recreate his favorite songs here", though it's mostly Blitz bringing over meme songs. Czerny has caught on, but he actually likes some of the songs (he managed to make a slow ballad out of "Never Gonna Give You Up"), so he doesn't mind.

Reed & Pozyemka: Poets who wish they could hide away in a fantasy land, but they both have to face reality and make a change. Still, they find time to unwind together.

Ebenholz & Viviana: I saw a comic once of them being childhood friends and I love it to bits. If Viviana ever joins RI, her and Eben are so delighted to reunite and catch up. They talk *a lot* about books.

Cardigan & Beeswax: Odd friends from the Leithanien Group Chat (as Cardi is in fact Leithanien, and Beeswax tags along with Carnelian to enough events/chats that she's considered an Honorary Member by the others). Cardigan enthusiastically attempts to help Beeswax with horn upkeep and such, and while she's a bit of a klutz with is...well, Beeswax is a klutz too, so she doesn't mind.

I could spin up plenty more, but I hope you all enjoy at least some of these!

1. Introduction (Houki, Abby, Clara)

Totally dropped the ball on August's prompt (in that I completely forgot to do it in favor of doing some art stuff instead), but I did some of the prompt that was meant for August today.

These ideas stem from taking the beginnings of routes and putting my OCs in those meeting scenarios. As such, I guess technically spoilers for route beginnings? I guess? Houki gets IkeSen's prologue with rescuing Nobunaga, plus snippets from her original game's lore; Abby gets the beginning of Vincent's route, and Clara gets the wonderful beginning of Nokto's route.

Other warnings are that this is raw writings, no editing, and cuts off in places, maybe a lil rambl-y in others. Nokto is also a lil shit, but what else is new?

----------

Houki

Houki tried to close her eyes, trying to think this was all just a dream. That she was going to wake up in her room on Vale Island and that Jasper was going to scold her for sleeping in when there were other suitors and activities she needed to participate in, like Cordelia's tea party, or to watch the boat race that was going to happen later today.

Instead, all she could feel was heat and all she could smell was burning wood and smoke.

Had her room caught on fire? It wouldn't surprise her, really, since that incident with the poisoned letter.

But, no, this was certainly not her room. No plush curtains or glass windows in sight. Just burning pillars and the sound of creaking wood, straining under great pressure.

She also wasn't alone in the blazing room.

A man in black armor was laying on the floor, unconscious. In most matters, he seemed a handsome man, black hair to match his armor, a tall frame. A general, perhaps? His face was scowling in his 'rest'. Perhaps he was left to die in the blazing building. Not a comforting thought. Who was this man that would be left to die in such a place?

Going against her better judgment, Houki bent down to shake his shoulders, the crackle of the fire seeming to lick her cheeks.

Fortunately, her trapped companion seemed a light sleeper, as his eyes snapped open immediately, staring at her with bright carnelian eyes, red as the flames surrounding them.

"Who…?" his deep voice started before a pillar fell behind them with a loud crash.

"There's no time!" Houki said, grabbing hold of his hand, "we need to leave!"

The man didn't need to be told twice, standing up with the grace of a hawk taking flight. Houki covered her nose with her sleeve, trying her best to navigate through the blaze, coughing from the smoke. Her eyes were drying and hurting, as were her lungs. It didn't help that she was still recovering from the poisoned letter incident, making her breathing hurt much worse.

-----------

Abby

Abby sat on the floor, her back against the wooden door, hugging her knees to her chest. She wiped her eyes and saw the familiar brown coat, much too long and big in the shoulders for her, but the comforting scent of sunshine and fresh laundry eased her racing heart.

She was living in a mansion filled with vampires, as Arthur had made so plain to her. Rattled her with it, even. To make matters worse, when she tried to escape, she ran into two unscrupulous gentlemen. If Vincent hadn't happened by when he did…

She shuddered at the thought. She pulled his jacket closer, taking in more of his scent. The bruise on her wrist throbbed.

'She is a very special guest of this mansion,' she remembered him saying, his voice stern and vaguely threatening 'Touch her again and face the consequences.'

Vincent had been so protective of her, even if they had just met barely hours prior. She felt bad when she had swatted his hand away in her fright. She tried to apologize, but Vincent just smiled gently.

"Ah, it's my fault for trying to touch you without your permission, especially after going through something so scary."

He tried his best to comfort her, telling her that she can talk to Sebastian if she felt more comfortable, since he was still human like her. And, like a spell spoken, Sebastian did appear, taking her off Vincent's hands, helping her to her room. In her stupor, she had forgotten she was still wearing his jacket he had so gently and carefully placed on her shivering shoulders. She promised herself that she would return it in the morning, but would also ask Sebastian how to launder it first, since she was no doubt wrinkling it and staining it with her tears. She didn't want to cause him, or anyone else, any trouble. Especially if everyone else surrounding her was a vampire. Would they eat her if she did something out of turn? Arthur seemed to delight in the idea, especially when she saw the red touches on his starched and white collar.

She pulled the jacket closer, trying her best to hold back a sob. She didn't want to leave, lest she get a repeat of running into Arthur again, or anyone else for that matter.

The scent of Vincent's jacket wafted to her nose again.

—-----------

Clara

Clara felt like she was going to be sick. Her head pounded something fierce and she was surrounded by silken sheets and scent she normally would have associated with the unsavory parts of town.

Her eyes shot open, the morning light burning her eyes. She closed them again, a pained groan escaping her lips.

"Good morning, my dear." A voice said beside her, soft in delivery but the tone was full of amused mischief.

Her eyes shot open again, taking in the sight of ruby red eyes and a hand with painted black nails reaching for her forehead.

She shot up in the bed, immediately regretting that choice and held her head, her dark hair cascading over her face and shoulders.

"Well, that wasn't very smart of you, now was it?"

Clara gritted her teeth, still holding her head.

"Where… where am I?"

"My bedroom," that voice cooed, "you were so insistent last night, not letting me have a choice. It was quite bold of you, telling a prince you wanted to sleep with him."

"I would never-" her head throbbed, stealing her of her voice, "I wouldn't-"

"And yet, here we are, Belle."

Belle, right… She agreed to that yesterday. She had wanted to get to know the princes. And she had taken Nokto's word that he had sincerely wanted to help her.

This was not the direction she had thought, or hoped, the previous night would take.

She looked down at herself, still thankfully dressed in the fancy underclothes of the dress she had been given to go to that ball with that sleazeball of a prince, but the poofy dress was not on her person, instead laying in a precarious position on the floor. She wished she had the strength to glare at the prince no doubt grinning at her on the bed, but her head barely allowed her the pleasure of concentrating. The room even smelled like stale rose wine, making her stomach turn.

"Ah yes, you should know that you had wine spilled on your dress last night," she could hear the smirk in Nokto's voice, "thus why it's on the floor over there."

"What, I didn't just throw my clothes at you in my lust filled state that you seem to imply I was in?"

"You did try. I just dodged."

Wings of fire doodles featuring me trying to think of a theme and going “hey who’s got scars that works”

(I feel like surprisingly few dragons are mentioned having distinctive scars but hey it’s past 2am I could be completely wrong)

Could you tell us a little bit more about the gems on the murals that you mentioned in the Chrysanthemum Stone post?

Yes!!! Oh my goodness I would love to!! So there's a bit too much on my plate right now to finish all their drawings lmao which is why I was only able to share five of their designs so far, and I don't have any art to post right now, but I can ramble on if that's cool with everyone! I've had these gems for a long LONG time, but I never had a gem to defend their murals, but with Chrysanthemum Stone, I was finally able to share them!

The Thirteen Great Fusions:

I'll start with the ones shown in the chrysanthemum stone post:

The Shield: Also called Ruby, he is the great fusion of emotions, his mural reads "I feel."

The Jar: Also called Sapphire, she is the great fusion of fate, her mural reads "I change."

The Wall: Also called Amber, they are the great fusion of manifestation, their mural reads "I create."

The Sharp: Also called Obsidian, she is the great fusion of want, her mural reads "I desire."

The Eye: Also called Jade, they are the great fusion of knowledge, their mural reads "I understand."

Now moving on to the ones not yet with digital art

The Swift: Also called Aquamarine, she is the great fusion of hope, her mural reads "I believe."

The Power: Also called Topaz, she is the great fusion of strength, her mural reads "I have."

The Slow: Also called Amethyst, they are the great fusion of craft, their mural reads "I utilize."

The Pure: Also called Moonstone, she is the great fusion of watchfulness, her mural reads "I analyze."

The Harmony: Also called Opal, they are the great fusion of companionship, their mural reads "I know."

The Balanced: also called Tourmaline, she is the great fusion of sympathy, her mural reads "I relate."

The Young: Also called Carnelian, she is the great fusion of self-worth, her mural reads "I am."

And while not recognized as one of the great fusions, there is... Another.

The Forgotten: Also called Emerald, she is the great fusion of luck, her wrecked mural reads "I destine."

=======================

The Thirteen Great Fusions were from a time before cross-gem fusion was ridiculed and then illegalized. They were apart of the building blocks of gem society, rumoured to be the first gems, emerging already fused, combined, thought to be deities, immortalized through statues and murals everywhere. Gemkind existed as a haven in the Old Era. The Thirteen were loved and they loved all gems, with no purpose in the stars besides simply existing. When White Diamond began her hierarchy, they were cast out as abominations, already non-diplomatic fallacies, called leaderless off-colors. Even their followers went missing, most shattered or buried in Homeworld's calm and loving past, while a new Era began, Era One.

Never found again, the Thirteen may as well have been erased from time itself, as only a very small handful of gems even know they existed.

Thank You!

I. THE SIMPLE THINGS FULL NAME: Fionn a Mór Ríoghain CURRENT ALIAS: Fionn Ó Lonán PAST ALIASES: Fionn Meadowes, and many, many more besides. HOW TO SAY IT: Fee-unn, like Ian with an F, emphasis on the back half. Sounds a lot like Finn, but not quite.  DATE OF BIRTH: Summer. That’s it. Summer, in the Otherlands, a long, long time ago.  AGE: 1002, in earthly years.  OCCUPATIONS: Artist, horse catcher, horse thief, pickpocket, bootlegger, drug dealer, highwayman, bank robber, general musician, and wedding, wake, and bar singer, in particular. LANGUAGES: Sidhe, Gaelige, English, a conversational and rusty smattering of others.

II. THE LOOKS FACE CLAIM: Cillian Murphy HEIGHT: 5′ 7′′ BUILD: Wiry  HAIR COLOR: Black REAL HAIR COLOR: Blonde EYE COLOR: Blue DOMINANT HAND: Left SCARS: Several. As a fae, he does heal better than a human might; but he’s a bar-fighting bastard, and he’s taken his share of licks. The most noticeable at present are a slash across his right eyebrow, a gash just under his chin, some scarring across his knuckles, the faint traces of a stabbing in his right forearm, and, of course, the gruesome gut wound that’s not quite a scar yet - that cuts down from just over the left side of his ribs, curving and zagging down to the lower right side of his belly.  TATTOOS: Many, mostly his own art - some are Aurora’s. Botanicals, animals, and constellations are major themes. PIERCINGS: Earlobes, intermittently. Not at present. 

III. THE RAMBLINGS BORN TO: The Otherlands PAST RESIDENCES: Many, most briefly, quite a few very poorly recalled due to immoderate consumption of various substances. He started in medieval Ireland, anyway... CURRENT RESIDENCE: Lethe, Washington CRIMINAL RECORD: Yes. Several. Under a few names.  SOUVENIRS: Having lost plenty along the way and left behind just about everything on his mad scramble out of Nevada, his last port of call, all Fionn currently has to remember his adventures and mishaps by are his many tattoos, a couple old keys on a fine chain, a string of carnelian beads, and a ceremonial silver dagger that he stole from a fae noble back in the Otherlands. Which is, coincidentally, why he and Faolan (mostly him, Faolan by association) got kicked out into the mortal world in the first place. It was going to be a gift.

IV. THE TIES MOTHER: Mór Ríoghain a Fionnuala FATHER: Who even knows, honestly? SIBLINGS: Faolan and Cora a Mór Ríoghain/Meadowes IN LAWS, OR CLOSE TO: Sabine Devereux, Arthur Talbot NIBLINGS: Gabriel Maddox, Katia Kjar, Riley Voss LOVED AND LOST: Aurora Wilson CHILDREN: Fiona Laughlin

V. THE WAYS MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral QUALITIES: Creative, perceptive, generous, charismatic, gregarious FLAWS:  Flighty, irresponsible, opportunistic, defensive, stubborn ASPIRATIONS: None. Literally none. Ever. Fionn doesn’t do “goals.”  FEARS: Sobriety and facing his family. He’s avoided both for a few reasons, for a long, long time.

VI. THE TASTES COLORS: Deep greens and blue skies.  INSTRUMENTS TO PLAY: The fiddle, guitar, harmonica, and pipes, in that order.  GENRES: Fantasy, poetry, and a good tragedy, now and then. SEASON: His own, summer.  DRINKS: Proper Irish whiskey, above all, followed by the Scotch stuff, then bourbon, kirsch, slivovitz, brandy, gin, vodka, tequila, beer, obviously... most alcohols. And tea.  FOOD: Blackberries off the bush, field mushrooms over the fire, or a fresh loaf of soda bread. With proper butter. Unless alcohol counts, as well? Guinness, at least? ANIMALS: Songbirds, horses, and hares. Dogs are iffy. Cats are to be shown full and proper respect and caution.  SETTINGS: Rolling green hills, high foggy heaths, a good jaggedy mountain, burbling creeks...

wow hey more peopled liked my hoshimeguri sora sketch than i thought so

Hey, who wants some context!!! and further rambling of the au!!! its all about traveling the stars and theres a dragon and everyone has beautiful designs and my faceclaim is an assassin in it

[its a little long tho because of the Lore (TM) so uh. fair warning]

Hoshimeguri, or Star Tour Observer, was an original event and storyline in IDOLiSH7 like 4 months ago? I think? anyway if you wanna get a little glimpse over everyone and the stars you can go right here but otherwise im gonna quick run thru everything cause i rly love hoshimegu (the PV is gonna pop up first you can either watch it and rock out to Hoshikuzu Magic or click out and skim thru everything)

the prologue for hoshimeguri is, as roughly translated,

in the beginning a myriad of stars crystallized into a form known as the ‘Star Gem’. The gem contained the power to grant any wish. People prayed to the Star Gem for blessings and obtained joy and fulfillment in their lives. People prayed to the Star Gem for evil purposes and brought about calamities. People grew covetous of the star Gem, breeding hate and resentment. The Star Gem that had granted millions of blessings had instead become a vessel for millions of curses. the Guardian of the Star Gem prayed for the Star Gem to be sealed away. The wish was granted the Guardian fell into eternal slumber. The Star Gem could no longer hold its form and split into six pieces. A single massive planet split into six with it. On the verge of sleep the Guardian created a being to oversee the worlds in his place. To journey across the stars, watching. the ‘Observer of the Stars’ bore witness to countless moments, countless stars, and countless lives.

so.. in less fancy speak, there was a Star Gem that granted wishes but people misused it’s power for Bad Stuff. the Gem’s Guardian sealed it away and the Star Gem split into six little gems-- and created the six worlds i’m about to explain-- and the Guardian pulled a ventus and fell asleep, but the last thing he did was make a cool dragon to observe and watch over life.

so this brings us to the six planets/worlds/stars one thousand years later!

First off-- Eterno! aka where I shoved Sora and Riku, ill expand on them later

Eterno is a desert star, covered in sand and sunlight. the planet Alba once waged war with Eterno to steal their sunlight a dozen years ago and drained the planet of its resources in the process. During the war the royal family disappeared so Eterno doesn’t have any ruler or security. Being a wasteland Eterno is considered a worthless star so nobody bothers or troubles it beyond some trading at the port.

Secondly we have Bestia!

Bestia is covered in dense forests and jungle, inhabited by several types of animals. The people of Bestia have beast blood and animal parts like ears and tails so this is basically the furry planet. the people of Bestia are looked down upon for this though. Bestia is home to a large trading port and many from starts all over come to trade in Bestian goods.

Next is Alba!

Alba is a star covered in darkness as the other planets block the sun’s ray from reaching them. Alba's main specialty is minerals and so bright crystals are their symbol. the former king invaded Eterno to steal their sunlight however the current king, Carnelian, regrets that war and would like to set things right between the stars.

Then we have Lama, the star of steel! i love Lama, two of my favorites are from this star!!!!!

Lama is a star with strong military power, easily overcoming the other stars in terms of strength. Lama is currently recovering from a long civil war between the former king and the people. The former king treasured military might and soldiers above all else-- in particular, those that could provide weapons for warfare. Anyone who couldn’t was subject to a life of poverty and servitude. Eventually the people rebelled an the civil war raged on for years. the prince at the time, Orion, with the help of an assassin, Erin, faked an assassination of the king (instead locking him up) and when the news reaches the rebel forces they called off their forces. The rebels had no issue with Orion becoming king since he carried out the assassin order and thus Orions peaceful reign as King began, working to rebuild relations between the people of Lama and the royal family.

next up is Sirenia! this is where i put Kairi, ill expand on that later.

Sirenia is blessed with water and canals everywhere. Every year they hold a festival to celebrate the rainy season. The people of Sirenia are relaxed and laid back because their star hasn’t been attacked or invaded in many years (with the former king using most of his power to essentially cut off Sirenia from the other stars with a magic wall, and trading was regulated). The residents love the arts and music and living life freely and creatively. The residents also practice in hydromancy, using water to predict the future and learning tarot cards and fortune telling.

Lastly is Mistero which i admittedly remember the least about

Mistero is a mysterious star but faith in the Star Gem is strong. There exists a large temple on the star however divine energy prevents people from entering. Mistero was the original planet before the planet and Star Gem split into six pieces. Its on this world that the Guardian, Vega, still sleeps. His attendant, Capella, still waits for him to wake.

aaaaaaand those are the stars! oh my god that took an hour to type. WELL SINCE THIS IS ALREADY REALLY LONG WINDED I’LL TRY TO KEEP THE AU WITH SORA AND RIKU AND KAIRI BRIEF EVEN THO IM SURE THATS WHAT YOU’D BE HERE FOR INSTEAD OF IDOL JUNK djfgnks

i dont have anything concrete but my current concepts are-

Sora and Riku grew up on Eterno together. Having known about the existence of other stars but always being too young to travel themselves the two decided one day to leave and explore them all together. Eventually the day came where the two of them snuck onto a ship, not entirely sure where it was headed. Once the ship docked on Sirenia Sora and Riku made a break for it, not wanting to be discovered as stowaways. 

Kairi lives a carefree life on Sirenia with her friend Namine and instructor Aqua. Aqua teaches the girls hydromancy altho Namine holds more of an interest in drawing and painting. Kairi however is extremely skilled in hydromancy and one day receives a sign about dual forces about to enter her life. She doesnt know what to make of the vague message tho and puts it to the back of her mind for a week maybe.

And then came the day she ran into Sora and Riku. the two of them stuck out like a sore thumb in their Eterno attire. Kairi warned them about how trade and visitors are carefully regulated and any intruders aren’t to be taken lightly. the boys apologize and explain they just wanted to explore some new worlds. Its with that Kairi agreed to help them out but only if they let her come with them, since life in Sirenia while carefree can get dreadfully dull doing the same thing over and over again. Kairi arranges passage under the guise of aiding other stars with her fortune telling and sneaks Sora and Riku onto her ship. 

And thats how the three of them began their own Star Tours ha cha cha

also side note i bet Vanitas and Ventus are brothers from Lama raised by xehanort to be soldiers in Lama’s military but neither of them are really Cool with this idea and probably just take off one day jdfhgkjf dont ask me what terra or xion and roxas and axel are doing because i have NO IDEA what star to put them on

yeah. thats the hoshimeguri au right now. //jazz hands; if you made it this far thank you for indulging me i owe you my life

The Intern

Fandom: The Librarians

Rating: General/sfw

Relationship: Flyzekiel

Word Count: 2408

Ezekiel happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Flynn gains a new intern.

AU where Flynn is in charge of the Egyptian exhibit as a professor, not student or Librarian.This is set when Flynn’s doing the Egyptian exhibit in the first Librarian movie, but for the sake of not writing underage fic, I’m aging Ezekiel up to being in his 20’s, considering Ezekiel was like 16 or something when he got the letter the first time.

Also posted on my Ao3.

-----

Ezekiel happened to be in New York at the right time. According to the poster he just walked past, there was going to be a big exhibit at the Museum of History in a few days, a replica of one of the great pyramids, complete with loads of artifacts inside. A goldmine, all in one place, ready for Ezekiel to take what he wished so he could replenish the fund he ran for abused kids.

He hadn’t been to that museum before; they never really had any pricy exhibits, the natural history museum always got them, so Ezekiel devised a plan to case the exhibit and figure out what he wanted to swipe. Donning the nerdiest outfit he could bare to wear, Ezekiel turned up while the students and other important looking people were frantically trying to set up and document everything in the huge exhibit.

The disguise worked well...too well. Not even five minutes into taking in the exhibit, a man, probably a professor by the looks of his outfit and the general nerdiness he gave off, called him over. “Hey you, give me a hand with this.” The professor was pushing a crate somewhere, apparently heavy enough that it warranted help and Ezekiel was unluckily the only one in the vicinity.

Ezekiel hesitated just long enough to make the professor annoyed. The professor scowled at him as he wiped away sweat from his face. “You can’t just stand around and expect to get a good grade.”

Finally settling on a persona, Ezekiel scurried over to him. “Sorry, uh, sir,” he muttered, pushing the considerably heavy crate. The professor pushed as well, but Ezekiel could tell he was doing the majority of the work.

The professor directed the crate to a collapsible table currently half used to hold a variety of artifacts. He stretched his back, then reached into the crate while looking at Ezekiel. “Help me empty this so we can get it on display.” Ezekiel nodded, carefully pulling considerably valuable artifacts out of the box, ignoring the way the professor was watching him. Ezekiel jumped a little when the professor asked him a question, definitely only because he was really playing into his persona. “I’ve been terribly busy organizing everyone and everything, remind me what team you’re here with again?”

“I’m, uh, with the artifacts team. My, er, specialty is items made from precious metals and gems,” Ezekiel stammered. He gulped when the professor narrowed his eyes at him.

“Precious metals you say. Tell me what this is made of,” the professor said, handing Ezekiel a small metal bust.

Ezekiel carefully took the head and turned it in his hands a bit. “Bronze, most likely a mild based on the shine, and since that’d be easier to sculpt. The eyes are smokey quartz. The gems in the necklace are lapis lazuli, emerald, polished carnelian, emerald, and obsidian,” Ezekiel explained, pointing at the gems as he named them.

The professor seemed mildly impressed, but also suspicious. “When would it have been made?”

Fortunately Ezekiel had seen a bust very much like it at an auction last month. “My guess would be around 2500 B.C. since I don’t know where exactly it came from.”

The professor seemed more impressed, taking the sculpture back from Ezekiel. “This comes from the collection in the British museum’s Egyptian exhibit, which their archaeologists in the mid 20th century found in the tomb of Userkaf. I’d love to have the pair of busts for this exhibit, but one was stolen years ago, before my time.” He stared at the sculpture fondly a bit more, then sat it on the table. “Keep unpacking. This whole crate needs to be unpacked and displayed today. We have three days, which I said was completely unreasonable, but here we are.”

A couple of students over at another table called for the professor. “Doctor Carsen, we need your help over here.”

“Coming!” His attention was immediately focused on the others. “I’ll be right back,” he said to Ezekiel, then scampered off to assist.

There was quite a lot of stuff to check out, see what was really worth having from this exhibit, and what better way to handle all the merchandise than to play helpful intern. He was going to sneak off and have a look, but true to his word, the professor came back within a minute. Apparently, unpacking to this Dr. Carsen meant taking each item out, and then giving anywhere from a two to five minute lecture about the origin and significance of each piece. The crate should’ve taken ten minutes max to empty, but by the time they got done, over an hour had passed.

Ezekiel didn’t know what was worse, that he lost so much time when he could’ve been casing the rest of the museum, or the fact that he kind of didn’t mind listening to Carsen ramble on about everything. Not that he actively listened; Ezekiel couldn’t tell much of anything about the history of anything he had handled in that time compared to his guesses at the value each item would fetch in various underground art markets.

Instead he spent way more than his fair share of focus noticing every little thing about this professor, the way his words jumbled when he got excited, the crinkles in the corners of his eyes when he smiled, the way he’d rock on the balls of his feet when he really got into the history of it. Ezekiel had a few rules when it came to thievery, and “don’t bang the target” was right at the top of the list, but right now it was getting easier to find loopholes to that rule than it was picking something to take.

To clear his head, Ezekiel finally got away from the professor when yet another group called him away for assistance. With his little time left before close, he skirted around the professor, surveying the rest of the displays in their various states of completion. There was a gold mine of things he could go for and get good profit, but that bust he handled earlier kept calling to him. It’d fetch a fair price by itself, or even more to the person who had bought the first head. The museum was way too busy now, but it wouldn’t be that night, so Ezekiel spent a little more time surveying the security measures before prepping for the night.

He expected the people working on the exhibit to continue well after the six pm closing time with the opening date just a couple days away, so he waited till after midnight before he ventured to a back door with an unloading dock. The security system recently went digital, so it wasn’t hard to loop the cameras, disable the motion and heat sensors, and unlock the door without anyone noticing. There were security guards, but only two for the large museum, leaving wings empty for minutes at a time, so Ezekiel had no issue making his way to the under construction exhibit.

Unlike the other wings, the lights were partially on still, creating patches of shadow over bits where assembly was finished and highlighting the folding tables with items strewn about them. No one was in the room at the moment. Ezekiel noted the table he had seen the bust last was unfortunately void of the object, so he quickly snooped through the dark, finished displays in search of his target. The next guard wouldn’t come through for another three minutes.

Just as he found the bust someone walked into the room. “Hey uh, I thought everyone had left.” It was the professor from before, looking a tad more stressed and worse for wear. “Oh, it’s you, from earlier,” he said just as Ezekiel sat the bust down and stepped into the light.

“Ah yeah, it’s me,” Ezekiel said, trying to play it cool.

“You slipped off earlier,” he rubbed his eye like one does when when exhausted, “you know, I don’t think I caught your name.”

“I like to keep it that way. Shrouded in mystery,” Ezekiel replied, leaning part of the way back into the shadows for effect.

“Funny, because I checked the rosters for everyone working on this exhibit, and unless you happen to have suddenly picked up that accent, which I highly doubt, you don’t fit any one on them,” Dr. Carsen continued, stepping more into Ezekiel’s space. “Who are you, and why are you sneaking into the museum at midnight?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Ezekiel said saucily while tapping Dr. Carsen’s chest, deciding that he should play into the oddly physical vibe that suddenly appeared.

To his surprise, Dr. Carsen didn’t back away. “I would, considering I can tell you moved the bust, which I assume was because you intended to steal it.”

Ezekiel patted his chest again, trying to hide his growing panic about Dr. Carsen reading the situation that easy. “Observant and well-read, I like that in a man.” He noticed Dr. Carsen look down at his hand before Dr. Carsen realized what he did, a good sign for Ezekiel.

“Are you, uh,” Dr. Carsen faltered when Ezekiel did his best to look enticing, biting his bottom lip and looking up at Dr. Carsen through his lashes (it helped that Dr. Carsen was a few inches taller too). “You’re um.”

“I’m what, love?” Ezekiel asked, tilting his head ever so slightly upward. Sure enough, Dr. Carsen reciprocated the movement.

“You’re really distracting,” Dr. Carsen settled, eyes flitting to Ezekiel’s mouth when the thief smirked.

“So I’ve heard. Though I can say,” he paused to place his lips mere inches away from Dr. Carsen’s, “you’re just as distracting as I am, in my opinion.”

Dr. Carsen leaned forward, lips ghosting Ezekiel’s, but then his brain started recovering, which meant he attempted to make space. “Wait you’re-”

Ezekiel was not gonna lose the ground he made; he slipped a hand around the professor’s neck and pulled him into a kiss. He expected Dr. Carsen to fight him a bit more, but near instantly Ezekiel found he was being kissed just as much as he was doing the kissing. In the back of his mind he remembered his rule, though technically his target wasn’t Dr. Carsen himself...so getting him in bed wasn’t breaking the rule, he reasoned.

Footsteps from a security guard echoed on the marble floor. Ezekiel pulled away only so far to speak so he could keep Dr. Carsen��s focus. “Should we take this somewhere else?”

Dr. Carsen nodded, his nose sliding against Ezekiel’s. “My apartment,” Dr. Carsen started, pausing to kiss Ezekiel again because apparently it had been too long already, “not far.”

The security guard walked in, startled at the two men being intimate. “Uh, sorry, just doin’ rounds,” the guard mumbled, then turned right back around and left the room.

Ezekiel kissed Dr. Carsen’s neck while his head was turned towards the guard, getting a gasp from the professor. “Unless you want to give him a show, let’s go,” Ezekiel said.

“Oh, uh, yeah, let’s do that, ‘s good idea,” Dr. Carsen said, attempting to do his best of talking and kissing and walking. They of course stumbled, Ezekiel’s hip hitting rather hard into one of the tables.

“Why don’t we focus on walking, then we can have our fun, hmm?” Ezekiel said, snaking his arm around Dr. Carsen’s waist as he promptly guided him towards the table that had a messenger bag that must’ve been the professor’s. Sure enough, Dr. Carsen reached out to grab it, not bothering to stop, slinging it loosely over his head. Ezekiel used the movement to sneak a kiss to Dr. Carsen’s jaw, then focused on getting them out of the museum before Dr. Carsen remembered just what he was getting distracted from.

Fortunately for Ezekiel, Dr. Carsen was entirely too easy to keep aroused. Kisses here and there, a little wandering with his hand, right tone of voice and word choice (apparently Ezekiel calling him “love” worked really well). It only took them maybe ten minutes of walking to get to the place that made Dr. Carsen halt and declare as his apartment building, and only one more to get up the stairs and into the apartment.

Dr. Carsen barely had time to take off the messenger bag and shuck off his suit jacket before Ezekiel pressed him against the wall. Dr. Carsen seemed to be enjoying himself quite a bit, based off what he felt pressed against his thigh, but before he knew it, Dr. Carsen switched positions, pinning Ezekiel to the wall. “Mmhmm, like being on top, do you-hah,” Ezekiel purred as Dr. Carsen went for his neck, nipping a sensitive spot.

“That okay?” the professor asked, voice muffled by the fact he spoke into Ezekiel’s neck.

“Oh more than, love. Why don’t we move this to the bed, hmm?” Ezekiel suggested. “Do with me what you’d like.” That got a look from the professor, one of need, and then Dr. Carsen was all too happy to cart him off to the bedroom.

---

Ezekiel was not one to stay in one place too long, and that included people he slept with. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but Ezekiel knew he was probably nearing an alarm for the professor to get back to the museum and work relentlessly. Carefully he slipped out of bed, leaving Dr. Carsen’s arms empty. He started collecting his clothes, but found himself watching the professor sleep. His hair was mussed, mouth slightly open but not snoring, face looking relaxed and content compared to the stressed and tired look he had the previous night.

He shook his head, focusing on getting out of the apartment before he gave into the growing urge of climbing back into bed. For the most part he fought it, but he let himself do something he never did for anyone else; he left a note, not in his normal handwriting, saying simply “thanks for the fun, good luck on your exhibit” and signed it with an “E.” Then he was out and into the greying morning, feeling entirely more emotionally attached than he normally did after a one night stand.

This job was bust; he couldn’t bring himself to steal from Dr. Carsen. But there were others, and more to keep a bed with, he tried to convince himself, but he didn’t really believe it.

-----

Post Notes: With school starting and my semester going at 100% since the first day basically, I completely forgot I had this written and that last week was the Flynn x lits week. Oh well, at least I'm only a day late!

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The Prophet Morrowseer