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longveil · 1 year

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The Book of Burdens

[ Photo by Taylor Flowe on Unsplash ]

In the months that followed the foxfire’s loss, Seraanna buried herself in the Scrollkeeper’s Sanctum. Ensconced within the Temple of the Jade Serpent, the library held works that pre-dated the Great Sundering itself - scrolls copied and recopied dutifully over the centuries, growing more ornate with each rendition as earlier parchment succumbed to the inevitability of age.

But it was writing of unexpected provenance, a children’s history, that sent the ren’dorei on a month-long journey across Pandaria. To Kun-Lai and the Townlong Steppes, Krasarang and the Vale of Eternal Summers, that wellspring still recovering from N’zoth’s ill-fated ascendancy.

From the mouths of babes.

Jun-Seo was seated at her desk within the Sanctum, glasses perched upon the aged monk’s nose as she transcribed one of several crumbling scrolls for preservation. She caught only a flicker of motion from the corner of her eye, looking up as a familiar form approached - trailing shadow and laden with intent.

“Scrollkeeper,” Seraanna murmured, “I would… give question to you.”

“Lady Longveil. What would you have of me?” Jun-Seo placed her quill aside and scattered a pawful of sand over the still-wet ink of her efforts before offering a shallow, seated bow to her guest. Then ren’dorei’s patronage of the Sanctum was no secret among the Temple’s monks, and it afforded her tolerance - and a modicum of respect. If only a modicum.

Seraanna drew closer, placing parchment of her own upon the monk’s desk. “I have been to study… the legacy of your Emperor Shaohao. The writings found at the temples of the Celestials that… detail his burden when faced with prophecy of the Great… Sundering.”

Jun-Seo nodded in acknowledgment. “He unburdened himself of doubt and despair, fear, anger, hatred, and violence, giving his last breath to protect his people from the doom,” deep brown eyes regarded Seraanna, “your people engendered.”

If only a modicum.

“… yes.” If Seraanna’s murmurings were softer, neither chose to comment. “But I have question of these… words.” Slender fingers gestured to the parchment, faint wisps following behind, to indicate a transcription rendered in Seraanna’s own graceful hand. For a moment, Jun-Seo was envious of the other woman’s artistry; the calligraphy even on this field transcription easily the match of any monk within the Sanctum. But the envy was released with a skill of born of long practice as Jun-Seo adjusted her glasses to read the flowing script, recognized immediately as a passage from the Book of Burdens:

…Shaohao meditated for three days and three nights, for the counsel of the Jade Serpent was unclear. How could one purge oneself of all doubt?

Weary of waiting, Shaohao’s traveling companion the Monkey King whittled a strange grimacing visage out of bamboo. He urged the Emperor to place the mask of doubt on his face…

While mischief was the Monkey King’s motivation, the mask worked - As Shaohao pulled the mask away, his doubts took on a physical form. For seven hours they fought, until the Sha of Doubt was buried.

“The… mask. All writings, all… temples speak the same.” The ren’dorei’s lambent gaze found Jun-Seo. “Masks, made of the Monkey King’s hand, which drew… forth shadow of… the Sha. Of the fallen god Y’shaarj.”

Jun-Seo frowned, one paw raised in an all-but-reflexive gesture of warding. “Do not speak the Old God’s name here, Lady Longveil. Your welcome is not without limits.”

Seraanna inclined her head, artfully tousled hair falling into her eyes. “My… apologies, Scrollkeeper,” she murmured. “Yet I would know if any still… practice this art, the making of such masks as… described of eld.”

“Few in recent history.” The monk’s attention went to the walls of the Sanctum, heavy with scrolls and tomes. “And none since your people both freed and defeated the Old God’s last remains. Only one. A Master Xyolo, lost to us before the Sha fell. He did take an apprentice - one of your own people, I’m told.”

Deep brown eyes fell back to Seraanna. “But she’s not been seen for years. However, Master Xyolo entrusted some of his writings to the Temple.” Jun-Seo beckoned to a younger pandaren garbed in unadorned robes, who scurried to the Scrollkeeper’s call. “Acolyte, see the Lady Longveil to the northern wing, eighth rack, second shelf.”

Jun-Seo’s attention returned to Seraanna. “You should find Master Xyolo’s writings there. They’re of his own hand, and are not to leave the Sanctum." The elder monk paused, then added, "I do hope you respect the deference the Temple has offered you, Lady Longveil.”

A faded smile drew at dark-painted lips as Seraanna coiled her own parchment. “Of… course, Scrollkeeper. It is not that I… would think of abusing your trust.” She turned lambent regard to the approaching acolyte before glancing back briefly to Jun-Seo. “Shadows guide your… path.”

The ren’dorei’s parting words were offered almost carelessly, her steps silent as she followed the acolyte to the Sanctum’s northern wing.

“And your patronage,” Jun-Seo muttered after Seraanna left earshot, “is appreciated moreso the less we must suffer it.”

With a deep sigh, the Scrollkeeper adjusted her glasses again and returned to her own transcription, pushing uncertain thoughts from her mind. Uneasily had the Temple borne the ren’dorei’s presence since her companion had... failed to return. Yet her patronage had seen many works preserved that might have otherwise crumbled to time, and thus was valued. Legend had it that Doubt was the first Sha defeated by Shaohao. In the wake of her Temple's patron, could Jun-Seo offer any less?

#longveilstories #| Masks |#Pandaria #mists and circles

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daisychainsandbowties · 11 months

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hello hello doing a re read of star wars au, and i was struck with curiosity. what do you imagine camilas tattoos are of?? on initial read i pictured more abstract textual/geometric designs, but the more i think on it the more i’m super intrigued by what you had in mind. tattoos in sw are actually weirdly pretty rare? baring various prison/gang tats and like the dathomir cultural tattooing (side bar: lilith rocking some dathomirian tattoos a la maul?? hawt)

camilas tattoos are clearly deeply grounding for her with the whole becoming the light you need in the dark etc etc. i wonder if they are ceremonial or personal? does she share the same lines on her skin as her (pirate)sisters do? or did she meticulously consider where each drop of not ink was to stain her skin?

so the original inspiration for cam’s tattoos comes from my little obsession with bioluminescence. squid exhibit bioluminescent tendencies with incredible frequency, and of course there are jellyfish, and even on land there's foxfire, which is incredibly beautiful. so i just thought in a fic that's all about light and luminescence i'd be remiss not to include a reference to one of my favourite forms of light.

for one thing, the light-emitting molecule that’s chemically activated in biolumenescene is called luciferin, which comes from the Latin word meaning ‘light-bearer’. of course, anyone who wields a lightsaber is literally a bearer of the light, but i also liked the idea of the ocs in this universe as a group of people dedicated to carrying the light forward - through the literal dark and the shadow cast by the Empire.

the tattoos have no specific shape. i kind of imagine them as those bioluminescent algae (dinoflagellates i think) that glow when their environment is disturbed. they have this very Cherenkov radiation-type glow. so i imagine cam’s tattoos as a bloom of ever-shifting dots and lines and draperies of lightsaber blue.

they have no set shape or position or arrangement, which is why Ava sees them moving, curling up into cam’s palm, glimmering when touched. they’re not constantly in motion, but they do move, and cam does have some say in how, though the light has its own whims.

she can - and she would have for Ava, if she'd been feeling generous - shape them in certain ways, make glowing blue birds or dragons or darting scrap rats. she can form constellations - and like the ocs pendants the whole network of tattoos can, in times of real peril, spell out warnings for those who wear them.

most of the time the tattoos just form lines, or glow like stars, or sometimes just shine out from under the skin (think aurora borealis).

while thinking on cam's tattoos, i also read about coal miners who used to use the phosphorescent properties of fish skin as a very faint light source to avoid the risk of setting off pockets of firedamp. the idea in star wars au, then, is that the light does something like the opposite of this. it invites danger - which is why cam has to keep her arms covered up.

i was thinking of the canon ocs, who hunt things nobody can see, and twisted that around a bit to make the ocs in star wars au this radically visible group. as the Sith are so fond of saying about Jedi - they can’t hide what they are. and they refuse to.

it just seemed really cool to have a group of pirate-archaeologists carrying their faith trapped underneath their skin, and also having a very convenient light source in any dark place they might roam.

plus, i loved the idea of cam & her fellow pirates, with their dedication to being light, also having the properties of living organisms who are, literally, luminous beings. creatures who live in a world so dark they use their bodies to make light.

#wn star war au #fascinating question tysm for asking #the tats are definitely there as a ceremonial thing #but they're also personal! and most of cam's fellow pirates have different patterns of light under their skin #(and the tattoos do spread and grow over time. crawling up the arms and over the shoulders #down to her waist. though they don't spread anywhere without 'permission' from their host)#(also yea lilith + dathomir tattoos is something i have Put Thought into alright)#ridemango #ask

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theimpossiblescheme · 1 year

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The Spirit That Negates

(This time Foxfire and Zephyra (who will be making another appearance on Saturday herself!) are getting their chance for @bombawife‘s OC week. Trigger warning for violence, blood, and mind manipulation toward the end.)

Zephyra knew she shouldn’t be listening to this. She valued her own neck too much to get into the boss’s business. But when Macavity came back from the Junkyard in a bigger rage than she’d ever seen, storming into the back room of the Mouser’s Palace with electricity crackling off his fur, her curiosity got the better of her.

The first thing he did was tear the place apart. A hellish, frustrated scream tore from the back of his throat, setting Zephyra’s teeth on edge, as he lashed out with his claws at everything he could reach. Curtains, empty crates, old ledgers–none of it was safe. The ground was a shredded mess as the hurricane subsided, and Macavity stood in the middle of it panting. Fury in his face, eyes wide and staring, but seeing nothing. Zephyra held her breath and remained very still behind the crack in the door.

“I know you can hear me!” Macavity cried after a moment’s stillness, and Żyleta was never so relieved to see his back turned to her. “Show yourself, you thieving bastard!”

“Thieving?” A new voice rang out, and both their heads whipped around to see another cat where there hadn’t been before, lounging casually on an uninjured crate. “Don’t tell me we need to go over all that again, do we? You lot do have such short memories.” At first glance, this new arrival didn’t seem so remarkable–just another tabby with gold fur. But she’d never seen such markings on his face and pelt, like…painted red and black ink to cover up the sculptor’s mistakes. Too strangely purposeful for an ordinary coat pattern. And there was something… insubstantial about him as well. Blurred around the edges, like he was caught between this world and someplace else. All at once, every rumor Zephyra ever heard about Macavity’s patron–some Fae creature he’d taken his powers from–came rushing back to her and ripped her between fascination and fear.

Macavity’s rage did not subside. A growl built in his chest as he seized the new cat by pawfuls of chest fur, yanking him upright and sending his head snapping painfully backward. “I had them–”

“Oh, did you now?” the gold tom drawled, utterly unmoved. Macavity ignored him and barreled on.

“I had Deuteronomy in chains, I had Demeter under my power, I had the rest of them cowering in the shadows, and what did you do?” His grip tightened until his claws should have drawn blood. “You revoked my power when I needed it most! You made me look like a fool in front of the entire Junkyard!”

“Well, of course–it wouldn’t be any fun to take it away sooner.”

His growl reaching its apex until it filled the room like thunder, Macavity threw the gold tom violently against the crate. His spine bent with the impact so that it should have broken in two, and Zephyra barely kept herself from flinching. “Why? Why do you delight in tormenting me like this?”

“Answered your own question, I’d say, haven’t you?” Peeling himself from the crate, spine somehow still whole and undamaged, the gold tom merely shook out his fur and smiled. Splinters fell from his back like water off a duck. “You are delightful when you lose your temper like this–it’s adorable, frankly.”

“Have I not proved myself by now?” Macavity demanded. Sparks still flew from his fur, and his unsheathed claws were jagged and rough. “Do I not deserve the power you gave me to begin with? What more must I do to convince you?”

“Oh, you know it doesn’t work like that,” the gold tom replied with the exaggerated patience of a tired parent to his kitten. “You said so yourself–power has to be taken. Really, I deserve some credit for humoring you all these years.”

A faint zap ran down the length of Macavity’s tail as he loomed over him, grabbing his chin none too gently and forcing him to make eye contact. “If you were less than what you are,” he sneered, “I would have you gutted for mocking me like this.” And he let go just as roughly, the gold tom’s head jerking to one side while he remained unmoved. “I do not need you. I can find the magic I need anywhere else–”

“Is that so? You think you can find another alleyway with another kindly spirit waiting around for some young upstart to help himself to some magic? Without so much as a by-your-leave, I might add?”

“If I bested you as little more than a kitten, I can certainly do better now!”

“Mm… that isn’t quite how I remember it going.” Zephyra watched as the gold tom slowly walked forward, actually forcing Macavity backward and giving himself enough room to trace a wide, winding path around him. “I just happened to be hanging about on the street where you found me. You just happened to be looking for a scrap, so what could I do but indulge you? And when you demanded some satisfaction, I just happened to be in a generous mood myself.” He was such a small cat in comparison, and there was such a long space between them, yet somehow Macavity looked like a rat in a trap, eyes never leaving the meandering circle. Never daring to look away. “You’ve come this far on a combination of sheer dumb luck and my own goodwill. I should think a little gratitude is due… and perhaps some humility.”

“You dare to question what I’ve built?” Something a little less than fury rumbled through Macavity’s voice now.

“Oh, not at all,” the gold tom hummed. He hadn’t deigned to look Macavity in the face before now, and Zephyra wondered for a moment at the color of his eyes. Like the inside of a fire. “No, I’m sure your little toadies here stay for your sparkling personality. To say nothing of your kept beauties–pity you couldn’t keep them after all, could you?”

At this, Macavity finally had enough. With another impotent roar, he charged with claws and teeth at the ready. But just as quickly as he’d arrived, the gold tom was nowhere to be found. And before she could move away from the door, Macavity found his outlet, thundering out of the room and throwing Zephyra to the ground. She could feel the blood across her shoulders and the last of her silk bow unraveling before the pain even registered.

“How long were you listening?” he hissed, leaning over her and pressing her head to the ground. The tips of his claws pressed at the soft of her ear as if to pierce it through.

Between her dignity and her life, it was no choice at all. “Just a few minutes, I swear! I–” Her head suddenly filled with the buzzing of radio static, of a thousand bees, of her own brain threatening to boil itself. As the terrible noise reached a crescendo, Macavity’s voice cut through it, calm as ever.

“Get back to your post. These corridors are dangerous, and you should know better than to wander off. It won’t happen again.”

Gently lifting away his paw, he let her up. Zephyra nodded once before patting down her fur and making her way back down the hallway. Silly of her, really, to try and peek in on an empty room.

#cats the musical #cats oc week #macavity #OCs #fanfic

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kittystalking · 1 year

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Tierce Week Day 4

Guess who's back? Hi, it's me, Kittys Talking.

Warnings: None

Prompt: Ink

Wordcount: 672

Title: Secret Notes

Tiergan searched his backpack for his inkwell while he walked down one of the many halls of foxfire. When he finally found some he looked at the tiny paper he had found in his locker. Seaview and two boxes to tick. That was everything that was written on it with dark blue ink. And that was enough. At least for Tiergan. Seaview was the place where he and Prentice have watched many sunsets and where they went when they wanted to see each other in a not platonic way. Tiergan walked up to Prentice's locker and put the note in his locker. When Prentice would one his locker later, he would see his note again with a ticked off Yes in the color of Tiergans light blue ink.

#tiertice week 2023 #tiertice #tiergan alenefar #kotlc #kotlc fanfic

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you-have-been-frizzled · 2 years

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Julline Dizzinee headcannons

but they’re actually headcannons not a bullet point fanfic

she likes people to think her kids get their chaotic personalities from her husband but they get it just as much from her if not more

she is just as chaotic as the rest of her family, she just tends to hide behind them, and watch their chaos unfold

she’s actually very outspoken and her daughter got her lack of a filter from Juline who would constantly get detention for disrespecting her mentors. she expects Bex to get a filter eventually just like she did

she made it her job to humiliate the nobles at her parents parties, she would call out their nonsense and affairs, in front of everyone

she was just as Annoying as Lex when it came to her sister, every time Edaline would go out on a date Juline would make the most obnoxious faces and kissy noises

though the prankster aspect they definitely got from Kesler, she would rather humiliate her victims with the truth than make their hair fall out

she would case drama at Foxfire on purpose but she never lied. she would find out who was cheating with who, would expose peoples lies, who’s parents where cheating.

she’s got a dark sense of humor and loves to listen to human true crime docs and horror movies. she learned several ways to properly hide a body, and ways to kill slowly and painfully

she has gone to multiple broadway musicals with Livvy and loves ice cream, but for some reason she can’t figure out how to make some herself

also she goes to the human library weekly to pick up new books to read

while she would never kill she doesn’t let the prisoners know that, and will describe what will do to them in detail while freezing off their finger nails if they give information

when in reality she just quoting how one of the victims where killed in her True crime docs

she has a list of dirt on nobles that she uses to anonymously blackmail them, after Della joined her list tripled in size

she’s as cunning as Grady is reckless, she’s willing to hurt people as much as he is if it means protecting her family. she just prefers to plan before hand.

she didn’t want Dex to join the Black Swan but knew there really wasn’t much of a choice and hated it she did want to lose him again

she’s swears like a sailor when she with the black swan, but she never does at home

she and Jolie wrote letters to each other though out her entire life, they originally started because she was trying to encourage her nice to read and write but they never stopped

they would go shopping for fun paper and pens to write their letters, Jolie always chose someone purple

when she was eleven and starting Foxfire Juline bought her a fancy pen and ink well with purple flowers and ink, Jolie used that pen to write her letter to her aunt from that day forward

when Jolie and Brant where deemed a bad match the ended up writing letters ever day on top of the constant conversations they had

the last letter she had gotten from Jolie said that she wanted to talk about something very important together something that could make their whole world change

she never got the chance to have that conversation with Jolie because she got that letter the day after the fire

she put all the letters in a box, and tucked it away in her closet, she didn’t open it agian until a few weeks after the triplets where born and she joined the black swan.

because the note inside that little black box that Livvy gave her was written in Jolies handwriting in her purple ink and she finally got to know what that letter was about

#kotlc #kotlc headcanons #kotlc fandom #kotlc headcanon #keeper of the lost cities #kotlc hc #kotlc fanfic #the keeper of the lost cities #kotlc black swan #kotlc juline #kotlc squall #juline dizznee

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lotusug · 8 months

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you are beating all the visions | zenji | trial 1-4 | re: ak-ka

Zenji was in the middle of watching Ak-ka intently as she confessed her missing memories of her wife. Now that was something interesting. Maybe this trial would end up being a net excitement after all! But then Enma interrupts the moment – voting? What? Ooohhh, yeah. Zenji looks at his phone and then slips it into a pocket without voting just yet.

He taps his chin. “What hard evidence do we have to go on besides a whole bunch of blood everywhere?” It’s an honest question. “Anyone could have picked up that knife or worn that disguise! And most people do bleed everywhere if you rough them up enough, right? Sooo…” he shrugs. “The ink is the weirdest thing! Like I said, ink doesn’t just come right up off paper like that and turn into a puddle! At least, not without some special power.”

He raises one hand and makes a little poof with his fingers. A ball of foxfire appears above his palm, casting a reddish glow over his hand. He watches the floating flame flicker for a second, and then lets out the same sort of big sigh a lazy dog might make. Then he looks back up. “I didn’t see any smashed up pens. Did you?” He’s looking across the fire at Ak-ka, and the corner of his mouth quirks up a little. He can’t help it – he’s a cheerful guy! “It’s not looking good, Sei-chan!”

#submission #ch1 #zenji #trial

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iwt-v · 4 years

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--If I told you that I loved you, would you take it the wrong way?...

--I’ll take it however you want me to, Maddy.

#foxfire #foxfireedit #angelinajolieedit #ajolieedit #hedy burress #w/w film #foxfire mine #was gonna post this before the steamy inking scene but #y'all know how it is *shrug emoji*

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haggisbeast · 4 years

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Starry Kitsune on canvas.

#fox #kitsune #foxfire #canvas #art #ink #mythical #mythical creature #666akatsuki #haggisbeastart

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foxfireink · 11 months

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STS fun: Generators for making coats of arms (plus a couple other generator mentions). Anyone have any to add? What are your favorite generators for worldbuilding?

Tagging @hd-literature, @tate-lin, @blind-the-winds in case you guys wanna throw any links out there. That's how this works, right? (Hi it's Inkwell and I'm new here, hahaha.)

Got a few images and links below.

Happy Storyteller Saturday!

-Inkwell and Crooked Writer

This is the coat of arms for the Stewards of the Swords, the anti-eldritch bodyguards of the king and his family in our WIP audio drama, Songs of Decay. It's cool cuz the Steward represented there in the middle keeps the Swords (the king's family members) from being corrupted by eldritch influences and turning on the Crown. Read more about the Stewards here.

We used Armoria to generate and customize the coat of arms above.

Armoria actually connects to Azgaar's fantasy map generator! If you generate a map and click on a city, it will show you that city's emblem.

Similarly, you can also click on a city to edit its layout in City Generator by Watabou, a medieval fantasy city generator. All three of these resources are pretty dang awesome, and I love that they all work together!

This is the crest of the Haldane royal family of Imeuiad from our fantasy WIP, Outcasts.

We also use Draw Shield. Draw Shield even has resources on their website to learn about heraldry and related vocabulary. I loooove that it types up the term for each feature you add to the shield, so you can learn blazonry ("the art of describing or painting heraldic devices or armorial bearings") as you go!

Happy Storyteller Saturday!

-Inkwell and Crooked Writer

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borzoifeet · 6 years

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#gumiho #fox #spirit #fae #blood #ori絵 #ケLVart #TroHead #foxfire #Polymelia #Polycephaly #ink #creature concept #watercolour #Cladis Kuzuelix

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longveil · 11 months

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A postcard arrives for the fair Seraanna, its glossy surface featuring a group of adventurers posing heroically on a cliff with Valdrakken's sweeping vistas far behind them. Blocky text above reads: "THE DRAGONSCALE EXPEDITION PRESENTS:" and below: "THALDRASZUS" and where one would expect a message on the back is instead a series of pressings from ink stamps in rhombus formation: a crescent moon, a snail, a flower, and a flame.

Mail had only just begun to arrive with regularity at Seraanna's apartment between the Cathedral District, the entry to Stormwind Cemetery, and Stormwind Harbor. Earlier post had come from the mail drop established years past in Dalaran, bound packets following her return from libraries and gardens abroad. Where foxfire had once danced, and only masks were found to bring silence.

But this card, this trifle, was addressed to find her in Stormwind.

Thaldraszus was of interest, there was no doubt, though there was much yet to do in Stormwind. Algeth'ar Academy alone promised works older than those in Suramar or the Temple of the Jade Serpent in Pandaria, never mind what else might be found off the long-forgotten home of the flights.

But the symbols offered in place of word or name? She traced the pressings with a finger - moon, snail, flower and flame - and failed to find meaning. A distraction, then, one of delightful many. A conundrum to wait later connection.

“...curious.”

The postcard was given a place of honor upon her table of ordered chaos, the first thing to be made whole upon her return. Stacked upon other items of curious symbolism, one corner resting beneath a shipping manifest, another resting atop a purloined flyer calling for artisans and antiquarians to journey to the Isles.

She drifted her fingers over the card stock again, a small wisp of shadow drifting across the symbols before dispersing.

“There... is time enough. Soon.”

[ Thank you, nonny - I couldn't help but try to reproduce it!]

#anonymous asks #Thaldraszus #postcards #the table

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imaeraser · 3 years

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Playing With Foxfire Kin’emon x Reader (Modern AU) Ch 1

TW: power imbalance, cheating, and age gap

(2.1k words)

Kin’emon x reader x slight Sanji

Summary: You have a summer internship at the Kozuki company, and have to stay at Kin’emon’s home. You try to limit your attraction to the married man, but the flame of passion burns bright. And playing with fire can only lead to one thing— getting burnt.

AN: I originally did this for myself and my sister as a joke— since there is little to no fan fiction for Kin’emon— but decided to post it. Hopefully you enjoy and cringe at some parts.

I fumbled my way through the airport. The musk of others smudged onto my shoulders while I bumped down the path as if I were in a pinball machine. The sound of the wheels of my suitcase grounding me on Earth before all of my thoughts flew away.

I raised my hand to shade my eyes as I stepped out into the open, while my foot jutted back from the force of the wind. I squinted down the road, but there was not an awaiting person in sight.

I sighed, and sat down on a sun-warmed bench near a smoking man. As I grabbed the side rest, the tacky feeling of day-old gum made my arm jump in revulsion.

“Ew, that’s so nasty,” I shook my arm as if the action would make the gum magically disappear, and then reluctantly started to pull it off with two fingers.

“Here let me help you,” another set of arms entered my vision. The stranger pulled out a handkerchief and scraped any residue off of my arm jacket.

“Thank you so much, you’re a lifesaver,” I turned to him, and stopped mid-thought.

His eye was staring at me intently, but I could only appear to focus on his swirly eyebrow— his singular swirly eyebrow.

“I think being a life saver is a bit of an over-statement, but I’ll take it.” He paused and tilted his head, yet the hair that covered one of his eyes did not budge. “Is there something wrong?”

I paused, “No, it’s nothing. I’m just a bit air-headed sometimes.” I flushed as I rubbed the back on my neck.

“Well, I think air-heads are cute,” he held out his hand, “Sanji.”

“Y/N,” I said as I replied with a handshake.

Once we retracted our arms he leaned over to his side, and proceeded to fill the atmosphere with the rottenly-sweet scent of tobacco. After a large puff, he released a light cloud into the air. The smoke got thinner and lighter as it floated up and died in the sky.

“What brings you here Y/N?” Sanji held out an unused cigarette and raised an eyebrow.

“I have an internship this summer,” I said as I shook my head and pushed the offering away.

“Let me guess...” he paused, “ Kozuki?”

“Yep,” I nodded. I threw another glance at the street, and the emptiness made my foot begin to tap the floor. “I think there was a guy that was supposed to pick me up.” I looked down at my phone- 4:57- a few more hours and I would no longer feel safe walking the streets alone.

“If you want, I can drive you. Just give me the address and we’ll be on our way,” Sanji offered a handsome smile.

My eyes quickly darted to his figure. He was tall and slender, but most of his form was hidden under a finely made suit. He shifted in his seat awaiting my answer, and the movement drew my attention to his abnormally built leg muscles. His demeanor was goofy, but I had only known him for a span of a few minutes.

As much as I wanted to say yes, there were far too many episodes of true-crime documentaries watched for me to allow this stranger to drive me home.

“No, I should be okay. I think I’ll wait a bit longer, and if he doesn’t show up I’ll call an Uber or something,” I said as I watched him lean back onto his seat.

“Well, I’ll wait until you’re out of here safely. I can’t leave a lovely lady like yourself all alone,” Sanji smirked as he crossed his ankles.

“Are you implying that I am incapable of handling myself?” I raised an eyebrow in playful contention. He raised his hands as if to calm my rage.

“Of course not, but it’s better to be safe than sorry,” he said, as I leaned back into the bench.

Time quickly passed, and before either of us knew it we were watching the sky’s rolling clouds pull back and reveal an assortment of summer-time colors. The falling sun lit up Sanji’s flaxseed hair—spinning each strand into a gold thread. Perhaps it was a mistake to decline his proposal.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” I said, glancing back at my phone.

“I’m meant to be wherever you are, mademoiselle,” he placed a hand on his chest.

I picked at my nails, and rolled a strand of my hair between my fingers, “Stop joking, you could do way better than me.” He gently clasped my hands.

“You’re selling yourself short. From the time I have spent with you I can tell that you really are gorgeous,” he looked me dead in the eye. The intensity and suddenness of his icy-blue gaze made me look away.

“I’ll take the compliment,” I said, before turning my eyes to the side. To my surprise I saw a man holding a sign with my name on it. “It’s about time,” I shook my head as I looked back over to Sanji. “Thanks for keeping me company, but the dude finally showed up. I have to get going.” I stood up, my knees clicking from being immobile for too long.

After waving goodbye, I dragged my suitcase across the concrete to greet the man. The closer I walked to him, the taller his looming figure became. As we both stopped our pace, my eyes widened in distaste as I looked at him.

His top-knot bobbed as he tilted his head, which provided a stark contrast to his worn out graphic tee that was half-way tucked into a pair of cargo shorts. He took a step towards me as he outstretched his hand, and I heard a resounding wooden thunk. My eyes trailed down to reveal a set of wooden clogs and knee-high socks.

“I am deeply sorry for being late, I was just a bit busy.” He rubbed his neck with his other hand, which revealed a raspberry colored hickey. I bit the inside of my cheek, as I looked to the side in disbelief— trying not to stare at anything in particular. “Oh, you must be looking at my car. It is an antique—”

“Y/N,” I hurriedly shook his hand. “I believe I am to stay at your house during the entirety of my internship at Kozuki?”

His heavily lined eyes blinked a few times before he opened his mouth, “You are correct. I am Kin’emon. My wife and I will be hosting you for the few months you are to be staying.” There was a glint of light that flashed as he moved his hand—which was seen with a golden band around his ring finger.

“Thank you very much for generously allowing me to stay in your home,” we began to walk to his car. “Oh I forgot, the email asked the interns to check the id of the person who is picking us up.” I paused before placing my hand on the sleek metal of the door handle.

“Yes, thank you for reminding me,” he slipped his black leather wallet out of his pocket and fished for his id. Once he retrieved the card, he placed his driver’s license into my hand.

I pulled out my phone, to look at the email telling us about our host. After comparing the information, I handed Kin’emon his drivers license back. “Okay, let’s go.” I said as I slid onto the creme colored leather of the backseat.

My fist supported my head as I watched the scenery meld together through the window. The sky quickly turned darker. My breath formed a little patch of condensation— due to the late hour and dropping temperatures.

The car ride was quiet, with the exception of some traditional Japanese instrumentals. But before either of us would try and fill the silence with awkward questioning, we arrived at his house.

I stepped out of the car, and heard the sound of the trunk opening as well as plastic wheels hitting the ground. While handing me my suitcase handle, his calloused hands brushed against mine. I whispered a quiet, thank you, before following him up to his home.

He opened the frosted glass door, which revealed a quaint home who’s floor was covered in what I perceived as bamboo mats. We both entered the house, and the scent of fried bread crumbs as well as curry swirled around us. I caught myself nearly drooling down my chin.

The sound of pots, pans, and utensils cluttering stopped as a woman in an apron stepped out of the kitchen. “Welcome home dear,” she said before turning to me. “You must be the intern. My name is O-tsuru, it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance.” She dusted her flour covered hands on her jeans before offering me a handshake.

I gave a soft smile as I shook her hand, “I’m Y/N, it’s lovely to meet you as well.” O-tsuru gently grabbed Kin’emon’s hand and led him to the kitchen.

“Food is almost finished, we would be delighted if you decided to eat with us,” her voice echoed from the kitchen.

I looked down at my half eaten sandwich from the airport Subway. The bread was chewy like a warm kneaded eraser, and the vegetables had an almost plastic sheen to them. “I would love to eat whatever smells that delicious,” I peeled off my shoes and set them near the door.

O-tsuru’s head popped out from the kitchen, “Just sit for a bit, and we’ll be out with food in a second.” Following her instructions, I pushed the floor sitting chair out so I could sit on my knees.

There were no legs to the chair, but seeing as the table was so close to the ground it did not present a problem. My eyes scanned the area of the house that was visible. There were sliding doors and paintings with Japanese characters drawn in sumi ink. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see something reflect the light of the overhead fan.

I turned to my side and saw two katana’s on display, both identical in looks. Black lacquered wood, with the image of fire painted down the middle. It looked too gaudy for it to be used as a weapon. As I glanced over the other decorations in the house, I decided to place the swords in the same category.

“Today we are going to be eating Tonkatsu Curry,” O-tusru said, as she clattered plates about to organize the table. I reached out to help her, but she swatted my hands away playfully. “You’re our guest, I can’t put you to work so soon,” she chuckled. I placed my hands back onto my lap, and waited.

Soon enough Kin’emon brought out the food, and the scent of curry wafted over from the pot. There was a plate set down that was full of pork chops covered in fried bread crumbs. O-tsuru set down a glass bowl full of lettuce— you could see droplets of water on the leaves.

“So we have some Tonkatsu here, but if you can’t eat that we also have nato,” O-tsuru sat across from me.

“What’s nato?” I looked at my bowl of rice, and sniffed it.

“It’s fermented beans,” Kin’emon took his seat next to his wife. “And if you’re allergic to anything here just let us know, I’m sure we can find something in the kitchen that suits your needs.”

As we dug in, the flavors exploded in my mouth creating a lovely blend. The dinner was mostly quiet, with the exception of some basic questions to fill up the time.

“I’ll let Kin’emon show you to your room. I have to wash some dishes,” O-tsuru grabbed a few plates as she stood up.

While the sound of water and the clanging of dishes ensued, Kin’emon stood up, and walked over to my luggage. The slight crispy nosies of the mats under my feet amused me.

“So...are the floor mats made out of bamboo?” I said.

“They are made out of rice straw, they’re called Tatami mats,” he walked down the hallway, and placed his hand on the door, and cracked it open slightly. “This is where your room is, you can call either of us if you need anything.”

I watched his silhouette as he turned around to meet back with his wife. Although he dressed like a patchwork dad and samurai, it looked as if he could still be a model for Calvin Klein. As he walked away, his muscles rippled under his skin. His arms were also well defined, but as my eye caught his ring I stopped

#one piece #one piece wano #one piece imagine #sanji x reader #kin’emon #kin’emon x reader #one piece self insert #one piece senario #sanji #sanji one piece #vismoke sanji #foxfire #foxfire kin’emon #one piece x reader #one piece x Y/N

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juuls · 4 years

Text

Juulna’s ‘Hold Onto Your Sanity’ Fic, Book, and Music Recs for the 2020 Dumpster Fire... Part 3!

So you just crash-landed behind enemy lines in a war you know barely anything about except that your role seems infinitesimal and insignificant, and dumped into a year, 2020, that already seems fifteen years too long.

Before you drown your sorrows in some fantastic scotch or wine coolers for days (or weeks)… I have a proposal.

That you step back from the flames, tune things out for a bit, and try to forget about the outside world for a while (but don’t forget to vote or I will be very sad at you!).

These fics are meant to take you out of your head (I’m including more plot/story-minded fics than PWP) for the next few weeks or months as the world goes to hell (even more) but of course there are some bits of solid angst in these as there is wont to be in many a fic. Check the tags, read responsibly, don’t like-don’t read, ship and let ship, and please do leave a kudos and maybe even a comment! :)

This is PART THREE.

Check out here for Part One and most of the Marvel fic recs, along with a selection of book recs too. :)

And here’s Part Two, which has the bulk of my Star Wars and Game of Thrones recs, along with Spotify playlists!

Part Three is this one here, all about the Potterverse.

(Not yet complete) Here’s Part Four, filled with even more shippy goodness from all over the Star Trek universe. So. Many. Ships. :D

(Not yet complete) Part Five is Witcher, Man From UNCLE, Stargate: Atlantis and SG-1, Sherlock, Hannibal, and Doctor Who.

(Not yet complete) Part Six will probably be all for my newfound love of Supergirl, along with some Game of Thrones and Marvel ships I skipped, because I gotta stop somewhere with all these recommendations or I’ll be at it forever. Seriously, how much of this stuff have I read!?

But I think we all need some distractions from the world these days, eh? Or something to console us other than internet rage and a barrel of ice cream and/or hard alcohol.

Potterverse

I’ve chosen to pick fics (mostly) off of AO3 for their easy reading access, though HP fics’ golden years were on sites like fanfiction.net and other independent archives like Sycophanthex and others which have closed their doors over the years, sadly. Some of these fics date back to almost 20 years old, or more, amazingly!

For fics on fanfiction.net, I highly recommend using this link (FicSave) to epub/mobi converter rather than dealing with the frustrating app. It functions like AO3′s built-in download button.

SSHG/Sevmione

Rec assistance by @perrydowning

Second Life by Lariope

Phantom of Hogwarts by Good_Witch

Romancing the War by Pubella

The Poison Garden by turtle_wexler @turtlewexlerwrites

A Light in the Fog by turtle_wexler

Pride of Time by AnubisAnkh

The Savage by MagdatheMagpie

Snape’s Story by Tbird1965

Recognition by jezzie (krith)

Tedium of Time by oneredshoe

Tango by Desert_Sea

Sense and Insensibility by Desert_Sea

Time Mutable Immutable by Grooot

The Twenty by Leyna Rountree

For the Only Hope by ausland @run-with-me-to-the-sea

Bundle of Joy by LadyTuesday

Our Hands Tied by multilingualism

Choose Something Like A Star by TeddyRadiator

Mistress of the Stacks by Ms_Anthrop

A Derailed Train of Thought by Ms_Anthrop

Antiquities by stormcorona

Watch Over Me by @snapeslittleblackbuttons

Dropped Down into the Unknown by @q-drew

Delicate Transitions by @morbidmuch

Lay Me Low by TeddyRadiator

The Savage by MagdatheMagpie

Another Dream by @dragoon811

A Chance For Happiness by @corvusdraconis

Breath of the Nundu by corvusdraconis, Dragon_and_the_Rose

Just to Be by Amarti @amarti-writes-stuff

Hinge of Fate by Ramos

Forged in Flames by @mswhich

Days in the Sun by bluespring864

Making sure the boy who lived, actually does by Hold_en @hold-enwrites

The Problem With Purity by Phoenix.Writing

One Step Forward, Two Decades Back by corvusdraconis

The Headmaster’s Wife by Mrs_HH @propertyofseverustsnape

The Master, the Warden, the Headmaster, and the Deputy by mak5258

Cloak of Courage by Wendynat

Hermione Granger and the Intended Vessels by ShawnaCanon

Augury and Ardor by SnapeySnax

Before the Dawn by snarkyroxy

The Love You Take by Subversa

His Draught of Delicate Poison by Subversa

and sooooo many more if you want them just ask, this is both mine and Perry’s oldest ship lol

Gramander (Original Graves x Newt)

A Gilded Cage is Still a Cage by Anonymous

take a deep breath (and let it go) by lincesque @tumbloncat

Roar by @elenothar

Matchmaker, Matchmaker by @prosodiical

Dearly Beloved by prosodiical

Basic Instincts by @manic-intent

Promised by Miss_Lv

Plan G by Aate

Heat of the Chase by argentoswan @wannahearaboutmycats

Newt Scamander’s Guide to Getting Things Done by arthureameslove

Against all Odds by Maril

Where I Belong by Mishafied

He Wants To Say, “I Love You, Nothing Can Hurt You” by @obsidionwingsofmidnight

Arranged by Miss_Lv

death of a bachelor by gudetama (elementary)

The Graves Identity by Mishafied

you make me feel this way somehow by gudetama (elementary)

The Nature of the Beast by AntiGravitas @absolutelynogravitaswhatsoever

The Knights, the Newt, and the Rose by @yinyangswings

The Wizard’s Cat by @natecchi

The Color of Boom by gypsiangel

Signalling Theory: Blue Coat by @obaewankenope

Flame by @esamastation

And The Tag Read Simply: “Pretty” by @funkzpiel

Aren’t You Gonna Arrest Me, Officer? by JoyBurd

a little bit lost by shortbread @shortbread-fanfiction

Dramione

Rec assistance by @cuthian

Seven Times by kerri240879

Her Beauty and the Moonlight by BrilliantLady

The Fallout by everythursday (orphaned and only available on AO3 now, but complete)

The Eagle’s Nest by HeartOfAspen

Turncoat by elizaye @imnotleavinherewithoutyou

The Virgin Conundrum by AkashaTheKitty @akashathekitty

Bad Faith by Morrighan256

Isolation by bexchan @bex-chan-blog

The Serpent, the Witch, and the Broom Closet by bitchywitchy

Silencio by AkashaTheKitty

All You Want by senlinyu @senlinyu

Static by galfoy @heymanticore

What the Room Requires by Alydia Rackham

And We All Fall Down by @rumaan

Ambition’s End by Hanako A

Wait and Hope by mightbewriting @mightbewriting

Rewriting Destiny by mayawrites95 (mayarox95)

Chronos Historia by In_Dreams @indreamsink

A Muggle-born Magic by Musyc @willhavetheirtrinkets

Hunted by Bex-chan

A Second Look by @riverwriter

The Nietzsche Classes by Beringae

This Too, Is Sacred by HeartOfAspen

Bite First, Ask Questions Later by Daredevilsinthedetails, Kaylessi

Nocturnus by In_Dreams @indreamsink

Broken by @inadaze22

The Green Girl by Colubrina

Lady of the Lake by Colubrina

Rebuilding by Colubrina (really just anything written by @colubrina)

Presque Toujours Pur by @shayalonnie

Can’t Change the Way I Am by @nauticalparamour

Law and Marriage by DragonGrin (formerly TeenTypist)

The Tower Window by @xodramaqueenox

Unexpected by Emara88

Something Old, Something New by Kate Dessi

Suppressed Emotions by hopelesslydevoted.xx

Silver Blood by @freyaishtar

When the Day Met the Night by @bex-la-get

Harmony

A Marauder’s Plan by CatsAreCool (Rachel500)

A Step to the Right by CatsAreCool (Rachel500)

Eighth by lorien829

The Catalyst by lorien829

Harry Potter and the Isle of Mists by lorien829

Knife’s Edge by Celtic55

The Black Book by mosteveryonesmad

Awakening by SweetShireen

The Sword and the Snake by bartonfink1974

Dispelling the Silence by Indygodusk

One Year Later: Return to Hogwarts by Twilight’s Inferno

DraHarmony

Fourteen Thousand Galleons by @frumpologist

The Invitation by hot_elf @hot-elf

Love Love Love by MissELY @misselylux

Changing Scenery by aethling

East of Eden by msmerlin @ms-merlinblack

Turn Back Time by Dazeventura6

Foxfire by @setissma

Come Together by @nuclearnik

The Soul of the Wolves by LR_Earl @fanficbylrearl

Running From Lions by tryslora @tryslora

An Unexpected Family by ladyroxanne21

The Prophecies by jamcreynolds

Drarhinny

Reconstruction by @aldersprig

Fell From the Sky by BrandonStrayne @brandonstrayne (I really love this one, and not just as a Canadian.)

Demons From the Past by pottermum

Drarry

Rec assistance by @newtypeshadow

Rarely Pure and Never Simple by birdsofshore

Aural Gratification by birdsofshore

Lost Among and Falling by @bafflinghaze

The Corruption Sequence series by beren @berenwrites

Sentinel ‘verse series by elyssblair @elyssblair-blog

Date Blindness by dysonrules

Starts With a Spin by Maxine @serasarahhhh

Temptation on the Warfront by alizarincrimson

Paradigm by dysonrules

Here’s The Pencil, Make It Happen by ignatiustrout

Draco Sodding Malfoy by Shewhxmustnxtbenamed @shewhomustnotbenamed

Pieces of What by Jadwiga

Found, Not Lost by inspiration_assaulted

Shared Detention by DadIWriteGayPorn

Dirty Little Secret by Writcraft @writcraft

19 Years by shilo1364 @whimsicaldragonette

Morning Suns & Coffee Runs by laugh_a_latte @queer-coffee

Reus Una by purplepen76

Between Ink and Blood by Candamira

Ginmione

Distractions by @morningsound15

Cissamione

(This seems like it’s a bit cracky, but there’s some good ones, I promise! I sorta stumbled ass-backwards into this ship but really enjoy some of them.)

One Step Left by Cysteine @cysteine

Extinction by @rubikanon

Blinding Light by @16-pennies

Somebody Loved by beforeyouspeak

...

There. This is much better, isn’t it?

So my challenge to you, if your world is falling, burning down around you in flames... is this:

...if you feel yourself getting anxious or depressed, whether from the news or being cooped up in isolation or bored or on the verge of tearing your hair out or jumping off that roof or grabbing something to go after the dictator-of-the-week.... pause, take a breath, open up this rec list, close your eyes and pick something, and let chance take you somewhere hopefully far away. Let yourself be transported.

Oh, and don’t click on this Google Drive link. Really, there’s not 30+ GB of data on that Drive I’m sharing. Shame. There totally aren’t tens of thousands of books, as many audiobooks as could fit, and a large collection of fanfiction downloaded from AO3 in there. (Also, not all fics have been shared to that folder yet; I’m working on it a little at a time as I download more.)

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