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stargirl230 · 10 months

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Happy Pride! I hope everyone can spend some time with their favorite person this month <3

Spider-punk propaganda has taken over my brain but I haven’t seen the movie yet, so i drew these punks instead.

(no reposts; reblogs appreciated)

#my art #artists on tumblr #fanart #digital art #pride #bnha #boku no hero academia #mha #kaminari denki #jirou kyouka #kamijirou #here's some food for my bnha ghost followers #i can't believe they have matching leather jackets AND complementary hair colors #also #i actually had to restrain myself from rendering too much #painting a bunch for ap art was great but i miss lineart #so here we are!#because now i can do whatever i want!

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yuesya · 27 days

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Humans are fragile.

Weak, helpless creatures that they are. If they bleed too much from being injured by a wild beast, then they die. If they stay out too long in the cold, then they die. Sometimes it feels like all he does is blink, and then they die. He knows this well.

Decarabian stares impassively down at the crumpled form of the white-haired human child buried in the crimson-stained snow.

… It appears as if this child has had a rough encounter with a monster of some sort, although Decarabian does not know of any monsters in these parts whose claws resemble knives more than talons. Perhaps the wild wolves…? But most of them remain close to their lands much farther in the north-east, where their newly-crowned wolf-god has recently staked out his territory.

“This is what happens when you raise animals into gods,” Decarabian murmurs, disapproving. The former Lord of the North had been a powerful, ancient god whose dominion over Cryo was –perhaps, by the slightest measure– more masterful than the control that Decarabian himself commanded over Anemo. He cannot fathom what the other god had been thinking, relinquishing the full might of their divine power and bequeathing it all to a beast, but such matters are not his to intervene in.

Even if the result is the swift rise of a beast-god who despises humans. Something that should be anathema to gods, whose very natures are fundamentally predisposed towards loving humanity…

Just as Decarabian himself does, and he is not one to deny his own nature.

The child in front of him is dying. That much is clear from the severity of the wounds that she bears, her body flayed with bone-deep gashes to the point where it almost seems as if something had tried to turn the child inside-out. This is not the work of a beast that attacked in hunger –this is the work of something that aimed to hurt, for nothing more than bloodthirsty enjoyment.

There are no older humans in the nearby vicinity. Animals will abandon their young who are too weak to survive. Decarabian had not realized that humans also followed that same practice.

This child is dying. Blood continues flowing sluggishly from her wounds, mixing into the snow. A chill wind whistles past, sending red-stained strands of long white hair whipping upwards–

Long lashes flutter, and the child opens her eyes.

Decarabian had not realized that she still possessed the strength to do so.

… The child does not speak. She cannot, for how can she? Who can speak when there’s a long gash splitting their throat open, red and wet and glistening in the open air? It’s a true miracle that she’s still alive, somehow. Even though it’s abundantly clear that she won’t be remaining so for much longer.

Decarabian looks into her eyes. It’s expected that her gaze is unfocused, given the poor condition of her body, and he prepares himself to witness pain. Suffering. Desperation –or perhaps hopelessness. It is only human nature. Weak, and despicable. But beautiful all the same, and it is for that very reason that so many gods–

Oh.

Decarabian has never seen such oddly-colored eyes before. Not on any human –nor beast, nor god. There’s something about these deep blue eyes that are almost reminiscent of the nighttime sky, but not quite. Not when they glow, gleaming with a prismatic, bejeweled light. But it’s not an ethereal sort of beauty; rather, it’s one that causes Decarabian to feel a sudden chill, for seemingly no reason at all.

But more importantly–

“You won’t ask me to save you?” Humans worship gods. Beg them for favors, for blessings, and it is only natural for gods to respond to their wishes. Poor, deplorable humans. Precious, lovely humans.

The child’s eyes are clear. There is no unspoken plea, no mindless terror. From all appearances, this child… does not seem to fear death at all. How curious.

A sudden thought strikes him. Whimsical impulse, that solidifies into genuine interest.

What would she say to him, if she could speak?

…

Decarabian extends his hand towards her, holding it out over her body.

He does not possess the ability to heal. But, there is a certain magic that allows a god to share their power and grant protection to another by bestowing a new name –a new life. He suspects that this is similar to the spell that the Lord of the North had used to ascend that young wolf to godhood. It’s not necessarily Decarabian’s intent, but–

“Child of man. One who has bled upon consecrated ground, who still possesses strength to endure,” he says. The words are slow at first, but begin flowing smoothly as the ancient magic is fully invoked. “Upon the authority of Decarabian, God of Storms, I grant you my blessing. Partake of my power and rise anew, as a daughter of the unfettered wind.”

The next words coalesce on the tip of his tongue on their own.

… For a moment, Decarabian pauses. Because he can feel the power that’s gathering within him –power that rises on its own volition, for it is the necessary price for granting this child new life.

And it’s a steep price. Quite steep indeed. It is… possible… that Decarabian would be unable to maintain a human form anymore after this, or even reduced to an empty voice upon the wind in the following years.

But he will not change his decision, nor renege upon his words. No matter what the consequences might be.

“Rejoice. For I shall bestow upon you the name, ‘Balor,’” he declares, completing the spell. The winds pick up around them, and the human child is enveloped in a bright glow, slowly shrinking down into an even smaller form.

So even Decarabian’s power isn’t enough, is it?

Ah, what a curious child.

“Heed my command, and hear my words –rise.

… Rise, and live.”

#writing #zenith of stars au #genshin au #mondstadt au #archon war au #i was not planning to write anything more for this anytime soon #but there's been some discord fun going on #so here we are!#still haven't made up my mind on how the archon war would actually go though haha

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yourlittlettoy · 11 months

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Alright, it’s long overdue but let’s finally get a lil intro post going ☺️

Hi everyone!! My name is Cece 💕👋🏻 it’s so very nice to see you here 🥰😉

My pronouns are she/her 🎀 , I’m in my 20s 🙆🏻‍♀️, I’m bisexual 🤝🏻, and I’m a… lee 🙈 (18+ only on this account pls and thx ☺️)

T-wording (yeah yeah I can’t say the t-word, sue me lmao) is certainly my main kink, but I may or may not also have certain other “preferences” as well 😳 but you’ll have to find those out yourself if you were so inclined ~

I’m a shy gal, despite sharing more than a reasonable amount of traits as a typical golden retriever lol. I’m very nerdy, enthusiastic, curious to a fault, certified member of the good girl’s club 😇, and have so much love 4 u 💖💘💗!! However, unfortunately for you, even the love won’t stop me from being a serious pain in the butt. Consider this your warning ⚠️😂.

Last thing I really want to mention, is that I am not good at being consistent when it comes to responding to messages/asks. I just want to make it clear right now that: my response times or responses at all (or potentially lack thereof) does not reflect a lack of affection and/or enthusiasm towards getting to know you, valuing you, or appreciating your interaction! I truly am so thankful for each and every one of you that take time out of your day to reach out/interact with lil ol’ me 🥺 and in a perfect world I would be responding to everything and everyone with full attention and time devotion! I just also lead a busy life outside of Tumblr and often time is simply scarce. Please grant me this grace 😊 and believe me when I say I LOVE READING ALL YOUR INTERACTIONS whether I have a chance to tell you that in a response or not! Thank you for this treat even though I can’t always reciprocate 💞 (feel free to double/triple etc message to keep yourself at the top of my inbox if you really want a response tho! Cause believe me I wanna give it to you! So the frequent reminder helps!)

Anyway, if you made it all the way here, thank you for reading my intro post!! Welcome to my blog! Hope you enjoy your stay here 😚💝 stay lovely ✨💫⭐️

#intro post #omg I kinda just typed what I felt like typing here #let me know if there’s anything else you wanted to know about me?#or anything else you think I should have included here?#I can go back and edit it as we go!#cece speaks #about me #sorry the part about response times was literally so long lmao #kinda overtook the introductory part of the post XD #but it was a big issue on my heart! I really do care about you guys I don’t want you to think I’m ignoring on purpose or smth #so here we are!#love you guys!#hope this post helps!

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talesfromthecrypts · 2 years

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“I think there is a violence that is very specific to female film-makers, as far as horror is concerned – a violence that is inside, not a violence you have to fight, a violence you have to handle within yourself. This inside-outside thing makes the whole difference.” -Julia Ducournau

#horror #horroredit #usercy #usergiles #tuserdana #usergabe #mygifs #i was thinking 'women directors are never focused on in these general horror posts'#so here we are!#and i would do it again and i will!#i found the quote after i picked the movies #but i saw them in conjuncture and was like 'yeah i'll add that to my belief system'

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getosugurusbangs · 5 months

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as snow falls.

tags: some comedy, suguru being angsty, and a fluffy hurt/comfort (if you squint) ending. 2,757 words.

synopsis: satoru has been out on his first more serious solo mission, but as the days pass by, with no sign of him coming back home, suguru starts to get a little concerned. suguru decides to go to shoko, to find solace in her in these trying times.

a/n: so here’s my first genuine fanfic, and yes ofc it’s satosugu. suguru is anxious in this because i love projecting. also despite this being a stsg fic, there’s not a lot of satoru, mostly just suguru and shoko so… do with that what you will! also, this fic is implied to have taken place the christmas eve before hidden inventory arc.

☆

satoru had been gone for over a week at this point. everyone was told that it would be a slightly longer mission, but suguru hadn’t expected it to be this long. he really hadn’t noticed how dependent he’s been on satoru, until he left. they haven’t even been friends for that long, yet they were already attached at the hip. of course, shoko was still back at home with suguru, they were still good friends after all, but there wasn’t that same level of understanding there that the boys had with each other.

suguru had been busy studying all day. he felt the need to get work done, despite this being the one time of year he could comfortably take a break. early winter was never a particularly stressful time of year for him, but this time he’s ended up with other problems. he had gone ahead and made sure his parents were asleep before layering on a nice coat he had bought recently, going ahead and putting his boots on too. before he left the house, he made sure to grab a scarf to put on. it faintly smelled like satoru. that bothered him.

walking along the barely illuminated streets, a thin layer of snow and ice crunched under suguru’s feet. he’d never disliked winter necessarily, but snow had never been his thing. he always preferred staying in the warm indoors until someone dragged him out to either play in the snow, or shovel it.

he turned the corner, and finally saw his destination. suguru walked up to a particularly dull house. almost standing on the doorstep, he debated whether he should actually knock on the door or not. suguru thought to himself— “her family members are probably asleep at this point.. it’s pretty late, so… “ he decided to knock on shoko’s window, giving a smile and wave at her as she peeled the curtain from the glass.

she opened the window. “who died?” shoko remarked, with a chuckle. but suguru just rolled his eyes at her. “looks like someone can’t take a joke..” she scoffed. “but why are you here, geto?” “just wanted to talk. get some fresh air.” he craned his head a little, trying to peer into shoko’s room. but all suguru got from it was some curtains getting shoved into his face. “i’ll go on a walk, i just need warmer clothes.” she confirmed, scampering off to somewhere in her house.

shoko climbed out of her bedroom window, now wearing some shoes, leggings layered under her nightgown, and an oversized coat. suguru stood up from the bench in front of her house, looking shoko up and down. “did you steal that from your dad or something? i’ve never seen you wear that.” all she did in response was shush him, and shut the window. “it was the first genuine coat i could find, okay?” she said, amidst both her, and suguru’s laughter.

“so where are we heading to?” shoko asked, zipping her coat up all the way, so it would cover the lower portion of her face. “i didn’t really have any place in particular i wanted to go. probably just walk through the city for a little bit, then we split up and go back home.” suguru responded as they started to walk down the street, going back in the direction he came from.

“how’s your family doing, shoko?” “same old, you know how they are.” she said, with a solemn tone. “i get it, mine are a similar way. it’s why i don’t talk about them much. they try to be supportive and all, but just get in my way.” while talking, he was looking around at the unfamiliar neighborhood. “was there a specific reason you wanted to talk to me, geto?” she looked over at him, to make eye contact. suguru fidgeted with something in his pocket, uncomfortably. he, for some reason, wasn’t expecting to be asked this question. it felt like a million thoughts rang through his head at once.

“should i be honest?” was at the top of his mind. he figured shoko would end up seeing through him eventually, one way or another.

“…i miss satoru. a lot.”

“…that’s it?” she inquired, with a blank tone. “what do you mean that’s it?!?” suguru was being sent into a state of shock. “everyone can tell. it’s kinda uncomfortable to watch.” shoko continued— “any time gojo gets brought up nowadays, you end up being visibly upset.” “but what if-“ suguru tried to chime in, but she just shut him down. “he’s fine. you, of all of us, should know that best. don’t get me wrong, i find him having been gone for so long a little troublesome too, but you seriously need to relax about it.” suguru was calming down a little bit upon hearing her words. “…i just don’t think he should’ve been sent alone on a mission like that.”

“listen, i feel the same. but yaga did say how he’s perfectly well equipped for it. it’s not like it’s a super dangerous mission. otherwise you, or one of our seniors would’ve been sent too. i think we should just be patient, and trust in yaga’s judgement.” when she finished, suguru sighed. he couldn’t argue with her over this, suguru knew she was right, despite how he may feel about things, and about satoru.

“speaking of you and gojo,” shoko started. suguru felt his heart sink into his stomach, waiting for what she was about to say next. “you two have formed quite the bond, huh?” she asked smugly, playfully elbowing him in the side. suguru’s cheeks were already flushed from the frigid, late december air, but upon hearing her teasing, his entire face had turned bright red. he tried to turn away from shoko, to hide his embarrassment. wait, why did suguru find this so embarrassing?

“do you have a thing for gojo or something?” shoko asked, through some laughter. ‘twas no laughing matter for suguru, though. “don’t you fucking dare tell anyone.” he said, through gritted teeth. “are you serious?!” she was already chuckling, but at this point she was crying laughing. “i didn’t haah think you’d actually admit it…” suguru was shaking. the best way to describe him in this moment was: mortified. “just… don’t tell anyone. i don’t want that idiot to find out, and have everything we’ve already got get ruined.”

shoko’s laughter had finally settled down. “i mean, i won’t, for your sake, but you really think him learning that would ruin everything? i think he would just laugh it off and keep borderline acting like your boyfriend.” suguru listened intently, but didn’t say anything. his gaze was fixed on the ground in front of him. he kicked a rock that he was about to step on. they were headed into an empty park, where most of the trees were adorned with sparkling white lights. treading along a paved pathway, suguru finally said something again. “you doing anything for christmas? it’s only… tomorrow now, i guess.” he continued— “i left the house at about 11pm, it’s probably about midnight now.”

“i don’t know, i’ll probably just be at home, doing whatever. you?” shoko was occupied by looking at the christmas lights illuminating the park around them. suguru sighed, speaking in a reluctant voice. “i wanted to do something with satoru, but…” he trailed off. shoko noted how she shouldn’t ask him about his affection any more than she already had.

“you got a light?” shoko asked, shifting her focus back onto the miserable boy next to her. “should we really be smoking here?” suguru asked, as he reached his hand into his pocket, pulling out cigarettes and a lighter regardless. shoko snickered, “there’s no one around us anyways. maybe a smoke will help you relax.” she teased him. “whatever…” he mumbled before taking a long drag. they both knew they shouldn’t be smoking, both for their health and because they weren’t really supposed to in general. but being a jujutsu sorcerer is a dangerous feat. they were smart enough to know cigarettes wouldn’t be the death of them.

“we need to go shopping together sometime soon,” shoko chimed in. “i still need to get some new winter clothes before the weather gets too bad.” he stared at her, sort of dumbfounded. “…is this not already bad enough for you?” suguru was still shaking, though now it was just the cold, not his nerves. “eh, it could always be worse.” she shrugged. it had been snowing off and on all day, but had started to pick up more after dark.

suguru only left his house once the snow had died down again. he wanted to avoid getting snowed on the best he could. they decided to go ahead and sit on a park bench for a moment, though, only after brushing the layer of snow off the seat. “did you hear there’s gonna be some new students transferring in soon?” suguru asked, taking in their surroundings. “yeah, mei mei told me about that. i guess they probably won’t be showing up over the holidays, though..”

“i wonder if gojo might be bringing back some souvenirs… since he was traveling a decent ways out for this mission.” when either of them spoke, they kept their voices down a lot more than they normally would’ve. it felt wrong to mess with the state of the night’s comfortable silence, no matter how many things either of them might have wanted to bring up. they just quietly sat in each other’s presence for a couple minutes.

shoko finally broke the silence that had developed. “i think i’m probably gonna be hanging out with utahime later.” she took a drag from her cigarette. “she was pretty adamant about hanging out sometime this week.” “doesn’t she want you to quit smoking?” suguru asked, swearing he heard utahime bring that up recently. shoko got quiet for a moment, looking up at the deep, cloudy midnight sky. “i’ll think about it.” was all she could say.

after a couple more moments, they decided to go ahead and resume their walk. suguru was trying to think of something else to talk about. “oh, i got this new cd the other day, it’s one of my favorite bands’ new album. i need to show it to you soon.” shoko took her cigarette out of her mouth. “oh yeah? was it that band you talk about that has those, like.. deep, poetic, introspective lyrics?” suguru had to fight back the urge to explain the band and their lyrics more than he already had. “at least she remembered them.” he thought to himself, just nodding at her politely.

they had walked into a more open, urban area. “you should probably go ahead and make the trip back home now, huh?” suguru had stopped walking, turning to properly face shoko now. he put out his cigarette, going ahead and tossing it. “yeah, i was thinking the same.” she turned back to the direction they came. hesitating for a moment, she spoke up one last time. “geto. he’ll be back soon, okay? he’s strong, you know… “

“see you later.” shoko waved him goodbye, before heading on her way.

suguru felt tears well up in his eyes. as they streamed down his face, he didn’t even really know why he was crying. he felt stupid crying about satoru, especially out in the open like this. “god, this is embarrassing.. at least barely anyone is around at this point…” suguru thought to himself. it wasn’t a particularly lively night. he was sort of lucky, in this regard.

he started to walk back home. it felt ironic to him, how this was such a beautiful night, considering the snow and scenery, and yet it was wasted because of his overbearing emotions. suguru couldn’t even remember when the last time he cried was. “why did this have to happen now?” he pulled his scarf up to cover most of his face, both to break the wind, and to hide his current state.

navigating the icy, desolate streets, suguru finally had stumbled upon some more familiar sights. it’s not like he had gotten lost or anything, he just was heading back home on an unfamiliar route. passing by a cafe he likes, he wondered what he might end up ordering next time. suguru might’ve considered going in and getting something, but he wanted to get back home as soon as possible. and besides, they had been closed for hours at that point.

as he continued walking, snow had begun to gently fall onto the landscape surrounding him. because of that, suguru felt the urge to get home grow stronger. he started finally closing in upon his neighborhood. despite having lived in this area for years now, he still didn’t really know his neighbors that well. he just judged his neighbors from their houses, and the very brief interactions he might’ve had with them. there were people in the area he was more interested in chatting with, as opposed to the old couple next door.

once suguru finally got to his street, he walked with his head down, trying not to get any snow in his face, more specifically in his eyes. he just wanted to get back inside, and not be borderline freezing to death anymore. “maybe i should take a hot bath when i get back… or should i just get straight in bed?” the harder he thought about it, the worse the snow falling onto him felt.

as suguru walked up to his house, a wave of relief washed over him. he was about to reach into his pocket to grab his key, when he looked up at satoru sitting on his doorstep, and was stunned. satoru stood up, with open arms. suguru ran towards him, tackling him into a hug. he could already feel tears streaming down his face again, despite how he had just cried a couple moments ago.

suguru had planted his face into the crook of satoru’s neck. everything rude and brash he had wanted to yell at satoru when he got back, just melted away in his arms. “you’re back…” was all suguru said as he cried onto satoru’s shoulder. “of course i’m back. i’m sorry for making you wait so long..” he ran his fingers gently through suguru’s hair, his other arm wrapped around him.

suguru pulled away from him, looking at satoru with his glossy eyes. “i missed you… you don’t know how worried i was for you.” suguru admitted, playfully shoving satoru’s shoulder. they just laughed. “why would you have to be worried for me? i mean, you know how strong i am!” “that’s what shoko said…” “oh? you talked to shoko about me? what did you talk about??” satoru prodded at him, with a giddy tone. suguru didn’t respond. he just looked away in embarrassment.

“but, in all seriousness…” he guided suguru to face him. “i missed you too.” satoru whispered into his ear, giving him a tender kiss on the cheek. if suguru wasn’t warmed up by being held in satoru’s arms, he was definitely heated up now. he stared back at the smiley boy in shock, due to the expressing of his newfound affection. i mean, satoru had always been clingy and affectionate in the past, but this was very different. he welcomed the gesture with open arms, he was just a little taken aback.

“hey, isn’t that my scarf? i was looking for that!” satoru gently tugged on the scarf suguru was wearing. “what? i thought it was mine.” “no, i bought it for myself.” “well, it was right there with my coat. if i thought it was yours, i would’ve gotten my own.” “yeah… you’re gonna have to get your own.” satoru settled things, bluntly. “i don’t know why i thought you might be a gentleman about things this time.” suguru rolled his eyes.

“oh, and suguru, do you mind if i stay at your place for the night? i had to take the train back home, and… well, it’s cold and snowy and your house is closer to the station…” suguru just stared at him, dumbfounded at the switch-up in satoru’s behavior during this reunion. “…yeah, i guess you can stay here for the night. if you’re sooo delicate, to the point where you can’t make the loooong trek back home.” “hey! i’m tired, okay?!”

suguru started to love the snow. even if he only did for that one night.

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minecraftbookshelf · 2 months

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@shutitk

Not to get too specific or anything but like. Having a member of your family you love dearly living not only in an enemy country but the leader of said countries house does tend to make one more inclined to persuade one’s allies to Not Attack said house. Or do things that could otherwise cause harm to said family member.

#rain rambles #marriage of state au #even arranged marriages #that could produce children #realistically had a hostage element to them #in this sort of historical context #this just ups that level #presumably children would still be used for hostage EXCHANGES #but no one has children at this point #so here we are!

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naavispider · 8 months

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To add to that ask about Spider revealing a traumatic memory in the machine (if you saw it) what if Spider shows a happy memory instead? A memory of him flying on an ikran with Lo’ak, of running through the jungle with Kiri, lush green all around them, and the room of scientists can hear Spider’s laughter in those memories, how utterly happy he felt.

What if those memories gave Quaritch a bit of a perspective of how it feels like to be thrust into Bridgehead after living a life so free? 🤔

Stoppppppp already, you have such big brain ideas! This is so juicy to think about, what would Quaritch do? How would he react?

I think he’d be confused at first, because how could this feral animal of a child look and sound so happy living the life of a ‘savage’? He’d struggle to see the writhing, dirty prisoner child in front of him as the same person from the memories.

But then, as confusion makes way for cautious acceptance, twinges of guilt would start to snake their way through his guts. He should have been there for this kid, because how can running through the forest be his happiest memory?

He’d make an almost inaudible growling noise as he realises that the whole situation is so fucked up, and now the kid has landed - somehow - back in his care, becoming a problem he definitely doesn’t want or need.

Only later would Quaritch start to think too hard about what those memories meant. He’s never known the kind of freedom that Spider experienced his whole childhood, so at first it didn’t occur to him to actually be jealous. Once they left Bridgehead and he started bonding with Spider, what he witnessed in the machine would start to affect Quaritch more. Now he knows what it’s like to live alongside the forest. To live with Eywa and not against her. Having a recom body has certainly helped with that.

He starts to develop more and more guilt about the way Spider was treated in Bridgehead - not only the neuroscanner but also keeping him in a cell, not allowing him to see sunlight for who knows how long. Maybe he tries to voice his guilt, maybe he doesn’t. But Spider starts to see it, he can see it in the way his father’s face tenses after he says something a bit too harsh, sees it in the way his father is always watching him out of the corner of his eye, checking in that he’s okay.

#avatar the way of water #miles quaritch #spider socorro #avatar 2 #miles spider socorro #recom quaritch #my stuff #atwow #ask #this is such an old ask but I started answering it #and then saved it to my drafts #so here we are!

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khwxbeeda · 7 months

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The tattoo gun looks intimidating. The new friends I've made— people from my new college whom I've known for less than a week— ooh and aah over the thing.

I suppress a smile.

It's not that scary, I tell them, and I believe that. It's just a needle.

One of them (the one that's been protesting my decision to get myself permanently marked because she thinks I'm making an impulsive decision) gives me a look of potent disbelief. I simply wink at her before pulling my T-shirt over my head and lean back against the chair to let the tattoo artist press the stencil into my skin. She rolls her eyes, and then all four of them drag their stools to sit in front of my chair.

The artist asks me to check the tattoo placement, and I move to the mirror, admiring the navy blue ink under my collarbone.

I want this. I have wanted this for almost four years now.

I sit on the chair again and watch as the man unwraps the needle's packaging and slides it into the gun, tattooed fingers moving nimbly to perform a motion he perfected years ago. The ink is poured into the little pocket, some kind of cooling cream is rubbed over my skin, and the process begins.

There is no pain.

I sit back and close my eyes, breathing in and breathing out, listening to my new friends whispering to each other and the soft buzz of the gun.

It's quiet. Quiet enough that I am lulled into a drowsy state; not quite asleep, not quite awake. The pressure of the needle is akin to a ball pen being dragged over my flesh— a sensation I'm extremely familiar with. Distantly, I remember that one day, back when I was fifteen, when I had tried to draw this very tattoo on my shoulder with my hand with a pen. It hadn't gone very well; the design had been wobbly and imperfect and the ink had smudged within the first five seconds.

The gun lifts, a soft tissue is used to wipe off the excess ink, and then the needle is moving over my skin again.

I notice it dimly. I am more than halfway asleep, and the white noise along with the gentle pressure of the tattoo gun is only making me go deeper into the realm of dreams. Something— a button— clicks faintly, and soft music fills the air. It's a song from the film Jab We Met, and one corner of my lips ticks up into a soft smile.

Its over before I realise it.

Between one blink and another, I'm standing in front of the mirror with a plastic film wrapped around my shoulder, admiring my ink.

My first tattoo.

A tiny, delicate crown, etched into my skin right beneath the point where my collarbone meets my shoulder.

A crown, as a reminder that my goal is to be the ruler of my own life.

A crown, as a reminder that while a ruler has complete control over their nation, they are the only one responsible for the state of said nation.

A crown, as a reminder that my life is what I strive to make it.

I smile.

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