#3 temple rituals
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3 temple rituals that you shouldn't miss
3 temple rituals you must not miss: Lighting the lamp, offering prayers and flowers, and attending the Aarti.
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kiss, kiss, fall in love.
tags: spencer reid x reader. making out. clothed grinding. what glasses!spencer deserved. a/n: i love whenever the camera angle shows just how FUCKED mgg’s eyesight is lmfao there are some scenes of glasses!spencer where you can see how thick the lenses are… i love him requested?: yep ! thank u so much for the request <3 masterlist. requests are open !
Working as a Technical Analyst for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit had its pros and cons. Having your own office was definitely a huge perk. He was only supposed to drop off your daily bagel and coffee. It was an act of service that your beloved boyfriend liked to indulge in. He was only here to make sure you’d eaten breakfast.
Like a ritual, he leans over your shoulder, your cheek turned toward him like second nature, as he gives you a soft, shy kiss.
“Thank you, darling.”
“You’re welcome,” he murmurs against your cheek, nose digging against your temple he breathes in the scent of you.
Without removing your eyes from your screen, you reach a hand up to give his cheek and jaw a loving caress. Curious fingers brush against plastic frames. You turn your attention to him in awe, “You’re wearing your glasses today!”
“Mhm,” he brings a finger up to fix his frames, almost bashful. “Ran out of contact solution.”
You take his face into your hands, forcing him to look into your eyes. “I love your glasses. You look so handsome, so beautiful.” You grin at the way his cheeks redden.
“Gimme a kiss?”
He eagerly dives in for one. A hand moves to cup the back of your head, tender in his affections. He lavishes attention on your top lip, moans, and then moves his focus to your lower lip. His tongue shy in the heat of your mouth. Spencer lets out another little moan, the sound of his near whimper making you stand.
From cheek to shoulder, you rub your thumb on his skin. You push him down onto the chair, his legs parting on instinct to make place for you. Knees digging against his thigh and hips, you make yourself comfortable on your throne.
“You’re so pretty,” he says up to you. Spencer’s lips are swollen and red, glistening with spit. His eyes are watery and hazy, his glasses fogged from the breath shared between you. His big hands grip your hips so tight you’re sure he’d wrinkle the blouse you picked for the day.
You bend down for another kiss, pressing your hips down at Spencer’s plea. He guides your hips down against his lap, you feel the zipper of his slacks press against the heat of your core. You’re wet, the room is hot, and Spencer’s mouth and tongue move to nip and kiss and lick along your chin and jaw.
As you grind down against his growing bulge, Spencer’s hands move to untuck your blouse from your pants. Gentle hands and curious fingers move beneath the fabric to feel your heated skin against his palm.
A commotion outside your office makes you stop the grind of your hips.
Spencer turns his head to the left, parting his lips from yours, a string of spit keeping you connected. With your foreheads pressed against each other, you put an ear out to listen on the other side of the door. You think you hear the familiar clicks and clacks of Penelope’s heels.
“I think I need to go,” Spencer sounds disappointed. You press a kiss on the corner of his lips.
Running your hands through his hair, you sigh. “Yeah, probably.”
He smiles up at you, eyes heavy-lidded in ecstasy, hands still caressing the skin of your hips.
He loves the feel of your hand in his hair. He loves the soft kiss you give the tip of his nose. He loves the way you fix his glasses, crooked and fogged up from the heat of your kisses. He loves you, and you love him. He feels it now as you smooth down the front of his button-up shirt.
You slowly stand from your place on his lap, fixing your pants that had ridden up and bunched at your thighs from your little session. You notice Spencer doing the same to his own.
He sniffs, standing, two fingers pushing his glasses more firmly up the bridge of his nose.
“One last kiss?”
You smile at his request, finger and thumb reaching forward to pinch his nose.
“You’re so cute.”
He taps his cheek twice in response.
#spencer reid#spencer reid x reader#criminal minds#criminal minds x reader#spencer reid imagine#spencer reid scenario#down bad thoughts
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honeymoon — gojo satoru.
He grins. “We’ll see!” he replies, leaning closer, his lips brushing against your temple. “Now, how about we start this honeymoon properly? I was thinking of a little walk along the Seine, maybe a café stop or two……” You nod, feeling the excitement bubble up inside you. “That sounds perfect.” “But seriously, wifey. Let them be annoyed back at home.” he shrugged when you expressed concern over the complaints he might face. “They’ve been annoyed with me my whole life. I’d rather have them grumbling than miss out on this with you. I mean, it's been years! Couldn’t they just let us live?”
GENRE: alternate universe - canon convergence!;
WARNING/S: fluff, romance, nsfw, r-18, smut, making out, body praise, kissing, rough sex, p-i-v sex, oral (male and female receiving), pet names (baby, wifey....), love, humor, light-hearted, married life, being in love, sexual intercourse, intoxication, partying, slice of life, domestic life, family, honeymoon, depictions of sexual acts, depiction of body praise, depiction of naked bodies, depiction of alcohol consumption, depiction of being drunk, mention of sexual innuendo, mention of being drunk, mention of alcoholic consumption, mention of sexual intercourse, husband! satoru, wife! reader;
WORD COUNT: 8.5k words
NOTE: when i was plotting, i really thought about how i never made an explicit thing for us and them, so this is an extension of this along with my other things. i also included the end, because it was just something i think about. how would satoru gojo explain to his child how he was made? anyway, i hope you enjoy it!!! i love you <3
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kinktober 2024 - kayu's version
u s and t h e m
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THIS WAS A LOT, EVEN FOR HIM. Two years of marriage, and you were finally going on a honeymoon. It was a journey that had been delayed for so long, almost forgotten amid the chaos of life and the expectations that weighed heavily on Gojo Satoru as the clan leader.
From the beginning, Satoru had refused to follow the traditional expectations—refused to parade you like some prize on display for the men in the clan. On your wedding night, instead of the grand celebrations and rituals everyone had expected, there had been a quiet understanding between the two of you.
Back then, you and Satoru were far from being romantically inclined. The marriage had been more of an alliance, an arrangement to fulfill the duties both of you bore. He hadn’t wanted to make you uncomfortable, and you had appreciated his consideration, even if it left a lingering sense of uncertainty between you.
But time had worked its magic, slowly and subtly. You had grown closer, finding comfort and familiarity in each other's presence. The first kiss had been tentative, almost accidental, but it had opened the door to something more profound. Each kiss after that became less about caution and more about the quiet desire that had started to blossom between you.
Now, you stood together at the threshold of something new. You had been the one to bring it up, gently, cautiously. You told him you were ready for the next step, ready to explore the possibilities that had once seemed so distant. Satoru had listened, his usual playful demeanor tempered by something more serious, more uncertain.
For all his bravado and confidence, you could see the nervousness in his eyes, the slight hesitation that had become rare in the man who seemed unshakable. This was new for him too, a path neither of you had walked before, and the weight of it was not lost on him.
As you packed for the trip, you could feel the unspoken tension between you both, a mixture of excitement and anxiety. Satoru hovered nearby, throwing casual remarks your way, but there was an edge to his voice that you couldn’t ignore.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he finally asked, his gaze intense as he watched you carefully fold the last of your clothes into the suitcase.
You met his eyes, seeing the vulnerability he rarely showed. “I’m sure, you know?” you said, your voice steady. “But we don’t have to rush anything. We’ll take it at our own pace.”
His shoulders relaxed slightly at your words, and he nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You always know how to keep me grounded,” he said, his tone lightening.
You smiled back, feeling a warmth in your chest that hadn’t been there before. “We’ll be okay, Satoru,” you reassured him. “We’ve made it this far, haven’t we?”
He reached out, pulling you into his arms, holding you close. “Yeah, we have.” he murmured, his breath warm against your hair. “And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here, with you.”
As you stood there, wrapped in each other’s embrace, the uncertainty began to melt away, replaced by the quiet confidence that whatever came next, you would face it together. This trip, this honeymoon, was just another step in a journey that was uniquely yours, one that you were ready to take with him by your side.
The morning of the trip arrives with a quiet hum of excitement and a nervous energy that fills the air. Satoru, always so composed, is now anything but. He paces the living room, hands running through his snowy white hair, the usual spark in his eyes dimmed by a deep-seated anxiety. For once, the great Satoru Gojo—the man who could face curses and calamity without a flicker of fear seems utterly and completely lost.
“What if I mess this up?” he mutters to himself, barely noticing the presence of Megumi, Tsumiki, and your mother as they watch him from the doorway. “What if she realizes this was a mistake? What if I just do the worst and I—”
Your mother steps forward first, her soft, reassuring voice cutting through his frantic rambling. “Satoru,” she says gently, a calm smile on her lips. “You need to breathe. You’re going to be fine.”
He glances at her, his expression a mix of gratitude and confusion. “But… What if I’m not? What if I do something wrong? What if—”
Megumi, who had been quietly observing from the side, sighs and steps closer. “You’re overthinking again, it’s really annoying.” he says, his tone blunt but not unkind. “She chose you, Gojo–san. And she’s still here. That’s not going to change just because you’re nervous about this trip.”
Satoru pauses, considering the words, his brow furrowed. “But what if—”
“Gojo–san.” Tsumiki interrupts, her voice softer than Megumi’s but just as firm. “You love her, right?”
He blinks, as if the question is absurd. “Of course I do!” he answers immediately, his voice quieter now, more vulnerable. “I love her more than anything.”
“Then trust her.” Tsumiki says simply, with her beaming smile. “Trust that she loves you too. Trust that she understands.”
Your mother nods, her hand reaching out to touch his arm gently. “She knows you, Satoru. She knows your flaws, your strengths… and she loves you anyway. Just be yourself. That’s all she wants.”
Satoru takes a deep breath, his shoulders still tense but beginning to relax under their calming words. “I just… I don’t want to mess this up, you know?” he admits, his voice almost a whisper. “I don’t want to lose her. Not after everything we’ve been through.”
Megumi, always the quiet anchor in the storm that was Satoru’s life, steps even closer. “You won’t.” he says with quiet certainty. “You’re both figuring this out together. It’s okay to be nervous, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying this. She wants to see you happy, Gojo–san. And I think… you need to see that too.”
Satoru nods slowly, his breath evening out as he absorbs their words. He straightens up, his usual confidence creeping back into his posture, but now tempered with something softer, more genuine.
“Okay….okay.” he murmurs, a small smile forming. “Okay. I can do this.”
Your mother squeezes his arm one last time, her smile warm and encouraging. “You already are, Satoru. Now go! The two of you need to make some great memories. And don’t forget to have fun.”
He laughs, a little shakily, but it’s a real laugh, the kind that lights up his face. “Yeah, fun… I think I remember how to do that, mother!” he teases, and they all chuckle.
As they head back to their respective rooms in the house, Gojo Satoru stands alone for a moment, taking a deep breath. He feels lighter, as if a great weight has been lifted from his shoulders.
The anxiety is still there, but it’s manageable now, a small flutter in his chest rather than a crushing force. He loves you too much to let fear get in the way. He loves you enough to take this step, to trust in the bond you’ve built together, one small moment at a time.
When he finally comes to find you, finally ready and dressed for the airport. He couldn’t help but just stare. You were so beautiful. And you chose him, to love him like this and bless him with beauty like this. Somehow, there’s a new steadiness in his gaze, a renewed sense of purpose. He reaches for your hand, his grip firm but gentle, and you can feel the resolve in his touch. You smiled at him, squeezing back.
“I’m ready to go.” he says softly, his blue eyes searching for yours. “Ready to do this, with you.”
You smile, squeezing his hand back. “Then let’s go, Satoru. Let’s make this ours.”
And with that, you both step forward—toward whatever the future holds, side by side, ready to face it together.
══════════════════
IT WAS A LONG FLIGHT, AND HE COULDN’T SLEEP. The plane touched down in the city of Paris, the city bathed in the soft light of an early evening. Gojo Satoru’s firm fingers remain intertwined with yours as you both step out into the bustling airport, his thumb gently rubbing the back of your hand, a small, comforting gesture that has become second nature to him.
He’s still a little on edge, that was certain. You can tell from the way his eyes dart around, the smallest twitch of his lips betraying his usual calm. But he’s here, and that matters more than anything.
He had taken time off, a long time, much to the frustration of the higher-ups and the clan elders who had protested and argued about duty and obligations. Yet Satoru had been unyielding, for once using his influence not for some mission or jujutsu-related endeavor, but for something that mattered far more to him—you.
Satoru seems more relaxed now, leaning back in the seat, one arm casually draped over your shoulders. “I still can’t believe I managed to take this much time off.” he muses aloud, a small smile on his lips. “I think they’re having a meltdown back at the school. But, honestly? Worth it.”
You chuckle. “Are you going to get in trouble for this?” you ask, a little worried despite yourself.
He snorts. “Let them try,” he says with a wink. “They can’t exactly do much to the strongest sorcerer in the world, can they?”
His arrogance, though familiar, is softened by the way he looks at you, his gaze filled with an affection that makes your cheeks warm. “Besides, wifey….” he continues. “If it means I get to see you smile like that, I’d take a whole year off.”
You shake your head, amused. “That might be a bit much, even for you, Satoru.”
He grins. “We’ll see!” he replies, leaning closer, his lips brushing against your temple. “Now, how about we start this honeymoon properly? I was thinking of a little walk along the Seine, maybe a café stop or two……”
You nod, feeling the excitement bubble up inside you. “That sounds perfect.”
“But seriously, wifey. Let them be annoyed back at home.” he shrugged when you expressed concern over the complaints he might face. “They’ve been annoyed with me my whole life. I’d rather have them grumbling than miss out on this with you. I mean, it's been years! Couldn’t they just let us live?”
Nothing more was talked about after that. He was right, if he was being honest. You two have been married for a while now and Gojo Satoru never really took any holidays unless you guys needed him for important school dates or to spend time with you on the weekends. And you supposed you understood, because you were like that too before you took a long break from being a Jujutsu sorcerer.
Now you supposed, your husband Satoru seems lighter, his usual goofy, excited smile finally returning. You liked him like this, you think. Even then when you first met him, he had a really nice smile. And you wanted to keep him this way. Smiling and happy. Because he looked the most beautiful like that.
“So, wifey…..” he says, glancing over at you with a playful gleam in his bright blue eyes. “Where to first, madame Gojo? The Seine or the cafe?”
The way he says it, with a comically exaggerated French accent, makes you laugh joyously. “You’ve really been practicing, mon amour?” you tease, nudging him with your shoulder.
He laughs, the sound bright and carefree. “I’ve been preparing as always!” he corrects, “Wouldn’t it make it the perfect trip if it was hassle free by speaking French? Of course, only the best for my beloved, after all.”
His words carried a mixture of sincerity and that playful confidence you had grown so fond of, causing your heart to skip a beat. The joy that shimmered in his eyes was contagious, and you couldn’t help but giggle at his enthusiasm. With a smile tugging at your lips, you leaned into the moment.
“Then let’s enjoy a walk to the Seine river and then go to the café,” you said softly.
“Oh? That sounds like a plan!” Satoru responded with his signature energy, his grin wide and carefree.
As the two of you ventured out into the crisp evening air, the world seemed to blur into the background. His hand held yours firmly, fingers intertwined as if they’d always belonged there. Every step along the Seine felt like something out of a dream.
The golden lights of Paris danced on the water’s surface, flickering like they were playing just for you. You caught Satoru sneaking glances at the city around him—his eyes bright and full of wonder as he took in the reflection of lights on the river, the charming hum of the city enveloping you both.
What captivated him the most, though, wasn’t the sights of Paris, but you. You felt his gaze linger every time you smiled at the simple things: a street musician playing a gentle tune, the comforting scent of pastries that filled the air. He marveled at the joy you found in these little moments, and somehow, you felt even more connected to him. With each passing second, it was like you were experiencing the city together, seeing it through each other's eyes.
There were no words needed. Satoru’s presence—steady, warm—was more than enough. As you walked, it felt as though time had paused, and all that existed was the quiet beauty of the night, the sound of your footsteps, and the feeling of his hand in yours.
As the night wears on, your husband insists on buying you a flower from a street vendor, presenting it to you with a flourish and an exaggerated bow that makes you laugh. You catch him watching you more than he watches the sights, his eyes full of a softness that you’ve rarely seen before, as if he’s trying to memorize every moment, every expression on your face.
Later, you find a small café tucked away on a quiet street. Your lovely Satoru orders in perfect French, much to the amusement of the waiter. You think that the Frenchman was delighted at the thought of someone speaking the language, but the accent you supposed was still not enough. Still, you think his pretty face made him more endearing.
The two of you sit outside to enjoy the lovely glow of the streetlights, sharing a dessert and sipping on your drinks, your chairs pulled close together. You got an espresso and your husband got a really sweet iced caramel macchiato, with a pain au chocolat and a chocolate cake on the side.
“I’ve never seen you this relaxed, you know?” you comment softly, noticing the way his shoulders have finally lost their tension.
He shrugs, a small smile on his lips. “I’ve never had a reason to be either, well…not until recently. Especially with you.” he admits. “Being with you… it makes everything else seem less important.”
You reach out, placing your hand over his. “Thank you for this, Satoru.” you say quietly. “For taking this time. For making me feel like I’m worth all of it.”
He turns his hand over, squeezing yours. “You’re worth more than that, wifey.” he replies, his voice low and earnest. “You’re worth everything to me.”
For a moment, the world seems to slow, and it’s just the two of you, sitting together in a little café in Paris, a city full of life and love. The future seems bright, and the worries of the past fade away, replaced by the simple joy of being here, together.
As the night grows deeper, Satoru leans in closer, his forehead resting against yours. “You’re happy?” he asks softly, as if seeking reassurance.
You smile, brushing a stray strand of hair from his face. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been.” you whisper back.
His smile widens, his eyes sparkling with relief and joy. “Good.” he murmurs. “Because I plan to keep you that way, no matter what.”
And in that moment, under the Parisian sky, you know he means every word.
The days in Paris begin to blur together, a soft blend of golden light, laughter, and the endless discovery of each other in a new place. You wake each morning to the sound of Satoru's humming, his voice light and carefree as he attempts a tune he’s probably heard in some old movie. He looks so at peace here, his usual edges softened, a smile almost always playing on his lips.
Your first full day is filled with exploration. You both decide to take things slow, meandering through the narrow streets, Satoru’s hand warm in yours. He insists on trying every pastry you come across, from croissants to pain au chocolat, and he buys them in excess, delighting in your shared bites and the way your face lights up with every taste.
At some point, you find yourselves at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, the iconic structure towering above you. Satoru looks up, his sunglasses perched on his nose, shielding his eyes from the midday sun. “So, do we do the tourist thing?” he asks, grinning.
You laugh, nodding. “Why not? We’re here, aren’t we?”
He pulls you along, his excitement infectious as you both make your way to the elevator. The ride up is filled with a mix of awe and a little bit of playful bickering. Satoru teases you about your slight fear of heights, and you mock him for pretending to be calm when you can feel the tension in his grip on the rail.
At the top, the view is breathtaking. Paris stretches out beneath you like a painting—rooftops, winding streets, the Seine glittering in the distance. Satoru stands behind you, his arms wrapping around your waist, pulling you close. “Look….” he murmurs in your ear. “All of this… and you’re still the best thing I’ve seen today.”
You roll your eyes, but you can’t help the smile that tugs at your lips. “You’re so cheesy, Satoru.”
He chuckles, his breath warm against your neck. “Only for you.”
As you gaze out at the city, you feel his heart beating against your back, steady and strong. It’s moments like this that make you realize just how far you’ve come with him—from the careful, tentative steps of your early marriage to the unspoken trust and affection that now bloom between you. The nervousness that lingered in both of you is slowly fading, replaced by something deeper, something real.
Later, as the sun begins to dip below the horizon, you find yourselves wandering into a small park. The air is cooler, a gentle breeze rustling the leaves overhead. Satoru pulls you toward a bench, sitting down and tugging you onto his lap. He’s always been tactile, always needed that physical connection, and you’ve come to find comfort in it too.
He looks up at you, his blue eyes softening in the fading light. “You know,” he starts, his tone uncharacteristically serious, “I’ve been thinking.”
“Oh?” You tilt your head, curious. “That’s new for you.”
He laughs, his chest rumbling beneath you. “Ha-ha. Very funny.” he quips, but there’s a fondness in his voice. “No, really. I’ve been thinking about how… how different everything feels now. How much I want this… us, to be real. Not just an arrangement or a convenience.”
You feel your heart flutter in your chest. “It already is real, Satoru.” you whisper, your fingers tracing the line of his jaw.
He nods, his expression earnest. “I know. But I want more. I want… all of you. Your happiness, your worries, your dreams… everything. I want you to know that I’m here. Fully, completely.”
For a moment, you’re lost in his gaze, the sincerity in his words sinking in. “I do know, you know?” you say softly. “And I’m here too. I’ve always been.”
He smiles, a genuine, radiant smile that makes your heart swell. “Good.” he says, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. “Because I’ve got big plans for us, you know.”
You raise an eyebrow, amused. “Oh? And what kind of plans might those be?”
He grins, that playful light back in his eyes. “Well, I was thinking… maybe a little house somewhere quiet, where we can have lazy mornings and late nights, and I can spend every day annoying you with my presence. Lots of space for Tsumiki and Megumi. For….for more kids, maybe.”
You laugh, the sound bright and free. “Sounds like a dream.” you tease.
He leans in, his lips brushing yours in a soft, lingering kiss. “It is, isn’t it?” he whispers against your mouth. “My dream. Our dream.”
And as you sit there, wrapped in his arms under the soft glow of the Parisian twilight, you feel a sense of peace settle over you, knowing that no matter what comes next, you’ll face it together, with love and laughter and all the beautiful, messy moments in between.
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BEFORE LONG, THEY WERE INTO THE FUN. The night falls deeper, and you find yourselves in a cozy, dimly lit jazz bar on the quieter side of the city. The music is soft and sultry, a saxophone weaving its way through the smoky air. You’ve already had a few drinks, and while you’re feeling pleasantly light, Satoru—who rarely drinks at all—has decided tonight is an exception.
He raises his glass, clinking it gently against yours, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “To us!” he toasts, his voice already carrying that playful slur that makes your heart flutter.
“To us!” you echo, and take a sip, feeling the warmth spread through your chest.
The band starts up a livelier tune, something with a beat that makes your foot tap against the floor. Satoru grins, setting down his glass with a flourish. “Come on, wifey!” he says, grabbing your hand and pulling you up,.“Get up! Come on, let’s dance.”
You laugh, a little unsteady on your feet, but you let him lead you to the small, crowded dance floor. He spins you around with a dramatic flair, earning a few amused glances from the other patrons, but you don’t care. Tonight, it’s just the two of you, and the rest of the world feels miles away.
Satoru moves with an unexpected grace, his movements loose and free. He’s not a bad dancer—in fact, he’s surprisingly good, his body swaying in rhythm with the music. You let yourself be pulled close, your hands resting on his shoulders as he guides you through the steps, his laughter bright and infectious.
“You’re actually good at this, Satoru.” you tease, your head spinning slightly, not just from the drinks but from the way he looks at you—like you’re the only person in the room.
He leans in closer, his breath warm against your ear. “I have many hidden talents, always!” he whispers, his tone low and teasing. “But this, wifey….” he continues, his hands sliding down to rest at the small of your back, pulling you flush against him. “This is my favorite one.”
You can’t help the giggle that escapes you, and Satoru’s grin widens. The two of you continue dancing, moving in sync, the music carrying you along, your bodies pressed close, swaying with the rhythm. The alcohol has made you both bolder, and you feel his hands tighten on your waist, his touch firm yet gentle.
Your heart races as his face draws closer, his lips brushing your ear. “You know, wifey….” he murmurs, his voice low, “I don’t usually do this—drinking and dancing like an idiot.”
You smile, leaning into his touch. “I know you don’t.” you reply softly, your hands moving to rest on his chest, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath your fingertips. “But I’m glad you’re doing it with me.”
He chuckles, his lips brushing against your cheek. “Me too.”
And then, without warning, he leans in and kisses you—a deep, lingering kiss that sends a shiver down your spine. His mouth is warm and insistent, moving against yours with a fervor that catches you off guard, and for a moment, you forget where you are, lost in the sensation of his lips, his hands, the way he’s pulling you closer as if he never wants to let go.
You kiss him back, your fingers tangling in his hair, and he groans softly, his grip on you tightening. The world around you blurs, and it’s just the two of you, kissing like you’re the only people in the universe. His hands slide up your back, his fingers tracing patterns on your skin, sending sparks of electricity shooting through you.
“God, you taste good,” he mutters against your mouth, his voice husky, and you feel a surge of heat pool in your stomach. You press yourself closer to him, your body molding against his, and his breath hitches, a low growl rumbling from his chest.
“Satoru, baby.” you whisper, your voice breathy, and he kisses you again, harder this time, his hands roaming your back, his touch growing bolder with every passing second. You can feel his heart pounding against yours, his breath hot and fast, and your own pulse quickens in response.
“Let’s get out of here, wifey.” he murmurs, pulling back just enough to look into your eyes, his gaze dark with desire.
You nod, your breath coming in short, excited bursts. “Yeah….let’s go.” you whisper back, feeling the same burning need coursing through you.
He grabs your hand, his grip firm and steady, and you both make a quick exit from the bar, laughter bubbling between you as you stumble into the cool night air. The streets of Paris are quiet now, the city settling into the late hours, but you hardly notice or rather, you could scarcely care. You were too far gone in cloud nine to care.
Your husband Satoru pulls you close again, his lips finding yours with a renewed intensity, and you’re lost in him once more, the taste of him, the feel of his hands on your body, the way he’s holding you like you’re the most precious thing in the world.
You barely make it back to the hotel, your kisses growing more heated, more desperate, with each step. By the time you reach your room, Satoru’s hands are tangled in your hair, his lips moving down your neck, and you’re breathless with want, your fingers tugging at his shirt.
He fumbles with the key, cursing under his breath, and you laugh, breathless, helping him steady his hands. When the door finally swings open, he pulls you inside, kicking it shut behind you, and his mouth is on yours again, hot and demanding.
You push him back against the wall, your hands roaming his chest, and he lets out a low, pleased hum, his fingers slipping under the hem of your shirt, sliding up your sides, making you shiver. “I’ve wanted this, wifey.” he murmurs, his lips brushing against your ear. “ I just wanted you so bad… for so long.”
Your response is a quiet moan as his lips find yours again, his hands pulling you even closer, and you know, in this moment, that this is exactly where you want to be—wrapped up in his arms, feeling his heartbeat against yours, letting the world outside fade away until it’s just the two of you, lost in each other, in Paris, under the spell of the night.
The room is dimly lit, the curtains drawn, and the air is thick with the heat of your bodies. Satoru’s breath comes out in ragged gasps, his head thrown back against the pillows, his hair splayed out in a mess of white strands. He grips the sheets beneath him tightly, his knuckles white with the force, and his chest rises and falls with every sharp inhale.
“God……..” he groans, voice low and breathless, the sound of it echoing in the small space. His eyes are half-lidded, darkened with lust, but there’s a softness there too, a look of wonder as he gazes down at you.
You move against him with purpose, your mouth warm and soft, sliding up and down his length with a rhythm that has his hips bucking up slightly, desperate for more. Your tongue swirls around him, and he gasps, the sound breaking into a quiet moan, his hands reaching for you, fingers tangling in your hair.
“Feels so good, wifey.” he slurs, his voice thick and heavy with pleasure. “Fuck… you’re so perfect.” He can barely keep his eyes open, his head rolling back against the pillow, his body taut with tension, the pleasure building in waves that crash over him again and again.
You hum softly, the vibration sending a shiver through him, and his fingers tighten in your hair, his breath catching in his throat. “Oh, right there….” he gasps, his voice breaking. “Don’t… don’t stop.”
You don’t. You keep going, moving with a deliberate slowness that has him trembling beneath you, his entire body responding to every flick of your tongue, every gentle scrape of your teeth. He’s never felt like this—so completely undone, so out of control. And yet he’s never felt more alive, more connected, more in love than he does right now, with you.
His hand moves to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing over your skin, and he looks at you, his eyes searching yours. “I—” he starts, but his voice catches, and he swallows hard, trying to steady himself. “I love you, baby.” he whispers, the words spilling out of him in a rush, as if he can’t keep them in any longer.
You pause for just a second, your eyes meeting his, and the intensity of his gaze takes your breath away. There’s so much there—desire, adoration, fear, and a kind of raw, aching need that makes your heart stutter in your chest.
Then you smile, just a little, your lips curling around him, and you take him in deeper, drawing a ragged moan from his throat. He bucks up again, his grip on the sheets tightening as he feels that familiar coil of heat tightening in his stomach, building and building with every movement, every sensation.
“Ah… I can’t—” he chokes out, his breath hitching, his body trembling with the effort to hold back. “I’m gonna… I’m gonna—”
And then he’s gone, his head tipping back, a guttural moan tearing from his lips as he comes undone, the pleasure crashing over him in a wave so intense he feels like he might just shatter. His whole body tenses, his hips jerking up as he spills into your mouth, his eyes squeezing shut as the world blurs around him.
For a moment, everything is silent, save for the sound of his heavy breathing, his chest heaving with the effort. He feels like he’s floating, his body weightless, his mind blank except for the overwhelming sensation of you, your warmth, your touch, your love.
When he finally comes back to himself, he looks down at you, his eyes still hazy, a small, satisfied smile tugging at his lips. “Holy shit.” he breathes out, his voice shaky, and he lets out a weak laugh, his fingers still tangled in your hair. “That… that was incredible.”
You lean up, crawling up his body to press a kiss to his lips, and he kisses you back, slow and sweet, his hand cupping your cheek as if he can’t quite believe you’re real. “You’re incredible,” he murmurs against your mouth, his other hand trailing down your back, pulling you closer.
You smile against his lips, feeling the rapid beat of his heart against your chest, the way he’s still trembling slightly from the aftershocks of his release. “I think we’re just getting started, aren’t we?” you whisper, your voice low and teasing.
He grins, his eyes bright with excitement and affection. “Oh, I hope so.” he replies, his voice filled with promise, his fingers tracing patterns on your skin. “Because I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you.”
And as he pulls you back down into another kiss, deep and slow, you feel it too—the certainty that whatever comes next, you’re ready for it. Together.
Satoru's grin softens as he looks at you, his fingers brushing a strand of hair from your face. His eyes are filled with something tender and deep, a look that makes your heart swell with affection.
He leans in, capturing your lips in a slow, languid kiss that seems to say everything he can't put into words. His hands are gentle as they explore your body, tracing every curve, every line, as if memorizing you by touch alone.
He pulls back slightly, his lips barely an inch from yours, his breath hot against your skin. “You’re amazing, you know that?” he whispers, his voice low and full of emotion. "And tonight… Tonight is all about you."
You shiver at his words, a thrill running down your spine. His hands slide down your sides, settling on your hips, and he shifts you gently, guiding you onto your back. He hovers over you, his body warm and solid against yours, and you can feel the heat radiating from him, his desire palpable in the air between you.
He takes his time, his lips trailing kisses down your neck, his mouth hot and soft as he moves lower, tasting your skin. Every kiss sends a jolt of electricity through you, your breath catching in your throat as his mouth finds all the places that make you sigh, that make you arch against him.
His hands are everywhere—gentle yet insistent, roaming over your body, touching, caressing, exploring. His mouth follows, leaving a trail of heat in its wake, his lips brushing over your collarbone, down the valley between your breasts, until you’re gasping, your fingers tangling in his hair, urging him on.
“Please, Satoru…” you whisper, your voice a soft, needy plea.
He smiles against your skin, a low chuckle rumbling in his chest. “Patience, baby.” he murmurs, his voice teasing but thick with need. “I want to make this last… make you feel good.”
He continues his descent, his kisses growing more heated, more purposeful. His mouth moves lower still, down your stomach, his tongue flicking out to taste your skin, and you feel your breath hitch, your body trembling with anticipation. His hands part your thighs, his touch firm but gentle, and you feel your heart start to race, your pulse pounding in your ears.
He glances up at you, his blue eyes dark and filled with a mixture of mischief and adoration. “Just relax, baby.” he whispers, his lips brushing against the sensitive skin of your inner thigh, making you gasp. “Let your loving husband take care of you.”
And then his mouth is on you, his tongue moving with a slow, deliberate precision that has you moaning his name, your hips lifting off the bed as pleasure sparks through you like wildfire.
He doesn’t rush—he takes his time, tasting you, teasing you, his hands gripping your thighs, keeping you in place as he brings you to the brink over and over again.
You’re lost in the sensation, your head falling back against the pillows, your fingers gripping the sheets as he works you over with his mouth, his tongue moving in ways that make your toes curl, that send you spiraling into a state of pure, unadulterated bliss.
“Satoru, please!” you cry out, your voice breaking, and he hums against you, the vibration sending another jolt of pleasure through you.
“Mm, that’s it.” he murmurs, his voice muffled but full of satisfaction. “Let go for me… I want to feel you come.”
His words are like a command, and you feel yourself falling, tumbling over the edge as pleasure crashes over you in waves, your body arching against his mouth, your fingers tangling in his hair, holding him against you as you come, crying out his name.
But he doesn’t stop. He keeps going, his mouth relentless, his tongue flicking and curling, drawing out every last bit of pleasure from you until you’re shaking, your breath coming in ragged gasps, your body trembling with aftershocks.
“Again, baby.” he whispers, his voice dark and filled with want. “I want to hear you scream my name again.”
And you do—again and again. He doesn’t let up, doesn’t give you a moment to recover before he’s building you up again, his fingers joining his mouth, pressing into you with a rhythm that matches the beat of your racing heart. His thumb finds that perfect spot, rubbing circles that make your vision blur, and you’re gone again, crying out, your body clenching around him, your mind blank with pleasure.
You lose count of how many times he makes you come, each one more intense than the last, each wave of pleasure crashing over you like a storm, pulling you deeper and deeper into a sea of sensation. You’re breathless, your body spent, and yet he keeps going, determined to wring every last bit of pleasure from you, to make you feel as cherished and adored as he possibly can.
When you finally collapse against the sheets, your body trembling, your skin slick with sweat, he crawls up to meet you, his lips capturing yours in a soft, tender kiss, his hands gentle as they cradle your face.
“You’re incredible,” he whispers against your mouth, his voice filled with awe, his breath warm against your lips. “I could spend the rest of my life making you feel like this.”
You smile, your heart swelling with love, and you pull him close, kissing him deeply, letting him know without words that you feel the same. Because in this moment, with him, you’ve never felt more alive, more loved, more complete.
Satoru’s breath hitches when he feels you shift beneath him, the soft, unintentional grind of your hips against his sending a jolt of electricity straight through him. He bites back a moan, his fingers tightening on your hips instinctively, his eyes squeezing shut for a brief moment as he tries to maintain some semblance of control.
God, the way you affect him—how effortlessly you make his heart race, his breath catch, his body respond like this—it’s like you have a power over him that goes far beyond anything he’s ever known. He’s already hard, painfully so, and the thin fabric of his uniform pants does little to hide his need, the friction almost too much to bear.
“S-Shit…..” he mutters, his voice low and strained, and he swallows hard, trying to catch his breath. He hadn’t expected this, hadn’t expected you to move like that, hadn’t expected the sheer intensity of his reaction.
He wants to touch you, to hold you, to be buried deep inside you, but he’s almost afraid to move, afraid that if he does, he’ll lose what little control he has left.
You shift again, and his hips jerk forward involuntarily, a broken moan escaping his lips as he presses against you, feeling your warmth, your softness, even through the layers of fabric. It’s too much, and yet not enough, and he feels like he’s going to lose his mind.
“God, baby.” he breathes out, his voice trembling, his fingers digging into your skin as he fights to hold himself back. “You have no idea… what you do to me.”
He’s desperate, his body aching with need, his mind a haze of lust and longing, but he’s also so full of love, of adoration, that it takes his breath away. He wants you—he wants you more than he’s ever wanted anything—but he also wants to savor this, to make it last, to make sure you feel just as good as he does.
He grinds against you again, more deliberately this time, and he lets out a low, shuddering breath, his forehead dropping to rest against yours. “I’m… I’m sorry, baby.” he whispers, his voice barely more than a breath. “I can’t… I can’t stop myself.”
His hands move to your waist, fingers splaying out over your skin, and he begins to move against you, his hips rolling in a slow, steady rhythm, the friction sending sparks of pleasure shooting through his veins. He can feel you beneath him, feel the heat of your body, the way you respond to his every touch, his every movement, and it drives him wild.
He presses his mouth against yours, kissing you with a hunger that matches the desperation in his movements, his tongue sweeping into your mouth, tasting you, devouring you. His hands slide down your sides, gripping your hips, and he tugs you closer, pulling you against him, needing more, needing everything.
“I… I need you. Need you so bad.” he murmurs against your lips, his voice breaking, raw and filled with longing. “I need to feel you… all of you.”
He shifts his weight slightly, his hands fumbling with the waistband of his pants, his breath coming in short, shallow gasps as he struggles to free himself. He’s too impatient, too needy, and he lets out a frustrated groan, his fingers trembling as he finally manages to shove his pants down just enough to release his aching length.
He’s rock-hard, the tip of his cock already leaking with precum, and he groans again as he presses against you, the heat of your body sending another wave of pleasure crashing through him.
“Please, baby.” he whispers, his voice desperate, his hips grinding against you, “I can’t… I can’t wait anymore.”
You arch against him, your hands sliding up to his shoulders, your fingers digging into his skin, and he moans, his eyes fluttering shut as he feels the head of his cock brush against your entrance.
He’s trembling, his whole body taut with need, and he can barely think, barely breathe, all he knows is that he wants you, needs you, more than anything. He presses forward slowly, carefully, his breath catching in his throat as he feels you envelop him, inch by inch, the tight, wet heat of you driving him to the brink of madness.
“Fuck… you feel… so good....” he groans, his hips pressing forward, sliding deeper inside you, and he can’t stop the shudder that runs through him, the overwhelming sensation of finally being inside you, of being this close, this connected.
He starts with deliberate slowness, his thrusts shallow and gentle, as if testing the boundaries of your shared connection. His breath catches, and you can feel the tension in his body, how he's holding back, savoring the sensation of being so close to you.
The warmth of him inside you, the way your bodies fit together so seamlessly, sends a shiver through you. Your legs instinctively tighten around him, pulling him deeper, and that's when you hear it—a low, guttural growl from deep within his chest.
The sound is raw, primal, a reflection of his desire, and it sends a jolt of electricity through your entire body. His restraint begins to crumble. He thrusts harder, his hips snapping against yours with growing intensity, and each movement feels more urgent, more desperate. His hands, once tender on your waist, now grip you with fervor, pulling you closer, as if he can’t get enough of you.
The pace quickens, his need spilling out in every motion. He’s relentless, each thrust filled with a hunger to make you feel the same pleasure that's overtaking him. You can hear the labored breaths escaping his lips, see the fire in his eyes as they lock onto yours. His voice, hoarse and trembling with emotion, breaks the silence between you.
“God… I love you.” he gasps, barely able to form the words between ragged breaths. His rhythm becomes frenzied, driven by the overwhelming sensation of being with you in this moment.
“I love you… so much… so fucking much,” he groans, his voice thick with passion. Each declaration is a pulse of raw emotion, his need to show you, to let you feel every ounce of his love, pouring out of him.
His movements, once careful and measured, have become wild and uncontrollable, driven by the depth of his feelings. Every thrust is a a call to his desire, every gasp a confession of how deeply he’s fallen for you.
His pace becomes frantic, a blend of raw need and overwhelming affection. Every movement sends waves of pleasure coursing through your body, the intensity of his desire matching your own.
His hands roam from your waist to your hips, gripping tighter, his fingers digging into your skin as if he's afraid to let go—afraid that this moment might slip away if he doesn’t hold you close enough.
The sound of your bodies moving together fills the air, the room heavy with heat and tension. You feel the build-up of pleasure rising within you, matching the urgency of his thrusts.
His gaze flickers between your eyes and your lips, and there’s something almost vulnerable in the way he looks at you, as if his every feeling, his every thought, is laid bare in this moment.
His breath comes in ragged gasps, each one catching as his need grows more intense. The sensation of you wrapped around him, the way your body responds to his every touch, only fuels him further.
He lowers his head to press his lips against your neck, kissing a trail from your collarbone up to your jaw, his hot breath sending shivers down your spine.
"I can't… get enough of you," he murmurs against your skin, his voice shaky, consumed by the pleasure coursing through him. "You're everything… everything I need."
His words are laced with both desperation and adoration, the weight of his feelings crashing over him. With each thrust, you can feel how close he is to the edge, but he holds on, wanting to prolong this moment with you, to savor every second.
His hands grip your thighs now, pulling you even closer, the friction between you igniting sparks of pleasure that ripple through every nerve.
The pressure inside you builds, coiling tighter and tighter as he moves. His name falls from your lips in a breathless whisper, your body arching into him, and he groans in response, the sound reverberating deep within his chest.
It’s as if the world outside of this moment ceases to exist. All you can feel is him—his heat, his breath, the weight of his love for you driving him to move faster, harder.
“I’m so close, baby.” he gasps, his voice cracking as he struggles to hold on just a little longer, his body trembling with restraint. His eyes meet yours again, and the look in them is nothing short of devotion. “I need you… I need you to come with me.”
And with those words, everything inside you unravels. The release hits you like a tidal wave, crashing over you in wave after wave of pleasure, leaving you breathless and trembling beneath him. He follows soon after, his body tensing as he lets out a guttural moan, his hips stuttering as he finally lets go, the force of his climax overwhelming him.
For a moment, neither of you move, the air between you thick with the afterglow of what you’ve just shared. His body rests against yours, both of you spent, your hearts beating in sync as you catch your breath.
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epilogue
In the cozy living room of your home, Gojo Satoru sat on the floor with your son, Satoshi, sprawled out in front of him, surrounded by toys and colorful blocks.
The afternoon sun streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the room. Satoru was trying to entertain Satoshi with a game of building blocks, but the little boy’s curiosity took an unexpected turn.
Satoshi looked up at Satoru, his big, innocent eyes full of questions. “Papa, papa!” he asked, “How was ‘toshi born?”
Satoru’s eyes widened, and he froze mid-block placement, the toy car in his hand almost slipping out. He glanced around, searching for a way to divert the conversation, but Satoshi was looking at him with unwavering expectation.
Satoru cleared his throat, his mind racing back to that unforgettable honeymoon in Paris and maybe a little after that…..you know, there’s been a lot and he just….he doesn’t know how and where things had become a bit… complicated. He doesn’t really count.
“Well, my little dawn…baby, you see…” Satoru began, trying to sound as casual as possible, “A lot of it is just…. it’s a bit of a… long story.”
Satoshi tilted his head, his curiosity piqued. “A long story? Like when we go to Grandma’s house?”
Satoru nodded, his mind still floundering for the right words. “Exactly like that, but, um, with more… magic.”
Satoshi’s eyes widened, and he leaned closer. “Magic? Did you use your special powers?”
Satoru scratched the back of his head, trying to remember if there was a way to explain this that didn’t involve any, ahem, explicit details. “Well, it’s more like… a magical moment, little dawn.” he said, smiling nervously. “Because well….magic is magic!”
Satoshi looked thoughtful, then blinked. “Was it like when you make the cookies disappear?”
Satoru’s face turned a shade of red, and he tried to stifle a laugh. He doesn’t know how he was supposed to do this at all. “Uh, not exactly. More like… a really happy time when mama and papa were together, and, uh, we decided to have more family for big brother Megumi and big sister Tsumiki, you know?”
Satoshi nodded slowly, his tiny brow furrowing as he considered this. “So, you made cookies disappear and that’s how I got here?”
Satoru chuckled, a little relieved that Satoshi seemed satisfied with the vague explanation. “Sort of, yes. It’s a special kind of magic that’s, um, a bit different from making cookies disappear.”
Satoshi pondered this for a moment, then brightened. “Okay! Can we build a magic castle now?”
Satoru laughed, feeling a wave of relief. “Absolutely, let’s build the biggest magic castle ever!”
As Satoru helped Satoshi with the blocks, he couldn’t help but think that he had successfully dodged a bullet—or at least, he hoped he had. He glanced at the photo of you on the mantel and grinned, knowing that despite the complexities of parenthood, there were some things best left to the imagination.
When you arrived home, the late afternoon light was still spilling into the living room, casting a golden hue over the scene. You found Satoru and Satoshi surrounded by a sprawling fortress of colorful blocks, the little boy’s face alight with triumph as he declared his castle complete.
“Mama!” Satoshi called out, running over to greet you with his usual enthusiasm. “Look at the magic castle Papa and I built!”
You smiled, bending down to give him a hug. “It’s beautiful, Satoshi! I’m so proud of you.”
Satoru stood up, brushing the dust off his pants with a sheepish grin. He looked slightly relieved to see you, and he met your eyes with a hint of nervousness. You looked at him with curious eyes as he tried to take a deep breath. It was as though he was preparing himself to tell you something.
“Hey, baby.” you said, raising an eyebrow at him as you moved towards the kitchen. “How was your day with Satoshi?”
Satoru followed you, his expression a mix of amusement and apprehension. “It was good, but we had a little… conversation.”
You raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? About what?”
Satoru scratched the back of his neck, his face turning a bit red. “Well, Satoshi asked me how he was born….well, like not born. How…how he was made?”
You froze mid-step, your eyes widening as you looked at him. “Oh, really? And how did you handle that?”
Satoru let out a nervous chuckle. “I tried to explain it with… magic. I told him it was like a special kind of magic and that it happened when mama and papa decided to have a family.”
You stifled a laugh, trying to keep a straight face. “Did he buy that?”
Satoru shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed. “Sort of. He thought it was like making cookies disappear, so I went along with it.”
You burst out laughing, shaking your head.You couldn’t stop to the point you were coughing. Satoru blushed, even his ears were red. “Cookies? That’s one way to put it.”
Satoru looked relieved to see you find the humor in the situation. “Yeah, I guess. He seemed satisfied, so I think we dodged a bullet.”
You walked over to Satoshi, who was now engrossed in a new block creation. You crouched down next to him, brushing a strand of hair from his face. “Satoshi, did papa tell you a magic story?”
Satoshi nodded eagerly, his eyes shining. “Yes! And we built a magic castle! Papa said it’s like magic cookies!”
You glanced at Satoru, who was trying to suppress a grin. “Well, that sounds like a fun story.”
Satoru walked over, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. “I think we managed to keep things light, but I’m glad you’re home to handle the next round of questions.”
You laughed, leaning into him. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it. And next time, maybe we’ll keep the magic cookies out of the explanation.”
Satoru grinned, pulling you into a gentle hug. “Deal. Thanks for saving me from my own magical misadventures.”
You both chuckled, watching as Satoshi continued his block building, blissfully unaware of the parental confusion that had preceded his masterpiece.
#jujutsu kaisen#jjk#jjk x reader#jujutsu kaisen x reader#jujutsu kaisen x you#jjk x you#jjk x y/n#jujutsu kaisen x y/n#gojo satoru#satoru gojo#satoru#gojo#gojo satoru x y/n#gojo satoru x reader#gojo satoru x you#satoru gojo x y/n#satoru gojo x reader#gojou satoru x reader#satoru gojo x you#gojo x reader#gojo x you#gojo x y/n#satoru x you#satoru x y/n#satoru x reader#gojo smut#satoru smut#jjk smut#jjk x reader smut#jjk kinktober
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HAVING AN INTENTIONAL ROOM
Your room is the most important place in your life. You sleep, wake up, heal and experience many emotions just in your room. You have to take care of your room, so it is spiritually the ideal place to grow into the best version of yourself.
KEEPING YOUR ROOM CLEAN
Keeping your room free of mess is an act of mindfulness and self-discipline that supports your overall journey and connects you with your higher self. It helps with promoting clarity, and cultivating inner balance and is an everyday self-care ritual.
Make your bed every day. You have to respect the place in which you sleep and heal.
Hang up clean clothes after the day or put any dirty clothes in your laundry hamper, avoid tossing them on the floor.
Find a place for everything, and know where everything is. If you do not know where each thing in your room is located, you either have too much clutter or you’re disorganised.
Tidy up your room daily, neatly putting everything away in its place. If needed, buy a few organisers.
Don’t leave rubbish for extended periods. Treat your room like a temple, don’t disrespect it, and pick up after yourself.
Try to avoid eating meals in your bedroom. We forget the dirty dishes over time, and it stinks and attracts unwanted bugs.
Change bed sheets regularly. Once a week at the most, for more hygienic reasons though.
Remove unwanted items on your bedside table. Keep it minimal and intentional with anything you want to place on it.
Regularly clean up the dust in your room, using a duster or a damp microfiber cloth on all of the surfaces.
ENCOURAGING GROWTH IN YOUR LIFE
A room designed to encourage inner growth serves as a physical reminder of your commitment to self-improvement, personal development, and overall well-being. It creates an environment helpful to improvement, self-reflection, and positive change.
Keep specific areas of your room designated to one task in your life. For me, my desk is for productivity, my bed is for resting or relaxing and my bedroom floor is for mindful activities.
Throw away any items that do not serve a purpose to you anymore. Avoid keeping items that bring you painful or harmful memories.
Minimise the presence of technology in your room. I suggest having zones in your room which is device-free or having a time of day in which devices are not allowed in your room.
Create a vision board poster in your room that you can see every day, which helps to visualise and motivate you to create your dream life.
Place meaningful quotes, affirmations, mantras or prayers as reminders of the values, mindsets or intentions you wish to cultivate in your life.
Display personal achievements. If you won any awards or certificates, place them in a way in which you can view them every day. If you have done something in your life that you think is an achievement but have no award to display, just simply create your own. Buy some balsawood and glue it together to create your own medal.
Place items that align with the habits or routines you want to cultivate in your life so that they are easily accessible. Put a workout mat in the corner, always have your journal on your desk or have a cold water bottle ready to go when you wake up.
3. DECORATING YOUR ROOM TO REFLECT YOU
Decorating your room in a way that reflects your true self brings a sense of authenticity and comfort. It creates a nurturing environment that allows for self-expression, reflection, and personal growth which ultimately contributes to your journey of inner development.
Make a mood board or vision board of how you would want your room to look, how it supports you and how it makes you feel. Choose a colour scheme in this process as well.
Add candles or incense that you think embodies who you are, or who you want to be. For example, if I want to be a cleaner person, I would choose a candle that smells like fresh linen.
Put up posters of things that you like, people who you look up to or anything that expresses who you are.
Add a canopy to your bed while you sleep. So cute, and I believe it helps protect you from any unwanted energy entering through you while you sleep.
Add a rug, even if you already have carpet, to enhance the cozy ambience of the room.
An ottoman at the end of the bed can elevate your room to look more expensive, if needed, it can also be an organiser for your extra things.
Put life in your room, adding low-maintenance plants or flowers can liven it up. A little extra, research some plants or flowers meaning’s and pick one that resonates with you.
Display any of your favourite jewellery, bags, clothing pieces, or make-up around your room. A nice way to appreciate what you have, without actually using them.
#becoming that girl#clean girl#green juice girl#becoming her#that girl#that girl lifestyle#glow up#glow up era#pink pilates girl#dream girl#dream girl life#pink pilates princess#it girl#it girl energy#it girl tips#dream girl tips#feminine energy#feminine journey#that girl energy#that girl routine#wonyoungism#hyperfemininity#hypergamyblr#self improvement#self development#self help#self care#self growth#self love#inner strength
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Eldritchrune - Dreemurr of Jokes
1 | 2 | 3
Story Setup Eldritchrune Masterpost
Toriel stops by Sans' shop for some goods, and for some more cheery distractions! Unfortunately, all this time later, it's still too difficult to escape reminders of what's been done.
It was fun finally getting to do some stuff with Sans in this universe! The last part for this trio of scenes will be up sometime next week!
Alt text for these pages is under the read more:
Page 1 Panel 1: Interior shot of a small store, with displays of goods, loose plywood, sacks of things. Two circular woven hangings bracket the door through which Toriel enters, a heavyset woman in a polka-dotted dress with a basket over her arm. Sans watches her enter, though we see only the back of his head.
Panel 2: Toriel enters the shop and we see more displays, mostly food. There are large potted trees as well, and the shop’s counter, draped in patterned cloth and decorated with candles. Toriel: “Well, hello again. I was wondering if you had-” Sans, a jovial, bearded man dressed in loose robes and always smiling, waves a hand and cuts her off. “Hold on, you hear that?”
Panel 3: “...Hear what?” Toriel asks, nonplussed. Up close, her face is soft but distressed.
Panel 4: Sans leans over his slightly messy counter, still grinning. “I HERB that you needed some more cinnamon cloves, and look what I have here!” He offers a handful of herbs. Up close, the cuffs on his robe sleeves are patterned with little bones.
Panel 5: “Just what I needed! How did you guess?” Toriel exclaims, reaching out with a real smile to accept the herbs. She and Sans are framed by other mysterious shop wares- jars of things, open sacks, rolled-up mats. Things you might find in an open-air desert market.
Page 2 Panel 1: Sans: “Was just thinking it’d been awhile since I saw you making the neighborhood rounds with some of those pies of yours… Figured you were planning to start this month’s soon!” Sans gestures up at Toriel in explanation.
Panel 2: Toriel smirks, setting down a handful of coins. “And perhaps hoping that I would stop by your place first with them?” Sans: “I pride myself on my forward thinking, y’know.” His grin is conspiratorial as he leans towards her and he taps his temple with one finger.
Panel 3: Toriel, eyes sad despite her smile: “All right. How about this: Tell me a good joke, and you have my word you will have the first and freshest one.”
Panel 4: Sans: “Just a good joke?” He raises an eyebrow.
Panel 5: Toriel clutches her chest- we don’t see her eyes. “I find myself in desperate need of levity these days.”
Panel 6: Sans waves his hand as if to keep her from feeling like she need say more, scratching his chin in thought with the other. “Sure, I got one…”
Page 3 Panel 1: Sans, with the smug grin of someone about to tell a terrible pun: “Why was the empire soldier happy to get demoted to horse groomer?” Toriel, with her hand on her chin in thought: “I do not know, why?”
Panel 2: Sans shrugs widely like the answer is obvious. “Because he finally had STABLE employment!”
Panel 3: Toriel laughs in genuine delight, although maybe a little harder than expected.
Panel 4: Toriel: “Thank you, I needed that.” She smiles a relieved little smile. Sans: “No problem. So hey, aside from the pie… Can I maybe get an invite to those little get-togethers I see some folks around here doing once a month?” He steeples his fingertips together.
Panel 5: San’s dialogue continues: “I’m so curious as to what goes on then!” We only see Toriel, though, shocked and dismayed. She’s thinking of the Ritual gatherings- townspeople gathered in their robes and animal masks- reindeer, fish, but most centrally, the goat masks she and Asgore wear.
Panel 6: Toriel: “Unless you are completely enraptured by tedious talk of planting schedules and building repairs, I believe I can sate your curiosity by saying you would find them quite boring.” She waves a hand in front of her, dismissing the thought- her expression is once again drawn and weary.
Page 4 Panel 1: Toriel turns to leave, waving goodbye. “You should look forward to your well-earned pie more!”
Panel 2: Sans gives her a slightly skeptical look. “Alright.” is all he says.
Panel 3: As she leaves, Toriel looks down and sees for the first time a small statue set by the door, surrounded by candles- it’s not a merchandise display, more like an altar. The statue is a horned figure holding a bowl filled with greenery- an offering of some type. The figure is rounded like a sitting child, and simple, with closed eyes and little other detail.
Panel 4: Toriel’s dialogue over a close up shot of the figure: “What an interesting little figure you have. It does not look like it is for sale, is it?” The little horned one has three toes and four fingers on its stubby little arms and legs, and a detail on its forehead that could be a suggestion of hair, or it could be a symbol. The pillar candles surrounding it have been burned enough to have long wax drips pooled around them.
Panel 5: Sans: “Nah, that’s just a holdover from my home country. Supposed to help keep demons out of your space.” He seems uninterested in this bit of lore, but Toriel, still facing away, is wide-eyed and shaken.
Panel 6: Toriel whirls back to him, sweating. “I-Is that so?”
Panel 7: Sans’s expression intensifies, eyebrows dropping dramatically. “Sure thing. You know what happens when demons get in your grain stores?”
Page 5 Panel 1: “They’re OATsolutely RYE-ined!” Sans holds his hands wide, like he’s waiting for the rimshot effect. It’s almost like his shop counter and back wall are suddenly a stage.
Panel 2: Toriel hides a giggle behind her hand, relieved.
Panel 3: “Is that something you have had to deal with previously?” she asks, stepping a little closer in her interest. Sans makes a slight gesture of dismissal. “Nah, I don’t really go in for that sort of stuff, honestly.”
Panel 4: Sans: “My brother, though… He’s all in on charms and wards and that sort of thing.” He gestures up, as if to point to wherever it is in the town that his brother might be now.
Panel 5: “Keeping customs from your home country, I suppose?” Toriel asks, drawn again into the shop and closer to Sans. “Something like that,” he responds, leaning forward on his counter. On the wall next to him, there’s another woven wall hanging like the ones over the door. Toriel: “Do you have any customs that have a reverse effect?”
Panel 6: Sans looks as skeptical as one can while constantly grinning. “You mean like, if you want demons in your house?”
Page 6 Panel 1: Toriel puts a hand up in denial. “N-No, that would obviously be undesirable! I meant more… just out of curiosity about your home.”
Panel 2: Sans stares up at her, for a beat of silence.
Panel 3: “Maybe? Again, this stuff isn’t my thing.” He leans back in his chair with his hands behind his head, nonchalant as can be. “And anyways, we left our country for a reason. Old customs aren’t relevant in this town, y’know?”
Panel 4: Toriel once again turns to go, with a rueful smile. “Maybe not… but I cannot imagine letting go of your entire history.”
Panel 5: Sans shrugs and looks away. “There’s worse things to let go of, honestly.”
Panel 6: Toriel, gritting her teeth, thinks of a happier time tucking Kris into bed.
Panel 7: Close on Toriel’s expression, now more haggard and pained than it was when she came in. She clutches her chest tight.
#lynx art#eldritchrune#deltarune au#toriel#sans#gosh I'm so nervous about trying to get their dialogue right#accounting for universe differences and all that#but I'm at least happy with Sans' grain stores joke#Sans doesn't know...he just has suspicions!
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Ubi tu Gaius, ego Gaia
chapter: 6 chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
pairing: emperor geta/emperor caracalla x acacius' daughter!reader
summary: The wedding ceremony with Emperor Geta gives you a first glimpse of what you are going to face, once the title 'Empress' crowns you. Meanwhile Caracalla has to deal with the thoughts about his twin owning you now.
warning(s): heavy nsfw & sexual violence | angst | alcohol consumption | drug consumption | semi-edited | english is not my first language, faults may occur | please let me know if i missed anything
Note: I am wishing you all a 'Merry Christmas'! Sorry that this chapter took so long, i wanted to finish it faster, but i was ill for quite some time and had no head for writing. No worries though, i am feeling better now! A small reminder: Due to the holidays, the next chapter might take a bit of time.
word count: 3.6k
Gods expected rituals and nothing in Rome was more important, more holy and more strict to certain rules than a wedding - especially the wedding of an Emperor. A whole series of necessaries had to be prepared in advance to this special celebration before the bride and the groom were able to stand in front of the altar. From the preparation of the dowry to the sacrifices made to the gods. It all began with the most formal part: engagement ceremony, where the exchange of promises between the groom and the bride's father hold more significance than the words of the soon-to-be-wed woman. In Roman society, being born a female was still strongly bound to ownership. First the ownership of the father and then the ownership of the husband. And even though rich Roman women had more freedom than others, it was still a life in societal chains.
Now that you sat on the floor to your mother‘s feet, you instantly thought about the eyes of that lamb your family had brought to the temple of Juno as a sacrifice. The innocence in its eyes slaughtered by the dagger of the priest. One Life for another Life - yours. Did Juno have her blessing? How could you know right now.
„Mother…?“, you spoke out as you noticed the shaking hands and the tears in your mother‘s eyes.
She was pale as marble, trying her best to keep her face, but you were well aware of how much it destroyed her and your father to let you go - especially when the arms of your soon-to-be-husband were Emperor Geta. As a daughter, you tried your best to comfort your mother, as much as it hurt you too. Your hands took hers, gently squeezing them, while your eyes found hers. "I shouldn't cry, i know...", she whispered and placed her hand on your cheek through the thin fabric of the flame-coloured veil that covered your face. Your body was clothed in a beautiful white tunica dress, embroidered with golden depictions of different flowers. You were shackled by the amount of jewelry - engagement presents of Emperor Geta for his bride -, expensive golden necklaces and bracelets that should depict the status you will have standing by his side. Although you were no Empress yet, you wore a bridal crown on top of your carefully braided hair. One of woven fragrant herbs and flowers, Rosemary, verbena, marjoram, roses, violets, and lilies, to represent fertility.
"My beautiful daughter, even Venus would envy you now. But i had wished that... that you would not have to marry a man like-"
"Don't", you stopped her, knowing fully well, which name she was about to say and you shook her head. It was meaningless to express any form of sorrow or hatred, even if this wedding was a forced one - a trade for your own life and that of your parents. Terrible or not, it would bring honor to your family and in the end, it would make you Empress. A gift as well as a heavy burden, especially given the man that will be your husband - your Emperor. Geta.
A marriage ceremony always followed specific rules, that were meant to please the gods. A scacrifice in the temples of Juno and Jupiter was mandatory, but soon you'll face another significant part of your wedding. As Romans believed the only bride of value was a virgin who had to be stolen from her family, they simulated the bride being abducted from her family as part of the ceremony. You were able to hear the chants and chattering of the big entourage of guests arriving to you parent's home outside - accompanied by a large amount of Praetorian Guards and the Emperor himself. Usually the large wedding feast and celebration would take place at the bride's family home, but given the significance of an Emperor's wedding and the amount of guests, it was agreed that it would take place in the palace after the procession.
Even if you tried to face it with a stoic mask, your heart pumped against your chest - a mixture of excitement and fear. Your eyes closed for a moment, as you heard the footsteps and voices of the Praetorian soldiers and amongst them Geta's, who was the first to enter the room. You were still facing your mother, holding her hands tight, while tears ran down her face. "I am here to claim my bride", the Emperor called out with a triumphant smile on his face, dressed in a golden, heavy decorated armor and a white groom's toga - a depiction like a god. Unusual for a wedding ceremony, but it was a symbol. A symbol of the power and wealth of the twin's reign, a symbol of his triumph over General Acacius, who had no choice anymore than to give him his most precious belonging - his daughter.
Seeing you there on your knees was a sight we might never forget. Even if your back faced him, he could see your curves under the garment you wore and he immediately thought about the wedding night, which was the highlight in his mind for today. But right now he had to calm himself, as he stepped forward and suddenly took you at the waist to pull you from your crying mother's embrace. "Mother!", you screamed as the groom forced you to go with him, tears dripping down your cheeks under the flame-red veil. The tradition dictated that the bride would cry out in pain to fool the gods of the home that she was taken away, 'stolen' before you would have to walk the procession without the protection of any god until you stepped into the home of the groom.
All of Rome had gathered in the streets to witness the procession of the Emperor's wedding. You stood at his side on a richly decorated chariot carried by two pale-white horses. The big amount of wedding guests accompanied your path by singing the Hymenaeus and carrying a whitehorn torch, a spina alba, to honor the goddess Ceres. Normally you would simply walk to the palace, as it was the core of such a parade, but nothing was normal about an Emperor's wedding and especially not Geta's. He wanted to show-off, he wanted eveyone to know how powerful he was and that he was now marrying the daughter of one of Rome's most successful beloved generals. It was all calculated and everything followed a plan, he viewed as perfect. This union was not only a definite way to get you, it formed an even closer bond between his and his brother's reign and your father's role as a military general. Would he ever betray them again, it will also be a betrayal against you. And another calculated side-effect was the use of Acacius' popularity through a marriage with his daughter.
The masses cheered for you and for the Emperor, they wished you "feliciter" - "good luck" for your marriage, some of them even shouted your name. It felt surreal and you were glad that the veil covered your face, while you bit your tongue. The palace, your new home, on the palatin hill looked even more oppressive than the last time you'd faced it. Your heart was heavy and you could practically feel the stare Geta gave you, but also the one of Caracalla, who followed you two alongside your father and mother as part of the wedding procession. There was something lingering in his eyes, something you didn't notice as you were focused on what lied ahead. Geta leaned towards your ear and whispered.
"Isn't it exciting, my dear...? You will soon be the wife of an Emperor, my wife." He accenturated his last words, almost as if he had to point out that your life center will soon be him and him alone.
"How could i forget. Just as i may never forget the true reason, why i am here. A threat is still a threat", you answered in a low tone, provocative.
But the groom simply chuckled and turned his face towards the cheering masses again, waving to the common folk. He didn't really care about them in any way, but he knew well about the power of such events in the eyes of the plebs. And to accompany this wedding, he'd already ordered games in the collosseum and many festivities around Rome in honor of his special day.
"Let me tell you that i rather enjoy those little outbursts of hatred. I will ask you again, once you enjoy all the privileges an Empress has. I can be a generous man, as long as you're not testing my patience. For now, i simply expect you to smile and show those peasants the beauty of their beloved general's daughter. Let them see that the sun is shining upon them in the presence of Venus."
Words like honey and yet they tasted bitter to you, while his hand was locked on your back, not only to stabilize you on the chariot, but also holding you tightly against his own body. You belonged to him now and he wanted everyone to see that.
_______________________________
“Ubi tu Gaia, Ego Gaius.”
“Ubi tu Gaius, Ego Gaia.”
The words still rang in your head, again and again, even as the music and the chattering of the feast surrounded you. And you still felt the kiss of Geta's lips on yours, even if it was only the beginning. You were considered married now.
Fire and Water. The symbol of life. The moment you stood at the main door of the palace, a matron of honor hold a candle and a bowl of water, as both you and Geta traced your hands over it. He was able to lift your veil at that point, kiss you and carry you over the doorstep - it was that simple in the end. And it had sealed your life forever.
It was necessary and yet the kiss was longer than it should've been as it was the first symbolic union of groom and bride in front of the wedding guests, who cheered and honored them with chanter and congratulations. And even though it was just a kiss on the lips, nothing more, you could practically sense the hunger of Geta, the hunger for more. Of course it had to wait until he got you in his bed the first time, but this would soon become a reality and you didn't know if you were ready for it.
The music and the voices of the people were still a numb background sound as your eyes glanced over the room, while you were sitting right next to your now husband on a lectus, receiving one personal congratulation after another. The palace was richly decorated, even more than the last time you were here for the victory celebrations of your father. Hordes of servants ran around to assure that all the guests had enough of the expensive wine and expansive food, luxuriously presented on a long table with tons of fruits, vegetables, fish as well as expensive, rare meat such as ostrich, peacock and wild deer.
Roman generals, politicians, rich merchants, every patrician from Rome’s upper class had gathered here to celebrate the union between Emperor Geta and his new wife. The wedding gifts ranging from gold, jewelry and silk to exotic animals were piling up in another room, as servants had to walk in and out, every time another guest paid his respect. You gave them your smile and your words of thanks and yet none of it really reached your eyes, as you were still trying to cope with the fact that they now adressed you as 'Empress'. Your eyes went to your parents, which were part of the guests, who participated in the feast and celebrations. But you could clearly see the pain in your father's eyes and the pale face of your mother, who could barely eat something even though she tried to hide her sorrows behind her rehearsed mask of charm and politeness. Their eyes find yours in certain moments and it hurt you the most to see them like this as you knew very well, that your father gave himself the blame for your current situation. But you had already moved on, as it made no sense to cry about the past in any way.
But you were pulled from your thoughts, when it was Emperor Caracalla, who stepped forward to pay his respect to the new wed couple. The twin of Geta with the golden laurel wreath crown on his head was dressed in an ornate that depicted his wealth, expensive embroidered silk in dark blue and purple colors, a stark contrast to his gingerblonde, wild hair. Even though he smiled, you could see that it was a forced one, a bitter smile, hiding his true thoughts. "Brother, i congratulate you and your beautiful wife on your wedding. May the gods bless this union," he spoke out, while Geta already stood up and you followed him.
"Your words mean the most to me, Caracalla. Thank you," his twin answered with a happy smile as he took him into his arms and hugged him tight.
Even though Geta came off as a crual human being sometimes, it was undeniable that he hold nothing but a strong brotherly love for his twin, despite them sharing the power. After Geta, Carcalla turned to you and placed his hands on your cheeks.
"I welcome you to the family," he whispered, before he placed one kiss on each side of your cheek.
It was not an uncommon gesture to do so, especially not as a way to welcome someone in a new household - but Geta's eyes were locked on you two as his brother did so. And you were very aware that something was off in this very moment, as you could feel the slightly trembling fingers of Caracalla on your skin, as if he had to hold himself back. He quickly stepped back, staring into your eyes, while a servant rushed to him, giving the Emperor a small wooden box, carved with all sorts of flowers.
"I thought, ... since you'e now the new Empress of Rome, the only present worth your grace would be a crown that truly underlines your beauty," Caracalla explained and opened the box.
In it was a golden half-round Roman-styled tiara with ornamental decorations, well-crafted with every little detail that catched your eyes. It was stunning, even given all the expensive jewelry with which Geta had hung you, it was still breathtaking. A soft smile appeared on your lips, before you spoke your words.
"This is a wonderful and very generous gift, my Emperor. I thank you dearly". Caracalla's lips shuddered, before he forced an almost innocent smile on them too.
"This tiara is made after my personal request. The artist was assigned to model it after the crown that Empress Poppea wore once. The wife of Emperor Nero. I thought you might like the... historical connotation to it".
Your face grew pale, while you tried your best to keep your smile in place. Geta didn't seemed to realize what his brother meant with that - but you did. You instantly remembered the conversation you had with him at the amphitheater, you remembered the way he looked at you, the desire in his eyes, that was still present in this very moment. And even though his brother did not understand the true meaning behind Caracalla's gift, he did sense the tension that lingered in the air.
"Thank you, brother", he instantly cut the air with his voice, his hands softly taking the tiara out of the box before you could do anything.
Geta positioned himself between you and Caracalla, a very clear symbol that even if he tolerated his brother in your presence and might even be willing to allow him much more freedom than a husband would, it was still Geta, who called you his wife now. You were his. So it was him, who placed the tiara onto your head, where it perfectly fit with the half-bridal hairstyle you wore. His eyes lingered on your face for a moment, before his fingers touched your skin as he pushed one of your straints of hair back in place before leaning down to your ear.
"Just a little more time and then I'll have you all to myself", he whispered, before he turned to his seat again.
There was only one step for this marriage to be fully recognized in the eyes of the gods and it was the wedding night - Geta's prize, which he longed for and Caracalla's hell. The reminder he will not be the first to have you, but his twin.
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"Say it! SAY THAT YOU LOVE ME!", he hissed over and over again, pounding harder with each word.
His fingers pressed against the neck of a concubine, while his golden rings tightly pinched into the soft flesh. She wore quite a similar attire than you did today, her hair styled like yours, her face at least reminding Caracalla of you. But that concubine was nothing like you, a dull replacement, a vessel the Emperor needed to get the heat and anger off his mind as he fucked her senseless under the eyes of his entourage of male and female slaves. No one said a word, fear was written in their eyes, because they knew it was one of their owners 'outbursts'. They could see how the young woman tried desperately to get a catch of air, while Caracalla strangled her in his psychotic state, tears running down his cheeks as he did so. Instead of his brother it should've been him to marry you, to fuck you, to love you like you deserved. A goddess amongst the common humans, a Venus. He was Nero and you were his Poppea. At least here in his own chambers, he could play out this fantasy, while the wedding celebration still went on and you were probably on your way to the chambers of his damned twin brother Geta. It needed a lot of sex and a cocktail of ancient drugs to numb his thoughts over this injustice.
"I love you-..., my Emperor", the young woman under him moaned with all the strength that she could find in a situation like that, the fear of losing her life all written on her face.
But those words were the ones Caracalla needed to hear. With a couple of heavy thrusts, he came inside of her, spilling his semen into that concubine like he would've done with you - if he just had the chance. His eyes were still shimmering wet with his tears, while he pulled back, catching his breath for himself in this moment. The young woman layed on the mattress in front of him, still alive, but in a state of bliss and shock, her eyes wet in tears as well. She wasn't able to say something, and even if so, she were not allowed to do anyways. Caracalla's ice-blue eyes stared cold at her naked body, freezing in the moment as he tried to still pretend to himself that it was you laying in front of him. But it wasn't you and it hit his mind now. This woman was just another whore he tried so desperately to numb his thoughts with. Yet the voices in his head grew louder and louder. "Get her out of my sight!", the Emperor ordered.
"I don't want to see this girl ever again. She is nothing compared to her - throw her away, i cannot stand this waste any longer!", he screamed with a hoarse voice, still sobbing.
"Where is Dondus!?"
No one dared to speak up in a situation like that, no one even dared to look at Caracalla. Everything that might anger the young Emperor could end in an immediate death right now. Even the slave that always carried his pet monkey around, simply rushed to the Emperor and handed him over Dondus in silence, before retreating as fast as possible.
"Oh Dondus, all of this is so unfair. Every time i desire something, he has to take it from me. Nothing truly belongs to me and me alone... it is alwas us", he mumbled with a shake in his voice, while he carefully took his monkey and placed him on a pillow as if it was his child.
Caracalla never treated anyone as careful and caring as he treated his pet monkey. In fact, he could be quite cruel, depending on his mood that changed rapidly between weird happiness and irrational anger. This little animal had more importance to him than any human life - well, except for yours of course. And everyone here knew this. The Emperor would never hurt Dondus, but it only took one outburst of hate for a slave or even a patrician to lose their head in an instant.
"I want her, my Poppea ... i cannot stand the thought of not having her...i cannot. I love you her you understand this, Dondus, don't you? No one understands me the way you do. She is an incarnation of Venus."
But Dondus just looked at him with his dark button eyes - how could a monkey understand love? And how could he understand, how much it pain it left in Caracalla.
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#gladiator 2#gladiator ii#emperor caracalla#emperor geta#general acacius#geta x reader#caracalla x reader#joseph quinn#pedro pascal#fred hechinger#gladiator ii fic#kabuki writes
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50 WAYS YOUR LOVER SAYS, "je t'adore, mon amour"
✦ read this and let it be your reminder: love exists for you, too.
before you keep scrolling, let’s play a little game. close your eyes and place your phone down gently—it’ll still be here when you come back. take a deep breath and step into the life waiting for you. imagine them—your lover—holding your hand, leaving little kisses on your forehead, doing all the quiet, beautiful things that whisper “i love you” in ways words never could. picture it vividly, feel it in your chest.
you’re closer than you think. let these words carry you closer still. this is what love feels like when it’s made just for you.
✸ “whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
— emily brontë, wuthering heights
1. they trace constellations on your back with their fingertips until you fall asleep, whispering the names of stars like they were named just for you.
2. every morning, they memorize the exact shade of your eyes as sunlight touches them for the first time.
3. when they see a flower, they always pick the one that reminds them of you.
4. they hum songs they wrote in their head about you, forgetting the rest of the world even exists.
5. their hands hold yours like they’re anchoring themselves to the only thing that’s real.
6. they remember how you like your tea or coffee, down to the exact second it needs to steep.
7. they’ll start reading your favorite book, even if they can’t make sense of the metaphors, just to understand what makes your soul hum.
8. they run baths for you after hard days, scattering petals and lighting candles like it’s a ritual for a deity.
9. they defend your name in rooms you’ve never stepped foot in, making sure the world knows how sacred you are.
10. every time they kiss your forehead, they close their eyes, like they’re making a wish.
11. they memorize the cadence of your voice, the way it lilts when you’re excited or drifts when you’re tired.
12. they notice the tiny details no one else sees—the way your nose wrinkles when you think or how your foot taps to an invisible rhythm.
13. when you feel invisible, they find a way to make you shine.
14. they make plans for the future and always say “we” instead of “I.”
15. they look at you like they’ve just found a piece of eternity tucked away in the mundane.
16. they remember the things you’ve forgotten—like where you put your favorite sweater or what your dream was three weeks ago.
17. they’ve written your name in the margins of their notebooks, just to feel closer to you when you’re not around.
18. they tuck blankets around you when you fall asleep on the couch, careful not to wake you.
19. they call you by nicknames you didn’t even know you needed, sweet and soft like poetry only they can write.
20. they let you win arguments sometimes, just because giving you a kiss after is more satisfying than proving their point.
21. when they laugh, it sounds like music only you get to hear.
22. they’ve memorized the way you like your pillow fluffed and always fix it before you lay down.
23. when you’re sad, they remind you of all the reasons the universe is lucky to hold you.
24. they press their forehead against yours, quiet and gentle, like they’re saying “i’m here” without words.
25. they notice the little ways you show love—your touch, your words, your silences—and treasure each one.
26. they’ve started carrying your favorite snack in their bag, just in case you need it.
27. they touch the small of your back as if grounding you to this moment, this place, this love.
28. they dream of you when they’re awake, turning every thought into a love letter.
29. they’ve memorized the rhythm of your heartbeat and swear it’s their favorite song.
30. they walk on the outside of the sidewalk, shielding you from passing cars like you’re made of glass.
31. they press kisses to your wrist, your temple, your shoulder—anywhere their lips can reach.
32. when they see something beautiful, their first thought is to share it with you.
33. they hold space for your silence, knowing it’s just as important as your words.
34. they learn your love language, even if it feels foreign to them, and speak it fluently.
35. they let you wear their clothes, claiming you make them look better anyway. (you do!)
36. they find ways to bring your name into conversations, just to say it out loud.
37. they never forget the sound of your laugh, even when the world gets too loud.
38. they hold your face like it’s the answer to every question they’ve ever asked.
39. they light candles during thunderstorms because they know the flicker calms you.
40. they kiss your scars and call them the roadmap to your soul.
41. they tell you their secrets, the ones even they are scared of, because they trust you with their heart.
42. they leave notes in your bag, on your mirror, in your books—little pieces of love tucked away for you to find later.
43. they say your name like it’s their favorite word.
44. they teach themselves your favorite song on a musical instrument, even if they don’t know how to play.
45. they dance with you in the kitchen.
46. they stay up late just to talk to you about the things that matter to you.
47. they carve your initials into the soft bark of their heart, promising to carry you with them always.
48. they hold your hand in crowded spaces, making sure you feel safe in the chaos.
49. they memorize the way you breathe when you’re asleep, every inhale a symphony.
50. they love you not just in the grand gestures, but in the quiet, everyday moments—the ones where love doesn’t need to be spoken to be felt.
𖦹࣪˖ shift with the faith that someone, somewhere, is ‘waiting’ to love you this fiercely. you are worth every ounce of it. ׄ ִֶָ.
#shifting#reality shifting#shiftblr#shifting community#loassumption#shifting tips#shifting antis dni#shifting script#law of assumption#shifting motivation#shifting blog#shifting realities#reality shift#shifting diary
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May I request headcanons about what Jiyan's, Aalto's, Calcharo's and Mortefi's favorite types of kisses are?
A/N: You certainly can! I can honestly write a small followup drabbles for these too when I get the time. These are just some short headcanons in the meantime <3 Hope you enjoy!
Content: fluff, sfw.
Ko-fi
Jiyan:
-While Jiyan isn’t too touchy in public, he doesn’t stray from some sweet little gestures of love like quick temple kisses or hand kisses
-He does them when he’s in a rush or when he just wants to show he loves you, while not being able to exactly “make out with you in broad daylight”
-The elderly that know him and happen to see him showing his affection like this don’t fail to swoon over how adorable you two are, praising you to no end and sometimes going really hard on teasing you. Some of them really have no chill-
-But in private, Jiyan loves to have you to himself, and his favorite kisses to give and receive are neck and on the lips kisses.
-Whether it’d be you laying on his chest and leaving little butterfly kisses along his neck, or him having you underneath him, showering you with multiple kisses, trailing pecks up your neck until he reaches your lips, where he lingers for longer.
-He loves showing you he loves you, especially since he never knows for how long he’ll stay on the front lines next, or if he’ll even return. Cherishing every single moment with you is his goal, burning those memories behind his eyelids of such intimate moments as these
Aalto:
-Aalto doesn’t shy away from PDA, but he still has manners! In public, his go-to kisses are cheek kisses. One hand holds you chin and he pressed his lips to your cheek and lets the kiss linger for a moment or two before parting
-Sometimes, he likes to hold the kiss for a long period of time until you pry him off of you, trying to see for how long he can stay “latched onto you”. It’s a harmless little thing, and he loves how effortlessly it makes you giggle and blush as you swat him away like a fly
-In private, Aalto becomes softer, going for kissing your closed eyelids and mapping the lines of your face with his lips. It starts soft and innocent, the quiet embracing you as you hold the weight of his love in the palms of your hand, feeling it squeeze your lungs.
-But then his lips trace lower to his next favorite place to leave kisses on you, your collarbone.
-If he feels especially energetic or playful, he will bite down a bit, nibbling here and there to get his fix of you before he all but traps you under him, his head on your chest as he pretends he’s knocked out cold.
Calcharo:
-Calcharo is quite the simple man. Even if he is quite tense at the start of your relationship, he does begin to crave your touch and affections
-He does sometimes struggle to understand when it would be the best time to kiss you or touch you in any way, so the easiest approach he comes up with is greeting and parting kisses. When he’s already in your shared home and you’re coming up to greet him
-His arms are wrapping around you like a bear trap and he’s leaning down to kiss you on the lips, letting you both linger lip to lip before you part ways.
-He may seem a bit rough with it but with a little bit of your help he does learn to soften up and leave feather light pecks on your lips after the initial one to soothe you over
-It becomes like a little ritual, every morning and evening it’s the same with him holding you close and letting his mind turn off for that short duration of the kiss
-Also does this in bed sometimes when you’re cuddling or if he’s having some trouble sleeping. Holding you helps ease him
Ⓒ n0tamused. Do not repost, translate, edit, and/or copy any of my works. Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated.
#jiyan#jiyan wuthering waves#wuwa#wuwa jiyan#jiyan x reader#jiyan x you#jiyan x yn#jiyan headcanons#aalto#aalto wuthering waves#wuwa aalto#aalto x reader#aalto x you#aalto x yn#aalto headcanons#calcharo#calcharo wuthering waves#calcharo wuwa#calcharo x reader#calcharo x you#calcharo x yn#wuthering waves x reader#wuthering waves headcanons#wuwa x reader
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Kisses for a Kitty
Pairing: cat hybrid! San x f! reader
Word Count: 1686
Genre: Smut, fluff, hybrid au, E for explicit, smut warnings under cut
Summary: When you return from work, San wants to cuddle...except it leads into something more.
Happy birthday to me hehe <3 It's not amazing cus i was bouncing between like five other wips trying to decide what I want the most...but this is the one that spoke to me. It was the perfect segue to admit that San is one of my biases after almost two years of vehemently denying it LOL
Please enjoy!
Smut Warnings: Unprotected [dont do this], some praise, subby San, if you squint hair pulling. pretty vanilla all in all lol
-
As soon as you enter the door, a blur is the first thing you see before you’re pounced on by your cat hybrid, San. “You’re home!” he chirps, pressing his face into your neck and lightly kissing and licking your skin, a sign of affection you’ve had to get used to in the few years you’ve had him. His arms tighten around your waist and you chuckle at his clinginess.
“I am,” you chuckle, reaching up to pet San, brushing lightly against his ear. “Just like I am every weekday after work.” Your tone is light, teasing, and San pouts, his eyes narrowing.
“I just missed you,” he frowns, his voice sweet and soft, and you can’t help but to smile at his antics.
You stand on your tiptoes to kiss the temple of your overgrown kitty. “I missed you too, San. Come on, let me go shower and then we can cuddle, okay?”
San’s pout deepens. “Can I sit in the bathroom with you?”
Without fail, he always asks this whenever you take a shower, take a bath, hell, even when you just brush your teeth or apply makeup. You only ever let him join you for the last two, and today is no exception. “Sorry, San. Why don’t you go make yourself a snack? I’ll be fast, okay?”
To ease his upset, you comb your fingers through his hair, and San is immediately playdough in your arms. “Mmkay…but can we at least cuddle on your bed?” You narrow your eyes at him and San has the nerve to pretend to be sheepish. “...yeah I made another nest in your bed. But I promise I didn’t put anything hard in there!”
As much as you try to, it’s extremely hard to say no to his shiny eyes and pouty jelly lips, and so you just sigh. “Okay. We can cuddle in my bed.”
San chirps again, pleased judging by the way his ears twitch and his tail curls around your waist. “I’ll be waiting!”
-
When you walk out of the bathroom in just a towel after blow drying your hair, you can see San’s eyes poking out of the covers of your bed, eyes sparkling as he watches you. Although he’s seen you in worse conditions, your face still warms up. “San, close your eyes,” you scold half-heartedly. He won’t close his eyes, and you won’t press any further. You know he wouldn’t watch if it truly made you uncomfortable, but it’s become almost a ritual.
As soon as you slip into some pyjamas and turn back, San has already open the sheets to reveal his little nest, some of your clothes and his scattered about as well as a heating pad. “Get in before it gets cold,” he pouts, and you chuckle again, crawling in and curling around San, kissing the top of his head.
“How was your day, Sannie?” you ask, and San hums, pressing his face into your neck.
“Was okay…boring though. Oh, your mom stopped by and dropped off some food. I had that for lunch.”
You acknowledge with a nod, but then the two of you settle in a comfortable silence. San’s breathing has evened out, his heart lulling although his eyes are open and his tail flicks occasionally. He loves being close to you like this, and you love to indulge him. You’re fond of him, and you know it goes both ways, but neither of you have ever approached it. It’s too daunting of a subject, and so the two of you just enjoy the unlabeled relationship you have.
As you’re lost in your thoughts, you stroke San’s hair while kissing the tips of his silken ears gently. It’s comforting to you, but you can feel San squirm beneath you, his breaths becoming a bit more laboured.
“Sanah, are you okay?” you hum, breath tickling his ear. To punctuate, you leave another gentle kiss on his ear, and San groans low in his through before sitting up, grabbing your waist to pull you onto his lap. Before you can even react, he presses his mouth against yours, hungrily kissing you and nipping at your lower lip. “San–”
Every noise that leaves your mouth, San captures with another kiss, his tail wrapping around your wrist to bring you even closer as he noses into your cheek. “YN,” he whines into your mouth, his lips moving sloppily. “I need you,” he groans, hips twitching and lightly pressing his growing erection into your hips.
“Sanah, what–” you’re cut off as you look at his flushed face and glazed-over eyes. “Sanah, are you in rut?” Your brows furrow as you quickly press a palm to his forehead, testing the temperature.
San whimpers, his ears pressed back against his head as he nods. “Mmnh– yeah– Fuck. It uh...It came early.” At your concerned look, he knows he can’t get away with no explanation. “I…really like it when you kiss my ears.”
His voice trails off, embarrassed at the admission, but to his surprise, you sigh fondly. Before he can react, you lean back up to press a kiss to his lips. “You really like me that much, huh?” Your voice is light, teasing, and San groans again as he presses his hips into you.
“Don’t– don’t tease please–” his voice is pitched, whiny, and you press another kiss to the tip of his ear. San grits his teeth but it doesn’t quell the long moan he lets out as his hips twitch and his fingers dig into your waist. His voice goes quiet after that, and your eyebrow arches.
“San…did you just come in your pants?”
A low whine leaks out of San’s throat, his eyes squeezed shut in embarrassment, but you can still feel his hardness against your hip. “San,” you repeat his name, more gently this time, and he cracks an eye open, “Sannie, do you want to fuck me?”
San’s eyes sparkle and his mouth parts slightly as he nods happily. Before you can even make any move, his hips jerk again and you can feel the wet patch in his sweatpants. “Fuck– YN, please,” he whine.
You can’t keep the delighted giggle out of your mouth as you lean in to press your lips against his again. “Hold still, baby, okay? You can come in me but only if you’re a very good boy, okay?”
San’s face scrunches up at your words, and you just know he’s fighting himself to keep from making a mess in his pants even further. “Okay…” he whimpers out after a long moment, and you immediately reach down to shove his sweatpants down.
His hard length is already twitching, a mess of cum and precum coating the head and you have to resist leaning down to take it into your mouth. You can’t help dragging a finger through the stickiness, however, ignoring the low groan San lets out as you lick your finger to taste the saltiness.
“Are you ready, baby?” You meet San’s eyes and when he nods, you shove your sleep shorts to the side and position the head to nudge against your slick entrance. San’s hands immediately come to grip your waist as he drops his head onto your shoulder, his fluffy ears tickling your chin.
It’s too perfect of an opportunity and you press another kiss on the top of his ear right as you shift your hips to sink onto his cock fully, and San keens as he bites into your shoulder, teeth gentle, drool and sweat pooling in your collarbone at the effort he needs to keep from coming.
“YN–” he chokes out as you start to slowly roll your hips down on him “–please…”
You chuckle, the rhythm of your hips making your eyes roll back. “Are– are you gonna be good for me, Sannie? You gonna let me use you?” A whimper is the only answer you get, and you chuckle at how much of a puddle he’s become, letting you fuck yourself on his thick cock like a dildo. “Fuck– you’re such a good kitty for me, so perfect,” you praise, peppering his ears and hair with soft kisses as you bring yourself closer to the edge.
San’s fingers dig into your flesh in a bruising hold as his hips twitch involuntarily. “YN, please, I’mma come, I can’t–”
He’s a whining mess against your body, and you let out a breathy chuckle as you tilt his chin up with a finger to press a sloppy kiss to his mouth. “Come for me,” you hum, and San wastes no time as he pulls you down even further onto his dick, searing come filling your insides.
His hips cant up into you though his climax, and you can’t help but moan loudly as the head of his cock nudges against your walls so perfectly. “Shit–” You can hardly finish your sentence when pleasure crashes into you and you moan into San’s mouth, your hands tugging lightly at his hair.
It’s almost too much, your eyes rolling back as San’s cock won’t stop pumping you full of cum combined with the delicious stretch. You’re almost as far gone as San is, licking into his mouth, the only thing left grounding you.
San’s warm hands shift from your waist to cup your face, pulling you closer as he nuzzles against your cheek, his breaths steady. His hips are still grinding into you slowly, his cock still hard, but his eyes are soft as he looks at you adoringly. “I love you, YN,” he hums, pressing his lips against yours in a desperately sweet kiss. “I love you.”
You sigh, deepening the kiss as your hands come up to stroke his ears gently. “I love you too, Sannie, so much.” He chirps happily in response, kissing the corner of your mouth, his nose bumping against yours.
“I hope you’re ready for a couple more rounds,” he hums, the innocence of his face a stark contrast to the way his hips are rolling against yours again. “After all, I need to show you just how much you mean to me.”
#pirateeznet#kvanity#lapydiariesnet#ateez x reader#ateez fanfic#ateez fanfiction#ateez smut#ateez san#san x reader#san fanfiction#san fanfic#san smut
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[Image description: Eight pages from the comic Mighty Nein Origins: Caduceus Clay. The first six pages feature a young Caduceus and his mother, Constance, while the last two pages show an older Caduceus, as well as his father, Cornelius, and sister, Clarabelle.
Page 1: A wide shot of the Blooming Grove, with a beautiful stone and wood temple sat at the center of a verdant cemetery. From afar, Constance calls outs "Caduceus!"
Page 2: Constance is stood behind her son, with his head only partially in frame. The first panel shows her saying, "There you are, didn't you hear me calling?" In the second panel, she is leaning down to her son, a concerned look on her face as she says "Oh."
Page 3: A smaller panel shows Caduceus cupping a dead bird in his hands, holding it tenderly. The wider panel then shows his mother sitting down beside him, the pair sat next to a head stone. He leans his head into her shoulder as she asks, "Would you like some help?" The pair then proceed ro bury the bird.
Page 4: Constance and Caduceus are kneeling in the dirt, over the bird's burial spot. Constance asks, "Ready?, with Caduceus responding "Mh-hmm." The pair touch the ground where the bird was buried, and soon a bright orange flower magically blooms from the spot, causing Caduceus to startle.
Page 5: Constance sits beside her son, her hand gentle touching his face as she says, "Death and decay are a part of a circle, a wheel turning without a beginning or end. Death is how we nurture life, Caduceus." He looks down at the flower as he asks, "Then how comes it hurts?" Caduceus lays down in his mother's arms as she explains, "Because you loved them." A smaller panel shows a closer shot of their faces as she asks, "Do you regret that love?"
Page 6: A small panel shows a closeup shot of Caduceus, looking sad as he replies "No." Another wide shot of the Grove is shown, with the pair sat at the center, Constance continuing, "Part of love is knowing they will go, and cherishing them with your whole heart in the face of that hurt." Another small panel shows a closeup of the newly bloomed flower, with some of its loose petal blowing into the wind.
Page 7: An interior shot, a number of years in the future, showing an adult Caduceus asleep in his flower filled bedroom. He wakes upon hearing the voices of his father and sister, who are in another room, getting up to go investigate. His sister says "I just don't think it's fair that --", Cornelius interjects, "Clarabelle, please keep your voice down."
Page 8: Caduceus comes down the stairs tiredly rubbing his eyes while his father and sister continue to argue. Clarabelle says, "I will not until you--", cutting herself off as she sees her brother appear. Cornelius moves to ready some gear as Caduceus asks "You're leaving?" He responds "The corruption isn't going away on its own. Maybe... maybe your mother found something out there. I'll find her and your aunt, and find a cure." Clarabelle steps forward, declaring "It should be my turn! I'm old enough and faster than you, anyway!" To which Cornelius responds, as he begins to depart, "Clarabelle Clay, mind yourself. Stay home with your brother." End description.]
Sneak preview of Caduceus's origin comic from Polygon!
Generations of the Clay family have tended to the careful rituals in the Blooming Grove. But when corruption begins to creep in on their sacred space, the Clays depart one by one to seek answers. Soon young Caduceus and Clarabelle are the only ones left, and when a dangerous burial quest falls to Caduceus, he must leave the Grove to do the family’s work.
#Death#Animal Death#Grief#Ask To Tag#Critical Role#CR#Mighty Nein Origins#Caduceus Clay#Clay Family#Constance Clay#Clarabelle Clay#Cornelius Clay#ahhhhhhhhhh#my boyyyyyy#Im so fucking excited for this#and its so pretty 🥺#the blooming grove is so good!!!#i cant wait to see it in full
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VEILING
Veiling is a practice with both ancient and modern roots. While veiling was not universally practiced by all ancient Greeks, it held symbolic and practical significance in certain contexts, particularly in relation to specific Gods, rituals, and social customs.
As someone who practices veiling more often than not, I wanted to discuss the history behind it as pertaining to the religion, and show you some examples of different veils you can use.
Historical Veiling in Ancient Greece
In ancient Greece, veiling was not just religious but was linked to societal norms regarding gender, respect, and propriety. It was common for women to veil their heads when outside the home, though men could veil as well.
Veiling also had a ritual function in religious ceremonies. Priestesses often veiled during rituals or temple service as a sign of reverence and purity when approaching the Gods. In some festivals, such as those dedicated to Demeter or Hestia, veiling was particularly significant, reflecting the Goddesses’ connection to the home, modesty, and fertility.
In modern times, we can veil during rituals or daily life as a way to express reverence for the Gods, especially when in prayer.
The reasons for veiling vary among practitioners and may include:
1. Honoring Tradition: Veiling can be used as a way of honoring ancient customs, particularly when engaging in things regarding Hestia, Demeter, or Persephone.
2. Ritual Purity: Veiling can be used as a means of maintaining ritual purity, particularly when one wishes to separate the mundane from the sacred.
3. Modesty and Respect: Veiling can also reflect a personal choice to express modesty or respect, particularly in the presence of deities or during rituals dedicated to chthonic Gods.
Different Forms of Veiling in Modern Practice
Full Veil (Himation-style): The veil covers the head and sometimes drapes over the shoulders.
Partial Veiling: This veil covers just the top of the head or wearing a scarf. This can be a less formal or everyday expression of devotion, often used in daily prayers or minor rituals.
Face Veiling: In some instances, particularly in rituals involving the chthonic deities, one may veil their faces in addition to their heads. Sometimes known as Tegidion, This is done to show humility or to protect oneself spiritually when interacting with Gods associated with death or the afterlife, like Hades or Persephone.
God-Specific Veiling
Veiling can be done as a specific act of devotion to certain Gods. For example:
- Hestia (Goddess of the hearth)
- Demeter and Persephone (Goddesses of agriculture and the underworld)
- Hekate (Goddess of witchcraft, crossroads, and the underworld)
As always, I can discuss this more in depth if anyone would like :)
#hellenic community#hellenic deities#hellenic devotion#hellenic pagan#hellenic polytheistic#paganism#hellenic worship#hellenism#pagan community#pagan witch#thetemple#librariantalks
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Dragon Age: the Veilguard Was Packed with Lore — But Many of Us Overlooked It
— PART TWO —
[ 1 ]
Welcome back, friends and travellers. If you've been here a while, you'll know that I wrote 30,000 words of predictions in the week and a half before DA:tV released. But here's the most surprising thing—I was right, for the most part.
I spent my first Veilguard playthrough grinning (and then sobbing) at all the lore reveals. And here's the thing: I think most of us missed a lot of them, including even me.
So let's unpack some more.
Titans and Spirits: Dark and Light, Abyss and Fade, the Eternal Hymn and its Endless Listeners (2/2)
This is your warning: This post will contain spoilers for the entirety of Dragon Age: the Veilguard, and all Dragon Age content made before Veilguard.
I've spoken a lot about the titans before. In fact, they make up the bedrock (lol) of many of my pre-Veilguard theories. While a lot of what I said a month ago has since become canon in Veilguard, there's a lot that remains as speculation.
Today, I'm going to talk about why I still stand by my theory from October: that the titans and the spirits have far, far more in common than we think, and that this is of vital importance for the next game(s).
Today's Discussion:
What Solas' Creation and Harding's Personal Quest Have in Common
Not Only Do Titans Behave as Spirits... Spirits Behave as Titans
The Dark and the Light, Sundered
Atonement Solas' Promise: He (Still) Seeks Regeneration
What Solas' Creation and Harding's Personal Quest Have in Common
Thanks to Veilguard (and the hints that came before it, if you're coming here from my previous posts), we know that Solas and Harding have far more in common than they think. Both are inexorably connected to the titans: Solas because his body was crafted from lyrium, and Harding because of how her Stone magic awoke after touching Solas' lyrium dagger.
I've theorized before that I think Solas is still connected to Isatunoll, but that the creation of the Veil altered or harmed this connection somehow. Veilguard touches on this with its implications: Solas says the blight senses his presence during the Minrathous portion of the endgame, and says during his Atonement ending that he is able to soothe the titans' anger. It also asserts, during Solas' Memory #3, that the ritual to create the Veil went wrong, wounding Solas in the process.
Both Solas and Harding, then, have to do with both the titans' past and their future. The Temple of Solasan is referenced when this codex in Trespasser mentions the titans needing to be forgotten, and we know now that Mythal and Solas would come to sunder the titans with the lyrium dagger. Solas is the reason the titans were forgotten, and is likely the source of the song "I am the One."
Harding, by contrast, is one of few dwarves whose magic has awoken. The Titan Shade in her personal quest demands that the world remember the anger and pain it has forgotten: the titans' sundering (as well as her own anger). The titans have no future without acknowledgement of their past, and so both Solas and Harding have instrumental roles to play going forward (assuming both are alive and have agreed to this).
It is evident, also, that the pain of being forgotten is traumatic to the titans. Cole mentions this several times in Inquisition, as referenced in the last post. Songs that once sang the same; titans stuck asleep, forgetting how to wake.
And here is where Solas and Harding's parallels really come to light.
This trauma forces Harding to make a choice with her Titan Shade. In every scenario, she acknowledges the Shade's pain. Her choice, then, is to embrace that pain and carry it in Compassion... or embrace the titans' anger, as well as her own. In other words, as is referenced by Stalgard...
I drew close, and the sound became something more. I could feel it, Lace Harding…. Rage, sorrow, and a vast loneliness. — Codex: Letter for Lace Harding
Rage. Harding must choose between Compassion and Rage. We've seen this before. It comes up in Down Among the Dead Men, a story in the Tevinter Nights anthology:
Following a trauma, spirits are pushed toward changing. For so long in this franchise, we called these changes "demons," and still do. But the creature itself is not different—it just exists in a different state.
Emmrich says exactly this, equating spirits and the Titan Shade.
I once communed with a soul who shared a tale of deep sorrow from his youth. "So that the truth wouldn't be lost," he said. Interestingly enough, he could only bear to recall the event after death, when the memory had lost its sting. (l cannot share the tale. A Watcher must keep the confidences of the dead.) Your experience with what you call "the Titan's Shade" brought this anecdote to mind. As you say, in the first moments of your transformation, you were unable or unwilling to confront the depth of the Titans' sorrow. But unlike my friend, this pain was never quite your own. Instead of being trapped within, it fled elsewhere. — Codex: From Emmrich, on Sorrow Denied
We see, now, that the titans do the same thing. The only difference is that Harding is connected to the titan through Isatunoll; her spirit is not, itself, inside the titan. Put through a trauma, though, the titans turn. This is something I theorized as happening to Solas' titan upon his creation, because the trauma of the elves making bodies from its lyrium caused the titan to lash out and fight back, just like Cole says in DAI.
This is why both Solas and Harding are capable of soothing the titans' anger. It doesn't matter that Harding is a dwarf and Solas is one of the elvhen: both are still connected to their titan.
But as much as Veilguard tells us about the Titans being more similar to spirits than previously thought, it does not stop there. No: if you listen closely, Veilguard whispers to you that this similarity goes both ways. Spirits are more similar to titans than we ever could have imagined.
Not Only Do Titans Behave as Spirits... Spirits Behave as Titans
Something caught my eye during my very first Veilguard playthrough, super early on. Of course, I played the whole game through the lens of my own theories, wondering if there could be a connection between titans and spirits.
Immediately I saw, on the floor of a cell in the Ossuary:
I am Nyrys I was Nyrys I we were we are Nyrys — Note: Inmate Scribbling
Immediately, I was reminded of Harding's description of Isatunoll: "It means 'I am here.' But no, not 'I.' 'I' is singular. But it isn't 'we,' either. 'We' is multiple, but also separate... Isatunoll is the eternal hymn that encompasses all time. All spaces. I am. We are. This. That. Here. There. Now. And forever."
That seems to suggest that Nyrys, an inmate who was probably turned into an abomination, might be connected to Isatunoll. The note is written almost the exact same way that Harding is speaking. "But Lore," I hear you saying, "Couldn't that just be an abomination thing, a spirit struggling to share a body?"
I thought so, too. Right up until this.
Late after— (the handwriting abruptly alters:) a PEACE cut from the ALL golden stranded weaves PROTECTION CAGE keep them OUT keep me IN (Drawn below is a decagonal diagram of perfectly even, intersecting geometric lines.) — Codex: Lucanis' Logbook, 2
Understanding that Spite is likely writing with a phonetic understanding of the common tongue, we can interpret his words as 'a PIECE, cut from the ALL.' While I cannot say for certain what the rest describes (it could be Spite's opinion on the Ossuary, a reference to the titan's sundered dreams, or anything in between)... I know that these two first lines clearly talk about a spirit who has been cut away from something larger and grander than itself. The "all."
Now that sounds like Isatunoll, to me.
If you've been here since my October posts, you know where this is going. I've got to find a way to check this idea against other sources. And the first place I go, usually? The Chant of Light, for all the Chantry's evident faults.
I'm reminded of the creation of the Maker's first and second children.
Then the Voice of the Maker rang out, The first Word, And His Word became all that might be: Dream and idea, hope and fear, Endless possibilities. And from it made his firstborn. — Threnodies 5:1
That exact phrasing—"dream and idea, hope and fear, endless possibilities"—is used both in the creation of the Maker's first and second children. The spirits and the second children's souls. It is not used anywhere else in the Chant of Light.
At last did the Maker From the living world Make men. Immutable, as the substance of the earth, With souls made of dream and idea, hope and fear, Endless possibilities. — Threnodies 5:5
I've said before that I believe that all spirits originate as thoughts—namely, the thoughts of one or more of the titans. I think that even the souls of living people apply, here, despite what some of Emmrich's codices discuss. When you consider how Solas speaks about the Inquistor's spirit in DAI, it seems apparent that (at least to Solas) spirits and souls are interchangeable terms, when they belong to a living person.
Additionally, there is a manor in the Hossberg Wetlands that features an Obsession demon locked away that Rook must kill once they get to its location. The party speculates how the demon may have gotten there, and (I believe Rook) comments on how it is possible that the person from the manor themself may have become the demon.
That would imply that their soul was capable of doing so.
Now, let's go back to how spirits (the Maker's first children) and dwarves (the Maker's second children) are in possession of the same souls, per the Chant of Light. Understanding that the Chant of Light is flawed and that I do not believe that Solas is the Maker (rather, that Solas may have come from the titan that Andraste spoke to), I want to draw attention to this verse.
Then the Maker said: "To you, My second-born, I grant this gift: In your heart shall burn An unquenchable flame All-consuming, and never satisfied. From the Fade I crafted you, And to the Fade you shall return Each night in dreams That you may always remember Me." — Threnodies 5:5
It's important to note that the Maker says to his second-born (the dwarves) that they shall return to the Fade each night in dreams. Remember: the dwarves were once able to dream. More than that, though, the Maker says that the dwarves may visit the Fade each night in dreams to be able to connect with the Maker. They were, in fact, crafted with the "flesh of the Fade," a reference made to lyrium.
That implies a direct connection between the titans and the Fade. It suggests that, once, the titans also shared the Fade with other living creatures—or, perhaps, even more. I still believe that the Fade is the collective consciousness of the titans, and that reconnecting with the Fade is part of reconnecting with the titans because of that fact.
The Dark and the Light, Sundered
In a previous post, I theorized that, because Solas created the Veil and it seemed to have sundered the titans in addition to separating the Fade from the waking world, the Fade must be the titans' shared consciousness. We know now that those were two separate acts: Solas sundered the titans and put part of their dreams into the orbs that became the Evanuris' foci. For a time, I thought that this theory must be wrong.
However, in the same series of memories, we learned one more fact: his ritual to create the Veil went wrong. In Memory #3 (Blackened Hearts), he cries out in pain during the moment the Veil is created. This not only hurt the world, but exhausted Solas. Hurt Solas.
"He broke the dreams to stop the old dreams from waking. The wolf chews its leg off to escape the trap." — Cole dialogue
This refers to the creation of the Veil. We know now that Solas created it, in part, to stop the blight from escaping—that would be the old dreams waking that Cole refers to. What's interesting is that Cole refers to this as Solas chewing off his own metaphorical leg to escape the trap. There was always a personal consequence for Solas referenced here.
But why? Why would being cut off from the Fade outside of dreams hurt him? Spirits exist on Thedas all the time. It is only the trauma of being pulled through the Veil against their will that turns them to demons.
To understand that, we must understand what the Fade even is. How it relates to the titans, and what that means going forward.
First, I want to take a look at this codex from Inquisition, which suggests that the water in the Abyss (the realm of the titans) may be the exact same thing as the emerald waters in the Fade.
It is possible—even likely—that the "emerald waters" Andraste refers to are the substance of the Fade, which began as an "ocean of dreams" (Threnodies 1:1) and was reduced to a well—bottomless but limited in scope—by the Maker's creation of our world. —Codex Entry: Here Lies the Abyss
There are other similarities between these two things that come up in Veilguard, if you're looking for them. The first, for me, is a codex.
What determines which sections of the physical world are echoed in the Fade? Is there an underlying logic, or glacial patterns past comprehension? Do our collective fears and longings craft what we see? The will of a mage is especially potent. We may learn to shape the Fade's pathways, if we are ever-mindful of the dangers this invites. — Codex entry: The Obverse of Reality
The phrasing here is very interesting. We know that Shaping is something that the titans once did. The dwarves, to this day, have the Shaperate, in charge of the Memories. To see that language applied to a mage's influence on the Fade implies that mages may exist the same power to manipulate the Fade as the titans did on the Stone, which suggests that the Fade and the Stone can be Shaped in the same ways. The similarity here does lend itself to a theory where the titans and the Fade are parts of the same being/collective.
The second is that one of the revenants—the Slaughtered Pillars, from Elvhenan's Haven—have a line of dialogue that jarred me the first time I heard it.
"Light and song, stolen."
We know that the titans being sundered took their songs away, for the dwarves (save for a few, now) do not hear the titans' songs anymore. It's the word light that gave me pause.
Three guesses as to where I looked for more instances of the word light. If you guessed the Chant of Light, the gigantic piece of lore with light in its title, you are correct!
The first mention I want to note is the very early in the Chant
Opposition in all things: For earth, sky For winter, summer For darkness, Light. — Threnodies 5:4
Note that Light is capitalized here, implying significance. Again, it appears here. Here, we're implying that capitalized Light refers directly to the Fade.
(11) Above them, a river of Light, Before them the throne of Heaven, waiting — Threnodies 8:11
And, lastly, and most prominently in Veilguard: the Lighthouse. Its name, in the elven language, is "Vhen'Theneras." Translated, though, that would mean, "core of dreams." Unless, of course, dreams and Light are the same thing.
But if the Light is indeed the Fade, and there must be opposition in all things according to the Maker, then where have we seen dark before?
We've seen it in the Abyss—aka, the Void. We've seen it in the darkspawn. Those blighted beings that emerge from the Deep Roads, aka the Abyss/Void. Remember that the blight itself is the escaped maddened dreams of the sundered titans. Darkspawn refers to the product of those escaped dreams—the ones not in the Fade/Light.
Crucially, the darkspawn behave in much the same way as anything connected to Isatunoll. They hear a Calling that, at first, belonged to the archdemons, but Antoine now says is coming from somewhere else, as well.
It's the description of Isatunoll that ties this all together for me: titans/their children and spirits, Abyss and Fade, dark and Light.
In a letter from Dagna to Harding, she describes Isatunoll — but in that description, she focuses on this idea that beings connected to a hivemind "know their purpose." Purpose is a word used by Solas all the time in DAI. Spirits have their own purpose.
Think about ants. Ants know what they are. They know their purpose, and they must understand, instinctually, how that purpose fits within the whole. But what if it doesn't end there? What if their consciousness isn't just individual? What if the nest itself knew what it was? A collective sentience of some kind. Nothing says the ants don't have a collective sentience. We just assume they don't, because they're ants. Ants. Or bees. Or darkspawn. Now, there's a thought. — Codex Entry: Thoughts on "Isatunoll"
What if consciousness itself is not individual? asks Dagna. What if the nest itself knew what it was? This explains the darkspawn, after all: the blighted beings who are all connected to the song of the Calling, and the maddened dreams the blight originates from.
The nest, except for that small trickle of escaped blight, is the Fade. The Fade, which is a place that responds to the collective wants and memories of those inside it. The Fade, whose pathways are shaped by the thoughts and wants of the people—especially mages—within it.
My theory is this: the creation of the Veil may have hurt Solas because Solas was still connected to his titan, and to Isatunoll. Some of his love of the Fade may be because he misses the titans' shared dreams—and, by extension, the shared dreams of every living person on Thedas (except the dwarves, and we know why that is).
Atonement Solas' Promise: He (Still) Seeks Regeneration
We know that the Fade is the collective consciousness of the Titans. Their shared dreams. We also know that not all titans are blighted, because the one in Descent is not. Harding's titan also is not, by the end of DA:tV. I posit that this is why much of the Fade, according to Solas in DAI, is far preferable to the Nightmare's domain that we get to see in DAI. Some of that shared consciousness is still healthy.
Easing the titans' anger, therefore, means fixing all of the Fade. Reconnecting the two might mean that the collective consciousness between all spirits could return to Thedas—and since at least elves' and dwarves' souls likely come from the same origin, it could do a lot to bring some of the people of Thedas together.
This, to me, is part of Solas' grand plan. It is not only to bring back the world from Mythal's time—it is to bring back the world before they broke so much of it, before the titans were sundered by his hand. After all: Solas seeks... regeneration. And that's something he promises us after Mythal leaves.
It's important to me, therefore, that Solas says the blight can feel his presence during the fighting in Minrathous. Not that Elgar'nan can detect Solas through the blight, but that the blight itself can feel him. Neve/Bellara, depending on who is taken, can reach out to protect Solas the very same way: by communing with the blight itself, feeling what it wants, and redirecting its course. We see, here, a hivemind in action.
We also know that Atoned!Solas promises to "soothe the titans' anger." This is something he promises to do from Fade Jail, implying that he is able to interact with the titans and their anger from the Black/Golden City. This implies that the Fade itself, as a realm, is a means of communing with the titans, not just a specific spot within it.
The Veil coming down was always going to un-sunder the titans, and that was always one of the true aims of Solas' goals. Even if it meant blighting the world at first and effectively causing the apocalypse, the titans would eventually feel soothed. The Veil is a wound inflicted on this world, Solas has said before... and we know now that it was.
This section, short as it is, is just me telling you that Solas is still able to achieve those ends from Fade Jail. Just because the Veil is now bound to Solas' life force does not mean that the titans can no longer heal.
This buys us valuable time, allowing the titans' anger to soothe before their consciousness is restored, so that the transition is gentler. It promises hope for all of Thedas going forward. It might even promise a healthier, more stable Fade, shaped by dream, idea, and hope more than fear.
But what will that mean for future games? What could the Fade have to do with what's to come?
Why is now the time that the Executors and "those across the sea" want to make their big planned move on Thedas? Why is now when the "poison fruit" has ripened?
Like many of you, I hope to figure it out—and I feel that every day, I get closer.
Stay tuned. :)
___
If you read this far, you're a hero, now and always.
Like I keep saying: I have to absorb this lore day by day! I cannot inhale the entire wiki in a day, much as I'd like to believe I could! That means that future posts can't adhere to a strict schedule, as they depend on me unearthing enough codices, notes, and connecting threads to provide a post's worth of material.
In future, I'm hoping to learn more about: the Forgotten and Forbidden ones, as well as the connections between them; the Executors, those across the sea, and the connections between THEM; the areas across the sea; the Devouring Storm and what it could mean for Thedas' existence... and maybe how Ghilan'nain was ever connected to any of it.
Stick with me on this journey, if you like. It's fun to keep theorycrafting and yelling with you all. <3
#dragon age#veilguard spoilers#dragon age: the veilguard#dragon age the veilguard#da:tv#da:v#da theory#da meta#dragon age theory#dragon age meta#dragon age lore#dragon age theorycrafting#solas#solas dragon age#harding#harding dragon age#lace harding
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Hi! I’m Lilac! I write all sorts of things from smut to adventure to fluff to dark content. Below you’ll find a list of everything I have posted to tumblr so far. I have even more stuff on AO3.
If you want to read a series (3 or more chapters), then I have a chapter directory for your convenience. 💜💜
Warnings might apply, please be mindful of tags and read at your own risk if it‘s something potentially upsetting.
On requests, please read here.
Jujutsu Kaisen
JJK x Reader: Jealousy || Peeling Fruit || Birthdays 1 || Birthdays 2 || If they’d love you if you were a worm
Multiple/Other:
Those Late Summer Nights (ongoing) (yandere love triangle x reader, dark smut, multi chapter, planned happy/good ending)
Roommates (dub con smut)
On Display (smut)
Guided Affections (smut)
Choso Kamo:
Blur Into You (smut)
First Impressions (protective yandere)
Satoru Gojo:
Blessed With Blue (yandere angel x human reader, dark smut, multi chapter, body horror, sad ending)
Rivals (yandere, dark smut)
First Times (smut)
Speechless (smut)
Suguru Geto:
Blood Thicker Than Honey (smut included, not the main focus)
You Leave Me So Breathless (smut)
To Save A Broken Soul (yandere x cursed spirit reader, multi chapter, dark smut, horror, sad ending)
Bedtime Rituals (receiving oral smut)
Shoko Ieiri:
Please, Don’t Go (yandere, dub con smut, wlw)
Love Bites (smut, wlw)
So Desperate For You (smut, wlw)
Pretty Little Trinket (protective yandere, wlw, harpy au, violence, happy ending)
Kenjaku:
Don’t Make Me Feel Alive (yandere, multi chapter, dark smut, open ending)
Betrayal (yandere)
Uncanny Valley (violence)
Using You (smut)
Merging With You
Under His Authority (yandere, dark smut)
Chasing Humanity (ongoing) (yandere x yandere, mundane au, multi chapter, eventual smut)
Sickly Sweet (caregiving, sick fic)
Morning Troubles (smut)
Mahito:
The Way He Smiled (violence)
A Sight For Sore Eyes (yandere, body horror)
Sukuna:
Untouched (dark smut, violence, reader death)
From The Murky Depths (dark smut)
Beyond Hellfire (yandere true form sukuna, violence)
Kento Nanami:
Flustered By You (smut)
Toji Fushiguro:
Eat You Up (smut)
Pregnancy Woes
Other:
All Eyes On You (dark yandere imagine of a prison realm in a cursed spirit form)
Chainsaw Man
Makima:
Obey (smut, wlw)
Homicipher
Multiple Pairings:
Stuck Halfway (smut)
Mr. Crawling:
Love you, love you, love you (smut)
A Touch Apart (smut)
In An Attempt To Clean
Such A Needy Thing (smut)
Love You, Need You (smut)
Make You Feel Good (smut)
Mr. Gap:
From The Shadows
Mr. Silvair:
In An Attempt To Teach You (eventual smut, ongoing)
The Bride:
Breathless Kisses
Gravity Falls
Bill Cipher:
Dreams (yandere, gender neutral reader, smut)
Sweet Nostalgia (yandere, gender neutral reader, smut)
A Timeless Treasure (yandere, gender neutral reader)
Fiddleford H. McGucket:
Taking Chances (gender neutral reader, eventual smut)
Other
Kinktober 2024 (Multiple Fandom x Reader Insert Smut)
Bite Sized Yandere Nightmares (JJK x Reader Yandere Imagines)
Original Works
Midnight the Incubus:
Under The Bed, Where Midnight Slept
Your Body Is My Temple & I Will Worship You (smut)
A Bump In The Middle of the Night (violence)
Life Beyond Midnight
#ao3#masterlist#aot masterlist#jjk masterlist#ao3 author#yandere x reader#dark fic#archive of our own#ao3 writer#navigation#info#chainsaw man masterlist#homicipher masterlist#gravity falls masterlist
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both free gn!reader, 2.1k
The first thing Astarion notes is that the blood scent weeping from every pore of your broken body is no longer familiar. It rots.
A burning stench, charred and sour as it licks the back of his nose.
A few moments of petrified silence before his feet carry him to you.
-
you reject bhaal's greatest gift and pay with your life. to this, your horrified love bears witness.
word count: 2,105
a massive THANK YOU to @scarstothepast for sending this request my way - i hope it does your idea justice <3
as always, read the tags and decide your fate!
-
Mutilation.
Reduced to nothing but a flaccid gasp of your former self; a marionette in your father’s horrid hand.
Mangled beyond recognition. Bhaal’s rotten plaything. His prodigal children, both dead.
Far past any conceivable beg for reconciliation.
Naught but a smack as your carcass plummets to stone.
-
The Bhaalist temple is ripe, unsurprisingly.
The smell of a weeping wound seeps from every porous surface. Infection in the mortar, decay in the miry ridges lining the floor; burning flesh amidst flame torches and wails in the middle distance akin to an abattoir.
Yet, Astarion finds comfort there solely in your confidence. Your conviction. Your will to want for better, to reject your savage bloodline. The power you command over that innate desire to harm.
You’ve prepared well for this encounter. You’re aware of the risks, you’ve scoped out the entrance to Orin’s rancid shrine; and you’ve gathered appropriate accomplices from your rooms in the Elfsong to assist you in rescuing the one of you held in her clutches.
He should be a little wary. A little skittish. Observant, always; but there should be a little rattle in his brain telling him to hold back from the rest of you.
The self-preservation instinct developed over two centuries in captivity simply isn’t there.
He’s free, because of you.
He wants to rip the windpipe from the changeling’s throat with his bare teeth.
Stalk her chanting cultists from the shadowy ledges surrounding their sacrificial altar and shoot off innumerable Arrows of Many Targets at their vile heads. He - personally - wants to eviscerate any Bhaalist visage presented to you with brutal slash upon brutal slash until he is positively covered in putrid god-guts and wailing in victory.
A twirl of his dagger. The easy click of his disarm tools. A wink in your direction.
Astarion will save you the way you saved him.
He remembers the way you looked at him with the most hells-bent fury during the Ritual of Profane Ascension, ripped from your side and thrown aloft by Cazador’s wicked pact magic. The resolute wrath with which you slashed your way through the monstrosities between you. Pulling him from Cazador’s circle, his daggers returned; a rage so formidable in your eyes he almost wanted to sink to his knees and propose to you there and then.
You wanted better for him. Better than perpetuating the vicious cycle of abuse starting all those centuries ago with Eravask the Forebear to his very own master.
Master.
He is better.
He is capable of so much more than the brief wavering moment in that foulest of Dungeons, in which he wanted the most grossly depraved of powers for himself. Every single moment of agony, terror; torment, hunger - the way with which you so effusively confronted his paralysing fears and talked him from the brink; from becoming that very same monster in his moment of sheer dread.
You hop with a determined gait down the towering stairs to the walkway. Entrance in sight. Astarion stalks ahead and moves to disarm the trapped plates in your path.
The two of you have spoken about this moment many times, sequestered away in a corner in the Elfsong by candlelight. A bottle of Firewine and tears threatening to brim in your eyes.
You once were a master. Your freak of a demon butler cast in role seemingly as your very own Godey. You have no recollection of it, those you killed in your father’s name, nor how you did it; but the weight of those souls indeterminate in number is abject torture. There is no forgiveness for you. No hope, no conclusion. Just a wide and wavering path to redemption you can never be sure you’ll justly earn.
That awful, plagued creature you were. The night you softly awoke with Scleritas above you and that primal urge to kill the one closest to you through your whole adventure so far. Holding back. Warning him.
The way he sat and spoke with you, smoothed your hair as you bit furiously at his wrists and spat his name with such evil spite. Unafraid of you, no matter the threat.
Two beasts in tandem.
-
Orin is horrifying in appearance. Pale, skin writhing with blue vein-like whips across her white flesh; armour of crimson jerky and eyes empty.
Lips smacking in wily delight. Bloodkin. Bloodkin.
Astarion watches your confrontation prior to the conflict he knows is to come. He’ll get his moment to brutalise every single one of these sadists, but this is yours.
The ritual sacrifice is spared through your recollection of Bhaal’s terms - you were the one challenged, not your accomplice.
These terms also mean your fight will be one on one. You versus her.
Astarion’s face falls.
Fuck.
However, he takes solace in the fact that he’s come to know your expressions well through your adventures together. Your innate ability to stay one step ahead is what has carried you so far in the first place.
She taunts you, yapping, pointing, aggrandizing; at one point even shifting into you. If the circumstances weren’t so dire he’d probably make a joke about what a fun evening could be had with such a skill.
You remain stoic, mapping out the environment and taking stock of what you can use as leverage. He simply watches you with a mixture of trepidation and admiration resting uneasy in his gut.
"Come to me, Father. Set my flesh to your unholy purpose."
The most grotesque monstrosity replaces Orin. The Slayer.
Astarion watches on as the duel begins.
In light of having prior defeated the undead Visage of Myrkul, Orin alone isn’t a formidable enemy. Your battle-strengthened dexterity is unmatched and with each attempt the current favoured of Bhaal makes to injure you, you simply strengthen your position and hit her harder.
It’s almost enjoyable to watch the two of you dance.
While not easy, it certainly isn’t difficult to gain the upper hand with each attack you make.
The Slayer is almost… clumsy?
Too large to aim her lunges with precision, you dodge her at most turns. Your party watches with baited breath, but small smiles begin to edge onto their weary faces.
The rabid dog and the acrobat.
Each hit you strike weakens her substantially. While she does get some vantage on you and causes a little damage by the sacrificial altar, her limbs in this form are too spindly and make for stupidly easy targets to focus your attacks.
Within minutes, the imposing figure is reduced to little but a pile of gore on the floor.
Among the foetid viscera that once was the changeling you immediately drop to search for her Netherstone-jewelled dagger. Bloodthirst. Hands heavy with still-warm organs as you retrieve your winnings, blood soaking every inch of exposed flesh on your arms. You throw your spoils to the side and hold the altar key to your chest.
A pair of arms wraps around you from behind, startling you for the briefest moment.
Astarion.
“Gods. You idiot! You are positively deranged! You knew that would happen, didn’t you? Did you bring us along just to watch?!” He grins.
Your own smile doesn’t quite reach your eyes. You turn to embrace him fully.
The rest of your party traipse across the tides of blood toward you.
“I had a feeling it might.”
You rest your head on his shoulder in the newborn silence of the temple, tossing the altar key in the vague direction of your party as your hands bloody his armour in a reverent grasp.
“I love you. I just - I love you! You insane thing. You did it!” He laughs loudly, ecstatic.
You see your friends behind him, your eyes meeting theirs in a downcast stare. A nod of understanding.
“I love you.’
You sigh into his chest, splaying your fingers as if to hold more of him.
‘It’s not over yet.”
He pulls away and looks at you, lifting your head softly so your eyes meet his. His neck juts a little.
“Hm?”
His brow quirks inquisitively. The wail of victory depletes into a quivering hum.
-
The first thing Astarion notes is that the blood scent weeping from every pore of your broken body is no longer familiar. It rots.
A burning stench, charred and sour as it licks the back of his nose.
A few moments of petrified silence before his feet carry him to you.
The Visage of Bhaal is gone.
Your flesh operates as little more than a bag of broken bones, skull cracked and limbs fractured almost beyond recognition. Eyes wide open but unmistakably dead.
He hears your two accomplices bicker in the background as the multiple Scrolls of Revivify retrieved from your pack fail to glow near your remains. They don’t make sense. This doesn’t make sense. Their shouts are crisp in the silence of the temple. Brash. Disturbing.
There should be more noise. There should be shouting, screaming, crying. Crowds of those you’ve saved should be here petitioning whatever God sickens of their stream of bitter tears to bring you back to them.
To him.
He can’t take his eyes off your own. Empty.
If he’d gone through with the ritual, maybe he could have saved you. Turned you. Revived you as his and kept you safe from a fate like this for the rest of eternity.
You’d have despised him for it, but it’d be ok. You’d be awake. You’d be capable of feeling with which to despise him.
No, he mutters. Not that. Not ever.
He is better than that.
He shifts to sit cross legged next to your corpse as your accomplices’ shouting turns to unbridled wailing. Toys with your hair gently so as not to disturb the broken skull below the flesh and whispers to you softly.
“You silly thing. I know you’re still in there, aren’t you? I hope you know how much I love you.’
A quiet, heavy wracked sob.
‘You are so magnificent, little dove. So smart. You did so, so well. I am so very proud of you.”
He doesn’t notice Withers, not until he speaks.
-
You’re fuzzy as you stand.
He’s frozen on the floor, cross legged and round-eyed. Sharp ears pinned back.
“No.” Astarion chokes.
Your eyes are heavy. They search for him in the blur and you stumble trying to feel for him.
“Astarion?’
Your companions are paralysed.
The stages of grief begin to unravel.
“Astar- Astarion, I can’t see. Where are you?” You sob, reaching out blindly in front of you to search for him in the fog.
“Oh. Oh, my love -’
He looks up at you and blinks away a flood of tears as they threaten to spill.
‘My love. I’m here. I’m here. I’ve got you.”
His feet carry his fraught body to you once again, mindless in their pursuit of you. You’re here. You’re warm, speaking; sobbing, and here.
Name stricken from the archives. Pulled gently into his arms the second he stepped within reach and wrapped the tightest within them you ever have been.
Your party swaddles you in the biggest hug you’ve had in your life.
Astarion doesn’t let go when they do. He buries one hand in your hair, keeps one tightly around your waist. Shakes with sobs.
“You scared me.” He mumbles, letting out a small laugh into the crook of your neck.
You neglect to mention the patch of snot and fresh wet tears now adorning his shoulder.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He whispers, playing with a lock of your hair.
“No. I am. I am so, so sorry.”
“Seeing you like that ruined me, you know.’ He smiles shakily.
You sob once more.
‘I wondered why the whole of Toril wasn’t screaming for you at the moment of your death.’
He moves his head to look at you. Brings his forehead to yours. Kisses you so gently that you wonder if his lips have always felt this soft and his forlorn eyes glisten. Alive and in the arms of your lover.
‘They gave me nothing. Two hundred years of nothing. Useless wretches.’ He laughs and rolls his teary eyes. Sniffs. You smile at him with the dopiest eyes - you think - that have ever existed across the Sword Coast.
‘But the Gods listened to me this time because they knew.’
Astarion coughs.
He smells like home - warm, spiced; familiar. Your eyes meet his now, his grasp on you still firm.
‘You defied your father. You resisted your cruel destiny.’
Another kiss.
‘And now we’re both free.” He whispers.
Time stops for a few precious moments, a silent promise.
No more.
#astarion x reader#angst with a happy ending#my writing#one shot#request#requests open#gn reader#astarion x dark urge#durge
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rommate thoughts
getting up early in the morning to go to the bathroom and the world slows down down down to a viscous quality when you pass your roommate's door... are they still asleep? or will you bear witness to early morning noises? and what story will tell you? the sharp clicking and clacking of hurried dressing and rushed getting ready? lazy yawns and rustling sheets as they turn around for ten more minutes? maybe soft singing to shoo some lingering nightmares away? or other... soft things?
you know? <3
foreword: oh, Somna. I needed this softness today. this one goes out to those who might need it, too <3
cw: mentions of prescription drugs and weed
wc: 1.2k
___
When the last of the summer sun slips behind the edge of the city, you and Eddie open all the windows in the apartment.
Moving with practiced fluidity, you slide the little window above the sink into place, the larger one by the breakfast nook gets the same treatment; Eddie’s tall enough to reach the hand crank for the pane overlooking the shower, then ducks into both of your rooms to undo the last two latches.
You talk the whole time, exchanging laughter and comments even on opposite ends of the apartment. Cool night air floods the whole space, lush and floral from the hydrangea bush on the ground floor. This is the only ritual that makes sleeping in the summer months bearable.
Some nights, Eddie rolls up and you choose the record, legs slung over each other laps, talking over the hazy smoke and crooning speakers. Others, you get takeout and watch whatever’s good on TV, Eddie’s legs making the perfect lean-to for your back.
Some nights, you fall asleep on the couch- when this happens, come morning, there’s always a blanket tucked carefully around your form. Others, Eddie’s the first to drop- cheek smushed to your thigh, snoring lightly. You’re always gentle with him, rubbing his shoulder to get him up and in the comfort of his own bed, slinging his arm around your shoulders as you walk him down the hall.
Last night, both of you turned in early. Eddie’s got a bad case of allergies, and you were tired from work, so you took your respective medicine and leave, evening ritual shortened and performed apart with just the bedroom windows.
In the morning, the air of your room is still cool. Birds twitter with the rise of the sun. Soon, it will be time to close everything up, to keep the temperature down and the summer heat out. For now, you yawn, stretch, kick your way out of the comforter, and pad down the hall.
Eddie’s door is slightly ajar. His room is dark, but you can just make out the tangle of his curls on his pillow, sheets tucked under his chin covering the length of his body. You move on carpeted footsteps, approaching bedside with quiet intention.
Without his eyes on you, it’s easier to indulge, taking your time to drink in his sleeping face. You sink to your knees beside the head of the bed for a better look- in the muted morning light peeking through his blackout curtains, Eddie looks peaceful.
His normal is theatrics, raised brows, sweeping expressions that draw you in and ebb like tides. In dreamland, he looks years younger, smoothed brow and lips parted slightly, breathing steady and sure.
“Hey.” It’s barely a whisper. You pair it with a soft touch just under his bangs, skimming your fingertip across his forehead. “Eddie. Gonna wake up?”
He must have taken Benadryl last night- he’s usually first to wake, tapping on your door with breakfast options and being a hurricane of noise until you’re forced to join the party.
You have the simple joy of watching Eddie’s face as he returns to you, to the waking world- a twitch of his lip, a couple of long, slow blinks. Consciousness crawls to the surface, leaves him rosy-cheeked and frowning, chasing your hand with his temple like a puppy.
You lay your fingers flat to his skull, thumb at the indent of his nose, and Eddie sighs, content. His eyes flutter shut again when you speak again. “Did you sleep well?”
“Mmm.” The sheets shift as he lifts a heavy arm to stretch over his head, revealing a bare torso littered with ink. “Z’you?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. ‘M gonna… get up ‘n make breakfast…” His words are clunky, slurred and stuck to each other, lids heavy with sleep still.
From the floor, you sink a bit lower, scratching softly at the back of his head, grinning with amusement. “I don’t think you’re allowed to operate a stove while under the influence.”
His frown deepens, but he won’t make it stick, not for any length of time around you. Faux-upset ebbs, recedes, floods into a tired smile that takes up half his face. “Uh-huh. Might burn my eyebrows off. Would you still love me?”
Pretending to give it some serious thought, your hand slides down, a familiar weight at the side of his neck. “Hmm. Maybe we should stick to cereal today.”
“Asshole,” Eddie replies, fond and trying to draw out the jokes, sliding his own hand to your wrist to keep it in place. “What the hell. Can’t a guy lose his brows in peace?”
“We’ve got Cheerios, Golden Crisp, Cocoa Puffs-” Your valiant attempt to keep on track is overturned when Eddie tugs at your wrist with a whine.
“Christ. My brain is soup, maybe you can eat that ‘nd it’ll tide you over until I can move.” More insistent now, Eddie pulls at your elbow, then your upper arm, your other hand snapping out to brace on his mattress before you tip. “Jus’... lay with me for a bit.”
Closer now, your breath fanning over his ear as he pulls and you give your last bit of resistance- “You’re wearing boxers, right?”
“Jesus. You really think I’d subject you to the Morning Wood Show?”
“Okay.” You don’t sound half as exasperated as you’d like, moving with the help of his gravity; you sidle close to the wall, lying on your side and over the covers, propping your head up with one arm. “This bed really wasn’t made for two people.”
“Sure it is.” Eddie reaches for you again, and you go easy, let him pull you to his chest. Under your ear, his heart thumps, whooshing like a seashell that’s captured the sounds of the ocean. “See? Now will you kindly shut up. I’ve got meds to sleep off.”
“Coffee would help.” It’s a baiting tease. You don’t actually want to get up- far too comfy with the curve of his bicep across the blades of your shoulders. With your nose pressed to the hollow of his throat, you can smell everything that his skin has kept overnight- faded cologne, bar soap, sweat and earthy sleep.
“Shhhhutthefuckup before I eat your brains.” He already sounds like a faded version of himself, rasp lowering into that pre-dream tone. For comedic effect, Eddie opens his jaw to press the outline of his teeth to the crown of your scalp.
It makes you tremble with giggles, burrowing further into his body to get away. He soothes a palm down your back, and you settle again.
Under your ear, his heart beats slower, then slower still, until you can feel the rumble of a snore build. Your lashes brush against his bare skin, lulled by the stillness of the room, the shared warmth of your bodies even through the layers of fabric.
When late morning arrives, you’ll make the coffee, and Eddie will do the dishes. For now, the air stays cool and ushers in the sort of slumber that only comes from sharing space with someone precious.
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how do i create a religion? thanks <3
Creating a Fantasy Religion
1 - Go Back to the Beginning - Religion evolves as a way of creating order in a community by providing context for unexplainable things, creating a code of conduct, and giving a community a sense of control over things that otherwise feel uncontrollable. So, it helps to imagine back to the early days of your story's world... what things were important in this world that the early inhabitants might have created gods and goddesses for, or might have believed a god was in control of. What were the environmental clues and factors that helped inform these beliefs? What beliefs and rituals would have evolved around these elements?
2 - What Did it Evolve Into? Once you know how this religion got started, you can look at what it evolved into as this world progressed to where it is at the start of your story. How did those early beliefs and rituals evolve to meet the needs of people living in the world of your story as it is now? What are the gods/goddesses or god? What do they represent? How are they worshiped? Are there churches, temples, something else? Is there community worship or is it done privately? Are there important rituals or holy days? Are there figureheads who represent a "middleman" between the worshipers and the worshiped? Priests, shamans, or other religious leaders? What is the popular mythology and stories that come up frequently? How do all of these elements translate into a character's daily life in this world?
3 - Consider Using Real World Inspiration - You may want to look at real world religions for inspiration. See if you can find one that closely matches the type of religion you want to create, then look to see what the framework is like, how it evolved, what it's like today, and how it fits into the world and lives of its adherents.
Happy writing!
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