#Oolong and a Spirit

[arinewman7]

Oolong and a Spirit

Danielle Mckinney

2023

[yamcha-thelonewolf]

🩹The three wounds.

Although there are many things to say about Yamcha, today my attention goes to one of the most curious topics about him: the scars.

Dragon Ball, ch. 166, The Reunion.

This is the first image of our good ol' Yamcha with his new look and... I really have to admit it: while I loved so much his so many pre-23rd Tenkaichi Tournament styles, I cannot deny that the Yamcha we see at the end of OG Dragon Ball and throughout DBZ gains a stratospheric appeal. His more mature face and the triumphant return of his long hair, here tied back in a cool ponytail, make a big impression for sure, but it's certainly his two new facial markings that especially make the difference.

Let's say it together: Yamcha is the pretty boy of the gang. He's got flowing black hair, he has lots of charisma, a strong sense of humor, and on top of that, he's got grazy techniques that visually tear apart more famous ones. Sounds just like... A wasted character, doesn't it? As I said before, that is not the question I want to address today. So...

...How did Yamcha get his scars?

I'm not quite sure if there is an official explanation on this, and if there is I apologize for my lack of one. In any case, I'd like to lay out my personal theory. Actually it's not a big deal at all, it is not a fanciful story that I made up to enrich Yamcha's life. It is simply the result of a logical evaluation and a long, long observation in the field.

As we know, at the end of The Great Demon King Piccolo Arc, Yamcha and others start to train hard for three long years in preparation for the new budokai.

We don't know exactly how our heroes trained, whether they spent time together, and specifically whether Yamcha returned to the city occasionally to be with Bulma and Puar, but from his girlfriend's words we can assume that he only devoted himself to training.

This is not the first time he has done it. Fortunately! In fact, in the 21th Tournament Arc, we can see him away from the city, moving through the woods like a real wolf to enhance even more of his most famous technique, the Rōgafūfūken. Then, when the Red Ribbon adventure ends, Yamcha notices how Goku's strength has increased overwhelmingly, so he decides to move to the Kame House to become a full-fledged pupil of the Turtle School. In this case, Bulma visited him whenever she could (or wanted to), but this time is different. Yamcha now carries with him two major defeats in the quarterfinals, plus a strong sense of helplessness during the The Great Demon King Piccolo Arc because of his broken leg. He cannot and will not stay in the shadows again and again, although we could not help but appreciate his every effort. That is why this time it is necessary for him to make his mark in the martial arts world. And indeed Yamcha succeeds.

Although he loses again in the quarterfinals, the twist he gives us is one of the most beautiful of the whole tournament.

His new technique, the Sōkidan, leaves even God himself speechless. I will undoubtedly talk about this wonderful move on another occasion. Right now what I want to point out is simply the lethal effect this has on the opponent.

As we can see, the Sōkidan is an extremely elegant and elaborate technique that can destroy, stun and distract the opponent depending on the will of the user. Unfortunately, we don't see it often, but thanks to DBZ fillers, some movies and the videogames we can get an idea of how devastating it can be.

Requiring full ki control, consequently this maneuverable ball suggests how extremely difficult it is to handle.

Now let's go back again and let's try to imagine a Yamcha who is tired of losing and wants to amaze everyone in the next Budokai. So let's try to imagine a Yamcha who returns to the woods, sits down by a lake, under the moon, and somewhat like Tien does, whom he has come to know and esteem until then, he too begins to focus and finally explore his own soul until then only devoted to the teenage love with Bulma and those little big satisfactions in his various fights. After all, he has always been one of the strongest. We must not forget that before the tournaments there are the preliminaries.

Anyway, we are still in the woods. Yamcha has opened the palm of his hand and slowly the night seems less dark as a small and seemingly harmless orb begins to float by his concentration. Maybe he is on the right track. A small grin appears on his face... After all, he has always been a bit of a swagger and that is also why we like him. But then, I don't know whether that same night or in the following days, this still somewhat wild sphere goes out of his control. It literally gets out of his hands, and although it is sad to think about, it turns on him and crashes right into his face, cutting him twice: on his right eye and on his left cheek. Of course, not in an overly direct way. I imagine more of a smear wound, or something like that, just like what happens to the mysterious Shen.

In this scene, Yamcha certainly has much more mastery, but I have no doubt that during his solitary training he had a hard time precisely because of the dangerousness of this technique that requires significant spiritual control.

Finally, one last detail I would like to dwell on is the reaction Yamcha must have had at the sight of his new face. Throughout the story, he has never hidden the fact that he is quite vain and conscious of his own beauty. And how can you blame him?! Well, the first time we see him despairing over his poor ruined face is when Goku knocks his tooth out. We are at the beginning of our great Akira Toriyama-signed adventure.

Here Yamcha was a lonely 16-year-old boy who was afraid of beautiful girls. A terrible curse since his greatest desire was (is) to get married. I assume that seeing himself ugly after losing his tooth must have only heightened his frustration! Instead, when he gets the two scars, Yamcha's age ranges from twenty to twenty-three. He has grown, he has changed, he has a girlfriend and even a fanclub, but most importantly he has greater self-awareness. In my humble opinion, he has not despaired so much. Not like a drama queen, at least. After all, if it is true that it was the Sōkidan that ruined his manly face, his new consciousness must surely have suggested to him that it was worth it. In the bottom of my heart I hope he has also realized that he has increased not only his power but also his sex appeal... but hey! that is my very personal opinion. 😸

So, this is what I have always thought, or rather, what I like to think about the origin of his scars. Many assume that it was the clash with some wolves, and even this is interesting, but I don't think that with the power level he reached he could be bitten so easily by an animal he knows so well... For me, it was its own strength. It suits his will to persist even at the cost of losing his life.

You know, I'm sadly happy that it's him who has the scarred face. I really don't know but... Something tells me that if his face hadn't had those two marks, Yamcha would have been even further forgotten. I can't explain it but I feel like it's like this.

However, gettin those scars must have been painful, I realize, but after all... Yamcha is someone who lives with pain all the time. That's why the title of this topic refers to three wounds, not two. In the end... We all agree that Yamcha's biggest scar is in his heart, right?

[stalkerofthegods]

Lord Hades deep dive

Herbs • cypress, mint, myrrh, patchouli, bay, pumpkin, yew, wormwood, cinnamon, lavender, willow, oak, marigold, dandelion, rose, lily, daisies, rowan, poppy, daffodils, calendulas, salt and spices, Cypress, white asphodel, mint, narcissus

Animals• Dogs (Cerberus, specifically), black lambs, serpents, screech owls, black sheep, black bulls, moths (reincarnation, cycle of life), 

Zodiac • Autumn (dry becoming cold) – Earth – Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn, Winter (cold becoming wet) – Water – Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.

Colors • Black, grey, silver, gold

Crystal• hematite, onyx, obsidian, onyx, black tourmaline, jet

Symbols• precious jewels and money, drinking horn, Sceptre, Keys, Helm of darkness, night-time, autumn and winter, caves, mines, forests, crossroads, cemeteries, cornucopia, shovels (digging of graves, digging into dirt)

Jewelry you can wear in their honor• gold, silver, rubies, emeralds, anything metal and expensive due to his wealth and stone aspects. Any stones or metals. you can veil in muted colors in his honor.

Diety of• stones, metals, wealth, the underworld, 'winter; funeral rites.

Patron of• the underworld, stones, gems, crystals.

Offerings• honey, milk, shells or bones of animals, oolong and black tea, bread, and cake, apples, pomegranates, meat, especially lamb meat, he likes oils, like olive oil and such, a drinking horn, Black mirrors, Black cloth, dirt, dirt from commentaries, garlic, baked goods, sharp cheeses, money, family heirlooms, pomegranate mead/rum, black coffee, Statues or art of Cerberus, small fossils, art is drawn or for him, Shredded snakeskin, owl/vulture feathers., sheded dog fur (good origin hair, no stealing/shaving ur dog simply to give it to him), scales (balance scales), cornucopia, coins, 

Devotional•  saving money, spending responsibly, donating to charities for the dead, cleaning graveyards and gravestones (properly, respectfully, with permission for both the dead and the owners of the property), Offerings to the dead, as well as money to the spirits of the dead to let them pass on, collecting expensive jewels and crystals/stones, making an altar to tend dead spirits, Studying other cultures’ burial methods and cemetery rites, do a job for cementary, do mortuary or funeral services as a job (for the summer, or for how long u want in his honor), treat spirits kindly and help them move on, do ancestral worship, worship your land spirits in his honor, growing deathly plants (safely), writing poetry/stories for him, donate to those who can't afford a funeral, help with funerals, donate to suicide prevention organizations (that are trustworthy), donate to dog shelters, walk dogs in his honor, work at a dog shelter or babysitting dogs in his honor, visit caves that let you mine for stones/gems, make a playlist for him and hum/sing it in his honor, start a coin collection, 

Ephithets•  ‘Renowned’, ‘Good Counsellor’, ‘the Beautiful‐haired One’, ‘Of Good Repute’, ‘Leader of the People’, ‘Lord over All’, ‘Receiver of Many’, ‘Host to Many’ and Pluton (‘Wealth’). 

Equivalents (alike but not the same)• Pluto, Dis Pater, Orcus

They are reaching out• seeing dead animals or funeral symbols, seeing his symbols everywhere, smelling pomegranates, getting more job opportunities. He and his wife are usually a package deal.

Vows/omans• taking care of the underworld, marriage vows

Number• 6 (not seeing his wife for 6 months, then seeing her for 6 months), and commonly associated with death

Morals• lawfully neutral

Courting• Lady Persephone

Past lovers/crushes• Leuce, Minthe, Theophile

Personality• Like a working dad hanging up your macaroni on his desk, he is very formal and has a sweet spot.

Home• hades/hadestown (he lives in the underworld but is allowed up to Mount Olympus

Mortal or immortal • immortal

Fact• Due to being a Cathonic god you cannot eat after them, you dispose of offerings into water into the ground, and him and his wife Persephone are usually together.

Curses• being broke, losing money, being unable to pass on, losing your job.

Blessings• more money, getting more job opportunities, getting more money.

Roots• "the unseen" which An extensive section of Plato's dialogue 'Cratylus' is devoted to the etymology of the god's name, the 'unseen one', in which Socrates is arguing for a folk etymology not from "unseen" but from "his knowledge (eidenai) of all noble things", you can see he originated from the greek region.

Friends• Persephone, Zeus, Poseidon, Hestia, hermes, Artemis, Apollo, Athena, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, all the Olympians

Parentage• Cronos, Rhea

Siblings• Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, and Hestia.

Pet• Cerberus, in his chariot four black steeds Orphnaeus (savage and fleet), Aethon (swifter than an arrow), great Nyctaeus (proud glory of Hell's steeds), and Alastor (branded with the mark of Dis).

Children • Macaria, and in some cases Zagreus, Dionysus, and the Erinyes

Appearance in astral or gen• black hair, crown, kings coat, with a beard and with his scepter

Festivals • Halloween, The Chthonia Fertility Rites

Season • fall, winter 

Day •  Saturday, Tuesday, or Monday would be good, but he doesn't have an official day.

Status• King of the underworld, an olympion.

What angers them• disrespect to their family (wife, kids, etc), insulting the dead, messing with graveyards

The music they like• he likes old-timey, death music, I was listening to a playlist and there was a lot of goth music!

Planet• pluto

Tarot cards• death, the devil (and personally the chariot and the emperor)

Reminds me of• hot coca, death, dirt, bones, dead animals on the road, and goths.

Scents/Inscene • Cypress, amber, pomegranate, and winter scents

Prayers• 

1.

Great Hades, master of the dark afterworld, honored host of our beloved dead, husband of fair-haired Persephone, holder of the riches of the deep earth, eldest son of full-hearted Rhea and Cronus of the shining sickle, I praise you. Hades, kind one, unyielding one, gracious granter of respite to the suffering, of welcome to those who have passed from our world, I thank you for your gift of shelter and hospitality.

2.

Noble Hades, lord of the afterworld, upon your head the shining helm that veils the one it crowns in darkness, within your grasp the fearful staff with which you split the world asunder. Hades, I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings. Hades, holder of all the wealth within the world, yours are all the priceless treasures buried in the earth’s deep bones, the silver and the gold, the copper and the iron, the many-colored gems. I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings. Within your realm, O Hades, are treasures too of life and abundance. The precious seeds of fruit and grain, the soft black soil that clings to root and leaf, without these gifts would mankind fail to flourish. I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings. Kindly host of the dead, receiver of all who pass from the earth into your deep, abyssal realm, granter of rest for the weary, sweet reunion for those too long parted by your well-wrought gates. I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings. Fair-minded Hades, even-handed one who holds in hand the lot of all whose earthly lives have ended. The greatest of kings, the lowest of beggars, all receive reward or sanction by your will. I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

3.

Great Hades, master of the darkened deep, master of the realm beneath our feet who hears the echoes of our steps, who takes the echoes of our lives. Hades, you know the need for an end to life, you know the worth of a well-deserved rest, you know the thanks of men and women weary from long lives of worry and toil, you know the joy of sweet reunion as friends long parted join together once again within your storied land. The dim and misty underworld is yours, O Hades; yours are the Fields of Asphodel, yours the endless pits of Tartarus in which are cast the wicked and the vile. Yours too are the Fortunate Isles, the land of fair Elysium where dwell the righteous and the good. Hades, the receiver of burnt offerings, receiver of the blood of beasts, well-honored god: in the end, all come to you. Hades, I praise you.

4.

Great-hearted Hades, lord of the afterworld, noble husband of gracious Persephone, daughter of the earth who shares your golden throne; advocate of the dead whose wrath falls on those who deny them due burial, or whose dishonor endures beyond the grave. Relentless Hades, agent of vengeance, friend of the Furies, long is your arm, long your memory. Lord of riches, lord of wealth, yours is the abundance of the depths, the cold, unyielding treasure of metal and stone; yours is the black dirt turned by the plow each spring, the sun-warmed soil that hides the seed. Hades, dark-haired son of Kronos, ruler of the world beyond us, inevitable host of men and women and all, I thank you for your care of those who have passed; I praise you, I honor you, I revere your name.

Due to him being a Chthonic deity here are tips for worship• You can do water in the ground, I'd personally light incense in his honor, over dirt, and let the ashes fall into the water in his honor. You can throw offerings into water into a pit in the dirt for him, in front of statues offerings were left at his feet. if you have no backyard, or any place to dispose of dirt, I'd get a bag of dirt and place offerings in it then throw it out (make him aware of it, with respect.), Offerings are often buried, poured down the drain, or into the trash (This is done to ‘complete’ the offering.), please NEVER eat after him or anything associated with him other than Kore (Persephone's overworld name, ONLY her overworld aspect),

I know he was offered blood, but please don't unless you're a devotee of Mimmum of 5 years!! that is offering your source of life and it has to be sterile and everything and is VERY VERY sacred, you're offering your life to him, so please make sure to do research and have someone help you if you do decide to.

Links/websites/sources • https://www.tumblr.com/h-x-d-e-s/190189758200/on-worshipping-hades# https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrology_and_the_classical_elements#:~:text=Spring%20(wet%20becoming%20hot)%20%E2%80%93,Water%20%E2%80%93%20Cancer%2C%20Scorpio%2C%20Pisces https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hades-Greek-mythology https://www.worldhistory.org/Hades/ https://www.worldhistory.org/Hades/ https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20111010143853768#:~:text=Epithets%20which%20euphemistically%20address%20his,Pluton%20('Wealth'). https://www.reddit.com/r/Hades/comments/17yhisn/offerings_to_hades/?rdt=60435 https://www.tumblr.com/twelfthremedy/625927031204577280/hades-offerings https://asklepiad-apollon.tumblr.com/post/182810115143/historically-accurate-offerings-to-the-theoi-buthttps://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/comments/khc513/it_makes_me_sad_that_hades_doesnt_have_a_festival/ https://greekpagan.com/tag/hades/

I use resources, I do not own the info, and most deep dives have UPG (that I use in my work.) And I only take some information from sources. I am 14, this is my hobby, I am learning but I spent many hours and days on this, and I am always open to criticism. I have been doing worship for 5 years. Please know you can use the info, I do not sue, but I will take action if this work is used without permission and not put as a resource if used in any work. without permisson and not put as a resource if used in any work, for the public.

[a-casual-kpopfan]

Love Is... - Choi Yena

Damn, who thought I would come back to writing?

My first fic of 2024, I may be a few months late, but I hope you enjoy!

-----

The sound of the jingle from the front door plays through the speaker, the warm air hits you as you pass through the doors. You take a sigh of relief as you were able to get out of the cold while it was snowing outside.

It’s February, winter is in full swing, snowfall has become the regular in this region. And worst of all, it’s become couples’ season. You weren’t known much as a bitter person, but with all the hearts and couple promotions just brings an ick to your own heart. You were not against people in relationships, you yourself are not searching for a partner to even be with, but just the promotion of love just brings an extra level of bitterness out of you.

Not feeling to cook tonight, your goal tonight was to enjoy a nice and cheap bowl of ramen.

After all, the only thing that can make you happy is food.

You browse around the different flavours and seasonings of the instant ramen selections but then you end up with you usual and most generic pack, a pack of spicy ramen, shortly after you walk over to the cold foods section to add as your sides. Today, you felt adventurous, no one is around to ruin your mood.

Your goal in the cold section is to find a set of your favourite soy marinaded eggs. And there before your eyes, only one pack of two eggs are left on the shelf. “They must be low on stock.” Speaking to yourself as your hands grab the pack before anyone else can take it, on the way to the counter you decided to grab a cool oolong tea as well.

Before paying, you noticed a short individual walk into the store, wearing shorts and an odd white sweater with pink accents. “A little odd to be wearing shorts in winter.” You spoke a little too loudly to be saying it to yourself, the person took their hood off and gave you a little glare, although your attention was not about her hearing you.

Long strands of pink hair flow out in the wind, she almost looks like someone written out of a manga, an anime character you used to watch on Saturday mornings. “A little rude to stare.” The woman scoffed then walked by you. A little shocked but not surprised with her attitude, it’s not anything new to you.

“YAH, WHERE’S THE MARINATED EGGS?”

The person in the white and pink sweater made her way back to the front of the store and you’re now staring eyes with a pink haired bull. “YOU!” Pointing her finger straight at you, stomping hard towards you. Her other hand balled up into a fist, you swear her eyes have been lit on fire from the inside of her skull.

You look over to the employee at the counter and they seem just as confused as you are.

“Those.” She points to the pack of the marinated eggs. “I’m taking those.” Great, just another thing to add to your already over the limit bitterness due to this season. “How about no?” You put your hand up in front of her finger pointing at the pack and push it away. “I will pay for your dinner if you just let me have those eggs.” You look her straight in the eye, she’s dead serious with that statement.

“Jinja?” “Mm.” “Jinja?” “Mm.” “Jinja?”

“HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT?!” If this was an anime, you would picture this pink haired girl to light flames out of her head, ready to kill just for a pack of factory boiled eggs, marinated in a soy sauce mixture, who knows what other additives that could’ve been added to this.

All this for eggs.

“Nah, I think I’ll pass.” You said with a straight face, didn’t hesitate knowing you just destroyed the spirit of this young woman. She starts growling slightly her hands are in fists, looking like she’s shaking because she’s trying to prevent herself from punching you, but instead she started tearing up and squatted down, hugging her legs. “But… I really wanted those eggs…” She was whimpering, not something you saw coming.

“Shit.” You look over at the clerk again, all they could do is shrug, giving you a look that says, ‘it’s your mess, not mine.’ You scratched your head in frustration and gave in. “Look, I will split this pack with you if you stop crying.” The girl’s eyes point up to you, the waterworks are really going with this one. Not convinced of your off, she continued moping on the floor. You were left with no choice.

“Ugh and I’ll pay for your dinner.”

“Jinja?” “Yes.” “Jinga?” “Yes.” “Jinga?”

What is this girl doing to you?

You take a deep breath before nodding again.

A pack of instant ramen, a cold green tea and a couple onigiris later, you and this pink haired woman take a seat a table together, considering the circumstances, you found it appropriate to at least sit with this person.

“Thank you for the meal!” The woman clapped her hands together as in a praying motion before digging in the ramen that you ended up paying for.

“Choi Yena.” Confused from what she said, you question her.” I’m sorry, what was that?” Yena picks up the disposable chopsticks, breaking them apart before repeating herself. “Choi Yena, I figured you should know my name for buying me dinner.” Surprised but you told her your name before you did the same with your chopsticks.

Most of the night was silent other than the slurp here and there, the door opening for the occasional night owl popping for a snack. You had just met this Choi Yena about a half hour ago, having a midnight dinner with her, and had a fight with her for boiled eggs.

Not that weird, right?

~~~~~

A couple nights later, you find yourself in the same spot. Going through the doors of the same convenience store, grabbing another pack of instant ramen. Once again, you’re in the cold foods section looking for the same set of marinated eggs that you enjoy so much, but to your displeasure, there’s none on the shelf.

“Damn, must be still out from last time.” Disappointed, you turned to see a familiar pink haired woman. “Well, hello stranger.” Yena there, smiling at you. She’s holding a shopping basket with her arm, and you notice she too had a pack of noodles, the same green tea drink and what seems to be the last pack of eggs.

“Choi Yena…”

“Looks like you’re having dinner again here?” Yena sticks her arm out with the basket, bringing it closer to you. “Let me pay you back, put it in here.” Yena points with her lips, gesturing to the food and drink that’s in your hands, you smiled and just followed along. “Since you’re paying me back, I might as well grab this too.” You grab a salmon onigiri off the shelf and quickly drop it in Yena’s basket, but to Yena’s amusement she rolled her eyes in a playful manner.

“Yah, is that it or is there more?” You chuckle and you look through the rest of the shelves, carefully looking at all the food. “Hmm, what else is good here?” Yena goes and slaps your shoulder and starts walking up to the front counter. “Don’t take your time!” You followed suit, walking just behind Yena.

After paying for the items, you and Yena start getting the ramen ready to be cooked. “What brought you back here?” You ask Yena while she’s opening her soup packets, you do notice with her lips how she pouts a little hard, almost like she has a duck’s bill. “Yena?” She was so focused on her noodles that she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings.

“Oh, yeah, sorry… What did you ask?” Yena looks at you with such an innocent look, you found it cute. “What brought you back here again?” Yena smiles and snickers a little while she pours her soup packet into the plastic bowl. “Coming here late at night helps me not think about my ex-boyfriend, we recently broke up and it was a little messy.” You were left speechless, not expecting an answer like that.

“Oh, I’m sorry, we barely know each other.” Yena tries to cut the awkwardness with a laugh although it didn’t last long. “I normally come here to be alone, coming here late at night with no one around brings me a certain level of peace… Until someone squashed that idea.” You look at Yena with a deadpan while gives you a quirky smile. “Oops, sorry.”

Silence has come between you two as you’re focused on putting some toppings in your ramen before pouring in the hot water, the same with Yena.

“Sometimes, it’s nice to eat with a friend.” Yena quietly speaks up, but you didn’t reply only continued with a little smile.

“Sometimes, not being alone is nice.”

~~~~~

“What’s on the menu today, Yena?”

You and Yena have been meeting at the same convenience store for several days now, it’s started to become a normal routine. You get home late from work, its nearly midnight, then you tend to run into Yena at the store. “I haven’t had tteokbokki in awhile, why not that and…”

“This!” Yena pulls a pack of precooked pork belly, ready to eat out of the microwave. “Isn’t that going to be a heavy dinner?” You questioned the choice, going with a high carb meal with a side of fatty meats. Yena went from a big smile to now a death stare towards you, annoyed with your reply, Yena answers back. “Are you trying to say something about my weight?”

You regret questioning her.

Yena goes on to the microwavable foods section to find something to add to your dinner for the night. “Then how about this?” The pink puff pulls out a bag of fish cakes, perfect side for a bowl of tteokbokki. “Let me go get the drinks while you set up the meal?” You suggested with Yena nodded happily.

Yena pays for the food before making way to the self serve area to get everything cooked so you two can have dinner. You took your time strolling to the drinks area knowing that the food would take a little bit to cook fully even though it’s just precooked frozen foods.

“Hmm, what to have tonight?”

While browsing around, you had thought about getting your usual cold green tea, but you decided to be a little adventurous tonight. You pull a strawberry milk and a mango flavoured green tea; Yena can decide which one she wants when you bring it over to her. A little smile grew on your face when picking the drink out, excited to try it, you quickly walked to the counter to pay for the drink.

Once paid for, you hear the beeping of a microwave from the other side of the store, making you think that the food was already done. Quickly taking the bottles of the counter, you walked over swiftly to see Yena placing a tray down on a table. She was placing everything on the table so carefully, the food being placed in the centre of the table.

Yena meticulously places smaller disposable platters on either side of the table, with chopsticks next to them on top of napkins. You couldn’t help but smile and chuckle on the side, your slightly snickering startles Yena, not knowing that she’s being watched. “Yah! You could’ve given me a heart attack!” Yena clenches her jaw and pretends to go for a punch with her fist.

You continued smiling like an idiot, walking up to the table bringing the drinks to the pink haired menace. “Choose one.” Presenting both drinks, she looks at each bottle, back and forth, thoroughly thinking which one to drink. “I choose this one!” Yena points at the mango flavoured tea, you nodded and put the strawberry drink on one side, then opening the mango drink for Yena.

Both of you sat down on your respective sides of the table, Yena starts picking up the tteokbokki with her chopsticks. “So how was work today?” Throughout spending more time with Yena, you found out that Yena is a professional photographer and is renting a studio nearby, which is why she comes by this convenience so often.

“Aish, the models that my clients keep hiring are so thin, they look like they never eat.” Yena continues ranting about her day, you sat there watched her eat the tteokbokki with some aggression while you were eating slowly but getting your share of the food.

“What about you, how was your day?” Yena puts down her chopsticks, leaning her elbow on the table, holding her head up with her hand. She looks at you with such interest, wanting to know how your day went. Both eyes are on you and only you, her ears are open for listening to you and only you.

You couldn’t stop the muscles in your face from forming a smile, you were happy. You were happy that someone is there to ask you about your day, someone interested to find out how you are doing.

“Damn you, Choi Yena.”

~~~~~

“I can’t believe he would just walk out! These models are becoming so sensitive with constructive feedback!” Yena screamed over the phone, you’re currently driving your way back from work and Yena decided to give you a call as she has a late photoshoot. “What did you even tell him?” You were happy to hear Yena’s voice, you were beginning to think that you wouldn’t see her tonight because of the photoshoot.

“Ahhhh, I told him that he looks bored, that he needs to put some emotion in his posing!” Yena continued with her story as you’re driving back, you just drove and listened. You loved hearing the sounds of her voice, you were never too busy for Yena, and she was never too busy for you.

“Do you still have any more shoots to do tonight, Yena?” With the intentions of getting late night dinner again with the photographer, you change lanes to make way to the convenience store instead of home. “Yeah, I still have a few more shoots to do. I’m not sure what time I would even be done.” You can hear Yena sigh. Her frustration can be felt through the sound of her voice.

Yena continued ranting until her next model arrived. “Yah, I’ll call you later. My next victim is here.” The two of you said your goodbyes and hung up, though little does the photographer know that you’re going to be stopping by tonight to greet her with her favourite late-night dinner.

Shortly you make it to the store, quickly you gathered all the normal food both you and Yena would have. You make it to the clerk and wait for him to scan everything for you to pay, “You’re not with your girlfriend tonight?” Your heart skipped a beat, you were hesitant to pull your card out of your wallet. “Eh, you really think that’s my girlfriend?”

“That pink haired photographer, yeah.” The clerk finished scanning everything, putting everything in a plastic bag for you. “You two are here together almost every night for the last three months. I always thought there was something between you two.” With that, you couldn’t stop your lips from stretching into a smile. The grin stretched from one ear to the other, you were uncontrollably happy.

With that, you paid and quickly drove over to the studio without Yena knowing you would be there tonight. You park your car in the respective spot, not too far away from the entrance but close enough so you won’t be too cold from the weather. You pull your phone out to call Yena before entering the studio.

“Choi Yena, are you still doing the shoot?” Clearly, you’re playing stupid as you slowly walk through the main building’s door. You can see flashes of light emerge from the hallway, faint sounds of music playing. “Yeah, I’m probably going to skip dinner tonight if I have to finish the rest of the shoot tonight.” Yena struggles to hold her phone up with her shoulder while she takes a photo.

“What if dinner is brought to you tonight?”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

You end the call, Yena is genuinely confused, disregarding that she’s in a middle of the shoot.

“Choi Yena!”

You yell the photographer’s name out getting her to turn around to see you holding up a pair of bags with food and drinks. “Yah! What are you doing here?” The pink photographer couldn’t stop herself from smiling, carefully placing the camera down on a nearby table she runs towards you with her arms opened, which ultimately ends with her hugging you.

“I didn’t want you to skip dinner, so I thought to bring it to you.”

After a few minutes, you got dinner set up with Yena but also had brought snacks for Yena’s photography crew and models.

“Thank you for the meal!” Yena was overjoyed, you were happy to see her like this. Looking around the room with everyone talking and enjoying their little break from this late shoot. You begin to eat with Yena, the tteokbokki you had bought today tasted a better than it usually did, you felt happier today than you had in the past, butterflies start take off in your stomach.

You were confused on what this feeling was, this feeling that’s being built up inside you. The way Yena eats, the way she smiles at you, the way she speaks to you.

You love it all.

Love?

You were listening to Yena ranting about how her day went up to this point, how you were the one good thing to happen tonight. You were mindlessly listening, eating, the only thought that’s going through your mind is how perfect would it be if Yena could just end the session now and go home with you.

Stuck in your daydream, a sudden sound snaps you back to reality.

The buzzing from Yena’s cell phone disturbs your dinner, it seemed important to Yena as she immediately puts her chopsticks down, asking for a minute so she can pick up the call. “Go ahead Yena.” Getting up, you watch the distance between the two of you grow, you hated this distance.

You wanted Yena to be next to you all the time, you wanted to be with Yena as much as possible.

“What is wrong with me?”

Patiently waiting for Yena to return, you could only think of what the two of you could be doing on your days off, what type of dates she would like to go on with you. Nothing goes through you mind but Yena.

“Should I confess?”

“You look like you’re in deep thought.” Yena giggles as she has appeared before you, flustered from her sudden appearance, you try to recollect yourself.

“What was the phone call about?” You try to get Yena’s attention off you for being so unaware that she had returned. “Oh, nothing… My ex-boyfriend tried to meet with me, I told him to screw off.” Something inside you had suddenly dropped, like as if your heart and other inner organs had been pulled out of you.

“The two of you still talk?” You had a sudden loss of appetite, you were now only poking at the food, not looking to consume anything at this point. “Sometimes, he still gets on my nerves quite often, he wants to get back together, and I don’t think it’s a good idea for us.” Yena takes her drink and aggressively chugs a large amount after speaking about her ex, you on the other hand sighed slightly in relief.

“I do enjoy the single life again, not having to be shackled to another person, I get to live with my freedom!” Yena jumps up on her feet and stretches her arms and legs, you couldn’t get a word out or say anything but just smile with Yena. “Anyways, I think I should get back to the shoot, I don’t want to stay here all night.”

You agreed with Yena, deciding to clean up after the two of you so you can let Yena go back to the studio floor. “I’ll see you soon, okay?” Yena waits for you to get back up to give you a hug before running off to the studio.

“Damn it.”

~~~~~

“I’ll see you at our usual spot?”

The text you got from Yena earlier that evening, it’s almost essential that the two of you meet every night at the convenience or even at her studio now. It’s been almost a year of this same routine, of seeing each other majority of the week. You miss her when she’s not around, all you can think about is Yena, how is doing? What is she doing?

You try to keep your distance in respect of her, but you try to walk on a line between just being friends with her or confessing your feelings to her.

“You fool, you should just come clean, otherwise you’ll just be hurt again.” You try to motivate yourself to finally confess to the photographer Choi Yena. The little pink haired woman who happens to walk into your life, over marinated eggs of all things.

“Hey!”

“You’re here!”

“I’m so excited to tell you what happened today!”

All you can hear is her voice in your head.

All you can think about is you and Yena being together.

Today must be the day you tell her.

You pull up to the parking lot of the convenience, but you don’t see Yena’s car anywhere, she probably hasn’t arrived yet. “Great, gives me time to think.” You took a deep breath and shut off your car and stepping out.

Slowly approaching the door, you can recognize a certain someone through the windows looking around for food. Instead of a vibrant pink that you were so used to, you instead see a velvety red colouring, standing out a lot more than the usual pink.

The moment you were about to push the door open and walk in, your heart shatters in pieces.

You see a man put his arm around Yena’s shoulder, while Yena dips herself into the man’s embrace. The two can be seen talking through the window, she’s smiling towards him while the man is happy to be there with her.

“Ex-Boyfriend, huh?”

You slowly backed away from the door, you weren’t ready to face this. You didn’t want to face her in this state. There were no tears, but you felt like the world had just come crashing down on you.

What a fool you were, to think that you can find someone to be with.

“Who am I to think that I would be able to have a chance with someone like her?”

Walking back slowly to your car, getting in, and starting it, to get away from this place as soon as possible.

*Bzzz, Bzzz*

“Choi Yena”

She was calling, looking for you, but why would she want to be finding you in the first place?

You pick up the phone regardless.

“Hey! Are you close by?”

“Hey Yena! I’m sorry but I have to stay late at work tonight, I have a last-minute project to get started on right away.”

It was your first time having lied to Yena, you didn’t want to, but you needed to.

“I’ll call you when I can see you again, okay?”

“Oh, okay… I’ll see you soon then.”

The call ends abruptly after that, you dropped your phone in the passenger seat, ready to drive off home… Or wherever you can get to.

Just anywhere but here.

“I’m sorry Yena.”

Some things were just not meant to be, you and Yena just happen to be one of those things.

Love is... Isn't for everyone.

[eastwindmlk]

Prompt: Prongsfoot accidental marriage after a night out

Thank you so much! This one took a big of a silly turn! I hope you like it!

(917 words) Read on AO3 or under the cut!

There was something tickling Sirius’ nose and he couldn’t quite make out what it was, but he was also too hungover to open his eyes to investigate. Instead, he decided to turn over and hoped that the other side of the bed would be more comfortable. 

He did not find another pillow, instead, he rolled into the familiar, hard shape of James’ shoulder blades. The impact made his nose burn and he almost blinked his eyes open if it wasn’t for the sun that was already beading down on them like they were in Ibiza and not bloody Scotland. 

Sirius shifted and buried his face between James’ damp shirt. This, of course, started another train of thought that took him further and further away from unconsciousness. Why was James’ shirt damp? He took an investigative sniff and expected the sour smell of beer and vodka and whatever other spirits they’d excessively enjoyed the day prior being sweated out by the perpetually hot—in both senses of the word—James. 

But the smell didn’t come. Instead, he inhaled a nose full of petrichor, grass and the slight musk of a night’s out. 

He supposed that if anything was going to force him to open his eyes, this was going to have to be it. Sirius would simply have to find a different way of coping with the pounding in his head. With a bit of luck, this something was a full English and about three pints of strong Oolong with a generous swig of milk. 

Reluctantly, he willed his eyelids into squints against the morning sun assaulting them from over a hill. 

Now, this would not have been the first time that James and him would have woken up in a field somewhere after a night of too much fun. Though, generally speaking, they could at least see the pub they’d stumbled out of. 

Not this time. It was just a field and a singular highland cow staring at them from across the field, comfortably chewing cud. It seemed friendly enough. It had not woken them in the process of moo-dering them. Which Sirius appreciated. 

That did, however, not mean he wanted to stay in the field with the highland cow now that he had regained consciousness and sobriety brought back common sense.

“Prongs?” he croaked, clearing his while he pushed himself up into a proper sitting position. Sirius tried not to cringe as he started to feel the damp spots where his denim had started to absorb the morning. His fingers reached up to massage the burning soreness of his throat out and brushed past the tell-tale tenderness of a love bite on the soft part of his throat. 

Sirius cursed under his breath, the sound making James stir beside him. “Prongs?” he repeated and placed his hands on James’ side, trying to shake him awake when another odd sight caught his attention. 

If it hadn’t been for the colour, Sirius might not have, but he didn’t wear gold usually. So, the braided band stood out, glinting untarnished and new on the fourth finger of his right hand. He wasn’t sure why, but in that moment he remembered Lily telling him that wedding bands are worn on that finger because it is the only finger with a vein connecting it to the heart. 

His heart just so happened to be snoring, still. 

Sirius rubbed his eyes and rolled back his shoulders before giving James one last shove. “Wake up, or I’ll let the coo lick your face,” he threatened.

Finally, James’ snoring stopped and he stirred. “Yeah, yeah, just let me finish my dream,” he mumbled and turned around onto his stomach, exposing the bare small of his back and for just a moment, Sirius was fascinated with the dimples at the base of his spine. 

Sirius fought the urge to put his mouth on them and to let his mind wander beyond that. Those were not thoughts he should be entertaining in their current predicament. “Sorry, love, but I need you to move,” he protested, his cold fingers brushing along the exposed skin. 

James’s head jolted up, his head swivelling side to side wildly as he, too, took in their unorthodox surroundings. “Where are we?” 

The slight gravel in his voice did things to Sirius’s already acrobatic stomach and he had to take a deep breath before answering. “In a field, with a highland coo and I think—well, hope—Grenta Green is right over that hill there, I think,” he pointed, his eyes lingering on the gold glinting warmly against his pale knuckles. 

He was not the only one who noticed. James twisted to his side and grabbed a hold of the hand that had been pointing in the direction of the infamous village. “That’s new,” he commented and in a torturous display of self-control James slowly unfolded Sirius’s fingers, carefully bending them straight, one digit at a time. His palm pressed into Sirius’ and there he could see the singular gold band on James’ finger.

They both were silent for a moment, their hungover minds taking a while to process what they were seeing. 

“Where did you say we were again?” James asked after a moment of silence. 

Sirius sucked his teeth and pulled up one shoulder. “Gretna Green.” 

“Are you thinking what I am thinking?”

“Yeah,” Sirius sighed, his eyes honing in on the wedding bands, his lips pressed together. “You must have picked the rings, because I have better taste than that.” 

[orcusnoir]

The Chain's preferred cup of tea. Because I've lost my mind.

Sky: Chai, specifically the more "spicy" blends. It gets cold up in Skyloft, and the Skyloftians use it to warm themselves up.

Four: Black tea, but usually drinks coffee instead. Though he will enjoy a nice cup of Oolong.

Time: Herbal teas. Anything with dried berries, herbs, or flowers, and he's drinking it. It's a holdover from his time with the Kokiri, and it's not leaving him.

Twilight: Black tea, he doesn't have access to coffee like Four does. He's a rancher, he's gotta be up early.

Warriors: Green and Black tea, but his are really expensive and fancy because a captain's salary can afford it and dammit he deserves it.

Wind: Chai, for the same reasons as Sky, but he prefers the sweeter blends. He still mostly drinks rum and grog let's be honest.

Legend: If it's soothing and relaxing, he's drinking it. A lot of his blends aren't even from Hyrule these days.

Hyrule: Herbal teas like Time and Matcha for medicine. He's a healer, so of course he's got some medicinal teas on hand.

Wild: Yes. He just likes tea. He creates his own all the damn time. Once, he tried to make tea out of birch leaves.

Spirit: Black breakfast tea with cream and sugar.

[tracklessreason]

Reigen was VERY good at his previous job. Experienced, hard working, under consideration for a promotion. In the eyes of anyone functioning well under capitalism, his biggest failure was going from that to Spirits and Such.

He only reluctantly disagreed at first. Sure it was what he wanted to do, the first big choice he'd made for himself in a while, but at the end of the day he was sitting in a dark rented office alone, paying more for the space than he made in a month.

Things haven't changed much.

Serizawa leaves early for night school, Mob rarely visits and usually takes Dimple with him when he goes. The space feels quieter even because he's gotten used to the chatter during Tome's part time shifts. He asks Serizawa to turn off the lights when he goes for the day, feigning that he's closing up early. Instead, he sits in the dark until closing time, just like when he started out.

He wouldn't change it for the world.

There are photos of Mob graduating on his desk. His ashtray has had nothing but hard candies in it for months. The whole place smells like burnt Oolong because Tome is still learning how not to scald the leaves. When he sits back in his chair it doesn't squeak anymore because Serizawa took an afternoon to learn how to fix it. When the sun sets he can sometimes see the glow of Dimple passing by the window just to check on him.

None of them need Reigen in the way they used to, in the way he needs them. And that's OK. He's fine right where he is, being a stepping stone to push them to better things, better people. From where he sits every day he can see how far they've all come, how far they'll continue to go.

Even if they leave, he'll never shut S&S down. He's accepted this role as it is, and he cherishes it. Every person that walks through that door leaves something behind. He's built his life with those pieces.

[dragonflydestiny]

❃ Pick-a-card: Tea of Empowerment ❃

I hope this PAC find you well. My 3rd pick-a-card reading. This pick a card is about self empowerment. Pick a tea and let spirits/the divine tell you how powerful you are. Sometimes, life can get disappointing and things don't work out the way you'd hoped and in those times you can start to doubt yourself and your abilities. So it is natural to be insecure in those low moments. But it is more important to acknowledge those insecurities, accept them and alchemise them into your greatest strength. I hope this reading will do just that. Pick from 1-4 and remember who you truly are.

P.S. I would be very grateful if you could tip me, only if you have the means to. It would encourages me to do more. Thank you so much.

Disclaimer: This is meant as entertainment only. Takes only what resonates.

My Master List.

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Pile 1: Oolong Tea 🐉 (Drinking this tea may help you hone your power, you can also look up benefits of this tea)

You are someone who is connected to yourself. You know what it is that truly matters in this life. Even though life do tempts you, you still won’t take it for granted. Instead, you acknowledge how precious life is for you and always try your best to have gratitude. Even in discontentment, you still acknowledge the support you have around you, both from the people and from spirits. When you go through creative blocks or lacking in motivation, you don’t shame yourself for it. Through conflicts and confusions, even if everyone was against you, you are never against yourself. That’s what makes you powerful pile 1 and spirits are admiring you for this mindset.

Further more, you do not inflict pain to oneself or others. In the darkest times, where it seems like it would never end, you still believe in better days. Even if people around you do bring you chaos and try to take your hope from you. You still stand strong, that is your power. You don’t become jaded and you don’t think you are better than other people even if they did become jaded. You feel for them and hope that they will find their way again. You are very kind and very humble which makes you a powerful being. You are also always protected by other beings from other realms (Spirit guides, Angels, etc,).

In addition, in the mist of chaos, you can actually juggle it very well because of your organisational skills and what to prioritise. Even if sometimes you stumble, you’d always know how to get back to balance. You deal with the chaos of change really well and you also know how to balance work and rest so you won’t end up burning out. Like mentioned previously, you know what it is that truly matters in life. You go towards what you need and won’t let immature emotions (self-doubts, fears, ego, etc.,) getting in the way.

Spirits want to say that they are proud of you for working towards your personal growth. Even if it is uncomfortable and unfamiliar, know that you have their support. Any doubts or fears you have, you can send them over to your spirit guides for guidance. You can ask them for help and be receptive to those guidance. You are moving through the discomfort, for example; quitting a job, choosing a new career path or ending a relationship, know that it is because you want to grow. Even if your family, friends or whoever it is do not support your decision, know that you do and that’s what’s matter. You’re someone who’s not afraid to do the necessary work to develop true confidence and a sense of self. That’s is your personal power and it is very empowering.

Ultimately, as you continue to walk this path of personal growth, you would/will have the power to transform karma and become your best and brightest self. You will not back down from challenges and face the unknown head on because you will know that in both physicality and spiritually, you are strong. There's no obstacle you cannot overcome. You are the truth seeker who will harness the power that prevail all because you follow your heart.

Advice: 49. ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDLY. Express your love through actions. It could be for someone you love or for yourself.

Mood board for pile 1.

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Pile 2: Chamomile Tea 🌼 (Drinking this tea may help you hone your power, you can also look up benefits of this tea)

Pile 2, you are someone who has a clear vision. You know what you want, your dreams and your desires. Your strong vision and clarity makes you one of the most powerful manifestors. Without clouds, without doubts, you solidify your truest dreams. You would never let anyone or anything stand in the way of your dreams. You are someone who is decisive and when you make up your mind, there is no stopping you. It is very powerful if you decide to go towards your dreams. For example, if you dream of becoming an actor/actress, you will not give up until you achieve it.

You won't just see the rose-coloured view of that dream/goal either. You see both sides, the ideal and the reality. You face the truth no matter how hard it is. And by accepting and admitting your wildest dream/wish you don't deny yourself the truth. This mindset makes you have that eternal hope and nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Another power that you have is the ability to overcome obstacles. If time is one of your obstacles, you will overcome that too. You know that you don't work alone, you know that you are co-creating with the universe. You are someone who is loyal and dedicated to the things that you decide to work on whether it'd be work or personal/relationship growth. But you don't take on unnecessary burdens and grip on too tight onto these goals.

Your patience is one of the most powerful tools and time would only reveal the rewards of your hard work. Even if you don't have the necessary tools/knowledge to do something, you don't give up but you will wait for the right opportunities to gather the necessary tools to continue cultivating your empire.

Another power you hold is that you have an open mind, even if you know what you want, you are not too rigid in your thinking. You don't think that you are always right, you will listen to others opinions and suggestions. You don't listen only to your mind but your heart as well. You are not too stubborn to the point where it will hinder your growth, no, your thoughts are flexible but not too easily sway or tempted.

The things that you strive for, the things that you hold dear i.e. your truest wish, they are not shallow or superficial. It is not just status, money or material gain. It is more than that, it is your purpose, your calling, a part of your soul essence. It is a journey towards your truest self, your home, cultivating a sense of self-trust. This is your power.

You are connected to the deeper truths of life, no matter where it will leads, you are not afraid to take. The life experience and knowledge you collect along the way will be your greatest achievements and it will help tell your story. You understand that whatever you are going through, it is part of life, part of a great story and you are the main protagonist.

And finally, your perception is your greatest assets, your mind becomes your most powerful tool as you are on your way to the highest enlightenment letting go of egotistic mindset. With your ability to see the truth clearly and the courage to pursue your passion makes you the most powerful creative being, expressing your creativity and desire without shame and guilt because you honour your expression.

Advice: 40. BE IN THE PRESENT AND DREAM OF THE FUTURE. When we dream, everything is possible.

Mood board for pile 2.

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Pile 3: Peppermint tea 🌿 (Drinking this tea may help you hone your power, you can also look up benefits of this tea)

For pile 3, you overcome a lot of hardship and obstacles. You always come out of hard times victoriously. Like a warrior coming back from wars, you manage to win every battles and you win them with fairness and integrity. What makes you powerful is when you are in a difficult situation or a dark period of your life, you do not jeopardise your morality. There is honour in how you fight demons. You don't stoop low to their level and get your hands dirty. Most importantly, you don't let yourself become jaded and apathetic. You always look back at those dark times with gratitude.

What makes you more powerful is your foresight, you'd always see a better future so you don't dwell too much on the past. You are certain that it is only up from here and you will do anything to recover lifting your spirit. You battle your negative emotions with your sharp mind and perception bringing in the clarity needed. Nothing can cloud your judgement when you have the knowledge and experience. Every lessons learned are tools under your belt for future victories. There is nothing you can't conquer and you know this. Unlike others, you don't give yourself a hard times, there is only room for constructive criticism, never unnecessary reprimanding. This trait makes you powerful avoiding unneeded self victimisation and self pity.

Another trait that makes you powerful is that you are in your power, you are complete. You feel home within yourself, you acknowledge this and celebrate this. You worked on yourself, confronted your shadows and the deep hidden wounds from the past. You delve into the dark and face your fears where you address your anxiety with kindness, reasons and acceptance. You address your self doubts with reassurance. You are not afraid to look yourself in the mirror and accept who it is that you see in front of you. You accept yourself for who you are, destroying the guilt and the shame that was place upon you by external influences.

You are not afraid to see and confront what fears is holding you back. You would find out if it's the fear of abandonment, fear of success, or both or other types of fears that have been hindering you. You would bring awareness and illuminate the type of fear you are dealing with then you would take the next practical step and work through those fears. Thus, once you know what fear to confront, you will work on it patiently and persistently and would come out victorious.

And sometime, you might even have fun with doing these shadow work. These darkness fuel your creativity, your life's poetry metaphorically or literally if you are a writer. Because you know darkness, you can appreciate the light and life is much more flavourful.

What makes you even more powerful is when you are in your lowest of lows, you never lost your loving nature. A beauty from both within and radiating outwards. People around you love this sense of grace and calmness you exudes. With so much hardness in this world, you brought a sense of softness and tenderness that is full of gentleness and compassion. Because you hold the wisdom of the divine within you, you know that you are part of the divine, the universe's will. Divinity runs through your vein.

Your faith in the higher power makes you hone your power and align to your higher self. A strong relationship exists between you and the divine. A strong third eye, you see beyond this dimension, this timeline. You see into the future, again, your foresight is highlighted, with your strong intellect and intuition. You are powerful because you know you hold the deepest wisdom and you are not afraid to use them.

Advice: 13. MIRACLES AND BLESSING. Everything has its gift. Recognise and accept the blessings that have occurred in your life.

Mood board for pile 3.

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Pile 4: Black Tea 🌑 (Drinking this tea may help you hone your power, you can also look up benefits of this tea)

Pile 4, you went through so much hardships and burdens. The journey had been difficult. It made you feel like you've been climbing up a mountain carrying heavy rocks. These responsibility and burdens you're carrying, most of it is not even yours. There are too much responsibility you've taken or someone has given to you that is making your connection with your intuition a bit hard to access. You have a powerful intuition and strong psychic wisdom pile 4. But to be able to access it you have to sit in stillness, sit in silence and listen. Put down those misplaced burdens and instead of climbing, it is time to fly.

It is always those who are the most powerful that tend to suppress their power because they know subconsciously the influence and impact they hold, could do to themselves and to the people around them. With that being said, I can see that you are a very powerful being but most of your powers are hidden. Whether subconsciously or consciously, you kept your power hidden. You actually have psychic power that allows you to see potential futures. But you might suppress this because it scares you. Before, you'd only see 'bad' futures. These 'bad' futures you saw might be a result of the people surrounding you. Your environment may be full of pessimistic and negative people and their self fulfilling prophecy. That is not favourable in term of how it would influence and affects your psychic ability. However, if you actually try to see your predictions for what it is, you will be able to predict more realistic futures that are not so extremely 'good' or 'bad' but more factual and genuine.

What makes you powerful is that you have the potential to envision the future, like a visionary, you get a peak into the unknown. You can see potential futures where all your goals and desires come true. A way of life you always wanted to live. But your insight is not shortcoming. In addition to the vision, you also posses the ability and capability to critically assess those views. These skills would ground your vision and materialise them into the 3D.

You are honest with yourself and others about these visions you see. You'd know if it's just a groundless dream or a potential one. You'd observe your surrounding, your present moment, actions, details, and patterns. These clues aids you to asses if the vision you see can come true. This makes you powerful, therefore, your judgement have never been wrong, both the good ones and the not so good ones. Your judgement have always been right whether the people around you listen or not, you are always right. Sometime spooking people, they might think that you can actually see the future which genuinely, you can.

Whether people believe you or not, that's not your problem. You know yourself and over time you learn to trust your own judgement and discern accurately what's to come. These help you to be ready and adapt to take on whatever that will transpire while also simultaneously accessing alternate future outcomes that may be better. It is very hard to blind sided you pile 4 and that makes you powerful.

Your discernment is also what makes you powerful. You don't give away your time, your love or your energy easily. Now you know better, people need to earn your energy with respect and gratitude. Even though your cup of love is pure and authentic, it is very exclusive and hard to come by. If people are overlooking it then it is their loss. However, not only that it is hard for you to love, the opposite is also true. It's hard for you to 'unlove' as well. If you deem that person is worth your love you will be very loyal, 'do or die' type of energy. You would stick to that person till the end, never letting them go no matter what happens. This makes you a powerful friend and frightening enemy.

Another trait that makes you powerful is your enthusiasm for life. You are self-reliant and can handle hard challenges with ease. That may be why people come to you with their burdens. Again, do not take it if you don't want to. You are an independent, responsible individual who takes care of your own things. In truth, you carry so much wisdom within and can achieve far in this life. You might love travelling and have a lust for faraway lands. You heal and impact a lot of people that come into contact with you. You help ease their burdening path with your light and playful energy redirecting them towards a more favourable futures potentials.

But people tend to underestimate your impact and intelligent, thus, please remember not to underestimate your own power. Know this, most people you meet, they would need you more than you would need them. It's because you are so capable alone, literally, you can reach the stars. But because you are kind and you understand the law of oneness, you are willing to help those in need. Therefore, your existence alone is already very powerful.

Lastly, it is very important for you to release and lessen your load more. You are a strong and capable person who can take on a lot but that doesn't mean you should. Self-care, self prioritisation, rest and rejuvenation is very important for you and would make your power more potent.

Advice: 21. CHOOSE LOVE. You always have choice - make yours with love. It is because you are very powerful being, your choice have more weight and impact on those around you.

Advice: 9. SLOW DOWN. Pause and allow things to unfold.

Mood board for pile 4.

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[mysticwolfshadows]

Taken - Zutara - Part 82

First / Previous / Next / Masterpost

Leaving the Fire Nation in his uncle's hands was easy. Preparing to leave the Fire Nation so soon after becoming Fire Lord was hell.

He had a hundred things to finalize, his bags still needed to be packed, and Uncle was handing out more and more tea.

"Remember your blood pressure, Nephew," Uncle said, as he passed Zuko what must have been his sixth cup of oolong. "Everything will be fine."

His eye twitched as he quickly chugged the drink. If he sat with it to long, he would start thinking about... And he couldn't get distracted.

While sorting through various Fire Nation tomes, Zuko had stumbled upon various hidden chambers. One had been in his fathers room, where he found a collection of war prizes from the other nations. Air Nomad robes, old Earth Kingdom armor, even a few Water Tribe pelts. He had wrapped up each one, and had put in a pile where his own bags were supposed to go.

The scribes were still replicating almost three dozen texts from the private library. A bit of everything. Some Fire Sage scrolls, a children's story, Love Amongst the Dragons, and some scrolls on Fire Nation history. The last one had to be corrected in some places, of course.

When it was finally time to leave, Zuko had realized he still hadn't gotten his things together. He'd thrown everything he could think of into a bag, and had to hope he had everything he needed.

"And you'll check on Azula?" Zuko was saying, as Suki was physically pulling him to the airship. "And for the love of Agni, Uncle, please no tea holidays. There's too much already going on, I can't come back to extra paperwork, please."

"Nephew," Uncle said, far too easily for Zuko's taste. He pat Zuko's shoulder, helping Suki steer him away. "I will take good care of our country. Please, go. Have fun. Say hello to Chief Hakoda for me."

Finally, he was pushed into the new airship. It had the main structure as the war ships, but was simplified and meant more for transport than offense. It had been one of the side projects he had organized, to give soldiers coming back from the war front jobs until they were able to find work elsewhere. The 'Soldier Career Relocation Project', as his ministers were calling it, was going outstandingly well. Farms were doing great, schools were reporting a massive decrease in firebending injuries, and with the number of jobs offered to reverse damages done by his father, their unemployment was at an all time low.

The airship was definitely still slower than Appa, though, and they were already behind schedule when Zuko called for them to change course to fly over the Si Wong Desert.

"Are you sure?" Suki asked, as the captain quickly directed the airship over the scorching desert. "We're already going to be late."

"There's something I have to do," Zuko explained. He was using a telescope to search for a lone tower rising from the sand. "And it's better to get this done sooner rather than later."

Suki, seeming to sense his displeasure at his coming task, decided not to ask further. She stood to one side, using her fan to keep herself cool.

When Zuko spotted the tower, he urgently ordered the airship over. He asked everyone to stay put, a platform with all the Fire Nation scrolls and texts lowered with him. Zuko and Suki went down, the Kyoshi Warrior staying on the platform, where she barely had room to stand.

Zuko repelled down into the library on his own. He didn't bother to wait for the spirit to show itself before attaching the rope to one of the pillars. There was a rustling of feathers already coming closer.

"You have returned," Wan Shi Tong said, sounding almost annoyed. "Was what you found not to your satisfaction?" A pause. "What are you doing?"

"Keeping my word," Zuko said. Once he was sure the rope was taut, he cupped his hands around his mouth, and called up to the window. "Suki! Start sending them down!"

There was a moment of silence, before a package was sailing down the line on a double ended hook. Zuko caught it before it could hit the pillar. He didn't bother opening it, instead lifting it off the improvised zip line, and setting it aside so he could catch the next. And then the next, and the next, and even more after that.

All the while, Wan Shi Tong watched on.

"What is this?" the spirit asked, once there were twenty or so packages set on the floor.

"I told you the last time I was here," Zuko said, bowing to the bird, "that I would bring back Fire Nation texts if we survived. Well, the comet is tomorrow, and the world is working towards peace."

"And what do ask for in return?" Even as the spirit sounded annoyed, he was using one claw to gently prod a package open to reveal a mix of scrolls and books.

"I ask for nothing," Zuko said, untying the rope. "It was only thanks to your library that we were able to make it as far as we have. It's a gift."

"If there are as many in each, this collection must be around two hundred texts. A pitiful collection, to be sure, but greater than we had. You would give this without asking anything in return?"

Doing his best to keep his voice calm, Zuko nodded. "Yes. Now, I'm leaving."

With a bow, Zuko started to scale the wall, leaving Wan Shi Tong with his new collection. When he reached the top, Suki helped him steady himself on the platform. It was already dark.

"This is where we learned about the eclipse," Zuko explained, as he and Suki were pulled up into the airship again. "I promised a favor as we were leaving."

She didn't press for more, instead settling back into her spot as his right hand. Ty Lee had stayed behind to help Uncle keep an eye on Azula.

When they finally reached Ba Sing Se, it was just after dawn on the day of the opening ceremony, nearly a full day after Zuko said he would arrive. There was a bit of a hold up, where Zuko had to go down and talk to General How at the first wall, before they were directed to take the airship to the edge of the farm ring. From there, Zuko, his luggage, and his staff would all take a trolley to the palace ring.

Everyone was still tired from the early morning arrival, and Zuko was yawning as he stepped off the trolley almost an hour later. He was hoping he could sneak a nap in at some point.

That is, until there was a shout.

"Zuko!"

He snapped up, wide awake, as he turned to find a girl in red and blue jogging down the palace steps towards him.

Katara.

First / Previous / Next / Masterpost

[girlnephew]

saw somebody earlier say that not a lot of good music came out this year which pissed me off so bad i hopped on topsters and made a list of my top 25 albums of the 2024

Glass Beach - Plastic Death

Ivy Sinthetic - meaningless off-screen death

Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk

Julie - my anti-aircraft friend

Mannequin Pussy - I Got Heaven

Uboa - Impossible Light

MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks

Horse Jumper of Love - Disaster Trick

Hooky - Mirage

Your Arms are My Coccoon - death of a rabbit

Death's Dynamic Shroud - You Like Music

Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future

Armand Hammer - We Buy Diabetic Test Strips

Her New Knife - chrome is lullaby

Hakushi Hasegawa - Mahougakkou

femtanyl - REACTOR

Mount Eerie - Night Palace

Elizabeth Sanctuary Welding School for Girls - Plastic Double

Spirit of the Beehive - You'll Have to Lose Something

Charli XCX - brat

Dutchmasters - substation, my home. melancholy, my bride,

Ogbert the Nerd - What You Want

Haley Heynderickx - Seed of a Seed

Oolong - Oolong

Black Dresses - LAUGHINGFISH

[tumblingxelian]

When should a work focus on side characters? That's something of a weird discourse I bump into a lot in Fandom and I'm wondering if this happened to you before.

Oooh this is a fun question and while broadly the answer is "Whatever works best for the story" I feel a more precise answer would be:

"Whenever your story advertises itself as an ensemble cast, a team series or as giving focus to secondary characters it should follow through."

A great example of having done this and then forgotten how is Dragon Ball.

The first storyline is very much a steadily expanding team up, IE:

Bulma brings the techno brains, Goku brings the brawn and the good heart, Oolong brings shape shifting & sneakiness. & while not team members till near the end, Yamcha is a blend of smart and strong, IE he knows a helluva lot more than anyone else in the team about various lore & locations.

Puar's really the only one without much to do save bounce exposition off, but overall pretty solid. It even ends up being Oolong who saves the world, technically. But everyone contributes a decent amount at different times.

Compare that to say, the Fortune Teller Baba fights & you see a shift.

Cos yes, Oopa and Puar defeat Fangs & Yamcha takes down the Invisible Man & at least put up a fight against Mummy Man, but ultimately...

Goku could have solo-ed the entire rung of fighters with no sweat, literally the only challenge was his own grandfather who none of the team could have fought anyway.

This trend continues with other fighters basically existing to stall and or fail so Goku (& one time Gohan) can be more impressive when they show up to deal with the current villain.

Despite this, it still advertised itself as having or needing a team.

IE, yes Goku is the MC, but its Son Goku & his Friends, getting big splash pages & set up as the one's fighting off threats.

Honestly a big part of the reason for this problem is Goku was never really allowed to genuinely lose. He won the first Budokai "In spirit" by eating the prize money, only lost on technicality in the second. Then after that they had to concoct reasons to keep him out of the way until Cell, then brought him right back for Buu. A series where the MC always has to win is always going to struggle with making its secondary characters feel relevant.

This shouldn't have become a Dragon Ball Diatribe but its a useful reference point being a sequential series one can track the evolution of compared to say, Miraculous Ladybug. IE, a series that could never decide if it was the Ladybug show, the Ladybug & Chat Noir show or a team show.

Ultimately, I feel my first answer holds up, with an added caveat, so in answer to your question:

When should a series focus on its secondary characters?

Answer: Whenever it advertises itself as intending to and it serves the story.

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

UMMM UM I'M SORRY TO DO THIS BUT UHH

HOBIE x SPIRITUAL!OC

HOBIE X BLACK!OC THAT'S LIKE ERYKAH BADU

Do you see it do you see it

Like an incense-burning super-calm natured, grounded, centered black sista

They both have natural hair she compliments him on all the time. In fact, it was one of the first things she said to him - and it stuck with Hobie. Hardly anyone compliments his hair - that like that.

To others, his hair 'interesting' or at most 'stylish'. But he's never had someone call his hair beautiful, or healthy, or inspiring.

She's like 'brotha you need to put me onto what you're on' because seeing Hobie with hair so free and thriving in the world is something so rare and valuable

And her saying that sticks with him so much.

She talks JUST as cryptically as he does.

Most of the things she says are almost phrased like poems. Always dropping little nuggets of knowledge about spirit and racism and balance

Lots of time she'll make references to poems, of quote lines of books from black female writers like Maya Angelou.

She sees him after a long day, telling him 'Look at you, giving a caged bird a reason to sing'

Their conversations sound confusing as FUCK. Hobie and her are always talking in metaphors and making jokes referencing leftist thinkers

They're very into black love.

They bond over literature written by black anti-apartheid thinkers in South Africa, she teaches him how to celebrate Kwanzaa - after Hobie spent years ignoring the holidays (bad memories)

She probably plays the guitar or the bass, but her music is the opposite of his. Hers is the 'smoke sesh' type of slow lofi. Full of hypnotic soothing cards and whisper vocals. Just a politically charged, just as socially concious

She's a lot more spiritual than him, and it's something he has to get used to.

It takes him a bit.

She's ALWAYS burning incense. She'll tuck one behind her air and forget about it, she only wears Earth and jewel tones.

Her house is stacked high with nonfiction books, and she's the only one who can make his cup of tea better than he can - she even got him into green tea. Now he knows what oolong is. What the hell

Sure she makes him take off his boats EVERYTIME he comes over - and was horrified the first time he just walked up in her place with them on - he's still over there all the time.

It's one place he knows he can find calm, or feel safe.

To be honest, she's probably not into his music too much.

She's not into the big crowds and big speakers and drinking at the venues.

She loves hearing HIM play. She doesn't need the bright lights or vocalists or drummers or any of it at all-

Instead she'll just sit on the floor of his boathouse, barefoot and criss cross as she watches him strum away.

And she ADORES when he plays accoustic - something he'll do exclusively for her

The DYNAMIC THE DYNAMIC OKAY

She's not a Spider person. She's a helper in this world too, but she'd rather be a healer than a hero.

It's how she keeps her peace. She's a lot more quiet and soft-spoken than him, but not because she's shy. She's just chilling. Fully committed to never letting no one stress her over NOTHING

Half the time Hobie will be joking or messing or playfully teasing her and she'll be like 'Boy, stop stressing me out.'

And when he's pushed to the edge, full of anger and bitterness and resent at the world, at what they're forced to, by the responsibility he carriers - she's always there to rub circles into his shoulders, putting a record on the player as she fixes them some tea.

He doesn't believe in all that mystic shit, not that much.

The first time he went to her place he raised an eyebrow, asking about her supposed 'rock collection'.

'Those are crystals.'

She explains what they are, and why she keeps them. How she uses them in her spiritual work. He thinks it's a load of bullocks.

Does he actually think this hunk of clear rock is going to 'purify' anything in a world like theirs? NO.

He won't say it, but she can read his vibes like a book.

But she explains that - regardless of all that - most of her crystals were taken from the motherland. And that she's happy having them, it's a way to reclaim a bit of the land they all were taken from.

When he asks what the hell is motherland is she's like

'Africa, Hobie.'

They have some interesting conversations. They were the world VERY VERY differently, but they always see eye-to-eye eventually.

He may not believe in it, but he believes in her.

And when he's at the end of his rope, coming to get place beat to hell and back - and she puts on that incense, the sound of her music hypnotic and sedative - he can't help but feel like he's lost in that world with her.

Hobie believes in anarchy, in all things. He'd love to think that the universe has it all figured out, that everything is in perfect balance as is - but he's not buying it.

And yet sometimes she seems so sure, and so grounded, that he can't help but fall back on her. And she's okay with it, that's what she's there for.

She's happy to exist in silence with him, quietly teaching him the difference between Frankincense and Myrrh incense, the historical uses and how to tell the difference.

She gives him small gifts if things she's made - Florida Water (the spiritual cologne not literal Florida water 😭) for him to use as protection, a cowrie shell bracelet, herbal tea blends made by hand.

She sews up holes in his vest or suit, humming quietly as he lays on the floor, soul food cooking on the stove

DO YOU FEEL THE VIBES DO YOU DO YOU

He's fire and brimstone and loud guitar solos. She's wind and earth, and meditation sessions. She's not a pacifist and she doesn't judge

Despite being two very different people, who approach life in two very different ways, they still find themselves on the same path of wanting to help people

HOBIE AND A SPIRITUAL SISTA. HOBIE AND A BLACK!HIPPIE!READER. PLEASE. I BEG OF YOU.

LET HOBIE FIND PEACE

[dorothygale123]

I haven't talked about Dragon Ball recently, so why not?

As we have established, Bulma is Tripitaka and Oolong is obviously Pigsy/Zhu Baijie, and Goku is famously Sun Wukong, so what about Sandy/Sha Wujing and the dragon horse/Bai Long Ma/Ao Lie?

Behold, Sha Wujing, former celestial General and fierce warrior!

I kid, I kid. Yamcha was actually Goku's rival when he was introduced even if he was never actually a threat. It is ironic that he was a desert bandit when Sha Wujing was a river spirit, though. Which just leaves Puar to be Ao Lie, as he's just there to be cute and sell plushies.

BEHOLD, THE GREAT COMOANIONS!

Sh*tpost Masterlist

[squibbles-gubwee]

Sgshsvsb Well!! It's been a slow day at work so i worked on this lmao. I hope you enjoy. @tmntredline @0ddbugs @coffinpal

"Who's this little friend?"

Cool eyes blinked and looked up, spotting a particular peachy furred mutant. She smiled at Rook, and he looked back down, studying the tangerine-coloured leg being stitched onto the green body. He pulled the needle through, before prodding the seam with thick fingers and frowning. He doubled back to take care of the too-large holes he left behind with messy stitches.

"Hello again, Master Splinter. I uh… It's a cattywampus..."

"A cattywampus?"

Splinter sat down, a chair's distance between the two as she watched the man pick up the needle back up and immediately poke his thumb. The mother had snuck off this way when she spotted the blue haired human, and…well, while she wasn't using him for his access to tea, she wouldn't deny her appreciation for it. 

Her eyes flicked over towards the two paper cups from the concessions full of hot water. One was already steeping with an oolong, and there were three tea bag sachets laid out for her to choose from. 

…Did he expect her to follow him? Or was this just in case she surprised him with a visit?

(Honestly, she was a bit surprised herself. She hadn't known their group was watching this competition as well!)

"Yeah! It's, um…well, growin' up, it was like…a mish-mash monster. A beast of broken parts. I had one with floppy ears and six legs that my grandmother made for me. Lots are made from old torn up stuffies, instead of throwin' em out." The wonky, unfinished plush was lifted up, and its boxy head flopped to the side. Rook's nose scrunched in thought. "Probably for the best that it's uh…kinda messy. I think the last time I'd sewn something was in my teens…"

"How do you keep finding these breakrooms you aren't likely supposed to be in, hm?" Splinter gave a wry grin as she slid a cup closer and grabbed the cinnamon rooibos chai.

The bulky man gestured vaguely to his faux leg. "I just say I need to remove it and people give me space. Mais…I, uh, do need it off for a bit. It's killing my hip. Are you alright with…?"

Splinter waved the notion off quickly, and the human sighed in relief as he released the prosthetic limb, removing it and setting the leg on the chair opposite of him.

"Thanks. I guess a storm's coming."

"It's no trouble, do whatever makes you feel comfortable."

The two lapsed back into quiet, the fawn-furred lady taking in the moment of quiet as the navy-haired therapist turned the toy this way and that. Tang Shen took a sip of her tea, frowned, and allowed it to steep a while longer. She wished she had a bit of milk to pair with it, but it seemed fine without.

Rook liked that about Master Splinter. Normally he was painfully awkward around other folks his age. Working with kids and teens all day every day did that to you. But she was quite easy to talk to. The silences weren't harsh, and he had no real pressure to talk. She laughed when he said something about rug time instead of sneering.

(It's why he decided to just keep quiet about what he saw in that hall. He hadn't meant to find her, and instead decided space would be what the distressed woman most likely need. So, he kept quiet, and he would keep quiet.)

"So, why a cattywampus?" 

If she were closer to the human, she'd tease him for the red that bloomed on his face. 

"Well…They're sorta like gargoyles."

Her whiskers twitched at that. "Oh? How so?"

"Well, gargoyles are supposed to protect places and ward off evil, no? It's why they're on so many old buildings and stuff. Catawampus are kinda like that. They're supposed to protect their owners by scaring off bad spirits because they're tataille- creepy little monsters."

"He's going to be a pretty poor cattywampus, then. He's adorable."

Rook snickered at that. "Eh, I think he'll do just fine. I also stuffed a satchel of lavender in his belly. Put a silica pouch in it to keep the buds dry."

"Oh my, I thought that was your tea!" She gasped, gingerly taking the little beast. "How cute. He's sure to make one of your sons happy."

The red haired woman heard a choked noise and looked back over, laughing a bit at how Rook seemed to get embarrassed again. "I-T-gh. Th. They are not my sons."

"Aren't they?"

"No. Heaven's sake, miss, I'm just their therapist."

There was a knowing look in the woman's eye, but she opted not to say anything. After all, no therapist she knew of would do something like let their patients take them on an interdimensional trip to watch a bake off or a hockey game. Instead, she acquiesced, and quietly sipped her tea, brushing a strand of ruddy hair from her face.

He'd figure it out eventually.

"Still. Whichever one that's for, he's sure to love it."

The human hummed as he doubled back and reworked another seam of the half-stuffed creature. He still needed to make sure to put the rest of the fillings in later. He'd hide the fill seam with the bat wings he did up. "I hope so. I worry it's a little too childish…"

"Well… I like him," Splinter hummed, the tip of her tail hooking around the strap of Rook's bag and pulling it closer to him when she saw him reach. "I think he's a charming gift! You put a lot of care into him. Besides, I don't think something is childish just because it's a cute toy."

Rook smiled a bit as he fished out the large buttons he found that he thought would make good eyes. "Yeah…I guess you're right."

Days later (Days? had it been days? time moved so strangely in these places...) while she was heading back to the locker room, Tang Shen spotted her sons behaving perfectly normally. Leonardo was reviewing dance moves, Michelangelo was talking about baking and ratios with Donatello, and Raphael was wrapping his knees. Perfectly normal.

Perfectly suspicious.

Narrowing her eyes some, the mother stared for a moment. Leo started bouncing his leg. Mikey smiled wider. Donatello's eyes widened a bit, looking more innocent. Raphael turned his head away and went to wrap his other knee.

Perfectly guilty. They were up to something. Shen would find out what it was after she changed into some clothes she could bake in-

She could smell lavender.

Deft, clawed fingers opened the metal latch of the locker-

…only for her vermillion eyes to lock with large, slightly skewed, butterscotch yellow ones. A smudge of red below each one made her think of the red lines she and her sons were so well known for (apparently), and the tangerine stripes on the thick plush tail matched the mismatched legs.

Delicately, Master Splinter plucked the cattywampus plush up, looking over the stitches that made up the zig-zag mouth on his mint-coloured head. He was much fuller, with a bit of a pleasing heft to him. Her heightened hearing could pick up the soft, rain-like sound of small beads tumbling over one another in part of his belly and legs. The floral smell was much stronger now, but not unbearably so. She opened the velcro hidden under his tiny wings and found where Rook had tucked away the pouch of dried buds.

How utterly sweet.

"I have the perfect name for you," Splinter hummed, lifting the creature up so she could look into those yellow buttons and jaggedy smile. The big eyes gleamed in the fluorescent lights, and her own crinkled from her smile.

"King."

[snotsloth]

Orion D'Oschon

— B A S I C S

Name: Orion D'Oschon

Nicknames: Rion (mostly G'raha), Legs or Specs (mostly Kendra)

Age: 30ish

Nameday: 19th Sun of the 5th Astral Moon

Race: Xaela

Gender: Cis Male

Orientation: Bisexual

Profession: Warrior of Light, Aetherologist, part-time Historian, Botanist

— P H Y S I C A L     A S P E C T S

Hair: Burnt Umber (Very dark reddish brown), kept short except for a section of braids along his right temple. Orion's hair is very thick and dense, giving a matte or velvet effect in the light.

Eyes: Amber with golden limbal rings

Skin: Umber (a bit lighter than his hair but in the same color family)

Tattoos/scars: He's got a pretty big scar running down his left leg from the fight with Zenos in Rhalger's Reach, small surgical scars around his knees from where he had to have reconstructive work done after Endwalker, and a small Mol clan tattoo on his inner wrist.

— F A M I L Y

Parents: Dolgoon Qestir (father) and Odsetseg Mol (mother). Both are alive and well and living in Ul'Dah. They also use the D'OSchon surname in Eorzea.

Siblings: None.

Grandparents: Temulun Mol

In-laws and Other: Cousin - Cirina Mol. Various other cousins, aunts, and uncles within the Mol tribe. No In-laws, Kendra doesn't have any living family.

Pets: Birdlegs (chocobo), Lily (Eos, she's not a pet, but she's important and I wanted to list her), Walpole (a very bitchy Carbuncle).

— S K I L L S

Abilities: SCH main (Scholar questline is canon for him), aetherology (he started his work with the Scions as Y'shtola's personal assistant), experienced and competent field medic, unique echo manifestation gives him the ability to see the flow of aether around him in a synesthesia-like effect.

Hobbies: Reading, astrology (learned from his mom), botany and gardening, botanical drawing, alchemy, helping Kendra in the kitchen, knitting, letter writing.

— T R A I T S

Most Positive Trait: Orion has an inquisitive mind. His desire, not only to know but to fully understand phenomena has led him to several ground-breaking discoveries. And he does not hoard knowledge. He'll enthusiastically share his findings with anyone who cares to listen. He is also just as inquisitive and keen to understand in social situations, making him an empathetic and open-minded person in general.

Most Negative Trait: Orion has a deep-seated distrust of governments and other institutions of traditional authority. This is not without reason, or even some merit, but it can make him difficult to work with when it comes to large-scale endeavors. His words or actions have nearly cost the Scions a deal more than once.

— L I K E S

Colors: Blue, especially woad, ink, and rhotano blue / Green / White / Warm browns / Metalics, especially gold.

Smells: Sandalwood, cedar, oolong tea, jasmine (reminds him of Kendra's perfume), libraries and well-preserved old paper, and morning fog in the Dravanian highlands.

Textures: The downy fur of Kendra's ears / yarn spun from the karakul of the Azim Steppe / well-loved leather-bound books / smooth, expertly-blown alchemical glassware.

Drinks: Tea, especially oolong or pu-erh. If Orion does not have access to actual pu-erh, he will make an equivalent with the darkest Sharlayan-style tea blend he can find, a custom blend of additives he will not divulge, and karakul milk. Just tasting it once put Urianger in a sickbed for two days. / Botanical spirits such as gin and aperitifs. He's even made a few himself.

— O T H E R    D E T A I L S

Smokes: Medicinally smokes whatever variety of moko grass gets you stoned. He will also occasionally smoke tobacco socially, especially cigars.

Drinks: An adventurous but moderate drinker. He'll try anything at least once. He can occasionally be cajoled into heavier indulgence but that's abated as he's gotten older.

Drugs: There have been a few controlled "experiments" over the years.

Mount Issuance: Birdlegs is his primary mount that travels with him almost everywhere. The dusky, gigantic chocobo has become a bit of a legend in her own right. However, he does also technically have a yol as well, but has entrusted Cirina with his care because there's just not enough room on any of his properties for a bird of that size.

Been Arrested: For a mild-mannered professor type, Orion has been arrested so many times.

Tagged by:@ardberts🤍 tyyyy! Tagging: @physicalvocalist@sarenraegalpaladin@janzoo@airis-ray@ae-fond-seeker@captainqster@koijikido@adina--astra@iron-sparrow Sorry if you've already done this or been tagged before! I tried to pick mutuals I hadn't seen this from yet.

[radiosquad]

craft fair haul

nudibranch stickers by Shy Seagulls

lethal company stickers by A Hint Of Oolong

pride angels by UltraInfinite

bearded dragon by Derptiles

potion shaker charm by Le Spirit Designs