#apprentice delphi

[ghoulfriendfangs]

•─ Midsummer ☾ Masquerade ─•

Day Two: Baths with Delphi

{wc: 570} {top/dom!mc, bottom/sub!Delphi, ga!mc}

After an exhausting start to the masquerade, you drag Delphi to the bathhouse

This fic is a part of @the-midsummer-masquerade

     You’ve lost track of hours spent dancing and rutting. Though you had promised yourself that you’d take it slow at first, you’ve once again gotten swept up in the excitement of the lustful celebration.

  But then again, how could you not, when Delphi is your date?

  The magician is so passionate, so carefree. They know what they want and are unafraid to grab it. Though Vesuvia is already rather sex-positive, there’s still a level of shyness when it comes to attending the infamous masquerade. You might for example run into an old friend making it awkward, and there may be one or two bad apples who tease you despite the otherwise welcoming environment. But Delphi is unafraid. Delphi wants to go out and get dirty, they don’t care who tries to stop their fun, and just being by their side makes you brave too. 

  But at the end of night two, it doesn’t make your feet less sore, or your back less tight, or your eyes less droopy. You’re beat, and yet Delphi is still excitedly running around like they could go long into night 3 without rest.

  “Delphi, maybe it’s time to cool down.”

  “Huh? Oh- yeah! After we try out the Midnight Room! It’s pitch black, so it enhances other senses!”

  “The Midnight Room will still be there tomorrow. How about we head to the baths? Nadia was very kind to let us use her private spa, after all.”

  “Huh? But we can do that tomorrow too!”

  You didn’t want to say it but…

  “Delphi. You are stinky. You are very stinky.”

  “…so?”

  “When you’re stinky you need to bathe!”

  “I thought you liked my musk,” they pout.

  “Bath. Now.”

  “Oooooh you’re using your dom voice? Haha, okay then. We can take a bath.”

  Nadia’s bathhouse is as immaculate as ever. The scents of rare flowers and salts fill your lungs. Delphi marvels at her collection.

  “Woahhh, these are eucalyptus leaves! In baths, they’re good for sore muscles, but I can use them to make potions that make you focus! Nahida’s so smart, no wonder she has so much of it…”

  You smile, “see? I knew you’d like the bath house.”

  You walk up to them, and start to rub their shoulders. They sigh, immediately relaxing a bit. Their shoulders are tense, but the tension quickly melts under your hands. You loop your fingers under each strap, and quickly remove their robes. The silk fabric falls around them, leaving them naked.

  You continue to rub down their back, calming them and soothing their spirit. Then, you take their hand, kiss it, and lead them to the bathtub.

  They groan as you massage shampoo into their head, nails scratching against their scalp. They sink into the water so much, you have to pull them up to be able to lather their body with soap. They blush as you pay special attention to their chest, and under their arms.

  “Can’t get enough of me?”

  “I’m only scrubbing because you were sweaty today.”

  “Right, right…”

  You move to their ass, scrubbing a bit more rough than necessary.

  “Hey!! Hey!!! Watch the goods!”

  “Sorry, I couldn't help it.” You go back to scrubbing their body.

  “Ahh, all clean,” Delphi brags, reclining into the bubbles.

  “…no. Not quite.”

  “Huh? What else is..”

  They trail off as you spread their legs, and with a soapy hand, grab their cock.

  “You’re dirty down here too.”

[teeth-farie]

A Rock and a Hard Place

Julian/Delphi

Notes: oc/canon, confined spaces, frottage, fingering, trans Julian, biting

☞. . . A fic trade I did with my best friend @ghoulfriendfangs ! This is their apprentice Delphi having some fun with Julian >:3

Delphi and Julian were a chaotic mix. They knew how to have fun, even if it ultimately ended in a concussion or trying to make bail for the other.

This time, however, is a little different than the others.

The pair found themselves frantically squeezing into an alleyway after a chase with a drunken brick shithouse of a man, the drunkard stumbling past the divot in the wall a hair's breadth after Delphi and Julian squeezed in.

They wait for the footsteps and slurred cursing to fade out, their breaths heavy and hearts racing. Seconds pass by, the sounds of the night the only noise to hide their hushed panting. And when they’re positive they’ve run home free, they burst out laughing.

Julian’s laugh is like a bark, deep from his chest in a mix of relief and exhilaration. Delphi almost immediately follows, their laugh like a hiccuping snort. It’s not the first time this has happened, and it certainly won’t be the last, but as the laughter dies down and the pair begin to notice exactly how they’re puzzle pieced together, it becomes crystal clear that this is a new one.

Delphi’s thigh slots between Julian’s and his between theirs, pressed chest to chest and nearly nose to nose. It would explain why it was so hard to wiggle in to hide, and now that the danger is gone and adrenaline remains, it becomes much more…erotic. Julian can feel the heat pool in his gut, the warmth between his legs start to get hotter—and Delphi is no better, their cock stirring in interest.

“Well,” Julian says almost breathlessly, craning his neck down at the blue haired magician. “It seems we’ve gotten a bit…jammed.”

Delphi digs their fingers into his sides. “Enough talk, kiss me, pirate boy.”

A rush runs through Julian’s body, thrill catching on each of his vertebrae like Delphi was using his ribcage as a xylophone. Oh, how he loves how demanding they are.

Julian groans into their mouth when their lips collide together, his knees weak and his cunt throbbing at the thought of kneeling down. It didn’t used to be this easy to make him so needy and aching, but he supposes that’s just Delphi’s charm and allure.

Delphi presses their tongue into his mouth, sloppy and barely coordinated and just how he likes it. Julian feels smothered in them, a thigh between his and a tongue down his throat—he wouldn’t have it any other way. Delphi swallows down his whimper, fingers pressing into his hips and stomach, sliding under his loose blouse and groping his chest.

There’s a certain kind of heat between their bodies; Julian can feel Delphi’s cock chub up against his thigh, thick and hot. They wiggle their hips, grinding against his lithe thigh forcefully. A moan chokes out of his throat like he was the one rutting against a leg, muffled against the magician's eager lips.

“Y-you never skip a beat, duh-darling,” the doctor pants when Delphi lets up, mouths still close enough to breathe in each other's breath.

“You love it.” They snicker, sliding cold hands down his waistband. Julian shivers, fingertips brushing over his happy trail and slotting right into place between his thighs. His hips stutter at the feeling, familiar but always so electrifying.

“Y’r wet for me,” Delphi croons, grinning wide as they rub their fingers through his lips and folds, dipping down to that wetness and coming back up to his hardened clit. He grabs tight on their shoulders, hot fiery heat on his cheeks. “All loose too.” They say to no surprise, two fingers sliding home and crooking up.

Julian’s knees wobble and shake, his teeth biting down into his lip to muffle his cry. He can still feel the stretch of their fingers no matter how malleable he may be (and rigorous rounds the night before make sure of that). “Delphi,” he gasps, rutting his clit against their angled palm. “Delphi!” He cries louder as they crook their fingers again, slotting right against his sweet spot.

They sink their teeth into his collarbone, like biting into ripe fruit- a little pop as they pierce the flesh.

The good doctor makes a sound akin to a dying animal and euphoria all the same, clenching down on their fingers. Warm blood bubbles and gushes, dirtying Delphi’s tongue and they groan happily, humping their swollen cock against his leg. Julian’s hand shakes as it rises, cradling the back of their head as they bite and suck, almost vampiric in nature. He certainly wouldn’t mind if they drained him dry.

“Good boy,” he can hear muffled and grunted into his kiss bruised skin, dull pain setting his nerves alight. He preens under the praise, following Delphi’s pumping fingers with his narrow hips. Each thrust in has the heel of their palm grinding deliciously against his needy clit, their fingers stroking and rubbing right where he needs them to.

Delphi dislodges their teeth and kisses the fresh wound, their stomach growing tight and aching as they seek the friction they crave from Julian’s thigh. They grow sloppier, yet still energetic, pinning him to the wall with their hips and hands, rutting against his tensed muscles. They’re close, he knows it.

“Please,” he begs, riding their fingers, wetness coating his pants. “Please, c-cum, please, please,”

His fate is in their hands, they could leave him aching and hungry, they could tease him more, but they’re already so close.

“Do it then, hah, birdy boy.” Delphi lovingly teases, and opens their mouth again-

And bites firmly down on his peaked nipple. Julian jumps and sobs like he’s holding a live wire, and it’s just enough to send him over. He squirts right into Delphi’s hand and soaks his pants. It trickles and bubbles through the fabric, splattering onto the dirt ground.

The magician suckles on his abused nipple in apology, fingers pulling from his cunt to firmly rub his clit as they chase down their high, bruising Julian’s hips and thighs with the forceful grind- growing shaky and unsteady until it all coalesces and they cum in their pants with a gasp.

The air is thick and heady, heavy breaths passed back and forth. Both bodies are still cramped and sweaty, but now with jelly bones.

Delphi pulls their hand out of Julian’s pants when he cries of overstimulation, his legs and everything in between sore and spent.

“Hah..haha, a quickie for the books, right?” He laughs breathlessly, his bangs sticking to his sweaty forehead.

“Definitely,” Delphi admires their handiwork with a sigh. “Wished I coulda fucked you proper, though.”

Julian’s face burns so hot they could fry an egg on it. Perhaps…he’s not as spent as he thought.

[pebble-pictures]

Y'all remember my old Arcana game apprentice? Redesigned them. Haven't played the game in like two years, but here's Delphi! Can you tell the only route I completely finished was Nadia?

[delphi-dreamin]

Got all the watermarks and overlays on them, so here they are! My Neon Disney series! I really hope you like it so far, and if you have ideas for more, please let me know!

[fostydosty]

Rachel Elizabeth Dare chose to swear an oath of celibacy to the god Apollo as a part of gaining her oracular abilities. This entails visions of the future that she expresses through paint, green smoke bellowing from her mouth at inconvenient times, and being immune to divine retribution (and possibly being injured by literally anything?)

But… what if she swore an oath to his sister too?

Rachel Elizabeth Dare, daughter of mortals, chosen of the Sun and Moon. Immortal and ageless. Eternally prophetic. Can shoot an arrow through a keyhole. Can slay any monster and piss off any god. Her predecessor was cursed by Hades to never enter the Underworld…. Damn, that sucks. Too bad she’ll be 17 forever anyway.

Imagine fighting someone that see more clearly than any other creature (even some gods can be tricked by the mist in ways clearsighted mortals cannot) *can read normally and has an attention span*, can foresee your every move, and *you can’t even touch bc they are divinely protected*.

Her two oaths are:

I accept this role. I pledge myself to Apollo, God of Oracles. I open my eyes to the future and embrace the past. I accept the spirit of Delphi, Voice of the Gods, Speaker of Riddles, Seer of Fate.

I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt.

Also imagine the twins bickering abt which one of them Rachel gets her archery skills from (it’s both. But mostly Artemis). She’d also be able to illuminate herself w moonlight and maybe have like a Will moment and glow like the sun too.

Also also imagine the only daughter of the highest god (above the age of 2), the daughter of war itself (sister to the Amazons, child of Rome, apprentice of the greatest sorceress in history), and the chosen vessel of the Sun descending upon you with a firing squad of silver arrows and two dozen other equally talented girls.

Let my girl be a badass plz and ty

[nokk0]

Ok this was supposed to be released like... Three months ago but... Ok, not gonna lie, i was lazy again

Anyway

Pythie Frederica is a cunning and clever woman from the Magic Faction. She is someone who can easily manipulate the people around her and is behind most of the incidents in her own Faction. At some point, Pythie ended up being arrested by Snow White after discovered her crimes. She dislikes the GSA current system and wants to find a "Hero" to reform it. Frederica will not hesitate to get rid of anyone who stands in her way or her goals. Regardless of whether she achieves victory or defeat, she’s a special one who can find joy in either. She is also quite fond of Snow White and thinks she is cute. Pythie vows to continue to nurture Snow White, as Frederica believed that she was the ideal "Hero" she was looking for

Frederica likes looking at elegantly dressed people because she believes her own outfit isn't elegant enough. Pythie's name is based after Pythia, an Oracle of Delphi in Greek mythology. Frederica can look into her crystal ball, and see the person that she want but for that she needs somethin' related to that person. She uses hair most of the time. In this state, the target cannot perceive her. Although she can only see one person at a time, it is possible for her to switch channels by wrapping different strands of hair around multiple fingers. Her magic does not work on the deceased

Putting her hand or body into the crystal ball allows her to interfere with the surroundings of her target. It is also possible to send objects from her side to the target, or in reverse. There is no restriction in the size of the object being sent, but Pythie has to be able to hold the object that she is transporting. Such implication works regardless of the distance between the subject and Pythie, or the dimension the subject is in. It is also noted that if the person she is reflecting dies, the crystal ball will turn black. She also can see the true nature of things through her Crystal ball. Her magical ability allows her to see the potential in other people, as well as being able to see their future, such as when she was able to foresee the death of one of her apprentices before it even happened

When Frederica uses her magic to the maximum during fights, enemy attacks will never be able to hit her

weaknesses:

★ Frederica cannot hear the words from the person she is looking through her Crystal ball. Due to this, she tries to observe her target to understand the situation and act accordingly

★ She loves hair very much and is obsessed with it, even valuing it more than food

Other facts:

★ After surviving the murderous game, Pythie Frederica becomes Snow White's mentor. Frederica believes that Snow White was the "Hero" she was looking for and helps her become stronger. She used to watch her from behind the scenes

★ Pythie was the one who came up with Snow White's nickname "The White Hunter" due to the hunter-type look in her eyes the first time they fought

★ Her current state is unknown

Original artwork by Maruino!!

[zoebelladona]

fics by crowstyping (that's me!) 🌿

HIS DARK MATERIALS (follow @dximonions)

apple heart: narnia/hdm crossover. lyra belacqua x lucy pevensie one-shots collection.

bauble: a tony costa x lyra belacqua flash fic.

it's a long way out to reach the sea (but i'm sure i'll find you waiting there for me): au where lyra is not captured at the end of the subtle knife. lyra and will play in the ocean of another world.

paradise dropped: high school/small town au. panjava. will has a crush on lyra belacqua, they sit in the park and drink wine, talking about prophecies.

novaturient: post-the amber spyglass lyra realises that while she might love will she wasn't in love with him.

symbol no.14: bird: pre-the secret commonwealth fix-it where lyra and pantalaimon talk things out instead of letting it fester.

this peppermint winter: written post-s1 finale. christmas special about lyra trying to make the holidays feel special despite everything she went through.

within walls: human experiments but with dæmons

PERCY JACKSON

kyparissos, run! kyparissos, cry: novelisation of thalia's death

pointed north: au about my ocs, campers luke's age post-battle of manhattan. pov my son of apollo oc with mommy issues and psychosexual problems.

SHAPESHIFTER AU

the influence stars have: the lion king except it's humans who can shapeshift into animals

anatomy of an edelweiss flower: the secret of nimh except it's humans who can shapeshift into animals

《 possibly upcoming 》

power outage [ pjo / one-shot ]: throne room scene in tlo except thalia is there

lightning in a bottle [ pjo / multichap ]: au where luke does not join kronos. when thalia's tree is poisoned luke offers himself as volunteer to go on the quest for the golden fleece in an attempt to save her.

arkadia is gone [ pjo / multichap ]: broken trio lycanthrope au. in which it is lykaon instead of kronos.

smile to charge, hug to cast [ pjo / multichap? ]: my will solace and lou ellen are besties manifesto. backstory stuff and how they fared during the events of pjo

waking the oracle [ pjo / multichap ]: remember when we all were writing fics about will, lou ellen, cecil and nico going on a quest to reignite the oracle of delphi? i sure do

bellas aves [ pjo / multichap? ]: the one where will, nico, and lou ellen go on a quest looking for the nine muses that have been turned into birds

fixed star [ deltarune / one-shot? ]: following the events of the snowgrave route, instead of opening a new dark world kris goes to noelle and explains the situation. they think they might have a chance to find dess if they work together.

water lillies* [ merlin / two-shot? ]: freya is not dead. she and merlin got married, he visits her sometimes. he brings her flowers.

amphibious [ merlin / one-shot ]: merlin can think of no one better to look after aithusa than the lady of the lake.

the sorcerer's apprentice [ disney's wish / one-shot ]: i listened to my sibling complain about this movie for an hour and i got angry it didn't do fantasia 1940 sorcerer's apprentice like what the fuck

thaw & foredawn [ barbie / multichap ]: i rewrite magic of the pegasus but i let annika say fuck

recall [ loz / one-shot ]: totk being the "beginning" of the timeline makes me angry so i'm novelising a theory i saw refuting that

how terrifying to be aglow [ loz / multichap ]: totk + ss remix where i do my own take of the imprisoning war from skyward sword using tears of the kingdom worldbuilding. aka, hylia and the original hero are zonai

we'll be dead in the water [ thg / multichap ]: welcome to the 73rd hunger games! fanfic quality version of the ongoing rp between myself and @on-the-river-lethe. for more check out @laberinthos

waking up the giants [ tlg / multichap ]: my version of the backstory of the dead civilisation in the last guardian

wearing our remains [ trc / multichap ]: my adam/blue/noah manifesto + au where i remix trc to Not include gansey and ronan. die mad about it

[thescrolls-haveforetold]

Hiiii

Wanted to pitch in on the ask thingy for Delphi Fyr :)

roots: Is your OC's look inspired by any specific style of clothing or fashion trend? What are the roots and/or inspiration for their look?

Hihi! Thank you for your question!!<3

For Delphi…

Her design was absolutely based on Sotha Sil’s ESO look at first,

She was mostly supposed to contrast the other two by being tall and lanky and very very tired. Her silhouette was less shapely and more lanky and awkward- at least in my mind it was.

Then I made the decision that she should be Divayth Fyr’s clone-daughter- then she began taking shape. She became a lot shorter than the others, she and Selkin had basically changed heights. Selkin became tall, Delphi became the shortest.

She also became this very dainty, physically weak mer, but with magic she’s impressed even her father. She had become doll-like- as well as her hair changing to become more neat and less like the apprentice she was, and more the Telvanni Master Wizard she is. Her eyes just didn’t feel right, so her eyes became red. Mainly, I had dolls and for some reason, particularly delicate teacup sets in mind when I came up with her.

[smol-stardust]

Tell me about your ocs

Yea ofc ofc :))

There's:

Nakamori Shirako, 12 year old gremlin with a katana running around Meian era Japan in search of adventure (and candy and tea)

And Shira’s yakuza affiliated mom and writer dad. and her sisters: in order of oldest to youngest: a shamisen player, a miko (shrine maiden), a chado apprentice and refined version of Shira.

Akemi, the mysterious masked figure who awaits Shira in the forests often. Guardian of the forest shrine??

Delphi Mortimer the sick, frail girl being haunted in her hospital room and struggling with being heard and seen. Withdrawn and philosophical, has many thoughts and opinions about people, life and random little things. Hates hates hates the ghosts in her room.

Electra Volta the cyborg/clone girl who runs around with an electric bug repellent box and bug zapper who has a great disdain if bugs

Harper knows his way around guitar strings and piano wires a little too well. May or may not know how to murder someone with a plectrum. In between jobs, a musician of sorts.

I feel like there’s some random side oc’s but these are the main ones I can think of right now :)

[acircusfullofdemons]

GARNET - Are there gods? -🐺👑

[ ASK GAME ] || Eternal Labyrinth is FULL of Gods/Deities! Arcadia has the most by default, obviously, but Earth I & Earth IV have a handful, too. Warning, this got...a lot longer than I thought it would 😅

Earth I

Theia Mortimer — goddess of death

Vitalus Zoticus — god of life

Eloise Jekyll — first angel

Ketrill Hyde — first demon

Josephine "Fifi" Allaway — goddess of time

Emory Warwick — god of space & knowledge

Lucien Jekyll — goddess of order/harmony

Vincent Hyde — god of chaos

Earth IV

Prism — mother of the 7 Emotional Deities, encompasses all emotions

Ares — deity of anger

Hermes — deity of greed

Phobos — deity of fear (+ Harvest aka Harlow Spade, who becomes the new goddess of fear at...some point)

Hercules — deity of determination

Pandora — deity of hope

Eleos — deity of compassion

Aphrodite — deity of love

There's also the 7's first followers & partners:

Orion Guerrero aka The Butcher

Edwin Kramer aka The Merchant

Aurelia Crowley aka The Witch

Cleo Barsotti aka The Hero

Silas Roux aka The Hopeful

Grace Lovatt aka The Merciful

Amanda Lovatt aka The Lover

Arcadia

Alcus (al•cuss) — god of the ocean, rivers, water.

Alia (al•e•ah) — goddess of puzzles, riddles. wife of zagreus. mother of elythia.

Bruma — god of winter, cold. sister of rythsti.

Bytris (bye•tris) — god of technology. often confused for or replaced by vyris.

Calypso — would-be god of imagination, theater. associated with music, dance. son of illulia and joylena. brother of reverie.

Cletho (cle•though) — god of darkness, the void. associated with leadership, fatherhood. father of viktoria and deimos.

Deimos — god of destruction. associated with fear, nightmares. son of cletho. brother of viktoria.

Delphi — goddess of intelligence, wisdom.

Direna — goddess of magic. associated with purple, demons, wolves.

Elliott — goddess of space. also referred to as Mother of the Galaxy, Keeper of Constellations.

Elythia (el•ih•thiea) — goddess of the dead / ghosts, ensures spirits travel to their respective afterlife. daughter of zagreus and alia. caretaker of emrits. commonly goes by “theia (mortimer)”.

Fifi — goddess of time. also referred to as Father Time, Josephine Allaway. has an apprentice, toby reynolds, who is often referred to/confused as the actual god of time. he is most well-known in Earth I/Wonderland and Neverland, mainly for never working properly.

Ignius (ig•nus) — god of battle, strategy. associated with fire, summer.

Ilullia (ill•oo•leah) — goddess of slumber, dreams, nightmares. mother of reverie and calypso. wife of joylena.

Joylena — goddess of holidays, celebrations, marriage. associated with trickery, music, bells. wife of illulia. mother of calypso and reverie.

Lullaby — god of lullabies. son of reverie.

Nynx — god of the moon, dusklight (nighttime). serves as solar's right hand, technically king of the gods but has more respect of a prince than anything else. brother of sola.

Reverie — goddess of daydreams, imagination. daughter of ilullia. sister of calypso. mother of lullaby.

Rythsti (ry•th•st•ee) — goddess of nature. also referred to as Mother Nature. associated with motherhood. mother to zagreus. sister to bruma.

Sola — goddess of the sun, dawnrise (daytime). queen of the gods. sister to nynx.

Viktoria — former goddess of space. see: elliott.

Vyris — goddess of reality. associated with fate, prophecy. often confused for or replaces byrtis in some myths.

Zagreus — god of death. son of rythsti. husband of alia. father of elythia.

Zerlo — god of the weather. associated with storms.

There's other mythological figures & deities but this is just about the Gods + this post is long enough lmao

[ghoulfriendfangs]

Febuwhump 23 - “Ask a Doctor if Torture is Right for You!”

Day Three: Muzzling with Delphi (my Arcana oc!)

{WC: ~1,150} {spoilers for the Arcana, pre plague, implied character death, medical setting, torture, plague, as you can tell Valdemar is the co star of this fic, giving my oc a real bad time, Delphi also says a lot of fuck words}

@febuwhump

  Everywhere Delphi looks is red. An ugly, dull shade, like spilled wine never cleaned. A dirty, foggy filter overlaid atop everything. The walls, the ceiling of their tiny room. Even their own body was distorted.

  But not just by their vision.

  Even with the restraints keeping them firm in their bed, Delphi could see the blistering red sores, the puck marks like insects had bitten away at them. And the surgical, purposeful marks left by previous experiments. They shivered, they wished they had a blanket. And morphine. And anyone by their side.

  Speak of the devil, the door opened.

  What bothered Delphi the most about when Valdemar visited their little hospice room wasn’t even the experiments, it was the attitude Valdemar treated them with. They hardly acknowledged Delphi, preferring to work on them like they were a plant or something. The moment Delphi had contracted the plague, they ceased being anything but an experiment to their former college. And even though Delphi always detested Valdemar for a reason they couldn’t place, it was an insult to their pride to be dismissed like they weren’t human.

  Valdemar scribbled furiously, noting the growth of the throbbing red patches, how much weight Delphi had lost, the new shade of sickly yellowish white their skin had become. 

  Delphi started to cough, clearing their throat of mucus in order to speak. Valdemar rolled their eyes; this had become routine. They prepared themselves for a litany of annoying yips and whines from their subject.

  “F-ffuck. You,” Delphi sniffed. “Fffuck off and die.”

  “Such detestable language, #068. One would hardly think you worthy of working as a court magician, with such a low standing.”

  “My name is Delphi- and shut the fuck up about the court. Suck a cock.”

  “Ah yes, I remember now. That’s how you got the job.”

  Delphi lunged at Valdemar- or tried to. In theory. But between their weakened body, their deteriorated muscles, their constant vertigo, and the restraints shackling them to their deathbed… they barely managed to ratte the bed against the cold floor.

  “068, you’re only going to bruise your limbs-“

  “Shut the fuck up you gangrenous piece of-“

  “-which at this stage in your disease-“

  “-ugly ass face and stupid fucking horns-“

  “-could cause blood clots to form-“

  “-stupid piece of shit-“

  “-costing me days of valuable research with you.”

  Valdemar sat back and waited for them to finish insulting them.

  …then they smiled.

  Now, normally they liked to keep their patients fully verbal. Oh, how they loved the screams, the pleading, the gurgling of if all. But their favorite part of experimenting was breaking their patient- and they gad been waiting years to see this loudmouthed, annoying, ridiculous, sloppy, little pig of a magician become broken beyond repair. 

  They turned around, searching for the perfect tool. They picked out the appropriate sized scalpel, and an ink pen, and they brought the tools to their subject’s bedside.

  Delphi’s eyes were focused on the blade.

  “I’ve asked you nicely not to act so vulgar, #068.”

  They took the pen, and grabbed Delphi roughly by the face, craning their neck back.

  “The fuck are you doing to me this time? Taking more skin? Shocking me? That won’t make me stop fighting you, Valdemar.”

  “I know.”

  They start to dot around their neck. “That’s why I’m cutting your throat.”

  “…you wouldn’t. You wouldn’t kill nd so fast.”

  “An elusively accurate observation, 068. I’m cutting into your throat, yes, but not to bleed you dry. Instead, I’ll be operating to sever your vocal chords. This will make all vocalization difficult, and speech unnecessary.”

  “…you’re just scaring me, shut up-“

  “Of course, you’ll no longer be able to request water or medicine, but we both know that wasn’t necessary from the beginning, yes?”

  “Get your hands off me!”

  “Eating will be somewhat difficult, but your prognosis indicates that death by starvation is no concern either way. Which reminds me… I ought to vivisect you soon while your body is still fresh.”

  “Help, help!! HELP!!! Anybody, please- gods!! Help!!!”

  “Ah, finally,” they cooed. Finishing marking out their knife’s path, Valdemar turned to the medicine cabinet to find a paralytic agent. If Delphi kept wiggling- they’d risk cutting the fun short.

  “I don’t offer this opportunity to all my toys, but because we were once colleagues, and your body will provide me incredibly valuable insight on how the plague affects subjects with high magic volumes… I’ll be as kind and generous to allow you one question.”

  “…why me?”

  “How cliche.”

  “…the way you’ve tortured me… I know you don’t treat your other subjects this way. You aren’t even really experimenting on me- you’re just trying to fuck with me. Why me? What did I ever do to you?”

  Valdemar is silent for a bit. On one hand, it would be delicious to continue torturing Delphi without giving any hint of the reason why. On the other, it would be cathartic for them to reveal their hand here…

  “Why do you think?”

  “…is it something I did to you when we both worked for Lucio?”

  “You may guess again.”

  “Is it because I didn’t work hard enough to find a cure?”

  “That wasn’t a concern.”

  “…please tell me you aren’t doing this to hurt Julian,” they let slip.

  “…I ought to not tell you this, but i'm curious to know how an emotional being reacts.”

  “068, you may rest easy knowing that I have no intention of telling 069 what has become of you. Knowing the extent of what I’ve done will damage his worth ethic. Once you’ve died, I’ll tell him you died naturally of plague. Now, for my notes, please tell me whether that fact comforts or hurts your emotional state.”

  “…both.”

  “Fascinating. Keep up the helpful feedback and I may not need to surgically muzzle you. Now. Are you still curious to know why I’m doing this?”

  Delphi is quiet, but nods.

  “Alright. Your aunt crossed me.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Your aunt. The one that lived in vesuvia. She irritated me, but she died before I could do anything to correct it.”

  “…wh-… the fuck did she do?”

  “As a result, I am using you as a substitute for her. Sort of a… stress relief.”

  “What!?”

  “In a way, you’re suffering here is all your aunt’s fault. How does that make you feel…?”

  Delphi mumbled something. Valdemar leaned closer-

  And got a face full of spit.

  “You do not talk about anyone I love that way. And I am not helping you with your stupid little research. I don’t care what you do to my body. You are never getting inside my head.”

  Valdemar calmly wiped the red speckled spit from their face, their skin shuddering and peeling from offense.

  “…very well, 068. It is quite literally your funeral.”

  They took the paralytic agent, and steadied it above a red and engorged vein.

  “It was nice speaking with you, Delphi.”

[mjalti]

pls stop asking for advice, I’m going to give my opinion on things when I can but I literally am not an advisor, I’m at best the oracle at Delphi but with less apprentices

[thepublishingpress]

THE ORACULAR GODDESS

THE ORACULAR GODDESS

   A short story by Basil Dela Cruz

I swallowed as I stared out the window, the sweet smell of blossoming hyacinths overpowering everything else.

Breathe.

Breathe.

Breathe.

Today was the day I was to become the Oracle, Priestess of Apollo.

“Dearest?”

I turned. “Mother!” I said, forcing a smile.

She returned it. “Oh, my lovely Agathe! Aren’t you so excited? You’re about to become the Oracle! Just like your Ya-ya and me!”

“O-of course! Of course,” I said, my voice tight.

She frowned. “Agathe, why are you acting this way?“ She gasped. “Have the gods not spoken to you?”

“No, Mother! I mean, they have spoken to me!” I replied quickly, though, in reality, it wasn’t true. “I’m just feeling a bit nervous. I am to be shown to hundreds, if not thousands, of people.”

Mother patted my shoulder. “It’s okay, my dear. Now, we must go to the Temple of Apollo. We don’t have all day, you know.”

I nodded, even smiled. “Yes, Mother.”

  As we walked down the roads, so bright in comparison to my mood, the words ran in circles in my head.

Liar.

Liar.

Liar.

The gods have not spoken to you.

Liar.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼

We reached the Temple of Apollo. As we went through, I rubbed the inscriptions that had always fascinated me:

ΓΝΩΘΙ ΣΑΥΤΟΝ, ΜΗΔΕΝ ΑΓΑΝ , ΕΓΓΥΑ, ΠΑΡΑ ΔΑΤΗ 

It used to comfort me, back then.

We met with stern-faced officials and the kind-eyed Pythia I was the apprentice of. We went to the Castalian Spring where people from all around Greece and even non-Greeks waited to prepare for a potential day of prophecy. The current Oracle held out the bowl to me and smiled. All eyes turned to me. I took the bowl with shaking hands and stepped forward. I carefully performed the ritual. I knew this was a tense business. If the goat shivered, then Apollo was willing to be consulted by the travelers that had come from so far away. If the goat did not, the people from afar would have to wait an entire month to consult the Oracle again. Concentrate, Agathe, I thought to myself. I poured the water on the goat.

Everyone waited.

I sent a prayer to the gods, hoping they would answer, though I expected they wouldn’t.

The goat shivered.

The crowd cheered.

Thank the gods.

After all that happened, I became the new Pythia, despite the fact I have not heard a word from the gods.

But that would be my secret, A small voice whispered within me, as the crowds cheered and my parents beamed at me, they faces filled with pride.

Then, on Δευτέρα I learned the true weight of my lies.

A hero came to the Temple of Apollo while I was seated in the adyton on a bronze tripod. He ran in and kneeled in front of me.

“Oh, Oracle of Delphi! Priestess of Apollo!” He cried. “I wish to avenge my father, who met his demise at the hands of my cruel uncle. That accursed man now sits on the throne that should be mine! He has sent me on a quest for the Golden Fleece. Will I succeed? If I do, what will happen after?”

The young man was obviously a hero in the making. If I lied and the outcome was wrong… No. Just give him a prophecy. 

“What is thine name, O young man?” I said in the most official and formal voice I could muster. 

He looked at me, awe-srtuck, so I assumed I had a good official voice. “Iason, my lady.”

“Well, then, Iason. You will indeed succeed on your quest. I have seen that you will go back to your uncle and he will acknowledge his end of the bargain, though he does so grudgingly. You will have a beautiful wife and children. You will prosper, and live a long life.”

The man smiled. Thank you. Thank you.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼

The next month, I wandered through the market during a lazy afternoon, ready to make the proper sacrifices for the gods when I heard snatches and snippets of conversation from whispering women and gossiping girls. 

“Oh, do come closer! I have the most interesting of news..” One of the girls drawled.

The women around her leaned in breathlessly to hear.

His old wife brought their children’s demise on an altar.

His new bride and father-in-law burned.

Crushed by the boards of his own ship.

Oh, who was he?

Iason.

She said more, I’m sure, for the women were still leaning towards her like sunflowers do to the sun, but I had stopped listening by then. I ran towards the temple, trying my absolute best not to let the guilty tears flow.

The horror.

The man was dead.

More heroes came. I was unable to do anything else but lie about the outcomes. Tell them what they wanted to hear.

All of their lives ended in tragedy.

When will I be freed of this?

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼

I was older, much older, than the 13-year-old girl who had become the Pythia. I was sitting there on my bronze stool when a young woman came. She was wearing a cloak of fine wool. I raised my eyebrows at this. Perhaps she didn’t want to be recognized or seen, but why? She stepped forward and kneeled, which I could tell slightly annoyed her. A princess, then. 

“Oh, Oracle of Delphi,” She said, her voice low and lovely, “My father’s kingdom is at risk, and I wish to seek guidance so I may assist him.”

I sucked in a breath. I opened my mouth to speak but no words spilled free. I was thinking of the kingdom, a kingdom full of people. I brought curses to any of those who came advice… A curse from the gods for lying, I realized. I could not bear it any longer. I wept and threw myself at her feet.

 "Oh dear princess!" I cried. "I am a fake Oracle, and not one to be trusted. Please, find another Oracle! They shall give you better advice than me."

 She smiled at me, and a gray aura surrounded her, revealing her true self.

 A young woman with chocolate brown curls, cool calculating eyes as big as an owl's, bedecked with armor with her famous bronze shield. 

I would have to be a fool to not know her.

Athena.

 Before I could collect my thoughts and speak, she said, "You have passed the test, Agathe. Though you have lived a life of deceit, we have given you one last chance to redeem yourself. And redeem yourself you have."

"But why have you given me this chance my lady?" I questioned her, having regained my wits.

 "Because you are to be my successor as the goddess of wisdom."

I gaped at her and she smiled.

 "Come," She commanded. "You have much to learn as a goddess."

[delphi-dreamin]

An Attendant's Sorrow

How does one handle it when the loves of one's life don't remember her?

Genre: Hurt/Comfort

Characters: MC!Delphi, Solomon

Notes: Y'all, I'm so conflicted about Nightbringer. I wanna like it, but the story is making me emotional.

I managed to hold it together, she thinks as she leaves the House of Lamentation for the night. Simeon and Luke are tucked away in her room and she's headed back to Cocytus Hall, as it has to be. No, not her room. Her room is at Cocytus Hall. The room in the House of Lamentation that she's used to being hers is the guest room here.

Delphi enters Solomon's home in the Devildom and lets all of the glamors she'd been holding fall. Tears stream down her cheeks as she rests her back against the front door, sliding down to sit in a curled-up heap on the floor. She doesn’t try to hold back the sobs that wrack her petite frame, instead hiding her face between her knees and letting the tears soak her tights.

Solomon rushes out to her, resting a soothing hand on her upper back. He smells like incense and smoke, burnt herbs and oil. The familiarity of it is comforting, and Delphi finds herself burying her face in his chest, letting the warm scent envelop her.

She hadn’t thought that leaving the House for the night would hurt so badly, but seeing Simeon and Luke making themselves comfortable in her room nearly broke her.

Solomon holds her close, rubbing her back as gently as he can. This isn’t the first time she’s come back in tears, and he’s sure it won’t be the last. He wishes he could ease her pain, but it’s been several weeks now and she’s only barely made progress with Mammon and Leviathan. He knows it must kill her to see Lucifer and his brothers every day and they not know her.

“I know I’m stuck here until I can reform my pacts,” she cries, clutching his shirt tightly in her fists, “but I don’t know how much more of this I can take, Solomon.”

“Oh, my star, I know,” he sighs. “I wish there was something more I could do to help.”

“I miss them so much,” Delphi sobs.

“I know you do,” Solomon tries to comfort her, rubbing the soft skin between her fake wings. “We’re going to get you back to the right timeline. We’re gonna get you home, Bubbles.”

She punches him lightly in the stomach, hiccupping, “Aren't you ever going to stop using that stupid nickname?”

“Not as long as it makes you laugh,” he chuckles. He helps her to her feet and brushes her hair out of her face, smiling. “There's my cute apprentice.”

Delphi rolls her eyes, but grins. “Stop it you old pervert. You’re not getting into my pants that easily.”

Solomon just laughs and pulls her into a hug.

Taglist: @sassykattery @bite-sized-devil @sparkbeast20 @kyungjoon-do @attic-club-sandwich @flemmingbamse @consolationblog

[lonely-shine]

APPRENTICEMBER: DAY 31

31. Name another mc you read about and enjoyed! Shout out your favorite mc!

Let's gooo!!~

@bakuliwrites' Bakuli (It was so nice to read about her! And it's always nice to see other polyam apprentices ^^) @lilith-queen's Rhea (only saw her at the end of the event, and man, I love her!!) @ghoulfriendfangs' Iliad (Delphi too! But I would be lying if I said the merc didn't catch my attention even harder xD) @justanarcanasideblog's Sarqen (I need to know his backstory, I'm so godamn curious)

I'm sure there's more, but my memory's broken so these are the ones I can remember at the top of my head. But anyway! It has been so fun to join this event and read about everyone's apprentice, so thanks to @ghoulfriendfangs for hosting and everyone else for sharing about your apprentices! :3

[crowcrowcrowthing]

Rarepair tag game!

Rules: List the top rarepairs that you like outside of your OTP, and why you ship it! (Criteria for what makes a rarepair is up to your own discretion.)

Thanks for the tag @cindle-writes!

I have to really think about this because while harrymort is my favorite, I'll happily read about them with just about anyone, and I like a lot of other characters too. Here are my five favorites that come to mind right now.

Barty/Harry - The potential for a messed up fourth year dynamic is too promising here. Barty has plenty of chances to get close to Harry while he pretends to be Moody, and he could teach Harry all about the Dark Arts or motives for looking at the other side of the war.

Barty/Voldemort - I haven't seen enough of this, but I'm a sucker for a good master/apprentice fic, and they're both insane enough and smart enough to make something interesting happen.

Sirius/Harry - Fucked up parental figure dynamic? Yes please. Bonus points if Sirius messes up and calls him James while they're having sex.

Voldemort/Draco - Think about how utterly miserable the Malfoys were during the second war, how Voldemort took over their lives and their home. Now picture him taking their only child too. Sometimes I feel that Voldemort gets a bit watered down in his ship fics, so it's good to think about how he could be a real, actual evil villain. Plus Draco can be hilarious. I can see it work.

Delphi/Bellatrix - If you are noticing a common theme here, yes, I do enjoy really inappropriate power dynamics. Why not add some incest to the list too? @dividawrites wrote an excellent oneshot and now I have chronic brain rot. Let those Black women push the limits of insanity.

Ok idk who to tag. If you want to play, please go ahead! I'm curious what rare pairs other people like.