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[ikana-graveyard]

高槻市の鯉のぼり🎏

[todayintokyo]

Taishidō Hachiman Jinja in Setagaya has several rabbits on its premises. The shrine is tranquil thanks to its trees, but also irresistibly cute. Evidence supplied above, including the rabbits Chamu and Bubu.

[aipurjopa]

it’s gonna be so nice

[tanuki-kimono]

Interesting article by Xavier from Archéo'Japon, overviewing the history and beliefs surrounding May 5th Kodomo no hi 子供の日 (children's day) / Tango no Sekku 端午の節句 (Japanese take on Duanwu festival) traditions.

Original article is in French but really worth a read through auto-translate if you wish to learn more about the origins of some of the Kodomo no hi rituals :)

[fragrantpines]

Thinking about kissing food men 💕

Yangzhou rice's face explodes into a blush whenever you kiss him. People who know that he is a food soul but don't know exactly what kind of food soul he is will easily mistake him for a ripe tomato from how incredibly red his face would become. 

After dating for a long time, his blush never truly disappears, it only lessens as time goes by as he gets used to your kisses and sudden bursts of affection, even reciprocating them in his own loving way after he gets over the embarrassment. Oh, but don't think that he'll become immune to your affections one day. All you have to do is kiss him once, slowly pull away while twirling his hair in your finger before saying "I love you" with your whole heart and– man down man down!! Someone get Dumpling right this instant!!!

Kissing Meng Po Soup is like falling into a sea of spider lilies. His lips are as cold as snow but are also as soft as silk, tempting you to deepen the kiss and allow him to wrap his arms around your waist, letting him pull you into a tight embrace before he falls asleep again with you in his arms. Even if you try to pull away, his scent is incredibly toxic, a deadly poison that pushes all thoughts to the back of your mind and whispers at you to fall asleep with him, to accompany him to a dreamland where both of you can stay and live happily ever after together. 

"Hm… don't go, stay with me…."

It's hard to tell whether he was awake or asleep when he said that as your mind was already on the brink of unconsciousness. 

Perhaps a little nap will help….

If you get caught trying to kiss Tusu Elixir, he will immediately give you a bombastic side eye. Maybe even a criminal offensive side eye. 

"What do you think you're doing? Have you finished memorizing all the common herbs used in medicine yet? You haven't? Then don't think of moving an inch from that spot until you can recall them all!"

In the blink of an eye, he turns his wheelchair and leaves the room at record speed, leaving you dumbfounded but too scared to move unless he comes back in and demands you to recite all the herbs right there and right now. 

Unbeknownst to you, Toso Wine will be just outside the door, covering the lower part of his face with the back of his hand as his eyes glare holes into the floor below him. He doesn't need to look into the mirror to know that his ears look as if they were on fire, making the blush spread across his face turn even darker. 

"Stupid." He curses under his breath, pondering on how to approach you and ask you to kiss him again without being too obvious about how much he craves your touch. 

Kissing Taibai Duck depends on 3 factors: time, location and how drunk he is. 

The last one is especially, especially important. Drunk Baiya and not drunk baiya were two entirely different people so proceed with caution. 

Depending on how drunk Baiya is, he'll either tease you about it or not even realize that you've kissed him. The latter only happens when he's incredibly intoxicated but if you try to go in for another kiss, he'll grab you by the wrist before swiftly placing his lips over yours, engaging a fiery kiss that ends with you feeling as if you were as drunk as the charming man smirking down at you. However, if he teases you and you try to move away, he'll panic and pull on your sleeve, asking you to stay for a little longer. If you agree, he'll grin and kiss you lightly, thanking you for staying by his side.  

On the rare occasions when Baiya isn't intoxicated, your kisses become his new form of intoxication. His kisses aren't limited to just your face. Your hands, your legs, your neck… anywhere that he can possibly reach on your body is a place that he will kiss on. If you ask him to stop, all he'll do is chuckle and kiss your lips briefly before continuing– but not before cupping your cheeks and gazing into your eyes softly.

"If time could ease its relentless march when we’re together,

and hasten its plodding pace when we’re apart,

I could spend an eternity in your arms,

to savor love everlasting in my heart."

The poem in Baiya's part:

https://www.momjunction.com/articles/short-love-poems_00697479/

18. Mi Amor

- Benjay

I was going to put in a romantic chinese poem for Baiya's part but all of em were too long for my liking so I took one from another website :') Got to brush up on my poetry skills if I were to write more Baiya stuff in the future

Update: Changed Taibai -> Baiya, changed Toso Wine -> Tusu Elixir

[littleblueberryartist]

LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOO

3.5 hours left in the clock but like I didn't spend any money and I won 50/50 so W

I'm gonna make the Gaming team ever >:]

[octaviasdread]

Thinking about Carpe Diem and the cinematography of falling leaves to falling snow.

Seasons as cyclical as generations. It's tapestries and banners. It’s photographs on the wall. A structure, a system; tradition in the bones of buildings and boys.

There's a choice to be made - Nolan's hollow, ceremonial Light of Knowledge, or Neil's scavenged, man-made God of the Cave?

They’re children living for the future through a lens of past. Fireside stories embraced by woodland caves. They chant, dance, and recite from a sacred book - the heirloom they claim from a father they chose.

The window is finally open, but time froze at Welton lake. Forever winter. Forever youth. A moment in time, a feeling, a community turned to dust.

It's all so fleeting. Carpe Diem. Teenage years, childhood, a lifetime in three months. It’s a tragedy of classical epics.

The tale is old, but this wound is fresh. Falling to your knees. Shouting at the sky, praying and wailing, and clutching at the earth.

But the snow never stops.

Spring is up to us.

[suzumori521]

🎏

In Japan, there is a custom of decorating a streamer in the shape of a koi carp on a pole in the yard in May to wish for the healthy growth of boys.

This streamer is called a "Koinobori" (carp banner).

The number and color of koinobori carp vary from period to period, and the different sizes of carp can mean parent and child or family.

There is also a legend that when a carp climbs a waterfall, it becomes a dragon.

[synamartia]

“ Oh, this will be fun … „

featuring ┊ ◜ hazelfoureyes ✧ fraugwinska ✧ minkdelovely ✧ sugoi-writes ✧ macabr3-barbi3 ✧ synamartia ◞

coven's notes ┊ ◜ All featured works belong to the Wives Coven! Please do not copy or repost on any other website without permission! Individual content warnings will be provided at the beginning of each story! This master list will be updated daily with a new story from one of us linked below the cut. MDNI! This is an explicit event, and we check every interaction to ensure this does not happen. Minors and ageless blogs will be blocked immediately, no questions asked! It makes every single one of us uncomfortable for a number of reasons, so please respect our wishes and don't do it! ◞

week 1 ┊ ◜ Ride ✧ Carpe Noctem ✧ Mirror, Mirror ✧ Joyride ✧ Anonymous ✧ Not Done Yet ◞

Daddy ✧ hazelfoureyes ✧ Human!AU: RadioDust Somnophilia ✧ fraugwinska ✧ RadioApple Lingerie ✧ minkdelovely ✧ RadioApple Car Sex ✧ sugoi-writes ✧ RadioApple Gloryhole ✧ macabr3-barbi3 ✧ RadioApple Femdom ✧ synamartia ✧ Adam x Afab!Reader

week 2 ┊ ◜ Amen ✧ Rite Of Passage ✧ Ripe ✧ Guyliner ✧ Yours, Mine, Ours ✧ Need A Hand ◞

Body Worship ✧ hazelfoureyes ✧ Lucifer x Fem!Reader Ritual ✧ fraugwinska ✧ Lucifer x Reader Biting ✧ minkdelovely ✧ Alastor x Reader Dacryphilia ✧ sugoi-writes ✧ AdamsApple Body Swap ✧ macabr3-barbi3 ✧ RadioApple Mutual Masturbation ✧ synamartia ✧ Alastor x Afab!Reader

week 3 ┊ ◜ Handled ✧ Metanoia ✧ Revelations ✧ Coming Soon ✧ Bluetooth Bogie ✧ No Strings Attached ◞

Handcuffs ✧ hazelfoureyes ✧ RadioApple Monster Fucking ✧ fraugwinska ✧ RadioApple Genderswap ✧ minkdelovely ✧ RadioApple Threesome ✧ sugoi-writes ✧ Rosie + RadioApple [ ON HOLD ] Dirty Talk ✧ macabr3-barbi3 ✧ Vox x GN!Reader Breeding ✧ synamartia ✧ Adam x Afab!Reader

week 4 ┊ ◜ Proffer ✧ Broadcast A Spell On Me ✧ Sanctuary ✧ Lips Of An Angel ✧ No Mercy ✧ 2 A.M. ◞

Cuckolding ✧ hazelfoureyes ✧ Alastor x Afab!Reader Phone Sex ✧ fraugwinska ✧ Alastor x Afab!Reader Size Kink ✧ minkdelovely ✧ RadioApple Face Fuck ✧ sugoi-writes ✧ RadioApple Hate Sex ✧ macabr3-barbi3 ✧ Adam x Reader Rebound Sex ✧ synamartia ✧ Adam x Afab!Reader

week 5 ┊ ◜ Medicine ✧ Stake A Claim ✧ Pollination Of Angel Dust ✧ Attention ✧ Tethered ✧ Coming Soon ◞

Role Reversal ✧ hazelfoureyes ✧ Angel x Vox Exhibitionism ✧ fraugwinska ✧ RadioApple + Vox Sex Pollen ✧ minkdelovely ✧ RadioDust Orgasm Denial ✧ sugoi-writes ✧ RadioApple Hair Pulling ✧ macabr3-barbi3 ✧ RadioApple Healing Sex ✧ synamartia ✧ Alastor x Afab!Reader [ ON HOLD ]

Ducky Ball Gag ✧ hazelfoureyes ✧ RadioApple Ducky Ball Gag ✧ fraugwinska ✧ RadioApple Ducky Ball Gag ✧ minkdelovely ✧ RadioApple Ducky Ball Gag ✧ sugoi-writes ✧ RadioApple [ ON HOLD ] Ducky Ball Gag ✧ macabr3-barbi3 ✧ RadioApple Ducky Ball Gag ✧ synamartia ✧ RadioApple [ ON HOLD ]

week 6 ┊ ◜ Quiet ✧ Duck & Cover ✧ Joy Of Joys ✧ Coming Soon ✧ Quackpot ✧ Coming Soon ◞

@hazelfoureyes ✧ @fraugwinska ✧ @minkdelovely ✧ @sugoi-writes ✧ @macabr3-barbi3

divider © saradika-graphics

banners created via TextStudio

[its-not-a-pen]

[餘知傳] The 2nd Century Warlord (Part 1)

based on the story by @romanceyourdemons

art by @its-not-a-pen

first day as a second century warlord i have my men tie branches to their horses’ tails to stir up dust and make it look like there’s a lot of us but i forget it just rained so there isn’t any dust and the enemy can clearly see there’s like twenty of us all spread out in a line

second day as a second century warlord i bribe a bunch of kids to start singing a nursery rhyme i carefully crafted to spread misinformation and further my strategic ends but they change the lyrics to be about poop and the enemy isn’t misdirected at all

third day as a second century warlord i lure my enemy into a narrow valley and send a team of archers to shoot them from the high ground but there was a feral hog napping on the trail up to the overlook and they couldn’t decide whether to try and shoot it or just go around and by the time the hog woke up and left on its own the enemy had already passed safely below

fourth day as a second century warlord we attempt to join a battle on the side of the guy we want to ally with but he and the guy he’s fighting have really similar names and it’s finally dusty and i misread the standards and attack the wrong guy. so now we’re stuck with this total loser of a liege lord, because how the fuck do you explain that after a battle?

fifth day as a second century warlord and some sort of wizard wanders into camp, my loser liege lord wants to execute him for being a wizard but i convince him to let the wizard stay, because i want to do more weather-based strategies and i’m pretty sure having a camp wizard can help with that. after the welcome to the team banquet the wizard steals half the treasury and my liege lord’s wife and leaves

sixth day as a second century warlord my loser liege lord sends me to reinforce a city he’s taken, but in the confusion of leaving i forgot to take the token that would have gotten us into the city, so my men have to wait outside the city walls for like eight hours while i ride back to get it

seventh day as a second century warlord and my loser liege lord finally joins me in the city, it turns out he’s actually a pretty cool guy, and he isn’t even that mad at me for letting the wizard steal his wife. i decide to shoot my shot but i’m really nervous and keep on stalling because what if i mess up our relationship and by extension jeopardize the security of my men, and eventually he just says goodnight and goes back to his room, where an assassin is in the process of setting up to kill him

eighth day as a second century warlord and my loser liege lord tells me to fake defect to his rival warlord, the one i originally wanted to ally with, to find out if he was the one who sent the assassin and why. but my whole way over to the rival warlord i’m worried that this has something to do with the wizard thing or how awkward i made it last night

End of Part 1

part 2

This comic was made independently from the creator, I'm just a fan and these are my own interpretations.

Notes under the cut:

the title 餘知傳 [the Story of Yu Zhi], is the styled name of the Second Century Warlord. I translated 餘知 as [plentiful knowledge] since he's defined by a surplus of knowledge but a deficit in luck. It's also great for fish-based puns since it's a homophone. As a nice parallel, Loser Liege Lord's banner is a carp ;))). the art style was inspired by vintage Chinese comics.

The story is set during the Three Kingdoms period, (220 to 280 AD) natural disasters, infighting and civil unrest had dissolved the previous Han Dynasty, leading to a violent free-for-all. I based the clothes on the previous Eastern Han styles, mainly because there just weren't a lot of contemporary references from the 3K period (and it only lasted like, 60 years). I always strive for historical accuracy, however, the Han Dynasty was over 400 years long and some sources don't do a great job separating out the different fashions, so I apologise for any mistakes that occur.

2. there aren't a ton of drawings on what Han children looked like, but in general ancient kids hairstyles are pretty consistent. 9-15 yo boys had shaved heads with two little top knots, girls had natural hair in braids/buns.

3. the crossbow (back left) makes a cameo, it was associated with Zhuge Liang, famous real-life strategist from the 3K era.

4. the LLL and his wife thank the Warlord, (a noblewoman on a battlefield??? scandalous!). it shows the LLL enjoys the unconventional and the wife is not as timid as she appears. I thought it would be funny to make them look as Background Character (tm) as possible.

5. I based the wizard's design on sages from mythology. (Hey, he's not a total fraud, he invented gunpowder 800 years before the Tang dynasty!) Nice little character moment for the LLL who is shielding his wife.

6. What do soldiers do while they're waiting for 8 hours? (<-from the right) playing knucklebones with pebbles, whittling a little horse, feeding sparrows, gossiping with neighbour, drinking from his gourd, napping. A minor warlord can't afford to keep a professional army so they're most likely conscripted farmers who've had to buy their own weapons and armour, hence why they look so unimpressive.

7. LLL offers the Warlord a bitten peach. Inspired by the legend of Mizi Xia who bit into a delicious peach and gave it to the Emperor so he could taste it was well. "Bitten peach" was a byword for homosexuality in ancient China. I thought it would be SO funny if the LLL was actually smooth af and the Warlord was a like a teenaged girl crushing for the first time. He's desperate to taste that peach but is too timid to reach out >;))) man has zero game. negative game, even. truely the PS4 of homosexuals. RIP to the assassin in the back corner who was forced to watch the most awkward, cringe-fail attempt at flirting in the history of china play out.

8. this is what zero peach does to a mf. UnU

[lillchris]

You With The Dark Curls; You With The Water Colured Eyes (Two Shot)

Chapter Two: I'd Start a Riot Word Count: 2.2k

a/n: Title inspo from BANNERS song "Start A Riot" I will try and make this chapter, and future ones longer :) Anyway, enjoy this chapter! Stay Safe love you all <3

BANNERS song below in case you haven't listened to it, or want to! ;)

Start a Riot

TW: Angst, Swearing, anxiety and panic attack

Luckily when Paige walked back inside, Drew wasn't right there carping her with questions, which she was currently thankful for. 

In fact, she didn't know what exactly to think of at the moment. All she could think about was everything Jalen had said in the course of their heated conversation. Even though she was angry with Jalen at the beginning of their discussion, she had tried to keep it civil.  But screw it, it had escalated to anything but a civil conversation by the end of it all. 

The fact that Jalen had the audacity to bring up her parent’s divorce was a very low blow, but yet in all the years that Paige had known him, it didn’t surprise her too much that he would make a comment like that, and it gave Paige yet another reason to never speak to Jalen again.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the couch, Azzi was consumed in her own pool of thoughts. 

She mentally kicked herself for not being able to give Jalen her full what for. She knew that if she somehow did now, it would make the situation worse, and that was the last thing Paige needed.  However, in her mind, she hoped that sometime in the very near future the situation would arise where she could.  She made a mental note and added Jalen to the list of people she wanted to bitch slap. and yes Azzi had a list, and by all means, he deserved it. 

Azzi rose from the couch, silently, walking into the kitchen, eyeing her parents, who were still cleaning the kitchen.  She kept her presence brief as she filled a glass with ice water, as she felt Tim and Katie’s eyes on her.  She said nothing, only glancing at them as her parents frowned.  It was one of those eyes that spoke more than words moments.  Azzi’s expression and demeanor told her parents pretty much everything.  They stayed quiet, as they watched their daughter walk away, before having a conversation of their own. 

Azzi crouched down in front of Paige meeting her eye level with the couch as she handed her the glass of water. 

Their eyes met, and something in Paige softened, as her best friend watched her face relax. 

Azzi was always the one who could do that, no one else.  She somehow made her feel at peace, even in moments when she felt like everything around her was crashing.  She was there for her when she injured her ACL, there for her when she wanted to give up, physically and mentally in rehab, every time. She was there for her when Jalen had broken her heart, letting her cry. Azzi was her safe haven.  Azzi had told Paige once, that she saved her, but in reality, it was vice versa.  To her Azzi was the one who had truly saved her.

Flashback… (November 2022)

Why did this injury even have to happen? One season, please, an injury-free healthy season, that’s what she had hoped for. Longed for, Prayed for, asked God for, but He had different plans. Through the constant painful days of rehab Paige was really starting to wonder what that plan truly was.

“Six months” “Nine months” “Possibly up to a year maybe more.” That’s what she had heard over and over again from Orthopedic Specialists and doctors. “Oh your young and healthy! It might not take that long for recovery!” They’d say or “You should be thankful it isn’t worse.” She didn’t want sympathy or pity, she wanted to be out on the court, playing. Instead she had to watch from the sidelines as her teammates played games she would have been in too if it hadn’t been for this.

She fucking hated it. Being away from the court, being resentful towards her teammates, the jealousy, the envy all of it! She knew she shouldn’t feel that way, but the jealousy always crept in somehow.

Most of all she missed the court, even the sound. The way her shoes would squeak against the hardwood, or the way the rubber and layers upon layers of fiber felt in her hand as she gripped the basketball.

Ball was life, who was she without it if she couldn’t play? She didn’t mean it, but she also didn’t want to lie to herself and not acknowledge that half of that statement wasn’t true, because it was.

Paige mentally cursed herself as one of the therapists aided her in the usual “daily walk” they called it. It was supposed to be a towards the end of the day type of casual walk, but to Paige it was anything but casual. The walk was a fucking menace, as Paige felt every muscle in her right “good leg” burn as it tried to compensate for her bum left one.

She was about to curse out loud but the sound of Azzi’s voice stopped her from doing so. As she glanced over toward the hallway entrance she saw Azzi, her Azzi. Even though she had seen her two days prior, something in Paige always skipped when she saw her. She didn’t know what to root it to, the fact that she missed her or something else. All Paige knew was the she was elated to see her best friend, as even the presence of her encouraged Paige to keep going.

———————————————————————

“Paige! It’s your turn to give me my gift!”Drew said excitedly, snapping his big sister out of her daze, and back into the present moment.

“Oh uh yeah right!” Paige said with a slight smile as she got up from the couch and handed Drew his present.

Paige was trying to be as enthusiastic as she could that evening as everyone opened presents, but her efforts were in vain.

Azzi glanced over at Paige. She knew that the events from this morning were effecting Paige more than she knew, physically Paige was there with everyone, but mentally she was in another place.

Azzi said nothing, as she silently intertwined her fingers with Paige’s, in hopes to help keep her grounded in the moment despite the fact her mind was spiraling.

“Yes! This is exactly what I wanted! Thank you!”Drew said happily before engulfing his big sister in a tight embrace.

Drew was ecstatic about his present, due to the fact he now had a PlayStation Portal. He could easily play Fortnite virtually anywhere, without being tied to his console. Which in turn didn’t help his video game obsession, but Drew was happy and to Paige that’s all that mattered.

“You gotta open yours now.” Azzi said mustering up a smile as she handed Paige a small velvet box.

The content of the box contained a small sliver ring with the wording engraved on the front “My Ride Or Die”. Their initials ‘P&A’ engraved on the inside.

Paige smiled, and chuckled lightly before handing Azzi a slightly bigger velvet box.

Azzi gasped slightly, before laughing a little and smiling upon seeing the item.

Unironically enough, inside was an identical silver stylish bracelet with the same wording on the front and their initials, this time on the back.

"They really are soulmates." Jose whispered to Drew with a laugh making a heart hands toward the two girls jokingly.

"Now we're matching." Paige stated as she carefully placed the bracelet around Azzi's smaller wrist.

---------------------------------------------------

"Alright that's it for me I'm done, I already lost five hotels four houses, and seven hundred dollars. I'm practically broke." Paige says laughing as she sets her play piece on the Monopoly board.

"Yeah, I guess I'm out too, Drew drained me of all resources." Azzi says as she noogies Drew's head jokingly.

"Oh come on it's only 3am. You two are dropping out and going to bed like an old married couple." Jose teases as Paige and Azzi roll their eyes, and walk down the hall toward Azzi's bedroom.

Later that night, silence filled the bedroom as Azzi and Paige lay opposite the queen-sized mattress. They always shared a bed whenever Paige visited the Fudds, so it wasn't out of the norm for them to share a bed, but tonight something was different.

"You awake Paige?" Azzi asked curiously as she lay on her side, before glancing over at Paige who had her back facing her.

"Yeah, um I'm awake." Paige said vaguely not even turning around to face Azzi.

Tonight Paige was closed off like a butterfly, sheltered in the cacoon walls she had put up to protect herself, and no matter what Azzi did she couldn't get through to her. Azzi didn't blame Paige at all for being closed off, but she just wished that Paige would let her carry her burdens; together through all of this.

"You don't have to say anything but, if you do, I'm here to talk or just listen. I'm here; always."

Paige said nothing, but internally she felt like she was on the brink of drowning. All the air left her lungs as she felt as though she was barely keeping her head above water. Her ears felt as though they were burning, her mind was screaming at her. Paige felt as though her heart was beating out of her chest, feeling the ever-looming feeling of nausea rising in her throat. She didn't know what was happening to her. Her senses were shot through the roof, and it was only then did she realize her labored breathing could be heard by Azzi.

"Paige." Azzi's voice stretched out to her, but at this point, her friend was unreachable, as something threatened to pull her under. Take her away from the only thing, the only person who could possibly pull her from the waves she was being taken under by.

"Paige, it's me, Azzi, You're here with me, whatever you're experiencing right now, I'm here with you in this moment." Azzi said softly holding Paige's hand in a desperate attempt to somehow bring her back to this moment.

In Paige's mind, she could hear her best friend calling out to her, but the thoughts and dread that had surpassed her earlier in the day had become all too much for her.

"Paige, can you hear me? I need you to slow down your breathing, long inhales, and exhales."

Paige made slight eye contact with Azzi, despite her eyes still being hazy and glazed over. Her vision was blurry and she could barely make out the shape of Azzi's face, as her fast spurts of breathing threatened to cause her blackout.

"Paige, I can't have you hyperventilating do you remember the grounding techniques we learned in psychology class?

Azzi firmly set both hands on Paige's shoulders, Azzi was damn determined to bring Paige out of this.

"Whatever is happening to you right now, whatever you're thinking it isn't true, none of it is. Whatever Jalen said to you isn't true. Your are an amazing person, you are smart, and kind. Who you love or how you love does not make you less. Your my best friend, your beautiful, and more than deserving of being loved, and to love. Your past circumstances do not define you.

Those words seemed to break through to Paige, as she slowly came back to the present moment. Her vision cleared and she was finally able to see Azzi clearly, as her chocolate brown, gentle eyes stared back into Paige's blue ones.

"I-I." Paige started to say, but Azzi gently shushed her, and she practically collapsed into Azzi's embrace. Paige's walls fell down, and Azzi was there to catch her.

"Shhhh I know, it's okay. I've got you, it's okay you can let it out. "

It made Azzi's heartbreak knowing Paige probably had kept this, and a lot of things pent up for a while now. Paige was always the tough one, the strong one, the leader. She was always there for others, but no one was there for her, not truly at least. She never really had any way or anyone she could talk to about everything.

Don't get Azzi wrong, she loved Paige's family, but she always wondered why her parents split when she was so young. She knew it was a very sensitive subject for Paige, and she respected that, but her mind always wondered. Azzi recalled when had taken Psychology I, that the earliest a child could remember things was age three. While it was often spotty and vague, a child would start to remember.

Azzi hated the fact that Paige had no one to talk to about this matter and everything else in between. From that moment on, Azzi made a promise to herself; that she would be that somebody.

Paige's sobs subsided, as Azzi looked down at her, realizing she had fallen asleep in her arms, utterly drained and exhausted.

Azzi sighed, laying Paige in her bed again as she climbed in beside her, thankful now that she was finally sleeping peacefully. It was only when Azzi heard Paige's snoring that was she satisfied.

Paige cuddled up to Azzi, as she softly planted a kiss on Paige's forehead. Usually, Azzi would be annoyed by her snoring, but tonight it was a more than welcome gift.

a/n: That's it, I know that this chapter was a bit deeper, and had some sensitive topics, but I promise to have more fluff in the future!! As always I would love to hear what you all think! <3

[mysteryshoptls]

NRC Masterchef ―Carp-e Diem― Event Lines

These are the lines spoken by Deuce and Jamil on the Event Homescreen, Ingredients Procurement and Cooking screen. (Thank you @/twstgameplay for letting me snag the banner)

Deuce

Viper-senpai, you're so good at this!

When it comes to curry, I always end up wanting to go back for more.

The cafeteria kitchen is so huge!

When sending out to a location: Just gonna go grab stuff!

When returning from location: This is all I was able to get.

When starting a dish: Right! Let's go!

When completing a dish: It shouldn't taste terrible... Hopefully.

Jamil

Hm. You're really giving it your all, Deuce.

For airy fritters, I should...

I actually like cooking to help clear my head.

When sending out to a location: I'm heading out. Don't expect too much.

When returning from location: Well, this will have to do.

When starting a dish: I'm just going to do as I normally do.

When completing a dish: Done. Now, to serve it.

Requested by Anonymous.

[endursent]

- God Shattering Star

【 content; morax | rex lapis x reader , slow burn , mutual pining , multi-chapter , archon war period , afab!reader 】

【 note; read on ao3 】

【 word count; 5.713 | previous chapter - next chapter | masterlist 】

- Chapter 2 - Distension

 You ate your buns on the way to the palace, it was still warm and just as delicious as it smelled, after the recent days of eating cold food that you brought with you from home it was nice to have something warm and fresh.

 You were halfway up the steps to the palace; each step was clean and well-kept and there wasn’t a single crease or dip from use despite being stepped on daily for centuries. Millelith stood on the left and right side both at the bottom as well as the top of the long steps, and you wondered how many there were. Swallowing your bite, you look at Moon Carver. “How many steps are there to the palace?”

 “A thousand exactly,” Moon Carver answered, surprisingly he didn’t seem annoyed by the question.

 You had never seen the gods residing over the Guili Assembly, but they have always been revered as kind and wise gods that care for the people and protect them to their fullest capabilities. It showed in the way their palaces were placed, the capital is next to a rising mountain, it isn’t very large, and the city rises onto the side of the mountain. The palaces are therefore always in line with the buildings of the city around it, rising along with the people, and not leaving them behind, there are palaces that rise high above the rest that you have heard from other lands ruled by different gods. The stairs are a formality, with each step you approach them, rising among the buildings to meet them, on equal latitude to the city and its people.

 At least, that is how it seems to you upon observation… it would be rather embarrassing if you were to meet them and they were quite unlike the kind and patient gods the stories tell, you don’t quite trust stories and legends to be entirely equivalent to real life.

 By the time you reach the top, you regret eating your buns before the rise as you feel it in your throat and do your best not to look like you’re about to return it to your hand.

 Moon Carver walks ahead of you, entirely unbothered by the long walk up the stairs… after walking for four entire days… you’re convinced now, this guy isn’t human.

 He leads you through the gates to the palaces as you try and rub your stomach subtly to settle it, and just as they’ve been described, there are two large buildings on either side and several smaller ones, often connected, are between them. The stone beneath your feet is clean and warm and there are ponds as well as patches of greenery between the paths, if you hadn’t climbed all the way up, you would have assumed the palaces were on ground level and not halfway up a mountain.

 Moon Carver turns to you. “This one has other obligations and duties, please go through there,” he points to a building close to the right-hand palace, there is an opening between buildings with a walkway connecting them. “And to the gardens, the person receiving you will be there… don’t get lost.”

 The instructions weren’t so complicated, you could see bushes and trees through the small opening and as Moon Carver left, you stood still for a moment to look around. It wasn’t entirely clear which palace belonged to who, neither were decorated in a specific way nor hung any banners, the roofs were brown and the walls made of stone, they seemed about four stories high with the surrounding buildings being either two or single stories. The surrounding area was open and well taken care of, trees lined the edges where walls protected the palace grounds and many species of flowers you have never seen before were blooming along ponds inhabited with carps swimming leisurely.

 Just standing around gawking was attracting some stares from patrolling and guarding Millelith as well as passing attendants, so you decided to do as you were told and hurried towards the opening between buildings. As you stepped onto the wooden path, you smelled a delicious aroma to your left and heard speaking from an open window, the kitchens seem to be located a bit right to the centre of the palaces, then there must be a main hall to the left? You didn’t stop to take a look, hoping you would get a chance later, and continued on.

 The gardens, somehow, were more stunning than the open area at the front of the palaces. Here the ground was grass instead of rock with wooden and stone paths leading around it. A large tree with vibrant green leaves stood in the middle, as well as a figure underneath it. It must be the one waiting for you as there was no one else in the gardens. The sound of a rolling stream sounded as you walked along the path towards the figure, it was a short woman in a clean white robe with blue tones, she had grey hair that seemed short at the back and long at the front and changed a slight hue colour the longer down it went.

 She heard you approach and turned around as you were only a few steps away, you suddenly felt rather underdressed, wearing a simple robe that was comfortable to travel in and would keep you warm with long sleeves… and the basket on your back with other clothes, some which would fit better for this meeting as you had a feeling this wasn’t just some attendant at the palace.

 “Good afternoon,” she greeted, her voice was friendly and her eyes kind. “I’m glad your journey seems to have gone well.” your robes are clean and unmarred; you clearly had a peaceful trip despite its length.

 “Thank you,” you say with a hint of uncertainty, she fits the description of the Lord of Dust, but it feels inappropriate to just assume–what if she just resembles her? You remember passing a shrine worshipping her in a village along the eastern coast, though she was made slightly smaller than she seems to you… or perhaps it was to exaggerate the height of the statue next to her. Either way, you tilt your head down in politeness. “Were you the one who summoned me?”

 “Considering the state of our injured, it was a collective summon from those worried and wanting to see them healthy,” she confirms and puts her hands together, or rather presses her sleeves together. “But first things first, you can call me Guizhong, no need for excessive formalities.”

 … damn. You really did enter the palace of the gods and met one of said gods, intentionally.

 You quickly rectify your small head bow from before, grasping your hands together and redoing it with a deeper one. You haven’t exactly been trained to or informed on how to speak to and act around gods, you just hope you won’t cause any trouble… or that she can see or hear your heart thundering in your chest. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Guizhong,” it feels awkward to address a god by their name only, but she did specifically request it… you still consider at least adding a polite honorific behind it. “I hope my skills will be enough, I will do my best in aiding any infected.”

 It seems your actions were well received, Guizhong smiles with her long sleeves almost touching the ground. It was quite cute how her robes were styled so that her sleeves are longer than the robe itself. “I believe you, you were highly recommended by general Huang,” she says.

 General Huang is the one that leads the Millelith Brigade in the south, he was the one to bring the two cursed artifacts to you, as well as purchased several protective talismans during a particularly difficult month. Though the Millelith have their own protective charms and barriers provided by the adepti directly, there are times where they must venture out of the barrier, particularly scouts, which often burn through protective talismans like incense. General Huang is a kind older man, you hope to meet him again if he returns to the capital while you’re here.

 “I’m thankful for his kind words, should I start my work immediately?” you ask, quite worried about the people in need of help. The longer a person goes without purification, the worse the corruption gets, thankfully you have conserved as much energy as you can all things considered, the energy you spend running around and climbing stairs is a different one than you use during purifications and cleansing… but they aren’t entirely independent. 

 Guizhong nods. “I apologise for sending you to work immediately after your arrival, please leave your basket here and I’ll have an attendant bring it to the chambers you will receive while you stay here,” she brings her hand–her sleeve entirely covers it–to her chin. “The co-leader of the Guili Assembly couldn’t be present to greet you, he is busy tending to efforts relating to the grander conflict.” Her words seem intentionally vague, but you don’t mind, meeting one god is enough for now, though technically two since Moon Carver convinced you without doing much convincing.

 As you lower your basket down and straighten your robe, Guizhong continues. “I must ask you to stay here for a while, many of our soldiers are in varying stages, some are extremely sick while others are less affected, but we cannot’ have such foul energies within the city, lest they seep from the palace and into the people. We have done our best to help them, but only so many are learnt in the art of purification.”

 Taint of this kind is difficult to deal with, for the gods and adepti, it is antithetical to their essence and thus a blast of their own pure energy would surely easily vaporise it from a body… and it would likely also vaporise the body itself. It requires knowledge, work and practice to be able to eradicate it from a human body–an object is less of an issue, but all bodies and souls are different. You’ve never met another cleanser like yourself, in fact, you’re not sure there are many that are learned at all.

 “I will introduce you to the adepti that are handling the issue, as well as those relevant,” Guizhong said as a young girl with dark hair came over to take your basket, before she does, you take your tools from the basket and set it in a smaller bag that you can sling over your shoulder. You thank her before following the Lord of Dust to one of the centre buildings.

  She leads you to a hallway that has a single door that slides open to reveal a staircase. The light that shines down fades the longer down you walk, and Guizhong lights two lanterns that are attached to the wall on the way down. “How do you carry patients down here?” you wonder. The stairs are narrow and turn in a tight spiral, no one could carry a stretcher down this.

  “There is a separate entrance for that,” Guizhong replies only a few steps ahead of you. “This staircase is simply the shortest way from the gardens.”

  You suppose it made sense, why would the main entrance be accessed from a random hallway leading from the gardens? You are relatively silent on the way down, the journey feels as though it takes ten minutes until you see a brighter light illuminating the bottom of the stairs, only the sound of your boots and Guizhong’s bare feet hitting the stone steps sounded as you descended to the bottom. 

  There is a wide hall that meets your eyes when you finally exit the staircase… people lying on hard cots and only a handful tending to them, bringing water and fixing pillows as some patients writhe in discomfort and pain. There are curtains drawn to hide some cots, but many are open and being tended to. You look at Guizhong silently as she sighs at the sight. “It has only been a few days, but many worsen by the hour,” she leads you further inside and as you pass the foot of several cots, you see that there must be at least forty people in the hall that require treatment. 

  “How did it happen?” you ask quietly as your eyes catch a woman being tended to, her entire arm is dark and tainted… your nose stings at the smell of rot and thick herbal concoctions used to treat it, and you move your hand up to cover it. You’ve never seen a person so deeply afflicted, everyone you have helped had either recently came in contact with the miasma or only been affected for a day or two… 

  Guizhong didn’t answer your question as she stopped by one cot that had a woman tending to an older man, the two of you stood and waited as she finished and finally turned to you. “Is this her?” the woman looked you up and down before turning her gaze to Guizhong. “We will need to start immediately.”

  The Lord of Dust nodded and looked at you. “This is Ground Mender, one of our esteemed healers, she’s in charge of taking care of the tainted soldiers, I’ll leave you in her capable hands. I was going to introduce you to everyone, but it seems they’re quite busy.”

  You nod and give a short bow to Ground Mender, as well as Guizhong as she leaves. “Do you have tools with you?” the adeptus asks as she draws the curtain closed around the older man’s cot. You confirm you do with a rattle of your bag before following her to one end of the room where a man seems to be half-delirious. “Please show me.”

  It was a bit (very) nerve wracking to perform your ritual under an adeptus’ gaze, you had managed to hold yourself together for this long and not seem too nervous… but it was getting increasingly difficult. If you had been told a week ago that you would be performing before an adeptus in the gods’ palace, you would have kicked out whoever said it and called them insane. 

  The man on the cot had a deep wound that had been well dressed. You took a breath, and the smell of the medicinal ward pinched your nose, you closed your eyes and calmed your body before opening them again. “Please be ready to hold him, if the corruption is deep enough…”  you didn’t need to explain that it would hurt like hell. 

  Ground Mender nodded and moved to the other side of the cot, ready to assist when she was needed.

  You peeled back the bandage covering the man’s wound and made a slight face. You’re not a doctor so you couldn’t exactly say by what this wound was made, whether it was a weapon or the claw of a beast… but it looked terrible. The stench of thick, coppery blood and sweat clung to the bandage as you set it aside, it looked like it needed changing anyway. You didn’t want to sound rude… but you had to ask. “I’ve heard stories that say adepti and gods can heal wounds wide as dinner plates,” you tried to phrase it like you were merely pondering it to yourself, but Ground Mender clearly understood what you meant.

  “The taint prevents any elemental energy from mending their wounds, we’ve tried everything but the only thing that works is purifying their bodies, granting them protection and then providing healing,” she explains as you wash your hands in a basin next to the cot. You hum in response, you don’t have any talent for healing magic and have only tended to superficial wounds in the past… but how does it block elemental energy? Does it simply negate it? Absorb it? You shake your head to toss away the lingering questions, you can think about it later.

  You assume that the medical ward is well protected, you also take the other patients into consideration and decide not to light any incense, you just hope the foul energy won’t make any unexpected moves. 

  With a pre-painted talisman in hand as well as other tools by the ready, you lean closer to the man’s wound to get a better look.

  The wound has been stitched together, but the edges are terrible–not as clean as one would expect from a blade, so it must be something else… there is an inky darkness mixed with the shine of blood peeking between the stitches, skin that should be red and raw around the wound is instead grey with black corruption stretching away from the wound, as if it were reaching out for anything to cling to. The man is so pale he might be confused with a corpse, eyes sunken and dark with a deep, desperate breathing that sounds like every draw is his last one.

  As soon as you prod at the man’s skin to try and feel for the reach of the corruption, he nearly leaps up into a sitting position, screaming so sharply your ears hurt. Startled, you jump back and almost knock over the cart next to you as Ground Mender pushes the man back down. “I-I didn’t touch his wound! Or even the skin around it!” you were really worried that you had hurt him, but Ground Mender didn’t seem as puzzled by the man’s reaction as you did. Screaming, crying and begging isn’t unusual, but you thought he was unconscious. 

  “Continue,” she simply said, hands now on his arm and chest to be prepared to hold him down again. 

  You return to the side of the cot and try to work faster, the corruption is so much deeper compared to what you usually handle, you’ve always been able to work slowly and meticulously… able to take your time, to an extent, but it seems this man requires faster care than more careful care. You can’t measure exactly how far the corruption has spread, it takes time to poke around the skin and if it seeped into such a deep wound, the reach might be vertical as well—you just hope it hasn’t clawed itself into his organs. 

  The extraction, despite your best attempts to be quick, took much longer than you expected. The energy had dug itself deep into his body and had Ground Mender not restrained him, the man would probably have given you a few bruises with his thrashings. Eventually, you closed the jar now filled with writhing miasma and sealed it closed with the talisman you had prepared earlier. There’s no need to completely extract every drop of corruption from a human body, it can usually wash out the rest on its own, but objects must always be completely cleansed as they can’t do anything for themselves. 

  You almost slumped down to the floor after setting the jar aside, sweat gathering on your forehead and neck as you felt as if your muscles weighed thrice what they usually do. 

  The man had stopped thrashing as soon as you closed the jar and was now laying still, chest rising and falling in a relatively healthy rhythm compared to before. 

  “Good,” Ground Mender nods, her hand raising to her chin. “There’s room for improvement under pressure, and you spent a while regathering energies that slipped from between your fingers, the preparation was too long and— “

  You just stare at her, blinking as she goes over your methods step by steps and begins breaking them down… you haven’t had anyone teach you in a long time, so it takes a few seconds for you to even comprehend what she’s saying. “Wait, I’m sorry,” you stop her. “Can you start over? I wasn’t ready.”

  The entire day goes by both quickly, as well as extremely slowly, at some points the hour slogged by and another it ran past you. You’re used to cleansing maybe two hours a day, only thrice a week, and only more if a barrier broke or something particularly unfortunate happened. The rest of your day went to keeping your home clean and safe from the miasma you extracted inside of it, preparing talismans or helping around the village with menial tasks. 

  By the end of the day, you’re absolutely beat. 

  You had extracted corruption from three people, thankfully the last one only had a mild case, or else you would have been on the floor by now… you still kind of feel like you’re about to eat the ground with every step. 

  The room you had been given isn’t particularly large, but it isn’t terribly small either. It has a bed wide enough to toss and turn on, a desk and a closet, as well as a small chest by the foot of the bed where you found extra blankets. Your basket sat next to the desk and despite your exhaustion, you couldn’t just leave your clothes crumpled in there overnight, so you forced yourself to fold or hang them up in the closet. You set the cloth bag with your tools down on the desk afterwards… and collapsed onto your bed, face buried in the soft pillow as your body thrummed with bone-deep exhaustion. This is going to be hard work… there are so many that need help that it’s almost overwhelming to even think about. 

  As you laid on your new bed, debating whether you should change clothes or just sleep as you are… your stomach rumbled.

  You hadn’t eaten anything since the buns this morning… oh! 

  You had one extra! You almost forgot.

  It was even still in your sleeve, cold and a bit chewy, but just enough to not make your night miserable. 

  There are formal breakfast, lunch and dinner times, workers in the palace gather in a hall that you correctly predicted was attached to the kitchens you passed two days ago when you arrived. Every meal that comes from that kitchen looks like it was blessed by every benevolent god in Teyvat, they filled your stomach and energised you like nothing else, allowing you to work almost twice as well and much as you usually do. It likely didn’t help that you have lived in remote villages that rarely had access to all kinds of nutrition at a time, some villages primarily ate fish and herbs, another had mostly rice and bread, and now suddenly you were getting all the nutrition you needed. 

  You’re starting to understand what people mean when they say life in the capital is easier. You feel like you can do anything after just breakfast. 

  You haven’t had much time to explore the palace since you got here, when you asked Ground Mender why there were so few that could assist with the cleansing, she had said that only five were deemed skilled enough to help (so, what, Moon Carver had just called you half-skilled to be mean?) and three declined the call, saying they had duties to their villages or towns that they couldn’t leave behind, and the one other than you that came to the capital was one of the people you had met in the medical ward yesterday. 

  The art of cleansing and purifying isn’t a popular one, as it directly places you before corrupting energies that can pose just as much danger to yourself as it does the afflicted, but you had thought there were more than five… and to think it was only you and Ming Hui, the other cleanser that came to the capital, who had travelled to help. She was far younger than you, you haven’t asked but can take a rough guess that she’s only twelve… apparently one of the other three was her father, who sent her here while he stayed behind in their town, or so you heard two medics utter on your way out of the hall on your second evening. 

  The more you worked on cleansing and helping those affected by the corruption in the medical ward, the more you understood that while it was the same corruption as you’ve encountered before… the way this clung to their bodies and burrowed in their skin was entirely different from what you were used to, as if they had two entirely different personalities and methods. 

  “Hahh…” you wiped your forehead with your sleeve as you climbed up the long staircase to leave the medical ward, it was almost midnight, and you were once again exhausted. You can’t keep this up for more than a week at best before you need a day or two to rest and replenish your energies, the amount you pour into every deep extraction is thrice the amount you usually use. 

  Closing the door behind you, you pat your clothes down and turn to walk down the hallway when you catch something in the corner of your eye. 

  An immaculately white and black robe decorated in gold with dark, tight sleeves and gloves. The ends of the person’s arms seem to glow in the dark gardens as they pass through, robes softly billowing behind them in the mild breeze… you stop in your tracks and can’t help but stare, tilting your head slightly to get a better look. It didn’t look like an attendant, their mere existence even several metres away seemed to draw the attention of yourself and even the carps in the pond they just passed as the fish swim along the end to follow. 

  Unconsciously, you do the same. You step closer to the edge of the walkway where red painted poles stand from the wooden walkway and to the roof above it and walk along the edge as if shadowing them. 

  It didn’t take long for them to notice you, their head turned, and your eyes met. 

  His skin is surprisingly pale, face clear as the smoothest stone and equally unmoving in expression. There’s no movement on his face that indicates surprise or confusion at seeing you not-so-subtly shadowing him from afar, and for the time that he holds your eyes, you feel yourself unable to move under the soft glow of eyes molten like the warm heart of a bonfire. You can’t see any details from your distance, but you catch a glimpse of long hair flowing from behind his back, the ends of it seem dimly lit with the same golden glow as his arms. 

  Realising you are following him and staring, you blink and look away for a moment to observe a very interesting branch next to the walkway, and when you look back… he is gone. 

  You surprise yourself when you feel a tinge of disappointment, you’ve only been around the ones running around the medical ward since you came, not counting Guizhong who you haven’t seen since she greeted you upon your arrival, or Moon Carver hasn’t shown himself either. Perhaps you were hoping the man would at least say hi… but small talk isn’t exactly your expertise either—so did you really want him to approach? Only for you to embarrass yourself?

  You’re not stupid either, though you were curious and maybe a bit mesmerised in the moment, as soon as you looked back and snapped out of it, you connected the dots. 

  Statues of Rex Lapis are often built in shrines worshipping him with meticulous detail, usually the statues leave the hood on, which blocks out the face, or the nose and mouth are sculpted, but not his eyes. This was certainly him. 

  You really hope he doesn’t think you’re weird for staring like that. 

  He must think you’re weird…

   What kind of person stalks behind someone else and stares at them? You keep thinking back on it and replaying the scenario in your head. Should you have said something? Should you have just continued on? This is so terribly awkward. 

  Your exhaustion must be showing on your face, or the fact that you’re distracted–or both, because Ground Mender sends you away earlier than usual today. After almost a week most of the soldiers in desperate conditions have been stabilised and they’re responding well to the medicine given to them. The more you came in contact with the foul energies burrowing inside their bodies, the more you felt that it was different than usual... not only their 'personalities' as you had considered before, but also in texture and thickness, you can't quite put your finger on it. You drag your feet up the stairs as you leave with your brain about to explode with four different thought processes and consider laying down in the gardens for a while. 

  Unfortunately, there are people standing around and talking there, so you give up on finding a spot, even though the warm spring sun and empty sky made you want to lie under the warmth and soak in some vitamins. 

  So, you try and search for another spot, you search the palace grounds but there’s not really a place to rest. You don’t want to go to your room, because if you lie down in bed, you will sleep for eleven hours instead of just catching a wink before dinner. There are some side areas where you technically could lie down… but it’s covered in shade from the roofs of the palace buildings and very tight to squeeze into. So, you give that up as well. 

  About to just resign your fate to a heavy slumber in your bed until tomorrow, you hear footsteps behind you and turn around—only to nearly jump out of your skin. 

  Rex Lapis is standing behind you, hands behind his back, he watches as you spin around and stare at him, he was dressed similarly to before, but this time his hood has been drawn up. As you stand and stare awkwardly, he thankfully speaks before you have to. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he says sincerely. 

  “Oh, it’s okay, it’s fine—I wasn’t surprised,” you lied through your teeth, trying to smile in a way that didn’t give anything away, but it felt rather crooked. You weren’t expecting to see him so soon again! Do you bring up the other night? Do you apologise?

  Whether he detected your lie or not, he didn’t comment further on it. “I was quite busy when you arrived, so I could not find time to greet you. I would like to extend my gratitude for your willingness to travel so far and assist us, as well as your hard work so far.”

  Now standing closer to him than before, you could see him much better, you can hear is deep, smooth voice clearly, and it's making the conversation infinitely more difficult than it had to be—are all gods seemingly perfect? This is unfair. “Of course, ah… I’m happy to help,” you manage to get a full sentence out, having to flicker your gaze away from his eyes that radiated like two suns locked onto you. 

  He nods. “If you require anything, please don’t hesitate to ask an attendant for what you need. It was a pleasure to finally speak to you.”

  You bow as he gives his farewell and leaves, and you watch him until he disappears. Kind, but with an expression of stone. Maybe stories and legends aren’t so far off. 

  Guizhong sips her tea, kneeling by a low tea table that held no tea but rather seven open scrolls and four papers, all had scribbles on them that were incomprehensible by the housekeepers that try to keep her study tidy, but they can guess it relates to the devices she keeps around and tinkers with.

  The door opens and Morax steps in, closing the door behind him. Guizhong looks up from her focus on the paper in front of her and smiles. “How was the trip?”

  “Well enough… the situation has calmed for now; the north has been silent for a time, and I did not find anything rising on the horizon. The western conflicts are inching closer, but with enough preparation and a formal warning that they should keep their battles away from our lands, I am hoping it will not escalate,” he walks to the large open window as he speaks, looking down at the moving forms of palace attendants and housekeepers, as well as strolling Millelith and other occupants of the palaces. After watching them for a while, he turned back to Guizhong. “We have regained the peaks in the south and the eastern seas have quieted down as always for some weeks.”

  Morax travels quickly, and though the adepti rotate watching the tense situations outside of the Guili Assembly, he circles around every now and then as well. Just in case. 

  Tensions have been high as of late, there was a shift of power somewhere far west of the Guili Assembly that was almost felt in the air in Tianqiu Valley when he was there. A lot of gods seemed to be falling in the west, and Morax just hoped the miasma left behind wouldn’t seep into the Assembly as well, there were enough injured people afflicted from there already. 

  Guizhong hums, setting her empty cup down. “Perhaps we’ll have a moment of peace, then.”

  He didn’t seem as convinced, though there had not been any current pressure or an immediate threat, Morax wasn’t one to lay down his guard and allow any oversight. The safety of their people and lands were of utmost importance to him. “Perhaps…” he still allowed her some hope, even if he himself had little. 

  “The afflicted have been reduced to a single digit number,” Guizhong broke him from his thoughts. “Even with just two additional cleansers, the time we previously thought it would take to care for the patients was halved despite their numbers.”

  Morax nods, he’s glad their arrival has garnered the results they hoped for. “I see… I will have gifts delivered to their rooms as thanks.”

  “Gifts?” Guizhong seemed interested, eyes lighting up like two stars. “Like what? Food? Sweets? Should I make something for them?” 

  Morax stared at her for a moment, he was simply thinking of gifting them some mora to send to their families or to spend for themselves, or have someone show them around the capital as they haven’t had time to look around since they arrived. But since she was so excited about it… “I’m sure they would appreciate anything you give them that you’ve personally made. Be it sweets or otherwise.” 

  “I’ll get to work right away,” Guizhong nodded. When she sets a goal, she really gets into it, Morax just hopes she’ll gift them something… reasonable, and not a functioning turret.

[thekimonogallery]

Koinobori Carp Banner in Toyohama, Kagawa, by Kawase Hasui, 1948

[fragrantpines]

Just seen the pv for the upcoming Taibai event and I have one thing to say: Taibai's voice is to DIE for.

For those who haven't heard his CN voice, here's a small video to show how amazing Baiya's original CN voice sounds (click here). His original CN VA raised the bar soooo high for whoever was going to voice Baiya in the future so I didn't have high expectations this time around but man, the ENG VA really delivered and in the best way possible. The haughty arrogance that exludes from every word that falls from his mouth, the beautiful and heartfelt way he recites poetry like a writer weaving stories from only the most meaningful of words, the natural charisma that pulls people into his presence like an unstoppable magnetic force magnetic; it's incredible, showstopping, spectacular, perfect ahhhhhhhhhhh.

Imagine him tilting your chin up to meet his honey brown eyes that had never left your figure the moment he saw you, his lips curling up into a smirk as he watches you slowly turn beetred from how close your faces were. One wrong move and your lips would brush against each other, stealing away your first kiss of tonight but it was obvious that that was the furthest thing from the swordsman's mind, too drunk from the alcohol he had drank earlier as well as the gorgeous sight that laid before him.

Slowly, he lets go of your chin and bends his head close to your ear, savouring the way your body shivers as his breath blows against your skin ever so delicately, like a summer breeze that comes and goes without heeding anyone's command just like the swordsman himself. Without warning, he takes a small part of your earlobe into his mouth and nibbles on it gently, not giving you a moment to process his actions before he's already pulled away and chuckles next to your ear.

"Already so red? The night has barely started, my little friend."

[camisoledadparis]

Louis Dumoulin - Carp Banners in Kyoto (1888)