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waywardxrhea · 11 months ago

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Chapter 1 - Heart of Stone

What happens when you lie to the Devil? How long can one woman keep a lifetime of secrets from the Devil of Hell's Kitchen? The answer may surprise you...

installment list

pairing: Matt Murdock x enhanced!fem!OC

series content: coffee shop AU, fluff, humor, friends to lovers, pining, language, canon typical violence, use of guns, angst, drinking, implied smut, medical emergencies, mental health disorders (PTSD, panic disorder).

"you can build me up, you can tear me down, you can try but i'm unbreakable. you can do your best, but i'll stand the test, you'll find that i'm unshakable. when the fire's burnt, when the wind has blown, when the water's dry you'll still find stone. my heart of stone" - heart of stone, six the musical

word count: 3.9k

A series of unfortunate events leads Julianne Porter to uproot her entire life in London.

Standing at the back of the crowded church, Julianne Porter wiped away a tear that slipped from her eye despite her best efforts to keep them at bay. As she saw her father’s watchful eyes turning in her direction, she darted back behind the pillar so he didn’t see her because that would have meant certain punishment for daring to step foot into the church hosting his wife’s funeral. She was her mother too, but considering he blamed her for his wife’s untimely death in the first place, Julianne was unceremoniously barred from attending the event.

She couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t try to attend though, so she took what she could, sneaking in through the doors right as her mother’s favorite song was playing loudly through the speakers. Eileene was always a lively person and she had always made it clear to her husband Dean that when her time came, she wanted the funeral to be a joyous occasion celebrating her life, love, and career. Despite that wish though, Julianne wore all black because in the end, after what her father said to her that night, she felt she was to blame.

Giggling like a lovestruck teenager, Julianne kissed her boyfriend one last time before they came to a stop at the gate outside of the Porter family manor. “Tonight was amazing,” he told her between the last few kisses of the night.

“Thank you for taking me out, I really needed it,” she replied with a smile, wrapping her arms around his strong form, adding, “I wish it didn’t have to end.”

“Maybe it doesn’t have to… Come back to my place tonight, I’ll make it worth your while,” he told her with a sly wink.

She giggled once more before shaking her head and telling him, “I can’t, you know how it is around here. I…I really shouldn’t have even gone out tonight so last minute. If my father finds out I’ve been with you, he’ll kill me…”

“One day I’m gonna make that man like me, just you wait, darlin’,” he told her confidently.

“In your dreams, that man is-“ she started to say.

Julianne’s sentence was cut off though as she heard a scream coming from within the manor. Her eyes went wide as she pushed Kit away, telling him, “Shit, I have to go. I…I’ll call you later!”

Without a second glance back toward Kit’s shocked form, Julianne was off, racing up the drive of the manor with shaking hands, hoping for the best but expecting the worst upon hearing such an ear-splitting scream. When she got inside though, her worst fears came to fruition as she saw her mother being held at gunpoint. Upon seeing the fear in her mother’s eyes, Julianne put her hands up and said calmly, “Let’s not lose our heads now, let’s talk this out, I’m sure there’s some sort of agreement we can come to here.”

“We aren’t here to bargain princess. Grab her!” the man holding her mother snapped.

“I guess we’re doing it my way then aren’t we?” she asked before forcefully stomping on the ground, sending some of the granite flooring into the air, followed quickly by a punch to send the stone directly at the man holding her mother hostage.

“Don’t let her use her powers you blitherin’ idiots!” the man shouted.

Julianne could see two men coming at her from behind in a mirror across from her and launched an attack on them as well, causing the tile at their feet to suddenly sink into the ground, effectively trapping them in place. In her distraction of making sure that the men’s feet were thoroughly stuck, a third man came up behind her and picked her up off the ground like a daisy.

“Let go of me! I’ll-!” she tried to shout as she struggled in the man’s strong arms.

Everything in the next few seconds happened so quickly that she didn’t even have time to think before she saw her mother’s brains being shot out of the side of her head by her captor. And Julianne? Well she was screaming bloody murder as the men ran from the house jeering at her all the while.

“What the bloody hell is going on out here, I was in the middle of a conference with a very important client about-“ came Dean Porter’s voice as he stalked into the room flanked by two men from his security detail. He stopped cold though as he saw Julianne weeping over her mother’s body, the pool of blood surrounding them growing steadily. “Ridge, Oliver, find the men who did this. I want them dead. I’ll deal with the brat…”

A third man emerged from the room holding a binder to his chest, asking, “Dad, what-?” He too stopped cold as he saw his twin sister weeping over their mother’s body, his mouth agape and eyes wide.

The memory was abruptly interrupted by Julianne’s phone buzzing in her trouser pocket. She sneakily ducked out of the church before answering quietly, “Hey love, everything all right?”

“Smashing,” came Kit’s bright voice from the other line. “Look, I’m really sorry you couldn’t give your mum a proper goodbye… If you want, meet me at our usual spot for some cheering up. I’ll bring your favorite.”

“You’re the best, thank you,” Julianne whispered, her voice breaking with emotion at his kindness. “I’ll see you in ten, I love you.”

“I love you more,” he replied with the slightest crack in his voice at the end. Kit had met Eileen a few weeks ago for the first time and they hit it off instantly, and even though Dean hadn’t approved of Julianne dating, Eileen was happy to see her little girl happy. So, when Julianne told Kit about witnessing her murder, he had been a bit of an emotional mess too. Ever since that night, he had been especially gentle with Julianne and her emotional state, meeting with her in their secret spot just outside of the manor every night and bringing her chocolates or champagne to help her feel better. And while the gifts did bring her joy, merely being in his warm embrace and hearing his reassuring words brought her more comfort than any tangible object could.

The walk to the manor was breezy, the chilled autumn air cutting right through Julianne’s scarf and coat. She hugged her arms close to her body as she approached the little alcove she always met Kit in, calling out quietly, “Kit, it’s Julie, you here?”

Her eyebrows knit together when she didn’t get a response and instead heard a quiet thud on the ground, one that sounded almost…wet? She peered around the corner and for the second time in as many weeks, Julianne was weeping over the body of a loved one. Her limbs went numb, and she felt lightheaded as she surveyed Kit’s battered body bleeding out onto the concrete around him.

As Julianne fell to her knees with a sob, her heart kicked into high gear, racing irregularly in her chest as black threatened to engulf her vision. The darkness started to take over as she fell to the ground, the last thing she saw before passing out was the note nailed to Kit’s chest that read, “This is on you, Julianne.”

“Is someone over here?” James asked as he and Oliver made their way into the area a few minutes later. “I thought you said you heard something,” James snapped as they walked.

“I did, I swear it,” Oliver replied, turning the corner into the little alcove. He stopped dead in his tracks as he took in the sight in front of him: a bloodied Kit Wilson and Julianne unmoving near him. “Holy shit, James, I-”

“Shit, check on Julie, I’ll call Dad, see what he wants to do,” James said, reaching for his cell in his coat pocket.

James heard Oliver sigh in relief after a few moments, saying, “She’s alive. Heart rate is through the roof though.”

“It’s that stupid heart condition. She’ll come to soon,” James replied as he listened to his father’s instructions over the phone, turning his back to the scene as a sly smirk twisted its way onto his face.

“Are you sure you want to do this? There’s always time to back out,” said JD, a friend of Julianne’s since uni.

“Yes JD, I’m sure, I’ve been planning this for a month. I…I can’t be here anymore,” she replied quietly as she ran her fingers through her hair. “Remember your promise back when I first found out what you do?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know…” he said with an exasperated sigh. “I’m just saying, this is a big decision, and you haven’t exactly been in the best mindset since…”

“Since my mother and boyfriend were killed because of me?” she asked haughtily.

“I wouldn’t exactly put it like that…” he replied hesitantly.

“Just give me the IDs and passports JD,” she told him.

“Not until you tell me your plan to get out of the country,” he said defiantly.

“How I’m getting out of here doesn’t matter, just know that I’ll manage,” she responded.

“And that’s exactly why I’m worried, Jules. In my line of work when someone says something along those lines it means they’re about to do something either illegal or borderline suicidal. So, which is it?” he asked seriously, holding the documents closely to his body while Julianne impatiently held out her hand.

“Let’s just say that the O’Hare syndicate is about to get a pretty paycheck thanks to me,” she told him while gesturing for JD to hand over the documents.

JD made a choking noise as his eyes went wide. His eyebrows shot up as he asked, “The O’Hare syndicate? As in your father’s most powerful rival? Are you mad?!”

“Quite apparently,” she replied shortly as she snatched the documents from his loosened grip. “If my father wants to play dirty I will too. It’s only fair, innit?”

“Well while we’re on the subject, what the bloody hell is he going to say or do to me and my family when he finds out I helped you? This isn’t just about you anymore!” JD said, a bite of anger in his voice as he glared at Julianne.

“Trust me, I’ve thought this all out. I can get you and your family out of the country too. Get a new start and get the kids away from…stuff like this,” she said, shaking her head when she ended her sentence. “All you have to do is say the word.”

“And what if your little plan doesn’t work? What if the O’Hares don’t follow through?”

“Then that means I’ll be dead and you won’t have to worry about my father blaming you for helping me. Pack what you need and only what you need. When they agree to my terms, the O’Hares will deal with the rest,” she said as she turned her back and began heading for the door.

“You seem awfully confident this is going to work,” JD called, a hint of desperation in his voice.

“Just trust me, will you? Be ready to go come week’s end. If all goes to plan this is the last time you’ll be seeing me. Take care old chap,” she said as she pulled her hood over her head and ducked out into the gloomy London night.

After a ride on the tube and a few minutes walk, Julianne found herself walking into a crowded pub full of Irishmen, armed to the teeth. “Oi, where can I find Sheamus around here?” she shouted, which prompted about a dozen guns and even more blades to be pointed in her direction.

“That’s that Porter gal innit?” one man asked aloud to his buddies.

“Why I oughta-” another growled, cocking his gun and aiming it at her forehead.

Julianne put her hands in the air and said, “Oh calm down, I’m here to cut a deal and line all of your pockets. If I can talk to Sheamus.”

“Pat her down, make sure she isn’t armed,” the second man said while still training his pistol at her head.

“You know she doesn’t have to have any weapons to fight right? Not with those freak powers of hers…” the first man told him as he advanced toward Julianne and began frisking her.

“Well then check her for a wire you blitherin’ idiot!” he shouted.

After a more thorough than needed pat down, Julianne asked, “See? I’m unarmed and unwired. I came for a deal. That’s all.”

“You came into enemy territory, that's what you did, lass! Now if you don’t get out of me pub in five seconds, I’ll-” the irate man snarled before he was cut off by a handsomely dressed man entering from behind the bar.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Do my eyes deceive me, or is little miss Julianne Porter standing in the middle of my pub?” Sheamus O’Hare asked, throwing a pointed glare at the man with his gun trained on Julianne.

“The one and only,” Julianne told him with a small smile.

“Well Miss Porter, I’m not usually one to make deals with me rival’s daughter, especially one whose gotten some of me men caught due to their inability to run from the cops after you…dealt with them. So tell me why you’re here before this place lights up.”

“With all due respect, I’d rather not discuss intricacies in front of so many men, especially ones with guns pointed at me,” she told him, taking a quick glance around the many guns still trained on her.

“Give me one good reason to let you back into my office and let you walk out of here alive,” he countered.

“The shipment that’s coming in tomorrow night for my father. The details are yours if you and your men agree to my terms,” she said, not breaking eye contact with him for even a second.

A smirk slowly made its way onto Sheamus’s face as he gestured for the men to lower their weapons. He reached out a hand for Julianne to take as he said to her, “If that intel’s good, I think we can make the proper arrangements. Follow me.”

As she followed him back to his office, he asked, “So what made you want to turn on your old man?”

“He had my boyfriend killed. I think it’s about proper time he got what’s coming for him,” she replied as she took a seat across from him.

He ran his hand over his facial hair while contemplating the sincerity behind her words before asking, “So what’s in it for us?”

Julianne scoffed, telling him, “Only the biggest shipment this country’s ever seen. It’s coming directly from Mexico with the product hidden in clothing, ready for sale. If you take over the shipment from the seller, you’ll not only get the product, but you’ll also be making him lose money. The daft bastard’s already paid. So he’ll be out and you’ll be swimming in more money than you’ll know what to do with.”

Sheamus narrowed his eyes and asked, “What’s the catch? You seem like you’re a smart girl, there’s no way you’re just doing this to get revenge.”

“So you O’Hares are brighter than they say you are,” she told him with a wink. “But you’re right, there are a few things I want in return.”

“What is it?”

“I need you to help me fake my death and the death of JD Williams plus his family. And you need to make it look damn good because you’ll be sending photographic proof of my death to my father. Once you do those things, we’ll all be out of the country and the slate will be wiped clean. You get a seller, I get revenge and to safety, my father loses. It’s a win-win for the both of us. So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?” When she finished her side of the bargain, she crossed her legs as she waited for his response.

“So you’re telling me that you’ll give me the information on these shipments in trade for faking some deaths?” Sheamus asked as a wide smile broke out onto his face.

“That’s it. No tricks, no turning sides when your men are at the docks, just pure revenge.”

“You got a heart o’ stone on ya, don’t ya? I like the sound o’ that,” Sheamus said enthusiastically as he stood up to shake her hand. He put his arm around her waist as they exited the room, telling her, “Now let’s get some Guinness in ya and talk details with my men, yeah?”

Come the end of the week, Crystal was standing near the harbour’s entryway with her hands tucked in her pockets waiting for her father’s men to show up to be ambushed by O’Hare’s men. When a couple finally showed up, she asked them, “What the hell? You were supposed to be here a half hour ago! My father is not going to be pleased with you!”

“Sweetheart, we’ve been run ragged by your old man trying to finish selling from the last shipment, give us a break!” Donnelly snapped as he shoved past her.

“And don’t plan on just standing here like you always do, you’re coming in with us. Since Mummy isn’t around to stop you from helping out anymore, your old man told us to have you tag along. In case things go bad. Rumor has it the Wellenelly men might be trying to get a piece of the action so he wants you nearby. Got it?”

“Got it,” she said, trying to hide the sudden fear in her voice. She told O’Hare’s men that she would be waiting at the entrance… What if this messes everything up?

As she followed the two men down the dock and heard a truck pulling up nearby to pick up the shipping crate, she hoped that at least one of the men tailing her heard so they could change the plan. She waited with baited breath as she followed the two men toward the designated ship that was bobbing in the water. The man standing near the ledge looked up and said in a hostile tone, “I thought there were only supposed to be two of you.”

“There was a change in personnel,” Donnelly told the man while reaching for a pen in his pocket.

“I was told that I can only hand off the shipment if there were two men with your description. There wasn’t no girl on the roster!” he countered.

“Well this here girl is the boss man’s daughter, so unless you want to take this up with Mr. Porter yourself and risk a bullet in the brain, I would-” He couldn’t finish his sentence though as out of seemingly nowhere, the butt of a gun came down hard on his temple.

Instinctively, Julianne told the second man to get down and went into a fighting stance before she felt a sharp knife press to her throat. She froze on the spot, eyes wide as she began pleading for her father’s worker to help. “You so much as think about using your freak powers and I’ll slit your throat faster than you can beg for Daddy’s help,” said the man holding her hostage.

Before he could do anything though, there were three more O’Hare men on the scene, beating the two Porter men. Right before the second passed out from his injuries, the victor spit near his unmoving body and said, “You tell Porter that his shipment is ours and so is his whore daughter!” He turned his attention to the man holding Julianne and snapped, “Take care of her and make sure Porter knows not to mess with us from here on out!”

“What do you want me to do to her?” he asked with a smugness in his voice as he pressed the blade further into her skin, drawing blood.

“Kill her for all I care!” the first man said before turning his attention to the man on the boat.

“This is gonna hurt,” muttered the man holding Julianne as he took a swift swing at her temple that had her vision blacking out faster than she could process what was happening.

By the time she came to, Julianne was in what seemed like an abandoned hotel with blood smeared all over her body, clothes, and hair. The smell was horrendous and she tried not to gag as she sat up from her position on the floor. “Oh you’re awake, finally. I didn’t think you were going to come to,” came a woman’s voice from behind a camera nearby. “Go on, you can get up, we just finished taking all the photos we needed to send to your father.”

“God, what is that smell?” Julianne asked as she stood up and looked at what seemed to be a brutal crime scene.

“Sheep’s blood. The fake shit they use for theatre wasn’t gonna cut it, so I got some real blood. Hope you don’t mind.”

“I don’t guess I had a choice, did I?” she asked as she caught the towel the woman tossed her.

She took a quick shower to wash off the blood and emerged feeling refreshed. As she looked at herself through the fogged up mirror, Julianne shook her head and grabbed the scissors she brought with her into the bathroom and began cutting her long hair. Once she got her hair looking neat enough resting on her shoulders, she emerged from the bathroom to meet with the woman again.

“Nice cut, but you missed a few spots,” the woman said with a light laugh as she took the scissors from Julianne and tidied the haircut up. As she finished up, she added, “You don’t have much time before you need to get out of the country, are your arrangements ready?”

Julianne nodded, checking her watch as she told her, “Flight’s in three hours. Red eye to the States.” She paused for a moment, telling the woman, “Thank you guys…”

“Thank you,” the woman said with a small smile on her lips. She paused for a second before saying, “Once you exit those doors, Julianne Porter will no longer exist. I hope you know what you’re doing. And when you get there, cover up that God-awful paperboy hat tattoo if you know what’s good for you.”

“Don’t worry, I can handle myself. My mother raised me right,” she replied as she exited the building with her sunglasses on and hood pulled over her head.

“Miss Shaw?” came a voice as she felt a tapping on her shoulder, rousing her from her slumber. She made a noise of discontent as she stirred awake, her joints aching from sitting for so long. “Miss Shaw, we landed in New York. We’re deplaning now.”

“Oh, right, sorry,” she replied in a groggy voice as she stood up and grabbed her carry on from the overhead bin.

As she walked out of the plane and through the airport, Julianne suddenly felt a weight lift off her shoulders at the prospect of freedom ahead of her. She would no longer be under her father’s control. She would no longer have her every move tracked. She could have a life! Friends! A normal job! And all that began to happen as she stepped out of the doors of JFK and onto the New York streets, not as Julianne Porter, but as Crystal Shaw.

next chapter

#daredevil #daredevil x oc #short fanfic #marvel #romance #friends to lovers #coffee shop au #matt murdock x oc

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criskape · 1 month ago

Note

✨

send ✨ to see one of my muse's memories.

. ݁₊ ︵ ‿ ཐི ☕️ ཋྀ ⊹ . ݁ ‿ ︵ ˖ . ݁

It is awfully convenient that the moment Cris finishes a patrol early for once, he is alerted of another criminal to deal with in a car's passing radio. Honestly, if you asked him what day it was at the time, he wouldn't have been able to give you a straight answer.

The days had started to blur together. How easy it is for him to lose track of time when he's working, the only indicator of how the hours have passed is when his stomach growls or nature calls, how the sun blazes directly into his eyes or the moon seeps past the blinds.

His head pounding and vision blurring the moment that he leapt off to swing from building to building was probably a bad sign, but like he always says, time stops for nobody. Not even him. When he rectifies this issue, he will finally deserve that break.

SM Megamall being surrounded by cars with blaring sirens and flashing lights, along with yellow and black police tape, was terribly unsightly. He does come by sometimes whenever he runs errands or maybe when he's invited to come with his friends for the timely art market that happens in its convention centers, so having those experiences charred by a criminal's misdeeds is unfortunate.

Once he's able to sneak past the crowd, he lightens his footfalls to explore the now desolate establishment. The darkness matched with the hollowness of its once bustling halls is unsettling enough that it probably should trigger his spider-sense.

It is only when he reaches the center atrium does when that lingering sense of danger overwhelms him. Because this was not what the mall looked like before.

The pillars that held up each floor was tightly wrapped in vines and flora. The ground was replaced with a mucky green grass mixed with small dunes and speckles of sand as opposed to the polished granite.

Before Cris has more time to observe any further, his spider-sense flares and he webs himself towards a nearby pillar as a heap of grass and sand whirls past him. Sand?

But he had already dealt with Sandman a long, long time ago. He remembered it clearly, even if it was in the early times of his duties as Spider-Man. It shouldn't have been possible for him to escape imprisonment, no less gain these new floral abilities.

He swings in circles around his new foe, wracking his brain on how a new Sandman managed to rise under his attention on the city. However, the sounds of agony crackle and spark bounce off of the walls and he notices his target... Glitching?

With him, the fresh greenery that decorated the halls had begun to behave in the same manner, causing him to lose his webbing and collapse onto the floor. He could feel his ribs bruise with the impact, but he has no other choice other than to get back up and charge at his enemy. God, he should have had coffee before this.

Cris doesn't usually have difficulty landing blows. Given his enhanced speed, it never takes this long to achieve victory. But considering how this Sandman seemed to be bugged out (and how he was very much lacking on sufficient meals and rest), his accuracy was faltering.

He was finally able to incapacitate his enemy, keeping him faint and trapped against one of the pillar, but he wouldn't know how long those restraints could last. Cris was starting to feel even more faint somehow, stumbling backwards.

... Only he manages to trip on the base of one the vines entangled with the structure, a conveniently timed glitch tightens the grip that the trailers have on the supports and brings the concrete down on him.

...

It's all a blur. His face feels exposed and his body is screaming at him under the pressure of the debris. All he can see is a mosaic of colors, navy and bright red slashing and dashing across the scene. He can hear a rough voice, commanding and authoritative. Next, the weight is gone. His fragile form is scooped up in strong arms, and the voice returns.

"Right. Just a bad dream."

⊹ . ݁ ‿ ︵ ˖ . ݁ ཐི 🍵 ཋྀ . ݁₊ ︵ ‿

#✨ ask the muse #( you tell me who that voice is LOL )#( i like my writing in this one )#spiderverse roleplay #spiderverse #spiderman roleplay #spiderman oc #spiderman

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mantisgodsdomain · 1 year ago

Note

for the ask game, radioactive unit of decay for 13 31 and 44? teehee

(for this ask game)

Granite Pillars' degrading infrastructure appears to be taking a real toll on her. This is... RAUD? RUD? Mangling their call sign (very rude). We shall answer regardless.

13. Do they enjoy poetry?

Yes and no. It honestly depends on the poetry and the time you catch them at. As a young iterator, they disdain it - it's a practice they seems pointless, to them. Though their citizens attempted to explain it once or twice, it never really caught on - why put so much effort into so few words, for something that may not even convey its meaning to its audience?

As an older iterator, post-mass-ascension, they dabbled from time to time. Not quite enjoying it, but attempting to understand it - to foster those last few commections in the pastimes that lost citizens cultivated, They could not claim to have ever fully reached that understanding, but they tried, at the very least - for better or for worse.

In the twilight of their existence, just before their final ascension... it would depend on the poetry. Some, in the final hours of their lifetime, would appeal to them. Some would seem just as petty and useless. One cannot spend so long attempting to study something without gaining at least a begrudging respect for it. Still, it never quite advances past that - only appreciation for a handful of bits of poetry, never more.

31. What superpower would you choose for them and what would they choose for themselves? If they have one would they choose something else?

Yeah we would go the traditional powers-that-rub-the-salt-in route and give them a form of postcognition that allows them to perfectly relive any significant events or memories attached to a place or object as a passive bystander Dimensional Scream style. Or Panacea's biomancy, if we want them to actually participate in the setting beyond being a depressed fuck in the corner.

If Rad were to choose their own power, they would probably pick some form of time travel - the ability to go back, in a different shape, and live through or alter events long passed. This is because they're a sad little freak and much as they appreciate their citizens, there's very little they can do as an iterator, and they wouldn't want to force others to do their dirty work time-travel-wise.

44. Who, if anyone, would they trust with their deepest secrets?

There have been many people they've trusted with their deepest secrets. Their administrators, first and foremost. The vast majority of their citizens, nearly any of those who would stay with them for more than a handful of years. Some of their first creations, when those still lived.

After mass ascension, and after they've finished their initial experimentation stage and making unique subjects... no one, really. No one but themself.

#asks #we speak #ask games #ocs #unit of radioactive decay #stray dog ass iterator #get this bitch some citizens (we will not be doing this)

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the-rogue-dragon · 1 year ago

Text

@qanedanegros continues from here;

🔥ONLY THE HOUSE OF THE DRAGON COULD TEAR itself apart and each one of the members were paying for it, on both sides. The rooting ambition for power and the position on the Iron Throne had consumed both sides, destroying the dream of Aegon the Conqueror, and bringing down one of the most powerful families of the realm. The ambition of men like Otto Hightower, was the reason they were currently fighting for what has always belonged to Rhaenyra. Yet the actions of the leech, and the behavior of his grandchildren, had pushed them all against each other, and picking sides and alliances. At first, the unwavering Protector of the Realm - a title given by his niece - had been reckless and restless. However, each passing day, each fall, each death, were wearing down the Rogue Prince - who as exhausted as he was - still tried to show himself strong and ready.

But not just the House of the Dragon was wearing itself down, others too, and because of them. Such was the case of his lover, Neera. He brought her with him from King’s Landing, and build a cottage in Aegon’s Garden, to live with her there in the island of Dragonstone, instead of the castle where the royal family lived, and where he would find himself more oft than not making plans for the war, and leading an army of men who had their own interests besides helping take the throne back. Each night - or as many as he could - the Prince would go back to that cottage in Aegon’s Garden, where he enjoyed the company of his paramour Neera, and was brought hours of a very much needed peace and distractions.

However, such life was exhausting her, keeping her stressful about his life, each day he was away, or each night he would not return. The Prince understood this, but he never once thought that it would end this way, with Neera wanting to leave back to Lys. It was like the same day he lost Mysaria, for Dragonstone seemed cursed for Prince. Even if back then it had been his brother’s orders who sent her away, this time it was Neera’s own decision to leave him. The morning was well past into the afternoon, and he had not shown up to the Painted Table, to provide with any input on the war, all he did was send word to Rhaenyra, and the Black Council, that he would not be present that day, without any explanation.

Standing by a pillar in the middle of their chambers, the Prince’s back was pressed on it as he leaned carefully - as if in an attempt not to disturb the young woman who was pacing around the room, picking her belongings. His voice has not been more than a whisper when he reminded her that she didn’t need to leave. Only silence answered him for a moment, and Daemon thought that she hadn’t heard him, until finally her tongue spoke. Eyes lingered over the granite of the floor, as if there was something interesting over there, even though his eyes were blurry, and he was not focusing his attention there. “Your place it’s here with me.” He offered mutely, as if raising his voice would cause her to leave faster. “I know I cannot ask more of you than I already have… but was not your choice to come with me?” Purple-wine eyes glanced towards her, like a kicked hatchling. “Why must you leave me now?”

#qanedanegros #the rogue prince: interactions #the rogue prince: ft. neera #the rogue prince: alternative main verse

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amritatech56 · 2 months ago

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Red Hat’s Vision for an Open Source AI Future

Red Hat’s Vision for an Open Source AI Future -The world of artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving at a lightning pace. As with any transformative technology, one question stands out: what’s the best way to shape its future? At Red Hat, we believe the answer is clear—the future of AI is open source

This isn’t just a philosophical stance; it’s a commitment to unlocking AI’s full potential by making it accessible, collaborative, and community-driven. Open source has consistently driven innovation in the technology world, from Linux and Kubernetes to OpenStack. These projects demonstrate how collaboration and transparency fuel discovery, experimentation, and democratized access to groundbreaking tools. AI, too, can benefit from this model.

Why Open Source Matters in AI

In a field where trust, security, and explainability are critical, AI must be open and inclusive. Red Hat is championing open source AI innovation to ensure its development remains a shared effort—accessible to everyone, not just organizations with deep pockets.

Through strategic investments, collaborations, and community-driven solutions, Red Hat is laying the groundwork for a future where AI workloads can run wherever they’re needed. Our recent agreement to acquire Neural Magic marks a significant step toward achieving this vision – Amrita Technologies.

Building the Future of AI on Three Pillars

1.Building the Future of AI on Three Pillars

AI isn’t just about massive, resource-hungry models. The focus is shifting toward smaller, specialized models that deliver high performance with greater efficiency.

For example, IBM Granite 3.0, an open-source family of models licensed under Apache 2.0, demonstrates how smaller models (1–8 billion parameters) can run efficiently on a variety of hardware, from laptops to GPUs. Such accessibility fosters innovation and adoption, much like Linux did for enterprise computing.

Optimization techniques like sparsification and quantization further enhance these models by reducing size and computational demands while maintaining accuracy. These approaches make it possible to run AI workloads on diverse hardware, reducing costs and enabling faster inference. Neural Magic’s expertise in optimizing AI for GPU and CPU hardware will further strengthen our ability to bring this efficiency to AI.

2. Training Unlocks Business Advantage

While pre-trained models are powerful, they often lack understanding of a business’s specific processes or proprietary data. Customizing models to integrate unique business knowledge is essential to unlocking their true value.

To make this easier, Red Hat and IBM launched Instruct Lab, an open source project designed to simplify fine-tuning of large language models (LLMs). Instruct Lab lowers barriers to entry, allowing businesses to train models without requiring deep data science expertise. This initiative enables organizations to adapt AI for their unique needs while controlling costs and complexity

3. Choice Unlocks Innovation

AI must work seamlessly across diverse environments, whether in corporate datacenters, the cloud, or at the edge. Flexible deployment options allow organizations to train models where their data resides and run them wherever makes sense for their use cases.

Just as Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) allowed software to run on any CPU without modification, our goal is to ensure AI models trained with RHEL AI can run on any GPU or infrastructure. By combining flexible hardware support, smaller models, and simplified training, Red Hat enables innovation across the AI lifecycle.

With Red Hat OpenShift AI, we bring together model customization, inference, monitoring, and lifecycle management. Neural Magic’s vision of efficient AI on hybrid platforms aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver consistent and scalable solutions – Amrita Technologies.

Welcoming Neural Magic to Red Hat

Neural Magic’s story is rooted in making AI more accessible. Co-founded by MIT researchers Nir Shavit and Alex Matveev, the company specializes in optimization techniques like pruning and quantization. Initially focused on enabling AI to run efficiently on CPUs, Neural Magic has since expanded its expertise to GPUs and generative AI, aligning with Red Hat’s goal of democratizing AI.

The cultural alignment between Neural Magic and Red Hat is striking. Just as Neural Magic strives to make AI more efficient and accessible, Red Hat’s Instruct Lab team works to simplify model training for enterprise adoption. Together, we’re poised to drive breakthroughs in AI innovation.

Open Source: Unlocking AI’s Potential

At Ruddy Cap, we accept that openness opens the world’s potential. By building AI on a establishment of open source standards, we can democratize get to, quicken advancement, and guarantee AI benefits everyone. With Neural Enchantment joining Ruddy Cap, we’re energized to increase our mission of conveying open source AI arrangements that enable businesses and communities to flourish in the AI period. Together, we’re forming a future where AI is open, comprehensive, and transformative – Amrita Technologies.

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rockmaterials12 · 5 months ago

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Rock Materials - Texas's Leading Supplier for Quality Building Materials & Exceptional Service

Since its inception in 1999, Rock Materials has become synonymous with excellence in the Texas residential and commercial building industries. Our commitment is simple: to provide an unparalleled customer experience by fostering strong relationships with both our employees and customers. We have established ourselves as a leader in quality, price, and service, continually striving to exceed our customers' expectations. Here’s how Rock Materials has achieved this and what you can expect when partnering with us.

Why Choose Rock Materials? The Pillars of Our Success

1. Unmatched Quality 🏆

At Rock Materials, we pride ourselves on offering products of the highest quality. Our extensive range of building materials is sourced from reputable suppliers and rigorously tested to meet the highest standards. Whether you’re working on a residential renovation or a large-scale commercial project, you can trust that our materials will stand the test of time.

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We understand the importance of staying within budget while ensuring top-notch quality. Rock Materials is committed to providing competitive pricing without compromising on the excellence of our products. Our transparent pricing model means you’ll know exactly what to expect, with no hidden costs or surprises.

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Our service extends beyond the point of sale. From the moment you contact us, we’re dedicated to providing exceptional service. Our knowledgeable team is here to guide you through product selections, answer any questions, and ensure a smooth and efficient delivery process. At Rock Materials, we don’t just sell materials; we provide solutions.

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Timeliness is crucial in any building project. Rock Materials ensures that your materials are delivered on schedule, so your project stays on track. Our efficient logistics network and reliable delivery service mean you can count on us to meet your deadlines and keep your project moving forward.

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No two projects are the same, and we understand the need for flexibility. Rock Materials is agile and adaptable, ready to meet the unique needs of each project. Whether you need a specific material or require a custom solution, we are here to accommodate your requirements and adjust our services to fit your needs.

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Rock Materials offers a comprehensive range of products to meet the diverse needs of our customers. Here’s a glimpse of what we have to offer:

1. Aggregates 🪨

Aggregates form the backbone of many construction projects. We offer a variety of aggregates, including sand, gravel, and crushed stone, suitable for a range of applications from concrete production to landscaping.

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Our concrete products are designed for durability and performance. From ready-mix concrete to decorative options, Rock Materials provides solutions that cater to both structural and aesthetic needs.

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Natural stone adds a touch of elegance and durability to any project. We offer a wide selection of natural stone products, including granite, limestone, and sandstone, perfect for both residential and commercial applications.

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For masonry projects, our range of products includes bricks, blocks, and mortar. These high-quality materials are essential for building strong, enduring structures.

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Choosing Rock Materials means choosing a partner dedicated to your success. We bring over two decades of experience, a reputation for excellence, and a relentless focus on customer satisfaction. Whether you’re embarking on a small home improvement project or managing a large commercial development, Rock Materials is here to support you every step of the way.

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kornstreifs-storys · 7 months ago

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AoR, Forgotten Paths, 2

Two hours later Maxwell woke up and came to Dune who was still guarding the entrance. “So you took the last shift.” he remarked, it wasn’t a question. “Kuro and Star needed a bit more sleep, so I volunteered.” Dune replied, Maxwell smiled, “Star?” he asked. Dune blushed, “Shooting Star is so long so I started to call him that in my mind. I didn’t mean to say it out loud.” she said. Maxwell shook his head, “No it’s OK. I call him that too, from time to time.”

He looked back, “I guess I’ll go wake the others. We should eat and then go on, it’s not good to linger.” Dune nodded and followed him back inside.

30 minutes later, they were ready and continued their journey. This time Dune was the rear guard, while Maxwell and Star were at the front leading. They wanted to visit an Eevee that was hiding down here since they evolved a while back. Dune wondered what new form this one had evolved into. Maybe he was an other Ground-type like herself, though she was more exited to possibly find a new Eeveelution.

Then they entered a big cave with strange clusters of Basalt pillars strewn about. They were pretty warm and had all kinds of different colors. Dunes group was in awe, but Star flew deeper into the cave and called out a name, “Sammy?! Hey Sammy, are you there?” The call echoed of the walls and one could hear several Pokemon and maybe Animals running around.

Star called out again, this time the call was answered. A head popped up behind one of the basalt clusters and a young voice asked, “Shooting Star, is that you?” and then after they saw the group it shouted, “I though I told you to keep the others away from me!”

Shooting Star turned and signaled the others to stay back, then he approached alone. Dune and the rest watched from further back, Star spoke in a calm voice, “I know, but I can assure you that there is no danger. I came down here to tell you that I now know what happened to you. There is nothing wrong with you.” The Pokemon Sammy seemed skeptical, “How can you know that?” he asked.

Star waved for Dune to come up to him and said, “Because I meat another one like you. They evolved with the help of a legendary and told us all about this phenomenon.” Dune walked over to Star so that Sammy could see her, he looked nervous. “You don’t have to be scared,” she said, “I promise that there is nothing wrong with either of us.”

Sammy looked at her cautiously, but it was clear to Dune that he had never seen a Pokemon like her and he was curious. “You do kinda look like an Eevee.” he said. He slowly approached to get a closer look and now Dune could see him completely. His limbs and ears seemed to be made of the same basalt pillars that were littered all around them and his body was of a nice granite color. He looked rather pretty, Dune thought, … though not as pretty as Kuro.

The young Mon smiled at Dune, “So … there is really nothing wrong with me?” he asked hopeful. “I promise.” Dune replied warmly. On closer inspection he couldn't be older then three, so young Dune thought. Star signaled to the others that they could join them now. Sammy looked at them both and asked “You said that you knew what happened to me. Could you tell me?”

Kuro and Maxwell were discussing in the background and the rest of the Pokemon sat around while Dune and Star told Sammy everything they had learned from Seraphore. When they finished, Sammy said “Whoa, that is so cool. And my species is really called Basalteon?” Star nodded, “I asked Seraphore about it and he said he’d make it so that I would know the name of a new Species once I meat them. So I’m quite sure”

Dune inspected him from the side, he hadn’t told her about that. She looked over, Kuro and Maxwell were approaching, Maxwell spoke up, “I see your done with your Story. Then we should discuss our next steps.” Star and Dune turned to face them. “Kuro and I spoke about it and we think our best course of action is to split up once we leave here.” Maxwell explained, “We need to get the Eevees to safety, but we also need to search for the last human, if we split up we could do both.

Dune had to agree that was a good idea. Kuro continued, “Maxwell will take the Eevees to a new hiding spot, there they’ll wait out the winter. Once Spring arrives, they’ll cross the mountains and head towards Kanto city.” Maxwell nodded and continued, “Kuro and his friends will go and search for the last Human. They’re skilled enough and their group is small enough to avoid the hollows.

Shooting Star interrupted, “I know they’re not weak, but do you think they can manage all alone?” Maxwell and Kuro exchanged a look, then Maxwell replied, “No …. That’s why we think it would be best if you accompanied them.”

================================================

Start / previous / next Cover (Ch. 3)

Our Group ventures deeper into the caves, to look for an old friend of Star and Maxwell. After they find him, Maxwell has an unexpected proposition for Shooting Star.

What will our local Jirachi think of the Idea? And what will happen when our heros finally leave the caves.

That and more next time on Ages of Ruin

P.S: decided to shorten Shooting Stars name to Star most of the time from now on. The name ist just a bit to long for my liking.

Check my DeviantArt

#pokemon #pokemon au #ages of ruin #oc #chrono #chapter 3 #eevee #eeveelution #kuro umbreon #dune arideon #jirachi #shooting star jirachi #haxorus #maxwell haxorus

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practically-an-x-man · 2 years ago

Note

Emoji ask game :)

❤️ 💥 🎁 💕 🥳 🦋 🎬 🤔 🎨

thank you so much!! You're the best!

answers are under the cut:

❤️ What is your favorite line that you’ve written in a fic?

ooh man, that's a tough one, especially since I'm coming up on a million words posted on AO3. I can remember there being some lines that I was especially proud of in every one of my fics, but most of those rely on the context of the story in order to get the full symbolism. I was particularly fond of this one from one of my Sandman fics, though:

That drew a laugh from him, and a flash of that same familiar smile. Despite yourself, your heart gave an involuntary stutter. Perhaps you were closer to human than you thought. Some of their millstones, food and sleep, you had no pull towards. But you were just as affected by the sight of a handsome man, it appeared. And a handsome nightmare would do just as well.

Also, some of my favorite things to write are Katherine's magic in WWFA? and Jasper's empathic abilities in Heartstrings, but I don't have one clear line for either of those. They're just fun :)

💥 What is one canon thing that you wish you could change?

Hmm... Angel's and Havok's deaths in X-Men Apocalypse. I fix those in pretty much every X-Men fic I have, but I just wish they hadn't happened in the movie at all. For one, the characters don't even die in the comics, either of them, and the way they die in the movie just makes no sense. You kill the winged guy in a plane crash? You kill the guy who absorbs thermal energy in an explosion? Excuse me?

🎁 Have a piece of a WIP you want to share?

Sure, how about a little piece from the next chapter of Who Waits Forever, Anyway?

Katherine dove out of the way as the door crashed inwards. She sprawled on the floor, a starburst of pain lancing up her arm as she took the fall hard on her wrist. Not broken- just a little jarred. She threw her arms over her head, feeling splinters of wood batter her clothing and ping off the granite floor beneath her. There was a brief glimpse of weathered bone out of the corner of her eye, and the triceratops bellowed.

She scrambled up to her feet and darted behind the nearest pillar, realizing just a moment too late that she’d dropped her sketchbook. Katherine clenched her fingers, fighting back a surge of fear. That magic was the only thing that kept her on par with the others, she thought. With her sketchbook, she could conjure a shield, a weapon, a distraction. Without it…

Her eyes fell to the beast’s sharp horns, great prongs of petrified keratin, sharp as spears and hard as diamonds. She could feel her own mortality loom in close, breathing an icy breath down her neck.

It was looking straight at her.

💕 What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

Aw man, another tough one! Again, there's so many pieces that I love from each of them, particularly as I've grown as a writer. I'm partial to Smoke and Mirrors, though, or maybe Secret Worlds (the dual-endings thing was pretty fun)

🥳 Why did you start writing fanfic?

COVID boredom, I think, and the need to get some of the rampant Ideas out of my head. I still have too many Ideas bouncing around in there, but at least now I can get them out on the page the way I like.

🦋 Which character is your favorite to write?

Jasper or Ophelia, there's something really unique about the way each of them view the world, and it lets me have a bit of fun with the writing style.

🎬 If a movie or show were based on your fic, which fic would you choose and who would you fancast?

I'm actually gonna go with Who Waits Forever Anyway?, since I feel like I brought a lot more depth to the magic and mythology than we got in the original NATM movies. I feel like that would translate well to the screen. I don't really have an answer for the fancast portion of that, since I don't really write my characters with a faceclaim in mind.

🤔 Would you ever want to write something canon if you got the opportunity?

I'd definitely be a little daunted by it, worried that I might screw up since writing canon would have actual stakes to it, but I think it would be cool. I definitely wouldn't pass up the opportunity if it was extended to me.

🎨 If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

There's a scene in WWFA? where Katherine brings a drawing to life in the Hall of Birds, and there's this whole vortex of multicolored birds and golden magic that I think could translate to an absolutely stunning piece of art. If you want angst, I think the Corruption ending of Secret Worlds would make a good comic or animatic, or something relating to Robin's injury/recovery in Symphony in Silver

#my friends!!!#ask game #writing asks #answered asks #thank you!!

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gangotricamphor · 2 years ago

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What is the knowledge behind the pillars of the Virupaksheshwarswara Temple Hampi?

The Virupaksha Temple in Hampi, India, is a historic Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is famous for its intricate carvings and sculptures, including its massive stone pillars.

The pillars of the Virupaksha Temple are remarkable not only for their size and beauty but also for their engineering and architectural sophistication. The pillars are made of granite and were carved in situ, meaning that they were carved out of the solid rock of the temple itself.

The knowledge and techniques used to create the pillars were developed over centuries by skilled craftsmen and architects in India. The pillars were designed to support the weight of the temple's roof and to withstand earthquakes and other natural disasters.

The pillars feature a variety of intricate carvings, including depictions of Hindu gods and goddesses, mythical creatures, and scenes from Hindu mythology. The carvings were made using a combination of chisels and hammers, and the level of detail and precision is remarkable considering the tools and technology available at the time.

Overall, the pillars of the Virupaksha Temple are a testament to the skill, knowledge, and creativity of ancient Indian craftsmen and architects, and they continue to inspire awe and admiration among visitors to the temple today.

gave an answer about Ashwatthama Gem

Visit website for holy products for camphor production in india

#virupaksha temple #hampi #gangotricamphor

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ask-granite-pillars · 1 year ago

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Granite Pillars! Granite Pillars? What are your thoughts on the recent controversial noise milking technique that claims that the fundamental radioelectro signals are, in fact, obsolete compared to geothermal?

There are some downfalls to living this long... everything new always comes as a surprise. I also usually specialize in biopsychological theorizing, so this isn't quite my area of expertise... perhaps my neighbor Unit Of Radioactive Decay would know more about this?

[BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT]

GP: I...

GP: Hm...

GP: I admit that I am getting old...

GP: I have never heard of any "noise milking" techniques, much less any controversial new techniques...

GP: My apologies.

#granite pillars answers #granite pillars #granite pillars stained by statuesque memories of a thousand hands #the winner #(boiledegg note: shes so old. the youth are always finding new things to shock her with............... old woman yells at cloud)#(boiledegg note: shes fine in that first panel dont worry..... after i drew this comic i played her favorite music. shes just sheepish)

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dwrakaexpressway · 2 years ago

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The Stories Behind Adani Samsara Vilasa 's Most Iconic Items

Adani Samsara Vilasa is an exclusive resort located in the heart of the Kutch District of Gujarat. It was founded by Adani Group in 2003 and has since developed into a luxury destination for tourists from all over the world. The resort features exquisite architecture, a fitness center, spa, clubhouse and community center as well as security features such as CCTV cameras and biometric locks on doors; all of which have contributed to making Adani Samsara Vilasa one of India's most iconic resorts!

Introduction: Adani Samsara Vilasa's iconic items

If you're looking for a place to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy the outdoors, then Adani Samsara Vilasa Gurgaon is your answer. Located in Pune's city center, this luxury resort has everything you need to feel at home: from its beautiful surroundings to its amazing food and amenities.

In fact, it's no wonder that many people associate this place with their favorite vacation spot! The ambiance here will completely take your breath away as soon as you step inside our gates. Our guests love coming here because we offer them everything they need—from world-class spa services to yoga classes on demand (and yes...it does get hot here). We even cater specifically towards fitness freaks who want nothing more than spending their days running around on the beach or playing tennis on our tennis courts! But don't worry if none of these options appeal to your taste buds...there are plenty more ways for us all: hiking trails nearby through which one can reach some pretty stunning views; horse riding tours through nearby villages where one can learn about local culture firsthand; kayaking trips down river channels past lush vegetation along banks lined with tall trees providing shade during summer months when temperatures soar above 100 degrees Celsius (or 212°F).

The architecture of Adani Samsara Vilasa

The architecture of Adani Samsara Sector 63 is inspired by the art of India, Africa and Asia.

The design philosophy behind this resort is to create an environment that is both luxurious and comfortable for its guests. The team at Adani Samsara Vilasa have incorporated many elements from different cultures into their hotel to give it a rich and vibrant feel.

The infinity pool of Adani Samsara Vilasa

In the summer, the infinity pool is a popular spot for residents. The water is heated to a balmy temperature and offers a perfect opportunity to relax after a long day of exploring the city's many attractions. However, it's also an incredibly relaxing place for visitors who come looking for some downtime in their own tropical paradise!

The infinity pool at Adani Samsara Vilasa features two separate parts: one side features an indoor section with natural light streaming through tinted windows and tile walls; while on another side there are two large outdoor Jacuzzis that can be rented out by guests who want something slightly more private than just lounging around in their own lounge chairs nearby (or even renting them out if you wanted).

The landscape design of Adani Samsara Vilasa

The landscape design of Adani Samsara Vilasa is a mixture of nature and architecture. This reflects the villa's location, which is located in the foothills of the Himalayas, as well as its purpose: it was built as a retreat for both Mysore Maharaja Chamarajendra Wodeyar and his wife Chamarajamma Wodeyar.

The garden features many ponds that were used for water sports such as fishing and boating. It also includes an artificial beach with sand from the nearby river banks that runs through your property line all along one side (facing east). In addition to this natural setting, there are several granite pillars throughout your property line that provide privacy while still being visible from inside out (facing west).

The interiors of Adani Samsara Vilasa's villas

The interiors of Adani Samsara Vilasa's villas are designed to be comfortable and relaxing. They are also designed in a way that they can be used as a home, even though they're not located on the ground floor. The villa interiors have a modern feel, but they still maintain traditional elements like wooden flooring and terracotta tiles.

The gym and fitness center of Adani Samsara Vilasa

The gym and fitness center of Adani Samsara Vilasa is the largest in the world. It has a capacity of 1,000 people and offers both indoor and outdoor facilities to its members.

The gym is designed so that it can be used as an event space for social gatherings as well as training sessions for its members.

The spa and wellness center of Adani Samsara Vilasa

The spa and wellness center of Adani Samsara Vilasa is a place where you can relax and rejuvenate your body. It offers many services for all ages, including massages, facials, manicures/pedicures, hair treatments and more.

The Spa at Adani Samsara Vilasa has been designed to provide an environment that promotes wellbeing through massage therapy. Our team of therapists will guide you through the various massages available with focus on your needs so that you can achieve maximum relaxation while enjoying our rich selection of facials including hot stone massage (with volcanic stones), peeling facials or traditional Indian facial treatments like Threading & Mango Peel which helps remove dead skin cells from your face leaving it smoother than ever before!

The clubhouse and community center of Adani Samsara Vilasa

The clubhouse is a place where residents can socialize, relax and enjoy the outdoors. It also serves as a community center where residents can meet with other families in their neighborhood.

The clubhouse has three separate areas: an outdoor patio with lounge chairs; an indoor space with pool tables and ping-pong tables; and a kitchen/dining room area where you can make food for yourself or others if you're feeling hungry!

The security and technology features of Adani Samsara Vilasa

Adani Samsara Vilasa is the most iconic item in our collection. It has a classic design, with an engraved silver finish that gives it a luxurious feel. The necklace comes in two sizes: one for men and one for women, so you can choose which one suits your style best!

It's also very easy to wear—it's lightweight, so it won't weigh down your neck or get in the way when you're wearing other jewelry too! And if something does happen to break off, we offer free replacements within 60 days of purchase (just send us an email).

The impact of Adani Samsara Vilasa's iconic items on its residents and visitors.

Adani Samsara Vilasa is a luxury resort in the heart of Kovalam, an unspoiled island near Thiruvananthapuram. The resort has been built on a mangrove forest and boasts of its own private beach. It is one of the first resorts to have been built in this area with modern amenities such as modern villas, restaurants, bars and shops.

The iconic items at Adani Samsara Vilasa are very important because they represent all that people love about Kovalam: They have been created by locals from local materials like wood and stones; they create jobs for local artists; they provide tourists with unique experiences which cannot be found anywhere else on Earth (such as watching sunrise over Arabian Sea).

Samsara Vilasa is a truly unique property and the Adani family have made it a living example of their vision for modern living. The buildings are rich with texture, texture and texture; the landscape design is breathtakingly beautiful and the interiors offer luxurious surprises throughout every room. It's not just about how these elements combine together on one property but also how they each contribute to create a cohesive whole that creates harmony amongst its residents while providing them with complete privacy at all times!

Get in Touch!

Website - https://www.samsaravilasagurgaon.in/

Skype - shalabh.mishra

Telegram - shalabhmishra

Email - [email protected]

Mobile - +919990536116

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cambion-companion · 2 years ago

Note

These prompts are going to get me in trouble lol. I'm thinking 75 & 131 if you would be so kind ❤️

75. “You’re my everything.”

131. “i’ll spend a thousand lifetimes coming back to you.”

Aemond x wife!reader | drabble | FLUFF

The bellowing horns of the Keep rang out, echoing off the stone walls, heralding the return of prince Aemond Targaryen, victorious from battle.

You brushed your trembling hands over your clothing to smooth the fabric, tucking a stray strand of hair back behind your ear. You hadn't seen your husband in over a year, you wondered if he would be the same...if he would still feel the same affection for you.

The clatter of hooves upon granite cobblestone greeted your ears as you hurried down the crowding corridors, many people jostled you as you pushed past, trying to get a view of the arrivals.

You came to the archway, stone steps leading down to the courtyard where many soldiers gathered. Your skirts swirled about you as you halted, bracing yourself on a cold pillar, your eyes scanning for familiar silver hair.

"Aemond." You whispered, clutching the fabric at your chest as your searching gaze found him.

He was handsome as ever, standing proud at the forefront of his company, clad in studded black armor with golden accents. A dragon helm adorned his head, his long hair spilling out from under the twisting metal.

His violet eye flicked to meet your gaze, as if he sensed the intensity of your stare. He held a gauntleted hand up to ward off a soldier who had stepped forward, trying to engage him in conversation, Aemond's eye never leaving your face. He stepped forward slowly, almost carefully, as though he were unsure if his war ready appearance would frighten you.

"Aemond!" You called louder, drawing the stares of those gathered around you. Not caring, you leapt down the stairs, running into Aemond's embrace as he opened his arms to welcome you, his velvety chuckle tickling your ear as he spun you around, holding you tightly.

"Y/N, balm in my orisons!" Aemond brought his lips to yours, kissing you sweetly for all to witness. "My sweet wife." He removed his helm, letting it fall to the ground before cupping your face in his hands, brushing away the tears that fell down your cheeks. He bent down to kiss away the drops of moisture his fingers had missed.

"You came back." You whispered, your voice audible only to your husband. "You came back to me."

"I'll spend a thousand lifetimes coming back to you." Aemond promised, tugging you away from the courtyard, back the way you'd come from your chambers. The crowd parted like water, many cheers and smiles followed the two of you as you departed, eager to be alone together.

"Let me help you out of this armor." You closed your bedroom door, running your fingers experimentally over the complicated clasps of Aemond's breastplate.

"I would appreciate that."

It took some fumbling and patience, but you were able to get Aemond out of the heavy garments he wore.

"How are you able to even walk in all this?" You wondered, removing his gauntlets last, until he stood before you in his dark green gambeson.

"I'm strong, Y/N."

You quirked an eyebrow at him, giving him an amused smirk. He read the mischievous twinkle in your eyes, huffing a laugh and shaking his head at you in bemusement. "You haven't changed."

"Have you?" You knew the answer as you uttered the question, Aemond's face fell slightly as he studied your features.

"I believe I have." He sighed, shuffling off the padded under armor he wore. "As is expected of any man coming back from war."

He hooked a finger under your chin, tilting your head up as your gaze fell to the floor, his thumb pressing against your lip. "I'm still the man you married, Y/N." His lips pressed to the corner of your mouth. "You're my everything, that will never change."

You smiled softly at his tender words, accepting his kiss with a low sound in your throat, your fingers twisting in the silken hair that fell down his back.

It took time for you to rediscover one another, being apart for so long made aspects of it challenging. Soon though, like muscle memory, the old ways came back to you. The two of you were quickly tangled up in each other, all tongues and teeth and wandering hands eager to refamiliarize the feel of one another's bare skin. By the end of the night, you and Aemond were left blissfully satisfied, curled up together as the fire crackled in its hearth, the warm orange glow casting cozy light around the darkened room.

You continued tracing the contours of Aemond's face, his eye closed to your touch, a small smile playing on his curved lips.

"You are the reason I am here now." He said suddenly, his eye opening to look at you.

"Hmm?" Your fingers halted in their exploration. "How is that?"

"The one thing that kept me going when all else seemed lost...was the thought of being able to hold you again. To hear your voice, taste the nectar of your lips." Aemond nuzzled into your throat, nipping at the exposed flesh as you arched against his mouth. "To be able to pleasure you like this again. That's what kept me going."

You placed a chaste kiss to your husband's cheek, just below where the vertical scar on his face ended. "You had better always come back to me."

"I shall. Always." Aemond promised, pulling you to rest atop his chest, your ear hearing the steady beat of his heart.

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my-precious-treasure · 2 years ago

Text

Spellbound

Sb M. List | Previous | Next

Chapter 6

With your eyes still stunned by the light of teleporting, your ears pick up grunts, thuds, and quiet chanting. But once your eyes adjust, you find yourself standing in is a massive arena-like area. The walls are tall and made of grey, unfinished granite. The ridiculously high celling casts the room in bright light and yet you can’t seem to find any lighting structures – no lamps, bulbs, or wires. It’s as if the celling itself is glowing. You figure it probably is. The stark white floor seems to reflect the light from above, sharply contrasting the gray walls.

You note that most of the walls dividing certain areas appear to be glass so you’re able to see what rooms are occupied. To your left is a lap pool, a room with a few people stretching or holding yoga poses, and what you can assume to be individual practice rooms. Most are empty.

Surrounded by a blue track in the middle of the room is a large enclosed hexagonal space, once again with walls appearing glass-like. Beside the strange space is a set of bleachers facing it. You figure it must be something like a fighting arena.

Directly behind the presumed arena is a gym housing all sorts of equipment and next to it is what appears to be a dojo. Continuing to your right in the far corner is a shooting range. There’s another set of rooms made of the same granite as the walls, with toilet symbols.

The right corner on the side with the door you came through there appears to be a lounge. Beside it, nearest you is another granite room. The door directly to your right reads “Equipment Room.”

You have the urge to open it and have a peek inside. Perhaps it’s filled with magical tools or something. Maybe it’s merely cleaning supplies.

You’re startled out of your curiosity by a deep voice beside you. “You new? Haven’t seen you before.” The man beside you is built. Awkwardly you nod at him.

“I’m uh. . .I’m looking for Jongho. Do you know where he is?” The man’s eyes widen a fraction before turning and glancing to the right of the room.

“He’s at the range right now. Come with me.” You nod again and follow him across the gym. “So, what’s your name? Your casting style? I’m Kei, an Earth-caster.”

You blink at him for a moment. “I’m Y/N. As for my casting type, I’m a seeker. . ?” It comes out as more of a question than an actual answer. You’re still pretty new to the idea of even being a spellcaster.

“Oh? A seeker, huh? That’s super cool, totally rare!”

Laughing awkwardly praying that he doesn’t ask anymore questions. Kei side eyes you as you try to keep pace. He clears his throat before speaking again.

“How uh. . .how do you know Jongho?”

You contemplate a moment, wondering how much you should tell the stranger.

“He uh, helped me out the other night. I guess you could say he’s sort of my mentor?”

“I see. Well, good luck. Oi, Jongho, you’ve got a guest.” Kei winks at you before walking away.

“Thanks?”

With knives in hand, Jongho looks mildly irritated at being interrupted. His red hair is damp with sweat, clinging to his forehead. “Oh, Y/N. What are you doing here?” Setting the knives in a holster on the wall, he gives you his full attention.

“Something about controlling my magic. I was having a very complex magical history lesson where I apparently failed to learn anything - according to Seonghwa - when he suddenly decided he needed to talk to Hongjoong and Yeosang and sent me here instead. Seemed like he had a pretty important big-brain-realization moment.”

“Ah. Well, I guess the first thing we’ll need to do is figure out your elemental base. C’mon.” You follow him away from the range and to a corner of the training room where there appears to be a lounge. Inside, you find comfy looking chairs, a few tables, and a kitchenette. You make your way to the far back corner where a single cherry wood table stands alone. Atop sits a dark red velvet bag next to an ornate silver rectangular pillar.

“Speaking of elemental base, what’s yours? And do you have a uh. . .specialty. . ?”

“Hmm? Why don’t you guess?” You blink at him.

“Uh, well. . .maybe earth? You kind of remind me of a rock.” He cocks an eyebrow at you. “I-I mean you’re very solid. Wait no, um, you’re uh. . .ha. . .I’ll stop before I make it worse.” His snort lets you know that he’s not upset by your odd comment.

“And my specialization?”

“. . .Attack?” He stares at you. “Because you use knives?”

He smiles, “Your guesses are right, but your reasonings are. . .less right. Can you tell me what my general type is since you’ve specified I’m an attack specialist?”

“I think you’re an Orbital. Orbitals fall into either the defense or attack category. And I that also means you have a grasp of all four elements despite being an earth affinity. Or at least I think that’s what Seonghwa said.”

“See, you are learning.” There’s a warmth that comes from him, seemingly proud. “Now then as for guessing my elemental base, you can actually feel it within you. Even if you don’t actively realize it, your subconscious knows.” You look at him quizzically.

“I’m sure Hongjoong or Seonghwa explained it, but when we bonded together, we essential swapped magic, right?” You nod. “Well, each type of magic and each person has their own sort of. . .let’s say ‘wavelength.’ If you focus on one, and study it, you will be able to tell which person you’re sensing as well as their primary element.” He must be able to tell you’re trying to figure out how to do that since he laughs and explains that you’ll get to that later in the training. “First things first: we’ve got to figure out what your primary element is.” Turning to the table, he picks up the velvet bag. “You’re going to stick your hand in here and a stone will manifest in your hand. The stone drawn corresponds to your element. Make sense?”

“Sure, I guess. But how come you can’t sense what my element is since we’re bonded?”

“Well, your magic, for lack of a better descriptor, is a mess. It’s too unrefined for us to decipher yet, which is why you’re here with me. Magic tools don’t lie and are inherently more sensitive to magic in general when interacted with. Ready?” He holds the bag out and open for you.

As you slide your hand into it, you find that it really is empty and oddly cold. After a moment of nothing happening you look up at Jongho. “I think it’s broken.”

“Give it a minute, I doubt this has been used for a long time.” Just then your hand goes hot, though not painfully so, and you can feel a solid mass against your palm. Closing your fist around it, you pull your hand out and open it.

“Yep, definitely broken.” In your palm sit four different colored stones. “I thought I was only supposed to get one.”

“Strange. Drop the stones in the bag and try again.” And so you do; with the same result.

“Soooo. . .what does four different stones mean?”

“That you have an affinity for all the elements. It exceedingly rare, but not unheard of.”

“. . .What stone corresponds to what element?”

“Ah, good question. Malachite is an earth affinity, moonstone is water, Sunstone is fire, and Labradorite is an air affinity.”

You stare at the multicolored rocks in your hand. “What should I do with them? Should I drop them back in the bag again?”

“No, you can keep them. If you want, Joong can turn them into jewelry for you to wear.” He turns and set the bag back on the table. “While it is exceedingly unlikely that this tool has become defective, it’s not impossible. There is one more method we can try if you want to be absolutely sure.”

“I don’t see why not.”

He picks up the silver rectangular box. It kind of reminds you of a much larger Korean name stamp and as he brings it closer to you, you can clearly make out its design. While it no longer holds a mirror finish, the engravings depict the four elements: one on each of the long sides. The metal dips and curves in elegant swirls. On the top part, rests an onyx stone.

“This box is one of six in existence and is considered one of the most advanced magic tools to have been created. Similarly to the bag, once you put your hand in it, it reads your magical makeup and tells you what your base element is. . .by burning it into your wrist, like a magical tattoo. It’s permanent and final, unlike using the stones which can be done repeatedly.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Presumably that’s why the bag method was invented.”

“I take it this method is not used anymore?”

“Yup.”

“Then why is it here?”

“I have no idea. I suppose for the rare case such as yourself?”

“Why isn’t it in a more secure location if it’s so special?”

“Again, no clue, but this room has a barrier so you can’t actually remove it without explicit permission.”

“Alright, then, let’s do this.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Not at all.” You say while stick your arm out to him. Jongho presses the onyx and you hear a click from within. He carefully pulls open the top and tilts the opening towards you. Taking a deep breath, you insert your hand. The box reaches about halfway up your forearm. It feels as though something cold is gripping you.

Without warning, there’s a searing pain on the under part of your wrist. It’s somehow far worse than when you accidentally touch a hot skillet. You yell out, trying to pull away but you find yourself stuck. Tears threaten to spill from your eyes. Then just as soon as it started, it burning is gone and you yank your arm from the box.

Jongho looks at you, concerned as you cradle your wrist. Four small black triangle outlines form a line across it in a pattern of upright, inverted, upright, inverted. The two in the middle are also bisected horizontally towards the points, reminding you vaguely of the pyramid and eye depicted on the back of a dollar bill.

“Four signs, four elements. . .”

“I guess that confirms it then. I’m sorry that it hurt so much.”

You shake your head, “No, I needed to know for sure.” He sighs, closing the lid and setting the box on the table once more. “So, what do we do now?” you ask.

“Now, I train you. Today, I will teach you about earth since it’s my base element. I recommend you ask the other members for help as well when I’m not available. They’ll be eager to share their knowledge with you as well.” He motions for you to follow as he wanders back through the lounge and into the main room.

Your curiosity about the equipment room is satisfied as Jongho opens the door, a light automatically lighting up the once dark room. Stepping in behind him, you find shelves stacked with boxes, uniforms, various books and strange object you can only assume to be magic tools of sorts. Squatting down, Jongho pulls two pots with soil already in them from a bottom shelf. As he stands, he pulls a small leather bag off a hook before motioning for you two leave the room.

As the door begins to close, you catch the light flickering off. Looking at the pots stacked in his arms, you send him a questioning look. He merely shrugs you off while walking in the direction of the individual practice rooms. A few are occupied in the far back corner, but a majority of them stood empty. Turning into the first hallway, Jongho leads you to a middle room before opening the door, allowing you to enter first. The first thing you notice is how quiet it is inside and you realize that the room is soundproofed both ways.

With a soft grunt, Jongho seats himself on the ground in the center of the room, patting the space across from him.

“Come sit. I’ll explain what we’ll be doing.” He set one pot in front of himself and the other in front of where you plop down. Crossing your legs, you watch as he opens the small bag and dumps out a small pile of tiny brown shapes.

“Seeds?”

“Mulberry.” He pokes a finger into the soil in both puts before dropping a few seeds into each hole. Carefully, he moves the soil around, gently burying them. “Your job is to make the seeds sprout.”

“How?”

“Magic.”

“Gee, thanks.” He smiles slightly at your sarcasm.

“Reach out with your mind and feel the flow of magic in the air. Magic imbued with earth will feel like the grass and soil beneath your feet; the sensation of a smooth stone in your hand. You should be able to feel the smell of a forest or an open field.”

“How do you feel a smell?” You squint at him judgingly.

“You’ll understand once you experience it. When you can feel the magic around you, you then need to relax and feel it flow through you – remember we are all connected to the world through magic, but only a select few can use it. Focus on the seeds in the pot, visualize a spout and channel the magic into the soil. Will your thoughts into existence.”

“Oh, yeah, super easy. No worries, teach. Care to demonstrate?”

He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. The air feels staticky in the enclosed space and for a moment you swear you see the air around Jongho glimmer before you turn your attention down to the pot in front of him. Small green sprouts poke their way through the dark soil before stopping as seedlings.

“Wow. . .that’s cool. My turn?” He nods in response.

Taking a deep breath like he did you close your eyes and try to feel something, anything. You focus on the sound of your breathing, the faint scent of earth coming from the pots. You feel tingly and imagine what you just saw, willing the same to happen in your pot. As you open your eyes, you see that nothing changed.

“Did you feel the magic in the air and flowing through you?”

“Well, I felt tingly. Is that magic?”

“It’s a good start.”

“So, no.”

“Yeah, not quite. You were able to sense it, but not truly feel it. Remember, you should feel like you are nature.” You huff out a sigh before stretching a bit.

“Ok, let’s try this again.”

Closing your eyes once more, you focus on your breathing, taking your time to feel your surroundings. The air is cool and slightly staticky, and you turn your attention to the tingly sensation. Slowly, your body temperature rises, and you begin to feel hot. It’s the same heat you feel when you lose your temper; you’re anything but angry now, though. You imagine the heat within you is the heat of the sun, that the cool air in the room is actually an autumn breeze. You think of your time as a child, running barefoot through the grass and suddenly, you’re standing in vast field.

Wildflowers span across the green, all different shades and hues forming a fragrant rainbow, waving you farther into the expanse. A single tree stands tall in front of you, its pale blossoms gently falling around you in the breeze. You carefully lay a hand on its sturdy trunk looking up into its many branches, the sun filtering through to grace your face with a soft warmth. A wave of calm rushes over you and close your eyes, simply listening – the breeze rustling the leaves and carrying petals and blossoms away, the babbling of a river somewhere out of sight, birds singing as the flitter around, the hum of bees pollinating the thousands of flowers. You find yourself imagining the mulberry seeds in the pot becoming strong and full of berries, like this tree in the field is with blossoms.

Your eyes fly open as a series of cracks echo in your ears. You blink at the scene before you trying to process it. You’re back in the training room with Jongho on his back and a massive mulberry tree made of several bushes twisted together is squashed against the ceiling and walls. Berries and leaves fall to the floor where shards of pottery strewn. Roots circle around you and along the floor.

You point at the mess before you, “Did I do that?”

“What happened to sprouts? You grew me a tree.”

“Um. . .I don’t know. At first, I was here and then I wasn’t and when I came back, this.” You gesture wildly around the room.

“Wait, what do you mean you ‘weren’t here’?”

“I was focusing really hard on that tingly sensation I told you about earlier and started thinking about, I don’t know, nature stuff and then I suddenly I was in a field of flowers with a tree, and I could sense everything. While I was there, I started to think about the seeds again and how they would grow to be strong and fruitful like that flowering tree. What brought me back here was the crashing of the mulberry plants against the walls. . .” You trail off, unsure of what to say. Thinking about it, you must sound crazy, but then again, so was the concept of magic being real.

“Holy shit. . .you actually went to an alternate plane of existence. An alternate plane in an alternate plane, incredible. On top of that, you must have gone to the earth element’s plane! That’s such a rare phenomenon, I’ve only read stories about it.” You blink at him.

“I’m sorry, what?

“You know about the concept of alternate planes of existence, yes?” You nod. “Well, we exist on the physical plane – the planet, our cities, humans and other creatures of true flesh and blood. Then there’s the astral plane, also referred to as the plane of spirits. Ley lines connect the physical plane to the astral plane and we casters can tap into the power of the ley lines to access existing spaces or create new spaces within the astral plane as well as link permanent doorways to these said spaces; this training room in one of them. Somehow–”

“Pause! What are ley lines?”

“Ah, they’re condensed streams of magic that run through the physical plane. Experienced casters are able to identify locations in the physical plane with more condensed flows and often build their bases and doorways there, like our café.”

“Thanks, please continue.”

“Right, so you managed to tap into another ley line while being in the astral plane. Even if it was an accident, that’s impressive. Ley lines blend together in this plane, it’s near impossible to differentiate them let alone enter a secondary astral plane.’

“So, what I’m hearing is that I’m awesome?”

Jongho snorts, “Sure, if having zero control counts as ‘awesome.’ But I will admit, you must have an immense amount of power to reach the earth element’s astral plane from inside the astral plane.”

“Is it rare to reach the elemental planes?”

“Yup. It takes a lot of power and focus to pull it off. You also have to have a deep connection to the element whose plane you’re trying to reach. Even Hongjoong and I struggle to do so. And you did it by accident.”

“Wow. I am awesome.” You smirk at his poorly concealed eye roll.

“Hmm. We should get this cleaned up.” With a quick wave of his hand, the tree-bush begins to un-grow and revert back into saplings that fall into the pile of soil strewn across the floor.

Carefully you begin to pick up the shattered pottery and attempt to sweep the fallen leaves and berries into a pile with the spilled soil with your hands. It’s a shame you just got here and are already breaking stuff, but at least it was only a pot and not the glass. . .or a person. It’s probably a good thing that you started with trying to grow a plant instead of attempting to conjure fireballs or something. You sigh as your thoughts continue to wander all while sweeping and crawling around on the floor.

Noticing your drop in attitude, Jongho gently places a hand on your shoulder, crouching in front of you.

“What’s up? You were just praising yourself and now you look like you dropped your ice cream into the dirt.”

“Nothing really. I guess I just was thinking about what you said.” He cocks an eyebrow waiting for you to elaborate. “Both you and Hongjoong said that I have a lot of power. . .but you clearly pointed out that I have zero control over what I’m doing. Today was just an overgrown plant but what if. . .what if it’s a fire and I burn everyone to a crisp or a flood and I drown people? What if I accidentally suck all the oxygen out of the air and suffocate someone?! I-“

Before you can send yourself into hysterics over hypotheticals, Jongho sets a hand you your head, rubbing gently in an attempt to calm you.

“That’s why we’re training you, so something like that doesn’t happen. We’re professionals, a simple ball of fire or a rainstorm won’t kill us. And removing all the oxygen from the air is extremely difficult.””

You sniff, “You said that about going to the element’s plane. . .”

He laughs loudly at your comment, “Touché. But if you do manage that somehow, we’ll just hold our breath.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” You glance at his outstretched pinky before gently entwining it with yours. “Now then, how about we finish cleaning up and head home?”

Home. . .Wonderland Café.

“That sounds nice. But only if a get a chai latte on the house.”

#ateez #ateez jongho #spellbound #spellcaster #spellcaster ateez #spellcaster! ateez #ateez scenarios #ateez x reader #ateez x you #chapter 6

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doctorslippery · 4 years ago

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The Pillar of First Blood – A 15ft dark stone pillar that has engraved writing on each side ‘The spot where the first blood was split between a batch of common devils”.

The Drawing Moss – A smooth stone with a bunch of growing moss on it. Touching the stone with a bare hand results in the moss slowing moving to wherever was touched. On the stone are several handprints and doodles perfectly covered over with the moss.

Curci’s Crypt – A small white stone structure deep in the woods with carvings of trees on each side. Entering brings you into the hidden crypt of Curci.

The Crumbling Shack – Far away from any civilization lays what once was a small shack. The windows are broken, some walls have crumbled away, and parts of the roof are open and fallen in.

Trio of Faces – On the side of a rocky cliff are a well carved trio of protruding faces all looking the same direction

Cone Shaped Prison – In the middle of a grassy field stands an 8ft slim cone made of iron bars, in the middle of the structure lies a sun-bleached skeleton bound in iron shackles.

The Tree of Sacrifice – A abnormally large and oddly pale brown tree where the branches are twisted, and the leaves are a sickly saturated green color. At the base of the tree lies a blood stained alter that the roots of the tree have grown around it and now hold it in place. The base of the tree as well as the ground around the alter are permanently stained a deep red. If the tree is cut, a thick blood sap seeps out of wound. If a creature is sacrificed on the alter, the blood pools near where the roots touch the alter and are absorbed while what appear to be veins appear on the tree that go up into the branches.

The Bone Pit – In an open field there is a 10ft wide and 50ft deep pit with no life growing around it. The walls of this chasm are lined with dark cobblestone and going down there are three uneven sized holes that are covered by iron bars. At the bottom there are a large pile of bones.

The Odd Stone Slab – A big square stone slab rests hidden near the side of the road. Carved into the slab is a symbol and a riddle that upon answering correctly leads to a small dungeon.

The Copper Fox – A 4ft oxidized copper statute of a fox with a small locked box in its mouth and two ruby eyes.

The Pointing Eagle – On top of a large rock formation is a big iron statue of an eagle pointing its body to the east.

The Feasting Table – Out away from any kind of civilization sits a large gray solid stone table with ancient carvings on the sides. Upon its surface are newly lit candles and a banquet of food that seems to be warm, fresh, and untouched by its surroundings. If one where to eat or take anything from the table, the next day it would be completely restocked and replenished.

The Jeweled Bush – A seemingly average looking berry bush that happens to grow small jewels instead of berries. If one where to try and consume one of the jewels picked off of the bush within 24hrs, that person gains a temporary magical effect or bonus, otherwise it’s a normal jewel.

The Ice Blood Spot – Located on the cliff face of a large mound of ice there is one spot that is dark red instead of the pure blue that surrounds it.

Dragon’s Graveyard – in a valley, there are 8-10 adult dragon skeletons, half-buried.

Petunia, the Land Whale – A large whale skeleton surrounded by petunias. The whale is miles away from the sea and the petunias aren’t native to this location.

Wondrous Obelisk – an obelisk, comprised of rose quartz and decorated with sylvan runes, appears to be of fey origin. it is surrounded in a 120-foot field of wild magic.

The Old Folk Hero – A half erected statue of an old folk hero. Either under construction or half crumbled.

The Hope Tree – It’s an oak tree with the word hope carved into it in large letters. No one knows who did it or why, but it’s turned into a useful landmark for the local village.

The Moon’s Egg – It’s a massive dome-like stone formation that shines pearlescent in the moonlight. It lays in a bare outcropping of rock and is warm to the touch.

Hollering Pit – A 50ft deep sinkhole. Well-hidden at the bottom is the lair of an accomplished burglar who calls himself the Jeweler. He’s too old to do much in the way of harm, but the countless traps he installed are not.

The Painted Cliff Face – A cliff that has been entirely covered in paint from hundreds of people.

Threeshades Tower- A weathered, ivy-mantled square tower atop a small hill. Has three levels, and each is built from a different kind of stone. The longsword stuck in one of the bricks on the top level is +1 and can project the bearer’s voice up to 50’ away.

Pigeons’ Chest – an ornate, but empty, chest of silver and pearl sitting by the road. It will not move by any means yet discovered, material nor magical.

The Ol’ Inn – The ancient ruins of a strangely ‘modern-looking’ tavern located in the deepest patches of forest. No path leads to it, no other buildings or ruins are found besides it, but dozens of deformed footsteps can be found heading out of the site. At night, the faint, muffled sound of a single viol can be heard coming out of the muddy floor.

The Forgotten Emperor’s Statue – An incredibly detailed, broken bust of a young wood elf, bearing a red crown. Its nose and left ear are missing and where its left eye should be, the socket is destroyed, and a monstrously decomposed snake eye can be found. The base has a bronze plaque which reads (in broken Celestial): ‘The only one truly meant to rule’, followed by a name which seems scratched out.

The Candle Trees – deep in the woods, a small group of trees whose leaves are bright red. They contrast starkly with the normal trees around them. The Candle trees appear otherwise normal, but the dried leaves can be brewed into a tea that warms the bones even on the coldest nights.

Tale of a Desert’s Origin – A granite obelisk in the desert with glyphs on it. It seems to tell the tale of a very powerful magic user stealing all the life from this area, killing all the plants and turning it into a desert.

The Waning Waterfall – a small waterfall that appears to reverse direction on every night with a bright full moon, running up instead of down.

The Sandmount – There’s a strange dune of sand in the middle of this grassy field, covered in scorpions.

The Awoken Stones – three stone pillars at the top of a hill, each engraved with a different rune of no known language. The pillars appear to change positions, but how this is done is unknown.

Ghost village – There’s a half-buried village in the sand, with sandstone walls being the only remnants… except for one house, which has a simple roof and door carved into the stone.

Impossible Shipwreck – Dashed upon the rocks are the remains of a large merchant ship. Weathered and ancient, the skeletons of the crew still scattered around though most everything of value has long since been looted. The most peculiar thing about this is that the rocks, and ship, are in a cavern 100ft underground, miles from the nearest navigable waters.

Sapphire Beach – a small stretch of coastline hidden between two nigh-inaccessible cliff faces. The sand is particularly fine and a brilliant blue. Rumor has it that the sand was formed when giants destroyed the jewel horde of a local dragon. There are also rumors of a dragon being sighted in the oceans nearby. Digging deep into the sands turn up giant bones.

The Lovers’ Spring – a secluded hot spring, with the initials of many young lovers carved into nearby rocks. Discarded and forgotten undergarments can be found on tree branches in the area.

The Arms of the Last Bard – A broken but thick 15ft wide half-circle embedded to the ground made of quartz and intricately laced with gold strips. An assortment of precious gems are embedded in its surface. Any attempt to collect and/or destroy this construct will cause severe psychic damage and a loud high-pitched tone to play loudly. The half-circle aligns perfectly with sunset/sunrise and every time it does, the most beautiful flute melody plays that is sourceless.

The Iron Tree – A big, old tree which seems to be made of iron, but as far as anyone can tell, is alive and growing, if slowly.

Hades’ Hand – A 15ft tall stone hand stretches from the ground, reaching for the sky.

The Stone Toad – A gigantic stone carving of a toad’s head, crumbling, half-buried, and covered in moss.

The Wrecked Ship – The sun-bleached wreckage of a ship that ran aground long ago. Inside the hull is a massive cage with thick steel bars that appear to have been smashed outward from the inside.

The Three-Sided Tower – A half-collapsed stone tower with curious triangular architecture. The bones of a lonely watchman sitting in a chair lie atop it. The watchman wears a helmet shaped like a triangular pyramid. Several towers of this type can be found around the same area.

Giant’s Playground – this field is entirely stone, and many massive footprints can be seen stomped into it. There are boulders laying around, some cracked.

The Fallen Hero – The legs of a giant metal statue standing beside the top of a waterfall overlooking the valley below. At the bottom of the lake below the falls, the head and torso can be found. It appears to be the likeness of a famous ancient hero that a PC might recognize.

The Charity Cave – A cave with a chest that says, ‘if you take something, leave something.’ It’s unlocked and has several trinkets inside.

The Eye of the Moon – on top of this hill is a pool surrounded with stone. The water is always cool, and at night the full moon can always be seen in its reflection, regardless of clouds or moon cycle.

Bigfoot – A large tree in the forest that bends and splits in such a way that the bottom looks like a foot, with toes.

Goddess of Death Statue – A worn smooth but still recognizable ancient statue of a goddess of death. At her feet sets a black stone bowl filled with fresh rose petals. If you were to kneel down at the bowl and look up at her, you would see her eyes stare unwaveringly into yours.

The Red Altar – in the middle of a copse in a strange swamp lies a smooth altar made of red stone, with strange carvings of trees and water all around its base. Upon touching the altar, you will hear a voice in your mind ‘sacrifice”, and you will feel a strange primal urge to sacrifice a creature on top of it.

Timnar’s Beard – A copse of trees growing in a single spot on an otherwise barren mountain. Unbeknownst to the world, it is the burial place of a great wizard of earthen magics. It is watched over by a trio of stone golems and a handful of slumbering treants to guard the immense knowledge held within the tomb.

The Sundered Mount – a mountain that appears to have been cleaved in two and creating two crumbling peaks with a narrow cut of a valley between them. It does not appear naturally created.

The Mage Wastes – A region where fertile grassland suddenly stops and abruptly becomes a barren wasteland of decaying grass and reddish soil. It seems as if it was the sight of some magical battle. The ground is pocked with craters and scorch marks, yet it seems as if this battle was an ancient long finished, but the battlefield has remained a wasteland frozen in time.

The Dragons Maw – A series of jutting tooth like spires of black igneous rock which rise out from the sea. These “teeth” have proven to be an extreme hazard to sailors and shipping which pass too near to them. Tearing hulls and ripping sails.

The Gods Sacrament Statue -A old weathered statue of a god with beautiful gems inlaid and surrounded with wicker basket offerings of gold, flowers, food, and trinkets. Stealing from the statue result in a curse (permanent level of exhaustion) from the deity until either greater restoration is cast on the thief or they repent and make an offering of twice the amount stolen. Award inspiration for respectful offerings or prayers given to the statue.

The Dragonblood – A massive artwork carved into a boulder placed some ways away from the banks of a nearby river. The artwork seems to depict a struggle between giants and dragons, with the giants as the victors. The faintly red runes which line it are giantish, and anyone who can decipher them will read that it marks a momentous battle between giants and dragons, over which should decide the course of the river.

The Daughter of the Sun – An enormous stone of a singular soft yellow color. It is hot to the touch but by day it is warm and comfortable simply standing near it. By night however the stone begins to glow brightly, illuminating its surroundings in radiant golden light. Large chips of the same stone can be found in the foliage growing around it. With similar glowing properties.

Would you kindly -A sentient door in the side of a mountain that has short term memory loss. He has no idea of his name or how to open himself but enjoys talking with travelers none the less. Speaking the magic word “please” will cause the door to open revealing a shortcut through the mountain. No form of magic or otherwise can lead through or get around this door without speaking the magic word due to an ancient magical barrier.

The Bread Boy – a small statue in a park depicting a street urchin. In one hand he has what is left of a small loaf of bread. With the other hand he is spreading crumbs for the birds, so they do not go hungry too. A place where the street kids gather.

Sculpture Garden – a small clearing in a forest, near a cave mouth, contains dozens of statues of humanoid creatures, many armed & armored, all with looks of surprise & horror on their stone faces.

Saben’s Cauldron – a large, circular pool off of a main river which is geothermally heated.

The Teeth – a series of vaguely conic stone spires lined up along a gentle arc. Each is over 15ft tall and 5ft across at the base, and tapers to a narrow tip. Nobody knows the origin of this formation. Some say the teeth are all that remains from some colossal dragon skeleton, others think the stones were placed there by a dragon cult, or as a sign from Bahamut.

Mage-Crater – a 120ft diameter crater. Now filled with water and inhabited by pond creatures.

The Old Man – a natural rock formation that just happens to look like the face of an old man with a long beard. Ruins of temples from several ancient civilizations can be found in the valley below, apparently attracted there to worship the face, or perhaps just to be under his watchful gaze. Most humanoid races in the region are sure the old man looks like their race and have their own legend about him.

The Deino Flats -roughly 40 acres of salt flats. A long dried up saltwater marsh from ancient times.

Grand Defender – a large, symmetrical hill where the site of a great battle once was. Stone rubble and ruins barely peaks out from the top. Flowers are left there every so often.

The Adventurers Billiard Hall – A stone statue of a Local adventurer rests on a green glass dome in the center of a public lake. The dome is lit gently from beneath. Somewhere nearby lies a dilapidated entrance which runs through a small puzzle focused dungeon.

Turned-Inn – An inn that has been carefully constructed to appear as if it was turned upside-down.

The Signposts – A collection of several dozen poles each with a dozen or more signs mounted to them pointing towards various distant lands, nearby businesses, and bizarre joke locations. It started with travelers who erected a signpost pointing to their distant homelands which other travelers added to. Eventually it got out of hand.

Worm’s Desert – A small sandy desert only a couple hundred acres in size of so. A great desert-making worm arrived from another world and sought to covert the world into an ecosystem like its home but caught a local disease it was unresistant to and died before it made much progress. The residual poison from the worm’s body deters plants from overtaking the sand.

Lightning Lab – A bizarre building with a strange mushroom-shaped metal lattice on top. It was the lab of a researcher studying non-magical electricity who died from electrocution.

The Sandlot – A square of property with no building where children come to play. A greedy landlord raised the rent on a long-term elderly tenant when they purchased the property, driving the tenant into poverty and eventually death. The tenant cursed the land with dying breath that no-one would never profit from the property. Every future tenant was driven out by terrifying haunts, and eventually the building was burned down.

Dwarven Monument – An enormous high relief of six dwarven warriors cut from a cliff pointing the way along, commemorating their epic journey.

Atlas Boulders A series of differently sized large stone spheres far too large for a man to lift. The strongest giants would lift them to prove their strength. They sometimes move, so perhaps the giants still use them.

Ancient Battlefield – ramparts, high hills, and trenches filled with water that stretch for mile marking the location an ancient battlefield. It has grown over.

The Epicenter – A large swath of woods where all the trees in a massive circle have been bent at a 90-degree angle towards the center but continue to grow that way. There is nothing (currently) anomalous at the center, but a powerful coven of druids hold it as one of their holiest places and guards it closely.

Ol Demons Place – a once portal to the abyss, sealed by hero’s long ago, now just a crumbling arch with an unsettling aura.

The Broken Hill – a hill that you need to walk uphill to get to and walk uphill to get away from.

The Rooster of Mourning – An enormous statue of a rooster, made from a strange metal, finely detailed and colored. It is hollow, and when the first ray of sunrise strikes it, a great, sad-sounding crow arises from it. Legend says that it commemorates a great battle in the distant past.

The Angry Spot – a small stone platform on the top of a hill, standing on the platform makes a person irrationally angry. Barbarians may involuntarily rage as a result.

The Alter of a Thousand Arms. – At a crossroads sits an unusual statue, made of stone it stands over 10 feet tall and has arms sticking out in every direction with their palm turned upwards. In nearly every hand there is a candle, some still lit but most are fully melted. Placing a candle in one of the hands and lighting it will give the player the blessing of ‘A helping hand.’ When a player next fails a roll, they may roll an additional d6 and add it to their total.

The Weeping Sister – A fifteen-foot statue of a girl unmarred by time. Next to her are the shattered remains of another statue, close enough that the body may have once held her outstretched hand. The feet of this larger statue are all that remain affixed to the earth – the rest is scattered throughout the clearing. Water, clean and pure, travels down her face in steady rivulets but leaves no erosion there.

The Sensible Stone Head -a large stone head protruding from the surface of a glacier. It is the head of an earth elemental and if you get his attention, he is friendly. If asked what he is doing their he replies ”swimming in the river”, given he exists at a geological place the slow flow of the glacier is like a river to him.

Glass Tree – A fairly tall an elaborate tree made entirely out of glass raises from the earth, at its base there is a plaque written in dwarven, it’s to commemorate a dwarf leader who fell in battle.

The Titan’s Blade – A 50 ft rust covered sword driven into the earth. The whole area has a magical aura and no wildlife lingers within a quarter mile of the sword.

The Well of Good Tidings – A well by the side of the road that is a base in a local hafling tradition that if one where to lose a tooth, that it is to be tossed in the well with a tip of the hat. When doing so, good fortune is sure to come. Characters that throw in teeth later find small amounts of wet coins in various locations on their person. Characters that throw rubbish, or are otherwise disrespectful of the well, find their respective objects on their person once more soaking wet and covered in bite marks.

Skilltown – A small but clearly once-bustling town lays abandoned inside of a titan’s skull. The skull is half buried in the sand; its eye sockets and mouth aim up at an angle. Walking through its mouth is the only way to enter the town. The skull looks to be that of an enormous version of whatever scariest creature lives in that area. It provides ample shade during most of the day.

Best Rest Graveyard – A cleric once prayed over a graveyard that all within would ‘rest well.’ Now anyone who falls asleep in that graveyard has the best night of sleep they’ve ever had.

Bird Hill – a grassy hill of noticeable height rises from the otherwise flat plains. On the hill are several lines of cobblestone that do not grow grass and have no discernible pattern from the surface. If flying, however, you see the cobblestone lines form the shape of a bird, along with some arcane symbols. If you happen to look up during the spring or fall, you’ll see migratory birds alter their course to fly over this hill.

Stairway to Nowhere – All that remains of an ancient fortress, the remarkably well constructed staircase rises for 3 stories out of the ground at the end of an ancient road, and then just abruptly stops.

The Crossroads – This is the place where four kingdoms meet. The main road for each lead to a massive stone pillar. Many years ago, all four kingdoms were at war, and a pillar was placed there as a symbol that none from neighboring kingdoms would be allowed to cross. It is now an annual meeting place for the four to discuss their continued amnesty.

Cloudland Canyon – It’s a canyon nestled in a northern mountain range that’s so high even the base of the canyon is a higher elevation than most of the other mountains in this world. Wondrously magical things occur here.

Stone Tree Garden – It was a garden from a former ancient culture, which vanished out of unknown reasons. One of the only things found was this tree garden. Are the trees made of stone or turned to, no one knows.

‘The Circle’ -There once was a meteorite which crashed into the land. The first to arrive found weird writing in a (Insert required size) diameter circle. No one could read what was written. In the center of the circle, where the meteor should have been, there was nothing, not even a small crater.

The Well – A seemingly normal well on the top of a hill. Anything that is placed into it is immediately tossed out of it.

The Pariah’s Mountain -One mountain among an otherwise unimpressive range, its only defining feature is its completely upside down. The base measures about 60ft across, but the peak 3,000ft up is easily a mile across. Stairs may have been carved into the side, but the climb down to the summit (or is it up to the base? The locals aren’t quite sure) is precarious at times. The locals are also similarly vague when asked about what’s on top…

Worried stones – A group of 3 standing stones with anxiety. When encountered in their clearing, they will disappear once all eyes are off them. Careful inspection will reveal them to hiding nearby – peeking from behind a nearby tree, bottom of a lake, hidden by bushes, behind where the party is now looking, etc. If discovered, they disappear again if not observed. The stones are not malicious, and do not harm the party. They would just rather you all left them to it, thank you.

The Quiet Creek – An otherwise ordinary creek that runs through a forest. It is abnormally quiet near the stream, in such that there is almost no echo around it, and it is surprisingly hard to hear from a distance. All along its course stand small boulders, almost fully grown over with moss.

The Shifting Hills – A large field of hills, dotted with rocks, grasses, and flowers. Careful study has found the hills are constantly moving, as though old creatures crawl along under a carpet of earth. Magics which call upon the earth always seem to produce unexpected results when among them.

The Devil’s Wager – A large disc shaped stone at the base of a long dormant volcano. Visitors toss a copper at it for good luck. There are a couple hundred copper around it. It is considered extraordinarily bad luck to take the coppers.

The Swordleaf Trees – there is a patch of trees here with a non-stop turbulent wind rustling the leaves and branches violently. The leaves’ edges appear to be razor sharp.

Beacon Mountain – A mountain that, on some nights, has a bright ball of light form over it which slowly dissipates over several hours. Local religion strictly forbids climbing the mountain.

Mist Valley – a short pathway of stone carved into a mountain, roughly five feet wide with names of couples and graffiti on the stone walls. The pathway always has a thick fog settled over it, making it seem eerie.

Ancient Battleground – Deep in a forest, trees are marred with years old axe and sword marks. Hundreds of skeletons dressed in rusted armor and weapons lie in this area. Taking a trinket, or even loitering may be unwise.

True Clarity Bridge – A bridge between two high places that, for many people, while staring off the side, provides answers for their most troubling issue or deep question, whether they were looking for the answer or not.

Lover’s Glade – Two sequoia trees whose bases are over a hundred feet apart have grown together and connect about 160 to 180 feet off the ground. The branches and leaves of these giant trees create a pleasantly shaded area below which is often used by the local populace as sites of wedding ceremonies.

Round Rock – A mysterious perfectly round rock that stands nearly 20ft tall. It is too heavy to roll and never seems to chip. It is the center of many local legends, varying wildly on their truthfulness.

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queenmuzz · 4 years ago

Text

Heat of the Moment

A Dante x Reader Valentine’s Day Special!

Your mom had always told everyone, in a disapproving tone, that you were too impulsive for your own good. You darted into the road to get a runaway ball. You bought that awesome looking jacket, without checking to see if it was on sale. And now, because you were craving pizza, and didn’t want to shell out the four bucks extra for delivery, you were in a mighty fine pickle.

You decided that taking the deserted looking street at near midnight, just to shave a few minutes off your walk to Angelo’s Pizzeria was a perfectly splendid idea. So splendid, you didn’t notice the shadowy figures following you, until you were grabbed from behind, and a cloth covered with some sort of chemical was placed over your screaming mouth.

So now, here you stood, or rather...laid, on cold grey stone, that seemed to leech all warmth away from your flesh. It was still dark, but illuminated by torches, you seemed to be surrounded by columns of stone, like you were in some knock off kid sized version of Stonehenge. You immediately attempted to get up, only to find to your irritation, your wrists and ankles were bound by industrial grade chains.

“The offering has awoken!” called out a woman’s voice, and from the darkness, like the damn Ringwraiths from Lord of the Rings, nine cloaked figures came out of the darkness. You tried to make out their faces, but both their pitch black cloaks, and blood red masks hid everything about them.

“Brothers and Sisters, we are gathered here tonight to call forth from the very bones of the earth, a power far greater than any human can imagine. The stars have aligned, the incense has been lit. All now,” she motioned to the cultist beside her, who handed her a leatherbound book, “Is to speak the incantations, and complete the rituals.”

And then, with the help of her assistant, the group began to chant. You had no idea of what was being spoken, but it sounded Latin.

“Really... Latin? Guys, there are a tonne of other languages you could use! What happened to originality?!” you grumbled, but while you could feel their glares, none stopped their inane chants

Upon each pillar, a letter lit up, one at a time. You couldn’t recognize the script, but it looked like a five year old’s attempt to write Hebrew. For some reason, that irked you. This makes no sense. Latin is an Indo-European language, and Hebrew is a totally different family! These idiots are mixing everything up!.

But the incantation seemed to do the trick, and the flames grew, and changed to a sickly green colour. And now, all these cultists raised their arms in exultation

“Lord of the Underworld, we present you this offering, a Virgin Offering, for you to consume!” The lead cultist chanted.

“Wait!” you blurted out, in a desperate attempt to avert your fate, “I’m not a virgin! I’ve had sex before, dozens...no, hundreds of times!”

Her assistant leaned over you, their mask barely concealing his skepticism.

“Name one person you have laid with,” he tested.

“Well…” Your mind was blank, and so you went with the first thing that shot through your brain.

“Your mom, for starters.”

You could have slapped yourself for such a dumb comeback, had your wrists not being tied up, but you needn’t have worried about not getting slapped. The cultist’s lips twisted into a snarl, and you felt white hot pain radiating from your cheek, and the taste of blood filling your mouth. Even though it hurt like hell, one part of you was mentally high fiving at that comeback. His hand raised up one more time, to give another strike, but the leader quickly grabbed his wrist.

“Calm yourself, brother… the offering must remain undamaged. Besides,” and you could swear you heard a smirk in her voice, “It’s not their body that must be virginal, it’s the blood.”

Well shit, you thought, as you placed your burning cheek against the cool stone to relieve the pain.

The ritual continued. “We humble servants provide both the firstfruits of this offering to open the way.” The woman took out a jet black dagger, and approached you with steady steps. Would she cut out your heart, Temple of Doom style? Rip out your entrails? Slit your throat? All you could hope was that it would be quick and painless.

What you hadn’t expected was for her to grab one of your restrained hands and with surprisingly gentleness placed the edge of the obsidian blades against your palm.

As she dragged the razor sharp edge, a line of crimson bloomed, like a trail of bubbles. It almost didn’t hurt, but you couldn’t help but get upset. All this pomp and ceremony, and they were just giving you a cut that would irritate you for weeks...if you lived that long. Whatever happens, you said as the cultist began using your blood to paint the two largest stone pillars, in a perverse parody of the Passover ritual, I hope whatever these bastards are summoning crushes them.

“COME FORTH!” The whole group chanted in unison, “Taste the blood… DEVOUR THE FLESH!”

And without warning, the blood...YOUR blood, burst into flame, racing up the pillars as if gasoline had been pumping through your veins. At the top, the flames connected and formed a gateway...a hellgate. And within it, an orb, an inferno expanded...and a roar that sounded nothing like any earthbound animal emanated.

And then, an explosion of heat and sulfur knocked down the stones, and the cultists, sending the leader flying back several feet. Only you, chained to the granite altar, remained in place.

You squinted as the searing light dissipated. Among the now dying flames stood, or hovered… a demonic sight. You could swear you saw the air distort from the heat that seemed to generate from within his chest. Four leathery wings splayed out, the inner skin swirling designs constantly shifting, almost hypnotising. And the horns! A good foot long that curved and twisted, glowing like charred wood both above and around his face. A face that reminded what was in front of you. A demon. Teeth as long and sharp as paring knives, eyes glowing like the pits of hell. As if Satan himself had come up from the depths. And for all you knew… he probably had.

You heard the sound of crumpled paper. “Oh man,” the demon rumbled, his voice distorted by the sound of the exhaust coming from between his teeth, “I was just getting to the good part…”

“Oh Great and Powerful Lord…” the devil stared at the surrounding area, at the the cultists that had recovered began following their leader’s motions and bowed prostrate on the ground, and you still chained. It was hard to make out his expression, but it seemed like...surprise?

“We are your most humble servants,” the leader continued, “All we ask...is a scrap of your power...a trifle for one such as you, as payment for summoning you..My Lord?”

The demon didn’t even spare a second glance as he strode past her, past the other shrouded forms, and made a beeline towards you. This was it, you thought, time to come up with a witty parting remark. But of course, your impulsive nature wouldn’t cooperate right now. At least the demon seemed to be the ‘fire and fury’ style, he would probably consume you quickly.

He towered over you, and even now, the stone, which had been ice cold the entire time, began to heat up beneath you...sweat, both from terror, and the inferno looming above you, beaded on your forehead.

“My Lord?” the assistant asked, “Is the offering suitable for your arrival? They have a wicked tongue, but they are perfect for summoning.

“I think you got it all wrong buddy,” the demon turned his eyes on the unholy congregation, and strangely, a chill appeared in the air, “You guys didn’t summon me….” A razor claw extended out and pointed at you, “THEY did… and if they summoned me…” the cultists slowly became aware of what he was implying, the quicker ones started making a run for it, “YOU guys must be the offering! Who’s volunteering first?”

The answer was nine sets of panicking feet trying to sprint out of the stone circle. The demon glanced back at you, “You might want to cover your eyes for this, it’s gonna get a little messy,” and with the speed of a racing forest fire, he charged, blades of superheated air swirling around him.

The scream of the lead cultist was enough for you to clench your eyes shut, and then followed by a multiple of cries of terror and death, as the coppery scent of blood, not your own this time, scented the air.

A few minutes later, there was nothing but silence, except the sound of boots on gravel. You couldn’t help it, you took a peek.

Instead of the cultists, or the demon, there was just a guy, shaggy white haired, with a worn t-shirt that clung juuuuust right against his broad chest, and a smile on his face. You looked around, trying to find either a surviving cultist, or the demon, but all you could see in the darkness were void black shapes, lying on the grounds, their robes moving slightly in the breeze.

“That can’t be comfortable, let’s get you out of there,” the man said, and without a hint of effort, he gently grasped your hands, and with the other, he gave a quick yank. Immediately the sound of snapping metal, and to your amazement, your arms were free. And if you had thought he had done a sleight of hand with those chains, the way he effortlessly ripped the chains around your ankles off immediately clued you in that this man was more than he seemed.

You rubbed your wrists as you slowly sat up, staring at him. “Who are...you?”

“Ah, yeah...forgot to introduce myself in the whole hubbub. Cultists always ruining get togethers.” He stuck out his hand, “Name’s Dante.” And as you shook his hand, with your uninjured one, you noticed that for a brief moment, his eyes momentarily glowed red, like embers. Embers that had once been blazing coals.

He must have seen the flash of panic in your eyes, because he backed away, his hands raised in surrender.

“Don’t worry! I ain’t going to hurt you… yeah, I’m the demon those jackasses called for” He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, “but I’m not the ‘MUST RULE THE WORLD’ type, I usually am the one people call to get rid of what was being summoned, not actually BEING the ‘sommonee.’ Wait, is that the correct term?” He paused for a moment to think it over, before he seemed to come back to the present. “Anyways, I was just relaxing in my office, reading a magazine, and then POOF, I’m in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by people with horrible sense of fashion. Speaking of my magazine...where did I put it?”

You saw the magazine, its pages fluttering in the wind, and picked it up. A copy of ‘Half Cocked’, and on its cover, a buxom young brunette was getting a bit too friendly with a revolver, alongside a well toned man wearing little more than a bandolier.

“Oh thanks!… that” he quickly snatched it out of your hands, “I read it mainly for the articles…” he explained lamely, before hurriedly shoving it in his back pocket, as he looked you up and down. “Besides...I got a feeling I won’t need it much anymore…” And in the flaming remnants of ritual, you swore you saw him turn a shade of pink...although that could just be the fire.

“Welp,” He stretched, “You ready to blow this popsicle stand? All that work made me famished.”

You had no idea where the hell you were, but you were still ravenously hungry. Which reminded you how you got into this mess in the first place.

“I could go for some pizza or-”

You felt a blaze of warmth, and suddenly you felt your legs swept under you, and you looked up at Dante, now back to his demonic form carrying you bridal style. But no longer did it strike fear in you, just a sense of awe...and admiration

“You truly know how to get to this demon’s heart,” he practically purred, and with a slight grunt, he leapt up and started flying towards the nearest collection of lights on the horizon. “Pizza it is, then!”

Despite the remnant of chill from spending God knows how long on that stone, and the brisk breeze of the upper atmosphere blowing past you, you didn’t feel a little bit cold. It was like being held by a flying furnace.

“You know Dante….” you spoke, barely audible above the wind.

“Hm?”

“You’re pretty hot.” Instantly, you realized what you had said, and would have preferred him to just drop you to your death at this very moment.

You heard him chuckle.

“Yeah, this form runs a bit warm….”

And even though he didn’t say it, you were almost certain he knew exactly what you meant.

#Devil May Cry #Dante #dante x reader #dante x you #Valentine's Day Special

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