#hunting dogs constellation

[caointeag]

td

v : hotd / blacks / prisoner to love and duty. v : hotd / greens / hoarded by the fiercest dragon.

v : asoiaf / agot / first goal of a hunt : separate the pack. v : asoiaf / acok / a beaten dog has no loyalty. v : asoiaf / asos / cut off a wolf's head and it can still bite. v : asoiaf / affc + adwd / lean times breed strange unions. v : asoiaf / twow / the cold is hateful. it kills all. v : asoiaf / ados / peace watered with blood. v : asoiaf / post-series / the great pillar in the north.

v : au / modern / the film depicted walliam defeating the english at sterling bridge with a combination of facepaint and extreme whittling.

v : au / ameliaverse / a star in her constellation.

v : au / stannis plotline / the cold wolf chained by the fiery heart.

v : d / s / y

[eclipsedcrystalstar]

If I wanted I could actually give werewolf Sun and Moon a set of alternate names thanks to a constellation

[wonders-of-the-cosmos]

M106, also designated NGC 4258, is a relatively close 23.5 million light years away, spans 60 thousand light years across, and can be seen with a small telescope towards the constellation of the Hunting Dogs (Canes Venatici).

Image Credit: Ali Al Obaidly

[vanilladove]

hiii hello vani<3 may i request smt angsty with dazai and reader in which he’s acting neglectful/unfaithful as a partner and you just deal with it? but you don’t hate him or anything you’re just really sad about it hehe tysm ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

☾⋆.ೃ࿔* ghostin

gif creds fybugoustraydogs | divider creds benkeibear

₊ ⊹☁ pairing: dazai x gn!reader

₊ ⊹☁ genre: angst :,)

₊ ⊹☁ content warnings: distant/neglectful relationships; canon mentions of double suicide bc dazai lol...i couldn't bring myself to write a cheating dazai i'm sorry T~T inspired by ghostin + better off by ariana grande!

₊ ⊹☁ word count: 1.9k

You shivered under the cold sheets when your alarm had woken you up. The space next to you was empty, your lover nowhere to be found.

It had been like this for months now, but it was nothing new due to the nature of his job. Dazai always became distant right before handling a new enemy for the Armed Detective Agency. He only disclosed vague details to you, explaining that withdrawing himself was a way to protect you since he didn’t want enemies knowing about you. Before leaving, he’d muttered something about keeping you away from “the demon”.

But you had to admit, the feeling of being 'safe' from a far away, unknown enemy didn't compare to being wrapped in your lover's arms, the soft kisses on your forehead, gently running your hands through his brown fluffy hair, and whispering sweet nothings to eachother. You missed his corny jokes and the nights you two would have together after drinking too much sake, giggling on the floor and watching the stars on your open balcony—Dazai always pointing out the constellations and telling you the stories and lore behind each one.

He had been staying at a secret location far from your shared apartment, so the sheets didn’t smell like his musky, warm cologne anymore. The space felt ghostly now, and hanging out with your friends barely helped. Stirring a sugar cube and cream into your morning coffee, the things they said repeated in your head.

“Just break up with him..."

"You don’t deserve someone who ignores you—especially if he puts work above you…”

"He's definitely cheating on you with all the travel he's always away on..."

Your friends didn’t understand though. They didn’t understand the depth of your relationship or how Dazai loved you. He was a reserved man; he didn't let anyone into his heart, always putting on a flamboyant front to mask his true self. Even becoming his partner and finally moving in with him was a feat in itself and was something he'd hesitantly accepted. You knew he had a traumatic upbringing and that the ones he cared for eventually left his life, often in a tragic way; the last thing his broken heart could take was losing you.

Which was why you put up with the cold sheets in the morning, the single serving meals, and all the sad movie nights alone—because deep down, you knew he cared about you. Your lonely conscious couldn't handle any other explanation.

You tiredly shaped the triangular onigiri filled with snow crab and placed it in the wooden bento box, along with some tamagoyaki and salad, savoring the momentary heat in your hands. It was Dazai's favorite lunch—something you used to pack for him everyday. You forcibly dragged yourself out of bed to make it for him after receiving a text—from an unknown number, of course—that he was stopping by the apartment to grab something. You knew it was futile waking up early; it wouldn't stop him from leaving with no explanation, from not being targeted by the port mafia, the hunting dogs, or "the demon". How silly and lovesick you were.

Closing the lid, you put the dishes in the sink and placed a piece of bread into the toaster, staring intently as you waited for it to finish, which seemed like forever. You took a sip from your mug, cringing when the lukewarm liquid touched your tongue. Shit, your coffee had gone cold. That never happened when he was still there.

The lock clicking snapped you out of your somber thoughts, and you turned your head around to face the self-inviting visitor. Gaze softening, you admired the tall man in front of you, wrapped in a tan trench coat, which you instinctively slipped off from behind him, his tense shoulders relaxing under your fingertips as you draped the coat on a nearby chair. Wordlessly, you both exchanged melancholic glances before Dazai made the first move, stepping forward to close the space between you two. His slender fingers slowly came up to caress your face, the foreign touch making your cheeks heat up. Leaning forward, he closed his eyes and placed a soft kiss on your cold lips, "Hi, bella."

Forcing yourself to open your lids again and not overindulge in the much needed contact, you smiled at your lover, but it didn't quite connect back to your eyes, "Welcome hom—errr—back...You needed something from here, right?" You replied, choosing your words carefully so he couldn't hear your evident desperation.

Dazai blinked carefully, "Yeah, a flash drive. It's in one of the kitchen cabinets. Is it fine if I look around for a bit?" You nodded, looking down at the tiled floor and smiling at nothing. Dazai was always like that, hiding important things in the most impractical places as a precaution. As he fished through the cabinet, he turned his head briefly to look down at the abandoned mug sitting on the counter, "Is that for me?"

You wiped the nostalgic grin off your face, reaching for your coffee, which you'd made in Dazai's usual mug, "A-Ah, no. It's mine, sorry," Dazai raised an eyebrow at you, "I made it earlier this morning, but it's cold now. I'll make you some more." You offered, trying to brush off his suspicions and the strange looks he was giving you.

He sighed, stroking your hair lightly, "It's fine, darling, brew yourself a new cup, and I'll drink this one." He gave you one last reassuring pat before picking up the mug and slipping away into your shared room to look for something else, giving you no time to protest. What seemed like a sweet gesture really had a double meaning: I'm not staying long enough for a new batch of coffee, so I'll just take the cold cup.

A pit formed in your stomach as you dumped out the used coffee filter and reached for a new one. Your vision started to blur, stopping you before you could open the lid of the coffee grounds. Wet drops falling on the back of your hands made you realize you were crying. Instinctively, you brought your hands up to cover your mouth and block any sobs from Dazai, who was still next door in your bedroom.

Stop it.

You tried to coerce yourself, but you couldn't help it. The despair was too agonizing; to have the one you needed most close to you but not being able to tell them to stay, to hold you, especially since you knew how precious you were to him—if you asked, he'd drop everything to stay the night with you. Everyone at the ADA was aware of that, which was why they'd sat you down and conveyed that you couldn't dote too much on Dazai. You understood that and had stayed by his side anyways, knowing that being with him sometimes was better than never. Even if it broke your heart in the process. Even if it meant crying silently in the kitchen while your lover was in the next room, oblivious to the tears wetting your sleeves.

Deep down, you wished he would notice the pain you were in. You wished he would text and call you more or at least take you out to dinner and do special things when he'd finally come back, but he always resumed your daily routines almost like he'd never left. It made your heart ache, feeling like he disregarded his long leaves and their effects on you. You sniffled quietly and quickly wiped your tears away upon hearing rustling from the bedroom doorway signaling that Dazai was almost done grabbing what he needed.

Inhaling deeply, you breathed in and out slowly to calm your frantic heart and turned to the side to face the counter as your partner walked back into the kitchen.

"Found what you were looking for?" You asked, trying to cover your face with your hair and sneakily wipe away any residual tears.

Dazai swiftly passed by you, going towards the chair to slip his trench coat back on and grab the lunch you'd made him. "Yeah, I found it. Thanks for the bento and coffee by the wa—" Your eyes widened as he trailed off mid-sentence, all of a sudden feeling his presence next to you. He bent down to peer over at your face, evidently still swollen and a bit red from crying.

He rotated your body towards him and pushed the stay hairs from your face, intently observing your features. "Bella, have you been crying?" He stroked your cheeks delicately, "And your eyebags are so dark...have you been getting enough sleep?" He looked genuinely worried, peering into your eyes for any sort of insights, but it was too hard to maintain eye contact with him.

"I'm fine...I—" You muttered, words trapped in your throat.

Tell him you miss him. That you don't want him to leave you again.

No, don't! Let him walk out as usual. Your sadness isn't worth letting a countless number of innocent people get harmed or killed.

Thoughts conflicting and wearing your tired soul out, you only mustered a weak smile, placing your cold hands on top of Dazai's. "If I died now, would you still die with me?"

"What?"

"You promised we'd commit a double suicide together. Would you still—" Dazai's arms wrapped around you, pulling you into him, his warmth and comforting scent making tears fall again, not knowing the next time he would be back. You cursed yourself internally for breaking down in front of him, but you couldn't hold your emotions in any longer. He only held you silently, running his hands through your hair as you sobbed into his chest. You felt lightheaded, crying for several minutes, the only condoling things being the scent of Dazai's cologne and the way he held you to remind you he was still with you.

You looked up from his chest, gazing into his chocolate brown eyes, which were swirling with uncertainty. A pained expression was on his face, no doubt from your actions. "I'm sorry, my love. I'm so sorry..." He lifted your face up to kiss your lips gently and kiss away your salty tears before pulling you back into his chest. "I was selfish to think you wouldn't be hurt by me always being away. I tried to turn a blind eye to focus on work, but..." He exhaled shakily, "...somehow I always hurt the people closest to me...even the one I love the most."

Dazai squeezed you tighter in his arms, "I love you, and I know we'll get past this, darling. I don't expect you to forgive me, but please, please don't think of resorting to that." He cradled your face, forcing you to look up at his broken eyes.

This was the power you had over him. Prison, criminals, and even the mafia couldn't break him anymore, but your tears could melt his gaudy, confident facade instantaneously and bring him to his knees. Exactly what everyone warned you about.

You nodded slowly, the last of your cry session being wiped away by Dazai's thumbs. You hugged him back, listening as his rampant heartbeat went back to normal, staring off to the side.

"Listen, bella, I'm going to be gone for a few months. I suspect I'm going to be arrested and sent to a high-security prison...probably somewhere overseas. We won't—we won't be together for a while." You heaved, holding your breath, "But," He turned your head to face him, "I'm going to stay here for a couple of days until then. Is that okay?"

Before you could think, you crashed your lips on his, and Dazai only happily kissed back, smiling, grateful to have cheered up his love again.

"Y-Yeah, that's fine. I love you, Osamu." You sniffled back. He could stay forever if he wanted to, but you'd take a few days.

"I love you, too, bella. I always will, even when I'm not with you. Enough for the both of us."

[apiswitchcraft]

altars for greek heroes

ACHILLES: hero of the Trojan war, son of nereid Thetis

Colors: gold/bronze, red for Trojan War. blue, white for his mother Thetis

Offerings: yarrow, gold/silver, shells, gull feathers, olive, laurel, gemstones

Crystals: aquamarine, sodalite, jaspers (red, yellow, ocean especially)

*to honor Achilles you must also honor Patroclus*

PATROCLUS: hero of the Trojan war, son of King Peleus

Colors: gold/bronze, red for war. purple for royal birth

Offerings: incense/fire, oil, olive, laurel, gemstones, gold/silver

Crystals: agates (moss, tree especially), amethyst, lepidolite, rose quartz, citrine

ADONIS: lover of Aphrodite, became god of rebirth and beauty

Colors: pink, purple, red for beauty and association with Aphrodite

Offerings: fast growing plants (lettuce, fennel, barley, wheat), anemone and other flowers, dead plants, cake, honey

Crystals: flower agate, rose quartz, amethyst, rutilated quartz, jaspers (specifically rainforest or other green ones)

ARIADNE: helped Theseus to defeat the Minotaur, later married Dionysus and became goddess of labyrinths

Colors: gold for noble birth. purple for association with Dionysus

Offerings: grapes, puzzle toys, spools of thread or fabric art, wine, herbal tea, saffron

Crystals: grape agate, celestite, star jasper, pyrite, amethyst, scolectite, selenite

ASCLEPIUS: god of healing, son of Apollo

Colors: yellow, white for association with Apollo. red, pink, orange for healing

Offerings: snake skin, clay/bronze humanoid figurines, cypress, pine, olive trees, medicinal herbs

Crystals: quartz, rhodonite, amethyst, fluorite, selenite, citrine

ATALANTA: one of the Argonauts, devotee of Artemis, killed the Calydonian boar

Colors: brown, green for the hunt. white, blue, grey for association with Artemis

Offerings: pork, boar hide, apples, laurel, forgeables, lion/bear imagery

Crystals: jaspers, moss/tree agate, petrified wood, amethyst, rose quartz, selenite

CASTOR AND POLLUX: Pollux was a son of Zeus who shared his immortality Castor, they were turned into the Gemini constellation, saviors of seafarers

Colors: purple for noble birth. white and grey for association with zeus. black for the night sky

Offerings: shells, laurel, olive, meat, wine, two things conjoined (like two cherries or two grapes on a vine)

Crystals: star and ocean jaspers, sodalite, aquamarine, obsidian, hematite

HERAKLES: went mad and killed his wife and kids, did 12 labors as penance, god of strength and heroes

Colors: red, gold for strength and heroes

Offerings: hellebore, olive, laurel, meat, alcohol, yarrow

Crystals: bloodstone, carnelian, garnet, red jasper, smokey quartz, pyrite

HYACINTHUS: Spartan prince and lover of Apollo, became god of vegetation

Colors: pink, yellow, green for vegetation. yellow/gold for association with apollo

Offerings: iris (they were called hyacinths by the Greeks) and other flowers, grain, yarrow, clove

Crystals: tree/moss/flower agate, jaspers (especially bumblebee), citrine, carnelian, pyrite, honey calcite, amber

ODYSSEUS: clever hero of Homer's "The Odyssey," favored by Athena

Colors: gold, purple for royal status. grey, white for wisdom

Offerings: owl feathers, shells, boat imagery, poetry/speeches, laurel, olive, cypress

Crystals: jaspers, obsidian, quartz, aquamarine, turquoise, sodalite, bloodstone

ORION: lover of Artemis, was turned into a constellation after death. Sirius is his dog and Scorpius the scorpion that slayed him

Colors: black, white for night. brown, green for the hunt

Offerings: forageables, apples, hides/leather, mugwort, cypress, moon shaped items

Crystals: star jasper, bloodstone, selenite, celestite, howlite

ORPHEUS: son of Apollo, famed musician and poet of the Argonauts, travelled to Haides to try to save his wife Eurydice

Colors: yellow, gold, white for Apollo. black for the Underworld

Offerings: music (especially lyre), poetry, hymns, honey, laurel, wine, meats

Crystals: aventurine, obsidian, black tourmaline, smokey quartz, selenite, yellow jasper, honey calcite

PERSEUS: son of Zeus, slayer of Medusa, has a constellation

Colors: gold and red for hero status. white, grey, blue for association with Zeus

Offerings: meat, laurel, snake shed, alcohol, fruit, honey, milk (to honor his mother Danae)

Crystals: jaspers (red, star especially), bloodstone, serpentine, quartz, obsidian

THESEUS: slayer of the Minotaur, united Attica, completed six trials for the entrances to the Underworld that he passed on the way to Athens

Colors: blues for ocean, being a son of Poseidon (in some stories)

Offerings: ship imagery, meat, olive, yarrow, gold

Crystals: pyrite, sodalite, lapis lazuli, coral, blue aventurine, aquamarine

[loojii]

Constellations as blue aliens! I made these last year, only uploaded them on Patreon Aquila, Cygnus, Pavo, Canis Minor, Canis Major, Boötos, Minor Leo, Lepus, Lupus, Cetus, Centaurus, Orion

For more info about them see the lore dump under the line ~

Aquila the eagle constellation. A myth tied to the constellation tells about Zeus, who transformed himself into an eagle, and kidnaps a pretty boy to be the cup bearer of the Gods. This boy was of course Aquarius. So the characters are friends! Or well, Aquila pressures Aquarius into doing dumb stuff and Aquarius can't say no (in a way kidnapping him for a good time). Aquila's outfit is based on an eagle as well, with white on top and dark on the bottom. He, and other bird constellations, have feather like hair! He is the younger brother of Cygnus and Pavo, and the older brother of Columba and Corvus (they're a big bird family!)

Cygnus the swan constellation. A myth tied to the constellation is that about Zeus, who again transformed. He got a woman pregnant and from that a set of twins were born, one mortal and one immortal. The twin being Gemini, of course. So the character here is best friends with Gemini (she seems to be the only one that is able to handle him). Since Gemini's alpha and beta star are actually the twins, she often visits them and favors Pollux, the immortal twin from the myth. She's like a fun aunt! Another myth tells about a lover being lost or something, drowned in the river depicted by the constellation Eridanus. So she probably doesn't like her that much.

Pavo the peacock constellation. One of the myths tied to the constellation tells about a monster with many eyes that was able to act as a spy for Hera. As a thank you she put his eyes on the peacock feather and the monster himself in the sky. The constellation also depicts the captain of a ship, who are also depicted by several constellations. I don't know what to do with that part yet for this character, maybe those constellations admire Pavo as a teacher? But as for the spy part; this guy obviously loves gossip and always knows everything about everyone. He is the oldest of the bird siblings!

Canis Minor the lesser dog constellation. In the sky the dog is seen hunting Lepus, together with Canis Major and Orion. So all three of them, the characters, dislike her of course! He is always seen hanging out with Orion, following him around and being his yes-man. He's the younger brother of Canis Major naturally

Canis Major the dog constellation. Another yes-man of Orion. I like to take inspiration from myths and science when it comes to their personality / relationships but sometimes I just go by vibes too. And what I feel is that Canis Major gets awfully flustered when Ursa Major is around (yes its solely based on the fact that both of them are the only ones with Major in their name). He does not know how to deal with her overly friendly demeaner and gets kinda angry

Boötos the herdsman constellation. In the myth tied to this constellation a herdsman was killed due to his bad whinemaking skills and his daugther and dog moarned him so much that they died too. The daughter was seen as Virgo and the dog as Canis Major. So the characters are friends! Boötos also has Canes Venatici (the hunting dogs constellation, no design yet) next to him, but the reason that constellation doesn't take on the role of the dog in the myth is because it was first known as Bo's staff. So that character would also be friends with him of course! Maybe part of the dog family? But I'm not sure yet. Boötes has multiple friends but he especially adores Virgo, in his eyes he can do nothing wrong and is the depiction of perfection. Many see Virgo that way but Bo is just a bit more extreme about it. The constellation is also seen hunting Ursa Major in the sky, so maybe they don't have a good relationship?

Minor Leo the lesser lion constellation. I was actually unaware this constellation excisted until I did this project. He is Leo's biggest fan and follows him around. Despite the name they are not related, they're just great buddies! The constellation at one point was planned to be changed into the lioness constellation, but eventually this didn't catch on. So this guy here is sometimes mistaken for a girl!

Lepus the hare constellation. In the sky the hare is seen being hunted by Orion and his two hunting dogs (Canis Major and Minor). So this character of course hates them. She's very quick on her feet and tries to outdone Orion every time she can.

Lupus the wolf constellation. The wolf is also being hunted in the sky, this time by Centaurus. So he dislikes him as well. But he's almost always silent and hangs out with Lepus a lot. It has nothing to do with their myths or anything. They just have similar names and are both being hunted, so I declared them buddies. Lepus always knows what Lupus means, without saying a word, and they are often spotted hanging out (Lupus following Lepus around)

Cetus the whale constellation. Cetus is the unofficial 14th zodiac sign, having the sun in its constellation for just one day. To represent this Cetus (the character) is engaged to Sagittarius, to one day become part of the Zodiac family (but he said yes when they were children and doesn't want to anymore, because who in thei right mind regocnizes Cetus as a Zodiac sign). The myth tied to Cetus is that of a sea monster who only came out of the sea to eat a beautiful maiden. Cetus (the character) is very insecure and never leaves her house. She's the big sis of Ophiuchus, the 13th Zodiac sign

Centaurus the centaur constellation. No, it's not Sagittarius. Both Sagittarius and Centaurus are depicted as centaurs in the sky and because of that their myths are sometimes mistaken for one another. So this guy here is very often mistaken for Sagittarius. But he's taller, better looking, stronger, more mature, etc. The myths of Centaurus go crazy and he's literly tied to everyone. In the discord server theres the ongoing joke that Centaurus is actually the main character. So this guy is just a very popular guy that everyone (excepts Sagittarius, who hates him with the might of 30 suns) likes! He is actually nice and unaware of Sagittarius hatred. Lupus, the wolf constellation, also doesn't like him but he's not as vocal about it as Sagittarius.

Orion the hunter constellation. Orion's myth he was a great hero who was defeated by a little scorpion. He and the scorpion were put in the sky but he's still avoiding the scorpion till this day (they are never seen in the same sky). The scorpion in question is of course Scorpio. Orion (the character) absolutely hates Scorpio and avoids him at all costs. He is seen hunting a hare (Lepus) in the sky together with his two hunting dogs (Canis Major and Minor). So this character of course is buddies with the two dogs and they all hate Lepus.

[purplealmonds]

Continuing to fire on all cylinders to make this Sky 🤝Mononoke collab a reality! 🐲⚖️🌊

Process GIFs and artist commentary below the cut. ⬇️

Left: Process GIF Middle: Just the background, cos I really like how it looks! Right: Illustration without the collab logo

And here are my notes on my inspirations and references. There's a lot of 'em, so instead of embedding relevant images one by one I put them in a callout sheet! For accessibility, I also included transcript (with bonus ramblings) below each sheet.

Ofuda circle modeled in Google Sketchup 2017, then lightly transformed in Photoshop to flare out. I tried my best to hand-draw these, but it the results came out really clunky and stiff. I figured if Mononoke shamelessly utilizes 3D in their show, I can too!

Krill and sky kid composition roughly inspired by the Ayakashi DVD cover illustration. On the surface level, the krill's black-and-red color scheme mirrored that of the bake-neko. Not to mention, in the world of Sky, the krill would be the best fit of a mononoke-like entity. The red background is also a nod to the red skies seen during a shard eruption in Sky.

Sky kid gesture based on the Festival Spin Dancer's Tier 3 poses and the Medicine Seller's iconic pose in the Zakishiwarahi episode as inspiration. This was the idea which springboarded this illustration into existence. I wanted to do my take of the Medicine Seller's pose, but in a more dynamic manner: rotate the pose to a profile position and set the ofuda in a diagonal, flared out arrangement.

Cape inspired by tenbin design featured in the 2024 Mononoke movie. This one's an interesting one - I wanted the cape to be a stiff material that doesn't "flap" when in flight - similar to the Aurora wing capes. It ended up looking like a kite of sorts, which I'm not entirely opposed to! I haven't had the opportunity to showcase the back view of this cape design, but I envision it having some mechanical aspects to it - the "wing" which are flared out in this illustration fold in like moth wings, and a little bell is attached to the "tail" part and it jingles a little whenever the sky kid flaps!

Bandana is based on the Scaredy Cadet's hairstyle from the Season of Assembly. Mask design utilizes the 2023 Days of Style mask and the Nintendo Pack mask as bases. Pretty self-explanatory. I basically went onto the Sky wiki and found the cosmetics that most closely matched what I was looking for. Then if necessary, I went to the Office space to do photoshoots to get the appropriate camera angles for them all.

Seasonal pendant inspired by the classic Medicine Seller's necklace and the eye motif featured in the 2024 Mononoke movie. Possibly the only one-to-one homage to the classic Medicine Seller design here, but his garnet necklace was too good of a match to the seasonal pendant. A side tangent: does the new Medicine Seller possess a necklace, let alone a mirror? So far all the shots of him don't feature it. Fascinating.

Dark dragon krill anatomy references a custom figurine crafted by @/escaflowne_n07 on Twitter. Until I found this, I was honestly at a loss finding reference for this - be it on the internet or during in-game photoshoots. The lighting on the krill in-game focused on its menacing silhouette rather than its structure. And not to mention, getting a close-up shot almost always set off the dark creature's aggro. I have no idea how this guy found the references to put this model together - well done!

Mantas, elder constellations, and sun dog references murals in the Cave of Prophecy. Krill aside, the overall illustration was leaning a little too much towards Mononoke so I tried finding opportunities to insert more Sky into it. Added bonus is that now there's storytelling in the background: during a shard eruption, a giant krill rises from the frothing waves of dark water to hunt down a flock of mantas.

Clouds behind the sun dog reference the ones featuring heavily in the Umibozu episode. This illustration has a lot of ocean theming, so I figured this would be appropriate.

Rendering style of the background is lightly inspired by the 2007 Mononoke illustration. Mainly having a 2D inked style to contrast with the more polished render of the sky kid. Funnily enough, this was a tertiary inspiration, which lead to the discovery in the next point!

Dark water waves and sun dog composition heavily references Hokusai's "The Great Wave". The waves were modified to be bottle-green of the Golden Wasteland's dark waters. The sun dog is in the spot where Mt. Fuji is in the original composition. these were all hand-drawn by the way! I merely emulated the style of the source material. As a side note, I also borrowed the spotted sea spray rendering for the krill's red spotlight.

Background pattern taken from the ofuda design featured in the 2024 Mononoke movie poster. Mainly to add some gritty texture to the sky. I worked pretty hard to replicate this ofuda design as a high-res asset so I wanted to use it more!

[bullet-prooflove]

The Maybe Girl: Colton Shaw x Reader (NSFW)

Tagging: @kmc1989 @inlovewithcharmers @mckinleysbones @rex-the-dino @ahoodgirl

Companion piece to:

Stay (NSFW) - Colter can never ask for you to stay.

Sometimes Colter dreams about you. His hands running through your hair, his lips chasing all over your skin as your head tips back and you say his name. Those are the mornings he wakes up with a hard on he has to take care of in the shower because those dreams, they’re memories, ones that are scored upon the surface of his heart. He jerks off to the image of your mouth encircling him, that sinful look in your eyes when you know he’s close, so close he’s about to…

There’s the other dreams, of course, the ones he would never reveal to a living soul. A white dress and a cabin in the woods, a couple of dogs. You’re both too fucked up for a traditional relationship and children aren’t on the cards but it doesn’t stop Colter from hoping that maybe one day you’ll both settle down together. He can’t see it happening anytime soon but eventually, when you both get your shit together.

“I’m your Maybe Girl…” You had said one night when you were laying on your stomach in his bed. He was doodling patterns across your skin, connecting the constellations of scars when you’d finally spoke.

“Maybe Girl?” He’d questioned, his eyebrows furrowing as he tilted his head to read your features.

“You know…” You say, meeting his eyes. “The one you tell yourself you may have a future with so you can avoid any other commitments.”

“That’s not…” He trails off, pursing his lips together when you give him that knowing look. “I don’t think of it as a maybe.”

For Colter it’s an inevitability. He’s been in love with you for years at this point and he’s confident you’re in love with him. It’s why you tell him your secrets by the light of the campfire, the things you’ve never told anybody else

“Oh.” You say, looking troubled. “Colter, I can’t give you anything more than this…”

“I know.” He’d whispered, his thumb tracing lightly over the apple of your cheek. “But maybe someday you can.”

It’s the wrong thing to say, he knows that now. Sometimes he gets so caught up in you he can’t help but express his feelings but you, you’re like a skittish animal. You need to be approached carefully, with caution because for you commitment is entrapment.

It’s marrying a man your father chooses for you at the age of fifteen, one three times your age and an elder of the cult he joined because your mother died and he can’t cope with his teenage daughter. It’s hunting in the woods for survival to feed children that aren’t your own, ones that you can never have because that first time was so violent that  it ruined you.

You don’t even bother to slip out when he’s asleep that night. You just get up, gather up your clothes and go.

He doesn’t follow because he understands that urge to escape, especially when you feel overwhelmed. That’s why his father called him The Restless One.

When you appear outside his airstream tonight he doesn’t expect it. It’s been six months since he last laid eyes on you and he’s parked in the middle of nowhere, waiting for the next reward to come through.

“I can’t be your Maybe Girl,” is the first thing you say to him, the rain pouring down as you stand outside, soaking wet.

“How about you be the girl that comes in to get dry?” He suggests as he steps out of the way revealing the warm glow of the airstream. “The girl I make tea for because there’s a chill in the air and I’m terrified of her catching hypothermia.”

You step inside, leaving a trail of wet clothes that leads directly to his shower. He sighs as he picks them up, hanging them up to dry over the cupboard doors in the kitchen before he goes through his slender wardrobe and picks out the shirt you like to wear. It’s a soft faded grey, one he’s had since long before he bought airstream. The only reason he hasn’t thrown it out yet is because he knows how much you like it.

“Are you going to join me?” You call from the bathroom and he envisions you naked underneath the water, the droplets trailing over your skin. He lays the t-shirt down on the bed and he wonders if you’ll stay tonight or if he’ll find that it neatly folded on the table were he eats as if it had never been worn.

“Yea.” He calls through, pulling off his own shirt and tossing it in the hamper. “Just give me a sec and I’ll be right there.”

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[suguwu]

WRAP YOUR TEETH AROUND THE WORLD I PART ONE

A child of the harvest, your life is forfeit when you're chosen for the Hunt's Rite.

You don't expect the god to take an interest in you instead.

minors and ageless blogs do not interact.

pairing: gn!reader x millions knives

notes: if you've followed me for a bit, you know that i've been thinking about this concept for a long while. it's such a delight to be able to finally share it. with massive apologies to my beta, who has not read this because i am too impatient.

the title is, of course, from hozier.

content: god of the hunt nai au, reader is specifically a vegetarian, slow burn, human sacrifice, implied murder, predator/prey aspects.

wc: 5.2k

The sun is setting when they come for you.

Light is still pouring golden over the horizon, dripping along the edge of the sky like honey, sweet and thick despite the teeth of the encroaching night. It casts the High Priest’s face into shadow, blurs the edges of her until she is something else, something more. God-touched.

You watch her disappear into the temple, absentmindedly holding the lantern-lighter to the wick. The flame catches quickly, a kiss of light, flaring like a shooting star. The bright flash makes you blink. It makes you refocus on your task. The next lantern is lit just as quickly, and you make your way around the courtyard, until a constellation bathes the courtyard in soft, flickering orange. 

You’re lighting the final wick when you hear your name. It rings out like the toll of a dour bell, deep and sad. Frost spirals down your spine, winter come early. You take a moment to blow out the lantern-lighter before you turn around. 

The High Priest of the Hunt flashes her teeth. The forest lives in the sharpened edges of them, each carefully filed to a knife’s deadly point, smooth and sharp. You shudder.

“Child,” your High Priest says. “You have been chosen for the Hunt’s Rite.”

Your next breath hurts. It shears through you, drags up between your ribs to split you apart, carves its way out of your throat. You choke on it.

“But—” you gasp out. “I’m a child of the harvest.” 

“You are not claimed,” the High Priest of the Hunt says, her voice billowing out like smoke. It fills the cracks in you with char, with something you cannot name. “And you have been chosen.” 

You have no words; they slip away from you like mist rising from the lake’s surface, wispy and intangible. The harvest god does not claim. It is not his way, but you had thought it would be different for you. 

(The man smiles at you, soft and sweet and edged with something like sorrow. “Eat,” he says, holding his hands out, his palms suddenly overflowing with plump fruit. The berries gleam in the dappled sunlight, little multi-colored gems. 

Your stomach aches at the sight. 

“You’re—” you breathe. 

“Eat,” the man—the god—repeats. “It will do you well.”

The berries burst beneath your teeth. They’re salt-kissed, a remnant of his touch. You devour them, ravenous with months of famine settled into your weakened bones, and only taste devotion.)

You had thought it would be different for you, you who had supped from his palms. 

“Please,” you say softly. “Please.”

Your High Priest looks away. His mouth twists, going sour at the edges, and his eyes are glassy in the low light, shining brightly with unshed tears.

The High Priest of the Hunt’s eyes glimmer too and you think of a predator peering out from the depths of the woods, eyes flickering beneath moonlight. 

“It is an honor to be chosen,” she tells you. “The hunt has always provided.” 

You stay quiet. 

She hums low in her throat, the sound like the distant baying of the dogs, and reaches out. You bite your tongue to keep from flinching. The pain shatters beneath your skin, a lightning strike sting, and you concentrate on that as she traces her thumb over the apple of your cheek.  Her touch is reverent, skimming over your skin like silk.

“Come,” she breathes. “We must ready you.”

Your High Priest protests, but the sound of his reedy voice is lost under the pulsing thrum of your blood as it echoes through you. It’s loud, like the purr of the pebbles that tumble over themselves each time a wave draws back from the shore. You stumble back a step.

There’s a ribbon woven around your chest, you think, and it’s growing tighter, compressing the bones until they start to creak. You suck in a sharp breath; it burns.

The High Priest of the Hunt studies you. In the lantern light, her features are stark, flickering shadows dancing over her face. She tilts her head and her blonde hair spills over her shoulder like starlight. It illuminates her, a galaxy spread sparkling in the sky, and again, she seems like something more. Something bigger. She flashes her sharpened teeth in a mockery of a smile.

“Come,” she says again. “There is nothing for you here.”

“Elendira,” your High Priest says. “Please.”

Her eyes harden. “The child is ours. The rite must be prepared.”

“They are to be given one night—”

“That is for those with family.”

You cast your eyes to the ground. The guttering flames of the lanterns send undulating patterns over the packed-down dirt of the courtyard; they writhe like snakes. The two High Priests continue to go back and forth, but they sound distant, as if they’re just echoes of themselves.

“Child.”

You look up. Your High Priest gives you a ghost of a smile; there’s a deep sorrow tucked up in the corner of his lips. He takes your hand in his. His fingers are bird-boned, delicate things. They’re trembling.

“You must go,” he says.

“Must I?”

He squeezes your hand. “Yes.” 

You blink back the tears. Just behind him, Elendira watches the two of you, her eyes gleaming in the lantern-light. There’s a triumphant curl to the crimson slant of her mouth, a brutal slash of victory. You squeeze your High Priest’s hand and draw in a ragged breath. 

“I would bring some of my things with me,” you tell them. It will help, you think, to have them with you. 

Elendira scoffs. “There is no need,” she says. “You are in the care of the hunt now. We will provide all that you want.”

“Then the hunt can provide me with my things.”

She eyes you, her lip curling up into a fierce little smile. “You have bite after all,” she says. “The hunt lives in you yet.”

You resist the urge to bare your teeth. “The harvest lives in me.”

She arches a perfect brow. “We shall see.”

Still, she relents. Two of her acolytes silently accompany you to your room at the temple; you pack in a daze, plucking up a few keepsakes, though you’re not sure why. You know the fate you are heading towards. You let your fingers play over the spirals of seaglass that line your dresser, the deep blues and the soft greens misted over by the ocean’s touch, years of gifts from the woodcarver.

You pick up one of the pieces, rubbing your thumb over the rounded edge of it. It’s the gentle blue of a mid-morning sky, of a speckled robin’s egg tucked carefully into the mess of a nest. You bring it to your lips and think that you can still taste salt. 

The acolytes urge you from your room, their hands reverent against you. One of them has callused fingers, a bow’s lingering kiss, and you shrink back from the abrasive feel of them.

Elendira is waiting for you in the temple’s courtyard. She hums, low and resonant, as you approach, eyeing the few things you’ve gathered, but she says nothing. You bite at your lip as you take in your own High Priest beside her; he’s stooped over, heavily slumped, an eroded rock. He can’t meet your eyes.

You look away and into Elendira’s keen gaze. She smiles, a crimson slash that shows off her sharpened teeth, and beckons you close.

“Come here, little one,” she says. 

You follow her command, coming to a halt in front of her. She slips a finger under your chin to make you look her in the eye. Her sharp nail digs into the softness there, just shy of breaking the skin. She examines you again. Her eyes—blue as the nearby lake, glittering like the water beneath the sun—are keen. You set your jaw and meet her gaze.

She laughs. She pushes your chin up higher for a brief breath before she withdraws, her nail dragging against your delicate skin like the tip of a knife. You draw in a sharp breath, but it doesn’t hurt. 

“We leave now,” she says.

“Let me say goodbye.”

She considers you again. “Is that a demand, child?”

“You said the hunt would provide.”

“You’ve already used that once,” she says, but she sounds amused. “This is the last time I’ll allow it.” 

She turns around and strides away before you can reply, her hair rippling behind her, a comet’s blazing trail. One of the acolytes trails behind her; the other remains in the courtyard, stepping back into the shadows cast by the lantern light. 

“Child,” your High Priest says softly. He still can’t look you in the eye. “I am sorry.”

“I know.”

“There is nothing I can do for you.”

“I know,” you say, and the tears beading crystalline on your lashes finally spill over, running hot down your cheeks. He reaches out and cups your cheek. He hushes you quietly, his thumb running softly beneath your eye, brushing away the falling tears. His own eyes are shimmering. 

“The woodcarver,” you say. “Will you—”

“I will go to her as soon as you’re gone.”

“Thank you.” 

“Is there anything you wish for me to say?”

You shake your head. “She’ll know.”

“As you wish,” he says. 

The acolyte shifts. “It is time,” they say, stepping forward into the light. “Come.” 

Your High Priest’s hand tightens against your cheek before he lets it fall. You miss his warmth; the cool night air erases the ghost of his touch in an instant. “Goodbye, child,” he says softly. 

“Goodbye,” you whisper.

The acolyte steps up beside you and gestures you forward. They lead you to where Elendira lingers in the shadows at the temple’s entrance. She steps forward and raises the hood of your well-worn cloak, her long fingers careful. The smile on her lips is sharp. It sinks down into your marrow, a well-placed knife. You shiver, frost spiraling down your spine. 

The acolyte chivvies you into a carriage. Elendira slips gracefully in across from you, her cloak flowing around her like a gentle river. You turn your gaze outwards, unwilling to face her.

She laughs, the sound billowing out from her like smoke. But she doesn’t try to engage you; you watch the darkened countryside roll by, blurring like a mirage. You mark things familiar to you to try and ground yourself: the half-bent oak, the overgrown path to the long-dried lake, the curl of smoke rising from the temple.

It doesn’t work. You feel wool-headed, as if it’s stuffed between your ears. The world is a watercolor, smearing across your vision in flickers of color. You close your eyes against it, stomach roiling, and concentrate on breathing from your mouth, low and slow. 

You only open them when the carriage creaks to a halt. 

Elendira gives you no commands; she merely flashes her sharpened teeth at you in a mockery of a smile before sliding from the carriage. You have no choice but to follow. 

There are two acolytes waiting for you, their curious eyes tracing over every inch of you. Elendira beckons one of them close.

“Ready them,” she orders. “They need to be prepared for the coming days before the rite.” 

The acolyte bows and ushers you forward. You don’t bother to fight it. You barely look at your surroundings, too focused on each heavy step towards your fate. They guide you through the temple carefully. People bow as you go by; you catch the shadows of them out of the corner of your eyes, each one wispy as they yield to you and the acolytes. A shiver trickles down your spine like icemelt. 

The air changes as you step into another hallway. There’s a dampness to it now, like the humid touch of a midsummer’s afternoon, when there is a promise of a storm in the air. The baths, then, you think. You’ll be scrubbed clean of the remnants of your temple, stripped of the very last of it, the scent of your soap. 

For a moment, you consider running, but there’s no point. Instead, you let them herd you through a door and into the baths.

Once you’re in the steamy room, they strip you of your clothing with reverent fingers. You sink into the bath without a word, barely taking in the magnificent stretch of it, the bath so large it could almost be a pool, lined with tiles as blue as the sky. 

You don’t fight it when they begin to wash you. Their touch is gentle, as sweet as a spring lamb. The soap smells of clover, of the meadows that edge the village, and it’s almost enough to mask the rusty tinge of blood that lingers in the air. The acolytes murmur to you as they bathe you, but their voices are distant, burbling like the river current. 

They rinse you by pouring ladles of cool water over your head. It’s a balm against your heated body; you turn your face into it despite the gasps it brings. The water cradles you like a lover. Their murmurs meld into something songlike, rising and falling like the wind, fluting high and rasping low. Prayer, you think. You don’t bother to listen.

They dry you with towels scented like the forest, like the deep woods, all moss and loam. You do not receive your clothing back; instead, they dress you in fine silks that stick to your skin, that cling to your body like a gossamer spider’s web. You shiver as they sweep against your skin, as cool as a river. 

The bath starts to darken as they blow the candles out. They chivvy you forward, back into the halls. Your cheeks heat as you go, aware that the silk sticks to each inch of you, a second skin, and that all eyes are upon you. The murmurs echo off the walls, rolling across you like waves against the shore. 

The room they bring you to is a lavish one. There are luxurious pelts spread on the large bed, ready to keep the chill air of the encroaching fall at bay. They nudge you through the door. You stumble through it, your foot catching on the draping silk, and catch yourself against an ornate chair.

By the time you turn around, the acolytes are gone, the door scraping closed behind them. The click of the lock rings through the air. You cannot help yourself; you try the door. It does not budge.

The tears start to sting your eyes. You sniffle, willing them back, and make your way to the bed. It’s soft as you sink down upon it. You stare up at the ceiling until it starts to blur, and then you finally close your eyes.

You do not fall asleep for a very long time.

—

Dawn comes too early. 

You’ve barely stirred in the bed when the door opens; an acolyte sweeps in. She’s keen-eyed, almost vulpine, with the sharpened teeth to match. You sit up as she draws near, huddling under one of the pelts. 

“Come,” she says, her voice rolling like summer thunder. “You must eat.” 

“I’m not hungry.”

“You’ll find your appetite once there is food in front of you.”

You shake your head.

Her expression doesn’t change, but suddenly, there’s something cold to her, the slow creep of the first frost. “It wasn’t a request,” she says. “Now come.” 

You grit your teeth, your fingers tightening in the thick fur of the pelt you’re under. Then you let go and slide out from under it. 

“Good,” the acolyte says.

She dresses you in silence, brushing your hands away when you try to smooth out the silken clothing they’ve brought you. It’s finely made, more beautiful than anything you’ve ever owned, and it makes your stomach twist.

She takes you through the winding temple halls, your bare feet quiet against the cool stone floors. The other acolytes stare as you go by, just as they did last night, and you shrink into yourself, make yourself small. It does little to alleviate the weight of their gazes. 

The room she takes you into is a small one, but it seems cavernous, with its high ceilings and sparse decor. Elendira is there, her long blonde hair gleaming in the light, a falling star. She turns as you enter. She beckons you forward; you slink towards her, a cowed dog. 

“Sit,” she tells you, gesturing to the chair across from her. “You must eat.”

You hesitate for a breath before you sink into the chair. She smiles, clearly pleased, and when she nods, another acolyte places a plate in front of you. 

You pause. The plate is laden with seasonal vegetables, cooked and raw. For a moment, you almost feel like you’re home. “There’s no meat,” you say. Your own voice startles you, small as it is. 

Elendira hums. “No,” she says. “It would make you sick.”

It would, considering how long you’ve gone without it, but you hadn’t expected to be accommodated. Perhaps you should have; it’s easy to forget that you’re important to them now. That you are something bigger than yourself. You gaze down at the plate and your stomach churns.

You think you might be sick anyway. 

Under Elendira’s gaze, you pick away at the food, mostly pushing it around on the plate. When you finally lean back, unable to take even a second more, she purses her lips but says nothing. Instead, she beckons to you, a silent command.

You follow her out into the courtyard in the middle of the temple. You’re surprised to see the garden that fills it, the scent of wet loam rising to your nose as an acolyte waters a patch of summer roses, their petals the color of the dawn, a sweet, pearly pink. There’s a basket of them on the ground, their cut stems still oozing sap. You pause.

“Go on,” Elendira says, sounding amused. 

You pick one up, twirling it between your fingers before hissing out a breath as a thorn catches the pad of your thumb. The blood wells up, a crimson seed, and you press your thumb between your lips to suck it away. Iron spreads on your tongue. 

There’s a drop of blood clinging to the thorn; it trickles down the stem a bit. You wipe it away as Elendira watches, something like a smile blooming on her lips, but she says nothing. 

Instead, she takes you through the garden to a set of rooms on the other side. There are acolytes waiting inside.

“Take care of them,” Elendira says. Before you can protest, she turns on her heel and glides from the room, her blonde hair flowing behind her like a comet’s tail. 

“Come,” one of the acolytes says, holding out a hand. 

You almost shrink away, but you take a deep breath and straighten your spine instead. You do not take their hand, but you follow them anyway. They bring you deeper into the chambers, into a room that smells of incense. It’s heavier than what your temple uses, but there is comfort in it nonetheless. 

You spend the day in that little room, retreating deep into your mind as they prepare you, engaging in little rituals that are beyond your knowledge. Normally, you would ask, always curious, but you cannot bring yourself to do so. 

By the time they lead you from the room, night has fallen. The scent of incense lingers on your skin as you walk through the courtyard, your face lifted towards the sky to better see the rising moon. It shines silver on the garden, painting petals with its soft touch. 

A different acolyte chivvies you along. He’d joined the group later, taking over from faces that had just started to grow familiar. Part of you thinks that is exactly the intent—that you gain no true companionship with anyone. It is utterly lonely, like living amongst shadows. 

He leads you to your room; once inside, you again hear the click of the lock. This time, you don’t bother to try the door. Instead, you shimmy out of the silken clothing and into the bed, closing your eyes.

When you open them again, you know that you are dreaming. 

You are small again; you barely come up to the woodcarver’s hip. She presses your face against her skirts, her hand gentle but firm. The words are lost to the dream, but you remember them well enough—the elders discussing your fate after your father was lost to winter’s teeth, claimed by  a cliff disguised by drifting snow. 

The gods are not kind. That much is clear.

The elders say your father’s name like a funeral knell. You think it will haunt you forever. 

When you look up from the woodcarver’s skirts, she is older, time smearing together as it only can in a dream. The edges of her eyes crinkle like parchment, laugh lines etched into her skin. They do not show now her face is solemn, her lips pinched together. She is thinner, her cheekbones sharp, and you realize it is the famine years.

The world swirls and suddenly, you are in the town square, desperate cries echoing around you. The woodcarver is next to you, her face grim, and she pulls you close as the crowd—the mob—pushes forward. 

You know what happens next. It’s already written, a history you can’t change. But you turn away anyway, hiding your face back in the woodcarver’s skirts, as if it can block out the cries of the harvest god’s acolytes as they fall. 

You wake with a cry, char and blood lingering in your nose, a phantom of the past. You sob once, twice, and bury your face in the furs of your fine bed. 

The gods are not kind, but neither are men.

—

The morning dawns red.

It streaks through the sky, crimson fingers of light smearing against the horizon, the sun bleeding it like a cracked egg. It spills into your room through the high window, pooling on the stone floor. 

The ruby sky fades into something softer as the sun continues its rise, but the damage is done. The burning spectacle haunts you as you dress for the day, unaccompanied by any acolyte. You can hear them in the hallway, the temple stirring to life, but no one comes through your door. Something in you burns cold.

When the door finally opens, you know. 

The acolytes take you to the bath through deserted halls. The water is warm and sweetly scented with a perfume that you don’t know. It winds around you, soft and soothing. You drift as they bathe you. 

Your skin prickles with gooseflesh when they rinse you, the air dragging its cool fingertips over the length of your body. The acolytes dry you with soft towels before they wrap you in clinging silks yet again. You trail your hand over the material, take in the icy slip of it. 

You look up as one of the acolytes approaches with a piece of fabric in his hands. You dip your head at his gesture; he ties it over your eyes, leaving you in darkness, with just the tiniest hint of light seeping in at the edges, like the sun peeking over the horizon. 

Blinded, you’re entirely reliant on the acolytes to lead you. You take deep breaths, trying to loosen the knot that’s wound itself around your ribs. You drift in the darkness, your mind fleeing.

The light hurts when the blindfold comes off. You wince, blinking away the sting, and find yourself in a grove at the forest’s edge, surrounded by the temple’s acolytes. They cry out at the sight of you, and you shrink into yourself, feeling your heart fluttering between your ribs, a trapped bird. Your hands are shaking.

Smoke billows around you, the scent of char settling over your skin as the acolytes disrobe you. Elendira watches from her place by the altar. Her blonde hair glints in the light, haloed by the sun, and her gaze is heavy upon your form. 

The silk you were wearing puddles at your feet, iridescent, an icy lake reflecting the moon’s glow. They dab oil behind your ears and in the hollow of your throat. You choke on a sob.

It was not meant to be like this. 

(Eat, the god of the harvest says, his smile sad. So that you may live as you are meant to.)

You let the acolytes wind pelts around you, the heat of them settling into your bones, a stoked fire caught up in fur. They’re for the deepest parts of the forest, you think, where the trees still murmur to each other. Where it stays chilled even in the height of summer.

It’s kind of them to think you’ll get that far. 

“Please,” you say quietly, as one of them dips near to smear crimson juice on your lips. 

She ignores you. 

Elendira raises her arms at the altar. The others turn their attention her way; you glance to it and see a pearly pink rose laid out against the stone. You turn away and stare at the ground, at the forest loam full of moss. There is a spider skittering across a leaf. You watch it run. 

Elendira is speaking, her cool voice filling the meadow. You cannot hear her. The acolytes move with her, at her command. You glance up and cannot make sense of what they’re doing. They whirl around you, snapping their sharpened teeth into the air with sharp clicks of their jaws, the muscles working beneath their skin. It’s too different from your own temple, all vicious, violent movement. 

You only know the rite is complete when you feel him.

He blazes into being behind you, his presence oppressive, the weight of his gaze dragging at you like an anchor and its heavy chain. It sinks into you. Crawls beneath your skin. Flays you open and touches the deepest parts of you. 

It’s almost familiar, like a dream within a dream. 

Elendira cries out, her voice fluting like a bird’s before it grows rougher, crueler, until you hear the hunting dogs in her voice, nipping at your heels. Behind you, his presence grows, a stoked fire. 

You don’t flinch when he touches you. His touch blazes like cold fire, a frostbitten thing. His thumb—thick and callused—dips into the oil that’s gathered on your neck.

He smears it up the soft underside of your throat to the tender skin just beneath your jaw. He presses there, just against your fluttering pulse. 

Please, you almost say, but you know better.

The god of the hunt is not known for his mercy. 

(Knives is just one of his many names, but it’s the one that rings truest. A blade is a blade is a blade. It cares little who it nicks.)

“Acceptable,” he says, and there is the forest in his voice, something ancient. It echoes around you. Thunders through your bones. 

He leans in close, his breath warming the nape of your neck. Your chest goes tight.

He murmurs, almost fond, into your ear:

“Run, little rabbit.”

You do. 

You know better than to look behind you; you bound off towards the forest, where the saplings rise like ribs, their shadows long against the ground. You feel the grass beneath your feet give way to the loam of the woods, dirt cushioned with moss. 

The forest blurs by as you dash through it, nimble-footed as you dodge around the massive oaks that soar to the sky, their canopies darkening the woods around you. You gasp in a breath, your chest tightening more, anxiety spooling around your ribs like thread. 

The woods have gone quiet. There are no birds calling; even the rustle of the trees is gone, as if fall has already consumed them, given them over to winter’s slumber. You only hear the pounding of your heart as it flutters against your ribs, a hummingbird's frantic beating of wings. You duck beneath a branch but not far enough. It scores your cheek, a whip crack of pain that fades quickly.

You have no time for it; you hurtle over an old, old root system, the tangle of them gone mossy with age. You barely clear it, your toes brushing against the mushrooms blooming from the bark. 

You land hard.

It knocks the breath from you, rattles up through your bones, the earth's admonishment. Air rushes from you in a great, gasping breath and you cannot pull it back in. Your chest aches with it, a bruise freshly pressed. 

Still, you don't dare stop.

You can feel Knives behind you, pacing like a wolf behind its prey. He keeps his distance, but never too far, nipping at your heels each time you slow with his massive presence, something too big to name. You hadn't known how divinity devours.

There is a maw at your heels and you can only go forward.

You dance between the saplings, breath caught in your throat. The woods are hungry around you; everywhere you look there are only trees.

Your feet pound against the dirt. They ache, a bone-deep bruise. You're slowing, you know, but you cannot help it. Your legs feel encased in resin, the slow drip of exhaustion trickling down them.

"Please," you pant. "Please."

(“Slowly,” the god says, brushing a knuckle against your cheekbone. “I will be here to give you more.”) 

The blackberry bush to your left blooms into being, berries pouring from it, ripened to a plumpness that's beyond anything you've ever seen.

You change directions instantly, veering towards it. 

Another one blooms, and then a raspberry bush, the berries little blood-red rubies, thick and juicy. You follow the verdant path coming to life, something bright starting to burn in your chest, something that you barely dare think of as hope. 

You choke on your next breath.

Knives' presence has roared to life behind you, a freshly stoked fire. It drapes over you like the nighttime, deep and oppressive. Ozone crackles in the air. It's stark on your tongue. Suffocating. 

Then there's an arm around your waist.

It stops you in your tracks, so sudden that it hurts. It shakes the sense from you. You gasp, the air forced from your lungs in a long, low hiss, a rattlesnake’s vibrating tail. Only the arm—thickly muscled, unyielding as iron—keeps you upright.

When your breath returns, it only catches in your throat once more.

There's heat against you; air stirs the fine hairs at your nape. You can feel the slow, steady rise of Knives’ chest against your back. His arm tightens around you. His fingers dig divots into the flesh of your hip. 

His voice—full of the forest, of the hunt, of fur and fang and blood—rumbles through you.

“Not this one, little brother.”

The berry bush that had just burst into life withers, its verdant leaves curling up into brittle skeletons. You draw in a sharp, ragged breath. Your chest aches, a bruise of a thing, bone deep. You shift and those fingers flex, sinking even deeper into the curve of your hip.

You go still. There’s little point in struggling; this close, you can feel the divinity radiating off of him, a falling star, cold and bright. It’s overwhelming, burning through your very bones. It devours you. His arm tightens around you as your knees start to give, your chest heaving. Your vision spots, going black at the edges, and you feel more than hear him speak. It cracks like thunder and your body gives up. 

The last thing you see before the world fades is a flash of blue hair.

[quiltofstars]

The Silver Needle Galaxy, C26 // MarcoPalaferri

This beautiful edge-on spiral galaxy spans about 65,000 light years across and lies over 14 million light years from Earth in the constellation of Canes Venatici, the Hunting Dogs.

Most spiral galaxies have a Saturn-like shape, with a spherical central bulge surrounded by a relatively flat disk. However, the Silver Needle Galaxy is very thin and doesn't have a spherical central bulge!

[apod]

2024 October 9

M106: A Spiral Galaxy with a Strange Center Image Credit & Copyright: Ali Al Obaidly

Explanation: What's happening at the center of spiral galaxy M106? A swirling disk of stars and gas, M106's appearance is dominated by blue spiral arms and red dust lanes near the nucleus, as shown in the featured image taken from the Kuwaiti desert. The core of M106 glows brightly in radio waves and X-rays where twin jets have been found running the length of the galaxy. An unusual central glow makes M106 one of the closest examples of the Seyfert class of galaxies, where vast amounts of glowing gas are thought to be falling into a central massive black hole. M106, also designated NGC 4258, is a relatively close 23.5 million light years away, spans 60 thousand light years across, and can be seen with a small telescope towards the constellation of the Hunting Dogs (Canes Venatici).

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241009.html

[thebestofoneshots]

Gilded Constellations | wolfstar x reader

Series Masterlist | Previous episode

Pairing: Wolfstar x Reader Word Count: 7.1 K Warnings: Graphic descriptions of violence. (Reader discretion is advised). Basically, it's a rough night. Prompt: Time to use the last trick you've got This IS a wolfstar x reader fic, but it's incredibly slow burn. They won't start all dating each other until we're very deep into the story, but I promise the long wait will be worth it.

Chapter 21: Fox On The Run

2:00 AM, 23rd of November, 1976

Moony’s claws dug deeper, and you emitted a cry, Prongs tensed as if he was preparing to gore the wolf. And that’s when it downed you: Werewolves don’t attack animals, and clearly, they didn’t attack animagus either. Finally, you smiled, recalling one last trick you had under your sleeve. 

The next couple of seconds went by too fast for you to process, but your actions had been almost instinctive, as if time had slowed down. You started shrinking, becoming smaller and smaller until you managed to free your shoulder from the wolf’s claws. Your skin turned into red furr, your nose grew into a snout, and once you had fully transformed into a fox –your animagus– you rolled around on the floor and scattered away towards Sirius’ direction, your fluffy tail waving behind you as you did. 

The wolf was confused at first, as if it didn’t comprehend what had happened as you nestled between the huge dog’s legs, he looked even bigger and more imposing to you now, since you were so small. Your arm, which had now become your leg, hurt massively as you ran his way, especially since you were now using it to walk. Sirius, or rather, Padfoot, had kept his eyes on you as you did and instantly placed himself over you in a protective stance. You were still pretty alert, now your own hair standing on end as you looked at the wolf, he was staring at you, and he looked pissed, as if the fact that you had gone and hide under the dog made him angry; because he did look angry. More so now than when you had used the stupefy charm on him, even more than when he howled at the moon after being hit by the whomping willow. 

In fact, you’d go as far as to say he was having fun hunting you, playing a sadistic game only he could enjoy, toying with his prey before ending with its life. But now, he was pissed. You could feel it, maybe in the way he breathed, or in the way it was growling at you, or perhaps it was because you were canine now, your senses enhanced potentially by your animagus form. The wolf bared his teeth, Padfoot flinched but held his stance, instinctively you leaned towards one of its pows, rubbing your snout softly, reassuringly. He seemed to feel better after that, leaning closer to you too while he still held his protective stance, so close you could feel the way he breathed. That only irked the wolf further.

Padfoot stared at the wolf attentively, and then he barked at you, you instantly knew what it meant, and you turned around and took off running. The wolf had jumped over Padofoot, but Prongs had been quicker, and he had gored him on the side. The wolf cried out in pain as it was pushed to one of the trees, the deer’s antlers had struck the same spot the Whomping Willow, causing its already broken rib to move around. You turned when you heard the wolf’s cries, he was still staring at you attentively, even as he struggled back to his feet. 

The dog turned back, barking at you again, stronger, more desperate, he wasn’t sure how much longer they’d manage to keep the wolf in check since it seemed absolutely result in his commitment to get to you. You stared at him still, like a deer trapped in headlights, and then you felt a nudge at your paw, it was Wormtail, urging you to move. One last look and Padfoot barked again, so you finally turned your head and ran. The small brown rat was falling behind, so you used your snout to grab it, careful not to hurt him, and kept running. 

The wolf had finally gotten up, and he had managed to pass through both Padfoot and Prongs, running straight in your direction. They were trailing behind, trying to keep up with the wolf, the deer did it first, catching up with him and pushing him with his body, trying to coerce him off track. But his efforts were futile, the wolf was deadset on getting to you. You ran as fast as your paws allowed you to, breath heavy as you skipped through branches and rocks. 

The wolf was catching up, and you were starting to run out of ideas, that was until you found a small creek, and a big holed-out rock on the other side of the stream. You Jumped straight to the water and almost dropped Wormy (still in your snout) from the hiss your body instantly emitted. The water wasn’t cold, it was freezing. You swam through the small stream, shivering as you felt your limbs start to go numb. At least your arm injury didn’t hurt as much. But the cold water, attempting to size your movements was much worse. Not even your thick fox fur was enough to keep you from trembling as you fought to reach the hole in the rock. 

Once you reached the other side, you went straight inside the rock. The hole was barely big enough for you to fit inside, so you had to squeeze in, crying out as the cold stone rubbed onto the gush the wolf’s claws had created when he had you pinned down on the ground. The cry caused Peter to fall from your snout, and he scrambled inside as fast as he could, looking at you pityingly as you continued trying to squeeze yourself inside. 

And then you felt it, a sharp pang, clawing at the end of your now wet tail, pulling the part of your tail that you hadn’t yet managed to get inside the rock and dragging you out, even as you struggled, claws digging on the wet ground. You turned, shivering as the wolf stared at you. There was bood staining his fur, just as much staining yours, where his claws had been mere minutes ago. The wolf was leaning down on you, looking at you angrily when prongs appeared out of nowhere, jumping over the stream and goring him on the side yet again. Padfoot was just above you, shielding you as you scurried back to the hole. 

This time around you pushed harder, taking the pain of the stone peeling your open wound with nothing more than tightened jaws. Somehow, you’d managed to squeeze in and walked as deep inside the rocky side as possible. Not that there was much space inside either. Wormtail was there, looking at you preoccupied, your wound was bleeding now, staining your entire leg with I. You looked at it, and let yourself fall on the ground. Safe, you thought, for the first time tonight. 

Peter dragged himself closer as you placed your snout over the cold rocks, wincing as the sharp pain from your arm returned with the movement. You were shivering, you realised, as you tried to wrap your tail around your body for warmth. The rat –Peter– got just close enough to place its small little hand over one of your paws, giving you a look that you could only interpret as pitiful, perhaps worried. The wolf was still outside, you could hear him growling and pacing. You could also listen to the hooves of the deer, hitting the floor every now and then, and even the faint sound of Padfoot’s breathing. He was still tense. Both animals watching the wolf pace around as if waiting for you to get out. Because you would have to get out at some point. 

You had already closed your eyes when you felt a desperate little hand over your snout. You opened your eyes lazily, and saw the rat again, looking preoccupied. Peter knew you weren’t supposed to fall asleep. Probably because of the amount of bIood that was stuck to your fur, already getting sticky and starting to dry. You shook your head and stared at it. And he started to do a little dance, attempting to entertain you. You stared at him for a while, and it worked, you were laughing in your head as the rat continued to tumble around. Whenever your eyes started to close again, Peter would gently tap on your snout, keeping you awake throughout the night. 

After a couple of hours had gone by, Peter finally allowed you to fall asleep, keeping a close eye on you to make sure your breathing wasn’t ragged or your heart beat too fast. Eventually, a low grunt woke you up, you squinted to find Wormtail sleeping, lying on his back with his mouth wide open, you looked to the side, there was a little light coming from the hole that led outside, so you leaned in and nudged the little rat with your snout, first it only stirred a little, still in deep sleep, and after the second nudge, he woke up, looking around panicked. You tilted your head to the side pointing at the opening, a bit of a worried expression showing on your fox features as another grunt came from the outside, this time accompanied by a wail. 

Peter knew those sounds well, Remus was turning back. He gave you a warning look and slowly walked outside, peering through the hole for a second before going back inside. Motioning for you to get out. When you peeked your head out, snout and eyes barely out of the hole. You saw Peter turn back, and James, who was already himself again, drop a cloak over a shivering mass on the floor. When you realised the wails and cries were actually coming from Remus you panicked, trying to fight your way out only to feel an extremely sharp pain over your arm. Now it was you who emitted a sharp high-pitched whimper. 

Then, out of nowhere, Sirius appeared in front of you, a soft look on his face as he placed his hands over your paws “Hey Starshine,” he said kindly “It’s ok,” he reassured “Remus is all right. We’re all okay, James and Peter are going to take him back to the shack before anybody notices he was out.” 

You struggled to get out again, only to whimper as the rock graced your injured arm. For some reason, it felt just as fresh as it did yesterday. 

“Easy there,” he said, “I’m gonna lift the rock and help you out, ok?” You nodded, Sirius took out his wand and performed a spell wordlessly, lifting the rock from its spot. Once the space was high enough, you stumbled out, limping as you walked closer to him. You completely missed the horror in his expression when he realised the bIood clinging to the fur on your leg, but you were still trying to walk towards Remus, needing to make sure he was all right. Desperate to make sure he wasn’t hurt because of you.

“Wait luv!” you heard Sirius say as you scurried away towards the boy, using your snout to lift the cloak James had thrown over him, getting out as fast as you’d gotten in when you realised Remus had no clothes under the cloak, you should’ve known. Sirius shook his head with a bit of a diverted smile. And leaned in closer to lift the cloak off of Remus’ head. “He’s all right, see?” He told you as you used your head to nudge the passed-out boy. 

“It often happens when he’s had a rough night,” Added James, “And yesterday was pretty bad, you know.” 

You winced at that statement “But it wasn’t your fault sweetheart,” Sirius added, “Pads and Wormy will be taking Remus back now, I’ll stay with you, try and find a good reason to give when I take you to the infirmary.” Just like Sirius explained, both Peter and James lifted Remus’ arms over their shoulder and started dragging him through the forest. Finally, you leaned towards the small stream, and dipped your paw, attempting to wash the wound before turning back, since you knew it’d be easier. Sirius leaned over beside you, sitting over his shins as he placed a hand over your back, stroking gently before leaning over just a little and pouring water over your leg. You let him, Sirius’ hands over your animagus form felt just as nice as they felt over your human self. 

He accidentally let some cold water fall over your wound and you winced, “Sorry sweetheart.” He said as he continued, now carefully rubbing his thumb over your paw, making sure to unstick the thick clogs of fur the bIood had caused. “So… you did it as well,” he said “Turned into an animagus, just like us.” 

You just let your head fall on the ground comfortably, enjoying the way Sirius continued washing you up “And you ended up a vixen of all things,” he said with a laugh, “fitting.” 

Shut it Puppy, you thought as you turned to nudge his hand in protest, which just made him laugh more, in turn you gave him a small soft bite. 

“Hey! I didn’t bite you when you were helping me a couple of moons ago, huh?” He told you, and you remembered the way the big black dog had only placed his head over your lap and urged you to pet him; like Sirius sometimes did. I really should have known. 

“All right sweetheart, you’re done.” He said with a light scratch over your ear that had you almost melt. “I need you to turn back so I can get a closer at that shoulder.” 

You did not want to turn back, the bruises from last night would probably be a lot more noticeable in human form, but the sharp pain on your shoulder blade as you tried to pull back made you figure it really wasn’t an option at this point. 

So slowly, you went back to your human form, ending up in a sitting position just in front of Sirius. His face, which had looked diverted until that point, teasing and playing with the fox, turned into one of absolute dread when he realised the state your face was actually in. 

He placed both hands around it, which had you wince when his thumb accidentally brushed over a section Evan had grabbed onto a little too harshly earlier, “Sweetheart look at you.” 

“‘m fine,” you managed to muster, the pain on your parted lip stinging as your lips stretched to talk. 

Sirius sighed, his frown only deepening as he brushed his hand lightly over some of the bruises, small dots, forming the shape of thick fingers, a thicker one on your left side, two over your right cheek and the rest going down your neck, “Who was it?” he asked bitterly. 

You shrugged, “Evan,” you told him simply “I probably fought back too much.” 

Sirius rubbed your cheek softly, “He’ll pay for this,” he said darkly, as he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket dipping it in the cold stream, before bringing it to your face, cleaning off the dirt that had stuck to it when you fell to the ground due to Barty’s spell. “Just you wait, we’ll tell Dumbledore and–“ 

“–We can’t.” 

“What are you talking about? We can–“ 

“–Sirius. Why are we here and not at the infirmary?” You asked, grabbing onto his wrist, holding back a wince as a peeled part of your palm graced over his soft skin.

“Well, I have to tend your wounds because we can’t let people know you were out, let alone about Moony being the one to–“ 

“–Exactly,” you nodded “If we tell Dumbledore they will tell him it all happened in the Forbidden Forest, they can even say they held me down because I refused to listen when they told me not to walk inside–“ 

“–Dumbledore wouldn’t believe them.” 

“Either way it won’t matter,” you told him as you shook your head lightly, “If we were to tell him I’d have to explain why I was in the forest in the first place, and then he’ll find out I know about Remus and he’ll probably wonder how the hell I survived the night and I won’t be able to explain it without telling him I’m an illegal animagus and that my other illegal animagus friends helped me.” 

Sirius’ face fell, you were right, you couldn’t tell the teachers, “But Starshine, if you were looking at the same thing I’m looking at right now–“

You let a dry laugh out “–I look like shit, don’t I?” 

Sirius shook his head and leaned over to place a soft kiss on your temple “You look like you’re about to break apart. And I haven’t even seen your arm yet.” 

You turned towards it, wincing as you saw the way the fluff of the sweater had stuck to the dry bIood “That’s gonna hurt.” 

“Can I?” Sirius asked as he toyed with the hem of the sweater, you nodded, and he slowly lifted it off your body, you hissed as he started to slowly peel the last bit off, the fabric had actually stuck to the wound, so he was essentially reopening it as he tried to take the sweater off. 

“Why were you in the forest anyway? We told you it wasn’t safe.” You winced, you probably deserved that “I told you so” but it’s not like you liked it anyway, especially since the reason you were there had come from truly good intentions.

“I wanted to get Moonflower… ouch,” you complained as he removed a particularly stuck bit. 

“Moonflower? For the herbology project you were talking about with Moony?” 

You shook your head “That was a lie,” you admitted “It’s for a potion’s project. I accidentally met Damocles Belby a couple of weeks ago, he thinks a bit of Moonflower may aid him develop a potion that will help werewolves remember who they are once they transform… I– I was trying to help Remus.” 

“Ah…” he said in realisation “How did you find out about him? There’s no way Damocles knows.” 

“No, he’s clueless, he thinks I’m obsessed with werewolves…aaaaah Sirius!“ you trailed off, when he peeled a particularly stuck bit. 

“Sorry love,” he said, “we’re almost getting it completely unstuck.” 

You bit your lip to try and hold back a cry as he continued “I found out on the last moon,” you admitted, “did some research too.” 

“Is that why you were at the library that day?” You nodded “I knew you were off for some reason.” 

“…sorry.” 

“For coming to the forest?” 

“For lying,” you added “I should have told you when I found out… I didn’t want you to think I was butting in your already-established dynamics.” 

“You could only make things better by butting in Starshine, you were reckless last night though. I was barking and you just kept staring at Moony like you weren’t scared of him.” 

“I was worried, he had already been hit by the Whomping Willow because of me, and then Prongs was goring him, I– his cries Sirius…” 

The boy nodded, he knew exactly what that worry felt like, he had felt it before, several times for Remus. And last night, he felt it for you.  

“Remus is strong,” he reassured “He’ll be like new soon enough.” 

You sighed “I just hope I didn’t hurt him too much.” 

Sirius let out a breathy laugh, “Knowing him, he’s probably thinking the same thing right now. And he’ll probably be angry too. Why did you drop the wand?” 

“You saw that?” you asked with a gasp. By now Sirius had managed to remove the sweater and started to pull on the seams of your already tattered shirt sleeve to try and break it apart to remove it, to make it easier, and hopefully less painful for you. 

“Of course I did, James and I were thinking of a plan of action when you did that.” 

“Remus told me to use it against him. I wasn’t planning to hurt him, no matter what.” 

“That was dumb.” 

“You would’ve done the same.” 

“Yeah, but I’m the reckless one in the relationship.” 

You turned to him with a raised eyebrow, wincing when his hands brushed against the cut “You sure about that?” 

He finally ripped the shirt off, which had you digging your nails into your leg to hold back a cry, your entire arm was bare, the sharp marks of the claws visible, along with deeply scraped sections caused by the harsh way you had squeezed yourself inside the rock. Sirius was the one to wince this time, not even sure how to approach the tattered skin, the worst part was that it still looked way too fresh, “Maybe we’re both the reckless ones in the relationship.” 

He dipped his handkerchief in the water again and washed it out lightly before letting it saturate in water again and squeezing it over your wound, you hissed when the cold water first landed upon your warm skin, but then you sighed, it was numbing and that felt nice, you then laughed breathily “We’d need someone like Remus to join our relationship to keep us in check,” you joked. 

“Remus would just let us be reckless and watch.” 

“Nah, he’s got a bit of common sense, he’d stop us before it got too dangerous,” you countered. 

“Yeah, probably, but only when it’s really dangerous,” Sirius agreed, now lightly cleaning the wound.

He moved his wand closer and placed it just above it, whispering something, but only half the wound got better, the scratches healed, but the section where Moony’s claws had dug into was still open. Sirius frowned and tried again. 

“It’s not working.” 

You looked at the side, and remembered your notes again “Dittany…” you added. 

“What?” Sirius asked with a frown. 

“Silver and dittany, that helps with werewolf wounds,” you added “…read it in a book.” 

“I’ll get some and–” he said, you placed your hand over his forearm, pulling him. 

“Please don’t leave me,” you said, almost in a whisper, you hated being so clingy, but after the night you’d had, the last thing you wanted was to be alone again.  

Sirius’ expression softened, “We can’t go in the castle with you like this,” he told you “and we can’t use Honey Duke’s passage either, they’re already open…” There’s a secret passage at Honeydukes? you thought, “…maybe I can send a message to James so he brings over the cloak or we could do some spell to…” 

“Take me as a fox,” you suggested. 

“What?” Sirius asked, confused. 

“Take me as a fox, tell Pomfrey you found me in the forest when you went out flying in the morning, and that I was hurt. While she’s distracted, get some dittany from her supplies and then we can find somewhere else to use it. Foxes are common enough in this region for them to believe you.” 

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to take you to Kettleburn?” 

“If you were actually helping a fox, would you take them to him?” He shook his head, “Exactly, the plan will work.” 

He seemed to think about it for a second and then nodded, “All right, let’s go then, little vixen.” You rolled your eyes but turned back into a fox. He seemed hesitant at first, not knowing exactly how to pick you up before placing his hand under your belly and pulling you up, almost like you would hold a cat. “Is that alright luv?” You rubbed your head over his chest, as an answer. “Great, I’m gonna start walking to the castle, if you feel any sort of pain, wave our tail.” 

Sirius started to walk then, still cradling you in his hands, he kept whispering things at you as he continued walking through the Forbidden Forest, “We’re about to reach the grounds,” he informed “We’ll be there soon, just hang on,” he told you, when you finally reached the edge of the forest you dug your head deeper on Sirius’ chest. He was warm, and the way he was holding you made you feel at peace, safe, safer than you’d felt the entire night, safer than the rock. 

Eventually, the two reached the castle, and he walked in through the side gates, walking in and carrying you along with him, people were looking at him weird. You heard a couple of younger girls say things like “Awwww…” and “Look at Sirius, he cares for animals, that’s so hot.”

You wondered if he was used to girls acting like that all the time, of course he is, this is Sirius we’re talking about, he probably basks on the attention.  

You half dug your head deeper into him when you heard them, which just had him chuckle slightly, “What is it Starshine? You jealous?” You nibbled on his shirt in response but whined when you realised the movement had been too harsh, straining your arm and therefore causing you pain.

Sirius frowned then, looking at you with worry and picking up the pace “‘m sorry love,” he mumbled. 

Even if people kept staring at him, no one dared to approach him, not until you were already a couple of halls away from the library and Lily pretty much stopped him dеad in his tracks “Where is she?” she asked, panic edging on her voice. Sirius looked over her shoulder, he wanted to just skip past her to get the dittany, but she wouldn’t budge. “Sirius!” 

“She’s ok,” he said, “We’re taking care of her.”

“We who? I saw Peter and James earlier, and you’re here running to the infirmary with a fox!”

“She needs help!” he said, still trying to avoid the redhead. 

“I don’t care if your fox is a girl Sirius! You either tell me where she is or I swear–“ 

You nudged the boy with your snout, nodding slightly. He understood, you were giving him permission, “She’s here.” 

“Where?” she asked looking around, “Does she have the cloak?” 

Sirius shook his head, capturing Lily’s attention again “Here,” he said, moving you up just slightly, you hissed from the strain in your arm “Sorry love,” he whispered. 

“You turned her into a fox?!” Lily said with a gasp, straight up covering her mouth from shock. 

“She kind of did it herself,” Sirius explained. 

“Wait does that mean she’s an a–“ 

“–Evans! If you keep shouting the entire school will know, now help me get some dittany.” 

She looked shocked, and terrified all at the same time “Did he… did he bite her?” She stammered.

Sirius shook his head,  “He scratched her, but it’s not healing.” 

She took a deep breath, calming herself down “Ok, you take her in, I’ll raid the cupboard for some dittany and silver essence, and maybe some Mugwort, or comfrey root, whichever I find first. If you can, sneak out some beeswax,  do it. She does not keep it in the cupboard. And Sirius, one last thing. We need to be fast. Werewolf scratches are harder to heal the more time goes by without treatment.” 

Sirius nodded, you were impressed by the way Lily had taken control of the situation, but mostly by how willing she was to break the rules and steal ingredients from the school in order to help you. Your mood, however, dropped to the ground the moment you heard Remus’ wails as you entered the infirmary. Your hair stood on end and you attempted to wiggle out of Sirius’ grasp but he grabbed on to you tighter, planting his own feet on the floor. You turned to him exasperated as you continued to wiggle, but he knew Madam Pomfrey was busy with Remus, so he went to the other side and started looking for the beeswax. 

You managed to escape his grasp and limped your way to the curtains separating the room. Leaning close to a corner and only dipping your head inside, Remus had half of his body covered by the white sheets, the rest of him was in full view, and you finally saw how much damage you had done to him.  His wails were because Madam Pomfrey was accommodating some of his ribs in place with her hands. You winced, almost pulling back completely just from the way it creaked. 

He had a few scratches and a slightly deep cut, probably from Prong’s strong antlers. But the worst part was probably how bruised he was, there were bruises going down his back, already turning a dark purple from when you had used stupefy and his left side, where the Willow had struck, was even worse.

You winced when he cried again, you wanted to reach out for him, but you knew you could not let Pomfrey see you, so you stayed there, watching quietly. At some point, Pomfrey turned Remus around and he spotted you, you gave him a look, but he just dropped his gaze, avoiding you entirely while clenching his jaw, to avoid crying in front of you. You were about to lose all prudence left and jump all the way inside when you felt Sirius pull you back again, holding you just like before. You didn’t try to fight him this time, allowing him to drag you outside the infirmary, both trailing behind Lily. 

He caught up with her after a few long strides. “Where are we going?” he asked in a low tone. 

“Common room, she’ll stay with me, in your room so Mary and Marlene don’t notice, you’ll have to get to class.” 

Sirius shook his head “No way in hell I’m leaving her,” that made you feel at ease, nuzzling into him a little. 

“I’m not sure it’s a good idea you stay, you’ve been missing a lot of classes lately.” 

“Don’t care about classes,” he insisted. 

“Sirius, it’s not about that, we don’t want to raise more suspicion, don’t you get it?” 

“She asked me not to leave her,” he admitted, almost reluctantly, as if he knew how hard it had been for you to ask. 

Lily sighed, “We’ll talk about it later.” 

Eventually, the two of them arrived at the common room, Sirius taking the lead and opening his room, letting Lily walk in. “Do you have a mortar?” she asked as she started taking things out from her pockets and placing them on a trunk. 

Sirius had already walked all the way to his bed and gently laid you down there, “There should be one on  James’ dresser,” he said pointing at it without really turning to look. “All right love, we’re here, you can turn back.” 

You hesitated for a second, looking at Lily before finally turning back, you were sitting on your shins when you turned so you had to accommodate yourself, to sit properly. Sirius was sitting just on the edge of the bed, looking at you with a bit of a worried expression. He was not expecting the first time he had you on his bed to be like this. 

Lily, who was a little surprised at how neat James’ stuff had been arranged, found the mortar in about half a minute, turning to look at you and almost letting it completely fall on the ground after that, her expression turning into one of absolute worry now “Look at what those stupid boys did to you luv,” she said as she fastly approached. 

“Should’ve seen the other guy,” you joked. Even if the other guys were pretty much perfectly fine, probably. Lily sighed in response, and walked to the trunk, right in front of her, grabbing some of the ingredients she had gathered, and started to crunch them inside the mortar. “How did you find out?” you asked, you had been curious about that since she stopped Sirius in the hall, in fact, you were still a little confused of how Sirius, James and Peter had found you. 

“Severus,” she said bitterly. 

“He tried to warn us, we didn’t care to listen to what he wanted to say and he went to Lily instead.” 

“He told me Barty had locked you up in the Shrieking Shack, he already knew the place was Remus’ hideout. And he also knew it was full moon.” 

“He knew about Remus?” You asked shocked. 

“Found out last year, it was my fault,” Sirius admitted, dropping his face as shame filled his delicate features. In fact, it had taken a good deal of time and effort for the two of them to make up after that time, “We should’ve listened to him, perhaps we would’ve gotten there earlier.” 

You shook your head “Severus could’ve been setting up a trap for you, it was wiser to ignore him,” you responded simply, “Stupid slime head, didn’t do anything when they were locking me up in the Shack, had it not been because Remus hadn’t turn yet, and because he gave me his wand–” 

“–You used his wand?” Lily asked, turning to you a little amused. You nodded in response, “She’s never been too keen on working when I’ve tried.” 

“Yeah, his wand’s picky,” added Sirius, “it’s wonky when James and Peter try to use it too.” 

“Not with you?” Lily asked, looking at Sirius, still shaking her hand furiously to crumble the ingredients into a paste. 

“No, I thought I was the only one,” he admitted, turning to you. 

“Looks like Remus’ wand likes us very much,” you said with a shrug and winced when you felt the sharp pain again, at this point, it was becoming as painful as it was annoying. 

“It’s ready,” Lily said, standing up from the floor and walking towards the bed, Sirius moved slightly to the side, and you tilted your head so your hair wouldn’t fall on the wound as she applied it. But Lily didn’t place the mixture yet. And she instead looked at your shirt, tattered, broken and a little dirty, “I– I think it’d be best if you took the shirt off entirely,” she said, “to work on the wound better and make sure it doesn’t get infected or anything like that.” 

“Oh, right,” you said as you went for the hem of the shirt. As you attempted to take the shirt off with one hand, Lily gave Sirius a look, who turned slightly red before he turned around, eyes facing the wall. 

“Here, lemme help,” Lily said, as she helped you pull the shirt off. The moonflower that you had hidden during the night, fell to the bed. You gasped, a huge smile appearing on your face.

Lily looked at it with a frown, “Why did you–“ she started, not quite understanding why you were so happy

In the end, the whole ordeal hadn’t been for nothing, the Moonflower survived! “–I thought I’d lost her, or perhaps she had been crushed when Moony… Either way, it doesn’t matter, this is great!” 

She looked at you, still confused,  “But… why do you need Moonflower?” 

You gave her another smile “I’ll tell you all about it! I promise, but for now, would you mind taking it to Damocles Belby when you go back to classes? He needs it.” 

Lily nodded and took the flower in her hands before carefully sitting it down on the side table.  Finally, she placed her hand on your cheek, gently moving her hands to have a good look at your face as she directed where she wanted you to tilt it towards, “I’ll bring you something for those bruises too, luv…” 

“I see why you wanted me gone,” Sirius said in a tone you knew all too well, “you wanted to have my girlfriend all to yourself.” 

“Well, she did say I’m a great kisser,” Lily added as she finished pulling the shirt over your head, leaving you in a simple sports bra… Sirius turned his head around to look at her, completely surprised by her teasing, but she threw your shirt straight as his face “Don’t turn you perv!” 

“She’s my girlfriend!” Sirius said, turning back and slowly taking the shirt off his face, it smelled like you.

“Yeah, that doesn’t make you less of a perv,” she retorted, and finally leaned in closer to you, looking at you attentively “This might hurt,” she warned, to which you nodded. If it didn’t you’d be more surprised. 

She brought her hand to the paste and took a good amount in between her fingers, bringing it straight to the sharp claw lines on your arm. Your breath hitched in your throat and your jaw clenched with the contact, you blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears. 

“Sorry,” she said as she noticed your stance “It won’t take too long, I promise,” Lily was being honest, she took another bunch of the paste, and swiftly went over the other opening, working light and fast as you held your breath. She did it one more time and then she was done “There we go,” she told you with a smile “You’re done.” 

You let a deep breath out and used your hands to wipe some of the tears that had stubbornly fallen from your face, “Thanks,” you told her as you sniffed “for helping me, even if you had to steal ingredients from the infirmary.” 

“That’s what friends are for,” she told you with a wink as she wiped her fingers on the mortar. “You should probably rest. I can keep the girls out of our room for the day if you–“

“–She can stay here,” Sirius interrupted, “The boys won’t mind.” He was still looking at the wall. 

“Will you be comfortable?” she asked with a little frown. 

You nodded, “I’ll just steal one of their sweaters when it’s time to go back,” you added, “since my shirt is all tattered now.” 

“I can bring you some clothes later,” she responded “So you can take off those,” she said, looking at your mud-stained jeans. 

“I can borrow her some pyjamas for now,” Sirius added. 

Lily nodded, “I’ll come back in a couple of hours to check up on it,” she said pointing at your arm “I’m sure I can whip something up in potions to help with the pain too. Sirius, keep a close eye on her, if she falls asleep, monitor her temperature. It doesn’t look infected but it’s always a possibility.” Sirius nodded, which got Lily to nod herself, bobbing her head up and down almost nervously as he gave one last look at you, “take care, Luv,” she said, placing a hand on your shoulder before turning to pick the mortar up and walking to the bathroom to do some cleanup, giving you one last look before looking at the clock and rushing out. 

You sighed as you saw her red hair disappear, you wondered how it was possible you’d gotten so lucky that you got to have Lily Evans as your close friend. Eventually, you let yourself fall on the bed, carefully keeping your arm over your stomach as you did. Sirius stood up from the bed and walked towards his dresser, pulling out the same pyjama pants you’d seen him wear when James had brought you to their room before the quidditch match. 

“These ones might fit,” he said, handing them over. 

“Thanks,” you said as you went to unbutton your pants, managing to do it without much fuzz and then going for the zipper, struggling just a little then. Sirius turned around when he realised he was actually looking at the colour of your undies now. That made you raise an eyebrow “Sirius, you’ve seen me in a swimsuit,” you said as you struggled to take the pants off with one hand. 

“That was two years ago,” he said, sitting down on the bed with his back towards you, “you’ve changed.” 

“Not that much,” you retorted, finally getting the pants halfway down your tights. 

Sirius shook his head “Very much,” he insisted, while he cleared his throat “your, erm… proportions are different.” 

You laughed at that, it was always surprising to see Sirius’ shyer side. Eventually, you managed to take them completely off.  “And you’ve touched too.” 

He nodded “Yeah, in broom closets and forbidden sections, that’s how I know you’ve changed a lot. But you know what those have in common? They’re dark.” You laughed again, pulling the pyjama pants up and standing on the bed to press a soft kiss to the boy’s neck, which had him perk up from surprise “Lily said you should rest.” 

“Yeah,” you nodded, leaning into him “I’m resting.” 

Sirius let out a diverted huff in response, “Aren’t you tired?” 

“Very,” you admitted “but you’re warm… and comfortable.” 

Sirius smiled, shaking his head as he did. Most of the time he felt like the needy one, leaning into you, asking you to play with his hair, or even reaching for your hand, it was nice to know you enjoyed the contact as much as he did. Even nicer that you’d ask for it. 

“Wouldn’t it be better to lay down on the bed?” he asked, finally tilting his head to look at you, cheek squeezed a little on his shoulder, the soft skin of your neck completely visible. He almost hated how thrilled the sight made him feel, knowing full well –since he could see the bruises still– the reason you didn’t have a shirt was because you were hurt and scratched and all banged up, on what had probably been the worst night of your life. 

You smiled, looking up at the boy, prettiest boy in the world, you thought, before nodding and leaning back, slowly moving in the bed till you accommodated yourself. “You want a blanket?” he asked, turning his head just a little. You nodded and he opened one of the drawers from his side table, pulling out a fluffy red blanket and carefully placing it on top of you. 

“Thanks,” you mumbled, and he sat on the bed again. You looked at him, as if you wanted to ask him something. 

“What is it, Starshine?” You made a small frown, Sirius couldn’t think of anything other than how adorable it looked, “Whatever you want, just tell me.” 

You looked to the side “Would you mind cuddling?” you ended up asking, mushing the words together from how fast you had actually spoken. 

Sirius smiled, and leaned closer to you, levelling himself to lay his head on the pillow beside yours “You can cuddle me whenever you want,” he responded simply. 

You instantly leaned into him, a contented sigh escaping your lips “You’re really warm,” you whispered as you hugged him, leaning on your good arm and letting the one with the wound and paste lay over his torso. Sirius adjusted himself, accommodating his arm under your head and bringing you even closer to him. 

“Comfortable?” 

You nodded, way too much, “Yes.”

He smiled, placing a soft kiss to your forehead, at some point he started rubbing soft circles to your back, soothing you to sleep. 

Sirius and Vix after the bad moon

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A/N: Some people are so going to be really happy about this chapter. We've had theories about this for weeks, and guys, you're all Sherlock Holmes, brilliant!

Raead more Marauders Fiction

[spaceadvances]

Most galaxies don't have any rings of stars and gas -- why does M94 have two? First, spiral galaxy M94 has an inner ring of newly formed stars surrounding its nucleus, giving it not only an unusual appearance but also a strong interior glow.

A leading origin hypothesis holds that an elongated knot of stars known as a bar rotates in M94 and has generated a burst of star formation in this inner ring. Observations have also revealed another ring, an outer ring, one that is more faint, different in color, not closed, and relatively complex. What caused this outer ring is currently unknown. M94, pictured here, spans about 45,000 light years in total, lies about 15 million light years away, and can be seen with a small telescope toward the constellation of the Hunting Dogs (Canes Venatici).

📷: Brian Brennan

[amphiptere-art]

But I'm hungry.

A terrible screeching echoed through the alleyways. Irritated growls, and painful yelps were shared. Constellation sprinted through the maze of black alleys. It was always suspicious when Blue Moon was suddenly unfindable. It always happened after they sent them after a RC mouse. The thing always served away too quickly for any of them to really keep track. And so Blue Moon would disappear. Although it was always noticeable when the screech of tires stopped that they had truly disappeared.

Another pained screech gains their attention. Constellation whizzing down another alleyway where it echoed. They hoped Sky would be able to follow them. They were sending their best map with where they ran. But it was still a confusing maze. While constellation could make it quickly to the location. Sky was the one who could actually physically stop something happening. And it honestly sounded like she might. Judging by the irritated snarl that they just heard along with the slam afterwards.

Finally constellation turned a corner and saw something unique. A strange blue smoke. They weren't sure what to make of it, But they figured it meant they were closer. Following the smoke finally found them their quarry. The tall blue and gray animatronic stood his height. Wielding some fiery red animatronic by their leg. The thing violently lashing despite its injuries. Covered in a thick layer of muck. Their eyes were full of fear. Although their body language would have told you they were angry. But after a quick look at the poor target they glared at their charge.

Constellation: -... .-.. ..- . / -- --- --- -. / .-- .... .- - / - .... . / .... . .-.. .-.. / .- .-. . / -.-- --- ..- / -.. --- .. -. --. -.-.--

Almost everything froze. Well. Blue Moon did. There Target still was fighting back. But this year is silence only broken by exhausted pants and weak snarls was immense. Blue Moon stared at them like a dog that had been caught getting into something. Eyes blown wide with surprise and guilt. Teeth that had been leaning towards their targets foot slowly leaned away. Mouth closing into a thin line. Constellation only stealed his glare even more. Blue Moon anxiously swaying on their feet.

Blue Moon: I was hungry.

Constellation: -.-- --- ..- / .... .- ...- . / ..-. --- --- -.. / .- - / .... --- -- . .-.-.-

Blue Moon: But I'm hungry.

Constellation: -.-- --- ..- / .... .- -.. / .- / -- --- ..- ... . -.-.--

Blue Moon: but I'm really hungry.

Constellation: .-- . / .... .- ...- . / -- --- .-. . / .- - / .... --- -- . -.-.--

Blue Moon: This more filling.

Constellation: .. / -.. --- -. .----. - / -.-. .- .-. . -.-.-- / .. - .----. ... / -... .- -.. .-.-.- / -.. .-. --- .--. / .... .. -- -.-.--

Blue Moon whines. Still not dropping but terrified and scratching red animatronic. The thing clearly losing its steam, but still fighting. Constellation stepped forward. Hoping that Blue Moon will listen if they show their serious. Instead blue moon steps back. Still holding the poor animatronic. Consolation let out a staticy growl. They get that Blue Moon gets really really really hungry for a hunt. But attacking Innocents on the street is not a good way to fill it. Consolation couldn't really do much other than seem big and shout. Although luckily his salvation came running around the corner.

Sky: Blue Moon drop that animatronic this instant!

Constellation sighed in relief. Blue Moon once again freezing to attention. But this time actually dropping the animatronic. Sky came barreling around the corner. Clearly puffy from running around looking for Blue Moon. The poor red and yellow animatronic hit their head hard. Scrambling on the cement for a good second. Getting up and bolting only to hit a wall. Consolation sent out frantic beeps telling them to calm down. But the red and yellow animatronic was already bolting again before they could even hear them. Constellation looking down the alley after them as Sky dug into Blue Moon.

Sky: Blue Moon what have I told you about eating animatronics in the alleys!

Blue Moon: They won't be missed.

Sky: Yes they will! They either got people worried about them, or trying to get help from people.

Blue Moon: But I'm hungry.

Sky: We have mouses and even staff bots we can give you. That is no excuse too traumatize someone.

Blue Moon: They don't fight back like these ones do.

Sky: I don't care! You're eating your own people! If you could convince me they were a murderer themselves, or were a bad person. Maybe I could forgive you. But not just people wanting to survive!

Constellation: .. / .-- --- ..- .-.. -.. / .... .- ...- . / .-.. .. -.- . -.. / - --- / .... . .-.. .--. / - .... . -- .-.-.- / - .... . -.-- / .-.. --- --- -.- . -.. / .-.. .. -.- . / - .... . -.-- / .-- . .-. . / -... .- -.. / --- ..-. ..-. .-.-.-

Sky: Yes. It would be better to actually offer those people help. Instead of chasing them off because you decided to try and eat them!

Blue Moon: But-

Sky: No more buts. You have options at home. Now we're heading home.

Blue Moon whined at the stern confirmation that they are going home. Bowing down to their more quadruped stance and sulking behind her. Constellation took one more look towards where the red and yellow animatronic had ran off to. The strange smoked dwindled. They were definitely far away. It was a pity. They would have offered them repairs and home. Constellation shaking his head as he took up his spot behind Blue Moon. Making sure they would all arrive home without them somehow sneaking off. They were probably going to have to figure out some way to help Sky calm down.

[ferigrieving]

last words of a shooting star.

⊹ ࣪ i always wanted to die clean and pretty / but i'd be too busy on working days

a.n for ao3 user headlightspirit ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

⤷ masterlist ; requests open

under the cloak of the night, the world seemed to hold its breath.

two figures stand at the edge of the world, their souls tethered by an invisible thread of fate. inumaki traced the constellations above him with nimble fingers, his lips forming words you hoped to hear in another lifetime. 

he speaks of orion, the mighty hunter, and his faithful dogs. how they paint a story of a hunt, orion chasing down a hare with his hounds by his side. how sirius represented the laelaps– the magic dog that could catch any prey.

 he’d tell you how the dog was sent after a fox that could never be caught, and zeus, having pity on them, immortalised them in the stars. or how the egyptians used it to mark the flooding of the nile, or the greeks the beginning of the dog days.

and though you cannot hear him, you watch with close attention how his mouth move, eyes tracing the curve of his lips as he smiles, turning to you as if to ask  ‘was that okay?’

you nod, pulling up the covers closer to envelop you both in a warmth you could only wish for. he pulls the covers closer around the two of them, creating a cocoon that shields them from the world even for just a little while. he takes a deep shuddering breath, and slowly moves closer to you. his hand brushes against yours, almost like a secret dance. he leans his head on your shoulder, body pressed against yours.

it’s the most comfortable you’ve ever been in a long, long time.

he’s warm, his body curled around you. his lips brush against your neck, feather-light. the heat from his body seemed to spread onto yours, sending a shiver down your spine. he murmurs something indecipherable.

you shift to stare into his bright purple eyes, mouthing a ‘what?’ as you brush a stray strand of hair away from his face.

he blinks slowly, almost languidly, before he answers your question.

“i love you.”

his voice is whisper-soft, the words ghosting over your skin like a breeze. you could feel the slight of the vibrations against you as he speaks, and you want nothing more than to say it back the way everyone else couldn't. he leans close, so close you can feel his breath against your lips, before pressing a chaste, lingering kiss to the corner of your mouth.

‘i love you too’

you’d never get used to the way his eyes soften, the corners of his mouth quirk up at the simple words. but oh, he never got tired of hearing them.

he pressed his forehead against yours, taking in the sight of you. you could hear his soft exhales and feel the rapid beating of his heart against yours. the stars in the sky twinkle softly, watching as the two of you bask in the silence.

inumaki sighs, contentment seeping deep into his bones. he brings his hand up to your cheek, calloused hands gently brushing against it as his thumb traces the curve of your cheek like a gentle caress. 

you’d think he’d never get enough of you, when he’s done the same thing countless times. yet, time and time again, you’d never cease to fascinate him.

he’s drawn to you like a moth to the flame, you were the only thing he could ever see.  the way your breathing stuttered when he looks at you like how he is now, the way you’d lean into his touch like how you do now, his eyes tracing over the soft arch of your brow. you’re all sharp curves and soft angles, and he yearns to worship you.

he can’t help but think that maybe, when you leave this plane forever, the two of you would meet again in the heavens, together in the endless sky. 

you would be a star, shining down on him from above, forever immortalised in his memory and the vastness of the universe. 

until then, he’ll kiss you like this under the cover of night, their heartbeats and breaths the only sounds in the quiet.

and when he pulls away to breathe, he presses his forehead to yours. you’d never leave his sight– forever etched in his mind. just like a star, one day he’ll look up into the sky and remember.

you’d outlive him. that’s something he’s always known. your cursed technique was powerful, but it never really hurt you the way inumaki’s did. you’d often spend your time tending to his sore throat, a direct consequence of the curse he inherited at birth.

that, for all he wanted to be the sky that would keep you grounded at all times, he’d eventually crumble to dust and get carried away by the wind. and he’s come to terms with that.

yet, he can still see the way your eyelashes flutter against your cheeks. hear the way your breath is stuttering as he leans close, his hands on your cheeks. he wants to imprint you on his very soul.

he could melt right there and then, his eyes slipping shut as he leans into your touch. he’d never tire of this feeling, you thought. 

inumaki would live and die for you, and in another lifetime it would be the same. he’d find you, again and again like a ship navigating a storm. he’d find you, because you were his world.

‘something wrong?’ you mouth, brows scrunching up in worry. he had been staring at you for a minute now, eyes glazed over as if he was searching for the secrets of the universe.

inumaki shakes his head, a soft huff of a laugh escaping him. he’s never seen anyone more beautiful than he’s seeing right now, you’re so close yet so far away.

he takes your hand from his face and presses a kiss to each knuckle, relishing in the way your breath stuttered, before pulling you close to him.

you shift and reach over your boyfriends body into the small cooler you had brought up, fishing out a thermos and sitting up. you poured some of the liquid into the lid and offered it to him. you grinned as his eyes light up, a soft gasp escaping him. he’d never turn down the offer of hot chocolate, especially when it’s from you. he gives you a smile before leaning close, almost as if to sniff the drink.

it gets a bright laugh from him. the kind that’s full of joy and mirth, the kind where his eyes crinkle in that adorable way he does.

he leans into your space, breath tickling your cheek as he takes the hot chocolate from you, before pulling you close to him, his arm wrapped around your shoulders. inumaki takes a sip, content to bask in the moment. you could feel the rise and fall of his chest, and his fingers playing idly with the strands of your hair. he’s warm, so warm that you can’t help but lean into him, burying your face into the crook of his neck.

he’s gentle, almost reverent as he holds you. soft touches and gentle caresses, and he holds you close, like he’s scared to let go. you’re the only one on his mind as he holds you, the rest of the world seems to fall away. 

you notice he’s tracing your features like he’s memorising them. the slope of your nose, the small divots that he liked to kiss you in, the curve of your lips as you smile. he’s taking in every single part of you, ingraining the image of you in the night, in his arms, into his memory forever.

‘take a picture. it’ll last longer.’

he shakes his head with a huff of laughter. a picture can’t show how soft you look right now in his arms, or the way you lean into him. no lens in the world could ever be able to capture the warmth of your smile against his skin when he presses a kiss into your shoulder.

inumaki promises to store the memory for as long as he can, and even if he’d forget, he’ll fall in love with you all over again.

but, to humour you, he quirks a smile before sitting up a little, propping his knees up as he pulls his phone out. “smile” he’d tell you, and you’d grin like it was the last time you’d ever see him.

he captures the moment like a professional. the soft upturn of the corner of your mouth, the strands of hair framing your face, as the moon casts a soft, silvery sheen on your features, the blanket around you doing little to hide the sharp edge of your collarbones.

you were still injured from your last mission, various bandaids littering your body and bandages covering up the expanse of your skin. when you had come back to your dorm, inumaki had never looked more panicked. he had spent the next few hours tending to you himself, meticulously wrapping all of your wounds and picking each and every bandaid. 

it’s a sight for sore eyes – the way he’s looking at you now. his eyes trace the length of your form, eyes lingering on the small cuts and bandaids over them. 

he leans over, pressing a gentle kiss to a cut on your cheek before kissing each and every bandaid on your skin. his fingers are gentle as he takes your face in his hand, tilting it up so he can kiss your lips.

inumaki realises he’ll never get used to this. your skin soft and supple under his fingers as he kisses your scars and cuts. the way you’ll tilt your head to kiss him better or press your lips to the curve of his chin – the way you’d lean into this caresses. he’ll never get used to the way his heart stutters in his chest whenever your lips are on his, or the soft sighs you’d breath against his skin.

he’ll never get used to it, and he finds that he doesn’t want to.

instead, he’ll savour it, drink it in like a dying man in the middle of the desert being handed a glass of water. your soft exhale against his skin, the press of your body as you lean into him, the sound of your voice as you whisper his name like a prayer. 

inumaki  presses you closer, closer than he ever could and he’d press you closer still if it was possible. he can feel the rise and fall of your chest as you lay next to him, and it’s a lullaby he’d never get tired of.

you pulled him back to the makeshift bed, wrapping your arms around him and resting your head in the crook of his neck where you belonged.

his hands trail up and down your back, the motion lulling you closer and closer to sleep, until your breathing seems to even out, the steady rise and fall of your chest almost rhythmic. 

you’ve got your face buried into the crook of his neck, lips parted gently against the skin. he’s still tracing circles on your back softly, but he’s still very much wide awake. he’s watching the way your lips parted slightly, how the moonlight reflected off the small scars on your skin, the way you snuffle softly when his fingers dance over a sweet spot on your back. 

inumaki doesn’t think he could ever get used to this, he’s utterly enamoured.

he’s memorizing the curve of your back, the way he can feel the arch of your spine under his fingers. the way you fit so perfectly against him, how he’s able to wrap his arms around you so easily, the way his heart stutters in his chest at the little breaths you’d breathe against his skin. 

he’s got an arm gently wrapped around you, his fingers tracing soft, gentle patterns on your skin. he’s not letting you go tonight.

it’s the small things that get him, how your breath seemed to tickle his skin, how your eyelashes against his neck was a whisper of a touch. it’s the small things, how your fingers curl in his shirt, the tiny huffs of breath you’d let out, the little noises you make in your slumber. 

inumaki’s utterly and completely in love with you.

he closes his eyes, now, and prays. he wasn't a religious person, there was just something about you that made him believe in a higher being.

he decides at that moment, holding your sleeping form against his under a starry sky, that's he’s going to love you more fiercely. until the day he can no longer breathe, or feel, or hear the sound of your voice. going to keep you close and love you with all that he is. because, you may be the star, but he is nothing more than the planet destined to revolve around it forever.

[kopivie]

hades!wriothesley's constellation is cerberus, yes, but he also has a gardemek that takes the form of a massive three-headed dog. the thing sits motionless in front of his office seemingly powered off, but rumor has it that it roams the corridors of the fortress of meropide after midnight. the mechanical beast grows aggressive during the witching hour, although hades himself will often dismiss the rumors, saying that it is merely attending to unwanted guests.

as a matter of fact, what if he has several cerberus gardemeks? amongst the ranks of the gardemeks that lie in wait in their designated stations, there is also a cerberus mech on each level -- maybe two or three per level, each spaced out so as to maintain order and have all bases covered. when they walk, one can hear each and every one of their mechanisms clicking and turning. each step rocks the very ground they walk upon; a few prisoners (residents as wriothesley would probably correct you) have expressed their concern that a cerberus mech could end up drowning them all some day. of course those are just the ramblings of a paranoid prisoner (resident), but their worries aren't unfounded.

the very first time you tried to enter wriothesley's office, the cerberus gardemek stationed there nearly ripped you apart.

you're too terrified to even think to say the words that wriothesley told you to say when prompted. the gardemek spoke to you just moments earlier, the automated voice commanding you to state your name and business. you weren't aware that you were being timed either, so when you stutter one too many times and take too long to answer, the hulking automaton shifted its stance into that of a predator hunting its prey. it planted its front paws on the ground and lowered itself with its hind legs in the air. if this were a smaller, more... organic dog, it would've been mildly threatening at best. but this? this was menacing. you were not staring down at a dog that you could hide from -- you were being watched by death itself.

state your name and business, the beast warned you. you could hear the hiss of the joints in the jaw moving as it opened its mouth to reveal its silver serrated teeth. unlike the polished, humanoid gardemeks elsewhere in the fortress, the teeth seemed... dirty. rusted, even. your body went cold with the realization that it was likely dried blood.

your mouth opened to answer the question, but no sound came out. your head was a mess. if you don't answer the question, will your blood stain the once-silvery mass of teeth in this monster's mouth? you glanced at the floor briefly and saw that sure enough, the floor was a different color beneath your feet than it was anywhere else -- as if someone had done some intense scrubbing. you held your breath.

by this point, you were too terrified to provide the answer that the mech was asking you for. you briefly considered fighting your way out of this, but you can't take this thing on alone. a few armed gardemeks, maybe, but not something this massive. so, you squeezed your eyes shut when you heard the mech utter the words, "time has run out. eliminating intruder."

aaaand then i stopped writing because i'm falling asleep. obviously you don't die, but you get what i'm trying to say, right? right.