#purple jade gemstone

[srlgemstone]

Lilac Jade / Purple Jade Rough

[themodernwitchsguide]

altars for greek gods

this post includes hades, persephone, artemis, apollo, aphrodite, hermes, and hekate. for part 2 including zeus, hera, poseidon, hestia, hephaestus, dionysus, ares, demeter, and athena click here, for the titans and protogenoi click here.

keep in mind that this is largely UPG, new age stuff, and historically accurate offerings to the gods include meat, wine, grain (specifically barley), honey, and incense (myrrh and frankincense).

colors can be used for candles, banners, decor, whatever you want

HADES

Colors: black, red, and white for association with death. purple and metallics for association with riches/wealth

Offerings: mint, asphodel, white poplar, pomegranate, coffee, cinnamon, elm, money, chocolate

Crystals: gemstones, black crystals (obsidian, black tourmaline, smokey quartz, etc.), pyrite, hematite, labradorite

Animals: black ram, owl, serpent, Cerberus

PERSEPHONE

Colors: purple, pink, yellow, green for association with springtime. black and metallics for association with Hades. white for purity.

Offerings: pomegranate, flowers, grains, asphodel, lavender, rosemary

Crystals: amethyst, gemstones, moss/tree agate, milk quartz, jade, lepidolite

Animals: deer, ram, bat, talking birds (including parrots)

APHRODITE

Colors: red and pink for love/sexuality. white and blue for association with the ocean. gold for association with, well, gold.

Offerings: roses, chocolate, shells, myrrh, gold

Crystals: rose quartz, pearl, emerald, opal, aquamarine, rhodonite, rhodochrosite, ocean jasper, morganite

Animals: swan, dove, hare

ARTEMIS

Colors: white, blue, black, and grey for association with the heavens. brown and green for association with nature/the hunt.

Offerings: moon shaped foods, frankincense, cypress, mugwort, amaranth

Crystals: morganite, moonstone, aventurine, selenite, celestite, moss/tree agate, amethyst, quartz (specific dendritic), labradorite, silver

Animals: deer, wolf, wild boar

APOLLO

Colors: yellow, white, and blue for association with the heavens. red, orange, and pink for healing. purple and green for the Oracle

Offerings: sun shaped foods, bay leaves, laurel, cypress, playing music, poetry

Crystals: sunstone, amber, calcite (specifically honey and yellow), quartz (specifically rutilated or clear), rose quartz, silver

Animals: cow, snake, hawk, crow/raven, cicada, swan, bees

HERMES

Colors: green and gold for money/luck. white and brown for travels.

Offerings: money, crocus/saffron, strawberries

Crystals: jade, malachite, fluorite, pyrite, lapis lazuli, citrine, alexandrite

Animals: tortoise, ram

HEKATE

Colors: purple, blue, and green for magic. red and black for association with underworld

Offerings: garlic, saffron, crossroad dirt, black salt, ashes, sage, cedar, yew

Crystals: labradorite, obsidian, hematite, black tourmaline, amethyst, bloodstone, serpentine, lepidolite

Animals: wolf, boar, serpent, lion, horse, cow

[moon--meeks]

hello i have the geology flavor of autism an am so so normal about honkai star rail an have not stoped thinking about the myriad celestia trailer so im going to make a thread of fun facts about the gems/minerals each of the stone hearts are named after topaz: ❥ topaz is naturally colorless but gets its color from elemental impurites ❥ the word topaz comes from the greek word Τοπαζος (topazos) ❥topaz is most commonly used in jewelry ❥ its the state gemstone of Utah! Aventurine: ❥ Aventurine is a form of quartzite ❥ the word Aventurine comes from the italian word a ventura meaning by chance ❥ its a mineral! not a gem! ❥ green aventurine is the most common Jade: ❥ Jade is actually the common term two diffrent minerals, nephrite an jadeite. ❥ nephrite is usually darker than jadeite due to it haveing more amphibole an jadeite having more pyroxene ❥ the word jade comes from the french l'ejade meaning kidney area Sugilite: ❥ imma be honest i havent heard of this mineral before the trailer droped an thats probably because its very new as it was discovered in 1944! ❥ sugilite was discovered by Kenichi Sugi who it was named after ❥ most sugilite is purple or pink Agate: ❥ Agate is the common term for the banded variety of chalcedony ❥ the word comes from the ancient greek word for the dirllo river, Achates where it is said to first be discovered ❥ Agate is formed from lava an volcanic rocks Pearl: ❥Pearl is not a mineral as it comes from living creatures making it an organic material ❥ pearls are made of the same thing shells (an tums!), calcium carbonate ❥ natural pearls were most commonly found in the persian gulf Sapphire: ❥ Sapphire is the blue variety of corundum, the second hardest mineral on the mohs hardness scale ❥ the word comes from the greek word σάπφειρος (sappheiros) but back then was talking about lapis lazuli ❥ Sapphire is one of the minerals used on sand paper! Amber: ❥ not a mineral, it is fossilized tree resin so it is organic material ❥ 90% of the worlds Amber is located in Lithuania ❥ the word comes from the arabic word anbar Opal: ❥ Opal is a mineraloid because its naturally occuring but doesnt have the crystaline structure of other minerals ❥ the word opal comes from the sanskirt word upala meaning jewel ❥ Opal is the national gemstone of australia Obsidian: ❥ Obsidian is classified as a rock since it is formed rapidly cooling lava ❥ this baby is VERY sharp it was used in paleolithic times to make cutting an hunting blades and was used as surgical tools ❥ the word comes from the latin lapis obsidianus

[veilantares]

Unpolished Gemstone Even robots get boring portraits taken just to break out of the routine...

A robot I didn't even finish drawing, imperfect, like an uncut gemstone. Let the gleam shine vividly through all the fractals yet to come. I think if I had spent more time on this I'd probably have worked on dividing the hair and main shoulder areas better. Finishing any drawing is an exercise in compromise I suppose.

The original intent was going to be to brainstorm what the Emperor could look like, probably with lime green colourings. Maybe jade would be like, the mark of royalty for this one. I don't know if the marks of royalty (like, the things that tell you this character is a big deal) would be similar for each Emperor, its actually a lot more interesting if its something completely different between each - I want to imagine the transition in imagery and regalia between two emperors with completely different insignia would be a tough one.

Of course these robots's features are all meant to have some sort of barely hidden purpose too. Those "honeycomb eyes" perhaps could be used in insignia to convey vigilance, but as a tactical tool maybe this character is able tocast a different spell effect from each "eye" looking at a target.

Lorewise "the next Emperor can come from anywhere". At this point of planning the robots don't have families but they can still mentor and guide each other, so maybe whenever the next candidate for the role is selected, they're inducted into the palace where they learn to be charismatic - it's not totally ceremonial but the role is all about keeping robots of the Singular Empire united and confident in the Empire's objectives.

There is meant to be a secret reason only specific types of robots can be the next Emperor, so you won't see a spider tank wearing a crown and giving motivational speeches.

The orange and purple came from an unexpected layer effect combination that was too striking not to keep.

[fun-mxtx-polls]

E'ming vs. Sandu

E'ming propaganda:

I just had to come here and wax poetically about E-Ming. Not only is he a) a deadly scimitar that can and has defeated gods, b) the legendary weapon of the strongest ghost king, and c) made USING that ghost king’s eye, he’s also the goodest boy to have ever existed.

He’s basically a puppy dog in sword form and he just wants love and pets. He’s so expressive and adorable that Xie Lian completely ignore all warnings to avoid him to instead treat him like the puppy he is.

Plus there’s his creation story! (Spoilers for TGCF). Back when Hua Cheng was still a weak ghost on Mount Tonglu, he chose to pretext a group of lost mortals by ripping out his eye and forging E-Ming as a weapon. It was a dangerous and risky choice that could have forever separated Hua Cheng from Xie Lian, but he still did it simply because he cares more about others than he likes to admit. E-Ming represents Hua Cheng’s weakness and humanity and even though Hua Cheng resents him for that, Xie Lian loves him for it all the same.

Therefore E-Ming is a) a badass sword, b) an adorable puppy who deserves love, and c) a physical representation of who Hua Cheng is and how he and Xie Lian perceive him. E-Ming is precious and deserves all the votes (and pets)!

Also he just looks really, really cool too! (submitted by @alittlelessalone)

Sandu propaganda:

Purple! Tassels! The drama version is so pretty (and sandu(three poisons) themed)! Iridescent purple snake(?)skin sheathe! With a silver snake on it! And snakes on the handguard with little purple gemstone eyes! The cute lil frog!!! Literally chilling on the top of the handle!!! Pretty lanyard tassel thing with a jade lotus charm! Even the blade is pretty! (submitted anonymously)

(tag by @absolmon)

[adore-laur]

CRYSTAL SHOP BOY

— harry works at a crystal shop & falls hard for the sweet girl in a sundress 🔮

——

WEDNESDAY

It's a sun-drenched afternoon in St. Helena, California. Jade is visiting the quaint town for two weeks and staying with a friend she hasn't seen in a while. She decided to lodge at their place for the duration of the trip so she could spend more time with them before they went back to college for the fall semester. It's her second day here. She spent the entirety of yesterday unpacking and unwinding inside, since the August heat left her deadbeat tired. 

Currently, she walks through the downtown area with her friend, looking for places to shop. Her mother's birthday is coming up at the end of the month, so she plans to find a special gift for her. She keeps an eye out for a spiritual shop that might hold remedial treasures.

It's unbearably humid, and Jade's frog bucket hat on her head does a mediocre job shielding her face from the sun's scorching rays. She readjusts the straps of her overalls as she strolls, regretting wearing denim since her sweaty skin is digging into the rough fabric. 

Her eyes squint into painful slits due to the sun directly facing her, and after another minute of thigh chafing and upper lip sweat, her sight lands on an intriguing shop with a purple and white striped roof. The letters pasted on the window read: The Crystal Shop.

Bingo. Right up her mother's alley.

Jade's mother has always been fascinated with the spiritual side of life, with her brain full of astrological facts and drawers full of crystals that all have a specific purpose. Jade supposes it's only natural for herself to be interested in it, too. Her name is a gemstone, after all.

Grabbing her friend's arm, she stops them both in their tracks. "I need to get my mom something for her birthday," she says, nodding toward the shop. "This place seems cool."

"Sure, let's go," they reply while already halfway through the front door.

Jade jogs to catch up while admiring the shop's exterior. There's a huge display window with various expensive-looking necklaces, rocks, and crystals. She begins to worry that she might be unable to afford a single item. If so, she'll just have to buy the cheapest thing available. She knows her mom will appreciate the thoughtfulness that went into it.

The door is already propped open with a wooden wedge to provide easy access for customers and allow the summer weather to waft in. Jade suddenly feels a prickly wave of anxiety wash over her. She realizes that she has absolutely no clue what to look for. She just hopes a snobby employee who judges her lack of knowledge about crystals doesn't own the shop. She's been in that situation far too many times before with her mom.

Her friend is already inside, so she follows closely behind. They've always been more fearlessly outgoing than her, while Jade prefers observing instead of talking. She makes a mental note to have her friend ask an employee to help her find something worth buying.

Jade instantly feels the coolness from the air conditioning once she's inside, and it feels heavenly. She glances around, overwhelmed by the endless shelves and boxed displays of crystals, books, and tiny bottles of unknown liquids. This is way too advanced for her brain.

"Hello."

Jade jumps at the deep voice that comes from somewhere behind her. Spinning toward the back of the clustered room, she notices a boy with his back turned behind the cashier counter. He must work here. In fact, he's the only other person in the shop.

"Hi!" her friend says, smiling at the boy who has turned around.

She gets a full view of him. He's tall and has tousled brown hair that looks professionally styled to make it look like he just woke up. He has a child-like smile, his lips pulling into his mouth as tempting dimples dent both sides of his cheeks. His bright, green eyes dart between Jade and her friend before he looks down and fidgets with some loose crystals next to the cash register, with slender fingers adorned with several bulky rings.

With a delayed reaction, Jades politely smiles back at him, even though he's not looking anymore. She then turns back around before embarrassing herself by staring at him for too long. But he's so cute! And was that a cardigan she saw him wearing?

Jade takes a quick peek at his outfit. He's writing something down on a piece of paper now, his tongue poking out slightly in concentration. She surveys his cardigan. It's thin and black, with two yellow flowers stitched on one side and a snake, a star, and a heart with an arrow through it on the other. Underneath it is a white graphic tee. The whole ensemble is oddly endearing. The boys Jade knows from college never dress like that.

She realizes that when the boy speaks, it sounds like he has a British accent. Now, there's really no chance she'll be able to talk to him without making a complete fool of herself. So, she joins her friend in the back of the shop, looking at what they have their eyes on. Their head is tilted as they read the titles of books snug together on a tall, mahogany bookshelf.

"I have no idea where to start," Jade mumbles, still overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in such a small shop.

"Just get her something she doesn't have yet," her friend replies while distracted by a book that seems to be about witchcraft. "Ask the employee what some good birthday gifts are."

"I am not asking him for help," she whispers tightly. She's trying to avoid embarrassment at all costs.

"Dude. Here, let me ask."

They walk to the counter before Jade can process what they just said. Her stomach drops. Sometimes, she wonders how she became friends with someone so unafraid of social interaction. It makes her envious. Meanwhile, she gets nauseous when ordering at a restaurant.

Swallowing hard and facing away from them, Jade distracts her nerves by running her fingers along the book's spines and pretending to be interested.

"Hey," she overhears her friend saying to the boy. "Sorry to bother you. My friend over there needs a birthday present, and she's struggling with what to get. She needs something for someone who's into spiritual stuff."

Jade continues to purposely act nonchalant, but it only lasts so long before she turns around out of sheer terror that she's being watched. The employee's eyes are on her when she looks up. He smiles shyly before walking around the counter and toward her. She's going to hurl.

She puts her hands behind her back, nervously fiddling with her fingers and trying to appear calm even though she's on the verge of passing out. The humidity coming in through the open door isn't helping her case. The man walks in long strides toward her, and he eventually gets close enough so that she can see a name tag pinned to his cardigan: Harry.

It's written with messy handwriting in black marker. There's even a smiley face, leading Jade to believe he wrote it himself. Can this guy get any cuter? He stands next to her right, with her friend on her left. Being in the middle is making her tense.

Jade decides to be confident and peer up at him. "Hi," she says, barely audible. "Thanks for helping me."

"Yeah, of course," he replies kindly, rubbing his hands together. The slight clinking of his rings has Jade subtly glancing down at them. She notices a small cross tattoo on his left hand.

Pushing down her nerves, she bravely chooses to start speaking to him. She can't stand awkward silences, no matter how much she dreads being the one to fill them. "Um, like my friend said, I don't know much about this stuff. I'm looking for something nice for my mom's birthday. If you could just point me in the right direction, that'd be great."

Harry nods and taps the front of his shoe on the wooden floor twice. "Well, usually a nice gift is something homemade, you know? And this place has tons of things like that, so I guess we could head over to the naturally-made section to see if anything sticks out to you."

Jade puts her hand out for him to lead the way. He clears his throat before walking over to a shelf by the window, and she stops next to where he stands, taking in the wide range of lip balms, essential oils, and candles organized neatly in front of her. The smell is overwhelming, but in a pleasant way. She reaches out to pick up a random bottle of what looks like an essential oil and turns it around in her hand to read the back—frankincense.

"My mom would like this," she says, skimming the lengthy list of complex ingredients. "Maybe a type of oil to put in a diffuser or something. She has sleeping problems, so is there an oil that could help with that?"

Harry picks up a tiny bottle with a purple label and twists the cap. "I would say lavender is your best bet. It's scientifically proven to help with relaxation and sleep. Smells lovely, too."

She moves her nose to the bottle and takes a sniff. "Wow, that's really nice. I think she'd love that. Thank you."

"Not a problem." He fiddles with the sleeves of his cardigan. He must be sweating in that thing. "Is there anything else either of you needs help with?"

Jade looks at her friend, and they casually shake their head. "No, I think that's all," she says, fixing the strap on her overalls that slid past her shoulder. "I'm ready to check out."

"Cool," he whispers, quickly shuffling over to stand behind the register.

"I'll be waiting outside," her friend calls out, already out of the shop. "I want to look at the stores on the other side of the street."

Jade lightly rolls her eyes at their antsy nature. Harry releases a breathy laugh while scanning the lavender oil and putting it in a brown paper bag. He writes his name on it with a permanent marker, then adds a small smiley face. He must do that for every customer. That's sweet.

He taps a few things on the register screen, scratching his jaw. Jade hasn't even noticed his nails, which are painted with chipped red polish.

"That'll be $8.23, please."

Jade takes nine singles from her pocket and slides them across the counter, admiring the crystals and stones on display.

"Thank you," he says while gently grabbing the money from her and opening the register.

He skillfully takes out her needed change, shaking it a little before holding it toward her. She cups her palms so he can place the loose change in them. His hand briefly brushes against hers as the coins fall into her grasp. One corroded penny accidentally drops onto the counter during the transaction.

"Oops," Harry murmurs, picking it up and pinching it between his fingers before handing it to her again. "Sorry 'bout that."

"That's okay," Jade assures while putting the loose change in her pocket. "Thanks again for the help."

"My pleasure," he says, rolling up his sleeves. "Um, before you go, is this your first time shopping here?"

"It is, yes. I'm not from around here. I'm staying with my friend, and we're checking out all the downtown shops today."

Did that count as flirting? Is having a normal conversation with a boy she'll never see again considered flirting now? She's reached a new low.

"Oh, cool. So... there's this thing we do if someone's a first-time customer. We give them a free crystal with their purchase." Harry removes a shallow cardboard box filled with translucent crystals from under the counter. "You can pick one out if you'd like."

"That's so nice! I'd love to." Jade grabs a random, pink-colored one. "This place is so cute, by the way."

"Yeah?" Harry says with a surprised smile, putting the box away. He flicks his finger under his nose before saying, "Um, I really like your bucket hat."

She watches him point his finger at her head. She reaches up, suddenly remembering she's wearing a frog bucket hat. Her cheeks grow hot. He complimented it, though, so why is she getting embarrassed?

"Thanks," she says meekly, pulling her hat down further. "I like your cardigan."

Looking out the window, Jade realizes she should get going. "I'm going to go before I lose my friend." She takes the paper bag and the crystal. "Thanks for the oil and free souvenir. I'll try and come back again this week sometime to buy something for myself."

"Cool, yeah. I'll be here. Well, I'm always here. It's my job, obviously. I work here almost every day, so you'll probably see me. I'm rambling, sorry." Harry glances down with a pink tint to his cheeks. "Uh, have a good day."

Her face warms as she nods and waves farewell, walking out the door and into the sun.

When Jade arrives at her friend's apartment a few hours later, she sets the paper bag down on the kitchen island. She opens it and takes the lavender oil out to wrap it for her mom, but she feels two extra items at the bottom when she reaches inside. Her heart pounds as she lays them in her palm.

A 20% off coupon redeemable for any book in the shop.

And a tiny green frog sticker.

——

SATURDAY 

Harry arrives for his weekend shift at six in the morning, an entire hour before the shop even opens. He does it to give himself time to set things up and have a few peaceful moments.

After unlocking the front doors, he leaves them open for another beautiful summer day. He picked out a pastel yellow cardigan with dark, horizontal stripes to wear this morning. It's a little itchy, but it was a gift from his aunt, so he doesn't mind it too much. It's thrown over a plain white shirt, and he tops the look off with a pair of black sunglasses atop his head, knowing he'll be done working when the sun is at its prime brightness. He also wants to walk down to the beach for ice cream before visiting his mother for dinner at her house.

His eyes are still puffy from a rough night's sleep, so he heads to the back room and starts making himself a coffee. He sets his black leather purse down and starts the Keurig machine, looking at the array of flavors he can choose from. He decides on the lavender and honey and inserts the cup in the slot. He grabs the mug he keeps under the counter, a baby blue one with a chick hatching out of an egg on it, then sets it on the machine's tray. While his coffee is brewing, he returns to the front to set up the register and ensure nothing was left a mess by whoever closed the store last night. He scratches his stomach, feeling full of the vegan donuts he ate before he left. He needs to stop buying them from the lovely old lady who works at the bakery a couple blocks away. Otherwise, he'll need to start working out.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Harry slowly walks back to collect his steaming mug of aromatic coffee. He enjoys the quiet mornings when it's just him working. His manager is more behind the scenes, handling the financial and promotional aspects. It's early, so usually it's pretty slow and only gets busy in the afternoon. Luckily, he gets off at one-thirty, so he won't have to suffer through the tourist rush.

Most days, when he opens the shop, it can take over an hour before the first customer comes waltzing in. That means he can do crosswords or read one of their stocked books. There are also instances where his cousin will bring her three-year-old daughter to the shop when she needs a babysitter for the day. Harry gladly watches her, letting her roam the area. He lets her scribble drawings in the back room on stray pieces of paper he finds lying around the shop.

He genuinely likes his job. It's peaceful, and he meets kind people every day. And what better way to feel safe than to be surrounded by thousands of crystals?

Harry whistles a tune, holding his mug in one hand and a No. 2 pencil in the other, when he suddenly hears footsteps coming through the front doorway. He turns around in curiosity and feels a bizarre mixture of emotions when he sees the girl who stopped by with her friend last Wednesday—the one who wore a frog hat, complimented his cardigan, and made him feel like a teenage boy again.

Closing his crossword book, he says, "Hi. Sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone. We don't open for another"—he checks his leather wristwatch—"half hour."

He begins clearing everything off the counter. He's got the daily newspaper spread open, a container of blueberries that he bought from the farmer's market down the street to snack on throughout his shift, and a cardboard box of rose quartz that was delivered last night that Carol, his most forgetful co-worker, didn't stock like she was supposed to.

"Oh, my bad," she says quietly, a slight rasp noticeable in her voice. "I was up early and decided to visit before my friend woke up. I can leave if you're still opening."

"No, you're fine. I find things to pass the time when no one's here. I'm glad you're my first customer of the day."

He's desperately trying to come across as confident and unfazed, even though a pretty girl is in front of him wearing a sundress.

"Okay, good." She nervously laughs and looks around. "Um, I'm just now realizing I don't know what to buy. I came because, I don't know, it's really comforting in here, and I didn't know if you'd be working today, but you are, so I think I'll hang out for a bit before I have to go back to my friend." She releases a heavy exhale of air before sheepishly adding, "They don't know that I left."

Harry stares at her, hopelessly mesmerized. She came to hang out because she felt comfortable. Harry thinks he might be in love.

"No worries." He pauses before laughing, lightly smacking his forehead with his palm. "I just realized I don't know your name."

"I'm Jade."

What a coincidence! It's the perfect name for charming someone in a crystal shop.

"Jade," Harry repeats, smirking and turning around to secretly grab something. "You wouldn't perhaps know anything about this little thing right here, would you?"

He holds a green gemstone between his fingers. Jade stifles a smile, knowing exactly what he's doing. She may not be an expert at identifying crystals and gemstones, but her name is Jade. Thanks to her mom, she obviously knows what the gemstone looks like and basic facts about it.

She matches his sudden confidence by replying, "I believe that's a jade stone, Harry. Symbolizes luck, I think? Also increases love and nurturing."

Harry blows a low, impressed whistle while putting a hand on his hip. "I mean, shit, do you want to switch spots and take over the rest of my shift?"

Smiling amusedly, she quips, "That was the extent of my knowledge about gems, so probably not the best idea. I think I'll leave it to the expert."

His tired eyes brighten as he looks at her. "Well, the least I could do to thank you for keeping me company is give you this," he says, sliding the jade stone across the counter towards her. "I think it only makes sense for you to have it.

Jades takes it, feeling how smooth the surface is, before putting it in the breast pocket of her dress. "Trust me, my mom has given me plenty. You would think she's a dealer or something."

Harry sputters a boyish laugh before taking a sip of his coffee. "Consider that one special, then."

She can smell a familiar scent from his coffee but can't quite place her finger on it. She checks the time on her phone, seeing that it's almost eight. She doesn't want to bother Harry, especially if customers are going to start coming in. She also needs to get back to the apartment in case her friend magically wakes up earlier than expected and calls the police because she decided to talk to the cute crystal shop boy she's only just met. Oh God, she's going to sound crazy.

"Thank you. I'll make sure to keep it safe."

"You're very welcome, Jade."

She perks up, suddenly remembering the extra stuff he put in her bag on Wednesday. "By the way, the coupon and sticker you gave me were thoughtful. You didn't have to do that."

Harry flushes under his cardigan, completely forgetting about his spontaneous decision to give her additional goodies because he thinks she's lovely. He's also scared he'll never see her again; if that's the case, he wants to leave an impression.

And speaking to her now, he realizes he quite likes her company.

Clearing his throat, Harry scratches the back of his neck and says, "I, uh, I don't know. You were a nice customer, and I just wanted to give you something nice back." He's only partially lying. "I have animal stickers I keep here when my niece visits, and I happened to have a frog one. I figured you would get the reference."

"I did. You're adorable."

Lord above, did she actually just say that out loud?

Harry inhales sharply in shock, rolling his lips inward so much that his dimples pop out from trying to hold back a smile. His tongue pokes his cheek, and he can't help but break out into a full smile. He feels a rush of giddiness that begs him to be bold and seize the opportunity.

"Sorry—"

"Hey, I—"

They both start talking and clamp their mouths shut at the same time. Jade nods for him to go first, not wanting anything stupid to come out of her mouth again.

Harry fidgets with his necklace and says, "I get off work at one thirty today, and I know you need to get back to your friend, but if you're not busy, I was going to walk down to the beach and get some ice cream. Do you... would you like to come with me?"

Jade almost chokes. This attractive boy wearing a fuzzy cardigan in ninety-degree heat wants to take her for ice cream. Her friend would be deranged to be mad at her for going.

"I would love to. I'm sure my friend wouldn't mind." She anxiously nibbles on her bottom lip before continuing, "Um, I can meet you back here at one o'clock? I could get some lunch from a nearby restaurant if you want."

"That's perfect. A couple of stores down to the right is a nice sandwich shop called Gott's Roadside. I can text you my order before you get there."

"Yeah, great! Here, let me write my number down somewhere."

Harry doesn't hesitate to lift the cash register to grab a loose-leaf sheet of paper he keeps under it for emergencies, then tears a small section off. He picks up the pencil he used for his crossword and hands it to her. Jade scribbles her cell phone number, adding a smiley face at the end, before sliding the paper scrap back to him.

"Cool," he says, his hands clammy with anticipation.

Jade smiles. Is this a date? Is she dreaming? "I'll see you in a few hours with our sandwiches. I'll bring my frog hat."

"I can't wait," he replies, pushing his hair back. "And tell your friend I said hi, yeah?"

"I will. Have a good rest of your shift, Harry."

"I have sandwiches, ice cream, and a frog hat on your head to look forward to," he says, cradling his chin in the palm of his hand. "I'm pretty sure it's going to be good."

She feels her heart speed up as she waves goodbye and walks outside with a skip in her step.

——

When noon rolls around, Harry decides to text Jade his order. When she left, he put her number on his phone and refrained from texting her about the strange customers he had encountered earlier. He doesn't know if she'll think it's annoying of him.

He waits until there's no one in the store—everyone is most likely out for lunch—before sending a text.

Hi, it's Harry. I would like the grilled pesto chicken sandwich with a side salad. There's a fridge with drinks in the back room, so don't worry about getting me one. Thank you :)

Locking his phone, he resumes his crossword puzzle, but his mind drifts. He thinks about changing his outfit before Jade comes back, knowing the cardigan he wears now will make him sweat bullets under the sun. He obviously can't leave the shop unattended, so he texts his mother and asks if she can bring him his white tank top and patchwork cardigan from the house as soon as possible. It'll be breezy by the beach, so a loose cardigan will be better. He also asks her if she can bring his Polaroid camera. He wants to capture some memories of how beautiful today is.

Once his string of panicked texts is sent, he starts thinking about Jade again. She mentioned she'd wear her frog hat, which he really likes. He realizes he's whipped when he considers buying one for himself. There must be a store around here that sells them. Or is that too weird of a thing to do? Now he's panicking tenfold.

Harry likes her. He likes her so much that he says screw it and picks up the company phone without a second thought. He begins flipping through a free pamphlet for tourists listing the shops downtown in St. Helena, looking for nearby accessory stores. After four phone calls with managers, he gets the answer he wants. A souvenir shop two blocks away says that they have some in stock. He plans to run down there quickly when his mother comes with his clothes. She's visited enough times to be able to handle any customers.

It's a quarter to one when she rushes in with his clothing and camera. She doesn't question why he needed them so suddenly. Harry lies to her and says he needs to pick up a store delivery, and she lets him go after telling him she'll help him finish his crossword while she waits.

He's speed-walking to the accessory shop, his eyes glued to the directions pulled up on his phone. When he turns the final corner, he gets a text message from Jade.

Hi, sorry I didn't get back to you right away. I was swimming, so I wasn't on my phone. I'm leaving in about five minutes to get our lunch! I'll bring sunscreen and a blanket so we can eat by the beach <3

Harry grins and replies with a casual See you soon.

After five minutes of looking for a frog hat in some dingy souvenir shop, he buys a green one that looks just like her yellow one. He stuffs it in his purse so his mother won't see what a hopeless romantic he is, then quite literally jogs back to the crystal shop. Once he's inside, his mother leaves with a kiss on both of his cheeks. Harry goes to the back room, and since no customers are lingering around, he changes into his tank top and the other cardigan. The sporadic green patches on it will go nicely with his new bucket hat of the same color.

It's a little after one o'clock, and he assumes Jade is getting the sandwiches. In the meantime, he goes into the employee bathroom to double-check how he looks. His denim flare jeans and white sneakers are sticking to his skin because of the summer heatwave, but he doesn't have time for an outfit dilemma. With a deep breath, he tousles his hair and tucks his sunglasses in the front of his shirt.

He's ready.

Harry returns to the front and cleans up for when the person working the next shift comes in. It's helping distract from his nerves. He just wants this to go well. They'll eat, get ice cream, talk, and maybe hold hands. Right? Is that how dates play out?

Okay, he's not ready. He needs some good luck.

Opening a glass display case under the counter, he grabs a tiny citrine crystal that can be attached to a necklace chain. Citrine is known to strengthen self-esteem and bring about positive energy, so he takes a stray chain, hooks the golden crystal on it, and then pulls it over his head.

"This better work," he murmurs to himself.

His phone suddenly vibrates, and he sees that Jade texted him that the food would be ready in another couple of minutes. That's okay. He has time to hype himself up and daydream about her. Will she be in a different outfit? Will her hair be damp from swimming? Will she still have the jade stone he gave her in her pocket?

It's a little after one when Carol walks into the shop to start her shift. She may be forgetful, but she comes in early sometimes so that Harry can get out a few minutes early. She smiles at him and heads straight to the back. Harry stuffs his Polaroid camera in his pocket and puts on the frog hat. He feels foolish now that he thinks about it. How does one pull off a frog hat and rainbow cardigan? He prays that Jade will appreciate his efforts.

Kissing the citrine crystal for luck, he grabs a water bottle and his wallet and clocks out. He prints off the sales receipt for the morning shift and signs his name. After that, he passes Carol, who is sweeping the floor and humming to herself, and sends a little wave before leaving and standing against the wall outside to wait for Jade.

Ten minutes pass until Harry hears a gasp come from his right. He looks over to see Jade holding the food bag in one hand and her bucket hat, sunscreen, and plaid picnic blanket in the other. She's wearing a different dress than earlier, this one with tiny blue flowers on it. Her hazel eyes are fixated on the hat atop his head, and he can't stop himself from blushing like a blooming rose.

"No way!" she says, walking up to him. "I didn't know you had one!"

He smiles awkwardly, feeling a smidge better now that she seems to like his last-minute decision. "Um, I really like yours, so I thought I'd get one for myself to match. I bought it at a shop around here, like, thirty minutes ago."

Jade pouts at the sweet gesture. "You're so adorable." She holds out the plastic bag. "Here's the food. It took forever, but it smells delicious."

"You're just on time," he replies, offering his elbow to her. "Shall we? I can carry everything."

She hands him the two bags and carries the rest by herself. Putting on her bucket hat, she loops her arm around his elbow to start walking. She looks him up and down, taking in his outfit. She had been so caught off guard by his hat that she didn't even notice his colorful, oversized patchwork cardigan.

She leans into him and confesses, "You look really handsome, by the way. I love your style."

Harry glances down at her, smiling softly. "Thank you. You look so pretty."

Jade shyly scrunches her nose at him before peering out at the street. As the beach comes into view, she boldly moves her arm out of his hold and wraps her hand around his, the coolness of his rings feeling nice against her skin. Harry's eyes fall to where their hands meet, and he squeezes them together. His red nail polish contrasts with her baby blue polish, and he admires how small her hand feels in his. He rubs his thumb over her knuckles as the pavement turns into sand, and he guides her to where they have to pay to access the beach, his hand slipping from hers to reach into his pocket for his wallet. Jade doesn't try to argue about him paying since she willingly paid for lunch. It's only fair.

After Harry pays, he takes her hand in his again and leads her through the entrance to find a spot to sit. It's a little busy with the weekend, so he takes her to an area away from the water where the long grass and coastal flowers grow. Jade begins unfolding the picnic blanket and then spreads it out. She sits with her legs crossed and starts putting sunscreen on. Harry gets comfortable beside her and removes his shoes before rolling the hem of his jeans up slightly.

"Do you mind getting my shoulder blades for me?" Jade asks, passing him the bottle of sunscreen.

Harry makes a twirling motion with his pointer finger to get her to turn around. She faces away from him and shifts her hair to one side, waiting for his hands to touch the bare skin of her back, but it takes a while, so she turns her head to glance at him. She sees him remove his rings one by one before putting a dollop of sunscreen on his palm.

Then, unexpectedly expected, she feels his hands on her shoulder blades moving in soothing circles. The warmth of his hands and the coolness of the lotion are almost erotic. His hands are so big. Only one of them takes up half of her upper back.

After another few tension-filled seconds, Harry lightly scratches the top of her spine to indicate he's done. She thanks him before settling next to him and sliding her sandals off. She then grabs her bag of food and unpacks the sandwich that she got, along with a side of fries. Harry does the same, already diving into his salad. The sound of people talking and waves crashing is peaceful.

Jade is fully aware that her legs are almost touching his, and she desperately wants to make some type of flirty move. Well, there's nothing quite like the art of subtlety, so she casually reaches up for his bucket hat to switch it with hers. She puts his green one on and then puts her yellow one on his head, feeling more content around him with each second that passes. Harry just smiles cutely while shoving a crouton in his mouth.

Feeling even more daring now, Jades picks up a fry and holds it to his lips. He gently grabs her wrist as she feeds it to him, feeling his fingers squeeze her pulse point. He chews slowly, his jaw flexing attractively.

"Good?" she asks while scooting a little closer.

He hums an affirmation, smirking at her. Reaching over his lap, Jade steals one of his croutons, her arm brushing against his stomach. She swears she feels it tense. Harry notices she's getting more comfortable with him, so he takes his Polaroid camera out of his back pocket. She gasps, nonverbally asking if she can use it by wiggling her fingers towards it like a toddler. He laughs and hands it to her. One of his arms rests behind her, the other resting limp on his thigh.

Jade starts by taking a picture of the sparkling lake in front of her. The camera spits a Polaroid out, and she sets it face down on the blanket to dry. She then aims the lens at an arguably even more beautiful view. Harry throws up a peace sign with a closed-lip smile, dimples carving his reddened cheeks. After setting that one down to dry, she turns the camera around to aim at their faces. She leans in and presses her cheek against his as best she can with a bucket hat on. They both smile widely as she captures the moment.

Harry takes the camera from her after it develops and mimics the same position, both their faces hopefully in the frame. Before he presses the button, though, he turns his head and presses the gentlest kiss to Jade's dewy cheekbone. His lips feel warm and plush as the flash goes off, and he quickly takes the photo to look at it. Jade rests her head on his shoulder, pressing a light kiss on it. He wraps his arm around her and puts his leftover salad in the bag with her garbage. His other hand faces up on his leg, and she doesn't hesitate to play with his slender fingers.

"I haven't felt this relaxed in a while." Harry softly breaks the silence, looking ahead at the water.

"Me too," she says. "You're a really calm person. Like, your energy relaxes me naturally. And you're not too shabby of a person to look at."

He playfully scoffs and pinches her side. "Excuse me, I didn't run to the nearest store and buy a froggy hat to match you for you to say I'm not too shabby to look at."

"I kid, I kid. You look like an absolute dream, Harry."

"Yeah? You're looking like a dream yourself, Jade."

She pecks his cheek and stands up to grab the garbage bags and sunscreen. Harry also stands, putting his rings back on and folding up the blanket while putting his camera back in his pocket. He dusts the sand off his jeans and picks up his shoes, opting to walk barefoot to the ice cream shop not too far away.

Standing behind Jade, he bends down to dust the sand off the back of her legs. He then grabs the pictures and her sandals, giving her a look that asks if she's going to put them back on. She shakes her head and reaches out to grab them, but he pulls them out of her reach and simply interlocks his fingers with hers instead. He guides her back up the path where they came from, swinging their arms dramatically to get her to laugh.

Jade sneakily grabs the Polaroid camera from his pocket and aims it at him. "Smile like the dream you are." When he looks at her and smiles naturally, she brings the camera close to photograph his left dimple. "I'm framing this," she says, waving the Polaroid.

"Give me that," Harry says, letting go of her hand to pull the camera from her grasp. "I need something to frame too."

She complies, wondering what he could have up his sleeve. He stops walking and puts two fingers behind her head to make bunny ears. She gives him a flat look with narrowed eyes while he joyously clicks the button, and then he hides the developed picture in his cardigan pocket.

"You are so funny, you know that?" Jade says sarcastically. "A true comedian. You should do stand-up at the shop."

Harry walks ahead of her and boyishly laughs twice, the second one slightly higher-pitched and longer than the first one. It makes Jade's heart flutter.

"Honestly, mate," he says, "I think you're right. You'll never meet anyone funnier."

"Do not call me mate!"

"No? What about lad?"

"Stop."

"Bro?"

"Absolutely not."

"What if I called you another gemstone? Amethyst? Topaz?"

"I'm getting ice cream," she says lightheartedly, striding ahead to the blue building just off the beach. She takes off the bucket hat on her head, feeling hot.

"We were already on our way there, darling."

Jade stops dead in her tracks. Darling.

Seconds later, she hears him behind her, his hands dropping everything so he can tilt her chin. She's looking at him upside down now, his fingers cradling her face as his thumbs stroke her temples.

"Liked that one?" he murmurs softly. Jade nods in his gentle grasp. He smiles, pinching both of her cheeks. "I'll keep that in mind," he says before sauntering toward the ice cream shop.

Jade grumbles behind him, feeling flustered. Harry tilts his head back to look at her and gives her a smirk. In return, she gives him the middle finger, and he makes a heart with his hands. With a huff, she sits under an umbrella at a nearby table, trusting him to order something she'll like. After a few minutes, he sits across from her, holding two cones—one blue moon and one cookies and cream. She takes the blue moon scoop from him and takes a lick. A shiver runs throughout her body.

Harry bites down on his, and she cringes. It also makes her strangely endeared to him. "What?" he asks with his mouth full.

"Nothing. Stop being annoying."

"What did I do?"

He's not understanding her frustration with his apparent cuteness.

"You're just... different. I hate saying that, but you're so sweet and funny. And cute. It's annoying."

He stares at her longingly before saying, "Thanks, mate. Cheers."

"You know, I've had enough of your British humor."

That's a lie. Jade could listen to him talk about the ingredients in a salad, and she would listen on the edge of her seat.

"I'm kidding," he says, nudging her foot lightly under the table. "That's kind of you to say. I think the same things about you; however, I don't find it annoying. It makes me want to kiss you, actually."

Leaning across the table, Jade plucks the hat off his head and sets it down on the table. Then, she reaches her other hand out to wipe a small remnant of ice cream on the corner of his mouth. Harry clears his throat. There's no one around them, and he'd be a fool to waste his chance.

"I know almost nothing about you," he starts, his voice gentle, "but I would really like it if I could take you out again sometime. We can learn more about each other, talk about anything and everything, and go anywhere you'd like."

She feels like she's in a summer fantasy with her dream boy, and she has to pinch her arm under the table to make sure it's real and not a figment of her imagination. Setting down her finished ice cream, she stands up to slide around the table and sits beside him. She cradles both of his warm cheeks and kisses his forehead. She does it again, for good measure, pushing back the curls falling over his eyes.

He blesses her with that same frog-like smile that makes her heart falter. She pokes her thumbs into his dimples and says, "You're so cute. Stop it. Stop being cute."

Harry moves his head slightly to kiss her palm. "I can't help being an absolute dream all the time," he says dramatically. "It's exhausting, mate."

She rolls her eyes and tickles his sides so that he squirms. "If I recall, you said you'd remember that I liked it when you called me darling."

"Gotta kiss me first."

Jade purses her lips to keep a massive smile from taking over her face. "Seems fair," she whispers. "Come with me."

Standing, she takes his hand and heads towards a more private place, throwing away their cones. Harry stumbles behind her, still barefoot and riding the high of flirtatious affection. Eventually, she leads him to a flower field past the beach that's completely empty of people. A cypress tree shades the area, so they go behind it, shielded from everyone and everything.

Harry leans his back against the trunk, setting down his shoes and the blanket. He holds his hands out, waiting for Jade to step into him. She puts her stuff down, too, and wipes her clammy palms on her dress, then slowly takes both of his hands and moves toward him. He's taller than her, so she reaches up to cradle his face again, her new favorite thing to do, and guide his face down to hers. She stares at his green eyes, her lips brushing against his. Softly and with ease, she captures his bottom lip in her mouth. Harry lets her take the reins; the only movement he grants himself is his hands gravitating to her wrists that hold his blushing cheeks. He grips them not too tight, rubbing his thumbs along the inside.

When Jade pulls back for air, Harry chases her lips for another kiss. He initiates it this time, kissing her top lip before delicately enveloping her bottom lip. He inhales through his nose when she kisses him back, and a weak groan crawls up his throat. Six seconds go by before she pulls back again, only for a moment, and then takes him by surprise by using her tongue to dive into his mouth, parting his already swollen lips even more. His tongue fits over hers, kissing her deeply for a little longer. She tastes sweet from the ice cream.

Harry needs to breathe, so he stops before getting too far ahead and blissfully smiles at her. They inhale and exhale heavily, glancing between each other's lips.

"Fuck's sake," he says, pulling her in for a hug.

Jade giggles. She sticks her hands into his back pockets and sways with him while he kisses her hair and sets his hands on her shoulders.

"Can I walk you home?" he asks, brushing his thumb along her collarbone.

"Of course."

Harry kisses her again before intertwining her fingers with his. He slips his shoes back on, and Jade does the same. They pick up their remaining belongings. Once everything is packed, they walk away from the beach. She tells him where her friend's apartment is, and it takes ten minutes before the building comes into view. Harry walks up to the front door, and they stand across from each other.

"I had so much fun today," Jade says, taking her bucket hat off. "Everything was perfect."

"Yeah?" Harry scratches under his eyebrow. "Well, I don't work Sundays, so we can text and make plans for next week if you're not sick of me yet."

"I'm not sick of you yet. Text me tomorrow. I've got nothing going on."

"Sweet. I have to go to my mom's house for dinner, so... I have to leave, unfortunately."

"Go ahead. I won't keep you any longer."

"I'll see you soon," he tells her. "Thanks for today. I had a wonderful time."

"Here's your hat back," she says, holding it out.

Harry shakes his head with a smile. "Keep it. I'll keep yours. We can give them back when we see each other next."

She laughs. "What a clever way to keep me around."

He hands her the blanket and the pictures he put in his pocket. "Are you sure you don't want them?" she asks, taking them and seeing the one of his dimple on top.

"We can share," he says, rolling up the sleeves of his cardigan. "The next time I see you, I'll take them for the day."

Jade bites her lip before saying, "You're on a roll today. And I was serious, by the way. I'm framing the dimple one."

He beams at her, and Jade sets everything down on the bench by the door so she can kiss him. "I'll see you very soon," she whispers.

"Bye, Jade." Harry leaves with one last kiss before walking down the sidewalk. Once he turns the corner, he rubs the citrine crystal against his chest with a giddy smile on his face the entire way back.

——

FIVE YEARS LATER

Harry has been at the shop for an hour, setting things up for the day. Coffee is brewing, and the smell of peppermint wafts to the front. Candles are lit, and delightful whiffs of cinnamon are in the air. 

It's November, so it's always chilly in the morning. His baby blue sweater with a hatching chick on it keeps him warm. He got it as a gift when he was promoted to shop manager since the previous owner knew he had a mug that looked just like it.

It's definitely going to be slow since it's a random Tuesday in the autumn. The streets are quiet, and a gray gloom darkens the sky. The shop doesn't open for another forty-five minutes, but he still likes the extra time, so he grabs his hot coffee and takes out his crossword puzzle book. Sitting on the rickety wooden stool behind the register, he blows away the steam from his #1 Dad in St. Helena mug.

He's whistling "Wild Heart" by Stevie Nicks to himself while rhythmically tapping his pencil against the counter when the bell above the front door suddenly chimes. He doesn't need to look up to know who it is. Baby babbles give it away, and he softly smiles as he finishes filling in the answer for 9-Across.

"Someone's talkative this morning," Harry murmurs, turning to his wife and sipping his coffee.

Jade is wearing a beanie and one of his many cardigans. She holds a coffee in one hand and a box of donuts in the other as she walks around the counter to greet him, giving him a kiss. His precious baby boy, Sterling, is secured in the baby carrier strapped to her front.

"Good morning," he says, tasting an unfamiliar trace of something on her lips.

"Hi. Try this." She raises her coffee cup to his mouth. He takes a sip and immediately smacks his lips while shaking his head disapprovingly. "It's the new pumpkin pie latte they have down the street," she explains.

"Not a fan, love," he admits truthfully, kissing her forehead and then carefully lifting Sterling out of the carrier.

"I thought as much." She takes the carrier off and sets it to the side. "How's it going? Did you get all the math out of the way?"

Now that Harry is the shop manager, he's taken on the accounting aspect of the job. It's not his favorite task, so he gets it out of the way in the mornings. He'll put on his reading glasses and hunch over the table with complete focus, feeling his wife's eyes ogling him whenever she visits. He's been told she finds it attractive.

"Finished not too long ago," he replies, cradling his sleeping son against his chest. He's still dressed in his pajamas with a brown beanie snug on his head. Harry sits back on the stool to continue his crossword, and Sterling stirs a little, fisting his hand around his sweater. "Morning, little man," he says gently, his knuckles stroking his chubby cheeks.

Jade opens the box of donuts, and Harry squeezes her hip in a silent gesture of gratitude. She begins eating a chocolate one as she peers over his shoulder. She hums thoughtfully while swallowing a bite and tapping the boxes on the page. "Coated is the answer for 21-Across."

Harry's eyes move to the clue and then to Sterling, who is slowly waking up. "What do you think, mate? Do you think Mommy's right?"

"I'm definitely right. Covered in sugar, it has to be coated." She excitedly pokes the pencil that's in his hand. "Write it down!"

"All right," he says teasingly, scribbling her answer down. "Sharp thinking at seven in the morning isn't usually like you, honey. You can't blame me for being hesitant."

She lightly smacks his shoulder before taking a sip of his peppermint coffee. Apparently, she's not a fan of the pumpkin one, either.

After a few peaceful moments, Jade takes Sterling into her arms, much to Harry's disappointment. She smears kisses on his cheeks before setting him on the ground to crawl. At eight months old, he's constantly on the go. The floor is carpeted, so she sits on the ground with him. Harry can't help but join them while grabbing a donut on his way down. He groans when he sits—his back is not in the best shape lately.

Jade scoots closer and begins massaging between his shoulder blades, causing him to let out a soft, relieved moan as he closes his eyes. She's badgered him countless times to replace the stool he sits on with an actual chair, but he's stubborn and has trouble getting rid of sentimental furniture.

"What time do you get off again?" she asks, moving her hands to his neck.

"Three," he murmurs, wiping drool from Sterling's mouth. "It's my last week before Thanksgiving break, so that'll be nice."

"Yeah," she agrees while kneading his lower back.

Harry's work schedule is perfect. He's at the shop Monday through Friday until three. He's home for dinner and weekends, and he even gets paid holiday breaks. He became manager shortly before he got married to Jade. Currently, she owns a flower shop just down the street. She absolutely loves it there. It's a two-minute walk from the shop, and she always tries to visit if she gets off work before him. She has Mondays and Tuesdays off every other week, so she brings Sterling to visit for a few hours in the morning. They stay in the back most of the time, but sometimes customers come in when they're up front and fawn over their baby boy with dimples and cute sweaters.

Harry eventually stands and cracks his back by twisting side to side. Jade stands as well and picks Sterling up, handing him to Harry. He cradles him in one arm, the other wrapping around his wife's shoulders.

"I love you," he whispers with a kiss to her head. "Thanks for always keeping me company with the little bugger."

She hides her face in his chest, the jade necklace he wears daily pressed against her cheek. She kisses the stone before puckering her lips in request. He obliges, meeting her halfway to take her top lip between his. She then leans over to kiss Sterling's head, his eyes sleepily shutting.

"My boys," Jade says, smiling fondly. "I love you guys more than anything."

Harry can't help but find it remarkable how everything started in the place he's standing now.

——

[mylittlesecrethaven]

I've Been Thinking About TWST Names: Octavinelle

I'm in a little rush right now, but I'm needing to get some drafts done so let's see how this goes.

Azul Ashengrotto:

Azul - Means blue in Spanish and Portuguese. When I first started the game, I was confused as to why since Octavinelle is purple colored, but now I'm wondering if it's because of water, or because of emotional health.

Ashengrotto - Split into two words, it's ashen and grotto. Ashen is typically an adjective for gray or gray-colored, and his hair is gray, and many octopuses tend to be a shade of gray. Azul also strikes me as a very morally gray character. As for grotto, this is sort of like the cave that Ursula hid herself in, and I feel like that parallels to how Azul hides his true self behind his business exterior.

Jade Leech:

Jade - Could mean either the gemstone or the color. I'm not too sure how this parallels to him besides the callback to Flotsam and just being ocean themed.

Leech - I'm only doing this for Jade. But Leech makes sense because the twins are both literally eels, similar to leeches in a way I guess, and for the fact that they can be metaphorical leeches to people.

Floyd Leech:

Floyd - Also a callback to Jetsam, but means gray or gray-haired in Welsh. Again, I think they were just going with the callback for his name while trying to find something that could link to the ocean.

It's ok given that I did this in 10 minutes.

Scarabia soon.

I hope.

[dionysianivy]

𐙚𓏲⋆Virgo Season⋆ᡣ𐭩

August 23 - September 22 🪷

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

Symbol: ♍︎

Solar System: Earth, Mercury

Season: Summer

Day: Wednesday

Element: Earth

Energy: Yin

Chakras: Sacral, Solar Plexus, Throat

Numbers: 6, 9

Colors: Black, Navy Blue, Dark Brown, Gold, Dark Gray, Green, Pink, Purple, Violet, White, Yellow

Tarot: The Hermit, The Magician

Trees: Beech, Chestnut, Cypress, Hazel, Horse Chestnut, Maple, Mimosa, Oak, Walnut

Herbs (Garden): Aster, Bergamot, Dill, Fennel, Honeysuckle, Hyacinth, Lavender, Lily, Lily of the Valley, Marjoram, Peppermint, Rosemary, Valerian, Violet

Miscellaneous Plants: Eyebright, Horehound, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Skullcap

Gemstones: Agate, Amazonite, Amethyst, Andalusite, Apatite, Aquamarine, Aventurine, Carnelian, Chrysocolla, Diamond, Emerald, Garnet, Jade, Pink Jasper, Lapis Lazuli, Lodestone, Moss Agate, Opal, Peridot, Sapphire, Sardonyx, Sugilite, Watermelon Tourmaline, Tsavorite, Turquoise, Red Zircon

Metal: Mercury

Gods: Odin, Hermes

Goddesses: Astraea, Anat, Artemis, Demeter, Diana, Hestia, Inanna, Iris, Ishtar, Isis, Kore, Nanna, Persephone, Vesta

Bird: Sparrow

Angel: Auriel

Animals: Brown Bear, Cat, Pig (Sow), Squirrel

Magical Powers: Abundance, Beginnings, Consciousness, Cycles, Destiny, Emotions, Endings, Grounding, Independence, Intuition, Love, Analytical Mind, Nurture, Order/Organization, Purification, Sexuality, Shyness, Business Success, Well-being.

source: Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences: A Comprehensive & Cross-Referenced Resource for Pagans & Wiccans by Sandra Kynes

tips♡

[megamanrecut]

And here's the consolidated list (mostly?) All from Diamond in the Rough, character notes below cut (not in same order as pics)

Considered a few different systems for assigning gems (gemstone family, value, etc.) but ultimately just went with color/relative familiarity of gem. There’s so many cool gems out there~ (I was trying to not be too repetitive with types/use more common ones though Quartz has a million interesting varieties!)

Mega Man, Blue Sapphire Sphere I wavered a lot on his ‘trinket’, Sapphire seemed obvious (especially with Proto being a ruby, both are corundum gemstones) but also considered blue diamond, alexandrite (blue/purple color shift), and aquamarine. For the jewelry, was also considering an atomic model (for chemistry?), a screwdriver, and slightly regretting not considering circlet

Roll, Amethyst Earring: primarily always wanted amethyst, but also considered heliodor, padparadscha sapphire (but it wasn’t quite the right color? and perhaps too obscure), tanzanite, morganite, zoisite, kunsite, iolite, (purple gems etc.) For shape, was considering spikes/fangs though that’s also Treble and Punk’s lol

Bass, Emerald Snake Arm Cuff: loosely based on a real arm cuff I saw in a book. Also considered black diamond, green diamond (he’s the titular ‘diamond in the rough’), and black opal

Proto Man, Ruby Aviator Badge: I went with ruby in the end, which seemed most obvious choice, but also considered red diamond and bixbite (red beryl)

Elec Man, Black Opal Ring: Also considered chatoyant Sapphire, Alexandrite (??? color shift?), chrysoberyl, angelite/anhydrite, and even hawkeye quartz (loosely inspired by a real hawkeye ‘lightning’ ring, before that I was thinking cufflinks, but seemed weird for him to become either a pair of gems, or even a single cufflink lol)

Jewel Man, Colorless Beryl (Goshenite) Monocle - also considered rock crystal, diamond, and Padparadscha sapphire. Apparently both beryl and rock crystal were historically used for eyeglasses. Monocle is a reference to gentleman thief archtypes, also they are just fancy. (Also I realized while drawing this that having a plique a jour monocle chain is probably super impractical, oh well lol)

Top Man, Imperial Topaz  Pendant in a Jeweled Egg - also considered alexandrite and spinel (for the pun, heh) and spessertite

Kalinka/Mega Girl, Rose Quartz Blossom Barrette: Pink :) though I considered other lesser known (but more valuable) pink gems

Quint, Alexandrite Wristwatch: Quint is a time traveler (of sorts), also considered model armillary sphere/astrolabe, a screwdriver, and jade or malachite or nanocrystal

Wily, Agate Cameo Belt Buckle: Loosely inspired by his skull belt in some of his game art, also considered amythist

Dr. Light, Alabaster bead on a bookmark tassel:  Dr. Light likes books! Was also considering rock crystal and goshenite

Ring Man, Zircon Hoop Bracelet: Reference to both his namesake and his carney background. Was also considering class ring (before assigning the ring to Elec Man) and a circlet. ‘Zircon’ just sounds circusy, must be the Z

Magnet Man, Garnet Horseshoe Amulet: garnets are apparently magnetic, also considered fridge magnet

Cut Man, Citrine Paperknife: for obvious reasons. I also considered topaz for the gem

Guts Man, Tourmaline Paperweight: funny/fitting pairing with the paper knife, the shape is in reference to the boulder he holds in game art (for a brief week, was a rock crystal until I realized those are clear lol smokey quartz would have made more sense)

Punk, Spinel Motorcycle Chain: ‘Spinel’ may be a derivative from Latin ’spina’ which means thorn

Rush, Labradorite Bone Collar Tag: Went for the pun!

Treble, Howlite Fang: and ditto for Treble

Others that weren’t in chapter (this list has no significance what-so-ever, I brainstormed a list of gems but also ‘trinkets’ and my brain just started associating lol)

Beat, Aquamarine Aigrette: Beat actually avoided transformation, but that’s what he would have been

Gyro Man: Mood Ring

Dr. Cossack: Selenite something or other

Dark Man: D20

Time Man: a pocket watch

Enker: Chess piece

Metal Man: A knife

Shadow Man: Also a knife, maybe jade

Yamato Man: Natsuke

Burner Man: Match Box

Fake Man: phenakite, derived from greek word for deceiver

Magic Man: Card Case

Needle Man: Rutilated quartz (it has needle-like inclusions)

Pharaoh Man: Scarab collar pin/cloak clasp

Star Man: Star Saphire?

And that's it from the notes, haha.

[srlgemstone]

Lavender Jade / Purple Jade

Purple Jade

[silverflowerbynidhi]

 A purple gemstone necklace is a stunning piece of jewelry that captures attention with its rich and regal hue. This necklace can feature various purple gemstones such as amethyst, charoite, or sugilite,.Purple gemstones have long been associated with royalty, spirituality, and luxury. An amethyst necklace, for example, is believed to promote calmness, clarity, and protection, while charoite is known for its transformative properties and connection to higher wisdom.These necklaces are available in a variety of designs, ranging from simple, elegant pendants to elaborate multi-stone arrangements set in silver, gold, or platinum. They are versatile accessories that add a touch of sophistication and elegance to any outfit, making them suitable for both everyday wear and special occasions.To maintain the beauty of a purple gemstone necklace, it's important to clean it gently with a soft cloth and avoid exposing it to harsh chemicals or extreme temperatures. Storing it in a lined jewelry box or a soft pouch will help protect it from scratches and damage.A purple gemstone necklace is more than just a beautiful accessory; it embodies a sense of mystery and elegance, making it a cherished addition to any jewelry collection and a perfect gift for loved ones.

[themodernwitchsguide]

altars for nordic gods

keep in mind that altars like these have very little historical backing, and this information is mostly for the use of the modern pagan. also pretty much every god can be honored with offerings of meat, mead, wine, and your own blood.

ODIN

Colors: grey/silver for justice; deep blue, black for magic; red for war

Offerings: nine sacred herbs (chamomile, nettle, fennel, crab apple, mugwort, plantain, watercress, chervil, betony), runes, food for ravens, poetry

Crystals: sodalite, lapis lazuli, amethyst, lepidolite, obsidian, labradorite

Animals: his ravens (Huginn and Muninn), his wolves (Geri and Freki)

THOR

Colors: yellow, white, grey for thunderstorms; red for war; blue for the sky

Offerings: rainwater, hawthorn, oak, garlic, onion, hearty meals

Crystals: fulgarite, blue quartz/calcite, yellow jasper, sodalite, obsidian, hematite

Animals: goats

LOKI

Colors: black, green for mischief; yellow/gold for wealth; red, orange when he is combined with Logi

Offerings: yellow rattle, birch, mistletoe, snake shed, cinnamon, dandelion, coins/money

Crystals: labradorite, jade, malachite, pyrite, citrine, bloodstone, gemstones, serpentine

Animals: birds, horses, snakes, foxes

TYR

Colors: dark blue, silver/grey for justice; red for war

Offerings: holly, mustard seed, bread, oak, ash, good deeds are especially emphasized with Tyr

Crystals: lapis lazuli, sapphire, red jasper, bloodstone, obsidian, hematite

Animals: wolf, dog, bear, eagle

BALDR

Colors: gold/yellow, white for opulence; sky blue, pink for beauty

Offerings: chamomile, daisies, white blossoms, honey, juniper berries, laurel leaves, sunflower

Crystals: sunstone, celestite, selenite, pearl, rose quartz, pyrite, milky quartz

Animals: foal

FRIGG

Colors: blue, silver/grey, white for the moon; yellow/gold for opulence

Offerings: cardamom, allspice, sweet wines, milk, handspun fiber, feathers, moss

Crystals: moonstone, selenite, celestite, pyrite, milky quartz, rose quartz, agates

Animals: falcons, hawks, geese

HELA

Colors: red, orange, black for the underworld; white, grey for the dead

Offerings: white flowers, apples, willow, dark chocolate, coffee beans, mushrooms, clove--leave food until rotten

Crystals: bloodstone, jet, onyx, obsidian, black tourmaline, volcanic stone, red jasper, hematite

Animals: owl, raven, dog, wolf

FREYJA

Colors: red, pink, white for love; green, brown for nature; gold/yellow for her cape; purple, dark blue for magic

Offerings: jasmine, rose, verbena, collecting cat whiskers, honeycomb, fruit, fresh flowers, chocolate

Crystals: amber, petrified wood, agates, garnet/ruby, pyrite, lapis lazuli, rose quartz, emerald, jade, tiger's eye, cat's eye, amethyst

Animals: cats, pigs, horses, falcons

FREYR

Colors: green, brown for nature; yellow/gold for sunshine

Offerings: grain, apples, bread, nuts/seeds, venison, anything phallic, antlers, birch, hawthorn, coins/money

Crystals: green aventurine, agates, petrified wood, jaspers, jade, citrine, zoisite, pyrite

Animals: deer/stag, boar, horse, bee

NJORD

Colors: white, blues for the sea

Offerings: fish, sea salt, shells, beads, tobacco, fishing gear

Crystals: aquamarine, larimar, gemstones, pearls, malachite, sodalite, azurite, iolite

Animals: seabirds, sea mammals

SKADI

Colors: white, light blue for winter; brown for the hunt

Offerings: raw meat, berries, nuts, clear liquors, pelts, antlers

Crystals: milky quartz, bloodstone, blue calcite, chalcedony, jaspers

Animals: arctic fox

[contentloadingandstuff]

Mortuarius - Chapter V

Watcher's eyes flicker with both anticipation and nerves as he carefully attaches the necessary wires, fastening the small, unmarked gemstone to the host body’s spine. He slowly wraps the belts around the column, making sure to tighten them between the vertebrae for the most stability. The polished Shivada Jade shines with promise in the yellowish light of his workshop. 

“I have secured the Delusion to the vessel. Inserting core module, now.” He opens a small belt pouch with his off hand and draws a small, purple crystal from within. 

The skeleton can sense the restlessness of his subordinate’s soul secured within. With a smooth movement he inserts it into the metal frame of the core, stapled to the solar plexus from within. Almost instantly upon unlocking the safety lock it spasms, its eyes blazing with white light. 

Watcher takes a step back, allowing the other liche to slowly rise into a sitting position, and then stand up. 

“I report the mobility to be in order, master.” She flicks her wrists, jumps up and continues to perform test stretches as she speaks. 

“Good.” Within the corner of his eye Watcher spots his assistant, diligently noting every occurrence and procedure. He takes a step back for safety, giving the experiment more area. “Testing Necro conduction.” The female liche stretches out her arm and snaps her fingers. Where a part of the room was once visible, now, in her palm, was a small void - a spot of necrotic energy. She extinguishes it and summons it once more before slashing her hand at an empty wall. A thin, blade-like wave of Necro shoots out and clashes harmlessly against the thick stone. “Necro conduction - check.” 

The assistant notes, and Watcher nods. “Proceed.” “Testing elemental conduction of the Delusion.” She focuses again, only showing with a light flicker of her irises. Slowly, Cryo energy starts to cover her hand with white frost.

Suddenly, a loud crack and a white flash fill the room. Everybody steps back as the researcher’s hand violently cracks, sending arcs of Necro flying through her vessel, sending it into spasms. After a few blinks of their long-gone eyes the skeleton falls limp on the floor, its right arm thoroughly fried by the energy. 

Disappointment is thick in the air. 

“Test failed.” Watcher approaches the remains and, using his ivory cane, turns it over to get a better angle on the limb. It’s cracked all over, the radius is broken, the wires holding the hand in shape have all but melted, scattering the smaller bones all across the floor. The entire construct is a mass of charred bone and melted copper wires. There is no light in the eye sockets of the skeleton. “It appears that, no matter the materials, wiring cannot be used to transfer main elements.” He aims his cane at the left side of the burnt ribcage and strikes it, continuing until the bones give out. Gently, Watcher turns the remnants to uncover the core which, much to his positive surprise, is still intact. The undamaged soul stone within shines with purple light. Watcher leans down and, making sure to avoid contact with anything but the lid, cracks it open. The isolation wires within have melted, protecting the gemstone.  “It seems that the core survived. As stated the wiring has melted, closing the conduit. Congratulations to the Engineering Board.” Watcher stands up and turns back towards his human assistant. Their face is almost as pale as his polished bones. “However this failure concludes our tests.” The mortal scribbles it down, and then looks back up at him. “What should I write in the commentary, master?” Watcher gathers his thoughts and answers in a cold, almost resigned tone. “Write verbatim: With our current means and considering the necessities of a combat-ready design, I conclude that Delusions cannot be adapted to be utilized by vessels at the moment.” The man nods and Watcher turns around to the other members of his team. “Clean the chamber and return Daria to her original vessel. We are done here.” Without another word, he heads for the exit, his subordinates parting before him. Watcher wastes no time and upon leaving the test chamber he turns right and takes off towards the storage room. There was work waiting for him. He requested the quartermasters responsible for managing looted Delusions to provide him with a selection of those that seemed to be altered. Perhaps, he hoped, they could trace those back to their owners who would know how to modify them, and to know how to modify them they would have to know how they worked in the first place. 

But the Fatui were tight-fisted with their secrets. The ordinary soldier had no idea how his regular equipment functioned - Umbra had to search for technicians specifically to simply know what kind of gunpowder they were using. Finding someone who took part in manufacturing Delusions - true Delusions, not the rudimentary trash that is being sold to Watatsumi Island - would be a greater challenge for certain, but one that must be tackled. These fake Visions, although inferior to their natural counterparts, were an immense asset for the Fatui. Their holders didn’t have to be granted the Gods’ favor, research for decades or bind their soul to a Bearer and risk oblivion to become elemental wielders. Such a feat could, for the moment, only be achieved by a handful of liches that have devoted their afterlives to just that goal. Their numbers were miniscule and the amount of elemental affinity they possessed was only on-par with basic Delusions, making them a little more than worthless. 

However long it took, however many Fatui they had to kill, torture, bribe or imprison, The Great One would one day be presented with the schematics, thoroughly soaked in blood of Tsarica’s marionettes. 

The sight of his destination takes him out of his thoughts and back to the task at hand. The guard by the door salutes Watcher as he enters, placing his right arm on his chestplate with the fist tightened. The liche doesn’t bother to acknowledge this gesture - the sentry is not sentient anyway. 

The room is well lit with the yellow light customary for Umbra. Along the smooth stone brick walls are many shelves, heavy with various boxes and crates. Within them was everything that has been recently looted during operations in the mainland or acquired in another way and brought to Umbra on demand. He rummages around his pockets and retrieves a slip of paper, the symbols “E43” written on it with black ink. He quickly looks over the numbers on the shelf labeled with the matching letter and soon finds a medium, wooden box numbered forty-three. Watcher carries it over to the work desk, currently vacant, cracks the container open and gets to work. 

Inside the box are more boxes, this time made of cardboard. Watcher picks one at random and pulls it out. He draws a cutter from the nearby rack and makes quick work of the tape keeping it closed. A handwritten note is revealed to him - authored by the undead he asked to obtain these Delusions. 

This particular one, as stated in the tag, contains unusual colorations on the gemstone. Watcher reaches inside the storage and picks up the stone in question, bringing it up towards the lamps on the ceiling. The light shining through the purple rock does indeed reveal a shimmering, soft green spot within. He turns it around on various sides and, much to his disappointment, finds the shape to be round - perfectly natural. Such gemstones are those that happen to become polluted with the energy of another element, thus becoming an eye-catching-but-useless crafting material.

He tosses it back into the box and reaches for the next package. 

The note states the Delusion contained within gives off unusual readings. 

Very helpful, he thinks as he discards the tag and takes the contents of the box into his hand. Watcher focuses, the world around him soon becoming vibrant with elemental marks of the objects around him. On the gray backdrop of his iron table, the Delusion’s Varunada Lazurite shines a deep blue color… except for one, small line within. 

If his eyebrows were still there, one would certainly be raised now. 

A closer examination reveals the line to resemble a spike - it is thin towards the middle, getting progressively wider as it nears the stone’s outer layer. The decorative casing blocks it from sight, so it is quickly removed as curiosity pulses through his core. 

Indeed, there is a small dot of Electro on the outside. It’s unnaturally blocky for simple pollution to be the case. He clears his mind to return his sight to normal. There is no color gradient around the Electro intrusion, proving that it was everything but natural. 

A modification. A different gemstone has been inserted into the Delusion. The intrusion would surely result in the wielder being electrocuted upon usage, but the effects of the change matter not - he has a lead, something he desired for a time longer than he would like. 

The Watcher turns his attention back to the paper. He skims over the various technical data down to the reported owner of the stone. 

“Alnico Snezhevich.” He mutters with satisfaction. 

Not a moment passes until the name is penned on an order sheet and placed into an envelope. Watcher rips off the protective seal and presses it together, securing the order inside. He calls an assistant. 

The liche taps his skeletal fingers on the desk as he awaits response. Now that moments have passed, his rare excitement gives way to his usual, sad realism. After all, the majority of these Delusions were orphaned after their owners’ untimely and assisted demise. Sending out whole teams specifically to capture these items would be a waste of resources. Besides, killing and capturing were two different matters entirely, with the latter carrying significantly higher risk. They tried it before, only to find that the average user has as much idea about how it works as a flash-risen skeleton has about necromancy. The Fatui kept their secret in a tight fist. 

But if The Great One demands so, then his will shall be done, even if it means breaking that fist and prying the designs from Fatui's cold, dead hands. 

The skeleton comes in and Watcher passes him the note without sparing a glance. That pawn was only one of many potential leads.

As he turns back to his desk, the order leaves the room in the envoy's hand. 

It travels through the brightly lit, cold corridors of the Department of Engineering. It passes between rushing secretaries, strolling officers and various members of the general staff manning the polished stone walls of the building. It is left on a desk when it will be passed down the command chain to the grim undertakers in the field. The journey is interrupted, however, by an unfamiliar, solid hand. A glance at the signature on the envelope decides its fate. On quick feet, the officer makes his way further down the corridor and knocks on a heavy, mahogany door. 

“Come in.” The voice from within beckons. 

The officer straightens out his bandages and opens the door. Through the choking gauze covering his redundant eyes he can see the set up of cards that occupies the dark desk, the centerpiece of his superior's office. Three figures clad in Adarian uniforms stare up at him with palpable irritation at the sudden interruption of their game, each holding their hand of cards. The soldier turns back to the black-clad skeleton before him. The letter is discreetly exchanged for a small pouch without delay, followed by a salute and the younger undead’s departure. 

Waltz closes the door and turns around to face the room. 

“Forgive me, gentlemen, for the disruption.” Waltz reads the signature on the order and takes his place back by the table. “But it seems that somebody's working overtime today.” 

He shows his colleagues the sender. The name sends murmurs of curiosity through the room. Waltz requests a blade with a motion of the hand, and is soon thrown a dedicated letter opener. 

The officer takes a moment to examine the item. The blade has recently been sharpened, evident by the small, black dust still sticking to the edge. On the metal, bright silver from careful polishing, Waltz can see his expressionless skull. Golden lining guides the metal into a hilt crafted out of some animal’s horn. 

Waltz hums in approval. It's almost a shame to use such a fine item for something as mundane as cutting paper, but alas - it is its function. After a theatrical clearing of his long-gone throat, he reads out loud. 

“Institute order. High priority. Capture of Alnico Snezhevich. Effective immediately.”

His card partner, an elder liche by the name of Radny, scoffs. “Does The Librarian have nothing better to do nowadays than chasing orphans?”

An unliving contradiction - that's what he was. Radny, unlike many of his peers, somehow managed to hold off the inevitable erosion that plagued the older castes of Umbra. Liches of his age usually preferred to retreat to their study and read - or simply meditate to pass time, but he was different. One could say that his death was his second youth, filled with risk, betting, bowling, cards and other forms of entertainment unfitting his veterancy. It was Radny that organized these evenings of whist and gossip, and it was he who allowed Waltz to comfortably weave his own web of connections in the Commission. 

For that, he was grateful. Or he would be if these weren't as frequent and as necessary for paving his path up the chain of command. Yet, as they say, you ought to hate the game, not the player. 

Titus, the bandage wrapped Head of Ground Operations, chimes in. “Perhaps he ran out of whims of the Fly Lord to attend to, like the pusher he is. Too bad daddy can't get him any higher.”

Waltz nods his head in approval. Unlike in the favoriting Sunqian Institute of Progress, The Adarian State Commission valued those whose skills and value went beyond that of mere entertainment for its patron. Unlike Adarū, the Fly Lord seemed to care more for amusement than any major development for the cause as a whole - aside from the projects that he personally took an interest in. Those at the top were either used in forwarding his current interests or were nothing more than playthings - after all, Sunqū was known to be a capricious entity, giving out his favor to only those that could beg pathetically enough to make his ancient spirit flicker with an imperceivable smile.

This corruption - if befitting the patron of disease - made a mockery of the Institute in his eyes. Logically, the higher the rank, the bigger the competences of the individual. But unlike his own patron, Sunqū was egotistically focused on his vision of history. The Commission was gathering resources which the Institute was wasting. 

Whatever value this Alnico had, it would certainly be better utilized by Adarū to actually forward the Dethroning instead of being used on a whim and discarded afterwards. 

“And why would Watcher even need this mortal for?” Titus continues. “There's nothing they can do that we can't.”

“Except for Delusions, that is.” Radny adds. 

Titus nods. Quartermaster Sobek, occupying the fourth seat by the table, shakes his head and scoffs.

“And tell me would we even need those in the first place, why don't you?” Sobek collects the cards scattered on the table and begins shuffling them with a gambler’s agility. “We could invest our time and resources into something more worthwhile. Portal technology to name just one.” “If, my friends, the command wants Delusions, then it is reason enough for us to seek them out.” Waltz twirls the letter opener in his hand. “You do not bite the hand that pays.” “Yeah. I suppose so.” Sobek mutters. Waltz’s hand closes around the knife a little tighter as he hears the approval. 

A slacker - that’s who Sobek was. But it wasn’t surprising considering that he was a Sumerian - a man of the desert. What a shame he was good at managing the corps. If Waltz was in charge, he’d certainly dispose of the camel jockey - simply for having been a mercenary. He didn’t quite understand how so much trust and responsibility can be placed into such greedy and visionless hands. His destiny was coin, his deity - the employer. Even despite Sobek’s multi-decade service, Waltz never pushed past his suspicions. 

Partly because he was disgusting - in the physical sense. As many former Sumerians, and especially followers of Deshret (a lesser, desert dwelling idol as Waltz would come to learn), he too decided on preserving his body in a traditional way, thus becoming a mummy. Not really a fan of being a walking museum exhibit, Waltz did appreciate the decency of his Commission peers to cover their disgusting, shriveled features with tight bindings - a kindness that the likes of Sobek did not grant him. Whenever he looked at the undead, Waltz would feel the habitual memory of his lips twisting into a frown of contempt. 

These creatures really did deserve the nickname of “dirty”. 

“Anyway, does the name ring any bells?” Waltz asks, making sure to keep his features sympathetic - even towards the Quartermaster. 

Sobek, having finished shuffling the deck, begins dealing the cards. 

“It does. Recently the Liyue units of Fatui were ordered to capture an individual of the same name, alive. He’s a deserter.” Titus explains, taking his thirteen-card hand. “He made quite a fuss when he left. Almost every order from Liyue contains some mention of him.” The trump card is placed on the table. Three of hearts. “And what’s the reason behind this interest in him? It’s not often you see them so hellbent on recovering a deserter of all people.” Radny plays an ace of hearts. Responding, Titus draws two of clovers. “Allegedly he served under a different Harbinger. From the documents we have we learned that he doesn’t have Tartaglia’s number on his identification. Instead, he has that of the Marionette.”

“Maybe he’s an engineer then?” Sobek plays four of diamonds. “As far as I remember, the seventh has an obsession with electronic junk. If he is a high ranking one at that, then it would make sense for him to be this important.” Seeing as the trick has already been won by his partner, Waltz places down two of hearts. Radny reaches out and scoops up the set, placing it in a neat pile on his left. Another trick begins. “Titus, do you happen to have any leftover paperwork regarding Alnico that I could review?” Waltz asks. 

The other undead nods in agreement. “Yes, but we have only a few raw reports back at the archives. I will have a compilation delivered to you in a few hours. Alnico has been mentioned a few times in order notes, so we can make a solid timeline of where he was at the time of these being sent out.” “Wonderful.” The general’s head tilts in curiosity. “And where did you get them from?”

“See, Felix...” Radny chimes in. “The Fatui have a tendency to, shall we say, keep less than ideal stock of the stuff they deem unimportant. So much so that an original can get accidentally picked up by a random archives worker who accidentally loses it the next day in a previously set location for someone else to accidentally stumble upon.” 

Not surprising, Waltz thinks, considering rank-and-file Fatui belong to one of the most corrupt mortals to walk Teyvat. Even a small amount of Mora can convince them to work with Umbra’s proxy agents. And so the Fatui leak information like a sinking boat, feeding the Commission’s ever swelling archives. 

“I’ll send out the order. As soon as we finish, of course.” Titus smiles. 

“That’s right!” Sobek slaps Titus on the back in a friendly, yet brutish gesture. “Might as well get your money out now boys. You’ve got no chance.”

Radny chuckles in condescending amusement, effectively hiding Waltz’s scoff. His eyes gleam with a gambler’s thrill. 

“You wish, meatbag.”

—

The door is opened by an attendant. A tall figure clad in black marches into the room, his tall boots clicking rhythmically on the marble floor. 

“Ah. There you are, brother.” The ethereal presence of Sunqū greets him. Now back in his usual wear, he makes a wide gesture with his skeletal hand. “Make yourself at home. The show will begin momentarily.”

Pain makes his way deeper into the surgical theater, taking the form of a ring-like structure, snaking around the tall walls of the operation room. Through a thick Venetian mirror, hiding the tribune, nearly a hundred students and professors could observe as the procedure unfolds, both the patient and the surgeons unable to escape their scrutiny. Even the smallest incision and the thinnest of blood vessels would be visible, even from this distance. 

Yet, despite the white-clad surgeons preparing their tools, the audience’s seats were empty. Only Plague and Pain stood above the good doctors. This would be no mere operation, no - it would be a proof of concept. 

Adarū takes off his hat and puts it up on one of the empty clothes hangers. A brief moment of silence passes as he gathers his thoughts. 

Standing over the auditorium, he crosses his arms over his chest. “Any news from Inazuma?” 

“No, not really.” Plague responds plainly, his empty eyes still fixed on the table below. “How so? Have you not just sent an expedition there?” 

“How foolish of you” - he turns his beaked head to face Adarū - “to think I would risk him just for an opportunity to get you an update.”

“Don’t you care for this chance?” Their empty gazes meet. “Or has your wisdom already fallen victim to your folly?”

Plague scoffs. “I do. But we have time. Don’t you know the saying ‘haste makes waste’?”

“Brother, we do not have the time you’re thinking of here.” Pain’s voice raises up in volume, heavy with sternness. “If I were to share your laid back perception of time, the war would have come and gone without us knowing.”

“Oh, don’t be dramatic, you.” 

The condescending look of his older colleague sends a wave of sharp, ripping pain through Adarū’s soul. His figure remains as still as stone, yet the energy within threatens to lash out in every moment. His bandaged hand trembles as the only sign of the internal battle for self control, his unwilling host wild with emotion and eager to express it. Yet his inhuman resolve remains and before long he stomps out the resistance. 

“Problems with your symbiote, Adarū?” His crooked, bloody teeth show, a mimicry of the human smile.  

“She serves her purpose. Now,” the uniform clad Bearer clicks his heels firmly, “if you do not bear news, why have you called me here? My time is limited. Do not jest, get to the point.”

“The reason I have called you here, brother” - he stretches the word mockingly - “is to prove to you that my creation is immaculate. That it is exactly what you need for a breakthrough on the islands. He will be an extension of your will, and you shall soon see that his design is a proof of perfection.”

Plague snaps his fingers, and right then, the doors to the room beneath swing open and a young man is brought in. His anger sizzles down, souls stabilizing as he shifts his attention to the newcomer. 

Accompanied by The Watcher is a tall human, seemingly Umbrian of origin, his skin barely warmer in color than snow. The sharp, youthful features of his face stand out from the uninteresting set of clothing adorning his body. A well defined jawline accentuates the high cheekbones, giving the immortal the pleasant sight of objective symmetry. One of his eyes is wrapped tightly in pristine bandages, just barely starting to leak blood from the plainly recent injury, the other’s gray iris betraying a certain sense of distrust towards the doctors. For a man as young as him, the graying brown of his hair strikes Adarū as unusual. 

“Sakurai Denki.” Pain mutters quietly, appraising his recruit-to-be. “His vessel appears young.”

Plague nods. “Yes, and so is his soul - merely two decades old. But do not think that his age results in naivete or foolishness. He has seen the worst of fate and perished at its hand. The perfect candidate. But, dear brother, observe now the primary advantage Denki will net us.”

Below, the experiment is now presented with a set of new clothes. Watcher gestures at him, imploring Pain to listen in to the whispers of his soul. 

Do change your clothes before we begin, he says. Hygiene is important. 

In response, Denki glances around nervously. Watcher shows him to a curtained off area of the theater - one shielded from the doctor’s sight, but not from the audience’s. As expected, his body is fittingly flawless underneath the fabric - the image of the perfect man, likely derived from some fresco or painting. The image is disturbed by a series of thin, white scars littering his back.

Plague hums to himself. “I don’t remember them being here before.”

However something else catches Adarū’s eye. He focuses his sight, piercing through the room with Elemental Vision. The figures of undead pulse with darkness radiating through their wires, formind strange, humanoid patterns against their gray silhouettes with a concentrated point in their chest - the core. Denki, however, remains as colorless as the tiles and the walls of the room, perfectly sterile of the Necro traces present in undead. 

“Well done.” A nod of approval. “If my eyes don’t deceive me, it seems that the boy is undetectable.”

The other turns his head proudly. “That he is. But there is more.”

The Watcher guides Denki to the operating table. Unlike most of those housed in buildings of the Institute, this one was padded, appearing comfortable even. The only thing corrupting the image were the leather straps hanging loosely off the device, which Denki is promptly assured won’t be necessary. 

Silence fills the room, allowing Pain’s attention to drift fully towards the scene underneath him. The liche continues speaking as the doctors hustle and bustle about, exchanging hands for sterilized ones and carrying out every other, mundane procedure. The operation ahead will help Denki, Watcher assures, will let him see again. 

The black clad figure doesn’t leave the mortal’s side as another walks up and cuts through the bandage with slow, careful movements. They remove the fabric, revealing a mess of raw flesh and blood diluted with tears. A lengthy, clean cut goes through his eyehole, leaving the skin somewhat uninjured but mangling what was once the man’s eye. The white is completely turned crimson red, swollen with blood that’s hastily dripping from the canyon separating his eye in half. The cut went straight through the iris, which was now leaking into the sclera like egg yolk. More blood and clear fluid seeped from the jagged cornea.  

 Denki hisses as it’s pulled off, hands instinctively locking over the armrests. As he blinks on reflex, he whines in agony. Curiously, the eyelid has, too, been separated in half, a significant part of it hanging on by a mere thread of flesh. Each closing of the eye seems to force sharp breaths out of the man. 

We will need to remove the eye. Watcher’s words make Denki’s remaining eye shoot open in concern. A few nervous questions fly towards the liche - will it hurt, does it have to be this way, why… A surgeon draws a small pair of forceps. 

Adarū’s soul pulses with anticipation as they are drawn closer to the eye. Bone fingers force Denki’s eyelids open. His perfect sigh marvels at the instrument’s reflection in the remnants of the separated pupil, the tool just seconds away from being forced into his skull and-

The tool clatters to the floor along with the hand holding it as sparks of Necro energy fly across the room. Before the surgeon can back away and out of range, Denki slashes his hand across their torso, letting out elemental energy that vaporizes bone and cloth. The remnants clutter to the floor, no longer held together by the fragmented core. With gritted teeth stained by blood pouring from his eye, Denki turns his attention to the other skeletons. Watcher backs away, looking puzzled towards the two bearers, awaiting orders. Plague’s face remains, smiling as the subject raises his hand, blocking the black fire thrown at him by another undead. It burns his skin, chewing through the delicate meat and revealing the muscle below. Denki howls with pain but retaliates still with a devastating kick to the knee. Before the undead can land on the ground Denki snatches his head and, using it to hold the skeleton in place, stomps repeatedly on his chest until the bones turn lifeless. As the last doctor flees the room, only Watcher and Denki remain, face to face. 

The man turns towards the door, but a burst of Cryo flies right by his ear, impacting the handle and freezing the lock in place. Denki stumbles back on reflex and turns his face sharply towards Watcher. 

Get back! He commands, rage twisting his features as he sends a colorless lightning flying towards Watcher who instantly summons an ice shield. The energy bounces off and strikes the wall, sending tile shards flying as it violently explodes on contact. Watcher dashes forward, gathering ice in his off hand as he uses the shield to its fullest. With a deafening crack, Denki sends another lightning, and another, and another, each bouncing in different directions, shattering stone and melting metal where they hit. Unaffected, Watcher steps forward, speaking calming words to no effect. Denki’s attacks grow fiercer and more desperate by the second to no effect as he keeps backing up towards the wall, knocking over equipment trays and vials, trying to get as far from the liche as he can. Watcher remains stone cold and measured in his movements. When he finally stands in the clear, he sends a surge of Cryo at the man’s feet, freezing them to the ceramic floor. Denki shouts in pain and, instead of continuing his attack, fires the lightning at his feet, only to find it bounces off the ice. His attention turns back to Watcher, now standing still before him, shield still in hand. 

Stand down. We need to heal you. Do you want to remain half blind? The questions, although flung with sternness, seem to affect the man. Gradually his rage turns into panic. He starts muttering ‘no’ in a pain-stricken voice, panicking as he tries to free himself. Please. Leave me alone. Please. 

A gloved hand locks onto the pillar before him as Adarū watches, reveling in Denki’s begging. It won’t get him nowhere, he knows that. It’s all the more entertaining, seeing him hold his hands over his throat as grenadiers finally burst through the locked door and move to seize him. With little effort Watcher pries Denki’s hands away from himself, letting the lightning strike harmlessly into the ceiling. The Guardian breaks the ice, releasing Denki’s frosted and raw feet from their confinement. Unable to hold him up, they give in, sending Denki tumbling to the ground. Before his face meets the stone, Watcher catches the man in his grasp. Denki clings to his robes, blood and tears mixing on his face as he begs for the final time. 

Please. 

The guards grab Denki under the shoulders and pull him back. In response to his sobbing, Watcher shakes his head. 

No. 

New doctors arrive through the door as Denki is forced onto the chair. One by one, his wrists and ankles are bound with leather straps, the undead completely indifferent to his distress. A pair of scissors and pliers is selected from the spare instruments. Skeletal hands hold Denki’s head as Watcher places a strap over his neck and forehead, tightening both without a word of consolation. The only thing the mortal can do is plead as surgical hooks are drawn towards him, and wail as they are hooked into his eyelid, pulling the tattered flaps of skin apart. His eye is ripe for the picking. As the metal clamps are forced under and over his eye, the sensitive organ is squished, sending a mix of blood and tears rushing out of the wound. With a firm pull, the eye is dislodged from its socket, connected to his body only by the thick strand of the ocular nerve. 

The doctors pour something into his hollow eye socket. Denki’s breathing is sharp, irregular, his mind barely comprehending the events around him. His screaming grows gradually weaker as his throat fills with blood, raw and torn. He coughs up some of it, the fluid coming out pitch black, barely a tint of red in each droplet. The sharpness of pain radiating from his face has now started to turn into a dull ache, his nerves overwhelmed, white hot with agony. 

Adarū sighs in pleasure as he feels Denki’s soul writhe and twist, the tortured wailing filling his ears feeding his very being.  

A snap of scissors. Denki spits black blood all over his gown. His body rises with convulsions, the fluid now leaking from his nose and his healthy eye. It feels his mouth, throat and lungs, robbing him of breath. Watcher shouts out to his colleagues, immediately lowering the table and unbuckling Denki’s neck. As he is tilted to the side, the contents of his lungs spill out onto the floor. Adarū takes in the vibrant darkness of Necro contained within the stain. 

After that, the boy’s tremors die down. The doctors watch on, anxiously as he simply stops. He goes limp. The strong pulses of excruciating sensation cease emanating from Denki’s soul. 

Pain scoffs in disappointment. “He’s gone into shock... What a shame.”

He takes a deep breath. The host’s memory of a heart throbs senselessly, wild with excitement and pleasure. What a feeling, he thinks. Mortal emotion, experienced with the vessel, not just the soul. He senses something, as if his body was soaked in hot water. Unsure he touches his uniform and bandaged body, finding no trace of either.  He is cold and dry to the touch. 

Adarū lets go of the pillar and takes a stumbling step back.

Plague chuckles, looking at his fellow deity with a smug gaze. “Riveting, I’m sure. It’s been a while since you’ve enjoyed unrequited and genuine agony, has it not?”

He spoke true. Pain wasn’t really interested in pursuing the pleasure of his element, hence his vessel was rarely a physical one. It was undeniable. “The boy suffered greatly.”

“He is strong, brother.” Sunqū replies. “He will think nothing of it, I assure you.” Plague gestures towards the lower ring of the auditorium again. “Observe now, for you’re about to witness the second marvel of his body.”

Adarū turns his attention back to the operating table. The old, battered eye is tossed into a bin as a small box is drawn from a Cryo box. As it is opened, a new, green eye with an ocular nerve is revealed. A surgeon halves the length of the new implant to match the leftover stump, before taking the eye and placing its nerve right against the other. Another applies a few drops of a translucent fluid. Right away, the flesh writhes like tendrils as it grows outwards from the cut, extending itself and latching onto the other. The eye is then placed back into the socket. 

“His body can be repaired. There is no injury, safe for total destruction of the vessel, that we would not be able to revert. Brain, eyes, organs, and entire limbs can be replaced, just like a machine’s parts.” 

Pain, having fixed up his uniform, asks as he continues observing the finishing touches. “And in case of annihilation, can his soul be recovered?”

The doctors dislodge the hooks from Denki’s skull, allowing them to be lifted up alongside the damaged eyelid. With a few careful movements of scissors they are removed. They don’t bleed anymore, much to Adarū’s amusement. From the same box, two fresh eyelids of healthy, peachy skin color are drawn. Just as the nerve, they are quickly fused to the eye using the identical compound. 

“I have a few replacement bodies stored in the freezer. But as for his soul…”

Sunqū reaches into his robe and under his armor, scaring a few roaches out of hiding. He draws a small crystal, stored within a glass tube. 

“Out of all of us, you have the best chance at controlling him. Pain is all he’s known for years.” Pain takes the vial into his hand. Beneath the thin walls of the Soul Crystal floats a tiny point of light. “And I will make sure it remains so, don’t you worry.” Without further ado, Pain crushes the vial and the crystal inside within his grip. The spark flies through his fingers, making soundless spirals in the air as it reaches upwards towards the skies, trapped behind tonnes of stone and iron of Castra. Invisible tendrils of his power encase it in their grasp and pull them towards him. He feels a pulse of sounds, smells, images - memories as his soul absorbs yet another into his collection. 

He can sense his presence. 

“He is mine.” He drops the crystal and glass, scattering it all over the ground. “I appreciate your talents, and promise to use your creation for only fitting purposes.”

“Gladly.” Plague nods, eagerly soaking in the praise. “Do not forget that he is still mine. But rest assured, I won’t hog his time.”

“Of course.”

With that, Adarū turns to retrieve his headpiece from its resting place. He affixes it to his bandage-bound head, pushing the two soft protrusions on its side underneath the cap.” “Have you prepared everything I asked for?” He questions.  “No need to worry. Denki will be ready in two, three months.” “How daring of you. Very well. Just don’t break him this quickly.”

Before Adarū leaves, he casts one last glance at the mortal. His unresponsive body, moved to a stretcher, is carried out of the room.

“Fortune favors the bold, Adarū.”

Thank you for reading.

[can-of-pringles]

Alright, I said I would do it. My OC pairings and their engagement rings and wedding rings. Any pairings I exclude I just haven't gotten that far in planning any of that.

Silas x Copia:

Copia would propose to Silas with this ring [gold with a forest-y tree theme with two birds on each side, in the middle a light green oval gemstone]:

And then I think they'd have a matching pair of this as their wedding rings? I tried finding something that wasn't just a plain gold band but made sure the design wasn't too out there [A gold band with an art deco-inspired engravement around it].

Arith x Iriel:

Arith proposes to Iriel but they decide no against a ring because they figured it might be too obvious. They just have plain gold wedding bands. But they'd choose something with a hidden engraved phrase. I think Arith's would say "my moon" and Iriel's "my sun" or Arith's would say "always" and Iriel's "forever"

I'm not sure specifics yet.

Kaia x Odel:

Kaia proposed to Odel. And the ring probably looks like this [A gold ring with tiny diamonds placed all around it, a circular icy white jade stone in the middle]:

These are what their wedding rings look like. [Matching clear resin bands with gold and dark blue pressed flowers inside].

Marigold x Peter:

Marigold proposes to Peter with this ring [A silver band with a section of small silver gemstones going around it fitted inside]:

And Peter's wedding ring is gold while Marigold's is silver, it's an opposite matching kind of thing. Because silver=Peter and gold=Marigold. [A gold band with plant leaves engraved around it and a silver band with plant leaves engraved around it with tiny diamonds]

Rosie x Allison:

They decided to both get engagement rings because it was a more spur-of-the-moment thing where they kinda proposed to each other.

Their engagement rings are different but their wedding rings match.

Allison's is blue while Rosie's is purple (their favorite colors) [A gold ring with small silver gemstones in it that stick out a little and a rectangular blue topaz gemstone in the middle. Other ring is a gold ring with small silver gemstones on each side clustered together with a teardrop-shaped light purple gemstone in the middle]:

And their matching wedding ring [a gold ring with slight floral designs cut out of it, two small diamonds, one on each side, in the middle a silver teardrop-shaped silver gemstone]:

[coeluvr]

Regarding the eye colors, could I make a suggestion for the eye color of the Elyirse royals

Now that I think about it, the *special* eye colors can be matched to gemstones (not thinking of symbolism, just trying to use as a stepping stone)

Red (Ruby), Orange (Amber), Mint green (Jade?), Pale blue (Aquamarine?)

Maybe the eye color could be another gemstone? I keep thinking of purple eyes, so maybe amethyst?

I'm sorry if the suggestion is unwelcome. Please feel free to ignore this. I'm also sorry for the pun.

That's so cool actually! I'll look into more gemstones hehe 🤭 Thank you for the suggestion, anon!

[b1adie]

I don't know how to feel about the fact that Stonehearts don't seem to be using their gemstone's colour in their their outfits

with Topaz it was somewhat passable, topazes come in many colours and yellow, orange and red aren't that far apart (plus she's a fire unit)

Aven has a mix of brown, white and gold to go along with his green, but green is still the colour that stands out

but Jade, bbygirl, what is this?

She is the one who basically "hires" Aven for the IPC. Then you have the whole plan with tricking Sunday and how it worked, because "aventurine and jade look similiar and can be used as substitutes". You would think that their designs would reflect that, reflect their conection, but alas

i guess it could be because she's Quantum? (purple jades apparently are a thing, but then why is her Cornerstone green?)

yeah topaz being mostly red themed is odd but well i like her color scheme and she does look unique. aventurine has a lot of teals and blues which… eh, close enough? but jade is all deep purply-blue and pink, which…? it’s not giving me anything. it doesnt look like “jade” nor does it look like “woman who will make you suffer”. its like. someone’s young aunt who went to fashion school and writes articles for a magazine now