#the eternally young scarlet moon

[sacrilegious-divinity]

me: i wish i could articulate my feelings better :/

remilia scarlet from touhou 6 embodiment of scarlet devil:

[aculka-the-shark]

The Eternally Young Scarlet Moon

______________________________

Remilia my beloved bloodsucker🦇

I was somewhat inspired by shoujo illustrations lately) Also wanted to draw something really complex and detailed))

Close-ups under cut

[thedarkheretic156]

VIII Eternal Flame VIII

The final moon before the feast dawns on the young demigod, and with it, it's threatening consequences.

Parts: ❧ I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX❧

Warnings: Fem Afab reader, she/her pronouns. Angst, mentions of death, violence, slight nsfw (if you squint).

Even as a child, I remembered how the fire dancers in the east would tell stories of the old. Their fires in hues I had never seen before. Deep crimsons and pale yellows with greens that rivalled rain forests. That was the first time I realised that every flame was different. 

The dancers moved and their long braids swished around them, their movements sharp and lithe, not missing a beat. Fire dancing was an old tradition, performed every year, one night before the feast of manana. It was called the ceremony of the Khar-moon, the incomplete moon.

It was less a form of entertainment and more of a ritual, a portrayal of faith towards the Goddess. They said that the performers practiced all year long just for those few minutes on stage. And it never failed to take my breath away, twirling on the stage, aglow with the torches behind them, the dancers looked like flames personified.

This year, I knew the story well. It was the same boring text my aunt had grated into my brain. She would even sit me down and make me recite it over and over, until the words clouded my thought the moment, I closed my eyes. So, it wasn’t surprising that I recognised it at once. They were telling the tale of ‘the hearth’. The beginning of all life. Or what we understood of it. 

The dancer dressed as the hearth was in silver and orange, their eyes lidded, a beacon of peace and tranquillity. The music fanned, low and rhythmic as the singer began the first song.  Their clear voice rang out, rippling through the crowd.

My palms sunk into the grass as I leaned forward eagerly. My aunt swatted my ankle, “sit properly!" but the swelling music drowned out her voice.

They sang of how every fire was born from the Hearth. Each eventually taking different forms. Dancers dressed in gold twirled around the Hearth. The fire of the stove, I recognised. Gold bangles glittered around their wrists as they moved, calling fire that looked like molten gold, its flames docile and controlled.

The music shifted suddenly, becoming faster, louder just as a dancer in scarlet jumped high from between them, red flames curling around their wrists. The flame that lights the torch for war.

All the flames gathered around the hearth and bowed deeply. Paying respect to the one that birthed them. And that’s the end of the story, I thought.

“Can we leave, father? -” I started and my aunt hissed me into silence. I furrowed my brow; was there more?

It was then that another dancer jumped up front, my heart jumped at the sudden action. Their clothes were blue, flowing around them like water, replicating the shades that flickered within my flames.

It was a harsh contrast to the others dressed in shades saffron. A stranger, an anomaly.

I remembered feeling a pit in my stomach, the curiosity I had for the play suddenly dissipating like someone had put out a candle.

My flames were blue.

And I wasn’t told this part of the story.

It did not bow to the hearth, the dancer flicked their blue robes arrogantly, the fabric rising like the audacious plume of a peacock. I gulped nervously as my aunt finally pulled me back on the seat. I heard her mutter sharply but my father shushed her down,

"Leave her be Hathor." He grumbled.

I felt my breath shallow. As the head clan, I sat with my family at the very front. Placed closest to the stage, second only to the Gods. It was the highest honour, something to wear with pride, yet I wanted to crawl away. I couldn’t help but curl my fist around my father’s robes in anticipation. While every eye was on the performer, I was the one who felt the burn of their gaze.

The blue flame was different. I was told I was born with divinity. But there was nothing divine about this flame Without a shred of warmth, something born in hell, far away from the fire of a hearth.

The flames that dance on a pyre.

An immortal bound in death.

Even now, years later, as I stared at the Khar-moon high in the sky I couldn’t help but remember the performance, the fire dancers, and the pit in my stomach.

One night before the feast of manana.

I tore my eyes away from the moon, no point in brooding over that now. I looked over at Sesshomaru and he was already halfway down the hill. Prideful steps, not even bothering to look over his shoulder. So, it had taken him about 4 seconds before he went back to his mutt like ways.

I shook my head, gathering the hem of my kimono so I wouldn’t trip and land on his head. Rin and Jaken could be anywhere down the mountain. And it was about time I greeted them.

❧ 

“It’s a human village.” I realised, “We’re staying here?” I asked, genuinely surprised. Sesshomaru and his disgust towards humans was more than apparent, why in the world would he set camp in a human village?

His eyes looked back as I trotted up to him. In the darkness of the night, it was hard to tell, but there something haunting about this place. I pulled my eyes towards the village again. There was a morbid silence that coveted the landscape. The small bamboo knit cottages looked empty, abandoned. Like a painting standing still before us, there was nothing alive in this village.

“It’s been deserted…” I stated. A strange nervousness settled in me,

“Humans.” He said, his voice basically a pained sigh, “cowardly creatures.” 

I started back at him in horror, what kind of a person thinks a deserted human village is a good resting spot? Even I knew that humans emptying out entire villages was bad news. And not just the ayakashi kind, the apocalyptic prophecy kind.

“It better not be plagued.” I tell him,

Sesshomaru just scoffed in response, “Try and keep up.” He replied, “I won’t come searching for you a second time.”

I gave him a sarcastic smile before starting to walk.

A singular fire burned in the still landscape, like a dying ember. Despite everything that had happened in this short period, I had always found myself back here. Maybe it was suiting that I spend my last night with them. The khar moon was already high in the sky, and I could feel the exhaustion of the travel weigh down on my shoulders. I dragged my feet down, trying to push unnecessary thoughts away. Spending your last night in a plagued town. I thought, how poetic.

❧ 

Jaken cried more than Rin. Which was surprising.

“W-what a r-relief.” Jaken sobbed out loudly, I looked over at the goblin grinning, “You did miss me how cute.”

Rin ran into an embrace, her wiry arms clutching onto my kimono like she was afraid to let go again. There wasn’t anything childlike in the way she cried, no angry tears, no broken sobs, just silent tears of relief. I stood frozen in my place, just…unsure. My arms felt like lead, and in that moment despite how glad I was to see the human child alive I couldn’t make myself show it.

Something tugged at my heart, but I pushed it aside at once.

Humans are delicate creatures. Death comes to them swiftly, whisking them away like they never existed. Befriend them and you live on with their ghosts.

I patted her head awkwardly, “Hey it’s okay.” I said. “I’m okay.”

The child pulled away reluctantly, she nodded wiping a runny nose with the back of her hand, “are you s-sure?” she sobbed out.

I stepped back so I could give her a turn, “All good, see?”

Rin gave me a skeptical look, “You don’t look very good.” She replied.

I threw back my head and laughed, my voice ringing out in the midnight sky. I looked down at the kimono I was wearing. It was one of Sango’s pink ones, and I had really put it through hell and back. “Do you have a spare?” I asked jokingly.

Rin peeked a smile watching me laugh, a sense of relief rushing to her face. “Follow me!” she chirped, the old self I knew slipping back. I grinned at the little skip in her step as she sprinting down towards the cottage. “It’s the one behind the big tree!” she said giddily, pointing towards a bamboo knit cottage. I grabbed the hem of my kimono, not realising the easy smile lacing my lips and ran after her.

❧ 

Jaken patted down his own tears, “I’m so glad you found her Lord Sesshomaru!” He said, “Rin must be so relieved now.”

Sesshomaru grunted in response, watching the human child skip towards the cottage and the woman clutching on to the all too big kimono to keep up with her. The two of them laughed, bare feet skidding on the dew-covered grass. A human world of their own.

It had been less than a month since the strange woman had appeared, Sesshomaru shook his head, he had saved her. He assured himself. Returned her safely, yet the daiyokai couldn’t seem to quiet his thoughts. The haunting stories of the infamous blood moon somehow sneaking up on him, ringing constantly at the back of his mind.

He tossed his hair over his shoulder, turning away. Once the wretched crimson moon had passed us, he thought, It’ll be quiet again.

❧ 

Rin grinned wide, stretching out her hands to show all the space we suddenly had. This cottage was way better than any we had come across before. With all the travelling and avoiding humans, there was hardly any liveable spaces to begin with. Much less an entire village. Rin dug into one the chests in the cottage pulling out spare clothes, they had even left clothes behind. 

This place… its like the humans had just randomly disappeared into thin air. They had left everything behind. Clothes, pots of grains and rice, children’s toys scattered on the grass like they had disappeared while playing.

I jumped as Jaken snored loudly in the background. This sound I had not missed.

Rin giggled at my expression, “Master Jaken couldn’t sleep at all, while you weren’t here.”

“That’s…” I started, “Surprising.” 

I took the new kimono Rin had offered me, finally pulled off Sango’s borrowed one I had on. Man I had really put these poor clothes through the apocalypse. Every time I got a new one, I’d just get attacked by something or the other.

Rin’s eyes pinned on the bandages, wide with worry,

She opened her mouth but the words seemed to hang in her throat.

“Someone very skilled helped me with it.” I assured her, although I didn’t know if kagome’s grass medicine could be categorized as very skilled, it had saved my life like it was ambrosia of the Gods. 

Naraku’s poison had quite literally charred through my skin, clumped out the flesh. Nothing I hadn’t seen before, but this mortal body didn’t heal the way my ayakashi one did.

“Does it still hurt?” she asked timidly.

“No.” I lied. 

Her thumbs fiddled with the hem of the checkered fabric, “Who was the woman that attacked us?”

“Does it matter?” I asked. “We run into ayakashi all the time.” I said, She was so young. I thought, at her age all I cared about was chasing fire birds and setting yokai on fire. She shouldn’t feel the need to carry that much.

“This one unfortunately was the bad kind, that’s all” I tried to convince her, the lesser she knew about all this mess the better.

Rin’s face fell regardless, 

What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I just thought…” Her voice wavered, lower lip quivering as she pulled on a brave façade, “I thought you got hurt.” She completed finally.

I turned on my side to look at her. Her eyes looked glassy from the tears, the runny nose and ears red from the cold, bony elbows sticking out of the blanket and a swelling mosquito bite on her cheek.

“No one would tell me what happened.” she said quietly. “Then Lord Sesshomaru left too, and I just had to wait here.” She completed.

Sudden anger flared in me, after everything she had witnessed, all he did was take off without a word? At least I was trying to make up lies.

“But it wasn’t just that.”  Rin replied, cheeks puffed from trying not to cry, “It was that other thing.”

I turned my head towards her, “What do you mean?”

Rin’s face paled, uncertainty flickering in her eyes, “I don’t know what it was.” She started,

And I felt my heart drop. “I-, I think I saw something when we met that woman in the forest.”

“It wasn’t her, it felt darker,” her voice quivered, “Meaner, like there was something more than just the lady before us.”

She gulped, eyes glazing as she tried to remember, “It was all around her looming over the forest, like a spider made of shadows,” she said softly. 

I felt myself holding my breath.

“It’s like I could feel how-” Tears welled up in her eyes again, “Wei, it wanted to hurt you so badly.” She croaked out.

Something bitter curled in my mouth,

Rin shook her head, her voice got very low, “I don’t even know if it was real, or I’m going crazy.”

She sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand, “but I know what I felt. I know it, even though I couldn’t see” her brow knitted in frustration, “And even though master Jaken said it was in my head.” her eyes finally met mine, she shuddered, “Am I crazy?”

I stared at her, out of all the things I thought she would have to say…

“You’re not crazy.” I told her, knowing that I should probably just agree with Jaken and tell her she dreamed it. Keeping her away from all of this mess was the best mercy I could grant her. And yet I couldn’t make myself lie to her. At the end of it she deserved to know the danger before us, something we would soon be facing down whether I like it or not.

“The spider…” my voice trailed, how much of everything do I even tell her. “He exists.” I confirmed.

Just the memory made the scars on my chest sting, “and he did want to hurt me.”

I pulled my eyes to the shadows on the hay roof of the cottage, dancing in the dark like the curling legs of the spider. His strength had completely caught me off guard and the helplessness I had felt in his clutches still haunted me. I hated to admit it but the thought that I would probably be dead before I see him again was relieving.

“Why?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

I shook my head, “What matters is that he couldn’t.” But he will try again and again. If he wants hellfire then I’m his only link to it. I pursed my lips,

Rin’s silence rang of hesitation.

“Lord Sesshomaru can protect us from him.” She finally said, trying to sound dutiful.

“Yeah.” I mimed out absently. Honestly I’d like to think that too. Sesshomaru hadn’t ever shown me the extent of his powers, But if Inuyasha and the others don’t stop him from mining that ore, maybe even the daiyokai of the east won’t be able to stop him.

“Could you sense him too?” she asked hopefully, “The way I did?”

I shook my head, “Not really.”

Thinking back to the encounter, my reaction was purely instinctual, I hadn’t even noticed naraku’s powers until after I was already in his void. It wasn’t uncommon for humas to see demons. But it was nearly impossible for them to sense their magic. And Rin had seen naraku’s miasma even before he had shown up.

My heart felt heavy, now the coincidences were getting too cruel.

“But,” I started, my mouth felt like sandpaper, “There are some humans who can see and sense more than others.” I told her.

In the east we called it the gift of Manana, blessed by the moon with the power of premonition. Someone who could see terrible things before they actually happened. Wei, the real Wei, had the same powers.

I gave her a pained smile, “Just think of it as a gift.”

Rin looked horrified, “I don’t want it.” She croaked out. “I don’t ever want to see anything like that again.”

“It’s not all too bad.” I replied, “I knew someone who had a similar ability. She could sense things, before they actually happened.”

Not that it prevented her death, I thought bitterly.

“So, I can learn how to control it?” Rin asked.

Wei had learned to control it, I remembered. It was painted in my mind like an ink scroll painting.

Her eyes lidded as she sat before the fire, and her face crinkling as I broke her meditation. She would hiss out of frustration when I continued to egg her on, her leaf green eyes opening wide, “even the toddlers in the village know better, y/n, Toddlers!”

I averted my eyes painfully, “I guess you can.”

Rin flexed her fingers as if expecting the magic to show up on her palms, “How do I do that?”

“I don’t know.” I replied quickly, pushing away the torrent of emotions that often-accompanied Wei’s memories.

“Maybe you could ask your friend.”

“No.” I replied sharply.

I can’t ask her. Not anymore.

They would have gotten along. I had realised that the moment I had met Rin. wet tears slipped down my cheekbones sliding over the shell of my ears.

"Wei are you crying?" Rin's sleep heavy voice called out,

I felt my vision grow cloudy. 

"No." I sniffled.

Rin hand threw an arm over my torso, "it's okay" the child mumbled, "I missed you too."

“You say you wouldn’t do that for anyone.” She had sniggered, twirling the scared bells around before bonking it on my head,

I pushed her hand away angrily and she had laughed, “But I bet you’d do that for me.”

I sat up suddenly. 

“Where are you going?” Rin asked,

“Go to sleep.” I told her, I ran a hand along the nape of my neck, it was drenched in sweat. The cottage was too warm, and my mind was too heavy with the thoughts. I pulled my hair up in a knot. It was my last night before my death, and I didn’t want to spend it under a covered roof.

❧

The spring looked prettier than usual, but it didn’t help that the water in it was biting cold.

I groaned as I lowered myself in the spring slowly. With the full moon on the morrow, there was no scarcity of moonlight. A view like that would have enchanted anyone, mortal or not. I sank into the numbing cold water, my fingers trailing over my arm absently. This body the curse had put me in had only started to feel like mine. It was brittle and lanky, so weak I dared not test its limits. But I had surprised myself with everything it did withstand.

Maybe it wasn’t that easy to kill humans after all.

With everything I had survived, I wondered how exactly death would come for me under the moon tomorrow. I let my head roll back in thought. I didn’t even have the capacity to think how I was to die tomorrow. I took in a deep breath pulling myself under the surface.

It felt calm underwater, the water cancelled out the sounds of the forest. God, what would I give to fall asleep under the surface just like this. This would be a nice death, like you’re drifting away to sleep. It would be a sad death; they probably wont even sing of me in the east. I stayed under water until my lungs screamed for air, eventually bopping my head up over the surface.

“human.”

His sight just left me frozen,

What the actual fuck was he doing here now.

It was a little pathetic how much I ogled him as he lowered himself into the spring slowly.

His body was that of a warrior, honed over the years, stripped with scars, some fading some brazen. I couldn’t imagine how many stories he had to tell about just the scars on his arms.

I tried to keep my eyes on his torso, trying not to dip any lower than the magenta marks around his waist.

But while the chilly mist rising from the spring was thick, it was not opaque enough. His shamelessness in my presence was surprising, but then again, he probably thought of me like a bug. Who covers themselves in front of insects?

Even in the hot spring, he settled down like a king on a throne. His silver hair pooled around him like molten starlight. With the damp hair matted across his forehead, and the slitted amber eyes peeking through the bangs, he looked every bit the god they painted him in the folk tales.

I averted my eyes awkwardly, heat rushing to my face. My body remembering the time he had actually let his reatsu out after we had hunted the boar. The way it had crawled over my senses, overwhelming me until I could feel it in the back of my throat- stop it. I screamed at myself, pressing my thighs together.

“What are you doing here?!” I snapped at him. Even after being in a human body my demon instinct still persisted and I did not have the time to deal with how badly my ayakashi-self wanted to ride him.

“Your scars.” He stated casually,

I looked down finally realising that I was also naked before him. I gulped, “urm, yes.” I replied awkwardly. In the moonlight it looked even worse than it actually was.

“It’s still poisoned.” He stated. “I can still smell his miasma off of you.”

I winced as he said that, brushing my fingers over the wounds. I had been afraid of that being the case, even without my ayakashi senses, I could feel the poison in the wounds, keeping them from healing properly. Remanets of his disgusting magic that have permanently branded themselves on my body.

“It will only fade in his death.” I sighed, a miasma like that is connected to an ayakashi’s soul.  

“You won’t have to wait too long for that.” He replied.

I felt very cold, “What do you mean?” I whispered out.

His voice sent chills ran down my spine. “Isn’t it obvious?” he snarled out, “I am going to seek out the spider.”

My jaw slacked, “what do you mean seek him out?”

His eyes flicked towards me, already annoyed, “Do you think I’m a coward that sits back silently, Human?” he growled,

I shook my head, “You cannot defeat him.”

He snarled in reply, the sound making the hair on my arms stand.

“Not another word-” He growled out.

I felt a lump in my throat as his amber eyes narrowed, they were truly a beautiful colour, I forced myself to think clearly, “You don’t know what he’s capable of.” I told him.

Sesshomaru grunted, “How strong he seemed to a human like you is irrelevant.” He replied, “To so much so as look at someone under my protection was a death sentence.”

“He will pay for this insolence towards me. For even thinking of challenging me. For a spider like that to do this…” he growled out, “How humiliating.”

What stung my heart was how familiar it all was. His words, ego masquerading as nobility. How selfish the words truly sounded.

It sounded like me.

“To you?” I scoffed out, my voice low.

“I am standing here and I can fucking feel what he did to my body.” I told him, the scars, the phantom pain, the fear will never wash away. “And you have the audacity to talk about how he slighted you?”

My breathing was heavy and angry. “Because that’s what it is, isn’t it?” I said, “you’re just worried about what the world will think of you, the great daiyokai bested by a spider.”

Tears pricked at my eyes, “She used to tell me revenge is selfish, and I… I just couldn’t understand her.” I mumbled out.

My shoulders slumped; I am a fool.

All my fucking life, I had created an idea of myself. The great demigod, a ruthless warrior, and I had truly believed I was meant to live that life. But in the end, it had all been so meaningless. What had that gotten me? I had lived through my immortal life haunted by Wei’s voice, buried under the weight of her death. Tortured by just the thoughts of all that could have been. The whole truth shattered around me into a million pieces. 

I buried my face in my fingers, my legs going very weak.

“What I thought would give her peace, was truly just a step I took for myself. I should have pressed that ego down. I should have stayed with her, somewhere I knew it was what my heart wanted. But I was scared that the act would be called too cowardly.”

“I failed her.” I completed. “I failed her in every way.”

The taunting voices in my head were dead silent.

“Tell me Sesshomaru.” I asked him, “Do you wish to kill him because by attacking me he questioned your authority? That you felt emasculated that someone under your protection was taken from right under your nose. Or is it truly because you wish to bring someone justice?”

He stared at me silently as I continued.

“There’s a difference, you know. A difference I just realised existed.” I shook my head, giving out a dry laugh.

“One you do for your own ego, to put someone who has defied you in their place. To tell the world that you aren’t the coward. The second…” my voice trailed away. Why hadn’t I understood such a simple thing when she was alive?

“What of the second, human?” he hissed out.

I looked up at the daiyokai sadly, “The second you do out of love.”

He actually laughed, which I soon realised was a lot more horrifying than his poker face.

He turned his head away, “It’s this trait of you humans that I cannot understand. You worry too much about your fragile lives, it’s foolish, weak.” 

I frowned, my own anger bubbling up to the surface.

“Not only that, you begged me to abandon you to save her.” He continued.

His amber eyes slitted, the mountains around us seemed to shift, “you are fooled if you think you’re not weak.”

 He’s exactly like me.

Rein in your temper daughter of the hills, the voices sang,

But you can’t put out fires from hell.

"You talk of how I'm lesser for saving Rin, yet you came crawling to search for me remember?!" I said pointing a wrinkly finger at him,

Sesshomaru looked like I had just slapped him across his face. The water around me chilled. I knew the moment I should stop yapping, but my bitter temper just continued to pour out.

“You’re the one that’s weak and cowardly.” I snarled out. “Cowering away under the guise of arrogance when all you have is your empty honour. Even the measly humans you seem to hate show more chivalry.”

His growl rang in my ears as he charged. Within a second his fingers were curled around my throat, pinning me down.

His hair fell around me like a rain of starlight, his ragged breath fanning my face as his fangs slipped out. My heart hammered in my chest, as he spoke, “You have constantly, tested my patience human.” His grip tightened around me, nails digging into my skin.

“Do it.” I spat out. The anger in his eyes flickered, taken aback with something of the same ferocity staring back. After everything I had gone through, with my death facing me down tomorrow, did he think a tantrum would scare me?

 “You’re only angry because I’m right.” I gurgled out. “Wei tried telling me that.” I told him, watching his brow furrow with confusion. His grip loosened and I pushed him away.

,It may be that mortal lives are delicate, but they aren't like flowers that wilt away. Many like battle scars leave their mark. They are immortalised in memories, daughter of the hills. Even bound to death, they are worth living.

“Maybe my death will make you realise that.”

❧

I strode towards the camp angrily, in my rage I hadn’t even dried myself, just draped my kimono over my body, screamed at him and left. 

I cringed a little, such dramatics. Couldn’t have just dried myself before making such impactful exit. Now the clothing along with me was sopping wet, water dripping down at my feet making small puddles as I walked back.

Something rustled making me halt. As I stared, a strange figure seemed to loom around the opening of the groove.

I furrowed my brow, the silhouette looked like that of a child that was crouched over. Did Rin follow me all the way here? I craned my neck, about to call her out when the figure spoke up first.

“Does mortality fare you well? Daughter of the hills?”

The voice was light and girlish, unrecognizable. My heart went still,

It couldn’t be.

The figure stepped forward, striding into the moonlight so I could see her.

It was a child, yet it wasn’t. The alarm that rang in my bones wasn’t from fear, it was recognition. The more I looked at her, the more inhuman she looked. Markings adorned her body, inky lines running up her face and arms, whorls made of runes mapped like galaxies on her body.

It was the same creature, that 14 moon before had appeared before me differently. My breath shallowed as time slowed around me.

The crone.

I raged towards the crone, but it felt like someone had tied boulders to my feet. Illusion magic? The invisible weight slammed me into the ground. The impact knocking the breath out of me.

She pointed a chubby finger at my face, “Have you learned nothing?”

I looked up at her aghast, the girl was no bigger than Rin, barefoot with windswept hair like she had just casually wandered out of a nearby village. She tossed a flat- stone between her hands, giving me a grin that missed a front tooth. “By now you should know you can’t compete with me.”

I growled angrily at her words, my nails dug into palms so hard I drew blood, while, she just watched me a mocking smile.

I knew it was the unnerving eyes, the iris was completely white, blinded by a cloudy white haze, like the moon peeking from behind clouds. Her unyielding gaze was pinned on me. I knew in that moment it was nothing but her gaze that had pinned me to the ground.

Don’t fucking stay down this time.

I pushed through the invisible weight with everything I had. The more I struggled against it the worse it seemed to get, gripping down my bones until they broke. I screamed through the pain, the pressure sending a stream of blood down my nose. The first time I couldn’t face her, this time- I will not go down that easily. With spots dancing before my eyes, I managed to drag myself up to my knees. My smouldering gaze finally met her, “Give m-!”

Within a second the pressure doubled, it felt like someone had grabbed my shoulders and slammed me back into the ground with a thud.

“Mmph!”

She put a hand to her ear theatrically, “I’m sorry, what was that?” the cheeky tone of her voice really pissed me off. “Couldn’t hear you with your face planted in the dirt.”

I looked up at her painfully, spitting out grass. “Give me...” I growled out. “My powers back.”

The kid gave me a toothy grin, “Even if I did,” She said cheekily, “You know your current body won’t be able to contain it right? Your flames are so ruthless, they won’t even show their own master any mercy.” She giggled as if it was the funniest thing in the world, “They’ll roast you from the inside out!”

I looked at her morbidly, “I miss the crone.”

The girl laughed, “We’re not much different.” 

“Why are you here?” I asked. “What more could you possibly want?” I told her, “You have taken everything. Everything.”

My neck felt like it was going to snap from the pressure, “My powers, my body, everything that made me, myself. You stripped me of my very being” I cried out.

The creature sighed, “yes, how unfortunate.”

My anger surfaced again “You vile masochistic demon.” I snarled out, thrashing on the ground as the invisible force continued to pin me, “What did you gain by putting me through all of this?”

The child arched an eyebrow,

“So your mother levelling mountains because someone ticked her off is divine, but me cursing a sad demigod is vile?” She challenged, “Such double standards.” She said clicking her tongue, “I was right the first time, your ayakashi blood does make you stupid.”

My eyes widened, my mother?

I felt my mouth go very dry, I should have figure that the scorching light wasn’t just any spell, it was divine spirit energy. No ayakashi can put curses out like that. No, I realised bitterly, it wasn’t a curse at all, it was a prophecy.

A Goddess.

She could bend everything that the moonlight fell over. Bathed in divine light, the goddess of the crimson moon.

Just like the different phases of the moon she appears different each time.

Oh seven hells. Maybe I should apologise for calling her a masochist.

My jaw tightened, “You’re her.” I gasped out, goosebumps flooding my body, “You are Manana.”

A ghost of a smile played at her lips, the blind eyes crinkling at the sound of her name, “Well then,” she said, sounding very pleased. “Now that you know, we can actually begin.”

“What do you want?” I said, feeling the exhaustion in my bones. I had fought for this stupid human life for days, scrambling to keep myself alive. I hadn’t expected mortality to be so heavy.

“What I want?” She asked, giving out another laugh, “I thought you would be rubbing your nose at my feet begging me to spare your life tomorrow.” She completed. “Tell me daughter of the hills, do you not fear the fate tomorrow’s crimson moon will bring you?”

Considering how much it did scare me, I should have been begging her for life. For most demigods in the stories, begging for mercy to a Goddess worked out well.

“Unless..” She picked up on my thoughts, “That’s no longer what you wish for.”

I pulled myself to tell her what was truly ripping me from the inside, “If Naraku holds my dying heart, he’ll get his hands on hellfire.” I said,

“But my death will prevent that” I explained flatly, “There won’t be a beating heart to hold.” I told her bitterly. My eyes met her’s with a broken smile, “it’s not much, but I can accept a death like that.” It’s the best defence I can provide the others.

The ends of her mouth twitched, “Are you really naive enough to believe that something so mundane as death would stop him?” She replied, “There’s no stopping his ambition. He’ll find a way to attain your flames even if he has to carve out your corpse.”

 No. I mouthed.

“That’s not what was supposed to happen.” I whispered out, my throat going very dry, my death won’t matter. He will continue to hunt everyone I will leave behind.

I curled my fists, “You don’t understand, this isn’t just about me anymore.” I looked up at her, trying to gather any shred of sympathy. “If he gets his hands on my flames, I–“ I shook my head, “I don’t even know what all he would be capable of.” I looked up at sudden desperation closing up my throat, “No one else understands.”

“Not Sesshomaru not inuyasha and the others, they don’t fucking understand how powerful he is.” But I do.

I felt the brunt of his powers firsthand, the poison in his miasma and how his talons tried to carve out my heart. “They will not be able to stand up to him.”

“And?” she asked.

My words faltered, “And?” I cried out angrily, My voice cracked, “The death and destruction he will bring would be a thousand times worse than what I did.”

“Human lives obviously.” The Goddess said, “Naraku’s descent into power will spark a war bartered in lives, ayakashi and humans.” She flicked the flat-stone and it disappeared mid-air.

“But it’s a war that does not concern you.” She said, “It is something you won’t even have to deal with at all. What has changed so much, that it has you pleading, daughter of the hills?”

“That doesn’t…” I pursed my lips, no longer knowing what exactly to say. I will die tomorrow. And whatever fucked up shit naraku is brewing I won’t be a part of it. Wasn’t that the easiest way out of it?

“I can’t just leave now.” I said finally, my head dropped, No matter how much the fire clan sang about glorious deaths, and how much I thought I desired a gore-y end on a battlefield. I realized I wanted to live. Even as a sad, unattractive, mortal, mountain girl. I still wanted to live. Especially now. Especially now that I’m-

My voice quivered, “I’m leaving behind too much.” I rasped out. “With my hellfire, I can give them a chance.”

“What does it really matter which tyrant holds the flames?” She tilted her head, “Do you think he would use it any different than what you did?”

The world around me went very still. Hellfire isn’t something I deserved either.  

I begged her, “I know… I know I deserve my end.” I bowed to the divinity before, surrendering every sense of ego I had, “So please, Please” -

I thought of Rin and Kagome, and all those who had shown me so much kindness. They would all fall under his hand, hounded by my flames. The same flames I could have used to protect them. Even if I can’t change my destiny.

“I don’t have anything else to barter.” I replied, “You already have my life, so I can only beg this to you.”

“You can’t let Naraku get my flames.” I told her,

“I don’t care what you have to do to this body for that.” I continued, burned, eaten by animals, “Whatever brutal death I’m fated to tomorrow” I said, “Please, make sure it rids my entire existence, and I’ll pull my hellfire back into hell with me.”

There was a momentary silence, where I thought, she would start laughing again. But the Goddess just hummed curiously.

“Fine then, daughter of the hills.” She spoke, the voice ringing out hauntingly in the grove.

My eyes widened

“Tomorrow when death comes for you, I’ll allow you a chance.”

The Goddess beckoned her powers and magic shook the forest awake. I could feel the ancient, strange spirits of the forest peek over the shadows around us. Stirring from years of slumber to witness another prophecy.

Her white iris gleamed, “Just one.”

I stared at her in absolute silence. Just like the first time I had encountered her, the temperature around me dropped, making my ears ring painfully.

The tips of her lip curled, “I’ll give you one chance to change your destiny, where you can seize back your flames, return to a life of immortality.”

As I watched, the markings on her face began to glow, knowing what was coming I shielded my eyes from the blinding light. It still seemed to sear into my skin, like I had embraced a burning star.

“Daughter of the hills, death will come for you under the crimson moon.” Her voice boomed around me, “But as the blood moon rises for my feast, I shall grant you one final bargain. Take it, and you’ll find your flames again.”

When the light died, I was still on the ground, my kimono soiled from dirt and sweat. As I came to myself, I felt my heart hammer in my chest, a singular thought running in my mind.

Even if the earth splits open and the sky shatters around me, even if it was nearly impossible, even if I only had one chance, somehow, anyhow, I had to survive.

❧

“Wei!” Rin called out in the darkness and I jumped.

In the dark she looked like a little tent, sitting up on her knees the moment I walked back into the cottage.

“Didn’t I tell you to sleep?” I sighed,

The child looked at me expectantly, “I was thinking about what you said earlier.”

I shook my head, far too exhausted to think about this again, “Rin I really don’t want to talk about this.”

“Hear me out.” She persisted as I dropped down on the mattress beside her.

“Next time.” She told me, “When I see something, we can just run away together.”   

She said it with such sincerity I wheezed. That did seem like a simpler solution.

“Don’t laugh!” Rin said, her fingers tugged the sleeve of my kimono, “Promise me.” She said seriously, “Promise me that the next time we’re in danger you won’t stay back alone.” her sound was barely was a whisper, but it hung in the icy air like a sword over my neck.

“Promise me that we’ll run away together.” 

I stared back at her,

One chance.

I tried to give her a small smile. One

A fool’s bargain, yet a bargain nonetheless.

“I promise.”

❧

GUESS WHICH SLOTH JUST UPLOADED?????

[hexofhades]

Touhou Koumakyou ~ The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil (東方紅魔郷), 2002. Top L to R: Reimu Hakurei(永遠の巫女)-Eternal Shrine Maiden Marisa Kirisame(奇妙な魔法使い)-The Strange Magician Bottom L to R: Remilia Scarlet(永遠に紅い幼き月)-The Eternally Young Scarlet Moon Flandre Scarlet(悪魔の妹)-Sister of the Devil

[inversionimpulse]

There's something I kind of feel like I'm constantly going insane about.

紅, although it does not exclusively refer to the colour scarlet, is commonly associated with the Scarlet sisters in Touhou, EG in what's usually translated as "Scarlet Devil Mansion" (紅魔館) and "The Eternally Young Scarlet Moon" (永遠の紅い幼き月), and the two-part Japanese-English titles that Touhou is fond of usually implicitly translate it as "scarlet", EG in "紅色の境 ～ Scarlet Land" (where the English half of the title appears to be a translation of the Japanese half) or "紅魔郷　～ the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil" (where the English half appears to be a variation on/mutation of the Japanese half).

It's also the character used for the name Hong in Hong Meiling (紅美鈴). Meiling's family name is almost literally Scarlet.

But I think I've only ever seen fanworks play with even the smallest of the potential implications of that once or twice, which makes me feel like I'm clutching at straws, drawing a line between dots that everybody but me can see are not actually connected. But it's right there, right? I'm not going insane, right?

[cdrama-action]

Good afternoon,

This post is being updated daily to reflect which fandoms have been signed up for, and how many people are offering them. If you see a series with a lot of signups that you can do, don’t be discouraged from signing up! A lot of signups means a lot of people will probably be interested in donating for it. We really do need more people signing up for this to be successful. Please continue to share our promo post.

To note, when donations open, there will be clarification as to if NSFW is available for a fandom. For example, say two people signed up to do New Life Begins, but neither of them can do NSFW, then NSFW prompts will not be available for that series.

4/15- FINAL TALLY.

FANDOMS WITH MULTIPLE SIGNUPS:

The Untamed- Thirty

Love Between Fairy and Devil- Eighteen

Till the End of the Moon- Seventeen

Mysterious Lotus Casebook- Ten

Nirvana in Fire- Ten

Word of Honor- Ten

The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty- Seven

Guardian- Six

My Journey to You- Six

Love like the Galaxy- Six

Hikaru no Go- Five

The Story of Kunning Palace- Five

A Journey to Love- Five

Romance of Tiger and Rose- Four

The Spirealm- Four

Legend of Fei- Four

New Life Begins- Four

When I Fly Toward You- Four

Love You Seven Times- Three

Couple of Mirrors- Three

A League of Nobleman- Three

Reset- Three

The Blood of Youth- Three

Under the Skin- Three

Justice in the Dark- Three

Back from the Brink- Three

In Blossom- Three

Who Rules the World- Three

The Longest Promise- Two

Moonlight- Two

Heroes- Two

Joy of Life- Two

Legend of Yun Qian- Two

Stick to the Script!- Two

Oh No! Here Comes Trouble- Two

The Legend of Shenli- Two

Someday or One Day- Two

Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace- Two

My Roommate is a Detective- Two

Royal Rumors- Two

Lighter and Princess- Two

A Dream of Splendor- Two

The Sword and the Brocade- Two

FANDOMS WITH ONE SIGNUP:

A Familiar Stranger

A Murderous Affair in Horizon Tower

Ace Troops

All these Years

An Ancient Love Song

Arsenal Military Academy

Ashes of Love

Being a Hero

Bloody Romance

Blue Whisper (The)

Chinese Paladin 3

Day of Becoming You (The)

Demon Girl

Derailment

Destined

Dong Lan Xue

Duoluo Continent

Eternal Love of Dream (The Pillow Book)

Everyone Loves Me

Fly with You

Gank Your Heart

Go Ahead

Hidden Love

I am Nobody

Imperial Coroner (The)

Journey of Chongzi (The)

King’s Avatar (The)

Knockout (The)

Legally Romance

Legend of Yunxi

Legends (The)

Letter from the Cloud (The)

Long Ballad (The)

Lost Love in Time

Lost You Forever

Love and Redemption

Love in Between

Love is Sweet

Luoyang

Marry my Dead Body

Marvelous Women

Meet Yourself

Murder in Kairoutei (The)

Parallel World

Rebirth for You

Scarlet Heart

Starry Love (The)

Story of Yanxi Palace

Sunshine by My Side

The Disguiser

The Oath of Love

Three Body

Tiger and Crane

Unchained Love

War of Faith

White Cat Legend

Wolf (The)

Wonderland of Love

You are my Glory

Young Blood 1

Youth Memories (The)

If I made any errors in how I listed these, please inform me. Contact info is on our CARRD, or you can just send an ask or DM.

If you’re a creator and you’d like to add a fandom to what you’re willing to do, contact me via one of the communication methods listed on the CARRD FAQ.

-Cdrama Action Team 🍉

[chuunibyou-showdown]

R1 LOSER'S BRACKET FINALS

[kverything-official]

5 Time Travel K-Dramas To Watch If You Like Lovely Runner

5. King The Eternal Monarch

If you’re seeking time travel K-Dramas to watch with a unique twist, “The King: Eternal Monarch” should be your next binge-watch. It ditches the typical tropes of hopping through centuries and instead explores parallel universes. Lee Gon, a stoic emperor from a Korean monarchy, discovers a magical doorway that leads to a modern-day Republic of Korea. Here, he encounters Jung Tae-eul, a fierce detective who doesn’t believe his tales of two worlds. 

Their paths become intertwined as they fight to close the doorway and prevent a malicious force from wreaking havoc. The show blends romance, fantasy, and action, keeping you guessing about the true nature of time and fate. With stunning visuals, a captivating plot, and undeniable chemistry between the leads, “The King: Eternal Monarch” offers a fresh take on the time travel genre, leaving you wanting more. 

4. 18 Again

Craving time travel K-Dramas to watch with a heartwarming touch? Look no further than “18 Again.” Unlike journeys to distant eras, this drama focuses on a second chance. Hong Dae-young, a disillusioned husband and father, gets a magical do-over. He transforms back into his 18-year-old self while retaining his middle-aged memories. Now living as Ko Woo-young, he enrolls in the same high school as his twins.

“18 Again” offers a unique perspective as Dae-young experiences high school life through a different lens. He navigates teenage struggles while secretly observing his family from the sidelines. The drama explores themes of regret, family dynamics, and the power of communication. With a healthy dose of humor and romance, “18 Again” reminds us that it’s never too late to rewrite your story, even if it means starting from square one (and looking a decade younger!). 

3. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

In the mood for time travel K-Dramas watch that blends historical intrigue with epic romance? “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” will sweep you off your feet. Go Ha-jin, played by our favorite K-Pop soloist IU, a modern-day woman, finds herself transported back in time to the Goryeo Dynasty after a solar eclipse. Thrust into the heart of a royal court filled with scheming princes, she becomes entangled in their lives and power struggles. 

“Moon Lovers” isn’t your typical light-hearted time travel romp. It dives deep into the emotional turmoil of being a stranger in a dangerous past. The romance is both passionate and heartbreaking, as Ha-jin develops feelings for one of the princes against the backdrop of political turmoil. With stunning period costumes, a captivating plot, and a story that will stay with you long after the credits roll, “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” is a must-watch for fans of time travel K-Dramas that aren’t afraid to pack an emotional punch.

Hope you don’t cry in the end though. 

Read the full blog at: 5 Time Travel K-Dramas To Watch If You Like Lovely Runner

[kykyonthemoon]

Liyue in the lantern lights

— Pairing: Kazuha x Yun Jin (Kazujin)

— Tags: event, fluff, first love, secret love

— Summary: The secret love story between the sailor from Inazuma and the most famous opera singer in Liyue during the Lantern Rite festival.

— Word count: 1803

— Requested by Yang Yang

— Masterlist

— Ao3

Inspired by Lantern Rite event. This is an old fic that I wrote a while ago, now brought to Tumblr.

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

Regulars who came to enjoy tea and drama at Heyu Tea House recently noticed a young man dressed in red maple leaves from a distance, always attentive throughout the performance without saying a word. Then, as the stage closed, he quietly left before the other spectators.

What an enigmatic person. However, if one looked closely, they would discover his particular interest in the main character on stage - Yun Jin. This was reasonable since Yun Jin was talented and charming, not just captivating the hearts of old people who loved to watch her plays, but also of young people who saw her as a role model. Her loyal audience kept guessing to see which lucky boy would win her love. However, Yun Jin devoted all of her time and attention to writing and acting. She did not have time to think about love.

There is a saying, that it is not possible to run away from love when it comes. And Yun Jin's love arrived in the form of a crimson maple leaf.

One night, after the performance was over, Yun Jin went to the dressing room to change her clothes. Her eyes were drawn to the vivid crimson leaf on the dressing table. On the leaf there were several lines praising her play. Already accustomed to compliments, Yun Jin was not surprised. What struck her, was that on the other side of the leaf, the sender questioned what love was for her. In the last play, she transformed into a young girl who was in love and sacrificed herself for love. She had heard love stories from time to time, had seen people's happiness and then suffering because of the word "love". But when had she ever been in love? That was why this person was not convinced by her acting. She felt the same way.

It was the beginning of their love story, the famed troupe director in Liyue and the sailor who roamed the waves from Inazuma.

Perhaps Yun Jin's pride and stubbornness piqued her interest in the man who left the red maple leaf in the makeup room more than ever. She began communicating with this mysterious person. Through the expressed lines, they came closer together. It seemed from the maple leaves she had guessed who he was. Until one day, Yun Jin made a surprising offer: she wanted to fall in love.

Of course, in order to write a play, even to portray a character in love, she needed to know what it felt like. So she ventured to express herself through the maple leaf. She waited for an eternity. There was no response for a long time. Then one day, the man brought the maple leaf in front of her. It was Kaedehara Kazuha.

It had been nearly six months. They continued to correspond by letter because Kazuha was only in Liyue for a short time. Yun Jin did not take anything for granted. On the contrary, she believed that not seeing someone she cares about on a daily basis was... poetic. These emotions and expectations were included into her stories. Then, as spring bloomed at the doorway, her heart sang a gentle song when she noticed a scarlet maple leaf.

The moon paints herself in water, 

Luminating the sky in golden sparks,

I dream of beauty's gaze.

Yun Jin beamed. Her guy would occasionally become a poet simply to make her happy. There was a reality that no one could deny: Kazuha's spirit was free to fly and amorous. Yun Jin counted herself fortunate that the wind usually came back to her after his journeys.

"Miss Yun Jin is so neglectful these days!" Hu Tao, the Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, spoke.

The thing was, they were rehearsing for the upcoming big show. However, Yun Jin's mind did not stay in one place, but wandered on the waves in the distance, as if they were chanting her name.

"Looking at the expression on her face, must it be love?" This time it was Xinyan, their rock star said.

"I’m sorry." Yun Jin smiled absentmindedly, "Where are we?"

Throughout the day, the two girls were fascinated by the notion that Yun Jin was dating someone. Of course, she revealed nothing. Kaedehara Kazuha was her own secret, though she also wanted to one day publicize the affair.

On the day of the appointment, Kazuha waited for his muse at the foot of the bridge. The brisk spring air carried the clean, pleasant perfume of Liyue Harbor; lilies, warm food... and the slight scent of flowers on the girl he was waiting for. Despite knowing it, he stayed still, allowing her to sidle up behind him and cover his eyes with her hands.

"Good day, Miss Yun Jin."

Kazuha's lips curved slightly in a grin. He turned around, taking his girlfriend's little hands in his. Yun Jin was dressed in a simple outfit; the color of the sky was light blue in the afternoon sun. She wore only light makeup like previous dates. That way she would not be easily spotted. Her reputation was spread across Liyue, so many people wanted to approach her. But they all saw only one Yun Jin under the thick lipstick and the spotlight. It was easy for them to overlook a normal-looking girl who was just walking down the street with her boyfriend. Their love story was a secret.

Kazuha respected Yun Jin's decision not to go public with her dating life. But many times he only wanted to sail away from Liyue Harbor, and shouted loudly to the heavens, she was his.

They took a stroll through the side streets. Kazuha told her about his journey, and Yun Jin was excited to talk about the idea for the upcoming show. They came to a halt at Wanmin Restaurant, where Miss Xiangling swiftly arranged for them to sit in the secret area. Dating celebrities was difficult, but Kazuha had no issue with it. He treasured every second he spent with his muse, seeing her tilt her head and grin, the way she puffed her cheeks as she savored the still-warm meal... Everything about Yun Jin drew him in an odd way. He wanted to remember everything so that when he went with the Crux Fleet, he could use his memories to re-imagine Yun Jin. It was as if she was always by his side.

After their meal, Yun Jin suggested:

"Shall we go see the xiao lanterns?"

It was just around the Lantern Rite Festival. The residents of Liyue were busy preparing for the new year these days. They let off fireworks and released xiao lanterns in celebration. Kazuha had seen the Liyue night sky before, but today was the first time he had seen it with his dreamt one. He was glad, but equally nervous as he walked with Yun Jin on the street.

They stopped by a stall of lights and firecrackers. While Yun Jin was preoccupied selecting the lighting, Kazuha's gaze was drawn to a lovely Launch Tube. He was reminded of the fireworks at Inazuma. They were far away and faded into the night of memories. Somewhere deep inside he remembered his homeland, like a stone upsetting tranquil water. Kazuha decided to buy the Launch Tube.

When he turned to face Yun Jin, he noticed she was staring at him. He chuckled and held out the thing he had just purchased to show her. She smiled as well and offered him the xiao lantern with a wish scribbled in still wet ink: May we have a peaceful year ahead. May lovers be brought back together always.

On the hill in the distance, the wind blew. The couple sat side by side, watching their lantern mingle with the sea of lights overhead. Kazuha and Yun Jin cherished their laughter and peaceful moments together. After a long silence, Yun Jin spoke up:

"How soon do you have to leave?"

"Perhaps after the new year festivities." Kazuha responded. "Beidou wants to celebrate it in Liyue."

Kazuha felt the same way. But then he stopped. As Yun Jin drew in closer, all of the words vanished.

"That means we're going to be celebrating the new year together, right?"

Kazuha gave a nod. He could smell the flower scent as the wind blew through Yun Jin's hair. She returned to her original position. 

"Wonderful! Then we can go see the Iridescence Tour stage together! Xinyan and Hu Tao have been practicing very hard."

"You've been working hard too." Kazuha replied. "You're their beautiful choreographer."

Yun Jin smiled, saying:

"There's going to be a little party after the concert... So... I'm wondering if you'd like to go there, with me?"

Yun Jin's cheeks flushed as she examined the expression on Kazuha's face. He must have looked like a fool.

"Do you mean... everyone will know that we are..."

Yun Jin nodded in confirmation as he dropped the question. Kazuha's heart exploded, even though the fireworks he bought were still intact. He was going to set off firecrackers with her on New Year's, but maybe this time he would be setting off firecrackers with many others, with her family and friends. He was able to get a little more involved in her life.

Kazuha could not be happier. His smile was evident on his face. Yun Jin was overjoyed as well. She stated:

"We've been dating for so long. It's time to let everyone know. And... there's one more thing..."

That day, his muse had given him a lot of surprises. 

"Huh?"

"You don't have to keep your distance from me... I mean... Sometimes, I do have a feeling like I'm something made of glass that you don't dare touch..."

Indeed, in his eyes, Yun Jin was a treasure that needed to be cherished and appreciated. Even when they were dating, he only dared to go so far as to let her place her arm around his. Kazuha was confused. She desired more than the gentle touch of their hands.

"You know, there will be a kissing scene in my future play..." Yun Jin suggested, her face flushed with her boldness. "Maybe... Maybe I should practice a little..."

"Don't." Kazuha interrupted her. He drew closer to her without realizing it.  Who would want his muse's first kiss to be stolen by someone else?

"Why?" Yun Jin inquired gently. Her breath teased Kazuha's face.

"Because I'd go insane if you kissed someone else."

Yun Jin's peach lips parted slightly as she prepared to speak. Kazuha was mesmerized and couldn't conceal his emotions anymore. He leaned down and placed a very light kiss on her lips.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kazuha noticed the muse's faint smile. She remarked, in a shivering yet teasing voice"

"The truth is, there is no kissing scene in my play…"

-The end-

[iwritelmao]

SO I HAD AN IDEA

as I normally do when I’m hyperfixating, I decided to write fanfiction bc sometimes the source material doesn’t/can’t give us anything and everything.

anyway I hear there’s a discussion about Astarion being a good dad vs Astarion being a bad dad. And apparently Neil Newbon himself declared the latter. I’m definitely inclined to agree.

SO I made an OC who’s father is Astarion. And drew up a character sheet for them. But the character sheet is rly messy and is drawn onto sketchbook paper so that won’t be shown till I can make it neat and legible lol

Anyway, read below the cut for more info (TW: mentions of suicide)

Dawn was born to Selene Windor, an elven poet and artist in a small port town. Her father, she never knew, only hearing stories artfully crafted by Selene.

Selene had lived on the Seaview Docks for a long time, a number of human generations. She was an elf after all. She knew the residents and in time would know the residents’ grandchildren. They knew her as well. The old, yet eternally young bard who lived on the edge of town.

But of course, this tended to get old. Hundreds of equinoxes and solstices blended together into beautiful and torturous monotony. She longed for excitement.

When an outsider visited, which rarely happened at the docks, save for fishers and merchants, everything changed. It was sparked by a mere few seconds of eye contact under the stars.

Selene had been shopping for fish at the night market—a familiar town tradition where lanterns and stalls decorated the moonlit street once every month—when she saw him. Pointed ears, a sharp jawline, and white curls that rivaled her own pin straight honey blonde. When their eyes met, he paused for a moment then flashed her a toothy grin.

They met in the middle of the market. She asked where he was from, he said “everywhere.” He asked the same, and she said “nowhere.” She asked his name. He said “whatever you want” with a smile that made Selene want to cry out in joy.

He stayed in town for months—the blink of an eye for an elf. She wrote of nothing but Him, painted Him, loved Him with everything she had, trying to guess a name that she knew would never amount to his beauty and the kindness he showed her.

So he called her his moon, and him her stars.

He offered to take her places, far-away places, more often than not. She politely declined. He even told her the truth about what he was, and she only loved him more for it.

He almost stayed. Almost.

The night before the stars faded he loved her like he had never loved anyone before. More truly than he had loved anyone before. He offered once more to take her away, to somewhere called Baldur’s Gate, a bustling city where her art could grow and travel beyond ports and docks. He even shed a tear of blood when at last he said that he’d take her to meet his family, his voice pleading and sorrowful.

She politely declined.

And he left in the morning. Before she could even tell him that she was with child.

Selene was driven mad with grief, destroying all of the paintings and locking away all of the poems.

When Dawn arrived, she cried. The little girl looked just like him, with wavy blonde hair only a shade away from white. Though she had her mother’s dark brown eyes, or so Selene thought.

Looking closer at the baby, she realized that her dark eyes had just a tint of scarlet over them.

Of course. The baby was a Dhampir.

Throughout Dawn’s childhood, she had to support her mother, who never left the house anymore. She worked when she could and stole when she couldn’t. And it was more often than not that she couldn’t due to the fact that everyone in the small town seemed to know what she was. The spawn of a vampire spawn.

It was one thing for a child to grow up without any friends. It was a complete other thing for a child to grow up being feared just because she had to drain chickens or raw cow meat from the market to survive.

When she was thirteen, a burglar came through the town. The body was found at the base of the docks after the third night of thievery, drained of blood.

When she was fifteen, it was a merchant’s son. The out of towner survived with a bite mark on his neck and some lightheadedness.

Dawn decided it was best to spend most of her time inside, taking care of her mother.

Selene had written little other than sorrowful poems about lost love, and could no longer remember the face of Dawn’s father to paint again. When she told Dawn the story, she told it with fondness, but would break down in a fit of tears and keening shortly after, if not right in the middle.

Dawn never saw the story as beautiful or fond. She did not see her father as someone who would ever come back and love them both despite her mother’s hysteric protests.

When she was eighteen, Dawn returned home to find her mother on the floor of the kitchen, dead. There was a bottle of poison in her hand and the everlasting look on her face was that of tear stained grief.

She knew this was coming. She knew it would happen eventually. For what elf would want to live for over six hundred years without the one they were convinced was their true love.

And so, the dhampir girl set out, her mind clouded with anger, yet sharp with a thirst for blood and revenge. She would go to Baldur’s Gate. She would find the man who killed her mother, whether it be indirectly or not. And she would kill Him.

Though she was not quite prepared for things to go as awry as they had.

PT2: https://www.tumblr.com/iwritelmao/738342079719178240/pt2?source=share

[deepseamuse]

Some poems I’ve written over the past two years

The Fragile Geisha

I bump into the wooden bookshelf,

And instinctively grab

For the mug at its top, painted with

A scarlet-robed geisha.

The clattering of ceramic skin against oak

Fails to disturb her, and despite the danger

Her eyes remain closed,

Her expression calm.

The arrow she holds pointed towards

The floor that nearly destroyed her.

The same as the last night we drank,

Together,

Of green tea and the moon.

A cheap teapot had whistled, and as I ran,

The old wooden floor

Creaked in complaint.

Despite the chilly autumnal wind, the water

Seemed hotter than normal.

As if it wished to warm

The rest of the aging house as well.

I filled her mug to the brim,

A trickling stream

Scorching ceramic skin

As it mixed with powder and leaves.

And I waited for her to prepare the tea

Under the moon's light.

Deus Ex Machina

Whirring, Ticking

The ancient machine activates

Intent on granting

An old man's dying wish.

“Eternal Prosperity”

Would come at the cost of too many

For mankind to reach!

Set on a path that leads to

Self-destruction,

They’ve forgotten

His first wish, his reason

To bring the machine,

The mechanical god

To life long ago.

To bring a young girl

Who'd perished long ago

Back to her father's side.

Wishing for decades, he forgot

The face of the one who drove him;

If only he knew!

She'd never fallen, and returned

Changed, but alive.

If he would only look in her eyes

One final time,

He’d know his wish was granted...

Unexpected Downpour

I open my mouth, but not a word flows out.

What can I say? How can it be done right?

I’m just not sure.

One thousand words pour through my mind,

But which to choose? And what to ignore?

It’s all too much.

I close, leaving my torrential thoughts behind.

You’ll never know the words I cast aside.

Perhaps I should apologize,

For being too afraid of what could be

And whether you’d understand.

Or perhaps it’s better left unsaid.

The storm within my mind rages on,

And my lovely day is ruined by rain.

Star-Crossed Midnight

The clock ticks on,

Gears turning along,

As moonlight shines through the pane.

And there I sit,

Letting blankets shift,

As I enjoy the ending of day.

The blackened sky

Holds stars snuffed out by lights

From the streets so far below.

How I wish that I could see

That vast tapestry

Of glimmering sparks above;

Those eternal lights

Piercing through twilight

In the forest I once had called home.

But the cold, dark skies

Of this peaceful night

Are everything the city knows.

And as I rest,

It feels like the clock slows.

The Sakura Tree

A thousand flowers bloom,

But each will find their doom,

In one week, countless petals

That shall wilt far too soon.

Blossoms holding tiny lives

That will fade before my eyes,

And I wonder if this really is how

Things are meant to be.

Are all such beautiful things

Destined to merely fade away?

Only my memories keeping them

From disappearing into the gray?

If only I could hold them close

And keep each one alive;

Perhaps by my fervent wish

These blooms may yet cease to die.

But in a way, I suppose

There is a point to all this death;

It is in this fragile artistry

That these flowers are their best.

So I’ll let each life continue on

And someday disappear.

I’ll enjoy their fleeting grace and charm

Until they bloom again next year.

Impulsive Desire

When you’re seventeen, and in love

with that boy you hooked up with last month

who always smiles and laughs at your jokes

no matter how bad they are,

do you really get into

that cheap car your dad bought you

and drive over to that one kid

who says they’ll give you a tattoo?

Do you hand them a quick sketch,

and a couple of names,

and ask for your love to be memorialized

in blood and black ink?

You’re so smitten, at the moment,

you don’t even consider how

in a few years, you’ll be over him

and wishing the oath on your arm could be erased.

And sure, it could. But then

you’d have to think about it:

the words he’d said that night,

and how you’d thought you could devote yourself at seventeen.

History has a way of catching up

no matter what you do;

but such brazen, impulsive acts

keep it from having to move at all.

You fueled your fire with bloodstained ink.

Now, though it’s burnt out, the cinders always remain.

[scarletskye]

Day #4 | Apocalypse ☆

(09/30/2023) | 8:30 pm

(02/32) [“Fated” Poem Collective]

What happens at the end of time? A sort of love poem for someone I want to see outlast the end of days.

~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~

Presence’s become us, and love shadows you,

It follows you around; it becomes you.

An apocalypse brews at the edge of glaciers,

Tempest-borne, here before time.

A fire rages in your soul, in my arms (5)

As I feel your cold touch.

And if an apocalypse becomes us,

Will the earth shatter below our feet?

Apocalypse of a soul,

As time slows with your eyes. (10)

And when destruction becomes a medium,

A proposition of absolution…

I’d still adore you, I’d love you forever,

Despite the apocalypse of the world around…

And when ashes become our trees, (15)

When time stops with your sighs…

And when the flowers wither into stone,

When a temple returns to grains of sand…

An apocalypse, destruction would make itself seen,

As a young girl meets the end. (20)

When love becomes a condition,

And if you want to meet the trees…

When love becomes all you desire,

And what if we kiss at the end of the world?

An apocalypse, a promise at the end… (25)

And we can hold hands, make it all count…

What stands united lays bare, breathless,

In the cradle of the lovely stars on the grass.

Love me, love me as I love you,

In the fight for an eternal future… (30)

As boundaries crumble under our hands,

And the moon becomes restless…

Where does an apocalypse occur?

Can it exist between our lips?

Apocalypse of a sincere heart, (35)

By the beach, our gripped fingers run,

They pull through the warm sand.

An apocalypse; we burn and singe,

And your face is the color of a rose,

A scarlet hue of delicacy. (40)

And when the mountains become hills,

When glaciers turn into never-ending rivers…

When the summer becomes your dreams,

And what if we fell in love tonight?

An apocalypse, a new feeling, (45)

We could hug as it all crumbled, faded away.

And when I see you running

Past the hills of tomorrow…

Love me, my love, and cherish me,

Past the apocalypse of yesterday. (50)

Let’s leave behind what makes us human,

And become the future of a better world…

Personal Rating: 8/10

[godstrain]

While he slept, his mind would be found in the gentle cradle of a soft and sweet dream.

For so long his mind would be filled with an endless sea of red -- a crimson not unlike the progenitor flowers that dominated his life. But here upon the dreamscape, white petals Raines softly all around him, covering the area at his feet in virginal white. Pure and untainted.

She was here, too. A Cresselia, a Pokemon he'd only ever seen in pictures during his crash course of this world he has wound up in. She was lovely, elegant and graceful. Floating quietly around him, almost frolicking around in this sweet dream.

There was no pain, no suffering. Just this lovely scene of a Cresselia dancing for him among the white flowers, until he would eventually wake up to face the horrors of the Scarlet Mansion once more, feeling refreshed.

--thescarletmansion

he's dreamed of this garden many times. the crimson flowers blooming endlessly, the ruined buildings and painted murals. he had thought he would become a god, once upon a time. and he'd been wrong- not that he'd admit it out loud, but in the end... what had come of those choices? maybe the endless garden was meant to be some sort of purgatory.

until it wasn't. there was a warm feeling as the crimson faded into a soft white- like freshly fallen snow. like the blank papers he'd keep with him to pour his ideas onto. fresh, like new beginnings.

he thinks of the garden of avalon, the final resting place of king arthur. a man named legend, even for all his folly. in the end, there was someone who loved arthur enough to grant him an eternal rest in a beautiful place. like this, surrounded by flowers- a paradise where he no longer felt pain / caused pain-

when he wakes up, he feels more rested than he has in far too long. there's a lingering warmth. his new companions are also resting, and despite their absolutely horrendous circumstances, they all seem just a little brighter. like they've all had some weight lifted from their shoulders.

he knows what brought him the dream. that young moon maiden, even if she wasn't fully herself- her warm heart hadn't left him out. it was a way of showing that he was, even if it was often hard for him to believe, a part of something. it means more to him than he could ever really express- so he thinks of doing what he does best. showing through actions.

they'll all make it out alive.

[katharined]

Early-summer, 1531.

The days were growing shorter, the nights longer; the maple branches that scratched against her windows were on one side brown, on the obverse blood-orange, ignited by the mid-September haze; the evening air perfumed with birdsong and sharp jade, latent with buzzing possibility. Twelve-year-old Katharine Brandon walks in beauty and, as the poets croon, ‘all that’s best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes; thus mellowed to that tender light, which heaven to gaudy day denies.’

In the winter, she will be married. Henry Grey is only a few months older than her, his moon is in Leo, and he is tall and broad for his age, his face wide like a lion’s and coarse with pockmarks, a token of survival. But he is always mounted on the finest horse, always at the side of his formidable father, and there is no one in England who would not be dazzled by the besotted pair, Katharine slender and alluring as dark-honey and Henry open-faced and firm.

She would be the mistress of a grand estate, Lady Grey, one of the richest in the land, and her brothers would one day be dukes and earls – situated, like their father before them, at the right hand of their grandiose uncle, King Henry.

She can hear her brothers’ laughter rambling over the hills of Suffolk Place, booming above the thudding of mud-splashed hooves as they go soaring by; neck-and-neck like Castor and Pollox, Henry and Harry Brandon. She catches a glimpse of them – brushed by streaks of brilliant gold and rich scarlet, so bright as to appear two beacons of wobbling white light – darting out of the tail of her gaze. Galloping into the sunset, both so young, so clever and so handsome, and she swears to Holy Mother above that she can love neither of them more than the other; they are her future as much as she is theirs, and in her mind and in her heart, the poets will remember them for all eternity.

But in an unbidden flash, she remembers that her eldest brother – Henry – was many summers dead, and in a year’s time, little Harry would join him, his skin already sliding off his feeble bones. When she blinks, the film of moisture clouding Katharine's gaze dissolves, and the two figures racing toward the edge of the earth transform into wizened branches, swaying and creaking in the summer breeze, clouting at her window: a haunted whine, like a wounded beast. But in her heart, in her mind, her two brothers are still riding out together, still so young and so handsome, recklessly taunting one another. How will she ever endure an entire lifetime without them?

'One shade the more, one ray the less, had half impaired the nameless grace, which waves in every raven tress, or softly lightens o’er her face; where thoughts serenely sweet express, how pure, how dear their dwelling-place.'

Philippa is born in January, with a crown of blond ringlets, so buttery as to appear painted with gold-leaf, like the ancient manuscripts that crowd her mother’s library. But in the dewy glow of daylight, Katharine admires the threads of red-gold woven throughout Philippa’s lush mane, for they remind her of her own lady mother.

Her first winter of life is bitter, and constantly dripping, languished at Bradgate House, which, not yet the magnificent manor Katharine will transform it into, crumbles with mold and leaks constant rainwater, permitting a gruesome draft to penetrate even the costliest of furs. She fears Philippa will die in such a state, and begs Henry to move them to Westhorpe, to be with her sisters, but her mother has just died there, whooping up a lung, and her husband fears sickness like no other, though he is, himself, in the flush of youth, and as hale as a horse.

What, then, has Katharine Grey to do, but to protect this darling daughter of hers with both life and limb?

[recusantchicky]

Death & Rebirth

Mottled Necklace

A vividly-colored accoutrement precious to the ancestral followers.

Raises immunity, robustness, and focus.

Said to be a budding horn. The ancestral followers believe that the horns of a long-lived beast continue to bud like antlers, over and over again, until the beast one day becomes an ancestral spirit.

Remembrance of the Regal Ancestor

Ancestral spirits exist as a phenomenon beyond the purview of the Erdtree. Life sprouts from death, as it does from birth. Such is the way of the living.

Ancestral Spirit's Horn

Item cut from the horns of the Regal Ancestor Spirit.

Restore FP upon defeating enemies.

A number of new growths bud from the antler-like horns of the fallen king, each glowing with light. Thus does new life grow from death, and from death, one obtains power.

Since Malenia fought Radahn, and the great scarlet flower blossomed in Aeonia, I have dedicated myself to her. And to the resplendence of the Order of Rot. The cycle of decay and rebirth.

--Sage Gowry

Poison Mist

Incantation of the servants of rot.

Releases a poisonous mist before the caster. This incantation can be cast while in motion.

Those who dwell within poison know rot all too well. The death that begets life, that comes to all equally. That is to say: it is the cycle of rebirth put into practice.

Larval Tear (Base Game) Core of a creature of mimicry known as a silver tear. As much a substance as it is a living organism.

Material required by the amber egg cradled by Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, to birth people anew.

Being born anew allows the reallocation of attributes boosted by leveling up.

Larval Tear (SOTE)

An exceptionally rare creature that burgeons from spiritgraves and lives only a fleeting existence. Neither flesh nor spirit, but something in between.

Juvenile Scholar Cap

Cap worn by young academy scholars, the juveniles birthed anew by the amber egg of Queen Rennala, the head of Raya Lucaria Academy.

Yet their rebirth is not without imperfections, and thus do they repeat the process, eventually becoming utterly dependent upon it.

Rebirth is as sleep to them, and with each awakening, memory fades into oblivion.

Greatjar

A greatjar which fits comfortably over the head when upturned. Attire of the shamans who perform their worship at gaols.

Increases the power of thrown pots of all sizes.

They offer their prayers to the innards of the greatjars, such that they might be reborn one day into sainthood. This is the cycle of death and rebirth, taken into the hands of mortal men.

Death Ritual Spear

Ritual spear used by priests of old who were permitted to come among the Deathbirds.

The priests became guardians of the birds through the rite of Death, which also serves as an oath sworn to their distant resurrection.

Guardian Garb

Engraved golden garb. Worn by the guardians of the Minor Erdtrees.

In accordance with an ancient pact with the Erdtree, it is said that their deaths led not to destruction, but instead to renewed, eternal life as guardians.

Guardian Garb (Full Bloom)

Engraved golden garb. Worn by the guardians of the Minor Erdtrees.

Raises the HP recovery effects of the Flask of Crimson Tears, but greatly lowers fire damage negation.

It is said that the blood-red flowers blooming on their backs mark the senescence of their ancient pact. Perhaps the guardians are part tree already.

Sacrificial Twig

A talisman fashioned from a dried twig, so slender that it might snap at the slightest touch.

Prevents rune loss upon death, but will be lost itself in exchange.

Believed to be a twig pruned from the Erdtree long, long ago.

Memory of Grace

The memory of first grace, which once guided bygone Tarnished to the Lands Between.

Lose all runes and return to last site of grace visited.

It is merely a cycle. Stand before the Elden Ring. Become the Elden Lord.

Young seedling, young seedling. Return to the bosom of earth. But remember well, Thou'rt mine. So shall I give of myself. This is for thee. Mine abundance, my drop of dew. Quench thy thirst, throughout thy frame. Blossom and burgeon, time and again. Grow larger, stronger. Until the day cometh.

--Marika the Eternal

[chuunibyou-showdown]

CHUUNIBYOU SHOWDOWN ROUND 1 PART II