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nanomooselet · 3 months

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Little but Fierce VIII

Knives is totally dismissive of Meryl. He acknowledges she exists all of three times.

Once in Vash's memories, to delete her from them; once as he's piercing the Core, to call her a parasite and dismiss her attempts to get Vash to wake up; and once to try and violently kill her because... she succeeded in waking Vash up.

Whoops.

I listed all those statements that Knives claimed to be the truth; now here's everything that I believe proves them false.

Vash is pretty, but he's useless without his brother.

Vash does not need his brother. He loves him - of course he does. He wants to save him. But he's never needed him. Rem was the one he relied on for support, and after her death, Vash was too afraid of Nai to give him that kind of trust. He's spent decades surviving away from him, something Knives simply will not acknowledge. He tries to remove Vash's autonomy because as long as he has it, Vash is at risk of abandoning him again, just as Rem did.

Remember that once Knives initiated the memory retrieval process, Dr. Conrad warned Meryl that breaking that connection would kill Vash? Knives made Vash need him, made him dependent. That's his idea of making Vash perfect.

He's a powerless, weak, pathetically naïve, blubberingly sentimental little baby who doesn't care about the Plants, too busy enabling humanity's abuse via performing his cringing, grasping abasement before them to notice how his brethren suffer.

Knives developed his powers first. But Vash's powers are greater. He can do everything a normal Plant can do; he can also do much more, and he's such a wonderful, kind and compassionate man, with amazing reserves of emotional strength. Knives wouldn't have had to try and subjugate him otherwise.

Vash personally talks to the Plants, cares for them, soothes their pain. And he's been doing that not just to help them, but to help the humans panicking because if the Plants died, so too would they. He spent years travelling between crash sites helping Plants and teaching humans to take care of them, assuming an authoritative role even as a little boy, and if he hadn't figured out he could do that, he would almost certainly have killed himself. Remember he finally made the choice to live in order to save a dying Plant, not a human - dying because the environment was incompatible. You know, because they'd all been crashed on a desert planet. Certainly many Plants are still suffering. Because Vash is the only one doing this. He can't rest or delegate. It has to be him alone; it all depends upon him.

And Knives has been too busy playing his stupid piano to take any notice. And having other people do things for him. Oh, and making it damn near impossible for Vash to do what he does, partly because Vash has been convinced he bears all the responsibility and accepts the punishment himself. It's incredible he's held up even as well as he has.

If Knives is even aware Vash can heal Plants, he likely wouldn't care, because he views Plants in dependent form as imperfect, the same way he has contempt for Vash's fondness for eating. When Vash tried to talk to him about the needs of the other Plants based on his own direct experience, Knives didn't just shut him down by calling what Rem said a lie, he started mocking Vash's grief over her death, complaining that she inconvenienced him. He isn't interested in an alternative. His is the only way. It always has to be his way; that's been reflected in all his abuse.

Knives himself is the more powerful (and much less human-like) of the twins; the strongest and most righteous activist for necessary change now that, sadly despite all good faith attempts at communication, non-violent solutions have failed.

Remember Zazie, Elendira and Vash himself all have said don't judge by appearances. Yeah, Knives's colouration makes him look a bit more like the dependents than Vash does. That doesn't mean he's less human.

When he first started using his chosen name, Knives was doing nothing to help his brethren in the wake of the Fall. All he did was retaliate against humans and obsess over Vash. He bet everything on being able to carry out his plans using his brother's power. He didn't bother to communicate with any human other than Dr. Conrad. Seriously, count how many humans he addresses directly in the series. The total shrinks to one if you leave out those he doesn't immediately try to kill.

As for the "less human-like" part...

Dr. Conrad and Knives believe a soul is what gives a Plant free will, makes an Independent. Knives is referred to as an angel, and as perfect.

But angels don't have souls, so much as they are souls - they're beings of spirit, not matter. Humans are the ones who have both souls and material bodies. The dependents are in their tanks because their bodies can't survive outside of them. What makes Vash and Knives what they are isn't a soul. It's their humanity.

Thus I simply can't take the idea that Knives is "perfect" at face value. I stand by the assertion that Knives, in defining all humanity as selfish and greedy parasites, inadvertently exposes how human he is himself.

He truly has only the best and most altruistic intentions: the freedom of his people, and the happiness of his brother.

Look at what he did to Vash. The only other member of his kind he knows to be a person, and he chained and silenced him. Look at how often Knives is around dying Plants, dying because of the situation he forced them into. Do you believe it?

I don't. I find no truth in his words. I can count on one hand the moments I think he's being honest about anything. And I'd like this to be kept in mind as I continue.

I said before that the series seems mostly to take on Knives's point of view, and it's worth also keeping that in mind - especially when you remember the Punisher was Knives's chosen, custom-tailored agent. A gift. He was the one Knives obviously expected would become Vash's chief emotional support; all the better to kick it out from under him. After all, his brother is the one Vash truly loves; the brother who is a weapon, a punisher of human sin, who's done all he's done for his family. Who better to bring Vash home than an imperfect replacement, reminding him of what it was in his life that's been absent for so long? His human inadequacy would add strength to Knives's argument. And so focus goes to Wolfwood, showing how being forced to take on this role has made him suffer. He is, literally, pivotal; his backstory and conflict is revealed and resolved in 6/7, the midpoint of the series.

Naturally, it just demonstrates all the ways Wolfwood isn't like Knives, and that Vash never needed his help. Wolfwood is the one saved by Vash, not the other way round.

So… because Knives was so focused on Wolfwood and what he would mean to Vash, he never once thought Meryl mattered, not to Vash and not to the Plants and not to the world at large. She's a parasite, nothing more. There's no way some silly officious little womanchild with no weapons or powers could mean anything.

Right up until the moment she did, and he promotes her instantly, all the way from insignificant to tango primary.

Meryl in his mind goes from insect he can't be bothered to swat to an ideological threat on the level of Rem Saverem, and he starts shrieking denials that she's beaten him. And remember that I said you should believe the opposite of whatever he says?

She has.

Because she loves Vash. (Platonic or romantic as usual doesn't matter.) She's chosen to follow him even to the edge of reality. Though she found Vash frustrating, she didn't try to change him, nor does she need or want anything from him. She saw how much strength he had, what he could do if someone just had faith. When Vash declares I won't stop until they believe in me, he can draw hope from the assurance that Meryl already does. And unlike Rem, Luida, Rosa - Knives can't do jack-shit about it.

And Vash, in turn, has deep appreciation for her support. She tied him up all the way back in ep 1 - which I called "laying a claim" - and here Vash reciprocates, binding them together. She's lent him her agency, her independence, and she didn't have to resort to anything like the grotesque extremes Knives did. It required no more or less from her than unyielding love - an ordinary human's love. Just like Rem. Thank you, Meryl. I heard her voice through you.

Her love is rooted in seeking and embracing the hard truth rather than shoring up a comforting lie. When Vash starts to break free of Knives's illusion, it's by holding to the truth - it was Rem who promised to protect him, not Nai. Nai isn't an innocent little boy anymore but monster of metal chains and blades, something Vash has every reason to run from. Rem loves Vash no matter what's been done to him, and Knives cannot kill her as long as she remains alive in him. Knives is too frightened to face the truth, regards it with so much terror he tries to flee back into the ignorance of the childhood before he learned it. In contrast, Meryl's courage and conviction, her dedication to seeking and spreading truth, is so strong in her they steel that which is within those surrounding her; Roberto, Wolfwood, even in Vash. She may be small, but her power is sufficient.

Never ever overlook Meryl motherfucking Stryfe. That's a mistake so great it can see a man go from the threshold of victory to on fire.

And I'm still not done talking about her. One more instalment.

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

Part IX

#trigun stampede #tristampparty #trigun meta #meryl stryfe #millions knives #meta: little but fierce #tw sui ideation #computer still being fsssjhfa dumb #why must i have no money for repair

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reixtsu · 9 months

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ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕝𝕠𝕘𝕦𝕖 - ✾ Shared Interests ✾ - Soukoku x Female Reader

So I decided to post this on Tumblr too!

Third Person POV

"Shinju wa hitori dewa deki nai~" a man hummed happily underneath the sunset of Yokohama. It was quiet where he was. No cars, no people, just him on a pier over the water.

The pier was high above the water. The salty breeze tickled his nose and dances around his coat. The waves cascaded on the waves repeatedly, creating a soothing ambiance as the man stared into its watery depths. The water constantly moving, never still...what if he went in?

"Oi, Dazai. What are you doing here? Trying to do another attempt?" Another voice remarked.

The said man, Osamu Dazai turned around to look at the shorter male. His face was enigmatic, as if contemplating his decisions in life. "What do you want, Chuuya?"

"I was gonna clear my mind but then you're here," Chuuya growled, placing a hand on his hip as he stood besides the brown haired man. He kept one hand on top of his hat, making sure it doesn't fly away from the violent wind.

"Ew. A slug is next to me," Dazai dramatically gagged, acting as if he was going to barf.

Chuuya side eyed him, too tired to deal with dramatic suicidal maniac.

"Oi, bastard."

"What do you want, hat rack?"

"Tch," Chuuya refrained himself from lashing back, despite his muscles really wanting to punch the other man in the face. Dazai just smirked at him. "That new girl in your agency...what's her name?"

Oh? That was something Dazai did not expect Chuuya to ask this soon. Dazai smirked, placing his elbows on the rail as he gazed at the painting of warm colors in the sky.

"Didn't think you had nice taste in women, Chuuya." Dazai said humorously. "Well, her name is Y/n L/n. Quite the beaut, I'd say so myself. She's the new therapist assigned to work for our clients in the detective agency."

Chuuya hummed, his deep voice catching onto his throat slightly as his blue orbs stared at the water. The sunset seemed to melt into the ocean, adding a tint of orange upon the water's surface.

"That so? Good to know," Chuuya muttered pensively.

Dazai side glanced Chuuya, quietly observing his features as he figured out the meaning behind them. "Ah. Shortie has a crush now? Oh wow, and here I thought you were married to wine!" He said in a silvery tone.

"Says the suicidal mackerel," Chuuya retorted, feeling his patience slowly dissipating. "So what if I find someone attractive!"

"So you do admit~" Dazai let out a light hearted chuckling, making Chuuya jump away in disgust.

"How about we make a bet, hm?"

"Bets with you would be the death of me," Chuuya muttered, glaring daggers at Dazai. To the taller man, Chuuya looked like an angry Chihuahua.

"A challenge then. Wine will be the prize~"

"...What is it?" The ginger grumbled, taking off his hat to place it over his chest as he turned to look at Dazai's profile.

Dazai looked back at Chuuya with a shit-eating grin that made Chuuya want to kick him into the water. The wind made both of the men's hair flutter gently at the rhythm of the breeze.

"I'll make her fall in love with me in 15 days or less!" Dazai smirked confidently.

"Oh yeah? As if I'd let you!" Chuuya stomped his feet like a child, looking pissed at Dazai's challenge.

Chuuya's response only make Dazai' grin bigger and much more irritating.

"The timer starts tomorrow at eight in the morning. Good luck! You need it since you don't have her contacts~~~ Ack- Chuuya you're chocking me!"

"Kinky bastard, give me her number," Chuuya growled. He kept his gloved hand grasped tightly around Dazai's collar as he stared into Dazai's dead eyes.

"Ahaha. Left my cell phone in my house, aka trash can~!"

And overwhelming about of disgust crashed onto Chuuya, causing him to let go of Dazai.

"You dirty bastard! Nasty! No wonder you get rejected so often."

Dazai had never gasped so dramatically until that moment. He jumped back multiple times as if he had been struck. Slumping back, he laid his hand over his head, emotionally offended.

"Don't involve the waifus into this."

"Ha! Waifu?! You got no bitches!"

"Gasp! Neither do you."

"I have my wine! Besides, I'm 'bout to steal this Y/n L/n before your filthy hands touch her!"

"I've shaken hands with her."

"You will NOT make me jealous now!"

Next: *none yet*

I might add a tag list. If you wanna get tagged, let me know in the comments or just dm me!

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kaija-rayne-author · 9 months

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Ugh I can’t not theorize. I’ve been at it non stop. Once a story catches my interest my brain just going into hyper speed trying to figure out how the writers (if they do a good job) will bring all of their themes, hints, etc to fruition. All I’m missing is a cork board, pins, and miles of red string.

What’s super exciting this time is I’m actually dealing with a property where the writers are….good? I’m so used to being disappointed when fan theories (often my own) turn out to be much better than the canon, but I don’t see that happening here. Weekes is clearly a masterful writer and knows how to build up to a satisfying twist.

Because you just know another twist is coming. Solas, despite everything, is just too soft hearted to make a convincing final boss. It couldn’t be more obvious that being The Dreadwolf and putting aside his own conscience takes every ounce of energy he has. Eventually he’ll have his breaking point and that’s when we’ll find out who our true villain is.

It’s Mythal. I’ll eat my damn hat if it isn’t. She’s either not the person Solas remembers, or maybe she never was. In either case, there’s been plenty of clues both in DAI and in subsequent materials (specifically Tevinter Knights) to imply that there’s something else going on here.

We keep seeing imagery of the Dreadwolf as a mutant abomination that is part wolf and part dragon. It’s easy to point to the end credit scene of DAI and say “well yeah he fused with Mythal who is a dragon” and sure it looked that way…but is that actually what happened?

We saw Flemeth part with some form of magical energy before Solas arrived. We also know that she’d taken the soul of Uthemiel from Kieran. Uthemiel happens to be a dragon, or was until he was tainted and became an Archdemon.

Archdemons can control Darkspawn. And taking a Darkspawn army past the Veil to enact vengeance upon the Evanuris sees like something Flemeth would do. But that doesn’t seem like something Solas would want. His agenda has always been to fix his past mistakes and tear down the Veil for the greater good. He doesn’t seem that fond of Darkspawn, in fact he was pretty pissed at the Wardens for screwing around with them.

Where I’m going with this, is I think it’s entirely possible Solas is being used. He may have unwittingly fused himself with an Archdemon, assuming it was the essence of Mythal. The real plan, now that plan A failed, might be turning him into an Archdemon so Flemeth/Mythal can use him to start another blight and wield the darkspawn. Corypheus managed to mind control an Archdemon, so clearly it can be done.

And if that’s the case, then ooooooh boy.

Poor Solas.

OMG. I missed this one and I'm so glad I finally found it!

What a fascinating idea. Holy shitballs.

Okay, so I just restarted DAO, I'll be on the lookout through these playthroughs (I'm doing DA2 next, then probably DAI again, because I'm an utter sucker for lore) for hints about all that!

I thought the whole point of the dark ritual w/Morrigan was to purify Urthemiel's 'soul' through being born as an innocent child. But what if that didn't work?

But then, wouldn't Kieran have shown signs of taint? Hmmm. Maybe not, given it's just the soul?

I'm still not convinced that Flemythal parted with any kind of energy in that scene. BUT if she did... well, she's pulled the whole 'soul piece recovery schtick' before. So if it was energy or a soul, it could've been hers. Leaving just Urthemiel. Which would very possibly warp Solas into a dragon/wolf thing. And Mythal is very used to Solas going along with what she wants. So it feels like something she wouldn't think twice about. She uses Morrigan too, and Kieran, so it’s definitely something she's used to doing.

I have a strong feeling Solas is indeed being used. And has been since he was 'born' from the fade. There's a lot of hints to his resignation, nay, even belief that it's right that Mythal used him. (This is... common, in abuse survivors, FWIW.)

But I believe it's canon that his forehead scar came from when he burnt off Mythal's Vallaslin? I have to see if I can find that again. I can't remember where I read it.

I think Mythal will be rather unpleasantly surprised in the spine Solas has developed since her 'murder'. He doesn't seem at all likely to me to be all 'hey! My enslaver is back! Let me just get my slave brands again'. Now, if he were still truly alone, he might just cave into it because man, does Solas have some pretty massive Mythal issues. Not sure if he regards her as his mom or something else or a mix of things, urk.

BUT he's not actually truly alone anymore is he? No matter how hard he tries to be. A Romanced Lavellan can tell him "Var lath vir suledin" which translates sorta, into "Our - love - way/path - endure/strength to withstand loss."

So he knows he's not alone. That inky will absolutely go to the mat for him. He has actual friends, too. He said Bull has him, if you don't betray Bull w/the Chargers. Solas doesn't strike me as someone to say that lightly.

So, he also knows he has friends, too.

I think, if Mythal actually is the big bad (kinda hoping for this tbh) she's gonna have a rather rude awakening when it comes to Solas. Who, from all I can tell, has always willingly served her whims. Because she was 'the best of them' doesn't mean she was actually good.

I talked about how he's heavily neurodivergent coded before, and we're generally loyal to a fault, which Solas very much shows.

But we do also often, eventually, reach a 'no more' point. After which, we'll absolutely close all those doors we'd previously left open.

If Solas acts the way I suspect he might, he'd then use everything he knows about Mythal and the Evanuris to help the game protag (I still wish I could just carry my inky over) defeat the buggers.

But what would it take for him to finally reach that point with Mythal? Mommy issues are soooo hard to deal with in therapy because it's so damned easy to backslide.

Hurting Inky? Doing something that will destroy the fade (like marching a darkspawn army into it)? Making him betray all of his followers who truly believe in him and his goals of freeing enslaved elves?

Solas deeply believes that slavery is wrong. In a way that makes me think he was actually enslaved at one point. Obviously to Mythal.

Oh, fuck me. What an amazing story they could tell about the whole 'but there were good slave owners' bullshit nonsense some people like to spout.

Of course, I still really wish Bioware would tell a story with a disabled protag. Which the end of Inquisition really would set up nicely. But given their shit disability rep, I know not to hold my breath over that.

#dragon age series #dragon age #solas #dragon age inquisition #solavellan #inquisitor lavellan #solas dai #dragon age dreadwolf #dragon age theories #mythal #Flemythal

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oletus-manors-log · 10 months

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eeeeeeeeeee hello i desire orphy crumbs so , can i send a letter in for a drabble / headcanon list for a pining over reader orpheus ? if you’re gonna go for the drabble , gender neutral afab reader please , please take your time with it even though i’m desperate for orpheus content

OBSERVER'S NOTE :

“ The novelist, you say? Hm... Interesting. I hope what I made brought justice as I didn't want to delay this much longer. Truth be told, I had contemplated having the reader pine over Orpheus, but him pining over them is much more funnier.

Am I slandering him? Perhaps. However, it's not like he can stop me, hehe! Anyways, I hope you enjoy the headcannons! (I also did both pining reader and in reverse because I love teasing both sides. Mutual pining, am I right?)”

Mutual Pining Headcannons for: Orpheus

Dear God, save this man.

Orpheus is not a hot mess. Well, usually he isn't. For many others, the man is built solely to intrigue those who try to figure him out— his identity is a mystery, but many don't seem to bite the bait due to his more... Inhumane counterpart.

Does he mind? No, not necessarily. He enjoys having to live in peace without people badgering him for what he is, and in that regard, he never saw the point of trying to have another interest in him.

... until now.

Seeing you was one thing, but dear God, he can be such a mess. He didn't knew why a novelist such as him would falter, but it was almost like you had him in his hands.

Just what are you? You seem to have an air of mystery, and yet he can read others like an open book. It was almost like your door has been locked, and he needed to find a way to open it.

And that intrigued him.

It started out small, actually. He found you interesting after a few matches. You could've been a veteran for your skills, and yet, as he spoke to you... You confided that you were not.

You were new, you told Orpheus. But he noticed that you were a quick learner— quick to pick up things that many in your shoes wouldn't be able to.

To many survivors, that seems as though you're tooting your own horn; you were bragging on how quicker you noticed those signs, how you didn't cower in fear or became stupidly headstrong like the others. To them, you acted haughty for saying such words.

But to Orpheus? He found it a breath of fresh air. A sort of answer that is so different from many, from those with many faces— and that is what hooked him to try and figure you out.

It proceeded on as normal, but you found yourself in the company of the ever elusive Novelist after that. He was always so hard to reach him, so difficult to find— and yet with you, he seem to miraculously turn up and be with you in your misadventures.

Even the other survivors, notably the Journalist and even the Entomologist, made comments to him on how he's forming such an attachment.

On how he— the myth of the man whose identity cannot be traced— was growing attached. To you.

Orpheus didn't believe it at first. He found you interesting, he said. Why wouldn't he be so intrigued with someone who is so different from the others?

It shot down the initial assumptions, yes, but it didn't mean it stopped many others from saying that he's growing a fondness for you. For you, as the other survivors never reached said level with him.

The Novelist was never close to many, but only for specific individuals. And even then, it was under a thin veil of courtesy.

But to you... Said courtesy has been an afterthought; and it was like he focused on what truly matters aside from it.

And after a night spent in an event, one that took of pictures with the Novelist, Journalist, and you in the frame... He realized it.

He... Was growing fond of you.

Nay, he was growing feelings for you.

He didn't knew if you noticed it, but after the fireworks has ceased and fizzled out, he began to try and do different approaches. To you, he still acted the same.

But to the others? He acted differently.

He began to write ideas, but it mostly revolved around you. He began to grow fond of them and write stories of such length— fantasies that has some part of your character in it.

Orpheus was the Novelist, no one can deny, but even they can tell just how smitten he got.

It was a slow build up, however, for he feared one thing:

Would you ever see him as a monster if you knew?

Oh, but what a fool he was. He didn't even knew the truth behind those simple interactions you two had, didn't he?

For him to realize that he has fallen for you, he has neglected to realize that you, too, have fallen for the Novelist.

It was a cliché of all time— two remarkable individuals in a manor chock full of morally questionable and dubious individuals, and yet even they can see the way you look at Orpheus.

After all, no one is spared or exempted from the matter of mystery. You were of no exemption, but perhaps that mystery from him enraptured you.

You always found him fascinating, hadn't you? To think that the elusive Novelist felt the same as you have, but no man can convince either of you to admit such feelings.

Orpheus may have a keen eye, but even he falls short to how you, too, have fallen for him.

For all of his flaws, his mistakes, his glory— you have grown fond of him, as he does to you.

“ Ah... I did not expect to see you again. Hm, perhaps you'd like to indulge me in my works? I'd like to see your perspective in this. ... Hm? Oh, this premise I'm writing is about a lovesick man... ”

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shantalangel · 10 months

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I have long wondered if Legato is human, and why he slightly does not fit into the universe logically (in terms of strength, superior to Plants). Analyzed manga again, and here are some interesting things I found:

Legato can use his power only if he has a device with wires, which later looks like this pretentious skull, but before that… he had the same device in slavery! The translation in that chapter is incorrect in some versions, so it's hard to figure it out, but the small bracelet with a metal box on his arm is not for to prevent him from escape (as I initially thought, something like explosive collars from films).

Legato says how he used it on the inhabitants of the fortress where he was kept. In the next scene, his slave owner, before “punishing” Legato, removes the device - that is, he is well aware of what it is and what it can (and is not afraid that he will be killed with this device at another time, which is strange). As Nai's slaughter begins, Legato can be seen rushing and grabbing the device. Why give a slave such a powerful thing? The only answer that seemed logical to me was that they were going to resell Legato to someone else and arrange a “small” sabotage there according to the principle of the Trojan horse. Would hardly occur to anyone that a pretty teenager is dangerous, and the device itself cannot do anything, therefore it is impossible to found out what is it. I still don’t understand how it works, because the device itself is not an implant - in the version from slavery it was simply worn on the arm.

Shortly before Vash is taken prisoner for six months, Nai attempts to merge with him like with sisters, at which point Legato, who was far enough away, has a panicked expression on his face, and while Wolfwood and Elendira do not understand why, rushes there to stop Nai saying "I felt the level of his power. If you try to do that, you will die (from energy overload, because Vash is so much stronger than Nai that it surprised even Conrad)." It's easy to see from the manga that humans don't feel Plants' angel weapons in any way, otherwise all those tragedies due to the power of the twins would have been easily avoided. Wolfwood and Hornfrick literally stood next to transformed and littered by debris Vash, and did not feel anything.

The most curious thing is that Nai himself was not at all embarrassed by the statement described above, just like the manifestation of strength on the first day of his meeting with Legato, which occurred because, judging by Nai’s words, Legato controlled him at that moment and either forced him to attack the place of his imprisonment, or from all inhabitants to leave only him alive; not exactly clear from the context (and, however, raises several questions: Why didn’t Legato kill everyone himself? How did he connected Nai if the device had already been removed?). In itself, the fact of the possibility of this is very curious in the story, where we are convinced that humans have absolutely nothing to oppose Nai - if we consider Legato a human. But it's not only that.

Firstly, since when did Nai learn to sense human's abilities?

Secondly, how could he even feel it, if it was solely the merit of a device or some kind of cybernetic modification like a microchip?

Thirdly, I will never believe that if Nai had stumbled upon someone who is stronger than him among many completely helpless humans, he would not have been, to put it mildly, very surprised.

Fourthly, the ability of an ordinary person to become stronger than a creature with the characteristics of Plants (which will need a separate post to list) due to just some kind of modification, is something, to put it mildly, absolutely fantastic in sense "impossible".

Fifthly, if such technology against Independents from the time before the Great Fall was still preserved, why was it in a single copy which turned out to be in the hands of some pervert slave owner who apparently decided to do something evil to someone? And Luida's team didn't new anything like that; seriously? And, finally, how did Legato, sitting in a cage, understand that Nai was somewhere nearby, if he did not fall into his field of vision?

An interesting picture is already emerging, don't you think?

Even against the backdrop of all the strange mutants and cyborgs, including very infernal creatures without a normal human face, with sharp needle-like fangs and tusks, like Gray 9 Lives, Legato's minion golem and another minor character from later volumes, Legato stands out with his abilities. In principle, mutants on Gunsmoke are clearly a common occurrence - they do not surprise or frighten anyone, even when they are multi-meter guys with piano-sized fists. But among them there is no one even with approximately similar abilities. If this is a random mutation, why does only one person on the entire planet have it? Also I doubt that at least one of all these cyborgs would have survived the connection to their brain and body of hundreds more people. Not to mention controlling an extraterrestrial organism for half a year. No wonder then, that Legato eats so much and in this way; he must be on a terrible number of drugs in order not to die after such overloads. I'm actually surprised he lived that long. The scene with food, by the way, comes just after the hellish-gore scene with the massacre of law enforcement officers.

This system with wires of connection is very similar to the artificial analogue of Plants' merging, which also has a leading individual, merging other creatures around itself into a single organism with a common system of internal processes and organs. The only difference that Plants also merge their psyche. In general, to have some kind of device or ability to interrupt the signals of someone else's brain with your own in order to prevent it from accessing the body of the brain owner, is already a very impressive scientific development on a planet whose inhabitants always moan about how they have no technology and they are in one step away from the apocalypse. :) Though I have a big question why this ability does not work without a device.

When Legato meets Vash for the first time, they communicate mentally and neither of them surprised. This I don't know how to explain. Apparently, telepathy itself, without controlling bodies, also exists then?

Of course, Legato is not the most creepy mutant of all that is found on Gunsmoke, but he has an eerily impressive completely inhuman tongue and, in one color illustration, long black claws; and the rest of the time they are not shown, which means that they also grow at will.

Also just a note: Vash has black "flesh" of angelic form in the new anime, which uses manga as main canon.

That Legato had transplanted Vash's hand - that is, the very fact that Plant cells can grow together with humans and transfer the abilities of alien superbeings to them, - was canon even in the old anime. Just like we now have a hybrid Elendira, who is part human, but at the same time materializes nails from the matter of her body, and she may have had Tessla's eye transplanted.

#trigun #trigun stampede #trigun maximum #trigun meta #legato bluesummers #legato trigun #trimax #tristamp #trigun thoughts #trigun theories

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astrowaffles · 11 months

Note

Answer all of them :]

JAMMIE I'M IN LOVE W YOU HOW DID YOU KNOW I WANTED TO ANSWER THEM ALL

anyways

Do you listen to music when you write?

no. my little animal brain must have complete silence in order to function. i'm very easily overstimulated and even if i have it on and manage to ignore it, the moment i leave the Writing Zone for even a second, i'm extremely irritated and frustrated. DOWN WITH BACKGROUND MUSIC

Do you have a trusted beta?

NO BETA WE DIE LIKE MEN!! honestly i'm too egoistic to have a beta, i tend to just assume i got it right the first time anyway. most of my fics are unbeta'd, although a few were done by hayla (@cauxtion)

First person or third person?

Third person. Personally I hate reading fics in first person so I don't write them either, but it has been known to happen.

Past tense or present tense?

Usually if I want something to have an emotional tone, I'll use present tense, whereas cracky or otherwise shallower fics are past tense.

How long do your fics tend to be? Multi-chapter or one-shots?

Short! Mostly one-shots, mostly about 1.5k or thereabouts. Plot is not my strong point.

Rarepairs? Yea or nay?

I don't tend to write them and usually don't actively ship them, but i'm not against them or anything. i just prefer the ships that make sense to *me*.

In character or out of character?

I try SO HARD to make everything in character, but the problem is, I write UA's (universe alterations) so the characters are in situations they have never canonically been in. it's a lot of guesswork, and i'm sure it turns out ooc regularly!

Favourite trope?

Well, obviously, i'm a SUCKER for a good old single father figure ... reluctant father figure ... doting father figure ... found family, y'all. found family.

Do you like reading/writing Omegaverse?

Have read it, will probably read it in the future. Would 100% never write it. Not my thing, really, but lots of love to the people who do!

OTP(s)?

It's endless, dear god. Just in haikyuu, there's iwaoi, ushiten, kghn, daisuga, skts, kyouhaba, matsuhana, kuroken, bokuaka ....... there is literally no end

NOTP?

y'all are gonna hate me for this, i can feel it, but I have two: ushioi, and kiyoyachi. detest them, tbh

Fluff or smut?

Fluff!!!! i literally do not give a flying flamingo whether the characters fucked or not, tell me what they did on their date to the amusement park fr

Does angst get you excited?

I literally hate it so much throw it away bury it put it in a nuclear reactor i hate it so much. i will only read it for the Greater Good of a fic i'm very invested in

How do you come up with fic ideas?

Usually i'll sit there and think, i want to write a fic. what shall i write it about? and then i get an idea and then i write it. simples.

Are you a planner?

Nope. there's a reason my fics usually peter out at about 2k words, and it's because i've run out of ideas since i didn't plan anything :D

Do you title your chapters?

Not usually, but it depends on the context. sometimes i'm trying to copy the style of a book (like percy jackson) or the chapters are essentially standalone stories, in which case there'd be titles.

Overused words or phrases that just make your eye twitch?

i don't have any! the only thing that annoys me is when native english speakers try to use common english-speaker phrases but get them wrong. how do you even manage that??

What's something you struggle with as a writer?

character/story depth. my writing it just ' they bantered and then they went home'. WHERE ARE THE FEELINGS??

Any writing advice?

Write what you want to write! there's no point forcing yourself to continue things or start things that you're not interested in. you're here to have fun, so let yourself have fun and don't feel obligation to do anything. and if you end up not writing for months on end, so what? you have to do what works for you.

thanks for the ask!

#astro speaks wonders #hq #JAMMIE 👹

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the-east-art · 1 year

Text

Chatting about Trigun

(Both the manga and the new anime)

A couple of my mutuals have asked me about my thoughts, and if yall wanna dm me and keep talking I LOVE chatting, but I also thought it would be fun to write down some of my thoughts for everyone. For reference, I have finished watching Stampede and I'm a little less than halfway through TriMax. There isn't really a 'point' to all of this, just some misc thoughts :3

So first of all really loved Stampede. I read the first manga and got like 12 chapters into Max before giving in to watch the anime, both because I was excited to watch it, and also because the manga is... a little rough to read? I don't watch or read a ton of anime or manga these days, working on art and full-time school and my job make it hard to pick what to do in my little free time. The manga that I've read recently has been Yokohama Shopping Log, Dungeon Meshi, and Witch Hat Atelier. While Trigun is fun paneling and storytelling wise it isn't as easy to read as any of the manga listed. I found myself having to reread some pages a few times because between the words, the paneling, and the art I couldn't tell what it was trying to get across. It is also heavy on the action and fights scenes (much like some manga I read in the early days like Bleach or Naruto) and I'm not about long fight scenes, especially when it's hard for me to tell what's going on. The story that the manga has going on is very interesting, however, it reminds me incredibly of Katekyo Hitman Reborn (or tbh even D. Gray Man) in that the early portion of it really feels like the Mangaka wasn't sure what the entire plot was and kind of made it up as it went, especially leaning into funny tropes quite early on. The manga reads like the mangaka realized that they needed to focus up and iron out the story idea when they ended the original Trigun, and had a better idea of what they were going for when they wrote Trigun Maximum (obv idk if that's true, that's just the vibe)

Stampede feels like they're trying to write the story of Trigun but more focused, if the story had been more put together from the beginning, which I really like. A few of the changes I struggle with, but I'm trying to be optimistic to how these changes can be remedied in season 2. Season 1 of Stampede was both the original Trigun books AND the backstory of the books in a way, which I really like I feel like having the destruction of July being the incident before the two year gap actually works really well, as well as letting us see how some of the characters develop. Meryl in season 1 has been much more naive and soft than I felt like she was in manga, but I think you do get the vibe that in season 2 after the developments of the finale and the two year gap she will be more like the Meryl from the manga, which actually if it is true sets up her character pretty well!

I like the designs for a lot for the characters in Stampede too, although I am a little sad that they leaned more into the generic white futuristic clothing for the people on board the ship. I really like that in the manga, even though they're all like astronauts and stuff they're seen wearing t-shirts and jeans. Also I think Rem has more of the milf vibes like that (someone said that she looks more like a big sister like that and if so I think I like it even more haha, since she was thrust into the position of mom really suddenly). The many wrappings/belts of Vash are also missed, but I also like his new design so they're both good lol.

The last thing I wish that they included or that I really wish they'll add into season two is how Vash when he was still with Nai and Rem was less optimistic. In the manga I just got to the part where Vash acts out after seeing the previous Independent, going as far as hurting Rem. The idea that he became so steadfastly optimistic after his world falls apart is so good. Not that he was pessimistic before, but that he was just a kid that was still figuring things out, and scared.

Haha, it's also a small thing, but in the manga when the ships go down, Nai specifically says that Rem thwarted his plans, but in the anime I feel like it just kind of vaguely says she might have or might not have helped.

Uhhhh if you have any questions though about any other thoughts I might have about things let me know! It was a fun watch and I'm excited to finish reading the manga, even if I do have my critiques lmao.

#trigun #trigun stampede #trimax #trigun manga #trigun anime #trigun maximum

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kisenth · 1 year

Text

“There’s two guys I absolutely never wanna do a tagteam with ever again. Like. I’d rather face a whole group by myself than have them ‘help’ me.”

“Raihan’s… he’s a PAIN. I think he did more damage to my team than the opposing group did-ya? I mean, we figured out how to fight together better during it, and if I’d known in advance I guess I’d have planned better but… Nay, I don’t ever wanna fight next to that guy again.” g r o a n

r “Anyone facing off against the great Raihan and Kira is done for!” k BLANK STARE. r “And no need to worry - I’m recording the whole thing with my rotom phone to post later.” k “What’s the title-ya? 'How I Murdered My Partner’? 'Defeating The Champion At My Side’?” r “Real funny. Oh, speaking of which… Try to smile a bit more in the next match, would you?” k “...I will if you stop killing my team.”

“I’m still surprised we won.”

“Another guy I really hate to fight alongside… I guess it’d surprise people since we get along, but I don’t wanna fight next to Leon again like, EVER. I mean, he was right when he said that, battling side by side, we were sure to be the greatest thing Galar has ever seen, but… He’s always raring to go when a fight excites him, what am I supposed to do when, atop of the two enemies, my own freakin’ partner suddenly has his Charizard go after me-ya??”

l “I’m seeing even greater strength from you than you’ve shown me before, Kira! Sorry, I was so pumped that I had Charizard attack your team by accident!” k “Yanno…” =o=

“He deserved the punch I gave him. Unlike him, I still had my Aegislash out-ya?? That thing’s made of STEEL.”

“If we’re talking my best partner… That’s gotta be Hop! We’re matched real well, so it ain’t at all hard to deal with others when we’re fighting side-by-side. I wonder if it’s like that for all rivals-ya? From all the times you fight together you know exactly how the other battles, and in our case, we’ve known each other for almost ten years too. I guess it ain’t much of a surprise that we’re so well matched-ya?”

h “I know I’ve been spending all my days hitting the books, but I think it’s actually taught me more about battling, too!” k “Come by soon, I got some books laying 'round you might actually be interested in now!” h “Will do, mate. Now, let’s make this a battle that’ll bring smiles of delight to everyone’s faces!”

“He may not be as battle crazy as some other people, especially now he’s figured out a different sorta future, but that don’t mean he ain’t an absolute joy to fight along regardless. We’re always having fun together, and that counts for a lot more than some think.”

#「 KIRA KOUYOU 」 GALAR'S GREATEST

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whitetickle-sl · 6 days

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Right let's talk because I've been having second thoughts about this.

Sigh. What..what do I even say. I've tried to reimagine ow to even discuss anything for this acount and i always feel like I have to rethink my words everytime cause the message could always fall flat or come out wrong. Imagination is key when it come to getting your head around an idea that feels like it's out of left field. You know I have other acounts,tickled related and so on. Not everything about me focuses on things like race. And even still this is more so about getting people to think more so than it's about a fetish. To be honest most of my tickle related ideas I LIKE TO challenge norms and reach for the stars. Whenever I see an idea I can't give my full time towards I start to either lose focus on it or become demoralized if i HAVE A realy good idea that no one is interested in. So imagine it's an idea I put aot of thought in, then I hit a writers block but people LIKE IT! except the people I find like it have apercentage majority of the lees but other target demograpgic is...small. Which wouldn't be a problem if the topic wasn't so... well I mean take a good look. POC ler's on white lees. I'll be honest with you, perhap even if I was getting more blacks than whites it would probabaly still look bad either way. I mean I guess being lee is pretty popular but Thanks for making me feel like a JackAss, I knew I was stepping into quicksand and when I felt ground beneath my feet I honestly thought hey, maybe I'm on to somethingt and this could work... but then my wirter's block hits. my enxiaty kicks in and then I look at the numbers. and then when ever I get a POC coming in, I get my hopes up. Why even bother?

No I'm not throwing in the towl though. however, I think I'm gonna stop even asking. I'll let the insporation come to me whenever it does. though I admit I do hate to let others down. However If you dont' have imagination for this sort of thing, or if this just ain't for you, then why did you come? You know what I'd..rather just be friends, be on friedly terms. But I don't realy ... expect you to emerse yourself into something this complex or challenging. because I get it, it's a challenge. I find it abit challenging my self. I HAVE an easier time imaging a world where humans are underdogs to non humanoid ticklers than I do to something like this! Infact that idea came first, and this was more of an atympt to stage something more set in reality and in maturee topics. I don't know I figured people would atleast want to explore and try to figure out the lore that could back such a scenario as this but I guess I put to much faith in the idea of people having imagination or the ability to think outside a box or break any opinion they believe in. I don't know why when I struggle with my own at timese. I guess I fuigured since I was able to see how it could work, others would to. You know...it's frustrating. you put any amout of work into something and the progress is so slow that it it ends up stagnent. You put your work into something ambitious but the moment you began to question the point of why your even doing this, you sort of just feel like you waisted all that time. Sure you saw the potnential and you should never just give up due to nay sayers or critics. But not those guys causei hardly evene hear from them. No it's the idea that in the end , will people even get why I even did this at all? Or will it al fly over their head?

I guess what I should say right now is...I'm emotionaly confused right now. I'm torn between an ambitous vission, my other visions, what my target demographic for this even is and what I got instead.

My after thoughts is this. This is a topic worth tackling and most certainly potential for world building and kinky fun. However it's ambitous and if your hoping your gonna have an RP with someone on this sort of gimmick...I'm sorry.But no one has that kind of imagination for it. I mean people got imagination for tickling, tickle torture, sadism, masichims from what I've seen. But let's get real. No Black, asian or other wise is interested in this. ok maybe that's not fair I've met some sure... but the reality is people are either to buisy , or don't RP, or CAN'T EVEN FIND YOU. I waited paciantly, hoping people might be interested... I got some and tried some things out. I got to be a lee. I think I found myself getting more well told stories out though being the ler for white lees! I'm basicly carrying the story. Oh sure I'm used to narrating in other tickle rp types too but I still found many others where I and the other person can contribte alot to the RP and it feels like a story is unfolding. I came close thinking I finaly found someone who could help me do that with the Giggle Milkee idea. Who ws I kidding. Not only was the sotry more set up by me but they wound up not even apreciating it. they straight up jump scared me with a sudden mood swing! realy?! A mood swing?! Listen.. if your Black or Asian or any other Grabber cannidate, I'm not discouraging you from trying. I mean there are plenty white lees out there. You can try all you like, but as for me..I DON'T EVEN know. Send me a message if your even interested...however my reception might be differant for now on than what it would have been in the past. For now on. if you don't got imagination, I won't waist any time with you. Same goes for the Gigmigs, though they've been more interested I still find some that either gone missing or are lacking. Maybe I'm just sore right now...like I SAID. i'M EMOTIONAly condused. more like distraught,aggervated, not wanting to give up, not wanting to keep going. I'm torn is what I'm saying. and I needed to vent. I'm not sure about where I'm gonna go with this in the future. But If I see another Grabber...I'm not getting my hopes up... I just won't. I'll be happy...but chances are.....well you figure it out cause my throat is sore.

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n00h · 1 year

Text

Wizard Hand

It’s only been a few decades since magic has been exposed to the commoner. This new class’ associated image has shifted so rapidly, so constantly, since their discovery, no single trend could entrench itself between regions or generations. Various legends and wives' tales have formed, each village developing at least one unique dubiously true tale of magic. Most know the legendary figures or learn of the most famous users of their time. All have some idea of their new magical reality, no matter how vague.

Recently the perception of magic has begun another dramatic downturn. Thrown down below the dirt by a single magician looking down at magicdom from the top of his mountainous skill. No wizard now or recorded in magic’s history have had their stories become so ubiquitous, so large in volume, or as far-reaching. For no wizard has ever matched his raw power or level of refined expertise.

But there have been magical legends before him, new generations of master wizards piercing through what was once the absolute limit of spells. There is something far more relevant that stands him out, something that has quite possibly made him the most momentous figure in the modern magic world. Truly it is only one simple trait that separates him from his peers:

He’s an asshole.

After years of searching for a magical consensus, all it took was one powerful prick to produce parents’ a misguided wisdom warning to avoid all wizards at any cost. More likely than not the average wizards are the ones avoiding non-magical entities. They are far more content enjoying their life in a society they know and built than spending it as a novelty to be shown to party guests. Those who are willing to crossover into our villages have self-serving interests and are wholly disinterested in the mundane world. Pedants and barons looking to prove their brand new spells are worthy of patent and certainly not redundant, ‘look how well I serviced these villages and travelers with this unique invention, no spell that already exists with two less steps could possibly have done it just as well.’

People such as former professor Falndai Larstrow, who made a grand introduction to the nearest village farmer with an explosion of suddenly grown crops and shining lights declaring “I will grant you any wish you desire no matter how difficult! Even should your wish have no associated spell my magnificence shall overcome this barrier to reward us with your wish satisfied.” As if the commoner understands the intricacies of spell-less magic.

The farmer looked up in horrified amazement. Larstrow allowed them the time to compose themselves, gathering their strength to stand before the power that unveiled itself to them before finally declaring: “No.” They then ran away, leaving their crops with a very confused magical professor.

Larstrow spent weeks in that village, at first waiting for the farmer to claim their wish, but eventually devolving into harassing any random passerby until they speed-walked out of sight.

No, he wasn’t trying to deceive someone into believing they now had access to their heart’s desire only to turn their wish on its’ head into something they’d forever regret; he was just desperate for tenure. Of course, he could never just say that and reveal a mechanism of magic university without immediate expulsion, and it remains unclear why he believed anyone who accepted the offer would have something new to grant, and not the same vain requests for a few extra inches “just for the sake of rounding.”

But thanks to this envisioned all-powerful magician looming over magic users not even this much could be accomplished. Larstrow would proposition anyone who entered his vision and be responded with “Nay, I am no prisoner to my hubris! Find another fool to grant your false promises.” While Larstrow silently shouted to himself “They won’t let us unionize!”

Make no mistake, this magician isn’t interested in teaching lessons about hubris to his victims either. He doesn’t find someone wishing for more strength to be gawked at and grant them so much strength they crush everything they touch. He stumbles upon some poor village boy hoping to become strong enough to help work for his people, then enlarges their muscles and organs at random to the point of dysfunction.

It’s not a matter of spell difficulty or mistakenly cursing people with their wish because of an excited lack of magic refinement. His accursed spells exceed the skill one would need to grant any wish asked by entire lifetimes. Ask any magician how simple it would be to bless a woman with knowledge when they ask to be given superior knitting skill. Instead, he nonchalantly creates a spell anyone else would’ve assumed unstainable for more than a day, forcing the woman into a knitting frenzy for weeks on end, knitting away all her cloth and wool until she was forced to create clothes from the straw that made her house, and when there was no more straw, blankets made from the dirt beneath her, until she fell to exhaustion.

He has no obligations. He chooses to make misery for the sake of misery.

He’s not even creative about it! Once he was asked for better irrigation for crops and responded by launching a meteor at the farmstead. Why? What connection is there? As befuddled as his better-off victims are left it’s far more disorientating from afar. Watching this magician sometimes choose to hide behind this genie-esque trickster act when he’s just as likely to bestow an entirely unrelated curse after prompting a demand. Maybe he’ll try to relate his assaults, or maybe he’ll wait for someone to ask him to create a new cane, and suddenly transport a gang of bears to their home.

Their destruction has left magic behind with a shattered reputation, and an increasingly hostile public. The time had come to strike back. A reactive “magic council” had formed. Their explicit goal to foster a new reputation of magic through regulation and diplomacy. Their implicit goal to come for the magician before he came for them. Joined by some self-proclaimed masters and leaders looking for publicity, some actual masters and community leaders, and some who simply hated the magician. Gathered and created by Falndai Larstrow, just after discovering the magic of book deals and voluntarily retiring from his institute. It was unanimous that the council’s first action would be their preemptive strike. They debated the methodology, when and how many members to commit, whether their goal was to capture or kill, and how to prepare. Before a decision could be made a trio of glory seekers broke rank

Fergal and Aered Maordahn, two brothers recently confirmed as masters and searching for a path to solidify their family’s nigh-legendary status. Led by Zaraelto Mezex, a wizard just prominent enough among medical facilities to earn a seat on the council. She planned to attach her name to the wizard pantheon by being the one to cut through slow council planning and curing the magic world from the magician herself.

A “coordinated” strike was prepared. The trio infiltrated the forest that had become accepted as the magician’s domain. To their credit, how little credit they deserve, their preparation was successful in going unnoticed. Whether they could defeat him alone ‘vulnerable’ or not was never in question, but as they lay in wait, their plan was capable of accomplishing their first step. The magician wandered through and fell into place, and the ambush began

In an instant, the flat forest floor under the magician’s feet stretched down to tomb. Zaraelto transformed air into water plastering the crater. The Maordahns remained on stand-by: Fergal began a spell to freeze the water the second the flood entombed the magician. Aered prepared their contingency: charging lightning as dynamic as his ability allowed.

The magician was quick to realize their attack. Even as the ground folded into walls while the grass under his feet descended, he was able to act with agility no plan these three could account for. They threw their arms apart and split the earth from pit to canyon. The tide meant to become a flood instead took form of a waterfall. The magician knew precisely how to turn ambush into tools for his own assault. He jumped to ride the waterfall back to the surface, each step turning water into a frozen platform.

The Maordahns acted in panic. Fergal’s transformation spell meant to encave the magician instead melted ice back to water. Water he used to whip into a shield against Aered’s fear-filled smite attempt, then again into an electrified hammer to slam Zaraelto into a tree.

He didn't provide a moment of recovery. The magician landed alongside an armada of fireballs raining down on his remaining two ambushers. The trio lost their advantage, became even less prepared to fight than their target was to be for their trap, but there was no room to retreat, only to stay and fight.

Each fireball avoided was followed by yet more waves of concentrated flame. Each near miss was a direct hit on the forest. No fireball struck their targets, but each dodged volley created hotter, larger walls of flame. The council members would have to prepare their counterstrike to avoid being entrapped by the forest fire.

On the magician’s south, Aered created an army of levitating rocks and boulders he flung forward. To his side, Zaraelto recovered, gathered the water covering her surroundings, and directed a single pressurized string canon unto her opponent. To his north, Fergal created gusts strong enough to bring down homes in an effort to control the flames and return them to their source.

Once again, the trio created a plan with no hope for success. Once again the magician simply redirected their attacks into his own showcase of skill. Without a single incantation spoken, he created gales with more force than any storm has ever produced alone, gales that absorbed the attacking wind and caught the simultaneous barrages. He spun, and spun, and spun, and created a flaming monsoon brimming with meteors.

The council remained on the backfoot the entire battle. The battle that only lasted less than 20 minutes. The battle that destroyed environments with irrevocable, still ongoing consequences. As much as their failed trap-turned-spectacle was an assault between wizards, was even more so an assault on the earth. Alongside flaming boulders, the cyclone of fire ripped trees from their roots to become burning catapults. Animals were multiplied, enlarged to the size of mountains, launched, and landed miles away the size of pebbles. Villages became craters. Rerouted and contaminated rivers have reshaped ecosystems alongside the displaced wildlife. What was once the Iwon Forest” is now the “Bareige Plains” and the “Despein Canyon.” What’s left of the forest continues to burn alongside countless acres of farmland.

Grass was made into rope was made into armor was made into ash. Smoke obscured acid rain that immobilized dirt golems. The battle ended with three wizards stricken down and a magician left free to retaliate,

He didn’t act out of anger, or some desire for revenge. Just as everything else to him, this was nothing more than a way to stay entertained at the end of a challenge.

Aered was ripped apart to become one with the wind forever haunting what were now plains

Fergal had their magical powers robbed, all but just enough to perform simple party tricks at a child’s birthday party, then transported a continent away.

Nothing was done to Zaraelto. She was allowed to recover from their battle in their unconscious state, and to awake to a missing magician.

And a crowd of non-magic users staring at the wizard placed in front of a forest mutilated by flames.

In a show of unity, the remaining wizard council unanimously voted on the title Eldraiz Council of Magic. The solid unanimity to fight back against the wizard was shattered. The debates over how to fight became whether to fight at all. Whether they should simply accept the magician’s existence and do their part to keep their own image separated from him. Whether they could work to appease them and promise them an unimpeded rampage through allocated territory or to attempt to evacuate his current domain and hope they may remain isolated. Since the battle, no decision has been made. It’s obvious the decision should be made to strike again. For the first time, the magic and mundane alike have become cowering subjects to a single person’s will. The lost battle was the result of imperious buffoons breaking for their own poorly thought-out plan. Eldraiz has grown, both in number and quality of members. The lost councilmen weren’t even in the same league as the highest founding members. A properly planned coordinated strike could easily break this era of magical fear. While they fail to make any decisions they’ve made known this magician’s reputation to him, and he’s decided to embrace his infamy.

It’s difficult to assess this magician’s motives, or if he has any outside his own entertainment. It’s clear it wasn’t about becoming infamous or wanting to spread his name before. He never in the past took action to persuade his victims into spreading their stories. In most cases, they were never given the opportunity to tell anyone of their encounter. Nor were there ways uninvolved pedestrians stumble upon and learn their stories. Evidently, this magician has recently taken a dramatic turn, and become incredibly invested in propagating his image. Now there’s an effort to ensure all will learn about him. Knowing this, I shall leave you with one final cautionary tale.

In spite of the new distaste for all magic and the growing rumors, fools continue to seek out wizardry to grant them assistance. They hope the rumors are wrong. That they’ll be able to find the exception. They hope that their destiny is simply meant to be too grand for them to become another tale.

Once such fool was a bard. Their village warned them dealing with magic will create torturous repercussions. The bard said that magic was not to be feared. They left their home to search the land. Their dream was for their voice to be heard across continents. That people all across the world, magic, farmer, or despot alike would dream of listening to their compositions.

Eventually, the bard came across this magician and made his wish known. The magician apparently sympathized with this request. He himself had become filled with a desire for fame and already begun a search for a bard to spread his tales and craft his image. The Magician informed the bard of modified, diminished tales of ‘trickery in good fun’ and claimed he was recently attacked by other wizards.

“They have no respect for what I do,” He said “I understand if you want to back out of your wish after hearing my stories.”

“My people don’t respect me either,” the bard sighed “but I know I’m meant for so much more. What you’ve told me, no one deserves to be attacked for pranks. Do the other wizards claim ownership over the power you share? Do they think they can control who’s allowed to know you? I’m certain I want to be a grand storyteller. And now, I know I want to help you and tell your story. What’s your name?”

“I come from a long line of wizards, all of whom were granted the same ancient name of the magical world dating centuries. My name,” explained the magician “Is Smith.”

“Do-” stuttered the bard “Do you have a last name?”

“No. But, since my convictions to make myself a legend I have decided on a new name I want to be known by.”

The name he came up for himself doesn’t matter

The bard made his wish to have his voice heard across continents known one last time and the magician cast a spell.

At first, the spell created such bliss never known to anyone before that moment. I could feel my thoughts become clear. I suddenly had knowledge of stories I never could have learned on my own. I knew words never before uttered in my village. I knew how to find anyone in the world to tell my stories. All I could feel was pure euphoria.

And then I realized. All I could feel was euphoria. I tried to look down but I had no neck to turn, and no body to find. I tried to stumble forward and catch myself on a tree but I had no limbs. I could see but had no eyes. I could speak but had no mouth. My body was gone and I had no touch. I had ceased to be a person. He helped me spread my voice across continents, but he robbed me of any way to enjoy, of any chance to become known as a great storyteller and to revel in it. I was transformed, forced to be nothing but a disembodied voice, with no purpose but to spread the tales of this bastard of a magician.

#creative writing #short story #original fiction #writeblr #fantasy #wizard #comedic #first story I've ever posted online #If you're wondering why it's called that #I was thinking about the word 'hand' while typing the filler name 'wizard story'#And I've grown too attached to change it

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zhaorask0 · 2 years

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The Best Tips For Effective Article Marketing!

There are certain principles in any type of business that will help you achieve success. Understanding how a particular business operates will help you succeed with any product or idea, and this is definitely true with online marketing and traffic generation. In this article, read up on the latest article marketing tips to learn how to construct a successful campaign. Include a blog as part of your internet marketing strategy. Writing blog articles gives you the opportunity to write useful information about your business that people may want to link to on their own website. Advice or tips are great things to put in a blog. A well written article educates potential clients about your product or service and drives them to your main website. With there being so many different people on-line, you want to make sure that your advertisements are being viewed by the correct target audience. If your company sells women's purses, it would not be very beneficial or profitable to market your product on a men's health site. Being aware of your target audience could mean the difference between steady sales and slow business. The main reason people are going to read your articles is to find out information. So pack as much information as you can into your article. Try and give them everything they're looking for in one place. If you become a reliable source of information, they'll come back to you. Find a unique and clever way to make your article promotional. Readers love it when a writer tries something new and interesting. They are used to seeing the product description/review/buy it here format. If you can figure out a different way to promote your product, readers will flock in, and usually buy. Be sure to spell check your articles and then read them yourself, to be sure that everything is spelled correctly and the right words have been used. Spellcheckers don't know what word you intended. công ty cnc đồng nai may have entirely the wrong word in place, albeit perfectly spelled. Check your grammar. If you are not a grammarian, use simpler sentence structure. When trying to market your articles, make sure that they are of a reasonable length so that search engines can find them much easier. Try to keep your articles' word counts down to 500, or at most, 700 words. more than that will dissuade a lot of readers because they will consider it too long. Introductions and conclusions are very important in an article. You want to introduce a reader to the content below in a general way, making the reader feel as if any subject within will relate to them. And then you want to close by briefly summarizing what the article touched on and adding your last call to action. Unless websites delete your articles, they'll remain there and can be used to drive traffic to your website. It's possible to use these articles to cross-promote other articles you've written to really expand your readership. Try to keep your number of article submissions down to about three to five good article directories. It's better to use spun articles for these too. You don't need hundreds of copies of your articles placed into hundreds of directories. Try to pick a few good ones, spin your articles, and submit them to those few directories. Write with gia công cơ khí tại đồng nai , and make it memorable. If your area of expertise or niche in a market is a hot topic, it is vitally important that your content stands out from your competitors'. It takes a little extra time and effort, but the dividends you enjoy in more readers and higher site traffic are well worth it. Make sure articles are properly formatted. You have to check with the service you're submitting to to ensure their formatting is in place. This will give you the correct information as to where to insert your links. Putting together a successful article marketing campaign doesn't have to be difficult if you know how to approach it. As long as you're following some great information like what's presented here, you should have no trouble at all making some great money and ultimately owning a legitimate and profitable business via the internet.

#gia công cơ khí tại đồng nai #gia công

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salamispots · 3 years

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ahh sorry anon I don’t dabble much in watercolors except for sketchbook stuff/journal things I literally just add water and paint fhfj but there’s a couple of channels/artists I can point you to who work with watercolors! :0

Atelier Sentô

Mateusz Urbanowicz

@raining-starshine !! :0 awwh shucks thank you/glad you like it so much! (I’m still really fond of that one ahaha)

nAY I neither own/worked on at all nor possess digital copies I am just a big fan of it because creepy body horror ocean eldritchy things hECK YEAH I would also love to read it (I don’t think it’s even out yet ahaha) but I can direct you to the creator/artist and the faq:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/longharbor--2#/faq

https://www.instagram.com/mirabal.art/

omg thank you I’M GLAD IT MADE YOU HAPPY fhhfjdf

@dishesoap YES splendid FEESH ahahah actually been a couple of asks for them so 👀

hello! and ooh trying out a different media is pretty fun/exciting; honestly it’s totally fine to kinda just go for it and mess around? there’s no like... ‘correct’ answer haha but hmm the one thing that’s sticking in my brain is keeping an eye on values/greyscale.

for example #1 has clear simple values and it makes the picture read clear! if you look at #2 you can see how there’s basically no value contrast and as a result it makes the picture feel a bit flat. #3′s just a different example of #1 and you can see how different values help make it more interesting as well as define like..the focal point/what is most important or aka the area you want people to look at. (not saying that #2 is incorrect either haha if that’s what you’re trying to convey)

here’s another example but in a full painting!

grouping similar values can help with your painting, and focal points are usually areas that have the highest amount of contrast (sparkle/light rays against the black background). usually it helps a lot if you start out with greys and then overlay/paint over but most of the time now I go straight to color and just check the values while I’m working with the handy turn-to-greyscale shortcut in photoshop.

there’s a channel on youtube by Marco Bucci and he has a lot of really helpful videos about painting and light and colors if you wanna check that out.

also it might be a bit much to dig through but I have a faq and an art ask tag that has some more art info from previous asks. hope that helped a bit; sorry for covering just one area haha usually general ‘how to’ questions are hard to answer because it’s so broad and more specific ones are a bit easier to figure out so if you have specific qs feel free to ask. :P

#saturday asks #mermaid #sweet potatoes #art ask #woOF sorry for the word barf #also my animation/vis dev classes are showing pffhfhdjfjf #general how to art questions makes my thoughts bounce around like a bunch of atoms ahahah like oh shit should I cover this or this or this #but values are pretty heckin important sO #no merm today my brain is pooped

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kkusuka · 3 years

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HQ poly Headcannons pt. 2

Poly Headcannons <3 part 1

pairs: Oikawa & Ushijima, Hanamaki & Matsukawa, Suna & Osamu, Kita & Aran, iwaizumi & Kyotani, and Oikawa & Kageyama

nsfw and sfw

Oikawa Tooru & Ushijima Wakatoshi

Sfw

This was an interesting match up

Considering the fact that Tooru can barely stand sharing you sometimes, they seem to make it work!

You were most likely Ushiwaka’s girlfriend, and Tooru just couldn't stand for that

Well at first he didn't really know that fact

He met you in the stans after an Alders game that he 100% wasn't there to spy on Toshi or to see how much better he got, no way

But luckily, you the beautiful angel of light, sat next to him to cheer for Waka’s team!

So after the game when Tooru was flirting with you and you completely ignored him to go to your boyfriend, Oikawa was more than let down

And you ignored him for the brick wall???? He just didn't understand.

Now he wanted you more than he did when he saw you, even more so that you belonged to the bastard Ushiwaka.

After almost 8 months of befriending you, he finally weaseled into your relationship! And Ushiwaka was so whipped for you he let it happen!

But at that point, he was so whipped for you that he didn't even care that they shared you!

Your guy’s dynamic is a bit twisted and hard to get a good understanding of.

Where Tooru makes it painfully aware to everyone that the two of you are dating, Wakatoshi is like a silent predator

He’s silent but deadly, and you’ve known him for far longer. That means he knows what you really like.

It's simple, he let’s tooru take you on extravagant dates and all that meaningless stuff.

But Ushiwaka is always there waiting at home to cuddle and watch a ton of movies with, he even lets you climb on him and cuddle him like a big teddy bear

Nsfw

This is one of the pairs that I think you're fucked in

It’s a silent competition of who can wreck you worse

Unlike some other Oikawa pairs, I truly believe that Oikawa would top

But Wakatoshi is also a top, a big man who has big needs

This ends up with you most likely with a two cocks one hole situation

If not that, it's the classic split roasts or Eiffel tower!

Oh to have Ushiwaka reaming you with Tooru in your mouth, yeah it's not as peaceful and soft as it sounds

But it’s still worth it

It starts softly! Then they go harder to try and beat the other! Then they really just treat you like a fleshlight.

Thankfully Tooru knows good aftercare techniques

But you still can’t walk for a while

“You can cum for me, show Toshi why you like better, go ahead”

“You stretch so good for me, even after Tooru’s turn, you're always so tight”

“Look at her little clit, did Ushiwaka not pay enough attention to it? That’s ok! Tooru’s gonna make it all better for you!”

Hanamaki Takahiro & Matsukawa Issei

sfw

Let's be real here, you met them at a spencers or a sex shop in a mall.

But it was a cute meetup!

After that, you guys just seemed to keep bumping into each other and became close friends

The initial relationship was started by Makki, he was the more open of the two so it made sense

And it’s been smooth sailing from then on

The amount of inside jokes you guys have is almost ridiculous, everywhere you go in the city you have a joke

You guys spend almost every waking moment with one another

One of their favorite things is to take you shopping, so you can do a little fashion show for them with anything you want to try on!

As in them make you try on revealing outfits for them

Dates normally would include random dinners at restaurants them a movie night/ sleepover

Like you guys would just stay up an fool around for hours on hours

They literally have no problems sharing and are always making sure you're perfectly ok with everything they do.

Nsfw

As expected you guys are very adventurous

Daddy Matsun got you and Makki covered

Well that's when Makki isn't trying to ream you into the couch

They both like toys, like a lot, a lot

Punishment is where the toys really shine, but you can't really call the toy punishment, punishment because you feel really good during it.

And it the most repeated thing you guys do

Mattsun’s the punishment dealer, so he’ll give you the biggest dildo that you guys have, no lube, he’ll tie your arms up and make you try to get down on it

BUT if he’s feeling a bit more punishing, he’ll set up a vibrator and set it to your little clit and turn it ALLLL the way up

But if that isn't enough, he will either let Makki in your ass, or the fuck machine will come out

They really love watching you try to get off, it does two things

1- it gives them new ideas

2- it shows how much you need them, and their cocks in your little aching holes

This lead to them having you wear plugs in public, which moved to wearing a vibrator

Sometimes, they make you wear a mask, but under the mask

(come here)

(closer)

They make you wear a ball gag under your mask

Good babies do what their daddies tell them too <3

“Look ‘Kawa, her hole is so tight she can barely fit both of us, just relax baby. They’ll get in, we’ll make sure of it”

“Makki, spread her legs wider, don't let her his from this”

“Don't make me gag you brat, you’re lucky Makki is in good mood, huh?”

Suna Rintaro & Osamu Miya

The way you got together was like love at first sight

For both of them too

You met Osamu first, you were seated next to him at an Italian cooking class

You guys had joked around and he was so impressed by your cooking that he got your number!

(he won't tell you but he had already sent pictures of you to Suna, and he was doing it allllllllll night)

He immediately invited you to Onigiri Miya, where you met Mr. Rintarou

Who was already practically in-love with you just from pictures.

You were clearly drawn to them, they were so cool!

They made a big scene of asking you out too

They both took you to one of the best restaurants in the city and had a private balcony dinner

After dessert they took both of your hands and asked you, in sync nonetheless, you do wonder how long it took for them to figure out how to do that

Clearly, you said yes, and that was the first of the many great memories you have with the two!

Since they both have pretty busy schedules they can't always come to you, so you go to them!

Even if they assured you that you didn't have to work, that never stops you from taking up shifts and Onigiri Miya on Monday and Fridays, (sometimes on Wednesdays if Osmau relents)

Even when you do work, you make time to make and bring Suna lunch every time he has all day practice

(you make them both lunch every day, but they can get it themselves, they are grown men, and you serve no one)

Traditional dates are less common, you guys mostly just like to hang out with each other

Like 3 am cooking challenges and asking to get ice cream from the shop down the road

You guys also, when you can, just spend hours cuddling in your bed or on the couch just in each other's arms

(can you tell i’m uwu-ing)

Nsfw

For having a busy schedule you guys sure do have time to fuck

A common theme is having Samu fuck you when Suna watches

God, watching you fall apart around his best friends dick will never get old, so so pretty when you're all fucked out and begging for him too

Sometimes hell have you suck him off, but he isn't unstable he can wait his turn~

Osamu works just as hard as he does, he has to let oust some stress and, you're just so good at making them feel better

Remember the cuddling?

Yes, that's a guise to cockwarm you, let them relax you always feel so good and today was s stressful

I can tell you saw this coming but, Suna likes to put whipped cream all over you, it gives him an excuse to eat you out for hours and Osamu and excuse to have you naked and able to eat as much whipped cream as he wants

Do they like double penn.?

Yes, very much so ma’am.

Just know that you are stuffed at any available moment they can manage

*cough* whipped *cough*

“look she’s grinding into like a circus whore huh ‘Samu? go harder”

“look into the camera baby, tell them all the things you’d love for them to do to you”

Iwaizumi & Kyoutani

This was an interesting one for sure

A senpais pretty girlfriend thing too

Iwaizumi knew Mad Dog had a crush on you before he did, and he did everything in his power to deny the accusation

The entire team could see how the second year was calm and behaved when you were around, so taking the high road

Iwaizumi came a with a plan: bring you and Kyotani as close as possible

All with consent firm you and knowing he was ok with anything that would happen

Suddenly inviting him to hang out with the two of you

Then it was letting him have you in his lap while you watch movies

And that progressed into letting him cuddle you after bad days, never without Iwa of course

Everyone on the team could tell the effects that it was having on him, he was calmer and easier to get along with.

He even started listening to Oikawa when he spoke, it was like a miracle.

And k\Kyotani finally got enough courage to tell you!

(you had pretty much known, but wanted him to say it himself)

Thus began what I would call that “Kyotani learns how to love” saga

Dates were first, they both took you to a small field of flowers to have a picnic and when it got dark out you guys set up a sheet and watched a movie!

For the both of them being temperamental, they got along really well

(mostly because Kyotani hangs off nay words you or Iwaizumi say)

You also make the both of them lunch and some afternoon snacks for practice!

(and if anyone who sees you guys, they’ll never mention how odd the two angry boys look next to their sweet little princess)

Nsfw

Sir Iwaizumi holds the torch

He’s the main dominant force, though Kyotani tries oh he does

Yeah, hate to say it but you bottom for them, every time.

A big thing is when he lets Kyo get you alone (while he watches)

Yeah maybe he lets kyo take over every once in a while, he’ll let him have you

Iwaizumi love having you under him, putting you in the mating press while Kyo watches from a chair a vibrator tied to him, just watching until Iwa finishes and leys Kyo try and breed you

You guys have also dedicated hours to getting you stretch enough to take both of them in one hole, but if not that then one hole for each of them will do

As you could imagine, they both love marking you up

You always come out of sex looking beat up

Most of the bruises are on your neck and inner thighs, but the bites on your nipples and the curve of your ass beg to differ

Now the real question is when Kyo is being bad!

Feathery kisses all over him, that's not where he wants your mouth, lower go lower

Don’t leave him!

He always learns his lessons after hours of waiting Iwa breed you

You being bad?

No cumming for a week, they can play with you but unless you want the time to get longer you don’t even think about orgasming.

“Calm down Kentaro, it’s too early to break her, we just got started.”

“Yeah i let Hajime have you but you still belong to me too, don’t forget that”

Kita Shinsuke & Aran Ojiro

This was the perfect girl next door story!

Middle school aran was so thankful to have you calm him down after yet another Miya twins episode

So as the two of you grew up it was natural that you became friends with his friends!

Namely his bestfriends- Kita!

Who was practically at your feet the second you met

From first to third year, they both grew to REALLY like you

They were both ready to spend the rest of their lives with you and were prepared to share if you wanted that.

The day you guys all got together was when they lost to Karasuno at nationals

You guys went back you the hotel room and just sat, cooing how well they did and how great they were no matter the outcome

It wasn't out of the normal for them to be all over you, both of them got a hand, but Aran was nestled into your lap and Kita was snuggled into your chest

Nothing was planned either, at that moment they knew that it was their chance!

The look on their faces when you said that you felt the same!

From then on you were treated even more like a queen

Every Monday before school one of them gets you a bouquet of flowers for the week and the other comes up with a date idea!

You're involved in the dates cycle and that now have a pile of stuffed animals that you got them from things like festivals or the mall

Since your relationship started with a cuddle, it's a favorite between you guys

A movie and some take out. Making fun of the Miya twins, and when Kita won’t admit it, you guys watch a rom-com, where you and Aran laugh at Kita's confused face when he doesn't understand the joke

Even with all of that, the real favorite between you guys is staying after practice and just having fun while cleaning up.

They just wuvvv uuuuuuuuu <3

Nsfw

Even if Kita is the commanding voice, Aran id the driving force

Kita likes when you two put on a show for him

Not that it's hard, even if Aran wasn't half as good as he was, your faces could satisfy him until his dying days.

Speaking of shows, Kita is a dictator, which means punishments

One of his favorites is having you finger fuck yourself in front of him and Aran until you can't move

Another is tying you up at having you watch the both of them jerk off to seeing you try and get off by grinding on the sheets (which does not work)

Aran, whether he admits it or not, he took a page out of Suna’s book

His entire hidden photo album is of you either being fucked by him or sucking Kita off

He also has an entire recorded version do you guys fucking that he and Kita watch when you aren't home

When Kita does have you to himself he takes on the Dom/Sub kinda thing

Aka borderline pet play

You sit and listen to him and what he says like a good pet, and you get a reward!

He dresses you up in little white dresses and he has you kneel in front of him and cockwarm him while he works

When Aran has you alone he takes the chance toooooo

….

…

Breed you!

Like a good little girl!

You take his cum so so well, don't you!

Yes yes, you do!

“Don’t let her walk all over you Aran, breed her like a good cow” (i had to, I really did)

“You look so pretty stretched around my cock, you're a good breeding whore, right? Yes, you are!”

Oikawa Tooru & Tobio Kageyama

This was a classic “in love with my senpais pretty girlfriend” kinda thing

Kags didn't mean to

He had known you from middle school and had a huge crush on you, but he knew that was as far as it would go

But when you came up to him after the game with seijoh and told him that he would have better luck next time

It was the hug that got him and in true Kageyama fashion he just couldn't help the words that fell from his mouth

“Thank you, you're still really pretty, and I've always loved you!”

Silence………………………………….

He couldn't even apologize because Oikawa was already on you yelling at him about never letting you near Kageyama again.

Yeah you had calmed both of them down, telling Tooru that he was overreacting and Kageyama was harmless to your relationship

After a few days of silence, you had invited Kageyama to have a “talk” with you and Oikawa

It was really just talking about feelings and ultimately Oikawa admitting that he was willing to give it a try, but you were his first and foremost and that won’t change

But you were quick to realize that they were actually really good together

The rivalry between the two always kept you on your toes and fueled both of their superiority complexes

Dates were always happening all the time, anther constant competition for you to like one of them better than the other

It's mostly movies and take out but its a date nonetheless

One thing they love to do is try to teach you how to play, all the time they try to get you to hit their sets

Even if you're awful at it, they appreciate you trying to learn more about their greatest passion.

You also try to go to as many of their practices as you can manage, they really love having you there to cheer them on!

Nsfw

Ok so at first Kageyama had absolutely no idea what to do, so some exploring was mandatory

Finding out he was a switch was a happy surprise!

That leads to things going two ways!

You could have Tooru taking his throne in the bedroom and he commands his two peasants to do exactly what he wants them too

This can include just regular soft sex with your little tobio gazing and longing for him, while tooru watches

Tooru will have the two of you grinding, Tobio with a cock ring and you a strict order to no cum until told.

Or maybe he’ll have the two of you ride dildos, tied up and making a pretty show for him

Or you could have Tobio dictating both of you

This is mostly having you ride him while Toru watches, but he can't touch

It also might be Tooru eating you out and kags in your mouth, fucking your face. <3

Whenever either of the boys wins something you take all the time in the world and worship him as he deserves!

“Aw! Tobio I know you can go faster than that! Oh ho ho, ~ y/n I know you aren't about to cum! I didn't give you the go-ahead! Hold on, baby!”

“Tooru you look so weak. You haven't even touched her and you're ready to cum.”

“You look so pretty under me, Tobio~ let me and Tooru take care of you!”

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archived-kin · 3 years

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ten steps behind

note from kin: kind of a greek mythology au? this is based on the story of orpheus and eurydice, feat. venti as orpheus, you as eurydice, kaeya as apollo, zhongli and ei as hades and persephone (+ diona, razor and gorou as cerberus, and xiao as charon the ferryman)

in hindsight maybe putting guizhong as persephone would’ve worked better in terms of adhering to canon… but i wouldn’t have any idea how to write her and also eizhong is a rare pair close to my heart

fandom: genshin impact

character(s): gn! reader, venti, zhongli, ei ,kaeya, xiao, diona, gorou, razor

pairing(s): venti/reader, zhongli/ei

warning(s): death, violence (not descriptive), greek mythology spoilers if that kind of thing matters to you (though i’m pretty sure most people already have an idea of how this story goes)

genre: angst but the narrator’s voice is pretty light-hearted so it’s not that bad

The curtain opens on a small house situated on the outskirts of a quiet farming town. Its door is half-ajar, and the windows are grey with dust. It seems to be nothing more than a monument, a derelict memorial left for the life that once occupied its space.

But what is this? A shadow, standing on the porch - though no footsteps have been heard for hours, and the dry leaves littering the nearby paths are undisturbed. A hand places itself softly on the rusted knob of the door; with a quiet click, it swings open, and the shadow silently steps over the threshold.

A figure is sat by the fireplace, rocking back and forth, as if trying to shake something from their body. There are no flames in the grate; the figure sits in lightless isolation, staring hard at the half-charred log as if gaze alone might ignite it. The shadow watches them in silence.

“You’re going to have to stop moping eventually, you know,” They say finally. The figure by the fireplace looks up at them with eyes of an age far beyond their years.

“Go away.”

Of course, the shadow is none other than the deity of (among other things) the sun, poetry, archery and music. His true name is unknown, but I believe that he is currently taking the form of a man called Kaeya who, rather confusingly, wields a sword rather than a bow. The figure by the fireplace, meanwhile, is a bard named Venti, and he is perhaps the man most sympathetic to the things that Kaeya represents.

Indeed, he enjoys warming himself in patches of sunlight, frequently spends time writing increasingly imaginative (and flowery) prose, makes use of a magnificent bow that he likes to call the Stringless despite it clearly having a string because otherwise it wouldn’t fire, and is possibly the greatest musician in the entire country - nay, the world. Both the mortal one, and, as we will find out, the unliving one.

I wish I could say that that is an exaggeration, but it is not. Indeed, it has been said that his music is so pure, so sweet, so pleasing to the ear, that he could be playing to you as you were torn to death by wild animals, and you would still die in peace.

Venti’s preferred instrument is the lyre, though he dabbles in other mediums too. He sings, as well, of course, but unlike other performances of similar nature, the highlight isn’t his voice. It is, indisputably, the golden shower of notes that rain across the audience the moment his fingers meet his instrument’s strings.

They say he must be a son of the deity of music himself. Kaeya doesn’t bother remembering enough of his long past to know whether or not it is true that one of his old faces fathered the boy, but he does know that it was probably Venti’s doing that his beloved lyre has become such a popular instrument again. True, it wasn’t Kaeya who invented it - it was, in fact, the deity of messengers who did that, and it’s always been a bit of a sore spot to him that he wasn’t - but it was Kaeya who improved it to what it became by the time Venti had taken it up.

He’d be lying if he didn’t have a personal interest in the boy - his fault for making a bet with the deity of wine, really, but he hadn’t exactly been clear-minded at the time - but he does also really feel quite bad for him. Less than six months ago, this derelict little shack that Venti spends all his hours moping around in had been quite the little haven of happiness.

For, though Venti had long since declared that he needed nothing but his music, there had always been one piece missing from his life. It was neither glory nor adventure - it was, in fact, every poet’s best friend: love.

Which is where you come into the story.

The two of you had met, quite by accident, by some little creek in a forest. You, a seasoned warrior back from a crusade under the local ruler, still dressed in full armour and wielding a heavy axe; him, delicately paddling his feet in the water and teasing a bubbling melody from the strings of his lyre.

You had paid him little attention but a salute of greeting and a stern half-smile from beneath your helmet. Venti took one look at that smile and fell in love.

He came to find you the very next day; you’d opened your front door to find practically dancing on his toes in front of it, lyre in hand, with a ballad he’d written overnight at the ready. Of course, you listened to him play for a while - it would only be polite. He had a talent for music, that was sure, but you didn’t find yourself particularly enamoured. You appreciated the thought, though.

You’d gently rejected him, but thanked him for the effort, and then been on your way. But, of course, that wasn’t the end of Venti’s pursuit. Affairs of the heart are not so easily dismissed; as it turned out, this particular love of his wouldn’t be halted even by the barrier between life and death.

For several long weeks Venti had set about establishing himself a place by your side. You welcomed him as a friend, and though he thought at first that he would be content simply to have any place in your affections, it soon became clear that it would never be enough. Nevertheless, he could only still his aching heart, and hold you at arm’s length - always afraid that, if you came closer, he would lose his self-control entirely.

He continued to play you songs, but they were all carefully void of any romantic meaning - simple ditties about the morning dew, or a rabbit disappearing into its burrow. As you smiled more and more to his music, Venti finally dared to play that ballad again. You didn’t say anything as the song came to a finish, but you placed a war-hardened hand on his for a moment, and that was enough.

Some time later, when you taught him how to handle his bow without being snapped in the face by the recoil, you did not reject the hesitant hands he embraced you with at the end of the day. You did not reject him when he asked for a kiss, either.

The two of you had married on a mid-spring eve, when the air was reasonably cool but the flowers flourishing, and for a while all had been well. You earnt a fair wage for your services to the kingdom, and Venti was in no shortage of the loose change that enthusiastic audiences would throw to him for his more public performances.

Venti played his best when it was just the two of you, though. You would sit in your armchair by the fire, free of your usual clanking armour, and a smile would play on your face as Venti’s fingers capered back and forth on his lyre; his songs would climb the reaches of the sky to the heavens above, and even the deities residing there found themselves moved by his simple, pure love.

But Fate would strike when all was warm and light and deliriously happy. Its wizened hands would only begin to creep over the edge when the world seemed at its most beautiful, and it would tease that golden string of life with a single, shadow-veiled finger. Then it would begin to pull - first, slowly, slowly, moving a fraction of an inch with each passing week… until finally, it would tug it free in one sharp yank.

A call to arms was delivered to the cottage that the two of you called home. It came at an odd time, in the midst of a period of peace, but you knew better than anyone that war was unpredictable, and so you weren’t suspicious.

The note said that a meeting was to be held in the nearby forest, and the siege would take place two days after that. Nothing strange. Plans of attack were usually made in advance.

You reassured Venti that you’d be back before sunset and left. He watched your figure disappear down the road, sighing to himself about how truly ethereal you looked, even when not clothed in shining armour like a celestial being. Perhaps he’d write a song about that.

He busied himself with his music, as per usual. Hours passed, and sunset came. You didn’t.

It had not been a call to arms, after all - merely a plot hatched against you by a jealous former comrade. You arrived at the meeting place to find it empty; just as it hit you what you might have walked into, a spear was thrust through your chest. If only you had worn your armour on the expedition - but you had been expecting a planning session, not a true battle.

A passing farmer discovered your body unceremoniously thrown into a ditch. A crowd soon gathered, and more than half of them recognised your face. Two or three left to fetch your partner.

They say that Venti’s cry echoed to all four corners of the Earth when he recognised your broken form in the dirt. It skewered a sharp horror deep in the hearts of all who listened - including the deities high in the heavens.

Kaeya had been among those deities who developed a fondness not only for Venti’s music, but for the blissful domesticity of his life with you. Indeed, among them, perhaps it was he who was most deeply affected by the loss of that homespun warmth - affected enough that, even if he hadn’t made that foolish bet, he’d probably still be here right now.

“I won’t go away,” He says sternly. “Not until you pick that lyre back up.”

“I will never play again,” Venti replies mournfully. “Not until I have my [Name] by my side once more.”

“Come on,” Kaeya tries, gently pushing at his shoulder. “You’re wasting away like this. Is this what your fine warrior lover would want for you?”

Venti curls in on himself and continues staring gloomily into the empty fire grate. “...my lyre’s gone. I threw it into the river weeks ago.”

The melodramatics of these mortals! Kaeya fights back a sigh. “Would you play again if I got you a new one?”

“No.”

“Even if it was a divine lyre? One that only you could bring the true potential out of? That true potential being the ability to move the hearts of even the rulers of the Underworld?”

Venti turns to look at him. His face is weary, so very weary, weighed down as it is by grief - but he manages to speak with some semblance of excitement. “...what do you mean?”

“I mean that, if anyone could charm Master Zhongli and Mistress Ei into giving up one of their dead, it would be you,” Kaeya replies. “And the ferryman and guards would be easy by comparison.”

A flicker of hope dances through a heart he had thought to be dead. Venti gets to his feet. “And this lyre?”

“Right here,” Kaeya replies, and draws a magnificent golden one from beneath his cloak. Slowly, reverently, Venti reaches out and takes it.

He raises a shaking hand, then strums a single, singing chord. It soars through the room like and flits out into the night, limpid notes dancing a perfect waltz on the cool breeze. In its wake, the room suddenly seems to be filled with warmth.

Kaeya smiles. Even he himself could not produce such a sound from this most empyrean of instruments.

“I will escort you to the entrance to the Underworld,” He says. “From then on, you’re on your own.”

Venti presses his hands against the lyre’s strings, muting their vibration, then turns to look up at him. The flicker of hope has burnt into a white-hot flame; he nods determinedly.

Kaeya accompanies him on a long journey all the way to the southernmost part of the land - a journey that should have taken weeks upon weeks, but somehow only seems to take a single day. When they arrive, he gently pushes Venti towards the entrance, then steps back and melts into the shadows. His role in this story is complete; he can only observe from this point forwards.

Venti stands there for a long minute, staring deep into that gaping maw. He can see no path, no staircase - no easy route down. Of course, he’d known from the moment he set out that this quest would not be a simple one… but there is a substantial difference between contemplating the void and standing directly before it.

He thinks of the first smile you gave him. He thinks of the way you had looked at him as you were wed. He thinks of the cold body that the farmers had had to drag him kicking and screaming away from.

He thinks of you, and he plunges forward.

The darkness is cold and unwelcoming; he does not belong here, and it knows it. It gathers against him in damp, bubbling clumps, trying to eject him from the realm that they live and breathe. Any other mortal would have given up and left, but Venti does not. He tucks the lyre more securely in his cloak and stalks onwards.

What feels like an eternity later, he comes to the main gate. Shadows lap at his ankles, and the fog threatens to squeeze the breath from him with every step, but he has arrived. As he advances, three sets of eyes open from within the darkness ahead.

Venti pauses, breath misting in the cold air in front of him. Three not-quite-human, not-quite-animal silhouettes melt out of the murk, eyes fixed on him. He knows well enough who they are - the three guardians of the Underworld’s gates.

“A mortal!” hisses Razor. He rises on his hackles, dark energy seeping from his every pore. “A living mortal!”

“What is it doing here?!” Gorou’s ears fall back; he snarls, showing off sharp canines that seem to elongate through the mist. “Presumptuous thing!”

“Kill it, kill it!” chimes Diona, tail lashing about with animosity.

Venti stands his ground as the three prowl in circles around him. The fog draws over them like a curtain; what little he could make of their shadowy figures blurs and almost disappears. He can still see their eyes, though - barely blinking, fixed on him like little pin-pricks of light through the darkness - and he can hear their low, growling voices as well.

“Make red your claws with blood… torch its limbs like wood…”

“Kill it quick, or kill it slow?”

“To Asphodel, or to damnation?”

“No matter! No mortal passes alive!”

The thick mist makes it hard to breathe. No matter. He will play well enough not to need a voice - so long as his hands stop trembling so much.

The first strains of his song are as bold and bright as ever, so strong in their brilliance that they seem to cut through the fog altogether. The three pairs of eyes fixed on his trembling form soften.

Slowly, slowly, Venti advances forwards. He moves from the jaunty melody to a soothing lullaby, sweeping so smoothly from one to the other that the three guardians barely even realise it before they’re halfway to the floor.

The main gates, unobstructed, open before him. Venti walks backwards through it, eyes fixed on the three as they droop and slowly settle in a heap together. Diona is the first to fall asleep; Gorou and Razor follow soon after.

Venti lets the song play itself out and keeps moving all the while. The three guardians stay huddled together in their little group, caught firmly in the reaches of peaceful sleep. Even as the melody shivers and fades away, they do not stir; they only wriggle closer to each other, and sigh, dreaming of things unknown in a deep and happy slumber.

“Sleep well, my friends,” Venti whispers to himself as Gorou begins to snore loudly. “Sleep well, and sleep long. I fear you may not look upon me as kindly when you wake up.”

He is light-footed when he needs to be; he turns and runs forth from the gate without so much as a backward glance, each step muted and almost soundless. The path dips and rises, then narrows to little more than a treacherous tightrope, leading him across distances unknown. He clutches his lyre all the while, casting his eyes in every which direction for oncoming foes and obstacles.

None come until the path widens once more and comes to a stop upon the shores of a seemingly endless river. This, too, is cloaked in thick mist, so much so that the other side of the water is scarcely visible. The water itself is grey and opaque, and every now and then a limp light darts across its surface - yet another soul being swept along in its current.

Venti comes to a stop by the river, feet sinking into the mud as if the earth below him is trying to consume him. He listens carefully; sure enough, he can hear the faint splash-splash-splash of the ferryman’s pole. Before long, the boat arrives at the shore.

Xiao stretches out a hand for payment, then quickly draws it back as if he has been burned. His eyes, eerily bright against the pallid complexion of his face, are wide with alarm.

“Alive!” He whispers, clutching his pole as if for support. “This boy is alive!”

His hand inches towards a talisman at his belt, as if to call for his masters to smite this insolent creature on the spot. Venti’s breath stutters, but he lifts his lyre nevertheless. With a deft sweep of his hand, he plucks out seven, simple notes.

They ring out across the water, glancing from the jagged walls of the cavern and echoing themselves into nothingness. Xiao hesitates, and his hand falters. It is a small opening, but Venti dives for it like a drowning man; a full, laughing chord bounces along the surface of the river, and Venti takes in a deep breath. Then he begins to sing.

He sings of Xiao himself, the ferryman so vital to the never-ending cycle of life and death. He sings of diligence, modesty and hard work - and, most importantly, of loyalty. All who know Xiao the ferryman know of his deep dedication to his masters.

Xiao’s face remains static, but his tense fingers slowly loosen on his pole. He knows better than to be moved by flowery but meaningless words, but somehow this mortal’s music creeps under his skin in a way that nothing has been able to before. He almost smiles, but stops himself just in time. His masters are, and always will be, the only ones allowed to see any visible joy on his face.

Silently, he steps a little to the side. Venti inclines his head in gratitude, and steps forward into the boat.

They set off quickly. The boat cuts through the rapid currents easily, and Xiao poles along with ferocious efficiency. If he is exercising more care and urgency than usual, that is between him and the mist batting at his face.

They’re halfway across the river when Xiao finally speaks. “Your objective?”

Venti gazes down into the water. His reflection stares back at him, but it is warped - gaunt and hollowed-out in a way that cannot be of the living world. “...to plead at the feet of your masters, and bring my love home.”

“The Mistress and Master will not give up a spirit easily,” Xiao warns. “Do you have gifts? Or do you plan to rest your case on promises alone?”

“I have my voice and my lyre,” Venti replies. He strums it as if to prove the point; Xiao shivers imperceptibly at the sound.

“Then let us hope they are enough,” He says, and continues poling forth in silence.

He does not bother with seeing Venti off when they reach the other shore. Almost as soon as he has stepped off the boat, it’s turning and sailing away again.

Venti watches Xiao go, then turns around. He must follow the path onwards - to the Palace.

The air is thick and almost oppressive in its heaviness. An overwhelming sense of dread washes over him, rising and falling like the waves across the river behind him.

Movement from ahead. Two tall silhouettes, seeming to call power from the very ground they walk on. His heart rate spikes.

Zhongli and Ei emerge from the mist and come to a stop before him. Venti sets his lyre aside, then drops to his knees and kowtows, eyes squeezed shut as he presses his forehead to the ground. For a long while there is nothing but silence, and the sound of his own heavy breathing.

Then Zhongli speaks. “What is the meaning of this?”

Venti bites hard on his lip as a terrified whimper threatens to burst from his mouth. The rulers of the Underworld’s mere presence seems to sink shadow deep into his very bones, like congealed blood dripping into water. “My lord. This… this humble servant begs for your favour.”

“You are living,” says Ei calmly. In her hand, her spear glints dangerously, though the light is not strong enough to reflect so intensely. “It is forbidden for those of your ilk to trespass on our land. You’re lucky we haven’t struck you down already.”

“This one is grateful,” Venti whispers into the ground. “But I… I must ask something more of you.”

A subtle but dangerous shift in the air. Zhongli’s reply is one short word, deep and unimpressed. “Impudence.”

His arm begins to lift, a sharp golden glow piercing from his jade-like irises, but Ei sets a hand on his back, and he pauses. She murmurs, “A-Xiao allowed him to cross the river. He must have had a good reason to.”

“A-Xiao is young,” Zhongli counters softly. He allows her to link her hand with his, nevertheless, and the glow disappears. “He is romantically given, even if he does not act it. His favour is easily tipped by the right person…”

He turns his eyes to the boy still bent to the ground, and a frown tugs at his brows. “...but you are right. We should hear him out. Rise, mortal.”

Venti hurriedly gets to his feet. Half-bent in a bow, he picks up his lyre and says, “This one is… deeply, deeply grateful.”

“You have said that already,” Ei says, sounding almost a little amused. “Go on, then. Say your piece.”

Venti nods, still staring at the ground. It’s almost impossible to meet either of these deity’s eyes. “My… my [Name]. You have them.”

“If we have them,” Zhongli says, “Then they have died, and so they are rightfully ours. We do not give up our dead.”

“This one is aware,” He murmurs, voice nearly breaking at the memory. “But… please allow me to attempt to change your mind.”

“There is no force that can shift an immovable will,” Zhongli replies, “But you are welcome to try. We will give you two minutes.”

He casts an arm out, and a pair of shimmering, silver-lined chairs seem to coalesce from the very fog. As one, he and Ei sit down, and look at Venti expectantly.

He has no time to waste. Venti lifts his lyre and opens his mouth. It all comes to this - never before had he asked so much of his fingers, of his voice.

The song comes like the gushing grey water of the river he had crossed not so long ago. The words come to him so quickly that he scarcely has to think before he sings, and each anguished strike at the lyre’s strings bring forth sobbing notes that linge long after they are played. They seem to fly about like birds, and they settle into the listening deities’ skin like ink.

Almost involuntarily, Zhongli reaches for Ei’s hand. Its solidity in his is what reminds him that he is still here in this moment, and not back on that clouded night on which they had first met. Like pure magic curling through the air, the music seems to take him far away from this familiar but painfully grey kingdom. All worldly difficulties disappear; all that is left is love.

Venti sees in his mind’s eye the last moment he had seen you alive, and he cries out his song for the world to hear. He sings of joy, he sings of parting, he sings of sorrow. He sings of a star gone before he could truly bathe in its light. He sings of you.

Two minutes he had been given, and two minutes are all he needs. He rests his every hope on one final cry, one final note. Though his heart feels, and has felt, weak without your presence, his voice is strong.

Venti lowers his lyre. He knows he has won.

Zhongli and Ei look at each other briefly; they seem to say a thousand words with a single glance. Then Ei looks to Venti and says, suddenly stern, “You are aware of the nature of such a request?”

“I am,” Venti says softly, forgetting in the moment to speak with the correct formality. Neither Zhongli nor Ei comment on it, however. “But it… is inarguable. I can’t go on without them.”

A long silence. Zhongli sighs. “Kaeya put this up to you, I presume? It wouldn’t be the first time he has disrupted a cycle of grief.”

“Your words do your love credit,” Ei says, “But you will recover in time.”

“I might have begun to,” Venti replies, voice barely above a whisper. “Before. But now that hope has touched me… it would be my destruction to let it go. Truly.”

“You would rather die than leave without your [Name],” Zhongli muses. “In that case… a wager.”

Venti catches his eye. Somehow the Lord’s gaze isn’t as piercing as he’d thought it may be.

“You will have an opportunity to bring your [Name] back to the living world,” Zhongli says impassively. “But you must trust in us. If you fail, you will receive punishment.”

Venti nods. He had been expecting this. “And… what will it be?”

“Your [Name] will return to our custody, just as they would have been if you had never come in the first place” Ei says, then pauses, as if she knows how her next words will be taken. “...and you will be forbidden to die for a century afterwards. Each attempt you take will be met with refusal; the Guardians will not let you past the gate, and Xiao will not take you across the river, no matter how many songs you play. You will not be allowed to simply forget your grief on the tip of a sword or the edge of a cliff.”

“Even once you die, you will not be conscious enough to be aware of a reunion should your souls meet each other in the afterlife,” Zhongli states. “This is your only chance. Do not waste it.”

Venti looks up at the two deities. In the end, any debate is fruitless. He knows what his answer will be.

“Thank you, my Lord and Lady,” He replies, bowing deeply in gratitude. “This one accepts your proposal.”

The chairs dissipate into nothingness as Zhongli stand up once again. Ei sweeps out an arm, and a door seems to open right there in the mist.

“Leave us,” She tells Venti. “This door will lead you back to the surface.”

As Venti’s face twists in half-confusion and half-betrayal, Zhongli says, “Your [Name] will follow you - ten steps behind. Once you are both out in the light, they will live once more.”

“But,” Ei continues seamlessly, “You must not look at them. Keep your gaze fixed forward; if you cast even the smallest glance back in their direction, so long as they remain in the Underworld’s darkness, they will return to us, and then they will be ours forever.”

“Steady steps,” Zhongli advises, a small smile playing on his lips. Though it feels naive to think it, Venti can’t help but believe that he truly wants him to succeed. “Take them carefully and at a regular pace. Do not turn around until you are twenty steps out into the light - just in case.”

“Good luck,” Ei says, and with a wave of her hand, the door opens.

An unearthly wind whips back Venti’s hair. As he stares up at the spot of light, so far above, he imagines he feels a hand brushing against his own - and whose voice could it be but yours, whispering an almost-there encouragement to him?

“Trust in me.”

“Trust,” Venti repeats softly, resolutely.

He begins to walk.

The corridor is long, almost endless. Its walls are narrow, so close that he can hold out both arms and trail his hands along them, and the air is stale, as if nothing has breathed within this passageway for years. Of course, no being has breathed here - nothing that resides in the Underworld has any breath left in its lungs.

He counts his steps as he walks, keeping a silent beat in his mind, clutching the lyre to him as if to provide security. As the light grows ever closer, he imagines he can feel your presence growing stronge.

It had been silence surrounding him at first, but now he thinks he can hear a set of footsteps in almost perfect sync with his own. They are faint and fleeting, like a butterfly’s wings brushing against a leaf, but they are there. With each passing moment, as he moves further onwards, he thinks he can hear them grow clearer and stronger.

So close now - so close to the living day!

He imagines that he can already feel your arms around him now, that he can already see the smile on your face - small, often transient, but oh, so beautiful. There will be so much to do, so much to say… oh, the cottage! He’d left it in such disrepair and untidiness. But no matter - soon enough, the two of you will have all the time in the world to restore it to its former glory.

You will scold him, he’s sure, for letting himself fall to this extent. But that is alright, quite alright - you’ll be there, and he’ll be able to hear your voice again after what has felt like an eternity.

Only so many steps left. His breathing quickens, skin prickling with anticipation. He crosses the threshold and takes in a deep breath of the cool air, feels the sun on his face.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!

He is ten steps out into the sun now, and everything around him is lively and radiant. He’s done it, he’s in the light - finally, after so long—!

...you can stop reading here, if you like. It’s nice to just imagine that this is the moment where Venti turns to see you standing before him in all your living glory, and the two of you will embrace to an overture of calling birds and rustling leaves. It is nice to just… leave it here, and pretend this is a happy ending.

But it is not, and so I will continue telling it the way it is. And you are just as welcome to continue as you are to stop.

For - and this is precisely what Zhongli had warned against - Venti had quickened his pace. In his excitement, in his anticipation to be out in the living world and see you again, his steps had become hurried.

He had been told that you’d be ten steps behind him - what this meant was that you would begin following after he had taken ten steps into the corridor. If he sped up, the distance between the two of you would increase, for your still-incorporeal shade would be incapable of matching his speed.

And so, when Venti turns around, you are still in the Underworld’s shadow.

Twenty steps, Zhongli had said. Do not turn around until you are twenty steps out into the light. Knowing of mortal folly as he was, he had given the advice in the knowledge that Venti would not be able to keep a steady, calm pace for long.

You’re so close when Venti sees you. Ten steps back in the shadows.

Your eyes meet his for a fraction of a moment, for a single beat of a hummingbird’s wings. There is light in those irises, light that had flared into life as you followed him to the surface.

Light that dies as quickly as it had come. The darkness grows, consuming you with greedy relish, seeming to gloat - I knew it, I knew it!

Living consciousness had returned to you for such a brief moment, and yet it is already disappearing. The last thing you hear before the doorway closes is Venti’s scream, and then you are standing before the Underworld’s rulers again.

Ei looks at you and sighs. “...I had hopes.”

“Mortals will always make mistakes,” Zhongli murmurs. “I suppose we won’t see that one for another hundred years.”

A hundred years - even a hundred years will not be enough, it seems, to quell Venti’s desperate anguish.

He had thrown himself forward as soon as the doorway closed, but even the most quick-footed of people would never be able to out-pace the Underworld itself. There was no door, there was no darkness, there was no you. There had been nothing but cold, unforgiving stone.

His scream is raw and raging, so harsh that it seems to tear his throat out. He can taste something metallic on his tongue, feel tears running down his face. The wind teases innocently at his hair; all the strength leaves him, and he collapses forwards onto the grass.

His mouth opens and closes silently, blood trickling from the corner of his lips. His voice fails him, and the pain that comes from even trying seems to dig deep into his flesh, aching and aching and aching.

If he had only taken Zhongli’s advice, if he had even just taken five more steps, waited only a few blinks of an eye, you would be by his side now. The two of you would be free again, free to return home, free to go north, south, east, or west. You might have asked for adventure, and Venti would have willingly gone anywhere in the world with you.

Ten more steps. Ten more heartbeats.

So little time between this world and the next.

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