#starry night inn

[aberration-abbey]

starlight star bright first star i see tonight

#flight rising #abbey art #frfanart #fr fanart #starry night inn #oc starlight

[actuallysaiyan]

hii baby! I know you're not taking requests right now but maybe if you're looking for inspiration you could do some headcanons or something with the Uchiha's and spending a cold winter night with them? Like what are their favorite ways to keep warm? It can be NSFW or sw hehehe

warnings: smut, unprotected sex, mentions of trauma, mentions of drinking, kissing, non-massacre AU word count: 1.4k pairings: Sasuke Uchiha x Fem!Reader, Itachi Uchiha x Fem!Reader and Madara Uchiha x Fem!Reader a/n: I know this is going against my hiatus mention, but I've been wanting to write this request for so long! I hope you all enjoy, and if it gets popular enough, I might write a part 2 with Shisui, Obito and Izuna!

He’ll act like he doesn’t want the comfort and the company, but inside he’s dying for you to come over. Especially if it’s cold and there is snow falling outside. He’ll wait for you at his home in the old Uchiha compound, a fire burning bright in the fireplace.

You brave the winter cold for your lover, and you find him in comfortable clothes just waiting for you. Sasuke pretends to be nonchalant about the whole affair, but in reality he is so happy not to spend another lonely night alone.

You two settle by the fireplace, and he finds you something of his to wear. Once you’re both snuggled together, he mentions making some stew for dinner and for you both to spend the evening together fireside.

Sasuke and you prepare the food in the kitchen together, humming to some silly songs and bumping into one another every now and then. It puts a smile on his face to see you breathe life into this place after everything that’s happened.

After dinner, you help him clean up. You’re so good to him, it really warms his heart. Then you two head back towards the fireplace, a blanket is wrapped around the both of you. A bottle of wine is passed back and forth.

It doesn’t take Sasuke long to pounce on you. His lips are hungry for you. His touch is desperate. His hand caresses you all over as he begins to undress you. With the wine and the fire, things are heating up so fast.

Then he pushes you down onto the ground, his lips attaching to your neck and kissing down to your breasts as he removes your shirt. You look so beautiful like this, your cheeks so flushed and your eyes heavy with lust. Sasuke feels a warmth so deep inside of him,

He kisses you sweetly as he begins thrusting into you, the blanket on top of you both to keep the heat between you two. He feels so in love right now. Nothing could make this situation any better.

But he’s proven wrong when you cup his face and bring him in for such a romantic and loving kiss. You put so much love into everything you do with Sasuke, and while he thinks you’re too good for him, you prove to him that he deserves love.

He cums so deep inside of you, with a loud cry of love. It’s all so passionate and sensual as he rides out his high. As he slowly comes down, he rests his head on your breasts and catches his breath. Then he looks at you and you see all that love in his eyes. “Will you always stay with me?” He asks, a blush on his cheeks. “I’ll never leave.” He knows you mean it too.

You’re on a mission with Itachi to the Land of the Snow. You knew it would be cold, so the two of you decided to pack for the worst. You knew it could get stormy out there too sometimes. You didn’t want to be without.

Arriving in the village, you and Itachi are glad for dressing very warmly. You pull your coat around you even tighter, and you’re grateful for changing your footwear to something more weather appropriate.

At the inn, you’re given a room with a private onsen. It has lots of windows so you’re able to look out at the beautiful starry skies as you soak in the tub. Before you can even get a good dip, you and Itachi are getting your mission done first.

As you are both very important members of the ANBU, Itachi and you are there to gather intel. He leads you into one of the buildings, and he notices just how much the cold is affecting you. He holds onto your hand tightly, making sure you aren’t too chilly.

After you gather the intel there, you and Itachi move onto the next place. This goes on for a few hours, and Itachi grows even more concerned for you. You’re shuddering as the chilly wind blows harshly and leaves your cheeks all red and chapped.

Once back at the inn, Itachi orders you both some room service. He figures some warm stew and some sake could help get the chill out of your bones. You sit by the heater, warming yourself up. Itachi sits near you and the two of you eat to your heart's content.

After you’ve had your fill of food and a few cups of sake, Itachi suggests a nice dip in the onsen. He helps you undress and you do the same for him, caressing his beautiful body. You’re excited to be here with the love of your life.

The water is just perfect as you both slip into the bath. Itachi keeps you close to his body, his arms wrapped around you as you lean against his chest. His hands slip into the water as he begins kneading your plush thighs.

“Pretty girl,” he purrs against your neck. He nips at your soft skin and you let out a soft moan when you feel his adept fingers brushing against your clit. Itachi has no problem getting you so riled up like this. He could easily make you cum.

Before you know it, he has you sinking down on his erect cock. The two of you let out sweet moans of pleasure as you settle back down against him. You feel safe in his embrace, and more than aroused as he begins to start up his slow and steady pace that has you dizzy. You know this will be the perfect way to end such a chilly mission.

It’s a late winter night, and Madara can’t sleep. He’s plagued with all sorts of nightmares and traumatic thoughts. He sits by the fire, contemplating his life. He wonders what he could have done to make things different for himself and for others.

As he thinks about this, you wake up in your bed without him. You wonder if he needs some time alone. You aren’t a stranger to the way things are for him. Especially in the dead of the night in the middle of winter. It’s too quiet for him to really get any kind of peace.

You find him by the fire, and you drape a blanket over his shoulders. He hums happily when he feels your warmth. There’s only a few people who can pull him out of this funk, and you’re the one who truly knows how to do it the best. He doesn’t know that he deserves you, but he’s grateful for you.

“Are you alright, love?” you ask in a sweet voice. He leans against your legs for a moment, looking up at you. You’re glad to see his Sharingan isn’t activated, which means he isn’t too caught up in his thoughts. You lean down and press a soft kiss to his forehead.

“I’m just lost in my thoughts, darling.” he says truthfully. He lets out a breath he was holding, and then you sit behind him. You wrap your arms around him, pressing your face in the wild mass of his hair and inhaling his beautiful scent.

He doesn’t need much more to calm him down. He turns around to face you, pressing soft kisses all over your pretty face. Madara is so enamored by you, he knows that you’re the most precious thing to him in this life. He’d do anything to keep you close and safe.

He lays you down on the blanket you brought to keep him warm. The wind blows loudly outside, making you both shiver. But the warmth of him pressing himself against you quickly warms you up. You kiss him passionately as he settles himself on top of you.

Your fingers tangle in his hair as you begin making out. His saliva tastes so good to you, it’s making your heart race like nothing else. You’ve always loved the way he kissed you like he was so hungry for you. It makes you feel so special and so desired.

His eyes are dark with lust, but the moment he undresses himself and he’s able to push his hard cock into your slick heat, his Sharingan activates. You’ve always told him not to waste his powers on you, but he’s admitted that it happens involuntarily sometimes whenever you two are intimate.

He rocks his hips as his cock fills you up. Madara feels all of his stress begin to melt away as you wrap your legs around him. Naughty words as well as sweet praises fall from his lips. He’ll be able to sleep after he fills you with his sticky seed a few times tonight.

#bacon.writes #sasuke x reader #sasuke x you #sasuke x y/n #Uchiha sasuke x you #Uchiha sasuke x reader #madara x reader #madara x you #madara x y/n #Uchiha madara x you #Uchiha Madera x reader #itachi x you #itachi x reader #itachi x y/n #Uchiha itachi x reader #Uchiha itachi x you #Uchiha x reader #Naruto x you #Naruto x reader

[tragedybunny]

Things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember - Astarion x F!Reader

Astarion sometimes has trouble sleeping now that he no longer can walk in the sun.

The sun is high overhead, the daylight shining at its brightest, playing off the water dancing in the fountain below the window of your rented room. The inn is nice, the owner a sweet older lady who doesn't ask questions about unusual sleeping habits of guests. Turning back from the window, you draw the drapes over it, shutting off the light from the room. "You need to get some sleep, love." 

Astarion looks up from where he was seated on the bed reading, a safe distance from errant sunbeams and sighs, reluctant even if he's clearly exhausted. "I know, you don't need to fuss over me all the time," he snaps the book shut to accent his peevish tone. You don't respond, giving his temper a moment to cool. Red eyes look down at the floor after a second, "I'm sorry darling, you know I hate it. And it feels worse today."

Ever since he had to go back to life out of the sun, sleeping has been fraught for him. Some days, like today, he's put it off for several days, and he's weary and irritable. "I know." Crossing the room, you take his hands. "It's alright,” your hands squeeze his, “but I really can’t have you on the road to Waterdeep this exhausted.” Despite the way he's changed, Astarion is Astarion, and you love all of him, even the parts that are still hurt and angry. 

“Why couldn’t Gale just teleport us or something? He’s a shit wizard.” You almost retort about him insulting his friends, but then his lips reverently kiss both your hands. "Lay down with me for a little while?" 

"Of course." Letting go of his hands, you wait until he's under the covers and then lay down next to him, arm wrapped protectively over him. 

This has become something of a ritual between the two of you whenever he’s afraid to sleep. Some days he’s afraid he’ll wake back up in Cazador’s manor, some days it’s fear that you’ll be gone when sunset comes, and on others, it’s the memory of faces, lured to their doom in the night. Only once did you make the mistake of walking away after an argument, and leaving him trapped alone in the day. You’d found him after, curled up under a blanket, terrified you’d never come back, knowing he couldn’t even try to find you until after dark. It had taken almost a week to get him to sleep again. Gently, you kiss the top of his head and run a hand through his silver curls. “Love you Sunlight,” his eyes have finally closed and you can feel him relaxing. 

“Love you too, Starry Sky.” Very softly, you start to sing a lullaby, one your favorite Nurse used to sing to you, an ancient tune, passed down for generations. Your noble parents didn’t necessarily make a loving childhood a priority, but you do have more warm memories than him, and this is one of the few ways you can share them. Fingers move from his hair to his back, tenderly stroking it while you sing. The way he responds to the old Elven song, you wonder if someone sang it to him over two hundred years ago, someone who loved him just as much as you do now. 

“Promise you’ll be here when I wake up,” he murmurs, half-asleep at last. 

“I promise Astarion, I’ll always be here.” 

#astarion #bladur's gate 3 #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 fanfiction #my fanfiction #my writing #astarion x reader #astarion x tav #astarion x f!reader

[spacebarbarianweird]

Oooh! Chronic depression Tav sounds right up your alley! I'm also chronically depressed and I have a similar living condition (messy room, not the horrific torture) to Astarion. Maybe a Tav who can empathize with his messy tent and his depression?

Oh yes, this hits my alley! I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder and depression a while ago plus it seems like I had a severe depression when I was 12-19 years old (but I wasn't taken to any specialists back then).

TW: Anxiety and depression come in different forms, my therapists always told me that I have a weird skill to look absolutely normal meanwhile tests show signs of severe depression. I've based this headcanon on my own experience.

TW 2: A suicide attempt, depression.

Astarion x Depressed!Tav

Masterlist

Headcanons

You feel off.

Something was utterly wrong with you for the last few years.

You barely eat, sleep too much

Decision-making is difficult as fuck, and you just do what you are told to.

The time is slipping through your fingers and you sometimes realize it's already winter when it was summer a day ago.

You feel like drowning in the dark void.

Maybe you should just end everything? Because life will never get better.

The tadpole suppresses your condition.

You suddenly feel good. You feel strong. You feel alive.

And the Emperor is particularly adamant that you embrace the tadpole potential.ccepting the tadpole potential.

"Remember how bad you felt before? It will get worse if you deny the tadpole. Once it's gone, your mind will drown in darkness again. But accept my offer, and you will never suffer again."

You recognize familiar patterns in Astarion's behavior.

His inability to make decisions.

The mess he made of his tent.

The way he sometimes sits and stares in the distance not moving at all.

That he doesn't really read, staring at the papers with mindless eyes.

Or quickly turning pages without understanding what is written there.

Or an extreme degree of anhedonia. He cannot taste wine or food, his senses are dulled, and nothing brings him joy except blood and sex (both of which have been unavailable to him for centuries).

You want to accept the tadpole. You don't want to go back to where you were. He doesn't want to either.

But when you take the astral tadpole, Astarion knocks it out of your hands and smashes it.

"You're in no condition to make decisions like that, dear," he says, grabbing your arm.

Neither is he.

You fear to have the tadpole removed.

When it is gone, it's worse than you expected.

You can't move. Can't think. The void is killing you.

You don't want to talk to anyone. You can't do anything. The only thing you are capable of is to crawl into the inn and lie there like in a coffin.

It will never get better.

Maybe, you should just off yourself?

And Astarion's absence only proves your thoughts. He isn't there, he's left. He doesn't need a burden like you.

The relapse is so bad you decide to find a way to end things.

You choose a lonely place and takes a dagger out.

You greet death like an old friend.

Only to wake up under a starry night sky.

With a familiar skeleton-like figure close to you.

Withers brought you back. But why? And how did he…

Before you manage to say anything coherent, you feel strong hands around your waist and a familiar scent.

Astarion cries holding you.

"I shouldn't have left you, I shouldn't have... I am so sorry..."

He was ashamed of himself. Of his own relapse.

But he could never thought you would kill yourself.

These six monthes were difficult for him.

Yes, he was free. He could do whatever he wanted.

But he was lonely. He had nightmares. Breakdowns.

He started looking for you only to realize you were dead.

Finding Withers was his only hope.

And you are back. Back to him.

Astarion takes you away from Baldur's Gate to the places you've never been before.

Basically making you run faster than your darkness.

Together you learn how to enjoy things.

You basically ask each other "What can we do rn to make ourselves feel better?"

A swim in the lake? A bath in the inn? A new piece of garment? Just staying together in the tent?

You hold each other from slipping into the void.

Eventually, you are advised to start taking some medicine made by clerics.

You take it once a day and you feel better, almost the same way you felt with the tadpole.

You take the double shot because Astairon drinks your blood to get this medicine for himself.

You both don't feel yourself that miserable anymore. You both cry less.

You sleep better, Astarion doesn't have nightmares.

You are good. Both of you.

It doesn't mean the darkness won't come back - but you are both ready to meet it.

--

Tag list

@tugoslovenka @marcynomercy @wintersire @vixstarria @not-so-lost-after-all @ashiro20 @theearthsfinalconfession @herstxrgirl @starlight-ipomoea @micropoe10 @astarion-imagine-archive @veillsar @elora-the-slutty-songstress @fayeriess @lumienyx @tallymonster @caitlincat-95 @tragedybunny @valeprati @lynnlovesthestars @marina-and-the-memes @waking-electric @ayselluna @connorsui @asterordinary @darkarchangel96

#astarion #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 astarion #astarion romance #bg3 #astarion bg3 #astarion headcanon #baldurs gate 3 #astarion headcanons #astarion x tav #tav x astarion #spacebarbarian headcanon #astarion x reader #baldurs gate astarion #astarion ancunin #astarion baldurs gate #astarion brainrot #astarion fanfiction #astarion imagine #astarion hurt #disabled tav #tw depression #baldurs gate 3 astarion #astarion my beloved

[elixrr]

Xiao x Reader - a drabble on love.

ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴡʜᴏ ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴏ ɪ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴʟʏ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ɴᴏᴡ.

➳❥ - no dialogue, just simple descriptions of a quiet, starry night spent with xiao.

The moon hangs over the night sky, and you are illuminated with the wonders of the night lights. Tonight isn’t special; it's simply like any other night, but you're here, Xiao's here, and it's peaceful. No words are exchanged between either one of you. It's a quiet night created and built to listen to the steady and rampant heartbeats of lovers. It's a silent night made for the midnight snores and late laughter of lovers who've awakened and been awake. Neither of you pays much mind, for nobody else lays on the roof of the inn.

A fair combination of yellow and white glow against your skin, and Xiao can't help but steer his eyes towards you. Love, he feels, is terrifying in the ways it can manipulate and capture his mind, seeping into each crack and crevice of his heart. The way his love for you sways and controls his lungs and how he breathes— it's abnormal. It's strange, and at first, he wanted it all out, for Xiao had wished to keep away from all that could strip him of his focused duties, but it crept in closer and took him by the hand, much like you do during those spontaneous starry days where the sun shines, yet you shone brighter in comparison.

That's you, simply. It's always you. You, the one who always catches his attention. You, the one who replaces the dull sun with a true, grounded star. You're special, you're different, and not because of the way you look. It's not just the hand that interlocks with his on evil nights full of comfort for karma; it's not the clothes you carry that sway around your hips and your arms, nor is it your silky, velvet sleeves that drag with the wind. You're simply special. You stand out to him far more than any person that any society norm could deem beautiful. He couldn't care less about how wide or thin your hips are; he doesn't even think once on what shape your face has taken. He never paid mind to the weight you carry, mental or physical. Xiao sees you for more than who you appear to be. He sees you as who you've shown him; he sees you as the one he loves, and that's all that will ever matter in his eyes.

Xiao used to dream of joining his friends. He used to dream of the delicate cottons and fabrics of the afterlife that he could feel when he sees his friends, albeit he might only see them once after death and never again— if that promised haven of peace, tranquility, and love is a promise that is honest and true. If not, that would've been fine for him, too, for he feels he wouldn't ever deserve the taste of a heaven. Xiao, simply, dreamed of dying. He wished to die a warrior, much like the rest of the yaksha. In his eyes, he had nothing to lose before. Rex Lapis is no longer the archon, and the people of Liyue don't seem to need him around anymore, so why bother?

But, he realizes that is no longer the case.

If he were to die, he would lose you. Not only that, but Xiao is bitterly familiar with the poisons of guilt, shame, and sorrow after losing someone he loves. He can't bear to imagine your tears or your sobbing if he were to give his life up for what he deemed as freedom. Besides, he is constantly reminded on quiet nights such as these that he has nearly achieved that complete freedom. Not freedom from his duties, not freedom from his karma, but freedom from loneliness. Ever since you arrived, Xiao has gained friends, he has a slight following, and he, ultimately, has you— and you are everything to him. There are rare times when he won't even think about Rex Lapis when it comes to you. Xiao has set his subconscious priorities straight, even if he hasn't realized it.

Even when years come to pass, even when decades and late centuries take over peaceful days like these, Xiao will never forget you. He will continue to cherish you long after your death, though he prays that the day will never come. Xiao, back before meeting you, would've only hung his head low for your family and friends if your death had passed and reached his ears. But now? He's afraid that he'll never be able to let you go— he may revert to consulting Hu Tao constantly so she could check and see if you'd still remain that ghostly realm of hers.

Xiao's hand twitches at the thought. He realized that he may end up mourning far more from your death than his own God's. He has never been vocal about his anxieties, but you're well aware that he'll sacrifice the whole world and even himself just to keep you alive and well. He recalls a time when you were bedridden, sickly, and in pain from a virus. You never allowed him inside your room during that, but he nearly cried himself to death, begging to the Gods and Celestia that you would come out of that room some day, alive, living, and free. During his nightly visits outside of your bedroom door, you would talk to him in spite of your coughs and sore throat. You would tell him about a particular northern star that shines into your bedroom window at the darkest midnight hour and how, when you recovered, you would love to see it closer on the roof with him.

Funnily enough, those words were spoken exactly one year ago from this day, and here you are. Northern star in view, galaxies hanging above, and you lay here on the roof with Xiao.

Tonight isn’t special; it was never supposed to be. But somehow, with you being here, Xiao being here, and with the moon illuminating the scenery around you two, it's safe to say that tonight and perhaps every night always ends up as a special occasion. He looks over at you. You're asleep, and you have the faintest smile on your lips, and it contaminates his with a smile of his own.

Maybe every night is a special occasion, long as it's spent with you.

#genshin x reader #character x reader #genshin fic #xiao x reader #xiao x you #xiao fanfic #xiao fic #xiao x y/n #character x y/n #character x you #romance #fluff #genshin fluff #xiao fluff #genshin impact fic #genshin x y/n #naw but i love xiao sm #this was self indulgent #solely self indulgent

[astaribun]

Since it's my birthday today here's how I think everyone would celebrate Tav's:

Karlach is all giddy and excited for her gift that she accidentally spoils because she leaves it lying around. It's either something handmade or something you mentioned once. She also bought fireworks that she lights with her tail.

Gale gives you one of his favorite books magically annotated with his opinions and reactions (it can be dispellled easily so it doesn't ruin the actual book). He tells you you can do the same for his birthday and it could become your thing. He also casts an illusion in the sky/ceiling of your favorite weather/starry night

Shadowheart gives you something stylish and practical like a sturdy clip for your cape in your favorite color. She spends a lot of time undoing Astarion's sabotages and teaching Lae'zel which Githyanki birthday customs would not be well received.

Wyll organises the party, he reminds everyone to get gifts, arranges for Alfira to play (or magiced self-playing instruments for durge), ensures they have a hearty inn-style meal and tables and chairs at camp for the night. Tav insists they don't need a gift after everything he's done, but he writes them a poem anyway and gives them flowers.

Astarion is busy trying to make it all "less boring, darling" aka he's a menace setting traps and sabotaging preperationd. He also "finds" a bunch of liquor he deems good enough. He jokingly gifts Tav 'a night with him' and they all laugh, he then pulls out a beautiful hand-stitched camp shirt he made for Tav.

Lae'zel is "unimpressed" by this Faerûnian birthday celebration as it involves no fighting nor enjoying people's bodies in other ways. Despite it all she gives Tav a Gith style weapon appropriate to their class which she may or may not have been sharping for days. She helps people do their hair, pretending to be mad about that. She also shares her eyeliner.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 companions #Birthday #Baldur's gate 3 hc #It's my birthday #astarion #lae'zel #Shadowheart #Wyll #Gale #Karlach

[mare-noctis-studios]

slow dancing with astarion?

this one kind of got away from me

send me prompts!

Naithrel evorlethor eryndorael esilissyr

(Together we shall dance under the starry sky)

Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3 Pairing: Astarion x You (gn terms) CW: Established Relationship, Slow-Dancing, Mentions of Cazador, Implied Past Trauma, Word Count: 2,053

Astarion has snuck away from the party and Tav goes to find him, slow dancing ensues

It takes a moment to notice what was wrong with the scene in front of you. Happy faces cajole with each other in the tavern, flasks of ale slopping over bench tops as the people toast to the good health of every living thing. The troupe in the corner belt out tune after tune, the younger folk pairing off to dance while the children run under table legs in an elaborate game of chicken-chasing: the fan-dangled party game you introduced to the townsfolk. You spy Karlach - having recently acquired the ability to touch others without turning them to ash - challenging anyone in the vicinity to arm wrestles with a steadily growing pile of coin beside her. Gale and Shadowheart stand near one of the rear walls, talking quietly and observing the merriment through weary eyes. Lae’zel stoically bears the weight of a child’s curiosity as the tiefling children you rescued crowd around to hear her war stories. Even Wyll is deep in the goblet holding court with an enraptured audience, swapping tales of derring do with Halsin to the delight of the fans.

Then it hits you. That flash of white hair, usually swindling someone of their coin while in an inebriated state, was missing. You scan the room one more time to make sure, to no avail. Astarion wasn’t here.

Disengaging politely with the wife of the mayor you were chatting with, you slip out of the main room towards the stairs that take you to the rooms above. The inn-keeper had given you rooms on the top most floor, away from the smells of the stable yard below with a pretty little prospect of the town green. This was where you were headed now, leaning on the wall to stay steady as the bottles of Chultan Fireswill catch up to you. Astarion’s room is empty at first, but you spy the ornate clothes he had dressed in for the celebration tossed haphazardly over the end of his bed, and the cool breeze against your cheek alert you to the open balcony doors.

Astarion is there, one hand smoothing over the knots and whorls in the wood, eyes fixed on the glint of ship lights in the far distance. You study him for a moment: the moonlight turning his white hair into shining silver, as is spun from the finest silk this side of the Greypeak Mountains, his pale skin looking as if it was carved from the purest marble.

You intend to walk over and join him quietly, but your little toe against the edge of the cabinet had other ideas, muffling several curse words as the marble shoulders tense. You shake off the pain and continue forward, out into the cool night where there was nary a cloud in the sky. Stars wink back at you as you settle in next to him, the warm press of your bodies pleasant in the night air.

“You’re turning into Wyll” you say after a long moment, watching the sails sway on the ocean. “All this sneaking off at parties, he’s a bad influence.”

Astarion barks a short laugh at that and focusses his attention to tracing the grain of the railing.

“Everything ok?”

You feel the sag in his body as he deflates a little, leaning closer into your warmth.

“Nights like these… people partaking in frivolous amusement… serves as a stark reminder of what I am” he says bitterly.

You link your pinky around his, eyes firm on the horizon as he stops tracing the wood and starts tracing the lines on your palm.

“Everything I drink tastes like vinegar and everything I eat tastes like ash…” he trails off, following a deep blue vein up along your forearm. “And now that we’re near the city, I…”

He falters, stilling cool fingers in the crook of your elbow to feel the thrum of your fast-beating heart. You turn to lean a hip against the railing, starting your own tracing from his hand up over his bicep, over his neck and cheekbone to brush curls delicately over one pointed ear.

“I can’t escape the memories of what Cazador made me do in establishments such as this” he finishes quietly, thumb gently brushing the side of your elbow as his gaze falls to the floor. You pull him into a hug, arms looping low around his slender waist as his go around your shoulder, face burying into your neck.

You noticed over the course of your relationship how little Astarion got to experience intimacy for intimacy’s sake – the nights lounging by the fire in his lap with a book Gale recommended open between you as you read passage after passage, a kiss brushed lightly over a cheek when greeting him after time apart, the languid kissing in the wee hours of the morning when neither of you could sleep, hands exploring gently without intent – and just how much of his sexual proclivities were only about the sex.

Those nights curled up in each other’s arms quickly became tradition, whether you were reading a book, or swapping stories from your childhood, or discussing the finer points of caring for cashmere cloth while travelling, and your companions quickly adopted your tent as extra storage since you rarely spend any time in it. Gale would comment on it occasionally, comparing Astarion to Tara with the way his eyes gleam possessively if someone got too close, and you have caught Halsin on more than one occasion studying the two of you with poorly concealed desire.

The sex was great, as it had always been, but once you were past the awkward admissions of power and manipulation you realised that Astarion had no idea how to be in a loving relationship. His boundaries were set it all sorts of fucked up ways, twisted and warped by Cazador and his own self-loathing, and they were your challenges to unravel – one experience at a time.

Amongst the sanctity of your companions, Astarion could hardly bear a minute without your touch in some way; a hand on the shoulder, a ruffle of hair, a peck on the lips in passing. He always found some way to bump your hip while working, to trace a finger down your arm, to wrap his hand around whatever limb he could reach.

He craved the warmth of your skin. You always lamented at how you ran hot as a child, sweating it out over brutal summers, but it is a blessing in disguise as you lay wrapped around each other of an evening, cold lips pressed to a warm neck and legs tangled in perfect equilibrium.

You begin to walk back slowly, pulling Astarion with you as he catches your gaze. Inky black eyes in the moonlight turn to soft red inside the room as you light the candles with a soft word. He presses a kiss to your neck, your jaw, your cheekbone, over your nose until your lips meet softly, tenderly as hands splayed over your shoulders push you closer together.

“Wait, my love” you murmur, smiling when he chases your lips with a pout. “I want to dance.”

His face falls minutely, then fixes in a pleasant smile.

“By all means darling, let’s go downstairs and rally the band!” His laugh is forced so you bring your hands up to cup his cheeks, kissing him quiet. You pull back and close your eyes, focussing on the smell of Astarion’s parfum, the taste of wine on your lips, the touch of gentle hands on your back, and you reach into the Weave.

Pleasure swirls around you, tendrils of intent wrapping around your hand as you lifted it between you two to show him the purple essence. You hum the tune in your head and will the music into existence, eyes opening triumphantly as the sounds of a flute and harp echo softly around you. Astarion’s eyes never leave your face as you take one of his hands and slide the other around his waist, desire and an amount of trepidation clear as day.

“I don’t want the band” you say simply, swaying with the music. “I want to dance with you.”

Astarion’s smile is purer than anything you have ever encountered as he takes the lead in waltzing a slow, haphazard circle of the room. “My darling” he whispers, kissing you deeply before guiding you through a slow spin. “My love.” You come back to his arms feeling lighter than a feather, adoration for your lover swelling until it felt fit to burst from your chest. Something must have shown on your face because his eyes crease in amusement, lips pressed to your temple as you sway to the melody. “My divine grace. You are surely a succubus sent to capture my soul for I don’t understand how I deserve to know your love” he says quietly into your hair, thumb idly stroking the small of your back. You go to speak but he silences you with soft kiss, pulling away the barest amount to speak as if his words were a sacred prayer. “You have been nothing but kind and patient -  accepting my faults without condescension or malice. You have taken my broken spirit and breathed life into a long-dead heart with nary a thought to compensation.”

He stills in the middle of the room, red eyes bright with wonder, the hand holding yours coming up to cup your cheek. Tracing his thumb over your bottom lip he draws you in for a deep, tender kiss, pulling your bodies so close you are sure you will melt into him.

“I might have stayed the irascible, wounded man incapable of leaving the shadows of my past if you had not taken my hand and drawn me to the very light I avoided for nigh 200 years.”

Your heart beats rapidly, surely to burst out of your chest as you tighten your arms, trailing kisses down his temple and jaw. He has come so far from the man you met by the nautiloid crash; a man who closed himself off from anything that could possibly hurt him, hiding pain and uncertainty behind a veneer of snark and derision. It seems a lifetime ago to the man currently in your arms, and if all goes well, he shall stay there for a lifetime to come.

“For the first time in 200 years I am hopeful for my future.” His voice was small, but the conviction was clear. “For the first time… I imagine a life with someone by my side. I could never have hoped to experience the love you have so freely given me, when all you received in return was lies and attempts at cohesion.”

You smile at that, bringing one hand to cover the one on your cheek and the other to press over his still heart. “I would have made do” you tease, pleased to see the joke land positively. “I am so proud of you Astarion. From the first moment we shared, your vulnerability – even though it pained you at the time – is something I will treasure forever. I see the light in you, my love, and it is breathtaking.”

The candlelight seems to pulse with your words, glowing even brighter as the music swells to a triumphant chorus.

“You are deserving of a happy ending my darling elf. My only wish is that I am written by your side when our stories are told.” Tears well in your eyes and spill but you find you don’t care, pressing a kiss to the tear tracks on Astarion’s own cheek. He pulls you towards the bed and helps you rid yourself of your party clothing, settling alongside you under the rough sheets as you will the music to cease. The candlelight dims and you drift into a contented sleep, lips pressed to your hair murmuring loving epithets until your eyes droop. Just before they shut, you hear the familiar lilt of Elvish;

“Leuthilsel, delaesyrn eni, su'lmélo. Phorael'sar nindol su'linueth natha. Ren amin mindelara, natha darthas. Galennor tuulo’laer, eldalié. Syl’esske, melamin, melme’amin. Sylvaris, lyrie’nythas, varulitharien. Naithrel evorlethor eryndorael esilissyr.”

You smile through the tears and press a soft kiss to Astarion’s throat, finishing the vow in a voice laced with happiness.

“Ai’tel’quessir, mirimaar amin, nindelar. Leuthilsel mirimaar tel’quessir. Tel’quess eni.”

Here is the translation of the Elvish:

“My beloved, heart of mine, forever. By the stars’ grace we are bound. In your eyes I find home, my heart rejoices. Forever we walk, together. For all eternity, my love, my soul’s mate. Sylvan beauty, my heart’s delight, enchanter of the woods. Together we shall dance under the starry sky.”

“To the elves, our people, we shall belong. My beloved among the elves. My elf.”

Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading! K

If you would like to be added to the Astarion fic tag list please comment a 🩸

#astarion #bg3 #baldur’s gate 3 #bg3 astarion #the-fandom-files #fanfiction #writing #astarion x tav #birch writes #archive of our own #k-e-birch #baldur's gate 3 astarion #baldur's gate iii #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate astarion #bg 3 tav #baldur's gate 3 tav #baldurs gate 3 tav #astarion x you #astarion x reader

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

"Wei-qianbei, why do your eyes turn red when you use your cultivation?" Jingyi asks as he, Sizhui, Hanguang-Jun and Wei Ying sharing a meal at an inn after a successful night hunt. "Does resentful energy manifest this way or is it some cool technique?"

"Nothing like that!" Wei Ying waves his chopsticks. "I just thought it would look cool if I could do it, so when I invented the ghost path, I incorporated it!"

Jingyi blinked at him twice, Sizhui and Lan Zhan sighed quietly.

"But... I don't remember Xue Yang having red eyes..."

"Of course not! That's my thing only! How else would people know I'm the Yiling Patriarch?"

Sizhui piped in. "The Ghost General?"

Lan Zhan added "Chenqing?"

Sizhui again. "Hanguang-Jun?"

Wei Ying rolled his eyes and laughed. "You guys are no fun! I need an artistic license, don't I? And anyway, red eyes make me more terrifying! You little ones are forgetting I invented my cultivation during war time! It's really important to intimidate your opponents!"

"Well can you teach me how? I wanna scare young mistress Jin next time he pisses me off!"

"Lan Jingyi."

As if he'd been doused in cold water, Jingyi paled and straightened up. "H-Hanguang-Jun... I... um..."

"It's fine, it doesn't actually take much of anything to do it, so if Hanguang-Jun allows it..."

Lan Wangji looked to his husband, then to a starry eyed Lan Jingyi, sighed and poured himself a cup of wine.

Lan Jingyi cheered so loud that Sizhui had to cover his ears. "Yay!"

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #writing attempts #ljy #wwx #lsz

[ginjones]

Dreamling for the Holidays! Happy whatever you celebrate Everyone!

Christmas shopping, for Hob at least, is now a relaxed affair. It starts on the first Saturday of September, when damp leaves flutter in their burnished hues, and finishes in the zephyrs grey gales of November. This year, gift buying is punctuated with a stroll through Hyde Park, then coffee with Sarah and Marlow the dog; a brief scoot to the New Inn to fix rotas, then back to the flat for dinner and scotch and Byron’s Hebrew Melodies- ‘She walks in beauty, like the night. Of cloudless climes and starry skies’.

Christmas shopping is categorically not the cataclysmic disaster it was two years ago when, only a month into his fledgling power as Hope of the endless, he had naively sauntered down Oxford Street in December and was immediately bombarded with the hopes and wishes of several thousand people. From a cursory glance at their aura-space, it became clear that the majority were hellbent on receiving the most expensive version of whatever had piqued their Pavlovian response. It was all a bit sad really. A hopeful celebration reduced to consumer fodder.

 In the thrum of the crowded street, Hob had found himself omitting a quiet, internal light which searched vacantly for direction. It found none. Pulled between his function to obey the will of the people and disinclined to offer his gift to the undeserving, he had panicked, abandoned his shopping, and ran to the marginal safety of the nearest pub.

It was an experience not worth repeating.

He had seen Dream in these recent months. Usually on gilded evenings where they would walk the hillocks of Hamstead Heath, their pathway illuminated in the jewelling light of early autumn. They would talk about Hope and how Hob was feeling and Dream, in his somnolent tones would tell him stories about the heavy burden of purpose; the arduous confines of duty. Then, when Hob would place an arm around his shoulder and sigh warmly, when he would send a little of his hope out into the world around them, Dream would smile at the change in the air and talk about presence and creation and magic. And everything, once more, would seem like a gift.

It was on one of these walks that he got the idea, and the signature white box was the easiest to find.

He had found it on Ebay of all places. It wasn’t as expensive as he had imagined but expense, of course, had not been the point. The gift itself, had been harder to track down. He had found it at last in a rundown antique shop near Columbia Road. A tiny little thing, mottled with the faint impressions of distant fingerprints, its paintwork faded, its silver motif browning with age. He held it up to the light and every one of its stories solidified and sang out. It was perfect. In pencil drawn font, the price read £12.

The shop owner, Sebastian Rossi, had not been home to visit his sister in 8 years. She grew tomatoes in her garden and played backgammon on Sundays and called Sebastian ‘piccolo leone’ even after all these years. Hob smiled at Sebastian and gave him £50.

He had hidden the gift in his flat for weeks on the off-chance Dream might make a surprise visit. He did in fact, several times, and Hob had been mindful to divert his attentions away from the little white box and the gift it contained. Hob had found, much to his chagrin, that his daydreams were still very much on display despite his ascension to endless. It was however, much easier now to simply hope them away, when Hob could physically see the threads of thought forming. Pass a hand over the opalescent swirl and sweep it gently from the air, fold it up and tuck the remnants away in his pocket.

Gift giving was not a tradition when he was growing up. Gifts, or any items not made for the sheer purpose of living and surviving, were few and far between. Instead, gifts came in the form of the first blush of springtime, when winter frost melted, and wild garlic bloomed. Or in the first mouthfuls of summer fruits and plentiful game, that made children plumper and bellies full.

Between 1851 and 1858 Hob, fresh off a successful investment in Singer sewing machines, had rented a house in Regent’s Park and employed the services of two maids. He had enjoyed treating them to the fancier linens when Boxing Day came around and would dutifully send out for orders of pink lace and taffeta.

And now here it was finally. Christmas Eve 2022 and Dream was sitting in the warm light of his living room, the only entity in existence who could make a battered couch look like a regal throne. They had spent the last few hours curled up together, reading silently. Dream, a copy of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations. Hob, The Black Tudors by Miranda Kaufmann.  It was a pastime they had both come to enjoy, especially as Hob’s power blossomed and their thoughts could interlink in a stream of words, allusion and metaphor. It was like reading two books at once although at first, the whole concept had been baffling. As the last page was turned, Hob placed the book down and went to fetch the gift from the cupboard in the kitchen. Returning back, he placed the little white box in Dream’s hands and curled up next to him.

“That’s for you.” Hob said, draping an arm over Dream’s shoulders and pulling him in closer.  “It’s just a little thing. I know you don’t celebrate Christmas or Yule or whatever, but I just thought you deserved something. So…”

“A gift for me?” Dream answered, in a soft tone that sounded like the ebb of the sea on a clear, crisp day. His finger traced over the golden embossment on the top of the box. “Pandora” he continued; confusion etched on his features for the briefest of seconds before Dream’s face lit up from within at the story beginning to form. He looked back to Hob and then, in a display of feigned dramatics, opened the box tentatively and peered inside. With careful movements, as if what lay inside was as precious as hope itself, Dream picked up the little dove ornament with its decorative band of silver stars and laid it gently in the palm of his hand.

“Got it in an antique shop.” Hob said “Like I said, it’s just a silly little thing but it’s supposed to represent…”

“You,” replied Dream in wonderment.  “The only thing that remained in Pandora’s box…”

“Was Hope.” Hob finished, smiling.  “The silver stars are you though. I wouldn’t be the man I am today, the…being I’m becoming without your guidance.”

They were quiet for several moments. Dream had closed the box carefully, almost reverently, and held it along with the ornament tight to his chest. The world outside would tell its own stories in the pale moonlight of Winter. December skies are often clear and somewhere, in the unfathomable stretch of night, mortal men would glimpse the celestial journey of a shooting star.

“It is perfect.” Said Dream.

I am too busy now to write much so I just wanted to go out with a bang and dedicate this to @moorishflower and @landwriter who are leagues above me in ability and storytelling. Thank you for all the amazing content that has inspired me to work harder and write better! x

#dreamling fic #the sandman fic #hope!hob #Hope of the endless #Dream of the endless #the sandman #teeth rotting fluff #dream x hob #dreamling #why do I love Hope Hob so much? #holiday fic

[moonspirit]

Any aruani modern au hc? :D

Hello anon! Sorry I took a bit long to answer this :>

I've always liked the thought of Aruani going on long drives, you know. Just the two of them and a car and an endless journey before them. It'd be great, really, maybe the drive is to a little-known beach far away, or to another country entirely. Short stays at quaint little inns and hotels, trying out new food, buying souvenirs, taking photographs. Some nights driving, some nights under the blankets in a new place, and some nights camping in an open field below a tall cliff, the starry night sky glittering above. When morning comes they're back on their journey, wind in their hair and laughing as the map tears in two.

#anon ask #aruani #attack on titan #headcanon #armin arlert #annie leonhart

[aberration-abbey]

#flight rising #frfanart #sketch comics #abbey art #starry night inn #oc bramble #oc cheshire #oc queenie #oc lissy

[rosaramaryllis]

'ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ ᴍᴇ ᴅɪᴇ' ; a xiao x reader

synopsis ; alatus was a strong adeptus, having been one of the two yakshas to have survived karmic debt, along with the endless wars that came with time. however, even the one next to the strongest is not invincible.

summary ; basically y/n is the dendro yaksha and xiao has only opened up to them because they've gone through the same thing, losing all their comrades. y/n was his stone, but even a stone is not invincible.

word count: 1.5k

"alatus! come and celebrate the lantern rite with us!"

"no."

"come on, you do this every year!"

"still no."

"i'll bring almond tofu..?"

xiao begrudgingly sat at the table at mount hulao, eating his own plate of almond tofu whilst all his other fellow yakshas talked about nothing in particular, bosacius would sometimes brag about the monsters he had wrangled, indarias would help hand out food, bonanus chugged osmanthus wine (a benevolent gift from none other than rex lapis himself), menogias still refused to stop sewing. he was working on a suit familiar to his, the rest of them were in awe when he admitted it was for rex lapis himself.

"it certainly looks regal enough!"

then there was y/n, the dendro yaksha, general (name). while bosacius was official leader of the yakshas, appointed by rex lapis himself, y/n was the de-facto leader. they were basically the deputy, and loved for their motherly nature towards the other adepti. xiao often turned his nose up at them, why would anyone trust and treat others so nicely if they didn't even know each other?

"alatus, are you doing okay?"

the bustling atmosphere vanished in front of xiao's eyes, instead replaced by the tranquility of the wangshu inn, he stared into the starry night before turning to whoever had spoken.

"y/n."

he paused.

"thinking about bosacius and the others again?"

y/n asked, a sad smile on their face. it was always a pleasure to temporarily escape the reality of loneliness just to think of their fellow comrades.

however, every trip down memory lane wasn't always going to be a good one.

"y/n, alatus, i-i don't want to fight."

"indarias, stay strong, i don't want to either but-"

indarias screamed, letting out a bloodcurdling scream as hot tears ran down her face, her expression of pure agony and fear visible. she ran, far away from where alatus and y/n stood, they attempted to pursue her, but even more chaos would catch their attention before they could. alatus watched as y/n launched themselves up towards bonanus and menogias. he knew that the karmic debt had possessed them, and though his heart tightened, he knew that it was hopeless.

he never wanted to admit it though, and let y/n try.

"your worthless existence will be forgotten."

"as if a drunken insect like you wouldn't suffer the same fate as me."

their voices were now nothing but animalistic, they weren't yakshas anymore, but only monsters that plagued the battlefield. at the geo monster's comment, the hydro one let out a shrill screech of anger, launching herself forward and impaling the other. the geo monster wouldn't go down without a fight, and crystallized the other former yaksha, shattering her to pieces as he himself succumbed to his wounds and karmic debt.

a tear rolled down y/n's cheek, xiao standing atop bloodied corpses of monsters, his face holding a sombre expression. both of them prayed that bosacius would be alright.

and that prayer would go unanswered. years after that battle, bosacius had disappeared without a trace.

they had only discovered the truth recently, their now former deity filling y/n in after xiao's near-death experience.

in front of the traveler, the strange oni, yanfei, the ninja(?) and paimon, y/n put on a calm, composed face. they thanked the group for their assistance and providing closure for both them and xiao. however, the anemo user knew the truth, the tears that they shed, the vase that was broken as y/n yelled at xiao, who could do nothing but avert their gaze.

"what- you were just going to leave me here? without anyone? without you?"

y/n had started to pull on their hair, threatening to rip it out. xiao watched, he stumbled forward. he was never good with feelings, that was y/n's department. they were there when he had his karmic debt episodes, they were there to make almond tofu and help to soothe his pain.

xiao wrapped his arms around the other, it was awkward for him, but as y/n sank to the floor, he did so with them. they sobbed while rare tears came from his eyes, as he whispered apologies.

they spent their days at dihua marsh, walking together and reminiscing. they fought side-by-side, always having each others' back. they collected what they could of their late yaksha friends. indarias' mask, that y/n found after the bloody war. the both of them weren't there to watch her life cease, but the mask was indication enough.

menogias' mask was intact, albeit chipped. bosacius' was retrieved in the chasm by xiao, though it threatened to crumble as time wore it down. bonanus' mask was.. shattered. it was almost impossible to piece it back together, but xiao remembered the nights that him and y/n stayed up, using the strongest glue they could find, provided by cloud retainer. guizhong had usually been the one they went to for contraptions, but alas, the archon war not only stole friends like the yaksha, but also gods alike. the goddess of dust was among one of the casualties.

the traveler was also a prominent figure in their lives, who helped convince xiao to go to the lantern rite. they had led him to a clearing in the forest, feigning a story about a danger they had uncovered. as the vine curtain was thrown aside, instead of a huge monster, there was a stone table, just like the one back then in that lantern rite, there were 6 seats, but only one yaksha was there. y/n sat patiently, smiling at xiao.

xiao glared back at the traveler and paimon, who whistled innocently and scampered away.

in front of the seats were items.

a pot of soup, wine, a token from the primordial geovishap, and a needle and a piece of golden cloth. xiao didn't even have to look twice to know who they belonged to. he assumed the seat with almond tofu in front of it was his seat.

he sat down awkwardly, the both of them sitting in silence for a bit before y/n spoke up.

"let's just pretend, for now."

pretending was hard, though. the silence that engulfed the table was palpable. never will the cheerful banter ever fill the sky again. never will bosacius boast, the wine will remain untouched, the food never distributed, none of menogias' creations ever be made from his skillful hands.

y/n doubled over, a sudden pain piercing through their senses. they clutched the table as xiao bent down next to them, helpless to try and aid his companion.

their vision went black.

xiao looked over to liyue harbour, at bubu pharmacy. he didn't believe in human medicine, but what option did he have at the moment? he hoped that that.. baizhong.. or baili person could help them.

xiao hoped that this was just a passing sickness, a lack of sleep, anything. it can't be.. karmic debt. it can't be. for his sake, y/n had to live, at least long enough to watch him die.

alatus clutched y/n's hand, staying by their side the whole night. zhongli had come to visit, and the grim silence was there. silence, damn it. damn the silence. though he insisted on being better working on his own, in the silence the night provided, y/n always provided just enough banter.

"alatus."

xiao didn't reply.

"spend your time well with them."

and with that, zhongli left. xiao couldn't handle being so weak in his presence anyways.

your end was coming.

and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

then it happened.

an awful scream rang out throughout dihua marsh, as a band of hilichurls fell at xiao and y/n's feet.

y/n clutched their head, collapsing to their knees. xiao stood opposite them, turning away. he knew what was happening. he naively wished it would never happen, but he was just refusing to acknowledge reality.

y/n morphed into a monster, their gentle hands becoming large claws, their eyes with a crazed rage in it, and their face. oh, their face. it was nowhere to be seen. xiao was strong, it would be no issue to execute his former companion.

but his arms trembled, a warm liquid making its presence known as it streamed down his cheeks.

with a skilled slash by his hands, the monster fell to the ground. xiao ran over, desperate. the karmic debt that morphed their body receded into the night. xiao slowly reached out, touching their cheek.

another legend was added into liyue's books for years to come, they say that once every two years, on a random night, you can hear the despairing melody of a bird as it mourned its beloved, as well as the cries of a man that accompanies the song.

#genshin impact xiao #alatus #adeptus xiao #xiao x reader #genshin impact #genshin x reader #alatus x reader #indarias #menogias #bonanus #bosacius #angst #genshin angst #mitski lyrics

[anathemafiction]

so im currently trying to collect all the achievements for the book and my god i cant bring myself to get the starry night one. HOW COULD I DO THAT TO HADRIAN? 😭 and then i find we get an interaction with lance as well if we do that and my heart physically hurts right now.

If you like Lance, I'd really recommend doing at least one playthrough where you go outside the inn.

To be honest, if you're not romancing Alessa or Hadrian, and have your sights on any other RO, I'd recommend going outside the Leaping Lion.

You can also be romancing them but choose to go outside and break up then because there's content for a broken-up Alessa and Hadrian in Book Two already 🤭

#hints #Lance #The Golden Rose

[pardi-real]

Tarot of Destiny / Chapter 15 - The Tarot's Answer

Prev | All | Next

[Inn, Garden]

That night... I was alone, staring at the stars in the inn's garden. While gazing at the beautiful starry sky… I reflected on each of the butlers’ words from earlier today.

I haven't found it yet, 'the answer to save myself from an ominous fate.’ But, when I recall what the butlers said, I can sense their genuine concern for me… So even though an ominous fate might be approaching… I was feeling rather happy.

Trudge… trudge…

Elvira: “Lord of the Devil Butler..."

> "Ms. Elvira?"

Elvira: “Hmm... You look happy...  Perhaps... You've found the 'answer'?”

> "I haven't…”

Elvira: “Oh... Is that so? Despite being told about the ominous shadow in your future... You still can look like that... You really seem to be a broad-minded person.”

> "Th-that's not…”

Indeed, I was happy about the butlers' feelings... But that didn't mean all my anxiety had disappeared.

Because they care so much about me… the desire not to part ways with them grew stronger. The Death card in the upright position supposedly signifies ‘the end of things’ and ‘farewell’... But even so, I want to always stay with them. Once again, I strongly felt that sentiment.

Elvira: “Hmm... Lord of the Devil Butler. Would it be convenient for you to spare a moment now? If it works for you, please follow me.”

> "Huh?”

Saying that, Ms. Elvira started walking without waiting for an answer.

Elvira: “This way... It's a shortcut.”

She disappeared into the bushes after reaching the outer wall of the garden.

> "Ah, wait…!”

There was a gap in the outer wall, hidden in the bushes, allowing one person to pass through… I was able to get out through that. 

I followed her in a hurry, but the butlers might get worried if we sneak out on our own. Considering that, I tried asking Ms. Elvira several times for us to return together...

But she only replied with "It's okay" and continued forward.

[Maginaria, Sacred Water Spring]

Elvira: “Well... we've arrived. Lord of the Devil Butler.”

> "What is this place...?”

Elvira: “This is a spring where the sacred water of divine protection flows. It's a very sacred place...

Normally, entry is prohibited for anyone not granted permission, but it shouldn't matter to you. Because, you're the person in this world who needs protection the most.

First, I will drink... In the same way, you should drink too. Then, the protection of the sacred waters should be on your body. It might be a help to ward off the ominous fate. Now, please…”

> "U-understood”

Following her example, I scooped up water from the spring below and took a sip.

The mysterious scenery around, combined with the cold and beautiful water, made me feel purified from within.

Elvira: “Having visited the four temples and drinking from the sacred waters… You should have received the most powerful protection, as far as I can think of.

You are the devil butler's master, an essential existence for this world. Your power to undo demonization… is a crucial power for this world.

If possible, I don't want you to die. That's why I brought you here.”

> "I see…”

Telling about the four temples to the butlers… and suddenly leading me to this spring... It seems she's thinking about me and this world, in her own way. Although there are still things I don't understand, like what she's thinking... All in all, she doesn't seem to be a bad person.

Elvira: “And, one last thing I need to talk to you about. The upright 'Death' card I showed you... Its meaning is ‘the end of things’ and ’farewell’. Of course, it's definitely a card with ominous meaning, but… what I conveyed is just one interpretation.”

> "One interpretation...?”

Elvira: “Yes. The tarot cards are like a single ‘book,’ each card being a page... Even though they may appear as just a single card... The way they are interpreted varies greatly. Indeed… It's not an exaggeration to say that there are as many interpretations as there are people who look at them.”

> "Interpretations…”

Elvira: “Yes. It's certain that the Death card appeared for you... But how you interpret it is up to you. You… should search for the answer that satisfies you the most.”

> “The answer that satisfies me…”

Elvira: “It's okay. There's still time. For now, let's go back to the inn and take it slowly…”

*Buzz… buzz…* At that moment... Suddenly, a familiar alarm sound echoed. Similar to the angel alarm in the city of Espoir.

> "This…!”

Elvira: “Could it be… angel…? No way… this morning's fortune-telling didn't predict anything like this…”

Angel: “............”

An angel appeared before us while we were still bewildered. Then, Ms. Elvira took my hand... and without waiting for my response, she started running to the opposite side.

Elvira: “Hurry…! This way...!”

> “O-okay...!”

Tap, tap, tap…

~ Some minutes later ~

Following her, we dove into the forest, hiding from the approaching angels. But more angels appeared, two or three... We could only hide in the shadow of the trees, unable to escape.

> "I didn't expect angels to show up…”

Elvira: “Yes. And multiple of them at the same time. If they were the ones from before, only one would have appeared at a time… Angels have truly changed, recently...”

Trying to see if there was any opportunity to escape, we observed the angels from the shadows of the trees. But right at that moment... One angel suddenly turned its gaze towards us.

Angel: “.........”

> (!? Y-yikes…!)

Seeing the angel flying towards us at high speed, I prepared for death... But then, at the same time as the sharp sound of wind cutting through... Something pierced the flying angel's wing.

Thwack

Angel: “.........!!”

Together with the impact of being pierced through the wing, the angel crashed to the ground right in front of me. What was stuck at the base of the stricken down angel's wing was… an arrow.

> “This is…”

Flure: “My lord! Are you safe!?”

> “Flure…!"

Prev | All | Next

#tarot of destiny #aknk

[sharowolet]

happy 3.4 day!

[ID: digital drawing of xiao and venti on one of the balconies on wangshu inn. the background has a starry night sky with a couple of tree branches with yellow leaves illuminated by a glowing xiao lantern floating into the sky. Venti is sitting on the railing and looking up at the lantern with one hand holding a cup of wine and the other hand lifted up after setting off the lantern. Xiao is standing next to him also holding a cup of wine and also looking at the lantern. their faces are warmly lit by the lantern’s glow.]

#原神 #genshin impact #xiao #venti #xiaoven #rowo #i am normal about 3.4 lantern rite #finally we get to see them interact………. #these 2 years with these two have been A Time

[awlimagines]

A Wonderful Twelve Days of Christmas

The surprise was a team-up/collab with @kinokoshoujoart to provide you guys with Twelve Days of your favorite A Wonderful Life bachelor/ettes! All of the lovely art credits go to @kinokoshoujoart, who also provided immense help with the themes/prompts and proofreading each one. Thank you so much!! I've loved our collab and am excited to share it with everyone!

Day One - Nami

“Hey, do you have some time?” she asked the busily working farmer. 

Nami had spent most of the previous night tossing and turning before deciding she needed to do this. She didn’t want to do it alone, and you offered her support at every turn. Nami fought a sigh of relief as your head eagerly bobbed in confirmation. She was grateful for you filling the silence and distracting her nerves as Nami led you toward the city. 

The Starry Night Market had grown since she came with her dad years ago. The booths spread from the mountain’s base like a patchwork quilt of brightly colored vendors. It could be its own little town. Nami was already regretting coming. The small, quiet Forget-Me-Not Valley was more her speed than the crowd. She thought that maybe such things weren’t always terrible, peeking over to see your excitement. 

“I just wanted to get something nice for Tei, Lou, and Rock for welcoming me at the inn this year,” Nami mumbled as an excuse. If you thought anything of her thinly veiled lie to hide her feelings, Nami couldn’t see it. Instead, she focused on keeping her face passive as you grabbed her hand. 

“So, we don’t get separated!” you beamed, following Nami’s lead. “They’ll be happy with anything you give them.” 

She was doing her best to focus on finding gifts. Nami wanted to ensure she got the best possible thing for each member of her found family. Even if she would never openly call them that. A heartfelt gift would surely convey her words without needing to say them herself. Shopping would be easier if it weren’t for the press of people and the tempting cart that kept making rounds. The sweet potato vendor drew her gaze each time he appeared. Nami jerked her head away again to see you cradling a dog figurine. 

“Are you getting that?” 

“Nah, I don’t need it,” you blushed, setting the figure back down amongst its friends. 

As she completed her final purchase, Nami realized you weren’t hovering at her shoulder. She quickly took advantage of the lapse to purchase the dog figurine and hide it with her other purchases. Her heart skipped a beat as she completed the sale and looked for you. Where could you have gone? Soft fabric encircled her neck as you reappeared, draping the scarf Nami eyed earlier around her neck. Nami bit into her cheek, trying to ignore the swell of joy. She would never have thought you would buy her a gift she couldn’t be bothered to get herself. Nami prepared to lecture you about walking off to hide her feelings. 

“Sorry, I couldn’t wait until Starry Night. I’ve got you this too! You’ve been eyeing them all day. I want to see what the craze is all about,” you rapidly said, thrusting a foil-wrapped treat towards her. 

Nami’s cool facade thawed to reveal her brilliant smile as she unwrapped the aluminum to reveal a piping hot sweet potato. This had been a really great day. Nami hoped she could spend more time with you like this in the future. She worried too much happiness like this would make it impossible to leave the valley, but maybe that wouldn’t be so bad. Nami could make a home there with you. She couldn’t wait for Starry Night to give you the gift she purchased for you.

#harvest moon #story of seasons #story of seasons a wonderful life #harvest moon a wonderful life #sos awl #hm awl #bokujou monogatari #awl imagines #awl nami #awl nami x reader #12 days of christmas #art collab