#(*chefs kiss* such heartwarming material)

[godzexperiment]

when one of my favorite images/concepts for this idiot is just so very vivid inside my head

[camille-lachenille]

End of the Year Fic Rec

I was tagged by @echo-bleu and @dreamingthroughthenoise and it was very difficult to select only five fics for each category but here's my Must Read fanfics list, mostly Silmarillion but with a few LotR and one Hobbit. Also, I cheated at some point so you have one more fic rec as a treat

Recommend up to 5 series or multi-chapter fics from 2023 that everyone should read (multi-year WIPs count, if the last update was in 2023).

We will make this place our home by @leucisticpuffin

Summary: Elrond and Elros are sent to live with their distant cousins in a house that is crumbling slowly to pieces. They aren't especially happy about this. For Maedhros and Maglor, the twins are a rare chance to start living again.

Why you should read it: This is a whimsical, heartwarming yet bittersweet at times story about finding one’s place in a new world and what makes a family, grappling with the ghosts of the past and the pain of being a child left behind. Also the most exquisitely written modern AU (the style is just chef's kiss!) I’ve read so far, 100% recommend it!

Maglor is an Eldritch Horror by @thescrapwitch

Summary: After thousands of years singing to the sea, Maglor has become something strange and terrifying. But he still loves his family, and his family still loves him.

Why you should read it: Sometimes, family is a Half-Elf, his wife, their children, a shy and whimsical bard and the Eldritch kidnap grandfather who haunts the house; or how to write slightly creepy fluff. This series is pure heartwarming material and giving Elrond the happiness he desserves.

The Day the Horse-Lord wed the Lady of the Seas by @colinnoahmayhare (rated M)

Summary: After the War of the Ring, Lothíriel, Princess of Dol Amroth, finds herself at the receiving end of the search for peace and prosperity by being used as a pawn in an alliance made between kings and princes. Married to the King of the Riddermark, Éomer, she has to navigate being a foreigner in a foreign country, being a Queen to a King, and to learn to live and love with a man she hardly knows.

Why you should read it: This story is an intricate, gut wrenching exploration of what happens in Rohan after the War of the Ring, featuring delightful worldbuilding, lots of politics, revenge and honour. Now with Familial TraumaTM and Couple AngstTM for extra flavour!

And the Stars Shine the Same by @runawaymun (rated M)

Summary: After the Éothéod revolt against the Wainriders, the northern tribes seek to form strong alliances with their neighbors. Lord Frumgar tasks his son Fram to lead the delegation to Imladris. With him, he brings gold, fine horses, and two young thralls chosen by his father to be given to Lord Elrond himself. Elrond is conflicted to say the least.

Why you should read it: Do you like pre-canon Third Age history? Do you like worldbuilding about a few names from the Appendixes of LotR? Do you like found family and Good Dad Elrond? Do you like complex characters learning how to live with their traumas? This story is for you! (Just mind the warnings in the tags)

The ghost you dress up as (knows how to haunt) by @deadqueernoldor (rated M)

Summary: Maedhros was not the first Finwëan to be captured and taken to Angband, nor did he remain there the longest. Ranyatinwë, twin of Caranthir, was the first.

Why you should read it: Tinwë is such a complex character, 50% spite and 50% trauma, and this whole story is so, so promising already! (Really, you should read all the Strength of our Bonds series for extra unhinged, spiteful and unrepentant kinslayer Tinwë. I support women’s rights but in Tinwë’s case I firmly support women’s wrongs). This is pure post-Angband angstfest and dysfunctional siblings caring for each other in their weird way. If angst can be a comfort story, I found it.

Recommend up to 5 single chapter fics/one-shots (long or short) from 2023 that everyone should read.

Life in Miniature by @thescrapwitch

Summary: Turgon uses his hobby of building cities to recreate Gondolin, this time on a much smaller scale.

Why you should read it: For re-embodied Finwëan rebuilding their relationships as they work together on a miniature city; a heartwarming and really nice metaphor.

Hearth Fire by @dreamingthroughthenoise

Summary: Findis and Feanor speak before the Flight of the Noldor and share in their grief the best they can.

Why you should read it: Because there are so few stories centered around Findis and her feelings about her family and this one is so interesting and well written. Also, Findis is my Blorbo and everyone should read about her until they're consumed by the Blorbo.

your veins are empty of dust by @echo-bleu

Summary: Anairë finds her late one day in her workshop, surrounded by slabs of stone larger than her. Nerdanel is hammering forcefully at one of them, the barest hints of an elven shape already taking form in the marble. Bitter, stinging tears run down her cheeks and into her collar, and her arms ache with exhaustion.

The body is only barely sketched, but the face is already chiselled, smooth curves and angular cheekbones.

Fëanáro emerges out of the marble, looking like he’s about to take life.

Why you should read it: For a heartbreaking dive into Nerdanel's grief, her friendship with Anairë and how Nerdanel's art becomes her way to cope with loneliness and grief.

see it fall, child of war by @swanmaids

Summary: Elwing's time runs out.

Why you should read it: Because these may be the 740 most impactful words I've read about Elwing since I discovered the Silm fandom.

soldier keep on marching on (waiting on that morning sun) by songofswiftsunrise

Summary: Boromir lives. The world is the smallest bit brighter for it.

Why you should read it: Do I need a more convincing argument than what the summary says? Boromir lives and everyone is happier. I love a good fix-it and this one is very well written indeed.

Recommend up to 5 fics NOT from 2023 that everyone should read (oldies but goodies.)

The Carpenter’s Son by Zimra (rated M, warning for rape/non-con)

Summary: An untold story of conquered Dor-lómin, in which an Easterling carpenter has a child by his Hadorian slave.

Why you should read it: This story explores in a very interesting way a par of canon that is almost never mentionned (except in the Narn). The main character is attaching and I really cared for her and her son. The hindsights in the slavers' minds are chilling with their realism and this whole story is just so well written. Also, it ends on a note of hope.

And what I am needs no excuses by aurembiaux

Summary: Sam has always been in love with Frodo. It's only that it takes him forty years to realize that he is.

Why you should read it: Probably the most heartwarming and relatable self-discovery story I’ve ever read; set in England from the WWII to the 80’s, with all the social changes that happened in this time period. Featuring Supportive Dad (and Friend) Sam as the main character and a whole bunch of introspection. One of my all time comfort read!

Mark of a Warrior by starryeyedknight

Summary: After the funeral for Theoden, Merry wakes up to a problem experienced by many a young man after a night of heavy drinking. The ink on his arm doesn't appear to be washing off… 

Why you should read it: This one shot explores the relationships Merry formed with the RIders of Rohan, the grief he has in common with them and how he found his place amongst the riders, all of this with delightful humour and lightness despite the initial situation.

Dancing with my punchlines by LiveOakWithMoss (rated M)

Summary: In which the sons of Fëanor throw house parties, the beer is terrible, 20-something hipster elves act like their drama is as bad as it is in canon, and macking on cousins is fair game.

Why you should read it: If you like a good old modern AU with tons of drama of various sorts, amazing ace representation and general Finwëans shenanigans, this is the story for you.

Old Maggie Took by @deadqueernoldor

Summary: The headcanon about Maglor, second son of Fëanor, lives hidden in the Shire? Yes.

Why you should read it: My ultimate comfort read series; featuring mouth-watering descriptions of food, kidnadopted fam and Maglor being an overgrown hobbit and trolling everyone in ME and Valinor. This is fluffy, this is silly, this is prefect.

Recommend up to 5 of your own fics (completed or WIP) from 2023 that everyone should read.

Dreams of Doom (rated M, warning for Major Character Death)

Summary: “She runs in the dark, alone. Where her feet carry her, she knows not, and her heart is heavy with dread. Someone - something - is watching her.”

Niënor from the moment she arrives in Brethil to her death.

Why you should read it: Because this fic is my firsborn child and I am insanely proud of it, especially since I went so out of my comfort zone to write it. It features two of my obscure blorbos and I poured my soul into it.

Ice Age(s)

Summary: Ice skating through the ages, from Idril learning with her grandfather to Elrond perpetuating the familial tradition.

Why you should read it: This is a fluffy fic, mostly, and it's also a gift for the amazing @echo-bleu. I also wrote it in a sort of trance in the middle of the night, passed out the moment I posted it and had no memory whatsoever of what I had written upon waking up in the morning, yet I still love this fic dearly.

I never wanted to walk in your steps

Summary: Tilda was ten, the same age Sigrid was at her birth, and her world was collapsing more than when Smaug had destroyed Laketown.

Why you should read it: Because I privately call this fic Hobbit angstfest. I took a sad, doomed ship and asked myself "how can I make it sadder?"

ar ámen apsenë úcaremmar

Summary: Few know of Findis the Faithful, eldest daughter of Finwë, who never lost hope for her family.

Why you should read it: I took my obscure blorbo and set her in a medieval-ish AU. It's sad and a little hopeful too and there's a lot of Quenya interspaced through the story.

Quiet morning in Gondolin

Summary: Idril and Eärendil spend some time together before the city wakes up.

Why you should read it: I'll put the link to the beautiful art that inspired this ficlet and let it speak for me.

And I tag everyone I tagged in this post who hasn’t already done this fics rec tag

[bludmd23]

Not an ask but- YOUR J’ONN ART GIVES ME LIFE OMFGSHHDNNDJSJS. I love and adore j’onn and it can be so hard to find material on him and your art is just *chefs kiss* 👌.

OMG THATS SO SWEEEEETTT THANK YOU!!!!!!!🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 I AGREE jonns so nice but theres just not enough ppl drawing him n it can be hard to find stuff!!! I really appreciate you sending me this heartwarming message things like this keeps me going so thank you!!!!!!🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[the-commonplace-book]

Celrond and/or Rory/Tana? 👉👈🥺

Send me a ship for the ship bingo chart: Celebrían / Elrond ( The Silmarillion / LotR )

Oh I am in no way normal about Celrond I won’t even pretend to be. 

I’m not the Celrond expert out here, so I won’t have quite as much to say about them as I do some other ships, but they’re genuinely one of my favorite couples in fiction. I’m particularly biased towards your (@runawaymun) characterization, so my thoughts on them will be primarily based on that version of Celebrian. 

We don’t have a lot to work with in the source materials (just a couple lines really), but there’s so much evidence of her all over her family’s lives in her children, in Rivendell, in Elrond. We know she was kind, and we can surmise she was gentle and didn’t have the same experience in war as her mother Galadriel or even her husband Elrond (a healer forced to take up arms). She and Elrond founded Rivendell, a house of healing, a sanctuary, a place of peace, sharing in that calling and vision for the future. They’re just soft and I love them. 

There’s the absolutely adorable mutual pining times a thousand with how long they took to admit their feelings for each other. Or rather, how long it took Elrond to actually say something. He pined for her for like a thousand years - the idiot. “He loved her and said nothing of it” and all that. 

There’s the tragedy of it all, in Celebrian sailing to Valinor due to her torture at the hands of the orcs. Elrond having to carry on without her because his work on Middle Earth is not yet done, knowing that at the end of it all they will finally be reunited. There’s some interesting parallels there to when they first met when you think about it. Longing for a thousand years. 

They’re just one of those couples who’s so sweet and so healthy and so heartwarming. There’s the cute romance, the steady warmth of domesticity, the bittersweet tragedy, and finally the great reunion in Valinor when at last they can be together again. It’s just *chef’s kiss* from start to finish.

[itskakashihatake]

Ok now that I’ve watched OP LA I can drop my opinions that no one cares about:

The pacing was great, we pretty much covered a lot of ground in just 8 episodes

I didn’t entirely hate that Garp was heavily involved in the LA, sure it diverts from the source material but I can see how his involvement can pull new audiences. It was nice seeing his true nature gradually revealed cuz I definitely was not on board with the performance at first.

The main cast was perfect, I think we can all agree on that. Usopp has always been my favorite in the series to begin with but LA Usopp exceeded my expectations. Emily Rudd was perfect for Nami, I can see the argument of her not being as fiery as the original Nami but her performance was just *chef’s kiss*.

I wasn’t a fan of them pushing the whole Kaya/Usopp weird love connection, it felt entirely forced; it could just be my bias due to it not being an obvious love connection in the source material.

Arlong Park is the one arc that converted fans from just being casual fans to downright obsessed stans. With that being said; in the LA adaptation, the fishmen honestly just looked like cosplay to me. Very stiff, they could’ve used better CGI to render their movements and facial expressions but it didn’t deter me from enjoying the pacing, the set design or the overall adaptation of the Arlong Park Arc.

Overall the show was good and I thoroughly enjoy it but nothing beats the early heartwarming/feel good vibes or the heart wrenching scenes from the anime.

[bambiispots]

Hey, I am absolutely obsessed with your fanbinding! Also, you've been hitting my favorite fics which *chefs kiss*. Saw that you've shared the typesets which is so cool. I've been thinking about trying my hand at binding myself and was wondering how you print your stuff? Do you send it off or just print it from home? Not sure if you've already answered this question somewhere else but I would love to know. Keep up the amazing work! <3

Thank you so much for liking my work! It’s been truly so fun and heartwarming to not just make these but to be able to share them!

I print from home! You can definitely use standard copy paper (I did for Spidey!Steve) but typically to get that “book” feel I use cream or ivory paper in 80lb (standard size 8 1/2 X 11”). If it needs to be printed elsewhere it’s considered more ethical to print at a library or school (more likely to charge closer to material cost) than a commercial entity like shipping stores or office supply stores. The goal of ethical bookbinding is to keep as close to material cost as possible!

You can print in booklet form and you just fold the pages/signatures in half! I think some of my pdfs may already be in booklet form , but most are just uploaded by signature and need to be printed as a booklet.

I don’t have any tutorials on the binding aspect bc hana_bob on tiktok has really concise and easy to follow tutorials which is what I used and highly recommend!

As for the covers I print those at a local print shop here bc it’s cheap af and I’m only charged for the material, but I know staples can do it as well, and I also have friends who print from home using photo paper (you want the length to be 18-21” depending on the inner flap length) and I like 100lb for covers.

Binding is really fun and forgiving for newbies! It will look like a mess until you glue the textblock to the casing, and then itll suddenly look like a book!!

just keep in mind it’s illegal to use any publishing service like lulu or B&N to print/bind for you 💕I’m working with a team of fellow binders to put together a guide regarding binding and ethics bc the information is not easily found, and there’s been an influx of ppl getting into it (me included in that)! I’ll be posting it as soon as we publish it 🥰

And if you end up binding one of my typesets please share! I’d love to see it 😍

[mercurydancer]

Hi! It’s the same anon as the rollercoaster anon! (I’m SO sorry I didn’t realize you answered my ask so long ago lol oops :’’’)) First off let me just say your depiction of Maul is 100% my favorite because you actually let him feel emotions other than “heh I’m so evil and mean nyeh >:)” he has depth and is humanized (sentient-ized?) in a way that makes him feel really real/like an actual person and that isn’t present in a lot of other depictions of him. So thank you for that.

Let me just say this whole thing really just warmed my heart. Ahsoka giving the Senate puppy dog eyes until they said yes to the theme park idea is sending me. I completely forgot about Mechu Deru and that Maul’d probably know every turn of that track well in advanced, but I’m glad he could at least enjoy Feral and Savage’s reactions. Feral clowning Maul on his height made me WHEEZE. The loving/teasing headbutts were just *chef’s kiss* any aspect of domestic/normal Zabrak (and other SW species) life is just beautiful :’) The clones, the kittens, the other Nightbrothers, the Jedi ugh I’m glad they could enjoy the fireworks all together! This is literally so heartwarming and “feel good”-y I can’t, thank you :’)

LOL Hey~ No problem! I agree, if you're not looking at ship fics there's a LOT of desire to make Maul very one-note. Which. Is very boring. I read too much legends material LOL. Lockdown and Wrath were too integral to the way I write Maul. As well as the show, certainly, but there's a lot of his personality and honor system that's found in both of those books that I tend to utilize. Shadow Hunter to a much lesser extent. Anything that doesn't realize man's like. 5'9 and nowhere *near* two meters is immediately suspect, just sayin'.

I'm also really glad you enjoyed it LOL I had a lot of fun and I'm glad you did, too~

[nrc-research-club]

food is love.

↬ Summary: Wherein the Octavinelle boys prepare food for or with you, no matter how busy they are.

↬ Tags: Fluff

↬ Characters: Azul Ashengrotto, Jade Leech, Floyd Leech

Azul Ashengrotto

 ↬ Azul rarely goes into the kitchen whenever he works. He's more suited to be the manager, overseeing everything rather than taking part in it. Of course, he does play host every once in a while, when Jade is too busy to do so.

 ↬ But it doesn't mean he can't cook. He grew up at his mother's restaurant, shadowing her as a child when he wanted to take a break. While he's familiar with its administrative work, he's intimate with its central idea: food. With his past view of himself, it's hard to make him eat a lot, but he's never been too keen on trying any other health fads other than dieting.

 ↬ And of course, that same distaste he has for eating so-called ‘healthy’ foods extends to the thought of you eating them. When you got together, the idea of seeing you eat so well at the Mostro Lounge became so appealing that he found himself giving you things at a discounted price (but never free.) The habit continues until now, especially when he sees how tired you are from your classes. During the after-hours, Azul takes command of the empty kitchen and prepares simple meals for you.

 ↬ You swear to him that he doesn't need to do any of these, but it's hard to refuse whenever he pushes a plate towards you and says, "Eat."

 ↬ Despite never wanting it for himself, he wants to see you eat well. It's a special kind of heartwarming to see you healthy, never having to go hungry like he did. He doesn't partake in the extra meals he cooks for you, but he always stays with you one way or another to make sure you aren't secretly starving.

 ↬ In the end, he insists that all you have to do is to repay him with a kiss. Or two.

Jade Leech

 ↬ Jade has stated that he has to eat something before doing energy-consuming activities. He packs them into small containers, easy to pick up on one hand as he does things with the other. They are fairly light dishes: rice balls, fruits, and the like. He could eat more, but eating too much before a physical activity would never end well, no?

 ↬ When you start dating, he begins to pack things for you as well. It's not just food—studying materials, extra water, towels, anything you need. It's his way of looking out for you. He remains diligent and thorough, taking you into account whenever he arranges his schedule for the day. But yes, it also includes food.

 ↬ At first, he only packs snacks for you. The ones he knows you like, the ones he's seen you fight for with your friends. He packs them all, sealing them into a container he's bought specifically for you. Then, he writes a small note on top, enjoying how you blush and squirm and stifle your smile whenever you see it.

 ↬ The two of you eat during the small pockets of time he has to himself, and he takes full advantage of your priceless reactions as he presents his food for the day.

 ↬ "Oh my, it seems that I've forgotten to pack green tea for myself. Silly me," Jade says with a knowing smile. The bottle for his own tea sits at the bottom of his bag, though you don't know that. "Would you mind sharing some with your dear boyfriend?"

 ↬ "T-That's an indirect kiss—!" you manage to stutter, but you hand him your half-empty bottle nonetheless. Never mind the nickname he's taken upon himself to use.

Floyd Leech

 ↬ Floyd. Oh, Floyd. He's talented in the kitchen, but it's ultimately up to his mood whether or not he'll cook. Even if he starts, he's not guaranteed to complete it. He's a volatile chef, unpredictable and dangerous to have around anything worse than a spice rack.

 ↬ At least Azul and Jade have you to reign him in, keeping his attention span on the task long enough whenever you do things with him. They've seen the miracles you work: being able to keep Floyd in classes, not letting him stray away during physical activities, and so on. It's as if he's tethered to you.

 ↬ It makes sense that the same principle works in the kitchen. You've become Floyd's little assistant, holding onto the recipe while trying not to set the Lounge's kitchen on fire. Every time he reaches for something that isn't part of the recipe, you gently chide him and hand him the correct ingredient for the next step.

 ↬ But of course, you let him sneak things in here and there. Some of them change the flavor profile of the dish, but hey, you wouldn't be with Floyd if you didn't share some similarities with him, right? The final products aren't always servable, and Azul gets mad at both of you for wasting ingredients, but at least the two of you are happy with your work.

 ↬ "Open up, Angelfish!" Floyd says, enthusiastically holding up the spoon to your mouth. You've swapped the sugar for salt in this once particular dish, and it has turned out better than you thought it would. You hum in excitement, your eyes lighting up as another idea pops into your mind.

 ↬ "What if we add some cream and torch it?" you say. He processes the suggestion for a while before grinning.

 ↬ Azul and Jade can only watch on as the two of you enjoy your "unique" delicacies.

[tartagilicious]

marius von hagen relationship headcanons // requested by anon 🍇

tysm for all of the recent attention on my artem piece, it was very very heartwarming to see all of your comments and i’m so glad you all liked it! i’m happy that this game is doing so well so far and that i finally have the opportunity to write for it! anyways, ty for this request anon, i am so in love with this man LMAO

- the circumstances between you are strange to say the least: you viewed him very differently from the way he did you at first, and the ceo at one point definitely thought you were out of his league. but after working together, after witnessing marius' skilled nature, his unfaltering smooth talk, and most of all, his overwhelming concern for you — it was safe to say you’d fallen hard.

- being on equal footing in each other’s eyes was a fairly easy thing to obtain. you’re able to see the other’s true nature in the midst of NXX investigations, and when working together, your strengths and weaknesses are out in the open. any insecurity or doubt towards the other, status related or otherwise, is cleared once you realise how much you truly click.

- you have the brains and the materials you need to do good with your thoughts, and he has the corporate strength and personal intelligence to get you further than you could ever go otherwise. in short, your skillsets mould together into one quite easily. he points this out every so often after something goes well, sporting a trademark grin. and every time, you might inevitably shake your head, but you can’t help but smile along.

- you aren’t really an extravagant person, and are seldom impressed by big displays of spending. but, coming from him, it’s a bit different — marius loves to spoil you in even the tiniest ways. that being said, his love language is definitely gift giving. since you don’t care for trends much, he takes his time to learn the things you either need or have your eyes on. this means you end up with a lot of niche belongings and/or out of place items. you don’t mind, though, if anything it’s just a reminder of him.

- he is your biggest hypeman in everything possible — he knows the struggle of not being able to pursue your true dreams, so every hobby you have that you’re skilled in is something that he’ll be sure to pay attention to and support you on.

- keeps the more expensive versions of your daily products in his bathroom for when you stay over

- protects you from press with a VENGEANCE. remember that one scene where a reporter tries to get all up in your face and he takes the mic and says something in your defence to the station? those vibes. he’ll never let someone undermine your accomplishments, especially if he’s seen you work extremely hard on that said thing? like no.

- he also feels bad that because of his identity you’re subjected to a lot more attention than you would normally be. says this to you and constantly apologises when relevant, even if you always say it doesn’t matter. because your comfort matters to him :(

- his favourite type of date to take you on is picnics!! loves the prep that he can do himself and share with you, and seeing you against the sunset? chef’s kiss, he probably has a few paintings of that scene.

- wait idk if i’m remembering this correctly but didn’t he anonymously (but not really LMAO) send the mc a painting of her saying it was a thanks for helping him in his personal story?? i think so but the vibes!! he probably has a lot of paintings of you from different nights and events, all of which that he would give to you on an anniversary with like a cute little letter from that night

- god i’m making myself cry

- drops coffee off at the firm but is busy, so he has to run. when you come down to the receptionist’s desk, on top of the cup is a post-it note with a little doodle of your face. just in case anyone forgets who it’s for ;)

[tpwkjerii]

strawberry kisses

you and felix have a longstanding tradition of baking the day after finals. usually, it’s the best method of relaxing after long hours of studying. unfortunately, you find yourself rather tense this time — after all, it’s always fun to spend an entire day in a cramped kitchen with your crush, isn’t it?

pairing: lee felix x reader

warnings: fluff and kissing, mild angst, reader likes strawberries (sorry if you’re allergic skdlsd), ex boyfriend (but supportive bestie) minho, reader has low self confidence :(, like two curse words, kisses!!

genre: friends to lovers au, kinda idiots to lovers, mutual pining

word count: 2.9k+

a/n: short fic for Felix hehe

Your eyes glazed over as you reviewed the last response of your final exam of the term. After two long hours of plugging equations you hardly understood into your nearly-dead calculator and speed-writing to the point where you’re sure you’ve bruised your dominant hand, you finally finished. At lightning speed, you gathered your exam papers and submitted them at the front with a quick prayer to the universe.

A few other students followed your rushed pace out of the large lecture hall, all of you eager to finally get out of the stuffy room.

As you stepped out of the packed hall and into the cooling outdoors, you checked your phone, which was filled with texts from the one person you were trying desperately to get out of your head (and miserably failing at that).

felix (strawberry head) <3

5:23 PM

did you finish your chem final ???

hyunjin and i just submitted our video for our dance performance

your editing was very good btw :D

5:35 PM

y/nnnnn you’re taking forever :(

we’re waiting at the quad for you !!

5:40 PM

*i am waiting at the quad for you

the others got too hungry and left, but i’m waiting for you!

pls hurry it’s cold :[

You bit back a laugh at his texts, his heartwarming tone filling you with a familiar fuzzy feeling. You pushed the feeling aside as you texted a reply.

y/n

5:43 PM

be there in 2 :D

You stifled a smile as you rushed towards the quad. Soon enough, you saw Felix and his bright, red-dyed hair (you first noted that it closely resembled a strawberry). The moment your eyes met his, you felt your heart skip a beat and heat spread across your face. This was the common reaction you’ve had for the past few months whenever you see Felix.

He rushed over to you with a giddy smile and his arms outstretched. Quickly, he barrelled into you and pulled you into a tight embrace.

“You took so long,” he whined, his chest vibrating as he spoke.

“I know, I know. ��M sorry,” you responded, your voice slightly muffled by his shirt. You took a second to enjoy his hold and the comforting warmth that Felix always provided you whenever he was near. Over the past few years, you’ve grown accustomed to the scent of his sweet floral perfume, the feeling of his tight hugs, and the way he played with your fingers when he was bored.

All the things you were fond of were now extreme nuisances in your life. Not because they were annoying or because you disliked Felix, but rather the complete opposite; you were completely, helplessly, and foolishly in love with him.

“You ready to go?” Felix asked suddenly, breaking you out of your thoughts. He brought his arms down from around you, and you looked down at the ground as you nodded, hoping that he didn’t see the intense blush that was spreading from your face to your neck.

You are so fucked for tomorrow.

After an entire night of tossing and turning in anxiety, the next day finally arrived. To say you were nervous was a massive understatement.

The minute you woke up, you began to anxiously clean your apartment while your roommate Ryujin laughed at you. As you wiped down every visible crevice, she made sure to pester you about a “missed spot” or tempt you with sweets.

“You’ve never cleaned this much whenever Felix came over before,” she pointed out with a laugh while you wiped down the kitchen counters for the fourth time.

“What do you mean?” you asked, your voice uncharacteristically high-pitched.

Ryujin scoffed. “It is so obvious that you like Felix, there’s no point in lying to me,” she stated bluntly.

Your hand froze mid-wipe on the counter. You looked over at your blue-haired roommate nervously. “Is it really… that obvious?”

“Yes,” she deadpanned.

You winced and dropped your head onto the smooth stone countertop. “Do you think he’s noticed?” you moaned into your arms.

“If he hasn’t, I will personally pay for his glasses prescription.”

You whined again as you lifted your head up to look directly at Ryujin. “If he’s noticed then why hasn’t he said anything?”

She stood up as she answered, “Not sure but you could always ask him today.”

Your mouth dropped in horror at the suggestion. “I can’t tell him how I feel! That would completely ruin our friendship!”

“So you’d rather continue tip-toeing around him and never get a clear answer?” she questioned, her arms crossed.

“Yes.”

Ryujin sighed and started to collect her things. “You can do whatever you want,” she started as she placed her papers in her backpack, “but I recommend you tell him soon.” She stood up and headed for the door. Just before opening it and leaving you alone with your thoughts until Felix arrived, she turned around and said, “I won’t be home until late, have fun.” With that, she winked and walked out of your shared apartment.

You scoffed at her suggestive tone and stood upright to check the time.

10:08 AM

You gasped. Felix said he was going to arrive at 10:30, but knowing him he would be at least 15 minutes early, meaning you only had 7 minutes to get yourself together!

You cursed and rushed to your bedroom. Switching out of your wrinkled pajamas, you opted for a random hoodie you grabbed out of your closet and jeans. After you changed, you made a beeline for the bathroom and fixed your appearance. You quickly brushed through your hair and washed your face, hoping you removed all remnants of your restless sleep.

Just as you predicted, you heard four distinctive knocks on your front door right at 10:15.

“Coming!” you exclaimed as you rushed out of your bathroom.

Right before you opened the front door, you placed a hand on your beating heart and mumbled words of encouragement to yourself. Then, after deciding that you were probably taking too long, you pulled the door open.

Immediately, Felix, covered in a large hoodie and arms filled with large bags of baking ingredients, greeted you with a large grin. Like every other time, you felt your heart skip a beat when you made eye contact with him.

“Hi,” you said simply, a smile on your face.

“Hi,” he responded. He looked you up and down, asking, “Are you wearing my hoodie?” 

You paled and looked down at the large pink hoodie, immediately recognizing it as the one that Felix lent you almost one year ago when he dropped you off at the airport since you forgot yours in the car. Once you got back from your trip, you’d forgotten to give it back to him.

“O-oh,” you stuttered, looking down at the oversized sleeves. “I didn’t even realize,” you continued awkwardly. “You can ha -”

“It’s fine,” he cut you off, the smile never leaving his face. He shrugged. “You look better in it anyways.”

Your mouth dropped and you found yourself unable to respond for a few moments. Felix laughed at your dumbfoundedness and gently pushed you aside to walk into the apartment. Once he set the bags down on the kitchen counters, you returned to your senses and closed the door to walk over to him.

“So, what are we making today?” you asked, trying to keep your voice as level as possible. It wasn’t an easy task to do, considering his proximity to you.

You held your breath as he grabbed your hands and looked into your eyes. “What’s your favorite fruit?” he asked excitedly.

“Er, strawberries?” you answered, tilting your head to the side in mild confusion.

At that, Felix let go of your hands and quickly pulled out a carton of fresh strawberries from one of the bags. You gasped in delight at the sight of the bright fruit and immediately thanked him.

“It’s no big deal,” he responded while sliding the fruits into the fridge. “I’m gonna eat most of the tarts and choco strawberries anyways,” he added with a sneaky laugh.

You scoffed. “You always say that but you always end up giving me the most.” You smirked at him while taking out the baking materials.

“I don’t give it to you,” he countered. “You steal them.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” you told him with a sing-song tone. He laughed from your side, and you swore that you heard actual sparkles, as if he were a fairy, when he did.

You cleared your throat, hoping to rid your mind of distracting thoughts that could be potential problems during the next seven hours that Felix would be at your apartment. “So, master chef Felix,” you started, lowering your voice like a TV show announcer. “What are you going to do first?”

“Well, my fair announcer,” he began, holding up the silicon whisk like a microphone. “I think we should start with preparing the shortbread dough, what about you?”

“Ah, you are the chef. Lead the way,” you responded with a wide smile.

You both laughed together and actually began the baking. Like usual, Felix did most of the work while you played music and assisted from the side. You worked together seamlessly, and soon enough the shortbread cookies were done and strawberry jam cooling to the side.

While you taste-tested the jam, Felix began to whisk the melted chocolate, and you took this time to admire him. You stood at his side, allowing you to admire his side profile.

Felix was easily one of the most beautiful individuals you ever laid your eyes on. But his appearance wasn’t the only part you fell for — he was one of the few people whose inside beauty matched their outside beauty.

Felix was kind, funny, optimistic, and just about every positive adjective you could find in a dictionary. After every failed test, he was there with a cup of strawberry ice cream and a shoulder to cry on. When you landed your first job, he was there to celebrate with you even when your own family wasn’t. And when you and Minho mutually broke up, he was there to give you advice as you coped with the end of your first relationship.

How could you not fall for him?

And sometimes you had the feeling that he liked you back. The touches that would linger for just a few seconds too long, the soft smiles that Chan claimed he only ever gave to you, and his late-night texts all spurned a tiny hopeful fire in you that kept your crush alive.

No matter how many times you tried to get over him and convince yourself that your crush didn’t exist, the tiny voice in your head still spoke. “But what if he likes you back?”

Now, as Felix stood by your side with a soft smile on his face while he whisked the chocolate, that voice screamed louder than ever.

And just as you gained a sliver of courage, the same paralyzing thoughts that have held you back for the past few months returned.

Felix was out of your league in every way. He was social and easily commanded the attention of an entire room with so much as two words. His outward beauty matched his insides, and everyone on campus reached a collective agreement that if angels ever existed and walked among us — Lee Felix was certainly one of them.

And those things were only the tip of the iceberg that is Felix. He was talented, sensitive, supportive, passionate, and everything you could ever ask for and then some.

You then thought back to all the people he rejected - kindly, of course - and how you matched up to them. If Felix didn’t choose to go out with all those beautiful and talented people, what on Earth made you think you would choose you?

At this point, Felix picked up on your sudden silence and how your breaths grew heavy and uneven.

“Are you… alright?” he asked carefully, his own chest beating heavily.

You stared at him, panicked that he caught onto your apprehension. “Um…” you started, trailing off as you met his gaze.

Felix let go of the whisk and grabbed your hands. “You can say whatever you need to.”

“I uh,” you started after a few moments, internally battling yourself to gain courage as you realized that it’s now or never. “I kinda like you,” you admitted quietly, looking down at your intertwined hands anxiously. You waited for him to pull his hand away in disgust and start to kindly reject you like he did to all those other people, but it never came. After a few seconds, his hands still the entire time, you looked up at him with glassy eyes in confusion.

“What?” he finally said, his deep voice softer than ever.

You looked back down at your hands shamefully. “Do I really have to repeat it?” you asked weakly. “I like you, Felix. I have for the past few months and it’s been driving me insane because it feels like my heart’s about to stop dead whenever I see you and I can never think straight when you’re with me. Apparently, it’s been pretty obvious and I really tried my best to get over it so it wouldn’t hurt our friendship.

“Trust me, I really wanted to get over it but I couldn’t, and I know you don’t like me back so it’s ok. I can deal with it on my own and you can just leave a -”

“Y/N,” Felix said suddenly, his voice firm. You looked up, tears rolling down your face as you were sure that he was about to reject you.

“Felix please don’t interrupt me. At least let me finish what I have to say,” you pleaded softly, removing your hands from his.

“Y/N,” he repeated, his voice much gentler. He carefully wiped the tears from your face and took your hands into his again. “Can I say something before you finish?” he requested.

You choked back a sob as you nodded, certain that he was just going to let you down kindly.

“I like you too, Y/N,” he said shyly, a blush spreading across his freckled face.

Your entire body froze.

“I was too scared to admit it because I didn’t think you liked me back,” he continued, the words slowly registering in your mind. “To be honest, I thought you still liked Minho.”

You blushed at his words, thinking back to all the times you would pull Minho, your ex-boyfriend, to the side to talk about Felix these past few months. You didn’t realize how it must have looked to Felix or your other friends.

“I was also… afraid of ruining our friendship, so I’ve just kept it to myself the past two years.”

You gaped at him. “Two years?” you sputtered, causing him to laugh at the way your eyes widened comically. “That’s when we first started uni!”

He shrugged. “What can I say? I was instantly attracted to the way you fought Chan on why you should be allowed to keep the minifridge in your dorm,” he joked.

You blushed at the embarrassing memory, although it wasn’t completely regrettable as it was how you met most of your current friends — including Felix.

“I’m surprised,” you voiced simply. “I didn’t think you would ever like me back.” You breathed out, your muscles relaxing instantly.

Felix grinned again and he moved slowly to envelop you in his arms. He rested his hands on the small of your back and his head on the crook of your shoulder.

“Does this mean that I can take you out on a date?” he whispered.

“Will you promise to stop taking unflattering pictures of me and sending them to me in the middle of the night?” you asked, your head resting against his and arms around him.

He sighed. “Fine,” he answered reluctantly with a whine.

“Then sure,” you responded and pulled your head back to meet his eyes. His eyes shined from the sunlight pouring through the windows and his freckles glimmered like stars across a canvas. Felix was truly beautiful inside and out.

“You have some strawberry jam on your lip,” he said after a few silent moments where you both admired each other.

“Really?” you asked. Your hand moved from his back towards your face, but Felix caught your hand in midair and returned it to its original position.

“I’ll get it,” he murmured with a gentle smile before closing the distance between your lips.

You held your breath as he pressed his soft lips against yours. You instantly recognized the strawberry chapstick he uses and the taste of the shortbread cookies. He swiped his tongue against the corner of your lip, and the sudden sensation caused a shiver to run down your spine.

You brought your hand up to his hair and gently tugged at his dyed locks. Felix brought you closer to him and massaged your back as he deepened the kiss.

When you finally pulled away, your face was burning red and you were completely breathless. Felix was smiling giddily, his arms still around yours.

“I think there’s still some jam left,” he told you, not even giving you a second to respond before he pressed his lips against yours once again. This kiss was much more playful than the last as you giggled against each other in the kiss.

“Did you get it all?” you asked him, your voice reduced to a murmur as he continued kissing your lips.

He hummed, kissing you once and twice in between, before responding, “I don’t think so.”

You laughed against his lips. “Well, I guess you better get it all. I can’t have strawberries stuck on my lips all day.”

He laughed with you, and true to his words, he eventually did get all the strawberry jam off (an extra two hours and an uncountable amount of kisses later).

[potterology]

fave dylb scenes bc I can't get over and I’m already rewatching and noticing little things heheee 

- first meeting outside the restaurant. ohh how I love how awkward yet endearing they both were when they finally introduced themselves to one another. rewatching it made me realize that JY was already smitten by SA since the start. (like literally since the start y'all!!! he didn't even know her yet and wanted to stop the car to get SA an umbrella and this was in the first ep!!)

- when JY switched coffee cups with SA bc she spilt her cup and he started drinking it so she can’t refuse even though he doesn’t like coffee. Like he just did it bc he was compelled to do so?? like dude what if she already drank from it??? This scene was so funny to me and I love it cuz I dont think SA is used to being the one taken care of like that so it was just v cute

- when the noona was trying to get them to talk banmal but SA was like oh noooo he’s a superstar. This was cute bc you can actually see that JY was disappointed. Also they keep sneaking peeks at each other lol cute fools 

- waiting for taxi scene- this was so freaking adorable. shows how considerate they both are for each other and it’s so freaking awkward when they both realized they were standing there waiting for each other to get a taxi- but like in the cutest way

- when they were both outside that restaurant and SA asked if JY enjoyed his performance at granny’s house and I think this was the first time someone asked our boy if he likes what he does for a living and you can just tell his heart went soft for her(same dude same)

- spontaneous non-date date. ohh I love the first time they ate together at that beer place. they really started to get to know each other there. the mood and how that scene was filmed was just chef’s kiss~~

- rehearsal room we should be friends scene. when homeboy transitioned from moonlight sonata to happy birthday, y'all knew it was over for SA- god damn I would have swoon over too

- by the river “I wanted to see you” scene- high key JY sucks at communicating but I love how he is just so taken by SA that he just flat out says he misses her and as soon as he says it he was almost shocked himself. so pure

- the midnight call. I MEAN. guys. guys. he wanted to just talk to her and ask her out but tried to be nonchalant about it. ahhh they literally portrayed the first stages of dating so well I'm goo for it !!!!!!

- first walk together in the walkway. this was just so adorable. the almost hand holding. the chemistry!! the shy smiles :’’’) 

- SA’s birthday when she thanked JY for just being there for her. I love how she quietly acknowledges him and it was such an intimate interaction between them. I replay that scene a lot in my head

- when he ran to SA to give her his signed CD. He was so worried about her he forgot about JK lmaooo. Also the fact the he validated her as a violinist when SA was at a very low point... I mean... boyfriend material ugh

- the scene when SA told JY every little thing he does concerns her and that she didn’t want to feel that way about him anymore. As soon as SA said that homeboy PANICKED!!! I don’t even think he knew how much he liked SA until she said that :’)

- the lunchroom scenes 1) when they were teasing each other and 2) when JY announced that they were dating lolol I love how stoic he normally is but for SA he becomes a softie hehe

-ice cream day date; lol when SA won’t let JY tie her shoelaces bc she didn’t want to fall for him lol ok girl

-night ice cream/ stairs date. y'all know already. shit was just adorable. SA going for the kiss. I melted with the ice cream

- when JY asked SA for her handkerchief!!! it’s such a small gesture but they both knew it had a special meaning and I love how it put SA over the moon. (Also let’s include all the other times we see JY actually use that handkerchief- especially after they broke up. like homeboy was holding on to it for his dear life bc it was the only thing he had of SA~~ my fragile heart!!) ps did we ever see SA get a handkerchief from him???? No??? Sbs give me that pls

- when MS was telling JY in the car that SA has only openly confessed liking two things in her life and one them was JY. He was so flustered and couldn’t hide his smile and dimples... bruhhhhh he was full on swoon. Also when JY heard SA say that she really likes JY like he was so proud of himself lmao he’s like “yeah my gf LIKES ME” lolol

- when the lovebirds fought who was gonna clean up the broken glass at JY apartment. I love loveee this one bc SA has been beaten down so much by everyone calling her talentless that she didn’t even consider how important her hands is to her as a musician. And JY being like honey ur a violist and a musician too- UR HANDS ARE PRECIOUS. This was just v touching. Again showing how JY has always considered SA as an equal despite all the shit people say about his gf. luv him :’)

-all the moments JY just stood by SA’s side and held her hand when she needed comfort. I love how he’s just there for her. His silent support was just enough. (One thing that would have been nice is if we saw SA do the same thing, I felt like the writers were almost there but just didn't go all the way which is a shame tbh)

- Their lil day trip to JY’s hometown. I like how JY was so open to SA here. When he proclaimed that he never felt “this way before”  I screamed!! It was at that moment you clearly knew as a viewer that JY never really loved JK. He might have he loved the idea of her, yes. But he never truly loved her the way he loves SA. And his realization of this in that particular episode just made me so so so happy

- Handholding in the bus scene. That shit was so freaking tender bc you can tell how content JY was. He was beyond smitten- homeboy was IN LOVE AT THIS POINT

- when JY dropped SA home. I mean everything about this scene really makes ur heart soft right?? How both of them were beaming? How SA feet probably hurt bc homegirl was wearing heels the whole day and walked another 30 min just so she can spend more time with JY? How she literally ran back to him and JY just had this impression watching her like “my gf is cute af”?? How SA said something along the lines of JY having somewhere to belong to now and you can tell this had a double meaning for him bc at this point he prob considered SA as his home..I was literally mush oh my god. 

-break up scene. I know, v painful- but this was a rare one in kdramaland where I actually thought it was necessary for them to split (still wish it was done earlier but alas I'll take it) It was a graceful and needed breakup. Also when JY pulled out that umbrella for her.... bish it was over for me

- SA’s recital. I MEAN HOW IN SYNC COULD THEY BE. I normally skip the musical performances whenever I watch dramas that are music related- but this show makes it so magical I simply could not. PEAAAKKK ROMANCE

- JY’s recital- when he played that last song I was a big mess cuz we all knew it was dedicated for SA :’’) (I listen to this piece all the time now and im so emo when I hear it bc like god WHEN)

- First I love you scene. JY just going for it and chasing his happiness without caring if SA might reject him. We love to see it

-Second I love you scene. YALL. YALLLLL the way JY just releases his breathe when SA said she can't be friends bc she loves him more than a friend will forever slay me. Kim min jae’s acting here was real good. I love how JY said I love you four times and just went for it. top kissing scene in a krdrama for me hehee 

- dubokki date. lmao at JY with the spicy level. just plain cute

-the quick side by side peek to JY new album in the last episode. the way it showed how their relationship evolved. how he signed it as “for my love song ah” BISH I WANNA DATE A MUSICIAN TOO NOW

- that lil scene where JY wrote SA’s name as the planner bc he knows she works just as hard as the musicians and deserves the recognition. get u a boy who will vandalize a program notice for u :)

- basically all the scenes at the end of ep 16. I wish all of them were longer. I wanted to see more of them dating and happy!!! But I just love how they are both so INTO each other and you can see how happy JY is bc he finally has that person back that understood him since the beginning and it makes you feel so warm knowing they’re each other’s support system ahhhh I love their love !!

- also just all the scenes that JY looks at SA lovingly ~~ which literally happened since ep 1 I mean they are literally heart eyes emoji for each other every time :’)) 

- oh oh OH special shout out to ep 11 when JY just can’t stop holding SA’s hands !! the way he does it is so freaking INTIMATE like if I can only describe how I feel whenever I see compilation gifs of that episode where JY just reaches out and holds SA’s hands so steadily and tightly...it’s literally the most heartwarming thing.. idek how to explain what I’m trying to convey but I just vibe with it so much?? it’s so intimate and romantic.. Kim min jae I will die 4 u my love

[talldarkandroguesome]

17th of Second Seed, Morndas

Nabine and I returned in the evening, both feeling rejuvenated by our time away from the city. 

The chidren had a little welcome back celebration for us. It was silly, given that we were gone two days, but Avon claimed that they insisted upon welcoming us back with food they helped the chef prepare and decorations they made. Cheerz agreed that the children had directed in the purchase of materials and then made them with minimal assistance.

It was rather heartwarming. 

We all had a very nice evening and enjoyed the meal. There was even dessert.

I asked Cheerz to instruct all of the servants to leave the decorations up for the next few days since so much work had gone into its production.

Nabine says I am too soft and sentimental and I reminded her that it was precisely what she loved most about me.

She said it was the reason she initially hated me so vehemently and that I wore her down like a hunter tracking a deer for so long that it just gives up and waits to be shot.

I played up my hurt, claiming that the hunter here was her and she had wounded me in the heart.

She told me that if she really aimed to pierce my heart, I would be finding myself in a new body somewhere else.

So I told her to tell me what she did like so much about me then.

Nabine replied that I was just a convenient way to sate her sexual appetite and that she really liked my willingness to take any pain she wished to inflict.

Despite being an obvious jest, afterwards I did have to ask for reassurance.

She gave me a very worried look at that. I told her that I simply had been feeling that something was off. I offered that it was to do with my persistent and nagging emptiness as a result of being without my soul. It was something that always left me feeling as though I were not entirely whole.

She sat me down and stroked my hair and told me that, yes, she loved me very much and that I was more than just there to fulfill her desires and reach things off of tall shelves. That it was my tenderness and willing to care so passionately that drew her to me. That and my persistence. And many other things.

I held her a long while and apologized for feeling like I did. The strange weakness of having so many emotions while also feeling so devoid of attachment to them.

Nabine slipped from my arms and told me to wait for a moment and left the room.

I tried not to dwell on that hollow feelings within me and I refilled the lamps and added more incense to the censers.

When Nabine returned, so told me to kneel down on the floor and close my eyes and not to open them until she gave me the word.

I sat still as I heard her approach and felt her take my hands and hold them out and place something small and cool within them. Then she told me to open.

There in my hands was a hair pin made of bone. The end was carved the sacred lotus with the Indoril wings on either side. Then moving down the pin was an engraving of the day we first met. Then, near to the point, where it would be hidden by my hair, was the intertwined lyre of Y’ffre with a spider web built amongst the strings. A symbol of our faiths together.

I kissed her and she laughed before pulling back my hair and pinning it in.

She brought me a hand mirror to gaze upon it.

The craftsmanship was immaculate. But I knew that it was something she had done herself.

I told her it was the most exquisite gift and she told me that I deserved nothing less.

Then she explained that she was waiting for a more appropriate time to give it, but that in light of everything, she thought it best to prove her feelings. I touched the end, running my thumb and forefinger over the smoothly carved bone.

Nabine asked me if I could guess where the bone had come from.

I told her I assumed that this was from one of her great hunts.

She said she, but that her going out on hunts was mostly a chance to work on the carving, not to gather the materials.

So I asked her where it was from then.

The largest smile formed on her beautiful lips as she leaned in.

It was from Urtisa, she told me, the rib that covered her heart. She had set it aside for just such a project. She wanted to give me something to remind me not only of her love, but that I had kept the promise that symbolized our love. It was something we did together. And so I should remember it always.

I kissed her deeply and she returned the gesture. Soon enough the pin was set lovingly on the nightstand and the two of us made love until late in the night.

We had only begun to drift off when there came a knock on the bedroom door.

It was Cheerz. She wanted to know if we wanted our breakfast before we left or if we should prefer to have it in the carriage.

Nabine looked at me and it suddenly dawned on me that we were supposed to be leaving to give thanks to the Velothi who had made offerings on Sildras’ and our family’s behalf.

I told Cheerz that it would be best to have our meal in the carriage since we wanted to let the children rest as long as possible. I also asked that Cheerz give us just another 20 minutes or so to wake up before coming to retrieve our bags.

She agreed and Nabine and I jumped up and raced to get a trunk packed with our things. It took me only a couple of minutes to pack my things, but then perfuming myself and painting my face always takes so long. Nabine was just the opposite, she dressed quickly, then spent her time trying to decide what to bring, should it be items best to hunt, or something more appropriate as a guest, or even something a bit more plain so as not to risk offending our hosts.

We then set to helping the children, who had, thank Azura, been helped in their packing by Avon while Nabine and I were away.

I will have to do something extra special for Avon when there is a chance.

As it is, we are traveling to meet the tribe. Mother is going to be there as well. Hence her need to berate me recently. She thought some of my choices were appropriate enough, but lacked the intimacy they should have, given how long we have been so closely acquainted. 

I know that Mother will have no fear at making her opinions known before the tribe. She is so close with the Farseer that there is no reason not to air her grievances before the wise women.

I only hope to find some sympathy for the situation. The Three only know if I shall find it.

[vaguely-concerned]

Temeraire let’s read: Crucible of Gold AHOY!

- lol I’m glad hammond is back, he is phenomenally funny. I do love me a bureaucrat character who won’t let trifling things like dignity, morality, politeness or common sense get in the way of their job 

- it is a CRIME that Tharkay had to leave before he got to see Laurence all sun-bronzed and casually dressed and golden haired and relaxed, I wish to petition the universe itself on his behalf to correct this injustice 

- hahaha shen li is the best; a buddhist dragon would be the greatest party pooper among her own kind 

shen li, serenely: attachment to material things can only bring suffering

literally every other dragon, dripping bling from every available surface: um actually

- . . . without the clinging stink of murder and treachery which seemed to have by slow octopoid measures attached itself to his life. laurence I understand where you’re coming from on this but you have served colonial britain since you were like twelve. this has been an extremely slow process of waking up to smelling dem roses (fatherhood changes your perspective on your life situation I guess)

- awwwwww laurence finally studying some more chinese while temeraire helps him... no no this is just rain on my face yes I know I’m indoors it’s just me and lady allendale sitting here with our arms around each other crying about our boy reading poetry of his own freeish will

- oooh I really like how novik writes the way hammond talks -- it can be hard to write a character who constantly breaks up their own dialogue and interrupts themselves and continually couches their words without it being hard to read and annoying, but she really nails communicating that he’s a) completely graceless and with no dignity but also undeniably intelligent, b) definitely a Diplomat but not a total weasel, if only by a hair, c) hilarious

- pour one out for laurence’s civilian beard with me guys, gone too soon and dearly missed (and again tharkay didn’t even get to see it! this continues to be the greatest tragedy of these books let’s hope he grows it out again later when they’re all settled down.) 

- . . . These were distinguished from the others mainly for their having had less time in their careers to demonstrate a lack of initiative or skill, so he could have some small hope of uncovering some previously hidden talent. OH MY GOD LAURENCE the straight up savagery 

- DAD!LAURENCE!!! DAD!LAURENCE!!!!!!! (aaah it’s so interesting that when he gets a bit more stern you can definitely see sides of his father peeking out, but he deeply remains his mother’s son -- he’s acting from a place of affection, feeling of responsibility and concern for their futures, not the weird controlling shit lord allendale routinely pulls)

roland is such a teenager at this point oh my god. also laurence’s whole speech to demane about respecting her boundaries and agency... *chef kiss emoji* and ALSO demane is so sympathetic in this still because who HASN’T wanted to dangle some asshole over a cliff for being a creep to your friend/crush... they’re all good and perfect and I love them actually

- ...I’ve managed to put it out of my mind in the last few books but with the allegiance going down like that I keep remembering there were so many actual children onboard and now I feel ill

being an adult and realizing the full fuckedupedness of these things sucks haha

- 1) the description of seeing the ship sinking from underwater is hauntingly beautiful and 2) as I have said many a time before, thank god for demane

- see this is the other side of the coin of these books making you care so deeply about the characters; I know that no important characters die in this book but I am still so fucking stressed out by all of this D:D:D:

- well well well if gong su’s ludicrous competency wasn’t suspicious before it certainly is now, I guess china trains its spies well in the culinary arts haha

- I mean uh. what a way to symbolically and literally sever laurence from his former life and former self, I guess. you’d be hard pressed to do so more explosively at least

 - something extremely bad happened to granby, we can tick that off the list

- I feel like the prose and writing in general is super improved in this one? it feels sharp and purposeful in a way the last few haven’t quite been

- He hoped Riley would be mourned; Riley deserved to be mourned ahfksahsdajklhsajkfhaslkjfhsakjdfhdaslkfhakj pain :(:(:( I’m so sorry laurence and I didn’t even like the guy. I can’t believe that the first thing this madman does after trying to secure their survival as best he could is writing letters -- on dragonback!!! hands stiff from cold so he can only work in five minute increments!!! -- to make sure riley’s memory isn’t blackened how can he be like this

- emily roland is so smart and capable and amazing my heart is blooming with pride

- iridescent feathered dragons... holy shit this is awesome

temeraire has a little feather envy tho and also maila casually eavesdropping so he can chat up (literally) hot babes... I know they’re prisoners of war and everything but this is all pure unadulterated gold

- oh temeraire darling no have no fear hammond has no self respect whatsoever, that will not be what stops him

- I can’t believe laurence is actually taking time to tie himself in knots over not following perfect procedure around his officers’ future career options while they’re FUCKING MAROONED with a bunch of asshole sailors fkdfhsjdh

- GET YOUR DIRTY FUCJING HANDS OFF DEMANE OR I’LL CHOP THEM OFF FOR YOU YOU SWINE

sipho is like eleven and a nerd and ready to run at all these grown men armed just with a branch PAIN

- granby’s unending exasperation at laurence not knowing all the stuff that seems self-evident to him having grown up with dragons fksjdhfskajd

- aw laurence finally having a little dad talk with roland ;____; and demane has proposed to her repeatedly and she would agree in a moment under other circumstances ;________________; and it never even occurred to me that that’s why she was so upset about him taking on his own dragon but of course that would fuck everything up if that’s what she was planning OH NO ;_________________________________________________;

laurence confirmed for boytoy & hideously embarrassed about it flasdfsdkjhfksd 

“But I don’t want someone I want, if I can’t be sure of seeing him one week in the year” crack crack goes the sound of my heart breaking

I hope they find a way to solve this eventually :(

- really interesting what a clear view emily has of roland and laurence’s relationship tho, considering he’s basically her father figure -- like there’s clear affection, physical attraction and camaraderie there but it never feels particularly romantic & they both have other shit to do. (and laurence knows it too on some level, considering his main emotion when she refuses his proposal is relief lol. it really shows off this central conflict he has where like... he has a very clear idea of who he feels he should be and managed to convince himself he was for a long time, and what that man wants and needs (namely very little, emotionally) and is loyal to. aaaand then there’s the person he actually is, who’s been fighting his way to the surface since temeraire showed up in the very first book and sort of woke him up by giving him something he actually loves and values with all of himself and can’t compromise on. proper gentleman/navy!laurence feels like he has to do what society deems decent and marry roland to be a good person, actual!laurence seems to know that what they already have isn’t wrong or immoral in any way as long as they’re both happy with it. ugh I love him and I hope his last remaining character development includes realizing that who he really is is not only acceptable but actually a better man than that imagined perfect self ever could be and how many people love him for who he is already A N Y W A Y onwards)

- the incan dragons continue to be dope as hell

it’s super interesting how they’ve grown to value people -- and not just one special person, like british dragons, but whole groups of people -- over gold and jewels. like the tendency is there in dragons from other cultures; temeraire loves The Bling but would still easily prioritize laurence and his crew over it. presumably some of it is cultural and some of it must stem from the sheer trauma of losing so many people within a few centuries, which is basically living memory for a dragon (which makes it equal parts sympathetic/heartwarming and juuuuust on the edge of being too creepy and possessive haha).

- jeez this book is doing a good job at showing what a haunting fucking sight it must be to enter a land where like. 90% of the people are dead in plague and their cities stand abandoned

- fhasdklhfaskljfhs hammond going full diplomat on the dragons squabbling... he truly is something

and laurence apologizing to demane because he was out of line and he is a fellow captain now T_____T lord allendale could never

- haven’t had a lot to say for a while because I’m just so entranced with the world building and stuff haha, I find the irl history of this area super interesting as well

- ambassador iskierka........ what a time to be alive

poor poor poor granby hahahaha

- if these books were named harry potter style this one would be ‘william laurence and that time he tried to put off wearing his ceremonial robes for as long as humanly possible’

- granby being good at drawing but having atrocious handwriting is such a good little character detail, novik is just so expert at nonchalantly plopping them in 

- temeraire is being haunted by a green-eyed monster the size of a continent huh lol fair play to maila tho, he’s given it his sleazy all right from the start

I can’t believe gong su invented dragon ice cream solely so temeraire could eat it out of a tub over this... the real mvp

- awwww granby <3 I’m glad there’s some actual canonical queer rep in this series as well (as for the technically not stated straight(heh) out in canon... listen my friends if you can come up with any kind of heterosexual explanation for normally extremely sensible tenzing tharkay gazing at his friend and thinking shit like ‘in the fading light he was a statue gilded by sunlight’ and ‘it was a pang not unmixed with pleasure to look on him, as ever’, you are free to try to come at me with it but I won’t believe you lol. also laurence has the most potent disaster bisexual energy of any man in modern media even if he hasn’t quite caught on to it himself) 

tbh I know it’s mostly in desperation but they should come up with some new kind of medal to give granby for having this particular Talk with william laurence, one of the most awkward men to ever walk this earth... braver than any us marine etc.

- temeraire and iskierka in this scene STRONGLY evoke dirtbag teens sneaking off to make out in the backseat of a car or something god bless

- ...I guess you can’t fault the empress for siding with the dude already crashing like a natural catastrophe over his own home continent and who is eyeing the other six like a starving eagle would a pack of mice. all the europeans suck but I guess it’s sort of her best bet to ally herself with the biggest bully on the playground, especially since forces in her own court would be hard pressed to do anything about the situation. respect sister & congratulations granby lol

- hahahahahahaha leave it to hammond to be forcibly adopted by a dragon 

poor churki tho she’s a grownass adult and she only has one weird coke-addled diplomat and three basically adolescent dragons to work with here

- GRANBY SETTING SOME BOUNDARIES FINALLY I’m so proud of him ;__; this book really does have a lot to say about dragon/human relations huh

- LETHABO!!!!!!!!!!! man i’m so happy she’s doing well, she fucking deserves it and she’s doing good work

- laurence has evolved to his ultimate form of give-no-fucks-do-some-good laurence and hammond was not prepared lol 

“You forget yourself, Captain Laurence,” Hammond said . . . 

“I forget nothing,” Laurence answered . . . 

im crying b/c he literally has forgotten before but remembers himself at the end of victory of eagles b/c of tharkay and and aaaaaaaaaaaaaugh here he is refusing to do the dirty work he’s handed once more 

- lily and maximus! this is not a drill it’s the good good kids back at it again. also temeraire’s phenomenally misplaced sense of superiority re: his reaction to kulingile growing bigger than any of them fkshdfksahdfkj

- berkely <3

- poor harcourt :( ah well she’ll survive it tho he wasn’t that important it’s not like she lost her dragon lol (I honestly can’t feel that bad about riley considering y’know how he was not only chill with but actively for the institution of slavery)

- YOOOOOOO GONG SU! and temeraire is so happy they’re going back to china aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah I love this (laurence’s stammering outrage at this reveal is also highly entertaining “he STAYED in my father’s HOUSE!!!!!!!”)

- man that entire last battle scene was so cool in the context of the rest of the series; the sheer effort and ingenuity that went into avoiding a bigger battle and slyly aiding the only worthy cause in the situation (the tswana and freeing the slaves) is so satisfying, especially after VoE

- holy shit I really enjoyed this one! It had a good balance of travelling/character moments and giving us time with the culture and characters of the Inca and their dragons, as well as driving the overall plot forward splendidly! I also feel like we got some more meat to the laurence POV (in hindsight it feels like it was mostly temeraire POV in tongues of serpents, which is fine but I do love our golden boy and his slow burn character development too)

on to blood of tyrants! I don’t know anything about this one except a) amnesia and b) some Very Important Lines I’ve already picked up along the way, I’m not sure I’m prepared (as a trope amnesia can be pretty hit or miss for me, so it’ll be interesting at least!)

[xsunqueensx]

Sun Queens- “Departure”

“My head is fucking killing me.” Amerrah said blocking the sun from her eyes. “I thought you might say that, here drink up.” Na’eva stood holding a glass of pure poison. “Nope, no way. I’m not drinking that death in a cup!” Her older sister sighed, “You have a two day journey by boat; do you really want to take your drinking spell along to?” Amerrah’s kicked her feet and held out an arm, she still refused to look into the light. “It’s just ginger, garlic and egg whites, right?” She asked holding her nose and raising the glass to her lips. “No ma’am, it’s strawberry, pineapple and mango.” Na’eva said lying through her teeth. “Mhmmm, I wish.”

A wretched sound came from deep within Ameerah, “I’m gonna- o-oh god!” She grabbed the leftover food bowl that laid at her bedside and emptied her stomach. “Better?” Her sister asked rubbing her back. “A little”, Ameerah said between heaves. “I’ll have your ladies bring some lavender, rose, honey and chamomile tea; that’ll settle your stomach.”

After a several more stomach empties and a good hot cup of tea, Ameerah made her way to the bath. The warm lick of the water was just what she needed. She submerged herself for a few seconds and let the scent of honey and vanilla engulf her.

She couldn’t believe that this would be the last time she’d set foot in bath here for a good while. Ameerah racked her brain trying to recall just what Kydith’s castle looked like. Visions of their golden gate flooded her mind, ocean and the old wine cellar she used to play hide-n-seek in. Ameerah scrubbed her hair thoroughly. She wondered, would she just fit right in? Would she just be accepted by her people? Ameerah had been trained from infancy to be prepared for any outcome but, she couldn’t help but ponder. “That’s what makes a good queen.” She could practically see her father etching that statement into her with a knife and hammer. She smiled and took a quick swim around the bath; Father had been so patient and loving with her. A lady stepped forward with a all black robe and presented it with a curtesy. “Thank you Breanne. Ameerah tied the bow and headed to be dressed and fed.

“Ah, so I see you survived?” Said the kind king eating a fluffy pastry for breakfast. “Yea, something like that...” Ameerah responded, trying to find the appetite to eat something from the table. “Unfortunately, I’ve trained you in every way but wine; this is one lesson you’ll have to learn on your own.” Ameerah smiled, “Trust me when I say I only need one lesson.” A servant came and filled her glass with water. There was a part of her that wanted to drink but, the other half of her wanted nothing but to lay still. Laila’s paws patted across the tiled floor of the dining hall, she let out a loud yawn. “Good morning you, I haven’t seen you all evening; what have you been up to?” The sweet animal laid it’s head upon it’s owners lap. “Still no answer I see, you seem mighty suspicious missy.” Ameerah said scratching underneath the animals chin and earning a mighty loud purr. “Papa, what time does my fleet depart?” The king cut a slice of lamb and dipped it into a whipped cranberry drizzle with with chestnuts. “A little before noon, does that suit you my queen.” Ameerah rolled her eyes playfully, “Yes father. You know I’m going to miss our breakfasts together, right?” The king felt his heart ache at the comment. “Dearest , you know you can always write to me, and I to you?” Of course she knew that but, sharing quality time just meant more. “I know, you’ll probably receive a letter from me everyday for about a year.” The two continued in their conversation and ate, breakfast was delightful. “Well, I guess it’s time to get ready, Papa I’ll see you in a bit!” Ameerah gave her father a kiss and left him with his thoughts. “Your highness, the military is almost boarded; we’ve taken inventory of all the armament.” King Okoro nodded, “And what of the transported goods?” “As requested, we’re importing grain, medicine, fabrics and building materials. The boats have been fully stocked, we’ll be ready to depart shortly highness. “Good, and the animals?” The servant smiled, “Already accounted for, their quarters have been prepared for their needs. The chef has their menu already prepared.” The King gave a big smile, “Good. Good.”

Na’eva followed her pet tiger around aimlessly, she hadn’t been able to think clearly since last night. “The ground is going to swallow you whole if you keep pacing like that.” Jamison said, she hadn’t even heard him approach her, “God damnit, you startled me!” She said pushing his chest out of instinct. “Princess, what has you so preoccupied? Is it what took you away from dinner yesterday?” “No, I told you it was just business; what brings you here?” Na’eva said trying to settle her features. “What am I doing here? It’s the courtyard, not your chambers princess.” He cocked an eyebrow as he circled her curiously. “Ah, right. Well, good afternoon; I need to finish getting ready for the trip.” Jamison stopped himself from reaching for her, “We have 2 days, I’ll figure your little secret out.” he said to himself as he watched her ass sway away from him. Na’eva had always been a bad liar, her sister teased her constantly. “I need more practice huh, Sofia?” The sweet animal only looked at her and continued her stroll. “Ameerah, are you ready?” Na’eva called just outside of her chamber door. “As ready as I’ll ever be, come in!” Ameerah stood before her in a pretty pale pink dress, “Oh wow look at you!” Ameerah’s sister said, mouth relatively close to the floor.

“Yeah yeah yeah, you love the pink.” Ameerah said straightening her cape. “Well, father is waiting-come on.” Na’eva wrapped her arms around her sister and guided her to the door. A few of the servants were still loading the trunks in her room. “I wonder how grand your new bedroom will be? Oh, do you think the king has a big bed for the two of you to roll around in?” Na’eva asked, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you sis.” The two kept walking toward the back of the palace, “I’m serious! Oh, you’ll have to tell me all about the consummation- what gown are you going to wear?” Ameerah put a finger to her sister’s lips, “Shhhhhh, there are people present! And, I don’t know I have it narrowed down to 8....” the two laughed. “Well, we have 3 days to figure it out, “Hmmm, maybe something silk?” Na’eva said sizing her sister up. “Gowns are silly anyway, it’s not like they ever stay on long to begin with.” Ameerah said as she kept walking leaving her sister in awe. “OoOoOoHHHhhh~, wait how do we know!?” Ameerah never once responded although she could clearly hear her. “HELLO?” Na’eva cried chasing after her.

The ride into the city was lovely but, arriving into port was breathtaking.

This part of town was always packed with people shopping, buying, selling and bargaining. Thear was known for it’s port, thousands of people passed through it’s water’s each day, this allowed many to experience something new almost everyday. Ameerah recognized a few faces from the day before, it was heartwarming. “Woah” Ameerah said looking upon her fleet, the ships were massive. The king was sending 20 of their battleships along with 800 men; the sight was impressive. The carriage came to a halt and the guards opened the door, “Thank you.” The new queen said straightening her dress. ”Ameerah come, I have one other gift for you.” King Okoro said, reaching for his youngest daughter. He walked with her towards the ship, “I think you’ll like it.” Ameerah could only smile, she had no clue what was up his sleeve. Her father was known to spoil them but, what on earth could he have in mind? The king gestured to one of the crewmen and suddenly he was holding a yawning baby cheetah cub. “OH PAPA!! YOU DIDN’T????!!!!!” Ameerah quickly left her father’s side and bolted towards the precious feline. The crewman handed over the kitten, it’s soft warm belly poked through Ameerah’s fingers. She starred at her newest pet and it starred right back.

The cat’s eyes were bright and curious, it’s nose sniffed at it’s owner. A gentle meow left it’s lips and the Ameerah cuddled it close. “THANK YOU SO MUCH, I LOVE HER!” The king placed a kiss on his daughter’s head, much like she usually did to him. In that instant, her father went blurry. All of the excitement of the last few weeks really hit her. Her father was kissing her goodbye, she hated saying goodbye. “Papa, I,I-“, The king hugged his daughter close, “Hush now, I already know.” He said. “It’s a father’s dream to watch his daughter grow into a woman, and for me a queen. I wish your mother was here, she’d be so proud. It’s uncanny how much you look like her. You’re ready Meerah.” A tear slipped past her chin, he hadn’t called her that in so long. “I’m just really going to miss you papa.” She sniffed. The king cradled her chin softly and wiped her face. “My dear I’m only a couple of days away but, my heart is always with you- remember that.” He bore that last comment into her eyes. Ameerah swallowed, “Yes Papa, I will.” The two hugged one another for a few more moments until the king spoke again, “Now go, your kingdom awaits; you wouldn’t want to be late on your first day?” The surrounding crowd chuckled, the king kissed the back of his daughter’s hand. “I love you princess.” He winked. “I love you too Papa.” Ameerah took a deep breath and entered the ship. “Don’t get into too much trouble, you hear me?” King Okoro said, causing both Jamison and Na’eva to respond with an immediate “Yes sir.” The king raised his eyebrows at the both of them and shook his head. “I’ll see you in a couple of weeks father.” Na’eva jumped to place kiss to his forehead.” With both of his daughters boarded the king waited for the fleet to depart. The crowd waved furiously as the ship started on it’s new journey. Two familiar faces blew kisses off the back of the ship and the King fought the urge to cry. No doubt he had seen many things in this lifetime, he had overcome a great deal of trials but; this by far was the greatest...Telling his daughter goodbye.