#(it's because there are few happy endings. I really think that's it. I love a happy ending and Dunnett is constantly going 'haHA! no 🫶🏻')

[sinofwriting]

Engineer in Law - Max Verstappen

Words: 1,758 Summary: Max and GP are far more close than most race engineers and drivers, which might have to do with the fact that Max is dating his daughter. Note(s): Takes place in 2021. Reader is GP’s daughter. Reader is 21, Max is 23. I don’t know what GP’s wife’s name is IRL but in this fic her name is Sarah. Also, reader is only given one physical descriptor which is that she has GP’s eyes, apologies if (like me) you don’t know have that eye color, but we can imagine and/or wish! This might end up getting a part two.

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“You're happy.”

It’s not something GP normally comments on, Max’s moods. Not unless it’s to make a sarcastic comment about how thrilled he looks to be going to a press event or something of the sort, but Max is beaming like he just won a race. It’s an odd look on the young driver, an unusual one, sadly.

“I asked the girl I was seeing to be my girlfriend, she said yes.” Max’s voice is quiet and GP leans in, his eyebrows going up at the news, at the soft but excited tone the words hold.

He smiles at the younger, reaching forward and clasping him on the shoulder. “That’s fantastic, mate. Want to tell me about her?” It’s a rather stupid question because if Max didn’t want to talk about her, he wouldn’t have said anything. And GP is rather happy to sit here and listen to Max talk about this new girl in his life.

“She’s amazing, GP. I mean really smart, funny, and she never backs down. She always has a response to anything I say. And even if I’m in a bad mood, she doesn’t let me just sulk. She knows exactly how to get a response from me and she knows it. She’ll get this little smirk on her face after I snap back at her and she’s great.”

GP has to stop himself from clearing his throat at how head over heels in love Max looks. It was oddly like looking in a mirror when GP was just four years younger than him and seeing his wife holding their newborn daughter.

“I hope you're not snapping at her too much.” His dad mode is in full force, nearly shuddering as he thinks of his twenty-one year old daughter getting snapped at often by a boyfriend. He further shudders at the reminder she currently has a boyfriend.

“Not like that.” Max reassures. “It’s kind of like us in the simulator.”

GP lets out a laugh.

It wasn’t often he joined Max in the simulator but every time they did, other people would gather around to hear the pair mock argue with each other.

“Well I’m happy to hear she’s keeping you on your toes.”

—

Max is practically vibrating in his seat as he waits for GP to sit down.

“She planned a date.”

GP stills from where he was about to reach for his water.

“Like a whole date. From everything, the food, the drinks, what we watched and it was all stuff I liked and fit in my training plan.”

He watches the younger closely, hearing something off in his voice.

“I thought I missed something. Like an anniversary or something, even though we’ve only been together five months.”

GP eyes shut for a second, rage threatening to overtake him. Max was never treated kindly enough and Max had never really talked about his few previous relationships before and he can’t help but wonder if this is why. Because Max never felt truly happy in them. Always something just wrong, always on the edge.

“She just wanted to do something nice for me. Said it wasn’t fair, I had been planning most of our dates.” Max looks confused, but there’s a slight flush to his cheeks.

“Y’know, my wife and I trade off.”

Max tilts his head a little.

“I mean, we only do a date about once a month, but we trade off. I did the last one, so tomorrow, she’s planning our date. We used to do the same with vacations, but the whole thing stresses her out a little too much, so I plan them and get the travel plans sorted while she handles looking at things to do and places to go while we are there. It's a partnership, Max. It should be an equal give and take. And that doesn’t mean that it has to be you guys both are giving and taking the same thing equally, you just need to find the balance that works for you. Like you take out the trash, she does the dusting.”

“She has a dust allergy. And we aren’t living together yet.”

GP smiles, coughing to hide his laugh. “Yet, I see. And if she has a dust allergy she needs certain pillowcases and sheets, I’ll send you the ones I bought for my daughter last Christmas.”

“Thank you, GP.”

“I’m always here for you, Max.”

—

“You were out again.”

“Good morning to you as well, dad.” His daughter says, eyebrows raised even as she steps closer to press a quick kiss to his cheek before going to the fridge.

He glances at the clock, slightly miffed to see it is just after eleven am. “Closer to the afternoon.” He comments.

She signs, leaning against the counter, a Red Bull in hand, and he watches as her fingers play with the tab but not open it. It’s a habit he’s never seen from her before. “Dad,” He looks at her face at the sound. “Is me having a boyfriend bothering you that much?”

He softens a little. “No, well, yes. It’s just I don’t know anything about him. All I know is you have a boyfriend and that’s it. I don’t know his name, how old he is, what he does for a living, if he treats you well. And you're spending an awful lot of nights as his and I’ve never met him.”

Her fingers still against the can’s tab. “Is that something you want?”

“Well I’d prefer to meet him before you fully move in with him.” He gives her a look. “But yes, I would. He makes you happy.” It was a hard pill to swallow, the reason for his daughter seeming to be so happy being a boy, but that was the reason.

“Alright, I’ll text him and maybe tomorrow we could do lunch?” She offers.

“I’d like that.”

—

“I’ve been listening to Max talk about our daughter for months.”

Sarah’s lips thin as she struggles not to laugh, running a soothing hand over her husband’s back. “You said it was sweet how he talked about her.”

“Well, I didn’t know he was talking about our daughter then did I?”

His head somehow manages to drop further into his hands. “He talked for thirty minutes straight about her eyes. Her eyes, Sarah. She has MY eyes.”

Sarah can’t help the laugh that spills from her lips. “Well at least it was just her eyes you heard about.”

GP’s face screws up at that remembering the hickey he had seen high on Max’s neck last week and apparently he had some interesting scratch and bite marks as well. Those thankfully he had not seen. “Please, love, put me out of my misery.”

His hands fall into his lap and he presses his face against his wife’s neck, smelling the slightly faded scent of her perfume and her lotion.

“Oh hush.” She says, lightly swatting his shoulder. “It could be much worse. You like Max, you know Max. He’d never hurt our baby.”

GP softens, pressing a kiss to her neck before sitting straight, his back thanking him for it. “No, he wouldn’t. I just,” He sighs. “This is serious for Max and it’s obviously serious for her. She’s never invited a boy around the house that she’s been seeing. When she said lunch, I thought she had booked our usual table.”

“I know. You were all ready to go, wallet and keys in hand.”

“She let me think that as well you know.”

Sarah hums, “I wonder who she got that from.”

He smiles at her. “No clue, love.���

Her eyes give a slight roll and then she’s leaning forward. Brushing their lips together. “Max is good for her and it’s obvious that she is good for Max as well with what you’ve told me. And just think you always joked that Max was like a son. Now it’s just more official.”

“Oh my god, they’re going to get married.”

Sarah laughs at the horror and awe in her husband's voice. “I’d say don’t get ahead of yourself, but you saw exactly what I did at lunch.”

—

“Max, if you talk about my eyes one more time, I’m going to report you to HR.”

Max snickers at the older’s expression. “But, I’m not talking about your eyes.”

“She has my eyes.” GP cuts him off immediately, already knowing his defense. “We have the same exact eyes.” He holds up a finger, silencing Max. “And don’t even think of starting to list the difference between them.”

He kicks a little at the ground, faking a sigh. “Fine. Can we at least talk about you talking in the braking?”

GP sighs, but nods. “Yes, we can talk about it.”

They both fail to notice the Sky Sports camera that had been filming the conversation until much later, when Max is sitting in his driver’s room, chuckling at the broadcast that had just ended and the tweets on his phone.

“Listen to this one, Sky Sports seriously reporting that a female employee is threatening to go to HR because of Max’s comments while playing the video of audio of GP, his MALE race engineer, is seemingly joking about going to HR, is sending me. How is this a serious news source?”

GP snorts, looking at his texts with his daughter. “She just sent me this one, ‘Sky is doing nothing but proving their British bias and stupidity. How much do you think they suck Lewis’ dick for every year now?’ Honestly, they have a point.”

“More than a point.” Max says, tossing his phone to the side. “It’s one thing to say I’m a shit driver that shouldn’t be anywhere near Hamilton, but this? This is ridiculous even for them. They have the footage and audio, aired both, and are saying that it’s a female employee. Vicky is having the time of her life right now, and so are my lawyers.”

“Your lawyers?”

Max shrugs. “They’ll be working with Red Bull’s as well, but this is more than that.”

“It is.” GP agrees. “Sarah was with her when it aired. She was livid.”

“I could tell.” The driver chuckles. “My texts are filled with it. She wants to come to the next race, well, two.”

“Team home race. That’s a statement.”

His cheeks are a little pink. “She wanted to wait for Zandvoort to officially come as my girlfriend, but she wants to be with me for these next two now.”

“It will be nice to see her at both.”

[goorgeousz]

so i have a request or idea but i'm sorry to say i didn't think about her in the shower, i thought about her while i was crying lmao🫠🥲

a few days ago i read a book where the protagonist's father treated her terribly:( and her partner tells his father'don't talk to my wife like that' and they leave, he comforts her and is the best husband ever written.🥹🥹

so all I thought about was my big, angry man ✨Hotch✨ maybe they go to a family dinner for the first time and see how the reader's family treats them, belittling their work and stuff like that, until at one point they say like 'we never know how she got someone so as interesting as you Aaron' and he just explodes because cute man defends his lady and he's just grotesque and all to defend her and she's crying because she loves Hotch too much and that he saw so much in her It means a lot because she has never really felt like this. 😭🤍🤍

i hope this helps you, it felt better in my head than when i wrote it.🥹🥹♥️

i love what you do, sending you love!

xoxoxo

to be loved is to be known | aaron hotchner

to be loved is to be known | aaron hotchner

pairing: bf!aaron hotchner fem!gf!reader

summary: reader didn’t want aaron to meet her family. after one dinner he understands why.

content/tw: established relationship, crying, reader has siblings, toxic family, angst, fluffy ending, reader’s mother makes comments about her weight

word count: 3k

a/n: I absolutely loved your request, best believe I dropped all of my WIPs to write this one (sorry not sorry). I hope whatever reason you were crying about it’s over, but if it isn’t, then I hope this can warm your heart a little. Thank you so much for your request and your kind words!!! Sending much much much love, hugs and kisses!!

all hotch tag: @winyourheartemma

dividers by @uzmacchiato

masterlist <3

You weren’t hoping for a car accident. You weren’t hoping for your boyfriend’s phone to start ringing with a new and very urgent case. 

But as you sat in the passenger seat of your boyfriend’s car on the way to your childhood house, you couldn’t help but wish something – anything – got in the way.

It was only a few days prior when Aaron, your boyfriend of almost 7 months, decided to drop the bomb. The ‘I’ve never met your family’ bomb. And later that day, when your mother called you (like she did every Tuesday night) he was with you. He was comfortably seated on your couch, staring at you with puppy eyes as you had the weekly catch-up with your mom (which resumed in talking your ear off about whatever stupid subject was on her mind). So, you couldn’t help but offer a family dinner to introduce them to your boyfriend, to which she, for the first time in a few months, was actually happy and excited about.

The regret hit it like a truck at the exact moment he walked out your door. But there was no way of coming back now, after it was all set up. Aaron seemed actually excited about meeting your family, and you understood that this was probably a big deal for him. In general, actually. It was a big step in a relationship, you recognize. And it’s not like you weren’t ready for that step, you and him were probably living together by now. It was that you didn’t want to pop the perfectly healthy bubble you both created.

And family dinners were always… stressful.

You could’ve just explained that to him. Aaron, being the perfectly polite and respectable man that he was, would understand immediately. But you didn’t want to be the whiny immature little girl who couldn’t deal with problems. You were an adult, you paid your own bills, you had your own place. And he was the Unit Chief of the BAU, a title that on its own raised expectations. You couldn’t be the FBI bossman’s girlfriend and stress about your mom calling out your weight, or about your father criticizing your job. And if this wasn’t enough, Aaron was amazing. He was the most kind, loving and appreciative man you’ve ever met. You wanted to be good for him. So if you had to endure a few hours with your family, then be it. He was worth it.

And selfishly, you wanted to brag about dating him to your family. Yes, dad, mom. I’ve made it. Suck it.

When the day came, saying you were stressed was an understatement. Aaron sat quietly on your bed watching you change your outfit a handful of times, try at least three hairstyles and do a full face of make-up twice. He didn’t say a word about it. Unless when he complimented you, to which he did evey time.

You didn’t cry, which was always a good sign.

You held the flowers and the wine he brought while he drove. The forty-seven minutes drive rode without music. He found it strange, because you insisted on blasting your playlists even when the drive wasn’t long enough for a single song (when it happened, he always made sure to drive extra slow to make sure you sang every word and drummed every note of it).

If he noticed you shifting your position (every two minutes), or you rechecking your makeup on the rearview mirror (every red light), or you applying your lipgloss (three times and once more when you got there), he didn’t say anything.

Just before you reached the handle to open the door, he turned to you, reaching over the console to grab your hand.

“Is everything ok?” you huffed a laugh at his question, leaning over and giving him a peck on the lips.

“They are gonna fall in love with you, Aaron. Just like I did.” you said, honestly. He scanned your eyes and when he made sure you were being honest (he always knew when you lied, that’s why you came up with a method of being evasive everytime you didn’t want to tell the truth).

Squeezing your hand one last time, he stepped out of the car, quickly making his way towards your door. He took the flowers and the wine off your arms, helping you get off the seat and walking with you up the front stairs.

Before you knocked you turned to face him, a rush of courage running through your veins with being so close to the house.

“Listen, before we get in…”

Whatever you were about to confide in him got interrupted by the front door opened. Your mother stood there, with a tight smile she reserved to you, her beloved daughter.

“I thought it was you, my dear. You must be Supervisory Special Agent Hotchner. It’s a pleasure finally meeting you.” she cheered, standing her hand. He gave her a polite smile.

“Just, Aaron, please. The pleasure is all mine, Ma’am.”

“Come in, please. Honey, will you please finish up the kitchen?” she asks, rushing your boyfriend inside without giving you a second glance.

Aaron chased after your eyes, worriedly, but you just dismissed him, winking and mouthing a ‘Told you.’

You quickly made your way towards the kitchen, your body remembering all too well how to walk those corridors. Just like always, you finished off dinner, making sure the dishes were done and everything was in its place while you heard the laughter of the rest of them in the living room.

“There she is, my beautiful baby girl.” your father cooed, standing up on his seat next to Aaron when you walked in and approaching you to hug you “We were just showing Aaron here your child pictures.” he spoke, laughing.

You felt your cheeks burn in embarrassment, biting hard on your inside cheeks to keep from complaining. No mature woman would throw a tantrum over a child photo album.

“She hated pictures. We tried to collect memories, you know, Aaron?” your mom recited, showing a sequence of pictures “But she just didn’t accept it. Always grumpy, always turning away. You got yourself a hard one.” she laughed, playfully pushing his shoulder.

He stared at the pictures, somehow amazed. Your heart raced at the smile growing on his face (like it always did). He held one photo, your least favorite one. Your face was puffy with crying, your hair wildly flying everywhere. You had your mouth open like you were saying something (probably begging them to stop), and your braces shone against the flash of the camera. Your clothes were clearly not your size, your posture curved like you were trying to turn into a ball.

You hated that picture with all of your being, but your parents kept showing them to everyone who dared to stop by. Aaron held it close to your face, his eyes with nothing but found as he said

“So your eyes have always been this shiny. I’ve always wondered.” you smiled at him, the warmth of his love for you never failing to make you feel at home.

“Well, let’s eat before the food gets cold, right?” your mother announced, rushing everyone into the dining room.

It all went surprisingly well (at least as well a dinner with your parents could go).

“This is delicious, Mrs.” Aaron complimented, after your mother refilled his plate.

“Thank you, dear. Do you cook, Aaron?” she asked, dragging his name as if she was enjoying being that close to an FBI agent.

“I can get by.”

“He’s lying. Aaron is an amazing cook.” you interrupted, nudging him with a proud smile.

“We figured, right, darling?” she asked your father “I noticed the moment she started eating more. Her puffy cheeks can’t deny it! Just like when she was my baby, following me everywhere.” your mother cooed, leaning over to your chair and pinching your cheek.

For the first time that evening Aaron looked absolutely mortified. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, anything, but nothing came out. He didn’t know where to begin. It would be funny seeing him all flabbergasted if it weren’t for the ache on your heart from your mother’s words.

Whoever said that time heals everything is full of shit.

Just like that, your father changes the subject for your teenage stories: your least favorite subject in the entire world.

“I’ll tell you what, Aaron. You’re a brave one. We knew it from the one: she’s a hard one.” your father pointed at you with his chin, smiling like he was complimenting you.

“What do you mean?” your boyfriend asked, sounding genuinely confused.

You could see right through his act. The way his knuckles went white at how hard he gripped the silverware, the muscle on his jaw flexing like he was struggling to keep tightly shut. You wanted to kiss his cheeks until his dimples started showing again.

“Oh, you know. Don’t take me the wrong way, we love our grumpy baby girl.” and then, he turned his attention to you “Take it easy on him, sweetheart. He’s a good one, you won’t want him running away. Don’t make it so hard for him.”

Aaron stepped up, interrupting before any other subject got introduced and he lost his chance. 

“Loving your daughter is the easiest and most effortless thing I’ve ever done.” he said, with a slight frown.

He wasn’t smiling, wasn’t laughing. He wasn’t trying to make you feel better. He was stating a fact. He was saying it so sure of himself, that made your parents seem crazy not to feel the same way.

You bit back a smile, bumping your knee against him. He did it back. ‘Thank you.’ ‘I got you.’

“Of course you say that.” your father laughed like he told an inside joke “Look at your job. Speaking of which, we want to hear everything about it.”

And then your mother started rambling about a few cases she watched on the news, asking details and making all kinds of questions, to which Aaron made sure to answer evasively enough to not break protocol, but making sure to spill some uneventful details to distract them. Your heart swelled with love every time he directed his attention towards you, asking details he “forgot” but told you in private, just to include you (on dinner with your family in your childhood home).

“I want to take a moment to appreciate you being here, Aaron.” your mother started, beaming at him “I know you are a very busy man, and I hope it didn’t mess your schedule up.”

“No, I really wanted to come. Thank you for having me.”

She just dismissed him with a wave of his hand “I can only imagine how hard it must’ve been to make time to be here with us. It’s very important for our family. I say this because our other children all also have very important jobs, and unfortunately weren’t able to make it in such short notice.” she looked at him apologetically. Aaron only stared back, once again too stunned to speak. Your mother looked back at you, throwing a wink and a lopsided smile “The perks of not having big responsibilities.” 

“That’s not…” Aaron’s speech got interrupted right away. You tried not to sigh too loudly.

“There’s something I want to do.” your father announces, clasping his hand together with an excited smile.

Your mother gasped “Do you think it’s time, my dear?”

“Absolutely, darling. Wait here, you two.”

You weren't sure what was about to happen, but you were sure it couldn’t be good.

What an euphemism.

A couple minutes later your father gets back with a champagne, sparkly and expensive. Your face falls at its sight. You bite your cheek not to cry.

Your mother stands up right next to him, and they look at you like they were about to make an oscar-winner level of speech.

“When our children were babies, we bought each of them one of those.” he lifts the bottle “We kept them with all of our love, waiting to pop them open when the moment came. And today, it's time for our final bottle. We had promotions, graduations, admissions. It makes me emotional to think how long we’ve come. When our baby was just seven, she had a dream. She wanted to find a loving and rich husband and live as a princess.” he chuckled, raising his hands in apology “Now, I do not want to jinx it, but I do think…”

“That’s so unbelievably disrespectful.” Aaron spat.

Silence.

More silence.

Your father clears his throat.

“Perdon me?” your mother tries.

“The entire evening I watched both of you mistreat her, sugarcoating it with a half-hearted compliment. It’s very clear to me that none of you value her as the woman she is, and there’s only one reason: you don’t know her. And aren’t even slightly interested in doing it." His tone was harsh and straightforward, glaring daggers at your parents. They seemed small and insignificant in front of the anger boiling over Aaron’s eyes. “It’s impressive to me how you don’t even realize how poorly you’ve been treating her. She’s the smartest, kindest, most selfless and talented woman I know, and you two have the audacity to pop up a champagne as if her biggest accomplishment in life is getting a boyfriend?” he chuckles darkly “I’m incredibly proud and sorry at the same time at how immune she is to your behavior. But I’m not, and let me say this loud and clear: I will not, under no circumstances, tolerate anyone treating my girlfriend like that. Anyone.”

He said, his eyes fulminating them. With a short nod, Aaron stood up and walked himself out the door, not waiting for anyone to lead him out. You followed suit behind him, not even sparing a glance to your parents.

The two of you drove silently all the way back to his place, without not much more than a word. Your mind raced with thoughts, your whole life passing through your mind like a movie, so many things you thought were normal. So many memories, so many feelings. You were nowhere near comprehending everything, but it was a start. You could see it more clearly now.

Aaron locked the door after you got in, and you heard him sigh.

“Listen, honey, I’m so sorry…” he interrupted himself when he heard you sniff. He touched your shoulder, aching to hold you close, but now knowing if that’s what you want “Are you crying? I apologize, it wasn’t my place…”

This time, you were the one interrupting him. You turned around and threw yourself on him, burying your face on his chest and crying your eyes out. His breathing deepened, kissing the top of your head and stroking your hair.

You had no idea how much time you spent like that, but eventually he picked you up with ease and sat down on the couch with you curled up on his lap.

After a while, when your sobbing toned down to silent tears, you glanced up at him.

“Thank you, Aaron. I’ve never felt so seen in my entire life.” he held you closer, like he wanted to keep you close to his heart forever, protecting you from every possible harm.

“At first, I thought you didn’t want me to meet your family because you weren’t there yet. Relationship wise.” he began.

You pulled yourself away from his chest, still seated on his lap but shifting to face him “Not at all. I just didn’t think they deserved you.”

He gave you a pointed look “They don’t deserve you.” He stared deeply into your eyes, as if he wanted to make sure you understood “The very first thing you said to me when you first met was that you were complicated.”

Aaron took a deep breath, watching your eyes like he finally completed the puzzle. “You always seemed ready for me to leave you, always made sure to look understanding. Like you believed I would give up on you, and it would be only the right thing to do. You always mentioned, between a joke and another, that you were a problem, a burden. That you didn’t deserve me, like it isn’t the other way around.” your gaze fell to your hands, the weight of being seeing hard on you.

“Aaron…” you whispered, your voice weak from all the crying. He gently grabbed your chin, forcing you to meet his eyes. To see every emotion he felt towards you. He kissed your chin, each of your cheeks, where you probably had tear strains. He kissed your swollen eyes, your makeup defined smudged. He kissed your forehead, your nose and your lips, taking extra long there. When he made sure you were paying attention, he pulled back and kept speaking.

“I remember thinking what on earth made someone like you believe that. The thought consumed me. I needed to know, needed to understand where all that came from. You know, profiler.” he joked, which made you laugh weakly.

“And somehow you missed the reason why I didn’t take you to meet my parents sooner.” you teased. He rolled his eyes.

“In our line of work, when we end up in a case that is, for some reason, personal to us, the protocol is to step back. Do you know why?” you shook your head “Because love can cloud your judgement. It certainly did mine.”

“Careful, agent Hotchner. You might make me think you’re in love with me or something.” you joked. He smiled, giving you another kiss.

“I am. Desperately so. And apart from what you think, it’s not difficult. I can’t imagine a life where I met you and didn’t fall in love with you. It’s the most natural thing for me.” you press your lips together to keep them from shaking, as your eyes filled with tears “Do you realize you’ve absorbed their disturbing opinions of you? You keep repeating them to yourself like a mantra, like it's a fact. I always wondered why you think so lowly of yourself. It’s now clear.”

“I hate that.”

He kissed the tip of your nose.

“ I’ll tell you what: we’re on this together.”

“On what?” you gave him a puzzling look.

“We’re breaking down those walls, brick by brick. Every single lie they made you believe was true, we’re tearing it all apart.”

“Ugh, this sounds like a hard job.” you muttered.

“It’s not. In the slightest.” he disagreed immediately “Thank you, honey. Thank you for letting me see that part of your life. Thank you for allowing me to love you, and for loving me back. You amaze me more each day, and I’ll make it my personal mission to make you see it too.” His words were low and serious, not made to impress. Made to let you know, to make you believe.

“Even if it takes your whole life?” you asked, trying to make it sound like a joke to mask your insecurity.

It would be a long way to go, but the love flooding over his eyes was a great first step. “Especially if it takes my whole life.”

[luvseisagi]

— return her favor.

ft. sakura haruka x reader. wc. 3.4k

summary. when he got sick at the beginning of the week, you took care of him. now, it's you who's sick —and it's his turn to return your favor. content. fem!reader, fem pronouns used, pure fluff, boy next door!sakura, everyone likes teasing the poor boy when he blushes. inspired by s2 ep17. a bit ooc, i think. author's note. im whipped. im down bad. im head over heels . i knowwwwiknow but hes just so cute icant.. love him sm.. little kitty boy (kaji too)... :(( also im not 100% happy with how this turned out but ive been thinking about a scene like this so much i needed to write it

𝜗𝜚 english isnt my first language, so any corrections or advice are highly appreciated, as well as feedback (please) ! enjoy

you are sick.

not figuratively —you really are. you’ve caught the flu, a nasty cold, or whatever virus that's left you bedridden, feverish, for so many hours that they feel like eternity. 

when it started, you thought you were sneezing so frequently because you were allergic to something, since spring had just begun. however, it only got worse as the week went on, until you ended up in the state you’re in now.

body sprawled on the futon on the floor —your arm is folded in a weird way, your legs half under half out of the blanket—, it’s the only position you’ve found that lets you be even a little comfortable and breathe without choking every two minutes. your skin is paler than usual, except for your face, flushed pink and covered in a thin sweat layer.

you’re on the edge of delirium.

you should have seen this coming. no, you actually did see it coming, but you had such a busy week —working extra hours at the restaurant at nights, repainting the facade of the establishment after some vandals had graffitied the wall, assisting all your classes and doing all your homework—, you'd had no time for worrying about getting sick or getting medicine. 

besides, taking into account that your daily life is on the other side of the city —you live in your apartment, if it can even be called like that, only because the rent is affordable for you—, the time you spend just going to school and work and coming back home takes a considerable part of your day. 

plus, at the start of this week, your next door neighbor had gotten sick too —and every free time of your days had been spent on taking care of sakura. 

you didn’t even think about the possibility of him giving you the flu until you woke up this morning. work was already hard yesterday —even your boss had sent you home before your shift ended, since he could see how tired you looked—, and you hadn't slept more than two full hours, so all you were able do in the morning was send a text to your coworkers to ask for someone to cover your shift today and fall asleep again.

four hours later of feverish dreams and a very uncomfortable mix of heat and cold going throughout your whole body, you are so thirsty and hungry you could eat a whole menu from the restaurant you work in. however, getting up seems almost impossible in the state you are in, so you let yourself lay under the blanket a while more. 

you’re about to fall asleep again, ignoring the cries for help of your stomach, when you hear the door of your apartment open.

there’s no greeting, no warning, no announcement about who just entered without permission. but only a few people have a key to your place, so the list of suspects is short —still, of all the possible people, you definitely didn’t expect to see sakura haruka standing in the cramped little space that makes up your room.

“i brought you something.” is all he says before sitting cross-legged on the floor beside you, placing a plastic bag full of things in his lap and beginning to pull things out one by one. 

sakura is your next-door neighbor. he moved to the apartment beside yours at the beginning of the school year, just as alone in his place as you were in yours. at first, he came off as cold —maybe even a little rude— but it didn’t take long for you to realize he was just shy, especially around people who offered help without expecting anything in return. 

your first interaction had been on an especially cold evening during his first week living there. you had heard him through the wall, cursing softly and clearly frustrated —mumbling something about not figuring out how to get the hot water working. you were pretty sure he even punched the wall out of frustration after his third cold shower.

so you showed up at his door, holding a slice of leftover cake from the restaurant as a welcome gift and offering your help —partly because you’re a decent person, but mostly because you were worried the building might not survive more than a couple more punches.

“i can’t cook anything for you,” he's saying now. a few months have passed since you met “but i brought instant soup. i didn’t know what flavor you liked, so i grabbed one of each. just in case.”

he spreads the contents of the bag on the floor —six different packs of soup, a few bottles of water and sugary drinks, cold compresses for the fever, some medicine, vitamins, and a single flower.

you manage a weak smile.

“thank you” your voice is thick with congestion. it requires you making a great effort to extend your arm, and point to the end of the row of things on the floor “i get the food, the clothes and the pills. what’s the flower for, though?” 

you are too exhausted to lift your head and look at him, but you’re sure he’s blushing when he answers.

“umemiya told me to give it to you. said it would help you feel better.”

he’s clearly flustered —you can hear it in his voice— and probably grateful you can’t see how red his face is right now.

you chuckle softly.

“it does.” you say “it’s really pretty. thank you, sakura.” 

and the poor guy is now blushing even harder.

he found out you were sick this morning. usually, he would hear your door every morning before he left for school —you always left earlier than him, since your classes and your job are both on the other side of the city. but today, there was only silence. no sound of the coffee machine, no rustling clothes, no soft curses about running late. 

he might’ve ignored it, but he remembered you telling him how busy this week would be, how you couldn’t afford to miss classes with exams just around the corner. you had said all that while taking care of him when he was sick —thinking he was asleep. but he heard every word.

so when he saw light under your door and knocked with no response, he panicked. he didn’t care about being late to class, no one in furin would really care. so he grabbed the emergency key you’d given him just in case and let himself in.

the apartment was dark, except for the faint glow coming from under the door of your bedroom. you didn’t answer when he called your name —quietly, not wanting to startle you— so he stepped inside.

then he saw you

you were huddled under the blanket, your phone still in your hand like you’d fallen asleep waiting for a message or a call. your limbs stretched out across the futon, half uncovered, as if the heat was unbearable —but you were shivering like you were freezing.

it was more than obvious you were sick, but he didn’t want to wake you. you looked anything but peaceful, but you also looked exhausted, and he knew how hard your week had been. so he just stood there for a moment —then quietly stepped back out.

later, across town at furin, sakura was so distracted thinking about you, he tripped over suo twice during patrols.

“what’s bothering you, sakura?” suo asked, catching his arm before he could fall again. “you look worried.”

the two-colored-hair guy stood up straight, freeing himself from his friend's grasp —again, and mumbled a "thank you", avoiding his gaze.

“it’s nothing. just...” he’d told them about you before, but mentioning you in front of his classmates still made him go red. “yn’s sick, and i want to help her”

suo raised a brow.

"oh, i see." he said, a grin growing on his face.

“i mean, because she helped me when i was sick. and i want to return her the favor, i owe her.” sakura added quickly, now flustered.

it’s tsugeura who intervened then.

"yn? the neighbor you're always talking about?”

“i don't always talk about her!" sakura protested.

right then, as if summoned by some invisible signal, nirei, kiryu, and the others turned around, stopping dead.

"she's sick? seriously?" nirei asked, already pulling out his phone like he was about to write down a shopping list.

overwhelmed, sakura could only nod.

"i want to bring her something to help her feel better."

so, when returning to the class with the rest of his classmates, sakura found himself stuck in the middle of an impromptu meeting, surrounded by half his class in a discussion about what to bring you to feel better.

“we should buy some medicines and vitamins for her!” nirei was saying, his concern genuine. 

he didn’t even know you personally—none of them did. but since their grade captain seemed completely smitten for you, they were all too happy to help out on his behalf.

“she was shivering but looked flushed?” suo asked after hearing sakura’s description of how he had found you “sounds like a fever. we should get some cold compresses, and medicine too”

“eating is important too, in case she wakes up hungry” kiryu added “soup could be good. and a drink she likes, sugary for her to regain strength.” 

the conversation spiraled for a while, everyone adding something new they should bring to their grand captain’s neighbor —who was, definitely, not as excited as them.

it was not only the worry for your wellbeing now, it was a tight, bitter feeling in his stomach. if he had to define the sensation, he would have catalogued it as very uncomfortable and very weird.

because he didn’t like the idea of his classmates —his friends, he reminded himself— taking care of you, or buying things for you, at all. he knew they were just trying to help him, but going to your apartment and looking after you personally?

no. he didn’t want that.

first of all, sakura didn’t want them to meet you at all. yes, he’d told them about you several times —when you helped him with the hot water of the shower, the times you’ve brought him leftover desserts from your restaurant because you know he likes them, or when you went to his house, despite having a very busy day and being tired, to make sure his fever was going down and that he was eating properly. 

sakura never let on how much you meant to him —but you’re precisely that: part of his life, not theirs. and maybe it wasn’t fair, but he didn’t want to share you.

second of all, he didn’t want you to meet them either. he would never say it out loud, but the thought terrified him —that you’d fall for suo’s kindness, nirei’s soft smile or kiryu’s charm; that you’d just realize that everyone has something better than him. 

more than anything, he just wanted to stay your favorite.

was that selfish?

“i will do it.” he said, then, cutting off the class' whole conversation “i’ll buy everything you said, and go take care of her myself. after all, it’s me who gave this virus to her.” all the eyes moved to him in this new silence. then he realized he might had appeared ungrateful, so he added —“and, um. thank you all. for your help.”

none of his classmates answered, though. he felt a little intimidated by the silence.

suo was grinning, kiryu had raised an eyebrow, and tsugeura was the one who asked out loud what everyone was thinking —“¿what do you mean you gave the virus to her?”

sakura found himself out of words for a few seconds.

“well, she took care of me when i was sick, too.” he finally said, looking away “i told her it wasn’t necessary, but she insisted on staying the night with me in case my fever raised while asleep. i think she got it then."

“oh. so she stayed the night at yours?”

suo laughed. tsugeura asked again.

“and how close were you two, for her to get your sickness too?”

sakura realized then what they were implying. his cheeks got tinted by a pale shade of pink when he shook his head, panicked.

“no! no, it’s nothing like that. she just… she helped me, that’s all. i didn’t event want her to, my plan was to wait until i felt better, but she insisted on staying…”

but there was no turning back now. during the rest of the morning, the only thing sakura received was a constant teasing from his classmates —it was so bad, that at the end of the school day, before going back home, umemiya reached him to give him a flower for his sick girlfriend, who would definitely appreciate it, and it would make her feel better.

so here he is now, telling you how all his classmates —all his friends— helped him to choose what he had to bring for you, his cheeks and nose slightly flushed and his hand absentmindedly on the back of his neck.

and, even after the soup and emptying a whole bottle of water, your forehead is still hot and the fever remains blurring your thoughts. so, now looking him at his eyes —thinking how cute he looks when he isn’t able to hold your gaze— you don’t rethink it when straightly saying out loud:

“you look so pretty when you blush.” 

and you know you’ve messed him up, because he’s blushing even harder, and he stutters when telling you about his journey on the search of the best soup flavor. 

you can't but let slip a low giggle when he finishes his story.

“thank you so much for coming, sakura.” you thank him, knowing well he isn’t able to say anything right now —you've never seen anyone get so timid after a compliment “i mean it.” 

still shy, he lowers his head and looks at his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

“it’s nothing, really. i’m just returning you the favor, for helping me when i was sick.” 

you both know that’s not true at all, but none of you mentions it. you play along, then —“still. im glad you’re taking care of me, even if it’s just because you feel you owe me.” 

sakura waits a few seconds before answering this one. he has stopped playing with his shirt, and is now distracted folding the clothes he used as cold compresses. 

he mumbles, almost unintelligibly, his reply.

“i’m taking care of you because i do care about you.” 

you giggle at his cheeks becoming even redder after his word.

“what did you say? i think i didn’t hear you, sorry.” you ask, teasing him a little.

there's a moment of silence after that—not awkward, but warm, lingering.

sakura has gone quiet again. you’re both still, the soft hum of your room’s air-conditioning the only sound between you. his gaze flickers to yours for a second, then drops to his hands again. you can see his fingers fidget with the hem of his shirt again, then still, as if trying to gather courage.

the air feels different now —not fever-warm, but tender.

to your surprise, he suddenly raises his head, and fixes his gaze on yours —grey and gold eyes shining under the warm light of your room. looks like he's lost all shyness, even if only for a moment.

“i said i do care about you. not only for a favor.” sakura repeats, now louder. and right after, all the courage he gathered seems to disappear from his body, because he, again, looks away “and i want you to feel better… so that you can, uh, come with and try that omurice im telling you about all the time."

you raise a brow. he does the same, but he looks funny, because his gaze is on the door of the closet —it looks like he's trying to tease your clothes, and not you.

“unless you don’t wanna come, of course, but i assure you you’d be missing the opportunity of a lifetime.” he adds.

a soft chuckle leaves your lips, and you can’t help it —mirroring his, your cheeks turn a pale shade of pink that has nothing to do with the fever that finally starts disappearing. 

since he opened your window, the birds’ whistling fill the room as background noise, sun rays tickling your exposed skin —you have long forgotten the blanket, due to the heat of the apartment, on a corner of your room. 

you’re sitting on the futon now, hands playing with the only compress he didn’t yet fold. you are not really sure of how, or when, has the atmosphere become so intimate, but you feel the need to whisper the next time you talk.

“yeah, sakura.” you say, eyes lingered on his black and white down eyelashes. suddenly, you feel too flustered to look at him in the eyes. 

it's an answer to the question he hasn't yet asked.

“yeah, what?” he asks, looking at you again. “you don’t wanna come?”

you shake your head, then smile sweetly. 

“yeah, i would be missing the opportunity of a lifetime if i didn’t try that omurice you tell about all the time, going on a date with you.”

sakura doesn't respond immediately.

in fact, you’re pretty sure you just broke him —he just stares at you, stunned, as if unsure if whether you just said was real or part of your fever's delirium. but then, very slowly, he smiles.

it's small, shy, but completely sincere. and for a second, it feels as if the warmth in your face isn't from the fever anymore—but from him, and the way he looks at you like you are his opportunity of a lifetime. 

you both stay quiet for a while, wrapped in warmth, in sunlight, in something that feels a lot like a beginning. small smiles in both your faces, as if sharing a secret no one but you know about.

you can’t help but stare. 

he looks so pretty —cheeks tinted pink, two colored hair disheveled, pressed reddish lips due to bashfulness, the collar of his white plain shirt revealing part of his collarbones. 

you had thought he was handsome, the first time you saw him, carrying boxes into his new apartment. then you discovered he was more on the cute side, after getting to know him and learning how sweet he is —even despite his tsundere personality.

as if refuting your trail of thoughts, he breaks the eye contact and you let out a sincere, soft giggle.

“cute.” you say, a smirk on your face.

“shut up.” his face is, again, all red under the black and white frame of his hair. he mumbles “you’re cuter.” 

then he gets up, still avoiding your gaze —that follows him, entertained, as he picks up the empty bowl of soup and carries it to the kitchen. after leaving it on the sink, he takes the medicine and a bottle of water, and passes them to you.

“come on, now, take your meds,” your expression says it everything, disgust clear on your face when he brings the pill to you. he raises both brows, and now it’s his turn to smirk “or, i will not be able to take you on that date you talk about.” 

you groan as a complain, but still take the pill he’s offering you, and swallow it with a long sip of water, obediently. 

as he walks back toward the kitchen, you can’t help but smile softly.

“if this is how you’re going to take care of me, i might have to get sick more often.”

sakura chuckles, and doesn't hesitate before replying —his voice coming lightly from behind the kitchen door, where you can’t see his face.

“are you sure about that?” he calls back  “that’s a shame, ‘cause my mom always said sick people couldn’t get kisses —and i’m not really the type to go against her advice.”

you roll your eyes, grinning, with no comeback on the tip of your tongue at all. he wins this one, surprisingly.

you never thought you’d end up falling for the shy kitty-looking boy next door —but your heart’s not exactly complaining.

masterlist.

pls lmk what u think in the comments, reblogging, through messages, asks or wtv!! feedback is important to me in these first posts and i'd appreciate it a lot 🤲🏼

﹫luvseisagi, april 2025.

[colossrat]

So, Billy is actually Bruce's biological son.

Marylyn married CC when she was already pregnant, CC knew and was okay with it, they really love each other and Bruce was just an accident? I don't know.

A few years later, Ebezener tries to sell this information, someone from the Waynes or Kanes, I don't know about that side of the lore… Are the Kanes still alive? Sorry, I'm ignorant in that area. SOMEONE is going to pay him to shut up. So they sell Billy again to a bunch of bad guys who are going to sell him AGAIN to somewhere, I don't know, far away from Gotham.

Well, but Billy is kind of like "oh my Gods, why this is my life", so he uses his powers, leaves the place as Cap and, as a bonus, he even gets Ebezener's money, the one the Kanes give him to shut up.

Kate, Batwoman, finds out, tells Bruce about this whole crap situation and now Batman is opening an operation to find this secret biological son, who was apparently sold to someone, but a mysterious magical person came there and saved him and the other children who were also being trafficked, but who??? This is a very secret operation, of course, only Wonder Woman, Superman and the Batfam are there to really know the details.

Well, but one day, like, YEARS after all this suffering, because Bruce never managed to locate this secret child that he now thinks is DEAD, boom, a child shows up on a mission, 15, 16 years old maybe, the age his secret son would be… blue eyes, dark hair, pale as paper, skinny, but yeah, it's pretty obvious. It's something immediate, but before he can say anything, someone else shows up, hugging the kid and saying that he was really worried.

Yeah, guys, Cap and Billy got separate cliche, but well, the JL, needed help, so they went to help them like this.

Billy is Billy, 16 year old Billy, and Marvel doesn't look like CC Batson, but rather like an adult version of Billy. Bodytpe less like Superman and more like Nightwing.

And then they introduce themselves as CAPTAIN MARVEL'S ADOPTED CHILDREN. Yes, we have Recruit (Billy) and Lightning (Thavma).

And so yes, they are helping the League, guiding them out of that evil, magical cave, and the League keeps asking questions.

Recruit, sitting on Lightning's shoulder: Uh… yeah, so, actually I… was going to… get taken by a metahuman taffricking ring, Lightning saved me and after that we really didn't want to be apart, he convinces Cap to adopt me too, and now he helps me with my magic training and everything. But I'm Lightning's… sidekick. Not Marvel's, that's why you guys and I have never really met.

Flash: Yeah, but like, even if we never met you since your hero job its not Marvel related, how come we never met Lightning? It feels like he's been a hero for a few years or more.

Lightning: I don't really like being seen. Im more of an underground hero? I want to help, but I honestly don't know how to deal with the public like Cap does. So I help in the shadows. I help, and then I'm gone. Maybe I'm more of a vigilante..? Not a hero.

And Batman's like, "I want to adopt you two now," but he's also like, "My baby found a good, powerful family, what right do I have to tell him about our kinship? What if this ruins everything for him? He's fine. He doesn't need me," but it destroys him.

He sees the way Recruit fights, remembers him of little Dick, jumping around and doing silly stunts. And his smile, so bright, so hopeful, so happy.

He hears his laugh and it calms something inside him.

"He's fine. He's happy, that's enough for me."

Billy and Cap actually take a long time to undo the magic spell that separated them, so they end up covering Marvel for other missions, and one day, Billy kind of spills the beans.

Kon: So, about your birth parents… Are they dead? Didn't they come after you were rescued from trafficking? Recruit: Uh, so… My parents are dead, but my dad was not my biological father, or something… My shitty uncle sold that information to my bio "family", I guess, and they're super rich, so they probably didn't want me to ruin their image in high society as some bastard orphan, so they were the ones who cut me out of that circle from the start. From what I heard when I was in the ring, my... Progenitor, has a lot of bastards already, and the family was happy to be able to stop another one from coming to steal their fortune or something. assholes, I never wanted to meet them in the first place, even if my uncle had dropped me with them, I wouldn't stay, I'd rather live on the streets again.

And some of the batfam, who know all about this "he's the one" thing, are there, listening, and they already know that these words are breaking Bruce from the inside out.

Lightning: You're being mean. We don't even know if they sold you out. The… Big guy seems to like adopting and doesn't care about their background. I believe it was a decision by the old conservative family heads.

Recruit: Don't sugarcoat it for the rich, they already pay people to do it. yeah, i know, maybe this is that "no he wouldn't do that" thing, but i wanted to write a sadder au with angst and misunderstandings and a sentimental bruce who longs to be a present father with a bonus of thavma and billy being brothers :D

[walnutcookie]

Can I PWEASE have a list of headcannons of TOS Glisten amd maybey a dooble? I BEG OF YOU.... am sad :(

OUUGHHHH ok thinks. Hm. i suppose i will dump a few facts abt tos glisten and come up with some stuff on the spot too maybe lol

He does his own makeup every morning, as well as looeys :3 he practiced really hard and now its like part of their routine for him to sit down and do both their makeup for like an hour cause hes got to get it perfect hehe. Looey finds it very fun and he likes the makeup glisten does :] they werent actually designed to be wearing makeup, this was something that glisten found he enjoyed doing, and arthur found it enhanced their designs n gave them a bit more color so he encouraged it !! (it was also really cool as an artist to see his creations being creative and artistic so he wanted to encourage it)

looey is clumsy, thats an easy assumption. however most people wouldnt guess that glisten is even MORE clumsy. he tries so hard not to be because its utterly humiliating to trip on his bow constantly and fall flat on his face but try as he may he cant just stop being accident-prone </3 Cannot tell you how many times this guy has covered himself head to toe in paint and just stood there like a sopping wet cat trying not to embarrass himself any further by bursting into tears. its very hard to just brush it off and insist that everything you do is perfect when you look like youre cosplaying a smurf. looey is very understanding and tries very very hard to help him out, either helping him avoid accidents or comforting him when hes made a fool out of himself again.

fun fact!!! the toons all have their own sets of custom-made pajamas :3 I do plan on making designs for all of them someday too... glisten wears super elaborate and decorated frilly white pajamas but he has sensory issues and some (most) nights the texture and feeling of the clothes makes him want to gouge his own eyes out so he sacrifies his looks for coziness. looey doesnt care about how his clothes feel so he just switches with glisten and they look very silly GHAHAHA he would not be caught dead like that though

looey gets a lot of nightmares, and when they were younger he would go sleep in glistens room. It became a habit so they just have a sleepover in glistens room every night basically lol

hes scared of yatta. While yatta, looey and blot arent a trio together in their jobs theyre still a very close friend group so yatta often visits their floor to hang out with looey or looey will go visit yatta :P glisten finds her unsettling and startling though. but he also really likes her cooking. so he'll ask looey to request his favorite soup from yatta.... and then immediately slip on a crayon while walking out of the kitchen and spill it all over himself LOSER!!!!!!

he has a whole wall in his room of art kids have drawn of him, like he will take EVERYTHING. it makes him very happy. even the ones that are just incomprehensible scribbles from a 5 year old it makes him feel loved and admired and appreciated he will take any scrap of paper with his face on it that he can get

he gets a case of the giggles whenever hes embarrassed which makes him MORE embarrassed which makes him giggle more and it becomes a never-ending cycle of Glisten Torture and then he has to hide behind the fridge for the next 3 months because hes made a fool out of himself. joking usually hes able to stop himself but hes very self-conscious about it

his favorite color is actually pink but purple is good enough because he must be on theme

gets impatient with the kids he deals with sometimes, but he knows not to take it out on them. sometimes it gets annoying when a kid cant draw a straight line for the life of them. and sometimes it gets annoying when some 6 year old decides to grab one of your ribbons with their grubby little hands coated in orange paint and then you trip and fall on your face AND your bow is dirty. okay that one may warrant a nasty look but nothing more. he'll say things through gritted teeth sometimes but he'll always be nice to the kids

glisten doodle for you ! :]

[slaaverin]

Telepathy

I was reading Jimin's interview (link) and this excerpt made me think:

There’s a song titled, “Telepathy.” When you streamed yourselves in production on YouTube, the group mentioned the idea of telepathy which made me think you were sending the song directly to your fans. If you could talk to them through telepathy, what would you say?

Jimin: People have kind hearts, and I just hope they don’t let that go. You asked about telepathy, but I think we really do have a telepathic connection with our fans. It’s not crystal clear or anything, but I think if we’re sincere then they can feel it somehow. I think that’s why our fans support us and are always by our side.

I believe many jikookers share a telepathic connexion with each other (hearts connected through love, shared dreams with same themes, same line of thinking ect..)

But did you ever feel a telepathic connexion with Jimin & Jungkook themselves?

Did you ever dream of them? Because I heard many jikookers often having dreams with them and I wondered if it happened to you too.

I think it's also funny how many of us have often the same intuitions/feelings about what might be coming for jikook and BAM what we thought happens and it simply reinforces us in our beliefs.

Are we really one flock of birds? 😂

I will kickstart the sharing:

I dreamed not long ago that jikook were doing their live and that they were more happy and in love than ever. We were a group of fans seeing them in person a few meters away from them and while we watched them jikooking I thought "Am I really allowed to watch?? Maybe I shouldn't" but then Jungkook made a gesture to me that we were allowed to film them so I took my phone out and started filming but my phone had a weird frame around it that said "One in an army" and I kept filming while being giddy and you know like I was allowed to do something I wasn't supposed to and then the moment ended I stopped filming. Jungkook talked to me a little bit and after that jikook left. All the fans were happy. End of dream.

Funny, right?

Please share your experiences too regarding this potential "telepathic connexion" between us and jikook, or some syncronicities you had with them or other jikookers.

It might be interesting to see how the community experiences it 💜

[rika-mmendmethings]

HELP IM FINDING THIS RN IM SO LATE AND VERY APOLOGETIC ABOUT IT 😭 Anyway, tysmmmm @blessdunrest for the tag, appreciate it very much, lovely 𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡

Name: While I can't give my name here for some reasons, one of my most used nicknames is Rika and that is why I go by it. In lads, I go by ae-ri which is just the middle part of my name flipped if that makes sense (Im crazy sry)

Vibe: a finance student doing part time internship in a corporate with a heart of literature because my mum is a lit prof. Fridays are the days where I give a damn about the world cuz there's too many files and my manager thinks I'm the second-coming of a supercomputer or shit and can sort them last minute. Always late, never ugly. My jewelry game never misses and I take pride in that. Very bubbly and a yapper until a migraine hits me.

Your favorite trope you'd die for: ANGST WITH A HAPPY ENDING (or not) Listen I'm probably the most carefree person you could meet but god my reading choices need to wreck me emotionally. Enemies to lovers, second fav period. I suck with a capital S while trying to write it and not get frazzled in the process (Mirage is an example) BUT I do love me a good yummy enemies to lovers. My third favorite trope has to be friends-to-lovers which is basically my love life in a book trope lol. I started reading murder mysteries a lot which also makes it also one of my fav tropes. I have lots and lots of more tropes that I could list here but it'd get too long.

The unhinged fic idea you haven’t written yet but think about daily: Listen fam, I have... lemme count... 21-25 fic ideas for all LaDS leads in my head rn, including series and one-shots. I'm a Sylus and Raf girlie through and through but also love each Ll's characters and wish to write for each one of them in future. Currently, the most prominent one in my head is a Sylus series where reader is a surrogate and ova donor for MC and Sylus' baby and a series of events follow during the one year she lives with the Qin family. I'll write a few filler chapters for this before releasing it.

Trauma dump (optional): My loyalty gets tested a lot and I usually find myself as the only one trying to keep friendships for a little longer. I have trucks of emotional trauma from my family mainly and I try to become more understanding but sometimes it becomes very hard not to break down. It's like this for me: "If I cry, who will wipe my loved ones' tears?" Academics is very stressful especially since I don't usually get that motivational drive but I manage. I have subjected myself to self-harm before when things got out of hand but am finally bringing myself out of that void.

That's all about me. Tell me sum about yourself. Don't really have any tags in mind rn I'm drowsy sry but whoever wants to join, feel free to do so!!! ✗♡✗♡

Tell me:

Your name (or just your vibe)

Your favorite trope you’d die for

The unhinged fic idea you haven’t written yet but think about daily

Or honestly? Just how you’re doing. Be feral. Be soft. Trauma dump in the tags. I’ll probably relate.

𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐌𝐄

[ 𝐚𝐤𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐬 ]

Hi besties!

Since I'm currently procrastinating on my thesis in the most academically valid way (read: blogging about it instead of writing it), I thought now's the perfect time for a little get-to-know-me post!

Pull up a chair. Bring snacks. Let's trauma bond.

𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 : Elisabeth Eve (yes, it sounds like a tragid heroine, I'm doing my best to live up to it).

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐬 : She/Her

𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 : Pisces ♓—aka: intuitive, emotionally wrecked by fictional characters, would 100% fall in love with a brooding ghost in a crumbling manor. I cry about my own WIPs. No regrets.

𝐯𝐢𝐛𝐞 : Haunted victorian literature student, but she owns lip gloss and maybe a sword.

𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈'𝐦 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 : Currently writing my english lit thesis on female sexuality in popular BookTok books—which is important, necessary work... that unfortunately requires me to say things like "breeding kink as empowerment" in front of my very, VERY male, very buttoned-up advisor who has definitely never read a romance novel in his life.

Every meeting is a delicate dance where I try to explain why it matters that women are allowed to be horny in fiction—without actually saying the word "horny." Spoiler: I fail every time.

He once asked, with the most innocent confusion, "And... these books... are popular?" and I had to sit there, maintaining eye contact, while explaining the plot of a 500-paged romantasy (with a shadow daddy) that sold out in Target.

The thesis itself? Genuienly about how female readers are carving out space to explore desire without shame. The process of writing it? 60% passion, 40% praying my advisor doesn't ask me to define "breeding kink" again.

𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 : Emotinally constipated men. Unresolved tension. Slow burns that drag everyone to hell and back—me included.

My stories are 50% poetic thirst, 30% internal monologue spirals, 20% lace, and 100% repressed longing.

If no one is whispering something devastating in the dark and then losing their entire will to live over a single wrist touch, did I even write it?

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐢'𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 :

a 6k Sylus fanfic that was supposed to be "just a drabble" and is now emotionally unwell.

a vampire x reincarnated soulmate novel where no one is okay, least of all me

hydrating like an adult.

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐦𝐞 :

Enemies to lovers but they cry about it later.

"Touch her and die" but he's the one begging for scraps of affection

Lovers seperated by time/war/miscommunication/his repressed trauma

One bed, hand brush, forbidden glance, painful silence that says everything.

𝐟𝐮𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞 :

I get emotionally attatched to one line of dialogue and it ruins my week.

I cannot write a single kiss without someone suffering first.

I will romanticize anything if you give me long enough and a vaguely dramatic soundtrack.

I hoard beautiful words like a magpie hoards shiny trash.

Okay but now I wanna know about you.

Who are you? What are you writing? What fictional character is currently living in your head rent-free and eating all your snacks?

Tell me:

Your name (or just your vibe)

Your favorite trope you’d die for

The unhinged fic idea you haven’t written yet but think about daily

Or honestly? Just how you’re doing. Be feral. Be soft. Trauma dump in the tags. I’ll probably relate.

Reblog with your answers, yell in the replies, or just send me asks like we’re already mutuals. Let’s emotionally spiral together 💌

@someprettyname @blessdunrest @wolfofcelestia @lovenstan @tsukiimonster OR anyone else who wants to hop on this little “get to know me” train—please. I’m begging. Distract me before I start monologuing to my thesis again. — Sylus Little Crow (aka Elisabeth Eve)

[anitabrassi]

Do you have any favourite fics? I’m on the hunt for new recs, please help 🙏

Happy to serve! Sorry it took me few days, this is one hell of a week work-wise for me right from Monday 😮‍💨 Oh you don't know how much I love talking about all the amazing fics out there. I picked up some of my faves, but also the ones that I feel are not so well-known and didn't see them making it to other fic rec lists.

Most of them are locked, so you'll need an AO3 account.

Little Birds by CoolPaisley This one is detective AU. Be warned, because I LOVE AUs, so they will make appearance several other times in this list. This one is Miles as a detective and Alex as a failed drunkard novelist. The plot goes little bit over the top at the end, but I still love the premise and the way it's written; when reading it, I was really smitten by how much it's different from other fics in Milex fandom. I also enjoy when they're portrayed as faulty people doing regrettable things and acting foul (and human).

All These Twenty Years on a Vacation by affectiontorend Great oneshot in a form of voice message that'll leave you with bitter taste in your mouth.

Factory Settings by Lizz_88 Where should I start… I think Lizz_88 is the best writer out there, the literal level of this one is touching high heavens; it's brilliant, every sentence, every metaphor in its right place, and it's not overdone. Just beware, because the story itself is very dark and brutal and the subject of extreme masochism/self-destruction is touched. Also the only story I cried to (party because I didn't want it to end, partly because it really is tragically touching. Ouch my heart.)

Drown My Secrets in the Thames by Lizz_88 The newest story by Lizz_88. Read it, because she truly is a terrific writer and since it is kinda recent, I think not enough people have give it love (and kudos and comments).

The Italian Job by stereobone Perfect mixture of small, slow-rolling plot, tension between Alex and Miles, domesticity and sexy times. Oh and I've got soft spot for all the fics set in Italy and Sicily ❤︎

Come Closer by KattyLashes Stand-alone little AU in which teacher Alex goes on a blind date and meets Miles. Katty has huge portfolio of Milex fics, but I especially like to come back to this one. And what I like about Katty is you can really feel how much she enjoys writing these two.

Good for It by ReconciledViolence An AU scene--a vignette--set in crimi and noir tone. It's nothing but a steamy snippet, but I love it. I love both Miles and Alex are painted as a characters with somehow dark background and you can fantasize what was before or what might come next.

The Reinvention of Amerlie Jonquille by LaNaturalBreezeOf_Book A must-read. It's an amazing saga of 'what could possibly be' and a take on creating TLSP3. I won't say anything else, just go and read it. Read everything by LaNaturalBreeze by the way.

edit: I'll probably make part 2, just have to dig around a bit in my memory and gather up another round of stories.

[mission-light-if]

Mission Light - Lawyer Path Part 2 - Out Now!

Hello guys, it's me again :)

First of all, I know I said that I would try to upload the update by the 8th of April, but yeah, that didn't happen, obviously.

Before my top surgery, a lot happened, and I had no time to finish everything.

I also lost some of the things I had written because I was careless.

I was frustrated about that, and after the surgery, I needed some time to recover. I also had a few complications, and university started again.

By now, I've managed to rewrite a lot of what was lost, but not everything.

Since I finally want to put something out there, and it's been six months since I originally wanted to finish the lawyer prologue, I've decided to upload what I have so far.

Which, in itself, is also a lot—I'd estimate it to be around 170,000–180,000 words :)

Now, there are still about 3-4 things missing, but when you play the new update, you'll notice that I added a short text/info when that's the case.

I will add those sections in the future. There are also some more minor things I want to add here and there, so my work on the lawyer prologue isn't finished yet.

However, since I have worked on it so much, I’m really tired of seeing it at the moment. So maybe I'll start working on the next chapter first and then get back to what’s missing in the lawyer prologue later on to regain some motivation/fun in writing. I've been wanting to start the next chapter for so long; I finally want to write all the scenes I've been planning and more.

Honestly, it’s been an up-and-down process. Sometimes I was really motivated, sometimes I wasn't, and there were just parts I kept putting off because I had no fun writing them, but I needed them for the progression of the story. So, the quality of the writing may differ in some parts.

I also have to fix the scaling and the relationship/flirt points for some characters/parts, but that's something that only concerns me for now since they aren’t really relevant at the moment, but yeah.

Starting now, I want to do weekly updates. That means, at the end of every week, I’ll upload a new version with everything I’ve written and done during that week, so please remember that. It could be a new choice, just one new paragraph, or maybe a lot of new content.

I will always tell you what I added/changed, though.

If you find any bugs/code problems, please let me know on Tumblr :)

I also try to answer the remaining asks at some point, but it may take some time since I have an important exam coming up that I can’t fail because it's my second-to-last chance to pass.

Nonetheless, I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved.

It’s been almost a year since I started working on this project, and even though I would have liked to have published more by now, I’m really happy with what I’ve done so far.

The way it’s going right now, I’ll probably be writing this for like 5 more years, but that’s okay—art takes time, and I know I function differently than others, in the way I work, think, and how my energy levels work.

I’ve worked for at least three hours almost every day on this project, at least on the days I was home and not out, and it's the most, the longest, and the most consistent thing I’ve ever done.

Even if my writing, storytelling, progression, and choices aren't perfect, I’m happy I started this. Otherwise, it would have forever remained a dream of mine.

This is the project I always wanted to do: writing, game mechanics, my art, and my characters. So, I think this will be sort of my life project.

It's really, really far in the future, but at one point, I would love to add maybe a mini webtoon, mini-games, a better sidebar, more lore, game mechanics like a diary or letters, a timeline, some voiced lines, etc., stuff like that, and maybe even a character creator drawn by me, where you can create your own character.

That way, when I finish everything, I’ll truly have my dream work of art, incorporating all forms of art I like and everything I mentioned before.

I am grateful for every person reading and liking my story; it means so much to me.

Now for the update

This update includes:

Updated Prologue and First Part:

I changed a lot of the writing/internal struggles of the main character

I added the possibility to play matchmaker between Hongyu and Marcos/Maria

I added more depth to the main character's past with Noel and the lingering effects

I also changed a lot of the choices and their outcomes

I added a new system for Noel and the main character's dynamic (hate him, believe in good/nostalgia, afraid of him)

The New Second Part:

Meet Noel again and deal with him in different ways

Learn about your coworkers' superpowers

Pick one of two choices, leading to two entirely different fight paths

Awaken your own powers

Decide how to approach the fight with Noel (on both paths), leading to many individual fight outcomes (the two different broader paths with 4 main splits and even more choices on one, and 2-3 splits on the other)

Meet another agent, Min, in the aftermath of the fight and deal with everything that happened

Ask more questions and figure out more about what’s going on and went on behind the scenes

Prepare/start to get ready to confront Noel and his group in the next chapter to finally end things once and for all

Meet more agents (Sinan and Nayla) in the end and meet your group's pet dog, Vin :)

That’s it for now :)

Take care,

Jakob

Play here

[ofliterarynature]

MARCH 2025 WRAP UP

[ loved liked okay nope dnf (reread) book club* ]

The Blue Castle • (The Witness for the Dead) • Sorcery and Small Magics • (The Grief of Stones) • Heartless • Masquerade in Lodi • Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender* • The Tomb of Dragons • The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics • The Island of Dr. Moreau • The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher • Service Model • Penric's Mission • The Tea Dragon Society • Nabokov's Favorite Word is Mauve

* * * * *

The Blue Castle - I haven't read any of Montgomery's work since Anne in high school so I was definitely curious how this would go. I did enjoy reading it? Conceptually it's great, I absolutely loved this browbeaten young spinster get a (seemingly) fatal diagnosis and say, "To hell with it! What has behaving ever gotten me anyway!" and then proceed to have the time of her life. Extremely lucky for her that everything worked out well in the end. Certainly had a pleasant time reading it, but I don't think it hit me much deeper than that.

The Witness for the Dead - reread for the third or fourth time I think? Honestly I think this might still be my favorite in the series, probably because the fanfic writers really took it and ran with it in some incredible directions, which in many ways has definitely blunted any disappointments I may have had with the other books. Surprisingly this was only my second time reading The Grief of Stones, which I really had meant to reread before this. Tonally this is a much darker and tense book for me - not that murder isn't dark, but the plot revolving around pornography and the exploitation of women and girls, and Thara's not-quite helplessness when it's technically out of his jurisdiction - this really isn't an easy read and even this time left my stomach in knots. (side note: much kudos to the producer or whoever on the audiobooks, I couldn't tell you the last time I had an audiobook so perfectly paced that I didn't need to speed up past 1x)

Sorcery and Small Magics: honestly, pretty meh for me for most of the book, but the relationship drama did finally hook me a bit in the end? If the next book had already been out I probably would have read it, but idk about waiting. I wish the boys the best on figuring their shit out.

Heartless - I was only so-so on this series to begin with and was mostly reading it as something silly to lighten the mood, but this one was absolutely meh. It felt very repetitive and I don't plan on finishing the series.

Masquerade in Lodi - maybe not my favorite Penric book, but still fun and a nicely self-contained mystery!

Before We Were Trans - god!!! This is unfortunately the type of nonfiction that falls out of my head as soon as I've read it, but it was so fascinating! Basically, real world examples of things I like reading about most in queer fiction. Definitely hope to read again and retain a bit more.

The Tomb of Dragons - very much enjoyed reading this! Tonally it reminded me more of the first book rather than the second, which made me very happy. Not to mention Maia!!! I'm not pleased with every decision Addison made (and if you've looked at reviews you probably know which parts), but overall I'm fairly content (and also because there's fanfiction). The main thing that bugs me IS the end, because I'm very unhappy that Thara didn't get to leave Amalo under his own volition. Boo. I can't decide if I'd want another book or not.

The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics - finally got around to finishing this, I'd read about a third of it a few years ago as an ebook. I remember really liking it then, but as an audiobook in its entirely it was just ok. The romance didn't really suck me in and I think I was most interested in the embroidery and astronomy; and even there the plot was pretty thin.

The Island of Dr Moreau - I've been meaning to read this for a while, since it was the only major literary reference in The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter that I hadn't read. Hated it! I only finished it because it was so short.

The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher - another one that I'd partially read before on ebook, now finished on audio, and liked it a lot more the first time 🥲 For one, the audiobook was definitely not professional quality, it was very amateur, but got the job done. Otherwise, idk, it's definitely in the vein of "cozy fantasy," but doing a bit more in a way that I did find more readable than usual, but it still didn't quite work for me. Trying to decide if I want to read the author's new book or not.

Service Model - I really liked the beginning of this, and if I could rate it solely on the author's ability to write robots working themselves in circles until they get stuck I would give it 10/5, I really wanted to go bang my head against a wall in like, delight? Lol. The rest of the book was good, in a satire and allegory way, but not exactly what I was looking for. It felt smarter than me for sure.

Penric's Mission - the start to a new multi-book story arc that I'm currently in the middle of and liking very much! (And which introduces a reoccurring female character who gets to be a narrator, which Bujold really doesn't allow enough of in this series.)

The Tea Dragon Society - super cute and touching, but so short that I didn't really have time to get invested in it. Donated my copy to my friend's kids, who I hope will like it.

DNF

Nabokov's Favorite Word is Mauve - this one got a lot of positive interest in the TBR Takedown so I will just say - bad choice for audiobook! It references a lot of charts and graphs, and while it did its best to describe them, it just wasn't working. I don't think I'm invested enough to pick this up in print.

[just-b-wilde]

A Theory: A Path Toward Redemption or Tragedy

I promised my theory, and since I’ve only just now gotten to my computer, I’m going to write it down for you, even though I kept telling myself throughout the day that I wouldn’t get into it… but I guess I need to get it out of my system… because a few more thoughts crossed my mind…

Please read this at your own risk—I don’t think it’s going to be a very positive read.

If what Elisabeth said in the interview is really true, and Nick’s “betrayal” truly costs the women of Jezebel's their lives and June doesn’t forgive him… then I think Nick’s entire world will actually fall apart. And I don’t just mean that metaphorically—I mean it very literally.

Because what do we know? Nick tries to do everything for the woman he loves, so that she and their daughter can be safe. Nick’s love is selfless in many ways, because he always loved her—no matter what happened, even when she was far away, even when she was with Luke.

He gave her so much more than he ever got in return…

But even though it was complicated, June was always someone who loved him too. Her actions didn’t always reflect that, but there was never a direct rejection, never a clean break, no definitively closed door between them.

But what happens if June finally rejects him (for good) right after he had even the tiniest glimmer of hope that he could actually be with her? (Though honestly, I’m not sure he ever truly believed it could work…)

After everything he did for her?

I have no doubt that he feels a certain amount of guilt, but from my point of view, June holds a lot of the responsibility too—she set things in motion that led to where they did, and turning Nick into “the bad guy” feels incredibly selfish.

What would he have left then? Yes, he has a wife, and she’s expecting their child. But when it came to June, he was willing to leave them. I don’t think the story is setting up for Nick to live a happy family life with Rose…

And now we come to the core of my theory… if Nick did everything he could and the whole thing just turned against him, if that wasn't enough, if June rejects him and condemns him, I think that will be the final straw to his obvious guilt (we all saw he wasn't in a good place before she called). I think it will completely break his heart—and that’s just one step away from things ending badly.

I don’t know how or when it would happen, but in such a situation, I truly believe Nick would want to make it right somehow, to feel better in some way—and if he knows there’s no chance of getting June back, he might choose to sacrifice himself. For her… for the plan to fix things, for something big that the story would need—probably a final act of help or rescue for June.

I’m really starting to believe that it’s all heading in that direction—that Nick will want to redeem himself, and his broken state and shattered confidence will only push him toward that.

Sure, it’s still just my theory… thoughts that ran through my head, but I can’t shake the feeling that this is where it’s going…

And honestly, I don’t even know if it’s something I would want to see… Actually, if someone told me that this actually happened, I would seriously hesitate to watch the episode.

I'm more sad and disillusioned about the whole thing than I'm comfortable with... I would so love to be wrong, really. But my mind is stuck at the wrong point...

[mm-slashing-boy]

Day two of watching Arcane. I'm not sure how many episodes I'll be watching, maybe the whole rest of the first season. We'll see.

⚠️⚠️ SPOILERS FOR THE REST OF SEASON ONE BELOW ⚠️⚠️

Episode four, season one, Happy Progress Day! Oh, my lord. Bro, I feel so bad for Viktor. Like, I know he wasn't trying to take the credit since it was Jayce who discovered it, but imagine being one of the founding fathers of an innovative piece of technology, and nobody ever knew. All they knew about was your partner. DID HEIMERDINGER NOT SAY ANYTHING?? WHAT THE FUCK, THAT WAS YOUR ASSISTANT, DUDE. And, Jinx... Girl, what in the hell? Girl, you're better than this. C'mon.

Update pt. 2; Episode five, season one, Everybody Wants to Be My Enemy. VIKTOR, MY LOVE, MY LITTLE GENIUS. YOU MUST LIVE. DON'T YOU DARE DIE SO EARLY ON. Was very disappointed by the pseudo sex scene that went on between Jayce and Mel. JAYVIK SUPREMACY!! ✊✊ Kinda funny, though, how that scene was going on and constantly shifted to Viktor being angry. Again, I know this was probably done to show a difference in energy between but, like... How do you not see the gay annotations behind that?? Also, Vi and Caitlyn.. Very, very cute. Love to see it. AND IMAGINE DRAGONS LITERALLY GETTING THEIR OWN Arcane OCS IN THE SHOW?? They're my favorite band, and I love that for them.

Update pt. 3; Episode six, season one, When These Walls Come Tumbling Down. "He's like my brother," JAYCE, YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP. THAT IS YOUR LOVER, NOT YOUR BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER (/hj). Only a few episodes in and they're trying to kill off my OTP. I know they're doing it on purpose because of the one person who hates the ship, but COME ON. LET THEM BREATHE AND BE GAY. Okay, but, real talk? BABY VIKTOR IS SO FUCKING CUTE. HE'S JUST A LITTLE GUY, OH, MY GOD. I normally don't feel (platonic) affection towards child versions of my favorite characters, BUT VIKTOR IS THE EXCEPTION. Jinx got some reflecting to do methinks. AND THEY TOOK VI?? WHAT ABOUT CAITLYN?? HELL NO, BRO.

Update pt. 4; Episode seven, season one, The Boy Savior. VIKTOR, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, MAN?? DON'T END UP LIKE RIO. Man, oh, man, oh, man. Please, save my mans. Jayce, save your mans. GODDAMN. Ekko looks sick as hell. Love the design choice. And the whole fight he had with Jinx was great.

Update pt. 5; Episode eight, season one, Oil and Water. Caitlyn and Vi had their break-up scene already?? They'll make up, I'm sure of it (let me believe, guys—). VIKTOR, I SWEAR TO GOD, WHAT DID I JUST SAY?? DO 👏 NOT 👏 END 👏 UP 👏 LIKE 👏 RIO. Yes, you can walk and run again, and it's very beautiful, BUT YOU JUST BLEW UP SKY BY ACCIDENT. MAN, WHAT THE FUCK?? Also, Jayce is so hot when he's angry and swinging that hammer around. 🤭🤭 And you gotta cut that creepy shit out, Jinx. People will think you're a pervert. She got the iconic purple eyes now, though!

Update pt. 6; Episode nine, season one, The Monster You Created. This will be the final update for the day. Y'ALL, MY HEART IS FUCKING POUNDING. JINX, DON'T YOU DARE KILL MY VIKTOR AND JAYCE. MY JAYVIK. LET THEM LIVE. I did not expect to cry when Silco died, honestly, but I suppose he grew on me just a little. He was an enjoyable character. The whole "glow in the dark" fight sequence was really cool. I always love when that's done in animations. GUESS I GOTTA WAIT TO START SEASON TWO, THOUGH. FUCK.

[andragoras-in-vanity]

i actually already sew, nost of my summer wardrobe was designed and sewn by myself! and i know how to sew by hand! i hate it, but i know how! but yeah im unfortunately familiar with fiber arts hobbies spawning more fiber arts hobbies 🙃

my issue is less gendered clothing though and more that i blend styles and 'masculine' and 'feminine' styles in ways that arent typically historical even if theyre based on historical methods of styles? and i dont like compromising on that (which im starting to see i may not need to as long as i do it properly) only because i dont feel good in loose clothing, it doesnt make me feel good about myself. for example i love the details and embellishments on womens dresses from a lot of European cultures, but its hard to blend that into comfortable masc clothing. but im starting to see a few ways to adjust my usual designs and draw from different cultural techniques!! id just need to verify with my local group before i commit

i am glad to hear its not as strict as i thought though, there are a lot of aspects id prefer some leeway with but not a lot of groups that are similar outside of the sca 😭 im also perfectly okay if this leads to sheep. theres no way i wouldnt be happy with getting sheep out of this...

but i also really love that where i could easily situate myself in a knitting circle, id probably wont end up an expert in anything, but id also be able to mend things for others or try baking using older methods to feed anyone who needs it (which have always interested me but alas the chronic fatigue disagrees)

i think of all the cultures id be most interested in, the celtic ones have the biggest draw despite having some of the worst methods of recording it or were wiped from existence by various invaders, so i was worried that maybe i wouldnt get to indulge that side but if everyone tends to gravitate towards different ones that interest them maybe ill still get to learn more!!

do you know maybe if theres anything i could take part in with regards to combat without having to actually do any physical fighting? thats something i heavily admire but i know i cant do, but all i can think of takes more physical abilty than i have other than mending garb 🙃

either way, im excited and i cant get out there fast enough, i wonder what my local group will be like🥰 but i do know everyone ive seen involved is just so friendly and ready to help!!

Hi!! unlike a lot of the asks youve gotten lately, i dont have any advice or answers for anyone, but i do have a few questions for you!

im not worried about titles or how id be treated in the SCA as a trans person given the demographics of my area, but i AM kind of worried about things like clothing. i know there are some somewhat neutral options but having to be historically accurate kinda kills my usual method of blending historical clothing into androgyny, do you think theres any leway for things like that or would it be up to my local group entirely what theyd allow?

i was also wondering if the SCA is always so focused on such a specific geographic history (everything ive seen is either very english or somewhat scandinavian), or again is it up to the individual as long as its time period accurate? i think my local group would be the canton of seashire/barony of ruantallan so im sure theres at least a few people whod want to deviate, i just want to join a group like the SCA but i dont have much love for the english....

i also have a disability that makes it hard to travel and do stuff like pitch tents, i sometimes have to skip events. is that something id be able to compensate the group for in other ways if i need a little extra understanding sometimes? i dont feel right asking for help and not paying it back when its my own fault.

thanks for always helping us when we want to know things, ive wanted to join a group like this for so long but the SCA seems so strict that a two hour drive for someone who cant drive wasnt worth it, but now im moving and this new group gathers down the road from where im moving to so i figure maybe id try looking into it again! (im sorry this sounded like an email 🙃)

Hello, friend!

I have great news for you. :) The only requirement for garb in the SCA is that you make SOME attempt at pre-16th century clothing. That's it. That's the rule. Some people interpret this for themselves as being as strictly as historically accurate as they can, while others interpret it as doing what they can with the resources they have. It all depends on how you want to play your game. The other good news it that, just like today, people then played with fashion to fit their specific needs. So if you want to adjust your garb to something that is more comfortable for you, then by all means - do it!

When it comes to fashion among the populace, there are definitely trends that happen. But, like I mentioned before, there's also necessity in fashion. There was a little ice age happening from approximately 1300-1800, and so fashions tended to be layered and well... warm. That doesn't really work in some of our modern climates. In warmer Kingdom's you'll see a lot of Roman or Anglo-Saxon happening in the summer. In the winter, Viking tends to take over. You also find that fashions that are easier to make and wear are usually preferred over ones that are more complicated, expensive, or just unsuitable for the event.

In my Kingdom, there was a trend for a little while for each of the reigns to be themed. We've had a Persian reign, a Landsknecht reign, a Viking reign - and then the populace made garb to coincide with the theme of the reign, which did add some diversity to looks. Right now, I've noticed that Landsknecht is definitely on the rise in our particular area after Viking had a bit of a strangle hold for a while. It still does, really, because it's such an easy fashion to make, and can be comfortable in all climates depending on the material you use (linen for summer, wool for winter).

Everyone has their skills and talents, as well as their limitations. You can absolutely find something to contribute to your group based on your own capabilities. Coordinating the hospitality, offering to watch little ones, heck - even being in charge of making the field space reservations would be ways that you can contribute to the group event experience. If you are a crafter, an artist, a performer, or even filling an officer position or assisting an office with their duties. And if you're none of those things, that's fine, too. Events are more fun just having people there to share the experience with. No one will begrudge you for not doing something you are incapable of doing. If they do, then forget them - I'm your SCA Mom now, and you can come play with me.

I'm so glad that you're closer to a group and are going to be able to be involved! I hope that you have an amazing time - please let me know when you go and how everything went! I'm so excited for you.

Welcome to the dream!

[shroomerr]

Finally, my design for Mysterion!! this boy gave me so much heartache in the process of making this but its ok its all worth it for him <3

I also couldn't choose between the version with hair or without hair, so here's the one without under the cut (+ my initial drafts for his design):

[lovesickeros]

☆ de fontaine

{☆} characters furina {☆} notes cult au, imposter au, drabble, gender neutral reader {☆} warnings angst, suicidal thoughts, hurt / no comfort {☆} word count 1.4k

This wasn't fair. This wasn't fair. This wasn't fair!

She thought, for one moment, she could put the mask down and breathe – for one moment of daydreaming, she thought she could just be Furina. She thought she would finally get to live the live she should've had in the first place, the life she threw away to play God to an audience who saw her as nothing but a circus animal, dancing to their whims. Furina just wanted to be selfish for one brief and fleeting moment..and it was gone before she could even grasp it in her hand. A comet soaring past far out of her reach.

She can barely keep her hands from violently shaking as she looks down at them – broken and bloody and more a corpse then a person – and she feels so numb she can't even feel the rain pelting against her back. None of this is fair, she wants to scream, why is it always me? But her voice is silent beneath the torrent of rain. She wonders if the ocean would take her if she sank into it's depths – just for a moment, she wonders how it would feel to finally be able to sleep at ease.

Furina is tired.

But Furina is nothing if not useful, isn't she?

So she forces her feet to move, dragging against the stone beneath her heels, and drags their bloodied body into the nearest empty building, letting the rain do the work of washing away the smeared blood following her path. The smell makes her feel sick, the feeling of it sticking to her hands and gloves makes her lightheaded, but she persists. Because Furina is useful, because Furina won't let them die out in the rain, because Furina won't stand by and just let them rot on the streets like some..pest.

Furina wants to go home. She wants to sleep and she isn't she if she wants to wake up, this time. But she keeps going anyway.

Because it's all she's ever done, and the habit sticks.

An Archon she may not be, not anymore, but the expectations of five hundred years still linger like eyes on the inside of her skull. They watch her, pry and prod at her thoughts, mocking laughter and judging eyes following her as she forces herself to dance to the song they weave with glee. Furina never stepped off that stage – she's still there, she thinks, watching the crowd stare at her in disdain as the curtain call looms above her like a guillotine. She still hears Neuvillette deliver her damnation and salvation with a trembling voice, still feels her hair stand on end when electro crackled like the crack of the whip, Clorinde's blade aimed at her like a loaded gun.

She's trapped on that stage and she never left, not really.

She hates it. She thinks she hates them, but it's not their fault. They didn't ask for this, didn't ask for everyone to turn against them, didn't ask for her to save them. Neither did she..yet here they are, she thinks.

She tries to tell herself she's in control this time, though. She can stop performing her part in this horrible, bloody play any time she wants. It makes her feel better, just for a little while, if she convinces herself she's still Furina, painfully human.

And Furina has always been good at lying.

It's the believing that's the hard part.

There isn't time for her to wallow in her own self pity, though. They're still bleeding out onto the dusty, creaky floorboards of some random, broken down house and she's just standing there as the blood stains the wood. She can fix it – she's good at fixing things. She's done nothing but fix things – try to, anyway – for five hundred years. She can fix a little wound, how hard could it be? Her hands are clenched so tight they ache as she kneels down, wincing at the creak of the floorboards beneath her heels– she hesitates just long enough to wonder if she's making a mistake before she peels away just enough of the outer layer of their clothes to see the deep, bloody gash across their chest. She tries not to think about it – it's deep, too deep, and she feels dizzy just looking at it, but she's handled worse, right?

Furina can fix it. That's what she's good at.

She doesn't feel so confident when she tries to wrack her brain for..something. Five hundred years, and a little wound stumps her? No, she had to have learned something, right? She's decidedly not trying to buy time because she's panicking, parsing through hundreds of years of memories like flipping through a book. Furina isn't made for this, not really – she's running on nothing but adrenaline and she's really not sure what she's doing, but she's trying. And just like before, it won't be enough, will it?

She'll fall short again – she'll be too late to fix it before she's alone again.

Furina was an Archon..used to be. What use would she have for that sort of knowledge? Which makes her predicament all the more harrowing and bleak. What was she supposed to do?

Furina had heard it first hand, that vitriol in Neuvillette's voice. She isn't sure she's ever heard him that..angry before. She's not sure he would listen to her if she tried, either. And that scares her more then anything. All of Fontaine was up in arms about this..imposter, yet here she was, staring down at them bleeding out in front of her, and she was trying to save them.

Why? Why is she throwing away her only chance at normalcy for a fraud? Why didn't she just turn them in?

They were dying – that should've been a good thing, shouldn't it? So why didn't it feel like it?

"Why you?" Her voice breaks as she speaks in harsh tones, grabbing the front of their shirt in trembling, bloodied hands. "Why now?" She wants to scream, to demand answers they can't give, to claw back the reprieve she was promised after five hundred years of agony..and all she can do is sob into their chest, pleading for an answer that will not come. "Why me?"

Silence is their answer, and it hangs heavy on her trembling shoulders as she cries.

Of course they don't, she thinks bitterly, no one has ever answered her pleas spoken in hushed sobs. Not her other self and certainly not them.

Furina has always been alone. Furina will always be alone.

Because Furina never left that stage, never left that moment when she looked at herself in the mirror and took up a mantle too heavy for her to bear. She always finds her way back eventually. There's no one on the other side anymore – she stands alone on a stage, waiting for an inevitable end she isn't sure will come.

"Please," She pleads through tears and choked sobs, clinging to them like they are all that keeps her from sinking. "Please don't leave me, too." The words burn on her tongue – how pathetic is she that she craves companionship from the bloodied body of the imposter? Perhaps she's truly lost her mind after all these years..perhaps she's finally gone mad. She must have.

But their presence is like the first feeling of gentle warmth upon her skin as the sun crests the horizon, like the gentle lap of tides along her heels, the sway of branches and leaves as the wind blows through them like an instrument all it's own. They are the soothing sound of rain against the window as she watches the dreary skies in fond longing, the first bloom of spring as color blooms upon the landscape like paint had been spilled across the hills and valleys.

They are like the faint spark she carefully nurtures and stokes, so fragile even the smallest wind could blow it out like a candle. She cradles it within her palms, pleads with whoever will listen – prays that someone finally listens, because if not for her, then for them.

She's failed to protect too much already, let too many people with so much trust in her fall between the cracks of her fingers like grains of sand. She won't let them go – she can't.

If nothing else, if she couldn't be saved when she begged for salvation from that five hundred year long agony, even if she never got that chance..

Furina will make sure they do.

[fazedlight]

Hmm, some thoughts now that the Q&A is done.

Pre-interview, I was tempering my expectations based on the art and some other odds-and-ends I heard. I love darker/heavier interpretations of Kara's character (New 52 + WoT), so I was a little disappointed to see that the vibe wasn't those eras. But that's fine, my favorite era of the character doesn't have to be the one DC focuses on.

I was particularly excited to have the story be Kara-centric, to see Supergirl villains (Satan Girl is returning), and to have a version of Lena in the story (Lena II rather than Lena).

For the record, I have no expectation that supercorp will be canon in this story. But (1) I'm primarily here for Kara's character, and (2) a super-and-Luthor friendship still sounds fun to read. (Lena isn't really a character with stability between her iterations, tbh, so my brain is happy to mull the idea of Lena as Lex's daughter while still keeping a supercorp dynamic. I shall continue clowning ✌️)

That said, the interview... definitely left me with a lot of questions?

Getting the obvious stuff out of the way, the author confirms that the 70s era is her main inspiration. It was also nice to see that the reversion back to the skimpy skirt outfit wasn't her idea, which is a good sign to me. (New 52's outfit was horrible, so I wasn't judging too harshly on that in the first place. Still, good to know that the outfit doesn't necessarily indicate her approach to the story.)

That said...

I guess this sort of stuff is disappointing to read. It doesn't come across as excitement about the character. She doesn't seem to speak much about Kara (other than describing her as warm), and doesn't have an answer for why she's important.

It strikes me as especially weird because this wasn't a live Q&A. This is a thing one can sit on and think about for a few minutes (or a few days). I would totally get that response if it were a live on-stage thing, but in this context it strikes me as pretty weird.

That said, it's at least good to know she's a big fan of the CW show and Woman of Tomorrow.

So I dunno, the situation is a mixed bag to me. I still plan to buy the first two issues, because I want DC to know that there's still a market for this character.

After that, it'll just depend on whether I enjoy the early issues.

Sophie Campbell, the upcoming Supergirl comic writer, is doing an AMA on Thursday. More info available here!