#Artist Square Towers

[hong-kong-art-man]

The 10 Adversities Of West Kowloon Cultural District In The Past & Its 3 Future Shots At Hong Kong’s Cultural Ambitions  

National government wants Hong Kong to be a cultural exchange centre.

Path to success is full of frustrations and setbacks.  Failure does not matter but regret does.

Let us not judge West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD西九文化區) by how many times it fell down in the past, but by how many times it will be able to get up in future.

The WKCD has gone through a number of well-publicized hard times for nearly 20 years leading up to the present partial opening of WKCD. It is evidently in safe hands with the new CEO Betty Fung.

In 1998, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong Tung Chee-hwa announced the bold establishment of the West Kowloon Cultural District, the biggest in the world, consisting of 17 museums, concert halls and theatres, endeavouring to develop Hong Kong as the best cultural hub in Asia. The District could attract many tourists and strengthen Hong Kong’s cultural power.

Some visions and plans were later traumatized because such an ambition looked like a blessing wrapped in the clothing of a chain of curses:

(1)   In 2001, government employed the world-class architect Norman Foster to come up with a Grand Canopy concept for the whole district. The canopy could create a ‘microclimate’ in which, by forming convection air currents, hot air would leave and cool air would flow into the area, thus producing a cooling effect. The design faced strong opposition claiming that the concept was unrealistic and expensive. The design was scrapped.

(2)   In 2003, government put out to tender a PPP (public-private partnership) in that a single private developer would be invited to finance, build and operate the whole WKCD project. Again, the initiative was perceived as an exploitation of the public resources to dispense favour to just one developer. The proposal was defeated.

(3)   In 2008, government set up an independent West Kowloon Cultural District Authority to manage all the affairs of the district. There rapidly ensured a series of hot debates as to what should be built in the district. The variety of demands, ranging from children’s museum, arthouse cinema, Chinese ink works museum to literature museum formed a series of problems which were fundamentally insoluble. Also, the separate bidding of individual infrastructure projects resulted in extra tedious processes, heavy concurrent responsibilities and pressurized co-ordinations.

(4)   Government initially approved a HK$21.6 billion budget for WKCD. The construction cost unfortunately kept climbing and the estimated cost after a few years alarmingly went up to HK$47 billion. Politicians rebuked the WKCD Authority for failing to manage construction properly and so allowing it to be a bottomless ‘black hole’. At present, WKCD is still trying very hard to raise capital and hopefully it may not spark another financial tribulation.

(5)   In 2012, WKCD agreed to purchase about 47 contemporary art works from a Lucerne-based collector Uli Sigg for HK$177 million in consideration of his donating more than 1,000 other works to the M+ Museum of WKCD. This deal induced the great attacks from the public that there might have been some kind of ‘irregular transfer of benefits’ behind the arrangements. In 2014, M+ bought a ‘sushi bar’ for around HK$15 million with public funds which was an old renovation of a closed-down restaurant in Tokyo. Artists in Hong Kong disagreed that the item was worth the high price of collecting and bucked the wisdom of such an acquisition.

(6)   In 2017, one party-goer died and 3 were in a critical condition when attending an electronic rave concert at WKCD. They were sent to hospital and the police seized some amount of drugs from the site. There was a public accusation that WKCD should not allow such kinds of vulgar concerts to be held and these outdoor music festivals were about dirty language, anti-government sentiment and drugs.

(7)   In 2018, Hsin Chong Construction, the main contractor of M+, faced severe money troubles and was unable to pay its workers. Its significant delays caused WKCD to incur substantial losses. In March, the Authority issued a press statement to formally fire Hsin Chong owing to its alleged insolvency. Hsin Chong rebutted it as an incorrect accusation. The parties finally referred the disputes to litigation in the courts. There was, again, bitter political mudslinging in the battle against the reputation of WKCD.

(8)   In 2020, Duncan Pescod, chief executive of WKCD, tendered his resignation before his contract ended. He hinted that the government would like him to leave. The authority’s first head, Graham Sheffield, quit just 5 months into the job in 2011, citing health reasons, while the second chief, Michael Lynch, left in 2015 after working for a relatively short period of years. At the same time, the arts and culture sector had long been pointing its finger at these foreign CEOs, saying that they did not know well enough the local needs and circumstances. These awkward high-level personnel changes made a bad situation worse for the cultural district.

(9)   The Hong Kong Palace Museum, a local version of the national museum in Beijing, opened its doors in July 2022 showcasing Chinese precious exhibits and relics. The Palace Museum’s launch came a few months after the opening of M+ Museum, the contemporary arts centre in WKCD.  ‘When ill luck begins, it does not come in sprinkles, but in showers.’ People denounced the absence of public consultation for the idea of building a Palace Museum in 2016. Some interpreted it as a wilful ‘cultural re-education’. I disagree and think the present Palace Museum is impressive and meaningful. M+ is however still being under constant bombardment by the unfriendly forces: that the project was too expensive, the collections are of a bad taste or anti-national and there are insufficient local art works…

(10)     In 2021, WKCD tried to market its commercial site Artist Square Towers amid Hong Kong’s property market downturn. The tender was cancelled without a successful bid. In 2022, developers were re-invited to submit bids for the commercial project worth as much as HK$10.7 billion upon completion. Pray that such money will help WKCD.

Bad decisions and bad luck are a good pair which, through thick and thin, have sabotaged the painful past of West Kowloon Cultural District for more than 20 years. There are present signs of good pathways on the road to recovery. We can see at every weekend, thousands of citizens pour themselves into the beautiful District to support and peek into the cultural and architectural pride of Hong Kong. The future belongs to those who believe in the ‘can do’ spirit of our city.

From now on, apart from not making mistakes which may stunt WKCD’s growth, there will be 3 critical shots to make. Such 3 shots should take bona fide precedence over any direction of the cultural hub: to produce or encourage the production of top-grade cultural activity and program. By subsidizing these activities and programs, through overseas collaborating effort or otherwise, we can incubate the internationally outstanding status of West Kowloon and also artists in Hong Kong. Secondly, through bestowing charming characteristics on such art progeny, WKCD can help maximize the spread of the cultural preponderant influence of Hong Kong in the world as a result of art market expansion. The third heads-up is that the works must also be ‘Hong Kong-relevant’, speaking volumes about our cultural beliefs, preferences and tastes to other countries.

The best index to Hong Kong’s success should be how we will show the world that the striking ‘East-meets-West’ character of Hong Kong shall remain. Let us pray for a little hope that through West Kowloon, our city will excel culturally one day!

Maurice Lee

Chinese Version 中文版: https://www.patreon.com/posts/xi-jiu-wen-hua-78115125?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

West Kowloon Cultural District Introduction  https://youtu.be/7gR7hEr4_UM  Acknowledgement – West Kowloon Cultural District

Hong Kong Palace Museum Introduction  https://youtu.be/QLtaJLfy-O8  Acknowledgement-RTHK

Tea House Theatre Experience at the Xiqu Centre   https://youtu.be/FqA4Iu-7aQI  Acknowledgement – West Kowloon Cultural District

[morphona]

Crystal Tower [FFXIV]

[ekingston]

A chef!AU, maybe? In any case, a story in which Kara and Lena meet through one of them preparing/serving/etc food for the other and build their relationship based on that.

(also on ao3.)

“I’m telling you, Alex. It’s her.”

At three pm on a Tuesday their restaurant is characteristically dead, save for the one lone customer Kara is spying on from behind the kitchen doors. The woman is perched, a little perilously, on a barstool at the counter. It’s the one that’s closest to their register, the one with the wobbly leg that Alex keeps telling Kara to fix. One of her red-soled heels is dangling from an impatiently bouncing left foot.

“This is the fourth time this week she’s come in here,” Kara says. “You don’t think that’s just a little bit suspicious?”

Alex shrugs, fully committed to her task of mincing onions. “Maybe she’s just a big fan of Italian food.”

“No way,” Kara says. “No woman who looks like that would put something in her mouth that wasn’t clearly marked gluten-free and vegan. Give me your phone.”

Alex rolls her eyes dramatically as she elbows it over. “Tell me again how you’re totally over Siobhan.”

“Oral sex isn’t a moral issue!” Kara takes a decisive breath while she unlocks her sister’s phone with practiced ease. “Whatever. Water under the bridge.”

“Uh-huh.”

“A love for pasta also doesn't explain why I heard this woman answer a call yesterday with a different name than the one that’s on her credit card,” Kara points out, before snapping a quick picture through the porthole window.

“Okay, now you’re being creepy,” Alex says.

“Shut up,” Kara tells her. “I’m texting Winn.”

Kara eyes the woman at the counter while she waits for his reply. The subject of her suspicion—Lena, she’d called herself on the phone; Tess Mercer, it had said on her mastercard—twists a soft-looking lock of dark hair around her finger as she studies their menu. The way the sunlight sets it ablaze almost makes Kara take a second picture, purely for its artistic merit.

Alex dabs at her onion-induced tears with the cuff of her sleeve. “Let it go, Kara,” she sighs.

“Let it go? Let it—” Kara whirls back to face her, throwing her hands up in frustration. “Do you want The Tower to end up like Winn and James’ steakhouse? Or are you fine with getting swindled by this—this… villain?”

“Of course not.” Alex looks at her like she’s stupid. “But even if this woman is your so-called ‘food influencer’, what do you suggest we do about it? It’s not as if we can bully her into giving us a fair review.”

Kara squares her jaw and sets her fists firmly on her hips. “No,” she declares, her tone grim. “But we can teach her a little about journalistic integrity.” She blows at a lock of hair that’s fallen in her face. “And also, possibly, credit card fraud.”

Alex narrows her eyes at her. “Kara,” she warns, putting down her knife. Her voice is low and cautious, as if she’s talking to the rowdy raccoon that moved into their dumpster three weeks ago instead of to her baby sister. “Let’s just take a breath and think about this for a m—”

Kara is already gone, the doors to the kitchen swinging closed behind her. Sliding into the cluttered space behind the counter, she crosses her arms and then drops her elbows on the bar, leaning what she belatedly realizes is probably a little too close to her adversary. She’s close enough to make out the individual downy hairs on her chin and the lines in her painted lips, which are still pursed thoughtfully in what Kara is sure would look like an attractive pout to someone who didn’t know any better.

But Kara knows so much better.

“Let me guess,” she remembers to get out, much less biting than originally intended. “Today you’ll be having the fifth entrée down the list.”

As soon as their eyes meet over the miniscule amount of space left between them, Kara knows leaning in was a fatal mistake. Her nemesis blinks up at her with wide, startled eyes that remind Kara of the glass pebbles she finds on the beach on her morning walks, not-quite-blue and not-quite-green, and for a moment Kara’s brain sputters out as if someone abruptly turned off the flames that kept it cooking.

But the woman recovers fast, like the scheming scoundrel that she is. She guiltily shutters her eyes behind thick, charcoal lashes, and Kara’s temper revives at the observation that her enemy isn’t as good of an actress as she thinks she is.

“I’ve actually been thinking of breaking my own rule,” she says, with a smile that lands somewhere between self-deprecating and apologetic. “I may give in and order the same thing you served me yesterday.” Kara goes hot all over with righteous indignation at the rich timbre of the woman’s voice, the almost flirtatious lilt it takes on when she adds, “I haven’t been able to stop dreaming about it.”

Kara pulls back a little in an effort to escape that curious gaze, the enticing scent of the woman’s perfume. It’s sweet enough to drown out even Alex’s mountain of onions. “I know what you’re doing,” she blusters.

The—frankly unfairly beautiful—soulless grifter stares at her, stricken. “I’m—I’m sorry?”

“You should be,” Kara says. “I know who you are.” And then, as if she’s putting down the last card in a game of Uno, “Lena.”

The woman goes very still for a moment, and then the corners of her lips tug down in a bitter semblance of a smile. “I see,” she says. She’s rigid, regal; she’s royalty perched on a wobbly wooden stool. “And am I to assume that’s enough for you to turn down my patronage?”

Kara’s resolve wobbles, too. She hadn’t expected her adversary—Lena, she now knows—to roll over so easily. “Well, yeah, obviously,” she flusters, her energy suddenly too large and lumbering in the face of Lena’s deference. “Winn and James are family.”

“Family.” There’s a flicker of wistfulness in Lena’s voice, before confusion colors her features. “So the cold shoulder,” she says. “It’s personal?”

Kara scoffs. The fraudster doesn’t even remember the names of her latest victims. Typical. “It was their steakhouse that you razed to the ground last month,” Kara reminds her.

Lena blinks at her. “The establishment just up the road?” She raises a critical eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure they set themselves up for failure when they decided to name their restaurant Misteak.”

Kara huffs. Her air quotes are appropriately vicious when she says, “They were doing just fine before your slanderous ‘review’ went viral.”

Lena does a remarkably convincing impression of someone who is genuinely flabbergasted. “I don’t even know what that means.”

“Liar.”

Lena’s shocked laughter is bright but brief. It’s the first time Kara has heard her laugh. It’s maddeningly attractive and deeply annoying.

“Okay,” Lena says. She folds her arms in front of her chest and leans back a little in her seat, unaware of its delicate disposition. A smirk tugs at one corner of her mouth. “Tell me,” she says, her eyes narrowing. “Who do you think I am, exactly?”

Kara leans in close again, refusing to allow Lena to get the upper hand. She’d like to wipe that smirk from Lena’s face—manually, if need be—preferably, even, if it means she’d get to smudge that infuriatingly immaculate lipstick with her thumb—

“You,” Kara charges, in an effort to drown out that unhelpful thought, “are a fraud. You call yourself a ‘mystery food critic’ on TikTok, but really you’re blackmailing businesses into buying a favorable review.”

“Hey, um.” Alex has followed her out of the kitchen, holding her phone. “So. Winn texted back, and he says—”

But Lena laughs again, her guarded posture melting down to unmistakable relief. “I’m so sorry,” she says, her voice a high warble. “That sounds awful. And also extremely illegal. Have you reported this person to the authorities? I can get you in touch with an excellent lawyer, if you’d like.”

Kara doesn’t know if she feels more outraged or confused.

…Or possibly some secret third thing.

“So you’re telling me—” Kara barks out a disbelieving laugh. “You’re saying you’re not her.”

“This, ehm— Tic Tac person?” When Lena’s dark lashes flutter, something in Kara’s chest flutters too. “No.”

Impossible. “Then why have you been in here every day this week?” Kara interrogates, the full force of evidence she’s collected behind it. “When neither one of us has seen you here even once, since we opened?”

Alex rolls her eyes. “I told you I wasn’t sure whether I’d seen her here before,” she points out. “Also, Winn says—”

“Oh please,” Kara scoffs, her eyes fixed on Lena, who has propped her elbows on the counter again, closer now than she’d been the last time their eyes met. “As if you could forget a woman as beautiful as—” Kara’s gaze drops to Lena’s mouth, unbidden, when Lena parts those rude, ruby lips. “...You.”

Alex stares.

Kara swallows.

Lena blinks; two times fast, and then again, after a beat, slow and sticky, her eyes darkening.

“So you may as well come out with it,” Kara croaks out what little remains of her anger. “There’s something you want more than our fettuccine.”

Lena’s cheeks have turned a treacherously charming shade of pink. “I suppose you’re right about that one, at least,” she admits after a beat.

In Kara’s peripheral vision, Alex frantically slides her hand across her throat. Kara frowns at her, telegraphing a wordless what is your problem but finding no satisfactory answer in the crimson shade her sister’s face has taken on.

“Yeah, well,” she says, almost disappointed, fumbling to fill the space left by Lena’s confession. “I’m telling you right now that it’s never going to happen.”

Alex clears her throat with startling force. “Winn wants to know,” she says, reading from her phone, “Who’s the hot chick?”

When Kara returns her gaze to the woman on the other side of the counter, she gulps. Lena is somehow even closer than she was before. She’s also fully propping herself up now on the laminate surface between them, granting Kara a glimpse of freckled cleavage that in no possible universe could be interpreted as unintentional.

“So,” Lena drawls. “What you’re saying is you’re not going to give me your number?”

Kara’s throat is suddenly very dry.

“Huh?” she manages, but only just barely.

“I was hoping,” Lena says slowly, that maddening smirk once again tugging up the corner of her mouth, “that you’d maybe like to—”

Lena shifts in her seat, crossing her legs in what is bound to become a devastatingly seductive pose, but the barstool decides in exactly that moment that's it’s finally had enough. Lena yelps as it gives out beneath her with a dramatic snap, one of its rickety limps flying across the floor as if celebrating its first taste of freedom, and Kara’s never considered herself to be very quick, but here she is anyway, on the other side of the counter in what feels like less than a second, one hand gripping Lena’s forearm, the other slipping smoothly around her waist.

“—fuck,” Lena gasps up at her. She feels good, in Kara’s hands, slight but pleasantly heavy, like the santoku knife Alex has forbidden Kara from touching ever again. “Well,” Lena says. “That’s. Perhaps not the way I would have phrased it, especially in front of your friend—”

They both glance over at Alex, but she’s disappeared, the swaying of the kitchen doors the only indication she was ever there.

“O-kay,” Kara says.

Lena grins. “Okay?”

Kara mentally rewinds the conversation and feels her ears burn at the realization of what she just agreed to. “I mean,” she amends. “We could, maybe, grab something to eat first?”

Something devious sparks in Lena’s terrifyingly gorgeous face. She glances down at Kara’s arms before blinking back up at her again and smirking. “I thought you already had.”

And, goodness gracious.

Kara is about to be in so much trouble.

[lagoonalake]

Could you do ideal type for Ateez please?

ATEEZ IDEAL TYPE

!!!Trigger warning!!! mention of depression and other heavy topics especially in Jongho's reading

SEONGHWA

Personality: 9 of swords, 7 of cups, 2 of pentacles

He tends to be drawn towards anxious types, people whose mind is a bit of a mess, chaotic or who feel overwhelmed and he wants to help them cut through the confusion with his assertive and decisive energy, make them feel safe. He is attracted to his opposite. In return this person would be more moderate than he is, more nuanced and realistic, more intellectual and communicative, this is someone who thinks a lot, too much actually. Thoughts are always swirling in their mind, and they can visualize so many possibilities that it’s hard to be more centered. This is giving genius energy a little bit, very intellectual. This is a person who is also quite fast paced and efficient, good at multitasking. air signs especially gemini and aquarius, mercury, virgo, cancer

Appearance:  the hierophant, 9 of pentacles, the star

Traditionally beautiful according to Korean standards, slender, smooth pale skin, silky hair, well dressed, clean, sophisticated and who wear quality clothes, luxury brands, but nothing too flashy. Someone who can looks a bit vulnerable and sensitive, soft features, full lips, big kinda droopy puppy eyes, cute face. A mixture of innocence and a more corporate/classy sort of look.  virgo, libra, capricorn, cancer

Turn offs: 7 of wands, temperance, 7 of pentacles

Masculinity, people who are domineering, unrefined. People with poker faces who don’t express any vulnerability and seem to be in complete control of themselves, who seem devoid of human emotions and act more like robots. He clearly prefers a more vulnerable, feminine type who needs his protection. It’s not (only lol) because of traditional gender roles, but because he has a genuine strong masculine energy to offer, so he wants someone who can appreciate that. aries, saturn, aquarius, capricorn, mars

HONGJOONG

Personality: the chariot, the star, the sun

Someone with a very positive energy, focused on the future, who wants to make the world a better place, to connect with people most likely through their art and creation, as this is definitely a very creative and artistic person. Deeply engaged in their cause, inspiring others and using their charisma and visibility for a good cause. Someone who has a very radiant, warm, shining presence, leadership skills, authority but always used in a guiding and protective way, never to dominate or put themselves above others. Someone who feels like a rush of energy. Bravely and boldly moving towards their goals undefeated. Passionately following their heart and ideals. Dynamic vibrant personality full of ideas and dreams.  sagittarius, leo, aquarius, uranus, jupiter, pisces

Appearance: the tower, 4 of pentacles, the world

Someone with a big presence, who could even be big in some way physically, tall, wide. Who can have a incredibly intimidating yet incredibly reassuring presence that would wrap around him. Someone who most of the time is very awake, very vibrant yet very calm and stable, but you feel the heat boiling under the surface and if you piss them off then they would explode. Just a LOT of energy. A more masculine style, square jaw, strong bone structure, sturdy body, strength. Black hair, tan skin. sagittarius, leo, scorpio, capricorn, taurus, aries

Turn offs: 3 of cups, 9 of cups, the wheel of fortune

Laziness, people who leave everything to chance, who always had it easy in life and can just chill and wait for things to fall in their lap. People who don’t take action. Passivity. People without direction or vision in life. People who party all the time. negative pisces, neptune, taurus, leo, sagittarius

YUNHO

Personality: the devil, 10 of wands, 3 of wands

People who are very driven, potentially who could even become consumed by their ego and ambitions, quite selfish. The kind who could do pretty much anything to achieve their objective. This could be a specific person he’s currently involved with, but it’s also a pattern that repeats itself in his relationships. He also tends to let himself be taken by partners who use him because of his status to further their own career, people who seduce him, who are very sexually magnetic, but who hide this fierce and ruthless energy underneath a smoother more sensual facade. Vampiric people who suck him dry and exhaust him and who will get extremely defensive if he calls them out on their bs. negative libra, aries, leo, scorpio, pluto

Appearance: 9 of pentacles, 3 of pentacles, knight of swords

Sensual earthy beauty, very attractive body shape, curvy, alluring smile and laugh, I’m hearing giggling, but with something sharp in their eyes, smile, could have a seductive smirk, long nails… Coyness, something cunning about them, witty, a bit mischievous. Beautiful thick curly or wavy hair, burgundy/brown/gold/green earthy colors. Feminine sophisticated style, silk, velvet, lingerie. Elaborate makeup. Enticing perfume. Very lush overall appearance.  venus, mercury, earth signs in general especially taurus

Turn offs: king of swords, 6 of pentacles, ace of wands

People who are cold, detached, too serious. Equality in relationships haha, he sees love as something all consuming, so there tends to be power imbalance in his relationships, it’s just not as intense and exciting if everything is perfectly healthy and balanced for him. Too much spontaneity or masculinity, someone who makes decisions. Although he tends to attract people who control him, they do it in an indirect way, not in a direct masculine assertive sort of way. giving him the illusion of being in control. aries, libra, aquarius

YEOSANG

Personality: king of pentacles, the empress, 6 of swords

I feel like he has this plan of a perfect life and marriage. Basically he intends to have enough money to then live in abundance in his big house with a very loving, beautiful doting partner. The image that comes to mind is of this serene, peaceful, quiet, dreamy, environment, surrounded by birds and flowers, nature and possibly having babies. He likes the idea of making a woman pregnant. Definitely he is attracted to a more traditional housewife sort of partner, someone beautiful, loving, kind, who would enjoy all the stability and riches he has to offer. He wants a calmer life after the chaotic idol lifestyle too, away from the entertainment industry.  taurus, libra, cancer, virgo, pisces

Appearance: ace of cups, ace of wands, the fool

Definitely a youthful and expressive type. Possibly younger than him. Very innocent, spontaneous, a face that you can read like a book. Big, emotional eyes, sensitive, vulnerable, soft. But it become very noticeable when they get angry or embarrassed too, maybe they become red, have blood rushing to their face. Just very untainted, childlike sort of energy. NOT a poker face. Brighter colors, milky white skin. Petite. Likes a nice butt. Eyes that smile, just someone who laughes a lot in general. Could cry easily too. Feminine and cute.  cancer, mercury, leo, aries

Turn offs: the hermit, 5 of cups, queen of wands

Cold, super private, somber types. People who are depressed, who have too much history, too much baggage. People who are not very sociable. Loners. Overly spiritual people detached from material life. People who are always negative, pessimistic, who are always complaining about something, always have a sad story to tell. People who are domineering, too independent, bossy, controlling.  scorpio, saturn, pisces, sagittarius, mars

SAN

Personality: 9 of pentacles, page of pentacles, strength

A very strong, sturdy, physical type of person, more masculine energy. The type who could live in the countryside and chop wood without being afraid of breaking a nail or messing up their hairstyle. Tough, more rustic, hardy type of person. someone very grounded, who enjoys a simple lifestyle, but very stubborn, very opinionated. A simple person, bit loud, direct, not the most refined type. Funny. Someone with a specific routine, disciplined, organized. Someone who enjoys life and every pleasure it has to offer, hard working and hedonistic. Youthful and optimistic. A breath of fresh air who would help him relax and at the same time match his lifestyle and desires. taurus, leo, aries, jupiter

Appearance: 2 of wands, judgment, high priestess

Someone who would make a strong impression on him. Muscular and strong, especially when it comes to the legs. Intense aura, subtly seductive and who does not reveal their sexual energy but he’d be able to feel it very strongly. Apart from that strong physique (could be attracted to a dancer or an athlete) there isn’t much about looks and specific features I’m catching, mostly that this person is self assured, intense, has strong sexual energy but keeps it in control, and would magnetize him. I’m also getting that he tends to fall in love pretty quickly. mars, sagittarius, taurus, pluto

Turn offs: 3 of swords, knight of pentacles, king of swords

Someone who would betray him. Slow, cold, hyper controlled energy, someone who seems more machine than human. Someone detached, overly intellectual. Stubborn, boring, who never allows themselves to enjoy life. Someone manipulative, always strategizing and never sharing their thoughts. Lack of trust in relationships in general, he really prefers someone who is kinda chill, warm and open. saturn, aquarius, gemini, capricorn

MINGI

Personality: page of pentacles, 5 of pentacles, queen of pentacles

Very stable, grounded, patient individuals. Here again we have money as a theme. He wants to be a provider. So someone who can appreciate that, and who is good at managing money, organized. Calm, soothing energy. Secretary vibes. Very practical, efficient. Someone with integrity, devoted to him. Sensual, he wants his partner close. The physical and sexual connection is very important. Not just the sex but actually to be able to touch, hug, hold his partner. Someone who can handle his clinginess and reassure him.  earth signs

Appearance: 6 of wands, justice, 2 of swords

Someone he can show off to the world, so who fits beauty standards in his own country and environment. Harmonious, balanced, symmetrical features. Classically beautiful. Could look a bit haughty or uptight, but very charming, lovely, agreable. Nothing too extreme, but still someone who stands out for their beauty. Slender, on the taller side or with “a small head/face”. The color white, white clothes, clean, flawless, immaculate. Someone with good manners, “proper”, polite, charming smile. libra, taurus, virgo

Turn offs: 7 of cups, death, 5 of swords

People who are disconnected from reality, delusional, people who are obsessive, too intense, destructive, chaotic, extreme (it’s giving sasaeng lol). Someone who would want to turn his life upside down, change everything, someone who is always in crisis mode, always going through transformation, has no stability. Someone always looking for a fight, always creating arguments and bringing up topics to kill the mood and bicker over. He isn’t that deep of a guy and prefers simplicity and ease in relationships. pisces, scorpio, aquarius

WOOYOUNG

Personality: the moon, knight of cups, queen of swords

Someone kinda hard to figure out, more shy and reserved, who has a gentle, sensitive, romantic, seemingly innocent quality. Yet someone who is not easily fooled and has strong boundaries. A bit frigid or virginal in appearance. It doesn’t mean that he wants to be with virgins only, but there is something pure and untouchable about his type. The kind of person who only let in the most deserving. Yet he wants to be let in. He’s not particularly deserving though. XD It’s kinda like this impulse that some guys have to break and corrupt the good girl, the proper woman. Could be someone who seems perfect, always in control, everybody thinks that they are so kind, so polite, so charming, yet he wants to see what’s behind the mask. Someone he would tease a lot, I sort of see him making crass jokes and the other person looking slightly offended but still finding it funny, that’s partly how he would charm them. He wants to see this person loosen up. virgo, libra, pisces, cancer

Appearance: 2 of pentacles, 4 of wands, 5 of cups

This could very well be a specific person. Because this fits the personality a lot. Someone who seems very balanced, looks perfect, marriage material, very in control, calm, poised, charming, popular even. Yet he can perceive a sadness and melancholy behind the mask that intrigues him. When it comes to looks and features, this person is traditionally beautiful, warm appearance, natural beauty, soft and kind face. Soothing gestures, just seems trustworthy and available to everyone,friendly, welcoming presence that people tend to gravitate towards.  virgo, libra, pisces

Turn offs: king of wands, 9 of pentacles, 9 of cups

Showoffs. People who easily succumb to flattery. Always bragging about their achievements, their happiness, their possessions. Loud, attention seeking people. He’s going to tease them big time and call them out on their bs. People who have it easy in life, who have nothing to do all day but enjoy their luxurious lifestyle. Party people who expose themselves to the world. It’s not only that he finds it unattractive, but he finds it stupid and reckless, he thinks this is the perfect recipe to be used by others, and that these people are slaves to their egos, so he pities them a little and he knows how to play them like a fiddle. He is a very intelligent and intuitive guy, and he can be manipulative if he needs to, although he will try to preserve certain types of people that he will feel a bit protective towards.  negative leo, taurus, neptune, pisces

JONGHO

Personality: 10 of swords, the moon, the star

He is attracted to people who need to be saved. Heavy energies. People who could have some kind of issue, maybe addictions, or suffering from depression, or who have been wounded, could even be someone who is physically limited in some way, someone who needs assistance. People who have it really really hard, and wouldn’t really be able to keep going without help. He wants to soothe and protect them, to heal them and give them hope again, to make them see the light at the end of the tunnel. These people are kind and have a lot of depth, they are ultra sensitive and possibly this is why they are not able to face the darkness and difficulties of the world. This is the kind of relationship that would go through a lot of ups and downs, mainly because of this person’s mind being unstable and fragile, but he would keep going and not abandon them.   pisces, neptune, scorpio, pluto, saturn

Appearance: ace of swords, the hermit, king of cups

This seems again like a specific energy, an actual person he could be involved with. Someone who is kind of a loner, withdrawn, lonely, rarely seen surrounded by other people. The first impression that they give is kinda austere, somber. Features could be a bit pointy or sharp, austere. Could be underweight or sickly looking. Someone who has a lot of depth in their eyes. Very intense eyes. Could look a bit difficult to approach at first, a bit feral. But is actually soft. Could look restrained in some ways. Mature, calm, quiet expression. Deep and melancholic look. The color blue, dark blue, grey, black and white. Slow energy. Cold and cutting voice.  saturn, scorpio, capricorn, pluto

Turn offs: the lovers, 6 of pentacles, the hierophant

So here again we have someone who doesn’t really like a relationship that is too balanced, with equal give and take. For him relationships are sacrificial, all of nothing. He is also drawn to people who need help, so anyone a bit too easy to deal with, too easygoing is not gonna be able to keep his attention. Anything a bit too traditional isn’t very interesting either.  libra, taurus, virgo

[sugar-petals]

🌹 KIBBE types || Why Hyunjin is a 𝒮𝑜𝒻𝓉 Dramatic

 ↪︎ INTRO :: Welcome to another lengthy Kibbe Body Type analysis. Today, I’ll discuss Stray Kids’ Hyunjin, who is certainly among the most beautiful men of our times 🌹

Across the web he’s been typed as a [Soft] Dramatic, Dramatic Classic, and Flamboyant Natural respectively — I make my case for SD here in bite-sized illustrated points. Enjoy! 

---- 🅲🅾🅽🆃🅴🅽🆃 ----

I. ANALYSIS 🌹

why he’s in the dramatic type family

hyunjin’s SD features & fashion

comparison to FN/DC/D + other members’ types (Chan, Lino, Han, Felix)

why he fits the versace look

II. CONCLUSION 🌹

hyunjin as an archetype and GNC icon

shifting beauty standards

thoughts on kibbe type distribution in skz/k-pop generally (do successful groups feature types from all 5 kibbe categories?)

----

why he’s in the dramatic family

Needless to say, Hyunjin is likely part of the Big Three (D, SD, FN) or a Dramatic Classic due to his notable vertical line. Like all of these yang types, his model physicality is hard to overlook.

At 5′11, he’s already tall and close to the 6´0 threshold on paper, but he appears even taller mostly. People surely wouldn’t describe him as petite or barely medium in height. I heard through the grapevine that 5′11+ is Kibbe’s cutoff for male yin types who have short vertical lines:

Especially as in South Korea, the male average height is estimated to lie between 5´7 and 5´8½. That would be their Classic type benchmark. Lee Know is commonly typed as Soft Classic at 5′8. I agree with the typing: He looks great in sophisticated, clean, standard black tie with waist emphasis and suave fabrics (yin). All C category looks suit him, less is more.

Hyunjin appears taller and bolder congruently, seemingly taking up twice as much space as most Soft Gamines like Felix (SG is Kibbe’s most petite type next to the Romantics, they are the Big Three’s opposite). His physical frame is easily noticed first.

His extremities are fairly narrow, though. At his height, only one Image ID category looks like that, in fact: D types, the longest legs of the Kibbe system. Slim and streamlined, Hyunjin embodies sharp yang.

And he fits their reputation: Like all Dramatics, he does visually intimidate. His appeal can be described as intense, towering, and in your face (D), not as bluntly rounded, wide, sporty (N) or subtle and detached (C). Changbin being from the Natural family, the difference is quite stark. Changbin is frame dominant, Hyunjin is vertical first.

There’s an edge, he’s square and tall, not bevelled, not all-round symmetrical, not tiny, nor softly round. Hyunjin isn’t fully mesomorph nor endomorph either, but slenderly column-like with longer bones (D), which tends to reflect in his dance/stage presence. Very angular.

SKZ’ concert outfits can be quite theatrical in a Kibbe and aesthetic sense, it suits him well. Kibbe calls the Dramatic element theatric because literal drama/theater in the arts relies on tall actors with exaggerated makeup & features that can still be seen in the last row. D types are easily spotted from a mile away. 

Let’s do the reverse: Zooming in, typing by detail. Tell-tale sign of a D type: Hyunjin’s hands/fingers are long and slim. FN’s hands are broad and less dainty/slim, if not huge sometimes. Classics are “regular”. His extremeties are not, we see bone structure first.

Calves, hips, underarms, too. All very yang. Not short, not soft, not balanced, not sturdy, not contrasted, just elongated and slimmed. I can hear people say it’s FN’s dramatic undercurrent, but it’s not an addition, it’s his main thing.

Test it with outfits: Kibbe is about matching similar things to create harmony, which creates beauty. Hyunjin’s most famous looks are all angular like he is. They mirror his frame. His artistic alter ego is as fittingly dramatic-themed as it gets. Sharp asymmetric corners everywhere:

how his yin undercurrent manifests

Now that we established his Dramatic base, let’s see how his yin undercurrent shows. Outfit test again, because it’s fun: Especially opulent and dark-colored SD lines overwhelm all Classics and Naturals. But Hyunjin, never. Just another Thursday for him, he can do it all. 

And either way, his lush, super-prominent facial features are the waving flag for SD. They pair so well with glisteningly adorned yin styling. The hair could be more contrasted (= yang) here, but you get the gist.

He even has a semblance of double curve, which is elongated in SDs. FN has a broad ribcage > hourglass, Pure D has a straight, streamlined body. DC has no curve. But SD looks great with the waist marked. Only then does the outfit become “Hyunjin-esque” lmao! And it puts the focus on his face.

Hyunjin is far more yin-oriented than D, DC, FN. He wears Romantic and otherwise gnc clothing so well. You could douse him in jewels. SD is the only type among the Big 3 that can pull off TR decor. Modern Hanboks are often yin-themed (SC, TR, SD...). He’s born to wear it.

SD borrows its yin from R, yes. But as I see it, the infamous “homme/femme fatale” Theatrical Romantic type is SD’s younger sister. Simply due to TR’s sharp yang Dramatic influence. Hyunjin is easily a `sexy TR with more vertical´, and tall homme fatale is exactly what he exudes. An SD face says “femme but I’ll eat you up”.

That doesn’t mean that if you made TRs like Jimin or Han more elongated, they’d look like Hyunjin. Ofc not. Besides no person ever fully resembling another, Han is yin first (rounded face, small waist), and Hyunjin is yang first (chiseled body, long limbs). SD is gigantic next to TR.

However: Added to how Korean men tend to be on the smaller side already, and SD still points toward R and is the least towering of the Big Three most of the time, Hyunjin is still less gigantic than Pure D and FN — even if he looks tall by himself or next to G types like I.N, Felix, etc. Next to FN Dua Lipa in heels below, next to D types in the second pic.

For SD, Kibbe says overdressing is virtually impossible, as long as their narrow vertical line is honored. Unlike Classics, Hyunjin is certainly the “more is more” type. Minimalism wouldn’t do him justice. All-out dark luxury and ornamentation is peak SD aesthetic.

As above, and like in Han’s or Taemin’s case (both are TR), all of his outfits are elevated by belts. A purely yang type couldn’t wear this convincingly or comfortably. But with his small waist, belts are needed to keep the outfit together. Again, he can’t overdo it.

Finally, his feet are long and yang, but the toes appear yin and rounded, softly padded. The gentle, fleshy undercurrent of SD shows here, just like in his face. I’m a Pure Dramatic, my toes are thin and elongated, and my face is taut. SD has less structured feet, even if they can be bony. That’s why Natural category boots look so heavy on him, DC shoes appear regular, but elongated boots that emphasise vertical suit his outfits. He rarely wears SD shoes, but as always, the more glam, the better.

why he fits the versace SD aesthetic

It’s no coincidence he became a Versace ambassador. Donatella — despite being a tiny Flamboyant Gamine at 5´2 — herself dresses like a Soft Dramatic often, and loves supermodels embodying the shiny Diva Chic, it’s the brand’s entire theme. 

Just like D & G and Mugler celebrate TR, Chanel and Gucci revere Gamines, Armani worships yang types (D, DC), and Dior suits Soft Classic, Versace lionizes SD, Italy’s Kibbe archetype. Bold patterns, sharp shoulders, black, waist, long lines. 

Versace and Hyunjin’s best signature style are based on the severe long, black vertical look, angular and stark. Head to toe! The velvet fabric ad glossy boots are also quite SD.

By constrast, Versace doesn’t base itself on the flowing mix´n´match, wide lines and cozy fabrics of Naturals. That would be, say, Urban Outfitters or FILA. The BTS campaigns show of how casual FN/N is. No coincidence how RM and JK are positioned center, they are SN and FN. Brands will always clock which types instinctively fit the aesthetic.

Like all designers searching for a muse, I think Donatella looks for models that symbolize what her own contrasted/angular FG type doesn’t feature: Extreme vertical, a consistent essence (as opposed to Gamine’s mix of D and R lines), and yin. Thus, Versace’s muse is SD. Hyunjin perfectly fits the role. He is tall and radiates decadent splendour. 

why he’s not flamboyant natural

Some FN clothing suits him, yes, as SD and FN are neighboring types. You can always steal from your closest Image IDs and pull it off to a certain degree. It accommodates his vertical, after all. But again, he can go even more fashion forward, and isn’t known for his leisure looks like, say Namjoon (FN) or Jungkook (SN). FN clothing looks casual on all other types. FN clothing on an FN looks like a million bucks. 

Some FNs have soft yin features, but on SD, they stand out. Hyunjin’s go-to makeup look is not understated like Kibbe would recommend for the N family. Full lips, strong brows, sharp chin, sharp smokey eyes, contoured nose. His face shape is slightly more elongated than wide to begin with, the eyes aren’t wide-set like it’s often the case for Ns. His signature style is long hair, wether straight or wavy: but pulled back (D), not big and wild and free (FN).

The FN (and DC) outfits he wears the best are all black, head to toe. Which is a D characteristic! The drape of the fabric is similar to SD, but the materials are still reading as casual and wide on him. FN clothes look huge on all other Kibbe categories and hide the body, but on all Naturals they look stylish and showcase their frame dominance. FN is oversized on Hyunjin, especially the upper body. SD might have a T-silhouette, but not the FN ribcage. Casual clothes are snug on actual FNs.

Vice versa, Hyunjin makes the most artificial-looking, least casual aesthetic seem entirely taken for granted on him. His silhouette asks for emphasis in the middle of the body than just the shoulders (yes, SD does need shoulder emphasis!). The FN style leaves his legs looking too slim by comparison, as the top part winds up being too baggy. 

That couldn’t happen to a Natural like Chan who fills out skinny pants easily. He needs the heavy fabrics, chest, arm, and shoulder accommodation like air.  Stage looks are heavily manicured; he becomes a different person — Chan looks good, but he’s most at home in cozier looks, and most known for it, too. It balances his body.

Test jeans (N) versus satin (R): Which is more well-dressed? SD is about how far you can go, N is about how relaxed you can go. I think jeans is good, but underwhelms here and there. Plain satin lacks structure on him, too, which is why R is only his undercurrent. It requires the angular tailoring of D to incorporate yin fabrics in his wardrobe. But you could still throw more jewelry on him! Gala/dinner/red carpet dressing is so easy for SD. The right-hand outfits are fantastic. The colors pack a punch, too. SD needs heavy duty [winter] hues, regardless of their personal color.

So, in stage outfits, he wears sharp shoulders well. FN has larger, protruding, rounded shoulters that do not carry pointed Dramatic corners well. No sharpness here, just massive soft yang muscles, eg. Namjoon and Shownu. Worlds apart from Hyunjin. SD is the fiercest slayer ever, FN is a complete machine.

Any impression that he has Kibbe width is caused by the T-Shape most SDs have, an illusion created by their small waist making the shoulders look prominent by comparison. 

Stiff fabrics that hold their shape (=D) are key to his best outfits, not coarse/woven FN fabrics or DC tweeds. fN are the kings and queens of athleisure. SD is underdressed in FN. It needs lavish draping and bnw contrast (=D element mixed with yin). He looks great in it:

SD is a naturally androgynous type. It fuses a tall model body with a soft yin face. Think Austin Butler, Shawn Mendes, Lil Nas X, BTS’ Jin. But FN is as masc as it gets. Think Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Hugh Jackman, RM, Minho (SHINee), Chanyeol. FN can be humongously broad when trained! SD bulks up, but their narrow, delicate vertical still shows first. And Hyunjin is shredded to the gods, mind you. 

His legs showcase thin D bone structure. Congruently, he wears pointed toe shoes better than rough and ready FN ones (sharp, black shiny boots, his signature). Even if they have a sharp yang undercurrent, FNs still have more substantial N bones by comparison. When FN works out, their frame becomes even more biased towards the upper arms, shoulders and thighs, where SD becomes leaner first, and just more defined overall. Hyunjin’s legs aren’t blunt, they are extra long (sharp yang) with softly wide flesh (yin undercurrent) on top. FN is bulkier, stronger-looking like RM. And Hyunjin is a main dancer!

In short, trained FN idols are basically closest to bodybuilding contest winners because they look so broad and vigorous, while SD idols could win a pageant because they’re so beautiful, not rugged and hypermasculine like FN. Hyunjin is muscular, but you don’t notice broadness first, but his gorgeousness and model height.

FN benefits from earth tones + softening the hair color, while all Dramatics are recommended to go darker, more uniform in shade. Contrast works miracles for Hyunjin, black hair or completely bleached white is his forte. Muted colors undersell him. FNs will pass as a natural muted blonde or light brunette, while the D black and white color scheme don’t flatter them as much. Hyunjin definitely needs the extreme.

why he’s not pure dramatic

Pure Dramatic fits his proportions, it looks great on him (proof that D is his family) but the certain something is missing. It conceals his body rather than adapting to his shape. SD is never boring, always memorable (!), the longer you look the better it gets (minus the whitewashing on the right). SD is the right “challenge”.

The fact that Hyunjin can handle so much glamour whereas Pure Dramatic best sticks to the all-black column look without the glitter and diamonds makes him secondary yin. SD can lean into (Theatrical) Romantic, but on a tall scale. The jewels, the glitter, the soft fabrics, you can put all of this on him. The big florals, too!

Pure D is enjoyable in how contrasted and proportional it us, but it seems more boring than his stylists playing it up and adding more of a genderless element without making it classical drag art; it’s his specialty. His roster of SD hairstyles is endless and we all love it. The wavy ponytail below shoulder length (SD can go even longer anyway). 

Pure D lines also don’t lend enough definition to his face. Wearing one’s Kibbe type HTT (head to toe) naturally makes the face pop, as its surroundings are harmonious. He will be too gaunt in too-straight hair and too-stiff fabrics, the SD volume is missing. E.g. Sehun and Wonwoo (Pure Dramatics) wear this better.

why he’s not dramatic classic

His insane proportions and remarkable face also disqualify him as any Classic. C styling looks good on everyone as it is the midpoint of the Kibbe spectrum and thus accommodates all types. He can pull the plain white dress shirt off, but only with sufficient accessorizing (SD). C drowns in SD, but C jackets are like crop tops on SD (red carpet image below).

In general, his body is not balanced — small waist, very narrow legs, prominent facial features, etc — enough to be described as average. Nothing strikes you about Classics, they are subtle and perfect. It’d be harder to draw Lee Know from memory than Hyunjin. All Dramatics stand out. Classics blend in, staying understated, visually embodying the “handsome, cold yet elegant gentleman”.

how he compares to any other types

Kibbe is about comparing Image Identity: Hyunjin could never be the sporty guy next door like SN Chan; he could never be the SG brand of “short and sweet” (think Sabrina Carpenter, SG) like Felix. Hyunjin has the tall contrasted look of sharp yang types. SD is the dark and sensual god king, SG is the lovely elven prince (yet both have yin lips).

Hyunjin’s ability to ace high-effort styles is only restricted by his lack of Gamine essence, which is K-Pop’s main mode. G types have few rules except breaking the line, SD requires rule-abiding. The floor length, the belts, the longer hair, the intense colors. 

G lines turn to kitsch on SD, it is too “youthful“ for him to maximize the potential of SD. Eclectic Gamine lines are too short. G looks ‘cutesy/fun’ on all other types except on Gamines, who look stylish and cool in them, like FG J-Hope. Everything is ugly unless Hyunjin wears it as they say, but G is too hit and miss (and not “Hyunjin-esque” 😄).

Finally, Romantic is too delicate for him. It needs more oomph and “overstyling”. R is not risky enough for Hyunjin! Yes, he is secondary yin. He looks dainty in it. But it works better with yin guys like Felix, Jimin, Woozi, Wooyoung, Suho, Xiumin, you name it. R clothing looks corny on all other types, but on TR/R/SG it looks flaming hot. Pair Romantic’s velvets and pastels and crystals and transparent fabrics and sparkles and ruffles with Dramatic edges and it works for Hyunjin:

conclusion

Since Kibbe has these type-specific names that set a certain tone or theme: I think luxurious “Divo/Deus Chic” (SD) fits Hyunjin best. As in `godly´ man, since Deus was the male operatic lead, historically, and Diva the goddess. Kibbe has no men’s equivalent of “Diva Chic” so I figured `Deus´ was quite fitting, as Hyunjin does look like one would imagine a seductive deity. 

I see why many type him as Pure D and FN, and he can’t go wrong with DC either if the vertical line is kept, either. He can embody those three essences through acting, styling, working out. But the above-and-beyond ornate SD image sums him up well and dresses him to his fullest. 

He’s close but not quite the masculinely austere Pure D, Kibbe’s “Regal Sir” (D), who tends to be the most mature-looking, dry/stern type, far from Hyunjin’s genderbending visual that effortlessly breaks every boundary of what is considered menswear. He stands out from the common “Spitfire” Gamine idol aesthetic, too (small, lean, youthful, `doll-like´ face — think Taeyong, Jennie, or Yoongi), which makes him so recognizable.

He’s modelesque, moreso than the leisurely, Herculean yet relaxed boho “Free Spirit” (FN), or the understated yet sophisticated “First Gentleman” (DC) who stands at a more medium height and excels in spartan clothing. Most SD men are chronically underdressed, Hyunjin became famous because he barely ever is (props to the stylists!). I love this ID on him, and it has many options, just a feast for the eye. 

I thought about Taemin successfully carving out a niche for himself as a sensual Theatrical Romantic, heavily breaking with mainstream masculinity. Or Lisa (her type is debated, but we can all agree she’s yang-leaning) being known for her tomboy look pre-fame and later blowing up astronomically for her concepts that have no time for the submissive Asian girl trope. They both defied the expected norm, aka FN or FG male idol, SG female idol. In a similar manner, SKZ having so many yin subtypes is probably what made them so appreciated for their lavish GNC styles — and the big stage/a music video is really where you can wear all of this to the max. 

If you think about it, they have yin types in all of the 5 main Kibbe categories! TR Han, SG Felix, SC Lino, SN Chan + Changbin, SD Hyunjin, like how? Perfectly distributed, talk about range! No wonder they can do any concept. Hyunjin and Felix being the most known for genderless fashion is likely due to SD being physically impossible to miss and SG standing out as they are so petite (think Woozi from Seventeen, best example). Kibbe is onto something when he made sharp yang and soft yin the end points of the spectrum.

For the stylists, it must be hard to find a balance between dressing the Naturals VS the several Romantic-leaning members, and everyone in between. They do a tremendous job though most of the time imo, it’s refreshing to see SKZ’s fashion style having courage and forward-thinking instead of catering to a conservative worldview: Not to mention the many contemporary, low quality menswear design landscapes which are nothing short of underwhelming. SKZ create a visual spectacle, that’s one of the many reasons why they stay relevant to the public. I don’t think a group mostly consisting of say Classics could execute their theatrical stage displays convincingly. Example: Wolfgang worked because Chan is Soft Natural. Felix’ runway debut worked because the outfit was Soft Gamine. Hyunjin became a sex symbol as soon as he grew his hair long (a Dramatic characteristic, yin `feminine´ hairstyles are actually short in Kibbe’s system! Think TR Hwasa’s iconic wavy bob).

So, maybe one crucial ingredient, besides other factors, to a successful group is having members from all Kibbe 5 main IDs? To give each a recognizable/particular wardrobe, showcase height differences, be able to stay flexible with concepts, and further emphasize the concept of group roles? If we’re talking male groups in general, EXO has all Kibbegories except a strong R department, but therefore more yin subtypes. The literal exact same goes for ATEEZ and TXT. BTS has at least one Romantic (Jimin), Gamine (Yoongi), Classic (V), Natural (Jungkook), and D type (Jin) featured. That effect is even more pronounced in Seventeen (they almost have all the 13 types, it’s insane) and of course, within NCT we find it all, I mean the numerical chances of them having each Kibbe type present are high anyway lmao!

And of course, SHINee is THE most balanced group: Minho FN, Key SD, Onew SN, Jonghyun DC, Taemin TR! Yes — I am aware Key and Jonghyun are typed as Flamboyant Gamines frequently. Those aren’t bad typings at all, especially since SHINee often did and successfully does a FG concept. But as I see it, Key wears and exudes the Divo aesthetic like no other, and Jonghyun is easily associated with crisp and elegant suits. So even if they aren’t SD and DC, FGs can be type chameleons, as we saw with G-Dragon who’s portrayed every Kibbegory in the book. Long story short and pun intended, let’s crack the code: SHINee being Kibbe allrounders could also be a reason why they are timeless.

The veracity behind racist stereotyping à la „they all look the same“ unsurprisingly proves to be nonexistent, even despite the industry’s persisting Gamine bias for both girl and boy groups. Which, worryingly, shifts toward promoting the too-muscular Natural body for male idols lately. We can anticipate more N types being cast into debut groups to reinforce that ideal. It does seem to create a new „be this type or go home“ beauty standard that is often divorced from the variety fans want to see. Say, nobody campaigns to have Felix look like Terminator Arnold 2.0 😅 He’s grown so perfectly into his Soft Gamine/Light Spring Season style and looks stunning. No need for a gargantuan bicep or pecs out of proportion, or 15 layers of insoles.

So, I wouldn’t want to pump up everyone into a quasi-Flamboyant Natural (the current Hollywood steroid disaster is telling) or slim everyone down to a faux Dramatic or FG (see Ozempic) when we have nothing short of 13 human archetypes, with 12 different seasonal color types on top anyway. You cannot change your ID to begin with, ever — you’d need surgery for each cell of your body. Even today’s possible amount of cosmetic procedures couldn’t change your yin-yang balance completely. You still look best in your original lines. Plus, height and bone shape are hard and painful to alter from head to toe. I prefer Kibbe’s prennial `dressing your own, already beautiful type´ approach, which still applies if someone had lots of surgery, too. Kibbe types are permanent after one’s early 20s.

That’s why I still think the „5-category-SHINee-effect“ does contribute to longevity and artistic merit. Exactly to last through extreme trends (because what’s after N muscles? Maybe skinny like D again, or balanced like C? It cycles on). Styling a group, it’ll never be a hit or miss game if you have all 5 archetypes present. Imagine SKZ doing an edgy/smokey eye concept, the yang members (e.g. Seungmin) will make waves. Or if they do lace and pearls, the yin types will look especially great.

No matter what theme a comeback has, it’ll strike a chord for at least one person. Everyone can have their turn, there’s no forgotten member. [Male] groups consisting of kindred Kibbe types (e.g. only Romantics, which would 100% set them apart) sadly rarely break through. They’d have to stick to one signature style, which probably wouldn’t survive in the capital-driven/high-speed K-Pop trend and fashion cycle, which asks for novelty. I’d love to see groups like that though, like an all Dramatic model squad. There’s still variety within one Kibbe ID’s styling options. Maybe I’ve overlooked some groups whose members all have similar types? Take to the comments and let me know, I’m curious!

PS. Thank you for reading all the way — and have a great week - Caro 🐯

[st-kitten]

707 pt.4 christmas special

← previous chapter next chapter →

WARNINGS: soft toji... (we all deserve it), choking, hickeys

NEXT PART COMING SOON: SMUTTIEST SMUTTY SMUT SMUTTIER THAN SMUT HAS EVER SMUTTED (hopefully)

you stood in your kitchen, making hot chocolate for yourself and megumi upon his insistence. it was early evening and megumi had woken toji up from his five hour long nap to ask him to play. and like a moody man, he dropped him off at your house, going back to bed.

so, after an hour of sketching with him and letting him play on one of your guitars, you placed him on the kitchen counter. megumi latched onto you like a slug until you agreed to make him hot chocolate. he looked at you with so much love. you had been a welcome surprise for him. he adored how you let him be himself unconditionally. you encouraged his hobbies, helped him find new ones, and you never forced him to behave. you had become his safe space too.

you let megumi decorate some cookies you'd baked with icing cream. he was truly an artist. you watched him hold the icing bag with his tiny hands and fill in the star shaped cookies.

the shelf against your door creaked and moved as toji barged inside your house (which you didn't mind of course).

"put it back in place. there's no point in that barricade if you end up pushing through it, you know..." you said from your kitchen.

toji kicked the shelf with his knee to push it back against the door. he stood, leaning against the kitchen island, eyes shifting between you and the cookies megumi showed him.

he held back a laugh watching your outfit for the day. the way you paired miscellaneous items of clothing and still came out with an outfit had his eyes glued to you. you wore fishnet tights, a brown plaid skirt, beige turtleneck and a huge cardigan that engulfed you. you felt his eyes staring at you. not staring at you, but, well, checking you out. his mind always wandered. never to bad places, but his thoughts were usually, well, dirty...

you poured an extra mug of hot chocolate for him too. you dipped your finger in megumi's mug to check how hot it was.

"i want..."

"it's boiling hot, gumi."

"gimme" he did his grabby hands, and you smirked. you held your finger out to him and he licked the steaming hot chocolate off it, flinching at its temperature. toji licked his own lips, envying his son for a solid minute. he could just keep looking at you. your lips, your hair, your eyes, your figure… god, you were beautiful. you were so, so perfect. his heart was beating hard in his chest.

"will you be a good boy and wait for it to cool down a little?"

"yes he will," said toji as he scooter over to stand behind you, hiding you from megumi's view. he had you trapped between him and the kitchen counter. as you sprayed whipped cream on the mugs, toji slid his hand under your skirt and grabbed your ass, giving it a nice squeeze. you jumped a little, startled, and dropped a spoon, his hand grasping at it and grabbing it before it hit the floor. he moved his hands to your legs, to your thighs…

"so clumsy..." his voice reverberated. you felt his hot breath on the back of your neck as his hands started to move up your legs, his lips almost touching your ear.

"you have some nerve..." you said, a shudder running down your spine.

"don't blame me."

"here," you said, handing him a mug.

you managed to escape his towering frame looming over you, and slid a mug of hot chocolate to megumi. he crushed some cookies and sprinkled them over the cream. the three of you circled the kitchen island, sipping hot chocolate and wiping cream moustaches.

"so, what's your plan today? it's christmas eve..."

"he wants to see the giant tree in the a city square. guess i gotta take him there."

"oh yeah! they go all out on the lights. this year i think they're letting people hang their own ornaments on it. it's a huge tree," you said. "come with us," he said. toji never cared much for celebrations, but it meant something to his kid and if there was one lesson he'd learned from the life he'd grown up in, was that every child deserves an innocent and fun childhood. so if it meant taking megumi out to see the sights, buying him candies or toys, or even inviting his favourite person with them, he'd do it.

"i have a delivery coming in tonight, i'll need to supervise it," you replied.

"we'll make it back in time."

"they need to set it up and all, toji..."

"y/n come with us!" megumi chirped, his eyes shining like stars.

you groaned at how cute he could get. "you're gonna be such a heartthrob, gumiiii. fine, i'll come." you ruffled his and kissed his forehead and megumi giggled with glee.

"he's got you wrapped around his finger."

"tell me about it..."

the three of you roamed around the city, looking at the sights. christmas came alive with a twinkle of lights and festive decorations. tall buildings sparkled with fairy lights, casting a warm glow across the streets. storefronts dressed up their windows with scenes of santa, snow, and elves, creating a holiday buzz. wreaths hung on each door, bells and holly tied to them.

eggnog stands popped up on corners and the air carried the scent of spices as people savoured cups of eggnog, dusted with nutmeg. megumi had the appetite of two grown men and drank a whole pint of eggnog, hogged candies, cookies, and caramel popcorn.

"he's gonna wreck havoc tonight..." said toji, picking his kid up before he spotted anything remotely edible.

"and stay knocked out the whole day tomorrow."

"i'd pay to see that," he sighed.

megumi, bundled up in a cozy jacket, marvelled at the storefronts and the twinkling lights. he loved the colours and the glow of the city.

you soon stood in front of the giant christmas tree. it was massive, draped in ribbons, tinsel, lights, and a myriad of ornaments that people brought. some were storebought, some hand-made, some hung small lockets, picture-frames, and some even hung love letters.

toji held megumi on his shoulder and let him hang a little sketch he'd made of a christmas tree.

"it looks so pretty over there, gumi!" you said, admiring it.

"are ya gonna put something on too?"

"yep," you said as you pulled out something from your purse. you stood on your toes and hung an ornament you'd created out of one of your old golden guitar picks.

"huh. nice."

"i have too many picks. thought i'd spare one... do you have anything to hang?"

"uh... sure," said toji, pulling out a vicks inhaler from his pocket.

"bruh..." you burst into laughter, swatting the fuck out of toji's arm as he messily hung the keyring on a branch, next to your pick. you took a picture of megumi with the tree and his sketch. you snuck in a few pictures of toji looking absolutely disinterested in everything. the three of you roamed around some more until you walked by the lake, frozen and decorated with lights. people were skating on the ice. megumi pulled your hand and led you to the lake.

"you wanna skate, gumi?" you asked and he nodded. so you paid for a pair of skates for you and him. before you could ask toji, he backed away and waved his hand at you.

"loser," you quipped and took megumi to the rink. the winter evening cast a gentle glow on the ice. megumi eagerly hopped from foot to foot in his skates, in anticipation.

it took a few tries to get him used to the light footing. it felt like a scissor gliding through thin paper. megumi slipped a few times, but you caught him in time, helping him regain his balance. after momentary tumbles, you hold his hand and skate across the frozen lake. your skates etched swirling patterns on the ground as you glided over the ice.

toji, leaning on the bannister that surrounded the lake, watched you from a distance. his gaze followed your every pirouette, leap, and glide. he could see you encouraging megumi from time to time. seeing you twirling around, throwing your head back laughing, and skating with his kid did nine kinds of things to toji, and they all made his heart swell, and that was his silent applause to you. you skated your way back to where toji stood, and helped megumi off the slipper ice. both your cheeks and noses were pink, and your laughs gushed out with a puff of mist.

"thought you'd fall..."

"you'd have loved to see that..."

megumi got tired of walking, so he sat atop his father shoulders. your taut walk home passed by in minutes, conversations seamlessly shifting between the trivial and the festive. megumi fell asleep on toji's shoulders, so you offered to hold him.

the three of you stood in the elevator; megumi asleep in your arms, his head resting on your shoulder, while your red handbag rested against toji's.

"sugar game was on point today. he's fast asleep."

"thank god... i can't have this brat run around all night."

"do you have to call him a brat?"

"he is..."

you rolled your eyes and stepped out as the elevator dinged and opened. the two of you were met with two delivery men standing in front of your house, alternately looking through the hole in your door.

"oh, right on time." you wade past them and open the door.

toji followed you, not liking the way the delivery men were looking at you, their eyes trailing your legs.

you asked them to come inside and go on with their work. they brought in a large parcel inside and placed it in a corner of the living room. they began unwrapping and taking their tools out, occasionally checking you out. you had megumi in your arms, so you couldn't see that.

toji, however, saw that and more. he knew what those nods and raised eyebrows meant. he wasn't one to be jealous of prawny men like them. but something about the way they looked at you made him feel... possessive about you.

"put megumi in the bed," he said, gently holding your arm, and guiding you inside.

"you okay with him sleeping here?"

"yes."

toji almost hurried you inside your room. you put megumi on the bed and tucked him in your blanket. you switched the lights off, turning around to leave.

toji caught you by your arm and pushed you against your bedroom door. before you could even respond, his lips crashed onto yours. he kissed you fiercely. he heard you whimper and gasp, but he did not stop. he grabbed your waist and pushed you against the door, pushing himself against you, harder. he pulled away for a second, allowing you to breathe. he didn't need any lights to see your swollen lips and dim expression. he tilted his head and kissed your neck, feeling your arms grab his shoulder defensively. toji brought one hand to your throat and wrapped his fist around it. he began sucking at your neck. his hands, and his mouth could feel your gulps and panting heartbeats. the urge to consume you had taken over him as he started biting your soft neck. the whimpers and moans that left your mouth were music to his ears. your hot and heavy breathing and the way your throat felt in his vice-like claw sent him to a boiling point. his teeth dug into your flesh softly. his hold over your throat tightened and your breathless moans only encouraged him to bite harder. he wanted to take you then and there... but he had a statement to make.

he pulled away, much to his reluctance.

"what was that for..." you asked, panting, feeling blood rise in your neck. not that you were complaining.

toji pulled you aside and opened the door to your room. he led the two of you outside. he went straight to your kitchen and downed a glass of water.

you were still coming down from the high he'd put you through. you sauntered into the living room to check on your parcel. pleased to see it put together, you leaned against the wall, watching the delivery men clean up their tools.

they turned around to look at you and the mischievous grins they had earlier faltered away into thin lines of disappointment.

"it's done, ma'am."

"thank you." you were about to reach for your purse on the kitchen island when toji stood beside you, snaking his hand around your waist.

"that looks great, sweetheart," he said, pressing a kiss to your cheek.

you almost rocketed through the roof. what the fuck is wrong with him...

the two men awkwardly waited in your living room, hoping you'd give them a holiday season tip or offer them refreshments.

the door to your bedroom opened and megumi stepped out, awoken by your conversations. rubbing his eye, he trudged to his father. toji knelt down in front of him, ruffling his hair.

megumi looked up at you... he asked, "what happened y/n?", pointing to your neck.

you had no idea what he was talking about. all you heard was toji whispering something to megumi.

"you see those men, megs? they hurt y/n... they've been bad boys..." he looked at you and threw a wink.

like a rabid puppy, megumi dashed at the two delivery men, flapping his arms at their legs. stunned and perplexed, they began backing away. megumi bit one guy's calf and he yelped in pain, running away, crashing into his partner. the two scurried out of your house, colliding into the walls.

"gumi! what... why would you do that?" you swatted toji's arm and he draped it across your shoulder.

he brought his lips close to your ear and whispered in a sultry voice, "well, my girl ain't available... someone's gotta teach those boys how to behave..."

megumi came back to you and asked if you were okay.

"yes, you... anklebiter..." you chuckled and assured him you were just... damn... fine.

"what were they here for anyway?"

you held toji's hand and brought him to your living room.

"i swear you act like you're blind sometimes..." you said, pointing to a large mantlepiece piano resting against the living room window.

"i was looking at you..." he shrugged.

megumi, like a curious cat, inspected the piano. he'd only seen grand pianos on tv and in malls. he'd never seen one like that.

"can you play?" he asked.

"sure! why not!" you agreed happily and sat down at the piano. opening the lid that covered it, you turned it on, and checked all the pedals once.

you began playing some chords softly, setting the tune, hoping to transition it to some song. well, it was christmas eve and you felt mildly grateful for the year. you also felt pleasant knowing that toji liked you for real. that he didn't turn out to be a one night-stand or a lesson learned.

slowly, you thought of a song to play. the ivory keys obeyed your fingers as you played chords familiar to most people your age. by habit, you began singing the song you were playing.

you smiled at megumi, who was glued to the side of the piano, looking at you with heart eyes.

as you reached the poignant peak, toji stepped forward, a barely noticeable smirk playing on his lips and bent down. without uttering a word, he began to sing, his voice carrying the lyrics with an unexpected depth and resonance. your eyes widened in astonishment, fingers still pressing the keys.

you had been accustomed to the solace of your music for so long that you were caught unawares by toji harbouring a hidden talent, let alone the fact that he knew the lyrics to the song. his voice croaked at a high note, but as the first few lines escaped his lips, your initial shock gave way to a mixture of disbelief and delight.

"you're my, my, my, my..."

"lover..."

your eyes met like strangers on an opportune day. you gave him a soft, affectionate smile and he gave you his cocky grin.

megumi's claps snapped your from your trance. you ruffled his hair. he asked you if he could play too and you helped him sit on the stool, adjusting it to increase the height. so while megumi played random keys, you stood beside toji, watching him.

"who the fuck introduced you to taylor swift?"

toji clutched his forehead, hiding his face with his hand. he knew this was coming. he could hear your contain your squeal.

"hold it in."

"i can't..."

"please..."

"but-"

"don't make a big deal out of it."

"can i please make a big deal out of it?"

he made the mistake of looking at you. oh, how could he refuse when you were staring at him with innocent doe eyes?

he sighed.

"you like her. so..."

"you listened to taylor swift for me?"

toji just groaned in response, hiding his face again. he felt you throw your arms around his neck. he wasted no time in hugging your waist, burying his head in the crook of your neck... the one with a bold hickey he'd marked you with not minutes ago.

"i got you a gift," he whispered in your ear.

"oh?"

toji took something out of his pocket as you pulled away, his arm still around your waist. it was shabbily wrapped in a golden gift paper.

you chuckled and took it, slowly unwrapping it.

"awww, toji, you big old softie..."

you hugged him again, pressing a kiss to his cheek; your arms around his neck, hands holding a brand new doorknob.

(im dying at the way toji says “lover…”)

taglist @amaiyasha @szillx @ruixrei @maddypaddyladdy

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Whoever designed this 1975, (reno'd in 1984 and stuck there), Morrison, Colorado estate was heavily into stairs, steps and levels. However, their forté was definitely bathrooms. Their creativity is unparalleled. 5bds, 5ba, $2.85M.

Off the main entrance is a living room with built-in shelving. I would be leery of that platform above, though. That piece of driftwood or whatever it is, won't stop a child from falling off.

There's a nice 2 story fireplace and a free-form artistic railing with a lovely mezzanine in the family room. Note the picket fences blocking off 2 of the stairs.

4 steps lead up to the kitchen.

Sunny kitchen with interesting cabinetry and blue glass upper doors to match the style of the home. Love the stove.

The sink is blue, too. The dining room is right off the kitchen.

This is nice. It's such an interesting home with those high open ceilings. I wonder if the plants would convey. A door in the dining room opens to a deck.

The view is stunning. Part of the deck is covered for dining and the larger part is open.

This bath has a black toilet with a compliment of yellow. Interesting carpet or toweling.

Up on the mezzanine is another fireplace and an area used as an office.

Here we have a powder room with a high Victorian style water tank, peachy sink, and floral tile.

This bedroom has a round platform with a square mattress. Not sure it's actually a bed. There's a stepdown office area and doors to the yard.

Double brown sinks with coordinating tile.

And, this. What is the area above? Windows all around, and, levels in the tub. You can see a bit of the stairs at the bottom of the picture.

This is a cute bedroom. There's a little music area and doors to a terrace.

Next is a sauna with a ridiculously steep double shower.

This stair tower leads to the primary suite. This looks like a new addition or reno.

The primary suite is huge with nice rounded built-ins and many steps and levels.

It has 2 high steps to the tub.

And, I don't even see a way to get into this raised shower, except for just climbing.

Large dressing room/closet.

And, finally a romantic rooftop terrace.

There's also a log cabin on the property.

It has a living room, kitchen and one bedroom. Someone definitely lives here.

The property is huge- measures 79.3 acres.

[latoyalestrange]

dessert fairy

s. sallow x f!reader

lil drabble inspired by talkiing with @ask-sebastian. ps i'm literally falling in love with this rp acct. he's too smooth i swear.

summary: in which sirona takes things into her own hands when she's tired of watching you and sebastian dance around your feelings for one another.

words: 1kish

warnings: 7th year mc and seb, pining, awkwardness, fluff, not edited! literally the tiniest bit of angst/ hurt and comfort. mention of professor fig :(

every year on the day the hogwarts students returned, hogsmeade held a little fair with music, various pop-up shops, and of course dancing in the square to celebrate. it went without saying that you and sebastian would be attending together as you had the previous year. you weren't sure if it was a good sign or not.

see, you and sebastian were stuck in a waiting game. he would walk you to your classes, insistent on holding your books, offer his scarf when you were cold, let you copy his homework, and would stand up for you anytime students teased you. but that's what any good friend would do, right? you were both painfully oblivious to the other's advances, and therefore you stayed in a limbo of casual flirting that never led to anything.

you pondered this as you stood in the courtyard facing the hamlet, your back to the entrance of the school. you were waiting for him to join you after dinner to head to hogsmeade for a night filled with fun. well, as much fun as you could possibly have with the person you're not-so-secretly pining after. you fidgeted with your hands, looking down at them awkwardly. you were unaware of the slytherin boy as he snuck up behind you, taking silent steps as he approached. his hands pinching your sides shook you out of your trance and you instinctively gasped, ready to scream and run from whatever spooked you.

"sebastian!" you exclaimed, rolling your eyes and clutching your chest as you saw him. he chuckled, letting his hands ghost over your hips as he stood in front of you.

"sorry, it was too perfect of an opportunity to pass up." once you caught you breath, you found yourself blushing as you looked up at his tall form that practically towered over you now after his most recent growth spurt. his cinnamon eyes were still as rich and romantic as ever. "shall we?" you glanced down to see his arm that he held out for you to link with.

"i don't think i want to go with you now, sallow," you teased. he saw right through it.

"yes, you do. come on." he nudged you with his elbow. you sighed, finally snaking your arm around his muscular one as he began leading you to hogsmeade. as well as he could read you, you'd think he'd know how you truly felt about him. but unfortunately for the both of you, sebastian wasn't really as confident as he seemed. he was secure in his dueling abilities and being an incredible student, but when it came to you? he was just as in the dark as you were. you would get bake him his favorite sweets, choose him as your dueling partner every time without fail, and would consistently be there for him when he was missing his sister, letting him hold you tightly as you patted his fluffy brown curls. but that's just what any good friend would do, right?

as you approached the hamlet, you took in the sight of the extra twinkling lights they had put up and the adorable little shops that lined the square. one for handcrafted jewelry, one for a beautiful collection of paintings done by local artists, and a few booths selling various muggle objects. the regular musician that played in the square was also there, and with a few extra instruments that he harmonized perfectly together. it was busier than normal, but that was expected. people from hamlets all around the highlands traveled to see the festivals all year in hogsmeade. unbeknownst to you, while you were digesting your surroundings, sebastian stared down at you adoringly, savoring you adorable expression. he could feel his heart pang in his chest. merlin, how he wished he could confess everything to you in that moment.

"what first?" realizing you probably caught him staring, he blinked away his heart-eyes to respond.

"drinks, obviously," he joked, earning a giggle from you. he began leading you to the three broomsticks, which was only a few paces from the square. once you entered, it was the same as the outside, bustling with patrons chatting loudly.

"agreed. i need a few before i can socialize." he quirked his brown in your direction.

"you're socializing now, aren't you?" he asked in a teasing tone. you shook your head as you reached the only free table in the corner of the first floor. he pulled your chair out for you, pushing you under the table after you sat.

"no, you're different. i don't need alcohol to tolerate you."

he winced playfully, "ouch, tolerate?" you waved his fake pained expression away with your hand.

"oh, you know what i mean. of course i more than tolerate you." redness crept up your neck as you said it, feeling embarrassed by the slightest hint of boldness in your words and his gentlemanly gestures. he brushed it off, chuckling.

"i'll go get us a round, yeah? stay put." you nodded and watched him turn away. you let your head fall to the table with a thud once he couldn't see. how could he not see what he was doing to you? you quickly put yourself back together before he returned, full mugs of butter bear in hand. he placed them on the table in front of you and finally took his place opposite to you. you suddenly noticed the brilliant golden hues that cast across the room from the candle chandeliers. he looked angelic in the light, you could've sworn he was glowing.

"so, seventh year, hm?" he settled in the plush seat beneath him, or was he shifting nervously? you couldn't tell. "what are your plans after you absolutely ace the n.e.w.t.s?" he smiled cheekily as he brought the frosted mug up to his plush lips. you watched as you pondered your answer, eyeing the foam mustache that he skillfully wiped away with his tongue.

"uh-- i'm not entirely for sure yet. everything is still so new." he nodded understandingly, allowing you to continue. "professor weasley actually mentioned to me that they're still looking for a permanent replacement for professor fig." you tried to seem excited about it, but your eyes instantly fell to your fidgeting hands that rested on the table at the mention of your late mentor. "she said, um...that i might be a good fit, if things go well." his brow furrowed, his heart aching for you as he watched the excitement leave your face.

"you don't seem excited by the idea." he looked down at your hands and took one in his own, rubbing comforting circles with his thumb. you shook your head glumly, unable to meet his gaze. "can i ask why?"

"it's just...there are so many other wizards and witches that are perfectly capable--" you stopped, forcing yourself to breathe before you started crying in public. he only squeezed your hand. "there are so many other capable people that aren't responsible for his death."

he shook his head immediately at the prospect. "what happened was in no way your fault, y/n. i didn't know him as well as you did, but what i do know is that him and every professor chose to fight alongside you that day. as far as i'm concerned, they were all lucky to have you there. imagine if you weren't and they had to fight ranrock without anyone with your ability?" you sighed, contemplating his words.

a smile slowly crept back onto your lips, "thank you, sebastian...i wish that made me feel better about it. i really do." he shared a sympathetic smile with you as you sat in comfortable silence for a moment before you continued. "but what about you? what are your plans?" his expression softened to a more playful one as he sat back in his seat, still holding your hand in his.

"oh, you know me. survive." you rolled your eyes at his lightheartedness, but your face looked anything but annoyed by his antics.

"at least you're not planning to leave me here alone."

he shook his head once more, "i'd never." your familiar blush returned, this time reaching your cheeks and nose. you were suddenly hyper-aware of how his hand felt as it held yours and your legs that tangled together under the table.

"so...just me and you then?" you couldn't force your eyes to meet his, as much as you wanted them to.

"against the world." if you weren't blushing before, you definitely were now. something about that made your mind go blank and you suddenly couldnt find a clever remark to retort with. to fill the gap, you brought your own mug to your lip, taking a selfish sip. like sebastian's, it left a silly mustache on your lip. you didn't notice at first, caught up in your thoughts.

"oh, you've got a little..." he gestured to his mouth and you instantly knew. did you always have to make a fool of yourself in front of him? you wiped it with your thumb, but a little dribble remained at the corner of your mouth.

"here, let me." he gently brought his hand up to ghost over your cheek, wiping the leftover foam from your lip. you were sure now that your entire face was beet red from the contact.

you were back to searching your mind frantically for any response. luckily, you didn't need to find one, as someone had joined you at the edge of your table. once you looked up, you realized it was sirona ryan, the owner of the three broomsticks and seer of all, apparently. she held a generous slice of her signature chocolate cake with a dollop of whipped cream and two heart-shaped cherries on top.

"lover's special, on the house. you two have fun at the festival tonight." she placed the plate between the two of you. "not too much fun, though," she added with a wink. you and sebastian exchanged looks, and he was the first to speak.

"lovers special?" he chuckled bemusedly as he looked to you. "i mean, not that i'm one to say no to free cake or anything, but--" he was swiftly cut off by your foot meeting his shin beneath the table.

"thank you sirona," you added sweetly. she smiled politely and turned on her heel to return to the counter.

sebastian laughed, "ow! what was that for?" his playful expression quickly dropped once he saw you, your hands now withdrawn to your lap at you looked down it to it, picking at your nails. "hey, what's wrong?"

you answered meekly, "is it really that weird to think of me in that way?" he instantly felt terrible. you looked so hurt. "i thought maybe since..." you trailed off, sighing. "i don't know what i thought.

"no, no, that's not what i meant at all!" he quickly defended. "i just--i guess i was surprised by sirona's assumption, is all..." it was his turn to fall silent, trying desperately to find the words to say next.

he cleared his throat and asked gently, "do...do you think of me in that way?" he was almost afraid of saying it outright.

realizing there was no way out of this painfully awkward conversation, you were able to stutter out, "oh! i-- uhm, no! i mean--" you instantly covered your face with your hands, wanting to hide. "oh, merlin, i've ruined it, haven't i?" your voice was muffled as you hid behind your hands. he was quick to pull your hands away from your face and hold them in his own.

"you haven't ruined anything, promise. i'm just a bit confused." you took a deep breath, still avoiding his eyes. you felt so embarrassed.

"i just...i wanted this to be perfect, i wanted us to have butterbeer and look at all the shops and dance and maybe i could finally-- or maybe you would--...i don't know. i'm sorry, sebastian." you let your head fall again, refusing to look him in the eye. he only squeezed your hand comfortingly, finally feeling like he understood.

"hey," he outstretched his hand to tilt your head upward, finally meeting your eye. "if you wanted this to be a date..." he gulped down hard, feeling sweat prick his forehead. "i wouldn't mind that at all." you looked instantly relieved as the tension left your body.

"really?" he nodded, relazing a bit himself.

"really. i'm sorry it took me so long to say something. i didn't think you were interested."

"sebastian, i wouldn't do half the things i do for you if i weren't interested." you admitted, making him laugh heartily.

"and i wouldn't hold your books and walk you to class every day. those damned things are heavy!" you returned the chuckle, finally feeling calm again. unbeknownst to you, a pair of eyes was watching the two of you and relishing in their successfull efforts. sirona ryan, unofficial dessert fairy and matchmaker, sometimes needed to give students a gentle push in the right direction. and they thanked her for that.

reblog if you made it to then end!

lmk if you want a part 2 cause i would be down.

[simdertalia]

🌊 Altar Items Set 🌊

15 items | Sims 4, Base game compatible Set contains: -Altar Cloth rectangular - 20 swatches -Altar Cloth square - 20 swatches -Seaweed 1 & 2 - 3 swatches each | WoW conversions -Seashell Conch - 5 swatches | Debug made BGC -Seashell Small Conch - 7 swatches | Debug made BGC -Seashell Moon Snail - 5 swatches | Debug made BGC -Seashell Abalone - 4 swatches | Debug made BGC -Seashell Tulip - 6 swatches | Debug made BGC -Seashell Scallop - 5 swatches | Debug made BGC -Seashell Sea Urchin - 3 swatches | Debug made BGC -Seashell Starfish - 5 swatches | WoW conversion -Paintings 1, 2 & 3 - 1 swatch each | WoW conversions

~All seashell items have original swatch & recolors added~ Type “altar” into the search query in build mode to find quickly. You can always find items like this, just begin typing the title and it will appear.

💗 Anyone here via SimFinds, please see THIS POST

📁 Download all or pick & choose (SFS, No Ads): https://simfileshare.net/folder/179422/

📁 Alt Download (still no ads): https://mega.nz/folder/kpgQkYiK#5_bjTX9Fz8lkhbjrfh5dVA

Simfileshare is working again 🎉 ~I claim no ownership of the images used for these recolors, all credit goes to the artist(s).~

As always, please let me know if you have any issues! Happy Simming! ✨ All of my CC has always been free & public upon posting, but if you like my work, please consider supporting me:

★ Patreon  🎉 ❤️ |★ Ko-Fi  ☕️  ❤️ ★ Instagram  📷

Thank you for reblogging ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ @sssvitlanz  @maxismatchccworld @mmoutfitters @public-ccfinds  @coffee-cc-finds  @itsjessicaccfinds  @occult-cc-finds 

~Crystal Ball CC ~Mermaid Statuette CC ~Crystal Towers CC ~Crystal Points CC ~Seashell With Pearl CC

[darcylewisbingohq]

2024 Darcy Lewis Bingo Headquarters

Welcome back to Darcy Lewis Bingo Headquarters, friends and Darcy fans, and to the beginning of our 2024 bingo round! We’re looking forward to seeing our bingo friends from rounds past return again and we’re delighted to welcome new Darcy Lewis Bingo creators, too!

We’re trying some new things this year, beginning with our Darcy Bingo creator card for writers and artists and fannish creators of all sorts. After a successful soft-launch of a new prompt format during our Halloween bingo event last year, we’ve decided to go all in for 2024 on this new format for our Darcy Lewis Bingo 2024 creator cards. We’ll explain more about the exciting changes to the creator bingo card in the all new bingo guidelines below, but rest assured, friends, you’ll still have several fun ways to curate your prompts and creator bingo card this round. Only the method has changed to streamline and deliver curated prompts into your hands faster than we’ve ever been able to before. 

We’re also introducing our first ever Darcy Lewis Bingo HQ Reader Bingo Event. Reader Bingo Guidelines will arrive here on our tumblr blog in just a few days. For now, let’s take a look at the new bingo guidelines, the 2024 bingo card, and talk about curating prompts for your bingo card, Darcy creators…

2024 Darcy Lewis Bingo Guidelines for Creators

Brand new format!—NEW for 2024, DLBHQ creator cards got streamlined for this round thanks to a successful experiment with the new this-or-that prompt format we trialed on our 2023 mini bingo Halloween event cards. Our new creator bingo card allows you to curate your card at a glance just to start, no need to request prompt changes before you can begin creating fanworks because every square on your card already begins with 2 prompt choices so you can curate your own ideal bingo card as soon as you finish reading these guidelines.

Squares—Your creator bingo card still has just 25 squares, now with 2 prompts on every square for you to choose from. The center square on your card also now features 2 prompts to choose from—FREE SPACE or AVENGERS ASSEMBLE. The choice of which to use and how to use them is yours. Any version of Avengers Assemble fills the prompt if you use it in a fannish work. You can still use the center square as a free space, but if that doesn’t inspire you to use it, you can use the 2nd prompt in that square, Avengers Assemble, like any other prompt on your card to inspire a new fanwork or new update to a fanwork.

Prompts—Prompts on the new creator card are all Darcy-centric to begin the round, meaning they’re derived from Dr. Darcy Lewis’ appearances in the MCU, many recent, but with familiar throwbacks to her early appearances, too. You need not have seen the newest films or shows featuring Darcy to use any of the prompts or to participate in this bingo. Prompts are only intended to inspire new fanworks. You are welcome to use them to write stories about everyone living in the tower or go all the way back to Puente Antiguo and the beginning of Darcy’s MCU journey. Or create entirely new AUs! It’s up to you. Note: Every bingo creator card bears 50 total Darcy-centric prompt options now, allowing you to curate your creator bingo card hundreds of different ways even before our curated prompt request form opens for this round. You can use the Darcy Bingo creator card attached at the end of this post to start writing today.

Fills—Aesthetics, drabbles, one-shots, multichaptered fics, series, drawings, paintings, sculptures, social media AUs, gif edits, video edits, moodboards, coloring pages, playlists, new additions to pre-existing series, and new updates to pre-existing fanworks are all accepted fills.

Truly, ANY CREATION inspired by your prompt counts.

Cosplay as Darcy, make it fit your prompt somehow, and take a selfie for the fill—we’ll count that, too. We’d also love to see you Darcybounding irl.

(A little fannish history sidenote on character-bounding: With the rise of popularity in cosplaying the past 10-15 years, the practice of guest cosplaying is no longer permitted or politely ignored within Disney Parks in order to add an extra layer of protection for impressionable children who can’t tell the difference between professional face character actors and adult guests in heroic cosplay. When cosplay in the parks was ‘outlawed’ for adults, Disneybounding was born to fill a certain fannish niche without breaking Disney’s park rules or getting frogmarched out of the parks. Or worse—banned from them forever. Character-bounding, or the generally more popular, Disneybounding, is a type of character dress-up that’s like cosplay, but you don’t literally dress up as the character in a costume identical to theirs as worn on screen. Character-bounding is similar to cosplay, but it’s more like a character dressed in modern street clothes that can’t be accidentally mistaken for a face character actor at a Disney Park playing a mythical princess or famous hero.

If you’re curious about the practice of Disneybounding or want to try your hand at Darcybounding some of your bingo fills this round, we recommend checking out the popular #disneybound , #disneybounding , #marvelbound , #marvelbounding , and #characterbounding tags on Instagram sometime. The fan creativity in the character-bounding community is off the charts!)

Back to fills!—To mark a square complete:

You must fill at least one of the two prompts in each square, unless you swap in one of your own curated prompts or swap curated prompts with another player (see Bingo Card Curation and Additional Bingo Card Prompt Swaps for more info)

Fill requirements differ based on the type of fanwork you create (see Fanwork Fill Requirements for a complete list).

There Can Be Only One!—Every creator begins this round with the same DLBHQ creator card—no exceptions! (Keep reading to find out how to curate your new creator card with our curated prompts request form!)

Bingo Card Curation

Fill out our 2024 DLBHQ Curated Prompts Request Form to request up to 10 curated prompts based on your favorite fanwork genres and other types of prompts.

You get a list of prompts—You will receive a list of curated prompts by email if you fill out the curated bingo prompts request form.

Curated prompts are for swapping squares—These curated prompts can be used anytime during this round as swaps for squares you’re not vibing with on your base creator bingo card. The only squares that can’t be swapped out on the base creator card are the four corner squares if you plan to complete our Four Corners Bingo Bang Challenge (we’ll explain more about that in a bit).

Player prompt trades—Your curated, requested prompts are the only prompts that can be traded with other players to use as square swaps for squares on your base creator card and theirs.

To be as clear as possible: the curated prompt request form is not a form to fill out for a second bingo card or a one-of-a-kind, custom bingo card as we’ve done in previous rounds. You are only requesting a list of 10 prompts curated for you to use as instant swaps wherever you want on the base Darcy Lewis creator bingo card anytime during the 2024 round.

We recommend the Chrome browser—We strongly recommend opening the curated prompts request form in a Google Chrome browser to complete it, if possible. (One of our beta-testers had trouble submitting the form in Safari after filling out the whole form.)

Curated prompt requests are limited to a maximum of 10 requested prompts. We strongly recommend maxing out and requesting all 10 curated prompts on your curated prompt request form when you submit it.

Each player may only fill out the curated prompt request form once during the 2024 round. So make it count. 😉

Though the option to request these additional curated prompts is available to all creators, creators participating in Darcy Bingo are not required to request curated prompts to supplement their bingo creator card if they like the base creator card just the way it appears.

The only curated prompts that can be replaced by Mods this round after you complete the prompt request form are those you’ve been sent as a result of your prompt request form that accidentally include something on your Omissions/Do Not Want list. Your DNW list should be clear and concise. Please don’t send us a lengthy essay on your dislikes. If you feel you would need to write an essay-length response about your dislikes to get just 10 prompts that you’re okay with writing, you may be better off (and we would strongly recommend) letting us know you’d prefer one-word prompts-only because one-word prompts are less likely to include or impinge on your lengthy and specific dislikes.

Additional Bingo Card Prompt Swaps

Trade curated prompts with Darcy Bingo friends—one curated prompt swap with another Darcy Lewis Bingo creator is allowed per month. Contact a mod to notify us if you and a friend have both chosen to swap one each of your curated bingo prompts with one another.

2024 creator bingo base card prompts are not tradable with other creators because everyone begins with the same creator bingo card prompts this round.

Monthly adoptables.—A fresh list of monthly adoptables will be posted at the beginning of each month, starting in July. Anyone can adopt a monthly adoptable at any time during the month. To adopt it, you must complete and publish the creation by the end of the month to use it as a completed fill for a square on your bingo card.

The Darcy Lewis Bingo Weekly Challenge continues in the DLBHQ Discord with a fresh prompt every Sunday.—New weekly prompts can be found on our Discord anytime once you join us there! Click this link for your invite to the DLBHQ Discord. The weekly challenge is very similar to monthly adoptables, but the time period allowed is much shorter—just one week to plan, create, and post your fanwork before the week’s 5:00 pm Sunday (New York) deadline.

Publishing Bingo Creations

Tag—@darcylewisbingohq in the A/N and use the tag #dlbingohq (all one word!) in the first five tags when posting your new creations on tumblr if you want your work reblogged. If we can’t find it, we can’t reblog it.

Each published creation should include an outline of the folllowing…

• the square filled

• trigger warnings for content consumers

• word count (for fics, descriptions for the visually impaired, and other wordy works)

• pairings/polycules/main characters

Please include appropriate warnings when you publish your creations.—If warnings are spoilers, put a warning in the tags that spoilers are in the end notes and then actually include the spoilers in the end notes.

Share your fanworks with other creators.—You may also post your fills in the appropriate fill channels on the Darcy Lewis Bingo Headquarters Discord to share your works with other creators and readers for our new reader bingo challenge. Posting your fills in our fill channels helps other readers find them to complete our new reader bingo. (We’ll post about that in a few days!)

A new Darcy Lewis Bingo 2024 Collection will be appearing soon on the Archive.—Please add your works to this collection as you upload them to make them easier for readers to find (especially those playing Darcy Reader Bingo!).

Please use the ‘read more’ feature on tumblr when possible to abbreviate the length of your fills if you’d like them reblogged by the Darcy Lewis Bingo HQ account.—There’s a shortcut on mobile now that makes it so much easier. It’s in the toolbar at the bottom of every post you create. It’ll look like two stacked em dashes with a squiggly line between them.

Fanwork Fill Requirements

• 100 words for written works or word art, with the exception of poetry with independent formatting rules (such as haikus).

• 1 image for artwork or handcrafts of any kind and a description for the visually impaired of the medium used and what it represents.

• 1 image for cosplay or character-bounding and a description for the visually impaired of cosplay or clothing and any other fashion influences incorporated into the costume or clothing (be descriptive! talk about fabrics and colors, tone and texture! describe the emotions the colors you used evoke in you as the creator!)

• 9 elements for moodboards (background, images, texts, ephemera) and a description for the visually impaired of the moodboard and what it represents.

• 6 images for social media AUs and a description for the visually impaired of the creation and what it represents.

• 10 songs for playlists and a text list of artists and songs to give credit to the original artists, plus a description for the visually impaired of what the playlist represents and how it relates to Darcy.

Still not sure if your creation will meet the minimum prompt fill requirements? @ a mod! we’ll create new requirements based on new types of creator fanwork submissions, as needed.

Deadlines & Masterposts

Deadlines—We have no deadlines. Really. We mean it. We’re not joking. There’s just a form to fill out when you’re done with the current card, completed your bingo, your blackout, completed all the badges you’re interested in, whatever. Set your own goals and fill out the creator bingo award badge request form whenever you’re ready to reap the rewards of your fanwork efforts.

Masterposts—Masterposts are due whenever you’re done with this bingo card creatively and have achieved whatever goals you’ve set for yourself. We recommend posting your masterpost before the next bingo round goes live, but it’s really up to you. We’re not your mom and this isn’t homework. No deadlines or due dates, we swear.

Creator Bingo Award Badges

You Tried Badge—fill any 5 squares anywhere on your DLBHQ creator bingo card.

Creator Bingo, Truly, a Classic Achievement—fill 5 squares in a row, column, or diagonally on your DLBHQ creator bingo card.

2024 Creator Mini Bingo Brownout Challenge—Complete 9 fills in a perfect 3x3 grid pattern anywhere within your Darcy creator bingo card to complete this challenge. (This badge may just be a giant poop emoji the size of a 3x3 mini card. Who knows? Certainly not us. 💩)

2024 Creator Bingo Blackout Badge—NAIL IT! Complete 25 fills on your DLBHQ creator bingo card and blackout all 25 squares for the ultimate 2024 bingo achievement award badge.

Four Corners Creator Bingo Bang—Looking for a ludicrous bingo challenge? Not feeling challenged enough? Bring it on. 😈 We’ve got a real one for you now, a bang within a bingo. Complete a minimum four-chapter story using one prompt each from all four of our bingo creator card’s corner squares (absolutely no curated prompt swaps permitted to be used to complete this badge challenge—you must choose from and use only the prompts as they appear in the four corner squares of the bingo creator card). Your Four Corners Bingo Bang creation must be at least 6,000 words in length to qualify for this bingo bang badge.

Creator Bingo Award Badge Request Form

Please direct any remaining questions to #ask-the-mods or @mod on our Discord if you have bingo questions you can’t find answers to in the bingo guidelines for creators above. If you’re on tumblr, drop us a DM with whatever questions you have or click that invite link in the guidelines above and come join us on Discord to ask your questions there or check to see if your question has already been answered!

The 2024 Darcy Lewis Bingo card for creators is attached below. Have fun creating new Darcy fannish works!

—The Darcy Lewis Bingo Headquarters Mod Team,

@chrissihr & @ibelieveinturtles

[violetevermore24]

A Different Pride

So this fic took longer than expected. I tried my best to write Cero here and probably failed miserably at it /lh. This is mainly because it's the first time I wrote an egotistical prick like Cero.

I tried to draw the two for this because why not? Plus it's fun to draw Cero ngl, even if it was a bit challenging.

The sour grape, Cero and Reiba belongs to @eldritch-spouse. Please support the amazing artist/writer, she deserves it for making me interested and simp for her characters! 😄

CW: Mentions of Forced Marriage; Cero is his own warning; Toxic relationship; Mention of Egg-preg; Choking

Heavy footsteps of the Queen of Pride echoed the hallways with the team of imp servants scuttering about and dutifully fulfilling their roles. His towering body felt like an intimidating giant in comparison, one that radiates respect and coldness, fitting for his role as a ruler. The additional permanent aloofness only serves to support it. He didn’t even need to use his sharp violet eyes to know that his presence made the servants’ bodies tense up like statues despite working for him for several months, which was understandable given their King has the patience of a spoiled toddler and the Queen has the aura that screams ‘Test my patience and you will regret it’. 

Everyone in the mansion could tell that there was tension between the royal couple, but none dared to say a peep.

Lucian, a name he gave himself for centuries, has long blonde hair tied to the back - showing his smooth square face and forced to wear a face-cringing and stuffy suit in purple and black to match his husband. It was one he hated wearing from the amount of sweat he’d accumulated within the past few hours, and being in a hot environment like Hell doesn’t help. 

The purple scales on his hand and arms itched with the temptation to lull him into scratching it. It took all of his willpower to reign himself on an imaginary leash so he wouldn’t try ripping off his clothes just to feel a semblance of coolness brushing through his muscular body. If he did that, Cero would be popping more veins than Lucian growing more strands of grey hair, and while the image was enticing, another round of unnecessary tantrums made him mentally shove it into the depths of his mind.

Quiet frankly, the existence of Cero being the King of Pride was an indirect mockery to Lucian who he considers himself to embody the sin. So much so, that he wants the world to smite the pale demon on his behalf. 

The long and wide hallway of the mansion was dawned in hues of purple and black, in contrast to Lucian’s castle that’s in white and purple. The expensive and high-quality pieces of furniture and decorations in every corner and inch of the place would make any lower class cry in awe. 

The walls hung the many paintings of the King with his familiar yet disgusting arrogance and sharp facial features that reflected the Pride Ring it represented. The dreaded atmosphere lingered on those braved enough to walk into its unwelcoming embrace that threatened to suffocate you of all your worth.

Always striving for perfection, was what Lucian can describe as his asshole of a husband. He could hardly remember how many times he wanted to knock Cero’s ego down a peg over the course of their marriage. Hell, he sometimes thought of railing him to submissiveness every time he opened his mouth, no matter how much the idea made him grimace. The fucking demon is really edging him this far. It’s almost impressive.

He had no one but himself to blame for his predicament. His cold heart thumped when Cero showed him the contract, albeit a corrupted one, but a good one nonetheless. The way he holds himself. The way he explains the process of the contract, simultaneously expresses his pride for his skills and intelligence. It was the ideal courtship he imagined, minus the kidnapping, and he fell hard for it. Even if he didn’t, it wasn’t like he had any other choice. From what he learned, Icons of Hell are forces that shouldn’t be trifled with, and he could get severely injured in the process. Even if he did won, he had to crawl himself out of Hell and getting more injured from other demons. Whether they care about the death of the Icon of Pride or not is up in the air and Lucian won't take his chances.

Because of these raging fantasies that will lead to his ending, his footsteps quicken to speed walking pace towards the library, causing many of the passing servants to sweat drop from the intense aura he emits mixed with his resting bitch face. It’s a sanctuary for him and the one place he can indulge in his hobby while pretending he isn’t stuck in a prison that he can’t escape from. 

For once, he can fantasize a life where he was in a “better” relationship.

With someone who doesn’t say his handmade violet gemstone, an indirect ‘I love you. so. fucking. much’, that it wouldn’t look “perfect” for any artificial trinket. The gall to insinuate a dragon’s gem won’t look magnificent unless it’s turned into a fucking accessory is a personal insult to its creator. Oh if only that demon understood how much he left a crack in his Queen’s heart that day.

Just say my gem is garbage, you fuck. He huffed, brushing his blonde hair back.

Sure, the gem was not perfect, but Lucian had made countless attempts to form his scales into gems in secret for over a month, many of which were wasted because it wasn’t up to his standards, until it was exactly how he wanted to look. All those tiring days to form a singular scale into a suitable gemstone for his mate. Even, the head servant was willing to help keep his project hush-hush from Cero and give her different flavors of puddings for compensation. 

The result was an almost palm-sized, smooth purple gem with slight bumps, shaped like an oval. He vividly remembered how his chest puffed up with pride at his creation.

The failed creations still sat in his personal bedroom drawer to this day as a reminder of his endeavor and that hell forsaken reaction.

A part of his mind reminded him that it was a Pride Demon’s love language, to make everything about them and show little vulnerability, but that went one ear and out the other. 

The cold air seeps through the faint crack of the large door and embraces the newcomer as the door is pushed open and rumbles through the large and grand library, filled with thousands of books and organized into their categories. Cero had demanded that all of the servants ensure that not a single book was misplaced or damaged, lest they want to face the wrath of the Icon. An act that Lucian appreciates, almost made the edges of his lips tug up when no one was looking.

While he scans through the various shelves, one section catches his eyes and widens like saucers. There’s an entire six rows of novels with a hardcover and arranged in their perspective genres. The humanoid dragon didn’t recall ever seeing this new section and he doubted Cero was the kind to read these books, trying to search his already old memories to find answers, until one event came to mind, a complaint that he made to his husband about the lack of novels in the library and got told that his taste in books was god awful. Another petty grudge to hold against him.

The frown turned upside, forming into a genuine, rare, warm smile, forgetting his frustrations with his pompous husband. “You exceeded my expectations once again” He humored himself, as he took a random novel off the shelf and sat near the windowsill, turning to the first page. 

Lucian was already planning out his quality time with Cero in his mind, while simultaneously flipping through the pages and reading the sentences. Maybe he should start creating his second gem. A “perfect” one this time.

A serene ambiance settles into the library that day……

Why does it feel like he forgot something?

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Insecurity is an ugly feeling to have, especially for a proud demon. It will gnaw at them till they do something to prove that little whisper in their heads that whatever degradation it throws their way is completely wrong, a lie that should never be said in the first place. 

Unfortunately, Cero can’t entirely control how his feelings and mind operate. Ever since he successfully made Lucian his Queen with the contract, something he put all his blood, sweat, and tears into despite the haste, and feeling waves of euphoria from the smooth process and his obedient (he isn’t) inamorato following diligently to the lessons he planned out to be a fitting Queen of Pride.

When Lucian gifted him the gemstone he put equal blood, sweat, and tears into that Cero’s ego was stroked into a disgusting smarmy smile and chest puffed up to an obnoxious degree. Heck, he even kept the gemstone in a separate safe after admiring it like a love-struck teenager whose crush just gave him a love letter.

While he wished it was better quality, the fact his inamorato offered him physical proof of his race’s eternal love - after a lot of painful waiting on the demon’s side, was good enough. Shame, he missed the flash of hurt and anger that came when the pallid demon expressed how his lovely gem wouldn’t be fitting for any accessories. Apart from their soon-to-be new wedding rings.

He wanted to return that affection, but no matter what he does, no matter how much he shows off his talent, intelligence, and his monologue about how ‘he must be lucky to have him as his husband and King and saving him from that pig’s pen of a home’. Going as far as showing his much softer side to the stubborn dragon, yet he couldn’t make a dent in his Queen’s stubborn walls. It was as if he expected something from him but didn’t know what it is.

What is wrong with him? Is it part of the courtship? Why isn’t he giving his King his usual physical touch? The soft gazes? The genuine adoration? Why is he trying so damn hard to not show it!? Whirlwinds of countless questions without answers were eating the demon alive.

Cero’s sharp claw of his index finger taps away at his forearm, filling the halls with his frustrations that threaten to explode. 

Poor Reiba is standing near him like a deer in headlights, being careful with her pose and speech lest she wants to be ripped in half in this minefield. She was also confused why the Queen grew distant from Cero, but she figured it must’ve been a cultural difference or a miscommunication.

The door to the library was left slightly ajar, and only one person would do it. 

The cold air from the room made the pallid demon shudder, regretting ever implementing the cold stones into the library so his inamorato wouldn’t melt into a pathetic puddle while he was reading. “That idiot is still doing this?! How many times do I need to drill it into his pathetic excuse of a memory until he understands?!” 

Various images of how he will discipline his dumb Queen. Ranging from whipping to overstimulating till the dragon begged for him to stop with big fat tears. It caused his shaft to almost slip out of his slit at the mere thought of it. How embarrassing. 

The two demons brace themselves with cold resistance magic before entering the library. Cero strides elegantly towards the spot near the windowsill like it was second nature. 

“Is there something you need from me, Cero?” Lucian quips as he raises his head from the book. It’s always amusing to see Cero and Reiba shivering from the cold.

The pallid demon crossed his arms, glared daggers at the dragon, and a scowl plastered his white facade with patches of salmon. “You better have a good reason for leaving the door open again!” Ah here it is, his incessant whining. Classic.

Lucian internally scoffed at it, knowing full well that he did it on purpose to lure him here. Time to flatter him, much to the dragon’s dismay. “I’m so sorry, my beloved King. My carelessness has prevented me from being a worthy Queen to someone as handsome and amazing as you. Is it so wrong of me to wish to see your beautiful eyes and hear your voice that lulls me in like a siren?” He offers a small smile as an extra.

Gods above, he wants to gag and hurl from saying such cheesy lines. He couldn’t believe he stooped this low for self-preservation. 

The silence is all the answers he needs. He could see his chest puff up and a slight flush on his cheeks from his ego being preened. Even though Lucian could be bullshiting every word. 

Once Cero’s mood has been lifted, the dragon sees fit to clear up something. 

The Queen makes a hand gesture for Reiba to leave the two in private, knowing the aftermath could become worse if she stays and he cannot afford to have her get caught in the crossfire. 

The pale imp went still as statue, and glanced to her king for his input. Fortunately, Cero waves his hand to dismiss the head servant. It’s done out of curiosity and intrigue on the demon’s side, as Reiba leaves the library.

Once Lucian is sure that the two are alone, he’s the first to break the silence. “While you’re here, I want to clear a misunderstanding between us”

“A misunderstanding?” Cero raised an eyebrow. Attentively listening to what he has to say.

“I’m aware that dragons are rare species, let alone knowledge of us aside from mythologies humans created. The gem I gave you the other day. It’s why I want to explain that it’s used as a vessel to store energy for when the mother requires more stamina before labor to ensure a safe birth and usually the gem is eaten raw” He explains with his stoicness, letting it sink in.

A reminder that they can’t have a biological heir, at least to him. The demon’s face morphs into a look that says ‘So what?’ mixed with impatience and offense. “That’s it?” 

Lucian didn’t think Cero would be this oblivious to the message, but he’s not complaining. If anything, the dragon is internally elated for the grand reveal. One that will surely dig his own grave. “I wish to save this last information until I create a second gem for you, my beautiful King. But since you’re curious….” 

“Get to it already! I don’t have all day!” 

“The gem is also used as an artificial egg for same-sex couples. The process simply needs you to shove the gem into your anus and I-” 

Cero immediately grabbed Lucian’s neck in a blink of an eye before he could finish the sentence. The former’s sharp claws, which he diligently filed and maintained to perfection, are threatening to pierce through the skin. If it was possible, Cero’s face went redder than Kalymir’s entire body and radiating that same anger as he does but more mellow and dangerous. Despite this, Lucian’s aloofness never wavered, only making the demon’s blood pressure skyrocket to the moon. 

“Choose your next words carefully, pet” The venom is clear as crystal.

“My next words are exactly as I implied, my beloved King. I want to see you glow as the sun when you bear our heir” A rare soft gaze and smile stretch his face. A dragon will not back down without a fight. 

[downbad4fyodor]

Pairing: Fyodor Dostoevsky x Fem!reader word count: 363 summary: Fyodor takes you to see the Christmas lights around Moscow warnings: none Tag list: @getousrep

Want more Fics for the Holidays?

The frigid embrace of Moscow's winter air wrapped around you and Fyodor as you embarked on an enchanting adventure through the city adorned in the splendor of Christmas lights. Fyodor had orchestrated a surprise evening to immerse you in the spellbinding beauty of Moscow's festive illumination.

Under the silver glow of the moon, the streets draped in a pristine coat of snow whispered tales of winter magic. Fyodor, with his tall and commanding presence, walked by your side, his violet eyes reflecting the soft radiance of the Christmas lights that adorned the city. The night promised a magical journey, and Fyodor's gaze held a mysterious allure that heightened the sense of anticipation.

The first stop on this captivating expedition was none other than the historic Red Square. As you approached, the iconic St. Basil's Cathedral emerged like a majestic ice palace. Its domes, adorned with a breathtaking array of twinkling lights in hues of red, green, and gold, transformed the architectural marvel into a mesmerizing spectacle that rivaled the stars above. Fyodor, his breath visible in the crisp air, squeezed your hand as you both stood in silent awe, taking in the dazzling display that seemed to defy the winter night.

"It's like something out of a fairytale, isn't it?" Fyodor's voice, a low and melodic timbre, resonated with the joy of the season.

You nodded, captivated by the radiance that enveloped the historical landmark. The lights seemed to pirouette in harmony with the delicate snowflakes that floated gently from the night sky, creating an ethereal dance of winter wonder.

Fyodor, his gloved hand still entwined with yours, led you through the snow-covered cobblestones, each step revealing a new tableau of luminous beauty. The avenues of Moscow glittered with a tapestry of lights, like celestial pathways guiding you through the heart of the city's festive spirit. The meticulous arrangement of lights on trees, lampposts, and buildings painted a landscape that seemed plucked from a dream.

The journey continued to Gorky Park, where the frozen lake reflected the brilliance of the lights like a mirror. The towering trees, now adorned with a kaleidoscope of colors, stood as silent witnesses to the festive transformation. Fyodor guided you towards a charming carousel, its lights casting a warm glow against the snowy canvas. Whimsical music and the laughter of children added to the symphony of the holidays.

As you and Fyodor boarded the carousel, the world around you transformed into a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of lights and laughter. The crisp air, laced with the scents of hot cocoa and roasted chestnuts, heightened the sensory experience. Fyodor's eyes met yours, a silent promise of shared joy and the magic that lingered in the moment.

The night unfolded as a captivating exploration of Moscow's neighborhoods, each one vying to outshine the other in a dazzling display of lights. Fyodor, his arm wrapped around you protectively, shared tales of Moscow's Christmas traditions and folklore, infusing the journey with cultural richness.

The grand finale awaited at the historic Bolshoi Theatre. The monumental building, a symbol of artistic excellence, now stood adorned with a cascade of lights that accentuated its architectural grandeur. Fyodor, a mischievous glint in his eyes, led you towards the entrance. As you ascended the grand staircase, the lights dimmed, and the façade of the theatre became a canvas for an enchanting light show.

Colors danced across the intricate details of the building, synchronized with festive melodies that echoed through the night. Fyodor, his expression a mix of satisfaction and delight, watched your reactions with unabashed joy. The lights, now painting the night sky with vibrant strokes, encapsulated the very essence of the season.

As the light show reached its crescendo, Fyodor turned to you with a tender smile. "Merry Christmas, my love," he whispered, his voice a warm embrace in the winter night.

The evening, a symphony of lights and shared moments, etched itself into the tapestry of your memories. Moscow, draped in its festive best, became the canvas for a magical journey orchestrated by Fyodor, your companion in this winter fairytale. The Christmas lights, now etched in your heart, whispered tales of love and enchantment as you and Fyodor embraced the magic of the season in the heart of Moscow's winter wonderland.

[weaveandwood]

Weave and Woods Chapter 11: The Timelessness of Lovers

Gale/Named Tav | Slow Burn | NSFW | Read on AO3 | Entire Work

Summary:

Under an aurora-lit sky, Gale and Auroria confess their feelings for each other

“Thinking about Mystra’s demand?” Her brows furrowed as they always did when Mystra was brought up, especially after Elminster came with his missive.  “Yes.” He paused. “I must admit it is always on my mind. More so now even than before. To know that I’ve found you, and that you are in love with me as I am in love with you only to - ” His voice caught in his throat as tears formed in his eyes. “Only to have to leave you in a few days’ time…I must admit I am more terrified now than I was at the beginning of the night. I do not want to lose you, Ora. I do not want to leave you.” He smiled softly, tears spilling down his cheeks as he pictured what life could have been like with her in his tower, walking through the market each week, sunsets on the balcony, watching the Midwinter fireworks together. She grasped his hand. “Then don’t, Gale. Stay with me. Live. Live with me.” She kissed him again, her own tears mingling with his. “Let’s live.”

AN: This is my favorite scene of Act 2, and the whole game so far. I hope I was able to do it justice while making it my own. NSFW! Oral Sex, Vaginal Sex

Crafting an illusion was like composing a piece of music. One needed to take into consideration every layer - every piece of the orchestra needed to be successful on its own and work together as a whole to create a harmonious explosion of sounds. Illusions were similar. Every part of a convincing illusion needed to be perfect - one thing out of place, and the whole composition falls apart.

Gale was a master at creating illusions, or at least he had been until his unceremonious fall from favor and his body became a host for both a sliver of the Karsite Weave and a mind flayer parasite. He had been unable to create grand illusions since, though he had noticed his abilities strengthening as time had progressed, especially once the charm was placed on the orb to stabilize it. Evocation spells were his specialty, what he was known for, what was nurtured during his time as Chosen of Mystra - it was true there was nothing more useful than a fireball for a battle, but illusory spells were his true love, his passion. Manipulating the Weave in this way made him feel closer to an artist, a poet, or a musician than a warrior. He wanted to use his magic to bring beauty and wonder to the world.

He needed his illusions to be perfect tonight. Tonight was the night he was going to tell Ora that he loved her. He had wanted to shout it from the rooftops of the Last Light Inn after kissing her the previous night, he wanted to whisper it in her ear as she slept peacefully, he wanted to say it that morning when she forced him to go to his tent after sitting outside hers all night, he wanted to yell it in celebration when they worked on spells during the afternoon and she finally cracked Spike Growth after days of attempts on her own. 

Every artist needs their muse, and she was his. He channeled the Weave from his spot far enough away from their campsite to afford privacy. As the power hummed through his body, he thought of Ora. How she made him feel, how he felt with her, what reminded him of her - beauty and warmth and goodness. The threat of Moonrise Towers and Mystra’s demand settled over him but did not cause him to abandon his plans. He had to tell her. He squared his shoulders and got to work. 

******

“Hello, I’m here on behalf of Gale of Waterdeep!” The cheerful silvered mirror image of Gale said to Auroria as she walked up to his tent before going to bed for the night. “He wishes to extend you an invitation to a private conversation. Would you care to join him? From the portion of his mind that is open to me, it is a matter most urgent.”

“Well, when you put it like that, I don’t think I’m in a position to decline,” she said, her mind already racing with worry. Was the orb acting up again? Had he set his mind to following through with Mystra’s demand of his sacrifice? Would she no longer have the chance of saving him? The thought of losing him caused her heart to race, her stomach to drop, and threatened to bring tears to her eyes as she started down the path pointed out by Gale’s mirror image. Surely it couldn’t be something so serious - he had been in such a good mood after she made him sleep and then again after he helped her figure out what she was doing wrong when attempting to cast her newest spell. He had jumped up and thrown his arms around her when the ground started to erupt with spikes and thorns. She thought he might kiss her again, or at least she had hoped he would, but he pulled away and said something about needing to go read something to find her next spell. She hadn’t seen him since. 

The path through the thick forest led to a clearing bordered by a few downed trees and rocky formations. In the middle of it on a plush blanket sat Gale, intensely focused. She looked past him and up to the sky and gasped softly. Instead of the dim, colorless grey they had grown accustomed to over these past days there was a bright shining aurora, all shades of vibrant purple and green dancing across it. Stars sparkled in the distance and the grass in the clearing looked as green as it did in the forests where she grew up. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She stood at the edge of the clearing, watching Gale place more stars in the sky and let the tears that had gathered now freely fall down her face. How could a man who creates such beauty even think about sacrificing himself for what a goddess calls forgiveness? Her panic threatened to overwhelm her. She loved him. She couldn’t lose him. She had to tell him. Tonight. She wiped the tears from her face and walked over to sit on the blanket beside him. 

“I love this time of night,” he said softly, taking her hand in his, a movement that had become so natural for the both of them over the past weeks. “There’s a reverent silence that accompanies the peak of darkness, when you think the dawn will never break.” He threaded his fingers through hers and as he turned to look at her, she could have sworn the look on his face matched the one she had given the sky moments ago. He waved his free hand at his illusion. “The cradle of eternity…the timelessness of lovers.”

Auroria smiled softly and looked up at the sky, her eyes wide as the lights danced and the stars twinkled. “This is beautiful, Gale. I’ve never seen the sky do this - you’d almost forget we were in the Shadow Cursed Lands,” she said with breathless wonder.

He looked at the sky again. “It’s veiled, kept at arm’s length for now. This isn’t something I can do often in my present condition, but tonight is different. I feel the weight of Mystra’s demand on me, and with us going to Moonrise Towers tomorrow to infiltrate it, I can’t help but feel this may be one of my last nights alive. I wanted it to be under a canopy of beauty and wonder. And with company to match.”

Auroria frowned, hearing the sadness in his tone as if he had decided his fate. This is my last chance.  

“Is this truly, truly what you want? To sacrifice yourself for Mystra’s forgiveness?”

“My untimely death is all but assured. My days on this plane have been numbered since I opened that damned book. Would you not want your death to mean something?” He sighed. “I will admit I am terrified, no matter how well I try to conceal it.” He nodded, grim resolution on his face. “Better to meet the inevitable on my own terms.”

Auroria felt warm tears fall down her cheeks again as she nodded. “So you’ve decided, then.” She tried to wipe them away with the back of her hand but they wouldn’t stop coming, so she just let them fall. It was always easy for her to show her emotions with Gale. 

He looked over at her, touching her chin with a hooked finger, turning her face to his. “You know, one moment with you would satisfy me for a lifetime. And you’ve given me so many moments,  enough for infinite lifetimes. I’m happy you came out here to share this with me. I know it’s not real…but I created this all for you. You were the inspiration for all of this.”

“For me?” She gasped, her eyes snapping to his. “All of this? Why?”

He smiled softly at her. “You must know that you’re…that you’re special to me, Ora.” 

Her heart was pounding in her chest. Her breathing quickened. What was he saying? Could he feel the same? She thought, a small flicker of hope warming inside her.

He dropped his hand, going back to looking at the aurora for a short while in silence, a wistful look in his eyes. Finally, he spoke again. “If things were different, if we were home, I would take the time to do things properly. To say everything better. To give you everything you deserve, and more. But time is short.” 

He turned to face her again. His eyes were bright and shining with unshed tears.

“I am in love with you.” 

Everything faded away from Auroria at that moment. There was only the two of them - there was no shadow curse, there was no Absolute, no tadpole, no orb, no Mystra. No wizard, no ranger. There was just Gale and just Auroria. Two people who managed to find each other despite the fact that their paths never should have crossed. Two people who loved each other despite everything thrown against them.  

“I’m in love with you, too, Gale.”

******

Externally, Gale played it cool as he chuckled. “That’s a relief. It would be a shame to spend my final hours making an ass of myself.” Internally, he was in a state of disbelief. Ora was in love with him! He had wanted this, hoped she’d feel the same way as he did, but did not believe it possible that someone so fierce, so brave, with so much to live for would fall in love with him, not how he was now. Not with the orb, not with Mystra’s charge, not with his imminent demise. 

She leaned into him and kissed him, quieting his thoughts for the first time in what felt like years as he kissed her back softly. It felt different from their kiss the night before - less desperate, more real. He smiled as she broke the kiss. 

“You’re a good kisser,” she smiled back at him. 

“And you are a bad liar,” he laughed out loud. “I was basically a hermit for some time before I met you, remember?” 

“From one recluse to another, you’re a good kisser,” she said before she kissed him again, her hand on the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her. Her lips parted and his tongue slid against hers as they kissed much like the vision she shared with him all those weeks ago when they were connected through the Weave. A vision he never thought he’d be able to act upon. He broke the kiss and put one hand against her cheek, looking at her beautiful face as she smiled at him, his eyes flicking back and forth between hers, taking in the lush green that seemed to radiate even in the dark of the night with a golden glow. She loves me.

He wanted the night to be perfect. To show her all he could do with the Weave, their bodies and souls intertwining and bonding within its gentle fibers. He stood up excitedly, taking her hand and helping her up from the ground. “What do you say to the perfect night in Waterdeep for our first date?” He smiled. 

“I have always heard that Waterdeep is an exceptional city, though I can’t quite remember who told me that,” she teased. “Show me.”

He waved his hand, a faint purple glow enveloping the two of them. The aurora was replaced by his study in his tower. His favorite place in the entire universe - well, until he met Ora. Now his favorite place was by her side. Everything was just as he remembered it, even the messy assortment of parchments on the desk. The piano in the corner, the stacks and stacks of books. He could smell the paper if he concentrated hard enough. He looked back at Ora, who was taking it all in, her eyes wide and her mouth open in awe. 

“This is your study?” She asked. “It feels like I’m looking directly into your soul, all books and academia.” She smiled. 

She looked so at home in his study. He couldn’t wait to show her the real thing, after - No.

He interrupted his own thoughts. After? There would be no after, not for him. This was more than likely the last time he would ever lay eyes on his beloved study, his beloved tower, his beloved city, and it was all an illusion. Snap out of it. He wanted to show her all he could of him, of his life, before it all ended much, much too soon. 

“It is. The center of my universe. Now, for something even better.” He waved his hands, the doors to the balcony opening, the sun setting into the horizon, setting the sea awash in a fiery orange blaze, the entire illusion taking on a warm glow. As Ora stepped out onto the balcony, the sunset lit her up. Her hair burned even more coppery, the light made her eyes look even more green, even her freckles seemed to stand out more. Waterdeep suited her. Still, as he looked out over the horizon, melancholy washed over him. He missed his home. He was thankful to the tadpole for bringing him to Ora, but…he would never come home again. He would never see Tara or his mother again. Never walk the streets, never visit the market, never watch the ships sail from the docks. The sound of pages ruffling brought him back to the present. 

“You’ve found my favorite spot. I would sometimes find myself out here from evening to night to daybreak, lost in words.” 

“Up all night reading? What a rebel,” she laughed as she kept flicking through the pages of the book. “What’s this book?” she asked, handing it to him.

He laughed and took the book from her, one he had placed there on purpose. “This is The Art of the Night - about a newlywed king and queen’s first thousand nights together. They turned everything into an art - conversation, the exploration and acceptance of the self and the other, the art of the body, the night itself.” Here goes. “I say we take a page from their book.”

Ora raised an eyebrow at him. “Leave it to you to seduce someone with a book.” Gods, he loved how she teased him. She knew him so well. “But…I don’t see a bed.”

“The stars will be our bed. There are endless worlds out there, countless ways to declare love. Let me show you more,” he said. He wanted to show her all of the wonders of the universe, let her feel his love in infinite ways, not just within the confines of their mortal flesh. 

She put her hand on his face, looking at him adoringly. “I want to be with you, not a fantasy, not an illusion. I am in love with Gale.”

He paused. “Are you sure? I could use the Weave to make us feel sensations beyond our reckoning. I could wow you. I want to wow you, Ora.”

She smiled, taking his hands in hers. “This isn’t a test, Gale. You don’t have to impress me with these grand gestures to show off your abilities. I’m no goddess. I am in love with you .”

He leaned in, pressing his forehead to hers. “Yes, you are, Ora. Trust me, I would know.” He snapped his fingers, placing them back in the forest by camp, the aurora still dancing across the sky, the stars sparkling just for them. “Let’s do it your way then - the old ways. As long as it’s with you.” 

She kissed him as he waved his hand, conjuring a large bed. “For your comfort, of course.”

She laughed then. “I have been living in the wilds for almost my entire life, I’m pretty sure this bed is for your comfort.” She walked over to it, kicked off her slippers and climbed on, patting the mattress next to her. “Though, you will not hear me complain.”  

He smiled and walked to the bed, climbing onto it next to her, his calm exterior belying the chaos within him. His heart was racing with anticipation and his brain was moving a million miles a minute. It had been so long since he had been with anyone physically, since before becoming Mystra’s lover. Could he live up to her expectations? Would this all be a waste of time? Why did he even confess his feelings to her when he was just going to die in a few days time? His breathing picked up as he balanced on the knife’s edge of panic. 

“Gale?” He felt a warm touch on his hand. Ora . “Gale, come back to me,” she said, placing a tender kiss on his cheek, then a soft kiss on his lips. She was a balm to him - his mind quieted again, focusing only on her. He kissed her back and placed a hand on the side of her face, his thumb gently running over her cheek. 

“I apologize. My mind momentarily was…elsewhere. I am here now.” 

“Thinking about Mystra’s demand?” Her brows furrowed as they always did when Mystra was brought up, especially after Elminster came with his missive. 

“Yes.” He paused. “I must admit it is always on my mind. More so now even than before. To know that I’ve found you, and that you are in love with me as I am in love with you only to - ” His voice caught in his throat as tears formed in his eyes. “Only to have to leave you in a few days’ time…I must admit I am more terrified now than I was at the beginning of the night. I do not want to lose you, Ora. I do not want to leave you.” He smiled softly, tears spilling down his cheeks as he pictured what life could have been like with her in his tower, walking through the market each week, sunsets on the balcony, watching the Midwinter fireworks together.

She grasped his hand. “Then don’t, Gale. Stay with me. Live. Live with me.” She kissed him again, her own tears mingling with his. “Let’s live.” 

He nodded and closed his eyes, holding on to her hands tightly. She made it seem so simple, to just live . That she alone could defy a goddess’ machinations and find a way to circumvent his fate. Perhaps she could. He opened his eyes and found her staring at him, full of concern. This was not the direction he wanted this evening to go, and yet it only made him fall deeper in love with her. Made him want her even more, if that was possible. Made him want to believe the impossible. 

Stay. Live. Could I?

“Live,” she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.

Could I?

He kissed her deeply, pulling her close to him. Their tongues slid together again, finding a rhythm of push and pull as their hands roamed each other’s bodies, discovering a new closeness that they had been on the edge of for weeks now. She smelled faintly like the peppermint balm she massaged on her sore muscles after a long day of fighting or training. His fierce ranger. Her hands found their way to the bottom of his soft velvet tunic and grasped it, starting to pull it up. He broke the kiss to reach down and slid it off over his head. 

“Hells Gale, you’ve been hiding all of this? Doesn’t seem fair, really, to keep this secret,” she teased as she saw him without so much as an undershirt on for the first time, her eyes moving down the lean athletic build of his body and fine covering of hair on his chest and stomach. She reached down to the hem of her own sleep tunic, pulling it over her head. The filtered moonlight cast a pale silvery glow on her breasts and her nipples started to pebble and harden against the slight chill in the late night air. 

“I could say the same to you,” he said playfully in return. The scar on her cheek continued down past her collarbone almost to her left nipple, some areas thicker than others. He reached out and traced it with his fingers, pressing kisses into it as he followed his fingers with his mouth. A story for another time. Her breathing quickened as he reached his destination, taking the hard nipple in his mouth, sucking on it lightly as she gasped. 

Something in the air changed, a new electricity charged between them. 

“You’re so beautiful, Ora,” he said before moving to the other breast, giving it the attention it deserved. Her hands went to his head, running her fingers through his hair as she arched her back, pressing herself closer to him. 

“I want you, Gale,” She said, her voice thick with lust.

“And you’ll have me before the night is done,” he smiled against her soft skin, toying at her nipple with his tongue before pressing a hand to her chest, laying her back on the bed. His hands went to the waistband of her leggings, his fingers slipping inside and rubbing along the softness of her stomach. “I want to watch you come undone for me first.” She lifted her hips to help him easily slide the fabric off her legs. He kissed each inch of newly bared skin as he pulled them off of her before discarding them on the ground beside the bed.

He looked at her in wonder as she laid before him, fully bared. So beautiful, so perfect. She propped herself up on her elbows, tilting her head to the side. “Everything okay?”

He smiled. “Everything is perfect. How did I get so lucky?” He kissed her ankle. “You are so stunning.” He kissed her knee. “I will never be able to fully tell you just how heavenly you look right now lying in front of me with nothing on, illuminated by moonlight. My divine Ora.” He wanted to worship her, to bow down at the altar of her body for the rest of his time on this plane. He kissed her thigh, higher and higher as he placed himself between her legs, spreading them and baring her sweet center to him. He could resist no longer. He looked up at her from between her legs as he flattened his tongue and tasted her for the first time. Her moan was an answer to the prayers on his lips and music to his ears, her taste was the sweetest nectar. He hooked his arms under her thighs, pulling her down to his mouth as he flicked her sensitive bundle of nerves with his tongue before sealing his mouth over it, sucking softly. 

Her hips started to rock against his face as he hummed against her, sending vibrations through her body. He teased at her entrance with a finger, reveling in how warm and wet she was as he touched her. For him. Because of him. He paid special attention to that sensitive spot inside he remembered women liking from his dalliances years ago, before Mystra. No. No thoughts of Mystra tonight. 

He turned his mind back to Ora, this beautiful, writhing woman who lay before him, who wanted him, who loved him. He added a second finger and moved them faster, in and out, his firm tongue working her in tandem as he devoured her. She had moved her hands to his head, her nails delightfully scratching his scalp as waves of pleasure washed over her and she began to unravel. He was relentless in the pursuit of her undoing, keeping a steady pace with both his hand and his tongue as she cried out his name and he felt her pulse as she reached her peak and crashed over. He crawled over her, kissing up her stomach to her breasts again, taking each one into his mouth before moving up to her neck. He finally kissed her lips, impossibly turned on as she kissed him back, tasting herself on him. 

“My turn,” she said, smiling against his mouth as she pushed him onto his back, his desire clearly evident. She rubbed at his erection gently over his pants as she kissed his neck. Gods, I forgot how good that feels, he thought. He felt her starting to pull his pants down, and he lifted his hips off the bed to help her just as she did for him earlier. He was suddenly conscious about his body, wondering if it would be pleasing to her. His physical form hadn’t been important in matters of desire in so long, coming back to it made him feel like he was a teenager again, full of nerves and anticipation of learning what he liked. She wrapped her hand around him. He definitely liked that. 

“Gods, Ora,” He inhaled sharply as she touched him, the first mortal touch he had had in years. She kissed his orb marking softly, then traced down the line of his stomach with kisses. What was she….oh. OH. 

He rose up on his elbows, looking at her. “Ora, I don’t…are you sure? Please, don’t feel like you have to.” 

She smiled at him, her eyes soft. “Let me give you the pleasure you gave me. We are equals here, in this bed, in this relationship. No one is above the other. Besides, I enjoy doing this, just like you do. Let me take care of you. Allow me this,” she said as she leaned down, taking the tip of him in her mouth, sucking gently. 

Gale saw stars. He grasped at the bedsheets, the pleasure and desire coursing through him stronger than anything he had felt in so long, setting him ablaze. She took him deeper into her mouth, her head and hand working him in rhythm as she hummed against his hardness. His hips started to rock, moving with her as he moaned loudly. At this rate, it would not be long before he finished, and he wanted his first time to be inside her. 

“Ora, I need to be inside you, please,” he practically begged. He was at the mercy of her, of his new goddess. “Please, let me.”

“I want you, Gale,” she said. 

“Come here,” he smiled, guiding her up to him, a finger hooked under her chin as he kissed her deeply, laying her back on the bed. “I want to watch you, see you when I finish inside you,” he whispered in her ear before kissing her again.  

He used his thigh to spread her legs, running his fingers across her slick entrance before holding himself to her. His heart was pounding. He knew this was a line they could never uncross. It was a line he knew with absolute certainty he wanted to cross, but he had to be sure it was the same for her. 

“Are you sure you want this, Ora? Do you want me?”  He looked her in the eyes, his tip pressed against her. He needed to hear her say it. 

“I want you,” she repeated, closing her eyes and moaning softly as he pressed in, sinking into her. 

Every thought left his head as he felt her give around him, all warm and soft velvet against his hardness. He closed his eyes as he fully seated himself within her, staying still for a moment, reacquainting himself with this feeling - how had he ever derided this as “just” pleasures of the mortal flesh? This was everything. This was better than anything metaphysical. She had converted him. Astral pleasure could no longer compare to this. This was real. 

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, whispering his adoration to her. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing her close, their bodies in complete contact as he began to thrust into her with slow, deep rolls of his hips, feeling every inch of her as he pulled almost all the way out and pressed fully back in again. Ora wrapped her arms around his back, her fingertips digging into his skin.

He pulled back, settling up on his knees between her legs. She looked so perfect laid out on her back before him, his length sheathed deep inside her. He continued his same slow rhythm, thrusting back into her a little harder than before, watching where their bodies joined in awe and wonder.

“Gale…you feel so…so good,” she moaned, her hands moving to his thighs, holding on to him, rocking her hips to meet his. 

“You feel better than any heavens, Ora. Better than I could have imagined all those nights I thought about taking you, imagining doing this with you.” He said, remembering the nights in his tent after his orb was stabilized where he pictured Ora in a similar position to the one she was currently in as he used his hand to pleasure himself. It didn’t even compare. 

He couldn’t hold back any longer, Desire, lust, and the discovery of how good sex with her could be drove him. He moved her legs so her feet were on his shoulders, and started thrusting into her deeper, faster. He kissed her calf, her ankle, the side of her foot, punctuating each kiss with a soft “I love you.”

His fingers dug into her hips as he grasped them to lift them up, allowing him to get even deeper inside her. He needed to be as deep as possible, as close to her as possible. He watched her. Her cheeks were flushed, her breasts bounced, her back arched against the bed as he hit a spot that drove her wild. He had once thought watching her fight was like watching an opera. Watching her while making love was like viewing the finest art. 

“I’m so close,” she panted. He felt her tightening around him, getting close as his own precipice drew near. 

“Come for me, Ora. I want to hear you call my name while I’m buried inside you,” he said as he reached between them and began rubbing her at her most sensitive spot, feeling her hips jerk at the slight touch. He felt her tighten around him, the feeling drawing him even closer as the fire in his abdomen grew hotter. “But look at me when you do.”

She opened her eyes, and just the sight of them darkened with desire almost sent him over the edge right then and there. 

She cried out, his name on her lips as her body froze and then shattered around him. He felt her shudder and pulse as her orgasm rocked through her. He kept thrusting through it, harder, faster, lost to his own finish as she held onto his arms tightly, her nails slightly digging in. 

He felt his abdomen tighten. He maintained eye contact and drove himself into her one last time as she nodded and writhed underneath him before he felt himself fill her with his own release, crying out her name loudly for all the gods to hear. Panting, he stayed buried within her as his orgasm shuddered through him. She was covered in a thin sheen of sweat and most of her hair was loosened from her twisted ponytail, and he could only imagine he looked similar. She looked so beautifully undone. 

Finally he pulled out of her, instantly feeling cold without her warmth enveloping him. He was changed, wholly and truly. He was a different man from earlier this evening. He crawled beside her and dropped to the bed, planting a kiss on her shoulder. 

“I love you, Ora.” 

“I love you, Gale.” 

******

Auroria curled into Gale, resting her head on his chest as they both came down from such blissful heights. She traced the lines of the orb marking as he lazily ran his fingers up and down her back. She felt herself drifting off to sleep when she heard it, the faintest whisper. 

“I will stay with you. I will live.”

[loveselenade]

Madoka 1.5

Since I’m watching PMMM for the first time (with a lot of it spoiled due socmed lol), I figured it’d be fun to write my thoughts so far, 1.5 episodes in. It goes without saying, but don't send me any further spoilers, as this is only fun if I can manage to remain as ignorant as I am now.

Things I knew before hand:

-Kyubey is a bastard.

-It has Shinbo Akiyuki's artistic sensibilities all over it (reason I started watching, tho I'm unclear what exactly his involvement in this is lol). Also, Urobuchi Gen is the main writer for this lol

-Madoka dies.

-Madoka is the paragon of good.

-Lesbian Satan.

-Homura has catholic guilt??

-Someone's backstory involves a brother or something.

-Guns

-Time loop.

-Jewel seeds but evil (this only makes sense if you've watched Nanoha, sorry lol)

-Witches

-Madoka saved a cat

---

--

-

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Illusory motion.

[image id: top view of a monochromatic, distorted staircase that looks like a spiral.]

An upwards climb or a downward spiral? The irregular curving of the stories and the pattern alternance sure makes it look like it's spiraling inward. As our lace curtain lifts so the play can begin, this is our first look at the kind of world that awaits us.

[image id: gif showing a close up to Madoka's legs and then a panoramic top view as she runs through a monochromatic hallway with a chessboard pattern]

I don’t have a lot to say about the witches’ labyrinths yet, but I’m always a sucker for dreamscapes (I loved them dearly in Flip Flappers, where they had the incredible work of Studio Pablo strengthening the storybook look), and I’m assuming the labyrinths symbolize something about the interiority or the difficulties the witch in question faced. I don’t have a lot to go by with the two labyrinths in episode one, but I did love the glimpse of the one we get in the opening sequence. I love the effect that it creates when alternating between panoramic shots or extreme close-ups to Madoka’s legs and back as she runs—respectively making her look too small against this overwhelming set piece or claustrophobically trapped in her impotence. As the camera moves along, there’s a sensation that the different patterns in the floors are moving. Because of the way we perceive depth via ascertaining the apparent parallelism or convergence of lines and value/color contrast, among other things, the pattern alternance in this monochrome set piece creates illusions of either motion or that each row is a step more elevated than the other. It’s a properly trippy place. I enjoy it. The straight white for the lighting and tiles creates an artificial and alienating atmosphere. The uniformity of its looks is disorienting. Is Madoka going the right way?  It’s really a fantastic introduction to the world of Madoka Magica.

The path you must follow has been prepared for you.

[image id: A green, flourescent exit sign is centered in the screen, hanging above a dark path framed by silver chain fence]

Despite the disorienting feeling, Madoka follows mostly straight paths and there's a clearly labeled, correct exit. This brings to mind the predetermined paths present in Revolutionary Girl Utena's imagery.

Additionally, I find the way Madoka’s run is boarded reminiscent to Utena’s chase after Anthy in Adolescence of Utena:

[image id: gif showing a panoramic view of of landscape shwoered in sunset lighting and red, square pillars towering over the space. Utena, looking tiny, runs further into the place.]

[Image id: gif showing a top down view of a long monochromatic corridor with chessboard pattern that Madoka, a mere pink dot in the screen, crosses running. The corridor is right in the middle of the screen and surrounded by different equally black and white mandalas that turn slightly.]

We get panoramic overhead shots emphasizing the disorienting, geometrical maze and the impotence of our heroines' tiny figure against them.

Before reaching their destination, they both cross a stairs-bridges of sorts; Utena, towards the dueling arena where Anthy waits for her to continue the dueling cycle with Utena as champion; Madoka, towards the foyer where she can find her exit to where Homura is struggling against another hopeless, fighting cycle, one which Madoka choses to perpetuate when making a contract with Kyubey…

[Image ids:

The image to the left shows shows a stich of two Adolescence of Utena's screenshots: the one on top showing Utena crossing a bridge; due the top down angle and the inclination of the bridge, the planks on the bridge look like stairwells. The image on the bottom shows Utena crossing the bridge against the creamy, pinkish sunset sky. The bridge railing is shown a black silhoutte in the foreground.

The image to the right is a stich of two monocrohmatic Madoka Magika episode one screenshots: the on the the top shows Madoka crossing a corridor, the foreground is dominated by abstract geometric shapes. The one on the bottom shows Madoka going up an ample stair well, and the surrounding walls have a similar geometric patterning.]

Absolute Reality.

[Image id: Predominantly black and white screenshot showing a dark tree on the foreground and black debri flyaing around. A little to the right of the middle line stands Madoka, with Kyubey sitting on top of some fallen pillar. The subtittles are Madoka's dialogue and read: "Can I really do something to help?"]

The offer that tempts Madoka into a contract is the promise of agency. She can’t stand the reality where there is nothing she can do, thus it's the promise she does actually have power to influence the narrative and help others and stop their suffering what Kyubey dangles in front of her. Madoka feels deeply moved by the pain of others and has a strong empathetic response that makes it very easy for her to be preyed upon by our resident ugly cat here. It’s detrimental to her. Maybe Homura has a point in reversing her wish to be the divine embodiment of Goodness. 

It’s then interesting that she expresses disappointment upon waking up not only in the premiere but in episode 02, as well. Her waking up animation might as well become bank during this introductory arc (I’m betting it does, can’t wait to be wrong). When confronted with the thought the world her senpai Mami introduced to her, one of great danger but also apparently fulfilling and actualizing, Madoka expresses disappointment. Even though she has a happy, easygoing life full of friends and family that love her and that she loves in return, there is something else she is looking for.

Confronting your own humble plainness again.

[Image id: Screenshot of Madoka's room dimly lit. Madoka is drawn towards the bottom left edge, hunching and hugging her huge body plush with a beleagered expression.]

Appearances, facades.

Trained confidence. 

[Image id: Screenshot showing makeup labelled with numbers, as if to indicate the order of steps.]

Following Madoka’s "dream", we learn about her homelife anchored around her interactions with her mother as they talk about the love lives of the people around Madoka, contrasted to Madoka's own assertion that no one has an eye on her. Their whole bathroom conversation could be characterized as "girl talk": they go on about love and the need to maintain an appealing image as means to reach it. I could easily accuse this scene of being sexist (and it did rub me the wrong way initially), but the dialogue is naturalistic enough to paint a trusting, warm bond between mother and daughter; plus the repetition of the make-up motif in the second episode while interspersed with Mami's explanation draws attention to themes of appearance and desire.

A remark that can easily be taken as reinforcing gender essentialism lol

[Image id: Screenshot showing the sinks at the foreground barely visible at the bottom edge, with Madoka and her mother in front of them. Madoka is holding her red ribbons with her left hand hesitantly, while her mother has her hands over her hips, talkig matter-of-factly: "A woman's appearance is the one thing she can't afford to get looked down at."]

The contrast in the way mother and daughter carry themselves is apparent. When Madoka relays her reports about her homeroom teacher's love life, her more experienced mother offers keen observations about the possible state of the relationship. Where Madoka takes things at face value, her mother can see deeper. The same applies to the image they project to the world— where her mother has a set (numbered) method to achieve her ideal image, Madoka fumbles and fusses about her ribbon choice and not being seen as too much. The frame pan showcasing the end result has Madoka standing timidly with her hands folded over her lap and her back reflection shown in three different angles in the background mirrors, as if she's being thoroughly scrutinized. While her mother confidently observes her reflection in the mirror, Madoka shrinks at being observed.

[Image id: Screenshot showing Madoka in the middle with a dopey and hesitant expression and her arms drawn close. Her reflections are shown in the mirrors in the background.]

I can't say that Madoka’s self-confidence is worryingly low given what we’ve been presented with—while she lacks the self-assurance her mother possesses, she doesn’t seem particularly self-deprecating. While her affirmation that no one looks her way reflects that self-consciousness, Madoka doesn't further put herself down. Instead, it could simply be that she's a teenager only now discovering her identity, what she's comfortable with, what she wants and what place can she carve for herself in this world. Her mother advises her to train the image and behaviors of someone confident as a first step to grow more certain of herself. The scene places emphasis on the process of purposefully building the image you project, which becomes relevant as episode two's layouts play with a reflection motif around talks of desire. 

While thinking back on Kyubey’s proposal of granting them one wish in exchange of risking their lives, Madoka ponders about what she wants. Her waffling contrasts to her mother’s immediate, cutting  response concerning pragmatic concerns from her work life when Madoka echoes the question to her. Although, of course, her mother lacks the whole context that makes the decision heightened, Madoka’s roof talk with Kyubey and Sayaka reinforces that there isn’t anything she wishes for that strongly. Yet. 

Additionally, when Madoka proposes a bigger ambition to her mother (“Wouldn’t you rather become CEO yourself?”), the image her mother projects into the mirror changes drastically into a more fierce and dangerous look, complete with the repetition of her labeled make-up symbol. This ties a connection between the image people project and what they desire. And just like Madoka has a rather inhibited persona, so do her desires appear mild.

This takes us to Mami, their helpful senpai.

A slightly distorted image seen from below the glass table totally screams trustworthy.

[Image ID: Screenshot of Mami drawn in a low angle, showing her sitting with her legs neatly folded under her backside and her hands resting on her lap. Despite the sunset light filtering through the windows, she's very dimly lit. Most of her image, from the waist up, is shown slightly distorted as its filtered through the glass of the table. The table legs curve outwards and frame her the image in a strange way. The subtitles present her offer: "You should see for yourself what it's like to do battle with witches."]

Knowing the spoilers that Homura is trying to save Madoka from death via time loops and preventing her from forming a contract with Kyubey has an interesting effect— that is, it casts suspicion over other characters. Mami is the helpful senpai that shows up in the nick of time to save them from the witch, heals Kyubey, explains the situation to them and even promises to protect them from Homura at school. She also offers to show them the fieldwork so they can make up their mind about whether to become contracted! The earlier, careful portrayal around purposeful appearances and the reflection motif repeating during their talk can’t be coincidence. Clearly, she wants to be seen as someone who’s dependable, and whether this has more sinister implications or is stemming from personal wishes is unclear to me yet. Mami feels more like Kyubey’s sales associate than anything else. “You can come observe” it’s the pitch you give someone unsure whether to join a club so you can lure them further in. She’s encouraging them to take on a responsibility that can have rather grim outcomes, despite her early assertion that magical girls don’t necessarily work together to reap the rewards of fighting witches—a statement that further reinforces the narrative of Homura as an antagonistic force to our young heroines. Mami either is very upstanding and thinks it’s a duty they should take on since they were chosen or there is something deeply fishy going on here.

For all intents and purposes, Mami is a completely separate entity to our young heroines, not unlike Homura. She’s the one who’s a magical girl already, they’re the uninitiated. They sit on the same side of the table, opposite to her. This shot emphasizes their separation through the black leg of that foreground furniture.

There’s clearly a lot we don’t know about her.

[Image id: screenshot showing Mami's living room. There's sunset light still filtering in, but the room is mostly dimly lit. Mami is on the side of the wall, so she's in the shade. They're sitting at the table, Madoka and Sayaka together on the same side and visually opposite to Mami. The black legs of a furniture are shown in the foreground, creating a strong visual barrier between Mami and her juniors.]

Isn’t it just so fun how this reflection shot obscures her face? Like she’s covering it with her hands in sorrow. Seems charged that it coincides with her explanation about witches causing suicide and murder, does she know of someone who was a victim of them? OR better yet, someone who became One?

I know that magical girls become witches in this series, which also poses interesting possibilities…

[Image id: Screenshot showing Mami's lap with her hands resting on top of it as she sits in front of the table. Because of the top angle, the reflection of her face shows dimly on the glass table. Her face overlaps her hands. The subtitles read: Many of the inexplicable suivides and murders that occur..."]

Are my suspicions on Mami’s intentions totally off-mark? I have no idea, but it’s incredibly fun to doubt her  lol

Speaking of despair lore, I usually raise my eyebrow—think it’s full of shit— when there’s worldbuilding that links suicide and violence to supernatural entities; it’s a run-of-the-mill battle shonen explanation, Noragami also uses it with Ayakashi as amalgamation of negative feelings and energy from the people of the places they haunt. Now, this could still work on an allegorical sense of how oppressive environments lead to such emotional outcomes, since most stories don’t engage with the structural causes of such problems… It can be that, or end up attributing a metaphysical cause as the source of all darkness without even so much extending understanding and sympathy to the people who suffer from it. Where does Madoka Magica fall, I wonder…

Blessed fools.

A pained smile framed behind by bars, a surefire sign that someone isn’t totally trapped. 

[Image ID: Screenshot showing Sakaya's back with her face turned in profile towards the right. She's smiling ambigously and her right hand is holding to the white chain wall that dominates the background against the bright daylight sky. The subtittles read: "Well... Maybe the pair of us are just fools?"]

Given our young heroines lack of direction, ardent ambitions or anguishing desires, Sayaka muses that perhaps the fact they don’t have anything they’d die for is a sign they’re blessed fools. This rings true for Madoka. She’s a happy kid with a supportive family and friends. Despite her longing for something more—her own agency? confidence? Romantic love?—, there doesn’t seem to be anything that is making her actively miserable. Her mild adolescent ennui is not necessarily something pernicious and would’ve likely resolved itself as she experienced and tackled more challenges in her life with the guidance and support of her family. This whole business paints more ill-fated for her (and I mean, I know it is. What a tragedy, hers).

But is this true for Sayaka? This brief shot with its ominous red sky and its bedridden figure shrouded in darkness begs to differ… The fact she feels guilty over being chosen, thinking there’s people who’d make use of a miracle much better than them makes me think it’s rather someone she knows… Is this her motivation to get into Kyubey’s magical girl agency? I don’t have a lot to go by…

[Image ID: Screenshot representing a short-haired person in bed shown facing right . Most of the shapes are represented as black silhouttes, sans the translucent curtains and the ominous red sky framed by the window. The subtittles read "We've been so blessed.."]

Sayaka and homoeroticism.

Welcome back, Shinohara Wakaba. 

[Image id: Screenshot showing Madoka, Sayaka and their irrelevant friend Hitomi at the park. Sayaka is hugging a slouching Madoka from the back, saying "You must be my bride, Madoka!".]

The Girl Talk in episode one continues as we follow Madoka’s commute to school with her two friends: the blue one, the to-be Magical Girl, Sayaka and this one random girl that I'm surprised it's even there. The banter and physicality to Sayaka and Madoka’s interactions is fun and warm, selling their chemistry as friends. And near the end, Sayaka playfully proclaims Madoka must be with her, which immediately brought to mind Revolutionary Girl Utena’s Shinohara Wakaba's own ambiguous, very physically affectionate date-play with Utena. 

Rather than being a maiden in the sidelines, however, Sayaka is positioned as Madoka’s protector against Homura. Given Homura is fighting to be Madoka’s silent protector herself, this is unbelievably funny to me. When Madoka finds Homura's staring off-putting during P.E., she hides behind Sayaka. When Madoka— with Kyubey in her arms— is alone facing the inscrutable, darkness-shrouded, threatening Homura, the one who shows up to save her is Sayaka. When they're alone within the creepy labyrinth, Sayaka protectively embraces Madoka. When Madoka is worried that Homura might try to attack them at school, Sayaka offers to punch Homura. This antagonistic placing of Madoka's two protectors is hilarious, and I'm curious to see if the dynamic fizzles out as we delve into Sayaka's innermost wishes and struggles or if the tension will boil over into something interesting.

'Get behind me, Madoka! I got the fire extinguisher!' 

Such a hilarious way to break the tension.

[Image id: Screenshot showing Madoka and Sayaka in a dark parking lot, with most of the background shrouded in shadows. Sayaka is holding a fire extinguisher that she's shooting towards the left, and Madoka stands behind her, holding Kyubey.]

Even their sitting order in class positions Madoka behind Sayaka lmao Does Sayaka have a thing for Madoka or just a hero complex? 

[Image ID: Screenshot showing Madoka and Sayaka sitting in their classrooom. Sayaka is shown sitting a row in front of Madoka, a column to the left. Madoka is holding Kyubey in her arms. The subtittles read: "If she tries anything on you, I'll punch her lights out!"]

The show acknowledges the homoeroticism between the two in a tongue-in-cheek manner during their commute in episode 2, when their normie friend feels put off by the apparent intimacy of their silent (telepathic) communication:

"You've been staring so intently into each other's eyes… What on earth did you do after I left yesterday?!"

This girl is too homophobic to become a magical girl, smh. 

[Image ID: Screenshot showing Sayaka, Madoka and their friend Hitomi drawn in profile at the park. Sayaka and Madoka are positioned on the left side of the screen, with a tree in the background subtly serving as visual barrier between Madoka and Sayaka. Madoka is slouched and halfheartedly reaching to Hitomi. Hitomi is positioned on the right side of the screen, with her hand to her heart and running towards the left. Her dialogue reads: "Don't you see that it's a love that can never beeee?!"]

Madoka points out that their normie friend's remarks sound a lot like what Sayaka tells to her on a regular basis, lending credence to my Wakaba comparison lol This gag could simply be an acknowledgement of the charged homoeroticism present in the series, but it still amuses me so far a lot of it has circled around Sayaka and Madoka. 

Akemi Homura

Her soundless, despaired scream as she catches sight of Madoka with Kyubey was so cinematic ❤️

[Image id: gif showing a zoom out of Homura's face as she screams. She's resting on a tree branch that's represented as a black silhouette, with debris floating around represented in the same way.]

Speaking of homoeroticism, it's time to talk about Homura. I actually felt a little sad that I already know about her motivations because she's so incredibly off-putting, I'd have had a lot of fun speculating about the meaning of her actions, the way she's framed and the meticulous way her micro expressions are portrayed. However, it's not like there isn't still some room to have fun reading into them. She enters the picture via the classic transfer student trope. From her introduction alone, she creates an awkward atmosphere with the way the standoffish silence lingers due her laconicism. 

Despite her aloof demeanor, and in pure transfer-student fashion, Homura still stands out both in academics and physical feats (she even breaks the regional high jump record lol!); as such garners the attention of her peers. Nonetheless, she couldn't be more uninterested in them, as the one she can't keep her eyes off is Madoka. Her taciturn, blank-faced and cutting demeanor can paint her staring as downright aggressive. This is further reinforced by being color coded with the darkest values in the cast so far: black and purple are her signature colors, classic villain palette. 

Her conversation with Madoka as she rehashes the "could you show me where the infirmary is" routine is the big standout of hers in episode one —the tropey nature of this encounter makes it very easy to imagine how their first interactions went down the first time—. The low angle that emphasizes her head tilt and the accentuated shadows on her face and body make her look haughty and intimidating.

She's literally staring down Madoka lol Worth noting this same framing is repeated as she warns Madoka in a few minutes, complete with rotating animation for gravitas, contributing to Homura's bad vibes. 

[Image ID: Screenshot showing Homura's face and shoulders slightly turned to the right side of the screen. The right side of her face is heavily shadowed and so are her shoulders. She's looking down on the viewer. Her dialogue reads: "May I ask you to accompany me?"]

While one could think that the reason she approached Madoka was to issue her warning, I'm actually not that certain. It could be due the way her anguished reactions to being around Madoka make her look quite erratic as she tortures herself with these distorted echoes of her memories—but I also have to point out the abrupt way she brings the interaction to a halt, stomping and suddenly turning. The way she behaves through the whole interaction feels quite impulsive, which gave me the impression of Homura purposefully trying to recreate the past (whether out of indulgence or to torture herself, I'm not really sure).

It's really fun the way this obscured close-up to her profile hiding her eyes— making it difficult to parse her emotions— paired to how the next highlighted extreme close-ups have her clenching her teeth led credence to the "Homura is a hostile party" narrative. Personally, the timing is what gets me. She reacts deeply upset to the fact Madoka politely yet impersonally addresses her as "Akemi-san" lol This girl was in the trenches. 

[Image ID: Screenshot showing Homura's shadowed profile facing left. She is holding her face up, seemingly imperious and her mouth is tightly shut.]

The way the timing makes it seem like she's really pissed at Madoka’s remark that her name is weird + subsequent fumbling is very funny lol I wouldn't say she's not upset from it, but mostly in the "it's painful to be around you" way. 

[Image ID: Screenshot showing a extreme close up to Homura's clenched mouth, as she lowers her face. There's heavy shading on the left side of her face and lens flare coming from the right side of her face.]

There's a lot of natural verticals in the panels of their classrooms and the windows they transverse that create visual divisions between the two. I found it particularly noteworthy that while there's a natural sense of distance and awkwardness between the them, Homura is the one who accentuates it and fully brings herself to the other side of the threshold when she suddenly skips forward ahead from Madoka. The idea she's intentionally cultivating a distance between the two is very intriguing and appealing…

[Image ID: Screenshot showing Homura and Madoka facing left as they walk through the corridor with blue window panes. There's a particular wide vertical division in between Madoka and Homura, placed more or less in the middle of the screen. Homura is on the left side of the screen, but closer to the blue vertical division. Madoka is falling behind, with more white space between her and the middle.]

Their sitting order reinforces this idea, situating Homura all the way to the front, completely out of reach. 

[Image ID: Screenshot showing Homura sitting in the front row, looking back at Madoka's seat.]

They look fully at odds with each other thanks to the high contrast between the bright windows and the shaded frames. The dark values to their visual barriers fully bring out the tension brought by Homura's sudden halt-and-turn as she issues her warning. Homura is framed as thoroughly oppositional to Madoka, and she herself doesn't bother to correct any misunderstandings. It's pretty interesting she's fine with being vilified if it might grant her any slight chance to get what she wants.

[Image ID: screenshot showing Homura and Madoka drawn in a symmetrical composition, separated visually by the regular window panes. Homura is drawn towards the left edge of the screen, facing right and standing imperiously. Madoka is drawn on the right side of the screen, towards the edge as well, slightly slouched and in a timid pose. Subtittles show Madoka's dialogue: "Yes, really! I couldn't lie about that."]

Homura's dead-eyed ominous warning vs Mami's personable, smiling offer of support, fight!  But this is truly why I can't trust Mami lol Should you really be tacitly encouraging them, Yellow Senpai? A cutting warning really seems more befitting here…

[Image ID: Extreme close up to Homura's blank left eye with the right side of her face being heavily shaded. The subtittles read: "Because if you do, you will end up losing all of those things.]  

Odd ends. 

There's a lot of small gestures that really bring out charm to the interactions and feelings, but if I pointed out absolutely everything, I'd never finish this lol 

There's one thing from the Madoka-wakes-up Bank I do want to point out, though: the odd feeling Madoka’s head turn with the hard shading gives me. Now, I know it's a Shaft™ thing, I've watched another TV series directed by Shinbo that was produced there and I've heard of it. But I still find the timing peculiar— after the opening sequence with her running to the rooftop in episode one and the brief recap with Mami's transformation in the second, just before she wakes up. Of course, this reinforces that sense of being at the verge of waking up from an odd dream, which Madoka fully believes, but it can also get a sense of deja vu. Typically, one would assume that Madoka’s run towards the rooftop is a glimpse to an event that will happen later down the line. But given the nature of this being a time loop and Homura's insistence on preventing Madoka’s death via preventing her contract altogether, which it's implied to happen in that sequence, I don't think there isn't any reason to think that it's not something that didn't already happen. If this ends up being the case, I'm curious how that'd affect further loops.

Tell me your secrets, you pink little one. 

[Screenshot showing a extreme close up to Madoka's eyes facing towards the left. Her face is drawn almost facing front, leaning towards the right. There's heavy shading on her face and a black background.]

Expectations for the rest of the introductory arc:

-Second half of episode 2 will end in a cliffhanger that'll destabilize routine while they fight a new witch. 

-Said cliffhanger will involve Mami (I HOPE IT DOES). I'm suspicious of her and hope she does something terrible, but I think it's equally, if not more, likely that something terrible happens to Her lol

-🤷🏻‍♂️

Hmm that's it. I'm not very good at imagining scenarios lol 

I'm also half-expecting to be wrong about nothing making Madoka miserable, mostly because I've been obsessing over Takamachi Nanoha, another seemingly well-loved, normal kid who turned out to have Important Baggage lol

[incongruence-osaf]

EXCITING NEWS, SECRETS SHARED

Hello!! It is time for me to officially post the first two chapters of my first ever multi-chapter fanfiction story, The Incongruence of Stars and Flowers!!!

So far the word count has reached over 8,000 words, roughly 21 pages at 1.15 spacing (including the current WIP of Chapter Three). This was a huge challenge for me that I am so glad to have started. I'd been keeping this (mostly) a secret for many months during a collaborative creative process.

It started when I saw an application for Sonic Big Bang 2024 zine on Tumblr. Around 300 participants of fellow writers, artists and readers were sorted into secret groups of 2-4ish for developing writing and artwork surrounding story submissions! I had the pleasure of being paired with wonderful artists who made beautiful sketches, concept art, and illustrations based on my writing, linked here: @major-wren (ART) (ART) and @pastelspindash (ART)

Go check out their awesome art (and writing) as well as all the other amazing creatives featured in the zine on the official blog page @sthbigbang! My awesome and very helpful beta readers were/are @starredfishing (Tumblr) and @zaffretension (Instagram) who gave me excellent advice about dialogue, pacing, and plot. THANK YOU!!!

And also a big THANK YOU to the moderators of this expansive event for keeping it running so smoothly, for organizing everything, and for encouraging all of us in one of the most supportive and energizing creative environments I've ever been apart of!!! I have talked to many cool and talented people and I love the community that we have all been growing as a massive group.

I am excited to continue the adventure of learning, reading, and writing to see where this adventure goes with familiar characters. If you are too, I hope you enjoy <3

Without further ado, below is the summary for The Incongruence of Stars and Flowers.

This alternate universe combines the vibrant world and history of Sonic the Hedgehog with our very own, resulting in a version of Planet Mobius that’s both familiar and distant. Yet, this altered reality is neither idealized nor greater than the sum of its parts. 

Anthropomorphic beings, humans, and animals of Mobius are struggling to rebuild their cityscapes, ecosystems, communities, and personal lives in the wake of the cumulative devastation of the Perfect Chaos Flood and the Black Arms Invasion. Shadow the Hedgehog takes a leave of absence from G.U.N. to temporarily settle down in Station Square, laying low after the world-shattering encounter with his alien DNA donor Black Doom. While the cityfolk around him undergo the growing pains of instability, nonconformity, sociological upheaval, and corruption, so too does the alien hybrid. With the support of unyielding friendship in aloof activist Sonic the Hedgehog and cultured confidante Rouge the Bat, Shadow coasts in this new life chapter while feeling profound pulls to unravel memories surrounding his loving creator, Professor Gerald Robotnik and solve mysteries within his environment, mind, and body.

Past and present perspectives interweave to show slices of unordinary lives, drawing from early-to-mid 2000s culture shifts/natural disasters/political tensions, U.S. and European history, and various fields of science as inspiration for this multi-chapter science-fiction drama mystery.

PROMINENT CHARACTERS: 

Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog, Rouge the Bat, Professor Gerald Robotnik, Maria Robotnik, Black Doom(?), Commander Abraham Tower, Helen (from Sonic X)?, and new original character(s)

Body dysmorphia and dysphoria, racism/speciesism, internalized xenophobia, mentions and possible depictions of police violence, generational trauma, trauma and imagery from medicalized settings, processing grief

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

CHAPTER ONE HERE

[ego-856]

Venice: A Tale of History and Charm

Venice, situated in the northeast of Italy, nestled in the Adriatic Sea, is an extraordinary city. Its uniqueness lies in being built on water and its labyrinthine streets. Throughout history, Venice has been renowned for its commerce, maritime prowess, and artistic heritage. In this post, we will delve into the captivating atmosphere and history of Venice.

History and Culture:

Venice's history traces back to as early as the 5th century AD. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, inhabitants of this region sought refuge from barbarian invasions by settling in the lagoon areas. These interlacing lagoons eventually formed the foundation of present-day Venice. In the Middle Ages, Venice emerged as a maritime power, playing a significant role in Mediterranean trade. During the Renaissance period, Venice evolved into a rich cultural center, attracting renowned painters and architects who left their mark on the city. Today, the historical fabric of Venice is palpable in its streets, adorned with artworks, and its museums brimming with artistic treasures.

Canals and Gondolas:

One of Venice's most iconic features is its network of canals, which replace the streets for transportation. As gondolas silently glide along these canals, they seamlessly blend with the city's romantic atmosphere. Gondola rides offer visitors a chance to experience Venice's history and architecture from a unique perspective.

St. Mark's Square and Basilica:

The heart of Venice is St. Mark's Square. This square is famed for its magnificent St. Mark's Basilica, historic clock tower, and surrounding cafes. The Basilica showcases a magnificent blend of Byzantine and Gothic architecture, adorned with golden mosaics on its ceiling. St. Mark's Square stands as one of Venice's foremost tourist attractions, offering visitors an unforgettable experience.

Venice Carnival:

The Venice Carnival, held annually in February, is a vibrant and colorful festival. It is filled with magnificent costumes, masks, and street performances. With its historical roots dating back to the Middle Ages, this festival celebrates Venice's traditional culture and lively atmosphere.

Final Thoughts:

Venice stands as one of the world's most unique cities. With its rich history, enchanting canals, and impressive architecture, it attracts millions of visitors each year. This city of dreams holds a story around every corner and offers unforgettable memories to every visitor. Exploring Venice is embarking on a journey filled with the magic of history and art.