#BUT i do appreciate the ask :-) and flattered too!! as long as we're all having fun

[lacecap]

Hello! I was wondering if you have something against your tunes being associated with fandom stuff (like if I feel it fits a character well and wanted to draw that character to go with the song). I'm wondering about shapes specifically.

Hi!!! thank you for taking the time to ask; in *general, not at all!! I find myself associating my own songs w other stories sometimes & I have to restrain myself from making them fan songs LOL

[scribblingplace]

Untitled Captain Hook x Reader

"You have lovely eyes."  

The compliment robs you of your focus, and those lovely eyes of yours shoot up from your work to stare at the man.  This was sitting in my drafts for a million billion years. (Alright, two.) Anyways, it's as done as it's getting. I might try for a part two. But, it's cute as is. Extremely G rated, I don't do anything else.

"You have lovely eyes."  

The compliment robs you of your focus, and those lovely eyes of yours shoot up from your work to stare at the man.  

His are to be perfectly frank, very pretty as well.  Even if they do belong to a notorious pirate and even if he is currently staring very intently at you.  

"Uhm."  You say very stupidly.  Then go back to stitching up the gash in his arm. 

"Did you lose a lot of blood?"  It is a relevant question to your profession and The Captain is not usually particularly complimentary.   You can see him tense up and risk looking up to try to read his expression, he has very pointedly stopped staring at you.  He's looking out the window. 

"No, this is barely a scratch."  

On anyone else you might protest, but between his namesake weapon and the mess of scars you've seen on him.  You're sure Captain Hook has had worse than an idiot with a knife at a tavern.  

"Right, well I'm alm-"

"I apologize if that was presumptuous, I didn't mean-"  

You've heard tales of this man shooting people point blank in petty disagreements, he's the terror of the Spanish Maine, he's a fiend, and a villain and a rogue, and there's a note of real panic in his voice because he thinks he's offended you.  It's very hard to keep a straight face.

"It's fine."  You say, "really, you're not the first patient to make a pass at me."  

"I-ah-"  You cut him off before he can stumble through whatever he's going to say by getting back to work, you hear him hiss in pain and surprise because you've just stuck a needle in his arm.  But he relaxes some immediately after, taking this as a cue that he can drop the conversation.  

You finish the last two stitches, the clean up, the bandages.  All in very awkward silence.  Every time you look at Hook he seems to want to say something, and you expect your expression mirrors that sentiment.

Because you really don't mind, not even a little bit.  Captain Hook has, for all that he has a terrible reputation, always treated you with the utmost professionalism and respect.   And he's not bad to look at.  

He's actually quite a treat with his long curls and oceanic eyes and manicured mustache and velvet coats.

Even if there is currently a stain on his jabot.  (It's blood, but the red color means it's not his.)   

"We're done."  

He looks so relieved to hear it, hastily covering his arm with the torn sleeve of his blouse.  Idly you wonder if he needs that stitched up as well.  

"Thank you, as usual you've been a great help.  I appreciate your-" there is an ounce of hesitation, as if he's trying to figure out what an appropriate thing to appreciate would be. "Precision."  

Two compliments in one day, not bad.  You smile, feeling quite flattered.  

"Thanks,"  You say, and then, because why not, "You have lovely eyes too."  

He flushes, or at least you think he does, you'd swear his face turned a shade more yellow than usual.

One day you might ask about the colour of his blood.  But for now you let him flee with as much of his dignity as he can maintain.

You'd be shocked if no one has ever flirted with the man before.  But he acts like this is uncharted waters.  

You find something else that needs tidying in the backroom that serves as your impromptu clinic, and think you can hear him bellowing at one of his crew members, probably the short one with spectacles.  He seems to get the most of the Captain's guff.

[themistressdomme]

Hi! I'm messaging because I was reading your blog and i saw you mention you were ace! I'm curious as to what your experience is on the ace spectrum in terms of intimacy and how you discovered your identity (if you don't mind my asking, completely understandable if you dont wish to answer)

I ask as I myself am Acespec and I ADORE reading smut but don't particularly care for actual intimacy and I'm curious for another perspective , especially from someone who's writing is so captivating :)

Thank you!

(A silly gal who likes your blog)

Hello my love!

First off, thank you so much for your compliment for my words! 🥰 I'm flattered and I appreciate that so much! 🤗

I'd absolutely love to answer this question! I love meeting fellow acespecs and learning their experiences, because it's not very talked-about and it can feel devastating and so lonely when you're first trying to figure things out!

For anyone wondering what "acespec" is, it's shortened for the asexual spectrum! Someone who is asexual may not experience sexual attraction/desire, but that's very broad and we're all different! :))

For me, I discovered my identity when I realized that I didn't like receiving in any sort of way. Really, the first clues, looking back, were that I never did find myself that curious about sex at that teenage age where all my friends were. I also didn't find myself fantasizing about anyone, when again, all my peers were. I just thought I'd "grow out of it", and that I'd be "normal" when I was older.

News flash, that's not the way it went.

I realized that receiving during sex for me on my actual body (i.e., the strap is not a part of my anatomical body and so I love using it/receiving on it) made me feel... "gross"? That might not be the right word, but it's the best word I can find for now. It doesn't make me feel good.

For a long time, I thought it was because I wasn't ever really comfortable (in terms of being vulnerable) with the people that I was hooking up with. Now imagine my surprise when I found out that it's not just me - there's a term for it! "Ace"! Or rather, "acespec"!!! It was a eureka moment for me, and everything started to make sense. I finally didn't have to be so uncomfortable and just receive (to be "normal"), because it is normal to be on the acespec for some people! Before realizing this, I was very bad with boundaries and just let myself dissociate while receiving because I thought that was the proper way to do things, as to not upset my partners, whether it be relationships or randoms. But once I found that there's a word for that, it made me almost cry from knowing that I'm not alone in feeling that way.

In terms of intimacy in the sense of giving, I love giving. I love it so damn much. I love being a Domme. I learnt that there is a word for this too! "Stone top"!!! Again with the happiness when I realized that this was a feeling that had a label!!!! Whilst I know that labels aren't everything, and that some people don't like them, it really helped me in that moment, knowing that there was a label for someone like me.

For me, being acespec also includes not having a very high libido on a day-to-day basis, so I don't ever really initiate sex, if that makes sense? But once it's initiated by a partner, I can be absolutely down to pleasure them. This can also be difficult because multiple partners in the past have thought that I don't initiate because I "don't find them attractive anymore" and stuff like that, but that is absolutely not the case.

We're all goofy lil things, and we're all different!

Thank you for telling me your experience as an acespec! It was very interesting to see that you love reading smut but don't really care for physical intimacy!!! :))

Thank you, darling!

So much love for you, fellow acespec, silly gal 🥰🥰

P.S. If my explanation is a little all over the place, please do forgive me! I've never really said all this out loud before! :))

[sunset-trio]

And so we arrive!

Blog status: Active

Asks in queue: 2

Why, hello there! Welcome to our little blog. First off, how about we introduce you to the trio at hand, hm?

🎪 Dimentio

(It's pronounced Dimen-she-oh)

Master of dimensions and pleaser of crowds, I am... Dimentio! He/They/Jest, thank you.

Nicknames include Dimen, Dim, and Dimmy. I'm open to receiving new ones.

When you see orange text, know that it's none other than I who typed whatever text you're reading. Same goes for when something is signed off with 🎪.

I may not post too often, but know that I love to lurk and observe. Any questions directed towards me are greatly appreciated; coming as a surprise to no one, I love the attention.

🌜 Moonjumper

Now freed from the Horizon, I am the Moonjumper! I go by He/Him, They/Them, and Star/Shine, if it isn't too much trouble to use those.

I go by the nickname MJ! Much like Dimentio, I'm more than happy to be given more nicknames.

I use blue text and the 🌜 emoji to let people know when something was posted by me.

Snatcher and I are likely going to be the ones posting the most. Though, expect the three of us to make plenty of posts together!

🖋️ The Snatcher

(Or just Snatcher, I guess)

You already know me, I'm sure. Y'know, king of Subcon Forest, stealer of souls, one of the most feared ghosts on my planet... The name of "The Snatcher" must already be sending a few chills down your spine! Oh, and I use he/him.

Nicknames include: your royal highness, my king, your greatness, most esteemed ruler of Subcon Forest, etc.

Purple text and the 🖋️ emoji for me.

I'm sure you're just dying to know all about me, huh? Guess you're in luck then, kiddo! Ask away. Or, alternatively, feel free to start up a little chat. Maybe I'll be nice and play along.

RULES:

Yes, yes, we know rules are boring, but they exist for a reason, unfortunately.

We take no issue with you having your own head canons on our source characters, but please don't be rude if we don't conform to your head canons/popular fandom head canons.

Simping and flirting is acceptable— in fact, we find it quite flattering— so long as it isn't taken into explicit territory.

No NSFW! We're going for a PG-13 rating on this blog, so behave yourselves, please. /lighthearted

These three do not have very pleasant backstories. We'll obviously give warnings when needed, but be aware that topics of mental health and generally not happy things are going to come up eventually.

DNI: TERFs, racists, islamaphobes, anti-semites, zionists, transphobes, homophobes, pro-shippers; basic DNI criteria.

[arcanarix]

all talk, no game. || DREW X MAY / SHUUKURA

cw // it's been a long time since i thought of these two. literally my first real fandom ship--contestshipping! brings back so many wonderful childhood memories. <3

ao3 || ffn

Drew has never admitted to being a perfect creature (yes he has), so yes, he has a few drawbacks and vices here and there. For one, even he has had a rocky beginning to his coordinating career. Soledad never fails to remind him of that, just to keep him a little humble.

For the sake of another example, he's not great with crowds in spite of how well he composes himself on stage. His stage persona versus his true persona are completely removed from each other. He hates crowds--absolutely detests them.

Oh yeah, another vice--he's bad at conversation. He may act like he's this cool drink of water, but that's just socialite conditioning from having a brilliantly privileged background. That's all essentially a requirement, along with ballroom dancing lessons and vocal lessons and all that other upper-upper class BS. Without that to cushion his otherwise full-on awkwardness, he's just like any other troubled teenager.

Harley does love to troll him about that, too.

"Say, when are you going to stop dicking around and do something about your feelings for our precious gingerbread cookie?" Harley confronts him, each and every damn day at this point. he's lost the record, not that he keeps track. It’s become so normalized it's not necessary. It’s the first question before "how many ribbons do you have" or "how have you been?"

Gingerbread cookie? Drew has forgone commenting on Harley's quirky nicknames for them a long time ago. for soledad lately it's been 'pinky pie.' or 'my little ponyta.' For him? Eh . . . a little less flattering. He’s been fond of calling him anDICK. AnDICK Gayden. Because he's the pinnacle of maturity.

He's also one to talk, considering his own orientation Harley's loud and proud about, which Drew commends him for actually. It's never been a secret of course, given his entire brand . . .

"Who says I have feelings for her?" Drew counters, although everyone knows what reaction he's going to be met with after asking that--

"--literally everyone," Soledad cuts in, sliding into their table with her own tray of a bountiful breakfast. "Good morning, guys. I see you started breakfast without me or may."

"You guys take forever, snickerdoodle," Harley sighs, "Besides, you're not missing out on much. Drew's just about to admit that he radiates small dick energy hence my favorite nickname for him--!"

"--Harley," Soledad groans, "you don't need to tell us the origin of that name, thanks. it's not even that creative."

Harley gasps theatrically. "Hey!"

"Is May up yet? The Pokemon Contest starts . . ." Drew glances at the clock. "Oh, never mind. We have plenty of time. It gives us time to prep and perfect our routines a bit more. I guess I didn't realize how early it was. Especially for someone who likes to sleep in like May.”

"Do you want me to go get her, if you're getting antsy?" Soledad teases.

Drew fails to conceal that brilliant rosy blush on his face. He hates how easily he's read by everyone in this room--which right now is just them and Nurse Joy and her blissey.

"No, she deserves rest. She's been working hard, you know."

"Awwww, look at Andick all fawning over her and giving her credit where credit is due,'' Harley gushes while wraggling those caterpie eyebrows of his.

"Shut up!"

"But he does bring up a good icebreaker, Drew," Soledad admits as she bites down on her bagel, filled to the brim with cream cheese. how she keeps her figure so slim in spite of her dietary choices, the world may never know. "I know we poke and prod all the time, but watching you trip over her is starting to get . . . well, old. Do something about it. We're here to support you, you know."

"Well I appreciate that, but I don't think there's any rush. As much as I love and respect her, I doubt she's even noticed," Drew laments, "and I've been dropping tons of hints."

"The roses? That's not enough!" Soledad swears this is all hopeless but she's trying for him. "Drop stronger hints."

"What's stronger than friggin' red roses? A kiss on the hand or forehead?"

"That's . . . a bit bold, but you can try. I doubt she'd shy away."

"I don't know soledad. Many girls may flock to me but I don't know how to talk to girls. at all."

"We know," Harley and Soledad say in unison.

"Believe us, we know, we watch you interact with May," Harley goes on, "And she's the easiest person to talk to in the world, honestly."

"Awww, now look who's getting all sentimental about may," Soledad teases with a grin.

"Shut up," Harley huffs, "I'm just saying that she’s come to mean a lot to me."

“We all share that sentiment about her. I never had many girl friends, so it’s nice to have one.”

“But back to the main and the only interesting topic of discussion, how the hell is Drew going to make the move?”

“He did claim he was going to make the bold move and kiss her.”

“On the HAND, Soledad.”

“But what if May finds that weird? All Drew ever is is mean to her most of the time–!”

“--He’s living up to the classic ‘he’s mean to you because he likes you’ bullshit. Which, by the way Drew, what in Mew made you believe that’s the best approach–?” 

“I–!” Drew’s about to defend himself, because where in Mew’s name does he deserve all of this slander and roasting. They continue for much longer and he’ll become a cooked staraptor. 

“Okay, okay, look. I get it! I get it alright.” He tosses his hands up in the air nin defeat. “I’m all talk, no game. It’s just I don’t want to compromise anything between May and I. She’s become more than my rival in many obvious ways. I just never expected my feelings for her to be this strong after all of this time. We’re roaming through the Unova region, and at each contest I enter, I hope to see her. She’s a bright, bubbly person. A big ball of sunshine. She illuminates my entire life. She’s skilled, even if I won’t admit that to her face literally ever. I might subtly point it out though. It’s just, we’re friends now, and I don’t want her to get the idea I became her friend just because I had feelings for her because that’s not true and–!” 

Harley raises an eyebrow with a little smirk playing on his lips. Soledad seems to be making an expression that tells him to slow down and maybe cease all talking unless he wants to make a fool of himself. 

May’s standing there, with her classic dumbfounded, puppy-like expression. She’s just rolled out of bed, and she’s ditched the bandana today to let her natural glossy hair flow. She’s got her tray of breakfast gripped in her hands. 

“--she’s standing right behind me, isn’t she?” Drew finishes. 

“I didn’t realize it was May Appreciation Day,” she chuckles as she joins them at the booth, sliding in next to Drew. “Just because I’m here doesn’t mean you should stop singing praises to me, though.”

Oh Drew does concur.

“I think I should stop, otherwise it’ll inflate your already oversized head. You don’t want to get as egotistical as me, hm?” 

“It was so much more than just him singing praises to you, May,” Soledad chimes in with an amused twinkle in her eyes. 

“Yeah, if you were here just moments earlier–!” Drew mimes slicing his throat with his finger, and Harley shrugs. 

“--anyway, we should finish up and get ready to head to the Contest Hall. Can’t leave our fans waiting~” Harley sings. 

“You have fans?” Drew deadpans, to which May quips, “All of us do, Drew.”

They finish their breakfast together, and just as Drew tosses his leftovers away Harley approaches him and whispers in his ear. 

“You really are all talk and no game. Otherwise, you’d have fessed up like a man back there.”

Harley returns to the booth, and Drew stands there before placing his empty tray on top of the trash bin. He hates that he’s been roasted yet again by Harley, but he has a point. 

From his spot, he watches as May and Soledad exchange a conversation he can’t make out, focusing on the way her eyes crinkle a little when she smiles that big and wide. Even if she’s not a morning lark, she still has that bucket of pep to offer when she blesses anyone with her presence.

Drew stuffs his hands into his pockets, debating whether to leave first and have them meet him at the Contest Hall. He . . . is due for some self reflection and accountability. 

He steals another glance of her when he hears her adorable giggle, this time at something Harley says, it looks like. 

One day, he’s definitely going to tell her. 

Just maybe not today.

[belethlegwen]

You are so wonderful and I hope things smooth out for you sooner rather than later. Obviously you should prioritize yourself first (god knows we all have sooo much good fic of yours to reread), but it leads me to a question I’ve been too shy to ask 👉👈 how do you feel about recursive fic about your fics/characters? Would you be ok with us sharing it with you/others, crediting you for the creation of such good characters of course? I have serious Stranding/Rescue brainworms and it’s making me want to write drabble & fluff for the first time in a long time 💕 of course it’s fine if you’d be more comfortable with me not posting it — either way, thank you soooo much for sharing this lovely world & worldbuilding & all the characters within. I will be rotating them in my head for years no matter what 🙇

Hello and good morning! Or afternoon, I'm not sure. I'm drafting this answer over a late breakfast because I got a precious day of sleeping-in and I'm still thinking deeply about it.

Firstly: I want to hug you so tight (if you were down) because this is wildly sweet and flattering, thank you so so much for reaching out at all even just about the works, but the wishes that things smooth out are highly appreciated ;-; We're looking… solid? Right now? But there's still so much up in the air and hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I won't bore you with it, it's not the reason I'm drafting this out.

ABOUT RECURSIVE WORKS [very long, read under the cut, tl:dr summary at the end]:

I would love it. I would genuinely, honestly love it, with the caveats that you laid out that proper credit would be given (thank you so much you lovely beautiful soul), that it be clarified wherever it is shared that it's based on characters/settings/storylines of the current works, but truly importantly that it would clarify that the works are actively still being written at this time.

That's my biggest hesitation, if I'm being honest. The stories are both at this time unfinished (they are all unfinished, I am a creature with heavy need to process things through writing and, quelle surprise, I am never truly finished processing anything, new shit just needs to get processed, wheeeee) and being that they're unfinished, there's a chance that any recursive work could hit on a scene/plotpoint/moment that I've already got plotted out for the future. I'm not Neil Gaiman or anything, I'm not planning to make money off of this work, so it's not my concern that you or anyone else is gonna turn around and try to sue me for stealing something or whatever-- that's not the problem. I just don't want you or anyone to feel at that point that the effort you put into something was then copied and put in the main work or something.

It's an odd situation. The odds of it actually BEING a problem I know are astronomically low, but I didn't get to where I am today without chronically overthinking everything.

I love that you have a desire to create, and I do not know who you are-- I don't know if you already have projects and characters of your own and just want to branch out with something familiar-but-new, but I want to encourage you to use this energy and focus for writing all the same. If you can put it into your own works, hell yeah, but also: yes I would be flattered if you used my dorks and their silly little worlds. It's just the concern where I'm not finished with the stories yet. I just am, again, overthinking and overworrying, likely, but if I could stop doing those things then life would presumably be easier.

I would be absolutely down for like, experimental works I believe is the best term for what I'm looking for. Characters and stories based off of my works that are wholly new. Want to write a refracted AU about Melinda and Hank in Space? Fuck yeah, yes. Though I mentioned this to Zip and they immediately told me No, We're Doing That One and we laughed about it for a hot minute, so maybe not exactly those names hahaha

I guess another question here is, if you were to put in the effort and the focus and the pride of writing something based on my characters, of a scene you had in your head, and got through the beauty and pain of creation to get it down and then put it out there, how would you feel if something similar then happened in the main work? Not the same, not based on what you did, but that similarity still there and still noticeable at least to you. Like if someone had written (before I had posted them) something similar to Melanie being involved in a Naval battle, even though I have the receipts that that arc was written in November of 2022 and only finished posting in September 2023, I don't know how they would feel to still see that like, a similar idea had been there.

On one hand, personally, I love being in the G/t community and reading other people's works when I have the spoons and focus and time to do it, because I love that something as simple as "small person falls and big person catches them" permeates the ideas so often, and what that can mean to dozens of different creators. Refracting the same light through a diamond and watching the facets all scatter it differently, etc etc. It's beautiful. It makes me happy. But that's a personal thought, and I know how deep and personal writing can be. I know how much the process of creation can mean to the individual. I don't want you to go through that, to write something beautiful even if just for yourself, and then think in some possibility later that because I did something similar I was trying to do it 'better' or whatever. It's not the case, it's never the case.

So, after chatting about this with people I love in this community (I love you Zip and Kelly <3), I think the solution is: If you want to chat with me about the like, basic bare-bones of the ideas you might have just to give me a heads up, and I can let you know if it's something that'll be in the main works soon and if I'd rather you wait on something, or if I'd go 'oh fuck yeah, go ham', I would adore to chatter away with you about it all regardless. I'd love to chatter with you about writing in general! My characters, your characters, whatever. I'm down. Please feel free to hit me up and I'll get back to you whenever I can <3

Let me know what you think! Thank you so much for the sweet message and the ask!

Cheers,

~ Belle

[TL;DR]

When it comes to recursive works I'm interested and open to them provided they're not something major/heavy I'm planning to tackle too soon in the future canon, as the works are still being written and posted. I am always down to receive DMs about writing, and would prefer to get messages about the recursive fic ideas (as vague as you'd like them to be!) just so I can give a quick yes/no on if it's something I'd rather you wait on until I can get it out myself, or whathaveyou. I don't see this being a huge problem, and if you're good for chatting then I'm positive we'll have a good time with this <3

Writing recursive fics for my existing, in-progress works means agreeing to the caveats that credit be given to me and the existing works, and clarifying when posting that the fic is not canon and the works they're referencing/possibly based on are still in progress/being written. It also means accepting that there is a chance that things tackled in your fics may be similar to things that have not yet been posted for said works.

When it comes to experimental fiction based on my characters, settings, or plot: hell yeah go full 50 Shades if you want to. File the serial numbers off of it and/or write something New Enough. It's what I did to Jonathan Swift, please feel free to do it to me hahaha.

Shortest answer: Yes, just send me a quick message first <3

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

Investment plans

@cullen-blue23 🧟💌⚔️ I have returned with my Wen Ning appreciation agenda! I keep imagining WWX discovering the Ghost General simps and immediately deciding to throw hands to defend his besties honour. WN is confused, but very flattered (and no longer feels safe being left alone with Lan Jingyi)

Some kind of part 2 to this one

This was an incredibly funny piece to write, shoutout to Lan Jingyi for seeing a business opportunity and running with it.

Wei Wuxian rushes through the Cloud Recesses, Suibian in hand, unsheathed - and that never happens unless there is a great emergency somewhere that he knows he can't fix with just Chenqing. There are very few such instances - one was when Lan Sizhui got kidnapped, and another was when some poor sod put a curse on Lan Wangji, and to this day nobody knows or dares ask what happened to either of those people. So to see the Yiling Patriarch (who's usually just fun and mischievous Wei-qianbei) exude murderous intent, everyone makes way for him to storm out of the Cloud Recesses without issue. Not that they're scared he'd kill them - but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Lan Wangji struggles to catch up to him, and that's saying something. "Wei Ying!"

"Leave me alone, I'm going to kill this Yan Bai person myself! How dare he!"

"Wei Ying!" Lan Wangji tries again, finally reaching close enough to his husband to get a hold of his shoulder.

"What?! You've seen those ridiculous drawings and read those horrible stories too! Aren't you supposed to be righteous?!"

Lan Wangji is not going to take offense to that and he's not going to fight with Wei Ying in the middle of the Cloud Recesses where everybody can see. In fact, there won't be any fight at all.

"You can't kill Yan Bai."

"Like hell I can't, I've killed hundreds, what's one more!"

"We'll circle to that later, but the reason you can't kill him it's because he doesn't exist!"

Wei Ying blinks at his husband incredulously. "Lan Zhan, do you take me for a fool? What do you mean he doesn't exist? Then who created that ludicrous sexy Ghost General calendar? The fanfiction subscription service? The fan letters?!"

Lan Wangji sighs like the weight of the world rests on his shoulders. "Come with me, I'll tell you in private. And please put Suibian away."

---

Inside the jingshi, Wen Ning and Jingyi await. Now, Wei Ying is even more confused than before, joining Lan Wangji at the table. He takes a seat, and says, "Wei Ying, please meet Yan Bai." as he elegantly gestures towards Jingyi, who looks very much like Wen Ning down - a living corpse.

There is such tense silence in the jingshi that it feels suffocating. Jingyi has long accepted he's going to die today, he's said his goodbyes and even sent a last letter roasting Jin Ling express shipping to Jinlintai. All his affairs are in order, might as well get it over with.

"How much money did you make?" Wei Ying asks, his voice flat and neutral, and somehow scarier than when he's angry.

"I... Double my allowance, sir."

"Per month?"

"Per week... sir."

Wei Ying whistles lowly. "What did you spend it on?"

Lan Jingyi keeps quiet, eyes stubbornly squeezed closed.

"Well?"

"I cannot say."

"Why not?"

"It is forbidden."

Wei Ying rolls his eyes. "So is drawing porn, yet here you are."

"It's not - porn... it's-"

"Erotic art, whatever, same thing. I would know. So, where's the dough?"

"..."

"Lan Jingyi."

"We're saving up for something! It's - well, a surprise..."

"And you've decided to exploit Wen Ning for it?"

"It's not... exploiting. It's a... business. I overheard some people talking about him in a certain way and had an idea..."

The new information is nothing short of surprising, so Wei Ying turns to his friend. "Wen Ning, did you know about this?"

"...somewhat. Not to its full extent, but I agreed to the- stories."

"So then what's the big project that had you sell yourself out like this?"

"Please don't say that... I didn't... do that."

Wei Ying crosses his arms, raising an eyebrow. "I don't know, Wen Ning, I received a letter from Yunmeng-"

If Wen Ning could blush, he'd be beet red. "I didn't do anything for cash, I mean... all that you've heard about, I've done it... um, for fun..."

Wei Ying sighs so deeply he feels like he's taken up the whole air in the jingshi. This conversation is terribly embarrassing and he still wants to know what the hell they're saving up for.

"Here's how it's gonna go. Jingyi, you tell me what you've been investing in all this time, and I'll convince Hanguang-Jun over here not to punish you for the next 15 years."

Jingyi steals a look towards Wen Ning, and they seem to be having a silent conversation before Jingyi finally looks up at his seniors.

"We've been - the lotus pond we've been nursing in the Cloud Recesses died last spring, and we know how sad that made you. So we bought a piece of a lake near Caiyi and have hired someone specialized in lotus cultivation to help maintain them and make sure they don't die out like last time." A pitiful sigh, "But they're really expensive, even with all the help we got from Jinlintai... Jin Ling can't just give money out right now, so we had to... be creative. We actually got the idea at the last discussion conference, sect leader Nie dropped something about Yiling Laozu fanfiction selling really well in the past and, well..."

Wei Ying can do nothing but stare. Everyone - the kids, Wen Ning, even Nie Huaisang - all contributed to this one project that's more time-consuming than anything and that takes up a whole lot of money... and all that because he cried over the lotuses that dried up last spring instead of blooming. All that because they wanted him to be... happy.

He stands up from his seat abruptly, and Jingyi squeezes his eyes shut again, awaiting deliverance - instead he finds himself and Wen Ning pulled into a hug.

"Thank you."

Jingyi's eyes widen. "You're... not mad?"

"I am very mad. I married into this super rich sect for you lot to go sell porn for money?!"

"Wei-gongzi, it's not-"

"Quiet, Wen Ning! You should've just asked Lan Zhan for cash!"

"With all due respect, Hanguang-Jun is not adept at keeping secrets from you..."

"...fair. Still, all this was... a bit too much. Even if I appreciate it, it's not okay to do. So, there will be some kind of punishment for you, Jingyi."

"I know..." and he begins reciting, "...for lying, keeping secrets, making illicit money, drawing and reading pornographic material, distributing said material, pricing highly, not reporting earnings..."

"That's a long list of crimes to atone for. I'll leave Hanguang-Jun to do that. Wen Ning, come talk to me outside?"

"Yes."

---

"How do you feel... about all that?" Wei Ying asks as they stroll along the pathways around the jingshi. "The... materials, I mean."

"To be entirely honest... I am not that upset... You know I have not been very confident before... and this, surprisingly, helps a lot."

"Don't you feel... I don't know, objectified?"

A shrug. "Not really. Sure, it's a bit... weird to see so much... erotic material about me, but it's better than people calling for my death..."

Wei Ying sends him a sympathetic look. He wishes people could see him like that, kind and loving and soft, the way he truly is - nothing like the monster people accuse him to be.

"And anyway... I'm not entirely innocent either... so I'm not surprised there is, um, demand for such things."

"Right... uh, you should probably be a bit more on the down low with that in Yunmeng... I know people from there are really attractive but...like, I'm not trying to police what you do or anything-"

"It is fine, I understand what you mean." A conspirational smile. "I was planning to visit Qinghe next anyway, so you probably will not be receiving any more angry letters, hopefully... Though I must admit Hanguang-Jun's response was... quite hilarious."

Wei Ying chuckled. "He got the 'no bitches?' thing from Jingyi, which is why I think he won't punish the kid that harshly... but how do you feel about what he's done?"

"Well. It is... a bit excessive... but... I cannot say the idea is bad... I did get some of the proceedings myself after all..."

"Man, you guys have a whole business going on! Next thing you'll tell me is Sizhui's keeping the books or something."

"..."

"Wen Ning."

"..."

"WEN NING!"

[craske]

I don't want to sound pretentious when i say all this (and this ended up being really long??), but i really do think you don't need to uphold your online presence so consciously, or even at all. There's nothing wrong with being "inactive" because trying to show up for everything is some sick standard social media made up. Maybe it might be difficult to uphold an idgaf personality, but i can say from my experience it could be better to try a little bit at a time. I can say that they really do mean it when you can have quiet admirers, from my experience all the more. Maybe they're too shy to put silly tags when they reblog or just put a like on your post. And I don't think you have to worry too much about sticking to one piece of media and be afraid the people following you won't like you anymore for posting different content. At most, I just believe they won't really care enough to unfollow you or stop engaging entirely. The most important thing to me is that you stick around doing the things you actually want to do, even if you're just showing up every month or so, or black out for a year or more. Because the people who do care will be overjoyed to see you whatever you post or share, especially when you come back after a long time. It really is discouraging when you don't see that actively, maybe because we're so used to seeing numbers that relate to our worth. But i like to imagine we're waving at each other from a distance or smiling through a window, as horrid as online landscapes can be nowadays. I know i'm running my mouth here but i just wanted to share my experience because i um. 🙋 also think youre really cool and awesome and i love whatever work you do and the fact you share it is an amazing thing enough i feel privelaged and youre humor is funny and whatever new stuff you post is just introducing me to things i'll also think is cool down the line and i really do wish i can share my appericiation more and evolve from being a quiet admirer /inhales/ 👍 i would say this is a sort of love letter from the gas station but i also mean it as kai 👋 i hope you're doing well in uni or that it gets better soon or in whatever it is youre doing now. and whether or not youre online, i hope youre doing the things you enjoy 🫶

okay i needed some time to figure out how to respond to this ask because theres a lot (in a /pos way dont worry) so ill start off with saying that i really really and i do mean it Really appreciate what you said here. Especially lately, ive been struggling with being active online outside of small spaces where there are just me and a few other people. might be me feeling overwhelmed when i say something into the void with a high chance of no response, though i wont fault anyone for that. i myself know interaction is scary so i do get it. ever since i started using the internet ive stuck to my small online bubbles so yeah interaction kind of intimidating online

and though i agree it does feel discouraging to sometimes see no feedback or much of a reaction, i try not to be bummed out about it myself because im also a silent admirer of many artists online. so like ive said before i do understand that sometimes people are shy and dont interact directly and theres no pressure really to change that. just the idea that there are people that like what i make is really nice, even though i suffer from the same issue that maaany other artists have and i need to actively remind myself of that.

about sticking to one fandom its a very recent but big issue to me because ive been DEEP in the persona pit for like 4 years, and i certainly built an audience around that. i know there will always be people that stick around no matter what but despite that theres always that nagging feeling that maaybe things will crumble. obviously thats not true but human mind fucking SUCKS

as the final note ill say it again that your message means a lot to me and i thank you a lot for it <333 im soo flattered by your words and they made my past two days, thank you soo much

[allylikethecat]

ally!!! i have to say i keep growing ever so frustrated at ao3 as at the end of every update you so generously give us it reminds me once again that i am unable to leave you more kudos when i so wish i could spam you with it every five minutes to show my appreciation for these fics!!!!!!

the ducklings update was incredible and i so loved seeing an insight into fictional!george’s mind, i especially enjoyed how much a packet of shredded cheese caused so much trouble hah — whilst i am loving the angst between them, I am also very excited for them to (at some point) actually communicate with each other lol

i have to go on record to say that as a diehard lover of ‘you know where the city is’ that is the fic i voted for this week — this does not mean however that i am not very much eating up all discussions of the vampire fic (& the equestrian fic!!!) and i can’t wait to see what you come up with (on the discussion of vampires & twilight,, i was always team edward and the idea of vampire fictional!george??? amazing.) and I of course was very happy to receive a ducklings update regardless.

also!! these january prompts have been so good and it’s so cool that you’ve stuck with it the entire month — opening up tumblr and finding a little ally fictional!matty and george drabble has been so fun and u should know that they will be sorely missed come february!!!!

yours,

— 💌💌

(p.s. sorry about the obnoxiously long ask lol!!!)

Hello My Dearest 💌 Anon!

First off, NEVER apologize for sending in a long ask!! I am giggling and twirling my hair upon receiving it!! I love writing obnoxiously long responses and so this is perfect!!!

I too very much wish that I could leave multiple kudos on the fics that I read, AO3 really needs to get on it and allow us to do so! I am so thankful and honored to have written a fic that you feel that way about 🥺 Just know that I appreciate YOU so very much and am so grateful for you not only reading but taking the time to send me such a lovely, long, thought out ask! 🥰

AHH Thank you so much for your kind words about the newest Ducklings update!! I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! Shredded cheese is a very important snack option and poor Fictional!Matty thought it was going to solve all of his problems, but alas, halfway through it became the cause of them. I was a little nervous about this chapter since we were changing things up a little bit with a Fictional!George-centric interlude and am so happy to hear that you liked it! We might have a little bit longer to go before Fictional!Matty and Fictional!George get it together and truly communicate but don't worry it is coming and I actually have a plan for it now (huge thank you to @sundrownsthehouse for helping establish DIRECTION for this fic!)

AHH thank you so much for supporting You Know Where the City Is as well!! The 2014-Disaster-Bi versions of Fictional!Matty and Fictional!Taylor are some of my favorite characters I've ever written, and I am so excited for y'all to see how their story unfolds! I will hopefully have that update finished soon, I've been slowly but steadily working on it since the last update!

The Vampire brain rot has become so very real and I am so excited that people are willing to indulge me in it. Once I get the Christmas fic finished, I cannot WAIT to start diving into my new WIPs 🤩

ALSO omg thank you so much for sharing such kind words about the January OPT prompts, it was a little project that I started for myself, and I'm just so flattered that people are also enjoying them, and taking the time to share such lovely feedback on them! They have been hard to keep up with, but I'm very proud of myself for sticking with them so far, and cannot believe we're over halfway through!

Thank you so much for reading, and for sending in this lovely, lovely, ask! I apologize for writing you a small novel in response! I hope you continue to enjoy my works and I hope I'll be able to a You Know Where the City Is update up soon! I hope you have a fabulous rest of your week!

❤️Ally

[starlight-citadel]

A Big Spill

Summary: What happens when two men who finally go out to a restaurant have to deal with random hijinks?

Tags: OC x Canon, Modern!AU, Wanderer is named Kiyoshi, Rivals to Lovers, Fluff, A little bit of angst, Office Workers

A/N: Just a continuation of the previous fic that I had posted. Now it's a type of restaurant date with some misunderstandings.

Word Count: 1025

Raimon never expected this to happen. He thought he could always predict his date’s personality, the silent, strong type that doesn’t really fit in with any sort of crowd. But, he never suspected that Kiyoshi would become such a romantic.

“Let me get that for you...” Kiyoshi got up to pull out Raimon’s chair.

"Well, look at you, acting all romantic. Am I speaking with the real Kiyoshi or an alternate version of him?" Raimon smirked as he sat down in his chair

"Ha, ha. You're hilarious. You know I have other sides to me that I don't really bring out to just anyone?" Kiyoshi retorted as he sat back down as well.

"Well, I guess it's silly of me to assume that. I just didn't know that you had a softer side. That's all. Especially since my impression of you is that you're a full-time grouch."

"Well, that doesn't seem so far off from my impression of you. Everytime I see you, it always looks like you glared at everybody."

"That's just my normal default face. Can't really change something that you were born with. Like that butt of yours."

"Oh, what about it?"

"It's small, yet curvy. I've come to appreciate it." Raimon smiled as he glanced at his menu.

"Gee, thanks... Wait a minute. You've been checking my butt out?" Kiyoshi looked at the other male with wide eyes and cheeks painted red.

"That's right. Up until now, you've been nothing but eye-candy to me."

Kiyoshi didn't know whether to be flattered or insulted. "Hmph... Well, you're not the only one that's been checking out butts."

"You've been looking at my butt, too?" Raimon's voice echoed a bit and all Kiyoshi could do was glare at him, prompting him to zip it.

"Yes, after all, I can't help when I look at something so... voluptuous." Kiyoshi's voice deepened when he said those last words all while smirking the other male.

Raimon couldn't help but be flustered a bit by that remark. It had been a long time since he had gone out on a date. The last time he went, the other guy had preferred puppies over cats, which should have been his first red flag. Not to mention, he was constantly saying yes to everything that Raimon was asking or needing advice on, making Raimon annoyed to no end.

All he could do now is clear his throat and look over at Kiyoshi. His deep blue eyes sparkled a bit while surrounded by his red mascara. Raimon couldn't help but smile a bit.

"You know, Kiyoshi, you know a lot about me because you're so used to me blathering, care to tell me a bit about yourself? Like what's your idea of fun?"

"Well... I don't really have any particular hobbies. I just do whatever is fun at the moment."

"Oh, so if I decided to go bungee jumping one day, would you do it?"

"Well, if I find it fun one day. But, right now? No." Kiyoshi's face was stern and Raimon couldn't help but chuckle a bit from that comment.

The waiter arrived with their food, but a little trip sent their food flying with Raimon getting most of it. After wiping some of the food from his face and noticing Kiyoshi getting up and ready to yell at the waiter, Raimon gestured for the other male to wait.

"By any chance, do you have an extra set of clothes you keep in the back?" The waiter nodded and, with Raimon following him, went to the kitchen. He came back out with the clothes and went back to the bathroom to change. All Kiyoshi could do was watch as he got the clothes and went off after him to the bathroom.

"Hey, are you doing alright?" Kiyoshi placed his hand on Raimon's shoulder.

"I'm doing fine. By the way, we're getting the food for free." Raimon made his way to the bathroom and towards one of the stalls.

"Good. Cuz I was going to rip our waiter a new one just for doing that to you."

"While that sounds romantic, I would rather not make a bigger deal than it already is. Right now, I'm worried how big the dry cleaning bill will be."

"That's the other thing. I should pay that for you."

"What? Why?" Raimon peeked out from behind the stall, not believing his words.

"Well, I didn't want to inconvenience you more. After all, you went out of your way to take me to a fancy restaurant. Not to mention, I felt a little bad that you had to go through all that."

"Kiyoshi, it's fine. You don't need to do that." Raimon fussed as he finished putting on the clothes.

"Rai, would you just let me? I'm trying to do something kind for you, too."

"And I said, it's fine, Yoshi."

"Rai..."

"Yoshi..."

"Babe, would you just let me do this for you?" Raimon shouted in a heap of frustration but stopped himself when they both noticed what he said.

"Did you just call me babe?"

Raimon's cheeks flushed with red as he just realized what he had said. The two had previously agreed not to do any lovey-dovey stuff in public as Kiyoshi didn't really enjoy public affection, so Raimon thought that the other would get mad at him. He shut his eyes, expecting to get an earful but was totally caught off-guard by a kiss to his cheek.

"I didn't know you thought of me like that." Kiyoshi whispered.

"Don't be stupid. I always thought of you like that. I'm just careful when to say it."

All Kiyoshi could do was chuckle. "Well, then perhaps you should pick your moments because I did enjoy that."

Raimon's heart became aflutter, and before he noticed, he stepped forward to hug Kiyoshi. Surprised, Kiyoshi returned the hug and the two melted into each other's embrace, longing for someone to hold them.

"Are you two done already?" A man shouted from outside.

"No, we're not!" The two shouted back in contempt. They then looked at each other and shared a small laugh while still holding each other.

[rozyrne]

"Oh, you've come here as well, Rosado?" Citrinne opens the encounter with a rhetorical question. There is a hint of surprise in seeing one of the (cuter) allies from Elyos, but he is far from the first ally she has reunited with across the sea. Still, the ability to avoid the need for additional introductions is much appreciated. Even moreso when the red cloth equipped on Rosado's person is what drives Citrinne to speak with the retainer now.

"Please listen carefully. I believe you will be on the same team as Lapis. Can I trust you to look out for her? I have no proper gift to exchange as of now, but I promise to provide you with fair commute once the month is through. You only need to name your price."

Sunglasses cover the noble's eyes from view, so she gives a reassuring smile to imply her faith in him. "And, if it's not much trouble...do not tell Lapis I asked you of this. She is a stronger individual than me, and I would prefer that strength remains unscathed during our time here."

HE PIVOTS AROUND TO THE SOUND OF HIS NAME. and is met with elegant blonde coiffes ; long, flattering dress ; vigilant dark eyes that pin him right in place. "oh, hi citrinne." it feels like he should say lady citrinne, but then... that also doesn't feel totally right coming from him either.

he'll just hope she isn't offended.

please listen carefully, she says. oh!——all right. he stands a little straighter at the tone, ready to hear about something serious or maybe he'd made some kind of faux-pas without knowing?

wait, no, this is about... lapis? opal eyes blink through the rest of citrinne's explanation, the ask to look out for her partner retainer, and the promise of compensation, and notice the green band sported in sharp contrast to the rest of her look. anyone else and he'd say it wasn't a big deal, but he'd heard that people in brodia took this kind of fair payment thing pretty seriously. so maybe he should just take it in stride? lapis and he might get along great, but maybe citrinne still held it against him for the stuff at the bridge, so...

guess this is one of those etiquette things he should just nod along with.

"oh, sure." tone schools into his best polite cadence——nothing too excited, willing without seeming weird. "no problem, lapis is safe with me." and then, partly because it's true and partly to end up on her good side, with a bit more animation: "and since she's really, really strong and all, i bet she won't have a single problem in the games."

eyes asparkle a little as sincerity bleeds in because he can't totally help himself ; he believes in lapis more than just about anything or anyone else.

like believing the sky is blue,

or the day'll always come.

"we're rooming together too i think, so that should make things even easier. but if you're worried, you can always stop by too."

[txmxkis]

Rinii, what do you think kuroo would say or react when reader starts feeling self-conscious about readers body, like if reader asks "am i getting fatter" or "do you think im fat?"

ohhhhhh i did not plan to do this but this is something that is so personal to me

warnings. gn!reader, fluffy and probably cheesy as always, chubby!reader is implied but i tried to keep it as inclusive as possible, reader is insecure. again, apparently i can only write self indulgent things my bad

you were supposed to be ready to leave the apartment half an hour ago. you weren't usually one to be late to anything, in fact it made you incredibly anxious when you were. however, today your insecurity outweighed your need to be punctual, and you just couldn't leave while looking like this.

actually, today you couldn't leave looking like anything. pieces of clothing lay strewn across the room, hangers discarded on the floor next to the closet. you had tried on every single one, and still there were none that looked flattering on you.

"oi! are you ready yet? i mean, take your time 'n everything, but technically we're late."

kuroo's voice calling from the other room pulls you out of your thoughts momentarily. he never rushes you, which is something you appreciate greatly. it helps that he knows you well enough to know that you would never be late without good reason.

"is there something i can help with orrrr?"

you could hear his voice getting closer and you really didn't want him to see you in this state right now.

he pokes his head past the doorframe and makes a noise of astonishment.

"a tornado go through here while i was gone or somethin'? or are you just trying to spontaneously reorganize things again."

you roll your eyes at that second thing.

"noooo, i just can't decide what to wear. nothing looks good on me today."

he's standing fully in the doorway now, hands in his pockets as he raises an eyebrow and looks you up and down.

"then wear nothing, it looks great on you."

he smirks and you make a futile attempt not to crack a smile as you feel your face start to burn. suddenly you're even more self conscious, so you grab the nearest piece of clothing to hold in front of you.

"tetsurou, i'm being serious! we needed to leave like forty minutes ago and i can't wear any of these clothes without looking-"

you stop yourself just before you could say fat. you hate giving the word a negative connotation. there's nothing wrong with being fat, nothing that should make you feel like this, anyway. like you wanted to crawl out of your skin. usually you were pretty neutral about your body, on very rare occasions could even love things about it. sometimes, it all catches up to you, though.

all the whispers in your head that come from no one but yourself, degrading you and making you feel worthless because of how you look. logically, you know those thoughts are complete and utter bullshit, but it's so hard to continuously fight against them. today, you're slipping a little.

"i know exactly what you're thinking over there. something about your clothes not fitting quite right and that somehow it makes you unloveable."

you don't even have time to pretend to be shocked that he knows you so well before he just keeps on going.

"well i've got news for you, babe, i've never seen you manage to look bad. i actually think it's impossible for you or something."

for a few moments too long, you just stand there gaping at him. he takes that as his cue to walk towards you, remove the sweater that you've been using as a shield, and toss it off to the side.

"there. better."

you finally snap out of it and smack him on the arm, but before you can pull away, he catches your wrist. he brings it up to his lips slowly, and kisses right where your pulse is probably hammering away at the moment, locking eyes with you as he does.

how are you ever supposed to argue with him if he keeps stunning you into silence?

"i don't think you'll ever understand how much i love you, doesn't matter if you change physically or not. and it doesn't matter what you wear either, so can you pleaseeee put on something so we can go. we both know you'll look perfect in anything."

"ugh, fine! but you get to help me pick."

he rubs his hands together with a devious grin, and you know he'll be grabbing the most revealing thing he can find. you know him well, too, after all.

"something appropriate."

"awww, damn."

[honorhearted]

When Rebekah giggled, Ben spared her a sidelong glance. Although she was supposed to play up to John's vanity, the whole display was starting to rankle him.

"You flatter me, Mr. Wolsey, truly. But I'm almost certain you wouldn't be interested in hearing the same tiring anecdote of a woman from a family with investment in cotton and sugar plantations. I'd take you for a man who craves a more exciting narrative...Or is that too terribly presumptuous of me?"

John's eyes sparkled with interest. "Sugar and cotton? Goodness, darling, where have you been all my life? Lenora is a dear-heart -- insatiable too, if you get my meaning -- but her upbringing is a bit less impressive, I'm afraid." He glanced toward Ben. "Your business is in what again, Mr. Barrington?"

"Hogs, spirits, and banking," Ben said with a tight smile. "I raise the hogs on our very own farm -- passed down from generation to generation, of course -- and we also have our very own distillery. I merely chose banking as a hobby, seeing how I'm quite good with handling and distributing money. I'd like to invest, Mr. Wolsey, and your efforts for the loyalist cause have long since ensnared my interests."

John appraised them both with a hum. "You have a good eye, sir -- not only in a monetary sense, but the carnal." He nodded towards Rebekah with a smirk. "I'm sure you both will appreciate my Lenora, as well. She has quite the keen eye."

The sound of clip-clopping heels entered the foyer, and he looked up with a grin. "Ah, and there she is now! Come in, my dear -- come in! The Barringtons have finally arrived."

The comely blonde woman sauntered forward, her jade eyes alight with mischief as she laced her fingers over her stomacher. She made an immediate path for Ben, her hand extending as she purred, "Charmed, Mr. Barrington. The moment we heard there was another young couple in town, we just had to meet you." She looked toward Rebekah, offered an almost disinterested little smile, and then turned back to Ben again. "And what have you come offering, sir?"

Pressing her hand, Ben rose and spared a polite incline of his head. "It's a pleasure, Mrs. Wolsey. As I was just telling your husband, I've come because I wish to lend my aid to the loyalist cause."

Lenora tittered, looking to her husband with a sneer. "Oh, he's adorable, darling. Wherever do you find these sorts?"

John chuckled. "Now, now, Mr. Barrington, there's no need to play coy. She asked what you'll be offering." When Ben blinked between them, he sighed and explained, "For her. My Lenora is a very busy woman, and thus, is a bit picky whenever it comes to our shared dalliances. I can already tell your wife will be exactly what I need, but you..." He shrugged, looking him up and down. "I'm afraid that still remains to be seen. Unfasten your breeches, if you please."

Ben had been taking a sip of wine upon this declaration, and promptly spat back into his glass. "I...I-I beg your pardon?" he spluttered. Horrified, he looked to Rebekah in mounting dread. Just what in God's name had they agreed to?

"When you reached out, you said you were well-endowed," Lenora said, pouting. "Why are you so aghast?"

"I meant my land and my business," Ben said, horrified. Looking to Rebekah for help, he added, "My wife and I are investors."

John smirked. "Well, why not mix business and pleasure? If this war has taught us anything, it's that we're not guaranteed another tomorrow." He nodded toward their glasses. "Would you care for another round?"

York City, for all the grand talk she'd heard of its opulence and thriving splendor, was undeniably and wholly grotesque. Rebekah found its dank and congested streets repulsive and abominable. How anyone could enjoy its fast pace and teeming crowd was entirely beyond her.

She did, however, rather admire the gown that had been made for her by an agent in the city. What had his name been? Mulligan? It was a stunning work of art that had clearly been tailored with great care and attention to detail. Paired with fine pearls, gaudy earrings, and her hair rolled into an opulently styled pouf -- whispy curls cascading meticulously around her shoulders -- Rebekah actually felt somewhat beautiful, something she was unaccustomed to.

As Ben instilled last-minute reminders to her of their facade and ultimate goal, she merely nodded and lightly squeezed his arm in reassurance. As opposite to Mariam Barrington as her personality actually was, Rebekah was prepared to be everything she wasn't. Reserved. Charming. Refined. Poised. Obedient. Everything her own dearly departed mother had been.

Unknowingly mirroring his deep breath in tandem, Rebekah disappeared, and Mariam Barrington took her place upon watching the door open with a bright and unassuming smile.

The house looked as though a French interior designer had wretched all over the walls. It was ostentatiously pretentious. After having witnessed better men than John starving to death as they risked their lives for what they believed in, she could already feel the resentment for his way of life prompting her blood to boil -- her urge to scowl stifled beneath her amiable simper.

"Is this your wife, Barrington? I can see why you didn't wish to be apart."

Odious pig.

"I���yes. We've been married about a year now."

Rebekah offered an enamored smile as she glanced up at Ben's mention of their still young 'marriage,' giving his arm a gentle tug to play the part of a starry-eyed and frivolous-minded socialite in love. She sat close to him on the settee, limbs still intertwined as she remained silent and appeared unassumingly appealing.

When John winked, she feigned repressing an embellished little giggle and partially hid behind the shield of her fan with a coy playfulness alight in her eyes.

"Why don't you tell me about yourself, darling? I'm dying to know more -- because surely, a creature with such stunning eyes has an equally stunning life story?"

"You flatter me, Mr. Wolsey, truly," she hummed, "But I'm almost certain you wouldn't be interested in hearing the same tiring anecdote of a woman from a family with investment in cotton and sugar plantations. I'd take you for a man who craves a more exciting narrative...Or is that too terribly presumptuous of me?"

Her hand had since slid from Benjamin's arm to take hold of the wine glass she'd been offered and the fan continued to be her tool of alluring but careful flirtation in the other.

Take the bait, Wolsey. Take it and choke on it.

[icelessly]

Diagonse Me: Direct Message

Chapter 5

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One need only ask, except when the questioned becomes suspicious of the questioning.

Real-time

9:04 P.M.

Friday

"You know, Yae Miko," Venti said, face flushed with laughter. "You're such a great friend."

"This is about the vodka, isn't it?" said Yae Miko. She turned towards the now-empty bottle, marvel in the sigh that followed.

"Come on, Venti appreciates you for more than just what you can offer," Nilou laughed.

"Perhaps next time I should bring some more, considering how long it took you guys to drink it all," Yae Miko clicked her tongue.

You chimed in, "Definitely! And next time we should try this new mix I found on Pinterest."

"Y/n, I've been meaning to ask you," said Cyno, who was sitting on your right.

"Yeah?"

"Why are your Pinterest boards always filled with motivational quotes when you're the least motiva—" Cyno was suddenly cut off by Venti's exclamation.

"Let's play never have I ever!"

"That could be fun," Yanfei said.

You were all sitting around Nilou's coffee table, some on the floor and others comfortably settled on the couch. Nilou had volunteered her apartment for the party, and since she lived off campus it was convenient for the others.

As you took the last sip from your glass, knocking sounded from the door. Nilou excused herself to go check it out and you followed after, already presuming the visitor. Nilou peeked through the eyehole before opening the door, and just as you thought it was Dottore.

"I'm glad you could make it, Dottore," Nilou said.

"Thank you for extending an invitation my way; I brought something for the party," he said.

It was obvious from the shape in his bag that he brought alcohol. You must have been staring too long, for he wordlessly handed you the bag and entered the apartment, Nilou following behind him.

You peeked into the bag. It was rum. You giggled to yourself as you set it back into the bag—exquisite taste as always.

"Oh, Y/n there you are! Come on we're about to start," said Venti.

You suddenly had an idea, "Dottore brought rum. Whoever 'has' drinks. "

* * *

"Your turn, Dottore." Yanfei said.

He thought for a moment, "I have never told a professor the reason I didn't turn in an assignment was because there was a spider on my laptop."

"You know the point of the game is to get others to drink, right?" Venti said.

Dottore chuckled, "There is one person who has."

You averted your eyes as you took your shot. "It was a really big spider."

"Why didn't you just ask someone to kill it?" asked Cyno.

"I couldn't!"

"Why?"

"I had tabs open!"

"I have a good idea: let's look through Y/n's search history," Venti grinned as he stood up from his spot on the couch. You bolted up immediately and he gave chase, the two of you ending up somewhere outside.

Nilou glanced at Yanfei who remained completely nonchalantly. Nilou didn't know how she did it; she felt like a nervous wreck! Now was the perfect opportunity to see the real Dottore, but she didn't know if she could muster the courage to probe him.

Luckily, Yanfei spoke first, "This is my first time meeting you, Dottore. My name is Yanfei, and I'm an attorney here in Liyue."

"I know who you are. You're quite accomplished for having only recently graduated."

"You flatter me, though you have no room to speak."

He laughed, "Yes, well I do suppose that's true."

"I've met you before but I never got to ask. What do you do?" Nilou asked.

"I'm a researcher, though at the moment I'm conducting clinical trials," said Dottore.

Yanfei prompted, "What are you researching?"

"I'm afraid the research can't be made public yet," he explained. Nilou wondered if by 'can't be made public' he really meant 'nothing you should know.'

"You guys are asking Dottore a lot of questions," Cyno pointed out. Yae Miko simply sipped on some water.

Nilou was hesitant, but Yanfei didn't back down, "I just wanted to know more about him since he's dating Y/n."

Nilou almost choked while Cyno jumped to his feet, exclaiming, "They're dating?"

"We are not," Dottore said, now eyeing Yanfei.

Yanfei sheepishly giggled, "My bad I really thought you two were." She shot her eyes over to Nilou who understood immediately.

"Venti and I kind of figured the same thing, but we probably should have asked."

"Do consider your presumptions next time."

Yae Miko spoke up, "It's only natural to make that assumption, is it not? None of us knew you before tonight, and even then you really only spoke to Y/n."

"I suppose you could view it that way from your perspective," he acknowledged.

"Right," Yanfei said. "Well, then, let us continue the game."

10:43 P.M.

End

Taglist

@jellyfish-6 @zannivrs @lxry-chxn @pinktrouble

[ineffably-human]

Okay. [cracks knuckles] Let's do this.

"never beat him at anything"

Already this isn't secretly describing Guillermo. Guillermo beating him in a fight earned him a marriage proposal. He starts this list after he's bested in a fight specifically, which is meant to invoke that confrontation - and remember the fight was "what [he's] been waiting for." So we are not looking for Guillermo in this list, or if we are, we have to be selective to do it.

"humble"

I mean, Guillermo CAN be humble, or can at least humble himself. He didn't walk around with a secret enormous ego all those years. But he loves being flattered and given positions of power, he knows his worth and likes it being vocally appreciated. (Y'know who isn't humble basically ever? Nandor.)

"an excellent listener" I think he is, actually. You'd have to be, to be any good at his job.He once very clearly complained that Nandor wasn't listening, because Nandor wasn't. Listening was, at one point, not a Nandor strong suit. "not petty"

They both can be this, for sure. Guillermo moreso. Usually when he's jealous. "or slovenly Neither of them. Slovenly dude is being walked towards the djinn execution room over this line, though. "or vain" Another thing that is VERY Nandor and can sometimes be Guillermo, but not appearance-wise. 'Slovenly' and 'vain' are contrasts, too. Because Nandor is trying to describe perfection.

"or manipulative" THIS is Guillermo, but it's a recent trait and it's kind of from necessity. At this point Nandor's leading four different people down the hallway that presumably correspond to these traits, all to the djinn coin room. "never asked [him] to shave off [his] beard" Only a madman would do such a thing. But clearly at this point we're not looking for 'these are all things Guillermo has done,' either. Background dialogue: 'This guy I don't trust.' (In what? But Nandor clearly trusts Guillermo.) 'This one never learned to read.' (A little unfair but sure, wants education, good conversation..) 'I like her but she's so much smarter than me.' (Again two contrasting things, and a hilarious side-eye from Guillermo at this line that also looks a little worried. Because Nandor's clearly all over the place, or because he's gonna have to look hard to not find anyone smarter than him? You decide!)

"warm, and wanted to be with [him]"

This is Nandor's insecurity again, it's about his own desirability to the person. Contrasting images in the montage: a woman literally shivering in the pool next to him, because he has no body heat, and a guy (one of the Dalals) who clearly is not into him and vice versa.

"kind"

I do think this describes Guillermo, for more please see [gestures to wall of Guillermo apologist meta]

"a good haggler"

When the hell would Nandor have seen this in action during his living years, when he led a country/army? Guillermo seems pretty decent at this though. Something to watch out for in the actual Night Market.

"never borrowed [his] boots without asking [him]"

Nandor, honey, do you even want to get married? (No. No he doesn't. Not this way, anyhow.)

"merciful"

Applies to Guillermo. Applies IMO to modern Nandor who seems to value it. Does not apply to Nandor The Relentless Who Is Pillaging Everyone You Included. Also not sure when he would have had an opportunity to see this in action.

"horny"

Give Guillermo a few rounds with a British starter boyfriend, Nandor, I think he'll get there.

"had a sense of spontaneity and fun"

Applies to both of them, I think.

Okay, so this isn't all describing Guillermo or his opposite. Some of it is describing the opposite of Nandor, some of it is countering anything that might challenge or inconvenience him. But this person isn't anybody, like it's not even a made-up version of a person. They almost certainly didn't exist.

The episode hands it to us, actually. The one thing he remembers is that his love had long dark hair. (He could've just ruled out anyone who didn't without summoning them, but nope.) At the end, when fucking with Marwa's hair, he says he always imagined his wife would have blonde hair. Then he immediately changes his mind, ultimately taking it back to how she started while not being fully pleased with it, saying nothing is too good for his 'perfect wife'. Because he's gone from a supposed memory of true love to a fantasy of perfection, and he can't land on what 'perfection' means to start with.

Nandor didn't want to get married until five seconds after he asked Guillermo to be his best man, and he didn't want it to be this mysterious past love until he realized he could resurrect old romances. What he really wants is to cover up loneliness with a new endorphin high as soon as possible, because Guillermo is so close to walking out that door the minute these made-up tasks run out, Nandor can feel it. And this is how Nandor deals with feelings.

[k-llama-llama]

Team Effort

Stray Kids AU: 9th member

Tori x Stray Kids

Stray Kids feel that Tori's effort with her crush are a team effort.

A/N: Hey! This is very much some fluffy nonsense just to ease into being back! I'm accepting requests and I'd love to hear your thoughts. This also takes place during Maniac, but we're kind of ignoring the massive time skip from the last posts...anyways...enjoy!!

Requests are OPEN and your feedback is still greatly appreciated!

Masterlist and other Follow Me links in bio!

“What on earth are you two doing?” Chan’s voice cut like a blade into the greenroom.

Tori glanced towards the door, not lowering her arm from where it was held into the perfect selca position.

“Taking a picture?” She furrowed her brow. “For snapchat.”

Chan sighed, pointing down with his finger. “Than what, exactly, is Felix doing?”

Felix, who was on his knees at Tori’s feet, using his hands to push her boobs up into a more flattering angle, grunted at the uncomfortable position. “I’m helping. Obviously.”

“One more, Lix,” Tori turned back to the camera, “You’re doing great.”

“I think I’m going to have bruises on my knees.”

Tori held one finger up to her lip in what she hoped was a tastefully seductive pose. She was trying to copy a picture she’d seen Zoey post a few days earlier, and hoping that it would entire a certain someone to take a freaking hint.

“They said we have fifteen —” Jisung stopped. “What are they doing?”

“Selcas!” Felix shouted. “Tori, my arms are killing me.”

“Fine, fine,” She lowered her arm and stepped away from him, letting him drop his arms to his side. “You’re a peach. I’m sure one of these will be good enough.”

“Since when do you put that much work into selcas?” Jisung asked. “You usually don’t even worry about having a filter on. You’re already in a full face and wardrobe for the shoot, why did Felix have to suffer?”

Tori flipped her hair over her shoulder. He wasn’t wrong. Normally she would snap one or two quick pictures and pick from the best of them. She wasn’t picky, and was generally confident enough to post without wearing makeup or searching for the perfect filter. The fans were used to it by now.

But this picture wasn’t for the fans.

“Let’s look at the pictures,” Felix stumbled to his feet, his knees creaking. “I don’t want that to have been for nothing.”

Tori passed him her phone, leaning over his shoulder as he scrolled through the 40-odd pictures she’d taken. She did look pretty cute. Her hair, currently so long it flowed past her ribs and styled in dark purple and black curls, framed her face perfectly. Her makeup was simple — they’d kept it fairly lowkey for the Maniac comeback, and her outfit — a strapless black leather corset over a fishnet longsleeve, looked incredibly flattering. Her boobs also looked pretty good, thanks to Felix and his willingness to push the boundaries of a normal friendship.

“This one is a little too much,” Felix quickly deleted one. “You want to look sexy, but not like you’re trying too hard.”

“Right, right. I have to keep it casual.” She agreed.

“What is this about?” Jisung demanded. 

“Seriously. This is more effort than I’ve ever seen Tori put into anything.” Chan tilted his head.

Tori stuck her tongue out at him. “That’s just rude.”

“Well, you’re being weird.” He shrugged. “Now, as the leader and resident grown-up, I demand to know what the hell you two are doing.”

Tori sighed, snatching her phone back from Felix. “I told you. I’m taking selcas.”

“For Seonghwa,” Felix added unhelpfully.

“Felix!” She hissed.

“What?” He demanded. “It’s not exactly a secret. You’ve been all gooey over him since you met.”

“Gooey?” Jisung looked disgusted.

“Gooey my ass.” Tori smacked his arm. “Why are you literally the worst?”

“How am I the worst? I’m helping you take pictures so that you can get a boyfriend.”

Chan timidly raised his hand. “I might be out of the loop…but why do we need to…seduce Seonghwa? I thought he was already into you.”

“We don’t need to seduce anyone,” Tori frowned. “And, for the record, neither do I. He just needs a little…encouragement.”

“Encouragement?” Jisung shook his head. “I don’t know why I talk to you. I just end up distrubed every time.”

“I’d be perfectly happy if you never talked to me again.” Tori glared at him.

Felix decided to continue explaining, despite Tori’s dirty looks. “He’s totally obsessed with her, of course. But he’s dragging his feet. They’ve hung out like a thousand times and he refuses to call it a date or make a move. It’s staying strictly platonic, even though everyone knows he’s into her.”

“Why does he have to make the move?” Jisung asked. 

“What?” Tori asked.

“I mean…you’re a modern girl,” He gestured loosely at her. “Why don’t you make the move? Kiss him. Proclaim your feelings. Propose. You know.”

“Propose?” Chan sputtered. “I think that’s —”

“Exactly what I keep saying.” Felix nodded. “I said Tori should have kissed him when they went to karaoke last week, but she wimped out.”

“I did not wimp out!” She protested.

“Who wimped out?” Seungmin asked, holding the door open as the rest of the boys filed into the room.

“Tori won’t make a move on Seonghwa.” Jisung filled them in.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Changbin froze. “I thought she was still undecided about Seonghwa?”

“Why are you talking about me like I’m not here?” They ignored her.

“Hyung, she likes him, she just isn’t sure how much because they haven’t been on an actual date yet,” Jeongin explained.

“Can someone please tell me why every conversation about my love life has to turn into a group discussion?” She asked.

Minho reached up to pat her hand, missed, and ended up smacking her in the stomach. “It’s because we care.”

“Care my ass, it’s because we’re invested.” Changbin laughed. “So…we’re making a move?”

“We are doing nothing. I am sending him a casual selca in which I look particularly gorgeous, to try and convince him to ask me out on an actual date.” She explained.

“Why don’t you just ask him out?” Minho asked.

Tori groaned loudly, turning to bang her head on the wall. “This is going in circles.”

Hyunjin, who had been silent up until this point, looked up from his phone. “Will it help if I tell you that Ateez are also trying to convince him to make a move?”

“They are?”

“Did you tell them to do that?” Tori screeched. “Hyunjin! That’s so embarrassing.”

He made a face. “Tori, what’s more embarrassing: his friends telling him to ask you out, or you being so much of a coward that you’re sending him sexy pictures.”

“Tori,” Chan warned.

“Tastefully sexy!” She exclaimed. “And…fine…I see your point. I’m just getting impatient. Like…why won’t he ask me out? I’m not trying to sound desperate or anything,”

“Which you are,” Jisung smirked.

“Screw you, I am not. I just…I like him, but I have no idea if he actually likes me or it—”

“HE LIKES YOU!” The boys practically shouted at her.

She placed a hand on her hip. “But do we know that for sure?”

“I’m pretty sure the only one who doesn’t know that is you, you sweet, stupid girl,” Felix mussed up her hair.

“And…you’re sure you actually like him?” Chan asked, looking, to his credit, only marginally uncomfortable with the conversation.

Tori shrugged. “I think so? He’s really funny, and super sweet and talented. And he’s so handsome and—”

“Yeah, she likes him,” Felix confirmed. “Hence the pictures.”

Tori sighed, looking down at her phone. She knew he wasn’t wrong. She’d never acted this way over a guy in her whole life, even if she felt that she was still being somewhat rational. Like, yeah, she might be being a little bit flighty about the whole thing, but was it so wrong to want him to make the move first? She’d been the one to reach out when she’d first started hanging out with Seonghwa, and she’d been the one getting Hyunjin to drop hints. She’d even sent gift baskets, for crying out loud. It was fully within her rights to expect Seonghwa to be the one to take the next step. 

Still, some little part of her cringed at the idea. “Do you guys think I’m being totally ridiculous?”

Some of her insecurity must have leaked through, because Jisung didn’t say anything snide, and Seungmin reached over to squeeze her hand.

“Not at all, Tor,” He promised. “A little obvious maybe, but definitely not ridiculous.”

She bit her lip.

“And if Seonghwa can’t take a hint,” Minho added, “Then he’s the idiot, not you. You guys would be perfect together.”

Tori gave them a small smile. “Aw, you guys are being supportive.”

“It does happen every once in a while,” Changbin grinned. “Now, send your picture. I want to know what he replies.”

“Okay, okay.” Tori lifted her phone, clicking on the picture Felix had deemed worthy and quickly typing a caption. 

Filming for our MV :) 

And then she hit send.

It took every fiber of her being to lower her phone to her side. The boys all stared at her expectantly.

“What?” She demanded. “I can’t give you an update until he replies.”

“Good lord,” Felix groaned. “This is agony.”

A little ding went off from Tori’s phone, and she jerked her phone back to her face. “He opened it!”

“And?” Jisung exclaimed. 

Even Chan was leaning forward. “What did he say?”

“He…” Tori scrambled with her password. “He…left me on read.”

Felix swore.

“Noona, I think we should find you a smarter boyfriend.” Jeongin shook his head.

“Hey, he’s plenty smart.” Tori protested. “Just…maybe a bit obtuse.”

“Obtuse?” Hyunjin shook his head. “Should we just go over there and formally offer him your hand? Like on Bridgerton?”

That probably would be easier. 

Tori sighed, throwing her phone onto her bag. “Let’s just give it a few hours.”

“Urgh!” Felix shouted. “Why does no one appreciate my effort.”