#He and Aventurine also have the same eye design?

[fatedroses]

To protect.

[lilylovestowrite]

We all know that Aventurine's love language is definitely gift giving! So I would like to request aventurine spoiling his s/o with so much money and gifts. At first reader was thankful and also flustered with all of the gifts he provided for her, but later reader started to become annoyed cause he's been spoiling them too much, so one day they decided to text aventurine about this matter. They only just called his name and he already thought that they needed money so he sent the money. Reader was surprised at first but then got annoyed and decided to scold him in the chat (to which aventurine didn't take them seriously and even teases them, finding amusement with his lover's anger) make this a playful banter between the two and at the end, aventurine decided to meet up with them to pamper them, but this time, with affection ✨

MUST BE FUNNY, IN A RICH MAN'S WORLD ୨♡୧

PAIRING ୨♡୧ (Aventurine x GN! Reader)

WARNINGS ୨♡୧ None

SYNOPSIS ୨♡୧ You decide to confront your boyfriend over his overzealous spending habits. 

WORD COUNT ୨♡୧ 1.4k

A/N ୨♡୧ Thank you for the request! I love Aventurine SO MUCH. I want to hold him and cherish him but I think he deserves to be thrown down a flight of stairs because he’s such a brat. I am so normal about this man.

Divider by @/cafekitsune

‘I saw you eyeing this crystal swan the other day. When you and I get married, I’ll buy the whole store and decorate our venue with them if it’s to your liking- Kakavasha’

You are going to kill your boyfriend. 

You are going to kill your boyfriend over a Swarovski Swan on your bedside table. And thirty bottles of the same Dior perfume you wore once around him. And every piece of designer clothing he’s gifted you. And that one time he rented out a whole cruise ship just to play tag with you over a moonlit river. Well, perhaps not the last one. You liked the idea, the execution? A little overkill.

But this? Overkill can’t even begin to explain how much Aventurine has been spending on you recently. Just before you started dating, he would regularly spoil you with large bouquets of your favourite flowers and a few lovely pieces of jewellery. It was sweet at first: you remember blushing and hiding your flustered face behind your palm, only for him to kiss your hand and usher it away. “Stop, you look super cute when you’re flustered,” he’d say, but now, a deep pit of shame hollows the joy out of every gift he gives you. He gives, and gives, and spoils you, but what do you have to offer? 

You do appreciate his gestures, and it feels lovely to be kitted out in the finest gossamer, or the softest of silks. The aroma of expensive perfume smells less chemical-ly and manufactured compared to your old bottles. There isn’t a day that goes by where your flower vases in your house aren’t filled with high-end flowers. It’s affection, sure, but, you wish he didn’t feel as if your love is something to be bought. 

With Aventurine, you have to be careful with your communication. He may play off other people’s rude comments about his origin or his affiliation with the IPC. Other people’s opinions don’t matter. But you know how much he cherishes you, and you don’t fit into the bracket of ‘other people’. If you seem too dismissive of his efforts, you fear that he may feel rejected. Picturing his sad face drooping makes you only want to let him coddle you, but you can’t allow this to happen anymore. You ponder your text carefully, before hitting send. 

You: 

Kakavasha. 

Peacock <3: 

My love? 

Are you upset with me?

I’m so sorry, let me handle it. 

Oh, wow. That was a quick fix. You sigh in relief and put your phone down, allowing yourself to get more comfortable in the covers. Another ping erupts from your phone, and the notification nearly makes you turn around and sob. 

Peacock <3 has sent you 1,000,000 Credits

You: 

STOP SENDING ME MONEY

I’M NOT YOUR SUGAR BABY FFS 

So much for being ‘careful with your communication’, but 1,000,000 credits is insanity! Does he think he can buy you off? You sigh and watch the text bubbles load as he types. 

Peacock <3:

Darling, what do you mean?

I want to spoil you! 

And if I’ve done something wrong, I’ll make it up to you!

You:

Then. Maybe. ASK

‘What’s wrong?’

BEFORE SENDING ME A SHITLOAD OF CREDITS

Peacock <3:

What’s wrong, angel? 

You reread your messages and realise how aggressive you're coming off, so you decide to talk to him face to face. Surely, his suave tongue and pretty face won't distract you from the matter at hand. Right?

You:

Let’s call.

You have started a call with Peacock <3

“Kakavasha, stop sending me money!” You hiss the second he picks up the phone. It’s the early morning, and hues of liquid sunlight paint your lover’s skin in light gold. Streaks of light coming through the blinds of his window shine through his gorgeous eyes, turning them translucent like opalescent marble. Aventurine gives you a tiny lopsided grin, the same one that creeps onto his face when he’s plotting something, and you don’t like it one bit. “

“How else am I supposed to show my adoration for you?” His silken, honeyed voice echoes through the phone. You have to stop yourself from giggling at his lovely voice, the cadence rising and falling masterfully, all perfectly orchestrated to let you listen to him instead of arguing. 

But you don’t take the bait yet. 

“I don’t know, maybe spend time with me?” You reply, but you can’t conceal the blush on your face when you realise that he’s only just woken up. His light blond hair is tousled and one of the cat cakes stretches on his lap. Although Aventurine dresses to impress, it’s the domesticated, sweet mornings where he truly shines. 

“I do spend time with you. We went to see the Opera just three nights ago!”

“Without money being spent, Kakavasha. I want a simple, romantic date. No renting out hotels, no extravagant jewellery, and no mariachi band like that one time-” 

“In my defence, I was completely wasted-” He interjects, giggling softly at the memory of planning a lovely beach date after consuming wine like water, and then ordering a band on a whim.

“You were barely awake, I drew a moustache on you.” You muse. Watching Aventurine’s face morph into an angry pout, like a kitten, makes you emit an ugly laugh. 

“That was you?” He gasps, clutching his heart with faux sorrow. Dramatically falling back on his black pillow, his golden locks are spread. Aventurine’s half lidded gaze and light pink blush makes you want to crawl into bed next to him and trace patterns into his hands, and his lovely eyes would-

“Don’t distract me from the matter at hand! Please stop spending on me, sweetheart. I’m not saying I don’t like your love, I want it! Just not in such an excessively materialistic way, you know?” 

This comment breaks Aventurine’s suave attitude. He blinks at you through the camera, positively perplexed. His eyes are wide and shocked, resembling that of a deer tasting cardboard. “H-how else am I supposed to show my love for you?” 

“Well, how do I show my love for you?”

Aventurine’s eyes look up, trying to recall: “You hold my hands,” he lists one on his fingers,  “listen to me when I speak, you support me through hard times,” he smiles warmly at you, flashing a toothy grin that makes his nose scrunch up cutely, bring back pebbles that remind you of me…” A devious smirk makes its way into his face and you prepare yourself to interject: “and you bite my as-” 

“Enough!” You reprimand him, but your tone is soft. “See? I don’t buy things for you to feel loved. You’re much more than a bank, even if other people don’t make you feel that way.” Suddenly bashful, Kakavasha looks away from you. Perhaps unused to such affections, he hugs the cat cake on his lap closer to his chest. 

“I just want to give you the best of the best.” He replies defensively, and you sigh softly.

“You are the best of the best, Kakavasha.” 

“Then,” his voice cracks in an attempt to hide his shyness, “let’s meet up at your place. Let’s stay inside and watch a movie? I hear that’s a popular date idea.” 

“Perfect. My door is open, we can do face masks and-” The call is interrupted by one of the cat cakes jumping on his head, causing him to tumble off the bed and clutch onto the sheets for stability. Instead, his finger hits the end call button. You giggle softly. For all of his cocky displays, Aventurine, at his truest form, is just a little bit of a dork. 

Said dork knocks at your door, dressed in a lovely black dress shirt and his white pants. You suddenly feel a little self conscious, in your bunny slippers and oversized dress shirt. But the way he hugs you and lifts you off the ground slightly for a kiss, it makes you feel like a national treasure. You waddle your way onto the couch, still hugging, and collapse into the plush cushions.

“So, what movie are we feeling today?” Aventurine pulls a blanket over the two of you, and your eyes brighten with an idea. “The Great Gatsby?” 

“Mm, tragic ending. No. Let’s hold that thought.” He leans over and gently pries the remote out of your hand. “Instead,” he kisses your nose and pushes you into the couch a little more, “let me show you even more ways I can show my affection for you.” He whispers, and captures your lips for a deep kiss…

[another-goblin]

A little analysis of Ratio's owl symbolism. He's absolutely covered (and surrounded) with stylized images of owls. Here are just some examples (feel free to study him to find more). He was even (apparently) supposed to wear an owl mask in an older version of his design. But why.

1. In western culture, owls are traditionally associated with knowledge and wisdom, which indicates his connection with Erudition, as a scientist. That's the most obvious explanation for his owl imagery, and probably the only one intended by the designers. But why stop here. Why not overanalyze it.

2. Owls are known as highly specialized and effective predators. So basically, an embodiment of the Hunt.

Dr. Ratio (about the phase flame): Do you know what to do with cornered prey? Hunt it to the death.

Btw, considering that paths are not just a gameplay convention but the actual in-universe things characters recognize in themselves and others, it's even more ironic that the character who dedicated his whole life to science and education belongs to the Hunt. Because gameplay-wise, the Hunt is the opposite of Erudition. The poor guy couldn't have been further away from Nous even if he tried.

3. Owls are good at being unnoticed. They hunt by hiding, observing, and waiting for the right time to strike. It reminds me of that mission at Herta Station, where we first met him. Most people on the station didn't even know that he was there, even though he personally saved these researchers. 

Screwllum (about Ratio's involvement in that mission): …and pulling the strings from behind the curtain is akin to laying down the gauntlet to a genius.

There is a theory that more or less the same thing is happening on Penacony, with most characters probably not knowing that he's even there.

4. The special structure of an owl's wings and feathers makes their flight practically noiseless, so they can approach their prey unnoticed. In addition to point 3, with him moving through Herta station unnoticed, it also reminds me of how he silently disappeared a couple of times in the middle of his conversation with Aventurine.

5. They gave him vertical pupils, probably in an attempt to make his eyes more owl-like. The problem is, I wasn't able to find a single photo of an owl with vertical pupils. They are round. So, if anything, it makes him look more like a cat.

6. And the last point, it's most likely not true, it's my little conspiracy/crack-theory. 

But he's sometimes referred to as a Professor; he's as much of an Owl as Aventurine is a peacock. Game, please don't tell me he has nothing to do with Penacony's Professor Owl the origami birds often mention, whoever it is.

In fact, if he wasn't too young for that, I wouldn't be surprised if he had something to do with the creation of Dreaworld. Because he mentioned before that taking a bath helps him with going to sleep, and on Penacony you take a bath to go to sleep (what are the chances), and then you enter a world filled with images of owls. It's probably actually nothing, but what a coincidence.

[jymwahuwu]

I said I'm not interested in AU but this is what popped into my head… HSR retro AU. No more space technology.

Basically you are a college student 🙈🙈🙈 Depending on whether you are an extrovert or an introvert, you may go shopping and play with your friends during the holidays, have a party, or stay comfortably at home listening to music with MP3 and cassette tapes, or reading novels on the subway.

You use a bulky computer to click on the Windows XP system, and spend hours downloading music and opening chat software. Your MSN friends list is as follows:

Jing Yuan:

Your mysterious neighbor is much older than you. You have never understood what the Xianzhou Alliance is. It is said that he kept a lion named Mimi in the yard, but every time you passed by, you thought it was just a cute cat. He'll stuff you with sweets and prepare you milk and afternoon tea, giving you advice. Well, he can also write ancient poetry. You shamelessly gave this old man your homework.

(You lie on his lap and sleep, breathing quietly.)

Aventurine & Ratio:

These two live together, are also your neighbors, professors, friends... You are not sure what their relationship is, but they quarrel every day. Aventurine is a high-level executive in IPC. Every time you visit a department store, you will whisper in your heart that this is also an IPC. He takes the bill in your mailbox every month and pays it off, very weird. His car is the most talked about in the community.

Ratio is your college professor...he is very strict about grades and academic performance. You cursed him one time and he heard you and he took you back to the office for an OTK spanking...unfortunately, it was legal. You have since become his target in class...

Sunday & Robin:

They still have halos and wings, share the same MSN account, and even the same pager. They have no privacy from each other. They are well-known brothers and sisters of the Xipe Church. They are very popular and eye-catching, attracting people's attention wherever they go. So if you are an introvert, the difference is even more pronounced haha. But both of them will approach you, in the name of kindness, with a look of concern on their face. Robin picks out clothes for you and lends you homework to copy. In return, you agree to go to church on the weekend… and help her sell cookies at the church charity sale.

Sunday provides insight into your life and schedule in the name of "for your own good". You don't know why you wrote your schedule in a notebook for him… He shows up in front of your house and listens to music with you (using the same MP3 player). You share with him a few things you learned in the sex education class, and he says that he has signed the commitment card (you: ? what is this). Promise to remain chaste until marriage… That card has an inexplicable printed pattern, with a photo of a couple holding hands, leaving you speechless. But you don’t know why you signed this commitment card under his supervision…

Dan Heng:

Your nerdy college classmate, with dragon horns (don't ask me why). He reminds you of class and exam times and lends you notes, leaving you with the last piece of cake. You always tease him until he blushes and gets angry.

Dan Feng:

Dan Heng's brother. He seems to be very traditional. You haven't seen him much and you only added him as an MSN friend.

Blade:

The mysterious old man. He seems to have a grudge against Dan Feng and Dan Heng. One time you were playing cards with Yanqing and Dan Heng. He suddenly broke into the yard, said something incomprehensible and then started fighting with Dan Feng. This scared you to death. Kafka appeared to stop him. You added Kafka friends to avoid being attacked by Blade.

Kafka:

The mysterious woman who can control Blade. You don't know who she is, but she seems to know you well and be gentle to you.

Silver Wolf:

Your college classmate has designed several computer games and won many awards at a young age, and occasionally plays cards with you. For some reason, she is very close to Blade and Kafka.

[jiao-ming]

Aventurine

From: Honkai Star Rail

Theme: Fluff?

(Photo from Pinterest)

——— ☆ • ♧ • ♤ • ♧ • ☆ ———

You never really saw a reason to live, all life was is a circle of meaningless. The things you knew about life was that it was better to be feared than be loved.

Ever since you could remember, your life was filled with misfortune. Each time you meet someone, they'll either kill you on site or kill you later on. If you think it'll be different, it wasn't...I wouldn't...

You had a wonderful gift of power, if it was even called a gift. It gives you more of a curse then blessings, everytime someone founds out about them you'll be in danger. So you eliminate the danger as soon as possible, even if you thought they'll be different...

But something stranged happened one day...

You were just chilling on a rooftop of a building in the middle of the night. Then you heard the rooftop door open, you were ready to kill the person but they spoke up to you.

"The rumors say that you'd be in the tallest darkest building in the city..."

You turn your head and face the masculine voice, you saw it was a man who wore expensive clothing. The clothes he wore had designs like of different gambling games, it caught your attention by his bold style.

"What do you want from me."

You said coldy to the male, you didn't want to be here any longer. If he tries to stop you, you'll kill him.

"It's not want, more like a need."

The male says smirking at you as his eyes shine with excitement. This made you confused by his choice of words. Your guard was up, what is he up to.

"Who are you...?"

You said confused with wariness, you already had your gun ready if he tried something.

"I'm Aventurine, part of the IPC—"

You immediately cut him off by shooting him by the side of his head. His eyes widen by the sudden violence.

"IPC huh...I don't associate with any of you people..."

Your eyes glare at him as you spoke harshly towards him, you never liked the IPC. The organization is just pure evil with no good side to you, maybe the way you think about them was because of all your encounters with them. They all acted hostile and violent to you, with the fact of them having a terrible image in the galaxy.

"Come on now, I heard some of my associates were troubled some to you. But I assure you I'm not like them, I communicate other than fighting."

Even after Aventurine said that you still had your guard up, you held your gun up to him if he tries anything. Even the slightest movement will cause Aventurine his life with you, but all he did was smile to this.

"Doesn't matter, you all are the same. If you want something you'll take it by force."

After you said does words Aventurine laughs at it, this made you confused. Why was he so careless of showing his reactions, what was his plan.

"What if I tell you I'll help you find a reason to live."

This caught your attention, why does he know this! How does he know this! Your eyes glare at him harshly, you didn't like what this situation was turning to.

"What do you want in return..."

You said knowing this wouldn't come for free, everything has to come in a price. No matter how big or small it is, you learn it the hard way...

"What I need in return is for you to be part of the IPC,—"

That didn't surprise you, it would make sense on why he would want you to work for the IPC. With your power it would be handy to have someone like you. But the next part of his sentence caught you off guard and left you speechless.

"—and also be my bodyguard."

You look at him like he was a mad man, it wasn't like he was the first person to ask the question of you working for them. But for him to ask you to be his bodyguard!? Now that was new...

"Pardon—What?"

"You heard me! Be my bodyguard and I'll help you find a reason to live."

Was he stupid of something...No he couldn't be! Why would he ask you! Knowing how you're a so called wicked beast who is filled with sin! A known demon among citizens! He could just have hired you to do the dirty work! But he asked you to be his bodyguard! So why!?

"Why, have you heard of me?"

"Of course I did, why wouldn't I ask you to be my bodyguard if I didn't heard the rumors."

So he does know...Then why did he want you still!? Did he have a death wish or something!? Is he a mad man!? Was he manic!? Questions keep flooding your head, but you soon snap out of it when Aventurine spoke out.

"So? What do you say?"

He says with a smirk as he held his hand out for you to shake to agree to the proposal. You stare down at his short height and then to his hand, will it be worth it? Almost everytime someone ask you to work for them you decline them, and if they threaten you, you'd kill them. But now...

"Fine, I accept..."

You said as you walk towards him and shook his hand, this was something that might go terribly wrong. But then again maybe terribly right...Aventurine smirks at your decision, he then pulls out a pin. It's design was similar to his ascetic and a piece of paper, he then hands it to you.

"You'll be under me now, hope you can start work tomorrow."

He says walking away from you while waving, you look at your hand and stare at the paper. It had an address and a number, must be his address and number. You let out a sigh, you wonder if this was a good idea. But what can you do now? What is done is done, now you just have to wait for the out come...

——— ☆ • ♧ • ♤ • ♧ • ☆ ———

Sorry if I got some spelling wrong...

English isn'y first language ╥﹏╥

If you want part 2 ask me!

I'll be happy to write it :3

[the-void-via]

Can you tell me about Rose Quartz?

EHEHE YES I CAN MY FRIEND

Okay so first of all, he has a Pinterest board!! Here it is:

He's my lil guy i love him so much- so! He's one of the Stonehearts, their newest member to be exact, and his Cornerstone is a Rose Quartz stone.

His Cornerstone gives him the ability to summon a Spirit, named Spirit, to fight for him in battle. However he sacrifices his consciousness for Spirit to be able to be summoned, so he basically relies fully on Spirit while he's summoned and places full trust that he won't be killed while unconscious.

He loves, LOVES his eye makeup. If you mess it up, HOO boy you won't be hearing the end of it.

His home planet was destroyed when he was young by the IPC, after it was stripped of the natural resources that they wanted and became not only useless to them, but also wasn't able to sustain life anymore, so they decided to bomb the planet in secret so that they weren't deemed responsible for it.

His arms and legs were severely damaged, to the point he wasn't able to use them anymore. So he had to get permanent prosthetics installed. Originally they were these shitty metal ones like Boothill's, however once he became noticed by the IPC, Jade ended up making a deal with him and paying for new, more pretty ones that were far more durable. They're porcelain white, not real porcelain, with elegant pink accents/carvings etched into them. His joints are exposed and he's actually very afraid of pinching someone with them.

He also developed Pyrophobia due to his planet going up in flames, and despite this he uses the power of Fire in combat. He also uses a gun, which has the same kinda look as his arms.

He also has Albinism! His eyes are very sensitive, so he normally wears contacts to help with the sensitivity to light, but he also has glasses (that he hates with a burning passion) in case he loses his contacts or doesn't have enough time to put them in.

His personality when you originally meet him is very arrogant, and likes to act like he's superior or always right, and he tends to drown himself in work to distract himself from his trauma.

But he's very kind and caring under his arrogant, perpetually tired shell. If you manage to crack it, you'll see.

I also ship him heavily with Aventurine and Dr. Ratio! Mostly because of my friends @serendipminie and @blak-ie , blame them for any of the polycule brainrot about them that I spew out sometimes

And i have an rp blog for him!! It's @heart-of-roses-and-quartz if you wanna interact! I have his voice lines and a couple other things up there as well!

That's most of my tism about Rose Quartz/Shilou, but feel free to ask me more questions!! I absolutely love to yap about my oc's hehe

[crguang]

glad 2 see you are also not a topaz enjoyer, idk why she's so popular but i firmly cannot like her ass

i personally don’t find topaz interesting, i don’t think her character has any depth to it worth mentioning. she’s in the same tier as skott to me just bc she has no life or personality outside of the IPC and the only words that come out of her mouth are “market” “profit” “job” “numby” and “IPC” like oh my god we get it. i know they “saved” her planet from ruin and she’s grateful for that, that she was likely groomed into her role as well but that doesn’t stop her from perpetuating their toxic mindset and personally im just sick of it. any character that is IPC affiliated is getting a side eye for me except for aventurine because he actually wants to leave that evil corporation so he’s ok. at least jade has intrigue around her character outside of her job, and a hobby. something that topaz desperately needs.

i don’t find the IPC as a corporation interesting at all. they’re just evil capitalists and i think they should be eradicated, i dont see anything remotely interesting about that tbh like there are enough to go around irl. i also believe that you have to be a little evil to have such a high position in that corporation so i don’t believe the people who tell me that topaz is a good person just because she helped belobog once, cause right after that she called them servants for accepting the help of the astral express twice (while she wanted them to accept the help of the ipc??😭) then admitted that the ipc only cared about profits so… shes not dumb, she knows the basis of capitalism is exploitation and shes good with that. again, morality is not something that will determine whether i hate a character or not but topaz is not a fleshed out character at all, there’s nothing to her but her sob story about her home planet. if i want an evil, intelligent woman im not going for topaz, jade is right there. if i want someone who’s always ten steps ahead kafka is right there. if i want an analytical mind, there’s ruan mei and herta. like what exactly is topaz supposed to do for me when these characters all have unique personalities and lore. granted, we dont know much about jade (yet) but her abilities and collected personality already makes her more interesting to me

i felt insane playing the wardance and having that pile of junk with a camera for a head reprimand luka for his distrust and “prejudice” against the IPC — they treated his life and all of belobog like stock market numbers?!?! then he always had to concede to the others’ points like i was going crazy. then the scrap metal goes around calling MY BEST FRIEND boothill a dangerous savage oh i was mad, the IPC glazing and propaganda in that event pissed me off. luka getting an ipc sponsored mechanical arm just like igor did when the whole point was that igor had to sell his body parts to please rich egocentric snobs just for the hope that they would care about something other than themselves. he made himself a merchandise to save his planet and failed. i hate that the luka situation was portrayed as beneficial for both parties so there was no harm done and topaz was just helping him. that’s the thing that makes me feel crazy about hsr, they will show us every instance of the IPC being evil, greedy and cold then will turn around and try to make them likeable because some playable characters are IPC. i feel insane.

i also don’t like her design, imo it’s very basic for a 5* character. i remember playing the belobog quest and being surprised that she was a five star character because i found her so boring 😭 they didn’t even try like, man whatever. she’s not cute to me. she’s the only character in the game that i can rant about hating like that’s crazy. i hate ratio but i wouldn’t type an essay on him, ive had to argue about topaz too many times to be chill about her. and jadepaz also contributes to me hating her. what those ship brained gays did to jade after her release is criminal nobody cared about her on her own i felt crazy. i went through that with black swan already, no more. i need topaz deleted off the game

sorry sev

[missdandetights]

Penacony and Great Gatsby: Character Connections and Inter-textual Reflections

So Penacony, the new region in HSR, a place based off of America- notably the Roaring 20s- with plenty of callbacks to classic art deco architecture in New York, while also having the “party life” of Las Vegas. With such an image, most people can help but connect it to the Great Gatsby, what is sometimes referred to as “The American Novel”.

Knowing Mihoyo and their love for literary references (ie: Pride and Prejudice for Haitham’s character quest, Franz Kafka’s works and themes for HSR character Kafka), it doesn’t come at a surprise that they would also make references to the Great Gatsby, even if it might come on-the-nose considering the setting.

First, to confirm that mihoyo actively references the Great Gatsby in Penacony, we can look at Dr. Edward, which is. quite a blatant reference to Dr. TJ Eckleburg. Now comparing the two pictures, we see both of them share “Dr” in their names, theyre both floating blue eyeballs, and they’re both omniscient in both of their settings.

Dr. Edward is a device used for people to experience various dreams, he aids people to have a smooth experience, and never interferes with the contents of the dream itself, nor does he offer any particular opinions. He is a neutral body, that also has a responsibility of looking over and adding new “dreams”, seen by how he recommends a dream to the trailblazer in a side quest, showing us that he also a viewer.

Now, the billboard of Dr TJ Eckleburg functions in a similar way as a theme in the Great Gatsby, but on a much grander scale, as the common interpretation of Dr TJ Eckleburg is “it” being the “eyes of God”. Eckleburg is there as a constant figure viewing some of the most key moments in Gatsby’s story, and is also sometimes seen as a “judge”.

Now, the aspect of being a “judge” leads us to the character reflections of both Sunday and Aventurine.

Now why these two?

Let’s look at Dr. TJ Eckleburg again, but this time, at a line from the novel.

This line describes Eckleburg’s appearance, two large blue eyeballs with yellow spectacles. Two characters who carry these traits, and the only characters, are Sunday and Aventurine.

Let’s first look at Sunday, he has some noticeable blue-purple gem pendants- pendants that happen to be a similar color to Dr. Edward’s iris, who we have already established to be a direct reference to Eckleburg. (tbh could be a stretch they looked more similar in my head but now putting them side be side its a bit….)

Some close-ups:

Now, this wouldn’t really stand out as much, if Sunday didn’t also have eyes all over his clothing.

Therefore, we can establish that he plays a similar role to Dr. Edward as an overseer and viewer, which is already apparent at the end of the 2.0 Penacony quest where he talks about the events that have transpired thus far- making the viewer know that Sunday is aware of everything going on.

Moreover, how does he tie into Dr. Eckleburg specifically? Well, in the same scene he talks about exacting “righteous justice” when all is said and done, like a benevolent figure, which is aligns with his outward appearance as an angel, or could even be seen as an act of “God”- who Dr. Eckleburg represents.

As a result, this strengthens Sunday’s whole image as a biblical figure, and also can lead us to see how he views himself- as a viewer, judger, and exacter of justice, just like God. Of course you don’t need a whole Gatsby reference to get this, but it just goes to show the amount of layers mihoyo puts into the story.

(And we know that character clothing can hold spoilers because of. Childe from genshin impact who was described as a “walking spoiler” and “hard to design” because the devs were afraid of giving too much away.)

Now onto Aventurine, he completes the other part of Dr. TJ Eckleburg’s description- yellow spectacles.

This connection is harder to decipher, because rather than Dr. Eckleburg, Aventurine is more like Gatsby, with his rags-to-riches story and past. Moreover, just because he has “yellow” (actually gold) spectacles, doesn’t mean that it’s an intentional choice to show a literary reference, since it could also be a simple design choice.

But then comes the question, why even have him wear glasses to begin with? After all, most of the time he is seen without them, as with his hat. Of course, you could say it’s the dev’s idea as a way to tint his eyes, as to not signal to others of his race, but Aventurine doesn’t seem like the type to be bothered by these kind of happenings. An example of this would be the way he reacts to Sparkle’s very racist remarks, rather aloof and brushes them off quickly.

So, after looking at this, we can conclude that we don’t really know why he has glasses other than to look cool in some scenes- which again, could signify a design choice, but hey! that’s not confirmed! so we’re going with my outlook as a reference to gatsby

Plus, there’s a still a lot of comparisons we can make here about the figure of a “judge” and Aventurine as a “gambler”.

He’s the type to go all in because he has nothing (leaked character stories) and because he wants to win. That is a basic description of him, and that is what also leads to him being a viewer, that also acts like a “God” in his orchestration of events and allies to get the Trailblazer on his side- shown with Black Swan’s “betrayal”.

I’m kind of going on a tangent here and saying things most players probably already know, but what I’m trying to get at is that Sunday and Aventurine represent the two “gods” at play in the story, despite some lines giving the idea that they might lie on the same side with Aventurine having “meetings” with the Family, and also Sunday seeming to have no ill-will by the way he speaks about the guests of the Watchmaker, some of whom are currently Aventurine’s allies.

There’s a lot of unknowns, as well as a lot of red-herrings that make things seem as if we’re all going to team together against Acheon, a figure of doom, or perhaps it’s going to be faction against faction, with numerous groups at play.

But with the assignment of roles, Aventurine and Sunday seem to hold the highest control as Dr Eckleburg- as God- which leads me to believe that that is how the quest will play out in the end.

Additional info, but if we’re looking at other Gatsby characters in Penacony, then Firefly and Robin would represent Myrtle and Gatsby respectively. (coincidence how there’s two deaths so far that align with the great gaysby?) Firefly is Myrtle because of the way she seeks out the Trailblazer for aid went caught by the Bloodhounds, a bit like how Myrtle seeks out Tom to alleviate herself from her unfortunate circumstances and lower-class standing. Robin is Gatsby because it doesn’t really make sense for her to be Myrtle, and also she holds out a glass in the car clip like Gatsby.

Now who would be Daisy? What about Nick? I personally think that the Trailblazer could represent Daisy, the way everyone seems to be chasing after them, though that’s more of a loose assumption. And then, I think Acheon is Nick, the actual witness of the whole tale, because she seems to be the only one to have a sense of what might happen in the story, from her dialogue to the ominous quest prologue. There’s also the idea of her being “traumatized” or longing for the trailblazer in the prologue too, if the time loop theory is right.

There’s also other references for Gatsby in the quest, like how the Great Gatsby starts off in the present with Nick narrating the events of a “horrible” story that left him traumatized, and how the prologue of the quest acts in a similar way of foreboding a tale full of misfortune, but mihoyo traumatizes us instead.

[dhabibi]

continued ask for @rhaazt from here.

if you were to ask aventurine to describe march 7th in one or two words, he'd have no trouble telling you that she is probably one of the most vexingly interesting girls he's ever met... and he's met quite a few. for one, she's quite vexing because she tends to smile too much and talk too fast; and yet, she's also interesting because, regardless of her apparent shortcomings within the stratagem's personal tastes, he still gets the impression that her place among the members of the astral express is nothing short of invaluable. it has to be, he thinks. after all, if it wasn't, then why would someone like the trailblazer, a practical enigma in themselves, talk about their friendship with her in such high regard? it's enough to make aventurine feel a little jealous of her relationship with them, though he hides that relatively well, all things considered.

putting his jealousies aside, aventurine follows march down the road as she flits from one topic to another like a bird between trees. to be honest, there is a playful part of him that wonders if he continued to remain silent, to continue walking quietly by her side, would she keep trying to fill the space with words? the thought, while simple, amuses aventurine while his hands find a comfortable home in his pockets. but alas, in the end, he decides to leave all things scientific method to the scholars at the guild, preferring instead to take part in the unpredictable dance of conversation with march.

would it cramp your style to match with me for one day? march says, and aventurine chuckles at that, thoroughly amused, because it certainly would, but he has enough tact not to say that. instead, he finds himself halting mid-stroll, the tell-tale jingle of that sapphire-lined rolex hugging his wrist and practically punctuating his decision as her second question seems to catch his full attention in due time.

with the world in the palm of your hand, where would you go? she asks like it was the easiest thing to say. meanwhile, aventurine tilts his head down and slides his designer shades past the bridge of his nose. in that moment, it's his eyes that she will likely notice first, and while they are nothing short of extraordinary, they are also haunting, though unintentionally so. " where would i go, huh? " aventurine repeats, although he rolls her question off his tongue as if it were the strangest thing to ask him and the most interesting thing to say at the same time. either way, aventurine thinks about it, taking off his shades and folding them in the palm of her hand with a bit of a sigh.

" i suppose, with the world in the palm of my hand... " he indulges her, for whatever reason, be it that she's weaseled into the soft spot of his mind or that he's just super bored. regardless, he repeats those words almost like a mantra or a prayer. " i think... i would like to go somewhere where it never rains. " he smirks with that answer while he gently pats her fingers down over his shades. " anyways, since you like them sooo much, you can keep 'em. just make sure i don't see you with... " for once, he tries to be mindful of someone's terrible purchase, " ╾╾ those on your head again, okay? "

[xo-adeline]

Hi ! I hope you are doing well ! I’m here for a Genshin impact and Honkai Star Rail romantic matchup with a male character

My preferred pronouns are she/her and I would like to be called Kurumi

The only character I would not like to be paired with are Itto and any of the underage/teenage boys : Bennett, Chongyun, Xingqiu, Gaming, Mika, Freminet

Or for HSR : Arlan, Misha, Yanqing

I like : quiet and cosy places, I also like fancy places (especially during dates) and enjoy visiting historical monuments, cats, learning languages, outdoors activities(like hiking, diving)

I dislike small talk and noisy, crowded places

Hobbies : I enjoy reading, playing video games, watching animes, doing crochet, and swimming.

Personality:

I’m a Virgo, born in August,my mbti is INTJ,

I’m mostly withdrawn and introverted. I need a lot of alone time. I’m very honest even blunt at times, also I tend to be a rational person.

I’m extremely determined and ambitious but I’m also very stubborn.

When I’m with people i’m close with, I tend to be more cheerful and playful, I like to joke around and tease people.

I’m also very observant and I try my best to be attentive to my friends, I’m a good listener.

I can be very anxious at times and I’m extremely cautious with people, I have a hard time opening up and I’m an over thinker.

my love languages are physical touch and gift giving.

Apparence : Long wavy/almost curly light brown hair, a button nose and almond shaped brown eyes. I’m pretty tanned. 5’4,so I’m kinda short and normal weight with an hourglass shaped body.

My aesthetic is very varied by I tend to have mostly old money style, European 50s vintage and cottage core in my wardrobe.

Thanks for reading and for the matchup <33 Have a nice day !

I think you'd go well with...

Kaveh!

-> Man is perfect for you! You both are the type to have very similar interests and have very similar date ideas! Going out to historical places, and just being outdoors! -> He likes being able to go out places with you, one, because your with him and two, it also helps him get a lot of inspo on what he's trying to design next -> Is a little stubborn here and there, so you might butt heads a couple times, but nothing is too bad and it won't even be 30 minutes after you do that he apologizes. He always feels bad about fighting with you, especially if it was over something dumb -> Will sit with you, cuddling while you two read, and work on things, he loves having you around and you most likely help him focus more and not get as stressed out as he normally would. -> Loves how determined you are about things, and it always there to support you. He can take a good joke as well and loves it when you two have some time to just talk and mess around, especially after he gets home from work and dealing with Alhaitham. -> Understands about being an over thinker, never wants you to feel stressed out when he's around and he'll be really patient with you! -> Alone time is never really an issue, he's normally working and he can see the signs when you need some time to yourself, and he's more than happy to give it to you! I think you’d go well with…

Aventurine!

-> Also loves the fancy place dates and will take you on them whenever he has the chance! Not one for small talk either, he basically does it all day in the IPC so he'd much rather have actual conversations with you and skip all that kinda stuff. -> Very much comes from the same place in knowing about how hard it is to open up to people, it's something you two will take step by step when you first get into a relationship and he loves that. The way that neither of you are pressured into opening up too fast. -> Alone time is something he needs a bit of as well, luckily with his job you can get just that. He won't always be around, but when he is he's always willing to be around for anything, and if you still need some alone time, he probably has something he needs to finish anyway. -> Your aesthetic match up pretty perfectly as well! Slightly matching outfits/color schemes happen between the two of you. Always will have a compliment no matter what you're wearing -> He loves a good hug here and there! At first he was definitely a little more nervous about them, but as time went on he started getting better and better with them. Same with the gift giving, he wasn't really expecting anything back. He will spend his money on you like nobody's business but the second he actually got something back he was a little confused, though he cherishes everything that he gets from you!

[heartscaffold]

re: the latest dailyjordan post

seal was a bit hard to decide on since there aren't a lot of purple gems in su & the only gem with plant-adjacent powers in canon was a diamond so that was out of the question, so we initially thought he'd be an amethyst maybe? it would've made sense what with him and jordan being in the army and quartzes being the designated soldier caste, but we later stumbled on the problem of there being too many gems of the same type in the main cast so he's a bismuth instead

malu was another difficult one as there weren't really any gems that matched her vibe at first? i suggested lapis lazuli but that didn't feel right, so we sat on it for a while until we settled on nephrite. i also pitched the idea of her being a malachite since single versions of fusion gems exist

we decided con ho would be a tiger's eye because come on it's literally him (also him being another quartz makes sense since)

my friend suggested that faisan be a pearl (because they're fruity) but i disagreed because pearls are almost always a servant caste and with faisan being a fairly high ranking lonely heart it just didn't make sense to me, if anything he gave me the energy of like, eyeball ruby or something (personality wise not what gem he'd be). we threw ideas around until she suggested he be a singular opal and that's what we decided on

also we decided on jordan being aventurine for completely different reasons: i just picked it because of its color and my friend did because it kinda sounds like adventure (like jojo's bizarre adventure haha do you get it)

we had some ideas for what gems the lonely hearts would be as well, though they're far less refined:

sgt peppers is an agate, mr kite is a peridot

raoul is an emerald because of his sheer aura and the one canon emerald in the show commands a fleet of starships. he could have a gem in place of his eyepatch which is cool as hell

we weren't sure what gems mauve and banh were but they would definitely be a fusion

we forgot about ga tan. i personally think he'd be a black rutile

[asbestos-11]

Hi I'm back!!! Again!!! Maybe too soon???

I know that you're an mpreg enthusiast, so I was worried that my foster parent route wouldn't be to your tastes. But I'm glad to see that it is!!

But also I do enjoy ratio mpreg. I just think it's something that would have careful consideration from both parties, and would probably only happen a few years into the future. If they did it early, even by accident, I don't think either of them would call it a mistake. But it is something that can alter the course of their careers, and sometimes you can't predict how it would go. I've seen teachers have to bring in their own babies because they couldn't find a suitable babysitter in time, and the stress of taking care of teenagers/adults as well gets to them. (But this is Yaoi World, so maybe it shouldn't matter as much as it does to me. The need for my yaoi to be vaguely realistic sometimes ruins my brain.)

So maybe Ratio's students would just dote and play with his daughter whenever he has no other option but to bring her along. Whenever Papa Aventurine comes by to pick her up, his students get to witness their strict professor get all domestic. And they get a moment of hope that surely he's softened up today and won't be as difficult as usual! But then someone gets chalk thrown at them and their hopes and dreams are crushed. (One user on the forums comments : At least they make a cute family lol.)

When it comes to biological children designs, I'm such a sucker for making the child vaguely resemble a dead family member. Maybe that's cruel of me to find joy in but still. Though, I am between making their daughter have blonde hair or have her eyes resemble Aventurine's. Or maybe make her have Ratios eyes, so as to make double sure the dawn is shining down onto Aventurine. Or something. That quote did something to me ok. (Also I went to research genetics again, but then decided that family fluff is more important. Fuck logic. Whatever gives me the most joy.)

Honestly, I love exchanging thoughts on these two as well !!!! It's like we're building a little universe together. Or something. (Also, yes, I happen to be the same person, haha....... if you're specifically talking about the one titled Rachael......why do you ask.....,,,,.)

i feel u on the realism in yaoi, there's only so much suspension of disbelief that i can take b4 it gets too much.

tho that being said i'm sure they could find a babysitter/ daycare with all that money and influence they have. but in the times when they can't find someone to take care of the kid they take turns taking her to their workplace. depending on the work load one might stay at home and just do stuff online (i mean whenever aven isn't being a menace, i assume he works a normal office job).

ratio is such a tsundere lol and we love him for that

as for the design i'm a sucker for their daughter to look like mini aventurine, but like sometimes she looks too much like his sister and aven has to do a double take (also ur not cruel at all 4 that, i do that all the time with fankids lol). honestly screw genetics, i just put them in a blender and see what comes out of it :D tho i have 2 other daughters for them. the middle child has purple hair + aven's eyes while the youngest has like blonde hair + ratio's eyes. i also have like whole personalities made up 4 them and what kind of jobs they'd have (i am very invested in them).

ur fic did things to me ok?!!! i was giggling and kicking my feet all the way thru. ughhhh i loved it a lot ok??!!! i felt so so bad for ratio, but the hurt was so good. i'm actually obsessed with the fic, god ratio ddne is so delicious and we as a society should embrace that.

i love this lil universe, it's actually so fun and it makes me really happy bouncing ideas with each other!!

[a-la-campanella]

I think I'll finish the main story update on Friday; I've spent a few hours on it between other obligations and as it stands, I'm a little over halfway done.

My schedule for tomorrow is crammed too, but I might get an hour or so of gameplay in. Everyone's been fun so far! A completely arbitrary favoritism tier list of the Penacony characters (STC):

Acheron—the red text? HI3 Mei references? And her overall aesthetic design... she ate up so well. I want her viscerally, carnally, and every way I can have her.

Sunday—his in-game CN voice caught me off guard more than I'd like to admit. I've heard his voice from the 1.6 trailer, but hearing it in game felt more off-putting. He's short? And the same height as Stelle? The way he stands is a kind of... if I speak, I'm in trouble.

Firefly—I will cry.

Misha—his eyes look like keyholes and the doors of the Reviere Hotel. From what I've gotten up to, he definitely seems to have a deeper connection to the overall plot. And his animations are cute!

Aventurine—he's... also shorter than I expected. It makes the scene with Dr. Ratio a little funny, actually. His eyes look cool, and I'm interested in knowing more about his past before the IPC! As expected, business major vibes, though he lays it on a little too thick to not be intentional. I didn't expected the comments from Dr. Ratio and Sparkle... at least in Dr. Ratio's case, I expected better, but he's already proven to be quite prejudiced in his approach to education.

Sam—haven't met him yet, but I quite like the Stellaron Hunters, and he's one of them, too!

Sparkle—she's funny. I like that. I don't know how much I trust her on Masked Fools lore yet, but I'll take any Aha lore regardless of the facts. She's also antagonistic towards Aventurine, but he did stalk her for 45 system minutes, so I can understand being a bit put off by that (those comments were rather over the top, though...).

Robin—she's pretty and definitely some percentage of lesbian. Her dress is so nice! I love her design. Though for someone who's whole thing is being in the limelight, we don't really get to see much of that (yet?).

Black Swan—Garden of Recollection lore has me on an email list. Unfortunately, I don't dig her design that much.

Gallagher—not my type, haven't seen enough to move him up the ranks.

For Duke Inferno and the rest of the Annihilation Gang—I still don't think they're showing up.

[entropyvoid]

@labyrynth Imma more heavily push back on that pushback because while you do have a point that western and Chinese audiences in general have pretty different ideas of what’s masculine and what’s feminine, my point is that Aventurine’s design, (and much of Penacony in general) is pretty clearly heavily based on 1920’s America, and I think deliberately mixes specific aspects of both men and women’s fashion from that particular time and place, when masculine and feminine fashions were very much separate. To be more specific, his design slaps a lot of details, ornamentations and overall motifs you would have only really seen in women’s fashion on a masculine silhouette. (This still applies despite him not being from Penacony - his design is still very much meant to evoke it, he is still considered a Penacony character, and I’d argue that aside from just story reasons literally all of the playable Penacony characters being from elsewhere is meant to be reflective of how a large part of the US in that time period, especially in big cities on which Penacony was based (coughNewYorkcough) were absolutely chock-full of first and second gen immigrants because up until acts passed in 1917 and 1924 implemented literacy tests and heavily restricted immigration, all you had to really do to become a US citizen was just show up on a boat but I digress.)

Also it gives me an excuse to blab about fashion history and character design in general. A lot of the links I’ve provided go more into detail and provide visuals, I’m largely just summarizing and picking out what I think is relevant.

We’ll start with the most obviously masculine aspect of his design, which is his silhouette. He’s wearing a three-pieced suit, a long overcoat, (none of which ever really looked anything like what Aventurine’s wearing but we’ll circle back around to that,) and a fedora, all pretty normal menswear stuff in the 20’s and a good while after. Of note I’d like to point out that mens fashion (like women’s fashion, but not as dramatically) became a lot more structurally simplified in this period, with the button count on suits sometimes going way down to 1 or 2 buttons, which is pretty much what Aventurine’s got going on. [https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1920-1929/ and https://vintagedancer.com/1920s/1920s-fashion-men/]. …Tumblr wouldn’t let me link it the same way I did everything else, for some reason. Damn jank-ass webbed site.

Flapper fashion included a very large variety of outerwear, but I’d like to direct you to look at some of the fur-lined winter coats here, and then maybe take another look back at Aventurine’s coat.

Feathers were a very common adornment in women’s fashion at the time, particularly on hats and in feather boas. Peacock feathers were a popular choice. (As well as ostrich feathers, particularly for boas.)

Peacocks as a motif in general. Since Japan opened its doors to trade in 1858, a lot of new inspirations that western artists and designers took from slowly seeped in, the peacock included amongst them, wherein it very quickly became associated with beauty, exotic luxury, and vanity. [x] At the beginning of the 20th century it began to appear on accessories, [x] and starting in the 1910’s, female stars began dressing as peacocks on stage, and “the male bird became a symbol of exotic femininity and fantastical extravagance.” This was despite the long-held superstition (in western theater and in general) that peacocks were bad luck because they embodied the evil eye, [x] though the opposite holds true in Chinese culture, where they symbolize good luck, as well as beauty, dignity, and heavenliness. [x] In the context of Aventurine I find this especially interesting, because frankly, I’d argue he’s really got all of the above going on rather than one or the other.

I’d argue that just because a character is made by a Chinese game developer, that doesn’t mean that western symbolism, sensibilities, and influences don’t come into play, especially when the character is pretty explicitly based on/inspired by western culture and they know the game’s got a worldwide audience. Take Dr. Ratio as another example - he’s obviously Greek themed and his outfit evokes a toga. The swirl pattern all over it is probably a golden ratio visual pun. He’s wearing a golden laurel pin in his hair, a symbol of honor and achievement worn by artists, athletes and scholars for thousands of years, and it’s got the same number of leaves on it as he has PhDs. The little gem on his chest is tyrian purple - a color historically reserved for royalty, reflective of him having an incredibly distinguished status. He’s got an owl on his shoulder, which is a symbol of Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom. Interestingly enough, according to that thing I linked earlier that explained a bunch of the symbolism of different birds in Chinese culture, it would seem that owls are a bad omen, because of their big scary eyes and the fact that their call sounds like a word for gravedigging in certain dialects. And honestly the whole not being recognized by Nous thing could be seen as ill fortune, while overall he could easily come off as negative or gloomy, especially if you’re playing with the Chinese, Japanese, or Korean dubs, where his voice is a lot more… I guess stoic? (I love English dub Ratio but he is a lot more… emotional sounding? And perhaps that too is something that more suits broadly western sensibilities. Idk.)

Point is, though Chinese symbolism may not have been thrown out the window there, he is nonetheless clearly heavily influenced by the symbolism of the culture he’s inspired by, with both fused to make something that works for both audiences. I don’t think Aventurine is really any different. I think to ignore the feminine aspects of his design within cultural context assumes that the Chinese character designers (and the writers they work with) just didn’t do their research well enough and slapped masculine and feminine fashion together by complete and total accident, which I think does them a disservice, especially when they pack so many designs full of meticulously researched little symbolic or cultural details.

I also think that the issue of trying to get queercoding past Chinese censors seriously complicates any discussion of a given character’s masculinity/femininity or gender in general, and Hoyoverse has like, a whole history with tryna depict queer people anyway (original Bronya/Seele HI3 comic kiss, anyone? Chinese government specifically saying no femboys allowed and then explicitly naming Venti, anyone???) But like, that’s a whole nother can of worms.

I spent literal months going “man I wish they’d release a character with a flapper-inspired design for Penacony since it’s inspired by 1920’s America and whatnot” whilst maining and constantly staring at Aventurine the entire time before it clicked for me that he’s the resident flapper and his outfit is basically a 50/50 fusion of both masculine and feminine 20’s aesthetics actually and that’s like pretty cool

And then I went “but what if we dialed the flapper aesthetic up to 100” just for funsies because I wanted to see what it’d look like. So here you all go

[witchfinderblog]

Lammas /Lughnasadh- the First Harvest

Time of Year

This sabbat is usually celebrated on the 1st of August in the northern hemishpere, and February 1st in the southern hemisphere. The reason they are at different times is due to the difference in seasons. Instead, on August 1st, some witches in the southern hemisphere celebrate Imbolc (or Imbolg). Some southern hemisphere witches will instead choose to celebrate the same sabbats as the northern hemisphere and adapt their celebrations to their current season instead. This post mainly focuses on Lammas/Lughnasadh in Autumn and I will refer to it as Lammas from here onwards, although both terms can be used.

Name origins and history

The name Lughnasadh (pronounced LOO-na-sa) derives from the name of the Celtic god of the sun and craftsmanship, Lugh (also spelled Lou). In Irish legend the festival began with Lugh himself, who held a funeral feast and sporting event in honour of his foster mother, Tailtiu. She had died from exhaustion after clearing farmland all over Ireland so that the people could grow crops. Lugh was also a warrior God, so many pagans celebrate with competitive sport and games at this time of year.

The name Lammas has Saxon origins, as a contraction of the words "Loaf mass" meaning a Christian celebration of the harvest. In fact, Christians used to celebrate Lammas and there were traditional rituals that strongly resemble pagan rituals: the first grain of the harvest would be made into a loaf of bread, which would then be quartered and places in the four corners of the house to ensure protection and prosperity. Over time, Christians abandoned these rituals and pagans took over the celebration of Lammas.

The two words came from different areas (Lughnasadh from Ireland and Scotland, Lammas from Southern England and Saxon-inhabited Europe) but have become synonymous in modern pagan celebrations.

Other names include Gŵyl Awst (Welsh) and August Eve.

What do we celebrate?

Lammas is a celebration of the first harvest of the year, with the next harvest being at Mabon in mid-September (northern hemisphere). The days are getting shorter and the crops have finished growing and are ready to be harvested.

Correspondences

Wiccans believe it is the time when the God has finished transferring his energy into the crops and he is ready to lie down and rest for the colder months ahead. Other wiccans believe that a part of him is sacrificed when the grain is harvested and is reborn later in the year.

Lammas is a time of fulfillment, abundance, connection and gratitude. Spells for mental and physical gain are strong at this time, and meditation focusing on these themes can be associated with Lammas. If you can, meditate outside, as it is a great way to connect with nature, but be safe and don't risk your health to do so. Rituals using the sun's energy or the fire and earth elements are particularly effective too.

Colours: brown, orange, yellow, gold (autumn/harvest colours)

Symbols: wheat, sickle or scythe, bread, baskets, fresh fruit and vegetables, corn

Crystals: amber, citrine, aventurine, cat's eye, gold topaz, carnelian, clear quartz

Herbs and plants: sage, mint, basil, aloe, rose, wheat, barley, rye, hops, blackthorn, hazel, gorse, meadowsweet

Flowers: marigold, sunflower, calendula

Animals: rooster, buck, cow, sheep

Foods: bread (or anything else made from grains), potatoes, pies (homemade if possible), wine and beer (if you are of legal drinking age)

Gods/goddesses: Ceres, Vesta, Demeter, Hestia, Corn Mother, Lugh, John Barleycorn, Isis

Activities and Festivities

In Ireland, there is a festival typically from the 10th to the 12th of August called Puck Fair, where a wild goat (a symbol of fertility) is brought from the hills and crowned King Puck. It is paraded around for three days while there are parades, dances, face painting and street entertainment, then it is released back to the hills after the festival is over. This is one of the oldest known celebrations of Lammas and is present in ancient Irish literature.

Activities to do at home could be things like baking bread, pies or cakes, decorating your altar with baked goods, ribbons, seasonal flowers and fruits, and one of the most popular things to do is make a corn dolly. These are little figures made of corn stalks that are woven together, with designs ranging from very simple to incredibly skilled and complex.

EDIT: I have been informed by @irelandseyeonmythology that this is not a corn dolly, it is a traditional love knot. Instead of a proposal, these are used throughout the year to publically display the couple's courtship and their intention of marriage in the spring season.

When I made this a while ago I was told it was a corn dolly, hence the mistake. Anyway, here's how to make a love knot:

How to make it:

Using 3 stalks of corn, tie them together just below the ears (the bushy bit) and plait the stalks together, leaving about 2-3 inches un-plaited. Twist the plaited part around twice to make the 'head' of the knot and tie it together with a ribbon of any colour. The colour of the ribbon changes the meaning slightly (see the correspondences of colour magick).

Go for a walk if you can, and try to go somewhere with nature. If you have a dog, walk your dog. Try and get some fresh air outside, it's really good for mental, physical and spiritual health!

However you celebrate,

Happy Lammas/Lughnasadh everyone!

[celestialvoid-fanfiction]

A Chance to be With You

Boyd and Parrish drag Derek out to have drinks with a few members of the forensic unit, but one things leads to another and Derek ends up going home with Stiles.

Commission for @luvs-sterek from @nightjade14

The bar was lit by the warm glow of the overhead lights, the exposed redbrick walls giving the space a rustic and welcoming feeling. Worn blue-grey leather covered the seats of the dark, wooden booths, matching the navy-blue wooden panelling beneath the mahogany benchtop. Several leather stools were pulled up under the bar.

The back wall was well lit, the glass of the liquor bottles catching the light and glistening like diamonds.

Groups of people sat in nearby booths or at the far end of the bar, filling the building with quiet chatter.

Derek followed the others in. He didn’t really want to be here—he’d much rather be at home, sitting on the couch and reading a book—but Boyd and Parrish had strong-armed him into joining them and some of the guys from the forensics unit for drinks.

He stepped over to Parrish’s side, standing by the man as he ordered a drink and paid. He held out his hand in front of Parrish.

Parrish turned to look at him, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“If you’re drinking, then you hand over your keys,” Derek told him.

Parrish dug into the pocket of his jacket, handing Derek his car keys.

Derek shoved them into the pocket of this worn leather jacket.

Jordan slid a glass of lemonade towards him before taking his drink and joining the others that had moved over to one of the nearby booths.

Derek stayed at the bar, talking quietly with Boyd as he sipped at his drink. After a while, one of the guys from forensics called Boyd over.

Boyd shot Derek a worried look.

“I’ll be fine,” Derek said reassuringly, nodding towards the group. “Go.”

Boyd patted his shoulder before sliding off his bar stool and walking over to join the others.

It wasn’t long before he was approached by a blonde woman in a tight-fitting black dress and heels. A silver chain hung around her neck, the pendant of a rampant lion sitting against her collarbone.

She sat down next to him, turning her head so that the cascading wave of golden curls fell back over her shoulder. She held a martini in front of her, swirling the drink about in the glass before lifting it to her lips.

Derek offered her a kind smile, feeling tense.

“You got a date for the night?” the woman asked.

Derek blinked in surprise. “Wow, you don’t play around, do you?”

The woman smiled, swaying back and forth on the bar stool.

Derek looked away from her. He swallowed hard against the rising lump in his throat and took another sip of his drink, trying to steady his nerves.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re not my type,” he said softly.

“How would you know that?” the woman asked, brushing her hair back behind an ear as she looked Derek up and down. “I doubt you’ve ever been with someone like me.”

“I’m sure you’re a wonderful person,” Derek said, trying to word his sentence carefully. “But I’m not looking for a woman.”

The woman leant in close, her voice low and sultry as she whispered in his ear, “Maybe that’s because you haven’t found the right one.”

Derek fought the urge to scream.

“Here you go, babe,” a familiar voice interrupted.

The blonde woman sat back as the newcomer held out a glass to Derek before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

Derek blinked in surprise, taking the glass of lemonade before turning to look at the young man beside him.

His dark brown eye caught the overhead light, swirling like pools of golden liquor. His chestnut-brown hair was a tousled mess and he was covered in moles that charted constellations across his skin, a sweet smile lighting up his face as he winked at Derek.

Stiles.

He worked in the forensics lab, occasionally helping out on cases and offering insights that no one would have thought of.

Stiles Stilinski.

Sheriff Stilinski’s son, and the guy Derek has had a crush on for years.

Derek felt a warmth rush to his cheek, bowing his head slightly to hide the rosy blush that coloured his face.

Stiles sat down next to him at the bar, leaving the woman standing by stammering.

“Wait, you’re here with someone?” she gawked.

“Yeah, he is,” Stiles answered for him, smiling smugly.

“Why didn’t you say so?” The woman snapped. “It’s rude to lead a girl on like that, to play her like a toy for your twisted enjoyment, you pig.”

“Honey,” Stiles said, his voice level but firm, cutting her off. “He was trying to tell you, but you wouldn’t let him get a word in. So don’t play the victim, just take your appletini and go sit down.”

The woman opened her mouth to argue, but Stiles twirled his finger around in a gesture for her to turn around before shooing her away.

The woman turned and left in a huff, returning to her group of friends.

Derek bit into his lip, trying to hide his smile as he looked up at Stiles.

The young man was leaning against the bar, resting his head in one hand while he held his drink in the other.

Derek couldn’t help but stare at him, amazed and lost for words.

Seconds later, Stiles burst into laughter and Derek did too, a smile lighting up his face as he shook his head.

“Thank you,” he said when he was finally able to speak again.

“Any time,” Stiles replied, holding up his glass.

Derek lifted his drink, clinking their glasses together before taking a sip.

“You got stuck with designated driver duty?” Derek asked, nodding towards Stiles’ glass of lemonade.

“No, I just don’t think it’s a good idea for me to rely on alcohol to make social situations bearable,” Stiles admitted, looking down at the drink in his hands.

“You too, huh?”

Stiles looked up at him, alarmed. “Don’t get me wrong, these guys are my friends and I love hanging out with them. There’s just something about going out that makes me…”

“Uncomfortable,” Derek finished.

Stiles’ shoulders fell as he let out a sigh. “Yeah.”

“I feel the same way,” Derek admitted. “I’d rather spend Friday nights curled up on the couch, reading a book or watching a movie, then out clubbing.”

A sweet smile played across Stiles’ lips. “That sounds like a nice night.”

Derek glanced over his shoulder at their friends before turning back to Stiles. “Do you want to get out of here?”

Stiles looked up at him, blinking in surprise. “What about the others?”

“I drove Boyd here and I took Parrish’s keys, so neither of them are going to drive home drunk,” Derek said.

Stiles let out a quiet chuckle. “I took Isaac’s keys.”

A mischievous smirk lit up Stiles’ face as he finished off his drink.

“Come on,” he said, sliding off his bar stool.

Derek finished his drink and followed Stiles out of the bar.

It had gotten dark faster than Derek thought. The dark sky stretched into oblivion above them, scattered stars glittered like diamonds. It was like looking at the reflection in the surface of the lake, the stars lighting the darkness like the glimmering lights of scattered storefronts and streetlights mirrored in the pool of onyx-black water.

It was quiet—peaceful. The only sound that disturbed the night was the buzz of chatter that filtered out of the bar and the muffled sound of music from the nightclub down the street.

“Come on,” Stiles said, leading the way towards the music.

Derek followed him.

Stiles stepped up to a food cart that had been parked outside the nightclub, ordering two burgers. He thanked the owner and made his way back over to Derek’s side.

“He makes the best burgers in California,” Stiles said confidently as he passed Derek one of the burgers. “You can thank me later.”

Stiles unwrapped his burger and bit into it, letting out a moan of pleasure.

Derek couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. He unwrapped his own burger and bit into it. HIs eyes flew open wide as the flavour filled his mouth.

“Oh my gosh,” he muttered around a mouthful of food.

“Right?” Stiles said excitedly.

“You’re right,” Derek said.

“I should also apologise,” Stiles said before taking another bite of his burger.

“What for?” Derek asked.

“Because there’s no going back now.”

Derek laughed.

They ate in silence, enjoying each other’s presence.

“I have a question for you,” Stiles said after a while. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to…”

“Go ahead,” Derek said, turning to look at Stiles.

“Do you, uh… Do you like guys?” Stiles asked.

“Yeah,” Derek answered honestly. “Do you?”

Stiles froze. His lips trembled as he fought to find his words.

Derek took a step closer, piecing things together.

“Do you like me?” he asked.

A bright red blush coloured Stiles’ face. “I, uh…”

He dropped his gaze, looking down at his feet as he nodded.

Derek took another step closer, sliding a finger beneath Stiles’ chin and gently encouraging him to look up.

Stiles met his gaze, loosing himself in the pale depths of Derek’s aventurine eyes.

Derek leant in close, bringing his lips to Stiles’ in a tender kiss.

Stiles let a breath fall from his lungs, his eyes fluttering shut as he leant into the kiss, melting into Derek’s warmth.

He cupped Derek’s cheek, threading his fingers through Derek’s soft hair.

Derek returned the gesture, settling a hand on Stiles’ hip as he took a step closer and closed the space between them.

Derek drew back slowly, smirking as he watched Stiles chase his lips.

“Come on,” Derek whispered, taking Stiles’ hand and leading him back to his car.

  Derek pulled up before a large manor house, parking the car and leading the way to the front door.

The porch light turned on as they made their way up the stairs and onto the wooden decking.

Derek unlocked the front door and ushered Stiles inside. He shut the door and stepped over to Stiles’ side, closing the space between them. The warmth of his body was pressed up against Stiles’ and he looked down into the young man’s captivating dark eyes, cocking an eyebrow as if to ask a question.

A coy smile played across Stiles’ lips as he leant in close, his lips brushing against Derek’s faintly as he asked the question back.

Derek took Stiles’ face in his hands and crushed their mouths together.

Stiles let his breath fall from his lungs as his shoulders dropped. His eyes fluttered shut as he grabbed at fistfuls of Derek’s jacket and pulled him closer.

Derek’s hands slid down Stiles’ sides, settling on his hips and gently guiding him backwards until Stiles back hit the wall. He pinned him there, fringing their hips together as Stiles looped his arms around Derek’s neck, desperately clinging to his jacket to keep himself upright.

Derek rolled his hips against Stiles’, pressing his thigh between Stiles’ and feeling the young man’s hard length strain against his jeans.

Stiles let out a needy whimpered at the friction, his fingers tightening on Derek’s jacket as a shudder ran up his spine.

Derek smiled into the kiss, rolling his hips again so he could hear the broken moans that escaped Stiles’ lips.

Stiles sighed in return, weaving his fingers into Derek’s hair and pulling soft tufts into his fist.

Derek pulled his hands away from Stiles’ hips and shrugged his jacket off, letting it fall the ground as he turned his attention to Stiles’ clothes. He pulled the young man’s jacket off, not breaking the kiss for a second as he tossed it aside.

Stiles let out a soft sigh as he ran a hand up Derek’s firm bicep, across his shoulder and onto his back. He wanted to feel every inch of skin.

They broke apart, gasping for air. But the reprieve only lasted a second Derek crushed their mouths together again.

Derek slid his hands down to Stiles’ thighs, hoisting Stiles off his feet and pinning him around the wall.

Stiles coiled his legs around Derek’s waist, tilting his head to deepen the kiss as his hands cupped Derek’s cheeks, feeling the rough whiskers of his beard and the soft skin of his cheeks.

Derek drew back, licking his lips and grinning at Stiles’ euphoric expression.

Stiles tilted his chin, chasing his Derek’s lips. He felt Derek chuckle against his mouth as he brought them back together again and kissed him lightly, drawing back as he craned his neck and trailed kisses across the young man’s cheek, jaw, chin, and neck. He stayed there, gently sucking and nipping at Stiles’ pale skin and moles.

A smug smirk lifted the corners of his lips as he drew back and met Stiles’ gaze. He brought their lips together again.

He slid his hand beneath Stiles’ shirt, running up the curve of his spine—making him gasp and urging him to arch towards his touch.

Stiles trailed his fingers down Derek’s chest to the waistline of Derek’s jeans.

Derek pulled back from the kiss, his breath rolling across Stiles’ lips teasingly. He pressed Stiles’ weight back against the wall, keeping him there as he reached up and pulled his Henley over his head.

“Holy shit,” Stiles gasped, drinking in the sight of the man’s body; his firm abs, his thick chest hair and the trail of dark hair that disappeared beneath the waistband of his jeans. “I knew you were ripped but I wasn’t expecting that.”

A smile lit up Derek’s face as he brought his lips back to Stiles’, ensnaring him in a messy, passionate kiss. He wrapped his arms around Stiles’ waist, holding close as he pulled away from the wall, walking down the hall towards the bedroom.

He carried Stiles into the room, kicking the door shut behind himself. He made his way over to the bed and carefully laid Stiles down atop the blanket. The mattress wavered beneath him as he crawled atop of Stiles and pressed his weight against the young man’s body, pinning to the sheets.

He rolled his hips, feeling the young man’s broken moans against his lips.

Derek’s hands trailed down Stiles’ sides, unbuttoning his jeans and stripping them off, the young man’s boxers following soon after.

Stiles broke away from the kiss long enough to wrestle his shirt off and toss it aside. His hands shook as he reached for Derek’s jeans, eagerly trying to unbutton them.

He felt Derek chuckle against his lips, gently prying Stiles’ hands away from his pants and pinning them above Stiles’ head. He held them there with one hand, levelling him with a warning gaze that made Stiles stay still. Derek sat back, straddling Stiles’ waist as he unbuttoned his pants and removed the last of his clothes, making sure to give Stiles a show.

Stiles stared at him, his jaw hanging open as he drank in the sight.

Derek arched over Stiles and brining their lips together again. He rolled his hips against Stiles’, teasing needy whimpers out of the young man.

Stiles couldn’t take it anymore. He hooked his legs around Derek’s waist and wrestled the man onto his back, clambering on top of him and straddling his waist with his thick thighs.

He rolled his hips, grinding his cheeks against the length of Derek’s hard cock.

Derek’s hands instinctively settled on Stiles’ hips.

Stiles positioned himself over the man’s waist and reached behind himself, lining Derek’s rigid length up with his asshole. He sank over Derek’s length, letting a euphoric cry escape his lips as Derek’s dick filled his tight ass.

He began to move slowly, rolling his hips as he tried to get used to the feeling of Derek’s thick cock penetrating him.

He leant back, bracing his hands on Derek’s thighs, rolling his hips and riding Derek’s thick cock.

Derek ran his hands up Stiles’ side, feeling the curves of his body and caressing his soft skin. His hands settled on his hips again as he held him upright.

Stiles stilled, letting Derek take control.

He slowly drew out of Stiles and rolled his hips more gently, setting a slow rhythm, sinking deep into Stiles.

The pace was driving him mad.

Derek had him spread across his lap, his length sliding in and out of Stiles’ needy hole.

He was doing it on purpose; going as slowly as he could to tease him, to savour the broken cries that escaped Stiles’ lips as Derek’s dick hit all the right spots.

His voice was raspy as he cried out, uttering Derek’s name over and over again as if it were a prayer.

Stiles needed more.

Derek tightened his grip on Stiles’ hips, holding him steady as he thrust up into his ass quickly. He drew out slowly, until only the head of his cock was still in the boy’s ass, and then thrust into him again, slamming into Stiles and making the boy’s thighs shake.

Derek thrust up into him, harder; deeper—hitting all the right places. Stiles’ whole body shuddered as he gasped for breath.

“Does that feel good?” Derek teased.

Stiles let out a broken whimper, unable to trust his voice.

Derek let out a low chuckle, the sound rolling through Stiles and sending a shiver up his spine.

He sat upright, wrapping an arm around Stiles’ waist as he flipped the man on his back.

Stiles let out a delighted gasp as he fell back against the mattress, looping his arms around Derek’s neck and pulling him down with him.

Derek brought their mouths together again, laying his body against Stiles’ and melting into his warmth. His hands caressed Stiles’ thigh, coaxing him to hook his legs around Derek’s waist.

His hands slid back to Stiles’ waist. He lifted his hips off the bed as he slowly rolled his hips and sank his length into Stiles. He held him close, kissing him feverishly as he thrust further into him, relishing the sound of the young man’s cries.

Stiles ground back against Derek’s hips, urging him to continue.

Derek let out a deep moan, arching forward to return the thrust.

Sweat caressed their bodies. Their scents began to mingle.

“Derek,” Stiles gasped his name like a prayer. “Derek.”

Derek thrusted his hips against Stiles’ ass. He sat back, feeling the young man shiver from the loss of warmth.

He grabbed Stiles’ hip, urging him to turn over.

Stiles did, rolling onto his hands and knees and arching his back, grinding his ass against Derek’s hard cock.

Derek let out a low growl in response. He spread the young man’s cheeks and lined himself up with Stiles’ eager entrance, easing his length into Stiles’ ass.

Stiles tensed for a moment at the intrusion, breathing heavily and smothering a moan as he tried to relax and welcome the man’s throbbing length.

Derek was struggling to stay patient. Stiles’ ass was hot and deliciously tight, and resisting the urge to simply give in and savagely fuck the young man into the sheets was testing his already limited self-control.

Stiles gently rolled his hips against Derek’s length, a silent plea for more.

Derek rested his hands on the young man’s hips, slowly drawing out before bucking his hips and slamming his length into Stiles’ ass again.

Stiles arched his back, a savage moan tearing at his throat.

Derek’s carnal instincts took over, grabbing a hold of Stiles’ hips and thrusting into the young man.

Stiles cried out, the wave of pain delighting him, making his crotch throb and ache. His arms trembled and collapsed beneath him. He buried his face into the pillow, biting down into the cotton and muffling his moans.

Derek arched over Stiles, his thrusts faster and deeper as he nipped at the ridges of Stiles’ shoulder blades. He littered kisses across Stiles’ shoulders, reaching around the young man and running his hands up the insides of Stiles’ thighs—urging him to spread his legs over Derek’s lap and exposing Stiles’ dribbling cock.

He took Stiles’ cock in his hand, teasing him as he stroked his shaft and rubbed his thumbs in circles over his sensitive head, feeling the tense muscles twitch beneath his touch.

He began to roll his hips in slow, shallow thrusts, drawing out the broken, needy moans that escaped Stiles’ lips.

“More,” Stiles gasped.

Derek growled, nipping at Stiles’ shoulder.

“More,” Stiles begged, his voice laced with lust.

Derek was losing control again, his breathing rugged.

He thrust into Stiles, sudden and brutal.

Stiles threw his head back and cried out with delight.

He ran his hand through the boy’s soft locks, gently tugging at his unkempt hair.

Stiles fell back into his grip, letting Derek guide him.

He tilted the boy’s head to the side and brought their mouths together in a mess, passionate kiss.

He rolled his hips, spreading Stiles’ hole over his length with every movement. He wrapped one arm around the boy’s slender waist, slowly drawing out before bucking his hips and slamming his length into Stiles’ ass again.

Stiles arched his back, a savage moan tearing at his throat. Derek growled in response, their kiss growing more savage.

Stiles reached back over his shoulder and ran his hand through Derek’s hair, urging him closer.

Derek lost himself, his hips moving instinctively as he savagely fucked the young man.

Stiles’ moans escalated into one, drawn-out cry. His nails dragged at the back of Derek’s skull, earning a deep growl as he picked up the pace.

Derek pounded him into the sheets, his cock bruising Stiles’ insides and hitting Stiles’ prostate.

Stiles cried out as a rush of pleasure flowed through his body.

Derek felt his stomach tense as his orgasm brewed. The rhythm of his movement altered, his hips sputtering.

He thrust into Stiles’ ass a few more times before grabbing his hips and pulling him down over his dick. He buried his length inside of Stiles as he climaxed, slick come filling the young man’s ass.

He rolled his hips, riding out his orgasm.

The sensation was enough to tip Stiles over the edge. He let out a choked breath, his body trembling as the wave of pleasure crashed over him. Derek reached around, taking the young man’s dick in his hand and working it back and forth until Stiles was spent.

Stiles fell forward, collapsing against the sheets and gasping for air.

Derek slowly withdrew from Stiles, making the young man whimper at the loss. He laid down next to Stiles, gently rolling him onto his back and letting him lay against Derek’s side.

“That’s two things I’ve done tonight that nothing will ever compare to,” Derek said through broken breaths.

Stiles let out a breathless laugh. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Derek whispered, a smile playing across his lips as he turned his head to look at Stiles.

He watched as Stiles lay beside him, his face lit by the glow of the moonlight. The silver light played in his dark eyes, making them shift from shimmering gold to inky black.

He steadied his breathing and let time slide away, entranced by the young man’s beauty. He settled into a peaceful quiet, enjoying Stiles’ presence.

Stiles went still, tensing in Derek’s arms.

A second later, Stiles let out a heavy sigh and sat up, shuffling over to the edge of the bed. He grabbed his underwear and pants from where they had been tossed aside.

“What are you doing?” Derek asked, watching Stiles in confusion.

“Leaving,” Stiles answered. “That’s how these things usually end, right?”

“That’s not how it has to end,” Derek said as he sat upright and crawled across the bed, over to Stiles’ side.

Stiles felt his warmth press up against his back, the hairs on the back of his neck rising as Derek’s breath brushed against the soft skin of his shoulder. A sigh fell past his lips as Derek pressed a tender kiss to the curve of Stiles’ neck, his soft lips brushing across his skin as he leant in close to the young man’s ear.

His voice was barely a whisper as he says, “You could stay.”

“You would want that?” Stiles asked quietly, turning his head to look over his shoulder.

Derek met his gaze, his lips millimetres from Stiles’. He lost himself in the shimmering golden depths of the young man’s dark eyes as he whispered, “More than anything.”

Stiles closed the distance between them, bringing their lips back together again.

Derek laid back, pulling Stiles down with him. He kissed him tenderly, his hands gently caressing his sides as he held him close.

They stayed that way all night, entangled in each other’s arms, and when Derek awoke the next morning, it was to Stiles lying next to him.

  Derek made his way across the bullpen, dropping a take-out bag on Parrish’s desk where the deputy lay with his head on his desk.

Parrish let out a weak groan in response.

Derek gently patted his shoulder before walking over to his own desk. He sat down, opening up the file that sat before him and reading over the paper work.

“Look who finally decided to show up,” Boyd teased. “You were hit on by a gorgeous blonde, and yet you left the bar with Stiles.”

“Wait, what?” Parrish said, bolting upright.

“Derek left the bar with Stiles last night,” Boyd repeated.

“Stiles?” Parrish repeated, looking from Derek to Boyd, still clearly hungover. “You and the Sheriff’s son?”

“For all our sakes, I refuse to dignify that with a response,” Derek answered. He dug into his pocket, phishing out his friend’s keys and handing them over.

Boyd took them back, levelling Derek with a questioning gaze.

“Excuse me, deputy.”

Derek turned, looking up at the person standing beside him. He’s tall and skinny with a mess of thick sandy-blonde curls atop of his head.

Isaac Lahey—part of the forensics team.

His sapphire blue eyes shift about, unable to meet Derek’s gaze as he held out a manila folder for Derek.

“Here’s the pathology report you asked for,” he said nervously.

Derek took the folder from him, opening it up and reading over the report.

He glanced back up at Isaac who lingered by his desk.

The young man held out a folded piece of paper, the edge ragged as if it had been torn from a notepad.

“And Stiles asked me to give you this.”

Derek took it from him, unfolding the note and looking it over.

It was Stiles’ handwriting—a quickly written note about the toxicology report he requested for a recent case, and down the very bottom was a scrawl of ink. 8:30?

“Stiles is sending you love notes now?” Boyd asked teasingly.

Derek rolled his eyes dramatically.

“It’s a note about the toxicology report from the hospital,” Derek answered. He glanced up at Isaac. “Thank you. And tell Stiles I got the note.”

Isaac nodded and hurried away, disappearing down the hallway that lead to the forensics lab.

Derek read over the note one more time before folding it up again. He pulled his notebook out of his belt and slotted the piece of paper in between the pages of notes. He bowed his head, waiting until Boyd turned around before he let a soft smile creep onto his face, a strange warmth settling in his chest.

[AO3]