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room-surprise · 6 months ago

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New Ryoko Kui Interview from Anime Expo 2024 (Summary/Commentary)

This interview is unintentionally hilarious. It's much shorter than the other interview, and every question was met with either a polite non-answer or a flat-out "No." Kui embodied this elf lady she drew for the entire thing:

Kui really wasn't having any of it. Every time the interviewer tried to ask a leading question about things the fandom thinks are extremely central to the manga, Kui basically answered no/I don't care/You're overthinking it/I wasn't suggesting what you're assuming I was suggesting.

My summary/commentary of the interview under the cut.

Please keep in mind these are my opinions, based on my knowledge of Japanese social conventions, and how I personally read the interview!

Q: Dungeon Meshi is about the power of eating in groups/family, do you have any food memories or recipes you can share with us that are important to you? A: No. (In other interviews Kui has stated that she doesn't like eating, other people seeing her eat, or watching others eat, and that she used to eat her meals in the toilet to avoid being around other people during meals. This is a common thing people who are shy, bullied, or socially avoidant do in Japan.)

Q: What meal in DM do you want to eat? A: None of them, I'm a picky eater.

Q: You obviously love TTRPGs. A: Uh...Not really... I've never played one, I just read about them for research purposes. (In other interviews Kui has stated she's never played a TTRPG because she doesn't have friends she can do it with. The fact that so many people in the world do have that many friends they are that close to was very shocking to her. She was amazed that people would actually role-play in front of other people. This, plus other things Kui has said in the past ("I'm not good at human relationships"), suggests that she's not very socially active.)

Q: Your fantasy ecosystem is so complex, how did you build it? A: I though about it, and then I used my imagination. (This is kind of an ice-cold burn. Like a writer saying "I wrote one word, and then another, and then I kept adding words until the book was done.")

Q: Do you love monsters as much as Laios? A: No. But I do like them a lot, and I've loved them since I was a kid.

Q: How'd you design Laios' ultimate monster? A: I used the childhood memory of wanting to design the coolest, strongest monster.

Q: A lot of fans think Laios is autistic, especially because of his fight with Toshiro. A: I wrote him to be a normal guy that anyone can relate to. I don't think he's special or unusual. Both he and Toshiro have problems and they both need to work on communicating better. (Kui saying she didn't write Laios as autistic doesn't mean you should shit on other fans who read him as autistic. All it means is that he's not canonically autistic, and you can't say "Laios being autistic is the foundation of the entire manga." Kui saying that she didn't intentionally write Laios as autistic doesn't invalidate the interpretation, it just means saying Laios is autistic is an interpretation, and not a concrete fact. Also worth noting that labeling Laios as autistic might come across as very rude for a Japanese person. Kui may not want to call Laios autistic due to social stigma.)

Q: Tell us about the Senshi fanservice. A: Calling it "fanservice" feels wrong to me. He's just an older man who doesn't care if people see his underwear, something I've experienced in real life. It might make some people uncomfortable but Senshi's just living his life, I thought that was funny. Laios is a bit uncomfortable seeing people in their underwear. (Holy shit. This answer is the equivalent of Kui firing a shotgun directly in the interviewer's face and screaming "it's not fucking fanservice." She's being VERY direct for a Japanese person, and implying that she doesn't like people calling the Senshi pantyshots fanservice, that she sees them as comedy.)

Q: But Senshi's handsome isn't he? A: All dwarves are handsome :) (This is a complete non-answer, and after that previous answer, it's very likely Kui is trying to brush the interviewer off. This is most likely Kui saying "Please stop this line of questioning/I don't want to talk about this anymore.")

Q: What inspired Marcille's dungeon lord dress? Her friends all make fun of her but I thought it looked nice. A: There's no specific reference. I made it up to look like her mom's dress and added a childish head covering. The dress is totally normal, her friends making fun of Marcille is a joke. They're just not used to seeing Marcille in that kind of clothing, so it seems weird to them. They don't actually think the dress is that strange or uncool.

Q: Did you expect the strong fan reaction to Marcille and Falin's relationship? A: I don't think about how the fans will react when I'm writing. (Another complete non-answer. She doesn't want to discuss the topic of Farcille and avoids it like a landmine. Honestly, good for her. She wants fans to feel free to think what they want and have their own interpretations.)

Q: Will you write a spin-off about Izutsumi getting revenge on the person who made her? A: Maybe, maybe not. Probably not. I think Izutsumi's pretty happy as she is and just wants to live her life.

In short, Kui's reaction to a lot of the fandom opinion questions was:

EDIT: Also, looking at the headline/page summary for the article, it's uh...insanely misleading.

"We sat down with Kui-sensei at Anime Expo 2024 to discuss the community of food, why Senshi is so sexy, seeing neurodivergence in Laios, and more." Kui literally said no in response to all of those questions, this summary of their own interview implies that there was anything discussed, and not just Kui telling them "no" to each question.

#dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #talking mushroom #opinions #analysis #laios touden #marcille donato

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anachronismstellar · 3 months ago

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Just in case no one asked yet: You could feed us, the like 3 WarPlane fans in a trenchcoat?

Mayyybe even some LQG POV? A little bit of "Why I want to fight him so bad?" with a pinch of misundertandings? 🥺

Oh. I just realized that all of the SQH gotta get them all asks I wrote in the Peak Lord POVs fjsbskdnsm

Anyway, WarPlane with a side of fighting and misunderstanding, right away! :D

Also a little bit kinda of a sequel to this post

Omg sorry it took so long but this one is a big boy fksnskdns I hope you like it <3

------

Shang Qinghua didn't show up next morning.

Or the other one.

Or the other.

Then he had to go on a mission, followed by another one, and when he blinked it had been weeks since that day in Shang Qinghua’s office.

So Liu Qingge decided to take matters to his own hands.

Because Liu Qingge wasn't stupid as Shen Qingqiu was so fond of calling him. He knew that he had a strong presence, and at any given opportunity, Shang Qinghua would run away from him as if Liu Qingge were a Demon.

Except.

Except when he had caught the other by surprise.

The scene kept coming back to his mind during training and during... Some odd moments.

During training it made sense. He kept chasing the rush of being thrown on the ground, excitement running through his bones at the possibility of finding a new sparring partner, making his heart race. It also opened his eyes for his weakness in hand to hand combat, a skill he had to confess he had been neglecting. Part because his sword training took so much of his time already, part because people hardly dared to walk towards him in an empty corridor, to dare punch him in a spar match would be unthinkable, apparently.

The other times that were a bit confusing. In the past days, he would be writing a report and the smell of ink would make him pause and think of strong arms pressing his hands against the floor. Or during their peak lord meetings, he would stare at Shang Qinghua, thinking how to drag him to training but instead of imagining an exercise routine his brain would get stuck on the memory of thighs embracing his waist.

He drew the line when the scene came up to him during his bath, making him hot all over even though he was using snow water.

BANG!

He barged into the room with sword in hand, ready to drag the other to the training grounds if needed to, being greeted by the rarest sigh of all times.

Shang Qinghua's office with no Shang Qinghua on sight.

"I-I tried to tell you, Liu-shishu, shizun is not here today," a girl wearing the white robes of the head disciples stopped by his side, panting, as if she had ran after him all the way from the rainbow bridge. "He's with the little ones, so please, if you want I can schedule-"

"Nonsense, I'm going to see him now," he turned to look at the kid, a bit impressed she didn't crumbled in fear by his glare. Although she seemed to be as tired as her Shizun, she had a lot of more spine by the way she put her hands on her hips now that she had recovered her breath, ready to scold him.

"Liu-shishu might be able to push his way through in other peaks, but here we do things by the book. You can either schedule an appointment or leave."

This is why he had wanted to see Shang Qinghua directly, he didn't have the patience to go through all the bureaucracy An Ding was so fond of.

So he took a deep breath, biting the inside of his cheek to not tap his foot at the kid just doing her job.

"Very well, when can I see him?"

She made a point of flipping her sleeves while passing by him to get to Shang Qinghua's desk, opening a small but thick booklet, flipping all the way to the end while humming. Then, with a smile that was eerily similar to Shang Qinghua's when he was about to scream at them about damage reparations, she said:

"He's free next month, on the third week, would that work for you?"

Liu Qingge squinted his eyes at her as he licked this teeth, making a tsk sound.

It felt as if she was lying. And at the back of his head he could hear Shen Qingqi dry chuckle.

"Nevermind," he turned around to leave the building, not bothering to wait for her reply. She wanted to play games and help Shang Qinghua hide from him? Fine. If words didn't work, he would use the good old intimidation.

"You!" He shouted at the first yellowed robe person he saw, pointing at them with his sword. "Where's Shang Qinghua?"

"Liu-shishu-" the boy tried to bow without stumbling on his feet while two disciples ran past them, pulling each other by their robes while whispering: "Liu-shishu? Really?!" and "Fuck yes I'm gonna get so much money-".

Honestly, cursing in front of your elders? The kids had no respect nowadays.

But he had no time to educate the youth.

"Where. Is. Shang Qinghua?"

The boy- because he couldn't be older than sixteen, stuttered while pointing at the west side of the mountain, slowly but surely trying to back away from Liu Qingge.

Not on his watch.

"Show me," he said as he put his sword away. It took him some minutes and a glare but he got the boy to start walking, guiding him all the way to a smaller house where he could hear children laughing, some of them running around a garden.

And in the middle of a huge group was Shang Qinghua, a low table set in front of him, surrounded by smaller ones as a group of kids seemed to be having a class.

Shit.

Before he could stop it, the An Ding disciple hurried to Shang Qinghua, whispering and then pointing his head at Liu Qingge's direction. And like candles being blown by wind, one by one, the kids started to quiet down, their huge eyes turning to look at Liu Qingge.

Was... Was he that scary?

"Okay, everyone, off you go. Class dismissed. And remember to finish your numbers today, I will check them!" Shang Qinghua said with a clap of hands, breaking the heavy mood with a bright smile. He helped some of the children clean up until an older disciple arrived, taking over the group.

Liu Qingge could feel he had ruined a precious moment. Realms, it might have been the first time he had seen Shang-Shixiong smiling, relaxed. And he actually felt bad when his theory was proved right by the way Shang Qinghua calmly walked towards Liu Qingge, his smile dropping as he tilted his head down, a deep sigh moving his broad shoulders.

"Liu-shidi," and right when he got closer enough, his usual too polite smile back on being plastered on his face.

"Shang-Shixiong."

"What can this one do for his shidi today?"

Liu Qingge felt his heart skip a beat before picking up speed. He shouldn't make him so tense, it was Shang Qinghua for Heavens sake!

Besides, he had thought about this for weeks. He had rehearsed lines and proposals, and he would never admit, but he even asked Mu Qingfang how to talk to Shang-Shixiong, he was ready, he-

"Fight me."

Maybe Shen Qingqiu had a point.

"I'm sorry?" Shang Qinghua blinked a couple of times before putting his hands up, waving them in front of him as he took a step back. "I'm sorry! Is this about the day in the office?! I'm so sorry shidi, I swear I am! Please don't-"

"I mean in a spar," he managed to spit it out, crossing and then uncrossing his arms, forcing his hands to stay down and relaxed. "This one is requesting his Shixiong to help him train in hand to hand combat."

Then he bowed, frowning at Shang Qinghua's surprised gasp. What was this with everyone thinking he was a brute?! He had manners! Has everyone forgotten he was from a noble family?!!

"Liu-shidi honors this one with such request, but I'm not good, really! It was uhh luck! I could never teach Liu-shidi in the matters of fighting-"

"Why not? Shang-Shixiong clearly has the knowledge, and I have just seen that he is a good teacher. Why you can't teach me your techniques?"

Shang Qinghua grumbled something he couldn't understand about changing points and skills, pressing his finger and thumb against the bridge of his nose as the other hand waved something to his side.

"Fine, Liu-shidi. You do have a point. But we are not going to go to do it at Bai Zhan Peak. I don't want this to be a big thing."

"Very well. Where should we meet then?"

"Tomorrow, their teacher will be back from their mission," he explained with a tilt of his head towards the house. "I'll have the morning free. We can meet at my house and use my garden, no one will disturb us there."

"I'll look forward to Shixiong's lessons."

They said their goodbyes, off to their duties. Liu Qingge again went back to staring at walls, tapping his fingers over his crossed arms, unable to focus on his disciples drills, deciding to go hunting to see if he could shake off his nervous energy to no avail. At night, he kept tossing and turning, and no meditation technique or set of exercises helped him to rest.

The next morning he felt as if he were a ball of condensed energy, ready to bounce and run towards An Ding Peak.

"Shizun? Are you okay?" his head disciple asked at some point during breakfast, a healthy distance away from him.

He finished his meal in less than three bites, leaving the table with just a "I'm going to An Ding Peak" as explanation, ignoring his Head Disciple calling for him.

And what if he flew instead of walking? He had an appointment with his fellow peak lord, no one would dare to comment on his eagerness.

"Liu-shidi, come in," Shang Qinghua greated him as soon as he set foot on the ground, waiting for Liu Qingge by the door.

The usual yellow robes were nowhere to be seen, swapped by a practical dark gray uniform, tighter to not get in the way of their fighting. And without the additional loose layers, it was impossible for Shang Qinghua to hide his broad chest and tonned thighs, strong enough to carry boxes and boxes of documents and parcels.

Strong enough to trap Liu Qingge and sque-

"I've set aside some clothing for you, so you don't dirty yours while we train," Shang Qinghua interrupted Liu Qingge unexpected thought, but still, the rest of the sentence echoed in his head. What was that?!, he through as Shang Qinghua walked them through the house until they reached an internal garden, lush grass covering the entire floor but for one patch of dirty right in the middle.

"Thank you," he took the clothing from Shang Qinghua's hands, looking around, doing his best to not stare at the other. "Where can I change?"

"There's a room right there, you can call me if you need any help."

Right.

No time to nonsense, he was waiting for this for a while now, he would learn as much as he could.

The offer for help wasn't necessary, the uniform was pretty straightforward to put on, nothing like Peak Lord clothing. He ignored the tingling down his spine when the picture of Shang Qinghua helping him undress came to his mind, leaving the room to face his opponent for the morning.

Shang Qinghua, with his legs in a split, stretching.

He felt his face warm up.

"Okay, shidi!" Shang Qinghua got up in a small jump, rotating his shoulders with a satisfying cracking sound. "Better start easy, I know you can handle, but hand to hand is a bit different than sword fighting. Now, stand up like this, good! Spread your legs a bit more- perfect."

They haven't started yet, and he was already sweating.

The first long minutes was just like any other martial class, Shang Qinghua helped him with posture, correcting his pose here and there. It was an odd sensation to have his usually skittish Shixiong touching him so freely, moving his body around without caring about Liu Qingge grunts or scared of Liu Qingge pushing back.

"Okay, this is for the basics. Do you remember the leg movement?"

Liu Qingge nodded as he pushed his hair out of the way, the strands sticking to his neck, itching his skin. Maybe that's why Shang Qinghua kept his hair up, because it had barely been an hour, and it felt as if he had been training for days.

They got into position again, Shang Qinghua letting him start the fight and run towards him to get tackled so Qingge could practice what he had learned. And, he understood where Shang-shishu was coming from by holding himself back.

But at the same time he was frustrated. He could feel under Shang Qinghua's skin a strength he had never felt from the other peak lord, an agility that took Liu Qingge breath away, and an intelligence to use Liu Qingge's own body and weight against him that he wished his disciples could see.

If anyone had told him that, of all the twelve peak lord's, Shang Qinghua was the one he would be considering to give lessons on his peak, he would have laughed at the person's face.

Now look at him, chest once more on the ground, wheezing as the air got knocked out of his lungs with Shang Qinghua pressed him down, fingers digging the back of his neck while the other arm hugged him by the waist, and powerful thighs hold down his legs.

"You're getting better each fight, Shidi," Qinghua gasped next to his ear, body sliding all over Liu Qingge's back. "You're going to master this in no time."

Liu Qingge could feel something shift, the air between them getting heated. Yes they're fighting, but he felt more as if he were about to face a dangerous creature instead of sparing with a fellow cultivator.

"Another round?" Qinghua's voice rumbled against his back, and Liu Qingge couldn't keep his eyes open, arching his back just enough so he could feel Qinghua's body pressed all over him. "Or we can take a break, we did good progress."

"No!" He used his legs to twist his body, their spar becoming more shoving and pushing than an actual martial fight. Then, in a moment of luck, Liu Qingge finally trapped Shang Qinghua.

Just like the first time they fought, they stayed frozen for a long moment, but this time with Liu Qingge on top, victory tasting like dirty and sweat. He realized that he should get up, their faces so close they were sharing the same air, Qingge's eyes caughting the glimpse of Qinghua's tongue.

His arms went numb and his brain got deafening quiet as he got just a tiny little closer, just-

Shang Qinghua raised his legs until they seized Liu Qingge by his waist, twisting their bodies again until Qinghua was on top, one hand immobilizing one of Qingge's legs by pushing it up until his knee was almost touching his chest, the other pinning both of his wrists to the ground.

"Seems like Shidi lost." And Liu Qingge was starting to think he had hit his head during their fight because... Who was this man? Where this confidence came from?!

And most importantly, why was it making him so- So!!

Oh.

Oh no.

"Is Liu-Shidi satisfied with the lesson?" Shang Qinghua smiled, and this time it was the furthest thing from his usual blank one. Oh, no, this smile was of a man who was about to have a feast.

And Liu Qingge was laying in a silver plate.

"Hmm. Liu-shidi did very well. This Shixiong thinks he deserves something nice for being such a good student," he said as he pressed his body down a bit more, tearing a moan from Qingge's throat. "What do you think, shidi? Would you like to have another round? Maybe somewhere a bit more... Comfortable?"

The line was cheesy, something straight out of one of his sister's books, and it shouldn't work, it shouldn't-

It shouldn't work but Liu Qingge felt himself nod, whispering "Yes" over and over again, moaning as Shang Qinghua threw him over his shoulder, carrying him all the way to his room.

And if he had gone back to more lessons later that week, and the week after that, well. He wouldn't be War God of Bai Zhan if he passed the opportunity of a good fight, right?

#scum villian self saving system #svsss #warplane #shang qinghua #liu qingge #sqh gotta catch them all #12/12 achievement #sqh 12/12 achievement #HOLY SHIT IS DONE #I CAN'T BELIEVE IT #idk how to feel about the ending BUT ITS DONE AAAA #I'm queueing this bc its like 2 am #shhhh

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fat-mabari · 2 months ago

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Screw it, I’ve been sitting on this for like over a month. My fellow Raphael simps need to know about this. This is my first crack at creating a design for Antilia, who has no official art.

She is canonically Mephistopheles’ daughter.

Yes, Raphael has a sister. A bard sister who has remained loyal to their father.

(full disclosure I cheated and drew over a render of Mizora JUST for the wings because this started out as something lazy)

This half-elf half-devil was added by the Book of Vile Darkness (pages 163-164) for DMs to fling at their epic level parties dumb enough to try taking on archdukes of Hell. Here is the important excerpt though:

You guys don’t know how many headcanons I have about her but I NEED to share one right now even though it’s genuinely a bit campy:

I think we can all agree Raphael has youngest child energy, so let’s just assume she’s his big sister. But immortals grow slow so I think they did grow up together. And yeah I’m about to make fucked-up evil half-devil childhoods cute. Because guys she is a bard. Can you just imagine two cambion kids running around the ice palace making up their own little twisted and evil plays to perform for the pit fiends? Grab a few of Meph’s debtors to play parts (and probably do horrible things to them but listen they’re the ones who sold their souls to the archduke of Cania).

I also like to think she and Haarlep have a thing just because they’re both spies for Meph. I also just really like the idea of him being sent to seduce the son but he’d rather be messing around with the daughter. 😭

Anyway!! I hope other people find this tiny sliver of lore fun, and I’d love to see it built upon. I’m gonna be working on her design more and adding some things. She actually has a robe of eyes in her equipment list I just didn’t have the spoons to add that to this one by the time I noticed that. If people have ideas for the design I’d LOVE to hear them! I just think there’s so much potential for headcanons and fanworks here, both silly and serious.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 raphael #raphael bg3 #raphael the cambion #the devil you know #mephistopheles dnd #book of vile darkness #the nine hells #dnd lore #dungeons and dragons #cambions #cania the eighth hell #antilia the cambion

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classypauli · 4 months ago

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Hi, could you write some fluff with Jenna and male reader? I love how you write

Kisses & Lattes

jenna ortega x male!reader

an: Hey! Thank you for request, I hope you´ll have fun reading it. For those who are uncomfortable feel free to imagine the gender you would like! I was just using it bc of the request. Thanks again! Take care!!

Sorry for mistakes!

Everything started with a coffee. Ever since you were a kid you were mesmerized by hot drinks like tea and chocolate or matchas but the one that mostly caught your attention was a coffee.

It was quite a paradox since you didn´t find your way to it when you were young. You could always smell it from your parent's breath or every morning when you woke up.

Your parents owned a coffee shop and sometimes you helped them clean or prepare. Maybe that´s how you started this way.

As you grew older and started spending more time in the shop, with a good book to read your hand also found a cup of dark beans with boiled water. That was your must-to-do in a day. Just sit on a cozy sofa in a corner with a book in one hand and coffee in the other.

That´s how you met your now long-term girlfriend. Jenna was a regular customer in your shop. It happened a lot of times you made her a latte or cappuccino even though she mostly came because of a hot tea.

In a country like Ireland where townsfolks often wore jumpers and hoodies, this type of drink was made for it.

„What´s on your mind?“

You were cut off by a gentle voice beside you as you stared out the big window. It was the week before Christmas and the weather outside started getting harder. When you walked outside you could feel the cold air hitting your nostrils and if you weren´t wearing a beanie you could be sure your ears wouldn´t like that.

It just started to snow when you were doing your last preparations for tomorrow's big day. You were finally opening your coffee shop after the long reconstruction. Your parents gave the shop to you despite your declines.

„Nothin´.“ You smiled down at her as you felt her hand reaching to yours squeezing it in her own.

Jenna knew you were getting worried. You were afraid nobody would show up. Yes, the weather

wasn´t helping but would the storm be the reason for it?

You were standing beside each other just looking as the snow started to get dense and the

Snowflakes are much bigger than before.

„Come, I´ll make you something.“ You pulled her gently into you as you made your way to the

Coffee machine. Her big brown eyes were scanning your every move. How you melted the coffee and got it into the machine. You poured milk into a small teapot and slowly started to froth the milk. You grabbed the cup with the coffee and started pouring the milk into it.

Jenna enjoyed this. You were so calm doing it. Your arms were slowly but confidently circling the cup making some imagine in a coffee.

You stopped and grabbed the cup slowly giving in to Jenna. There was a big heart in it. She was amazed every time she saw it. Your drawing in coffee was perfect, sometimes you drew a swan, and through Halloween, you drew a pumpkin but what Jenna loved the most was the heart.

She gently grabbed the warm cup from your hands and slowly brought it under her nose to smell it. Slowly taking a sip while looking up at you as you smiled.

That´s how you spend the rest of the evening. The only light was the small lights by the bar and outside of the shop. Just enjoying each other's health as you cuddled up in one of your big sofas with a blanket around your legs and sweaters, thinking about what will tomorrow's day bring.

You sighed as your nerves were getting higher with each passing minute. Your coffee shop was already opened an hour but nobody showed. Not like you were getting high expectations but you were still a bit disappointed.

The room was decorated with Christmas ornaments. The soft music could be heard from the speakers around creating a cozy feeling. You could smell the hot cocoa and fresh spine.

Jenna was sitting by one of the small tables in your hoodie that was too big for her. Sometimes she would shoot you a look but each time her heart swelled at the sight of you.

She knew you were just being strong not showing how much you care about it but deep down she knew how much it affected you. The weather didn´t stop all night making it almost impossible to walk outside nor drive.

Jenna let out a sigh and stood up from the chair. „Y/N.“ She called after you looking at your back.

„Hm.“ You let out but didn´t turn around. You were focused on cutting something behind the bar.

„Y/N.“ She whispered as she came closer to you hugging you from behind with both of her arms around your torso.

„What´s wrong Jen.“ You turned around and looked down at her big eyes. The freckles were more visible as her cheeks and nose were a bit red from the cold. You swore this was your biggest weakness.

„Are you angry?“ she asked with her small voice searching for an answer in your eyes.

Her question shocked you as you blinked twice like you were trying to understand her question. „What? No, Jen. Why would I?“ you quickly pulled your arms around her.

„You were trying so hard these past months and when it´s finally here...“

You gently brushed the hair that was on her forehead, brushing it back behind her ear. „I´m not angry nor disappointed. I completely understand why it turned out like this.“ You said as you were looking into her eyes to make her sure. „It has to be like this I guess.“

Jenna leaned into your chest to hear your heartbeat with a sense of anticipation.

A couple of hours after, you and Jenna decided to close the coffee shop and get home. You didn´t want to do it but deep down you knew you wouldn´t have a customer today. You promised to make her dinner after spending so much time here. As you were getting your jacket you could hear bells by the door.

„Ow, man! This weather.“

You quickly turned around with wide eyes not believing what you saw.

„Finally! The road was awful!“

„I know right? We barely left the house and almost immediately got stuck!“

There were your friends with a wide smile across their faces. „Y/N!“ They went to you to hug you. „We´re so glad to finally see you! And look at this!“ one of your friends spun around with arms wide open. „It´s so beautiful in here!“

„W-What are you doing here?“

They laughed at your shocked face. „Look at him! He can´t believe we are here!“

„Well we heard that today is a day with a big D so we couldn´t let that slide.“

The realization hit you like a train and you spun around to look behind you. There was standing Jenna with her small frame trying to hide her smile.

Slowly more people came, your friends, Jenna´s friends, and your parents. Everyone was talking to each other around the room you could only hear happiness. Your hands were full of work but it made you happy. You were feeling complete doing what you enjoy for the people you love.

„It was you. You called them.“ You whispered in Jenna´s ear as you hugged her from behind. She was sitting on your knees as you were sitting down on a sofa.

She turned to her side raising her eyebrows and looking around. „I don´t know what you are talking about.“

You squeezed her tighter in your arms as she let out a laugh. You kissed the side of her head as you leaned on her shoulder. The both of you were sitting there looking at your family feeling warm in your heart as you watched them talking and laughing loudly, enjoying the night.

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ttshihiro · 7 months ago

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pspspps.. totally not golden groovy woops

ANYWAYS HII!! heard u were open for requests. may i request tammy + qiu with and an artist reader :00

requests of my favorite fandoms are my catnip good gof woa who could this be‽‽ my reqs and my ask box are like always open btw >◡<

extra note/s: I refer to step 1 Qiu as he/him. Uhhh take this as platonic or romantic, I'll add an indicator for romance (𐙚) ^^

more under the cut > o

✧ At 10 years old, QIU's fascinated. How he discovers your interest and skill in arts varies but his reaction doesn't. He's impressed! Whether digital or traditional, Qiu would love to participate especially if you asked him yourself.

For this reason, he carries an extra pen and even those colored ones just in case you get bored or if you're suddenly struck by creativity when you two are playing :3

✧ The first time you show him one of your doodles you made during class, he's compelled to do the same whether or not you actually give him it. And ever since, you two've been exchanging these sketches during class. It's the cutest scene to walk into.

✧ URGH AND THE THINGS HE DOES WHEN YOU TELL HIM ABOUT ART BLOCK DEPENDING ON HOW AND WHAT YOU DRAW

You're into drawing sceneries? Trust that he starts telling you and Tamarack about more "special things" in the forest and/or the town.

Like the sky? There's this clearing a lot further into the forest at your backyards. Stargaze, watch the clouds and the sunset together?

✧ It's also necessary for me to mention that unlike his notes, lazily pressed against eachother and constantly on the run, anything you give him goes to a safe space probably in between a books pages, under the the matress of his bed or inside a drawer/container.

"They broke into my backyard accidentally, 'cause they were on a crazy investigation about a paper airplane. Plus, they got here a day ago and they're already looking out for me. Normally, I'm the one doing that."

"Besides, they're pretty. And they make me pretty. Look! Look how they drew me!"

✧ As for 10-year-old TAMARACK, she's curious. The things you draw, are they based on actual places? Actual people? Oh, you draw based on your imagination? Elaborate.

✧ At some point in the prologue, she says "All the forests in the world are different, and some places don't even have forests. I can show you good spots to find things since you're newer to this forest than me."

And I can't not think of her running up to you to give you all of what she gathered for you to draw like omfg

With all those leaves and tiny branches sticking out of her hair and sweater, she smiles brightly with her hands filled with her treasures. AUGH SHE MAKES ME SO SICK I LOVE HER

✧ Like Qiu, she has her own safe spot designated for only your drawings if you've given her any.

She shows off all of them. Especially if you've drawn her?? It'll be the only thing she talks about during literally any time for the rest of the month and the few months after.

"Out of all the friends I have here, you're the best one. We came to the same exact neighborhood, almost at the same time, and are he same age. You have fun outside and I do too."

"I think you're pretty. How you draw me is pretty! I've never met a kid who was just like me. That's important. That's serious."

✧ Now, 14-year-old QIU's pretty much no different. They're even more impressed when they see just how much you've improved. Nonetheless, they treasure your old drawings just as much as they do they new.

They take the liberty of providing you with both a pen and paper to draw on when you're together, in case you don't bring your sketchbook (if you own one).

On those days where you two just sit in silence in their hideout, their gaze drifts to your side quietly a few times to watch your progress. After a while, they settle with sitting right next to you and watching the stroke of your pen against the paper as the scene forms with each hatch.

✧ As a teen, they've actually been a tad bit farther off the town when they feel like taking a ride on their bike. They've seen many sights and burn the route into their brain for them to tell you about. They'd even be happy as to bring you there themselves.

✧ If you ask them to be your muse, good god you'd need to tell them what to do.

It's almost a funny sight. Qiu, the kid who knew what to do their whole life asks you, "Should I pose? Where do I look? Ah- what's my good side?"

𐙚 They can feel their breath hitch under your scrutiny. Suddenly, they're concious of every single thing about them. Where do their eyes go? Should they move their hands? Is their hair in the way?

They avert their gaze flusteredly, their head ever so slightly moving to the side when they do so.

And good god do their hands clutch the fabric of their pants when you tell them to look at you properly.

✧ Same goes for TAMARACK at 14. She's as intrugued as ever to hear about your work. She admires (you)r style from then till now and has learned to appreciate the time gone into things as simple as this, whether or not you've made it with her in mind. BUT GOD IF YOU TELL HER IT IS, it's always sitting on her desk and she thinks constantly about what you've done for her.

✧ And while she doesn't exactly bring you a pen, she's more than glad to hand you hers when you need it.

✧ Unlike before, she'd now be at your side when you two hung out at her backyard. She'd be sitting across from you, practicing the cello. The hum of her instrument accompanied by the sound of nature and the scratch of your pen against paper gives her a sense of calmness.

This may also be when she realizes she's been your muse! Her fingers trace over where your pen has been and boy appreciate isn't even enough for her to describe how she felt. It was definitely happy, but that wasn't the word either.

𐙚 Her heart pounds alarmingly as she admires your work. It's almost concerning to you that she sits silently with a blank expression as she held your sketchbook in her hands.

But that concern washes off you as soon as a warm smile curls the corners of her lips, tender adoration displayed all over her face.

#🫧 ˎˊ˗ eunoia ✩#our life qiu lin #our life tamarack #our life qiu #our life x reader #our life #our life now and forever #tamarack baumann #tamarack baumann x reader #tamarack x reader #olnf x reader #olnf #olnf qiu #olnf tamarack #qiu autumn lin #qiu lin x reader #qiu lin #gb patch games

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weirdkpopgirl · 8 months ago

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Glasses | Chenle Imagine #6

Title: Glasses

Genre: Fluff, kinda angsty

Warnings: mildly suggestive, making out, reader is insecure

Word Count: 968

Author's Note: This is another story idea I had in my works in progress, and I've finally written it. I'm also just happy that I get to post something for Chenle, since it's been long overdue. Hope you guys enjoy it. Thank you so much for reading ^ ^

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

Curled up in the corner of your sofa with a book in hand was your idea of a perfect Sunday afternoon. You knew it was such a stereotypical thing for an introvert, but it was something you truly enjoyed. While you weren’t overly receptive to teasing, you refused to let that risk intrude on your comfort zone. Your boyfriend, on the other hand, was determined to be the exception.

Your heart nearly leaped into your throat when Chenle pounced at the opportunity to wrap his arms around you from behind, pulling you into a tight hug. For a second, you almost forgot that he let himself into your studio apartment half an hour ago.

This was a normal occurrence in your relationship, where he’d randomly drop by your place and do his own thing. If he wasn’t talking to you, he was bickering with Jisung over text or watching the Golden States Warrior highlights on his phone. That’s why you thought it’d be fine to carry on with your peaceful activity.

Turning your head in surprise, a soft chuckle escaped you. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Why?” Chenle asked, feigning an innocent tone. “Can I not be affectionate with my girlfriend?”

Without a doubt, Chenle was an amazing boyfriend, and you loved him to death. However when it came to physical touch, he was never the clingy type. You suspected his behavior stemmed from guilt over his increasing absence due to work, yet his pride wouldn’t let him admit it. While physical touch wasn't necessarily your top love language, turning down Chenle's affection would be foolish.

A smile formed on your face as you set your book aside and gently reached out to stroke his hair. “No, you can…”

He drew back slightly to catch you shyly lowering your gaze, finding your reaction utterly adorable. Returning your smile, he cradled your rosy cheeks in his hands and leaned in to plant a kiss to your lips. Initially, he intended it to be a single kiss. But he quickly realized that one wasn’t enough to satisfy him.

Chenle’s lips were soft and warm against yours, moving with a gentle but confident rhythm. Your eyes had already closed, as you willingly lost yourself in the sensation. But your glasses proved to be an unexpected obstacle, their frames awkwardly clashing against his cheeks and nose. Soon, you felt him withdraw with a light chuckle, and you caught a hint of embarrassment flickering across his expression.

“Maybe you should take these off,” he suggested playfully, tapping the rim of your glasses.

Almost instinctively, you stiffened, but tried to cover it up with a laugh. “I kind of need them to see, Lele,” you half-joked, cautiously adjusting your glasses.

“Not when we’re kissing,” Chenle said lightheartedly. “Don’t you just need to feel me?”

Internally, you grimaced as your brain scrambled for another excuse. “I mean, yeah, but…I can’t just take them off.”

This remark caused Chenle's teasing demeanor to fade away, his brows furrowing in genuine confusion.

“Why not?” His tone softened, tinged with curiosity.

You bit your lip in hesitation, knowing it was probably best to be honest. Already, you were kicking yourself for confusing him with your unnecessary defensiveness.

Sighing, your gaze dropped to the sofa as you spoke in a small voice. “My glasses are sort of a mask for me. You wouldn’t believe how unattractive I look without them on.”

The heat that rushed to your face was no longer due to shyness but to shame and embarrassment. Vulnerability was something you avoided, despising the weakness it brought. It was worse enough, knowing your insecurities had ruined this moment of intimacy with him.

Before your thoughts overwhelm you, Chenle delicately lifted your chin to meet his eyes. “You’re right, I wouldn’t believe it,” he said, moving to cup your cheek with one hand. “Because I’m positive you look just as beautiful without them on.”

With a bit of coaxing, you reluctantly let him remove your glasses. As he carefully slid them off, your vision instantly blurred without the lenses. You felt a wave of awkwardness wash over you under his attentive gaze, but you could vaguely see the affectionate smile he wore.

He nodded affirmatively, tenderly tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “Yep, I was right. You are absolutely breathtaking.”

Your heart fluttered at his words. He was certainly a smooth talker, effortlessly leaving you even more flustered than before.

“Do you really think so?” you asked in a hushed tone, holding his hand.

Chenle tilted his head, a playful glint returning to his eyes. “Have you ever known me to lie, (Y/n)?”

A shy smile graced your lips as you felt warmth spreading through you. He made a good point, Chenle’s transparency was one of the reasons you loved him.

“Okay, I believe you,” you conceded.

“Good,” he responded eagerly, “Can we please go back to what we were doing now?”

Laughing, you nodded and Chenle captured your lips in a kiss that was hungrier than the last. Now that your glasses were no longer a barrier, you could feel his warm skin against yours. He smiled into the kiss, sliding his hand from your cheek to the back of your neck. His other hand rested on your waist, pulling you closer until there was no space left between you. Your hands promptly found their way to his shoulders, holding onto him as if you were afraid he might vanish.

But he didn’t. Instead, he deepened the kiss, so much so that it caused the both of you to sink back against the couch. With your bodies entwined and hearts beating in sync, you felt your insecurities gradually melt away. While Chenle couldn’t erase them entirely, his love made you feel cherished and secure.

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

previous masterlist -> current masterlist

#nct dream #nctzen #kpop #czennie #nct dream imagines #nct dream fluff #nct #nct dream scenarios #chenle #nct zhong chenle #chenle x reader #chenle imagines #chenle scenarios #zhong chenle

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cornerstoreclown · 4 months ago

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Ugh, now I can’t help but imagine where in that ask about Art and reader being childhood friends, child Art drawing, painting or crafting you this weird super weird thing (not out of materials that would like, decompose or smell rotten after a few years, surprisingly) and then after reuniting with him in adult hood, he’s over at your house exploring while you’re cooking and sees that thing he made for you years ago in your room on display. Idk, I think he’d be so happy to still see you have it

Love this. (:

I think he might have definitely made some really weird shit. I have no doubts your first gifts were something more… temporary. Liable to rot. Perhaps something with bugs and rats. But you INSISTED to him that you wanted something that could last a little longer. Something that wasn’t prone to the throes that came with being part of the life and death cycle. And he copped an attitude about it at first until he relented. Because you basically went the flattery route with him. You WANTED something from him that had longevity because you value him as a person (god rest your soul) and so he yielded for that reason and ONLY that reason alone.

After all. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

In truth it was probably some sort of makeshift weapon he gave you. Which was concerning! Actually quite concerning! And he drew fucked up pictures of hurting people that he gave you, too! It was often of him brutalizing and killing people, and you were also in some of those pictures, but you were never maimed in them. You were just smiling right beside him in those crude childlike drawings, looking like two pals.

Suffice to say when you left Miles County as you got older he wasn’t a happy camper because you both were supposed to be together forever. Like buddies. Then you came back … I dunno, a few years? A decade? Maybe two or so, however old you are, he wasn’t THRILLED that you left him. And he might have even considered literally stabbing you in the back for that shit because that was foul, how DARE you leave him—but then when he’s back at your place and has seen that you kept that makeshift weapon visibly out and displayed like a threat to any guests, or maybe like out on display like it’s a sculpture, he … starts to forgive you. You’re not off the hook yet. He’s still a wee bit salty you left, still hurting that you left in the first place. But a part of him is touched.

And you can see that when you catch him with the book you stored his drawings in, pristine and neatly kept in a drawer holding a variety of things from your childhood. You see him thumbing through it with his bloodied hands after a fresh kill that night. Staining that book and all the pages within it. His eyes far too focused on the contents before him as he relives various memories of you two together all snugly protected between the pages.

All the while you’re just out here cooking dinner for the two of you. Hoping maybe he’ll eat it. And he might. He might not. But if he doesn’t, you know he won’t turn down your dessert you got waiting in the fridge.

That’ll surely continue to help you make up for the time you’ve been away from him.

#this was great to play with thank you!#art the clown #art the clown x reader #x reader #cornerstore asks #cornerstore musings #also once again i didn’t proofread im just spitballing whatever yall send me #*thor voice* ANOTHER

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wings-of-fire-confessions · 5 months ago

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I actually liked Dragonslayer I wish so many people didn't dogpile on it. I think it's really interesting what human society can become when living in a world dominated by dragons. Also what happens after the two species find out they can interact and learn each other's languages. I can imagine humans avidly denying it because everyone knows someone who was eaten. And the horror of dragons when they find out they've been eating intelligent life.

But yea, I do get the appeal of the books being that's it's about dragons, that's what drew child me into the series in the first place. Dragonslayer 100% has flaws, why the flip did Ivy and Leaf get romantic so fast. I don't get why that happened, it's been a little bit since I've read but I don't think they knew each other very long. I feel like the focus could have been on other things instead of that sub plot or whatever. Idk, I think they can work, but that it felt a little fast to me. Also Sky feels so infantilized to me, he's like 8 or 9 and acts like a toddler from my memory, I really wish he wasn't treated like that. It'd be fine if he just liked childish things but he acts like it to and it irks me a little bit. I might just be over exaggerating it in my mind but that's how I remember it.

Anyway, I hope that dragons and humans stay mostly separate. I want to know about dragons and dragon politics and life and culture and everything cool about them. Not as much about the humans as interesting as it can be to follow a human story in a dragon world.

I hope this makes sense lol. Anon off on purpose btw, idm people knowing who I am

#wof #wings of fire confessions #wof confessions #wings of fire #dragonslayer #scavengers

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acourtofthought · 5 months ago

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The issue is not really giving Elain wings since SJM herself allowed Feyre to give herself wings and the mother changed her and Nesta's anatomy. Is it a poorly written storyline? Sure, you can acknowledge the problems with it while also acknowledging that in this world things that are questionable still happen therefore Elain being given wings is along the same vein of what's written in the book.

The bigger question is why was Elain given wings?

Is there any single thing to support her wanting to be an Illyrian female? She's not mated to, in love with (and no, glances and a near hookup do not equate to love), nor married to an Illyrian so.....

Is there anything to suggest she secretly might want to be an Illyrian female but is to scared to ask for it?

Is there anything to suggest she'd ever want to change her body for Az?

Is there anything to suggest there is a need for her to become an Illyrian with wings (the way that makes a tiny bit of sense for Feyre considering she fought beside her Illyrian mate in a war alongside Illyrian warriors and her flying with them is more helpful than not. Elain didn't compete in the Illyrian Rite like Nesta, Gwyn or Emerie. She's not a possible target of the Illyrians anger the way those three might be.

Elain rejected that which makes a warrior in the NC, weapons, Illyrian leathers.

The issue with this is how during Elain Week, e/riels are celebrating a version of Elain that does not exist therefore who are they actually celebrating? Their headcanons of Elain have erased how Sarah wrote Elain and how Sarah spoke about her in interviews.

Can you imagine the riot if Elucien's suggested Elain dip herself back into the Cauldron so she can make herself look different in order to be a better fit for Lucien? I mean, she's already the most beautiful female he'd ever seen so there's nothing to change but if we suggested it? The pitchforks would be out claiming we're changing Elain to suit a man.

Can you imagine the riot if Gwynriels drew Gwyn with Illyrian wings?

They're hypocrites and they know it yet they want to play dumb as to why people are actually upset. They're the ones claiming Gwynriels are "stealing" Elain's body type and plots for Gwyn. They're the ones claiming Elucien's cater Elain's story to Lucien yet they are the one who have created a character during her own damn week who literally does not exist in the ACOTAR world.

#elain archeron #anti e/riel #pro elain archeron #elucien #gwynriel #Headcanons are great but if you're rewriting an entire character you're entering the Dramione zone #elaingate

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nanshii-doruu · 19 days ago

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RANKING NANCY DREW GAMES BY ACCOMMODATION: A VERY SUBJECTIVE LIST

Recently I’ve been enjoying vote4holt’s YouTube ND game rankings. He covers the major aspects of each game: story, characters, puzzles, music, atmosphere and endings, with one big final ranking video at the end. It covers most aspects of the game, but it got me thinking: what other things can we rank the games on? I mean, you can make a list about damn near anything that’s featured in all the games, but one thing that always gets my attention is accommodation. I’m very interested in temporary accommodation from a thematic standpoint, and I’m actually working on a book which will be a collection of my hotel stories, half of which are real, and half of which are made up. Nancy’s adventures definitely inspired some of it.

IMPORTANT NOTES

I haven’t played MID or KEY, so they aren’t ranked. I might add them when I get around to it. Also, I haven’t played a couple of these games for a while and/or I’ve played them only once, so some factual errors may be present. I welcome corrections and/or comments!

I will be evaluating the accommodations based on several factors: comfort, aesthetic, security, and how irritating any roommates you have might be.

There are actually three categories of accommodation. They are: Not Relevant (i.e. we don’t know where Nancy is staying); Limited Info (i.e. we know where Nancy is saying but we don’t see it in its entirety); and Luxuriously Demonstrated (i.e. we see Nancy’s room and can interact with it). You might be wondering: how can you rank places you can’t see? Easy – I’m going to predict what the accommodation MIGHT be like, and rank based on vibes!

These are going to be VERY biased to my taste. There are several things I value in accommodation that you may feel differently about. I am no outdoorsman, and I value comfort, privacy and safety in my temporary accommodation, with cool aesthetics following swiftly behind. Therefore, these values will inform my list. I didn’t realise this would be the case so much when I started it, but it became clear as I started writing. That’s not a bad thing per se – in fact, I hope you vehemently disagree with a few of these! Tell me what you think!

Finally, I tried very hard not to let my feelings about the actual games slip in, but it becomes inevitable at some points. Atmosphere is a big part of this ranking, and a lot of my favourite games have good atmosphere. That said, this is in no way a ranking of my favourite games.

I will overuse the word “cosy”. Also, I’m a yapper, so this is LONG.

All right? Let’s go!

NOT RELEVANT

The Final Scene – I’m imagining a regular corporate-style hotel for this, and honestly? I’m into that. I might as well reveal this now: I LOVE hotels. Even the most boring hotel is magical for me still. I think it’s because I never stayed in hotels frequently as a child (all our holidays were in rented cabins/houses, not hotels), and I don’t have a job that allows travel with hotel stays. Consequently, a hotel is an enormous treat, even the most basic place. Oh, someone will change my linens FOR me? Incredible! There’s a clean bathroom? How wondrous! A continental breakfast? Ambassador, you are spoiling us! Hotels can be kind of a nightmare for some people, because it’s stressful to be out of your home, and if you have concerns about hygiene and security then I’m sure it’s even more stressful. Still, I think there’s something slightly wonderful about a room that’s only yours temporarily.

Labyrinth of Lies – history may show I’m not overly enamoured with this game, but you know what? I’ve mellowed a bit over time. I haven’t replayed it (no way to redownload my original purchase and I’m not inclined to spend money on it again), but I think @aniceworld had a point in his game ranking. It’s probably intended to be magical realist, and it’s far from the worst offender in the unrealistic category. I stand by the opinion that this era of the series is too self-serious to get away with the extent of wacky nonsense the premise needs to work, but the game probably wasn’t worth the dragging I gave it. All the same, I have no plans to replay it lol. ANYWAY. We don’t know Nancy’s digs in this game, but based on previous entries I’m willing to bet her accommodation was either a) whatever the Greek equivalent of a Motel 6 is b) an unrealistically gorgeous boutique hotel with fabulous mosaics and views overlooking the Aegean sea or wherever we’re meant to be or c) a homestay with a quirky Greek family consisting of a stressed out mother, her cheerful father in law and her precocious young scamp of a son, all of whom need us to do culturally-enriching errands constantly. Fingers crossed for Nancy’s sake it was b).

Secret of the Old Clock – we never find out where Nancy is staying despite the setting being an inn. Was she staying here? I don’t entirely remember, but I don’t think so. The inn looks great, but given the circumstances it’s probably best that Nancy stay off-property. Fuck it, she’s staying at the Deer Mountain Resort. I’m picturing it kind of like Old Faithful Inn, even though I know that’s nonsense geographically speaking – historic, charming, outdoorsy and cosy.

GIVES US LIMITED INFO

Trail of the Twister – this is of a genre of places to stay I like to call “staircase with nothing to see at the top”. As a scientific observation post, the rooming situation here is likely spartan and utilitarian. I’m picturing camp beds with sleeping bags on top, or else some kind of bunkbed scenario a la DED. This would actually be kinda fun if any of the characters in TOT were in any way the kind of people you’d enjoy having a sleepover with. I guess between WAC and SAW, Her had overspent their ability to create characters who were actually interesting – or who at the very least, had interesting interactions with each other. Top asshole prize goes to the loathsome Debbie, who manages to be both boring and annoying, with her constant “Nancy! Time to go to bed!” whenever she’s done running you ragged for the day. This could have (theoretically) been a fun, cosy place to stay while you watch storms from the window, and instead it’s just sort of nothing. Kind of a microcosm for the game.

The Haunting of Castle Malloy – trying not to let my thoughts about the game infect this one, so I’m trying to imagine a version of Castle Malloy that somehow doesn’t include Kyler Mallory. It’s much nicer. Anyway, the vibes here are of course immaculate, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a nice place to stay. It’s probably dank and draughty in the castle – Kyler calls the tapestries mouldy and it’s hard to know if she’s exaggerating. I can believe it. I bet Nancy’s bed was suspiciously damp.

Sea of Darkness – the inn looks nice enough in a practical, backpacker sort of way, but this one loses points for the very real and horrifying possibility that Nancy is sleeping in one of those eight-bunk hostel rooms. On its own this is a fine way to spend a trip and I too have indulged in the ol’ mystery roommate selection pack game, but I am on entirely the wrong side of 30 for this to hold any appeal any more.

Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake – we see the cabin, and we can adjust the time, but I’m taking points off because we don’t see Nancy’s room. Still, based on the rest of the cabin, it’s hard to believe it’s anything more than a basic sleeping bag on an uncomfortable mattress. Did you ever do activity trips in school? I had to go on a couple. I remember the mattresses being basically the same as those mats you have in gym class, blue and shiny and full of foam. If I tried to sleep on one now it would turn my spine into a loose stack of pebbles. I’m convinced that the bed in DOG is exactly this brand of discomfort. Oh, and I bet you have to go outside to use a terrible chemical toilet, and there’s no shower and you have to use one of those solar backpack ones that weighs the same as a hefty toddler. This is probably a 10/10 for people who love the off-the-grid experience, but much lower for those who do not care for it (me. I’m those). I do like the idea of a cabin in the woods, but this is a bit too rustic for me. At least it’s private.

Secrets Can Kill – okay full disclaimer, I haven’t played the original OR the remake, hence the low rating. I am simply not convinced I would enjoy it. Based on YouTube playthroughs though… boy is Aunt Eloise’s apartment hard on the eyes. I’m actually willing to go easy on them though because I think I can imagine the look they were going for (that sort of 80s/90s American Victorian Nancy Meyer look that looked a bit better in STD and MHM) and I actually like that aesthetic, so I’m chalking it up to graphical limitations. In the remake they really did stick to those acidy colours rather than go for more subdued jewel tones though, so idk. Aunt Eloise is probably a very unforgiving host, and I bet the whole place smells like band-aids. OH and I was going to avoid the whole “haha it’s the worst cos it’s in Florida” thing cos that’s some low-hanging oranges, but actually I think this kind of interior design (fussy upholstery, heavy wood, carpets) would be pretty hard to deal with in a climate like Florida’s. Literally the only reason this beats DOG is because an indoor bathroom is a deal-breaker for me, and I simply do not believe the cabin has one. THEN AGAIN, if Aunt Eloise’s personality is anything like her decoration taste, maybe pissing in a ditch ain’t that bad.

Stay Tuned For Danger – Mattie’s apartment has a similar aesthetic to Aunt Eloise’s apartment, but it does look a bit nicer. I’m giving it a higher score because I’ll take a fancy NY apartment over one in Florida any day.*

*apologies to any Floridians, I have visited many times and I love you guys, but dear lord your climate is a lot to deal with.

Ransom of the Seven Ships – listen I suffered half of this game only once so my recollection isn’t amazing and my hackles were immediately up when I started thinking about this one. But you have to admit, a beach resort on a tropical island sounds incredible on paper. And it should be, really – an eco resort? Snorkelling, animals, and sick-ass sunken ships to explore? Sounds incredible! I don’t believe we actually confirm where the gang’s rooms are, but the resort looks lovely (and it’s not like I can buy the game again to check). Now, the lack of owners or staff? Not so lovely. If I recall correctly it’s explained as the off-season, but still – there should be SOME people around, even if just for maintenance (like, what the entire plot of The Shining is hinged on). This would have actually made for a small cast of intriguing suspects. Why didn’t Her do this???? Now I’m just getting mad about the game. Hackles up again.

Creature of Kapu Cave – not all that dissimilar to the last in that both are beach resorts, I suppose, but the culture is obviously different. This one only gains points for having an actually staffed resort, and because the place is beautiful despite all the nonsense the game throws at us – though it loses some as well for the inherent scumminess of the Hawai’ian tourist industry. Having said that, if we were to dissect the scumminess of all tourist industries present in the games, we’d be here for a long-ass time.

Danger By Design – another of Nancy’s apartment shares, this time with Jing Jing Ling. Again this one gets points for location alone. Call me a cliché but I do love Paris – as with all big cities you need to drop your preconceptions and go with what the place is giving you, and you will always have a good time. Place Monge is a nice area, and it’s right next to the Jardin des Plantes and the National Museum of Natural History, two of my favourite spots. The apartment itself is perfectly nice, maybe a little dark but still a lot prettier than a fashion model would reasonably have – though its main appeal is definitely the constant smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. JJ would be a pretty difficult roommate, though. Entertaining as a compulsive liar can be, there would come a point where she pretended she had no idea what happened to the jambon beurre in the fridge that you were saving for lunch today, and the friendship would be over.

Secret of Shadow Ranch – even if you’re not outdoorsy, there’s still a lot to like about Shadow Ranch! The charmingly eclectic interior design, the beautiful Native American arts and crafts, and one thing that all good accommodations should have – a kitchen! Shorty’s creepiness aside, there’s nothing cosier than whipping up dinner in a big, comfy kitchen as the sun goes down, fire crackling in the grate, friends gathered around to hear a ghost story… We don’t get to see the bedroom (and in fact, there’s no real logical place for it to be – there’s no door inside that could lead to it, so you must have to go outside to get to the bedrooms?) but I’m picturing beautifully carved wooden headboards and more of those cosy blankets. The established risk of rattlesnakes and scorpions in the room does give me pause, but the vibes are too immaculate to rank the ranch any lower.

Legend of the Crystal Skull – aight I can fully admit this is so high up because of how much I’m using my imagination to fill in the gaps. From Bess’s POV we see a gorgeous balcony overlooking some primo New Orleans real estate. It’s raining, it’s pouring, it’s ambient, and the only thing we know for a fact is that Bess had a great bubble bath there. Ooohoooohohooooo. What an enticing picture you paint, Her. I imagine the hotel to be one of those old-world turn-of-the-century Belle Epoque builds with a renovated interior – y’know, smooth dark wood and soft white sheets, waffle robes, the whole shebang. The thing that really pushes it up, though, is the weather. Two of my fondest hotel memories involve storms, and they also both happened in the USA – one at the Omni Parker Hotel in Boston, and one at the Royal Pacific in Universal Orlando. In both instances it was raining heavily, with thunder and lightning filling the sky, so going out wasn’t an option. Both times me and my compadres got snacks, put on a podcast, and kicked back and watched the storm until it passed. I imagine Nancy and Bess did this the night after Nancy closed the case.

Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon – this made-up scenario JUST beats out my made-up CRY scenario because it’s a train. It’s a fuckin railway car, from an era when railway cars still looked beautiful.* We’re moving through the night with a mystery to solve… but wouldn’t it be nice to retreat to our cabin instead? Wouldn’t it be dreamy to retire to a vintage rail cabin? It’s a dark night and our route is so scenic, so wouldn’t you rather get into the soft, comfy bed by the window, lie back, and watch the landscape pass by moonlight? If you’ve never done a night train before – do it. It’s a wonderful travel experience. I’ve only done two, and both were somewhat utilitarian (Amsterdam to Prague, which I loved but our two adjoining cabins had slightly less space than your average sardine tin; and Edinburgh to London on the Caledonian Sleeper, which was fancier but still not Orient Express class). Being rocked to sleep by the motion of the train… nothing like it in this world. I imagine the train in TRN is meant to be more on the level of super luxury trains, like the modern Venice Simplon Orient Express, or the Seven Stars in Kyushu. It’s not a modern train so the amenities wouldn’t be up to these luxury experiences, but the atmosphere alone would be more than worth it (and, as Lori is meant to be wealthy or at least connected – who knows! Maybe she had it updated).

*This is of course a joke. All railway cars are beautiful.

LUXURIOUSLY DEMONSTRATED

Alibi in Ashes – this is ranked lowest because as far as I’m concerned it doesn’t count. This is Nancy’s home (and it’s very nice). In terms of the actual mystery, Nancy has some not great accommodation in the form of the jail cell.

The Shattered Medallion – it’s only fitting that this wet fart of a game has accommodation to match. We’re camping, and I’m trying to let my venomous hatred of camping slide – and I really think I could, if only the game had been good. If a game like SHA or CUR had Nancy sleeping in a tent I could have forgiven a lot for the sake of atmosphere, but this game has no such grace. It’s not even AESTHETIC.

Tomb of the Lost Queen – there are a few things that make this accommodation very unappealing, and they are: camping (subjective on my part I know, but c’mon. I assume no one camps because they think it’s comfortable); sharing with strangers (generally high risk, but especially in a Nancy Drew game, where you could be sleeping mere feet from someone who will shank you for the slightest gain); and the environment (dear lord I would be dead in minutes here. I’m a white Celtic redhead, I am not MADE for the desert. I am made for rain, pillaging, and carving strange things into rock). Still, all things considered, there are bedframes here, the canvas looks sturdy enough, and your tentmates aren’t as bad as they could be (Debbie).

The Ghost of Thornton Hall – one of the best games, but Nancy’s set up is not ideal. She has a sleeping bag in a decaying mansion, with prime views of Charlotte’s haunted door. It’s a gothic fantasy, but it’s not going to be comfortable in person. No word on the toilet/shower sitch, but you just know it was awful.

Secret of the Scarlet Hand – a regular, boring hotel, but tbh I love that (see above). I bet the aircon was bountiful and the continental breakfast slapped.

Danger on Deception Island – another great game where the sleeping setup is pretty bad. Staying on a boat, sharing a tiny cupboard with Katie Firestone (whomst I do not find very compelling, if you do then god speed), and you have to sleep in sleeping bags head-to-head? Nope. The toilet/shower situation definitely sucks. It’s probably a good thing that we never see Nancy turn in for the night, otherwise I do not doubt that Katie would have an insane sleep hygiene routine and Nancy would fantasise about strangling her in the night. Still, the vibes are great, and I’m sure many of us have dreamed of living in a boat.

The Curse of Blackmoor Manor – my bias is entering here and I can fully admit that. There are a few “Nancy stays in a luxury bedroom” games, and this one might be my least favourite. It’s mainly because Blackmoor Manor is so fuckin’ ugly. I’ve joked about this before, but even as upper-class old-school maximalist households go (and there are a lot of them IRL), Blackmoor Manor is SPECTACULARLY hideous. I know some of the ugliness is part of the puzzles, but omg HER you couldn’t have made the entryway less of an eyesore? The hallways more aesthetically pleasing? Nancy’s room less of the kind of space you’d avoid if you were having a migraine? It seems like the bed is nice, and we can get food delivered (which I always like in a game), but the constant interruption of Nancy’s sleep really pulls this one down.

The Phantom of Venice – while the idea of a plush hotel room in the Floating City is certainly appealing, I fear that the design didn’t really hit a home run here. IMHO the décor of Nancy’s room is WAY too dark and heavy for somewhere like Venice, and I find that offputting. This would definitely work in some games – in fact, if this had been Nancy’s room in CUR, I would be a happy camper. Still, you can’t say it isn’t luxurious. I’m sure plenty of people love this one, but the lowish ranking is because I don’t think the aesthetic suits the area, or even the game, particularly well.

Warnings at Waverly Academy – as anyone who has lived in a dorm can testify, dorm living can actually be very nice. Waverly Academy is gorgeous, though probably somewhat plusher than what actual boarding school dorms look like. My only experience is doing summer day camp at a couple of boarding schools as a kid, and generally I think rooms tend to have more than two occupants and be pretty aesthetically underwhelming, even when the main school building is gorgeous. Anyway, the rooms in WAC seem pleasant, cosy and full of creature comforts, but (as with TOT) it really ultimately hinges on who your roommate is. And Corinne is… well, sort of a lot. She doesn’t quite hit the heights of irritating quite like some characters do (Debbie), but I also feel like she’d keep breaking the silence as you tried to sleep by asking “so, do you think I’m cool?” or “haha guess what Nancy it’s past midnight, it’s tomorrow!”

The Deadly Device – I’ve never stayed at a research lab, but if I ever do, I really hope it looks like this one. The bunkbed looks peaceful and comfy, there’s a private bathroom, and the rec room honestly seems great. If it weren’t for the mystery at hand, I’d enjoy myself napping, cooking and playing Aggregate here.

The Haunted Carousel – another bland hotel, though we see a little more of this one and (as I’ve said) I’m kind of enamoured with these. As in, I have deliberately played this game while staying in hotels like this, to enhance the ambience. I don’t know, I guess I was wired wrong. The room service menu really brings this one up, though – cheeseburgers and pasta (the two best foods of all time) straight to the door? It’s all I dream of. You also have the option of burning the whole thing down, which is a bold move on the developers’ part.

The Silent Spy – well, here we have the closest I’ve ever come to staying in a bona fide ND location. The station in the game is, I’m fairly certain, inspired by a mixture of Glasgow Queen Street (has some of those smaller archways that lead to the platforms, and leads onto a main square) and Glasgow Central (older brick station with a hotel attached). The IRL hotel attached to Glasgow Central is the Voco Grand Central Glasgow, and it does bear some resemblance to Glaucus Lodge in architecture and interior design. My room was nothing like Nancy’s, but it was cosy and pleasant! It is also very nice to be right on the railways station, and there’s something slightly magical about a special exit for hotel guests. Anyway, reality aside, this is a very nice hotel. I have a pet peeve in luxury Scottish hotels (very specific I know) where it’s all just tartan and antlers and tweed – designed for rich tourists, and not very representative of actual Scottish art and culture. Glaucus Lodge is sort of bland luxury, but it doesn’t do that, and I’m kind of grateful for it. There however is a sense of always being on edge in the room that loses it a few points with me.

Message in a Haunted Mansion – another of Nancy’s fancy bedrooms. This one gains points for the Victorian chinoiserie, but loses some for a lack of security in the game (that scary-ass note slipped under your door). Still, I wouldn’t say no to a stay in a San Francisco Victorian, and I bet once the mystery was solved Nancy slept like a baby in that bed.

The Captive Curse – I don’t have huge amounts to write about this one, but I really like it. The dark wood and red colour scheme work well here where they didn’t in VEN because of the spooky/nighttime atmosphere. I love a four-poster bed (you ever sleep in one? ooooooh baby it’s a cool soothing balm for all the angst you had as a teenager that you weren’t actually a Gothic heroine living in a decaying manor on the moors), and I really like the lighting in this room. It’s so glowy and cosy. I would love to work at the desk here, looking out of the window and hoping no monsters shamble on by…

White Wolf of Icicle Creek – this game isn’t perfect, but one area it does do well is the bedrooms. Even though DOG is a much better game, this cabin is far more my vibe. I’ve always enjoyed the National Park Service rustic style of architecture and design (hence my earlier reference to the Old Faithful Inn), and though we’re in Canada I think the aesthetic is similar enough. It would of course be a lot nicer if you weren’t always zipping around doing grunt work, but it’s still such a pleasant, cosy place. I like to imagine it has outdoor hot tubs and stargazing pods. The snowed-in vibes are also a big part of what makes the atmosphere so cosy. This is a good place to stay. Maybe get a full staff in, though, not just some teenager run off her feet.

Shadow at the Water’s Edge – I’ve always dreamed of staying in a ryokan, and SAW’s ryokan is REALLY beautiful. In fact, there’s literally one reason why it isn’t number one for me, and that’s how there’s not really a safe place in the whole ryokan – you get menaced in your room, in the halls, in the bathroom (in the BATHROOM), and even the garden is creepy as heck because the soundtrack follows you. All that said, I still love it and I would stay here, ghost or no ghost. The bedding just looks so comfy and soft, the garden is beautiful, I love the idea of being able to take cultural lessons there, and I need to lower my disgusting body into that hot spring bath right now. And, a SURPRISE BONUS LOCATION: Yumi’s apartment! Small and overpriced it may be, but Yumi says she loves it and you can really tell. A cute, cosy little bolthole in the concrete jungle of Kyoto. Mwah.

Treasure in the Royal Tower – snagging the top spot is Her’s fourth game, and the first one to really knock it out of the park. It’s amazing how good the ambience is considering the game’s age, but let’s put that aside and focus on Wickford Castle as a place to stay. Oh, boy. I love it. Nancy’s bedroom is comfy and cosy without being too fussy, there’s so much to explore, you have a whole ass library, AND it comes with a historical mystery? And that’s before you remember that you can (normally) do winter sports here, too. I would love nothing more than to return from a wintry walk and cosy up in front of the fire (sans Lisa, RIP see you in hell) with a good book and some hot chocolate hand-delivered by Jacques. The catering situation could probably be better, but it’s not bad enough to kill the vibe. Absolutely lovely.

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cloverplover · 1 year ago

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the fellowship of the ring (family: felinae) :3

"lore" below the cut

so much thought went into this and i couldnt tell ya why!

all the cats shown are members of the subfamily felinae of felidae, which basically excludes big cats like lions and tigers (that can roar). since in lotr canon the fellowship takes place time-wise sort of after all the big players have come and gone, i think that all the remaining races would be smaller cats in comparison, to emulate that vibe of the end of an era. each character of a different race has a different genus- including boromir and aragorn, because a lynx is basically a fancier caracal and i thought that was funny.

felis, the housecat genus that the hobbits are in, actually has quite a few species, so i imagine that in this universe the more housecat you are, the more respectable a hobbit. however some cats (tooks!) are a bit more related to wild cats, hence why pippin looks like a sandcat.

gandalf, true to the books, is just sort of doing his own thing- everyone probably has a theory on what kind of cat he is but he won't confirm or deny any of them. aragorn knows but won't admit it. saruman, on the other hand, i imagine as a cheetah :3

the dwarf family also includes leopardus, which is small spotted cats. i chose a pallas cat for gimli (and then regretted it when coloring) because i thought it fit his vibe too well to pass up, but maybe thats just his family tree, who knows. i imagine them all with geometric spot patterns, better than how i drew gimli's, and very broad shoulders.

caracals are the only living member of their genus, so i also give cougars to men. maybe the house of rohan gets them. up to interpretation!

anyway. on to your regularly scheduled programming

#*gritting my teeth* sometimes you have to be a little unwell to be mentally well #lotr #lord of the rings #warrior cats #sorta #warrior cats designs #furry #wc #pippin took #merry brandybuck #frodo baggins #samwise gamgee #gandalf the grey #boromir #aragorn #legolas greenleaf #gimli #im so sorry all normal people who are on the lotr tag #i started drawing this and couldnt do anything until it was done

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trees-be-drawing · 1 month ago

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Okay… so I started reading @annzy-bananzys-corner ‘s “Snettles” as I was scrolling through Snufmin fanfics to read on AO3 back in early December, and… holy cow is it good!!!

Not only did the art cover from one of my favorite artists drew me in, but the writing was just 👌✨ GORGEOUS!!

All the characters written had such good chemistry towards each other, and Snorkmaiden ended up being the funniest to me. I couldn’t stop laughing so hard at her trying to be the voice of reason to the two lovable idiots that are Moomin and Snufkin in the early chapters.

So as typical fashion, I felt a great need to draw it. Cuz honestly, long-haired Snufkin was not something I thought was going to make me go feral but hot damn does he look so pretty in long hair!

Okay so…

SPOILERS TO THE FIC!!!

It’s pretty blurry but 1. I don’t have the best camera quality, and 2. It’s a bit faded since it took me a whole month to do this. (Update: I got a clearer picture. Sorry, I was rushing to get this out for a whole month)

But anyway, I had absolute gender envy every time I drew Snufkin with long hair. And there was definitely a lot more I wanted to draw, and felt bad I didn’t draw Little My especially.

I’m actually glad for the cover art too, it acted as a perfect reference to use but unfortunately I’m not very good at drawing Moomin and I’m envious at how @hanekdrawsmoomins draws them! They’re so fluffy and pretty!!

I definitely had to draw Snorkmaiden calling Snufkin a twink. I couldn’t resist. What I didn’t intend was for it to be right next to Snufkin having a breakdown over the overpowering song in his ears 😅 I also decided in order to differentiate Moomin and Snorkmaiden, I gave Snorkmaiden more rounder and fluffier features like her tail and ears. It’s subtle but I was pretty happy with it.

I get giddy every time I drew Moomin and Snufkin, but Snorkmaiden and Alicia needed some love too. I wanted to try some perspective which… I’ll admit I’m not very good at, but I did my best. I normally don’t draw backgrounds but I wanted to give the scenes more character and it was pretty fun, even if it’s not perfect.

I also thought to myself “maybe the reason Moomin didn’t recognize Snufkin was because he’s never seen Snufkin’s hair deflate in the water” so I drew the comparison to Snufkin and “Snettles” for that one scene where Moomin realized how similar they were. I also imagined his hair gets longer in mermaid form.. hehe! :3

I was also very excited to do my interpretation of the Lady of the Sea but I’ll be honest… I did procrastinate on it for a while which is why it took so long. I know the description said “seaweed green hair” and not the fact it’s actual seaweed but… I hope you don’t mind but I gave her seaweed hair. Made of different types of seaweed too :3 I actually want to colour it at some point but if there’s any changes I should do to her design, you can let me know. I’ve loved to get an accurate idea on her :3 I also used the mermaids from the 90’s as reference to give her fins on her head, although Snufkin doesn’t have any but I’d argue it’s cuz he’s only half mermaid.

It’s a very scattered looking comic kind of page but man! There was so many moments that were genuinely so good I felt tempted to even draw a full comic book on this!!

But no… unfortunately I am very easy to lose motivation and I’ve been and will be pretty busy for the majority of my current life cuz of college and stuff so I’m afraid I can’t draw often.

Good thing I’m on break at the moment :3

But anyway, it was super duper fun drawing these!! I’m actually super duper proud of them :3

Actually…. You wanna know how much I loved my sketch of Moomin and Snufkin on their midnight swim?

I COLOURED IT!! GONE BACK TO MY DIGITAL ART ROOTS FOR THIS!!!

Honestly I don’t think I did that great but I did this on iBisPaint, and there was a version where he had brown hair… until I read a section saying he has red hair so I quickly changed it to how it looks currently.

I also realized too late that the scales on his cheeks weren’t actually scales but freckles… which…. You know what? Fuck it. His freckles turn to fish scales. And they’re shiny :3

I also decided to make his scales glow but then remembered that doesn’t happen till Chapter 13. But hey, I think it gave it a calm feeling with how warm it must feel to be snuggled up like that on the water. Heck even my sister agreed.

Overall, Moomin fanfics have really helped with my art block.

And sorry for the really long yapping session. I like talking about my thought process on these things, and I genuinely can’t wait for the next chapter whenever or if it ever comes. I understand you’re busy so I don’t blame you but… damn you really left it on a cliffhanger huh? Still love it though! :3

Also I’m not sure why the link for the fic isn’t working properly cuz normally it would be automatic but… I’ll see if I can fix it at some point (update, I fixed it!)

#snufmin #moomin #snufkin #moomintroll #mermaid au #snorkmaiden #alicia moomin #hehe… Snuffles :3 they’re so corny I love them

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nalyra-dreaming · 5 months ago

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I have a question because I don't remember what actually happened in the books, just what impression it left on me. But I keep seeing people talking about Armand and Lestat like it was this grand passionate MUTUAL love affair and I always saw it as pretty one-sided on Armand's side. Lestat came to love him eventually, but to me it was never passionate or romantic. More like the way you have love for someone who has been around most of your big life moments so that history creates connection and love. More of a platonic, familial type of thing. But then I just saw someone describe them as "feral for each other" and I'm confused. Am I remembering wrong? Or are people creating headcanons?

Wellllllllll.... It depends a bit on how you want to see it I guess.

I do think that Lestat is mightily attracted to Armand. And Armand to him. And in the "Cinderella scene" (I'll post it below), there is a lot of talk about love and desire.

But it also becomes clear through the scene that Armand is spell-binding Lestat, in order to (force-) feed on him. And thereby blows it - ultimately forever.

And against the far wall, a backdrop of satin and filigree, I saw, out of the corner of my eye, like something imagined, Armand. Armand. If there had been a summons, I never heard it. If there was a greeting, I didn't sense it now. He was merely looking at me, a radiant creature in jewels and scalloped lace. And it was Cinderella revealed at the ball, this vision, Sleeping Beauty opening her eyes under a mesh of cobwebs and wiping them all away with one sweep of her warm hand. The sheer pitch of incarnate beauty made me gasp. Yes, perfect mortal raiment, and yet he seemed all the more supernatural, his face too dazzling, his dark eyes fathomless and just for a split second glinting as if they were windows to the fires of hell. And when his voice came it was low and almost teasing, forcing me to concentrate to hear it: All night you've been searching for me, he said, and here I am, waiting for you. I have been waiting for you all along. I think I sensed even then, as I stood unable to look away, that never in my years of wandering this earth would I ever have such a rich revelation of the true horror that we are. Heartbreakingly innocent he seemed in the midst of the crowd.

Yet I saw crypts when I looked at him, and I heard the beat of the kettledrums. I saw torchlit fields where I had never been, heard vague incantations, felt the heat of raging fires on my face. And they didn't come out of him, these visions. Rather I drew them out on my own. Yet never had Nicolas, mortal or immortal, been so alluring. Never had Gabrielle held me so in thrall. Dear God, this is love. This is desire. And all my past amours have been but the shadow of this. And it seemed in a murmuring pulse of thought he gave me to know that I had been very foolish to think it would not be so. Who can love us, you and I, as we can love each other, he whispered and it seemed his lips actually moved. Others looked at him. I saw them drifting with a ludicrous slowness; I saw their eyes pass over him, I saw the light fall on him at a rich new angle as he lowered his head. I was moving towards him. It seemed he raised his right hand and beckoned and then he didn't, and he had turned and I saw the figure of a young boy ahead of me, with narrow waist and straight shoulders and high firm calves under silk stockings, a boy who turned as he opened a door and beckoned again. A mad thought came to me. I was moving after him, and it seemed that none of the other things had happened. There was no crypt under les Innocents, and he had not been that ancient fearful fiend. We were somehow safe. We were the sum of our desires and this was saving us, and the vast untasted horror of my own immortality did not lie before me, and we were navigating calm seas with familiar beacons, and it was time to be in each other's arms. A dark room surrounded us, private, cold. The noise of the ball was far away. He was heated with the blood he'd drunk and I could hear the strong force of his heart.

He drew me closer to him, and beyond the high windows there flashed the passing lights of the carriages, with dim incessant sounds that spoke of safety and comfort, and all the things that Paris was. I had never died. The world was beginning again. I put out my arms and felt his heart against me, and calling out to my Nicolas, I tried to warn him, to tell him we were all of us doomed. Our life was slipping inch by inch from us, and seeing the apple trees in the orchard, drenched in green sunlight, I felt I would go mad. "No, no, my dearest one, " he was whispering, "nothing but peace and sweetness and your arms in mine. "

"You know it was the damnedest luck! " I whispered suddenly. "I am an unwilling devil. I cry like some vagrant child. I want to go home. " Yes, yes, his lips tasted like blood, but it was not human blood. It was that elixir that Magnus had given me, and I felt myself recoil. I could get away this time. I had another chance. The wheel had turned full round. I was crying out that I wouldn't drink; I wouldn't, and then I felt the two hot shafts driven hard through my neck and down to my soul. I couldn't move. It was coming as it had come that night, the rapture, a thousandfold what it was when I held mortals in my arms. And I knew what he was doing! He was feeding upon me! He was draining me. And going down on my knees, I felt myself held by him, the blood pouring out of me with a monstrous volition I couldn't stop.

"Devil! " I tried to scream. I forced the word up and up until it broke from my lips and the paralysis broke from my limbs. "Devil! " I roared again and I caught him in his swoon and hurled him backwards to the floor.

Now, Lestat fights Armand off after this, but I think this is what a lot of the passion stems from - and also the reason why it will never come to pass.

Because Lestat does desire Armand. But Armand forced him, just after Magnus forced him. And that ended it, before it could really start, until time changed it into a more gentle love.

#hotarurea #ask nalyra #amc iwtv #iwtv #amc interview with the vampire #interview with the vampire #lesmand #armand #lestat de lioncourt #the vampire chronicles #vc #vampire chronicles #the vampire lestat #book quotes

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callsign-rogueone · 11 months ago

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braids - b.s.

Brennan Sorrengail x reader (duchess!) ✉️: Duchess has her hair in traditional braids right? Do u think Bren would learn how to braid her hair? And do it on days that she's tired or exhausted. Or maybe he would help her get the braids out of her hair at night. words: ~1k 🏷: no book spoilers, no triggers. just my response to the above and my thoughts about Bren, Duchess, and her hair. I promise there’s sweet headcanons under all my rambling about how I picture her braids. and I tried to make this as inclusive as possible and discuss multiple hair types, but I’m not very knowledgeable about that so I apologize if something is wrong!

The short answer: yes, absolutely. Brennan is a caretaker and protector first and foremost. It’s why he became a mender; he’s the eldest of the family, takes responsibility for younger siblings, and he’s just that kind of guy. He’d take incredibly good care of you as his partner, and that extends to every aspect of your life, especially your daily routines and self care.

The (very) long answer: I’ve purposely left descriptions of her hair as “intricate traditional braids” both as a nod to the Tyrrish knots that Xaden has Violet learn in the books, and for inclusivity, because I think that description can apply to anyone. The exact styles, the care required, and the length of time that she would wear them (doing them up on a daily basis, or leaving them in for weeks/months) depends on her hair type, so I’ve been leaving it up for interpretation because I want to cater to everyone. But I think that regardless, Bren would absolutely be willing and eager to learn how to help you with it.

I’ve never watched Game of Thrones, but I’ve seen pictures and clips of Daenerys, and she was a major inspiration for Duchess -- powerful woman of noble status who commands (or in Duchess’s case, speaks for) a riot of dragons, shows femininity through her dress and hair, but isn’t afraid to fuck someone up if they wrong her or her family.

So I’d imagine something like her character wears, but a bit more practical for fighting and training (maybe ending in one braid going down her back instead of having a half-up, half-down thing). Some examples I found on pinterest:

Another thing I’ve been imagining is several tiny silver charms / clips woven into the braids, decorated with runes (this will come into play later on in their story 👀) like these.

Now for the headcanons:

As we saw in allies, Bren recognized the braids as something of traditional importance, and it was one of the things that drew him to her. He loves and admires her dedication to her culture, and he also thinks they're absolutely gorgeous -- the girl looked him in the eye and said his name and he folded. Man was smitten from day one.

He loves seeing you with them or without them: the first time he saw you with your hair down, completely out of the braids and messy, loose, it changed his brain chemistry forever (it didn’t help that you were half-dressed at the time, as well, but I digress)

I didn’t want to get too into deep this, because I do have a scene like this sketched out already, but I’m a weak weak woman so I’ll give it to you anyway:

One of the first few times y’all ~spent the night~, he was entranced watching you fix up your hair in the morning, at the ease and speed with which you redid the sections that had come undone / smoothed everything out, put the clips back in, and got it ready for the day.

He would have offered to help if he wasn’t so shy about it (still in disbelief that this actually happened, and she’s still here), and if you didn’t seem so capable yourself; after all, you’ve been doing this on your own for years now.

Braiding behind your own head takes some considerable upper body strength, so if your back or arms are injured, he won’t hesitate to help out, because he knows it’s important to you and he wants to help, wants to be close to you, and even after he mended you, he still doesn’t want you straining yourself.

You’re a little skeptical at first, but you quickly realize he knows what he’s doing. Think about it: this man is the older brother of two sisters, with parents who worked long hours at high-stress jobs. He absolutely knows how to properly detangle and brush (starting at the ends, being gentle with it) and can do basic braids, etc.

He’ll stand behind you and help you take them down, incredibly careful not to pull too hard. When they’re all out, he’ll work his fingertips into your scalp ever so gently, noting the way you sigh in relief. Gives the back of your neck some attention, too. Those hands… sorry, where were we?

He’ll also help you do them up again -- they may not be as fancy or as pristine as if you did it yourself, but they’re pretty good. He’s bashful about it as you look over your shoulder in the mirror to examine his work, but he practically glows when you thank him and tell him he did well.

He keeps a few of your hair bands in the pockets of his flight jacket in case one breaks. Not embarrassed to wear one around his wrist, either -- his hair isn’t long enough to use it himself, so it’s a clear sign that he’s holding it for someone else, that he’s spoken for.

I talked about this the other week in some Garrick headcanons I did, but I’m gonna say it again: hair washing.

It would take a while for y'all to get to a point where you can shower together because you're both shy nervous bbs for a while, who can’t hold hands without bursting into flames (no pun intended) but like, after you're married, for sure.

He really gets in there, gets all the dirt and blood out, washes the day off and leaves you nice and clean and relaxed. He does not miss a single spot. Helps you condition, rinse, and dry it after, too. Full service, complete with forehead kisses.

Another thought that I won’t get too far into, and am leaving as a strict hypothetical: IF you were to have a daughter, and IF she wanted to wear her hair like her mama does, Brennan would 100% be on the job. The Duke Consort of Lindell and the Colonel of the Tyrrish army has years of experience brushing and braiding and detangling, and he takes incredibly good care of his girls. They’re gonna be looking fresh at all times.

#brennan and duchess #brennan sorrengail #brennan sorrengail x reader #fourth wing #fourth wing x reader #mine

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