#I might go back to refine it ngl

[askuemki]

it was me who did that... 🤭

[mistfallengw2]

Thought I'd do a friendly reminder to, well, remind people to stock up on basic mats for the Homestead crafting feature.

Most importantly, do NOT refine them into planks, ingots and so on unless you need them for something, because as far as we've seen in the stream, the crafting Refined Homestead Wood requires logs!

Even with the weekly limits, the first few weeks will probably see TP prices skewed upwards for all those mats, and they're already higher than before the JW announcement. If you can, make sure you have enough to comfortably craft for a few weeks, because we don't know the upper limit yet nor how long it'd take to reach, so even such a stockpile might go fast anyway.

This is also valid for people who are not interested but will want to craft something else that requires large quantities of basic mats.

And if your stacks are full, stash 'em in your bank or in an alt's inventory!

[beautifulpersonpeach]

BPP, sorry if you've answered this question before but what is your best song from Face?

***

Hi @tabbypuppykitty

I’ve had a rethink. I think Face-off is now my favourite song on the album.

Set Me Free Pt 2 is still top 3, but Jimin’s enunciation on Face-off brings a smile to my face every time I hear it because that man is too damn sassy for his own good lool.

In the latest Suchwita episode, Hobi revealed that Jimin practiced live singing six hours everyday before and during FACE promotions.

Six hours. Every day.

That made me pause. I started thinking about everything that happened during FACE. I don't talk about this at all here because I won't ever share personal pictures and I know I was incredibly lucky and many other people here likely deserved to see him before I did, but I saw Jimin live during his very first shows for FACE.

He was so happy. The joy on his face and the way he worked the crowd... like a fish in water. He gave some of the best performances of the year during FACE promotions. The whole project and the thoughtful way he went about promoting the album, is noteworthy.

(You should watch this if you haven't already)

*

But then I remembered the BS, the way k-pop stans reacted to the album, to the MVs, to the encore stage, the way BTS akgaes indulged in their sociopathy on his account, how BigHit failed (the anger Jimin biases feel is justified but some of y'all are wallowing in it). I remembered a few of Jimin's Wlives, how so much has been going on for him this year, and then tried to fit 6 hours daily practicing into it...

I have to stop myself when I think about Jimin. He has such latent intensity, like a glamour, a force field around him... it's like a black hole that sucks everything, including you, into him and his world. It scares me.

I know I whine about Jimin biases but y'all amaze me ngl. It takes a special fortitude of heart to bias Jimin. This post already sounds incredibly effusive, but I don't believe I'm exaggerating when I say he's a truly beautiful person. It's almost as though the world does not deserve him. It's impossible to not love him, desire him, care for him... want more sooner for him. I see all that, but I also see that man is stubborn as fuck.

He took his time to start work on his solo album. The middle of the Vegas concerts is when he said he suddenly came to his senses, shook himself out of that trance, and earnestly started putting together the FACE project. He'd written songs before, but FACE was its own thing. The personal stories he chose to communicate, the care in lyricism and production, the quality... Jimin created art in FACE and trusted that those who care for nothing but the best, will love it.

That's sexy, but the way he went about it also betrays a conservatism in him. It's a shadow of the edge in him, that thing about him that causes a tinge of anxiety when you watch him too closely.

I'm not sure if I'm making sense, but what I mean to say is you need a special kind of courage to bias and love Jimin. I recognize that. When I write what I do here, I always remember that. I also have very little respect for solos. And those two sentiments aren't mutually exclusive.

But taking it back to Face-off, my favourite thing about it is Jimin's sense of humour and skill coming through in the song, as well as how he enunciates his words. To really hear the switch in his tone, you need to stream in this order:

Like Crazy > Alone > Set Me Free Pt 2 > Face-off

By the time you get to Face-off, Jimin's voice has already gone through every variation possible, but then he brings out a tone I've heard only one other artist do well (Rihanna), and that tone is disgust.

Pure, refined sass. And he's already got the sauciest voice in k-pop.

The melodic and tonal choices Jimin makes at these timestamps fucks with my head:

1:53 - 2:08;

2:16 - 2:25;

2:41 - 2:56....

(lol, at this rate you might as well just listen to the whole song again.) Jimin is fantastic in the whole thing.

Europe is where Jimin belongs, but America would eat Jimin up too. The country already does if we're being real, America already loves Jimin. But given the right concept, Jimin would devour because he always does, and the world should get to see it. I hope I get to see more of it. As I've said before, if you feel inclined to communicate that to BigHit, I strongly suggest you do.

During Suchwita, Hobi showed how he's planned content for fans almost years in advance. It's possible Jimin does this too, planning music and content for fans to see months later... (So we might not learn why he went to London, for months...)

Yeah... I don't have the strength of heart to bias Jimin. Good luck to y'all.

*

...that was kind of a lot lool. So to calm down, Jimin:

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Anyway, sorry I rambled. Face-off is a really good song and Jimin did an excellent job on it. The whole project is very good so I can't wait for the next songs we get from him. Shit can't get worse than BB deleting D2C sales so on the bright side, we can only go up from here, and for Jimin who already owns the record as the first soloist in history to debut #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, up will be a good spot to be.

Stream Like Crazy, Seven, All Day, and HUH?!

[muiitoloko]

Hi! i wanted to know how you think Harry would be with a s/o or co-worker whose more childish, listens to metal and punk music and has a completely different thought process to him. idk if that even makes sense? i’m a bit drunk ngl and my thoughts aren’t with me atm

(Gif is not mine, I found it on Pinterest)

Author's Notes: Yeah, thanks for your request, that's a really interesting thing to write about. I wrote the (reader) as he, but "he" doesn't have a specific genre. I wrote something small but I hope it's to your liking, let me know if you want another request.

Title: Traditional vs. Unconventional

Summary: In the dimly lit Kingsman headquarters, the refined Galahad and the rebellious Ywain clash over their differing spy approaches. Galahad insists on protocol and discretion, while Ywain embraces mayhem and improvisation, leaving Galahad perplexed. Despite their differences, their unwavering commitment to the organization binds them as an odd but effective pair.

Pairing: Harry Hart (Kingsman) & Reader ( An OC maybe?)

Warnings: none

Word count: 612

In the dimly lit underground headquarters of the Kingsman organization, Harry Hart, also known as Galahad, sat at his desk, meticulously reviewing mission reports. The room was adorned with antique furniture, a reflection of Harry's refined and traditional tastes. His attention to detail was unparalleled, as befitting a gentleman spy.

Enter Ywain, a fellow Kingsman agent, known for being Harry's complete opposite. Ywain had just returned from a mission, and his punk-rock appearance and rebellious attitude often caused a stir in the otherwise buttoned-up environment of the Kingsman.

Ywain strutted into the room, sporting a leather jacket adorned with band patches, and blasting punk rock music from a portable speaker. He casually tossed a crumpled mission report onto Harry's desk.

"Oi, Galahad! Mission's done, mate," Ywain declared with a grin, his British accent more pronounced than Harry's refined one.

Harry raised an eyebrow, glancing at the crumpled report. "Ywain, we do have protocols for submitting mission reports," he remarked, his tone ever so composed.

Ywain chuckled, seemingly unfazed. "Aw, come on, Galahad! It's all in the spirit of punk rebellion. Who needs formalities?"

Harry sighed, clearly perplexed by Ywain's carefree attitude. "Very well. Let's go over your mission."

As they discussed the mission, it became apparent that Ywain had an entirely different thought process. He described his unconventional methods, which often involved chaos and unpredictability. Harry couldn't help but shake his head in disapproval.

"Ywain, there are rules and protocols for a reason. Our work requires precision and discretion," Harry explained, trying to make sense of his companion's thought process.

Ywain leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on the desk, and grinned cheekily. "That's where you're wrong, Galahad. Sometimes, the best solutions come from a bit of mayhem and improvisation."

Harry sighed again, realizing that trying to convince Ywain to follow traditional spy protocol was like trying to tame a hurricane. Their conversation continued, a dance of opposites – Harry's refinement clashing with Ywain's rebelliousness.

As the discussion came to an end, Ywain pulled out a metal guitar pick from his pocket and began strumming it against the edge of his desk, creating a raucous rhythm. Harry watched in disbelief, unable to comprehend the audacity.

"Ywain, must you insist on making a spectacle?" Harry asked, his patience wearing thin.

Ywain chuckled and stopped his impromptu percussion performance. "Gotta keep things interesting, Galahad. Life's too short to be stuffy all the time."

Despite their glaring differences, there was an unspoken respect between Galahad and Ywain. They might approach their missions in radically different ways, but they both shared an unwavering commitment to the Kingsman organization and its mission to protect the world.

Ywain slapped Harry on the back, nearly causing him to spill his meticulously arranged paperwork. "Alright, mate, I'm off to the pub to celebrate another successful mission. Care to join me for a pint?"

Harry considered the invitation for a moment before declining with a polite smile. "Thank you, Ywain, but I have a few more reports to review."

Ywain shrugged, his grin undiminished. "Suit yourself, Galahad. Catch you on the flip side!"

As Ywain sauntered out of the room, his punk rock music echoing down the corridor, Harry shook his head once more. He may never understand Ywain's unconventional methods or his love for chaos, but he couldn't deny that the Kingsman was a more vibrant place with his unique presence.

In the world of spies and espionage, where secrets and danger lurked around every corner, Galahad and Ywain, stood as an odd but effective pair – a reflection of the diverse talents within the Kingsman organization, each contributing to the greater good in their own way.

[goldennika]

Initial Thoughts on TOMORROW X TOGETHER's The Name Chapter: Freefall

Ok so i just listened to TNC: Freefall in full and damn, okay. Really solid album, sonically. And i say sonically bc i haven't read up on the lyrics just yet (i don't think the eng trans are out yet ☹️)

Am loving how they're showcasing more of their vocals (txt lower register enthusiasts, we are being fed at last 😭) and the whole band/session feels of the music really emphasizes that.

can we take a minute to talk about beomkai's vocals?? bc i really think this might be their era 🥹 and seeing as all of the boys have at least 2 credits to their name in this album, it really feels like this is their sound, and their personal music preferences came through too

i'm on the fence about DILT's inclusion in the album though. we all know it was not a planned track at all but it was a really good opportunity for them to collaborate and have a fun summer track out before headlining lolla 2023.

that said, it just doesn't seem to fit in (at least sonically) in this album. i don't know if moving it higher up in the tracklist would have been better since i haven't read the lyrics yet but sonically, it might have worked more since the more powerful/complex sounding tracks are in the first half, imo

but overall, this album is full of surprises, and very good ones at that!! I'm sure i'll love it even more when i listen to it again but yeah, from the first listen alone, i would recommend this album!!!

Track first impressions under the cut! very raw reactions ahead haha

Track 1: Growing Pain

oh damn gritty TXT ???

LOWER REGISTER LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOO

legitimately gave me goosebumps

EXCUSE ME THE OOH's IN THE CHORUS???? DELICIOUS

H U E N I N G K A I

that's it. that's the thought.

the guitar is so good ugh

ROCK BAND TXT LET'S GOOOOOOO

this will absolutely kill when performed live 😵‍💫

Track 2: Chasing That Feeling

HERE FOR THE SYNTHS(??)

giving TCHFTG and Blinding Lights by The Weeknd (i love The Weeknd btw)

Yeonjun's voice is so soothing??????

wait is the nod to the TCHFTG instrumentals intentional??????

maybe this is just me but their choreo (based on the MV) looks like it goes so hard but this song feels relatively chill/easy listening (esp compared to their last few title tracks bc sugar rush ride was a doozy to take in) so it seems a bit... off? idk idk

looking forward to a stage/practice vid to come out to appreciate their performance more!

Track 3: Back for More (TXT Ver)

already reacted to this before and ugh so good

HUENINGKAI POPPED OFF IN HIS VERSE UGH

Yeonjun's is also so good

love their adlibs so much 🥹

super interesting to place this track right after Chasing That Feeling 🤔

dance break instrumental and adlibs have my whole heart actually

like i can see them dancing in my head even if i'm just listening

Track 4: Dreamer

oh shit i love the bass already??????

FIRST LINE IN AND I'M IN LOVE ALREADY???

kinda scared to check the lyrics ngl

oh this song is delicious

i can already see all the tiktok edits happening (not necessarily a bad thing for them imo)

ooh shit "let me break it down for you" jdfh;kdjsfb;nsfkja

I LVOE THIS TRACK?????????

WAIT IS TAHT ALL SOOBIN IN THE CHORUS??????????

or is taehyun there too?

the "let me break it down for you" is going to haunt me in my dreams thanks

Track 5: Deep Down

strong start. nice

WTF IS THIS DIRECTION THEY'RE TAKING I LOVE IT????? 😳

yooo the minimal instrumentals in the start was so good

oh it got clubby in the chorus

OH HELL BEOMGYU IN THE CHORUS SHOULD HAVE COME WITH A WARNING (deep down i need you more)

this feels so different from the usual TXT but it works??

okayyyy the trumpet sounding stuff in the outro was a nice touch

Track 6: Happily Ever After

pretty sure i'll cry if i read up the lyrics of this one haha 🥲

oh this track is so smooothhhh in the pre-chorus

oohhh the la la la's are growing on me

it's like happy fools but more refined?????

LOVE the blending/harmonization 😩

GIVE ME ALL THE LAYERED VOCALS @ BIG HIT

SOOBIN I LOVE YOU (outro ver) 🥹😭

Track 7: Skipping Stones

the cymbals? hi-hats? at the start oh god *chef's kiss*

feels like a band session up in here!!!

HUENINGKAI LET'S FUCKING GOOOOO

oh damn beomgyu???

taehyun with the high notes mhmmm

band txt is the future i can see it all so clearly now

LOVE the way they start off each line durign the verses. scratches my brain sooooo good when they give the little oomph then blend it down ugh (sorry idk musical terms)

kinda obsessed with this music already wtf

the female vocals too!!

HUENINGKAI EXTENDED NOTE LET'S FUCKING GOOOO

HE MADE IT SOUND SO EASY?????????????

mhmmm soobin's falsetto

wow

just wow

FUCK ME WITH THOSE OHs AT THE END OF THE SONG GODDAMN

Track 8: Blue Spring

i know we were joking around about band txt but what if it's not a joke anymore bc we've had track after track of band/session sounds and i am not okay anymore

i'm never gonna be normal about this song sorry not sorry

POP OFF HUENINGKAI GODDAMN

what if i cry.....

hmmm the rest of the instrumentals kicking in. so good.

and then they strip it down??? to let the vocals shine????

so so good

COME THROUGH WITH THE DRUMS

soobin's verse with yeonjun's adlibs is what dreams are made of actually

god yeonjun and hueningkai are gonna make me cry

NO FUCKIGN WAY THEY ADDED MORE OF TAEHYUN'S ADLIBS????

STOP THE FUCKING CAR THEY'RE HARMONIZING INT EH CHORUS TOO??????????????

TYUNNING ADLIBS IN THE OUTRO????????????????

MY JAW IS DROPPED AND I CANNOT BREATHEEEEEEEEE

Track 9: Do It Like That

ok yeah ngl the mood shifted dramatically after all the band txt sounds lol

DILT is a cute song but i don't think it makes sense in this album

or at least not in this placement???

i may reconsider if this was a TXT ver lol

or maybe they were thinking about our mental health when they decided to keep it in the album

i would probs be a sobbing mess if tnc: freefall rly just ended with the studio ver of blue spring 🥹

Track 10: Chasing That Feeling (English Ver)

including this here bc why not it's on the tracklist anyway haha

tbh i wasn't feeling this track much from the teasers

but hearing the song in full changed my mind

the build up is good

why does yeonjun's voice sound so good in this genre like how is it soooo good

time's a thief that won't stop stealing -- well damn did i feel that

taehyun our belting star 🥺

[melishade]

Wow, because someone has requested Shockwave What If's, it's became more interesting than Soundwaves and Starscreams. Then, can you tell us the next chapter of them ?

Previous Episode of the Dark Timeline

NGL, I did not expect this at all.

First of all, I didn't even think that I would be writing the Dark Timeline this far, or even that people would like it enough to continue! I wasn't even sure I would have a story for Shockwave! Second, I was expecting people to ask about Soundwave! The Chaos Timeline! I figured that would be that would be the one that was the most popular! But here we are!

So...what happens next?

Optimus' recovery takes a while. It hurts Eren greatly to see his mentor in pain and struggling to walk and keep himself upright due to the scarring, torturing, and being chained to a bed for three months without any mobility to speak of. Eren helps out where he can, but Eren can't help but feel bad.

Optimus is now partially blind in his right optic due to the Predacon. The objects he sees out of that optic are blurry and disoriented. He can't read out of it and he underestimates the distance. He flinches and reacts negatively if anyone tries to reach for him on the right side. It’s an adjustment for Optimus and for everyone else. The Survey Corps sit on his left shoulder, so that when he looks at them, he can see them clearly.

But Optimus is eventually able to move around without too much trouble. He immediately asks for a run down from the military about what has been happening on the island, and again, informs them of what Shockwave is planning. The military heads are more than happy to welcome Optimus back to help lead and fight again, but Optimus states that he still needs time to recover from his extensive wounds. He has no problem with providing assistance, but he’ll leave all major duties to Megatron. Megatron initially wants to protest, because again, he was forced into it and it felt as a last resort, but he’s stunned to find that the military is fine with this. Megatron’s proven to be responsible and reliable, and they can’t thank him enough for that. They’re just glad to have Optimus back.

Megatron never thought that he’d be trusted like this again. And he earned it. It felt good. 

Optimus then goes back to a training regiment, because his body is definitely weaker than before and he need refine his skill now that he optic is nearly shot to hell. The Warriors and even the Survey Corps are nervous about this, trying to talk Optimus out of it, but Megatron rolls his optics and attacks Optimus with his blade, which Optimus deflects with his own. And the two just go through the motions of a battle and Megatron just does not hold back. The Survey Corps are watching this in fear because they are worried about Optimus’ condition. The Marleyans/Warriors are watching this and are TERRIFIED!!!! Because HOLY SHIT! THAT’S WHAT THEY WERE GOING UP AGAINST IN THE FIRST PLACE?! Magath is literally thinking that he sent children to the damn lion’s den! He’s never been this scared before.

Optimus still loses that fight, as Megatron is exploiting Optimus’ weaknesses, but Optimus is grateful for that because now he knows what he needs to work on and continues to do so with him because he knows Megatron won’t hold back against him. Although the Survey Corps are chewing Megatron out. WTF Buckethead?!

The next thing that Optimus does is check in on Gabi, because he has no idea about her condition and it’s bothered him, but he couldn’t do much about it when he was recovering. Optimus asks Magath if he would be able to take him to her, and Magath is kind of confused at this. Why is this powerful metal titan asking him? Why not ask the Warriors? And Optimus replies by saying that they might still fear him due to previous combat experience. 

 However that is not the case when Magath shows up with Optimus in holoform. Pieck is stunned because she wasn’t expecting a visit. Reiner, fucking bows, which throws Optimus completely off. Reiner is in tears, thanking Optimus for saving Gabi, thanking Optimus in succeeding where he failed. And Optimus is begging for Reiner to stand. But then Annie bows her head too and thanks him. The commotion ends up bringing out the Warrior Cadets who are just in awe and swarm him, thanking him and asking him a million questions. Optimus is flustered by the attention, but then he notices Gabi, staring in awe and complete relief. She doesn’t recognize the holoform, but she recognizes that voice. How could she not? She quickly runs up to him as fast as she can, her body still recovering, and Optimus kneels down and she tackles him into a hug. She sobs in his shoulder while Optimus holds her close, both of them feeling this crushing weight whether or not the other was alive lifted. Optimus then tries to let her go so he can address the others, but Gabi just doesn’t want to and he ends up picking her up and carrying her as she continues to cry.

A few minutes later, Gabi ends up knocking out out of both relief and exhaustion, and this is the first time that she’s managed to peacefully sleep in a while. Optimus ends up putting her to bed before asking for a private conversation with Magath and the Warriors. The Warrior Cadets grant it, and it’s just the five of them. Optimus apologizes for his inability to rescue Porco at the time and his being held somewhere else. Pieck recalls Gabi’s description from when Megatron came by, and Magath realizes that Shockwave is at Fort Salta: an experimental site for airships and experiments in Marleyan technology. Wide open space with high mountains, it was the perfect place to run experiments, especially one on the Colossal Titan. Magath says that he’d be more than willing to provide a layout of the place from what he remembered.

Pieck them asks about Porco, and Optimus...reluctantly tells them that he fears for Porco’s life because of the dark energon inside of him. Optimus doesn’t tell them how abandoned Porco felt, but they all feel guilty. Pieck for not grabbing Porco in time, Annie for being held prisoner, and Reiner for not being strong enough. Pieck then makes a comment, asking if they get him back, would Porco be alright with working with the Flying Titan. The one who stole Marcel? And Reiner...cannot do this. He can’t lie like this. Not after everything. Reiner confesses that he lied about Marcel’s death. Megatron never took him. He died mere hours after they got on the island because of a freak accident.

Magath is angry at this! Reiner, the most loyal, lied?! He lied to his motherland! Magath is ready to chew him out, but Annie immediately comes to Reiner’s defense and tells him to cut the bullshit. Marley, Eldia! It was all bullshit! The title of Honorary Marleyan was an empty title, and Annie says that you employed Eldians to do their dirty work so they could keep their hands clean and feel good about it. Annie even challenges Magath: Who in their right mind would serve a nation that has done nothing more that mistreat, abuse, and kill their own people?! Do you really think that they would have stayed in Marley if there was any other option besides that shitty life?!

Magath retorts by reminding them about their freedom if they were to overtake Paradis, but Optimus who’s still in the room, demands Magath not lie to them, and tell them about the agreement. Magath says he doesn’t know what Optimus is talking about, and Optimus informs them that Shockwave found out about a secret plan found by world leaders to execute all the Eldians once they had control of Paradis. And the Warriors are angry. Annie demands if Magath knew about this, and Magath says not completely because he genuinely didn’t know. He didn’t have that type of clearance yet...but he did assume that it would have been a possibility. 

And Pieck, sweet, quiet, reserved, Pieck, punches Magath dead in the face, knocking him to the floor. Magath is stunned, but Pieck states that she never believed in Marley. She only became a warrior to save her father, and now she can’t because he’s part of Shockwave’s army. She never believed in Marleyan ideology, but she believed in the comrades she fought alongside. She had genuinely trusted Magath, and he knew that plan was a possibility and he was probably going to let them die. 

Magath tries to build up a defense, but Pieck continues, lamenting at the fact that they have no real place in the world, and their lives could very well be in danger if they managed to kill Shockwave. Divide and Conquer. That’s how humanity always is. Optimus then tells them that they, along with everyone else they know and care about, will be allowed to stay on the island, and he will ensure that they are all granted immunity due to the services they had provides in his absence. 

Annie and Reiner are surprised at this, but Pieck doesn’t care at the moment. Pieck then tells Magath that they will continue working together until this is over. But once they are done, they are done. He’s not allowed to talk to the Warrior Cadets. They won’t go back with him to whatever is left of Marley. If they want to remain in power, they figure it out on their own. They are done serving someone else. And Pieck warns if Magath even tries anything that she will kill him. Magath is in a state of shock, trying to reason that she wouldn’t do that.

“I’ve killed, for years, for Marley,” Pieck reminded, “I have the blood of thousands on my hands fighting your wars and doing your dirty work. What’s one more enemy to me?”

So Magath, no longer has a standing with the Warriors and Warrior Cadets. The Warriors make sure to tell their families of what Magath and Marley intended to do, and they avoid him like the plague. He’s alone, and the chance to rebuild Marley is completely shot. And Optimus is not to let him try and convince the other Warriors and Warrior Cadets that things will be different. He believes that they all deserve their freedom.

Reiner asks Optimus why he would even help them after everything they had done, and Optimus says that they were children with so few options. They deserve a life of peace and freedom.

Although the Warrior Cadets start following Optimus around like little ducklings now. It’s funny.

But there’s a problem now: Shockwave sent a message to the neutral ship (since he knows about it through Optimus’ memories), saying that he wants a private conversation with Megatron to discuss something important.

[letterboard-fantasy]

[concerning magical malevolence…]

COLLEGE *dies*

I’m sure you’ve all been wondering… what happened to Magical Malevolence! It’s been so long, where is it?! Good question! I have some good news and some bad news and some… slightly better news!

In short, the good news is ya girl isn’t failing her college classes! However, it took up SOO much of my free time that I just could not work on it. However! I’ve finished one of my classes for the semester which means my free time schedule has opened up which allows me to balance my free time with my work time!

However, now comes the bad news… Inbetween my very little free time I worked on the essence. This resulted in designs that were cute but looking back now? It isn’t the kind of final design I want to put out. It didn't represent what the essence was supposed to stand for! So... the bad news is I have to start over or else I'll just never be satisfied!! In the meantime, I've also studied different fantasy-esqe outfits on Pinterest, as well as actual IDV A-tier and S-tier costumes and different styled outfits [like Twisted Wonderland's Halloween Event, or my various different dress-up games lol] and I have a better idea of what I wanted to do!! Which is NOT what I rush finished oops.

And the slightly better news??? I am better now and I'm restarting the essence. yay! I am going to reveal the old designs below the cut but I'm not keeping them as the final designs so! Yeah! I'm also going to edit the line-up list a little! [Don't worry! Any roles that are already filled won't be removed or changed! New/changed roles are still up for grabs!] Just a little bit, some characters will be swapped or removed entirely but don't worry don't worry! I'll post the new list soon enough! But! I am working on them! They will [hopefully] not take forever and a decade!

TLDR; i don't like the old rushed designs i did before i got swamped by college work so the designs are all back at square one. But the essence is still on! look under the cut for rushed designs because what else am i gonna do with them/lh

yeet

"Mister Mushroom" HIS DESIGN IS CUTE I LIKE IT STILL BUT I think I can do better!! It doesn't really represent the type of character he is supposed to be, so!! Let's try it again!!

"Innocence" it was a really rushed design and it's just so. hmm. I don't really like it as much as I did at the time it's not. it's just not the vibe!! i love the colors though.

"The Voices" had a very rough sketch set that never got finished due to not getting the other 3 voices but they... they're kinda plain ngl but I do have more planned for them and their outfits! At least now I do lol

"The Storyteller"... funny story but my app crashed while i was in the middle of drawing her and I lost my good sketch and I was so. so angery. i know angery isn't a word but damnit it is now!!! and i wanted to separate her from her Neonized counterpart but I just. hmm. i can do better >:) might make her more fantasy based than how she is in reality i dunno yet

"The Narrator" was probably my favorite design of old,,, it just captured the childish fantasy vibes the essence was supposed to have and it's a nice mix of the fantasy world and the real world [or his ties to the Narrator] he's just a silly guy. Still, I feel like there's something more than can be refined sooo here we go >:)

those were all I got to do before I got swamped :( but thankfully it's all i did before i got swamped so i don't have too many to redo!! anyways I'm sorry it took so long but!! hopefully! I can give you all updates soon!! real updates!

okay bye off to do Kitty's skin then cry and redo lets goooo

[kyogre-blue]

Hello again. Thank you so much for indulging me. Warning: the following answer is long.

Tbh I'm very fond of a majority of characters from Mondstadt (except Diona, who is my least favourite in the whole game). I thought the prologue was done pretty well, tho story wise it does seem to go a bit downhill from there.

I love Venti, Childe, Zhongli and Diluc (when I saw his outfit with the high ponytail my brain went brrr). I like Childe's backstory in particular but I find it so disheartening that half the fandom seems to seriously loath him. I find Diluc interesting as a character (I'm also hoping to get him, but till now no luck. Hopefully i won't have to wait two years :(() I also find Shenhe pretty cool.

For 4 stars I really like Xingqiu, Beidou, Thoma, and Layla. I like both their personalities and their playstyles. I also like Gorou, but just how he looks, since I actually haven't gotten to him yet.

As for ships I like Zhongven. This one came from the left field, but I honestly think it's my favourite. I like the dynamic (the canon crumbs, as well as what I think it would look like) between the two of them, as well as the fact that both of them are broke gods. Ngl I also enjoy that in lore, they are some of the oldest and most powerful characters. I like the idea that they could destroy the world if they banded together, but choose not to bc they enjoy drinking, and the finer thing in life too much. I also like Zhongchi, Chongqiu, Kaeluc (I need more canonical interactions between the two of them) and Cynonahri. And I know what you mean abt the interactions between Venti and Diluc. I like them either as platonic or as romantic, though I haven't found any good fanfic of the two of them.

I do also like Chilumi, but i've also avoided the fanfics.

(From the unreleased characters, just from how they look I like Pantalone and Arlecchino.)

Sorry for the long essay. I'm super excited to talk abt my favourites.

Also what's your opinion on weapon banners? Should I pull? Did you pull? Till now I've gotten pretty well with 4 stars and even a few 3 stars, but I'm wondering if having a 5 star limited weapon is better.

Nice! It's good to like characters. Zhongven is definitely one of the more colorful interactions in the game, so I can definitely see the appeal. I'm just not super fond of Zhongli on the whole, so I'm not exactly looking for more ships with him. I just like zhongchi for the fanfic melodrama lol.

For the weapon banner, I would honestly recommend against it. I've pulled on it, but purely because "my faves should have the bestest drip," so Childe got Polar Star, Noelle got Redhorn, Venti got Elegy (would prefer Skyward Harp, but I doubt we'll get a rate up of it for a long time, perhaps never again). Xiao got Scarlet Sands in the process, but we don't talk about that.

In general, there is very little benefit to doing so. Yes, the BIS 5 star weapons can increase the characters' damage, but there are many cases where a specific 4 star or even 3 star can come quite close, without needing to risk gacha. And you'll slowly accumulate most of the 4 stars just from the other banners. 5 stars are also super annoying to level, since they need more resources.

My weapon recommendations would actually be like this:

Make sure to get every event weapon you can, including refines. Even the ones that look like they're useless to you right now. You can skip levelling them if you're very short on resources, but that 1.5x bonus on EXP is very useful if you can manage it. I skipped Dodoco Tales back in the day, and I regret it now.

Favonius weapons are extremely useful, so I would suggest keeping at least two separate copies. Depending on your characters, you might benefit from even three copies. Refine them only after you separate out those 2-3.

Sac weapons are similar, though refining them decreases the time interval between triggering the effect, so in some cases it may be worth to prioritize refining a single copy enough to be shorter than the character's skill cooldown. Eg, Xingqiu generally wants R3 Sac Sword (iirc, didn't check the numbers) because that's when the cooldown on the sword passive becomes shorter than his skill cooldown, so you can trigger it every rotation.

Keep at least one R5 copy of every 3 star weapon, just in case. You'll probably want multiple copies of Thrilling Tales, at that. The standout 3 stars are generally Thrilling Tales, Black Tassel, sometimes White Tassel, sometimes Slingshot, sometimes Raven's Bow, Harbinger of Dawn (sword). Their passives are so strong that, on characters who do not care too much about the lower base attack, they can match or exceed certain 4 stars or even 5 stars.

Yes, there are 4 stars you can ONLY get from the weapon banners: the Lithic series (mid at best), the Watasumi series (ok but situational), and now the... Tulaytullah series (the Sumeru ones, can be good but nothing terribly outstanding). However, you don't really need them. None of them are just that amazing.

The thing about the weapon banner is that there will always be five 4 stars on rate up. You thought the odds for 4 star character finishing were bad? It's worse for 4 star weapons.

Additionally, there are always two 5 stars on rate up, and the way Fate points work, you're only guaranteed the one you want after losing TWICE. The pity is at 80, but that is still approx 65x3=195 rolls, more than a guaranteed 5 star character.

Is a weapon that will give you maaaaybe 5-10% increased DPS worth giving up multiple 5 star characters?

It's up to you, but generally not.

If you do decide to pull, there are these criteria I would check:

Do you have some use for BOTH rate up 5 star weapons? Because I got Memory of Dust while going for Polar Star and lol. It's been gathering dust since then.

How much does your future 5 star weapon haver actually benefit from the weapon? The most infamous case is Kokomi, whose signature catalyst is not always even her best option and is barely an upgrade in only one of her multiple roles. Some characters have better lower rarity options than others, and if they don't benefit as much, it's better to pass on the 5 star.

What are the 4 stars? Fishing for them won't end well, but if you're going for a 5 star, you're going to be getting a lot of... probably two of them, given how luck seems to work. If two of them are Bell and Eye of Perception, that's... not very appealing.

As a final reminder, the epitomized path points do NOT carry over between weapon banners. If you are planning to pull, it's better to be ready to go all 200 pulls in.

Good luck!

[dourpeep]

ASJLA HERES MY OTHER IDEA IT TOOK SO LONG TO REFINE CUZ I CHANGED THE IDEA HALF WAY THROUGH 🥴 i also have a wholesome one on my mind but it needs some work too 🤭 modern college au - roommate xiao x top student reader reader masturbating to the thought of xiao and calls out him name, doesnt know xiao came back to the dorm. he walks in on her and starts teasing her "i didnt think our top student would be such a slut". he asks her to touch herself in front of him while still teasing and degrading her "what did you imagine when you were calling out my name?". reader ends up begging for his dick 🥴

Ooooo spicy—ngl I love the college au so 👀 I may or may not have an idea for Albedo brewing as well

Anyway, enjoy just a bit over 1.2k words hehe

Tutoring Session

Summary: During a moment alone, you call out his name and he answers. Looks like there’s stuff that even you can learn still.

Contains: ((NSFW 18+)) Roomate!Xiao x afab!reader, modern au, college au, top student!reader, solo masturbation, toys, caught, light degradation kink, Xiao has a tongue piercing

You’re ashamed with how quickly you rush to your room as soon as your roommate closes the front door, but with the way your heart races and an ache makes itself known between your thighs, you find you don’t reallycare.

Xiao would be gone only for an hour—an hour and a half, tops—to help a friend move some instruments and grab lunch, so your time already was limited.

With little care, you rush into your room and close the door. It gently taps against the doorframe, still barely a crack open but you figure that you would finish with enough time to spare.

You shed your t-shirt and shorts on your way to your bed, laying down with a sigh. It really has been a bit since you’ve last relaxed. Considering the fact that finals only just finished, you finally were able to take a break until the next semester. Next semester, you’d lighten your load for sure. As smart as you were, it was a bit much to overload courses…but now wasn’t the time to think of that.

You wiggle a bit into the mattress, shifting just enough to reach your dresser.

It’s further than you remember, but you scoot yourself over to the edge to reach.

Carefully tucked away behind a dictionary a felt bag sits. It’s quickly snatched up by you and the contents revealed. You lay back onto your bed and spread your legs.

Fingers smooth up over your thighs to help warm yourself up despite wetness already apparent. You could just go for it, but the fantasy playing out in your mind urges you to at least slow down.

It’s clear, the image of your roommate, sharp eyes and messy dyed hair. He slots himself between your legs, pants low on his hips and toned chest speckled with hickies. Just like you’ve seen before, the ornate tattoo wrapping around his right bicep and forearm would nearly glow in the bright sunlight filtering into your room.

There’s no doubt that he’d lick his lips to reveal the hidden stud, and you would shiver at the idea of him pressing his tongue to your skin.

As the image continues, you slip your hand between your legs, toy placed aside while you imagine the vivid scenario. If only the fingers slipping past your folds were his larger, calloused ones. Maybe then you’d feel a bit more fulfilled—

“Mmm…”

They start a slow pace, pumping in and dragging along your walls, pressing the spots you know make your toes curl, and you continue your daydream.

Xiao would nip and lick at your neck while he preps you. Maybe you would even share a passionate kiss…and he would relieve himself of his clothing to stroke himself. The thought of him jerking himself off with flushed cheeks while his other hand is fingering you sent a rush of desire flooding your senses and you pull your fingers out of you.

They grab the silicone toy beside you, wiping your slick on it.

Taking a breath, you spread your legs more, pressing the tip of it to your entrance and sliding it in. It fills you quickly and you gasp as you imagine Xiao instead, pressing his forehead to yours while his hips lay flush to hips.

“You feel so good,” he’d rasp, having difficulty not moving his hips. But he’d be patient and let you adjust to him, ever the gentleman.

And so you start to move the toy, pressing it as far as it’ll go, mewling at the delicious pressure of it, before pulling it back out with a sigh. For a moment, you let yourself wonder if it’s as big as him. The thought that he might be bigger crosses your mind and you will it away in favor of imagining his lips on you.

“Xiao…”

With each thrust of your toy, you feel yourself slip closer and closer, thighs trembling and threatening to close with the intensity of it.

“Xiao-“

In your mind, your roommate cages you in between his arms while thrusting his hips harder, deeper. He’s panting your name and one hand lifts off the bed to pull your hips closer to his.

Would he praise you? Or even whisper in your ear what he wants to do? You slow your movements, leisurely pumping the toy in and out. Maybe he’d tease you, make you beg for him. Another gasp of his name leaves your lips, and you’re too preoccupied with your thoughts to register the call of your name.

Xiao reenters your shared apartment much earlier than either of you anticipated. It turns out his friend was busy and asked for him to help another time, thus, he decided to just have lunch back at home instead of out.

When he hears you call out his name, he assumes it’s because you’re needing him for something.

Only, standing at the door, he sees your arching body tangled up in your sheets, calling out his name and fucking yourself on a dildo. Xiao’s heart jumps into his throat.

If only you knew how good you look moaning and begging for more using his name.

His sweet roommate. His sweet, incredibly intelligent, talented, attractive roommate. Fucking themselves in the privacy of their room with their toy and entirely unaware that the very person who name they’re moaning is barely ten feet away.

In this moment, he decides.

You’re still lost in the fantasy of being taken, getting so close to your orgasm and feeling the familiar spread of warmth through your body when you hear the door creak.

Immediately, you stop and scramble to cover yourself up, shame spreading on your cheeks.

“I didn’t think our top student would be such a slut.”

Your mouth suddenly feels dry.

Xiao shrugs off his leather jacket, running a hand up through his hair and makes his way to your bed. A brief flash of your fantasies flitters through your mind and you stutter out his name when he climbs over you.

Tilting your chin up, he presses his lips to yours.

“Thinking of me?”

You hardly can bring yourself to speak.

“Tell me…” He mutters, tongue slipping past your lips, metallic stud teasing yours into tasting him as well, “What did you think of while you were busy fucking yourself? Hm?”

An accidental shift of your leg makes you brush up against the painful hardness in his pants and you gasp into his mouth. Lips curling into a knowing smirk, Xiao slides his hand from your hip to your thigh and keeps it spread open.

“Whatever it was got you soaked.”

The kiss deepens and leaves you dazed.

He pulls away and you follow him as you’re lost in the feel of his lips and sound of his voice, but he pushes you to lay back down while he undresses.

When he’s finally bare, you can’t help but stare. Just like your daydream, he’s toned and undoubtedly strong—and his body easily covers yours as he hovers over you. A glimpse between you leaves you shy. It’s difficult to not compare your toy to him.

Pushing his lips back to yours, you feel the way his chest and thighs brush against you and leave you weak. It’s strange to think what you were just fantasizing about was now reality.

“You don’t know what you do to me, seeing you in those shorts you wear around the apartment.” Teeth tug at your lip.

“Knowing you touch yourself like this thinking about me when I’m away…you must be desperate.”

His hips sit flat against yours and you gasp feeling the way his cock presses into you.

“So beg.”

[retvenkos]

“i am a little bit of everything i’ve seen in my life.”

requested

MY HEADCANONS FOR THE HYBRID HARRY POTTER HOUSES...

gryffindor/ravenclaw

if you’re in gryffindor you think you’re more “refined” than everyone else, and if you’re in ravenclaw you think everyone’s a stiff

this is the person with the braincell! let it be known that they have it, but refuse to use it

they have to be a little chaotic because they know what consequences are but disregard them

these people call themselves ambiverts but it really just means they won’t talk to you if they hate you

and i say that lovingly

okay, but if they do talk to you??? best people to talk with - they can hold an interesting conversation masterfully and it’s all because their enthusiasm is off the charts

let them ramble, it’s very endearing.

and physical touch is probably their love language so cuddle with them, too

they’re sci-fi and superhero nerds change my mind

now their loyalty is really interesting because gryffindors are really loyal where as a ravenclaws are individualistic and prioritize #1, so i feel like they are very much on guard

befriending is hard - they’ll keep you at bay until they are sure you can be trusted. and they won’t be made to feel bad about it either.

but once you are close to them,,,,, they would save you or die trying

their inside jokes are god tier

i don’t know how they do it other than they know how to make people laugh using the most unexpected methods and because it was such a weird experience, people are able to remember really well?

like, they could say “nutmeg” and everyone around you starts laughing, meanwhile you’re just ???

gryffinclaws are also really interesting because they don’t do well with conflict, but drama sort of gravitates toward them because let’s be real here, they can kind of be actively seeking it out, sometimes.

i mean, it’s usually to avoid having to deal with deeper emotions or even bigger problems, but sometimes they have a hand in their own suffering....

also, these people never study if they don’t like the class. they don’t. if they dislike the subject, they procrastinate with every fibre of their being.

but if it’s something they love, they are the first to get it done and will 100% do extra research and talk about it all the time.

they say they love both cats and dogs equally, and they actually mean it.

they are most likely concerned with wanting to change the world in some way - but they want it to be a tangible way that still allows for creativity and freedom

this is also the friend who stays up wayyyyyyy too late, and when you ask them what they’re doing, all they can say is “memes”

and they really do love memes - send them some. it’s their primary way of communicating

they love going out to get lunch and chatting with friends

food + people = love

they’ll even do it in their room! just bring bread and a good conversation - they can stay up for hours

also,,,, creativity and courage??? these are the people who actually have the confidence to publish their writing/art/whatever, and i admire that.

but writers block hits them so hard... i’m so sorry

okay, but if i understand the meme right, i’d give them wine aunt status.

gryffindor/hufflepuff:

these bastards

but i say that lovingly!

this is your meddling friend - that person that knows all and you can’t hide a secret from them to save your life.

and they seem to know everyone?????

they could ruin your life if they wanted to, but they are sweet uwu children and would never - in fact, they’re appalled you would even suggest it.

don’t let them hang out with gryffindor slytherins, no matter what. they will be corrupted and then it’s all over.

“but why are they bastards?” you ask. well,,,, if you’re acting surly or really don’t want to do a thing™ they will use their knowledge against you, prodding you in the direction you did not want to be going

of course, they only ever use this power when it’s for your greater good, but it’s annoying and invasive enough to grant them bastard status.

10/10 the mom friend.

even has the mom stare.

you know - the whole “you’re being irrational and you’re going to do this no matter how you hate it” stare

they have the  m o s t   energy and i honestly admire that

and they’re so hard working and dedicated that motivation isn’t a problem? it’s really just trying to get a solid, coherent thought that plagues them.

someone please get them a planner - they are constantly running late, but excited to be here!

100% have cottagecore vibes, or at least naturecore or adventurecore

point is, they want to be outside, doing things

they most likely want to make change in this world, but on a smaller level - with the people they care about, or the place they live

they really want to see what this world has to offer, but they are deathly afraid of being lonely

ngl, they probably get hurt by people a lot. they’re a little too trusting and go in a little too deep and when that other person leaves it does irrevocable damage.

it’s kind of like idealism and optimism, but at what cost?

100% smother their own feelings with a pillow and then preoccupy themself with the problems of others to not deal with their own

get them someone to talk to, please. they deserve it.

most likely they are an extrovert and surround themself with people so that they won’t have to feel loss as hard

spoiler alert: loss is always crushing.

gryffinpuffs believe in people - it’s their greatest gift and worst downfall

and they cannot live without them

do they have the braincell? sometimes. most of the time they share it and forget to ask for it back.

they probably like to do tangible things - like sculpture or knitting, baking, caring for plants....

something they can hold close

and if they read, they 100% finish books in one sitting. they just binge and it’s very iconic of them

probably a romantic, idk

they want a meet cute in real life and read all of the marriage fanfics

gryffindor/slytherin:

now these are the people who smile when you call them a bastard

and are most likely to be called a bastard unlovingly

at first glance they might be a little low on the empathy scales, but if you make it into their circle they would kill, die, and resurrect themself for you

BUT! all things come with a cost.

these are your friends with shifting loyalties. they are loyal until they feel your loyalty toward them fade, and they can and will shift against you for self preservation.

and they won’t feel bad about where their loyalties lie.

but please love them because if you really do believe in them they will feel it and it will rock their whole world

and if your feelings are strong, you’ll be surprised how quickly they can turn to you for guidance

if you haven’t noticed, this group is extremely intuitive - they can just sense what everyone feels about them

all that intuition... and quite a lot of tact

maybe it’s the cunning or the self preservation in them, but they can read a room really well - only bested by the hufflepuff/slytherin - and can sway everyone to their side

you want someone to give oddly accurate motivational speeches? this is the person you’re looking for!

slytherdors.... you either love them or you hate them

but no joke these are the people that the gryffinclaws and slytherclaws are constantly fighting - and the slytherdor is ready to throw hands at any given moment, someone pLEASE send a ravenpuff (huffleclaw?) to save them

if you wanted someone to embody teenage angst, HERE YOU GO!

it’s either that or they are extremely competitive and not afraid to call someone out

if there’s a dueling club, someone please put restraints on these children

as you can imagine, these people have a lot going on, and what they really need is just some quiet stability.

they need to see this world isn’t constantly out to get them.

they absolutely love music, so listen to songs with them! they have the best spotify playlists with the most obscure vibes, and it’s very aesthetically pleasing

also! listen to them in any group setting - they make the best, dry comments under their breath

if you laugh at them they will reach into the heavens and give you the moon and the stars

they really want the ~found family~ and definitely seek it out

they crave redemption arcs

they give me baby wolf vibes - they are wild killers, but they’re at that tender age where they’re still vvv similar to a puppy, when given affection

their slytherin side has tamed the impulsivity of a gryffindor, but the level of tactician a slytherdor is varies wildly. you never know what you’re going to get, and they are actually really good at covering it up

kind of like on those alignment charts where it’s like “looks like they could kill you but is a cinnamon roll” except it’s “seems competent, but is really an idiot”

they really need an animal companion, probably a cat or tarantula

the slytherdor probably doesn’t feign to study - they either do or they don’t and if that’s bad for their mental health then they’ll fight god himself

i get a lot of vibes of zuko screaming at the sky in that lightning storm, where he’s like, “come on, strike me! you’ve never held back before!”

maybe i’ve been a little negative, but uh,,,, their love language is sitting in the dark, holding hands and talking about the lamest part of their day

also, they hate meaningless endings to tv shows - they just want to see everyone be happy or die trying

ravenclaw/hufflepuff:

you mean the adjusted ravenclaw?

maybe that was mean, but what i really mean is that they are the most emotionally intelligent of all the ravenclaws

these ravenclaws know how to use conflict resolution skills, and they are very much needed in ravenclaw tower

they’ve been coaching the gryffindor/ravenclaws, but good luck maintaining their attention if they don’t want to listen

they also have patience! that means they get along well with slytherins.

even if they’re tired, they’re a good sport about it

light academia aesthetic, or just soft vibes in general.

they are probably the only artists with a coherent schedule that they keep up on, while still remembering to stay hydrated and function like a normal human being

they lowkey crave structure - the unexpected is not for them

riddles? those have a right and wrong answer - they absolutely hate it when the gryffindor/ravenclaws or ravenclaw/slytherins give an answer that is “technically” right

they probably don’t tell anyone, though

passive-aggression? yep. i can feel them seething from here.

like, they can solve minor problems and can get over bigger ones in time, but if it’s a huge slight, they are never going to let go

and it’s super palpable when they dislike you because they are so kind to everyone else

they probably have a passion for poetry but can’t seem to write any themself

definitely still keep a book of it hidden under their bed, though

and if they are good they vehemently deny it but continue to write anyway

the biggest thing they struggle with is knowing their direction in life - who do they want to be?

abstract thinking is an art form, and these ravenclaws ponder existence in the most intangible ways you’ve ever seen

10/10 lay on the ground and stare at the ceiling for like 3 hours straight

they can vary wildly on the introvert-extrovert scale, but they are never in the middle. extremes only.

you can get close to them out with acts of service - they give so much, please just treat them ONCE

they attach themself to so many people, though. even if they’re an introvert, you’d be surprised with their connections.

they’re so level headed and yet, they can feel so lost

kind of reminds me of 50′s moms who seem perfect on the outside but have existential crises while making a roast in heels

they don’t necessarily want to be “known” - they probably feel like that definition is changing all of the time, so it would scare them to put themself in a box

i guess they’re kind of free spirits - maybe more like the aunt who does yoga with baby goats and collects crystals and pretty shells

they are great at conflict resolution, yes, but don’t expect them to be your therapist (that’s the hufflepuff/slytherin)

they have absolutely no idea when it comes to deep feelings - they barely understand their own

probably paints, tbh, or at the very least loves to go to museums w/ really abstract art.

they actually have the braincell! they keep it a lot of the time and can be stingy with it.

they either wake up really early in the morning or stay up until the sun rises because it gives them “clarity” or something.

ravenclaw/slytherin:

they’re definitely the blunt friend who will just say things as they see them

yeah, tact is lost on them

they also love to claim that they “don’t need” people, so they butt heads with the hufflepuff/slytherin and the ravenclaw/hufflepuff a lot

they have quite a bit of stratagem up their sleeve, so people can be weary of them

their attitude does nothing to solve this, but it could also be that the slytherclaw has this idea that flattery gets them nowhere

they are so divisive in their individualism,,, good luck befriending them

but if you do befriend them, you have a powerful friend in your corner.

they are 100% that distant relative that you think hates you but you aren’t sure if that’s just the way they are

but let me tell you a secret,,,, their love language is words of affirmation and if you stroke their ego they’ll grow soft

while slytherclaws may not be very persuasive on their own, they actually work really well in teams. they know everyone’s strengths are are unafraid to take charge and tell people what needs to be done and how

they’re also really good at logical thinking, so you definitely want to be lab partners with this one

and schoolwork? they do it and they take good notes. a really great student

and their ambitions and competitiveness means they are unafraid to go far, and they will do it in style, too

this is the epitome of dark academia. 

and there is very little that is chaotic when it comes to them - the slytherclaw is an excellent planner

maybe they desire more out of life - they never feel like they are quite getting what they want

they are cynical, but they they have such high hopes for this world

when they are let down, they’re not surprised but disenchanted nonetheless

they ponder the meaning of the world and what this world could be far more than they ponder their own life

they tend to see a bigger, more sweeping picture

100% they love the odyssey and definitely think it’s better than the iliad

they adore high fantasy with every fibre of their being and can really get into period dramas

i would say that a gryffindor/ravenclaw would be a good friend for them - we all know a gryffinclaw can talk, and sometimes a slytherclaw just needs to hear someone else’s take on this world

and, of course, it helps when anyone shows appreciation

okay, but they love sweets - chocolate, liquorice, peppermint, caramel... it’s one of the few childish things they allow themself to have.

they are actually relatively quick to trust? the fastest slytherin, actually

they keep their group small, but they get vibes about people and once you show them loyalty they trust you entirely.

i suppose they guess you don’t have any games because they don’t have any

ooh, but if you betray them??? they are a mess, emotionally, and will not hesitate to lash out.

but they are caring in their own way, and will do little things like reminding you to drink water or bringing you toast if you haven’t eaten and it’s very sweet

hufflepuff/slytherin:

so i know we have this idea of the slytherin sweetheart, but a slytherpuff is so much more than that

one of their strongest traits is the intersection of ambition and hard work - they will not stop until they are the best (in their mind at least)

it’s almost a petty form of competition. a bit of schadenfreude when they win.

and everyone’s immediate thought is that a hufflepuff/slytherin would be the most trusting slytherins but no.

not even close.

slytherpuffs are guarded at first, while holding a secret soft spot for you in their heart. but they won’t act on it until they are 100% sure you won’t hurt them. they are suspicious, but really want to like people.

it takes a lot to break down their walls, but when you do they already have a steady foundation for your trust to grow on, and it’s the strongest thing in this world

because of this they can often come off as cold or distant, but once you’re in their circle, oh yeah. there’s the hufflepuff qualities you were searching for.

a good contender for the mom friend position, but they aren’t overt enough to be so.

they’re not getting into your business or being slightly invasive like real mom friends, but if you need advice or a hug,,,,, this is the friend to go to.

they’re like the nice aunt. vvv comforting, but only if sought out.

oh, they have the strongest moral code i have ever seen - it cannot be shaken or swayed.

but! it can often go against the rules, so you do have a bit of chaos working beneath the surface.

i 100% believe that their love language is quality time, and most of that can be spent quietly, just sitting in the other’s presence.

i feel like 90% of their conversations is hand gestures or subtle facial expressions, so it make take a while to be able to read them, but it also means they are soooo good at reading other people

seriously, if you need a therapist in the group, this is your person. they know people so well. their intuition is off the charts.

BUT ALSO,,,, their levels of introvertedness are sky high. i feel like this is a given, but they can be in your orbit for 5 months and speak to your twice and think that is a decent amount of exposure.

please get them an extrovert. they need the exposure.

sEcReTS??? this slytherin probably has some, but you have to be like at level 50 to unlock their tragic backstory

they also have academia vibes and do really well in school work, but whether or not it’s dark academia or light academia is disputed. maybe grey academia? (is that a thing?)

they struggle with wanting to be known and yet wanting to hide parts of themself they find unattractive or unwanted

probably feel like they’re pulled in too many directions and overthink their choices just a bit too much.

everyone knows they have the braincell, but whether or not they use it is unsure

it’s so easy for their friends to coax them, they probably give it to someone else and never ask for it back even though they should be in sole custody of it

AND FLUFF ENSUES. (i realize some of these are kind of aggressive, so... vibe check!)

-- taglist: @musicallisto, @theletterhart, @locke-writes, @randomfandomimagine, @brokenandheadoverheels, @timeofmadness, @writerdream22 // message me if you’d like to be added to the taglist!

[random-mha-thoughts]

Mama’s Boy/Lover’s Boy (Bakugou x Reader)

Pairing: Bakugou x Fem!Reader

Genre: Fluff

Inspo: “Down for You” by Cosmo’s Midnight/Ruel

Summary: Bakugou hates being dragged to fancy parties for many reasons, but only one thing makes it all worth it.

Word Count: 2,322

Tags:  @yuki-osaki​ @liviitehe​ @iamsoftsodonttoucheume-blog​ @bunnythepipsqueak​

a/n:  I absolutely adore this picture, ngl that was the whole inspo for this.

It's not fair that a whole Katsuki exists while I'm bleeding out and my hormones are out of whack.  I'M A LOYAL SHOUTO HO, STAY IN YOUR LANE KATSUKI!  DON'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MY INSTABILITY LIKE THIS!

When I was at the last few paragraphs, I realized I would've loved to let Baku lose his shit and almost crash the entire thing like in Murphy's Law (man I loved writing that), but that wouldn't be good.  We love a good chaotic fluff monster.

This turned out a lot longer than I thought it would, but I really like how it turned out!  Definitely more fluff than I expected, but who's mad at that?  I'm bleeding out of my uterus and my mom and dad got me feverish and sick and I definitely needed this, so I KNOW you Baku stans are gushing at this too.  Thanks to @rubyred-imagines​ for one of the story beats here!

Spice might be incoming in the next day or two ;3  Not sure which character yet, but it's gonna happen!

"Babe, your face."

"What about it?!"

"Stop looking like you want to kill everyone."

"But I do!"

"I know you do, but don't look it."

Katsuki walks into the grand hall, muscular arm linked through his dazzling girlfriend's slender one.  He really doesn't want to be here; he hates these high-class, uptight gatherings, he hates this constricting tuxedo he has to wear, he hates how he barely knows anyone here, and he especially hates that he could've been on a date with her alone instead of being surrounded by these suffocating faces.

His lovely girlfriend announced this unfortunate outing a few weeks ago right before Katsuki was going to suggest the idea of having a date night, since they haven't had any quality alone time together in a while.  Her eyes lit up when she reported that she RSVP-ed for both of them to attend her company's fancy dinner.  And his plans were crushed like that.  He wanted to grumble and refuse, but she'd yell right back at him anyway, being the stubborn person she is.

She reminds him of his mother.

"You're just like my mom," Katsuki rolls his eyes.  "She used to drag me to her company dinners all the time, too."

"We won't stay for long, I promise," she pats his arm with her perfectly manicured fingernails.

"She used to say that too, and then we'd be out for hours," he mumbles to himself.

The girl looks up at him sweetly.  "And you'll be a good boyfriend and stay here with me the whole time, right?"

The blond growls low in his throat.  "I don't even belong here, you were invited, not me."

"Katsuki, you're my guest, of course you belong here."  She leans up to whisper in his ear, "Besides, you're more handsome than any of the guys here, show them all up."

That makes Katsuki smirk.  "Damn right I am, babe."

The couple find their table after an irritating amount of time.  Every few steps, some other pretentious stranger from his girlfriend's company sweeps over to exchange empty kisses and the same empty conversation.  Katsuki thinks it's some kind of script everyone practiced from, no one deviating from the script or else the entire simulation might fall apart.  Actually, he would like to say something inappropriate just to relish their horrified or disgusted faces, but he for the sake of his precious girlfriend, he keeps his mouth shut, teeth grit, and smile plastered each time he's introduced to a new face.

"Do you really know everyone here, babe?" Katsuki mutters in her ear as they finally approach the table.

"Not everyone," she hums in response, "I don't know most of the employees from the other two companies here, but I know the higher-ups through my boss."

He briefly remembers her saying this dinner was for a big merger deal between these three companies.  His girlfriend works tirelessly for her boss, usually taking on more than she can handle and coming home late most nights.  She'd been promoted from just being a regular company worker to being in a near-the-top position right under the main board managers.  He admires her dedication, but he's always worried about her health and energy level.  He may be a Pro Hero, but she's the real superhuman in the relationship.

Katsuki does the gentlemanly thing of pulling the chair out for his lady and pushing her back in before settling in his seat next to her, purposely shifting closer to her than the person on his other side.

"What manners your boyfriend has," one of the older ladies at the table coos at the couple.

"Thank you, I'm very grateful to have him," the girl smiles politely in response.

Katsuki's heart melts at the pride dripping from her voice as she compliments him.  "And I'm very lucky to have her."  It felt like the right thing to say as he squeezes her hand under the table and briefly glances into her eyes.

The two don't tear away from each other until someone else approaches his girlfriend and she stands to greet him briefly.  Katsuki surveys him in case he would do something ballsy to his girlfriend.

She turns and places a hand on Katsuki's shoulder.  "This is my boyfriend, Katsuki Bakugou."

Hell yeah, I am, you better not pull anything, dumbass.  He stands and shakes the other man's hand, polite but stiff.

"Nice to meet you.  Your girlfriend is honestly a powerhouse, she's amazing," the man gushes.

"Yes, I'm aware," the blond replies tersely.  He's on guard because he doesn't get a good vibe from this man.

Sure enough, he goes on a little too animatedly about how much his girlfriend does for the company and the rest of the company.  It comes off to Katsuki as fake and kiss-ass.  Nonetheless, his girlfriend accepts all the compliments like the graceful goddess she is.  He realizes this boy is one of his girlfriend's juniors as they descend into a conversation surrounding work and future projects.

After dismissing him, another group of his girlfriend's underlings rushes over with compliments and "Oh my gosh, senpai!  You look amazing!" and the like.  Each time, she would accept the praise, introduce him, before launching into more work-related subject matter that Katsuki learned to tune out eventually.

Honestly, he's annoyed at how everyone here is overwhelmingly toxic.  All the subordinates or peers are kiss-ups and her superiors are pretentious stick-up-their-asses that look down on his girlfriend.  He can't stand that his lover is surrounded by this atmosphere all day.  They don't know the genuine type of person she is, other than that she's kind and easy to walk all over.  No one seems like they care enough to carry genuine conversation, and he'd rather not tune into that energy.

Instead, Katsuki directs his attention to his lovely girlfriend.  Staring at her face, he recalls how painstakingly long it took for her to paint her face with makeup to look this flawless.  He's sure she would've had a mental breakdown while doing her eyes, especially putting on her eyeliner.  She was chanting to herself cutely to get them even, almost coaxing her shaky hands in front of the mirror to perform some kind of magic.  If he had done the wrong thing and hurried her or teased her habits, she would've unleashed all her anger on him.  He's learned that the hard way.  In the end, she was able to achieve this masterpiece on her face without making herself look like a completely different person, highlighting her natural beauty.

Scanning downward to her dress, he remembers fondly going shopping with her last weekend.  Her hair was in a topknot as she fumbled through the racks for a dress to wear.  She had dragged him along because she trusted his opinion on fashion choices.  While he would've liked for her to choose a scarlet red gown, Katsuki knew she'd look infinitely better in the sapphire blue number she's wearing now.  The skinny straps holding the dress up leads down to a not-too-plunging neckline that suits her shoulders, collarbone, and chest perfectly.  The dress cinches in at the waist to emphasize the figure he knows she has before falling straight down from her hips, and the mid-thigh slit on one side is subtly sexy without having her risk overexposure.  Finishing the entire outfit is a classic pair of nude pumps, a dainty gold necklace, matching dangling earrings, and a clutch matching her shoes.  Her hair is curled in waves cascading down her back with some stands hanging over one shoulder.

Katsuki can't help but smile unconsciously.  He can't wait to someday place the finishing touch she deserves: a simple but elegant ring on her left hand.

After all the formalities, the two finally sit down and start eating the dinner courses that have started gracing their place settings.

"I know you wanted to go out for date night today," his girlfriend begins gently, "But we can imagine this is a fancy restaurant with just us two, and everything else is just a backdrop."

"Shouldn't you be paying attention to what's going on?" Katsuki quirks an eyebrow.

She waves her hand and takes a refined sip of her wine.  "I've already heard them practice this speech too many times."

The devilish blond smirks and slinks closer to her.  "That's not something a good employee would do, is it?"

"I'm not working right now," she smoothly responds back, replicating his energy.

The organizer of the dinner finally takes the stage and starts his speech.  Katsuki keeps his gaze on his beautiful girlfriend, admiring her delicately picking and eating at her plate.  She's so precious to him, he doesn't care if he's making heart eyes and everyone can see.

When the speech finishes, his girlfriend's glass also empties and she indicates that she's going to get another.  It leaves him on edge, he hates being alone with all these strangers even for a few minutes.  He doesn't want to tell you this, but if one of these people try to small talk him without you here, he might actually break something.

"So, Bakugou, what do you do?" the same lady from earlier chirps at him.

He whips his head up.  For fuck's sake.  "I'm a...public safety worker of sorts."  He tries so hard to sound polite for his girlfriend's sake.  He also can't resist scanning the room for her as a safety reflex.  With all the shady people around, he doesn't trust that something bad won't happen.  And he also wants your comfort in these uncomfortable situations, but he'll never admit that either.

"Oh, I see."  The old lady seems satisfied with his tone, barely noticing his fidgeting as she launches into a whole story about her grandson wanting to do something like that, and all the tangents related to that.

Katsuki is relieved that he doesn't have to talk for the rest of the time, just nodding along  and humming to prove he's passively listening.  He finally spots his angel a few tables away, groaning internally that she was stopped by someone, keeping her from coming back to him.  It seems they were having a deep conversation at first, but suddenly the man cracks a smile and a joke that makes her cover her mouth in respectful laughter.

Katsuki's annoyance is cut through at her wholehearted display of emotions.  The entire night, he's been complaining about how much he hates everyone here, but it's only now he realizes how relaxed she looks in the entire situation.  She's completely in her element; he'd get easily drained by all the suffocating small talk, but her?  She thrives off this, she gains energy from it.  Although she comes home late, overworked and tired, she still faces every day with a smile on her face.  She makes it look so easy to talk to people, striking up and following conversations with everyone in the most endearing and poised way possible.

Katsuki smiles to himself, warmth washing over him.  Yes, just like his mom, but it makes his girlfriend all the more stunning and admirable in his eyes.

His girlfriend finally returns to the table, her recently-acquired glass already half empty.  "What did I miss?" she asks, buzzing with both energy and alcohol.

Katsuki leans his head on his palm.  "Nothing much."  He's still basking in the glow of his wonderful girlfriend, casually sipping his own wine absently.

She turns towards the clearing in the center of the room and takes his free hand.  "Let's go dance, babe!"

Any other time, Katsuki would have sternly declined, but he can't resist her today.  Without a single complaint, he rises and lets her drag him by their entwined hands to the dance floor.  Guiding his large hand around her waist as her one hand plants to his shoulder, she raises their joined hands and starts swaying them to the classic orchestral ensemble's upbeat performance.

The man doesn't know if it's the overwhelming feeling of pride he recently uncovered, or the way their bodies press together gently as he inhales her floral perfume, but he can't find the words to describe everything he wants to say. He settles on simply smiling warmly down at her as he whispers, "You're amazing, you know that?"

His girlfriend's cheeks flush and she erupts into giggles.  "What's with the sudden compliment?"

He shakes his head.  "I just realized it, that's all.  Just like my mom."

"You sure are a Mama's boy, aren't you?"

He scoffs at the idea.  "I love the old hag, but I'll never tell her that.  Besides, I'd say I'm whipped for a different woman in my life."  He brushes hair behind her ear, her earring glinting against the light, and places a kiss on her perfect temple.  "You look stunning tonight."

His girlfriend's eyes close in half-lidded affection.  "I'm sorry this isn't the perfect date night you wanted."

The blond leans his forehead on her's, slowing their pace to allow time to pass much more leisurely around them.  "I get to dance with you, I think that's a definite win."

"I guess so."

Katsuki comes to realize that he can be forced to come to all of these events.  All that matters is his enchanting lover and her smile.  When the night is over, he can't wait to let her take her heels off and carry her bridal style to their car as everyone watches in envy and awe.  He'd let her recline and rest her weary feet, telling her stories of his adventures of night outings with his mom to lull her to sleep in his passenger seat.  And then he'd carry her sleeping figure up to their bedroom and wake her gently so she can clean herself up and change into her cute pajamas, just so they can cuddle in each other's warmth until they fall asleep.

Maybe he's not a Mama's boy anymore.  More like he's a Lover's boy.

[moons-and-stars-and-shit]

Hiya love!! CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL YOUR FOLLWERS BBYYYY!! 🥳🥳🥳 IM SO PROUD OF YOU!! I HAVENT BEEN FOLLOWING YOU FOR THAT LONG BUT I CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU GROW. You deserve it all and more.

If it's still open, is it okay if I get a kinnie coldbrew please? And thank you in advance.

I'm really introverted and hate social interactions and meeting new people, even online

And I hate going outside in public

I just dont know how to make friends or even talk to people without panicking

I see the people around me having online friends and I'm sat there like how??? I just about have irl friends

It takes me a long long time to get used to people and even start thinking about opening up to them

All of my friends are people I've knows for a good 6/7 years, I hate being introduced to new people

I hate havinh big groups of friends as well

Usually whenever my friends go out I tend to avoid it, but when I do I'm usually at the back walking by myself

I just withdraw myself when in big groups and just become invisible

But in small groups of like 3 people or just me with someone else I thrive

My friends think they know me really well, but it's one of them ones where I mask my true emotions and feelings with waffle

It's not that I dont trust them, I just dont want to share my feelings with anyone or talk about myself, usually I just make jokes

I grew up in an environment where I was taught not to cry and not to be emotional, and my mother was very insistent on that, and it just became natural to me. I cant even remember the last time I cried, it was definitely a good 2/3 years ago

I have a lot of patience when it comes to anger, like I dont let it out, sometimes I get really really angry at the littlest things people do, but then it dies down in like 3 seconds. I dont know how to explain it, but it's like a hot flash and then it goes, other times it builds slowly and I just let it fester

But I hate confrontation

Absolutely hate it

I would never actually do anything with the anger or hurt I feel, i just let it sit inside of me and hold it in

People do come to me for advice and help, I wont sugarcoat anything, I'll tell you the honest (and sometimes harsh) truth and then help you get overcome your problem as well

Because of that I can sometimes come across as harsh because i wont bullshit you or beat around the bush if you need me to talk to you like that

I do the absolute most for my friends, I'd drop anything for them if they need help and I often find myself putting their happiness before my own, and lowkey (highkey) it hurts when I dont receive the same energy back, but it's ok we move

I'm usually the one doing all the work in a group presentation, mainly because no one else is bothered to do it, so I just do it all

I do all the work, they present

I dont know how to show the people around me that I love them, even though I really really do

I hate it when people touch me or try to give me hugs and I avoid them

But secretly I yearn for them and I just want someone to cuddle me

But I'm not used to physical affection at all and it really embarrasses me

It's a bit of a sticky one ngl

For me, it's so important to be polite and open minded

I think that's why people come to me for advice and shit, because I suck at comforting people, but I wont judge you at all also because I'm quite approachable as well

Unless you're a trump supporter, then I will roast the living shit out of you

I'm really into literature and reading, whether it be classics, manga, graphic novels, or just normal fiction

I just love reading

And doing anything creative tbh

I read percy jackson when I was young and it basically formed my entire personality

That's where my love for mythology started and over the years its become more refined and I just love it even more

I like to think I'm a nice person

I always try and make people smile and laugh and know that they're loved and acknowledged by me

In stressful situations I find myself being really calm

To the point it looks like I dont care

And I'll tell you that I dont care as well

But on the inside I'm panicking and its eating me up on the inside

I either do one of two things and they're both polar opposites

I either try and resolve it as soon as possible or I ignore it for as long as I can and leave it for future me to handle

It's not very healthy but I'm still here so, I guess it's fine

I dont find myself getting stressed FOR myself that often, if you get what I'm saying

Usually when i feel emotions it's for other people??? Like I'd be stressed for someone else, sad for someone else and angry for someone else, but I'd never really feel something for myself

Yeahh I usually stay calm and nonchalant though

Ahhhh, this is soo longgg, I'm so sorry about that, I just started venting halfway through and forgot that this was an ask. I'm so sorry and I hope you dont mind. Thank you so so much though, I appreciate it a lot. Make sure you're taking regular breaks and drinking lots and lots of water, make sure you're taking care of yourself. Thank you so much xxx 🥰🥰

THANK YOU THANK YOU ❤️

@tsukkispoundlandheadphones

You are a...

Sakusa Kinnie

Similarities

Alright stating the obvious

YOU BOTH HATE PEOPLE TOUCHING YOU

Although it might be for different reasons

That doesn’t change the fact that you both low key hate people

You both hate social interactions

Whether it be online or in person

Being social is just a no go for you two

Your only friends are people who you’ve known for a long time

Cmon

Sakusa’s friend is LITERALLY his cousin

Like FAMILY

You both are very slow to anger

Cant relate

Like when have we EVER seen sakusa get mad at someone

Disgusted with someone sure

But MAD I don’t think so

Blunt bitches

You both are blunt af

You both just tell it as it is

I mean someone has to do it

Ok this is hard to explain cause there’s no evidence behind it...

But he responds to stressful situations JUST like you

Don’t question it to much

It’s just true

Assumptions I Have About You

I’m sorry but your hot

No buts about it

Speaking of

Here 👐 takes some self confidence

You deserve it I promise

LonerTM

How’s being a homebody?

You let people take the lead in most situations

EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO BE A LEADER

Rbf?

Ok we know you don’t like people touching you

But you absolutely HATE strangers touching you

You either genuinely enjoy cleaning

Or you stress clean

Ilysm never change the world needs more sakusas ❤️

200 Follower Event

[dreamsafterhours]

college boyfriend!markhyuk au series: III (donghyuk's pathway)

a universe in which roommates!markhyuk meet each other's s/o in class

markhyuk are roommates, my/n and dy/n are roommates, mark and dy/n take classes together and so do donghyuk and my/n — how will their fates intertwine?

genre: fluff pairings: mark+my/n (fem), donghyuk+dy/n (fem), platonic!mark+dy/n, platonic!donghyuk+my/n format: dotpoint AU universe: non idol, college bf warning: some swearing

masterlist

or click here to meet your soulmate, eng lit!mark!

II ⇤ | III | ⇥ IV

III: 별빛이 내린다 샤라랄라랄라라 (2+2=4)

the meeting of two souls: donghyuk & dy/n

welcome! back and to the next part

in which things actually happen! yay

so. up until this point

it’s been quite obvious i hope

that this is the one where The Soulmates Meet™

and this one right here is the one where donghyuk meets his future wifenew best (not) friend

dammit this is a set plot with SET relationships

yeah

major spoilers for future parts but hey :) y’all know it i know it let’s just.

let’s get to it!!

that day you accidentally sleep in after a late night and walk into your lecture looking pretty trashier than you would normally a few weeks into the first sem and you’re already tired it’s okay bby aww

and mark suggests skipping the next lecture and going for coffee instead

you’re like ok lmfao free coffee for me yay thanks marcus i owe you one

and to make up for the lecture he suggests he join you and your roommate with his own roommate in the library later that day to study the material you’d missed out on

so you’re like sweet study group hell yeah and apparently his roommate is also in biomed like your roommate? hey they might get along pretty well it’d be nice to have roommates in the same faculty hey

little do you know you little cutie you uwu

mark takes you to a cafe to buy you your favourite drink and a croissant bc you skipped breakfast again and he cares about his friends ok plus he was eyeing that donut next to the savoury menu in the glass cabinet and he would have felt bad if he got something to eat and you didn’t

you sit down, sipping your drink at the window seats and wishing your fatigue away

laughing with mark about what you slept so late for

my/n had been ranting about her love life again or perhaps lack thereof,,

don’t worry tho

after you’d gotten her to sleep, you’d gotten major feels for an essay question that you’d been tasked with due in a week but you hadn’t touched it until last night

staring at the prompt for at least half an hour trying to get your head around it and wondering what the hell you’d write about

but like they say

starting is half of it

so when you start spinning your words and getting into the writing mood

you accidentally wrote an entire draft without realising

albeit being full of loose ends and points you need to refine, etc., it was a decent body of work that you’d tackle for a few more nights before turning in

a skeleton, you’d called it

“a skeleton?”

“yeah. next thing i need to do is.. flesh it out”

“.. literally”

cue mark’s small pause

/inhale/

/MANIACAL LAUGHTER/

you know how mark’s laugh is very how do i put this into words hm dictated

you can HEAR each HA and they’re separate syllables yet sometimes they can vary in tone and length right it’s usually the more consistent HAs before he kinda loses it and starts throwing himself around

it was that laugh

honestly man finds everything funny his laughing threshold seems so low

and no matter how unfunny you are he WILL laugh at anything you say

and you’ve been doing it a lot lately

you could say literally any random thing and he’d already be ready to laugh (see Figure 1.1)

Figure 1.1

you: /snort/

mark, already giggling: “what”

you, still sniggering: /touches his elbow/ “arm knee”

mark: /inhale/ gotta live and breathe that oxygen

mark: HAHAHAHAhahAhaHAHAhahAhHa (decrescendo.. cRESCENDO)

^ that but looped, with intermittent slaps to your arm

anyways you never fail to make him fall out of his chair in laughter

but enough of that. dy/n is donghyuk’s y/n for a REASON ahEM

so after you finish up your breakfast at the cafe you go back to your dorm to take a power nap and recharge before your library session you were going to stay awake but mark forces you to take a nap and you’re like bro you just fed me caffeine now you want me to sleep??

then he tells you he ordered your drink decaf

you turn to him real slow

“.. you sick traitor. how dare you besmirch my name so. you scorn my forefathers and our dependence on the holy bean’s juices. betrayal runs rampant in your soul and mine stands at the mercy of your choices, them informed by the devil himself”

mark: /shrug/ “placebo effect yeet. hey, it worked for a bit. now you should really go home and get your sleep”

and he drags you back to your dorm and waves you off before going to his next class

you’re lowkey grateful for it tho when you take a shower and collapse onto your bed, falling asleep in what you think could be half the time you usually take

dreaming about losing your airpods and mark yelling at you to be more careful and then you two fighting bc you’d just lost your $300 bean sprouts but you could have sworn he took them

then police sirens went off out of nowhere and both of you were being arrested for assault and thievery

why you were the one being arrested, you had no idea but it’s a dream nothing follows the guidelines of hard reality anyway

just as you’re about to be handcuffed, you think to yourself, nope. i have a library session to attend. ain’t nobody got time for this shit

and you just

wake up

but the sirens are still continuing?? so you’re like ? is my building surrounded

they’ve come for me

even though you haven’t exactly broken any laws or have you

and you realise it was the alarm you’d set in time to get ready for your library session

so you grab your stuff and leave for the library, double checking with your roommate over text to make sure she was on her way

her lab class was taking longer than usual so she tells you she’ll be 10 or so minutes late

so you tell her you’ll be saving a seat for her and call mark to let him know you’re on your way to the library

“oh i’m already here lol. alright, i’m waiting for you outside”

and sure enough, you see him leaning on the wall of the entrance, eyes on his phone

you consider calling out to him but before you actually do, he glances up and spots you walking over tf do you have psychic spatial awareness mark

smiles and takes his corded earphones out

“you seriously need to upgrade those”

“they work fine”

“nop i’m getting you airpods for your birthday”

“dUdE thEy’RE tOo ExPEnSiVe. nO dUDE NoO”

“nOP. i’m GOING to buy you EXPENSIVE BEAN SPROUTS for your LIFE DEBUT ANNIVERSARY and you CAN’T STOP ME”

at this point i should just put /MANIACAL LAUGHTER/ and you should know what laugh i’m referring to

/MARK LEE’S MANIACAL LAUGHTER/

/MLML/ for short

nvm it’s fine it’s kinda fun to type /MANIACAL LAUGHTER/

literally mark laughs in bolded italics i’m just sad i can’t underline it on tumblr unless it’s a link lmfao

n e ways

i digress

you shush him because you’re about to walk into the library

“qUIET DOWN marcus” turn that sh down for quiet new dawn

the library is almost full for the day but after a minute or two scouring the building you find an empty four seater in the middle of nowhere it’s CRAZY you can NEVER find a MIRACLE like this life couldn’t get better

i’m sorry

you speed walk to claim it even though there was no one else in your vicinity to threaten your territory

mark laughs at you trying to get to the table as fast as you could without all out running

getting out your things, you send a photo of your seat to your roommate and tell mark to send it to his roommate as well so they know where to find you

you start watching the lecture online while taking notes and since you’re not in the lecture theatre you can talk more audibly with mark not that you don’t talk in the actual lecture too,,

maybe you do text a lot,,, during class

mark usually says things like “.. implications of what now?? interpretation of huh?” to which you reply “i want cheese when i get home”

and he has to stifle his laughter while you keep your straight face and continue writing your notes he admires this ability ngl

and so while you’re watching it on your computer

you can say things like “fuck. i want pickles”

and mark will /throw himself back/ and cackle and probably say some shit like “DIDN’T YOU HATE PICKLES??” between his giggles

and you’re like “yeah. fuck pickles but like. fuck. pickles”

he almost falls off his chair at this point

but when he balances himself again he spots someone down the corridor and wave them over

���oii! over here dude”

you turn to glance at them to expect his roommate, but you see your own roommate talking to someone and wave her over as well

“heYY my/n”

you see the other person turn to your roommate and tell her something, , then she says something back

which is apparently shocking to them, because he glances over at mark and then at you

and then he looks again when your roommate points straight at you

to which you’re like ?? hi? y u look me

and then they both start laughing

you wonder if they were laughing at you or smth until mark’s like “tf is that idiot doing”

and u look at him like ? what idiot

“that idiot. the idiot roommate i told u about. the one who called u a homewrecker”

and you’re like

wait

[info clog]

wait

[error]

“wait”

“what”

“that’s your roommate?” u point at the boy next to my/n, who r both still laughing at something going all “wOW r u KIDDING” he has a loud voice

and mark’s like “? yeah”

and you go

“.. the girl next to him is my roommate”

mark: “wait what”

that’s what she said

at that point they’ve made their way over to the table, still trying to hold in their laughter

you start to introduce your roommate to mark, who’s still confused by the situation

you: “mark, this is my/n, my/n this is mark”

my/n: “nice to see you again mark”

you: “wait. again?”

mark: “yeah we’ve met. hi my/n”

you: “what”

mark: “yeah”

my/n: “yeah”

his roommate: “yeah”

you:

you: “i feeling like i’m missing something here”

turns out

surprise surprise

that one friend that my/n had made in her biology class was mark’s roommate oh my god they were roommates

whose name, you are told, is lee donghyuk

magical moment

us watching: heh 🤤

u can’t help but do a lil body scan from head to toe bc he a fine piece of cake we all know that

honey skin, oversized white t shirt, black pants, sneakers and lighter brown hair that looks fluffy the type of fluffy that makes u wanna touch it

yes he’s good looking. yes

yaaaaas

then mark tells him your name

“she’s the one i said reminded me of you”

“r u talking abt me behind my back marcus??”

donghyuk laughs and holds out a hand for you to shake

“what kinda coincidence is this?? i adopt your roommate, you’re dealing with mine”

“oh you’re gonna have to get in line to adopt her, i’m her legal guardian, sorry donghyuk”

to which he goes

“lmfao then we’ll both be her parents”

“k but i’ll keep her on the weekends. you see her on the weekdays”

then he wipes his smile off his face and he’s like “who said we’re split”

mark and my/n are doing the /MANIACAL LAUGHTER/ at this point

mark: “so ,, seriously what are the chances”

you: “this quartet,, it’s fate guys it’s fate there’s no way about it”

yes it is. yes. it is

even that four seater table was free because of fate

donghyuk: “this calls for drinks later. we all free? no 9am classes tmr?”

my/n: “we have a physics prac at 8:30 dingus”

donghyuk: “ah shit”

you barely got any notes for that lecture for at least an hour because you end up talking altogether throughout the session but once you remember you’re in a library to study you request a ceasefire and agree to study for a bit which,, you gotta admit ,, isn’t really productive because you’re so excited to meet someone new

but the best part about the day was when you notice how many times mark is glancing at your roommate while she’s reviewing her notes, completely oblivious

donghyuk complains that he’s hungry after another hour or two and you suggest you all have dinner together

donghyuk leans back in his chair in a stretch, his jumper lifting up a little over his jeans and showing a bit of his belly “ah i’m craving chinese”

you perk up, “mE TOO”

so you all go to your favourite chinese place just outside campus where you find out that mark and my/n have the same taste and so do you and donghyuk

he points and u and goes “oH?”

“jjAMPPONG? U TOO?”

“the ONLY DISH EVER”

mark and my/n: jjajang is fine : )

you and donghyuk: “JJAMPPONG IS SUPERIOR”

give him a bro five with the shoulder bump and everything

the boys walk you and my/n back to your dorm afterwards

donghyuk and my/n end up walking in a pair and mark walks alongside you

mark mentions how it’d be fun if you made a group chat together

you: “do it”

“i don’t have your roommate’s number tho”

you’re smiling wickedly at his reaction “?? ASK HER FOR IT”

“dude what?? no u make one and i’ll add donghyuk to it”

“bRO JUST ASK”

“wHAT NO U DO IT THEN”

so u go

bet

and you call out the two biomed kids walking in front of you

“hey donghyuk! give me your number i’ll make a group chat”

“sure lol” and you open up a new contact to let him type his number into your phone

he saves his name as hot boi hyuk ✌🏻

which you just leave bc you’re busy making the group chat

mark is still astounded that you asked donghyuk for his number so easily

you: hi hello good day

my/n 🌸: yeetus meetus

hot boi hyuk ✌🏻: bow before me

you: here before me lie the beginnings of a new era

you: one born from blood and stone

my/n 🌸: tf is she saying

hot boi hyuk ✌🏻: idk but lets go with it

you: together we rise from the rubble and sort through the debris

hot boi hyuk ✌🏻: yas queen

my/n 🌸: i hate this gc already

you: and we WILL REBUILD THIS EMPIRE

read by marcus the fool 🤡 at 8:21 pm

safe to say you stay up for a good while talking on that group chat while mark just sits idle,,

you honestly don’t know if he’s consciously reading or not maybe he just left his phone on the chat

and thus our quartet is complete,,

and they all lived

happily ever after

but this isn’t the ending tho is it

wink wonk /waggles eyebrows/

this is but the epilogue to the prologue

that doesn’t make sense but n e ways

our quartet has not yet become two pairings

y’all just don’t know what the future has in store for you :)

click here to meet your soulmate, eng lit!mark!

II ⇤ | III | ⇥ IV

taglist: @lavellanfriendliness​ 

shoot me an ask if you’d like to be tagged in future parts!

[janiedean]

Two worst takes on JxB I had to read with my own two eyes: (1) Brienne was shamed for being a virgin by Tyrion and was peer-pressured into having sex with Jaime; and (2) Jaime took advantage of Brienne because she was drunk. And here I thought nothing can be dumber than "Arya x Gendry was abusive because Maisie is short".

.................. okay like I’m gonna say it once and never again because honestly I’m tired of seeing that scene being dissed when it was imvho pretty good, but.

that was an obvious set-up. like, it’s the middle ages. they’re drunk. tyrion obviously had planned for it to get to that point so she’d drink and jaime would have the opening to go like WELL I’M DOWN WITH DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I mean okay it was a fanfic but it wasn’t shaming, it was setting them up. now, we can discuss for a year about how it could have been more courteous and whatever but like, are we seriously expecting tyrion lannister ie mr. ‘I slept with a lot of people in my life and most of them were prostitutes and I have endless intimacy issues because of my shitload of amount of traumas’ to come up with anything else? like, there was no peer-pressure by anyone because she could have just thrown jaime out if she didn’t want him, and it was obvious from the rest that she really did want him and viceversa. like, guys, it’s not that deep. it’s really not that deep. I’ve read endless fanfics that weren’t canon setting where the virginity thing ends up being the catalyst for them to bang. and I say it as someone who was both virgin-shamed and peer-pressured about it back in the day - I 100% understand why people might find it uncomfortable but as far as I’m concerned the intention matters more than the performance and it was obvious that both tyrion and pod set the entire thing up so those two would get over themselves and be happy. and ngl if someone had paid me that favor with someone I liked back in the day I sure af would have preferred being outed as a v-card owner like that then supposed friends showing up after losing theirs like ‘oh I hear you’re the last one left in the club :))))’, like it was not meant badly and tyrion didn’t mean to shame her and it was plain obvious, sometimes things are... really.... just what they look like?

*sigh* she was drunk... and he was drunk and none of them was so drunk they couldn’t consent. also, at the cost of going TMI again: let’s just say that if you get to not have lost your v-card by the time it’s deemed socially acceptable (back in my time if you were older than sixteen, a virgin and not for personal choice you were basically a laughing stock as much as some people around here don’t like to admit that stuff happens) and if you don’t abstain from drinking, let me assure you you might want a drink. or two. or ten. like, not to the point of getting smashed because of course not, but it’s absolutely normal and common and sadly a thing that you might want to get some alcohol in you to lose enough fucks to give it a go instead of overthinking it, and especially with those two it really does make sense that if they had to lose it outside an adrenaline-fueled situation it would happen. like sorry to go and be like that, but: she’s in her thirties, never slept with anyone, doesn’t think people find her desirable or attractive and has never conceived that she might actually have choices and she was like WTF OMG IS HE JEALOUS, and she never really even smiled before this season. not once. he is in his forties, has never had a healthy relationship with anyone, doesn’t know how to flirt for shit, the only person he ever was with was his twin sister in a toxic af relationship and he has endless self-worth issues to the point that he most likely thinks she deserves endlessly better than him. like. these two are literal fucking disasters and he’s a worse disaster than her and let me tell you, having been in her place, she also is a damned disaster. those two needing to drink to get over themselves isn’t coercion, it’s........ actually one of the most realistic things they have pulled this time round because like I know that we read that scene in a bunch of fanfics and reality would have disappointed at least some and it could have been longer and we had higher expectations, but as it was it made sense, there was no taking advantage of anyone especially because they just acted on stuff they had been not acting on for years and they only drank to get over it and that’s actually how it goes a lot of times. like I was discussing personal experience first but a bunch of people I know went for a drink or two or three if they were nervous before having sex with someone because like, that loosens you up and makes you a lot less awkward if you can handle it half-decently. which those two obviously could do since it didn’t seem to me like that kiss was one-sided. and I did like that the kiss was like that because okay fine the a+++ romantic beautiful perfect first kiss would have also been nice, but like... realistically speaking that was less likely than those two stumbling at it, never mind that your first kiss is usually like that in romance novels because the first time you do it especially if one of you is inexperienced it’s really not that refined. I mean we can discuss for ages how they ended that episode because lmao that was bad writing, but how they got together? jfc I mean I get that everyone might have had different expectations or higher, but I really didn’t feel like it was coercion or cheapening it, especially given that in the show they’re also aged up and I really doubt that brienne at thirty has the same expectations about losing the v-card that her book counterpart would have had at nineteen. *shrug*

like I know it’s’ subjective and so on but like............ sometimes things really aren’t that deep, and tbqh I personally had zero issues with that scene and the lead-up given the context and everything. obviously if they had also another five minutes of WE ACTUALLY SEE THEM HAVING SEX AND KISSING SOME MORE I’d have appreciated but if that was virgin shaming............... lmao guys sorry but again I wish that all the virgin shaming I had to hear until high school was done and over was like that, as in, aimed at making me lose it with the guy that I liked by someone who was trying to help in the best way they could. fff.

[lady-therion]

Everything I Meant to Say: Part 6 [Nessian]

Summary: Cassian sends the wrong message at the wrong time.

(Modern AU)

***

   It only took a few seconds for Cassian’s phone to explode with text messages.

   “Fake news,” said Azriel.

   “This is fake right?” echoed Rhys. “Do they have that suit in my size?”

   “I *almost* believed this,” said Feyre. “Smh.”  

   “This is SO mean,” said Elain, her declaration followed by furious emojis.

   “I don’t even know where to begin with this,” said Mor.

   “Pretty heartless,” wrote Amren. “Good job.”

   Cassian scrolled through the endless banter that followed. Most of it was just variations of the beginning of the thread. Then he mulled over something Feyre sent him privately.

   “I know you two are over,” she began. “And I’m glad you’re still close enough to be complete assholes to your family, but NGL...I wish this was real.”

   He sighed, pocketing his phone. He didn’t want to think too deeply on whether he agreed with Feyre or not. The answer was kept behind a door he swore to never pry open the moment Nesta vanished from his life.

   Speaking of which…

   Nearby, the rapid click-click-click of the cameras geared into overdrive as his ex stood next to her formation of “bridesmaids.” Like her, they were tall, stylish, and criminally gorgeous. But as long as Nesta was in the shot, she stole the entire show. Though it wasn’t her beauty that made her stand out. It was her presence. She was commanding. When she was there, you couldn’t look at anyone else. That went doubly so for Cassian. Tearing his eyes away from her somehow felt like a cardinal sin.

   And yet…

   The doubt that had been stalking his periphery all day began to slink into focus. No matter how phenomenal Nesta was at her job, he still had a hard time believing she actually enjoyed this. The Nesta he remembered abhorred taking pictures, especially if they were of her. He’d been on recon missions more difficult than getting Nesta to pose for five minutes—let alone smile like she meant it.

  That’s why most of the photos he had of her were candid, taken during moments when her mind was elsewhere. One of his old favorites (that he didn’t have the heart to delete) was of her reading. He remembered finding her on his balcony, draped in one of his T-shirts. It always made him embarrassingly possessive to see her wear his things and she knew it.

   The sunlight had brought out all the gold in her hair, the color in her cheeks, the kissable bow of her mouth. She had looked so soft, so at ease. Her long, bare legs were curled beneath her in an adorable, girlish way. He remembered how much he wanted to wrap them around his waist and carry her back to bed...

   It was her expression that he remembered most of all. He had only ever seen it when she was reading something smutty. He wondered if she still read those kinds of books. Or if they were one of the many things she left behind once she started a new life.

   Again, he marveled at how different she was now. Somehow in the span of six years, she had been reforged and refined. The Nesta from before their fallout was all sharp corners and jagged edges. This Nesta was no less keen, no less imposing. But there was something about her that was...soothed. As though someone had cooled and gentled all that raw pain and blazing anger.

   Someone that wasn’t him.

   “I can practically hear you brooding,” said Nesta, drawing near.

   He gave her a half-hearted grin.

   “Not getting cold feet, are you?”

   “It’s not that,” he said.

   “Then what?” she asked. “Did the happy little circle not enjoy our trick?”

   Happy little circle.

   She had used those words a lot when they were together and never in a fond way. It used to set his teeth on edge, the way she would scoff and sneer at his family. Their family. He could never understand why she always tried to distance herself from them.

   They’re your happy little circle, she would say. Not mine.

   Apparently, it didn’t matter that his circle also included her own blood relations. Getting her to join any sort of group event was an Olympic-level challenge. It chafed him every time she said no, as if these family gatherings were a waste of her time. They had endless arguments about it. Cassian often wondered why he even bothered dragging her along, especially when she fought him tooth and nail every step of the way.

   But there were no teeth or nails in her words now. Because in that moment, the phrase “happy little circle” was said as a matter of fact. There was no derision, no haughtiness, no sarcasm. There was still a wedge of distance, however. A near palpable sense of “I acknowledge and respect your world, but I am not a part of it.”

  The notion bothered him in ways that he couldn’t explain. But now wasn’t the time to air out his grievances.

  Instead, he smirked at her and said, “Yeah, they’re pretty pissed. I should show you later.”

  “You should,” she said. “We’ll grab dinner. I know a place.”

  “Dinner?”

  “Yes,” she said. “It usually comes after lunch. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

  Her brow furrowed in concern as he glanced away. Those killer blue eyes of hers were at full power and he was worried that if she looked too long, she would see just how fucking inadequate he was. He was a bastard nobody. Standing next to her now made it a thousand times more obvious.

  Maybe he was getting cold feet.

  She cleared her throat.

  “We don’t have to do dinner if that’s too...awkward. I know I asked a lot from you today—”  

  “Can the bossy bride and her hot groom please take their markers?”

   Vassa’s voice echoed imperiously through the megaphone as Nesta’s bridal party sailed away from the stone bridge like a parade of lavender clouds. A few of them glanced his way, but averted their eyes as soon as they caught Nesta glaring. He’d been on the receiving end of that glare before. The one that said, “Proceed at your own peril.”

  They stood at their markers. The city’s world-famous sunset making Nesta shine like a thousand-carat diamond. Once upon a time, he had told her that he loved her at this exact same spot. How long ago was that now? A decade? Maybe more? Back then, they were young and full of expectations.

   None of those expectations had panned out.

   Being here, stuffed into someone else’s suit, made him feel like the punchline of some cosmic joke; a glitch in the matrix. All of the optimism he gathered throughout the day seemed to evaporate under the realization that he really did not belong here.

  “You look like you’re about to throw up,” she said.

  “I think I just might,” he answered.

  “You were fine just a minute ago,” she said quietly. “What changed?”

   “Sorry,” he said. “I’m just overthinking this.”

   “Overthinking what?”

   “Is there a reason you two look like you’re about to say your last words instead of your wedding vows?”

   Cassian started as Vassa materialized between them like a referee about to lay down the ground rules. As cute as she was, she should really wear a bell.

  “You realize that we’re not actually getting married right?” asked Nesta. “We’re just playing dress-up.”

  A strange pang went through him at the words “dress-up.” It had the same impact as a jab to the gut. Nesta was right. This was all just pretend and he really needed to get his shit together. For both their sakes.

  “I’ve seen kindergartners perform better than this,” said Vassa. “At least try to act like this is the happiest day of your life. Both of you.” The shuffled uneasily under her discerning gaze. “My advice? Leave everything in the past. All that matters is now. I don’t need either of you to look schmoopy. Just talk about something nice. Something honest.”

   She flounced away, directing her staff to reposition the cameras.

   “And please stand closer,” she said. “You’re about to get married. Not take each other to prom.”

  Nesta cursed under her breath as she shifted towards him. She was close enough that he could smell the jasmine from her bouquet or trace the flower buds threaded into her hair. His fingers twitched with muscle memory. Almost nothing satisfied him more than Nesta’s hair. Playing with it had been one of his favorite things in the entire world. He loved combing out the strands, twisting it into braids, or grabbing whole fistfuls while she...

   “Just do it.”

   “Hm?” He hoped he didn’t look as dazed as he felt. “Sorry, do what?”

   “My hair.” She tugged at a particularly springy curl that that framed her heart-shaped face. The urge to tuck it behind her ear staggered him. “Go ahead. I can tell you want to. You get this glazed look in your eye.”  

   “I do not,” he said, even though he knew he did.

   But when she tugged that curl again, he knew he was done for.

  So he did as she asked and she sighed in contentment, almost leaning into his hand as he grazed the whorl of her ear. He didn’t know if that was for the benefit of their audience, but for now he didn’t care. It was such a small and simple gesture. Something he had done a thousand times when they were a couple. But even with small and simple gestures, you never knew if the next one would be your last.

   A moment passed. Then a hundred years.

  It was Nesta who spoke first. “You brought me here for our anniversary.”

  “Every single one,” he whispered.

   “It was two weeks ago,” she added. “The last one. If we stayed together, that is.” She turned her face, glancing at the river below. Its surface was as still as glass, reflecting the setting sun like a mirror. “Do you...do you sometimes wish things had been different?”

   All the time, he wanted to say.  

   “I thought the exercise was to leave everything in the past?”

   “It’s probably better that way,” said Nesta. “But still...it’s hard to forget.”

   Regrets piled up between them like mounds of ash. Why couldn’t “starting over” feel like the clean slate it was supposed to? Why couldn’t all hurts just fade with time?  

   He leaned down far enough to kiss her, but stopped just shy of her glossy lips.

   “I tripped up the steps, remember?”

   “What?”

   “This bridge. I tripped on that cobblestone right there, because I was nervous as shit.”

   “You were?”

   “I was about to tell you that I loved you,” he said, grimly. “Yes, I was nervous as shit.”

   The corner of her mouth lifted, making her dimple show. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to caress it with his thumb.

   “I do remember a lot of stammering that day.”

   “I think I was about to have a stroke,” he said. “Glad that I amused you though.”

   That was the honest-to-god truth. Her smile could have lit up the entire city. He remembered wanting to be the cause of them forever. He would hoard each one for a rainy day.

   “You’ve always been a cheeky little shit,” she said. “It was nice seeing you flustered for once.”

   “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you flustered, Ms. Archeron.”

   “Mrs.” she corrected. “In this pretend scenario we’re playing, I’m Mrs. Archeron and you also took my name.”

   “Is that so?”

   Funny. He actually did plan on taking her last name if they ever got married.

   “I thought it would be more….awful to talk to you like this,” she said. “I guess we really have moved on.”

   Another click. Another shutter. Another meaningful silence.

   “Yeah, I guess we have,” he said.

   “What the hell, Vassa?”

   Their peaceful tableau curled away like burning paper when a tall man walked onto their set. Like Vassa, his hair was red. But deeper, golden—like a fox’s. Cassian tensed at the man’s sneering, half-cruel expression. Irrationally, it made Cassian want to shove Nesta behind him. The only thing that stopped him from doing so was the certainty that she would toss him into the river if he tried.

   “Nice of you to finally show up to work, Eris,” said Nesta dryly.  

   So this was Eris.

   “I see you’re quick to replace me, Nesta dear.” He pouted as he placed a hand over his heart. “My feelings are crushed.”

   Nesta snorted. “As if you had them. And for the record, I didn’t replace you. Vassa did.”

   “You’re damn right I did,” cried Vassa. “Where the hell have you been all day, jackass?”

   He shrugged. “One of my brothers had a thing.”

   Nesta and Vassa exchanged a glance, as if to say “of course.”

   “Hey there, Eris Vanserra.”

   He reached out to shake his hand. It took a moment for Cassian to take it because he wasn’t sure if Eris was actually being sincere.

   “Thanks for putting up with the Ice Queen and the Fire Bitch,” Eris added, winking.

   “We resent that,” the aforementioned deadpanned.

   There was a rhythm to their teasing, Cassian realized. A fluid rhythm that reminded himself and Rhys, or himself and Morrigan. It was the assurance between people who were close friends; who were perhaps drawn together because they were misfits everywhere else. It made Cassian feel even more out of place; even more isolated.

   Was this how Nesta felt whenever she was with his family?

   The realization astounded him, changing the molecular structure of a thousand different memories. It was like adding color to black and white photographs. Every clash, every fight, every screaming match that erupted between them...had Nesta just felt lonely all that time? Had she perhaps felt like he was always choosing his own family’s happiness, while disregarding hers?

   It was a miracle that he could still draw air into his lungs.

   How could he not see it? How could he not know?

   “Might as well take the day off, Eris,” said Vassa. “Your replacement is doing just fine. We’re almost done in fact. All the important shots were done today.”

“So I dragged my fine ass out here for nothing?”

  “You can grab dinner with us later,” said Nesta. “I was thinking of taking Cassian to that bistro downtown.”

   “Ugh, I hate that place,” said Eris. “But for you, I’d go.”

   He gave her an obnoxious wink that made Cassian want to punch something. His only consolation was that Nesta was immune to this particular man’s “charm.”

   You don’t belong here, his subconscious taunted. You don’t belong here. You don’t belong here.

   You’re an accessory. 

   She doesn’t need you. 

   Get out before you cause any more damage.

   “Actually, I think I might call it a day,” said Cassian, wincing inwardly at his own awkwardness. “It’s getting late and I have an early morning tomorrow.”

   “Are you sure?” asked Nesta.

   “Yeah,” he said, ignoring her concern. “I, ah...I’d better go.”

   He pretended not to hear Nesta calling him on the way back to her trailer.

   “Idiot,” said Vassa, smacking Eris with a rolled up newspaper. “You scared him away!”

***

   He was about to hail a cab from the park entrance when he realized Nesta had followed him. She was still wearing her wedding gown, looking for all the world like a desperate bride trying to win back an errant groom. A few onlookers exchanged curious murmurs. One of them snapped a photo that was probably going to be all over Twitter. Christ.

   “Can you at least tell me why you’re leaving?” she asked.

   He stilled.

   Don’t walk away from me!

   There were only two people in his life that walked away from him for good: his father and the woman standing before him. Although to be fair, he walked away from her first. The only good that came from today was the realization of just how badly he failed her. Of course, Nesta had left him. He couldn’t give her what she needed. How could he possibly explain this to her?

   “I thought we were friends,” she said. “I thought we were starting over.”

   “I don’t know if we can be ever friends, Nesta.”

   “Oh.”  

   The words shattered between them like broken glass.

   He wished he could rewind time and say them all over again differently. He wished for a lot of things.

   “Nesta. That’s not what I meant.”

   She nodded stiffly.

   “You’re right,” she said. “This was a mistake.”

   She took a step back from him, her face a familiar mask of ice hiding a tempest of emotions. He knew that mask well. It was a sign that the battle was over, though neither side had won.

   “I’m sorry,” he said.  

   “So am I.”

***

Tagging these baes:  @aelin-and-feyre, @ladyvanserra, @queen-archeron, @mariamuses, @alyssa-targaryen, @urbisie, @dreamilyzealousbird, @wolffrising, @elide-lochan-salvaterre, @writer-reader-traveller, @sugarcoated44, @a-trifling-matter, @tntwme, @crazybookladythings, @katexrenee, @katshrev, @voiceoftheroses, @highfaenesta, @a-court-of-nessian, @iamnesta, @empress-ofbloodshed, @lordof-bloodshed, @ourbooksuniverse, @godbepatient, @verifiefangirl, @photofeesh, @deathbytitanium, @ofstarsanddreams, @cruelwickedthing, @helloprinceling, @maddieimhot, @awesomethreedragons, @catastrophicideass, @shadowazriel, @kaliejane26, @fantasy-faes, @cmhmama, @cyracourtney, @rowanismybae, @mydarlingwhitethorn, @escapingtheconstrictingboxes, @thenameisjaida-blog, @poisonbooknerd, @deathroseravenscar, @saltierthanbottomofapretzelbag, @officialsuriel, @alexisnm95, @captain-timetraveldreamer, @leulivy, @high-lady-of-rochambeau, @deathroseravenscar, @zaradearbornsucks, @ootwwolves, @booksaremylife4eva, @the-dream-team-of-prythian, @goldbooksblack, @fandoms-everywhere-united, @hashtolanashoba, @wewhohavefailed, @highladyjel, @curiousitykilledthecas, @nerdperson524, @unicornbooks-blog, @sarcasticsashimi, @way-too-emotionally-invested, @mydarlingwhitethorn, @whydoyoucareaboutmyusername, @tswaney17, @court-of-fandoms-and-art, @alicethelonerabbit, @acourtofrosesandbooks, @stardustsroses, @fck-tamlin, @beelezebub, @aelinashgalathynius, @rowanismybae, @nessian-girl, @starlightheir 

Thank you for reading, my loves.

Other chapters be found in the Masterlist in my Bio / I am Lady_Therion on AO3

[isroselalondebisexual]

*hesitantly slides my trollswapped kids for you to analyze* Rose Peixes (I thought Rose with a horrorterror for a mom figure would be a neat concept), Dave Ampora, John Vantas, Jade Megido

Rose Peixes! Queen of Alternia, with a shot for the throne, a giant huge large big thousand-tentacled lusus for a mom. Gl'bgolyb is a lusus that makes demands of her charge, but we know from Feferi that she also does engage with her child frequently. Feferi spoke with her lusus, and learned about the encroaching destruction of the universe from her, and then was also able to speak with other horror terrors, which were more vast and horrifying than their emissary, and make friends with them AND gain a boon, so what I can glean from that is that Gl’bgolyb, despite having relatively high demand, was also pretty warm and loving as far as lususes go. Maybe not an authoritative parenting style all across, because she did make high demands and there WAS threat of real and devastating consequences, but not all parents are perfect. Anyway, Rose, raised with all the power in the world, and a lusus that loved her but required some pretty tasking stuff from her with threat of killing her friends if she didn’t cooperate, would result in Rose being a very, very driven person, I think. The throne is hers to seize, if she can fight for it, Alternia is hers to govern, and Rose is not someone to half-ass things. She would be privileged, as anyone from that station would be, and maybe not fully understand the social order on account of being very young still, plus she would be socialized with Alternia’s definition of “fairness,” but I think she would be more concerned with personal achievement than doing stuff like Trizza tbh. She’s relentless, driven, always clawing for bigger, better, harder, faster, someone with a ravenous pursuit of excellence, someone who is dissatisfied with herself unless her idea of perfection is achieved. Rose Peixes and Azula from Avatar would probably be pretty similar tbeh. She’s here to WIN. As Seer of Life, Rose would be the one to foresee the “onward march of positive progress.” That’s pulled straight from the extended zodiac page, btw. Hussie tells us that Life players are “concerned with the betterment of themselves and those around them,” so Rose is all about seeing the way things can be improved, interested in using her sight to propel things forward, make them better, refine them, take the future by the horns and drive it in the direction of progress. Yes, she’s spoiled and privileged, and yes, she needs to learn that her own definition of progress might not always match with other’s, but Rose likes to learn and is quick to adapt to new information, so I have full confidence that Rose Peixes, Seer of Life, would be a harbinger of that which is good.

Dave Ampora, hmmmm. Well, his attention seeking ways are going nowhere. Dave gets raised at the top of the spectrum, full royalty, with only one person in all the world who outranks him by blood, and he just so happens to be childhood best friends/moirails with her. Definitely still a hipster, definitely still takes photographs of weird deep-sea shit and scenic ocean views, absolutely looks up to and adores his ancestor a lot, creating an ideal image of him in his brain that he tries to pursue. Living in the wrecked ship of his ancestor instead of an actual hive is also a very hipster thing to do sooooo. Probably doesn’t like it when people tell him that ancestors aren’t real, or that his was lame. Rose is probably the one telling him how lame his ancestor was tbeh. Dave VERY likely wouldn’t want to help Rose with feeding Gl’bgolyb, that doesn’t strike me as something Dave would want to do, or that Rose would need help with, so he’s more focused on the emotional and caretaking elements of their moirallegiance. Primarily: Rose go the fuck to sleep it’s 3 in the afternoon the sun’s been up for hours I don’t care if you haven’t gotten it “just right” yet you’re never gonna get it “just right” because you’re a fucking perfectionist now get inside your goddamned ‘coon you absolute madwoman or so help me god I’ll swim down there and dunk you in that pile of slime myshellf! Needs constant validation for himself, which on one hand, that’s fine, on the other, he doesn’t ever want to confront when he’s been the one to make a mistake, or that he’s the one who’s overstepped, and that’s something he has to work on and work through, as someone born into immense wealth and power. As Knight of Hope, his task is as the group cheerleader, sort of. He’s the one protecting and sustaining everyone’s ability to look up, look forward, he’s the one that helps and allows Rose to pursue that better future, he’s the one giving John the emotional support and assurance that yes, John is valued and loved and definitely one of the group and not an outsider, Dave is the one to offer Jade support when she thinks the world is resting squarely on her own shoulders and help her keep her cheery disposition, even when life looks hard. He is an odd mix of deeply empathetic and loving, but also selfish at times, and too certain of his own rightness.

John Vantas has a screechy dad and mutant blood, which means he’s really, really good at laughing off conflict. If someone is mad at him, it doesn’t really touch him, which, on one hand, is good for conflict deescalation because it means he’s never sending off the signals that would lead to a back and forth of conflict getting worse and worse and worse. On the other, it can make having serious conversations with him an ABSOLUTE nightmare, because John isn’t taking them SERIOUSLY and he needs to LISTEN! Probably also has a very fatalistic sense of humor, as a way of coping with the fact that he could die at pretty much literally any second. “Whoops, almost got hit by a bus, ahaha, should’ve moved into that street a little faster ;B” *minor inconvenience happens* “Guess I’ll die.” It doesn’t help that Alternia is really violent and unsafe just, like, in general. Every goddamned troll has PTSD and I will stand by that. But humor is John’s coping mechanism, as well as just, he’s a dude who likes a laugh. He’s here for a good time, not a long time. Since he’s a mutant, he defines himself in society primarily based on who he’s friends with! With the Heiress and a fishprince as his good friends, plus his dear sweet darling burgundy moirail, that makes him… relatively well off, actually? He’s not sure how this is happening, but he does know that he loves Rose Dave and Jade so so so so much and ngl I think flush DaveJohn and pitch, playfully-competitive “i’m a bigger little shit than you are” JohnRose would be… excellent… I ship everything y’all I don’t know what you’re expecting of me. He puts a LOT of stock in his relationships with his friends, which unfortunately means that he gets very depressed if he’s left alone for too long. He’s an extrovert with a blood mutation that makes it so he can’t actually GO OUT and engage in activities for fear of revealing his blood color. How does he deal with it? More fatalistic humor. Hahaha… he’s so lonely… haha… At least Jade knows, that’s probably an immense comfort, and when Dave and Rose find out Dave’s immediate assurances that they still love him and this doesn’t change anything would do wonders for John’s outlook on life, as is Dave’s role. As Heir of Blood, I mentioned this already but John places a LOT of his identity in his bonds with others. In many ways, his quest is learning how to balance that with constructing a personal identity. He’s a lowblood, offspectrum mutant on Alternia, that doesn’t allow for a lot of individual value to be placed on himself, so that’s something he’s got to learn and grow away from, but at the same time, his friends are his anchors, what keeps him sane and happy and healthy, so it’s important too for him to grow alongside them, entwined with them, part of their group, part of the whole, part of the community that is no longer stacked unfairly against him. It’s a balance, but he’ll find it.

Jade Megido, raised by a kangaram, low socioeconomic status but magic powers that can break mountains. Nothing can possibly go wrong with this. She’s pretty relentlessly positive, angry at the society that labels her as “lesser” but with a sort of learned helplessness about her that makes her think there’s nothing truly to be done to fight back against it. So fuck the system altogether then! She’s here for a good time, not a long time, her lifespan is short and that’s provided she can even make it that long! So she’s gonna go PET BARKBEASTS and DO SCIENCE and EXPLORE THOSE COOL RUINS NEAR HER HIVE and visit her moirail who she loves dearly. She doesn’t have any of the funding necessary to get the parts and chemicals that she needs on her own, but luckily for her Dave is a people pleaser and vastly wealthy and also flush with her moirail so she can pester him for favors. She fears neither god nor death, pass her some fucking robot parts. A real “Fuckit” mentality, I think, but here to have a good time! Still deeply compassionate as a person, and still lying about how sucky her situation truly is, to her friends and also to herself. She likes to think of herself as just making the most of a bad situation but really she’s just avoiding confronting the fact that Alternia really, really SUCKS for warmbloods and there’s nothing she, one single person, can do in the face of the vastness of it all. As Witch of Time, she is confronted with her own corpse again and again and again, forcing her to look at the fact that life isn’t fair and doesn’t care about her, that she’s mortal, that death comes for them all. But as Witch, she is given the opportunity to CHANGE things. She’s handed the ability to make a difference, to grab the Game and make it do as she tells it to. And so she must first confront her own mortality, and then step forward and change it, she must learn confidence and drive. She cannot just ignore or lie about her problems, she must fix them, and that is where her growth lies. This has some immediate backlash of making Jade think, once she realizes that change lies in her hands, that she is responsible for everything, and that the tables have been flipped entirely and she stands alone as the sole savior of their group. But Rose is there with her sight, and Dave is there with encouragement and compassion, and John is always there to help her, listen to her, talk with her, and Jade is not alone in this. As always, their success lies in all of their strengths working together, and they are triumphant as a team.