#Like I wouldn't be surprised to see 333 signs

[fantasyfantasygames]

Seven Hundred Signs

The Seven Hundred Signs of the Unseen, Alice White, 2013

Alice White is quite the multi-talented individual. She's a solid game designer, and writes clearly, but her main skill is as an artist. Seven Hundred Signs puts her creative talents front and center.

The game's core conceit is that there is a hidden world layered beneath our own, "the Unseen", with magical conspiracies, invisible portals, impossible buildings, astral technologies, etc. People disappear from our world and end up trapped in an in-between state, from which they eventually escape. The way in which they escape - ripping, bargaining, squeezing, etc. - sets their character type. That's Session 0. After that the game revolves around various major factions and their quests for worldly power, often by acquiring magical power.

You've heard this setting's story before, but that doesn't make it bad. It just means that you can take bits and pieces from Unknown Armies, Delta Green, Over the Edge, Mage: The Awakening, Underground, Living Prism, Kingdom of Nothing, JAGS Wonderland, Night's Black Agents, ConX, Nahual, and more and they'll all fit in your game without too much extra work.

The mechanics are taken from Exacting Calibration, a 4000-word game in the same lineage as Snow & Silence. It uses a deck of playing cards that you write on and alter as the game goes on, a little like "legacy"-style board games. Your character might want there to be more 3s in the deck, for instance, because one of their powers triggers when a 3 comes up, so they might quest for the ability to add an extra diamond to the 2 of diamonds. Or you can place special sigils on cards, which lets you reduce ill effects or trigger critical successes and unseen power surges. It's a fairly slow progression, but by the end of the game the deck is pretty literally stacked in your favor. Balance is not necessarily great. The number of people playing also has a major effect on the odds of a particular card coming up. We'll eventually see those kinks get ironed out in Break of Night (2021), but for now it's still a bit wonky.

The game really shines in its layout and artwork. Full-color two-page spreads are common. Text is placed where it reads clearly, without trying to get too clever about it. On pages that are mostly text, there's still always at least one piece of art - things like a character walking past a streetlight in a bottom corner, or a monster creeping out of the seam in the center of the book.

Two intertwined stories run through the book's art: one of redemption, one of corruption. Different factions have their own subtle color themes. That makes for a really cool moment when the color of someone's wallet makes you realize that they've switched sides. The Unseen is painted in a hyperreal fashion that contrasts with the more typical painting style of the Common World (our world) in a way that makes it feel more real and more important.

There's a little bit of weirdness in the specific conspiracies - some of them are connected to real-world antisemitism and pseudoscience - but it seems like Alice was genuinely unaware of that at the time she wrote the game. Ten years ago I would not have possibly guessed that lizard people theories, of all things, are connected to antisemitism... but it turns out that if you dig deep enough in almost any conspiracy theory, someone starts spouting off about "Elders of Zion" and it alllll rolls downhill. Anyway, like I said, it doesn't seem to be intentional here, and the setting is modular enough that you can remove the problematic elements.

Seven Hundred Signs was expensive when it was first published, and it's only become more so since then. Your best bet may actually be the art book section of a used bookstore. Alice left the RPG scene for computer game visual design back in '15.

[httpiastri]

NSFW alphabet – pa17

author's note: hello hello, finally finished this <333 (after idk how many months lmao) happy to finally post it! hope u enjoy !!! and please let me know if you have any opinions or thoughts, feel very free to fill in with what you think abt these prompts (or any other paul prompts 🤭) hehe

nsfw content below !! minors dni !!!

a – aftercare (what he is like after sex)

i see paul as someone who doesn't like to make a mess, so the clean-up process is important to him. he'll either want to clean you both up with a warm, wet towel, or take a good old shower. he'll find it super cute if you don't have the energy to shower because he'll love holding you up, having you lean against his chest as the water pours on you two.

but in general, i think he'll be very soft after sex. he makes sure to tell you how good you did, praising you and letting you know how much he adores you. it's a lot of smiles and giggles, a very lighthearted vibe. and he craves skin-on-skin contact, holding you close and brushing his fingers along your skin.

b – body part (his favorite body part of his and also his partner's body)

his favorite body part of his own is his hands – just because he knows how much you love them. he loves how he can use them to give you so much pleasure, and how much you tremble from just his touch.

his favorite body parts of yours are anything he can cover with his hands. he loves seeing how big his hands are compared to your body, so holding you in his hands makes him crazy. he likes your boobs, butt and thighs specifically. (boob man!paul headcanons here)

c – cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

like i mentioned before, he dislikes making a mess. so cum will go either inside of you, in your mouth, or possibly on your chest, but then he's gotta be ready to clean it all up quickly (or lick it up). he isn't a fan of the like stickyness of it, especially in combination with your sweat, so he'll want to clean you both up after your session.

d – dirty secret (pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of his)

i wouldn't say that i think paul is a switch, but he definitely enjoys being bossed around by you every once in a while. he loves it when you think you're in charge (when in reality, he's just toying with you, sorry), he thinks it makes you look so cute.

e – experience (how experienced is he? does he know what he's doing?)

hmmm honestly he's young so i wouldn't say he's got a ton of actual experience. though, i still think he knows what he's doing; he's a fast learner, good at adapting, and he listens well to your needs and wants. he's really good at picking up on your little signs and tells of how you like a specific thing, which i think makes him seem more experienced than he actually is. i also think he's learned a lot from watching videos, so don't be surprised when he pulls out some random trick that has you falling over the edge immediately and he just says "i saw it online"….

f – favorite position (this goes without saying)

mmmm paul will never be a more content man than he is when his girlfriend is riding him. is this a biased opinion? possibly, but i really see him enjoying it because 1. boobs on full display, so easy for his hands to cup. 2. he really enjoys not having to do as much work, especially after a long weekend etc. 3. again, he likes you thinking you're in charge when in reality, he's definitely going to be thrusting up into you.

though i also think he loves something where he can be more in control, setting the pace and just making sure you feel good. paul is a simple man, and nothing gets him going like a good old missionary where he can pin his girl's hands over her head and watch her gaze flutter as he thrusts into her.

g – goofy (is he more serious in the moment? is he humorous? etc.)

paul is a goofy guy but also very serious at times? which makes me think that he would be more serious during the deed. he'd of course be able to smile or laugh a little if something funny happened, but mostly he just wants to enjoy the intimacy and get as much out of the moment as possible.

h – hair (how well groomed is he? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

when i said i think he doesn't like things to be messy, his hair falls under that category, too. he wouldn't be completely clean-shaven, but he likes things to be neat and tidy.

i – intimacy (how is he during the moment? the romantic aspect)

i personally feel like he can be quite romantic? not over the top but a bit. i think half the time, it's just a good old fuck, but the other time he sees it more as lovemaking and he gets really soft about it. it depends a lot on his mood and the day, but if he's in the right state of mind, he loves having a long go where you're both just fully relaxed and he loves to make sure every cell of your body feels good.

j – jack off (masturbation headcanon)

oh he enjoys jacking off as much as the next guy. he's a busy guy and doesn't have time to be with you as much as he wants to (and maybe if you even live in different countries, it's extra hard). and therefor, his own hand is just the second best thing. esp during a bad race weekend when he just needs to get some of that pent up frustration out. you'll always be there with him though, no matter if it's in the form of a picture, a voice recording, a clip, etc.. and when you've spent a lot of time apart, he loves to have you on the phone with him….

k – kink (one or more of his kinks)

size. seeing you in his oversized clothes would make him go crazy. (size kink headcanons here)

l – location (favorite places to do the do)

anywhere inside the house. in his bed, on the couch, having you sit on the kitchen counter, in the shower, you name it.

i think he would be up for some teasing in public; his hands on your thighs inching up under your dress when you're sitting down for dinner, possibly even letting a finger drag across the soaked fabric of your panties. but i don't think he would want to go any further in public, because he would much rather have a real one at home where he can enjoy the moment fully and not risk anyone else seeing. you're his and only his, after all – he doesn't want anyone else to see you like that.

POSSIBLY in his driver's room if he needs to get off before/after a session. oh, and in hotel rooms during the season, but more about that later… AND OKAY LAST ONE: in his car. yes yes yes.

m – motivation (what turns him on, gets him going)

honestly, whenever you take the first step, it gets him going instantly. if you insinuate that you want to have sex with him, or that you want to try something new, he'll be jumping into bed instantly. he also can't keep his hands to himself whenever you dress up in certain outfits, especially short dresses (no matter if it's a sleek fancy one or a cute summery dress)…

n – no (something he wouldn't do, turn-offs)

he refuses to share you. he's possessive like that; you're his and only his. no threesomes or anything like that, just the thought of you with another man makes him icky. and it's not even like a funny thing, like "oh he gets jealous so easily, haha!". even teasing him by trying to make him jealous is a no-go zone, he doesn't find it amusing at all. he just gets mad and it's a huge turn-off for him. flirt with any of his friends and he will just leave the room.

o – oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

that's all i have to say abt this.

p – pace (is he fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

like i said before, i think it depends on his mood!! he can be both, depending on how a race weekend has gone or just his general vibe for the day. mostly probably somewhere inbetween though.

q – quickie (his opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

they're definitely a part of the equation, esp during race weekends. a must to get out some of that pent up energy he so often has. makes him relax more (and he says it improves his performance, too. he got like one podium once when you had a quickie before a race and now he insists on them every time he has an important race).

r – risk (is he game to experiment? does he take risks? etc.)

in the bedroom, possibly. i think he would be up to trying new things if you really want to, but personally, he could just as well do what you always do. nothing dangerous or something that could ever hurt you even the slightest, so like even if you're trying bondage it has to be with the softest of silk straps.

outside of the bedroom, nuh uh. especially not out in public. like i said, he doesn't enjoy the risk of you accidentally being seen.

s – stamina (how many rounds can he go for? how long does he last?)

he's a strong guy with good stamina, not sure how well it translates to the bedroom though. surely he can go for a few rounds but i think he's okay with just going all-in into one round instead. it doesn't really matter that much to him.

t – toys (does he own toys? does he use them? on a partner or himself?)

not a big fan of using them but he likes to watch you use them on yourself :)

u – unfair (how much he likes to tease)

oh, he enjoys teasing you quite a lot. especially with his hands since he knows they make you so weak; showing them off, flexing them, placing them on your thighs, etc. he loves to rile you up, pretending like he isn't sure whether he will give you what you want or not, making you whine and beg for it.

he also loves it when you tease him back. it's hard for him to pretend like your actions make him feel what you want, because he's always looking up at you with a big smile and showing off how much he enjoys it. this connects to what i wrote earlier about him liking when you're in control; you're just too adorable, he can't hold back his grin.

v – volume (how loud he is, what sounds he makes, etc.)

mmmm not too loud but not quiet, i feel? groans and moans a lot but also loves just talking and praising you. i also see him being… maybe just a little whiny……. when he's being teased etc. because as we've discussed on this blog before, i think he has a little submissive streak and just. there are some sounds he can't control.

w – wild card (a random headcanon)

there's just something about doing it in hotel rooms when he's racing that really gets him going. after a while, it's like he's one of pavlov's dogs because just being in a hotel room gets him going. celebratory, fluffy sex after a good race, or rough sex after a bad weekend – it doesn't matter. it's just bound to happen.

x – x-ray (let's see what's going on under those clothes)

gonna let someone else fill in on this because i just can't 😭

y – yearning (how high is his sex drive?)

high, but again not over the top. he doesn't need to get going 24/7 but if he has a gf as hot as you, then it's gonna get high. idk he just sees you and boom, instant boner. doesn't need to act on it every time, but he could if you wanted to.

z – zzz (how quickly he falls asleep afterward)

quickly!! a sleepy boy, he needs his beauty rest. quick aftercare, and he'll make sure you're comfortable and good and resting properly on his chest before he lets himself close his eyes. but then it won't take long before he's dozing off…. he puts so much energy into the act that he's completely worn out after it, poor boy.

[jermer10]

This might be a weird request but can you do one where you're dating the Mercenaries and you figure out your pregnant so you tell them?

TF2 mercs with a pregnant s/o

afab reader | this req wasn't weird at all! thank you op, and i apologize for it taking so long to write! <3

drabbles under the cut :P

Scout: - being the youngest of 8, he wasn't exactly aware of pregnancy signs first hand, though he had heard things from his ma and brothers - so when he noticed you had been sicker, sleeping longer, and having food aversions to things you would otherwise love, he had slowly put pieces of the puzzle together - doesn't wanna bring it up with you, he doesn't want to alarm you, and slyly implies getting a pregnancy test after he sees you vomiting for the 3rd morning that week - when he finds out, he is ecstatic!!! <33333 - would LOVE it if his kids were into baseball, definitely the playing catch in the yard kid of dad - has always been big on having a family, but can't help but also feel incredibly nervous??? - his dad was never there, would he even be a good dad? spoiler alert, he is an amazing dad

Soldier: - completely oblivious to the idea that you could be pregnant, and instead sends you to the infirmary thinking you had just eaten some bad bread - to his complete and utter shock, you came out pregnant - "honey, no, i was already pregnant..." there's no use, he doesn't care who made you pregnant, he was going to be a dad! - is already picturing your white picket fence american life together with 2.5 kids and a dog - doesn't believe in maternity leave, will try to get you onto the battlefield despite the fact that you are seven months pregnant and can barely walk (medic has to explain why you cannot, soldier is outraged) - the kind of guy who really wants a son but is blessed with a daughter instead and ends up having more in common with her - "CAN WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE?" he is so sweet like actually <333

Demoman: - demo is always sick, it comes with the alcoholism - but when you're sick? he is worried, like, extremely worried - at first he thinks it's the flu, maybe gastro? anything but what all the signs point to, please don't be pregnancy - when you show him the positive tests, he holds you and cries - he is so terrified at the idea of being a father, he's an alcoholic, he's never had to take care of anything in his life, not even himself - god, he couldn't bare having to explain the egregious duty of abandoning their child until they come of age, like his parents had done to him, and theirs to them - but, he also really wanted a family with you - he saw how happy this baby would make you, how excited you were to have one with him - when he sees his baby for the first time, he knows that he made the right choice

Heavy: - having three younger sisters, he knew what pregnancy was like - and when his father was executed, he knew he had to protect those sisters as if they were his own children - he absolutely loves the idea of having a small family with you, a peaceful life without bloodshed - so when you come to him, teary eyed, holding what looked like a pregnancy test, he didn't hesitate to embrace you in the most suffocating, loving hug he could muster - "У нас будет ребенок!" he is so incredibly happy - he treats you like royalty, spoils you so hard (as if he didn't already) - his mother and sisters knit you baby clothes!!!! <33333 - will not let anyone near you, he absolutely refuses any harm to you or your baby, if you get sick he ails your illness, if you are hurt he treats your wounds - you are the most precious thing to him, and now so is your baby

Engineer: - it wouldn't come as a surprise to him at all, as you had likely discussed having a baby and trying for one multiple times beforehand - that doesn't stop him from bawling his eyes out anyway - you hold each other for hours, happily crying and giggling about how your future together will look - designs all the baby furniture with added features to make your life easier - feeding bowls that prevent food spillage, chairs that are completely non slip, a baby cradle with an inbuilt monitor and mobile with little wooden tools and machinery - the most proactive father any child could ever want in their lives, he will drop everything to support you and this baby - invests in his kid's hobbies, shows up to every baseball game, every recital, every play

Medic: - medic's never really thought about having kids before - he could honestly live without ever having them - he's giving you a physical, when he notices some of the telltale physical pregnancy signs and decides to give you a test - oh fuck! you were pregnant! - immediate panic mode, he has no idea how to be a father! he offers multiple options for you to undergo surgery to remove it - if you are insistent on having this baby, he decides that he has no choice but to be a dad - at first he ignores this kid, i mean, he is a busy man after all and he never wanted this child in the first place - but this kid follows him EVERYWHERE, and he just cant help but adore the little guy - "ah, it was inevitable really, zhe little scamp just vouldn't leave me alone!" "you know you're allowed to love our kid, right?"

Sniper: - has never wanted kids, it wasn't you, really, he just didn't find them practical - i mean, he lives in a van?? where would you even fit a kid? and surely it wouldn't be healthy to raise one in that sort of environment - he sort of supposes that seeing you holding your baby would be cute, and he wouldn't mind having a little family someday - when you break the news to him, you look visually nervous - shaking, eyes wet and red, probably from crying before you even told him, it breaks his heart seeing you this way - when you finally ask what you should do, despite all common sense, he tells you that he wants to keep the baby - your reaction was all worth it to him - you immediately plan to upsize, looking for a small house together and moving in shortly before the baby is born - he fully comes around to the idea of a child after meeting his own

Spy: - the thought of having a kid turns him off, he is far too emotionally unavailable as it is - you know about scout, and you know the immense guilt and pain spy felt after abandoning him - so when you tell him that you're pregnant, he calmly asks you what you are going to do - he won't talk you out of having the baby, but he will not be active in his child's life whatsoever - you bet that he will, and so, he takes you up on that bet - he has no intent on leaving you despite not wanting this kid, if anything the idea of proving you wrong amuses him more - then, when you aren't around, he spends time with the kid, clothes it, feeds it, plays with it - and when you come home and see them together, it's safe to say he had lost the bet

[sweetkpopmusings]

joshua best friend headcanons <3

a/n: this best friends series is giving me so much serotonin, and i love to see others enjoying it!! joshua is so cringe (said lovingly) and i am so very fond of him :,-) my break from work is over after today, so my posts will probably not be as frequent, but i promise this series will continue !! pics not mine <3

content: fluff | wc: 0.8k | warnings: none! | pairing: bestfriend!joshua x gn!reader | requests: open

he's the type of best friend that sees you two as a team

yes, he refers to you both as "the dream team" constantly

and he says it with his whole chest each time

like when one of his members asks what he did on the break, he'll answer "oh, y'know, just got the dream team back together"

they just respond (probably preceded by an eyeroll) "how's y/n doing?"

they're so unfazed by it but they'll tease him about it if you're around. if you join them at an event or a hangout, when you walk in the room they'll cheer because "the dream team is back together again!!!"

they're so dramatic but shua is eating it up actually

unironically will ask you, "is he bothering you, queen/king/my liege?"

he thinks it's so funny like it doesn't matter if you think it's funny he will stick with that bit forever

because he actually does care if people or things are bothering you

he will ask you how you are doing all the time

and he wants genuine answers

he'd never push you or anything like that, but he isn't asking you out of politeness or routine

as your best friend, he is dedicated to your wellbeing

he's so invested in supporting you

if you're trying to overcome a problem, develop a new skill, or complete some random 30-day challenge, joshua is right behind you the whole time

he'll send you encouraging messages, look out for tips he can send your way, and sometimes he'll even take part in it himself!!

truly a great cheerleader to have in your life :,-)

creates traditions for you two

he knows that life is wild and it can be hard to get together and talk as much as you want to

so he ensures that, regardless of what's going on, you two have things that bring you together

it could be based on a shared interest! maybe you both really like this one youtube channel, so you always watch the new content together

i would not be surprised in the slightest if he signed y'all up for silly subscription boxes

like yes there's a monthly service that sends you mini science experiments and yes joshua got you both a year-long plan and yes he expects "shua & y/n's science session" to be a whole event every time

it was somewhat of a joke at first because shua loves being ridiculous but you both ended up loving it so much that you looked forward to each new box

he's very protective of you <3

he's always looking out for you, so he is pretty invested in how people treat you

whether it's in the workplace, in your friend circles, in romantic relationships, and even in your family (bio, chosen, or otherwise)

he wouldn't meddle in your relationships, but he's not afraid to speak up if someone is not treating you with the respect and care you deserve

he always respects your decisions, but he will never hold back an opinion that is for your benefit.

he won't get mad if you disagree with him either like he's the king of promoting autonomy, agency, and self-respect <333

he works hard to earn your trust, which is why you trust his judgment

and he goes to you for the same thing

he nevers wants you to beat around the bush with him

your bond is too special for superficial pleasantries like that

you both know each other so well that it only makes sense to be transparent with one another

which is why he'll come to you with some of his biggest concerns, insecurities, etc

because you're the one person who can see him for who he is without him worrying about putting on a persona or performance

and he's so grateful to you for that, more than he could ever express

so after a heart-to-heart he'll just look you directly in the eyes and say a soft yet strong "thank you"

and then make a lil joke because whoa it got real serious and he's a lighthearted guy

takes a lot of pictures of you / you two together !

he will send you the pictures where you are making a funny face and threaten to use it as blackmail <3

if you try to do the same he'll just go "good luck, i'm beautiful in everything :-)"

and you're like yes but have you considered you're also an idiot <3

runs ideas by you for weird things he can do to shock his members

he knows the water bits always kill, but he's looking to take things to the Next. Level. so he's scheduling a meeting with you to walk through his bit prototypes and maybe even doing some trial runs with you

he's taking it so seriously and you're like wow you're a dumbass and he's like "thank you so much so what was your rating on the tearaway pants trick again?"

boy has a clipboard and everything i swear

joshua is just such a funny and strange guy who wants to add value to your life because you bring so much to his!! he'll always be there for you, rain or shine, and he reminds you constantly of how special you are :,-)

joshua if you're taking applications for besties please let me know and i'll submit my resume asap!!!

[varteeny1234]

yayyyy

Chapter summary:

Tea explores.

Words: 1270

Chapter warnings: eeriness of complete silence

i love mangrove kingdom<333

Once Tea had given herself a proper reality check that she wasn't in any immediate danger and was no longer panicking, she found a little hill with an overhang on the side of it that she could hide under. 

There was still absolutely no sign of life anywhere around. Footsteps, of course, didn't stay, since the ground was just a weird liquid, but other than the evidence of fire there was no sign that any other person could be living here. She understood, of course. This was an awful place. She didn't remember where she'd left the door- she'd have left by now if only she knew how to find her exit! 

This little overhang was nice. Tea hadn't been prepared when she jumped to go and have this adventure! Once she got back to the Mangrove kingdom, she was going to have a nice, long nap. Maybe she'd rig the door to throw a poison potion at anyone who tried to disturb her. 

The thought made her giggle. It would be a good idea to at least try to explore a little bit more... 

She stood up and grabbed a random rock lying on the ground. It was nicely jagged, with a pointy side that was perfect for carving into the sides of the trees. Tea began to explore the area, leaving marks in the burnt bark so that she could find her way back to her makeshift shelter. 

There was still nothing showing evidence of anyone else here. 

She kept moving. 

The strange grey dimension kept going on and on, all of it charred. Once, she thought she heard the swishing of a cloak in between the trees nearby, but no one revealed themselves. Most likely, it was just a hallucination... being alone in this dimension couldn't be good for her. Getting out of here should be a priority. 

Now, if only she could find that door again!

"If any magical doors were to appear here all of a sudden, I'd really appreciate it, you know!" Tea called out to nobody. Her voice, being the only sound, startled her by the lack of echo and resounding quiet after it had faded. 

But, to her incredible surprise, a voice did answer her. 

"Hm... it seems his mission was a failure, then."

Startled even more than she'd been before, Tea spun around to see a strange being with one eye, a long black cloak, and a silver crown staring at her. Their voice sounded almost like amusement. 

"Wh- who are you talking about? What mission? Who are you?" She stepped back, failing to mask the unease in her voice. Her grip on the rock intensified. 

"You weren't supposed to find this place. Limbo is a special dimension... oh, well, I'll just have to kill you." 

The being raised a hand, presumably to strike her down where she stood, but instead she threw the rock at him as hard as she could. 

In mid-air, it gained a soft orange glow, and then it hit the being's head-area. It must have hit the crown, because the clang could only have been from the rock making contact with metal, but regardless, they were immediately knocked back far away. Acting mostly on autopilot, Tea plucked one of the small puffy plants from the ground and willed herself to become faster- the plant dissolved in her hand, and she ran, boosted by the quick burst of magic. 

Potions really were her thing, weren't they? 

Tea was going too fast to see the scratches on the trees. She didn't recognize the area she was in, the ground now dipping down into an unfamiliar valley, but wherever she was going was in the opposite direction to where she'd sent the cloaked being. Hopefully, whoever that had been wouldn't find her again!

This valley seemed like it'd be a good hiding place, too. The trees seemed just a little bit bigger, and nearer the edges a few of them had fallen over, the fire damage about a thousand times worse here. 

Her heart was beating fast, and it took more than a few moments to slow down, even after she'd ducked behind one of the big fallen logs. 

She wondered how the fire had started. 

She took a closer look at this tree. The end of it, where it had broken, was badly burnt enough that the mere weight of it had been enough to topple it. Another stark reminder that there wasn't any wind here...

Just then, a soft sound came from nearby, and Tea startled again. 

She was starting to get really sick of this place. 

The sound came again. It sounded...

It sounded almost like someone trying to muffle their gasps. Muffle their sobs.

...Someone was crying. 

Trog had said they found someone that was crying. 

Tea didn't want to go investigate. It was safer here, and she needed to focus on finding that door, not comforting someone else. 

But, she'd be lying to herself if she said she didn't want to know more. The cloaked being had mentioned a he, and a mission. She had no clue what that had meant, but she didn't think it'd be them who was now trying to hide their crying.

Slowly, Tea crept towards the sound, until she was able to see a small, shadowy being curled up in on themselves. They were ducked underneath another one of the big fallen trees in the valley. They didn't look like they had a face, or really, anything at all. Only a little shadow. Her heart panged, and she breathed out a little louder than she should have.

The shadow looked up frantically, frightened. Tea was hidden, thankfully, so they didn't see her. But now that she could see their eyes, the bright white of both them and their tears made her feel even worse. She did want to go and see them, now, maybe ask why they were crying. 

The sensical, logical part of her wanted to leave immediately and forget that the shadow person ever existed. They were probably crying because they were stuck here with her! This place was awful- Limbo, the cloaked being had called it- and Tea had a horrible feeling that this other person's faded body was a result of them being here too long. 

Was that going to happen to her, too? 

She understood more and more with every passing moment why they were crying. And if they'd been down here even longer than it ha been since Trog had found them... 

Tea hoped she'd get out soon. She wasn't sure she could handle being trapped here alone for much longer.

...But why had the shadow been frightened of her? Surely she wasn't that scary, and she'd only breathed. Maybe they just weren't used to other people, since no one else was here-

No... that wasn't quite right. There was that cloaked being, remember? The one with the silver crown, the one that she hit with the rock. They'd tried to kill her. Maybe they would kill this person too, if they found them.

That made some sense. It would explain why they were hiding, and so frightened.

Tea decided to leave. She'd keep an eye on this shadow person from afar, but she needed to get back to the hill and her first shelter. It was closer to the door. Maybe she could bring them with her once she found a way to get out? 

But one thing was for certain, and that was that she couldn't stay here. 

This person could be rescued soon, but only if she found that door.

[uravitypng]

Ouuu, may I participate in this cute Valentine event? 👉👈 Hm, if I can, I'd like to pick Hawks from MHA as my guy of choice <33

I'm a 170 cm, chubby/curvy gal with dark blonde hair and glasses. (Hawks is barely taller than me lololol) Idk if you know mbti and star signs so I'll throw them in just in case - I'm a cancer enfp! Personality wise, I've been told that I am very doting, honest, bold, outgoing, affectionate, clingy, witty and friendly! I'm not shy when it comes to talking to strangers, especially if they catch my eye. (Physical touch is also a massive love language of mine!!!!) Although, I do unfortunately get embarrassed way too easily sometimes. I wouldn't call myself a true extrovert as I do have my moments but I'm much better than most of my friends, who are almost Shigaraki level shut ins.

My hobbies include - reading, writing, listening to scary stories and podcasts, watching tv shows/anime, and just overall being a big goofball with my friends! I love them sm, they're so cute <333

For my bad side, I have this habit about keeping my feelings locked up until I burst but that's usually only in very extreme cases. I am very sensitive and pick up a lot of little things that most people don't see and it freaks them out sometimes. This also depends on who you ask because you either love it or hate it but I can get a bit too random sometimes. I just kind of say what's on my mind, no matter how unhinged. It might sound quirky on paper but it's not always the case lmao, trust me.

I'm not exactly sure what else to add. If there's anything else, feel free to let me know!!

𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐊𝐒…

have surprised romantic attraction!

- hawks never thought he'd have any romantic feelings towards anyone. he's not exactly the playboy personality that the media show him as but he doesn't have the desire to date anyone. that is until he met you of course. - how could he not fall in love with you? you met by chance and he was drawn to how honest you were, calling him out on his bullshit. whenever he'd smile was too bright and too forced at fans you'd say, you'd say when he played up his flirty personality. - he felt like you saw the real him, everything about you made you him feel that way. - you show genuine affection towards him, keigo, not pro hero hawks. sure you love the side of him that saves people every day and captures villains but you love keigo more, when he doesn't have to put on any mask or act any way for the public, when he can be his complete self. he loves when that happens because no one has given him that real affection through most of his life. - hawks thrives off embarrassing you since it happens too easy, he thinks its cute. - whenever your feelings burst out after bottling them up for so long, he doesn't change his opinion of you in anyway whatsoever. instead he'll try and make light of the situation and buy you something from the shops that you like or offer to give you a 'free flight' taking you high up to a tall building where you can look at the city below you and pretty sky. - being so outgoing is great because you can go to parties and functions with you as his plus one, being able to talk to everyone without feeling nervous, even if they're strangers - physical contact?? oh yeah. he can't keep his hands off you. he thinks you're so beautiful and he loves going up behind you and grabbing you by your waist

you and hawks are literally perfect together oh my god!

valentine's day event

[detective-pandaman]

Water 7 Arc: Luffy and Usopp (Manga and Anime Comparison) [Part 2]

Spoiler alert: Don't keep reading if you haven't reached Water 7 Arc (Manga Chapter 333 or Anime Episode 236)

This is the 2nd Part of a previous post. You can read Part 1 here.

Please let me know your opinion about it or if you wish to add anything ^^ (and remember to have mercy on my English xD)

Somehow this second part is even worse than the first :)

(Manga reads from right to left, but the Anime screenshots are organized to read from left to right ^^U)

I will continue right where i left off:

7th Page:

Nami is shocked by Luffy's bluntness, even if he is right (Usopp is not a shipwright, that is a fact), but immediately is surprised by Usopp still fighting back.

Usopp is blindly insisting on the lack of professional morals and capabilities of Galley-La Company. He is not being logical.

He starts disrespecting Luffy, insulting his intelligence and instinct, and even his position as Captain.

Obviously all words of someone very affected by the heat of the moment... and his own insecurities.

In the Anime:

The scene is long and drags out, making it less obvious that everything that Usopp says is because of the heat of the moment.

We see Luffy's face with a judgingly expression, for some reason, but we don't get Zoro observing silently.

Why are they showing expressions that are not shown by the author, but not showing the ones that he specifically decides to show?

Also, Usopp kneeling on the floor for such a long time while everyone else is standing and just looking... it makes it way more awkward. He is not supposed to be just kneeling: he is angrily getting up on his feet.

Usopp does not look like being bullied in the Manga.

8th Page:

You wanted to see an angry Luffy? Here it is. Now he is angry. Not before.

Usopp has disrespected him as a Captain, in a way that should never be done.

Nami tries desperately to make Usopp understand Luffy's perspective and the pain he went through, believing it's still just a misunderstanding... but they are past that point.

Usopp, like everyone else on a ship, has to respect the Captain's decision. Even without understanding their reasons, even without totally agreeing with them... he has to respect them. That's how it works.

The Captain is the one who has to carry the weight of making the tough decisions. The Captain is the rock where everyone can lie on. The one that gives the sense of security and peace. And in the same way he has to carry all the responsibility, he has to be respected.

Of course a crewmember can argue or show doubts about certain decisions... but only if allowed, and up to a certain point. And that point depends on the Captain's personality. When a Captain has stated over and over their decision (without need, because just once should be enough), a crewmember has to accept it. One should never reach this point, where violence and even mutiny is shown... if you want to stay on their ship.

Luffy is a very approachable, friendly and kind Captain, who doesn't want the others to feel like they are below him and lets everyone help with decisions... but that doesn't mean his role changes or shouldn't be respected.

Usopp is misinterpreting his position in the crew, thinking they are at the same level in authority... but not in responsibility.

Luffy is not sitting on the table anymore, and is now standing on the floor again. This is also a sign of him getting angry, because he goes back to the "fighting ground".

We can see Sanji is still trying to calm them down, stressed that this is spiraling out of control. He is even extending his arms and probably physically separating them, not just talking.

In the Anime:

Luffy looks more stressed and "backing down" than angry, and like he is being manhandled around... when in reality Usopp wouldn't be able to move him like that. The movement lines in the Manga implied that he was receiving Usopp's force but not budging to it.

Of course Sanji's try to stop them is... not there. Like all the previous ones. Anime-Sanji has done nothing at all to stop this fight yet, a really out of character behavior.

9th Page:

Usopp has stepped back and is not holding Luffy by the neck anymore. He even lowers his tone for a moment, probably because of Sanji's words or that he physically separated them.

But he is still angry, and says he could never abandon an injured comrade. This being said while he is injured himself, shows his fears of being abandoned by the rest of the crew because of his poor state.

Luffy (who doesn't make the connection with Usopp comparing himself to the Merry) calls it nonsense to compare what one does to a ship and a person.

Usopp insists on Merry having the will to keep on living (again, projecting on her), and then he says to Luffy one of the nastiest thing you can say to someone: that he doesn't really care about someone they love. That he are already thinking about getting rid of Merry and advancing without her.

Luffy, who is all about loving and caring, absolutely loses it. He violently jumps on Usopp and screams angrily at him because he is being egoist and disrespectful with him and everyone else in the crew. Everyone loves Merry, and implying that he is the only one who cares about her is very mean and egoist.

Of course, grief is a complicated thing. Usopp is hurt and is being hurtful to others, his mind desperately trying to protect itself... Not the way to do it, but he is a 17 year old dealing with a lot of horrible feelings.

But that his feelings are understandable doesn't give him the right to do what he is doing. As a reader, one has to understand that what he is doing is wrong.

Nami is surprised at Luffy's reaction, not expecting he would lose his calm in that way.

Everything is fast: Luffy is very angry and starts screaming at Usopp that if he doesn't approve of the way he is managing the situation, Usopp is free to leave his crew... (a thing he obviously doesn't want to say, it's just the heat of the moment)

In the Anime:

Sanji never did anything to separate them before, so Usopp is still grabbing Luffy by the neck... So they made Luffy push him away from him in a very nasty way, nearly throwing Usopp to the floor.

Now that they are already separated, Sanji decides to try to intervene. Thank you, Anime-Sanji, very useful.

He even talks in a tone that implies this is a little fight between friends, and not a serious problem. Meanwhile Manga-Sanji has been stressed and worried since the first second.

The only thing his intervention does here is diluting the real hurtful comments Usopp makes, the ones that makes Luffy lose it...

Luffy weirdly throws Usopp on the ground, even slowly. And even sits on him?

Sanji looks more annoyed and bothered than really stressed or worried.

Nami screams at Luffy angrily. (I will never understand why Nami is always so angry in the Anime, all the time)

And the scene draaags for a while. It's doesn't look like Luffy is blurting things out of rage anymore.

10th Page:

There is what I believe is a very big misconception around this scene: some people believe Sanji is kicking Luffy for Usopp's sake, when I believe Sanji is doing it for Luffy's sake.

In the Manga it's pretty clear to me:

Sanji has been trying to stop them from escalating the situation since the very beginning: trying to calm Luffy's temper, understanding the pain he is going through, and scolding Usopp for being disrespectful.

But now Luffy has completely lost his temper, getting violent and about to say something in the heat of the moment that he will obviously regret and will hurt him forever if Usopp leaves because of it. The one who would be hurt the most by the words Luffy is about to say is not Usopp, it's Luffy. And Sanji knows it.

It's not a thing that can be stopped with words or holding him anymore. He has to act fast to avoid it.

So Sanji desperately kicks Luffy (while calling him an idiot), forgetting to even be careful about Nami's wellbeing, stopping him from finishing the sentence.

The fact that he doesn't even check on Nami before or after kicking Luffy, even after she screams, shows that he is worrying more about someone else right now...

He also looks very stressed, with all the sweat drops, with what he had to do to stop the situation.

And also his words: he is telling Luffy to control himself or he will say things he will regret. Not that he will hurt someone else, only that he will hurt himself with regret.

But this is not a surprise for a Manga reader. Sanji is always caring about Luffy's wellbeing, be it in the focus of attention or in the background of panels.

Luffy immediately understands what Sanji is doing for him, and apologizes... but Usopp's low self esteem has now what he thinks is a confirmation of his fears, and he proceeds to auto-sabotage.

Now the Anime:

Now we arrive to other one of the worst parts of the "adaptation"

Sanji kicks Luffy...

We get Chopper's reaction, but not Nami's... why?

Because Sanji didn't really kick in her direction! So in this adaptation we completely lose a thing that Oda specifically showed: Manga-Sanji was desperate enough to stop Luffy from harming himself to forget about Nami!

And then he starts insulting Luffy afterwards. For a while. Berating him and just being mean.

The way Sanji talks to Luffy in the Anime is not only disrespectful, but very violent. He is practically daring him to say what he was going to say.

That is not the Sanji the Manga-readers know and love. Manga-Sanji was nearly pleading for him to cool down.

Anime-Sanji looks at Luffy with even hate. That is not the expression Manga-Sanji was having... at all. How this has been adapted in this horrible way is beyond my comprehension.

Of course, in the Anime it looks like he is on Usopp's side.

And we proceed to show how the others are reacting to this slooow paced interaction. Of course, this is completely invented by what the Anime thought was appropriate (so: very weird reactions)

Luffy slowly getting up and apologizing, putting his hat on.

And the Anime decides to show Usopp smiling, like his plan had finally come into fruition.

Usopp is not smiling in the Manga. There is no reason for him to smile. This wasn't a master plan. Very weird to show him smiling.

11th Page:

Usopp keeps saying hurtful and false things to Luffy, meanwhile Luffy is putting his hat and covering his eyes to not look at him, not wanting to fight anymore.

We see Sanji and Nami back on Luffy's side, with Sanji even positioning himself in the middle of the fight in a protecting manner and calling Usopp out (again).

Usopp is finally recognizing the real problem out loud: he doesn't feel he can keep up with the others and feels useless.

He feels he doesn't deserve being there with them, and that they're too much for him.

We see the others reactions: Luffy confused not knowing what to say, Chopper doesn't understand why Usopp feels that way, Nami is finally getting the full picture, Zoro is not liking what he is hearing...

The last panel's composition is full of meaning: all the others are around Luffy, with him, while facing Usopp. Meanwhile Usopp is standing and facing them but from afar, distancing himself from them.

No one but him is in a defensive position anymore.

In the Anime:

We get Usopp and Luffy looking at each other with hate again. Marvelous.

No one is near Luffy. Sanji and Nami haven't moved closer to Luffy, and the others have moved closer to Usopp...? So, the opposite of the Manga.

Luffy's expression is not correct, in the Anime he looks angry again, not confused.

Zoro is listening with his eyes closed, for some reason... I'm starting to believe Anime-Zoro has been sleeping for a while or something.

Sanji's expression is invented.

And I repeat: no one got close to Luffy, so its effect it the complete opposite of the Manga.

The Anime shows a separation between the whole crew and Luffy, while the Manga emphasizes the opposite.

We also see Luffy's back in the Anime, while in the Manga is Usopp's...

All the physical language the Manga made is thrown down the drain in the adaptation.

The Anime wants you to believe the rest of the crew doesn't approve of the things Luffy has done, and that is just not true.

12th Page:

Usopp talks about how he never really was moved to join Luffy for a great cause like the rest: he was just a friend who tagged along. He himself says he has no other ties and that he can sever them anytime he doesn't agree with Luffy's decisions.

He is looking for excuses to make his departure easier.

(That is one of the main points Zoro is going to take into account in the future: Usopp will have to ask for forgiveness and show real loyalty to the crew, because if he keeps on going like this, he is a ticking bomb of mutiny)

Luffy is back to his usual serious expression when he is listening to someone.

Usopp leaves the room and everyone follows.

Then, once everyone is outside, he announces he is leaving the crew, surprising everyone.

In the Anime:

Usopp's expression has nothing to do with the one in the Manga. He is still angry in the Anime.

Luffy and Zoro's expressions are also exaggerated.

You may notice Usopp is saying he is leaving the crew while still in the room...

Well, buckle up, because we are getting close to a hot mess of the Anime.

13th Page:

As we saw in the previous page, they are all outside looking at him. They followed Usopp immediately.

Nami, Sanji and Chopper scream at Usopp to come back, while Zoro and Luffy look in silent.

They scream in different ways: Sanji has the same expression he had when he had to kick Luffy to stop him. Nami is still believing this problem can be fixed. Choppper is crying, still confused with the whole problem.

Usopp is now saying things about himself Luffy doesn't agree with, but he has chosen to not speak anymore, probably to not make the situation worse.

Usopp then asks for a duel.

In the Anime:

We start right with filler!

We get a weird slow motion, with Nami Chopper and Sanji's horrified expressions looking at Usopp close the door.

Let's remember Sanji's expression is supposed to be the same as after he kicked Luffy in the head. Interesting how now it is a distressed expression, and not a hateful one.

Also... guys, open the door and go after him already. It's just a door.

But no, now Nami turns around looks at Luffy with anger and starts confronting him.

Also Zoro looks at Luffy with a very severe expression.

Where does this come from? When has the Manga shown that these two would look at Luffy like that in this situation?

The Anime is making them look against Luffy, contradicting the source material.

The Anime makes Nami keep on going with the critiques, doubting Luffy as a Captain, dumping on him all the responsibility of Usopp's decision and making it look like she believes everything is Luffy's fault.

Manga-Nami would never do that. Even if afterwards she goes and talks to Luffy about solving things with Usopp, she would never treat Luffy like this, using his Captain position this cruelly... in the Manga, that is.

Everyone is just there, looking at Luffy, until he angrily looks back at her.

Up until now, everything is just filler of the Anime. From the very beginning of the adaptation of Page 13. The amount of awful and out of character filler the Anime does with this scene is astronomical.

Now we start going back to something closer to the real content of the Page 13:

They finally go outside and call him to come back.

Again, Sanji's expression is much nicer than the one shown to Luffy, and he is also at the front. In the Manga, he is in the back.

Luffy's expression is all wrong, again. He also comes out one of the lasts, when in the Manga that is not really the case.

Sanji and Chopper have also all gone from very intense expressions to neutral.

Finally, 14th Page:

The chapter reaches its painful ending, with Usopp doubling down on the duel idea.

In the Anime:

This is very close to being a 1:1 adaptation, if we take out Nami's reaction and everyone's positions and....... xDu

After this, the Anime Episode continues adapting scenes from the next Manga Chapter, but i don't have the energy or space to keep the analysis on this post xD

I hope you understand why i think the changes on this scene are so important in how different a Manga-reader and an Anime-watcher feel it. How different the characters are in one and the other.

And all the changes we just saw were completely unnecessary to do, and not approved by Oda... so... very very bad in my opinion.

And if they do all these changes with a scene so important like this one, what does that mean for the rest of the adaptation?

Well... you can imagine. Sometimes it feels like the only thing the Anime has in common with the Manga is the name ^^U

If you want a comparison of other scenes, you can make suggestions ^^

[lazzarella]

Well, here we are! My last post of rambly notes about Wandee Goodday. It's been fun, but I don't think I'll do this for another show XD

- Here we go!

- even Great and his magnificent bosom can't make me interested in boxing, alas

- Oh. Ter actually came. Okay!

- Lol, they really don't need to pair everyone off or redeem everyone, but I'm not bothered either? That’s just peripheral to me

- Ahhh, Dee's pep talk was so cheesy! I love it!

- Well, that was obvious! (That it was Yak under the Nazgûl getup. He's a living Kermit meme!)

- imagine being able to punch the manifestation of your grief and trauma in the face to be able to deal with it??? Sign me up!

- Stop boxing and start smooching already!!

- (Dee and Yak. Not Yak and Mason lmao)

- Heyyyyy! TKO!

- "When it comes to Yak, I've never felt tired" Awww! Yei! :')

- Yak saying Dee believes in him more than he believes in himself was also kinda cheesy, but like... I don't care. That was so lovely!

- "This belt is yours" ;__;

- Ahhhh!!!! Seeing them in the ring together with Yak twirling Dee around while everyone cheers made my little heart nearly pop! Two men in love in a boxing ring with everyone cheering for them???

- IDK why Ter is happy about this now lmao whatever! I'm here for ROMANCE and I'm getting oodles of it

- KAO AND HIS BOO! YEAH, BOY!

- Ahhhhhh, they're ADORABLE!

- Talking about finding someone who understands you - yes! That's what it's about! That's what the whole show is about tbh

- lol, Dee wearing the belt! That's cute :3

- awww! Birthday cake! Dee's so cute and sweet <3

- "Who said I was playing?" SCREAMING!! My flirty Dee is back <333

- omg eating the cream off him fuuuuuudggggggge

- Oh! Now they're in bed lol

- how do they always end up on the floor after sex? What are they doing? Is this a normal thing to happen? (Seriously asking lmao)

- Dee has the sweetest smile omg

- "It feels like paradise to make love to the person I love" slfjsdkfjdsklfjsdlkfjdslkfjd

- "Let's celebrate" ... with soy milk! My favourite celebration drink!

- "I'm so proud that I get to take care of you" ahhhh! That's such a lovely thing to say!

- omg, Dee looked like he was going to cry about the necklace! D:

- Yak is so cute :3

- ahhh, another necklace kiss! God, I'm weak for those

- this is very asexuality 101 PSA but, like... How many shows even use the word asexual at all?? So, I don't care!

- ooh, I love the idea of Blue figuring himself out! That's cool to see too!

- (I'm honestly not mad that we didn't get more of Kao and Blue like I know a lot of others are, but I also wouldn't be mad to see their story in a spinoff. It won't happen, but I wouldn't be mad if it did)

- LMAOOOOO @ Golf banning Kao 🤣

- the whole montage with Dee talking to Gooddy about good days was nice! It's true, we can't have perfect days, but we can have good ones

- ahhh, Blue and Kao helping Golf do online dating!!

- "Good days are different for everyone" :D

- Ahhh! I love how Yak calls Dee's grandma his idol!!! Heeeee

- Aww, Inn is wearing his own clothing brand lol

- "You're an important person in my family" Ahhhh, yes!!!!

- Yak offering to smack Ter in the head lmaoooo good boy!

- THE OLD GAY COUPLE! ;__;

- ahhh! Yak asking if he and Dee will still be together and Dee saying yes or probably or whatever it was

- lol @ them arguing about who would turn whom over in bed if they're bedridden XD

- "Can we still have sex?" haha

- these hospital parties are always so sparse

- all of Dee's friends are wearing purple with him except Yak (nm, Yei was also wearing blue)

- this feels like a weird way to announce a scholarship to me but what do I know?

- the chanting feels unprofessional lmao I love it!

- and to no one's surprise, Dee won!

- omg! The other boxers are there too!!

- Is... Is it typical to crown scholarship winners in Thailand?

- and now Dee gets to give his thanks speech!

- this is longer than an Oscars speech XD

- oh, poor Yak! That's embarrassing but I saw that coming lol

- omg Dee's singing for Yak??? IDK if it's because I was so tired when watching this, or what, but it felt like a fever dream (in the best way possible)

- "Would you be my real boyfriend?" AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

- confetti! It's a parade!

- awww! They're ring bearers!

- Yak tearing up when Yei and Cher are exchanging rings ;__;

- legally married <3333

- ON HOLD?? What?? ...oh, phew, nm! That makes perfect sense and is totally IC for Dee, the silly boy!

- SEVERAL YEARS????? Damn. Okay, I can see why he'd think that was too long to wait for him tbh (I feel like we knew this but I forgot lol)

- "I love you, too" Wahhhhhh!!! Omg!!! I cried!!! YES!!!

- god this scene is GORGEOUS! The colours and their talk and the beach!!!! I always love a beach scene so I'm glad BLs have so many of them <333

- VANILLA? How very dare you, Yak :P

- time for sex on the beach!

- HAVE A GOOD DAY! Haha, love it!

- that's the perfect ending!!! What a lovely final image!!

- ...oh, I was waiting for a credits scene XD

- seriously, though, that last crane shot of them on the beach was truly the perfect image to end on <3333

What a lovely show this has been! It really brightened up my week, and I can't wait to watch it all over again! <333

[lovely-jily]

want you to want me sober

this is part of that snippets fic i started months ago, and i figured i'd just post it here too. enjoy some fluff :))) <333

read on ao3 (if you liked this then you'll love the rest of the stuff i have in this fic)

The party had a decent turnout, although only sixth and seventh years are allowed- primarily due to the immense amount of alcohol being supplied. James thought Sirius was going a little overboard, but he insisted. He deems the excessive amount of alcohol necessary to properly celebrate James and his team's win of their first Quidditch match. 

James is only a bit tipsy. He wants to set a responsible example, a downfall that came with being Head Boy. Although getting sloshed sounded divine, he knows that he is held to different standards. Besides, watching a bunch of drunk people was almost as fun. 

Lily's one of those aforementioned drunk people. James is a bit shocked to see her take her first shot, but he doesn't entirely mind, as he knows she needs to let loose as she never really has. 

But after about seven shots and three trips to throw up in the bathroom, James figures it's time for Lily to stop letting loose and start wrapping the night up, and since he's been with her nearly the entire night, he figures he can do it. He isn't sure where any of her friends are and doesn't want to bother them when he could do it himself. 

The stairs challenge Lily, who's laughing the entire way. One bonus to being Head Boy is that it allows James to enter the girls' dormitories. He's never tried to, as he never had a reason, but figures the magic allowed him to for occasions like this. 

"You played so well during the game tonight, James," Lily says as they neared her dorm, "I don't think I've ever seen anyone look that good."

James isn't sure if she means to compliment his looks or quidditch talent, but he knows not to press. If she were sober, he'd be delighted to have a cheeky conversation about his dashing looks, but it seems unfair to take advantage of Lily in this situation. He knows she's prone to saying things she wouldn't sober, and he doesn't want to manipulate it out of her. 

"Well, if it weren't for your cheering, I don't think we could've gotten that win," is all he responds with.

Lily stops a stair ahead of him and turns around to face him, "Why didn't you kiss me at Hogsmead? Or that one time during the rainstorm?"

The sudden direct comment surprises James, as he can only raise his eyebrows and mutter a choking "Come again?" as an answer. 

"You know, I just thought you would both times, and then you didn't," Lily is less giddy now, although there isn't any form of hurt in her voice, which is a positive sign to James. Maybe this is the confirmation needed to tell James she's been feeling the same way.

"Er-I-" he starts, and then he sighs as she puts her hand on his neck, and he wraps his fingers around her wrist. He can be honest with her, as she most likely won't remember it tomorrow, "I honestly got scared."

"Do you want to kiss me now?" Lily asks him, looking at his lips. This whole situation is cruel- her taunting him when he can't do anything about it. The exact thing he has been praying for the past few years is finally happing, but his honour won't allow him to act on it. It would be so easy to let this happen, to follow her into her room and just cave in. He wonders if that's what her friends are thinking will happen. If this situation had occurred even two years ago, it would be a different outcome, but James isn't the same boy he was then. 

Besides, it's easy to want someone when you're under other influences. Standards are lowered, feelings rise, and James wants Lily sober for this sort of decision. 

"I always want to kiss you, Lily," James whispers back. The alcohol and hope of her forgetting all of this make honesty easier to produce.

Lily's eyes brighten, and her lips pull into a smile as she leans down slightly. She almost seems sober, but her swaying, slurred speech, and alcohol-scented breath say otherwise, "So why don't you?"

James exhales, brushing her hair behind her ear, "I want you to want me sober."

"I do, James-"

"I don't want our first kiss to be like this. You mean more to me than tipsy actions," James continues, and he is actively kicking himself for what he's doing, "You know I wouldn't feel good with you in this sort of condition."

Lily sighs, "You're too good to me, James."

"Not nearly what you deserve, Lily."

James hears someone walking up the stairs and see's it's Dorcus as she rounds the corner.

"There you are, Lils!" Dorcus smiles at the two of them.

Lily's eyes brighten at the sight of her friend as she excitedly claps her hands, "D, I have so much to tell you about what just happened. You're going to scream."

Dorcus reaches the two of them and raises an eyebrow at James. Of course, Lily made it seem like James really is trying to take advantage of her.

"Not what you're thinking, don't worry," James shifts to the side, letting go of Lily so Dorcus can take her.

Dorcus nods and turns to Lily, "Let's go to bed, yeah?"

"Oh, please, I hope I have another dream-"

"Off to bed!" Dorcus cuts her off in a panicked tone, leaving lots to be speculated on James's end. 

"Thank you, Potter," Dorcus smiles at him as the two girls keep walking up the stairs to reach their dorm.

"Bye, James!" Lily waves excitedly, "You better follow up on what you said to me!"

James only shakes his head as butterflies flood his chest and a broad smile fills his face. 

That was precisely the confirmation, or rather the sign that he needed.

[calumsash]

2022 Writing Evaluation

thank you for my amazing friend taylor @jbhmalumm for tagging me in this!!! i totally forgot i wrote (even if it's been like half a year yikes) and can actually be tagged in those things so im excited <333

1. number of stories posted on ao3: a whole 3 fics!

2. word count posted for this year: 17,741 words!!

3. fandoms i wrote for: 5sos

4. pairings: romantic: cashton (2) & mashlum (1) / platonic: malum (1) & cake (1)

5. story with the most kudos/bookmarks/comments: all three of these categories go to three that's the magic number <3

6. work i’m most proud of (and why): im proud of all of them! just the fact that i actually sat down this year and wrote something AND posted it?!!?!!!! i think that's something to be proud of!

7. work i’m least proud of (and why): i love all my kids!

8. share or describe a favorite review you received: ok so there's this comment @ghost-of-you left on my mashlum fic that just said "I don't think I've ever laughed this much at a fic before. This awesome." and i remember smiling and thinking about that comment all day so thank you anna <3

9. a time when writing was really, really hard: idk a lot of times i found myself really frustrated that i couldn't just sit down and write 5k in a sitting, or i was feeling i wasn't getting the tone right and then tried to compare myself to others? but once i let that go, stopped looking at other fics and just setting myself smaller goals i think made the difference!!

10. a scene or character you wrote that surprised you: the ending scene of malum in the daylight fic!!!! when i started to write that scene i totally planned for it to go in a different direction, a much more funny way (michael finding out calum is a vampire because he found him drinking blood smoothies lol), but as i was writing it the words just flew into a more angsty approach and i liked it so!!! it stayed <3

11. a favorite excerpt of your writing: i still think the delivery of “I need to know, who came first? The chicken or the egg?" and the response after it was incredible on my part <3

12. how did you grow as a writer this year? actually finishing a fic and posting it!

13. how do you hope to grow next year? honestly just hoping to set little goals and maybe write some more, maybe try other fandoms and see how i do!

14. who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc)? just gonna go ahead and tag my wonderful friends @myfalsedevotion @jbhmalumm @lukemichaelcalumashton @daydadahlias @merry-the-cookie @calumthoodshands because you guys hyped me up when i started writing and when i sent you screenshots as i progressed and gave me encouraging words!!!! i probably wouldn't have had the guts to post without you <3

15. anything from your real life show up in your writing this year? oh yeah i totally thought capybaras were called chupacabras SORRY AJSHDHSJ (from the halloween fic)

16. any new wisdom you can share with other writers? literally just write for yourself! i can't even count the amount of times i reread my own fics because it's exactly to my taste!!

17. any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year? there's a song fic i wrote for cashton that is mostly done that i do wish to finish at some point!!!! also coach calum fic would be amazing if i ever finish it so hopefully that!!!! plus not 5sos but i have this idea for a buddie (911) fic that haven't left my mind since i thought of it and im hoping maybe start and finish before they come back from the hiatus!!!

18. tag some writers whose answers you’d like to read: probably everyone have been tagged already so if you haven't already and wanna do it, count this as your sign <3

[bewitchingivy]

Hello!

May I please take part in Valentine's Game?

I am UR, 🦄

Here's my reading for you:

What you should know about them?

He is someone who can cling on to hope even in dark times and rise again. He may be prone to anxiety and worries. Far-sighted. Can let things go if needed in his path for greater good that is.

What they love about you?

Even in times of difficulties how you can still hold on and succeed! He loves your strength. You may be good with money, with handling it, may love how you are so good with financial matters. He likes your optimism, light and positivity. Fills him with hope.

A message from him:

When are we gonna meet? I want to grow with you so much.

You know how I tend to worry, your balanced approach to life really gives me clarity.

I really admire your quality to lead and how strong you are.

I want to exist with you, and live with you, I love you.

Thank you for giving me the chance to do a reading for you in exchange of mine.

If possible can you please give feedback in this reading? I have never read for someone outside my family and friends and this is the first time so it will help me a lot! Thank you!

Lots of love and light to you 💕🫂🪔

❛ love again ; entry #011

Hello! Thank you so much for joining my game and for following the rules <3 As promised, here's your reading! I hope you'll enjoy it :)  Remember to take what resonates and leave what doesn't!

his first impression of you

Smile by Katy Perry On your first meeting, he would see you as someone who's laid back, happy, friendly. You might just have an aura that's giving him carefree or happy-go-lucky vibes. He'd definitely think that your smile is pretty too!

your first date together

Snow On The Beach by Taylor Swift feat. Lana Del Rey Shit I'm a sucker for this song. Obviously, it would be at the beach! Although there wouldn't be snow, I suppose HAHA. I strongly feel that in your first date the both of you are not in an "official relationship," if you get what I mean. It's more like you're friends at first, and then he must've asked you out and all that, and on this date it's when you both decide to make it official :)

what you should know about him

Blow Your Mind by Dua Lipa A confident person asf. He might come off as someone who's cocky to other people, but in truth he's actually not, he's just confident and someone who is assured that everything will work out in his favor. He' pretty quiet most of the time, you might just get surprised that he's actually extroverted. He's not the life of the party sorta person, but there's something very charismatic about him.

what he loves about you

I am Enough by Cimorelli I mentioned he's confident, and damn right away I am getting that he admires your confidence too. Like it's just so damn attractive to him that you respect and love yourself for who you are. You don't change for the sake of others, and that you never settle for less. He absolutely loves that about  you.

how would he show his love to you

Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars EEEEEKKK- Okay, I am getting that words of affirmations could be a love language of his. He would show his love to you by reminding you how an amazing person you are. You may be a confident person, but we all have those moments when we don't feel at all, and so he would remind you how beautiful and awesome you are when you don't feel like it :) 

signs you see about him

champagne problems by Taylor Swift One sign that I am getting for you is that when you meet this person, he will be in a point in his life where a lot of changes are happening for him. Particularly in his relationships, it could be that he's leaving his family? I just heard that. He's not looking for a romantic relationship when you both meet though, he would just put his focus on his personal life. Oh, and I saw 333 while doing your reading :)

a message from him

This Love by Taylor Swift a little note from me: I just noticed that there's already three songs by Taytay here, and earlier I was getting a little hint that this person could be a Swiftie, or he just listens to Taylor's music a lot, hehe <3 Gotta love 'im for that. "Hey, we've been through some rough patches, but our love has stayed strong. I cherish the time we've spent together and can't wait for more adventures with you. You're the one I want by my side, through thick and thin. What we have is something so precious, and I'm never letting go of it."

my feedback

Wow, have confidence in giving readings to others outside your family and friends love, because this? *chef's kiss* It resonated much with me! <3 I am indeed a person who's optimistic and just trying to vibe positively everyday, hehe. I really appreciate that he would love my resilience (because.. AAGHH imma cri-) 🥹🥹 And yeaahh, I suppose I handle money quite well. And woah, I have heard from other readings that he's someone who's resilient too, and definitely heard of his anxieties and worries! I really appreciate the messages you channeled!! They're so spot on and I definitely resonated with them!!! <333 Thank you so much for this reading! <3

Please don't forget to leave a feedback, tell me what resonates and what doesn't, and whatever you want to add! :)

[zhongliswhore1]

Love making

Diluc ♥︎ Zhongli ♥︎ Thoma ♥︎ Itto

Nsfw headcanons

Disclaimer: vulgar speech, possessive behavior.

Not prof read

Diluc

Diluc is a Calm and collected man, but the things you make him feel, gets to his nerves. He loves you so much and he would do anything for you. When he's making love to you he makes sure you're comfortable and enjoying your time with him.

Diluc absolutely loves when you two unify your hands while he pounds into you, makes his heart flutter and his chest fill with happiness.

When he's about to cum he whispers in your ear "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you so much"

Always making sure you know how much he adores you, that he wouldn't change the moments he spends with you for anything or anyone.

After the session of love has culminated he likes to be inside of you for a couple of minutes, kissing your neck, caressing your body and making sure you're not hurt <3333

And if you ask nicely he might give you a massage<333

Zhongli

When Zhongli makes love to you he only concentrates in your pleasure, you're his princess after all. Whatever you ask he will do for you.

Hugging you while he rams you, like a beast with his precious possession, Zhongli is a little possessive, he makes sure you two are in a private area, were nobody can see or hear you, and of course you don't mind.

"Mine, mine ,mine, you're all mine" he whispers as he grinds into you.<333

Soft hands touch the entirety of your body, combined with the most expensive oils and perfumes, soft silk under you, and Zhongli's kisses all over your chest and neck. And your cunt drooling the recently spilled cum, Zhongli sits on top of you, taking care of your body, and making sure non of muscles are strained, basically a living doll for him.

At times you prefer to fall asleep on top of him listening to the muffled sound of his heartbeat.

Since the love sessions with Zhongli are extensive he makes sure that you're hydrated and well fed, so is expected to wake up to the smell of recently made breakfast. <333

Thoma

Thoma is a very attentive and romantic man, always making sure you're okay with everything he does to you. "Are you okay" "can I do this?"<33

Makes sure that you don't show any signs of pain or uncomfortability. He would prefer to be always on top, always giving, but he loves when you take control, the sight of you riding him makes him crazy, sometimes even tearing up and whimpering because "you feel so, so good mmm"

One of his favorite positions is having you relaxed on top of him, while he ruts into you. Loves kissing your plush soft lips while fucking you more softly, savoring every sensation. Since he is a very occupied individual he rarely finds any time to pleasure you, and when he does find the time he's sure to make the most out of it, even bringing wine and flowers.

You in the other hand, always makes sure to put lovely lingerie under your regular clothes, witch always makes him desperate to touch you.

"Can I kiss you? Please" like an impatient puppy.<333

Itto

Itto is very energetic and impatient, always wanting to tear your clothes off so he can devour you entirely. But he always make sure you're okay with it, so he lets you in control, not wanting to scare you in any way.

He's much taller than you, so de idea of carrying you while he fucks your cute cunt drives him insane, so when you two see each other after a long day, he's already blushing and waiting for a kiss to start the passionate love session.

"You're so cute and small, but you're taking me so well, fuck..." loves praising you nonstop, making a blushing mess out of you.<33

But something that makes him absolutely feral is you holding into his horns while he pounds into you. Your back is pressed against his wide chest, and yore just trying not to fall (Even though Itto makes sure you're secured in his arms) so you instinctively hold into his horns, making him grunt in surprise, which results in your poor cunt being abused by his big fat cock.

He fucks you all night not giving you time to gain energy, you're all over stimulated and sensitive, while cum keeps painting your insides.

Afterwards you end up all tired and sticky with sweat and cum, Itto cleans you up, and brings you food as a discreet apology for using you without mercy.

"You did amazing sunshine, I love you"

Cuddles you and makes sure you're comfortable and warm.<3333

♡

[Re- post because I was shadowbanned]

[saltymongoose]

yk sometimed i like to imagine what cuddlong with the boys in the self awar au woulf be like.....

So the player is sitting at the couch yk, just minding their own business and decide to just open their arms at one of the boys!!!! let me amk my hcs (lobgest thing from me ever)

If you opened your arms at Hank, i feel like he wouldn't hesitate to walk over and snuggle against you like a big cat, instead just a buff murderer eho loves u a lot and purrs loud (prob tries to bite your shoulder while you pet him tbh)

If you opejed your arms at Deimos, he'd be super surprised at first like "huh???? m?? me????" and all blushy and shocked before going over to you and layong against your lap like a lovestruck puppy, pet him and hes all yours.......

If you opened your arms at Sanford, i feel like he would be a lil more flusterrd!!! i mean.. crush just asked to cuddle.... sits down nezt to u and puts arm arouns yiu, and lets you rest your head on his shoulder.... You can hear the purrimg... and feel.. and like nuzzle against him and hes melting

AHAHAB NLW DOOCCC<333 I lov 2bdamned like i wouod buy a shirt of "i <3 2bdamned" md walk around with it ok ok ok

2B would probably be confused for a few seconds befor cstching on and going in to hug you happily, after a few seconds it ends with u sitting on his lap while he does som papers bc he loves you

UMMM THOSE WERE MY HEADCANONS!!! I FELT LIKE WRITING THEM FOR DAYS NOW!!! THERE U GO!! IM SORRY IF THE TYPING SOUNDS DIFFERENT BUT I HOPE YOU HAVE A GPPD DAY ILY❤❤❤

-with love, chatty anon

Agjklf Omfg these are fantastic, Chatty Anon! Thank you for this, I love them. :D You're completely right, Hank's definitely like a big cat, probably covering your entire body with his as he smothers you. You can't hear or feel anything except for him as he presses as close to you as possible, with his loud purrs echoing in your ears and the coldness of his jaw as he nuzzles into you. He's so happy with your invitation that you can even feel his hands trembling against you.

Deimos would probably find himself the happiest he's been in a long time when he's lounging in your lap (only after getting over the shock of you making the first move for some affection for a change). I can see him laying down on you with his arms wound tight around your waist, purring as he buries his face into your stomach and you pet him. He's just so happy to have all of your attention like this, even more so because you wanted to do this with him wholeheartedly. It's a definite sign that you must return his love for you (something that all of them take from you wanting to cuddle with them, tbh). He'll even reach up and put your hands back on him if you stop for a moment, just a total lovesick puppy who's aching for every touch you're willing to give him.

And Sanford, he's so incredibly sweet with you. It's hard to believe that he's an experienced mercenary and trained killer from the way he's softly purring while he pulls you closer to him, almost to the point where you're half in his lap. You can hear his heart beating when you rest your head on him and he makes a cute flustered noise when you wrap your arms around him and squeeze him affectionately.

I'd also like to add that Doc would totally be purring the entire time he has you in his lap. It's a lot softer than the others' are so only you can hear it, and he generally tries to control when he purrs happen since he finds it a little embarrassing to show a "baser" instinct like this (especially since it can be construed as a weakness, depending on who he does it around). But he can't help it when you're with him like this, his genuine happiness and love for you just makes him surrender to it. He also probably gives you little forehead kisses if his mask isn't on and holds your hand the entire time too. (It slows his efficiency at his work but he doesn't care in the slightest.)

(Sorry for adding so much onto this, I've just got major brainrot from these hcs you made. They're just so good!! 💕)

[racheljoyscott]

Hey I just wanted to tell you something that happened recently I really don’t know if you would truly care but I figured why not tell you this, I don’t mean to bother you with this little story but let me make a long story short so you can understand, so after graduating high school in June of 2021 in September I start an internship where these instructors teach me how to work, and act in a workplace environment, currently not in college (I know probably stupid) because my high school is paying for me to attend. So now we got that out of the way now here is the story.

So today as I am writing you this May 5, 2022 (I say that cause I don’t know when you are reading this) I had a strange experience that in my opinion was a sign or maybe coincidence I don’t know but I truly loved it. I’m not sure if it was Rachel herself. So I was going outside with my instructor on break as he had to get something, I was with one of my coworkers (name private) and they don’t know anything about Rachel only 1 coworker in the intern knows about her, since I keep her private I only will share about her with small amount of people. I keep her a secret like so deep it’s like Sacred and I only shared Rachel to Andrew because I’m closer to him and he wouldn’t say anything. I keep her secret because I know the people I know wouldn’t understand how much Rachel means to me. Okay now that I’m dragging this so much let me tell you the experience.

So as of today (May 5, 2022) I was outside with my instructor and a coworker not Andrew someone else, because I didn’t know wether to tell my instructor about Rach or not I had this picture of her which I enhanced and told her if she can show a sign and out of nowhere an eagle showed flying around I was so surprised because it showed up no cap literally 3 seconds after I asked her that and before that I was constantly thinking about her and I ended up seeing that had the last name “Scott,” then after heading back inside the building that currently interning in (I technically intern in an Atlantic Health hospital) I stumbled upon another name with the last name Scott then repeated numbers showed up 111, 222, 333, 555, 22:22 and other numbers like that. Then after the time I was heading home by transportation there was a church that had a sign that said something, something Pastor Scott” I was blown away and amazed. Ya so that’s the story sorry for dragging the story So much.

I want to know, do you think that was Rachel communicating to me????

First, you are not stupid for not attending college after high school! If college is in your plan, you still have so much time. It's a big decision! If your happiness lies in a career that you don't need college for, then that's your decision! No judgment and no stupidity. I believe God has His own plan in His own time for everyone.

I also understand what you mean about keeping Rachel private. She also means so much to me; I only talk about her to my closest friends. I couldn't even begin to explain to someone who doesn't know me well the impact she had on me. They wouldn't understand, and that's ok!

Over the years, hundreds of people have told me their stories where they believe Rachel is sending signs. Now, I'm not an angel, I can't give you an answer on how people who have passed communicate. But I do believe in signs. I get signs every day from people who have passed. When I first started reading into Rachel's story, I heard Bittersweet Symphony EVERYWHERE. It was crazy. Coincident or not, I felt like I was on the right path because of it. So no, you're not crazy. There is no harm in believing in these signs. I've felt that believing in signs has been so positive for me. Hopefully you keep seeing them too xx

[applejongho]

a vampire's guide to blood dealing | bang chan

genre: humor, supernatural, adventure, dumbassery

pairing: vampire!chan and female vampire!reader named Mei (platonic)

description: Newly turned vampire Chan and old vampire Mei form a friendship through their shared hunger for blood, but can’t help but get into wildly bloody situations as their friendship blooms.

word count: 5.9k

warnings: mentions of blood, vampires, swearing, (a small amount of) violence

author's note: SURPRISE, I'M YOUR SECRET SANTA @meiiyue!! Did you guess me correctly when you had a hunch as to what my identity was at the beginning of the month? ;) You've made my month of December so much fun and I can't wait to start talking with you not behind my chanon pseudonym >:) anyways, chan and mei being dumbasses together, I had a HELLA fun time writing this and I hope you smile when reading <333

masterlist here!

SHE HAD KNOWN when the tea on his desk, next to the scattered medical papers and signatures that bound people to donating blood, was just a bit too red for any normal tea.

There was also the fact that the tea smelled like blood, but then again, everything smelled like blood at a blood drive. Being a vampire, Mei had to pinch herself every few minutes so she didn’t salivate all over the floor and reveal her bloodthirsty identity. She had no idea how the biology major that was running this drive, and also clearly a vampire by his red tea - Christopher “Chan” Bang - was holding himself together. Perhaps the tea was what kept him tethered to reality. But a vampire running a blood drive - that was the act of a being who had lost his mind.

Mei sat in Chan’s desk chair in his office - a white, cramped, doctor’s office that smelled like hand sanitizer - waiting for Chan to realize she was there. She had her feet propped up onto the table, black boots obscuring what seemed to look like calculus homework or chicken scratch. She couldn’t tell. So he studied here as well. Mei couldn’t help but laugh as she looked around his office: paintings of instruments that looked like they came straight out of a museum adorned the walls, a printer sat in the corner that looked like it would fall apart if it was asked to print one more paper, and a coffee pot with stains that would likely never come off. This was most certainly the living space of a tired and stressed college student - he had hidden his vampirism well. She doubted he even used the coffee pot anymore, Mei herself couldn’t bring herself to swallow anything except for blood.

She wondered how she hadn’t noticed the other vampire sooner. But now that she had found him, she was determined to befriend him and possibly help him; he couldn’t have been a vampire for too long. Mei shuffled her feet so they sat over some chemistry homework instead. She hoped she looked intimidating because it would have been embarrassing for a two-hundred-year-old vampire to not strike some sort of visceral and primal emotion into a baby vampire.

Like on cue, Chan entered the office with such frantic movements that she swore he would trip on himself. He had tousled black hair and a white lab coat snug on his shoulders that looked a little too perfect to be a real lab coat, like one a small kindergartener would wear on career day. He also carried a clipboard, and seemed to notice his franticness before he noticed Mei because he made eye contact with her but was much too delayed in his reaction to say anything until at least a few seconds later.

“Hello?” He said after a few seconds, staring at her. He looked like he was going to pass out with her feet on the table, or maybe he was just startled that someone was so confidently intruding on his space. Mei kicked her feet back onto the ground.

“Hello,” Mei said in greeting, then gestured to Chan’s cup of tea on his desk. “May I ask what kind of tea this is? It has such a wonderful taste. I couldn’t help but have a taste.”

He looked like he was going to pass out. “It’s a really, um, exotic flavor,” Chan said, placing his clipboard down on his desk. Mei glanced at it. It looked like a medical form. “You wouldn’t like it. Or, no, I’m really surprised you like it.” His voice had a clear accent - British? Mei was slightly surprised he wasn’t asking why she was in his office. He was probably too worried over the tea.

“Oh, it was bloody delicious, whatever it was,” Mei said. Chan looked like Mei had just found his illegal drug stash. “Okay, I’ll stop teasing. I’m a vampire. And I’m going to be terrified if you’re not also a vampire because it would be weird if you were a human drinking blood.”

Mei hadn’t realized Chan was on edge until his shoulders shrunk down a few inches and he gave a small smile. He was refreshing to see at ease - Mei was far too used to people being scared of her. “You are?” He asked in that hopeful fledgling tone that made her heart clench.

She nodded. “For two hundred years. I’m assuming it’s hardly been a month for you.”

She could tell he tried not to be phased by her age. It was routine for humans and young vampires to not be able to comprehend her age. “Three weeks, actually,” he laughed nervously. “I signed up to run this a few days before I got turned. I would have never accepted had I known...”

He trailed off, but Mei understood. “Baby vampires are usually more thirsty than adult vampires, and even I felt a little unhinged walking by all of the vials. I can’t imagine how you feel.”

Almost on cue, Chan reached for his tea cup and took a long, quenching drink. Mei watched him drink. He let out a breath after he finished, and his hair flopped in front of his eyes. “It’s painful,” he said simply. He let out a nervous laugh and scratched his head. “I was going to come in here for a break from the smell. But you’re here.” He stared at her for a moment, and Mei could see the gears turning in his brain. “Can you help me?”

It was such a vague question, but Mei nodded with certainty. Can you help me be a vampire? Can you help me not kill everyone in this blood drive, because I seriously might? “Let’s first give you a mask to wear. Like one of those disposable doctor masks?”

“I already thought of that, it doesn’t work,” Chan groaned, but Mei shook her head at him. 

“Do you have gum?” She asked. “Peppermint flavored?” He wordlessly gestured to the main drawer in the desk, confusion etched onto his face.

Mei pulled out the gum. “I know you don’t want to eat it, and you don’t need to.” She unwrapped a piece, but threw out the gum, holding out the wrapper for him. “Stick this into your mask. I don’t think it will mask the scent completely, but it will certainly be a distraction.” She raised her eyebrows at him and urged him to take the wrapper. He took it, looking at her with wariness stretched across his face.

“Really?” He asked, pulling a blue mask out of his lab coat. He grinned and slipped the mask on, sticking the wrapper in it.

“Absolutely,” Mei said, not absolute at all. She had thought of this out of the blue. He seemed to relax at her certainty.

“Thank you,” he said. Even with a mask on, Mei could tell he was smiling. It was a smile of gratitude, a smile of being seen. “It’s... it’s so relieving that there’s another vampire on campus. It’s nice to know you’re here. Even if you broke into my office and ominously waited for me in my office chair.”

“That’s what I’m here for, I suppose,” Mei laughed. “I would say that I’d help you with the blood drawing, but I’m a music major. I certainly don’t have any license to perform anything related to human health.”

“Can you help me pack up the vials after the blood drive is over?” Chan asked quickly. “It’s just me and two more people, and they’re assigned to clean up. I’d trust you to, you know, not tamper with them.” Mei noticed he avoided saying the word blood. He must have been fighting his thirst harder than what he was letting on.

“Yes, and take another sip of your tea,” Mei recommended. He did so, rather rushed. He wiped his mouth and pushed his mask back on when he was done and gave a cooky grin that she could see through his eyes.

"I have to get back to... the blood tests, but I suppose you can stay here." He stood, silent for a moment. "Feel free to do my chemistry homework if you're bored."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Mei said sweetly, causing Chan to give a snarky eye roll. Then, he exited the room to continue with the blood drive.

Nearly six months later and with another semester gone by, Chan and Mei had formed an unlikely, yet close friendship. Mei preferred to say they were blood-bound because between Mei's music theory classes and Chan's cellular biology homework, the two of them had no academic similarities. They had first hung out together in the library of the university, both always carrying opaque flasks of blood that felt like an inside joke between the two of them. They had upgraded to spending a few weekends together, and now they were practically inseparable. Chan knew all of Mei’s quirks, like how she had to practice guitar in the mornings and piano at night, or how she had to always be in the same practice room to get anything done. Mei knew Chan’s sense of humor, which was essentially knowing his entire personality - quick puns that could slip by as casual comments, or teasing that was prolonged and never-ending. He had gone an entire month speaking in a British accent when Mei had mistakenly called him British. There were certain phrases he had taken upon himself to abuse profusely.

“Bloody hell, I’m Australian!” He had told her, giving a teasing grin. “Aren’t you old enough to have traveled to other countries to know their certain accents?”

“I’ve been all over Europe,” Mei had corrected. “Mostly Spain, Portugal, and France, and not so much Britain. There are so many different dialects of English in Britain that I had just assumed that your accent was from there, so shut up.”

Chan had taken a sip of his blood tea and had given the evil look of a taunting younger brother. “Then I suppose your mind isn’t as sharp as you thought it was. It makes sense, considering you’ve been un-alive for more than two centuries.”

“I’m going to stake you,” Mei had said sweetly.

Another fond memory was when they had gone to a museum so Mei could narrate what actually had happened in history as they walked through exhibits. What they discovered instead was a love letter Mei had written to a female lover when she was a young vampire that had an entire exhibit to itself. And, as historians usually were, they had erased the gay undertones of the note. Chan had to stifle giggles as he read an excerpt from the exhibit’s description that very proudly declared the note full of heterosexuality, while Mei had to hold back on murdering every employee in the museum. Mysteriously, that was the last time they had ever gone to that museum.

Yet none of these experiences or moments could top the underground blood ring.

Mei and Chan, during the semester, stole small amounts of blood from the monthly blood drive a few biological science majors held, enough to keep them satisfied for at least until the next blood drive. But now the spring semester was ending, and unlike winter break, summer break was much longer and hotter. Neither of them loved going outside because, as vampires, too much time in the sun would make them thirstier and sometimes blister.

“So what should we do?” Chan asked, sitting with his legs crossed on Mei’s couch in her apartment. “You’ve been a vampire much longer than I’ve been one. What have you done in the summer?”

“Back when I got my last degree, cameras were really terrible and too weak to see me,” Mei said, squinting while reading something on her computer. Mei had gotten a creative writing degree back in the 80s in Spain, and a history degree in the 60s. She liked to point out frequently that she would have gotten many more degrees, but sexism prevented her for a long time. “Which had made it much easier to steal blood or drink from a sleeping person, regardless of the season. But cameras are much better nowadays, and while they still wouldn’t be able to see either of us that well, they would see things being moved around and possibly changes in shadow. And we don’t want that. Also, with you being a new vampire that’s not an expert at stealthily drinking blood from someone, we can’t just have you slinking around peoples’ houses at night.” She sighed and shut her computer, then gave Chan a look that made his spine dance.

“I have a few ideas, but none of them are that ethical or easy,” she said, grimacing. “Do you have any?”

Chan pursed his lips. “I could try hosting another blood drive?” Chan suggested, then discarded the thought. “Or we could go to the hospital I intern at and steal blood from there.” He said that calmly, normally, and Mei was a little shocked at how nonchalant he had become regarding blood acquisition. He used to cringe when Mei gave crazy stories of how she had taken blood from people.

“Hospitals should keep their blood, though,” Mei said, ignoring Chan’s surprised expression. “It’s one thing to take a few blood vials from healthy college students. It’s another to withhold a hospital’s stock that could potentially save someone’s life.” Chan wanted to mention that the blood collected from the university’s drives eventually made it to the hospital, but he didn’t want to create an ethical debate. They were already unethical as it was, being undead beings that drank blood.

“Okay,” he said, sighing. “So what are your ideas? Because those are mine.”

Mei gave a little smile, and Chan got nervous. “Mei, what are you thinking?”

“I was thinking of an illegal blood ring,” Mei said casually, then folded her arms over her chest and frowned at him when Chan gave an expression that was equivalent to her saying she had murdered someone. “I know your track record is perfect, but as a desperate vampire, I don’t know what else to tell you. Would you rather starve?” Chan opened his mouth to speak, but Mei held up a hand. “Hear me out.”

A million thoughts were running through his head, but Chan did as she said. She was right, he did have a perfect track record because it was imperative for someone that wanted to go into medicine that it was spotless. A blood ring was the perfect addition to his record if he wanted to throw away his degree and any chance of employment.

“There are more blood rings than you’d think, and a lot of them aren’t nearly as scary or dangerous as you might think,” Mei started. “Think of doctors that are fed up with blood donation regulations because certain people, such as gay people, can’t donate blood. Think of psychopaths that want to sell tainted or drugged blood to scrape a profit. Think of people without ID that need blood but can’t get it through lawful means. These are the types of people we’d encounter, and considering that we’re both strong and smart vampires, being friendly with them, stealing blood, and then jetting wouldn’t be hard. We’d only have to do it once,” she said as Chan’s expression darkened with doubt. “I don’t love the idea either, but I think it’s doable. Allow me to ask around, and I should be able to find a place for us to go and get our blood within a week.”

“And what about next summer?” Chan asked. “And the summer after?”

“By then, you’ll hopefully know how to take blood from humans in their sleep,” Mei said evenly. “I should have taught you earlier, but I didn’t. Please, Chan,” she said and gave a look. “Just go with me. I promise things will be fine. And if it doesn’t, we can just change our names and go to university somewhere else.”

“You’re insane,” Chan groaned. There was nothing smart about this plan. Chan could name several things that could go wrong off of the top of his head: the blood they could get would be so drugged that both of them would kill someone in their insanity, they could get caught or ratted out and lose their place in the university, or they could simply get killed by the blood dealers. But Chan begrudgingly agreed with Mei because it was the only plan they had. And blood, as delicious as it was, was slippery to deal with. This was simply one shady deed in a life that would last an eternity. He was too young to understand the small weight of this blood ring that would carry on his immortal life. He had to trust Mei.

“And besides,” Mei said, climbing off of her bed to grab a bag of blood from her fridge, “you can think of it as a heroic job. Maybe we can rat out the blood dealers to the cops, steal their blood, but then tell the police they destroyed it all in a hairy crossfire. You’re not the bad guy, Chan, nor a vigilante. You’re just a vampire that needs his needs met.”

So a little more than a week later, Chan found himself in the passenger seat of Mei’s Toyota, Mei driving like she was on her way to the grocery store to pick up some eggs. “Mei, I don’t know if we should do this,” Chan said, shifting nervously in his seat and rubbing his hands together.

Mei turned smoothly to a dirt road. The highway they had been on before had been smooth, so the new bumpy terrain made the two of them bounce around in the car. It just made Chan even more nervous - this was territory that wasn’t crossed often. “Chan,” Mei said in the same way a mother would soothe a child, “we’ll be fine. Like I said before, I wouldn’t be able to do this alone. You’re here for backup. I told the dealer you have a black belt and can make shit fly if things don’t go as planned.” 

“I don’t have a black belt,” Chan felt he had to point out.

“And they don’t need to know that,” Mei said calmly. She turned again. Somehow this road was even bumpier. Chan felt like he was going to throw up. “You’re here for looks and intimidation. And if things do go awry, you look strong enough to do damage.”

Chan groaned. It was night out, and Mei turned off her headlights. It wasn’t a problem because both of them could see fine during the night; it was so no one else could see them. “Just relax,” she continued, which made Chan even less relaxed. “Think of the blood.”

Thinking of blood did make him feel better, much to his relief. He sat dazed while Mei navigated through the dirt path, thinking of the result rather than the work he had to do to get there.

Mei parked the car in between some trees and the two of them got out. Mei adjusted her hoodie and sunglasses, which made Chan pull out his sunglasses as well. He felt like a fake criminal putting them on. They only did this in movies. “This way,” Mei said, her voice amplified because of the silence that hovered around them. Trees were everywhere and Chan had no idea how Mei had managed to maneuver the car into the forest. He hoped a quick escape wasn’t going to be needed.

Mei trudged through the forest, Chan following. She led him to an old shack that looked like it was one breeze away from toppling onto itself. Chan had to duck to not hit his head on the door frame. The inside smelled exactly how a dilapidated and abandoned shack should smell like - grimy, slimy, and dusty. Then, of course, there was the smell of blood. He knew Mei could smell it too by how she stood straighter, or perhaps that was to seem more intimidating, because Chan had just noticed a few more figures already in the shack.

“I presume you’re Em and Bert,” said a cool, feminine voice across from them. The blood dealer.

“Bert?” Chan growled, quiet enough so that only Mei could hear, but she only smiled.

“That’s us,” Mei said, her voice devoid of the humor and carefreeness it usually held.

Even in the shadows, Chan could see the other woman give a smile. Despite the hood and mask she wore, the blood dealer wasn’t too incredibly intimidating. Chan thought she was sitting at first, but she was just short. A small lock of curly and blonde hair stuck out from her hood, giving the illusion that she was a small child. He almost snickered, but he was nervous himself.

Then he paid attention to her bodyguards. Three bodyguards were surrounding her, all tall, dark, and intimidating. The one to her right looked like he had muscles that could clock him into next week, while the one to her left had eyes of steel that he could feel scanning him. The one in the middle, right behind her, had the veiniest hands he had ever seen. He imagined them choking Mei or himself and he shuddered. Like the girl, they all had hoods and masks to conceal their identity.

“And do you have the money?” The girl said, a lilt to her voice. Mei nodded and pulled out enough money in cash to pay for an entire semester of school. Chan was amazed at his self-control to not do a backflip in the middle of the shack. Where had she gotten so much? He decided he’d have to ask later, or never.

The girl’s expression didn’t change at the sight of the money. “Put it on the table,” she said, then waved a hand to a three-legged table that sat in the middle of the room. Mei placed the wad of cash onto the table, then swiftly stepped away from it like the table was going to suddenly grab her hand if she didn’t move fast enough. 

Chan was hit with a pang of anxiety. Why hadn’t Mei asked to see the blood first? The bodyguard to the girl’s left pocketed the money. They could be murdered right there, and Chan still had to study for his anatomy final. He glanced over to Mei, who appeared to be unfazed. He gave her a look that he hoped she interpreted as, “do you still have an ounce of sense rattling in that brain?”

He didn’t need her to answer, however, because the girl motioned her hand. The buff bodyguard to her right bent down and picked up a box - Chan’s heart sank - a small box. His vampire senses started screaming because now the scent of blood had a visual paired with it, but there wasn't even that much. At most, this box of full blood vials would last Mei and Chan a month, which was less time than the two of them had for summer. The bodyguard placed it onto the same table where Mei had placed her money. This time, Chan took the case of blood. It was heavier than he had suspected, but it was still so little.

“You promised more,” Mei said evenly, echoing Chan’s worries. “I brought the money you wanted. Where’s the rest?”

“This is all we have left,” the girl said smoothly, and Chan had read enough crime novels to know that was a twisted truth. Likely, someone else had outsold them. And based on the amount of money Mei had given, that was an accomplished feat.

But even so, Chan could smell more blood somewhere, much like a human could smell both cookies and brownies being baked in a kitchen. Was it the blood from the girl and her guards? He didn’t think so, because that wasn’t the case when he was surrounded by fellow university students.

He didn’t have to look at her to know that Mei had smelled as much. Mei’s mouth twitched.  “I see more right there,” she said, pointing vaguely towards the girl. The bodyguards stiffened.

“We have no more,” the girl repeated, her tone stricter than any of her bodyguards’ body language. Her eyes narrowed, and Chan caught the hue of them - blue. “Perhaps if you had offered more money, or if you were a bit more reputable, I would have-”

The girl was unable to finish her sentence, because Mei had darted forward, faster than any human could have ever moved. Before Chan realized what she was doing, Mei already had a hold on a second box, identical to the one he was holding. It must have been hiding somewhere, and for whatever reason Mei had managed to see it.

Chaos ensued. The girl screamed, Chan screamed too, and Mei had delivered a blow to the muscular bodyguard, sending him to the floor. He realized that he was supposed to act the part of the strong sidekick, but Chan’s rationality and legs had a different idea. He was not fit to fight. While Mei sized up another bodyguard, Chan took off running. He ran out of the shack, blood vials rattling violently in his hands. He realized too late that under no circumstances could he drop the box of blood - it would defeat the purpose of Mei’s inception.

To his chagrin, he realized one of the bodyguards, the one with veiny hands, had taken off running behind him, and Chan deliriously wondered if he was good at playing piano as he dove into the dark forest around the shack.

“Stop!” The bodyguard yelled as if Chan would obey. He ran further into the forest, grateful it was nighttime. He could see easily, and based on how the bodyguard faltered around the frequent trees, he didn’t have the same advantage. Chan slowed his running when he saw how far behind the bodyguard was and crouched by a particularly large tree, cradling the vials of blood like they were a newborn baby.

He heard the bodyguard come closer, but Chan had faith that he was hidden and quiet enough to not be noticed. “Shit!” The bodyguard swore when he must have been about ten feet away. Chan remained perfectly still, crouched low, not breathing. He was dimly aware of the spiraling and sharp pain coming from his toes because of the way he was sitting, and he decided to ignore it. Then, without warning, Chan lost his balance and toppled onto the forest floor, the vials crashing into each other and creating a cacophony of noise. It was Chan’s turn to swear.

The bodyguard was upon him within seconds. Chan had barely gathered himself and the blood, and was still struggling miserably on the forest ground, pain exploding from his toes. “Are you insane?” The bodyguard growled, his voice rough. Chan squirmed away from the bodyguard and barely missed the bodyguard’s lunge towards him. He couldn’t tell if he was trying to reach for his neck or the blood.

“Yeah,” Chan answered him, tripping into a standing position, but the guard was too close for him to make a run for it. The adrenaline racing through his system had adrenaline, and briefly he wondered how Mei was doing. Could she hold off two bodyguards and that girl on her own? He wasn’t doing well even with one. His knees began to shake, and for a moment he wished he had never become a vampire - he wouldn’t have ever been in this situation. He wouldn’t have been moments from death or capture.

“You must be truly desperate if you’re willing to steal from people like us,” the bodyguard snarled. “What were you gonna do with it all, resell it? Give it to authorities to rat us out?” He backed Chan into a tree. “Or fucking drink it?”

Chan’s eyes widened, and a lightbulb glowed in his mind with a ridiculous idea. For the past few months, Chan had adjusted to being a vampire, but he couldn’t help but often felt alienated even with Mei being a new addition in his life. He avoided drinking blood in front of a human and even broke out into a sweat when it was in a concealed and opaque container in fear of their terrified reaction. Now, Chan took this opportunity to turn the tables in his favor. He just hoped he wasn’t the greatest fool for doing it.

“It tastes like cranberry juice,” Chan said in a voice that was much too cheery for how unhinged he felt internally. Then, without warning, he uncorked one of the vials of blood and chugged it. He let it slosh around in his mouth as a red sea, he gurgled it, he let it run over his mouth and onto his chin, and he prayed to some god, a god that likely had damned him already, that this plan had an ounce of sense. At least the blood tasted good.

“What the fuck?” The bodyguard choked, which was precisely the reaction Chan had hoped for. Chan kicked out and slammed his leg into the bodyguard, causing him to sputter in surprise before falling to the ground. His head connected with a tree and the sound was sweetly sickening. Chan stood, staring at the man lying unconscious on the floor, staring at his hands, staring at the blood. He must have stood there for a few minutes in stunned silence, before being interrupted by screams and shouts coming from the old shack.

“Seungmin!” A masculine voice shouted, and Chan assumed the voice was referring to the knocked out man lying on the forest floor in front of him. Unfortunate for both of them. A few more screams, and then, “-in the building!”

He heard a crack, and the most horrible, loud sound of splitting wood, metal chafing, and tile cracking overcame all silence in the forest. Chan cringed as he ran back towards the shack, fearful of Mei’s safety.

He emerged from the forest, only to have Mei dart in front of him to seize his wrist. Her hair, done in a ponytail under her hood, had become exposed and frazzled, but otherwise she seemed fine. She was carrying the second box, that special box, under her arm, and Chan wanted to cry with relief. They were both okay, they had done what they had come to do. “Car!” She huffed, then took off running, still gripping Chan. He felt like a rag doll being yanked by his five-year-old owner as Mei dragged him towards their escape.

He threw himself into the car, Mei already driving before his butt hit the seat. He placed his box of blood at his feet and felt out-of-body as Mei drove like a demon out of hell out of the forest and onto the gravel road. Chan had never felt so happy to feel the motion sickness that came from the rough terrain. He glanced over to Mei, who had ripped off her sunglasses. She looked like she had just slain a dragon and was glowing with adrenaline. Chan was filled with the happiness of knowing her. How could he ever have gotten so lucky? He broke into a grin, then began crying with laughter.

“We did it!” He cried, and Mei joined in with him after a few moments. He could hear the tension, fear, and anticipation leave her body as she laughed - a joyful, boisterous, and relieving laugh that seemed to be perfectly in rhythm with the car bouncing on the gravel road.

“We did, didn’t we?” She choked out after her laughter subsided. “But God, Chan, you look like you were shot in the mouth. What happened?”

Chan suddenly remembered his silly vampire distraction, and he burst into laughter all over again. “I scared the daylights out of the bodyguard that chased me by chugging some of the blood,” he giggled. His head was going to fly off of his head in the next few seconds. “It was all I could think of to distract him.”

“Oh my God, Chan,” Mei laughed. “That’s brilliant.” Mei turned, and the car gave a few jolts as it tore into another dirt road. “I destroyed the shack. It was sort of an accident, but it was only a matter of time.”

“And how’d that happen?”

Mei chuckled. "Throwing a bodyguard enough times against a wall causes a lot of strain on the house. I think I crushed everyone in the shack. Oh!" Chan's mouth dropped open as Mei reached into the center pocket on her hoodie and pulled out the wad of cash that she had used to pay for the blood. “There’s this.” She threw it into his lap, and Chan jumped as it touched him.

"Mei!" Chan gasped, unsure whether to laugh or be terrified. "We literally stole from them, and now we cut them short of-"

"Yeah, and they cut us short too," Mei shrugged, having an ethical compass of a seesaw. "Their leader, the little girl, promised me a second box. I was essentially paying for two boxes and she only gave me one. It's only fair. Well, at least for us." Mei stared off into the distance as she drove. "And I bet you smelled the blood of the second box, too. Perhaps she thought she could undercut us. Either way, I hope all four of them are screwed either financially or physically. Honestly, I might have killed the ones in the shack. But now I can pay for my next semester and not die of thirst over the summer." 

She said all of this causally, and Chan didn’t feel like lecturing her. He had sins too, lying unconscious in the forest. Chan also decided not to ask where Mei had gotten her money. He didn't want to, because he knew she didn't have it before this. "I mean, they're blood dealers," he said instead. "I don't think they care about laws or rules. But still..."

"Still nothing, Chan," Mei laughed. "We did it. Can't we celebrate?"

"Ah, two vampire college students stealing blood from a shady group of people that we might have killed. Congratulations to us," Chan said in a mocking voice, but smiled. "We certainly did it. Let's never do it again."

"You can say that again," Mei agreed. Her mouth quirked upward, and she barely suppressed a giggle. "Honestly, I thought we were screwed the entire time," Mei said carefully. "I thought they'd have backup in the forest or around the shack. Me reaching for that second box - that was pure stupidity."

"But we got our blood," Chan said with a note of finality.

"We got our blood," Mei echoed. Against all odds, they had pulled off a plan only a college student could conjure. "If we can do this, finals will be easy."

"Are you sure about that?"

Chan and Mei bickered back and forth over if finals or stealing illegal blood from shady vandals was harder (finals won) until Mei got onto the highway. Homebound and their goal accomplished, the two vampires laughed all the way home. In the sky, the moon's white rays glowed on them, the foil of the sun that they had grown to love as creatures of the night.