#Mel can write??

[darlingsnow0]

If notes could talk my Katniss avox pt3 would be calling me slurs every time I open my notes app for forgetting about it

[krstsole]

Just wanna say that I think Ekko and Mel slander makes sense when you understand that 85% of the Arcane fandom views both of them as characters less worthy of fandom attention.

In their eyes, they are afterthoughts to more interesting relationships, so when someone in the 15% dares to give them anything outside of dutiful lamentations ("Mel and Ekko deserved better!"), they can't help but feel those analysis would be better suited for a character they *actually* like and so they lash out.

Fans of both characters have to constantly argue that these characters have loved and have been loved. They want Mel "independent" because she doesn't "need love" and they want Ekko focused on The Tree and the unnamed Firelights because they want it to be easier to carve both of them out of the interpersonal narratives that attaches fandoms to characters in the first place.

They want Mel and Ekko to "save the day" because they don't want their roles in the story to interfere with other characters that they like. Better for them to beat the Bad Guys™ than to be given more material that would validate their personal connections with other characters in ways that the fandom would prefer to ignore.

And the fact that Ekko and Mel are completely different characters who have never once interacted with each other and yet somehow both of them are being treated the same way with how the fandom constantly diminishes their relationships with the rest of the main cast leads me to believe that it does have something to do with the One Trait they do share.

[rosenr0tten]

Meljay isn’t boring. Most people are just unwilling to discuss or engage with them in a meaningful way because of their own biases + inability to think of ship dynamics beyond their cookie cutter tropes

[melmedardasworld]

Yes, I will be writing their reunion and posting it before Act III drops.

[narumi-gens]

why does life slumber? yandere!sunday x gn!reader

minors, ageless, blank blogs dni

"dove, what are you doing?"

there's something dark in sunday's tone that signals danger. but right now, you're too focused on trying to keep your balance as you crouch on top of the balcony's railing to pick up on it. the metal is narrow enough that it only just fits the width of one foot and so you have them arranged toe to heel.

this high up, the wind is as strong as it is cold. the only thing keeping you from slipping from the railing is the death grip that you have on it.

"dove, come down from there."

you quickly glance over at him to see the cautious hand that he's extending out to you before looking over the balcony's edge, only to immediately feel dizzy. you shut your eyes as your hold on the railing grows tighter.

"it's just a dream. it's just a dream," you tell yourself, forcing yourself to ease your grip and steady your stance.

"dove! this isn't the dreamscape!"

the wind must have carried your voice because there's suddenly a frantic note in his tone that you've never heard before. it's enough to catch you by surprise and make you hesitate, tightening your hold on the railing and opening your eyes.

"this isn't the dreamscape," he repeats, slower this time but no less excited. "you're awake. this is reality."

you look at him from the corner of your eye and see that he's moved a few inches closer, his hand still outstretched towards you. he sounds so sure that it has you doubting yourself.

you're positive that this is a dream. you're positive that you learned the difference between when he puts you under into the dreamscape and when he wakes you up back into reality.

but...what if he took you out of the dreamscape without you regaining consciousness? what if he had woken you up, but then somehow removed the memory? what if the bedroom you awoke in was the real one and not the exact mirror he created for you in the dreamscape?

what if jumping from this balcony doesn't wake you from a dream but instead ends it all in reality?

"n-no. this is a dream," you assure yourself and him, but both your voice and certainty waver. you take a deep breath for courage and force the confidence back into your words. "this is a dream!"

slowly, you let go of the railing and stretch your arms to the sides for balance, wobbling as you carefully begin to stand up. your heart races in your chest. your stomach drops. you can feel how sweaty your palms are.

"dove, you're awake!" his pleas fall on deaf ears. this is a dream. this is a dream.

you repeat the mantra over and over in your head as you carefully turn out toward what you're certain are the glittering streets of the golden hour far, far beneath your cage. you close your eyes, assuring yourself one final time that this is a dream and when you hit the ground, you'll wake up with precious moments to spare to try and escape before sunday wakes to stop you.

you take a single step off the railing, balancing for a moment on the one remaining foot, and then your world spins.

only, instead of falling forward, you've fallen backward into a firm chest and with a heavy arm tightly wound around your middle.

it takes a minute for the realization that he's caught you just as you were about to jump to sink in.

the adrenaline and fear are still pumping through your veins. your pounding heartbeat is loud in your ears, drowning out the relieved murmurings he breathes against your temple as he wraps his other arm around you to hold you close.

you're in such a state of shock, that you only notice you're shivering from the cold after he's carted you inside. once he has you seated, he shrugs off his jacket and gently places his blazer over your shoulders. your trembling fingers wrap it tighter around your frame, instinctively seeking the warmth it holds from his body heat.

"oh, dove," he softly sighs from where he kneels before you. his expression is colored with a mixture of sadness, concern, and relief. you flinch when he brings his hands up and cups your cheeks, but he doesn't let you shake him off. "what were you thinking?"

the question is dripping with condescension and pity, making you feel small. your gaze drops to your lap and when you notice how blurry your vision is, you realize that you're crying.

"I-I wanted to wake from the dream," you whisper, your voice so soft that he only hears you because of how close he keeps you.

there must be something in your words that affects him because he rests his forehead against yours. when your eyes briefly dart up to see him, you find that his own eyes are closed.

"even if this were a dream, it wouldn't matter. you'll always be by my side. haven't you realized that yet?" in response, you can only break down in sobs.

it's only much later that night, in the brief moment that sunday has his back to you, that you're able to quickly peek over the edge of your bed and look at the bottom of the bedside table. and there, so faint that you can see it only because you know to look for it, is the small D that you scratched into the wood weeks ago.

the knowledge that you are in fact in the dreamscape should relieve you as it means that you can still tell the difference between dreams and reality. instead, you find yourself wishing you hadn't looked because there's nothing that you can do about it.

even that small movement has caused the thick chain connecting the collar around your neck to the rung bolted into the wall to softly rattle, drawing sunday's attention back to you. you merely close your eyes and try to make peace with the fact that it doesn't matter if you're dreaming or awake. you're trapped in a nightmare regardless.

[loveaetingkids]

(Like or reblog if you wanna use)

[melverie]

Can I just say that I absolutely LOVE how ever since they all found out that MC is human and was brought here against their will, it was Lucifer who kept insisting that they shouldn't be the ones to trap MC in the Devildom. That whether they want to stay or not is a decision MC has to make themself and that the brothers should support them no matter what they end up choosing

And now that the moment is finally here, now that MC has confirmed that they indeed plan on heading home, and now that all of his brothers agreed on helping them get back, having forged a pact and lending their powers to do so—

Now that he knows that he's the final piece needed to send them back; that the lingering idea of the yet to be forged pact between them is what's stopping MC from potentially leaving their side for good, leaving his side for good—

Now that they have finally gotten to this point, he realizes something. And he's unable to live with it

And so, he goes back on his word.

He's taking that choice from them.

"I don't want to."

Lucifer's pride is what keeps his voice leveled and neutral, as if it were just another day. As if he everything was completely fine. As if he didn't feel this pain in his heart, almost as if someone had rammed a dagger through his chest over and over and over again

To most people, he'd appear to be in perfect control of his emotions—if only his gaze wouldn't completely obliterated that frail façade of his. The way his beautiful dark eyes shimmering with a hint of blood red silently plead, beg MC to stay...

Internally, he is breaking apart because he knows what he is doing isn't right. He knows that he shouldn't trap them like a bird in a cage, and yet he can't help himself. Not in this situation. Not when it comes to MC

'No'

He—Lucifer, Avatar of Pride himself—is the last thing trapping the very person that finally made him realize what his sister had meant forever ago

'I won't let you go'

How one day, someone would stumble their way into his life, and how he'd love them so wholeheartedly and so deeply that everything else would become trivial as long as he'd get to hold them in his arms

'I can't let you go'

Someone that he'd happily throw away everything for, not even considering any alternatives if only for the shred of a chance at just one last tomorrow with them

'Please stay with us. Please stay with me'

Everything.

'I cannot lose you, MC'

Even if they'll never forgive him for it.

"I'm not going to forge a pact with MC."

[meloodyxx]

"you can say it's just the way we are, make a new excuse another stupid reason. " but its shinyduo

and no matter how hard gem is trying to antagonize pearl in her head, she still tells pearl that they can maybe have fun together when she's red. and when that happens, pearl's still gonna be alive, right? because she must be. she has to be.

it's just the way they are, she says to herself, it's just the way they are. they turn red, they cause chaos and have fun together. always has, always will be.

and no matter how hard pearl is trying to believe she's fighting back by giving her a reason to antagonize her if thats how things are gonna be, it might just be her denying gem's reasonless behavior. because the way she's treating her cant be for nothing, right? some random 2v1 from a previous season wont make her have that negative feelings about pearl. right? there must be a reason to all this, right?

she goes ahead and makes that stupid reason. she goes ahead and serves it on a golden platter.

they keep making more and more new excuses, but something is bound to break soon, they both know...

[fazedlight]

Plus One (Lena goes to Barry's wedding)

“I have to attend this friend’s wedding…” Kara said shyly. “Do you want to be my plus one?”

Lena glanced over, feeling a small blush creep up her cheeks. Where is this going?, she thought hopefully. “Sure,” Lena replied.

“It’s, uh- so my friend’s a superhero. It’s on another Earth. If you’re comfortable with that,” Kara said.

… there are other Earths? I can go to another Earth?! “Wow,” Lena said, “You really do know all the superheroes.”

Kara smiled awkwardly. “Feel free to think about it.”

“I’ll go,” Lena said. “I’d love to see another Earth.”

---------

Two things were true.

One, Lena was extremely annoyed that Kara had carried her away from the fight - abandoning her on a nearby roof - when the attack in the church first broke out.

Two, Lena was kicking herself. Of course Kara Danvers is Supergirl.

---------

“I can take you home. I don’t want you to get caught up in this,” Kara said, glancing over at Lena.

“I’d rather stay,” Lena said, as she glanced around STAR Labs. “I might be useful.”

“In hand-to-hand combat-”

“I can take care of myself.”

Kara glanced over, as Lena crossed her arms and met Kara’s gaze. “Okay,” Kara relented. “You can stay. But you need to stay here with Iris and Felicity-”

“We found them,” Oliver shouted at Kara, “Let’s go.”

Kara nodded, as Lena tried to get her attention. “Kara, wait-”

“I’ll be back soon,” Kara said, as she left.

---------

Kara’s body ached as she struggled against the power-dampening collar wrapped around her neck. She glanced towards Barry and Oliver, seeing the worry in their eyes as Sara barked back at their nazi captors, as Jax and Stein struggled fruitlessly against their bindings.

Her heart raced as she stared at her doppelganger, wondering how long it would be before her heart was pounding in a different chest instead. I should’ve taken Lena back to Earth-38, she thought to herself, if she ends up stranded on Earth-1…

“Let me go!” came a voice, shouting. 

Kara’s face snapped to her right, where she saw one of the masked soldiers dragging in a familiar brunette. No no no, Kara though, Lena-

“She was found lurking outside,” the guard said, throwing Lena to the floor. Lena’s hands were tied in front of her, another powercuff collar around her neck. Lena glanced up at Kara.

This is my fault, she’s going to die because of me, Kara panicked. But there was something oddly unsettling about Lena’s expression - a calm that didn’t make sense. Lena shuffled off the ground, throwing Kara a damn wink, which confused Kara enough that she almost didn’t notice Lena’s hands beginning to glow.

“What’s happening?” Kara’s nazi counterpart demanded, as the bindings around everyone’s wrists and necks disappeared.

“Oh,” Lena said, with a slight smirk as she rose off the ground. “Powercuffs don’t affect witches.”

The other heroes jumped again to their feet, Oliver grabbing at his arrows, Jax and Stein becoming Firestorm again. Lena turned towards Overgirl. “I wonder if magic affects evil kryptonians.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

This started off as a 9-word story for the recent ask game, but then I got carried away? The original was:

Lena’s hands began to glow. “Powercuffs don’t stop witches.”

[pixieswashere]

I can't tell you how deeply hurt and sick I feel after realizing that three side/main female characters that are tied to the ships that got canon, which I still respect and love....ended up at the cost of these women having their agency removed or villainized. I literally feel like im gonna have a breakdown.....

[onthewaytosomewhere]

oh oh oh - thanks @typicalopposite for the early tag 💚

so first since this snip will have no smut - which feels a lil weird for me i posted a fic on friday that does if ur interested in a lil pip had alex first firstprince fic - gonna need you to tell me what you want to happen here

okay peeps it's time - today will be the first day of this lil fic (48k-ish) i wrote and will be posting throughout the month - it's gonna be a "baker's dozen 12 days of winter/holiday" thing - so 13 days lolz

here's a snip from the first chapter (under a cut with some tags cuz well it's longer than i thought and i don't wanna pick another snip lolz) OPEN TAG TO ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO PLAY ALONG

On his bed, Nora lounges like a queen surveying her domain. She’s lying on her stomach, one leg lazily kicking in the air, her other hand clutching a burrito the size of her head. The remnants of her lunch are scattered on the nightstand—a crumpled foil wrapper, a soda can tipped precariously, and a few stray tortilla chips that she occasionally crunches between her teeth. With her free hand, Nora rifles through a pile of Alex’s belongings next to her, occasionally plucking an item and tossing it into his suitcase without so much as a glance. A bottle of holiday-flavored lube arcs through the air, landing in the chaos with a soft thud. It’s swiftly followed by a couple of brightly colored dildos, one of which bounces off the edge and rolls onto the carpet. Alex freezes mid-step, his hand clutching a stack of folded shirts. He raises an eyebrow, his tone caught somewhere between incredulous amusement and sheer exasperation. “Really?” “What?” Nora doesn’t even bother looking up, taking another indulgent bite of her burrito. “You never know what kind of emergencies you might face, dude.” Alex closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose, letting out a long, steadying breath before setting the shirts on a nearby chair. “This is a legitimate acting gig, Nora. Not that kind of movie.” “Still,” she says, her voice laced with mischief as she finally looks up, her hand now brandishing one of his neon dildos like it’s a trophy, “better safe than sorry. Besides, you still need to make some content for your Presidential Boudoir account; you don’t want to leave your plethora of subscribers in the lurch.”

okay tag ur it (in a no-pressure all that jazz way) @adreamareads @basil-bird @bitbybitwrites @blueeyedgrlwrites @cactusdragon517

@stnichols @caterpills @cha-melodius @cricketnationrise @dragonflylady77

@dreamtigress @emmalostinwonderland @england-would-fall @eusuntgratie @everwitch-magiks

@firenati0n @firstprincehornyramblings @firstsprinces @forever-fixating @hgejfmw-hgejhsf

@iboatedhere @inexplicablymine @jmagnabo92 @judasofsuburbia @kiwiana-writes

@lizzie-bennetdarcy @mikibwrites @myheartalivewrites @ninzied @nocoastposts

@orchidscript @piratefalls @porcelainmortal @priincebutt @royal-chandler

@seths-rogens @softboynick @sophie1973 @sparklepocalypse @stellarmeadow

@stratocumulusperlucidus @suseagull5914 @tailsbeth-writes @thedramasummer @thinkof-england

@thesleepyskipper @thighzp @tinyarmedtrex @zwiazdziarka

SOME DAY I WILL DO ONE OF THESE W/O SO MUCH RAMBLING AND WITH SNIPS ACTUALLY 6-7 SENTENCES BUT TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY 💚💚

[tsscat]

On a higher level I agree with this but I fundamentally disagree with this being applied to Arcane (what this post was inspired by) because the animation of Arcane is so handmade and detail heavy that you fundamentally cannot have 15-20 episodes. Like it cannot happen because it takes a long time and a lot of skilled people to make animation like that and it’s near impossible to get the time or money to do that length.

A lot have people talked about how the finale was cut down from its original hour and a half long script but less have talked about why — its because (from what I remember) it was too long to animate. The budget for arcane was 250 million dollars. That’s actually pretty efficient for big budget animation when you look at cost per minute, as some people have pointed out. But that’s still overall larger than most big budget animated films (both spiderverses were 100 million, largest Pixar films are around 200 million). 15-20 episodes per season for Arcane would have likely been something like 400-500 million dollars. That’s obscene amounts of money for any project. The highest budget film ever made from what I can tell (Star Wars The Force Awakens) was 447 million. 20 episodes would be like 555 million!

There’s some oversimplification here that I’m doing because obviously 18 episodes is still a lot more than one movie and it’s actually really impressive what they’ve been able to accomplish with the money they have. BUT this still doesn’t even factor in the time and labor took to make this, and the even more time and labor it would take to make a 15-20 ep arcane.

From what I can tell, writers knew how many episodes there were per season going in (though there’s maybe a rumor that they thought for a second that there were 5 seasons? Idk). I think it is more productive to critique writers on what they chose to write for and how they wrote season 2 given this 9 ep limit. You need to scope properly for any project, and I think fundamentally writers either did not scope properly or did not write for the scope they set.

[thebluespacecow]

I don't know shit about fuck but i Do know art things. So here are my Arcane hcs if and how they draw.

°'☆*~

It's obvious but Jinx is using cheap crayons that smear her hands, the kinds where when you press just a little hard they will 100% break. She's so Poscas in my brain. It makes sense for her to use paintmarkers, lots of them can go over anything. Big and bright and Fun. Though there's something so distinct in my brain of her going over the lines again and again, be it to fill out any spottienes, or because she just Needs to, something about the repetative motion just doesn't click quite the same with anything that isn't crayons. And of course there's spray pain too, i'm not forgeting the bbg. These are the big statements. No longer just doodles or a complusery need to fill out the blank space.

Vi never got to it. She was, of course, a little kid once, with a bright imagenation she'd share with Powpow to play, and scare, and giggle till they're colapsing into eatchother. So she did draw, she did. But it wasn't comfort, she sought that in other things. So, truly, i can see her only doing crude little doodles when Jinx actualy draws on paper, in the few spare corners that are there. And it's....nice, in a way. It'll be a little monster or a shitty (intentionaly bad, i mean) rendition of whoever's around she can giggle with Jinx about.

Mel is doing oil(paints and pastels!!!! pastels are more for fine fine aditions and long travels). Case closed. Go home folks. She's been doing this since young. Found a type of...solice and fascination in the old masters renditions. I can see Noxus having art as a means of glorifying the endless battle, dying in one. You know how it is. But Mel got good outside of that too. I think her the type to never truly proach portaits, she knows people well enough. It's the nature of Places, how they change, how they Feel, the wind and the sky, how waters curl and fold. It never got to be serious for her? She's dedicated a lot of time to it. Of course. She's been tought by the best. But it's a quiet passion, one she indulges in for herself.

We knowwwww Jayce sketches Viktor in his notebook. No shit that man has careful, steady hands when he needs them. He's an enginear. So i don't think the type of drawing he does is often in the artistic, but he has a control over his movements just as anyone who's worked that part of their brain long enough. So it's easy. And, yeah, Okay, maybe not easy, but when he's more so outside of himself than brainstorming, he'll drift...little curl of hair there....that soft look Viktor gets when he smiles here...and how his hands hold his cane in small, controled lines. He's not messy, he's just A Lot, and his notes reflect how he thinks things over. If Viktor gets i there then what of it?

You throw Anything at Ekko and he's done it. Acrylics? Water color? Guash? Chalk? Pastels(both kinds)? Color pencils? The boring kind(grafite)? Charcoal? Ink? Markers? The child kind? Alchochol markers(adult)? Printing? Yeahhhhhh, he's figured it out. And if he hasn't then he could. We've seen the murals, the wip paingings in AU!Powders hideout. He has a range of skill, eve if we've seen Paint mostly, it's a similar thing with Jayce in my mind. He'd simply find a way in a new medium because he already has an in depth experiance. Of course, it's still Zaun we're talking about, you get what you can, and that only makes me believe more that Ekko will Figure It Out with what he has. His materials aren't reflective of his skill. The kind that he's been building on since being little. It can't take up as much of his time as he'd like, he has a community to care for, but art is still a presance in his life, one which he clearly has a care for.

~'☆*°.

[valzhangism]

i know i said i was happy about how mel's story went, but the more i think about it the less i'm sure about that. this is very much connected to how the themes of classism and wealth disappeared in s2, but mel in the beginning was the epitome of piltover. she wanted to advance piltover to prove herself to her mother. to "put piltover—" and by extension herself, "—on the map."

she wanted wealth just to have it. and i'm not blaming her for anything that happened, especially with hextech! she, just like jayce and viktor, could not have known what it would lead to. i mean yeah heimerdinger said so but who the hell listens to heimerdinger? but anyway i think mel changed throughout s1, much in thanks to jayce. by the end she's become more cognisant of the mistreatment of zaunites. she's the first to vote for their peace. she was a good person all along but now she knows how to act on it. it's also seen more in s2 act 1. when she covers her painting with gold, it's symbolic—she won't act according to what her mother might think. she won't let her desire for approval dictate her anymore.

so somehow i wish those themes were. continued, somehow? like again they were dropped not just with mel but the whole show and it makes her story a off to me. there's no meaningful commentary on war or classism or how her ideology stands opposite to her mother's. like some people have said, it feels like she doesn't have much agency, even if she is really cool. and that to me is a shame because agency felt like her thing. "to shape your own destiny" as she says to jayce in s1. i know her collaborating with the black rose (but not fully joining them) and learning magic is supposed to represent becoming independent from her mother, taking her own path, but some other aspects of her character were thrown away... the more i think about it the more i'm thinking they kind of #girlboss-ed her a little bit. maybe to sell another champion. i can't help but feel like even though i enjoyed seeing her on screen, the payoff didn't feel proportionally satisfying compared to her setup in s1.

[narumi-gens]

my type itadori yuuji x f!reader

note: I just really like that "brother you're a man amongst men" line of todo's and wanted to use it in a not so sad context so here we are. everyone is out here going wild over hidden inventory gojo and geto but I'm still riding the best boy train.

minors, ageless, and blank blogs dni

For all of Yuuji's strength, there's little he can do as Todo drags him along at his side, a massive arm wrapped around his "younger brother's" shoulders. He tries to drag his feet. He tries to fight back. He even throws an elbow to the man's gut.

With no other option left, he has to beg.

"P-please don't! Don't make me do this! I'll do anything! Please just stop!" As the two of them round the corner, the coffee shop that Todo is leading him toward comes into sight and panic seizes him. "Brother!"

This finally seems to strike something in Todo. He comes to a stop and faces Yuuji, dropping a hulking hand to each of his shoulders. He then looks down at him, a grave expression on his scarred face.

"Brother, you are a man amongst men." Yuuji can't remember ever having heard Todo sound as serious as he does now. "You cannot allow yourself to be overcome by such timidness!"

His grip on Yuuji's shoulders tightens and if it were anyone else being held, they would be wincing and begging to be released. Yuuji barely registers the pressure.

"Takada-chan says a real man doesn't hesitate to go after the things he wants!" he continues, his voice increasing in volume and the two of them begin to garner stares from the few passing onlookers. "Brother, do you love this woman?"

Yuuji's face feels like it's on fire.

"L-love?" he cries out, the embarrassment swirling in his stomach. "I don't love her! I don't even know her!"

It's the truth. He doesn't know you. He doesn't know your likes and dislikes. He doesn't know about your hobbies or your family. He doesn't know about your dreams and wants.

All he knows is that you work at a new coffee shop in the area that Kugisaki dragged him to. All he knows is that you're so incredibly kind. All he knows is that when you smile at him, his heart pounds so loudly in his chest that he's afraid you'll hear it. All he knows is that you now know his name and his order by heart because of how often he's been frequenting the coffee shop.

"If you want this woman then you cannot falter now! You must demonstrate your commitment to her with courage and heart!"

Before he can protest again, Todo's arm is once again tightly wrapped around his shoulders and he's pulled along into the coffee shop. He allows himself to feel the slightest relief at how empty it is. At least there won't be a large audience to witness his humiliation.

But any relief disappears as soon as he sees you at the counter. Where he would normally feel butterflies in his stomach at how your face lights up as you notice him, now all he can feel is dread. This is the last time you'll ever look at him without thinking of him as the weirdo who bothered you at work and thought he actually had a chance with you.

And he can't even savor it because Todo drags him to the counter and before you've even had a chance to greet either of them, he curls his hand into a fist and slams it onto the countertop. It cracks under the pressure and you can only look on in shock.

The sound catches the attention of the only other two customers as well as your coworker, who runs out from the back to see what's going on, only to freeze when they see Todo's intimidating shape.

"What kind of man is your type?" he asks you. The question shouted in your face, which is Todo's regular volume.

You blink at him dumbly, your mouth opening and closing as you struggle to move past your surprise.

"M-my type?" you repeat and although you stutter, there's no tremor in your voice and both Yuuji and Todo are impressed by your fortitude. You take a moment to look at Todo fully before your nose wrinkles slightly. "Sorry, I'm not interested. But I'm happy to take your order."

Todo laughs jovially and brings a hand to his chest.

"My heart already belongs to another," he tells you proudly and you give him a suspicious look, unsure why else he would be asking, before you shrug. You bring up a finger to your chin and look up at the ceiling thoughtfully.

"Well, if I had to say...I like strong guys who are nice, I guess?" you offer and Yuuji's breath catches in his throat, his eyes going wide.

You like strong guys? Yuuji is a strong guy.

You like nice guys? Yuuji is a nice guy.

"Um, also..." Your expression turns a little sheepish and you scratch the back of your head as you give them a slightly embarrassed smile. "I kind of like it when they're a little dumb."

Todo squeezes him tightly in victory and Yuuji wonders if this is what hope feels like.

[eglantinesandtea]

Arcane Swan Lake inspired AU with a sneak peek of the storyline

Act I: Birth of a Herald

The story begins in winter. Ximena and her son Jayce are trapped in a blizzard, lost within the woodlands near Piltover. With no way out, and their destination out of reach, it seems like these two will die. Until a young black swan finds them and brings them to safety using his magic.

It turns out that the black swan is actually a magician named Viktor, and he’s one of many denizens of the Enchanted Woods next to Piltover. Viktor introduces Ximena and Jayce to their current main protector and his mentor, the alchemist Reveck. Reveck, with the urging of Heimerdinger and Viktor, decides to allow Ximena and Jayce to stay within the Enchanted Wood. Under the conditions that neither may leave since humans can prove to be tricky to deal with, and they need to protect the woods.

Reveck notes to Ximena that he understands her plight of raising a child alone, since he too was once a single parent himself.

However, Jayce and Viktor soon discover oddities among the forest, forcing them to embark on an investigation that will lead them to a horrible discovery for all the denizens of the woods.

Meanwhile, a young Mel Medarda is the recently exiled heiress to the Medarda family of Noxus. Moving to Piltover with her best friend and assistant Elora has been tough, but getting a foot within the trust of Piltover’s nobles is tougher. That’s not even mentioning the mystery of the Enchanted Woods. With calculated steps, Mel will prove that she can make this city hers.

But first, who’s that boy she sees at the edge of the woods?